Not too many people give out awards for being a SAHM, and it has been a long time since I received the “Most Valuable Typist” award in the 9th grade, so I was super surprised to receive this Tweet recently:
That’s right, I have received the honor of being nominated for a Liebster Award. Although I wasn’t entirely sure what I Liebster award was, it was an honor because I was nominated by Kirsten from Kids are a Trip and she’s one of my favorite blogging moms. I would have been pleased just to have her send me a note saying she knew I existed, so sharing this fun award with me was truly exciting.
Here is how the Liebster Award works
- The Liebster Award is blogger nominated. You give it to someone who is new to blogging or has a smaller blog to help them gain recognition.
- The person who nominates you asks you 10 questions.
- You nominate 10 more blogs and ask them 10 questions.
Here are the questions that Kirsten asked me and the other nominees:
1) What is the story behind your blog name?
I was in the process (and still am) of trying to figure out what to do with myself now that my youngest started full-time school back in August. It was late one night and I was thinking about picking up some career search books like “What Color is Your Parachute?” and my nagging self-doubt, internal voice piped up saying “Your Parachute is Dusty!” I wrote more about it here.
2) What is your favorite blog post you have written?
Oddly enough, my favorite post didn’t involve much new writing, but instead was making fun of the ‘Child Care Instructions’ that I had written for my in-laws 8 years ago when they were kind enough to offer to watch my (then 1 year old) daughter. It’s funny because I just slapped together the whole thing one morning spur of the moment and when it got picked up on Redbook.com and Martinis and Minivans I thought to myself, “I really should have proofread that a little more closely”.
3) What was your first job and did you love it or hate it?
I started my first job the day after I turned 16. It was doing seasonal work at a Fred Meyer (like a Target) in the clothing department. My job primarily consisted of waxing the top of racks so that hangers slid more easily (yes, someone actually does that) and rehanging stuff. Boooooring. My next job at Dairy Queen was much more exciting….and delicious.
4) Looking back, what is the one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
You should keep playing the violin, even if it’s heavy and annoying to carry on the bus…and you should be nicer to your mom.
5) What do you enjoy doing when you’re not blogging?
I love to read, (just about to post a review on my advance copy of The Shell Collector, by Hugh Howey). I also run, when my running partner doesn’t allow me to flake out of it. And I am one of those annoying over-volunteer moms at my kids’ school. After hours, we have a lot of neighborhood ladies nights and I love Netflix/Hulu marathons with my husband of all the shows the rest of most people finished years ago (Dexter, Boardwalk Empire and True Blood, currently).
6) What’s your favorite holiday tradition (any holiday)?
Making my mom’s famous Spritz Christmas cookies with the kids. The cookies are one of my favorite childhood memories and I just love continuing the tradition with my kids.
7) What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I have 3 that tie for first place: People who cut in line, people who don’t use their blinkers when changing lanes and people who don’t show respect/make eye contact with the wait staff at restaurants.
8) What’s one item you never leave home without?
Some type of sweater or jacket in case I get chilly wherever we’re going. Stupid thyroid.
9) What is one item on your bucket list?
I have a dear friend, who started as a pen-pal as a 6th grade class project, who lives in France. She and I have met in person several times but our kids never have. My daughter started writing to her daughter a few years ago and I’m looking forward to the day when we all meet up together.
10) What is your favorite food to eat?
Oh man, I love pretty much everything. Not sure if margaritas are a ‘food’, so I would have to say cereal: Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Peanut Butter Puffins, to be exact.
And my nominees are…..
Now for the hard part: Coming up with a list of 10 other bloggers to nominate. I can think of hundreds of bloggers that I enjoy following and would love to ask 10 questions. The only problem is that since I’ve only been doing this for 3 ½ months, I’m not really sure who’s new or not and I don’t want anyone to be all “Hey new girl, who are YOU calling ME new here, I’ve been doing this for years!” and then I get permanently banned from Twitter and any future blogging conferences.
So, I’m selecting my list based on the bloggers that I think my friends would really enjoy following and who I think deserve even more followers and recognition, and who I would like to know more about, (especially since I don’t even know how long they’ve been blogging). A few that I do know aren’t new enough to be ‘new’ but I feel deserve the recognition are Two Cannoli , In Other Words and Using Our Words. Would love to see your answers too, but the 10 officially in the Liebster Hot Seat are:
The Reluctant Cat Owner’s Journal
(Okay, so that’s 11, but I’m a week late at turning this around so I added one for extra credit.)
Here are your questions:
- How long have you been blogging/how did you get started?
- Where’s your favorite place you have traveled?
- What book are you currently reading & would you recommend it?
- Did you used to peek at your presents when you were little and what was your most memorable childhood present?
- Where do you blog and how frequently?
- Who’s the funniest person you can think of?
- Describe your perfect meal
- What’s your #1 goal for 2015?
- Any pets? What type and names?
- What’s the hardest part about blogging for you?
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s answers and to seeing the 10 people that you nominate. And thanks again to Kirsten at Kids are a Trip for thinking of me!
Be sure to follow me on Facebook & Twitter and check out my 'Photos' tab for a sample of my Instagram feed. It's where I post my tasteful nudes (made you look!);)
xo - Susanne
- Come Check Out My New Place! SusanneKerns.com - May 23, 2017
- Don’t Miss “Touch a Truck” Austin! - May 11, 2017
- The Priceless Benefits of Having a Pen Pal - May 7, 2017
Oh, my heart is so warm from the Pen Pal Bucket List! Great getting to know you. Lots of love, Lisa
Fun fun post, great to learn a bit more, and LOVE where your blog name comes from.
Can relate to first two jobs, mine were in a drugstore as stockboy and cashier, dusting shelves and ‘facing’ the product at night after closing (pulling it forward to line up with shelf front, so yes as deadly boring as it sounds) and then in a Baskin Robbins where with the free ice cream for employees thing I pretty much at my weight the first month. Then didn’t touch the stuff again for a decade, so I guess that worked. But now I could eat my weight in ice cream on any given Tuesday night if given the opportunity….
Everyone asks me if I got sick of ice cream after working at Dairy Queen for a couple of years, and unfortunately I think it just added fuel to the fire. I used to go in the walk in fridge right after volleyball practice and take a giant cupful of Reeses Peanut Butter cups out of the candy bins. Still one of my favorite jobs ever!
Thank you for the nod, and the intros to some great blogs! I “Liebstered” a few months ago- for your questions-
1. 2007 (ack!)
2. Ninigo islands, Papua New Guinea
3. Always A Distant Anchorage, Hal Roth. Classic cruising memoir. You probably have to be into the genre.
4. Princess Leia doll with the cinnamon bun hair. Yep, 70s kid.
5. SailingTotem.com, weeklyish when I have internet access.
6. Today it’s you, seriously Susanne, because of the belly laugh I had this morning from that twitter conversation … “At least I didn’t call you ‘advanced'”! (been there!)
7. Something fresh and delicious with my sweetie under the stars in a light warm breeze and a view of the water.
8. Sailing across the Indian Ocean with my family intact when we hit South Africa.
9. Does a wild gecko (captured ashore, brought aboard about 18 months ago) fondly known as Stevie count? No? well there’s a hamster we got at the Phuket night market, Jaodze (she channels dumplings).
10. Not oversharing my way into blithering drivel.
Thanks so much for doing this. I love those Spritz cookies. So cool! The pen pal thing is awesome. I had a pen pal from New Zealand once, really wish I would have kept up with that one. And of course, margaritas are a food group! Fun to read!
Susanne, thank you so much for inviting me! 😉
I’m so happy that you started this blog – selfishly, because you make me laugh out loud nearly everyday, and kindly because it would be a crime not to share that wit with the whole wide world! (that’s a lot of w’s) And speaking of kindness, do you remember that little framed print you had in your office when we worked together nearly 20 **gulp** years ago? “It’s better to be kind than to be right.” I can’t tell you how often that comes to mind, but it’s a lot. It’s become a filter for my mouth (well, some of the time). Anywho, glad you’re blogging.
Loved your answers, btw, especially your bucket list item and cereal love, which I remember from way back. Despite the fact that my blog is all about food, if I had to pick something, it would be fried eggs and toast.
I do remember that – it’s the card my mom gave me for college graduation. I should pull that back out – I think I could use the reminder every once in a while. 😉
It’s an honor just being old. I mean mentioned. Thank you so much for thinking of me…I’ve so enjoyed your writing and will do my best to respond to this in a timely fashion. Though, my kids will confirm that when I say “just a minute” it really means “some time in this decade”, so consider yourself warned.
Thanks for shout out, and the out. I’m the process of uploading my novel to Kindle ebook. Yes, it’s as exciting and time consuming as it sounds. I will say #2 Italy, #6 Wanda Sykes, # pasta Bolognese #9 3 cats, Vinnie, Drama and Oreo, one bearded dragon, Tiger. I’m out. More later. You rock!
Yes, I figured a published author is probably in pretty good shape, but considering it took me way too long to even figure out who Jenny Lawson was, it never hurts to spread the word.
That bucket list one is a winner. Glad to finally know why you called your blog what you did. Makes sense. Margaritas should definitely be a food group. Thanks for inviting me.
Congratulations on your nomination, Susanne! I loved reading your answers and I had completely forgotten your affinity for Cinnamon Toast Crunch 🙂
Oh snap. Thank you. I better get busy.
Your answers freak me out. I think we may be the same person.
We could be. To my knowledge, no one has ever seen us in the same room at the same time. 😉 We should meet up soon just to make sure!