The Liebster Award!!

Words cannot begin to express the excitement I experienced when I received a note from Stephanie @ The Tip Toe Fairy. I just began blogging in February... it feels like it was just yesterday but apparently it has been  over 4 months, and I am starting to leave my (tiny) footprint in the bloggers world. 

So what exactly is a Liebster Award? Great question! And it seems to be changing as it floats around the blogging world. Liebster is a German word for "sweetheart" or "dearest." So, the Liebster Award is given to up-and-coming blogs of less than 200 followers. Once you have been nominated for a Liebster Award, the basic blogging protocol is as follows:


* Thank your nominator! Include a link back to their blog.
* Answer the 11 questions given to you by your nominator
* Post 11 facts about yourself* Nominate 5-11 {I've seen various numbers} other up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers for the award--no tag backs!
* Come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer
* Let your nominees know you nominated them so they too can pass on the love!

So without further a due, Stephanie's questions answered!!

1.  What's the one thing you use everyday, you couldn't live without?
It's going to sound so cliche, but my iPhone. It's my lifeline to the world. Talk. Text. Facebook. My Fitness Pal (got to log those calories). Candy Crush Saga. Yep, I said it. :)

2.  What's your favorite book and why?
I don't know that I can tell you one favorite book. I would like to share a few favorites though... First, I love Emily Giffin. Something Borrowed, Something Blue... they started it for her. Every book she writes seems to be better than the next. If you haven't read any of her books yet, I highly suggest it! Next, I've never been one for big romance novels, but Nora Roberts came out with a series called the Bridal Quartet. It follows 4 best friends that run their own wedding planning company in Connecticut (I'm biased perhaps --- that's where I'm from --- and prior to becoming a Stay At Home Mom, I planned events) as they each find love. These are great reads, especially for the beach or pool during the summer time. :) And finally, the series I'm currently reading. Don't laugh, but I'm addicted to The Kingdom Keepers. I'm a huge Disney fan. In this (young adult) series, Ridley Pearson writes about a group of young adults who are on a mission to save the Disney Parks from the Overtakers (aka the Disney Villains). There are 6 books currently out (I'm reading the 5th), and the 7th and final book is due out next year. Ridley is actually asking for fans to help him write the book --- very cool! I'm hoping I can get through books 5 and 6 quick enough to offer my suggestions as the names of the people whose ideas he uses in his final book WILL be published. I love this guy! :)

3.  Where is the farthest place you've traveled?
I've been as far west as San Francisco and as far south as Aruba. Aruba was much more exciting as that was my honeymoon; both trips to San Fran were work related.

View from our room!

4.   Dog or cat person?
Dogs. I grew up with a 70lb Standard Poodle that I adored. I look forward to the day that my husband and I get a dog. I don't mind a mixed breed, as long as it's part poodle. :)

5.   Why did you start your blog?
I joined a weight loss challenge this past January that one of my blogger friends, Lanaya @ Raising Reagan, had started. It was a challenge meant to be for bloggers, so I knew this was my chance to finally get my feet wet and blog about my post-baby weight loss journey. My blog is still evolving each and every week. It's come so far, but has so far to go still. Thank you (for the hundredth time), Lanaya, for your encouragement and assistance along the way! 

6.   If you could only choose one of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, which would it be?
It almost pains me to say this because I've become such a Pinterest addict, but I've got to say Facebook. It's the easiest way to stay in touch with friends all over the world without missing much. 

7.   What famous person, living or dead, would you most want to meet?
This is without a doubt, the hardest question for me to answer. There are so many people!! Derek Jeter. Babe Ruth. Yogi Berra. George Washington. Walt Disney. The list could go on and on... 

8.   What's your favorite movie?
If I had to settle on just one all-time favorite movie, Dirty Dancing is the first that comes to mind. But I've got a list of others that are so close behind it that it's almost hard to single out just Dirty Dancing.

9.  What's your most favorite thing to wear?
Whatever is comfortable. :) These days, I spend quite a bit of time in my workout capris and tanks if I'm just going to be hanging out around the house. I fell in love with J. Crew shorts a couple weeks ago and bought out the whole store (or so it seemed). I hated my pre-baby shorts when I tried them on for the summer... they just didn't feel right. They felt too short! J. Crew has shorts with a 5" inseam which I think are the perfect length for me now. Love! :)

10. What food is your guilty pleasure?
Cookies. Homemade (by me) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies. Which I also sometimes make with M&Ms (usually around holidays when they have the special colored M&Ms out). I've tried making a skinnier version of these... not the same. I'd rather go all out and waste the calories on the more fattening cookies than waste less calories on less delicious cookies. My sister dubbed me "The Cookie Monster" growing up. So true, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Especially since I make DARN good cookies. Just sayin'. :)

11. What's your favorite thing to cook?
I love to bake. See my answer to number 10 above. :) It's hard when what you like to make the most is so unhealthy for you. Thanks to Pinterest, I've found some wonderful skinny recipe websites that I now utilize all the time. If you're interested: www.skinnytaste.com and www.skinnymom.com are my favorites. My new favorite skinny recipes to cook are Cauliflower Pizza from Skinny Mom and Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana from SkinnyTaste.


Now... 11 random facts about me...

1. I was born and raised in a small town in Connecticut. My family is still there and I always love going back to visit them. Some of the faces may change that you see around town, but it will always be my home.

2. For a bit of a history lesson: I have lived in 3 of the 4 states in the US that are dubbed to be "Commonweath" (meaning "government based on the common consent of the people"): Massachusetts (college), Virginia (post-college), and Pennsylvania (currently). Any idea what the 4th state is?

3. Though I touched on it briefly already, I am a huge Disney fan. Surprisingly, we did not take a lot of Disney vacations when I was growing up. I went when I was 3 and didn't go again until I was 17 on a school trip. And that was actually to Universal --- I flew down earlier on spring break with my mom, aunt and cousin to spend time at WDW and absolutely fell IN LOVE! I went at least once a year after that until I started dating my husband. Now I'm going through withdrawal  it's been almost 2 years since we've been and we won't be going again for another 2 years (before our daughter's 3rd Birthday). Oh, and I worked down there for a semester in college too on the Disney College Program. Best experience ever! It was awesome spending a spring semester in Orlando instead of western Massachusetts. I made some great friends and learned more useful things that semester working at WDW than I would have in my hospitality classes anyway. I was so blessed to have a professor sponsor me so I could write papers about my experience and still get an entire semesters' worth of credit. If you know a college student (or soon-to-be college student), I highly recommend this experience, regardless of major. 

4. I am the 3rd of 3 girls... and I came 10.5 years later. Growing up, it was like I had 3 moms instead of 1. I was always close with both of my sisters, and feel so blessed to have them in my life. I look up to them both to this day and admire the women we've all become. Sometimes, we agree to disagree, but that's family, right?

5. Because of the age gap between my sisters and I, I became an aunt at the ripe old age of 13. :) My brother-in-law has known me for most of my life and always treated me like the little sister he never had (since he too was the baby). And my nephew treated me like the sister he never had too as he has had his fair share of tormenting me through the years. I love that kid to pieces though (I say kid --- he's now 16 and taller than me). 

6. My sister and I have the same last name again. How? We married cousins. So I had known my husband for 13 years before we even started dating. How about that?! He was under my nose all along! The great part about this is we both knew each others' families (translation: we knew what we were getting ourselves into). Haha! :)

7. I never in a million years thought I was going to have a daughter. Coming from a family of 3 girls, I've heard so many stories of families who have 3 daughters who then have all sons. I assumed this was going to be the case for me. When I was pregnant, I had already looked online at all the baby boy stuff and was trying to throw names around, but my husband and I didn't agree on any boy names. His theory was to just wait until we knew what we were having (something that drives me crazy to this very day!) While we don't plan on having another child right away, I'd love to have a boy and girl name already on the back burner. He won't discuss it.

8. I love the beach. I love the warm weather. I'd rather be in 100 degree weather than deal with the winter (even growing up in New England). I had all intentions of moving to Florida after graduation from college, and actually had a job offer in South Florida with a very well known resort down there. But a better company offered me a management training opportunity in DC and it seemed like a better gig for the long run, and it was. I might be in Florida had I taken that job, but I probably wouldn't be with my husband or have the beautiful, healthy baby girl we have. I can deal with winters, but I couldn't imagine life being any other way than the way it is today.

9. You might find me slightly confused if we talk sports. Growing up in southeastern Connecticut, I was bred to be a Yankees fan in a non-football loving household. When I went to college in Massachusetts, I was turned into a football fan... a Patriots fan, at that! I don't really follow basketball or hockey. But I love my Yankees and Patriots. Sorry, folks, no changing that!

10. I am a huge Bon Jovi fan. I've seen them in concert I believe it's 7 times. Everything from the 80's through their new tunes, I love it all. They put on an amazing show. I must admit, I've been to 2 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts with my husband (he's a huge Springsteen fan) and they also put on an incredible show. I love going to concerts!

11. I feel like technology is advancing too fast for me. I'm still learning all this blog stuff each and every day. I can remember being a kid and having to show my mother how to use the VCR. And I thought she was SO silly not being able to operate it. I told her I'd never get that way. HAHAHAHA not only am I getting that way, but it's happening at a younger age! 

So now it's time to return the love to some much deserving bloggers that are working to build their audience just like me... make sure you check them out!

Alex @ Happy, Healthy & Domestic --- A little bit of everything! Alex touches on living a healthy lifestyle, and shares her natural cleaning solutions, organizing tips, DIY projects and crafts, and all kinds of family fun! 
Ana @ Mommy's Bundle --- "The joys of pregnancy, parenthood, and all the housework in between!"
Erin @ Sugar Magnolia --- "A blog about food, fitness, family, and art"
Esther @ Enchanting Beginnings --- Recipes, crafts, and all things Disney!!

Koren @ My Full Time Fit Life --- Koren talks about how she balances her career and passion for fitness
Lindsey @ High Heels and Training Wheels --- Lindsey is a mom and wife sharing her tips how to look like a million buck without spending it!

My questions to each of you...
1. Why did you start your blog?
2. If you could have any job in the whole wide world, money not being an issue, what would you want to be/do?
3. What is the best vacation you've ever taken?
4. If you could take an all-expense paid trip to ANYWHERE, where would you go?
5. Favorite TV show of all time?
6. Have you ever visited somewhere that you have no desire to return? If so, why?
7. What is your favorite food to cook? 
8. What's your guilty pleasure? It can be a TV show, food, book... whatever!
9. What is your favorite thing to do when you have time all to yourself?
10. If you could own any car, what would you want?
11. You need to burn off some negative energy. What do you do?

This has been fun! I'm so grateful to have been nominated for the Liebster Award and hope my blog continues to motivate people. Even if I just touch one person, to me, it's well worth it. :)

~ Aly