Liebster Award!

Oh my goodness!  I cannot tell you how excited I am to have been nominated for this award by Michelle over at The MaMade Diaries.  She has an awesome blog; you should definitely check it out.  This is one of my favorite posts: Popsicle Stick Puzzles!

I am relatively new to blogging and have spent more hours than I care to admit trying to better my blog, both through improving my writing and trying to gain readers.  Getting this award is so motivating for me and reassures me that I am doing the right thing by investing so much time.  Thank you not only to Michelle, but to everyone who reads my blog!

Please read on to see the answers to the thoughtful questions that Michelle posed!

Rules:

1. Link back to the ones who nominate you.

2. Answer the 10 questions that the nominator has for you.

3. Nominate 5-11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

4. Create 10 questions for your nominees.

5. Notify your nominees

1. How old were you when you had your first child?  

I was 29 when I had my first child in December 2011.  My husband and I had been married for 5 years at that point.

2. What is your favorite season and why?

Fall.  I love the smell of the crisp air and the feel of cool mornings.  I love harvest scented candles and the deep color themes of the decorations.  I love seeing the leaves change colors and going to the pumpkin patch.  I love that football is starting again, so that I can watch NCAA and NFL and smile at the memories of going to high school football games.  I love having the windows open all day and night and being able to play outside without sweating.  The only thing about fall that I do NOT love is that it is followed up by winter. Eww.

3. What is a funny memory that you have from your childhood?
When I was a kid, my Grandpa would send us a weekly allowance.  With it, he would include a letter that had a "joke" in it.  The joke would literally be something like, "hahah lalala baba," but as a kid, I thought it was HYSTERICAL!  Probably because my parents had to read it to me and it was funny to hear them talk jibberish.

4. Are you named after someone?  If so, who?
Rebecca is just a name that my parents liked.  My mom was a teacher and one of her students was named Rebecca and she fell in love with the name.  Susan, my middle name, is after my maternal grandmother.

5. What is your least favorite part of blogging?
Having to learn code (very basic) for my blog.  I have updated a few things on my blog to make it either look better, be more functional, or both, and there are still many changes and updates that I want to make.  I know NOTHING about code, so I have to put countless hours into trying to find and follow tutorials to do things such as add a custom Pinterest button.  This is frustrating not only because it is confusing, but because I want to be writing and doing the fun stuff!

6. Do you have any siblings?  If so, how many?
Yes, I have one brother.  We share the same birthday (how cool is that?!), so he is exactly two years younger.  He lives about 6 hours away from us, but we still see him pretty often.  He and my husband are like kindred spirits.  It is ridiculous.  :)  I also have an awesome brother-in-law and sister-in-law who live in Cincinnati.  I am beyond lucky to have three siblings (1 by birth, two my marriage) who I love so much!

7. What is one food you could not live without?
Ice cream.  Hands down.  Without the existence of ice cream (or with a bit more self control on my part), I would have the body of a supermodel.  ;)

8. Are you a crafty person?  If yes, what are your favorite crafty things to do?
Not really, but I really wish that I was.  I see all kinds of awesome things online that I wish that I could do, but I just don't have the knowledge.  I am going to try to start doing more now that my daughter is a bit older because some of the tutorials that I see online seem pretty easy to follow.  I would also love to learn how to sew, so that is another craft goal of mine in the near future.

In the meantime though, I will continue to keep the talented folks at etsy in business.  :)

9. What is something you miss about your childhood?
This is a great question!   I was so incredibly lucky to have a childhood full of great memories.  I have tried to narrow it down a bit.  I miss the carefree summers.   I miss playing outside all day and only coming in for dinner and then it was right back outside again.  I miss hitting the tennis ball against the garage wall, drinking milkshakes in the shade and making up dances (always Michel Jackson) with our friends.  

I also miss having grandparents.  All of my grandparents (as well as my husband's grandparents) have passed away.  I miss being a kid and getting to see them.  That being said, I was incredibly blessed to have such amazing grandparents and am enjoying seeing Moose create those same awesome memories with her own grandparents.

10. What is one thing you have said or done that you always swore you would never do?
I have thought all weekend about this question and can't come up with anything!  I am sort of a "never say never person," so there are few things that I have sworn I won't do.  The one thing that comes to mind is that I have always sworn up and down that I will never get a mini-van.  Although I currently drive an SUV, I can see the depressing possibility of a mini-van in my future.  Either that or I am going to have to stop at 1 kid, not travel as much, or start packing way less.  Hope springs eternal though, so I will keep you posted.  ;)


My nominees are:
1. GF Mom Certified
2. Our Brown Eyed Girl
3. Unconventional Mommy Tails
4. Pardon My French
5. My Little Criatura

Questions for my nominees:
1. Why did you start blogging?
2. What is the one food that you absolutely cannot stand?
3. What is your most embarrassing guilty pleasure?  We all have one.  :)
4. What was your favorite childhood vacation?
5. Who is your hero?
6. How would you rather spend those extra calories: dessert or drinking?
7. What is your current obsession?
8. What song motivates you?
9. What song makes you want to take a knife to the car radio?
10. What is the "go-to, too tired to cook" dinner at your house?