Simply Happy over the Sunshine Blogger Award!
This lovely award made my day and couldn't have come at a better time or be more appreciated! But before I elaborate on this, I'd like to thank Lori Weber for nominating me. Lori is part of the amazing tribe of ageless women on Instagram who are embracing the second half of life in a positive and uplifting way. You can follow her @mindful.eating.lori and be sure to check out her website at mindfuleatinglori.net. Here, you can learn how to have a happy and relaxed relationship with food that will last a lifetime. Lori gives step by step directions on how to do this and if you need extra coaching - she has that covered too! I was surprised to learn that on top of figuring out how to eat mindfully, Lori was trained as a classical singer, and has performed in operas, concerts, and musicals - which I think is really cool!
When Lori nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award, I was having a bit of a blogging crisis. I'd been researching and writing a blog about dairy for weeks and had become completely overwhelmed by the subject. To get it finished, I set a self-inflicted deadline, which ended up being a terrible idea. After staying up until the early hours of the morning, I hadn't achieved anything impressive (except for a pounding headache and freakishly red eyes!) Despite not loving what I'd written, I went ahead and published it on my website and announced it on social media. Big mistake. I cringed when I thought of it and was actually afraid that someone was going to read it!
After a few hours of sleep, I gingerly opened Instagram and was treated to the wonderful news that Lori had chosen me as someone who spread "happiness and words of wisdom to make all our lives easier and more enjoyable." Wow! Lori, you have no idea, how welcome that accolade was. I realized that I'd forgotten who I am and what I believe in: I chose the name Simple Healthnut for a reason: my goal is to show people how to take the simpler path to health and happiness - not the long-winded rambling one!
I'm happy to say, I'm back in the land of sunshine and light. I went back to my blog and made a few more tweaks (many deletes), and let it be. And if I find myself straying again, I will remember to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sally!)
So, without further ado, here are my answers to the questions Lori asked all her nominees:
Given all the time and money in the world what skill would you learn and why?
Although I can do basic yoga, I would love to be able to master this art and take it to an advanced level. With all the time and money in the world, I would entrench myself at a fabulous yoga retreat (by the beach, of course) and stretch my mind and body as far as they can go. Although I'm not very athletic, I am incredibly bendy!
Is there any of your life decisions you would reverse or change, given the power?
Leaving school at sixteen and not attending college is something I often regret. However, if I hadn't traveled to other countries (Israel, Greece, and Spain), I wouldn't have met my first husband and had our two beautiful children. Thankfully, my parents instilled their love of reading into me, and as my mum liked to say, I attended the University of Life instead. And I'd like to add that I can usually beat my well-educated husband at Scrabble and Cash Cab!
The one thing I would go back and change would be to have taken online university courses in journalism, so I would have more credibility (and not have to rely on spell-check and other editing apps so much!)
If you came back as an animal, what animal would you be and why?
If I had to come back as an animal, it would be as an adored cat. Being catered to by a devoted owner who expected nothing back in return would be rather lovely.
What is the greatest joy in your modern life?
Without a doubt, my greatest joy is living in the same town as both my children and two grandsons. I lived in a different country to my parents, and although they came out to visit every year (and we had terrific vacations with them), it would have been wonderful to have had them close by all the time. Being able to grab a coffee with my children, or stop by to see my grandsons is priceless. Finding joy in the simplest things is one of the wonders of getting older!
Now, onto the exciting part. The Sunshine Blogger award is given by bloggers to other bloggers for inspiring positivity and creativity in the blogging community. So it is with great pleasure that I nominate the following:
Suzana @happygreatday
Suzana is a wonderful storyteller, and her photos are always fun and interesting. A lovely and supportive lady who is full of encouragement, and shares her love of Savannah and life beautifully.
www.happygreatday.com
Tessa @hip_overfifty
If you need help finding your midlife mojo - Tessa will help you locate it and run with it! Head over to her website for fabulous photos and great reading.
www.hipoverfifty.com
Sunny @oldfashionedguru
Forget about the fabulous fifties - Sunny epitomizes the stunning sixties! A fashion designer, who shares her outstanding sense of style - along with a side of fun. Every photo on her IG board is amazing!
www.oldfashionguru.com
Annette @reinventing50s
This beautiful lady oozes style and confidence. Annette is entertaining, warm, and fun - and she can hook you up with the coolest and most fabulous stuff!
www.reinventing50s.com/
Lisa @midlifeinbloom
The perfect companion if you want to know more about travel, style, and living a healthy life. Lisa has a beautifully written website covering a wide array of interesting subjects, along with gorgeous photos.
midlifeinbloom.com/
Loretta @introspective.adventurer
Loretta made her countdown to sixty very exciting and positive. I was hooked on her beautifully told love story, and I look forwarding to following her adventures after sixty.
www.thecountdownto60.com
Karin @karinwantsanappletree
If you need help with writer's block, you have to check out Karin's blog. Her mission is to help women rekindle their inner child and achieve their dreams. Follow Karin on her writing journey and be inspired yourself.
www.karinwantsanappletree.com
Here are the questions I have for you all:
1) What personality trait do you like the most about yourself?
2) What quality do you wish you had that you don't have?
3) What film or novel had the most significant impact on you - and why?
4) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be - and why?
And the guidelines are:
1) Thank the person who nominated you, follow and include a link back to their IG/blog.
2) Answer the questions given by the person who nominated you (see above).
3) Nominate other blogs and give questions for them to answer.
4) Notify your nominees through social media
5) List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Please feel free to roam around and go here if you'd like to know a little bit more about me. Wishing everyone a day filled with sunshine!
After a few hours of sleep, I gingerly opened Instagram and was treated to the wonderful news that Lori had chosen me as someone who spread "happiness and words of wisdom to make all our lives easier and more enjoyable." Wow! Lori, you have no idea, how welcome that accolade was. I realized that I'd forgotten who I am and what I believe in: I chose the name Simple Healthnut for a reason: my goal is to show people how to take the simpler path to health and happiness - not the long-winded rambling one!
I'm happy to say, I'm back in the land of sunshine and light. I went back to my blog and made a few more tweaks (many deletes), and let it be. And if I find myself straying again, I will remember to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sally!)
So, without further ado, here are my answers to the questions Lori asked all her nominees:
Given all the time and money in the world what skill would you learn and why?
Although I can do basic yoga, I would love to be able to master this art and take it to an advanced level. With all the time and money in the world, I would entrench myself at a fabulous yoga retreat (by the beach, of course) and stretch my mind and body as far as they can go. Although I'm not very athletic, I am incredibly bendy!
Is there any of your life decisions you would reverse or change, given the power?
Leaving school at sixteen and not attending college is something I often regret. However, if I hadn't traveled to other countries (Israel, Greece, and Spain), I wouldn't have met my first husband and had our two beautiful children. Thankfully, my parents instilled their love of reading into me, and as my mum liked to say, I attended the University of Life instead. And I'd like to add that I can usually beat my well-educated husband at Scrabble and Cash Cab!
The one thing I would go back and change would be to have taken online university courses in journalism, so I would have more credibility (and not have to rely on spell-check and other editing apps so much!)
If you came back as an animal, what animal would you be and why?
If I had to come back as an animal, it would be as an adored cat. Being catered to by a devoted owner who expected nothing back in return would be rather lovely.
What is the greatest joy in your modern life?
Without a doubt, my greatest joy is living in the same town as both my children and two grandsons. I lived in a different country to my parents, and although they came out to visit every year (and we had terrific vacations with them), it would have been wonderful to have had them close by all the time. Being able to grab a coffee with my children, or stop by to see my grandsons is priceless. Finding joy in the simplest things is one of the wonders of getting older!
Now, onto the exciting part. The Sunshine Blogger award is given by bloggers to other bloggers for inspiring positivity and creativity in the blogging community. So it is with great pleasure that I nominate the following:
Suzana @happygreatday
Suzana is a wonderful storyteller, and her photos are always fun and interesting. A lovely and supportive lady who is full of encouragement, and shares her love of Savannah and life beautifully.
www.happygreatday.com
Tessa @hip_overfifty
If you need help finding your midlife mojo - Tessa will help you locate it and run with it! Head over to her website for fabulous photos and great reading.
www.hipoverfifty.com
Sunny @oldfashionedguru
Forget about the fabulous fifties - Sunny epitomizes the stunning sixties! A fashion designer, who shares her outstanding sense of style - along with a side of fun. Every photo on her IG board is amazing!
www.oldfashionguru.com
Annette @reinventing50s
This beautiful lady oozes style and confidence. Annette is entertaining, warm, and fun - and she can hook you up with the coolest and most fabulous stuff!
www.reinventing50s.com/
Lisa @midlifeinbloom
The perfect companion if you want to know more about travel, style, and living a healthy life. Lisa has a beautifully written website covering a wide array of interesting subjects, along with gorgeous photos.
midlifeinbloom.com/
Loretta @introspective.adventurer
Loretta made her countdown to sixty very exciting and positive. I was hooked on her beautifully told love story, and I look forwarding to following her adventures after sixty.
www.thecountdownto60.com
Karin @karinwantsanappletree
If you need help with writer's block, you have to check out Karin's blog. Her mission is to help women rekindle their inner child and achieve their dreams. Follow Karin on her writing journey and be inspired yourself.
www.karinwantsanappletree.com
Here are the questions I have for you all:
1) What personality trait do you like the most about yourself?
2) What quality do you wish you had that you don't have?
3) What film or novel had the most significant impact on you - and why?
4) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be - and why?
And the guidelines are:
1) Thank the person who nominated you, follow and include a link back to their IG/blog.
2) Answer the questions given by the person who nominated you (see above).
3) Nominate other blogs and give questions for them to answer.
4) Notify your nominees through social media
5) List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Please feel free to roam around and go here if you'd like to know a little bit more about me. Wishing everyone a day filled with sunshine!