Reader Appreciation...It Does Exist!

Oh my goodness!  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the fabulous lady behind Little Magic Beans nominated me for a Reader Appreciation Award.  I honestly never set out to blog for any other reason other than I enjoy to write, so thank you for this!

I did try and trace it back to see where it stated and about 5 minutes down the line I got a bit sidetracked by all the open windows of the fabulous blogs I'd hopped across.  Definitely well worth giving it a go and, if anyone knows where this originated, please let me know!

So, here are the rules for this award:

1. Include the award logo somewhere in your blog.
2. Answer the questions below for fun, if you want to.
3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs that you enjoy, or you pick the number.  I'm opting for the latter.
4. Pay it forward: Provide your nominees with a link to your blog post and comment on their blog to let them know they've been included and invited to participate.
5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.

What's your favourite colour?

Green, without a doubt.  I have a mojito green wall in my kitchen, sage green walls in my bedroom, green throws on my couch, green clothes and yes, my eyes are green too!  

Being green with envy isn't something that I'm in favour of though.  Green makes me think of lush green grass which them reminds me of summer and that automatically means long, hot days (well, in South Africa it does) and that makes me happy.

What is your favourite animal?

I'm not sure if I have one to be honest?  We have a family cat called Snickers who is the most friendly and loving little fur creature you could ever meet.  I'm not too keen on amphibians and birds.

What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink?

Hmmm...Appletizer, as it comes in a green bottle and it's South African.  

Facebook or Twitter?

I'm a Twitter convert.  Facebook seems a bit amateur and I'm not that keen on sharing all my photos anymore.  I don't really care what you had for breakfast and if you've broken up with someone and are plotting your revenge, you are better off keeping it to yourself or for your therapist.  FYI.  Use it, don't use it.

Do you prefer giving or getting presents?

I love giving presents.  Finding something that I know or think someone will like and seeing them open it and the joy it brings makes me ridiculously happy.  It feels like I've served a purpose.  Yes, I do like getting gifts but I'm the type of person that gets flustered when I'm given a complement and can be slightly taken aback when given gifts out of the blue.  A psychologist would have a lovely time with me...

Favourite day of the week?

Thursday!  It's the one day that I have my daughter all to myself.  I'm starting to work 2 Thursdays a month because the business is getting very busy (very, very exciting times!).  I worked a 5 day week this week and honestly can't wait for my daughter to wake up tomorrow so we can spend quality time together.

Favourite flower?

Stargazer Lilies.  Absolutely gorgeous.  They smell like heaven.

What is your passion?

Well, it used to be food.  I'm a qualified chef and ironically barely cook anymore which is a real shame.  When I do bake or cook I go into a world of my own; totally at peace with everything around me.  I can't really explain it.  I think it's because I like order.  When I cook I measure everything out and it's all in orderly bowls for me to combine in varying stages to make my creation.  I'm also happy opening the fridge and challenging myself to make something (anything!) from what I have in front of me.

I also love to write.  Using my blog as a creative outlet at the end of a busy day or week helps me keep the balance in my life that I so badly need to maintain.  Reading other blogs and being exposed to such an amazing variety of talent is exciting, refreshing, inspiring, eye-opening and enlightening.

Both cooking and writing are extremely cathartic.

I know that this isn't exactly everyone's bag but I'm going to nominate a few people regardless.  Please don't feel obliged to take part.  I did nominate you for a reason though, so we can just leave it at that!

And my nominees are, and in no particular order (I picked 5...it felt like a good number) ...

Missing Sleep @missingsleep

This Mummy Loves @Mummy_loves

The Ramblings of a Former Rock 'n Roll Mum @SonyaCisco

Mellow Mummy @jumblyMummy

Ready, Steady, Mummy @NatGourley

Time for you to share the love, ladies!

Ax