The Sunshine Blogger Award: Blog Nominations

Posted on 8 November 20198 November 2019

I was completely surprised and overwhelmed to find that my blog had been tagged on Twitter for The Sunshine Blogger Award. This award exists within the blogger community and is bestowed upon you by a fellow blogger. In my case the wonderful Keeping it Mindful had nominated me.

As part of the award your nominator sets a few questions for their nominees to answer. You can find my answer to these questions below. Likewise each nominee is asked to nominate a further 11 bloggers and ask them a different 11 questions.

Questions from Kim

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I’ve always wanted to live close to nature and preferably water. A sunnier climate would also be ideal. We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii and I adored it. Not only for the completely different culture but the fact that everyone seemed to move at a slower pace.

Who is your hero? Why?

I’m incredibly inspired by famous people who are making their mark. Two people who particularly spring to mind are Jameela Jamil and J.K. Rowling. Both of these women are using their increased visibility to make changes in the world. Jameela’s creation of the I_weight platform encourages body positivity/neutrality and created an inclusive space online. She also calls out diet culture and irresponsible diet products. Rowling uses social media in similar but perhaps more subtle ways to call out racism/homophobia and other forms of discrimination. She also speaks out about her own struggles with depression to raise awareness.

What makes you laugh the most…like, hold your sides, tears falling, laughter?

A few years ago I discovered the wonders of Shitfaced Shakespeare which I would recommend to everyone. The premise is simple. A cast of Shakespeare trained actors must perform a Shakespeare play with one cast member completely shitfaced. I’ve been three times so far and have always had a really good laugh. The last time we went I remember leaving the theatre feeling lighter than air. It made me realise the truly cathartic nature of having a really good giggle.

What has been you most favourite moment of blogging so far?

Most of my blog posts start as an idea or a title that spring to mind. Often I make note of them but don’t get around to writing them for days or even weeks. When I start writing the post it transforms into something I wasn’t expecting. One of my favourites was called To Write or Not to Write: Overcoming Writers Block it took a completely different turn to what I was expecting and made me realise my identity as a writer.

Do you have a favourite book to curl up with? What is it?

This is such a hard question! I love reading and my favourite books are always the ones which I simply can’t put down. Among my favourites are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I loved the first one – I’m a big fan of historical fiction – and couldn’t wait to read the rest of the series. I will happily dip in and out of them. Likewise anything written by Matt Haig I could read for hours. My particular favourite of his is The Humans which has so much to say about what it truly means to be human. You can read my thoughts on it here.

If you had no fear, what would you aim for? In life and for your blog…?

I think fear holds us back from many things and there have been times I’ve been afraid to do something and taken the plunge anyway. Fear holds me back most in my writing. If I truly had no fear I would have tried to publish my poetry years ago. Most of my poems were written at very difficult times and are incredibly personal. To put them out in the public domain is a step I’ve never been able to take. For my blog, I’d tell more people I know personally about it. Lots of my friends or family know I have a blog but they don’t actually know what it’s called or any details.

What are you most excited about for 2020?

I’m absolutely desperate to own a dog, particularly a puppy. It’s not 100% going to happen in 2020 but you never know! We bought our own property last year with a garden and by a park so we’re getting closer to this goal all the time. I’m also excited to travel more. We traveled quite a bit when we first got married then agreed to settle down and save to buy property. Now I’m ready to see some more of the world.

Are you a Night Owl…or an Early Bird?

I’ve always been a bit of a Night Owl. There’s something amazing about being awake when no-one else is. There’s a silence like no other. Having said that I need to be awake early for work so I tend to go to bed early nowadays!

Do you have a collection of anything?

Yes! I always wanted to collect something as a teenager and never quite committed to anything. In the past few years I’ve started collecting novelty rubber ducks from different places we’ve been. I’ve got one from New York dressed as the statue of liberty, from Iceland dressed as Bjork, from The Globe in London dressed as Shakespeare, a Greek Goddess from Cyprus etc. etc.

What’s your go to favourite HEALTHY food?

I love making fruit smoothies particularly ones with berries. There’s also a Pina Colada style one we make with pineapple, melon and coconut water. Too increase the health benefits we add flax seeds or spirulina powder.

Which of all your wonderful blog posts is YOUR favourite?

The one that springs to mind most is the one I’ve already mentioned about overcoming writers block. Another I am proud of is called Self-Care: Everyone’s Responsibility. I really liked the ideas I put together for this one and I think it’s an incredibly important message.

My Blog Nominees

Here are some wonderful people who write wonderful blogs:

Aimlief: I only recently discovered this blog about intentional living. I love this idea of living with meaning as I function on autopilot way too much. There’s so many great ideas on this blog and most importantly they’re accessible and easy to put into practice.

Thoughts with N: This blog covers so many areas but she does it so well. I frequently dip in and out of this blog. There’s everything from wellness and self -care to ideas about blogging, managing money and parenting.

Being and Niceness: The founding principle of this blog is the belief that humans are inherently good. This is an idea we should all get behind. Joe makes different psychological and philosophical ideas and theories easy to understand. I learn so much from this blog.

Be Happy By Sarah: Sarah uses this blog to use her own lived experience of mental illness to help others. I particularly enjoy her posts about mental health and what can be helpful.

Alexa Ceza: I love the empowering posts on this blog. I find the concepts really original to others I have read. The design and layout for the website is also really clear and modern.

LaurenCantEvenX: The beauty posts on this blog are great. I’m a big believer in reading product reviews before buying. Lauren frequently reviews new products covering a range of high street and higher market items.

Millennial Life Crisis: All about being a millennial I knew this was my kinda blog instantly. I read so many of these posts and think same! It’s really great to hear a millennial point of view. Too many articles in the media talk about us but our voices still aren’t represented enough. This is blog is a breath of fresh air.

Brit on A Budget: This is a great place to find advice on both making and saving money. I find the ideas unique and ones I haven’t come across before. The blog layout and colour scheme is also divine.

My Anxious Life: Another blog that I adore for content as well as layout. There’s so much to read hear on a variety of topics which are all well-thought out and researched.

It’s Nicole Carman: Nicole is as lovely as her blog is. She is incredibly genuine about her recovery in order to raise awareness of mental health and illness. It’s definitely worth putting some time aside to explore her blog.

Cara’s Corner: There’s too many amazing things to say about this mental health and lifestyle blog. You’ll just have to go and check it out yourself and stop by her shop too whilst you’re there!

My Questions:

Let me know when you’ve answered them so I can hear your thoughts!

1. What is your all time favourite inspirational quote?
2. How do you keep motivated to write your blog?
3. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
4. Cat or Dog? And why?
5. What’s the best part of Autumn?
6. Where’s the best place you’ve ever visited? At Home or Abroad.
7. What’s your main hobby beside blogging?
8. What or who always puts a smile on your face?
9. If you could bust one myth what would it be?
10. What’s the best social media platform to promote your blog?
11. What is your spirit animal?