And the "Award" Goes To...

It will never cease to amaze me that people read (and even like) some of what I write. I'm honestly surprised every time someone leaves me a nice comment.

Consequently, I was surprised when Nicole over at By Nicole left me a comment bestowing upon me the Liebster Blog award.

 

It's not the kind of award that comes with a trophy or a fancy gala...just some sweet and loving recognition from a fellow blogger filled with good intentions. 

While this award feels a little like a blog version of a chain letter, I really appreciate Nicole's kind words (you can find them here) and I'm going to play along and pay it forward. Thanksgiving week feels like a good time to do just that.

Here are my current top 5 blogs (in no particular order) with under 200 subscribers*:

The Hipster Homemaker: She's a doula, a hipster, and a homemaker (I suppose you got most of that from the blog title). She's honest, straightforward, intelligent and often hilarious. She says things out loud that I only think inside my head. She has nerve and I like that. I found her through NaBloPoMo. 

Journey Mama: Her blog says she "cultivates joy" and I believe it. Her blog is filled with peace and I bask in it every time I have a chance to read her writing. And she lives in India which is just awesome. I wanted to visit India since I was a little girl and I live vicariously through people raising their kids abroad. She was another NaBloPoMo find.

Elisa Loves: Her blog has a wonderful balance of serenity and reality. I'd like to point out that even though she has a great picture of a felt crown with an "L" on it on her blog, I didn't find her blog until after I finished L.'s birthday crown. It's a total coincidence. I also just found out from one of her recent posts that she wanted to visit India as a child. Great minds think alike. I also have her to thank for my clean dishes. Because of her I started putting vinegar in the rinse cycle of the dishwasher and my dishes aren't scummy anymore.

Bumfuzzle: This blog has been a guilty pleasure of mine for some time. They live aboard a sailboat in Mexico (coincidentally, in the same town where J. and I were sailing when we found out we were pregnant with L.) and plan to cruise with their two small children. Every time I read this blog I'm reminded that our sailing dreams are not so crazy after all. And like I said above, I live vicariously through people raising their children abroad.

thismummaslife: This blog is a recent find. It's is honest, tranquil, colorful, and creative. She seems like a very thoughtful mother living each day intentionally. I find that inspiring...and I'm going to have to try her recipe for Kale Chips.    

*In writing this post I've realized that the majority of the blogs I read regularly have more than 200 subscribers or I don't know how many they have. It's entirely possible that some of the blogs listed above don't fit within the confines of this award. I'm okay with that because I like these blogs and wanted to share them you.

Just for the record, here are the Liebster Award rules as I understand them:
1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Reveal your top 5 blogs with under 200 followers and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog. (Like I said, I may not have followed this one).
3. Post the Award on your blog.
4. Enjoy the love from your internet friends.

Finally, to the wonderful blogs I have listed above, nothing bad will happen if you don't have time to (or don't choose to) award your own Liebster awards. I just wanted to pass on the love and share your awesomeness with my readers.

And, thanks to all of you out there who take the time to read what I write. I appreciate you!