The Sunshine Blogger award is an award given to new blogs that have under 500 followers. The blog has to be creative, uplifting and inspirational. Once nominated, the blogger is required to write a post following these rules:
- Give thanks to the Blogger that nominated them and link back to their blog.
- Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated them.
- Nominate 11 other bloggers and give them new questions to answer.
- Notify your nominees.
- Display the Sunshine Blogger Award on your post.
We are so honored to have been chosen for this award. It is always nice to hear that people are really enjoying what we are doing. We were nominated by Stella . Now it is our turn to answer Stella’s questions.
Q&A
1. What’s the meaning of your blog to you?
Amy – I had been toying around the idea of starting a blog in 2016. I would post all of these activities and events that I took my son to and people were telling me I should start a blog. For my first Mother’s Day present I had asked my husband for a photo book. Neither one of us expected that our son’s first year of life would fill two photo books. Now that I am blogging, I don’t feel the same drive to have a photo album, I can look over the site and see the things that I have done throughout the year. Surprisingly enough I have a list of over a dozen articles I want to write, I just never seem to have the time for everything I want to do. I still do need the photo albums because there are plenty of pictures and events that are just too personal to be online. Tracy and I have shared a table at a craft fair the past few years, and last year we were talking about how we both wanted to start a blog but we weren’t sure how to go about it or how short lived an endeavour it would be. We decided to do it together and to hold each other accountable. The meaning of the blog to me is friendship and family. I am so thankful for the friends in my life and all that the happiness they bring to it. I am trying to create a strong network for my son so that he can experience the joy that having a diverse set of friends can bring.
Tracy– For me, this blog is a place where I can share experiences from both my personal life and my professional one. It’s where all my worlds blend together in one organized space. I have always been a bit all over the place with several start up businesses. I consider being a mother, my first and most important job but at the same time I have a great love for my photography business and my Etsy shop. Doing this with Amy has been great because we bounce ideas off eachother and it’s easier sharing the workload. I want to enjoy the experience of having a blog and I hope that comes through in my posts.
2. What are you looking for from your blog?
Amy – I am looking for a place that I can go back to and remember the things that I have done with my son, the crochet projects I have done and other various things I do.
Tracy- I’m looking for a space that I can visit whenever I want and it will bring me right back to these special moments with my kids. I am happy to share these wonderful memories, like our family photoshoots or the awesome birthday parties we put so much effort into.
3. What’s your favorite place to do “Me-time”
Amy- That’s easy, the beach out in Long Island. I spent my summers there in college. I absolutely adore taking a nap on the sand, feeling the sun on my body, hearing the waves gently lapping the shore, hearing the birds call and smelling the salty air. For the rest of the year I settle with a hot salty bath and some mud on my face.
Tracy- I soak up more “me-time” then most parents because I have always had the talent of functioning on very little sleep. I sneak in “me-time” almost every single night between the hours of 12pm and 3am while the rest of my family is sleeping. Usually I am in my bedroom on my laptop with the tv on. I am often editing, but not always. I’m not sure what I would do without this alone time… Sometimes even with this extra time, I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. So I am so thankful for it.
4. What you do when you are feeling down?
Amy – Classically I would curl up in bed and disappear into a book. Unfortunately I am not able to do that anymore. I recently got my hands on a copy of Divergent and I read the whole book in less than 12 hours. Apparently I was dying to read a book that had a multidimensional plot.
Tracy- I am a bit of a TV addict. I love television shows and I get sucked in very easily. When I am feeling down I like to binge watch a whole television series like it’s my job. Everyone knows Prison Break is my all time favorite and if I start watching it, I am instantly in a better mood. Also, some red wine and a fun girls night always cheers me up.
5. What is your favorite superhero?
Amy – I have to go with Superman. He is that gentle nerdy type that turns into a superhero. He is strong, but sweet and kind.
Tracy- Iron Man is my favorite, the Robert Downey Jr. version. He is smart and funny. Which are two qualities I love in my superheros. My father possessed these qualities and so does my husband, my real life supermen.
6. How can you find the idea for writing?
Amy – I find inspiration in the world all around me.
Tracy- most of my posts are inspired by photography and most of our photography is inspired by children. I believe all portraits of our little ones should capture everything that we love about them. These pictures should take your breath away every time you look at them. Our children grow up way too fast and photos are the only way to freeze this time with them forever. Their personalities and their spirt are the inspiration for our photoshoots and after that I am able to write about the process and document it.
7. Who is the inspiring person in your family?
Amy – My Grandma Anderson. She used to tell me that the day I stopped learning something new would be the day that I stopped living. I have lived my life by that mantra, and I hope to pass that on to my son.
Tracy- This is a hard one for me because I have so many family members who inspire me every day. But mostly my family members who have battled cancer are a true inspiration to me. To fight for your life in that way is something I hope I will never have to face, but I have watched two of my cousins, my great uncle, both my grandmothers and my father all face cancer with strength and dignity and it has inspired me to live my life to the fullest and enjoy every minuet I have with my family and friends.
8. Can you describe who you are in 3 words?
Amy – Sweet Smart and Sexy. When I was feeling not particularly great about myself in college I had those three words on my phone banner. Every time I looked at my phone I saw it and I finally came to not only believe it, but accept it.
Tracy- I am happy, hardworking and creative. I was given the nickname Goya in collage because I was always on the go. I like to fill my calendar up and drive myself crazy trying to get everything done. I don’t think I would want it any other way.
9. What’s the most important thing in your life?
Amy – The most important thing in my life is my family. I live for them, this also includes my chosen family. I would do anything for the people I love, because I know they would do anything for me.
Tracy- It is important to me that I try to live my life with no regrets, knowing that I put my all into every stage of my life and into all the relationships I have. No matter how stressful life might be, I’m trying to really enjoy it and not waste any of it by focusing on the negative stuff. It is also important to me that I value and recognize all the love that I have in my life.
10. Do you like the salty or sweet food?and why?
Amy- Honestly I like both. It depends what mood I am in. I will forever love you if you leave me a bag of milk Lindt chocolate. I just recently discovered Lindt Sea Salt Milk Chocolate Truffles…. let me tell you!
Tracy- Spicy is actually my favorite but after destroying my stomach and my tastebuds in my 20s, I moved on to salty foods as my backup. If it’s not spicy or salty I probably won’t be able to taste it.
11. What kind of success that you ever had?
Amy – I was successful when I got my first job at Wyeth. I worked there for three years and one of my supervisors introduced me to her colleague as Wyeth’s rising star. I was successful when I married my husband, and when I had my son. I was successful when I was asked to be shown at the Pelham Art Center for my crochet hats. I was successful when I was elected for Town Clerk, Town of Pelham.
Tracy- I am not sure I can truthfully answer this question yet because I’m still trying to figure my life out. I would have thought by 35 years old, I would be there by now, but I’m not. If you would like a progress report, I can tell you that so far I have many successful friendships, a happy marriage and two kids who I think are turning out pretty awesome, so for now I will claim these as my successes.
Our Nominees are …..
- Andrea of http://www.babygotchat.com
- Cindy of http://www.theunbosomed.com
- Jess of http://www.frommetomum.com
- Erika of http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com
- Adrienne of http://www.adriennecp.wordpress.com
- Jen of http://www.Cuddlesandchaos.com
- Angel of http://www.woodythings.com
- Allyson and Mikaela http://www.amlifeblogcom.wordpress.com
- Candy of http://www.geekmamas.com
- Lauren of http://www.nobs-mama.com
- Elizabeth of http://www.unrewardedgeniuses.com
Our questions for them…
- Why did you start blogging and what do you get out of it?
- What is your favorite quote?
- What would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
- What motivates you to get out of bed in the morning?
- What was your 2017 Halloween costume and why did you choose it? If you didn’t dress up for this Halloween tell us about your last costume
- In the theme of A Beautiful Friendship, what special friendship or relationship have you had that has changed your life for the better?
- Where would you go and what time would you go to if you have a time machine?
- If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would the perfect person to play you?
- If you could talk to one person, dead or alive; who would it be and why?
- If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
- What song brings you back to a special time or place in your life?
A Beautiful Friendship 