Liebster Award

Julie from Mama Owl has kindly nominated me for the 'Liebster Award' - This award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve acknowledgement and encouragement to keep on blogging.

The rules are as follows:
List 11 facts about yourself.

Answer the 11 questions given to you.

Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you nominate for the award.

Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

Choose 5 bloggers with 200 or less followers to nominate.

Go to each bloggers page and let them know about the award.

Facts:

1. I turned 30 last year (and actually don't feel too bad about that!)
2. I am one of 6 girls - the youngest.
3. I have 12 (nearly 13!) nieces and nephews, and they are all GORGEOUS.
4. I am an English Teacher.
5. I specialise in supporting students with Dyslexia.
6. I live in Wiltshire...
7. But come from Cornwall...
8. And I was born in Devon.
9. When I was a baby my parents took us to Australia for a year on a teaching exchange - I'd love to do something similar one day.
10. My favourite type of holiday is a camping holiday.
11. I always find the last item in a list the most difficult ;-)

1) Would you rather drink hot or cold drinks? I am a complete tea addict (although I rarely seem to get to drink a hot cup!)
2) What's your favourite type of blog to read? I love family blogs like Mama Owl - I love the variety of different posts. I also love cooking blogs like My Daddy Cooks and blogs that give my acitivity ideas for the kids - favourites are No Time For Flashcards and The Imagination Tree. I guess that's why my blog is becoming a mish mash of all 3.
3) What's your favourite type of blog to write? I like to write about things I have done with the boys, whether that by days out or activities. I also love #r2bc to give me some perspective on life.
4) What is your ideal night out? (Or night in if you prefer) We love to go out to eat as a family. Pizza Express is a real family fave.
5) Who inspires you the most? Gosh, probably got to be soppy and say the boys - who else can learn things at that rate and find the incredible in the mundane. Gotta love the little ones' perpective on life!
6) What's your favourite all time movie? Hmmm... I always love the movie Legally Blonde - it kept me smiling in a really tough time. Can't fight the memories I get when watching Bring It On. But WALLE is the best love story ever.
7) One amazing meal, it can be anything in the world, what would you have? Scallops and bacon to start, a perfectly cooked fillet steak and probably no pudding... but if I had to pick a pudding creme brulee.
8) The house is on fire! You can only grab 2 things, what would you take? (excluding family & pets) Photos if I could get to them and Harry's doggy.
9) Money and travel are no object, where in the world would you travel to? Australia and Hawaii for definite. We also really hope to take the boys to Yellowstone National Park one day.
10) If you were a superhero, what would your super-power be? To be able to turn back and slow time. (Where's Bernard's Watch when you need it?)
11) What is your favourite quote? Quote? Hmm. I don't have one to be honest and as soon as I picked one I'd find something I liked better, so I'm not going to commit to that here! I once read 'If you see someone who needs a friend, be one' - I really took that to heart, as there have been times in my life when I've really needed a friend. Sometimes someone has been there, and it has made all the difference. I'd like to make that difference to someone else.

Here are the 2 blogs I am nominating (I'm such a newbie to blogging myself I don't seem to know enough other bloggers to nominate the 5 I have been asked to!)  Beautiful Things and All Things Me.

EDIT also adding Strawberry Delight and Adventures of an Average Mummy

Here are your questions:
1. What's your favourite drink?
2. If you had £200 to spend on yourself, what would you spend it on right now?
3. What's your favourite season?
4. What's your favourite colour?
5. Who have you been closest to in your life?
6. Do you have a recurring dream? What is it?
7. What sort of bed do you have, and what is on it right now?
8. What's you favourite meal to cook for yourself?
9. Who was your celebrity crush as a teenager?
10. What is your secret talent?
11. Describe the last time you felt really happy.

Looking forward to reading your answers!

The Land of Why

I was tagged in this post by Mama Owl in 'The Land of Why' which started over at Mummy Central.

As a mum of a toddler I am always dreading those 'whys' that are so difficult to answer - 'Why is the sky blue?' (or not, as is usually the case in my place of the world), 'Why is the sea salty?', 'Why can't I... (insert banned activity here)'

Harry's not really got to this stage quite yet, but I've no doubt it will come and although it's just a sign of their wonderful development, I'm sure all parents feel like snapping 'Just because!' when it becomes particularly wearing.

Here are a few of my whys:

Why does one of my children wake at 5.30am - then go back to sleep at 7.30am only for the other to wake at 7.45?

Why does my husband find it so easy to drop off to sleep at night even though I'm the one exhausted from night feeds?

Why do you hate the idea of going out, but love it when we are there? (And why, when I am too tired to fight you and agree to stay in, why are you a complete pain?)

Why do I have to go back to work, and why is it so so hard to find the childcare I want to suit my children?

Why do people always think Bob is a girl just because he has long hair?

Why do I feel the need to buckle to parenting peer pressure - why can't I just do things at my own pace?

Why is it that I never have enough room for everything even though I try so hard to fit to the mantra 'a place for everything and everything in its place?'

And the biggest one...
Why do you have to grow up so quickly and why, oh why does time go so fast?


The Rules

1. Post your whys – as few or as many as you like
2. Link up your post with Mummy Central and post a comment if you can
3. Tag 5 bloggers to keep this going
4. If you’re not a blogger, leave your whys as a comment below. We’d love to read them
5. Show your support by reading a few others and commenting on them.

Who I'm tagging

Mutterings of a Fool
Bare Naked Mummy
The Mini Mes and Me
Lakes Single Mum
My Darlings and Me