The "Sunshine" of my life

Thanks to Military Wife and Pug Life for nominating me (along with all her other blogger friends) for this fun award. I love Military Wife's blog and we have a lot in common.

Here are the rules:
1) Thank the person who nominated you. **See above.**
2) Share 11 random facts about yourself by answering the nominating blogger's questions.
3) Nominate 11 more bloggers and ask them 11 random questions.

1) What is your favorite fast food meal?
I don't get fast food much in the Kosher world, but there is a quasi-fast food Kosher place by us where I like to get burgers or fried chicken sometimes. Prior to keeping Kosher, a double cheeseburger and fries from Wendy's, followed by a Frosty.

2) What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
A lot of people have done nice things for me. Some that recently stand out...last year, a friend changed around her birthday plans so I could attend, as I wasn't available the night she originally wanted to go out. Also, my BFF brought over grape juice, challah, and candles so I could do some Shabbat rituals while sitting shiva for my grandma this past summer.

3) If you could have a free round trip ticket to anywhere, where would you go?
Australia.

4) What was your worst first date and why? 
I blogged about it here. 

5) What is your weirdest habit?
I sing all the time around the house.

6) If you knew you were losing your hearing tomorrow, what would you spend today listening to?
My husband and kids making me laugh, as well as their laughter. And then some of my favorite Broadway soundtracks if there's time left over.

7) Which three famous people would you like to invite to a private dinner party?
Mindy Kaling, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Tatiana Maslany.

8) What was the last movie that made you cry?
Cinderella (the 2015 version). The same parts get to me every time.

9) Who would play your husband/wife or significant other in the movie of his/her life?
Jason Segel

10) What is your greatest strength?
Remembering lots of random details about people and their interests.

11) Quick, name three things you never leave your home without. 
Cell phone, keys, purse

Nominations (Going with some other book bloggers I know):
1. He Said Books or Me
2. Hello...Chick Lit
3. Book Perfume
4. The Book Chick
5. Books, Chocolate, and Wine
6. One Book at a Time
7. Traveling with T
8. Books I Think You Should Read
9. Always with a Book
10. Books Etc.
11. Mrs. Mommy Booknerd

Questions:
1. Which TV show just needs to be cancelled already?
2. What is your favorite 80s song?
3. What is something that never fails to make you laugh?
4. How long could you go without social media access?
5. If you were to do a TED talk, what would it be about?
6. What is your favorite month and why?
7. If you could give advice to someone who just graduated college and is ready for the real world, what would it be?
8. What is something everyone likes that you don't like at all?
9. What is the last book you read that you can't stop recommending?
10. What is something unique about yourself?
11. What is something you do that you'd like to outsource?

The Liebster Award!

Allodoxophobia so very kindly nominated me for Liebster! Thank you so much! The blog is run by two women who are lifelong friends and book bloggers. C is currently handling all blog duties while M is on hiatus. I met C online 17 years ago thanks to a shared love of V.C. Andrews novels. It took us over 10 years to meet in person. Since then, we've met up a few other times. I don't know M, but any friend of C's has to be really special. :)

The Liebster Blog Award is an award that is given by the blogging community to new up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. The rules of the Liebster are as follows:

1) Tell 11 things about yourself.
2) Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
3) Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
4) Nominate 11 bloggers.
5) Get in contact with those bloggers to inform them that you nominated them.

Here are my 11 random facts
(Hopefully I haven't already shared these in other "random fact" posts.)

1. I used to be a couch potato but now I limit how much TV I watch a week. I've gotten myself down to just a few shows (at least compared to everyone else who watches TV).

2. I have never broken any bone in my body. No kaynehores though!

3. I had LASIK done in 1999.

4. I'm rather klutzy sometimes. I've done some pretty embarrassing things as a result.

5. I still have my tonsils and appendix intact. (Again, no kaynehores!)

6. I tend to be a hoarder, but not bad enough to go on TV. I just have a hard time letting go of stuff...even my kids' toys!

7. I am not interested AT ALL in book series trends such as Twilight, Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Grey, etc. I never even read the Harry Potter books and gave up on the movies after a while.

8. I have met three people who have the exact same birthday as me (two of these three are twins).

9. I don't see the big deal over cupcakes. I've been to cupcake shops and was just not impressed.

10. I may love taking pictures, but they rarely make it into actual photo albums anymore, thanks to Facebook.

11. While I'm not a master chef by any means, I'm thrilled when someone compliments my cooking.


11 Questions from Allodoxophobia

1. Describe yourself in 3 words:
Friendly, helpful, loving

2. What did you major in at college and do you actually use your degree now?
Psychology, and I don't use it but I love where I work. Maybe it will come in handy one day if I got to work with the women at my office who teach seminars on self-improvement. There's a lot of ways to use psychology there!

I actually started off with a special ed major and it has come in handy when working with IEPs and IFSPs for my kids. They're not as intimidating as they look!

3. Your life is going to become a script for a movie. Who would you want to play you?
I love questions like this. For a long time, it had to be Drew Barrymore. Now I want Emily Blunt to put on a curly wig to play me. She's incredibly talented and fascinating to watch. Her personality on screen resonates with me.

4. Not counting family, what do you feel your greatest accomplishment is so far in life?
Definitely Chick Lit Central. It started out so small and I made some embarrassing publicity mistakes in the beginning, but a publicist pointed out the errors of my ways and got me back on track. The blog has over 930 followers now and is still growing by leaps and bounds. We've had lots of great feedback from authors and readers. I'm filled with pride every time I receive a compliment about it.

5. If you had to live in a decade other than the current one, which would you choose?
I've been thinking about this question a lot too! C must be eavesdropping on my private thoughts! Definitely the 1990s. I love the pop culture from that period of time....music, movies, TV, etc. I think even teenagers were more down to earth back then because they weren't all walking around with iPhones and cyberbullying people.

6. What is at the top of your bucket list?
I had to consult this post that was written two years ago. "Write a novel" is at the top. I failed on the NaNoWriMo challenge, as I wrote for one evening and then got caught up in everything else. Funny that I no longer want to do #4, which was meet Adam Lambert. He's a great singer, but I'm over my crush. Jason Segel has since crowded him out of my daydreams. And I will be doing #5 (going to Disney World with my family) very soon....gotta start packing because the trip will sneak up on me before I know it! Can't wait!!!

7. Something you can’t leave the house without?
Keys! I'd be a little trapped if I locked myself out of the house and couldn't get into my car. One of the worst moments ever was when I locked myself out of my house with my older son (as an infant) still inside. Thankfully he was sleeping and my neighbor was home so I could call my husband. So now I take my keys even if I'm just putting out garbage.

8. What’s the last book you did not finish and why?
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. I had to read it for book club and it was very hard to follow.

9. If you were in a hit music band, what would it be called?
It would have to be a country band. I'm terrible at thinking of names though. I narrowed it down to The Chocoholics or The Emmas (the combination of my kids' first initials and our last initial). Along the lines of the latter, I thought it would be funny to have an ABBA tribute band called EEMA. :)

10. Congratulations, you just won a billion dollars. What’s your first purchase?
A luxury tour of Europe. Why not, right?!? Traveling there is on my bucket list, after all!

11. What song would you pick to be the theme song of your life?
These days, it's "Frantic" by Jamie O'Neal.

11 Questions for my nominees:

1. What did you want to be when you grew up?
2. What was the best thing that happened to you in 2012?
3. If you had to perform at a karaoke bar, what song would you sing?
4. If you could live someplace else besides where you currently live, where would it be and why?
5. If you were to take me on a tour of the town where you live, what is a must-see?
6. Given I'm a book addict, tell me your favorite book of all time.
7. What movie, in your opinion, should never ever EVER be remade?
8. Tell me the last thing you dreamed about (while sleeping), no matter how crazy it sounds.
9. What is the nicest thing someone did for you recently?
10. What is your favorite month and why?
11. With the Oscars coming up, I like to ask this question: What movie (of any year) should have won an Oscar, but didn't? (Or....which movie won but shouldn't have?)


People I’m nominating (who may or may not fit the follower # requirement, but I’m curious about their answers!)

1. Momarock: A mom on the run

2. Froggie's Flair

3. Says Me, Says Mom

4. Parenting: a special kind of crazy

5. Life in the Married Lane

6. Love from Tilly

7. Luha Thoughts

8. My Year on Vacation

9. From a Corner of a Foreign Field

10. A Bundle of Contradictions

11. Anonymous Soccer Mom

Krazee....but Kreativ. :)

I received a nomination from Sara Steven, a.k.a. Moma Rock, for a Kreativ Blogger Award. I feel proud to receive this from her, as I love her blog and her insightful thoughts. It's also nice to receive an award for my personal blog, as I usually get them for my book blog. Definitely a refreshing change!

To pass along the message of what this award is about...
This award was established in 2008 by a Norwegian woman named Hulda Husfrue, to congratulate and motivate fellow bloggers on their work.

Before I go on, I must share the rules that were established way before I ever received this award.
1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

The seven things about myself you may find interesting:
1. I'm incapable of taking care of anything that doesn't actually demand food. Needless to say, I don't have a green thumb either.
2. I haven't had a manicure or pedicure since around this time last year.
3. Two legendary music sensations I was obsessed with during my youth (and saw in concert) were Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
4. The first time I ever went to Wrigley Field was when I was 25.
5. I can't play a musical instrument but I will sing whenever the mood strikes me.
6. I am able to read up to three books at the same time (not the exact same time though).
7. I may not be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans a year after having a baby, but my high school jacket from 18 years ago still fits just fine.

Here is my list of recipients:

Froggie's Flair
Parenting, a special kind of crazy
Luha Thoughts
Says Me, Says Mom
Manic Mommy
Desperate Madness
My Life in Challah