Another welcome to the family, plus Liebster and Lighthouse Awards

I have been nominated for three more awards. Jenn from My Fibrotastic Life has nominated me for the Lighthouse Award, Amanda from My Crazy Migraine Life has nominated me for the Liebster Award, and Julia from Julie’s Spoonful of Sugar has nominated me for the WordPress Family Award. Please head over to each of their blogs and check them out. They are all amazing individuals who inspire me with their attitude towards the illnesses they are dealing with.

Given the number of awards and my level of fogginess lately, I’m going to list the rules for each one and then address the requirements. I will nominate the same people for all three awards.

wpf-award

Here are the rules for the WordPress Family Award:

  1. Display the award logo on your blog.
  2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family.
  4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them.
  5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people who have taken you as a friend, and spread the love.

the-lighthouse-award

Here are the rules to the Lighthouse Award:

“1. Display the Award certificate on your blog.
2. Write a post and link back to the blogger that nominated you.
3. Inform your nominees of their award nomination
4. Share three ways that you like to help other people.
5. There is no limit to the number of people that you can nominate.
6. HAVE FUN!!!”

screen-shot-2013-12-18-at-3-05-18-am

WHAT IT IS & WHAT TO DO: The Liebster award is a way for new bloggers to get known around the blogging community and to get to know others with similar interests. It is usually inferred upon someone with less than 200 followers. Upon receiving the Liebster Award you are to create a new entry linking back to the nominating blog; answer 10 questions chosen by that person; choose up to 10 nominees of your own; and come up with your own 10 questions for your nominees to answer upon accepting the award. Then notify the bloggers you chose.

The questions Amanda has asked me and my answers:

1) What are your most effective ways of coping with chronic pain or pain in general? Yoga and meditation seem to be my best tools. My medications don’t seem to be that effective.
2) What is your favorite movie and why? I don’t have a single favourite, but I always enjoy children’s animated movies such as Up, Alladin, Fern Gully, etc. I find that each time I watch them I see a different message in them and they also relax me and provide good background tv for when I’m in a crash. Basically I can focus and find new messages or just let them wash over me and either way they’re great.
3) What are the 3 main goals in your life? Find balance in my life (health, work, play, etc), start a family with E, and help others as much as I can.
4) Are there any songs that inspire you? Do you listen to music even when you’re in pain (on low)? I can’t think of specific songs at the moment (brain fog) but I go through phases where I listen to music and phases where I can’t focus on it at all.
5) What is your comfort food? Self Sauce Chocolate pudding (homemade or Orgran brand – gluten and dairy free)
6) What scares you the most about chronic migraines (treatment, symptoms…anything)? Migraines aren’t one of my major symptoms. What scares me most about my overall illness is not knowing if or when I’ll ever improve and not knowing what impact it is going to have on my future.
7) What motivated you to start your blog? What pushed you to do it? I considered starting a blog because I had found that early in my illness I got the most motivation and encouragement from reading other people’s blogs but it was only after discussing the idea with E and him saying that it was also a good outlet for me so I’m not always relying on him that I decided to jump in and actually start one.
8) Do you like to research treatments or procedures your doctor reccomends, or do you completely trust your doctor when trying something new? I do a combination of both. Generally though I do my own research (or E does it for me) and I’ve even taken suggestions to my doctor of ideas we can try.
9) Who can you talk to about your migraines? Again, migraines aren’t my main symptom, but I have a few friends that I can talk to about my illness without annoying them, sometimes E is happy to talk about it, my doctors, and here online.
10) What’s your favorite hobby and why? At the moment sewing and drawing. I find that they relax me and I really enjoy that at the end of the process (even if it takes me over a month) I have something to show for it.

Now on to the nominations:

  1. Leslie (Just another F-Bomb)
  2. Celeste (Baking, Butter, & Happiness)
  3. Trisha (Notes from the Fog)
  4. Julie (The Nocturnal Laundress)
  5. Claire (Living Being Doing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
  6. Jess (noonegetsflowersforchronicpain)
  7. Jan (The Snail of Happiness)
  8. Toni (The Girl in Yoga Pants)
  9. Barbara (Me, My Magnificent Self)
  10. Lynn (Lynn Paints It)

Congratulations to all the nominees.

My questions for you as part of the Liebster Award are:

  1. What has been the proudest moment in your life so far?
  2. Who is your inspiration and why?
  3. How do you stay creative?
  4. What single quality do you most appreciate in people?
  5. What is your favorite post that you’ve written? (Please provide link!)
  6. What are three things you can’t live without?
  7. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 13-​​year-​​old self?
  8. How did you pick your blog’s name?
  9. Describe yourself in 3 words.
  10. How has a major event in your life (like chronic illness) changed your goals for the future?

So that’s all for today. Once again, congratulations to all the nominees, you are all amazing individuals!