Bloglovin'

Upon hearing about the demise of Google Reader three months ago I have been in denial…I’d Google alternatives, become overwhelmed & crawl back under my denial rock. Blissful Mama posted recently about it which prompted me to look at the calendar & realize I was running out of time…so I logged on last night & checked out Bloglovin’ upon Blissful Mama’s suggestion…& OMG! I love it!! So easy to set up, they have an app for my phone, which was a must for whatever I choose…the layout was great. Plus my quick perusal of their terms & conditions seemed pretty straight forward & I wouldn’t be signing over all my rights to them. So thank you to Blissful Mama for making my transition from Google Reader so painless!!

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And now some blog lovin’ of a different kind…I received a lovely comment on my last post from a reader who is a regular but hadn’t ever commented before…not only were her words so kind, she also nominated me for a Blog Award! Thank you so much, Laura…both for your kind words & for the award nomination!

 

The following apply when accepting this award:

·         Link back to the blog that nominated you (thank you again, Laura)

·         Nominate 5 - 11 new bloggers who have 200 or less followers

·         Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator

·         Share 11 random facts about yourself

·         Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer

·         Contact your nominees and let them know that you have nominated them

 

The Blogs I am Nominating:

A Blissful Life
Perpetual Ambition
Chasing the Gerber Dragon
A Planned Life
B is for Baby 

11 Questions from Laura:

1.    Why did you start blogging? After deciding to become a SMC, I gained so much from the blogs I found about other women who had made the same choice. Since then I have been so very grateful for the support & sense of community I have gained from the blogosphere!

2.    Mountain hideaway or a beach house? Tough one…I think I’d have to go with Mountain Hideaway though

3.    McDonalds or pizza? As much as I love McDonald’s, I’ll take pizza any day!!

4.    Summer or winter? As much as I love my summers with Elena, I am still a winter lover at heart…the warm clothes, the smell of snow, the crunch under my boots, hot chocolate with marshmallows…love it!

5.    Hot chocolate or coffee? I think I just answered this, lol. Hot Chocolate for sure…never been a coffee drinker, not even in college

6.    Strength training or cardio? Huh? This sounds like exercise…I avoid that as much as possible, lol!! But if I had to choose, it’d be cardio.

7.    Computer or television? Television for sure…I am a MASSIVE TV-aholic!!!

8.    Rolling Stones or Beatles? The Beatles for sure…but I do sing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” to Elena all the time!

9.    Sidney or Paris? Sydney…mostly because I’ve never been there & I have been to Paris.

10.  Alaska or Hawaii? Another tough one!! I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska since watching Men in Trees…but I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii since watching Elvis’ Blue Hawaii…I don’t know how to choose!!

11.  Early bird or night owl? Definitely Early Bird! Always have been…I am usually awake before Elena, even on the weekends!

11 Random Facts about me:

It was hard enough coming up with 7 things for the Versatile Blogger Award…now I have to come up with 11? Well here goes…

1.       I’m a Dog Person…I don’t hate cats or anything…but I LOVE dogs! I can’t wait until Elena is a bit older so we can get one…though I did ask her recently if she wanted a puppy & she said no…I’ll have to work on her…

2.      My middle name is Darlene…so is my Mom’s…& Elena’s

3.      I was named after Tara Martin, a character from All My Children…

4.      Currently my favourite TV show is The Vampire Diaries…guess where Elena got her name?

5.      I had a GINORMOUS crush on Kirk Cameron when I was a kid…my bedroom walls were covered in posters of him.

6.      I broke by left wrist when I was 10 by falling from a play structure…I broke my left ankle when I was 32 by slipping on some ice in front of my apartment building…after spending the entire afternoon on a ski hill!

7.      I’ve never had sex in a car…not that anyone ever wanted to know that…

8.      The most famous person I’ve ever met is Ed Asner…my aunt took a photo of us together & he insisted his companion take a photo of us too…so possibly somewhere in all his belongings there’s a photo of me…

9.      There was a bully who tormented me from Grade 4 through most of high school for being overweight…in college, after losing a bunch of weight, I ran into him at a bar & he had the nerve to hit on me & ask me on a date!

10.   One of my all time favourite movies is Clue…when it premiered on TMN when I was a kid, then ran it 3 consecutive Saturdays, each week playing one of the alternate endings…I had nightmares for weeks! BTW this movie is a hilarious comedy based on the board game Clue starring Tim Curry…

11.    Finally!! #11! & speaking of  nightmares…the final random fact I’ll share with you is that I have very vivid dreams & nightmares & slept walk all the time when I was a child…one night, after hearing the front door open, my Dad found me half way down the driveway!!

11 Questions for my Nominees:

1.       Do you believe in ghosts?

2.      Which celebrity or public figure would you most like to meet?

3.      Have you ever shop lifted?

4.      Do you have a tattoo? If so, where/what?

5.      Facebook or Twitter?

6.      Nick has 8 cups. He gave Sam 5 cups. How many cups does Nick have left?

7.      What is your favourite childhood birthday memory?

8.      Are you more like your Mother or Father…or neither?

9.      What is your Dream Job?

10.   Other than this current one, what era would you have most liked to live?

11.    What is your proudest moment?