Liebster Award!

Ok, so this Saturday Smooch entry has nothing to do with wedding planning, relationships or the Milkman. This entry is about me, or more specifically this blog, because it has been shown some love!

Josanne, whose funny and honest blog "My Toddler Rules" goes to show that all mums go through the same things whether they are 17 (when I got pregnant with Half Pint) or 47 (when Josanne got pregnant with Lily, the star of her blog), has nominated me for a Liebster award

What is a Liebster? Well, there's no awards ceremony or gold statue to display on the mantelpiece. Just as blogs are virtual records of our lives, Liebsters are virtual shout outs which any blogger can give to any other blogger with fewer than 200 followers. It's a way of letting them know that someone out there is enjoying what they write, as well as to help them raise their profile a bit and hopefully gain some followers whilst giving them a confidence boost. And being nominated has sure given me a little boost, so thank you Josanne for spreading some love! In order to accept the award, I have some rules to follow. It's kind of like a chain letter, but instead of threatening a curse, this helps to spread the word about lesser known blogs and builds connections between bloggers. Anyone I nominate is of course not obliged to keep the chain going, I just want you to know that I am really enjoying your blog. 


To accept the award, you must complete the following...

• Link back to the blog of the person(s) who nominated you 
• Answer all questions posted by the nominator 
• Share 11 random facts about yourself 
• Nominate 5-11 blogs that have have less than 200 followers 
• Create 11 questions for your nominees 
• Contact your nominees and let them know that you have nominated them

Josanne's questions for me...

1. What does your family think about your blogging?
   On the whole, they are uniformly disinterested. Well, that's not entirely true - Half Pint is quite interested in starting his own after seeing a little of mine. But the Milkman, to the best of my knowledge, has never even followed any of the links I put up on Facebook, either because he's just glad I'm waffling on to someone else or because he thinks he isn't allowed to read it after years of me keeping a private blog. I doubt that Pink Milk, my brother or cousin have followed my FB links either. If they have, they've never mentioned it. And I would probably never open the drama floodgates of letting my mum know it existed, because I've spent my whole life with her making 'jokes' about me writing about her in my journal (sometimes I was tempted just to say something bad to serve her right for snooping!). Dad just wouldn't understand the concept at all, as he's uber private. Thankfully, I've got friends who have told me that they've read it, and have all been really positive
2. What five famous people would you invite to dinner?
   Ignoring the fact that having strangers to dinner, famous or not, is my idea of hell...then I would go for women who inspire me like Beth Ditto, Debbie Harry, Margaret Atwood, Debbie Stoller (founder of Bust magazine...does that count as famous?) and Karen O. And if magazine editors don't count, I'd trade Ms Stoller for Sarah Silverman.
3. You have a day off without the kids, what would you do?
   S L E E P   Actually, I probably wouldn't because lying in bed now makes me feel guilty. Can we make this a day without kids and housework? Cool. Then I would probably curl up with some good music playing, munchies and coffee close at hand, and try to read a book!
4. What was your favourite toy as a child?
   

   

   Monchhichis old and new

   BoBo. Even saying his name makes me feel nostalgic! He is a little monkey doll, a Monchhichi, which my uncle gave me when I was about six, and who I was then inseparable from. He went everywhere with me (which did result in some disasters like being knocked off the side of a ferry on the approach into Venice, but thankfully a nice old man in a boat rescued him for me). I still have him, and noticed that they have recently been selling Monchhichi monkeys again. One in particular which reminded me of Mini Milk...so I couldn't resist buying him! 
5. What is your favourite meal?
   This is a tough one! I mean, there is a reason I'm a lifetime member of Weight Watchers! To eat out it is tapas, to take away it's Indian, but to cook myself...it's probably a tie between a tagine with couscous or Thai salmon with fragrant rice.
6. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
   Try to stop Mini Milk from screaming. He has an uncanny knack of waking up before my alarm, and he starts the day off with a full-volume squealfest. It's a race against the clock to get a bottle into his mouth before my eardrums shatter and the neighbours call social services.
7. What is the best thing about you?
   I can build whole sentences out of swear words. Actually, that's not exactly the sort of thing I'd like on my headstone. How about...I have an incredible sense of direction. Seriously, I'm like a carrier pigeon or something. Which is good, because the Milkman is like a blindfolded bluebottle.
8. Can you remember your first school crush? What can you remember of them?
   When I was about seven I fell for one half of a pair of identical twins. Just one of them. He used to wear Stussy jeans and had a horrifically crispy 'wet look' curtain hairstyle. Unfortunately it was his friend who I attracted, and who for a kid so young was scarily persistent - he sat next to me in class and I had to keep telling the teacher he was putting his arm around my chair. And his chat-up line went something like "my name is Joe Teasdale, but you can call me Joe Testicles." I like to think that is the line he still uses...
9. Facebook or Twitter? Share your link.
   I've actually deactivated my Facebook as I felt it was becoming a bit of a free time black hole. I'll maybe reactivate it if life calms down a bit. I do check up Twitter a couple of times a day though, in an attempt to build my blogging network - I'm @skimmedmiilk
10. Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery?
    If I had the money, I'd get my tummy tucked and my boobs lifted, no doubt about it. Two big babies and some rapid weight loss haven't exactly been kind. I used to think I'd get my nose done too, but I'm kind of used to my face these days. Same with my teeth, though I do want to whiten them to remove years of coffee and ciggies. You only get one life, so why waste it being unhappy with yourself? My attitude is definitely do all you can for yourself, but sometimes diet, exercise and self acceptance only get you so far. 
11. If you ever had a movie made about you. What actor would play ‘you’?
    I'd love Ellen Page to play me. I can be quite sarcastic and dry-humoured, I'm a bit of an outsider and fairly down to earth, which is the vibes I get off her when she is on screen. I'm not as cool or as cute as her though, so it would be nice to have that element of artistic license! 

11 Random Facts About Me...

1. I am writing this tucked up by the poolside vending machines in a desperate attempt to stay cool whilst Half Pint trains with his swimming club. 
2. I broke the second and third toes on my right foot by running into a leather sofa (whilst trying to kill my brother) when I was about 12. They now bend in opposite directions from one another, as if they have fallen out. 
3. I really hate olives. Every few years I decide to be a grown up and try one...and then gag. 
4. I'd love to emigrate to Australia, but I am hopeless in anything above 25°C. 
5. I was nearly left infertile when a GP misdiagnosed two massive cysts on both my ovaries as a stitch. 
6. I am really self concious about my craptasic handwriting.
7. I have enough baking, sewing and knitting books to open my own reference library, but can barely bake, sew or knit.
8. I love to be alone, to the point where I suspect I am really a hermit trapped in the body of a functioning member of society.
9. I love to sing in the car. Full volume.
10. As a kid I used to think I was being watched by the eyes on my posters, so I always got changed in the bathroom.
11. I don't own a single set of matching underwear

Enough About Me, On To The Good Bit
I nominate...(sometimes the number of followers isn't always obvious, in which case I have been judging it by Bloglovin' followers...not a true representation, probably, but it gives me some idea!)

• Alex @ Al's Food and Fitness - this girl is so knowledgeable about nutrition and fitness, and their application to daily life. Reading just one entry from her can motivate and inspire me to try harder on my own efforts. Plus, she's pretty cool too.
• Angeline @ Daft Mama - one of the first mummy bloggers I started to read, and one of the first Scottish bloggers too.  She lives in my nearest city, which is so refreshing.  Her entries are honest, particularly on the subject of PND, and I feel I share a lot in common with her.  And she does this awesome thing of turning her garden into an outdoor cinema...
• Sarah @ Glasgow Mummy - another blogger fairly local to me.  She seems to get that balance between informative/review posts and real life/personality spot on, and because a lot of her posts on places or events are based in my area I find her blog really interesting
• Kat @ AtoZ Mummy - she is a fairly new discovery for me, but I love reading her entries.  Her life is very different from mine in some respects (she is a Muslim convert, for one), but that is something I love about her blog as I feel I'm gaining insight into a different lifestyle.  And she is also very relateable, I get such a good vibe reading her.
• Wally Mummy @ Just A Normal Mummy...though I'm not sure if she really gets under the 200 threshold, but I find her hysterical and more than just a tiny bit relateable too.

I so wanted to add more, but my blog net isn't cast too wide just now (I'm wary of trying to read too many in too little time, I like to digest) and the other blogs I read wouldn't qualify. But if you have any recommendations based on the blogs I've listed, I'm all ears.

(Optional) 11 Questions For My Nominees...

1. Why do you blog?
2. If your blog had a mission statement, what would it be?
3. What do you want to be when you grow up?
4. Name three things in your junk drawer/messy cupboard/room of shame
5. Recomend a blog to me
6. Share a blogging tip
7. Tea and cake, or coffee and biscuits?
8. Who is the crappiest celeb you've ever met? (I met Marty Pellow...dare you to beat that)
9. Favourite childhood tv programme?
10. What book are you currently reading?
11. Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High or Point Horror?