Win-Win Situation

I took a little break from blogging this weekend to reconnect with my long abandoned Kindle.  Apparently my slow brain thinks it's still the weekend, so I find myself post-less for today. 

Then I remembered that I still have some unfinished business that I need to take care of.  So what better time than today to catch-up on those few things.

A while ago, my friends Kid Id of From Diapers to Diatribes and Jessica of Look Who Found the Marbles, had kindly passed these two awards to me: Versatile Blogger Award and Kreativ Blogger Award.  Thank you Kid Id and Jessica, for thinking of Sweaty and her little blog!  How did you know I'm such a sucker for awards??  In fact, I can never get too many of them.  So if you have some more coming your way and don't know what to do with them, send them my way, alright? ;)

The Versatile Blogger and the Kreativ Blogger Awards also come with a set of rules that the recipient must follow.  Lucky for me, the rules are the same for both.  Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 7 recently discovered/other blogs.

Sooo... here we go....

1)

2)  7 things about myself:

• I am extremely introverted.  I feel most energized when I'm at home.  Being too long in a crowded place exhausts me.
• I am scared shit of lizards.
• I have a soft spot for love stories.  I heart them!
• I'm obsessed with angels' wings.  They fascinate me.
• I had Postpartum Psychosis shortly after the birth of my daughter 7 years ago.
• I have a very high tolerance for alcohol - I don't get drunk easily.
• I have an affinity to handbags.  Not clothes, not shoes.  Handbags.

3) Hereby, I am passing the awards to the following 7 recently and not-so-recently discovered blogs:

• Tiaras and Trucks  Angela's posts, in particular those that she wrote to express her love for her daughter, Abbey, are incredibly beautiful and emotional.  As a mother to a little girl who's about the same age as Abbey, I really appreciate every word that Angela's written... every time wishing that I could write just as beautifully about my love for my daughter.
• C.Mom Elena is one tough cookie!  She has had her share of trials and tribulations, and yet through it all, she remains positive, always moving forward.  What's incredible about Elena is that she wants others to enjoy a fulfilling life too.  She's behind the Just.Be.Enough campaign, encouraging others to look deep into themselves and see the goodness that exists in each and every one of us.  Truly an inspiring woman!  
• Chicken Noodle Gravy  Katie's honesty and vulnerability are always apparent in each post she wrote.  She's really sweet and an avid cook who likes to share recipes with other bloggers.  But she can also be feisty and stand for what she believes in.  I find it easy to relate to Katie and her experiences. 
• Resonance  Jenna's love of great literary works is well reflected in her writing.  Her posts are insightful, well-written, and always so poignant.  True to her blog's title, what she says in her posts tend to resonate and stir so many emotions in me.  She has a way with words; a word-weaver, I'd call her.
• Move Over Mary Poppins!  Cameron is simply 'brilliant.'  She's extremely talented, witty, and writes beautiful gorgeous posts.  Her posts had me turning green in envy on more than several occasions; she writes with ease, humor, and many times sarcasm (ahem) but always, always spot on.  Really, I consider her a 'gift' to the blogging world.  And I know that she's loving every praise I bestowed upon her right now ;)
• Time Out for Mom  Les is one of the rare bloggers out there who has consistently shown me support and love no matter what.  I hate to admit that I feel like she's found me first before I found her.  Reading her posts is like a chat with your best friend.  She's sincere, loyal, and perfect in all her imperfections. 
• Exiting Lover's Lane  Kadie is one heck of a fun girl to have around!  Her comments always made me laugh out loud, and her tweets brightened my day.  It's too easy to forget during our easy banter that she's had her share of pain and heartache, because she really is that much fun.  I love her spirit.  Also, her writing still leaves me in awe every time; she writes amazing posts... the kind that made me pause and think, "Shit, that was really something." ;)

And I can't help but passing the awards to two of my all-time favorites:

• The Kir Corner  Kirsten, as I've told her a few times already, is my sunshine on a rainy day.  I treasure her friendship every day.  She's really made my bloggy world a better place.
• One Mixed Bag  Words can't express just how much I love my friend, Bernie.  I've never met her, but I know with all my heart that she is a true friend with a big heart, who would be there for me when I need her.  And did I mention that she's hilarious?? 

If you haven't followed those bloggers I've listed above, I encourage you to follow them now.  They are truly exceptional.

Last but not least, on Wednesday last week, I mentioned in one of my Miss Chatterbox's posts, Open to Interpretation, that I would do something special for those whose interpretation rocked my world ;)  I'm not a giveaway kind of gal (sorry...), so I'd like to invite each of you to host my Wordless and (Not So) Wordless Wednesday post.  Just let me know which date you'd like, and on that Wednesday, I'd feature your Wednesday post and link back to your blog (that way you would still post on your blog, and at the same time, it will be posted on my blog as well).  Sounds good?    

So without further ado, here are some of my favorite interpretations to this one-of-a-kind, masterpiece drawn by my almost-seven year old daughter:

Kadie (Exiting Lover's Lane):  It seems to me that she isn't really thinking daddy is part of the group anymore....what I'm left wondering, though, is....did she draw him falling off the boat??  Lol.  Does she want you guys to sit by and smile while he falls off the boat?  Kids are interesting..

My reply:  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA seriously, girl, you're hilarious!!! THAT would make a very interesting post, wouldn't it??  I don't know whether I'd laugh or cry if she did intentionally draw daddy falling off the boat and smiling about it. ROTF

Kim (Mama's Monologues):  Is Daddy jumping ship while she stays safe with you??

My reply:  Whoa, that's a pretty sophisticated interpretation there, Kim! I got goosebumps from your comment!

To Kadie and Kim, thanks so much for participating!  You are awesome!

Whew... I've never felt more like Santa after writing a post... lol

Hurrayyy! It's My First (Ever) Blog Award

Have you ever seen one of Patek Philippe's "Generations" Ad Campaigns?  My husband totally bought the whole father-son, mother-daughter marketing gimmick, getting teary-eyed whenever he came across one of those ads.  As for me, I'm mostly waiting for my husband to move on from just getting teary-eyed, to actually GETTING the watch for my birthday present.  So far, I'm still waiting.  Anyway, the ads always have this message written on them: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe.  You merely look after it for the next generation."  


Which brings me to this happy news.  I won an award today!!!  It's called the Versatile Blogger award!  Whoever created the Versatile Blogger award must have been inspired by those Patek Philippe's ads, because later on, I found out that this award was "passed" to me so that afterward I can pass it again to other blogs I've recently discovered.  This is what it looks like:

Fittingly, this Versatile Blogger Award was given to me by a VERY versatile blogger herself.  One whose daily accomplishments alone equals to my 5 year-plans.  She is a new, yet already dear-to-my-heart, mommy blogger named Janice.

In her blog "The (not so) Special Mother," she writes her life as a wife, a mother of two, and a granddaughter.  She is also a homeschool mom, a mother to a special-needs child, and a primary caregiver to her disabled sister.  If that wasn't enough to put me to shame, she still has time to go hiking, camping, traveling, and dining out, and reads literature and poetry.  Oh, and I have a feeling that one day she will somehow find a way to resume her studies in Wildlife Biology and finished her degree.

So why the heck did someone like Janice passed the Versatile Blogger award to me?  Beats me.  But I AM happy to have this award, and I AM glad that (at least) Janice thinks I deserve it.  Coming from someone like her, hell yeah, I'm proud to be called a Versatile Blogger!  If you haven't gotten the chance to know Janice, please visit her blog "The (not so) Special Mother."  She really is a living, breathing Supermom!

Since it is now my turn to pass on "the Versatile Blogger" award, I'm also passing the rules for accepting this award:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their site in your original post.
• Tell us seven things about yourself.
• Pass along the award to fifteen newly discovered bloggers.
• Contact these bloggers and let them know they got this award.

So here are my seven things that I would never have told you if it weren't because I'm greedy and I wanted this award!!!

1. I was named after a former empress who went into exile in 1979.  So yeah, as far as first role models go, I'm pretty much doomed from the start.
2. I used to wear prescription glasses up to five years ago, when a lasik surgery cured me of my near-sightedness, but not my nerdiness.
3. I love romance stories where the hero is good looking, yet the heroine is not.  You can call me a traitor to feminism all you want, but I like the idea that even if you're less than average in the looks department, you still have a shot at nailing a Brad Pitt-lookalike.
4. I was still in another relationship when I started dating my husband. OMG I can't believe I just told you that! I've managed to keep that little fact from my husband all these years! 
5. I have botanophobia (fear of plants).  The thought of touching them freaks me out, and I absolutely cannot eat or drink next to one.
6. On the night before my wedding day, my bridezilla-ness hit a new, all time record-breaking high.  My wedding planner decided she's had enough and finally knocked me out with a handful of valiums.
7. I drool while I sleep. Bucketful. No kidding.

And hereby I am passing the Versatile Blogger award to the following 15 blogs, obviously for this reason:  They're AWESOME!

1. Partly Sunny, Chance of Rain Tammy is the genius behind World's Worst Mom, a blog where you can read about other moms' less-than-perfect moments and feel better about yourself.  It's like free therapy!!
2. My 3 Little Birds  Her posts are always interesting and very insightful.
3. Moms in Venting  I love Glynis.  Her blog makes venting so much fun! 
4. Manic Mother  I will always be grateful to her.  I learned a lot about blogging just from reading her blog.
5. Two Kids and a Fish  A mother with a BIG heart.  Read her post My Kid's Best Friend is a Psychic.  I cried reading that post.
6. Single Dad Laughing  I never thought I'd say this, but this is one Dad who's doing a much better job at being a mom than me.
7. My Mummy Daze  I consider her blog my "next-door-mom" blog.  She blogs about stuff that I've always wanted to blog about.
8. Danielle Moss//The Blog  I love her designs... she's my web designer who had to deal with the worst sides of me (like changing my mind for like the thousandth time), and yet is still willing to help out. 
9. Momalog I always enjoyed reading Ado's posts... She writes so well (and I notice, so fast!).  Her posts always have the right mix of insight, humor, and candor.
10. Whimsy and Whirl by Tenesia  I've never met Tenesia in person, but I have a feeling that if I ever need a partner in crime, this is one mommy who's not gonna let me down.
11. Thoughts from this Mom... When you read her blog, you just can't help but like her!
12. 1 FUNKY WOMAN  Yes, I think she's one funky woman. A very wholesome blog. One thing though, until now I still don't know how to turn the background music she has on--not because I don't like it, but because I can't listen to music and read other people's blog at the same time. **UPDATE: Megan was sweet enough to send me a user-friendly instruction on how to turn off the music on her blog. So now I'm an expert on how to turn her blog's music on and off.  Thanks, Megan!
13. Absolutely Narcissism I absolutely love her narcissism!  Her posts are hilarious.
14. Mrs. No-No Knows This highly creative mommy's posts always make me: 1) hungry; 2) wish I can cook; 3) hope that my husband never finds out that there is such a wife as Mrs. No-No.
15. Sanity's Overrated A fellow book lover who writes beautifully and honestly about her family and the many facets of herself. 

Hurray to me!  And now I'm gonna be spending the next few hours contacting each one of the 15 blog owners I mentioned above...