About a month ago I started trying to take more time for my blog. I’m trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to blog a little more regularly, engage more with others and make this blog more “real.” I found myself incredibly bored with my Bloglovin’ feed. Pinterest too. So I cleaned house. I dumped a bunch of subscriptions and went on a following spree!

Chances are I went through your “following” list, too, and followed half or more of the people you follow. It’s been really great to re-invigorate my internet time! I have slowly moved away from the high-level fashion bloggers and added more and more “normal” or “mommy” or acquaintance blogs, which makes me actually want to read, blog and share more.

I found myself thinking the other day – I just super want to know all of everyone else’s favorite blogs/social media accounts. I wish that were more easy and obvious. I mean, how many awesome blogs are out there that I don’t even know about? How many pins am I missing?!!

So when my friend Tayler nominated me for the Liebster Award I thought it A) an easy post because she GIVES me the questions to answer and B) A great way to share with you guys some of my latest favorite blogs. Return the favor, will ya?

Here are the questions she asked me, and my responses:

1) What is your favorite thing about fall?

Everything. My birthday. Sweaters. Plaid. Caramel Apples. Chili. Leaves changing. Halloween.

2) What do you think is the most overrated thing about fall?

Thanksgiving/Black Friday. Not a huge fan. I’d take burgers & fries over turkey & mashed potatoes any day.

3) What was your favorite class in high school/college? Why?

It was almost always English. I love reading and writing! I was that nerd that got an adrenaline rush when teachers assigned a paper. I’d be an English teacher if it wasn’t so much freaking work.

4) What was the worst book you ever read? Why?

Things Fall Apart in high school comes to mind. I just remember thinking “WHYYYYYY.” I also really didn’t like Catcher in the Rye. They both just seemed to glorify things that don’t even deserve attention: abuse, language, mental illness. And they don’t really conclude in a satisfactory way, which bugs me.

5) What do you think is the best part of blogging?

Friends and kind words. I’ve met so many awesome people JUST through blogging. It sounds so weird, I know but it’s great! And a super nice comment or even a “like” on one of my posts just makes me feel awesome. I love that part of blogging.

6) What is your favorite blogging series to be a part of or read?

I really love Bon’s Book Club, even if I don’t read the book every month or participate in the discussion.

7) What is your favorite sitcom?

The Office DUHHHHHHHH

8) What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

Sleep, sleep, set up the nursery, sleep. (On the plus side, we get to hit BOTH of our families this year AND it’s the last year without my brother home!)

9) I am a junior high teacher. What was your most awkward memory of that time period?

Oh gosh this is so stupid but I’m still so embarrassed at how thick and stupid I was (am?). Someone told me that Ms. Miley, my favorite teacher, was married before and that her husband somehow tragically died. Turns out they were thinking of a DIFFERENT teacher, but I was this hopeless romantic and absolutely CRUSHED by this revelation. The idea that her true love was taken from her and now she was lonely and teaching junior high all by herself?!!!! I am not even kidding when I say I cried over it more than once. Ohhhh Danica. So at the end of the year I wrote some stupid overly-dramatic message in her yearbook!!! HER YEARBOOK!!!! Oh my gosh. I am physically cringing right now at the thought. At some point the next year we actually talked about it and she just laughed and laughed at me.

“Oh Danica, I didn’t think anything of it. Just another crazy Danica thing you did.” 

True.

10) What was your first blog post ever about? If you aren’t embarrassed by it, post a link!

My first post was about my summer plans for 2010. It’s so funny to read, because I had been semi-secretly-dating The Beard. He was leaving for Arizona that week and I wasn’t leaving for another month and really worried about missing him. The REAL purpose of my blog was to document my Wales trip and that first post is here.

11) What is your favorite thing about my blog?

One thing I like about Tayler’s blog is that she is very descriptive of her life. I’m always interested in how people live their lives, plan their days, spend their time. Tayler is frequently sharing what she does at home, at school, with her husband, and now with her little baby Rhys!

My Liebster Nominees – these are my latest favorite blogs, plus a few long-term winners:

• Best friend Katie D obvs
• Best friend Eliesa obvs
• New HP Book Club member and friend – Brooke
• Fave beauty blogger and friend – Katie A
• My latest blog follow is the cutest girl who married a high school buddy and has an adorable babe – Jessica
• Best mom inspiration – Danica
• Current fave real-life, real-person, down-to-earth fashion blogger – Bree

These are the steps to accepting your award:
– Answer the eleven questions given to you by the person that nominated you (see below). Please comment on this post with your link when you are done so I can see your answers!
– In your post, link back to the person/blog who nominated you and give a little thank you shout out.
– After completing the questions, nominate up to eleven bloggers with under 200 followers on the social media platform of your choice, and give them eleven questions of your choice.
– Notify your nominees of their nomination, and provide a link to your post so that they know what to do.

Your Questions Are:

1. What blogs do you read every day?
2. Where do you find inspiration for your blog?
3. Latest book you read AND should I read it?
4. If you could make ONE book mandatory reading for every American, what would it be?
5. Which song is the most played on your iPod/Spotify right now?
6. Where is your best-kept-secret place to shop (for anything)?
7. What’s the #1 thing on your Christmas Wish List?
8. Who is your favorite Harry Potter character and why?
9. What is your must-have winter fashion item?
10. What should I name my baby? Provide one boy and one girl name.
11. I’m coming up on the crazy/fun/miserable lead-up to Christmas where all my kids eat candy and drive me insane. What is your best coping mechanism for when life is out of control?

And if I didn’t nominate you, feel free to answer these anyway! These are the kind of questions I always want to know from people anyway. Let’s share this love.