Liebster Award

I have been blogging for almost a year now and I really love it.  The best part is connecting with other bloggers, sharing and learning along with them.  

Recently I was flattered to be nominated for a Liebster Award by Leslie over at Tally Tales. This award is given to recognize new "up and coming" bloggers with less than 200 followers. Nominations come from other bloggers. I would like to thank Leslie. It means a lot to me that she enjoyed my blog and gave me this nomination. Please check out her blog, it's really awesome!

Rules for participating in this blog award are as follows:
1. Link back to the blog that nominated me.
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers.
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator.
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
6. Contact your nominees by commenting on their blog or sending them an email to communicate the nomination.

So here are the 11 questions Leslie asked me to answer.

1. Where is your favorite place to visit?
My favorite place to visit, hands down, is Monhegan Island, Maine. It is a gorgeous, small, rustic island.  It is so peaceful, I highly recommend you visit. 

2. How do you like to spend a Saturday morning?
I have an adorable 7 year-old son who does not believe in sleeping in so I usually get up early and put on a pot of coffee.  Then I love to read all my favorite blogs and usually do some blogging myself before the rest of the house gets up.

3. What is your favorite memory?
WOW! Too tough to choose a favorite.  Obviously, the biggies: meeting and marrying my hubby and giving birth to my two beautiful kids are the best memories.  I treasure small family memories and time with friends. 

4. Why did you start blogging?
It had been something I had been thinking about doing for a while.  I waited until I had a focus or clear idea for a blog. I wanted to offer something, not just share my own experiences. I love to read children's books and I felt that I could offer recommendations and ideas to fellow educators. 

5. Coffee or not? If so, what kind?

Oh YES!! I am usually found at school with coffee in hand (did I mention I get up early?).  I like flavored coffee sweet with cream.

 
6. What is your favorite book?
Again, hard to choose just one.  I have a couple of picture books I love like Tikki, Tikki Tembo, The Story of Ferdinand and The Giving Tree. The books I could read again and again are the books in the Harry Potter series.  I am a bit of a Potterhead. 

7. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did that dream become reality?
As a young child I wanted to be a marine biologist and work with ocean animals like dolphins. It was not until my junior year that I realized I wanted to teach. 

8. Are you a pet-lover? If so, how many pets (and what kind) do you have?
I like other people's animals but no, I am not a pet person. 

9. What is your favorite TV show?
I don't watch much TV, but I do like to watch "reality-type" shows like Clean House, Hell's Kitchen and my summer guilty pleasure, Big Brother.

10. Winter or summer?
I live in Maine so we live for our warm summers. 

11. Share a great bit of advice you have received at some point in your life.
A coach once had a long talk with me about how your own positive attitude and energy effects those around you. I try to be as positive as I can every day (on very little sleep :)


11 Random Facts About Me 
1. I am a Harry Potter geek.  I own more Harry Potter items than any 40-something year old woman should.
2. I am native Mainer and can't imagine living anywhere else.
3. My parents did not give me a middle name.
4. I have a powerful fear of mice and anything small and rodent-like. 
5. I am very forgetful and it really drives me crazy. 
6. I am a mom of two, an 11 year-old girl and a 7 year-old boy.
7. I have absolutely atrocious handwriting.
8. If I wasn't a teacher my dream job would be to own a bookstore/coffee shop. 
9. I don't really like to talk on the phone.
10. I love food! The only thing in the world I can not eat is raw tomato-yuck!
11. I am green with envy whenever I go on Teachers Pay Teachers because I long to be able to create all the crafty, beautiful things I see there, but I don't know how.

Here are the 11 Questions for my nominees
1. What are some of your hobbies?
2. Use 3 words to describe yourself. 
3. If you could meet one person, who would it be and why?
4. What is one of your pet peeves?
5. What is the hardest thing about your job?
6. What is the greatest thing about your job?
7. Do you have a favorite book or series?
8. Why did you start blogging?
9. If you could travel to anywhere, where would you go?
10. Complete this statement. In the next year I hope to... 
11. What are you reading right now?

I would like to pass on nominations to the following bloggers to receive a Liebster Award. Please visit their blogs and check out the great stuff they are writing about!

1. Julee at Book Egg
2. Ryan at Reading Rocks
3. Jennifer at Reederama
4. Laura at LibLaura 5
5. Stephanie at at Books, Interventions and More!

I can't wait to learn more about these bloggers!