Answering the Million Dollar Question and The Beautiful Blogger Award

“How do you do all you do in one day?”  I have been asked this question by more than one person now and to be truthful I honestly never even gave it a second thought until actually being questioned this recently.  I feel like I am answering the million dollar question though!!

I have always been the type of person that just keeps going no matter what.  When I worked, I barely ever took a sick day.  Even during two pregnancies, where I was nauseous all day and night long for 15 weeks each time, I still just kept moving until I could indeed go to bed at night to get a few hours of relief.  This is just my work ethic and my parents raised me to be a go getter and not be a quitter.

I applied this mantra to my writing with first foray being six months ago when I first started to write again on Hubpages., At this time, I was writing on Hubpages exclusively and published an article almost daily for months on end. I could never just phone it in either, because I loved not only writing interesting and well researched articles, but always made sure to make them as graphically appealing as well, with nice dividers, table of contents, videos and back links, too (I learned this fine little touches in the first month or two after joining).  Anyone who is familiar with Hubpages knows that content matters, but so does layout.  If both are done properly, it can make a huge difference.  Also with this site, i learned the true meaning of not only writing, but sharing others articles that I supported and who also supported me, as well.

I credit this wonderful writing community for helping me hone my writing skills, but for also pushing me to strive for so much more.  It was through these connections that I given the push to blog.  I started slowly, but within weeks had been caught with the blog bug and began to publish blog articles everyday.  My Hubpages articles were not being produced as quickly because of it, but have no fear I didn’t given up on that end.  Just learned that I could still write quality articles, but just not as much in quantity.

The more I wrote Blog articles, the more I learned (still have so much more to learn, but don’t we all).  I reached out to other bloggers through the help of a wonderful Facebook Group known as the Bloppy Bloggers.  I also followed some tips from one of my very good blogging friends (Julie DeNeen) to join blog hops and get to know other bloggers in my niche (Mommy bloggers) and I did just that.  I have been able to meet more wonderful bloggers this way just by being more extroverted and putting myself out there.

I am truly thankful for all the writing and blogging connections I have made along the way, including Hubpages, Bloppy Bloggers and the overall Blogging Community. I feel blessed to be able to read and share other wonderful writers’ work each and everyday.  I do this for those that mutually support me, because I want others to know how much I do appreciate them being in my corner.

As the Fall and Halloween approached, I was given the gentle push and guidance by a few select friends from the Bloppy Bloggers to join and try my hand at writing a novel in NaNoWriMo (The National Novel Writing Month), which is every year in November.  November can be a crazy enough month around here normally with Thanksgiving and Lily’s birthday, too.

But this year, a whole new form of craziness was added when we had Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29th, which was so afraid it would impede my being able to work on this and stay on track.  As the storm approached, I prepared for the inevitable and had blog posts pre-scheduled for over a week and even had a few wonderful writing friends who shared my work while I was without power to keep my work out there for others to read and not forget me (thank you again, you know who you are!).  I was truly fortunate enough to only lose electrical power for  two days and we got it back on Halloween night just in time to indeed start NaNoWriMo on time with everyone else.

While I never officially entered the blogging version or NaBloPoMo, I did indeed blog daily everyday in the month of November, too.  But then again, I have blogged everyday since I started blogging seriously back in September.  My blog is my sounding board and a place where I can come and vent about anything from my husband, kids, writing and pretty much anything that is on my mind.  I couldn’t imagine not writing on here even for a day and would miss it too much.

So, there were days this past month with my blog, my novel and Hubpages that I wrote about 10,000 words a day.  I am truly flabbergasted by seeing this number written out (as a past math teacher I can tell you it is avery large number, lol!), but I couldn’t stop and was sort of possessed this past month.

I did indeed win NaNoWriMo completing the 50,000 required words before November 30th and actually got to the 50,000 mark on November 25th.  Once reaching the 50,000 word mark, I have still been writing my novel (because it isn’t done yet), but will be honest and tell you I have slowed up with the amount of words I am putting out each day.  I figure I can continue to write it through the winter and begin the editing process once I do wrap it up.  I am not sure when I will be able to hit the publish button, but know I will be taking a chance by indeed self publishing it on Amazon when all is said and done.

In answer to the original question, I still haven’t given much thought to how much have taken on daily.  After writing this all out, it just seems normal to me.  When my husband and kids need me I am right there, but when they are otherwise occupied, I am online.  The computer is on all day when I am home.  When I go out,I still have my iPhone with me just in case.

The one thing I have truly learned to do through it all is breath and take each step of the day as it comes.

That said, I started to write this last night and woke this morning to have been awarded another wonderful blogging award, by fellow writer/blogger Jane Marsh of Nothing By the Book.  Jane, truly is a constant supporter on my blog and I, of course, am to her blog as well.  She described me as genuine and then went on to say I am nothing like her, but can tell you she is indeed so very genuine in my book and always willing to lend her ear and eyes to my blog posts. And her blog is full of rich family-like experiences that I could never tire nor ever seem to get old.  I am just so blessed to call her a friend and thank you Jane for the award.  She very much made my day that much brighter!!

Now for the actual award and what needs to be done:

The idea behind the Beautiful Blogger Award is to recognize some of the bloggers we follow for their hard work and inspiration.

1. Copy the Beautiful Blogger Award logo and place it in your post. (I have done this a few times with other images for my blog, so this was done fairly quickly and easily, too.)
2. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog. (Even though I did this above and I want to say to Jane thank you again so very much.  Can’t say this enough and am again so very honored and humbled!!)
3. Tell 7 things about yourself.  (Hold your horses folks, like you don’t know enough already, lol!!
4. Nominate other bloggers for their own Beautiful Blogger Award, and comment on their blogs to let them know. (I am picking five and figure it will get passed on down the line so everyone will get a chance to receive and then pass on themselves.)

Seven Things About Me That I have Never Shared on My Blog Before:

1. When writing my NaNoWriMo novel there were a few select steamy scenes that I wrote that made even me blush just slightly (I guess 50 Shades of Grey had more of an effect on me than I knew!).
2. I can be a bit of a control freak and sometimes need to do stuff in my own time and in my own way, especially if Kevin wants me to do something.  He usually wants stuff done three months in advance and I would much rather wait until it is closer to the actual time it needs to be done (like the day before).  Nothing like last minute to get the adrenaline pumping!
3. Is it bad that sometimes when Kevin talks to me (early mornings or late at night) all I hear is “Blah, Blah, Blah” (especially if I am writing)? I love him a ton, but do have trouble disconnecting long enough to actually want to listen to what he is saying and it annoys me to no end that he tries to have a conversation when I am so engrossed and working.  And usually it is to tell me something he has already told me before anyways!
4. I would lay my life down for my kids, but sometimes I just wish nap time or bed time was longer than it is, especially when they are whining, crying, screaming or just not listening to me.
5. I don’t like mayonnaise on anything or mixed into much either, especially sandwiches or hamburgers.  Just grosses me out and it reminds me of grade school and when they tried serving me Tuna and Egg Salad for lunch.  They even called my mom to tell her I wasn’t eating and thought there was something wrong with me.  Mom got to the bottom of it and everyday after I either brought peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or bologna sandwiches.  Almost 30 years later, I still remember this.
6. One of my most cherished possessions are the love letters my grandfather wrote my grandmother in WWII while serving in the army.  I could read those letters everyday and not tire of them.  They truly are beautiful and keep them and their love so very much alive for me.
7. Try as I may, I hate listing stuff about myself, when I have to.  Yeah, I know I blog and write about my life daily, but when put on the spot like this I get stage fright or at least a bit of writer’s block.

The last time I had pass on an award for the Sisterhood Award, I did pick the proper amount of seven, but to be honest I don’t want to keep picking the same seven people (as much as love you all, I do, swear, pinky promise), but I had to pick all women then and felt guilty about not including men, because even though I am a “Mommy Blogger”, some of my most loyal supporters and writing friends are men.  So this time out I am able to choose from both genders and am not doing seven (sorry sometimes rules need to be broken), but picking five.  So, as Lily’s favorite show The Freshbeat Band would say, “Here we go”.

1. The Art of Simple Living: Bill has been a friend of mine from Hubpages from practically the beginning and I can honestly tell you that when I awarded the Sisterhood Award was struggling with not including him, but that list specifically was to only include females, which I understood, but still was not happy about that.  This time out, I was able to include both men and women.  So, my very first thought was “I am giving this one to Bill” and that is exactly what I am doing here and now.  Bill is an inspiration in the writing community and has even started his own movement with H.O.W (Humanity One World) and writes articles about Living Simple with wonderful Frugal Tips for all.  I have to tell you that he is one of the most genuine writers I have been blessed to know, am just so thankful for his beautiful writing style and also his ability to care for all he comes into contact with.
2. The Mom of The Year:  I have gotten to know Meredith through our mutual writing and blogging about our family life.  She truly is so similar to me even down to her love of Yoga Pants and being comfortable day in and day out.  I found Meredith’s Blog a few months back and happily followed.  I left a comment on one of her posts, she wrote back on that original comment, then found my blog, started to follow me back and the rest is history.  She recently awarded me The Sisterhood Award and included me in her Letters for Santa weekly feature for the holiday season on her blog.  I entered the holiday contest on her site that was sponsored by a herself and a group of other women bloggers.  When I won the grand prize of The Kindle Fire, she was the first to congratulate me and was over the moon for me.  I can tell you that she has always been so very kind to me and am so thankful for her and her friendship, too.
3. My Life and Kids:  I found Anna’s blog around the same time I found Meredith’s and also began to read her wickedly funny blog posts daily.  She has truly a great sense of humor and is a wonderful story teller.  Her series with her mom with a huge hit with so many, including me.  I love commenting on her posts, too, because she will always come up with a clever and witty response to match whatever I could say (which keeps me on my toes nicely).  Even though Anna has a lot on her plate, she has made me feel like a welcome addition to her blogging community.  Here is someone who  I very much admire and can’t say enough how much I enjoy her take on things.  I am just so happy to have found her and do consider her a friend in the blogging world.
4. In the Mom Light:  Kelly was actually the reason for this post in the beginning, when in one of our conversations, she asked me the million dollar question of how I apparently do so much and make it look so easy.  I promised her I would try to come up with something and this is it.  I really still have no real answers though and somehow this is just me, take it or leave it.  But that said, Kelly is honestly such a huge support to me and am also so very happy that I found her as well.  She does way more than she actually seems to give herself credit for though and just started up a recent weekly series, known as “Would Ya Wednesday” and even asked me to join in on the fun.  I promised her again that whatever she needed or wanted, I am game, but was plain old honored and seriously humbled to be asked to assist with this, because it is an awesome feature she started up and think it will be a blast mixing it up with her on this.
5. Ramblings of an Undiagnosed Mad Woman:  Last, but certainly not least is Stacy, who is a part of the Bloppy Bloggers with me and also a member of Hubpages, but seemed to become friends more through the blogging world than anything else.  I am in awe of her, especially with the NaNoWriMo novel writing.  She was truly on fire and even got 50,000 words way before myself or anyone else I knew in the competition.  She has even already finished her novel and is now in the editing stages.  That said not only is she known for telling it exactly how it is, especially in her Vlogs (If you haven’t listened to one yet, you need to, because she does them justice and then some).  That said, I can’t say enough how happy I am to have gotten to know, follow her writing and have yet another wonderful friend from all of this!  By the way, I know you will do justice and award this to some more of our awesome Bloppy friends.  I wanted to leave some for the rest of you this time, because I felt like I was greedy the last time out on this one.

That said, I have written almost 3,000 words here in this blog (way more than I planned, but the talker in me couldn’t help myself) and should be getting my girls up from their nap.  So I am sticking a fork in this one and calling it done.  Thanks again to all of my wonderful blogging friends and supporters.  You are truly the best!!

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