I *think* we’ve finally got on top of the unpacking and the admin. We’ve even managed to get a night or two off over the last week to watch a movie and relax at night. After two months of non-stop work this feels incredible, and sometimes I wonder whether I’ll be able to get back up again from the sofa!
Anyway, I’m back to blogging at last and have an epic list of content I want to create over the coming weeks. It’s a bit daunting knowing where to begin, so to get me back into things slowly I thought I’d do this Liebster Award post, where I’ve answered 10 questions about myself. I’ve been nominated for this a couple of times already while I was in the midst of the moving mayhem, but the lovely Caitlin from Caitlin’s Happy Heart (who I blog swapped with earlier this year) has just nominated me, so it’s time I finally took up the challenge. It’s really a chain letter where you answer some questions about yourself and then go on to nominate some other bloggers to carry it forward. I hope the questions aren’t too tricky.
1. What do you hope people say about you at your funeral? (I thought I would just start with a deep question!)
Talk about starting with a tough question! I hope people say that I followed my dreams and lived my life with no regrets. I hope my friends can laugh about the funny times we shared at drunken sleepovers and at music festivals, and that my family can smile knowing we’ve had some incredible times together. I’m not sure what else people will say, but hope it’s more about laughter than sadness, with bright clothes, loud music (the Manic Street Preachers, of course!) and lots of photographs of the things I got up to (and the places I travelled) in different phases of my life. I don’t want sad poems, just a big party.
2. White or Red Wine or other? (Let’s have an easy question after the first one!)
White! Although to be fair, any booze will do so long as it’s not whiskey or brandy #notthatpicky
3. What is your favourite activity to do with your kids?
I adore watching a movie with them, snuggling up with one on my lap and one under each arm under a blanket (not that we’ll be doing much snuggling under a blanket now that we live in Australia!) I also love baking with them, despite the fact it’s a bit stressful trying to bake with three young children. They have so much fun and love licking the bowls and spoons.
4. Can you remember when you discovered the truth about Santa?
No, but I remember it always sounded fishy to me, even when I was little. We had a very tiny fireplace with a stove – there was no way Father Christmas could fit down there. My parents told me there was a magic key so he could come through our door instead. I also never understood why he brought us gifts from grandparents and other people as well – apparently my parents sent all the gifts off to him so that he could bring them all together. There were too many holes in the story and each year I remember believing it a little less than the year before. I’m dreading the day my boys don’t believe in the magic. There isn’t an ounce of doubt in their minds at the moment, and I love it.
5. What was the last book you read and would you recommend it?
I last read Pinterest Savvy: Strategies, Plans, and Tips to Grow Your Business with Pinterest by Melissa Taylor. I know I need to use Pinterest more – I just need a push to do it. I would definitely recommend the book, but I need to start using it more and then have another read of the book to make the most of it (I’m on Pinterest by the way in case you’d like to show me some encouragement!) I love reading fiction and YA too (I know I’m a little old for this, but I can’t help that I love the genre!) but I’ve just been so busy this year that I haven’t had the energy to read at night. A little bird (hubby) told me I have the Maze Runner set coming in my Christmas stocking too which I’m quite looking forward to opening. He didn’t want me to buy it as he’d heard me mention I’d like to read it, bless him.
6. Do you follow recipes or do you prefer to make it up as you go?
For cakes and baking, I usually stick to the basic recipe but sometimes just switch up some ingredients if I don’t have something in. With cooking, I just bung it all in and go for it. I LOVE cooking and I adore cookery books. I have loads of them and really enjoy reading them, I think it goes back to reading my mum’s cook books as a child.
7. Your favourite flower?
The tiare flower as it reminds me of my travels in French Polynesia – one of my favourite places in the world.
8. Are you a messy person or a tidy person?
A bit of both – I’m prone to being messy but I also love order as I’m a natural organiser. My mental state is constantly battling to see which will win out. It’s a horrible combination and not one I recommend.
9. If I gave you $1000 and said it needed to be spent before the morning, what would you buy today?
If you gave it to me right now, I’d book a holiday at the Tangalooma Resort. I looks like an incredible family friendly resort, with lots of fun activities for families (including dolphin feeding) and it’s on an island just off the coast of where we now live. After our huge move from the UK, we don’t have the energy or spare money to travel further and I’m really keen to explore the local area as we missed this part of the coast when we travelled before having kids. If you were to give me the cash in six months from now I’d probably use it to buy flights to an island in the South Pacific for a longer holiday. We’re desperate to go back to some of the islands we visited on our round the world trip, and there are a few more islands on our bucket list that we still want to visit. Now that we live in this part of the world it will hopefully be easier to do this even if we don’t get the $1000!
10) Can you sing in tune?
Not. A. Chance. #worstsingerever
I know this award has been doing the rounds for a while so most bloggers have probably already had a nomination for it, but in case you haven’t I nominate some fellow expat bloggers:
Here’s your questions, should you choose to accept the challenge:
1) What is your favourite destination in the world?
2) Where did you grow up?
3) Where do you think you’ll be in ten years from now?
4) Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?
5) What is your favourite meal?
6) Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
7) What are your family Christmas traditions?
8) What is your favourite social media channel and why?
9) Do your family and friends read your blog?
10) How do you think moving abroad has improved your family life?
