Joy of Joyfully Green has nominated us for our second Liebster Award. If you want to learn more about the award itself, check out this post. We love the Liebster Award for allowing us to share with you our favourite blogs, as well as getting a whole new list of great blogs from the person who nominated us. In addition, the nomination is different every time, as the questions change. So here are our answers to Joy’s thoughtful questions:
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
Mama says: I would like my 13-year-old self to be more confident in herself and to care less about what she looked like. I would like to reassure her that not being your typical teenage boys’ fantasy is a good thing, and will probably save her from a lot of awkward and embarrassing situations with the opposite sex during her teenage years.
Big Poppa says: Cheer up.
What is your idea of perfect bliss?
Big Poppa says: Eight hours sleep.
Mama says: A day to read. Also, these days, an empty shelf.
What books have been the most influential or inspiring to you?
Mama says: I read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was 10 years old and it changed my life. My complete understanding of the world had to readjust. I knew a safe and secure world and it shocked me to learn that other children in other places didn’t experience that. It lead to me reading a lot of books set in the Holocaust as a child and teenager. I’ve read a lot in my life and books will often take on a depth of meaning to me that changes my ideas about things. This is a hard question to answer!
Big Poppa says: Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist gave me a different perspective on life. Marilyn Manson’s Long Hard Road Out of Hell was a great music book as far as learning about the music industry. He was really creative child and teenager from a painfully normal home, and I identified with that. I was a bit of an outcast. I felt understood when I read the book.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about life? About blogging? (A two-parter!)
Big Poppa says:
Life: “Never pay full price for late pizza” – Michaelangelo
Blogging: Consistency is key – maintaining your output is important if you want to retain readers.
Mama says:
Life: I think that this year I have learnt more about life (and myself) than in any previous years. I have learnt that less is more – and not just in the sense of belongings and consuming. Less busy-ness and less events and less rushing. I’ve also learnt to give less weight to the stuff I own. It’s just not that important.
Blogging; My answer is kind of the opposite to Big Poppa’s and I think that is partially because I do the bulk of the blogging around here (BP is maybe thinking about all the times I’ve nagged him for a new entry, which is probably the most honest way to describe how we work as a blogging team). I have learned that although keeping a readership satisfied is important, it is most important to not lose sight of our overall goals for the year. We want our year to be simple, and sometimes blogging 3 – 4 times a week makes our life less simple. When we get busy I no longer feel guilty if I prioritise other stuff over blogging, especially if it’s Little Fearse or sunshine or all those good things. I have also tortured myself a little over what appears on the blog, especially after receiving some negative feedback on one post. I have realised that I can’t change who I am, or the way I write, for my audience. If my audience doesn’t like what I say or how I say it the choice has to remain with them whether they continue reading. I don’t feel it would be honest for me to change who I am for my readers, and it would defeat one of the purposes of the blog.
What single quality do you most appreciate in people?
Big Poppa says: Loyalty.
Mama says: There are many that are equal, but if I had to name one if would be kindness.
What or who is under-rated? What or who is over-rated? (Another two-parter!)
Mama says: Non consumerism is definitely under-rated. And, predictably, having new stuff is over-rated. Very over-rated.
Big Poppa says: I think motherhood is under-rated because there is so much external pressure put on mothers, and expectations. People don’t appreciate that level of pressure. Television is over-rated. With the way the internet is these days, where you can literally watch anything you’ve ever wanted to watch, why would you still watch programs with advertising, or pay for television?
What do you avoid at all costs?
Mama says: Shopping centres – I always hated them, but now we thankfully have few reasons to visit. This has been a lovely side-effect of the BNN year.
Big Poppa says: I avoid reading about certain technologies that are cool and would be handy, but are not necessary. For example, I refuse to read about the Playstation 4, so I am happy to stick with the PS3. But if I did read something…it would be really hard to not buy one.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Big Poppa says: Stealing cuddles from Little Fearse when she’s asleep.
Mama says: Stealing food from Little Fearse’s plate when she’s not looking.
What do you want people to say about you after you leave the room?
Big Poppa says: “What’s that smell?”
Mama says: “I wish she was my Mum.”
What’s your favorite post that you’ve written? (Link, please!)
Big Poppa says: The Meat Line
Mama says: Generosity of Spirit (or Awesome x 8)
Thank you, Joy, for giving us the opportunity to blogroll some of our new favourites. I’m still unsure what the requirements of the award are, some say it’s about how long the person has been blogging, and some say it’s about how many followers they have. Our list is going to be a list of blogs we love, regardless of these apparently ever-changing rules.
And, questions for the nominees, if they choose to answer them:
1. Which books are on your bedside table right now?
2. What is the most sentimental item you own?
3. When is the last time you pushed yourself to your physical limits?
4. What amazes you in this world?
5. If you could choose anyone in the world to become your instant house mate, who would it be? (and why?)
6. What makes you happy?
7. What do you wish you could change?
8. If you could go back and observe (fly on the wall style) one day in your life, which day would you choose?
9. What principles guide your life?
10. Name one item you absolutely could not live without.
Please do comment with the link if you choose to answer the questions.
Thanks again to Joy,
Big Poppa and Mama.
The Fearse Family 
Thanks!!! I will definitely be responding, but will need a few days. I’ll comment back with the link. 🙂 Mwah!
Thanks! Yay!
Okay, here it is! http://thesimpleyear.com/the-liebster-award/
Whoop whoop!!
Loved reading your answers to all of my nosy questions, you two! Thanks for taking the time and thought to answer. Also enjoyed your favorite posts. I eat very little meat, but I know the environmental community can be very judgmental about dietary choices. Early on in my blogging, I wrote a post called “The Many Shades of Green (or: Get Off Your Green High Horse!”) that addressed the topic. We all do what we can and want to do, and there shouldn’t be any shame in drawing your own personal lines. As for the mothering article, that also resonated with me–I know that’s a tough crowd, too! Cheers, Fearses!
Pingback: A Leibster Award, me? Why thank you! - Down to Earth Mother
Yay! Finally got to it 🙂 Here are my answers and my thanks, too:
http://downtoearthmother.com/2013/10/08/leibster-award/
Whoop! Running over to your blog now (or, uhh, enthusiastically clicking over to your blog now).