The Gist of Life

a thank you

the in-between

Liebster-AwardI woke up Friday morning to a wonderful surprise – I was nominated for the Liebster Award!

A big thanks to the author of the blog, Daily Dose of Reality for recognizing my hard work, {check out her blog!}. When I started this blog, I wanted to sort through some feelings I have on my cancer diagnosis, connect with those who are going through a similar journey, & to expand my writing. I’m inching up on my one year mark this spring; this award caps off my sense of accomplishment – I’m on the right track. I am humbled and truly honored to be noticed in this quickly growing hobby/passion of the world we live in today.

My nominations*:

  1. Life, Love & Lucy – this was the first blog I started following; this fellow Minnesotan is amazing. Her photographs of her daughter are sweet & timeless, not to mention we both have Velcro-dogs 🙂
  2. Serve with Love – a woman also fighting the cancer battle; I connected with her posts & admire her positive outlook.
  3. Vernitra Jones – a inspiring writer; her passion and goal setting motivates me to start my publishing journey!
  4. The Thriving Heart – a hopeless romantic who shares my love of healthy, comfort meals, love, & food pictures 🙂
  5. Martina Zurcher – a journey through photography; her pictures are breathtaking.
  6. klafferty014 – a young adult’s raw emotions on being diagnosed with cancer; again, I could relate to many words she posts.

Questions for my nominees*:

  1. What was the reason you started writing & where do you see your blog in one year?
  2. What topic/post is nearest and dearest to your heart?
  3. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
  4. When do you feel most proud of yourself?
  5. When and where do you write your best?
  6. If the same song played when you entered a new room, what song would it be & why?

The Rules:

  1.  Thank and link the person who nominated you.
  2.  Answer the questions given by the nominator.
  3.  Nominate 7* other bloggers, who have less than 200 followers and link them.
  4.  Create 7* new questions for the nominees to answer.
  5.  Notify all nominees via social media/blogs.
  6. Celebrate this achievement.
  7. Stay motivated and keep blogging.

Questions for Me:

  1. Name one book, song, or piece of art that has touched your life and why.
    1. Blindsided by Bon Iver. For those of you that follow my blog on the regular, you know how much Bon Iver’s music means to me, especially in terms of calming my anxieties, worries, and stresses. They literally calm my heart & mind, make me forget about chemo & scans, and rock me back to the old Kaylee for a hot second.
  2. How do you feel about blogging? Name at least one thing you love and one thing you hate (be honest, we all have these feelings now and then).
    1. I absolutely love the way blogging has developed my confidence & strengthened my sense of being okay. If I am able to write through a worry or a problem, I have noticed I am much better mentally. It has taught me how to cope. One thing I hate is the fact I am still a newbie. I want to figure out how to clean up my posts/pages/pictures, etc..
  3. What hobby/interest do you wish you had more time for?
    1. I wish I had more time to take pictures with my camera. I had big goals in learning new techniques & how to better myself at this hobby, but can’t seem to sit down and actually DO IT.
  4. Who has influenced you the most and how?
    1. This is an extremely hard question. It took a lot of pondering and reflecting to REALLY think about who I admire enough to have had an effect on the way I live life. I couldn’t seem to get past one name – Tony. He shows me how to just live; to forget the what ifs, manage my life plans, cope with anxieties, and how to laugh again. I love who he is inside and out, and I have caught myself thinking, ‘what would Tony tell me to do in this situation?’ His positive outlook on life has rubbed off on me – thank goodness.
  5. What is your biggest weakness, how do you overcome it?
    1. My biggest weakness is wanting what I can’t have; whether it’s a baby, a new car, a better blog, etc.. I always seem to think the grass is greener on the other side. I have a tendency to get jealous and have resentment; but why? I remind myself how truly blessed I am; a job, a house, a husband, and I’m currently considered cancer-free. What else could I ask for?
  6. Where and when do you feel most creative?
    1. I definitely feel the most creative when I’m writing outside on our patio, with a favorite jam playing through our speakers, Ace running in the woods, and the sun on my face. I am at peace, my mind is clear, and my words flow smoothly.
  7. When do feel most accomplished and why?
    1. I feel the most accomplished when I make a terrific, healthy new recipe. After we ate my turkey burgers, I think my chest swelled and my pride was dripping out of my ears.

*The original number I was given was 7, but I changed it to six – I was nominated on February 6th, so I saw it pretty fitting. Feel free to keep the original number or tweak this rule yourself!

Overall, I could not be happier with my blog progression. I feel my confidence growing & this award gave me the amazing opportunity to recognize others to feel the same!

Off to make some taco dip for a family birthday celebration! Peace, peanuts! xox