The Versatile Blogger Award

Waaay back on April 30th, I received my very first blog award - "The Versatile Blogger" - from Selina at Urban Granola. Thanks Selina!!! I was so happy to hear that you dig my blog enough to give it an award!

I've finally set aside a chunk of time tonight to follow the rules of the award and pay it forward. Yay!! (I'm only two weeks late - that's not too bad, right? ;)

Here are the official rules:

•     Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
•     Tell your readers seven (7) things about yourself.
•     Give this award to fifteen (15) recently discovered bloggers.
•     Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

First point's done, so let's move on to the others!

7 things about myself:

1. I was an avid poker player for several years, starting in university. Semi-professional, one might say. Poker helped pay for my last year of school (though, to be fair, it also put a couple of my credits at risk). As one who is eminently logical, enjoys problem solving and has solid intuition, it was pretty much the perfect hobby for me. My degree (major in computer science / minor in psychology) provided great training as well! Ironically (or not so ironically) I basically stopped playing around the time poker became mainstream. Perhaps I enjoyed having more of a "niche" hobby, or perhaps I just grew tired of it. *shrug* Now, however, I do find myself missing it from time to time. It's a great game.
   
2. The idea of parasites (especially large, internal ones) makes me EXTREMELY squeamish. It just seems so wrong and ghastly that *worms* can live inside a human body. I first developed a fear of parasites when I was young (8 or 9?) on a trip to the Science Center in Toronto. There was an exhibit on parasites including graphic images of different types of worms as well as a man with maggots living in exposed scalp tissue. :O Man, there should have been some sort of warning or minimum age requirement to view that bad boy, as it definitely scarred me. And apologies if I've caused you to lose your appetite!
   
3. Stealing one from Selina here. :) I'm a procrastinator as well, and notoriously late for things. The lateness really only applies to *events* however - not projects and deadlines. So there's an odd disparity there. In any case, I hate it and I'm really trying to work things here, especially now that we have a daughter. The last thing I want is to make HER late for things as well. Weird that something which seems so simple (just be on time) is so challenging!
   
4. I have a penchant for long sweaters and/or dresses paired with knee-high boots. HEART this combo!
   
5. The first time I travelled via airplane was in 2003, when I was 24 years old. (Yes, there were quite a few road trips when I was young!) Since then, I've flown 25-30 times for business and/or pleasure.
   
6. I collected frog statues when I was little. My old collection has long been boxed up, however my dad still likes to buy me frogs which is super sweet! :) Maybe one day I'll put a li'l shelf together combining my favourite older ones and new ones from Dad.
   
7. I'm awesome at the drums on Rock Band. I do really well at singing too even though I'm a bad singer. Go figure.
   

Now, before I pay it forward to my Fabulous 15, I'd like to say that this was HARD! To be sure, I read and enjoy MANY more than 15 blogs. However, continuing to focus on the theme of this award (versatile blogging) was helpful. The blogs I have chosen really exemplify this with high-quality content under a variety of different topics, themes or activities/projects. I definitely recommend checking these folks out! To help you decide which may be of interest to you, I've added a short blurb and/or keywords beside each one to capture what I appreciate about that particular blog's versatility. Without further ado...

And the Versatile Blogger Award goes to.... [opens envelope]:

1. Obsessions of the Trophy Wife - cloth diapering, pregnancy, nursing, reviews/giveaways, de-mystifying difficult to understand or commonly misunderstood concepts
2. Simply Rebekah - eco-friendly living, recipes, freezer cooking, a day in the life spotlights, an approachable and warm writing style
3. Gingham Skies - crafts, menu planning, parenting, photography, blog challenges
4. A Mommy's Blessings - family values, efficiency tips, recipes, eco-friendly review/giveaways
5. The Mrs. - frugal living, recipes, photography, incredibly sharp humour & wit
6. Shasher's Life - social media, theme days (e.g. Feature Fridays), giveaways, Canada-centric content
7. Marni's Organized Mess - cloth diapering, reviews/giveaways, photography, blog hopping, self-reflective content
8. Hybrid Rasta Mama - natural parenting, mindfulness, efficient living
9. Formula Mom - cloth diapering, reviews/giveaways, blog hopping, slick writing style
10. Tales from the Nursery - parenting stories, lots of reviews/giveaways, blog hopping & growth
11. Beautiful Calling - natural birth and parenting, simple living tips, high-quality and comprehensive content, reviews/giveaways
12. Cheap Wine and Cookies - frank & gritty content, original & fresh topics, parenting, theme days
13. According to Jenny - natural parenting, cloth diapering, photography, friendly & accessible writing style
14. A Home for the Hendersons - parenting, gorgeous photography, cloth diapering
15. Mama on a Green Mission - green living tips, reviews/giveaways, blog hopping

 Congrats to all of the above bloggers! I heart reading you all. :D