Time for a little story… On Monday, I was just chugging along through the day, wishing it was still the weekend, when I got an email from the incredibly sweet Jessica, over at Kate & Trudy. Jessica was writing to let me know that she had nominated me for the Liebster Award!! This is absolutely what I looked like after reading her email:

Seriously, I’m so excited! So, what exactly is the Liebster Award? It’s a blogging award for up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. Let me tell you, I’ve never been so excited to have less than 200 followers! 🙂 This award is a great way to help expand your readership and share the love with other bloggers. Win-win, my friends!

the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the blogger who presented you with the award.
2. List 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions you were asked.
4. Write 11 questions for your nominees.
5. Present/nominate a Liebster award to 3-5 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.

Let’s get this thing started!

First, I have to thank my nominator again – Jessica, you rock!

11 random facts about me:
1. I didn’t learn to ride a bicycle until I was 23. TJ taught me one afternoon when we were visiting his family in New York for a week.
2. I’ve never had a dog, but I really want to get a French bulldog. Not sure how he’d fit in with our 3 cats though??
3. I didn’t go school supply shopping until I was in the 3rd grade, because my first few years of elementary school were at a Department of Defense school, where all of the supplies were provided.
4. During the 3rd week of my freshman year of college, I tripped and fell down two flights of stairs, and my left foot ballooned up. There’s still a bone on the top of my foot that sticks out a little bit, 7 years later.
5. I attended travel school to learn about becoming a flight attendant in 2009.
6. I didn’t start drinking coffee until 2 years ago, when TJ made me take a sip of his peppermint mocha frappuccino. I ended up asking him to turn around and go back to Starbucks so I could get one of my own.
7. I don’t know how to genuinely answer the question “where are you from?” I’ve lived in Florida, Canada, Panama, Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and North Carolina in my 25 years. Every place is special to me, and to say that I’m only from one of them just doesn’t feel right.
8. I can only remember my dad getting mad at me one time while I was growing up. I was about 9, we were playing miniature golf, and I was pouting.
9. I call soda “Coke”, regardless of what kind of drink it is. For example: “Do you want a Coke?” “Sure” “Ok, what kind? I’ve got Sprite, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper.”
10. I like my hot dogs completely plain, which apparently most people find bizarre!
11. I had blonde hair up until I was 22, then I dyed it dark brown. Now it usually fluctuates somewhere in between dark brown and light brown.

my answers to Jessica’s questions:
1. What was your first AOL screen name?
Brooke7510 – my middle name plus my dad’s, mom’s, and my birth dates. Hello 1998!
2. How many, if any, older/younger brothers & sisters do you have?
I’m an only child, married to an only child. No nieces or nephews for this couple.
3. If you could spend a 24-hour day doing one thing without worry of time, cost, sleep, or travel requirements, what would you do?
As boring as it sounds, I would spend the day at home with TJ, binge watching an awesome TV show, preferably while it storms outside. I really love no-responsibility, rainy TV days with my husband.
4. Dogs or cats?
Cats! But like I mentioned above, I’d like a French bulldog at some point.
5. Kindle or real books?
This is a tough one – real books have a special place in my heart, but I do love the convenience of my Kindle app.
6. What’s your favorite time of year and why?
Fall/Winter. September 1 is the start of the best time of the year, in my opinion.
7. Wine or beer?
Neither.
8. Favorite school or life subject and why?
School favorites were a toss up between English and Political Science.
9. How many states have you traveled to in your lifetime (just driving through doesn’t count – have to sleep there at least one night)?
I just counted 17!
10. If you’re eating pancakes, what’s the best combination of toppings?
Plain and simple maple syrup.
11. When’s your birthday and how old will you be turning?
October 20, and I will be 26.

my nominees:
1. Alesha from Lifeology (a new mom who’s hanging out on my sidebar this month!)
2. Kristin from Celebrate the Goodness (a real-life friend who happens to have an awesome blog!)
3. Courtney from Passionately Curious (a college student who sent me an awesome Cara Box last month!)

I hope you guys will accept this award, create a post with 11 facts about yourself, answer the 11 questions below, and nominate 3-5 bloggers with a set of questions for them to answer!

my 11 questions for the nominees:
1. What’s your go-to dessert recipe?
2. If you could relive any year of your life, which year would you choose?
3. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
4. What is the last song you listened to?
5. What’s your earliest childhood memory?
6. Summer or winter?
7. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
8. What’s one thing that you could never live without?
9. Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
10. What’s a song title that best describes your life?
11. If you could fluently speak any other language, what would it be?

Happy Liebster-ing guys!