Blog Awards (and my Holiday Cookie Addiction)

Blog love is going around. Sort of like holiday cookies. Which I’m having a problem with, by the way. The other day I ate cookies for every “meal” until 4pm when I forced myself to have an apple. (Unless biscotti doesn’t count as a cookie, though I’m pretty sure it does since it was dipped in white chocolate and coated with green sprinkles).

I blame my talented cousin Peeps for this since she gifted my family an enormous bag of treats for the holidays. I would have taken pictures of what she made, but um, I ate them all. All gluten free, by the way. Yeah, she’s awesome.

You know who else is awesome? Angie and Amanda. Both are talented bloggers who nominated me for two new awards! Angie of Angies Grapevine nominated me for Blog of the Year, and Amanda of Celiac and Allergy Adventures for the Liebster Blog Award.

If I could, I’d send them these cookies I just made from Gluten Free on a Shoestring. But since I can’t, I’ll at least share a picture. They look all fancy and stuff, but really, so easy.

Those are peppermint Hershey Kisses in the middle. So. Good.

So here’s the deal for Blog of the Year. First, the logo.

Thanks again, Angie, for the nomination!

There are so many blogs that inspire and entertain me. Here are a few that I’m nominating for Blog of the Year:

Cakes ‘n Bakes

Celiac in the City

Part Time Health Nut

Thank Heaven’s (The Gluten Free Lifesaver)

The Healthy Flavor

Here’s the deal for those nominated. As I’ve said before, no pressure to participate!

Congratulations on being chosen for the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award! The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:

1. Select another blog or other blogs who deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award;
2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award;
3. Include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award at the Thought Palette and provide these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different.  When you begin, you will receive the ‘first star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog, you can add another star. There are a total of six stars to collect. This also means if one of your favorite blogs already has a star, or more than one, you can still nominate them until they reach the maximum of six.

Now for the Leibster. Thanks again, Amanda, for the nomination!

By accepting, I am supposed to share 5 random facts about myself and answer 5 questions posed by Amanda. Then I have to nominate 5 other blogs and come up with 5 questions to ask them. This is kind of a lot of work. But fun too. Here it goes…

1. As a kid I had two imaginary friends, one was a doctor. Weird, I know.

2. I was in a movie once. Okay, not exactly. My scene (um, about 15 seconds) got cut, but it made the deleted scenes on the DVD. If you want to see a younger, fitter, and more well rested version of me, borrow The Brave One and go to the self-defense scene.

3. I’ve almost always had really long hair. It was like my security blanket in junior high when I wanted to hide, which was often. In college I decided to finally get it cut. I made sure to tell the hairdresser NOT to give me the Jennifer Anniston shag cut that was frighteningly popular at the time, and she totally did. A few weeks later I went to a different salon where I had it de-Aniston-ed.

4. Last week I got my hair cut the shortest it’s ever been, perhaps since the unfortunate Jennifer Aniston incident. I love it.

5. My life, since having my two kids, is completely unrecognizable to me. I mean that in both the best and worst ways.

Amanda’s Questions

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go first? 

I am answering this in a fantasy way, meaning as if I didn’t have kids to bring or leave behind. I’d go to New Zealand, because ever since I saw Lord of the Rings I can’t get the gorgeous landscape out of my mind.

2. What is one thing you would change about your life right now?

This one might make me cry. I’d start sleeping again. All night long, uninterrupted.

3. Would you rather cook or bake?

Bake, bake, bake!

4. What’s your top three favorite songs of all-time?

This question made me think of the first night when I met my husband (to be). We talked for hours, so easily and honestly, and flirtatiously too, obviously. Then suddenly the conversation skidded to a halt when I asked him what music he liked. I don’t even know why I asked that question since I hate answering it myself. I could see in an instant that he was totally struggling and I laughed and told him to forget about it. So, I will respectfully abstain here. I mean, if I can’t answer that in front of the man I ended up marrying, then I can’t do it here. Even for you, Liebster.

5. What’s your favorite type of weather?

I’d almost say fall because I love the crisp autumn air, only I never seem to have the right coat or sweater. So I’ll go with those warm and balmy spring days when you can go outside in a t-shirt and feel totally comfy.

My nominees

Sprinkles and Allergies

Going Without Gluten

Gazing In

Angie’s Grapevine

Frugal Feeding

My questions

1. What is the best gift you’ve ever given or received?

2. What is (or was) your favorite pair of shoes?

3. What actor would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

4. What is one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?

5. What is your favorite cookie?