Like the title says, I got nominated for the 2020 Sunshine Blogger Award! That was a super cool thing to wake up to this past week, and I'm really excited about what it means for me and my blog. This is just the beginning, and we will hopefully be onto bigger and better things here in the near future.
What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?
It's a peer award given by bloggers to bloggers who they feel are inspiring others with their creativity and positivity and bringing joy to the blogging community.
I was nominated by Michele from Our Redonkulous Life. Huge thank you to her; it's really cool to be seen by someone in your community especially when you're still new to it. Definitely go over and give her site some love. She's super cool and empowering, and you don't want to miss out on what she has to offer.
So there are rules to this...
1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog so others can find them. 2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you. 3. Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions. 4. Notify the nominees about their nomination 5. List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or your blog site.
The Questions I was Asked
1. What inspired you to start your blog?
Well, I actually had two other blogs before Millennial Whiskey: The Song of Esther and The Lights Are Still On. However, the first one I had during a time in my life where I was trying to portray myself as a good little perfect Christian girl. I never really felt like I was being real in what I posted; it just felt like I was writing what I thought other people wanted me to write. The second one I was more real in, but I was also way more negative as I was going through a really rough time in my life and by time I got out of that mindset, the blog just didn't make any sense at that point. Neither one I was super consistent with, and I wanted something new that was 100% me and 100% real. I wanted to create something that I enjoyed doing and something that inspired other people to be 100% themselves even when it's not very pretty.
I've always like writing, which is why I ended up getting a degree in Creative Writing and English. I wanted to be an editor and a book author at some point, but that dream doesn't seem like it'll ever pan out thanks to the decisions I've made throughout my adult life. I started this as a way to pursue my dream and use my passion, and I've met some pretty cool people along the way.
2. How do you motivate yourself to keep up with your blog?
Lol, if I'm being completely honest, I don't really. I have writing spurts where I'll sit down and crank out like fifteen blog posts in a day and schedule them, and then I'll have like no motivation for an entire month. Unfortunately, I do struggle with pretty consistent depression, which makes it really hard to be motivated to do anything, let alone keep up with a blog.
That being said, I've also been really enjoying the photography aspect of blogging; I take all of my own photos, just to save myself from copyrights and using the same stock photos as every other blogger out there who uses the same design apps as myself. I'm a very creative person so taking photos for blog posts is always super fun. I would say that one of the ways I do actually motivate myself to keep up with my blog is by planning out fun little photoshoot for the blog posts I make. The more posts I have written, the more I photos I get to put together.
3. Do you have any specific goals for the rest of this year?
Umm... I mean blog wise, I'd like to hit 500 followers on Instagram and Twitter and 150 likes on Facebook by the end of December. I'd also like to have at least twenty-five consistent readers on every blog post I make.
Other than that, I want to be healthier, mentally and physically. My goals is to get in shape, get better mentally, eat better, maybe not drink so much, and be happier.
4. What would be the theme song of your life?
I honestly can't pick just one so I'm gonna expand on this and say that the album reputation by Taylor Swift is the literal soundtrack to my life.
5. Is there anything your blog inspired you to pursue?
Thanks to Millennial Whiskey, I actually discovered that I really like, and am pretty decent at, photography. Once more of our debt is paid down, I want to invest in a good camera and a desktop for myself and start getting way more serious about it. I haven't decided what kind of photography I want to do, but I'll cross that bridge once I get a little closer to it.
I also want to pursue mixology a little deeper as well. I really like being a bartender, but the aspect of being a bartender that I have the most fun with is creating and making cocktails. I like it so much I try to have at least one original cocktail each month on the blog and I would love to get more knowledgable about it.
6. What is your favorite quote?
"Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place" - Captain Raymond Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine
We stan Captain Holt in this household.
7. How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
Well, I'm currently trying to lose 30lbs again. I did it last year for the wedding and then quarantine came along and ruined everything lol. I'm also trying to get better mentally. I'd like to wake up one day and not hate myself for existing.
8. What Has Been Your Best Moment This Year (So Far)?
(I know there are so many to choose from)
Do you mean 2020 or like this age year? Eh, I'll do both. From 2020, probably getting to go down to New Orleans and visit a really good friend of mine back in June. It was a really good trip with really good people, really good food, and it was really beneficial for my mental health at the time.
During my year of being twenty-three, getting ready for my wedding with my best friends, marrying my husband, and getting to go to Disney World on our honeymoon.
9. Describe your perfect vacation.
One where I don't have to pay for anything lol. Vacations are so expensive. Umm... My honeymoon was pretty great; for it to be perfect though we would have needed to fly instead of drive 15 hours both ways.
I'd love to go to Greece. That's like my number one place to go visit before I die.
10. What is the closest thing to real magic?
Magic is real. Just because it's not Bibbiti Bobbiti Boo magic, doesn't mean that its not around us. There's magic in how we treat other people. There's magic in the earth and in nature around us. There's magic in what we create and give to this world. Do I believe that a Fairy Godmother is going to show up and change my life with a wand and a song? No, not really, it would be nice though; I'm open to it. I do think that magic is something that each of us have in us and that we all have the potential to unlock. It depends on your mentality.
11. What movie sequel do you wish you could erase from history?
Can we just get rid of the entire Percy Jackson series? The first movie was trash and the sequel was 10000x worse. Scrap it and start over.
My Nominees
I personally nominate for the 2020 Sunshine Blogger Award:
1. Ffi from Mind Over Meds
2. Madison from Happily Caffeinated
3. Moriah from Moriah Chace
4. Brady from Wonderfully Messy Mom
5. Megan from Blissphere
6. Bekka from Feelings of a Fake Adult
7. Sophie from Girl Vs. World
8. Sarah from Business Women Thrive
9. Aislinn from Peace, Love, Harmony
10. Busy Mom from What Crazy Life
11. Enn from Thoughts With N
My Questions for the Nominees
1. What's your favorite part about your blog?
2. What do you think is the best blog post you've written to date?
3. Who is someone you admire?
4. What does your perfect day look like?
5. What's your favorite holiday tradition?
6. What is your least favorite household chore?
7. If you could have one person, dead or alive, over for dinner, who would it be?
8. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you?
9. What's your go to snack food?
10. What is your favorite TV show to watch over and over?
11. What is something you hope people think about you?
That's it for this post! Huge thanks again to Michele for nominating me. This is my first blogging award nomination so I feel pretty cool right now.
Take a shot for how long it took me to answer some of those questions and toast to having your work recognized by your community.
Cheers,
Kristaleagh