The Sunshine Award

Martianne gave me a Sunshine Award! 

Not only is that super cool...but I'm honored 'cause I enjoy her blog.  She too has a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and I've printed out her freebies and many times they have saved my last nerve...I tell ya..it keeps hanging in there.

With the Sunshine Award you're picked because you're a blogger "whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world"..  Now that is a tall order and I'm actually thinking she's confused me with someone else, but hey..I'll run with it while I can!  I do have to say Thank you Martianne.  I'm honored and super excited and I too find it difficult to pick only 12 great blogs that inspire me.  But, I do have some favorites both new and old.  So to accept the award you must...

1.  Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
2.  Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
3.  Link the nominees within your post.
4.  Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
and finally...
5.  Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Logos in the post and now onto the bloggers that give me glee giggles or inspire me with their creativity.
 
1.  Sunrise Learning Lab  I've been following Colleen's blog for a good 5-6 months now.  I love reading about her stuff..how she uses Montessori and also she's getting into Reggio stuff.  She's been in my Mondorfment Swap 1 and has done some of the most amazing works.  Seriously...if you ever get to swap with Colleen and it's a toss between you and another person ...push the other person out of the way...  Yes, your karma will suffer but your continent bins will LOVE you!  She's been teaching me about the Reggio Emila/Emilia Reggio (I mix them up for some reason.) and apparently I've a little Reggio in me too.  :)  She inspires me to be more organized.
 
2. 2 pequenos traviesos  She has boys working on 3-6 and 6-9 stuff.  She ALWAYS has activities and ideas.  She really gives you an overview of the Montessori homeschooler.  I also like how she's always throwing in stuff about their life.  Most recently is a video of her son singing the ABC's...he's a cutie!  She inspires me to be more involved.
 
3. A Teacher Transformed  I like this one.  Michelle's setting up a Montessori school.  I am, depending on how nice you are, either nosy or extremely curious and she's been setting up the new Montessori school.  She shares pics and talks about daily life too.  I think my favorite post is the one about one of her early 3 year olds...'Lets get to work!'  It's funny!  I also like that she shows great examples of natural play ideas.  I REALLY love the bulb labyrinth she found.  I hope she puts one in at the new school.  She inspires me to remember that my dreams will come true.
 
4. Ancient Hearth Jen is someone I go to to read when I'm feeling crafty and a little disconnected.  She creates things that are easy to do but yet have enough to them to give you a feeling of satisfaction.  There aren't any quick crafts here.  It's quality over quantity.  There is a timelessness that settles you and  you feel a greater sense of yourself.  You feel...connected.  She inspires me to just be more in the moment.
 
5. Cake Wrecks  Ok...I LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog.  I don't read it on a daily basis but I do read it weekly or when I need a laugh.  She shows amazing cakes and cakes you're amazed actually came from a bakery.  Go..read the blog...you too will love it.  You'll love the beautiful and you'll laugh your butt off at the horrors.  One good thing about Cake Wrecks...even if it's ugly it still tastes good.  Although I don't think I could eat the shower cakes....be sure to read about little Ben...small children, pregnant women and new mothers or those with weak stomachs or if you disagree with cannibalism shouldn't look.  (You've gotta look now huh?!  I would...)  Oh...she inspires me to find the funny in the midst of disaster.
 
6.  Petra School  Now she's a new one for me.  I can't remember HOW I found her...but...I think she's an amazing momma and shes simply an amazing photographer.  She unschools her monkeys, takes ...(oh!  I remember!  It was a blog hop for how do you relax!...I know...it'd be scary to look in my brain.  The little men just run all over the place!)... these really great pictures of the ocean and lake she lives on.  She is as deep as the ocean.  Her blog soothes and shushes you like the waves lapping at the sand to just relax and take time and space and be and do and it'll be wonderful because it's done the children enjoyed it and you had time to breathe without that wet dog smell that always seems to surround sweaty little boys.  I also love the fact that she makes me feel like I'm not the only one that'd be upset for losing a snake skin and the anxiety that comes from wondering if it'd be taken?!  She lets me know I'm not the only weirdo out there.  She inspires me to try new things.  (I don't like boats but I'm going to try one after reading a certain post she did.)
 
7.  Crap I've Made Ok...first of all I love the name of her blog.  I totally get it.  I've heard this from the womb.  My mom and aunts always said this... 'Did you see the crap I made?'  'What crap did you make?' ...crap was a word used to describe really everything but well...crap :)  Anyways, I just like seeing all the stuff she makes.  Plus she has the biggest heart.  She's always letting folks know about a great cause.  I've taken up the newest one...Live. Laugh. Breathe.  Go and check Char out.  She inspires me to remember my roots and that it is possible to graft.  (...only the gardeners get this one! :) ) hehe

8. MRV Live Laugh Breathe Ok...I just found her a few days ago.  I found her through Char's site.  This family has experienced so much pain and loss and yet...  Honestly, there are no words.  When I clicked on Kenzie's story I started reading and started crying.  Kendra & Ryan are putting together an event for SMARD and there is also the Baby Leggings project.  If you can help...please do.  Kendra & Ryan inspire me to remember that even when someone is gone there are many ways to keep them alive and not just in our own hearts and memories...our loved one's can still be shared with the world...they can still make a difference no matter how young they were when they died.

9. Food Storage Made Easy These gals Jodi & Julie are awesome.  I LOVE a big pantry.  I actually created a pantry in our basement that was about 9 x 12 feet and was STOCKED full of food.  We're still eating on it...but it's getting pretty low.  I'd say there's about a month or two left in it.  Although, the rice was bought for a full year so it's still going strong especially since we have jasmine, basmati & sticki rice types.  Hey...if the grid goes down I'll still have Indian & Sushi! ;)  Anyways, after we had the boys & Katie I found them and when you're suddenly feeding 6 kids the small pantry gets even smaller.  I worried so much how we would feed them all...3 boys & 3 girls who ate like crazy.  The only thing that saved us was the fact that Sunshine was still nursing! :)  Nah...Ben's overtime was MUCH appreciated and we ended up not being able to do all organic but I did stay organic on the dirty dozen.  So I vowed I'd never worry like that again and found them.  I built our pantry and once we decided we would REALLY be selling the house I didn't want to move all that food so we started eating from home.  Oh, I still buy all my fresh veggies...especially since this year I don't have a garden & I'm not canning 'cause...I don't want to move all that food! :)  I have enough toothpaste to make it a few years as well as toothbrushes & softsoap.  When the kids were with us we went through a large container of liquid softsoap bath soap once a week.  8 showers or baths EVERY DAY...that's a lot of soap & shampoo!  Anyways, the girls have excell spreadsheets. the binder to set it all up..and it's SO AFFORDABLE too.  There's also a giveaway right now for one of their cds they take to their workshops so join it.  You should check out the babysteps program 'cause it's really, really great.  The girls inspire me to plan for the future.

10. Women, Uncensored I don't know if you know this as I never speak about conception, pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, male and female circumcision, nursing, babywearing, cd or ecing, & the raising of children.  I'm definitely pro making your own decision & to each his own but I'm still a BIG advocate for my beliefs.  Woman, Uncensored is also a big advocate for her beliefs.  I'm a mama to an intact son and husband.  I'm against unnecessary interventions and permanent changes to another body when they can not give permission.  I also don't pierce my daughter's ears.  Something permanent that they can not give permission for...not my cup of tea.  Personally, my personal opinion of circumcision on infants or even piercing of ears is like holding an adult down & shaving off the labia or nose or lips or ears.  She inspires me to keep my passion and to remember that even though I've to focus on other passions as long as I keep the coals banked the passion will stay.

11. A Feathered Nest  Abby is crafty and fun and shares that.  She makes the cutest things.  Remember this post? Can A Blog Make You Pregnant?  Well...those shoes are from her.  THAT's what she can make...she's funny, cute, and I wish we lived next to each other so I could go over and beg her to teach me some tricks.  And, her babe...YUM!  I could hold Brooke while she whipped up something for my future child.  She inspires me to have more fun.  To craft what I want and if it doens't work....that's ok.  She has this attitude that even if she messed something up ( shuh! As IF!  She's a craft goddess..) all would still be good and she'd show it and laugh her little blonde butt off. 

12A. Indie Fixx  I've discovered Indie Fixx only recently.  She has free downloads, printables, and she also turned me onto Feed Your Soul free art.  She's these great artists that share their art FOR FREE!!!!! for you to display in your home.  I've found art work for the girls room...art work for around the house too.  I'm 31 years old and I'm just now finding MY style.  I'm not country or modern or French Provincial (too much HGTV!)...I'm a bit odd with straight minimalist style but with color be it muted or bright...and Indie speaks to me.  She inspires me to seek out more of my 'style'.

12B. All Things Thrifty I've stalked her.  I do nothing but lurk because well...decorating I find intimidating so I'm afraid to draw the eyes upon me! :)  She was even honored in like the top best home decorating blogs.  I like her because she shows how to make beautiful out of ugly and cheap.  I love cheap...hate ugly....I have a lot of ugly in my house because it's so plain.  I've been working on that and she's helping me create MY style (which thanks to  I now know what that style is! :) )

So...13 I chose...some Montessori, some Waldorf, some Attachment Parenting, some crafty, some decoratie (is that a word?!)  But all in all...this was really hard to do.  I've actually been working on it since the day she gave the award so what is that...4 days now? 

Well...I'm off to do 2 new posts.  I ACTUALLY won 2 new awards!  I swear things come in threes don't they! ;)  Really cool to have this award.  Thanks Martianne!

Honey