Liebster Award Nomination!

I would like to thank Grainne from Hope From a Butterfly for nominating me for the Liebster Award. This is such a great way of discovering new blogs, learning more about those who write them and being inspired!

Here it goes!

1) What first inspired you to write a blog?

From a young age I always had an interest in writing. In school I enjoyed being able to write essays about things that had happened and at home I wrote poetry about different things close to my heart. 
After I finished in school my writing seemed to come to a halt but was always at the back of my mind. Now, a year or few later, I was inspired by changes in my life to dust off the writing brain cells I tucked away all those years and to begin blogging. 

2) What is your favourite blog piece that you have written? 

I think my favourite piece currently is not from my own blog Chirps from a little Red Hen, but one I'd written for Mummy Pages before my own blog began. 
http://www.mummypages.ie/blogs/it-was-hard-knowing-i-would-always-miss-her

I remember the day I wrote this piece. I was on the train to Cork and I found it tough not to cry as I pulled into the station. The feedback I'd received from family, friends and comments on Mummy Pages Facebook page gave me inspiration to begin my own blog, Chirps from a Little Red Hen.

3) What is your favourite blog piece written by another blogger? 

I'II be honest I've no favourite piece that I've read recently. I'm inspired by different bloggers for different reasons and would find it difficult to choose just one.

4) What is your greatest achievement in life to date?

This is very easy for me to answer, my family. Even on tough days, I feel very blessed knowing how lucky I am to be married to a great man and wonderful father to our two children. I know it seems cliche saying this but its's true. Together we have been through a lot over the years and my family are my greatest cheer leaders.

5) Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?

There are so many answers for this. I suppose overall five years from now I hope for me and my family to remain healthy and to enjoy taking new adventures together.

6) Name one person who has inspired you most in life?

This is a tough one to answer as I've been very lucky to have had some great people in my life to inspire me. 
I think I'd have to say my mum. While she's gone nearly as long as I've known her, being a mum now I see how hard she worked for us. She was a very strong woman and a great mother to myself and my brothers. As I've grown older she inspires me more each day and I hope to be as great a mum to my kids as she was to me.

7) What would be your dream holiday?

My dream holiday would be to bring my family to visit Australia for 4-6 weeks to visit my brother in Melbourne and travel to Sydney and see how its all changed since I was there a year or few ago!

8) What are your top 3 goals to achieve in life?

I've a lot of goals in life so picking a top 3 is tough but I will certainly try! 
1 - To be a great mum to my kids
2 - To set up my own business
3 - To earn enough that I can pay for our mortgage while remaining as a Working Stay at Home Mum

9) What is your all time favourite film?

I love a variety of movies and its ever changing what would be a "favourite" I suppose the first one that springs to mind is The Departed. A strange one for some people but I think the story line and cast are great. Plus myself and my husband got engaged in Boston so its lovely seeing all the places we visited!

10) If you won the lotto what would be your first major purchase?

Depending on the value of the lotto win, after clearing all or most of my mortgage, my first purchase would be to buy myself an Audi Q7

11) From your experience what would be your number one tip/advice to give to a first time parent?

I would give the same advice given to me and it worked 100% - Trust your baby and follow your instincts! 

My 11 Random facts!

1. I had a keen interest in Horse Riding as a child / Teen competing in a variety of events such as Show Jumping, Eventing, Inter Schools and The Horse Show
2. The first time I was on a plane was for a flying lesson when I was about 17! An amazing experience
3. I travelled to Australia 3 times in less than a year 1997 - 1998!
4. I've a fear of flying and wont get on a flight without a little "drinkie"! I did it once and never again!
5. My daughter was named Elise, after the woman whom we bought our engagement ring from  in Boston. We loved the name and is a version of Elizabeth which links with her Granny and Great Granny!
6. My sons name is Logan which was chosen at random and it wasn't until after he was born and a Mid Wife said to me about Logan Airport in Boston! So he's a connection too, to where we were engaged without us realizing it!
7. I asked my husband out on our first date which I'd never done before but I knew he wouldn't cause he worked for my brother and was (and is) very loyal! 
8. My father in law was my husbands best man at our wedding
9. I'm a list freak! when I'm planning things I always have to have a list!
10. My wedding and Hens was planned around the Six Nations which was at my request, not my husbands!
11. I met Bill Clinton and shook his hand

Thank you again Grainne again for the nomination. Hope from a Butterfly is a great read if you haven't already popped over!

I would like to nominate the following! 
Dee-Termined to Glam and Glow
Mentally Beautiful
Susan Murphy @makemywill_IRL Susan is currently updating her blog 

I know the rules state 5-11 blogs with less than 200 followers but currently many of the blogs I read have many more and I don't want to choose blogs at random for the sake if it as I don't think that would be fair to you. 

Your Questions!

1. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
2. How do you decide what your going to blog about?
3. If you were to interview someone for your blog, who would it be?
4. Why would you interview this person?
5. What do you do if you get "writers block"?
6. Whats your ideal night in?
7. Wheres the last place you went for a break?
8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
9. If someone was to write a movie about you, who would play you?
10. What's the last film you saw in the cinema?
11. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows:

• Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.
• Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)
• Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
• Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have less than 200 followers.
• Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.
• List these rules in your post. Once you have written and published it, you then have to:
• Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)