INSIDE: The Sunshine Blogger Award for No Happy Accidents
The Big Award News!
A few weeks ago No Happy Accidents received the Sunshine Blogger Award!
This is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers who are positive, inspiring and creative.
I am thrilled to have been nominated and graciously accept this award given to me by my blogging peers. There are awesome bloggers that have been nominated for this and I can’t believe Kate from A Sprinkle of Everything felt I was deserving of the same honor.
We met through a Facebook group for bloggers. What I love about the blogging community is how supportive and helpful everyone is to each other. Whenever I have a question or need help with something to optimize my site, my blogger friends are just a post away. It’s the same with Kate. She is ready to jump in and lend a helping hand!
Kate is also an amazing blogger herself. She writes with wit and realness that inspires me. You should definitely check her site out!
Here’s how the Sunshine Blogger Award works:
Once nominated, the blogger is required to write a post in which they:
•Thank the blogger who nominated them and link back to their blog.
•Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated them,
•Nominate 11 other blogs and give them 11 new questions to answer.
•Notify your nominees and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.
The Blogger Behind the Blog
Kate asked me (Kim) a few questions, so that everyone could get to know me a little bit better. 🙂
Kim, how long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging for a little over three years. My first post was published in June of 2015.
Why did you start blogging?
I started for lots of reasons, but the biggest one was I needed a way to process life as a woman carrying too many titles (wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, leader, teacher, volunteer… the list kept going).
Blogging was cheaper than therapy and gave my hardships a little more meaning, because I felt like if other moms connected with them, then that meant I wasn’t all alone in feeling what I was feeling in life…overwhelmed.
Plus, I am big on having a positive mindset and finding the beauty in a mess or the joy in a season of trials, so I wanted to share that with others. If I could make lemonade out of lemons, then so could everyone else.
What has been the hardest part of being a blogger?
Two things, the first is time. As a blogger I have so much I want to say. When driving in the car, a little conversation with my kids will spark inspiration for a post. I can thnk it all out in my head while driving, but when I get home…it’s gone. My husband and I joke that if there was AI in my brain then it could just transfer my thoughts to my computer so that I didn’t have to redo so much thinking!
The second challenge for me is juggling blogging with everything else. I work quite a few part-time jobs with my own side hustles to try and advance this site. It can be tricky balancing life as a mom to three and all these things, plus make dinner, workout, volunteer, take online classes, and balance the checkbook! My personal endeavors like blogging take a back seat when the dishes have piled up or there are new shoes to be bought. But, that is real life and I try to showcase that here.
Tell us a little about where you are from Kim.
I am from the suburbs of Chicago, specifically, the northwest burbs. Sidenote, I actually live two blocks away from where I grew up and my kids attend the same schools I did. My husband and I met in high school and didn’t venture too far. lol He lived in the next town over, so when looking for places to make some roots we looked in both towns! We are very happy where we live and lots of people come back and live here to raise their kids. It’s just one of those special towns!
Additionally, I LOVE the proximity to downtown Chicago. We love Chicago. My hubby and I say we’ll retire there so we’ll be able to enjoy all it has to offer. We love the people, culture, restaurants, history, architecture, theater district, music scene, and so much more!!
Do you have any pets?
Yes! We have two dogs.
Our oldest is a three year old Boxador (and maybe part Black Mouth Cur) named Lincoln. My son named him after Abe Lincoln. We rescued him from a local organization. We were considered “Foster Failures” because we fostered him from a rescue organization and couldn’t let him go.
Then, along came our little Chihuahua, Kennedy. Yes, like JFK. We love history in our house, and my kids are fascinated with both of these presidents. What’s funny though, is that Kennedy came with that name and so it was one of those happy coincidences that make you say, “why hello universe, yes…I am listening.” Next thing you know, we filled out adoption papers and he was ours a few days later!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time… what’s that? If I could pause the world and have spare time, this is what I would do (not in any special order): sew, craft, diy house projects, home decorating (and the shopping that goes with it), working out, reading and writing. I also like to play with my kids, go on hikes, and hang with my gal pals!
If money was no object, where you like to travel?
Oh, man…everywhere!!! I have a few places on my bucket list for stateside family vacations and few international places just for my hubby and I.
I really want to go to Europe. Old, beautiful structures amaze me. I love learning about cultures and how they evolved over time. It’s so interesting and beautiful to see the world from different perspectives and places.
My hubby and I also want to go on an island get away. We made a pact as I was going though my BRCA stuff that we would take the kids to Disney (we did that this summer) and that the two of us would go away to a tropical destination.
We are busy trying to decide where and save to be able to afford that dream trip! Any ideas?
How many blogs do you read regularly?
Good question! I rotate through quite a few blogs. Depending on what I am focusing on at the moment.
If I am working on “momming” then I read a few different mom blogs for perspective and ideas. You’ll see those linked below! If I am in a season of self-development, then I head to those sites. Twitter and Facebook as my main sources to find and read blogs. I have subscribed to so many, but I honestly don’t open those emails (sorry everyone) and just link to their sites through social media.
What do you do for a living?
I have lots of part-time jobs, but my income comes from two main sources, I am a small business brand & media strategist and a teacher.
Basically, I help businesses with their vision, finding their audience, create captivating digital content (including email marketing, video marketing, logo & graphic design work, marketing campaigns, Pinterest graphics and written content for their websites), and manage their social media presence. I provide feedback and insight to design the business the owner desires.
In addition to that, I teach preschool classes, substitute teach in the local school district, run a small home daycare business one day a week, and run my own health and fitness business as an Independent Beachbody Coach. I hope to add Blogger to that list as a way to bring in additional income, too!
Do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have three brothers! I also have the privilege of having two brothers-in-law and one sister-in-law.
Kim, what does being nominated for a SunshineBlogger Award mean to you?
I touched on this earlier, but I’ll say it again. To be nominated for this award means everything to me. It means that someone took the time to get to know me and my site. They took the time to find me out of the thousands of blogs out there and found something in mine worth connecting to. I am in awe that it was even noticed. I always say, that I write for myself, which I do, but it is nice when something I write also makes an impact on somebody else.
Thanks Kate for honoring me with Sunshine Blogger Award! Don’t forget to check out her site. I especially love this post Life is Meant to be Enjoyed! I feel the same way!
Now it’s my turn to share the love!
I nominate the following blogs.
1. An Aha Life
5. Just Like You and I am Every Woman
9. Nikki Chi
10. One Sharp Mama
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My questions for you!
I can’t wait to hear what you say. Don’t forget to tag me in your post or on social media!
- Who are you and what does your blog represent?
- What is your biggest joy in life?
- What is your biggest fear in life?
- Where would you live if there were no barriers in your way?
- What is your most memorable vacation?
- If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
- What type of books or blogs do you like to read?
- If you had an extra $2,000, how would you spend it?
- What is your favorite social media platform and why?
- If you could have a do-over on anything in your life, would you? Why or why not?
There are no happy accidents!
You can check out my other writings on Full Time Mom, 30Seconds, and SheSavvy. Follow me on Twitter at @KimKusiciel or @nohappyaccident.
Have you seen my Free Set of Monthly Mantras for Moms? Download it by clicking here!
no happy accidents 
Thanks so much for the nomination! I’ll get started on my post right away! ❤
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Thanks for my nomination! I’m busying working on my post. Just waiting to hear from my nominees.
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