Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award Nomination

What is the "Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award"?

The Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award is an award to recognize people in the blogging community who have made some sort of impact through their blog.

While this is not an official or “traditional award”, it really is an honor to be recognized. Unless you have done it yourself, it is difficult to understand all of the time and hard work that goes into creating and maintaining a blog.

I believe the purpose of this award is to provide support and encouragement.

My Nomination:

I was nominated for this award by Kit from Persnickety Living. I first found Kit on Twitter and immediately fell in love with her blog. It’s unique and so beautifully designed! I immediately felt a connection to Kit when I learned that we share a love for Paris. She is an incredible writer and I encourage you to check out her blog.

It’s not only an honor to be nominated, but to be nominated by someone whose work I really admire is VERY flattering.

I can honestly say I felt humbled when I saw that she nominated me for the Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award. I have only been at this for a very short time. The mission statement for my blog is, “Creating Connection and Inspiration through the Experience of Travel.” To know that I am seen as an inspiration to even ONE person, truly makes my heart full. Thank you Kit, I’m just trying to matter.

Rules for the Award:

Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
Answer your nominator’s questions.
Nominate up to 9 other bloggers and ask them 5 new questions.
Notify your nominees by visiting and commenting on their blog.
List the rules and display the “Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award ” logo.
Provide the link to the award creator: Rising Star from Ideal Inspiration.

Q & A about me:

Below are my answers to Kit’s questions….

1. Being kind to our planet is more important than ever. What is one change (big or small) that you have made to be more eco-friendly?

I really do my best to buy green and make products that are chemical free. If you read my post Travel ESSENTIAL for Health and Wellness, you know that I’m passionate about essential oils. If you follow me on Pinterest you will find that I have a few boards with DIY recipes for cleaning products and beauty products. Making your own products not only ensures that you know EXACTLY what is in them, but it also reduces product waste.

2. What is the best benefit of travel?

For me the best benefit of travel is seeing that there is a world outside of myself. Until recently, I’ve always lived in the same small town in Pennsylvania. When I travel I get to connect with other cultures and people. I get to have new experiences that would never be possible otherwise. I’m frequently in awe of how vastly different people and places can be, even though we are all on the same planet. You never quite realize how BIG the world is until you get out there and start to see it.

3. What inspired you to start a blog?

I started traveling outside of the U.S. in 2013, and I fell in love with it immediately. Once I realized how easy it was to travel, and how possible it was even on a small budget, I wanted to inspire others to do the same. I thought about starting a travel blog for a few years, but I was scared to do it. I finally decided in 2020 to give it a try, and I’m so happy that I did. The blogging community is really AMAZING and so encouraging!

4. If you had to live one day of your life over and over (think Groundhog Day), what and where would it be?

Truth be told, any day that all three of my children are together with me is a day I’d love to live over and over. If I had to pick one particular day, it would be when my middle son, Maverick, graduated from the Air Force. We were in Texas together and it was our first trip with my children all grown up. My youngest is leaving for the military soon, so the opportunities for us to be together at the same time are very limited.

5. What was your favorite toy when you were growing up and why?

This is an easy one for me to answer…. My Snoopy Sno Cone Machine. (Yikes, I’m really dating myself with this one.) I loved that thing. For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to own one, it is basically just a metal cheese grater. You put ice cubes inside, crank the wheel handle, and *poof*… you have a sno-cone. Then you add some sugar water with food coloring and it’s a masterpiece! It was delicious and fun. (Note: If your hands don’t get all stained from the food coloring, you probably don’t have enough passion to operate this machine.)

My Nominees:

These are the bloggers who have inspired me. As a new blogger it is really helpful to have people to look up to and learn from. I hope you will check out their blogs and show them some love!

Tunrayo from The Alcyone. I discovered Tunrayo through her Twitter account. She is amazing at writing about skincare and beauty in a way that helps you really understand the science behind it. She has inspired me to up my skincare game.
Kimberly from Next Adventure Vacations. I met Kimberly through a “Blogging Babes” Instagram group. I’m still not sure how I got in there but it’s been a blessing to meet those women. Kimberly is always trying to help others in the group. She inspires me because she has incredible drive to work hard and learn. I’d encourage you to reach out to her if you are in need of a travel agent because she will work hard for you!
Lisa from Fluxing Well. I recently met Lisa from a Facebook group called Blogging Well with Pinterest. She does an incredible job of running the group and it is by far one of my favorites! She goes above and beyond to help other bloggers succeed. Lisa’s passion to help people is evident in all of her work and that’s why she inspires me.
Jen from Digital She-E-O. I first found Jen on a Facebook Group called Pinfinite Traffic for Bloggers, but since then I feel like I have seen her all over. Her content is incredibly helpful to me as a new blogger. It is SO easy to understand. Jen inspires me as a woman, because she is clearly a boss-lady!

Questions for my Nominees:

What is one trip you took, or something you saw while on a trip, that greatly impacted you?
If you could travel anywhere, and money is not an issue, where would you?
Who is someone that inspires you?
What is your favorite thing about blogging?
What is the most embarrassing thing that happened to you while travelling? (I will tell you mine in the comments of your Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award post. It’s REALLY embarrassing.)