Chronically Hopeful has been nominated for another blog award! The Sunshine Blogger Award is awarded to bloggers by bloggers in recognition of their contribution to the community.

In particular the Sunshine Blogger Award is awarded to those bloggers whose posts bring a bit of sunshine to the community by spreading joy and positivity.  I am honoured to have been selected.

Who Nominated Me?

A big thank you goes to Kristine from Kristine’s Blog who nominated me in April. Thank you so much for the nomination and for your patience, Kristine – my health has been so up and down that I have only just got to my acceptance post!

Kristine has a beautiful blog where she writes about parenting, beauty, travel and lifestyle. Please show her some love over on her blog too!

Questions From Kristine

1. What do you love about blogging?

I love everything about it really. I enjoy the writing, the creation of graphics to share online, interacting with other bloggers, reading the comments my readers leave for me. It’s all fun for me.

2. What do you hate about blogging?

It’s not really about blogging, it’s more my lack of energy and strength or cognitive function at times that I hate. I have many plans and goals for my blog, but my body has other ideas!

3. Has your blog always been the same niche, style, or platform? What has changed since the beginning?

This blog has always been about chronic illness, faith and food, I have more recently added an art and crafts and a blogging category too. Many years ago I had a different blog which focused on just faith and food, I had to give it up when I started teaching as I just didn’t have any time to dedicate to the blog. One of the blessings to come out of this illness is that I get to write again some days.

4. If you could take a trip to anywhere, where would you go?

Ooh, any seaside destination where the water is crystal clear with white sandy beaches and a cool breeze. That is my ideal place to be.

This is The Dream!

5. What is the ultimate goal of your blog?

The goal for this blog has always been to help others manage their new normal after diagnosis by sharing experiences and encouraging people along the way. I found it extremely beneficial when I found people who were sharing their stories online, but it was usually in a private group setting and not openly.

I know many people don’t use Facebook and don’t have access to those kinds of support groups, so I think it is important to share our stories openly on a public platform like this.

Blogging is beneficial not only to the blogger – it’s therapeutic and we encounter many others with similar interests and circumstances, but it’s also beneficial to the readers who can benefit from the experience of those who have gone down the same road before them and they too have the opportunity to connect with others who they might not have met otherwise.

6. If you could be a superhero, what power would you have and why?

The power to eradicate loneliness! I find so many people online who are suffering in silence, alone, unsupported, daily. Whether it’s broken relationships, mental health or circumstances that drive a wedge between people or all the millions who are housebound or bedridden with long term illness, and all the elderly who are abandoned… I think there are many people in the world who think they are quite alone when they really don’t need to be. It shouldn’t be this way. I’d love to fix that!

7. What do you do to relax?

Apparently not enough! Haha… My most strenuous daily activity is brushing my teeth and then of course my shower once a week. The rest of the time I’m reclined on my bed or sofa… yet my heart rate monitor tells me I’m always stressed – even while sleeping!

So to relax, I have found guided meditative breathing exercises to be most beneficial in bringing my heart rate into rest. If I had a choice in the matter it would be watching Netflix or floating in a swimming pool.

8. Who is your favourite blogger?

What a tricky question! There are so many great bloggers. So I’m going to choose a blogger I admire for their generosity and consistency within the community: Sheryl from A Chronic Voice consistently supports other bloggers on her social media – a goal I have set for myself. I want to support other bloggers as much as possible.

9. Blogging is hard work. What motivates you to keep writing?

I am a teacher by calling, it’s in my DNA, I’m sure! So my motivation is always to share any knowledge I have learned or any experience I have gained. I share and people can take away from it whatever they want. But I seem to have an urge to write things out and share them with the world!

10. What advice would you give to other bloggers?

Use the Yoast plugin for SEO – it really does help! But most importantly, find what you are passionate about, then write about that. Don’t get discouraged if your stats aren’t climbing. You show up and do what you love, you be you, and your audience will love you for your authenticity and the uniqueness of what they find on your pages.

Here Are My Nominees

1. From Michigan To Germany – Cherie’s posts about life as an immigrant in Germany are interesting and fun. I love reading about her adventures in a foreign land!
2. Invisibly Me – Caz’s posts cover a range of topics, lots of interesting things to read, I particularly enjoy the Monday Motivations.
3. Christa Sterken – Christa’s blog is a mix of relatable truth bombs , creativity and faith. Always encouraging and a joy to visit.
4. Notebooks and Glasses – Ali’s posts about life with chronic pain are always so informative and easy to read – and I love her new series of weekly gratitude posts.
5. Not Just Tired – Emma is a great source of encouragement on twitter with her daily gratitude posts and her desire to seek out beauty in every day. Her blog is equally inspiring.

Go check out these wonderful sunshine bloggers and show them some love by leaving a comment!

The Sunshine Blogger Rules

• Thank the blogger who nominated you in your blog post and link back to their blog.
• Answer the 10 questions the blogger asked you.
• Nominate 5* new blogs to receive the award and write them 10 new questions.
• List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award badge in your post or on your blog.

* Originally the rules required 12 new nominees – I’m changing it up – I think 5 is enough!

The Questions For My Nominees

About Blogging:

1. How long have you been blogging & why did you start your blog?
2. How did you come up with your blog’s name?
3. What is your dream or long term goal for your blog?
4. What is the most difficult part about blogging?
5. Share a favourite post you have written – why do you love this post?

Just For Fun:

1. If you could choose, would you rather be a dolphin or an eagle – why?
2. When you were little, what did you want to be as a grown up?
3. What does your perfect day look like – where are you, what are you doing, who’s there?
4. If you could visit any fictional world, where would you go – what do you love about it?
5. Words you live by?

Thank You

Thanks again to Kristine for my nomination. I have enjoyed answering your questions and had fun thinking up some new ones for my nominees.

To my nominees, thank you for your fun and inspiring posts! I hope you will enjoy answering your questions too.

You are of course not obligated to accept the award, so please don’t feel pressure to take part if you’d rather not.

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