Nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award

Happy in the Hollow was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award!

I owe this honor to the awesome Kate of On Our Way World. And because she’s smart, funny, thoughtful and probably a lot cooler than I, I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now. 🙂

Please have a look at Kate’s website. You’ll find engaging posts with musings and practical tips on such topics as financial independence, travel, digital nomadism, and secular homeschooling, to name a few. Her writing is just bursting with her personality. You’ll see why (virtually) meeting people like Kate has made my foray into blogging fun and worthwhile.

 

What is the Versatile Blogger Award?

The Versatile Blogger Award is a way to “honor those bloggers who bring something special to your life, whether every day or only now and then.” It rewards “the quality of the writing, the uniqueness of the subjects covered, the level of love displayed in the words on the virtual page.”

A nomination automatically means you’ve won the award.

 

The Rules of the Versatile Blogger Award

• Thank the person who gave you this award.
• Nominate up to 15 bloggers whom you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly for the award.
• Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

So here they are:

 

7 Fun Facts about Me

1. I play the recorder. I took lessons for well over 10 years and for many of those was a member of a recorder quartet. On a few occasions, I even played one of these. (I don’t get to play the recorder much these days, but I still occasionally bring out my violin or sing.)
2. I met my husband in karate class. The way we tell the story, I punched him in the nose, and he saw hearts instead of stars. It’s all hearts and no punching now. And that’s despite the fact that we’re on opposite ends of the political spectrum. I’ll let you figure out who occupies what end.
3. I spent something like 8 years of my life studying regional and traditional food products in Europe. I originally set out to write my dissertation on a Polish cheese (oscypek) but then switched to plum jam (powdła śliwkowe).
4. During my fieldwork in Poland’s Lower Vistula Valley, I was asked to serve on the jury of a liqueur competition. There were about 70 entries. The palate cleanser: beer. One of my co-jurors was a journalist from the Gazeta Pomorska and asked to interview me afterwards. Let’s just say that I’ve probably never spoken Polish more fluently – or more cheerfully…And the evidence still lives on the internet:
    
   

 

5. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Blogging is a lot of fun for now.
6. When I’m not blogging, I work as a freelance writer. I publish a lot of articles with a major university and get to interview amazing faculty, students, and alumni about the fascinating work they do. One of my favorite pieces I’ve ever written is this for Smithsonian.
7. I have a pretty strong sense of smell. It’s great for cooking, but not so good when your mom brings you chocolate from Germany that happened to travel in the same suitcase as dried peppermint. Or when someone put a banana into the freezer and everything tastes vaguely banana-like for the next six months.

 

My Nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award

It’s only been a couple of months since I started my blog, but I’ve already discovered a whole world of interesting and high-quality blogs I had no idea existed.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• ChooseFI (I mostly listen to the podcast and feel at home in the ChooseFI Facebook group)
• Fox Meets Bear (gorgeous photos and foraging in the Minnesota forest)
• They’re Not Our Goats (thoughtful and practical homesteading, plus Abi is super nice)
• Mindful Momblographer (great tips for bringing mindfulness into everyday life)
• Two Sleevers (Instant Pot Butter Chicken!)

 

Want to know how this eclectic selection fits into my life? Have a look at a few of my recent blog posts:

• Dandelion Fritters
• 7 Things to Do with Kids in Tulsa, OK
• Seeking Calm? Reset Your Day in under 5 Minutes
• Ultimate Pantry Challenge Guide: Eat up and Save Money
• 27 Ways to Save Money on Food while Traveling