Awards and new blogger friends

I have been the fortunate recipient of a few awards recently and am very embarrassed to admit that I thought 'how lovely' and then promptly forgot to do anything about them (like a blog, for example, doh!)

The first comes from the very lovely Lou of The Archers at the Larches, a wonderfully funny blog currently stuffed with gorgeous fluffy chicks. She nominated me for this lovely thing:

Thanks! Apparently I now need to tell you seven things about me you didn't know and then nominate some lovely stylish blogs to receive the award.

So seven things you (perhaps) didn't know about me:

1. I'm painfully shy (you might already know this but it bears repeating because some days I'm too shy even to talk to myself). Some days I'm not at all shy. It's very confusing.
2. I only wear Fitflops (boots winter, sandals summer) except when I'm wearing my Hunter wellies or my slippers.
3. I'm brilliant at growing cucumbers.
4. I won my posh Felco secateurs in a Gardener's World magazine prize draw. They arrived on my 30th birthday and they will be 15 years old this August.
5. On days like today I miss my motorbike and my big horses.
6. I'm about to get a second, much bigger, polytunnel. I can't wait! (Room for more cucumbers!)
7. I get RSI-type pain on the first joint of my index finger. I wear gloves most of the time because warmth helps and this is why you might find me - on cold days - dunking the end of my finger in my coffee.

Then I was awarded a Kreative blogger award by Working London Mummy and the rules for this are to link to 10 blogs, tell them and share ten fact about myself.

Well you've already had seven, so here's another three:

1. I have written three novels. I sent the first out to agents and had enough rejections to make me think I should take another look at it before I send it again.
2. I'm currently writing a book about my daughters' imaginary friend. They're growing out of him now but we're all so fond of him I'd hate for him to be lost in the mists of time.
3. My ultimate ambition is to design and build my own house.

Then I was the recipient of another award (which reminded me of the others!) this time a Liebster Award via the blog In All My Bron Days, a lovely blog from rural Norfolk. This is an award designed for small blogs to spread the blog love and get them out to a wider audience.

For this one I have to choose some other small blogs to link to and revel in the blog love!

So I hereby officially nominate all the blogs in my BMB comment group for these three awards. This is a group of six British Mummy Bloggers who were 'blind dated' to each other to visit and comment on each other's blogs for the month of April, to discover new blogs and make new blogging friends.

The Real Supermum blog. Emma is a mum of six who provides a network of support for mums and mums-to-be. Her blog covers a wide range of parenting topics and personal stories.

Inside the Wendy House. Wendy is a mum of five and writes a lovely friendly blog about her family and product reviews.

Working London Mummy. This doctor, academic and mum works and lives in a city and has a love of food and cooking (WLM is married to a French former chef). I'm loving the tales of the food they're preparing for Munchkin.

Little Green Blog. I can lose hours wandering around this blog. I wonder how I never found it before! Masses of ideas and advice about green-living and thoroughly thought-provoking.

Craft and Nappies. A tartan Kiwi in Christchurch, New Zealand, which thrilled my nine-year-old as she has been studying the country this term. I'm particularly fond of Tea Towel Tuesdays and the regular 'I'm loving...' posts.

Mummy Manda. Mum to a girl and boy and married to her soul mate. Brand new to blogging this year with lovely posts about her family and life.