Blogger Pay it Forward: The Versatile Blogger Award

I’ve won a major award!
Well, maybe it’s not so major. But it is an honor to be recognized by another blogger. I’ve been given The Versatile Blogger Award by Sarah at My Life in Contradictions. (Thanks so much Sarah!)
It’s been a great couple of weeks, one of my posts was featured on BlogHer, and I’m the featured blogger on SkinnyScoop right now.
It’s pretty awesome to be recognized as a blogger. Heck, just knowing people actually read my blog posts is pretty darn cool.
So, The Versatile Blogger award comes with some rules. It’s a sort of pay it forward thing for bloggers.
The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award
1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs you enjoy reading.
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.
So, here are 7 things about me (I’m cheating a bit by taking these from my 10 random bits of info about me on my about page. Why reinvent the wheel, right?)

1. I am inspired by bold colors and bold statements.
2. I am drawn to people with strong convictions. Even if I don’t agree with them, I love that they have them.
3. I love vintage advertising and mid-century modern design.
4. I was a metalhead in junior high / high school. I stayed up late on Saturday nights to watch the Headbangers Ball in my parents’ basement.
5. My first job after college was as a hotdogger for Oscar Mayer. I drove the Oscar Mayer weinermobile from Madison, Wisconsin to Memphis, TN and back auditioning kids to be in the next TV commercial at baseball parks, zoos and military bases. I can’t wait to tell my kids all my stories about that summer. (I don’t think they quite believe me yet.)
6. I have the best husband in the world. He is my best friend, and he’s the best dad for my two amazing boys. He cooks, does the grocery shopping and truly understands me. What else could I ever ask for?
7. I don’t like pie. I’m sorry. I just don’t.

Now, here are 15 9 blogs I’d like to recognize with The Versatile Blogger award. (I’m not much for following rules, and it’s really hard for me to come up with 15 blogs right now.) These blogs keep me smiling, laughing, thinking and learning. You’ll find social workers, naturalists, humorists and nonprofit professionals (and more) on this list. I’m quite certain you’ll find at least one blog on this list that you will love.

1. Simple Living Family
2. Withywindle Blog
3. Talk About Giving
4. The Bloggess
5. so this is love
6. Blogging Dangerously
7. New Approaches Blog
8. Deliberately Unintentional
9. lamiki: life according to laura

So, I guess I need to tell them about their major award now….