I am very excited to announce that Paula from I’m Busy Being Awesome nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. The Sunshine Blogger Award goes to bloggers that are inspiring, positive, uplifting and that ‘brings sunshine’ to its readers! The nomination comes from other fellow bloggers. That being said, I want to give Paula a HUGE thank you for the nomination!

The deal with being nominated is you have to respond to 11 questions the nominator comes up with! Below are my responses to Paula’s questions. Think of it as sort of a ‘getting to know you’ type of post! At the end of the post, you can see my nominees (and check out their blogs!), and the questions I have for them to respond to.

What’s your #1 piece of advice for new bloggers?

For someone just starting out, I would say to keep in mind your niche may change completely or just narrow down, and that’s OK!

How long have you been blogging, and why did you start?

I started blogging in September of 2017 (technically August, but I didn’t go live until September), so not super long! The ‘why’ part of this story is a little more complex.

I had a photography blog for about five years, which I stopped doing when I was pregnant with Little E and on heavy restrictions. That blog consisted of nature photo collections and photography tutorials. I enjoyed doing the blog, but each post was incredibly time consuming and involved a lot of prep work, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. However, I missed blogging.

I kept feeling like I wanted to do more with my photography. At the beginning of 2017, I made a goal to somehow work to expand it. So I started applying to local galleries to see if I could get an exhibit. As I talk about in this post, I ended up getting three of them. One of them was at a fairly large health center, so I knew I wanted to do more than just hang up photos. I started researching and became quite fascinated by the nature and positive mental health connection (I talk about a lot about this in my guided meditations). I always knew I felt a connection when I was out in nature, but the research available to back it up is incredible. Anyway, I found that just by looking at a nature photo can provide many mental health benefits. To take it one step further, I wanted to help guide people into the photo in order to allow them as many benefits as possible! I know I sometimes have trouble calming my mind, and having a guide is so helpful. Enter in my 2-minute guided mindfulness meditations with nature photography. Long story short (although this story is getting quite long), I created guided meditation prompts and hung them up with the nature photos. I absolutely loved it and decided I wanted to share it with as many people as possible. Enter – the blog. The rest just kind of grew from there.

What’s the story behind your blog name?

The blog name is one of those things where I have no idea how it came to me. It just kind of all came together and it felt right. Basically, I’m a mom which is an important part of my identity, and I wanted to include that. I also wanted to be able to relate to others who feel like they may not have time to do what I’m talking about. I’m a mom, I’ve got a lot going on too! If I can do it, so can you.

The second part ‘blographer’ is a combination of the words ‘blogger’ and ‘photographer’.

Who do you admire the most?

This is always a tough question because I have so many different responses. The first person that comes to me is my son, as cheesy as it sounds. He honestly has taught me so much about life, and is a constant inspiration for the purpose of the blog – slowing down, reducing mental clutter so that I can enjoy a life filled with things I love! Watching him and the way he sees the world with so much wonder and curiosity has taught me to slow down and ‘smell the flowers’. He is mindful by nature – stops eating when he is full. Takes a break when he needs it. Stops and gives hugs at a moments notice. Doesn’t stress about the mess or being dirty. I could go on and on…

What is your favorite way to practice self-care?

Going for a walk in nature by myself.

What’s your favorite blog post?

I have two. The first one ‘5 Ways to Meditate without Actually Meditating‘ is a favorite because I personally used to have an extremely hard time shutting my mind off to try and meditate. As I’ve practiced over the years, I think it’s gotten a little easier, but sometimes I still struggle. I wanted to share some of the things I do to achieve meditation benefits, without actually sitting down in the traditional sense of meditation.

The second is ‘7 Ways to Detox from Social Media‘, mostly because this is something I still work on!

Tell us about a book that had a lasting impact on you.

There have been so many, I honestly don’t know if I could pick just one. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is one that immediately comes to mind. I was shocked how at relevant a lot of the content is to our world today. That book was written in the early 1960’s. It really was the first book I read that became aware of how much we can have an effect on the natural world.

What is your proudest achievement?

Being a mom! It is not a journey I was convinced was the right one for me, but it has contained some of my highest highs and absolute lowest of lows. I am proud of how far I’ve come, how much I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone, and how many things I’ve gotten through on the motherhood journey.

What’s the most memorable class you’ve ever taken?

When I was going to school for my master’s (I have a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Environmental Education), I took a weekend class up in northern Minnesota at a nature center. The class was called ‘Reading the Landscape’, and it was so fascinating. We basically spent the weekend walking in nature and looking for clues about the past (natural and human-made). It taught me a lot, and really was a great way to practice mindfulness by being aware.

Where do you find your blogging inspiration?

As I mentioned above, Little E is a huge source of inspiration. Being pregnant with him really started it all. I decided that I wanted to start creating a life where I could spend the most possible time doing things I love and spending time with the people I love. This meant reducing clutter and removing things that no longer serve me- physical and mental. I also have suffered from major anxiety almost my whole life. I have spent a lot of time and energy figuring out triggers, and ways to reduce it. So a lot of the inspiration comes from things I have done in my own life to help create inner peace. And I want to help others do the same.

I also get a lot of inspiration from things I read. All of a sudden something I see will just spark a ton of ideas.

What is your favorite quotation? Why?

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore (or technically J.K. Rowling). First –  I love Harry Potter. Second, it is such a great reminder that although things may be hard, we can always find something to be happy/grateful about, if only we allow ourselves to find it.

Do you have a signature color? If so, what is it?

Inadvertently, I would say my signature color is teal. I never felt a strong connection to the color, but all of a sudden I realized I had a winter jacket, a fall/spring jacket, a work bag, my purse, and sunglasses all in teal!

How do you handle writer’s block?

By taking a break, however long is needed. And reading. I took a two-week break in December and it was so worth it. I came into January flowing with ideas and produced some of my favorite posts to date.

Are you a dog or a cat person?

We have both, and I love dogs and cats, but I have to admit that I am without a doubt a cat person.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?

Mr. Blographer and I spent most of our honeymoon in San Francisco. A block down from our hotel was this super cute little hole in the wall Italian restaurant. I don’t even remember the name.  But they had the best dish with homemade pasta, homemade tomato sauce, and fresh giant shrimp. To top it off they had homemade tiramisu! We ate there multiple times, and still dream about that place.

My nominees!

• Becky @ Gardening Love – Ecotherapy and mental health
• Megan @ Learning Lotuses – Kids mindfulness & yoga topics
• Ula @ Slow and Happy – Minimalism for a happy life
• The ladies @ Zeroish – Zero waste and sustainable living tips by busy moms
• Amy @ The Good Life with Amy French – Zero waste, eco-friendly living

The questions!

1. What is the story behind your blog and blog name?
2. Why did you start your blog?
3. What is one of your favorite memories?
4. What difficult lesson have you learned that you are now grateful for?
5. What food could you eat 24/7?
6. It’s the weekend – what can we find you doing?
7. What is your favorite way to stay grounded?
8. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done?
9. What is your favorite song right now and why?
10. What is your go-to for reducing stress?
11. What is your favorite blog post (from your blog), and why?

Bonus questions! Choose one or all!

• What is your spirit animal?
• What is your favorite show or movie right now?
• What is your favorite thing about your blog?
• If you could have lunch with ANYONE, who would it be?

By signing up for the Mindfulness E-Course, you agree to receive ALL communication from The Mindful Mom Blographer including weekly newsletters, new content, freebies, and the occasional promotion relating to The Mindful Mom Blographer.