After celebrating my birthday last Tuesday, I have had a sunshiny week despite being a little under the weather. Much to my surprise, my good friend Joy Page Manuel showered me with more sunshine by passing on the Sunshine Award, the icing on my two birthday cakes and a welcome excuse for me to recognize some amazing bloggers who have been influential in my online life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Joy!
Winning this award was the icing on my sunshiny cakes this week!
As an award winner, I have two responsibilities:
- I need to pass the award on to 10 other inspirational bloggers and let them know.
- I also need to answer the questions below.
Ten More Thoroughly Inspirational Bloggers You Should Check Out
- Bryce Christiansen at Balanced WorkLife — Bryce inspires me with both his writing and his warmth throughout the Internet.
- Fred Tracy at Personal Development with Fred Tracy — I love Fred’s insights on life and happiness.
- Harleena Singh at Aha-Now! — Harleena’s positivity is contagious and her blog is filled with practical info that we can apply to our lives.
- Dayle Fraschilla at I Shall Be a Toad — I admire Dayle’s honesty and humility in all that she writes.
- Diana Simon at Browsing Rome — Diana has been an inspiration to me as a blogger, travel guide, and friend.
- Adrienne Smith at AdrienneSmith.net — Adrienne’s blog and writing style is always a breath of fresh air because of her enduring positivity and energy.
- Janet Callaway at JanetCallaway.com — Janet is an expert at providing new ways to view life and business.
- Tambre Leighn at Coaching by Tambre — I look up to Tambre both as a coach and as someone you can rely on for inspiration.
- Bonnie Copeland at My Rivendell — Bonnie knows all about uplifting others and encouraging us to reflect on our lives.
- Akos Fintor at AkosFinter.net — We need more Akos’ in the world with his straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is approach to life.
Random Facts About This Sunshiny Blogger
- Favorite color? Pink and yellow, although you wouldn’t know it from my typical clothes that are all about the blacks, grays, and whites!
- Favorite animal? I absolutely love penguins and arctic animals such as polar bears and harp seals. I also have a collection of stuffed cows, but I don’t find cows so attractive in real life. =) When it comes to pets, I’m a new cat lover and I have always dreamed of one day having a black Labrador Retriever.
- Favorite number? I really like the concept of Pi, an unending number that never repeats. Its complexity brings to mind the complexity of being human.
- Favorite drink? Strawberry bubble tea. To me, one of the major downsides of Huancayo is that there is absolutely no bubble tea here, not even the yucky powder kind.
- Facebook or Twitter? I prefer Facebook because I can engage in deeper conversations than what 140 characters allow. Truthfully, I’m only on Twitter around once a week these months.
- Your passion? I’m passionate about life and love.
- Giving or getting presents? Both! The more collectivistic life here in Peru seems to be all about giving and receiving gifts, advice, favors, you name it. I’m a horrible gift giver and am working on giving more meaningful gifts.
- Favorite day? My life is so lacking routine these days that any day can become my favorite day. Last week, I scheduled myself a full day off for my birthday for the first time in a long while (when you work at home, it’s so easy to just work every single day). I’ve decided to give myself more days off randomly!
- Favorite flowers? I don’t know much about flowers at all, but I really liked the flowers I discovered in Huancavelica in the rural Andes that I could clip to my hair. Does anyone know what they’re called?
My trusty stuffed penguin has traveled with me since my first solo trip to Japan in 2006.
Do we have anything in common? =)
Wow Samantha!
Congrats on receiving the award and passing it onto me, that is so kind and generous of you indeed. And wishing you a belated birthday as well- sure seems like a double bonanza on your birthday!
Nice set of questions as well, and I think we share the same passion of life and love! Living life to the fullest is something I have started doing now and living it in the very present moment- it sure is wonderful.
I am going to check out the other awesome bloggers on the list and return from my trip out for a few days, and then pass on the award to other inspiring bloggers.
Thanks so much for the kind words and passing it onto me, appreciate it a great deal.
Harleena Singh@Freelance Writer recently posted… I Need to Thank
You are so deserving of the award, Harleena! =) It’s so true that your positivity has a huge impact on my life! =) You are a role model when it comes to living life to the fullest, which I believe is a daily challenge for us all. =)
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes and for accepting the award! =) Hugs!
Awesomeness Sam!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
I loved the idea of this post, and your list of positiveness!
There were several people on it that I’ve had the pleasure to have connected with and I couldn’t agree with you more with each of them. They continuously shine throughout the blogosphere. Congrats to each of them!
I also enjoyed learning more about you, as well.
We share a favorite color of yellow I see. And your passion is one that I love about you. As far as your favorite day goes, I’d agree with you whole-heartily, and would advise that you take more random days off. It really does the psyche good. I’m a bit more “set in stone” when it comes to taking a day off. I tend to take every Saturday off, and a random day when I think I’m in need of it. Probably not the most smartest thing to do as a blogger, but I have to alert and attentive to my readers if I’m going to deliver content that keeps them coming back. If I’m too tired or just out it; that tends to make it more difficult for me to do.
Awesome post though, my friend. I look forward to seeing what those that I’m connected to will choose for their random facts as well!
Deeone recently posted… Thanksgiving Greetings to you from RMT
WOWEE! Thanks so much, Deeone! =) Your enthusiasm made my day! =)
You know, I would typically do the same and set a certain day off, but my schedule is just so unpredictable. =P I’m still learning to be flexible, so planning one random day a week is part of that learning process for me. =) I’ve always found that I kind of like not having to wait until a certain day. I can “surprise” myself. Haha!
Great post, Samantha! A Belated Happy Birthday to you! (glad you managed to take a day off! Agree it’s hard when you work from home, but so important!!) and Congrats on your well-deserved award – you truly are a Sunshiny Person! (and your blogging reflects that!) Well done!
PS I love penguins too!!
Claire Bowen recently posted… 5 Twitter Tips to Get You Noticed
Thank you soo much, Claire! =) You’re pretty sunshiny yourself and I’m so glad we’re in touch. =) Can’t wait for your next post!
*High-five* to you, fellow penguin lover!
Sam, Happy belated birthday. I celebrated mine last week as well, it was on November 16th. Don
What a coincidence! Mine was on the 15th! =) Hope you had an amazing birthday too, Don! =)
Ah Samantha, did Facebook not tell me that you were having a birthday? Why the heck does it do that! I’m SO very sorry I missed that. I sure hope you had a wonderful day! Happy Belated Birthday young lady!
So with Thanksgiving just now behind us, I’m finally back home and back online so I’m playing catch up. Haven’t had time to comment on my favorite blogs so of course I had to make a stop by here.
Congratulations on having received the Sunshine Award. What a fun award to get too! Not only did I enjoy you sharing these amazing bloggers with us but we also got to learn some other things about you too. That’s the funnest part of them all.
Thank you for including me in your list. I’m so touched and honored and I promise to share this post with my readers as well and pass on this torch. I really appreciate that Samantha.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend and you’ve had a really wonderful week. Take care young lady.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted… How To Get What You Want Out Of Life
Hehe! Actually, I don’t have my birthday visible on my Facebook profile, so it isn’t Facebook’s fault this time. =) Thank you soo much for the birthday wishes though, Adrienne! =)
I am soo glad to have put a smile on your face with this Sunshine Award! You always bring sunshine to my life, so I knew it was perfect for you. Thanks so much for accepting it and can’t wait to learn more about you too! =)
Hope you had a warm Thanksgiving! =)
Penguins – you would love the little blues that swim around here. Tiny and blue.
Nice blog and nice to see you back
Roberta Budvietas recently posted… Living in Gratitude keeps you out of stuck
Aww! You are so lucky, Roberta! I have only ever seen penguins at aquariums. It would be such a dream to see them in the wild. =)
It’s nice to read those random facts. I especially found interesting your like for Strawberry bubble tea. I know that it’s practically impossible to get in Peru, so be sure to drink plenty of it when you return to Vancouver for the holidays. Do you think that you might be able to bring back some to Peru?
Oh, you bet I will, Vinny! I already have various bubble tea dates with friends I can’t wait to catch up with!
But actually, there IS bubble tea in Peru! I’ve found at least two places in Lima already, including Real Plaza Centro and right in front of Larcomar! =) That’s where I get my fill! =)
Congrats! Samantha and always well deserving! Your top ten bloggers list is impressive. I know some on your list but look forward to meeting the others that you mention. I always enjoy learning more, interesting things about you Samantha.
Lynn Brown recently posted… Do You Have What It Takes for Online Entrepreneurship
Thank you soo much, Lynn! =) You’ll love absolutely everyone on the list! They are some top bloggers just like you. =) Hugs!
I’ve been off the grid for most of the holiday week/weekend and just saw this now. Thank you for the sunshiny mention, Samantha. I have blog posts scheduled through mid-December but will get to this in my first available open slot…what a fun “assignment”. Looking forward to passing along the sunshine next month. There were many years when I wondered if I would truly see it again…happy to know it is coming through in the life I am now living and the choices I am now making.
Tambre Leighn/coaching by tambre recently posted… The Seeds of Grace
I hope you had an amazing holiday week, Tambre! From the pictures I saw on Facebook, you seem to be as sunshiny as ever!
I’m so glad you accept the award! I absolutely can’t wait to learn more about you and meet your recommendations of more sunshiny bloggers. =)
A late happy birthday to you, Sam! Hope you had a blast
Penguins? I just saw Happy Feet 2 this weekend
The Pepperrific Life recently posted… The Hunt for the Dark Circle Buster
Thank you soo much, Pepper! I had ongoing birthday celebrations and two cakes! Memorable indeed. =)
Aww! I can’t wait to see Happy Feet 2! Hope you and your daughter thoroughly enjoyed it! =)
You are pretty amazing, Samantha, winning one price after the other… Maybe a bit late, but congratulations on you birthday!
Virag recently posted… “This is solid gold shit Maestro…”
Aww thanks for saying so, Virag! And for sharing in my birthday happiness! =)
Hi Samantha,
Happy belated birthday and congrats on winning the Sunshine Award because you deserve it.
I enjoyed reading about the random facts about you, and what is Strawberry Bubble tea?
take care…
Justin | Personal Growth recently posted… Mazzastick.com’s Guide 4 New Bloggers eBook
Aww! Thank you soo much, Justin! =) That means a lot to me!
I can’t believe you haven’t heard of bubble tea before! You must try it! =) Check out a picture of the strawberry bubble tea I always buy in Lima: http://www.whatlittlethings.com/lima/transit-toin-the-big-city/
Congrats on winning your reward! I’ll have to check out those other bloggers now. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Ollin! =) You’ll really enjoy those bloggers! =)
Congratulations! And a happy belated birthday!
Yellow is one of my favorite colors, as well.
It is such a bright and happy color!
“I really like the concept of Pi, an unending number that never repeats. Its complexity brings to mind the complexity of being human.”
This is why I enjoy reading your blog – you always make such interesting connections!
Thanks, Paula! =) That’s exactly what I love about pink and yellow — they make me feel bright and shiny inside!
Haha! =) I thought you were going to say that I was completely geeky. =P Thanks, friend. I’m so glad we’re in touch!
LOL I hadn’t even thought about it, but yeah, that is completely geeky!
Paula recently posted… Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships
Wohoo! Congrats Samantha! A truly awesome accomplishment.
And I love your random facts. I don’t know what’s my favorite. I mean penguins are awesome. Period. But having pie for a favorite number, you’re on to something there.
And happy belated! Hope it was awesome. Congrats again Sam!
Chris Barba recently posted… Running the Philadelphia Marathon
Haha! Aww, thanks for celebrating with me, Chris, and for the birthday wishes! =) Glad you agree about pi being an interesting number. I thought I wasn’t making any sense. =P
A very happy though belated birthday wish flies to you, Sam: may you have a wonderful year, filled with all these beautiful clip on flowers! And congratulations to your Sunshine Award, how befiiting! You deserve it, may you bask in it. Hugs, Barbara
Barbara recently posted… A Winter Market
Thank you for the very warm wishes, Barbara! =) I hope this year is filled with clip-on flowers too. =)
Basking! =) And hugs to you too, friend!
Hi Sam,
Happy Belated birthday and hope you feel better now. Are you a Scorpio too?
I am so honored to be named as your top 10 especially because many people on that list as well as yourself are an inspiration to me
I also miss bubble tea. They don’t have it here either in Rome
I love your stuff penguin, it’s so cute! I hope you are doing well and would like to apologise for not dropping by more often. It’s been very good busy.
Hugs and always thinking of you
BrowsingRome recently posted… BR Briefs: Chocolate Fair in Trastevere
Aww! You are so deserving of it, Diana! =) I’ve been missing you and thought it would be the perfect excuse to get in touch again + let you know how important you are to me! =)
And yeah! I’m a Scorpio too! Thanks for the birthday wishes. =) I feel much better these days!
Wow! I’m surprised they don’t have bubble tea in Rome! But you have so many other delicious types of food that I bet they make up for it! =)
P.S. My stuffed penguin is flattered that you think he’s so cute. =)
Hi Sam,
No wonder we connect so well! I sure miss you too but will be here more regularly now that my schedule has more of a routine. BrowsingRome also requires work but it was less of a push and a lot more fun so I feel it’s the right way to go. I plan on writing a post on my coaching blog this month about this
Glad you are feeling better now!!
BrowsingRome recently posted… Italian Soup: Minestra di Ceci
Sounds good, Diana! Can’t wait! =) I love both of your blogs and am subscribed to your coaching blog, so I’ll be sure to get that post as soon as it’s up! =)
Happy Birthday, Sam, even though I am a little late. Hope you do not mind.
Thank you for introducing many more new online friends to me. I do know quite a few of them on your list and I fully endorse your selection. I believe none of them are negative. They all possess pure and passionate hearts to help people in anyway they can.
This list should include you because lift so many people up with your passionate writings from Peru.
Cheers
Jimmy recently posted… Why Does Richard Branson Inspire Me?
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Jimmy! It’s never too late, especially when it makes me feel so special. =)
I’m so glad you agree with many of the people on my list! =) I love our community of bloggers and it just goes to show how supportive we are of each other. =)
Aww! Thank you so much for your compliment! =) Take care and talk soon, friend!
Congrats for the award and thanks for introducing us to some awesome blogs!
xx from London
NB: it looks like a lot of us are born around the same time of the year…Funny…happy B’day then! xx
Thank you soo much, Muriel! =) Hugs from Peru!
P.S. Yeah! That was so funny that our group was filled with “happy birthdays” in November! =)
HI Sam,
My apologies, I have not visited here for a while but I have been dealing with my fair share of life away from the online world.
Isn’t it interesting how when one lives too much of one’s life via the Internet, the Universe will remind one that life in the physical offline realm is still there and requires attention.
Firstly my apologies for missing your birthday! IT seems we have both had one since I visited here so happy birthday to you. I am sure you made it a special day to celebrate the miracle of you.
Great to read about your award, see some names on your list I know and some I don’t and also learn some more about you. I would never have guessed that you were a “pink” person, not that there’s anything wrong with that of course. I just find it interesting that I didn’t out you and that color together. Ha ha…
Thanks for the entertaining read Sam!
~Marcus
Marcus Baker recently posted… How to see Lemonade When You’re Looking at Lemons
No worries at all, Marcus! I’ve been super busy these last few weeks of the year especially and you’re right that maybe it was life telling me to find some balance. =)
Wow! Hope you had an amazing birthday too and that you enjoy a beautiful Christmas with your family. =)
Haha! It’s true that I don’t seem like a pink person at all. =) Maybe that’s part of the balance too. I’m not so feminine, so I include it as one of my favorite colors. =)
Congrats on the well deserved award! You are totally awesome with the readers and thus they keep showering you with all the love!
Congrats once again… thanks for the being the sunshine in our blogging lives!
Hajra recently posted… What are you looking for?
Aww, thanks, Hajra! It’s oh so good to have you back! =) Hope you have a sunshiny Christmas! =)
Hey Samantha,
Oh boy am I honored to be on that list.
Xie xie
Akos
Akos Fintor recently posted… Twitter Influence | Frank Kern Does NOT get Twitter – Well…….Me Neither
You’re so welcome, Akos! =) Happy holidays! =)
Congratulations to a sunshiny lady on the sunshiny blogger award. Can’t think of anyone sunshinier (is that a word?!) and more deserving. I have to ask, though, what is the heck is strawberry bubble tea?!
Sherry Zander recently posted… Huey the UK Jack Russell Terrier — AKA Baby Huey
Hehe! =) Thanks oh so much, Sherry! =) You must try strawberry bubble tea! It’s basically strawberry tea with tapioca (“bubbles”). =)
I’m skeptical, but, never one to turn down a new recipe (unless it involves cockroaches and whipped cream … don’t ask), I will get some tapioca and drop it in my strawberry tea.
Sherry Zander recently posted… Huey the UK Jack Russell Terrier — AKA Baby Huey
Haha! It’s not just any tapioca though! Here’s a recipe: http://whatscookingamerica.net/BubbleTea.htm
W-hell, it’s a good thing you sent me a the recipe — this could’ve been disastrous. Thanks, Sam. Gotta go to the store now and buy me some tapioca and tea bags — bubble tea, here I come!
Sherry Zander recently posted… Huey the UK Jack Russell Terrier — AKA Baby Huey
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