Several weeks ago, I was contacted by the Military Wife writing Life Lessons of a Military Wife, who was living in Germany until recently. She was letting me know that she had awarded the Versatile Blogger Award to me and hoping I could take a few minutes of time to participate in the fun. To be honest, I was also handed this award way back in April 2011 by Mandy at Mandy’s Mommy Mayham. And although I really appreciated being on her short list of great bloggers, I also never managed to find time to add my own post into the fray. But today I’m changing that. Along with the fact that you don’t get to read so much about me personally on this blog lately. Plus I need a break from thinking about packing boxes!

So here’s how this works. I haven’t done one of these in YEARS so hopefully I’ll get the rules right…

First, I spill the beans and share 7 things about myself. And then I’m going to share a list of 15 blogs with you that I think are just stellar. Hopefully each of those blogs will continue doing the same, and before we know it, the whole blogosphere will have been tagged and participated. 🙂 If you’d like to open up to the world and share some favorite blogs on your own site, feel free to do so as well.

The Dirt on Me

• #1 — Shortly after we move to Berlin, I’m going to start running. And start working out on a regular basis — probably HIIT like BodyRock. But I really don’t like running. Not that I’ve done much of it — it’s just that the bit I have done I’m wasn’t too keen on. And yet, I may actually begin training for the Berlin Marathon held next September with Stefan and another friend who’s living in New York. How’s that for crazy?
• #2 — I recently stretched my earlobes and although it weirds me out a little when I don’t have tunnels in, I do really love them. But in case anything thinks I’ve permanently disfigured myself, I only went up to 2g, which usually will close back up over time. On the other hand, if I can still rock tunnels at 60 years old, I’m totally going for it.
  
• #3 — I can’t wait to move to Berlin so I can fully develop my own personal sense of style. I’ve always been a bit of a practical dresser and trend toward classics that I can wear for a long time. But I’d like to delve more deeply into accessorizing and maybe even adding some color to the closet. *gasp* Thankfully there are a bunch of great places to buy used and vintage clothing — so the new clothes won’t break the bank either.
• #4 — I’m technically an only child although I have a half-sister and two nearly step-brothers who I grew up seeing a lot of during holidays. And I also have a couple more step-sisters living in Texas but we don’t really stay in touch. I guess you could say my family tree forks a bit more often than most, but I never considered that to be a bad thing. 🙂
• #5 — I started learning how to tattoo. And it’s pretty awesome. It will be a good while before I’d consider putting a tattoo on a person, but we have practiced on pig skin from one of the local butchers.
• #6 — I’ve been starting and running my own businesses for the past 12 years with my husband and my mom. From retail to online publishing to internet & business consulting, I think that one of the most powerful things you can do with your life is to follow your dreams with great focus and purpose. And I am honored to be able to help others achieve their goals in the process.
• #7 — Stefan and I have talked about sailing around the world in a catamaran one day — or at least doing a live aboard stint and cruising around the Americas. We just don’t know about exploring anywhere with pirates! It provides an amazing way to see the world and really experience the local life at all the places you stop along the way.

15 10 Blogs I Love to Stalk

Let’s be real; I haven’t had much time lately to read a lot of blogs. I’m doing good to post regularly on my own blog. But I do have several favorites that I try to pop in to on a regular basis to see what’s happening. So these are some new and old favorites to get you going.

• Good Food in Berlin
• Nicole is the New Black
• Foodie in Berlin
• Back to Berlin…and Beyond
• Punk Domestics
• Simple Organized Living
• Reluctant Entertainer
• Small Notebook
• Zesty Cook
• Carrie’s Busy Nothings

What are some of your favorite blogs?