The Sunshine Bloggers Award is given to bloggers who inspire positivity and creativity in the blogging community.

Back in February I was nominated for the Sunshine Bloggers Award by Kirsty from That Noise is Mine.

Ok, so here are the rules for the Sunshine Bloggers Award:

1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate new bloggers to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or in your blog.

Summer or winter?

It’s tough for me to choose between summer or winter. They both have the option for comfortable clothes. I live near many beautiful beaches but also have a pool in my backyard. And to top it off, my birthday is in winter.

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What is your favourite song and why?

Shake it off by Taylor Swift. It’s just so catchy, I always have to sing it and if I feel like it I will also do a little dance. I feel that I should also mention that this is ‘our song’ and by our song, I mean mine and Harley’s song. Harley is my dog. On quite a few occasions we have danced to it together.

What does your perfect day look like?

My perfect day starts with me waking up naturally. The day is sunny, the temperature is about 25 degrees. I have pancakes with banana and strawberries for breakfast and wash it down with a coffee. I potter around in the garden for way too long. Then go out for a walk with the family after lunch. The rest of the day is spent running around after my toddler, helping her play. After dinner, my husband and I watch a movie in bed.

What advice would you give to your 10-year-old self?

Put some effort in. Things go pretty good for you to just coast through for a while, imagine what you can achieve if you actually put in some effort.

Would you rather visit your past self or future self and why?

I think I’d prefer my future self. I’d love to know what I’m doing with myself in 10, 20 or even 30 years time. Plus, you can’t change the past.

What makes you smile?

The silly things that my daughter does make me smile. She reminds me of my self so much sometimes.

What is your go-to meal?

My go-to meal when I’m at home and hungry is two-minute noodles. I like to throw in a handful of frozen vegetables or a tin of tuna. I’ve also been known to add sweet chilli sauce or peanut butter, I love satay.

What is the best piece of blogging advice you have received?

Don’t worry about perfect. If you keep waiting to do things until they are perfect you will never do it.

Are you happy?

Today? Yes.

What is your favourite quote?

My favourite quote that I try to love my life by is “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there” by Lewis Carroll. This is actually from Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire cat says it to Alice when she reaches a fork in the road.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

I’ve had a few challenges, both physical and mental. The most physically challenging thing I have experienced was completing a 35km charity walk. The biggest mental challenge has been Postnatal Depression.

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I have to admit, fall favourites does sound a lot better than autumn favourites. But in the spirit of being true to myself, I’m going to stick with calling it autumn, my beloved autumn.

Autumn is actually my favourite season. I just love the colours. Especially at the start of the season, when parts of the trees just burst into different colours.

I was also lucky enough to be in the US during the fall. I tasted almost everything pumpkin flavoured that I came across. At one stage I think I almost turned into a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I had that many! One of the best things was pumpkin pie, I got a takeaway slice at a restaurant the night before Thanksgiving. I ate it for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.

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On that trip, I was also fortunate enough to visit New York City. Strolling through Central Park on a crisp day is something I will never forget. One of the photos that I took there is still my personal Facebook cover photo.

As the weather gets cooler, different clothes come out of hiding. I start wearing socks to bed and sleep under an extra blanket. We often start using the heater in the house again. I also use heat packs or hot water bottles to warm up my toes if they need it. Autumn also means my scarves come out from their hiding place. My favourite scarf is a large grey pashmina, grey goes with absolutely everything.

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The mornings are foggy and sometimes the day remains misty. The dew that gathers on the plants amazes me, sometimes it hangs suspended in time. I’ve also recently enjoyed planting winter crops in my garden. I had tremendous success with peas last year, so I have planted them again this year. There is something about the shape of the leaves and flowers of the peas that I love.

What are your autumn favourites?