Tag Archives: Awards

We’re Number Seven! We’re Number Seven!

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Remember this?


And remember how I asked you to vote for me?

My site was nominated for The Blogitzer!

And then I let that button languish on my sidebar from months on end and kind of forgot about it altogether?

Well guess what? I didn’t win.

Shocker.

BUT I am actually on the short list which is just about the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me blog-wise. I mean – in a popularity contest for people who write really long posts kind of way.

The Blogitzer isn’t one of the bigger, more sought after categories like Best Humor Blog (meaning not for people who only make themselves laugh) or Hottest Mommy Blogger (as if!). It may not get as much attention as the others, but I like to think of it as more of an “indie” category. Lower budget and fewer viewers, but…hmmm – okay, forget that track. Let’s just call it “exclusive.”

Would this make me like the seventh most popular cheerleader or the seventh most popular kid in the Chess Club…?

Either way, I WIN (seventh place).

WE’RE NUMBER SEVEN! WE’RE NUMBER SEVEN!

(If you wanted to see the full list of winners, go HERE. You’ll find The Blogitzer almost at the end – between “Most Obnoxious Blogger” and “Worst Blog of All Time.” So thrilling to be rubbing elbows with the blogging elite.)

So You’re An Underdog…Do You Want an Award or Something?

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You may not remember this, but last month I wrote about an idea I had for a website devoted to online “Underdogs.” Well – I actually did it – and I’ve even had some recruits!

While the original idea was to list award nominations for…well, anyone who asked, really…I’ve had some other ideas.

First of all – this site is far from serious. I mean – how could it be with a mascot like this:

Underdogs Unite

But I do like the idea of giving people a platform to say, “hey – check me out! I don’t suck!” Or something like that… And so far, that’s what we’ve done.

The current list of sites that don’t suck includes:

Not too shabby for a month right?

And a few of those aren’t even nominated for awards. They just asked me to promote a giveaway or just “them.” I’m willing to try anything out on the Underdogs site, so any requests or suggestions are welcome.

One idea that I had recently was to spoof the “real” awards with a list of Underdog Awards. And apparently, I’m not the only one who has thought of this.

And I’ve finally started to work on that – as you can read in this excerpt from today’s post on Underdogs Unite:

A couple of weeks ago, I started talking about adding some Underdog-specific Awards to this site. A League of Our Own, so to speak…

So I’ve been trying to come up with award ideas.

Pearl gave me some suggestions when she signed on as an Underdog last week: “Most Likely to Re-Offend, Mostly Likely to Stalk, Best Use of Spell Check, Most Obviously in Violation…” and “don’t forget Most Likely to Post Nekkid.” I think she’s a genius.

Here are the ones I made up:

Most Prolific Poster

Most Likely to Tag Dooce for a Meme

Most Self-Congratulatory Parenting Advice

Most Enthusiastic Commenter

Most Likely to Become a “Famous” Blogger (whatever that means)

Most Likely to Gain 500 Followers After Threatening to Stop Blogging OR After a Major Blog Scandal (whatever that means)

Most Likely to Get Drunk and/or Cry within the First Five Minutes of BlogHer (or at home during the week of BlogHer)

Most Confusing Aliases for Family Members

Most Likely to Overuse the Term “Hubby,” “Hubs,” or Something Even Cuter

Most TMI

Worst Potty Mouth

Best Accent

Best Hair

Best Dancer

Best Dressed

Too snarky? (That’s a question – not an award.)

Am I forgetting anything? Suggestions are welcome. Just comment or e-mail me at underdogsunite@gmail.com.

I’ll get this organized by next week, so stay tuned for more details. In the meantime – don’t forget to VOTE for each other (you know – for the real awards) and send more Underdogs this way.

Anything goes here – so if you want to promote anything (including yourself), just let me know!

So We’ll see what happens with that…

But wait! Are YOU an Underdog?

I’ve had a few bloggers who do have a fairly impressive following ask if they could be considered an Underdog. How unknown do you have to be, so to speak. I have the same answer for all of them: “Are you Dooce? No? Then you’re in!” Although the site is really open to anyone so Dooce is more than welcome to join. It would be a little strange of course…but luckily, she hasn’t contacted me, so I think we can probably avoid any awkwardness there.

So – long story short (or long story summarized at the end – since nothing is ever short on this site) – I’m having a party at Underdogs Unite, and everyone is invited. Your reasons for coming are irrelevant. Whether you want to get more votes for your nomination, participate in the soon to be huge Underdog Awards, meet other bloggers, promote your site or giveaway, or just get in my good books* (which ‘ya should – of course) – it’s all good.

We all feel like Underdogs at heart right?

I can’t believe it’s just me (and the other 10+ sites listed above)…So join the party – and bring snacks – because that will REALLY get you in my good books.*

*This is a common English idiom, not a reference to a book that I’m writing. Although I really should write a book once I get this Underdog thing off the ground… I suggest sucking up to me now if you want to be in it.

Because Everyone Loves an Underdog

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Remember my very enthusiastic friend Christy who guest posted for me last week with a story about how she almost sent her male boss pregnancy Spanx through Amazon.com? Well she also happens to be my biggest fan.

I’m serious – she thinks I’m fabulous. And it would be a lie to say that it hasn’t given me just a little bit of an ego boost.

If I could bottle that encouragement and sell it as a perfume for teenage girls, I think I could single handedly do away with eating disorders, “bad reputations” and various other byproducts of low self esteem. At the very least there would be far fewer boyfriends whose chief appeal is the ability to offer “couple” status.

But sub par teenage boyfriends aside, I think EVERYONE needs a Christy. The Christys of the world make us believe that anything is possible and that we are worthy of that possibility. They are wonderful friends and I consider myself very lucky to have one of my own.

Especially when she nominates me for awards.

That’s right – she isn’t all talk. She actually takes her encouragement a step further. The other day she informed me that she nominated me for a Blogger’s Choice ’09 award: Best Humor Blog.

My site was nominated for Best Humor Blog!

I would never have considered such a thing. This is probably my favorite blog genre, so I’m very familiar with what would be considered “the competition.” Let me tell you – it’s no contest. I certainly find myself amusing (what – like you can’t tell?) but I can’t technically label this site a humor blog.

I’ve written about everything from having children with special needs to pretty handbags I found on Etsy. True – I write quite a few anecdotes that again, I personally find amusing…but I can’t say that I fit into an actual genre. At least I didn’t SEE a Best Whatever Strikes My Fancy on Any Given Day category.

So with my recently enlarged head firmly in place, I decided to try to find the category that best fit my all across the board content, and nominate myself.

Behold:

My site was nominated for The Blogitzer!

I am currently one of the top contenders for The Blogitzer (as in The Top 53). Right now the #1 spot is held by Heather Armstrong of Dooce. I’m so going to win this one… And I’m off to a roaring start with two votes (that would be me, and of course Christy).

I know – it’s ridiculous. But I just had to do it. I’ve been working so hard to do something about my passive tendency to let Fate, like a distracted pet owner, lead me aimlessly through life. I need to become master of my own destiny, and ANY tiny, flailing attempt is better than nothing. I’m tired of just being along for the ride. I am no one’s purse puppy, and I refuse to be Fate’s bitch.

Instead, I’m just another underdog. Which actually works for me since I’ve always had a thing for underdogs. Lloyd from Say Anything? Chandler from Friends? McDreamy from Can’t Buy Me Love? Well hel-lo sailor! If that’s the company I’ll be keeping, you’ll hear no complaints from me.

BUT…after taking this public stand against Fate, I have to admit that I felt a little silly. I mean it’s so small fish/big pond. I realize that I have no chance of ever actually winning anything Internet-related with my handful of readers and my severe lack of time for social media in general… But there is something very satisfying about the gesture.

And for me, the combination of silly and self satisfied generally serves as a catalyst for even MORE embarrassing behavior. As in “ten years later, I will manically burn all traces of evidence” kind of embarrassing.

So how’s this for evidence to destroy? I decided to start a website: Underdogs Unite.

It’s for people like me, who have been nominated for something even though it’s unlikely that anyone will ever know.

Have YOU been nominated for something? Well…I’D like to know. And that’s ONE more person at least.

So come visit me at my totally ridiculous, embarrassing, and obviously ironic little underdog support group. It’s an open invitation, so feel free to bring your loser friends.

Why keep sitting in the audience?

May I admire you?

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K…

We’re going streaking! Th… W… There’s more coming.

You’re so money and you don’t even know it!

Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

This is our time.

We’re on a mission from God.

Vote for Pedro!

Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!

So who’s with me? Let’s vote for the underdogs! I say our time has finally come!

Because everyone loves an underdog.

UnderdogsUnite

And will one of us do the unthinkable and actually WIN one of those damn awards?

We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may.

(I’m so regretting this in the morning…)

They’re Writing Memes of Love But Not for Me

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Anyone that has a blog has heard the term “bloggy love.” And I am absolutely on the list of people who like to talk about the other sites I love. I ask people to guest post, I have a list of blogs on my sidebar (one that I try to keep managable so visitors will actually click on the links), and I’ve even participated in a “virtual dinner party” providing links for some of my favorite bloggers.

But the truth is – I generally don’t like memes and awards. That is my Friday Confession – and it’s a big one for someone with a blog. It’s like telling other mothers in your play group that you really don’t like children that much. I may be banned from Blogger for admitting this – but I just don’t care for memes, awards, and most things that could be labeled bloggy love.

I even find words like “bloggy” annoying. I’ve never been one for the cutesy stuff, and anything that ends in a “y” tends to fall into that category. It kinds of reminds me of high school when all of my friends said “awesome” (a lot) and I just couldn’t. It made me feel like I was trying too hard. And this has come full circle since you may have noticed that most people with blogs use the word awesome ALL THE TIME.

Now I’m not saying that I have opinions about other people who love to participate in memes and hand out awards (or overuse the word awesome – without a hint of irony). It’s just not for me. Probably the biggest reason is that I hate making people feel left out. Of course that’s never the point of these things – but it’s an inevitable byproduct.

When I put together my list for the virtual dinner party I made a point of including parameters that would exclude a lot of the people who might expect to be invited. You were supposed to list 10 blogs and I decided to limit it to blogs that I thought wouldn’t be on anyone else’s list (because they were “blogs that may not be read by the people who are participating in the dinner party planning OR blogs that are still somewhat undiscovered”). I included Anastasia from The Gift, Anna from An Inch of Gray, Kacy from Every Day I Write the Book, Jozette from Regardez Moi, Winona from Daddy Likey, Suzie from Up the Hill Backwards, Amy from Doobleh-Vay, and Heather from Dooce (oh yes I did – but you’ll have to visit the original post for an explanation). Then I couldn’t think of anyone else that would fit my “profile” so I left two spots open for crashers.

I did like the idea of directing my readers to other sites that I really enjoy (there you go: bloggy love), but I could only do it if I knew that I wouldn’t offend anyone. In fact, one of my favorite comments ever was made on that post by Melissa, who said, “I’m having trouble with this, too. I don’t want to make either of my two readers upset if I don’t include them.” Exactly! I don’t want to alienate people who actually take time to read my mediocre attempts at writing. That would just be wrong.

So when I see a meme or an award on another blog and I’m not included in the recipient list, I just breathe a sigh of relief. It’s too much pressure to pick a limited number of “favorites.”

And I’ve had some lovely people honor me with an award. First Renee of But Why Mommy gave me the “Brillante Web Blog – Premio 2008” award (oh yeah – and awards seem to always have very bizarre and slightly foreign names). Then Melissa gave me the Premio Arte y Pico award (seriously – is “premio” a word in ANY language?) Finally, Tiffaney gave me an “Este Blog Investe e acredita na…PROMXIMIDADE.” No idea what this is supposed to mean.

These three women are wonderful people whom I’ve enjoyed getting to know online. I took their acknowdlegement in the spirit in which it was offered. But I haven’t always reciprocated. It’s not that I don’t want to – I just find it very hard to do.

I am a little embarrassed about not posting my awards with a list of other blog friends that I like. But it’s kind of a catch 22. If I just never aknowledge them I feel like my community membership may prematurely expire, and when I do join in the fun, I worry about seeming silly and frivolous (because – you know, I usally write about hard hitting topics such as potty training and giving my children candy for breakfast).

But have you noticed the abundnce of links that I’ve included? This is my compromise. It’s also a cop out. I just won’t pick and choose favorites from the many blogs I love. It’s too difficult and I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I think this is better though – since I can include several links without actually listing a “top 10.” It’s the perfect solution for me and my paranoia. And you know what we bloggers like to say when we’ve come up with a geat solution to a problem….awesome.

Hip Young Girls, Other Mothers and of Course, Mormons

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I’ve had a few pleasant surprises over the past couple of days. All related to other blogs that I read and enjoy regularly. I’ll tell you about them in the order that they occurred.

First of all, I must admit that I didn’t completely adhere to the “no internet activity not related to work” restriction that I placed on myself for Wednesday. No – I’m too addicted. I wrote most of my Wednesday post in the morning when George woke up at FIVE A.M. None of my kids have been known for their good sleeping habits – but it’s been a while since I’ve been up quite that early… Anyway, he wanted out of the cage and would not be ignored. So he played with toys and I played on the computer until the rest of them woke up. Then on my lunch break – I finished the post and visited my bookmarked favorites. Normally I’d say that what someone does on her lunch break is nobody’s business but her own – but one of you actually busted me in comments. So I felt a confession was necessary.

The first pleasant surprise that I had as a result of my addiction to the internet was that I was “quoted” on one of my favorite blogs, Daddy Likey. Daddy Likey is written by a woman in Oregon. I have no idea how old she is, but my guess is that she’s a lot younger than me. She is definitely less suburban than me. I was going to say “hipper than me” or “cooler than me,” but that makes me sound like a thirty-something suburban mom – oh wait I AM a thirty-something suburban mom…So she’s definitely hipper AND cooler than me. I was thinking of how to describe her site – but here’s a better idea. Her profile says, “Daddy Likey is a blog about fashion. But sometimes I write haiku about chlamydia.” How can you not want to read that? And if you’re not sold yet, she lists her interests as “giant aviators, as in sunglasses – not large pilots.” Anyway, I just randomly commented on something she wrote and she posted it as “comment of the week.” Huge honor – and kind of makes me feel little more hip and/or cool.

Then I saw that one of my new AllMediocre friends, But Why Mommy gave me this little blogging award:

I’m not entirely sure what “Brillante Weblog – Premio-2008” means, but I’m taking it as a compliment and a warm welcome to the AllMediocre group. But Why Mommy is one of the many blogs created by women who once spent their day dealing with difficult clients at work, and now spend their day dealing with even more difficult clients at home (actually, “boss” may be a more accurate label than “client”). One thing I like about this mom blogger is that she’s creative and keeps an Etsy storefront called Renee Designs. I love that she makes time to keep something for herself (a topic that I’d like to write about on another day) even though her official job is taking care of her family.

The rules of this award are that you are supposed to:

  1. Put the logo on your blog,
  2. Add a link to the person who nominated you,
  3. Nominate 7 more bloggers.

This is a little challenging since I have no idea if anyone I nominate has already gotten one of these…kind of like chain letters you know. Here is my list (in no particular order):

Anastasia from The Gift. I love that she has challenged herself to write every day no matter how uninspired she feels. As a working mother who also puts 100% of herself into the time she spends with her children, she has very little me time. I’m so glad that she chooses to spend that time writing “for me.”

Tricia from Reston Mom. The research and thought that she puts into parenting and then writing about parenting can be a little intimidating sometimes. One would think that she’s perfect (which to me is just another word for boring). But as her neighbor, I know that she’s a lovely person AND not afraid to put her flaws on display. I think she’s now up to her fifth post of Mama Exposed (although I think my favorite was when she posted pictures of the mildew in her shower – now THAT I can relate to).

Linda from Monkey Business. Linda happens to be another neighbor of mine. She is a stay at home mom/writer who probably uses every second of her free time writing for Monkey Business, DC Metro Moms and various other parenting-related websites and magazines. She is also working on a book about raising children close in age (her kids are not quite 16 months apart). As a mother of three kids close in age (all born within 1.5 years), I really want LInda to publish that book soon…

Ainsley from Chattahoochee Mama. I just love Ainsley. She was another neighbor (I know – enough with the neighbors already – I promise, this is the last one), but recently moved to Atlanta. Ainsley is yet another Super Mom and she is my inspiration for healthier living and taking time to enjoy the moment. She posts numerous pictures of everyday life with her kids, all expressing her joy in being a mother – a feeling that we tend to forget when we’re rushing from one responsibility to the next. Thanks for the daily reminder Ainsley.

Kacy from Everyday I Write the Book. HELLO! How could I not include this woman. She makes me laugh every day. And while I have never met her in person, I can just tell that she’s a good friend, a great mom and that crazy lady who always keeps things interesting. Oh – and she’s Mormon. As one of my recent commenters said, “Kacy isn’t a Jack-Mormon? Oh my garsh, who’d a thunk it?” (Having spent most of my life on the East Coast, I’m not familiar with this accent allusion. I think it must be a Utah thing, and I’m fairly certain that it’s very funny.)

Anna from An Inch of Gray. I discovered Anna’s blog a few months ago, and I just love her writing. The post that made me want to read more was a beautiful tribute to her mother. I know for a fact that if Anna lived next door, she would be one of my best friends. She’s funny and thoughtful and not afraid to open her heart to strangers. And isn’t that the foundation of this whole blogging thing?

Betsy, Leslie and Sondra from Little Miss Know-It-Alls. I have been lurking this blog for a while. It’s written by three friends, and their relationship and loyalty appeals to me just as much as their funny stories. Betsy in particular always makes me laugh (example). It’s obvious that they are just blogging for themselves and for their friends and family – but I think even random strangers like me can get a kick out of the Know-It-Alls.

Whew! This is getting to be a really long post! So I will keep it short on this last surprise that made my day. If you’ve been reading my blog this week, you will have noticed that I was busted by the Mormons after writing a post about how funny they are (you know – since it was “news to me”). As I don’t personally know anyone that is Mormon, and I’ve been assuming that the five people who read my blog are friends and family in the same boat, it didn’t occur to me that I might possibly offend anyone. Apparently I wasn’t the stealth lurker that I thought I was and I actually commented on some blogs I like that happen to be written by Mormons. And that’s how they found me…and let me know that my anonymity was an illusion.

Luckily, Kacy and her friends understood that I was fully making fun of myself, and have been incredibly gracious about it. In fact – I think I got more hits from Provo that day than any other city. So they even sent me some readers. Here is the exciting part though, they’ve actually extended an invitation to me to write a guest post for Light Refreshments Served. I’m very honored by this since I admire all of the contributing writers and enjoy their posts daily. Though what to write is a bit of a dilemma since this blog has a real community tone and features some more serious discussion along with the funny writing that initially caught my attention. No one knows me, I can’t tell funny stories about Mormon-related topics and I was informed that I can’t be “racy.” It will hard not to come across as frivolous and somewhat random if I just tell a funny story that has nothing to do with the usual topics. And although I’ve never thought that I relied too much on curse words or alcohol and coffee references in my own story telling, for some reason, I’m feeling a little limited… I’ll have to give it some thought – let me know if you have any suggestions.