Gifts We Use: My Exciting Announcement

There are times when I wonder if what I'm doing here on Gifts We Use speaks to anyone. Sure I have a few posts that stand out, but is the work I'm doing really worth the time and effort that I'm putting in? The answer, of course, is a loud yes! I truly love what I do here and have a hardwired desire to help others {namely you}! This week, I received some superb news that both thrilled and shocked me. With that, I am simply giddy with excitement to announce to you that...

I am a finalist in the 2013 Parents Blog Awards by Parents Magazine!

Just to be nominated

It's a funny thing how we stumble upon things on social media. I came across an update on my news feed and saw the link to nominate blogs. This excited me, and of course I wanted to nominate myself! No joke, I wanted to nominate myself. If we're really being honest, wouldn't you? I went in and had a bit of a hard time trying to get my nomination in. I don't know if I ever really got a confirmation that my nomination even went through. I left it alone and figured my blog would get lost in the mountains of fantastic blogs out there that I know.

Sad to say, but I lacked so much confidence in "my place in the blogosphere" that I didn't even share the nomination link on my own feed. I ventured to guess that anyone else that would nominate a blog would probably nominate someone else's blog, not mine. I kept my humble little nomination to myself as a pat on my own back for working hard at this blog thing for as long as I have. Done deal, now let's move on.

How I became a finalist, I'll never know

After a few weeks {perhaps even months} go by, I get an email. The email says that I am one of five finalists in the category "Most Likely to Make Life as Chief Household Officer Easier".

What!?! ME!?! How did that happen!?!

My first reaction was to laugh. Laughing is my first reaction to a lot of things, and this email fit the bill. It was laughable to me. Why? Because in my eyes, I'm just a lowly mom blogger who wants to encourage moms to tap into the gifts they've been given and use them to grow, love and serve others. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get enough nominations be a finalist!

I am still in disbelief. I have to reread that email just to make sure that I'm not imagining it. It humbles me to be recognized by Parent's magazine as a finalist, it encourages me to keep going even when I feel like I'm talking to myself, it drives to me keep getting better at what I do, and it reminds me that I am not alone in this venture of blogging and motherhood.

What got me here

Here are my top 10 most popular posts to date:

These are the kind of things that have helped make you a better CHO! I hope to continue to be able to gift it forward and would love the opportunity to help you in any way I can.

I realize that I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, my friends! You have made the work that I do useful. You have made me want to keep going. You have given me ideas to share. You have gotten me to this point! I share this recognition with all of you! What makes being a CHO easier is having a supportive team. I love that I get to be a part of your CHO team! It is a gift.