The Liebster Award

I'm so excited!  A fellow fitness blogger friend, Amanda from Toned and Fit nominated Strong Brees for the Liebster Award! Thank you, Amanda!  

I'm sure you are probably wondering what the Liebster award is, right?  The Liebster award is an award passed from one blogger to another designed to help people discover new blogs.  It's kinda like a blogging rite of passage so you could say "I'm in the club".  Only joking, it's not a club but it is designed to support the blogging community.  Plus, with Amanda's questions below you get to know me a little better…now that's a treat!  

Here are the rules for accepting the Liebster Award:

• You must link back to the person who nominated you.
• You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.
• You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award.
• You must create 10 questions for your nominees.
• You must go to their blogs and notify the nominees.

Here are my answers to the questions Amanda from Toned and Fit gave to me: 

1. What inspired you to start writing/blogging? As many of you know, I'm a stay-at-home-mom.  While I am committed to staying at home with them, blogging gives me the sense and purpose that I'm (still) capable of helping people and creating something of value.  Initially Strong Brees started as a way for my husband and I to share our training as he competed for his first IronMan and my first powerlifting competition but it quickly turned into me sharing, discussing, and reviewing hot topics in the fitness world.  
2. What is your favorite trick to staying healthy on the go?  One must plan ahead!  Be prepared with snacks/meals that you can easily enjoy on the run and anticipate any obstacles that may shift your meals/workouts and have a back up plan just in case.  The most successful people anticipate change and see them as opportunities not obstacles.  
3. Mountains or Ocean? Summer or Winter? Why? That's a tough one for me to answer as in Iowa we don't have either mountains or oceans.  I'd honestly take either!  I'd love to learn to surf but hiking and downhill skiing sound fun as well.  I would however pick Summer over Winter.  I love the snow for about two months and then I'm over it.  I love tank tops, playing outside, sweating in the heat and naps in the sun.  Ahhhhhh.
4. What is your favorite “clean” treat? Right now my two favorite snacks are apples and peanut butter or coconut chobani greek yogurt.  I could eat both multiple times a day.  
5. Name three things you cannot live without. I'm going to assume that we know items like "my family" are a no brainer so I'll pick the gym, coffee, baby wipes.  The gym and coffee both just put me in a better mood instantly.  They both give me more patience and energy.  Baby wipes I just use for everything.  Wiping butts, noses, counter tops (I use clean ones for that), make-up removers when in a rush….I should buy stock in them.  I don't know what I'll do when I don't have a baby in diapers anymore!
6. What is your favorite workout and/or body part to workout? Squats and legs.  My legs have always been my strength but also the part of my body I used to despise, but now love.  I have thunder thighs and not like that thunder thighs that most people say they have….I have real thunder thighs.  But I'm totally ok with it.  They're strong, powerful and have done a lot of great things for me so I can't hate them too much.  
7. Is blogging your profession? If not, what do you do outside the blogosphere? I wish!  I kinda of think of it as a profession but I don't get paid.  Which sounds lame, I know.  As I mentioned above my first priority is to be home with my kids and since I can't commit to working as a personal trainer hours everyday, I blog.  I still feel like I'm helping and that makes me feel good.  I do work at a personal trainer a few evenings a week.  
8. Name three guilty pleasure books, TV shows, and/or movies that you’re sorry you’re not sorry you like (say that three times fast.) If it's on Bravo, I watch it.  I love all the Housewives series, I never, ever miss a show thanks to my DVR.  I also watch the Real World (including the challenges) still.  I know I'm almost 31 but I still find them very entertaining.   Finally, I really like kids movies.  It's great now that I have a kid to actually go with me!  I can't wait to see Bears!  ;)
9. What advice would you give your eighteen-year-old self? Oh man, some of the decisions I made and the reasons I made them are cringe worthy but to my credit, I did meet my husband when I was 18 and knew immediately he was awesome.  Of course there were plenty ups and downs in between now and then but we came out on top.  At 18 I was headed to play college softball and had I known then what I know now about the importance of nutrition and training I would have eaten better and took training more seriously.  Live and learn though huh?
10. Five things that make you the happiest. My family, sunshine, a clean house, shopping and…….. WORKING OUT!  Duh, did you think I was going to leave that one off the list?  :) 

Here are my ten of my favorite blogs that I have chosen to nominate for the Liebster Award:  

1. This Grand Adventure
2. Reach Your Peak 
3. Gym Free Fitness
4. Well Trained Mama
5. Fine Fit Day
6. On Fire Fitness Healthy Living
7. Forever Fitting In
8. One Mother Of A Day
9. The Evolution of Mrs. Aimee C
10. Food For Thought NYC

And here are the ten questions I chose for them to answer: 

1.  What inspired you to begin blogging?

2.  What is your favorite piece of workout apparel?

3.  What is one type of workout you have not yet tried but are curious about?

4.  What did you eat for breakfast (be honest, no judgement here!)?

5.  Name one thing you do, wear, or own that gives you the most confidence?

6.  If you could go for a walk/run anywhere in the world, where would it be?

7.  If time and money were no issue what would you do for a day?

8.  Cardio or weights?  Why?

9.  Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you like it?

10.  What accomplishment are you most proud of?