I spend too much time online too and also need to exercise more. Loved your answers Barbara. They made me feel 'jolly' (compared to mine which tended to be, ummm....'dark', at least that's what I thought, lol!). Anyway, Happy New Year. *HUGS*
Liebster Blog Award
Liebster Blog Award – From Christmas to New Year Present
What was your favourite Christmas present this year? Can you beat mine: Muriel of French Yummy Mummy offered me this lovely present just in time for Christmas:

Thank you so much, Muriel, it has been more than a pleasure getting to know you in real life in London last May and I look forward to the time we will share this virtual home on the hilltop in Bali! In the meantime I can enjoy your lovely, inspiring, funny and witty posts spanning more than two cultures!
You can think what you want about awards (I certainly do) but it is like the extra bonus you receive on top of your salary at the end of the year for an extra effort in making your employer company more prominent, wealthier or heavier in shareholder value – of course, I am not talking about Swiss banks here.
The Liebster Blog Award comes with the following rules:
1. When you receive the award nomination, post 11 random facts about yourself and answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
2. Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (while making sure you notify the blogger that they have been nominated!)
3. Write up 11 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees.
4. Of course, do not nominate the blog of the one who nominated your blog!
5. Paste the award picture onto your blog. (You can Google the image; there are plenty of them!)
Here we go – here are 11 random facts about me:
1. I love early mornings, the slow awakening of a new day, a new page in my life that I can fill in as I please. And this coming from me who used to hate mornings in my previous life.
2. I stole this from Muriel: I love marron glacés and contrary to her I have not had too many of them as they arrived in a luxurious case containing 6 (six) perfectly candied chestnuts.
3. I meant to do so much during that peaceful time between Christmas and New Year and now I am left with a list of far too many unfinished tasks.
4. Why do I pay a lot of money to aweber and hootsuite and do not make use of them?
5. I look upon cleaning as a Sisyphus task.
6. I love to shop – everything from food to cloths.
7. I always buy far too much food and when cooking dinner for family and friends I could nourish an army.
8. I spend too much time online.
9. Why does my day only have 24 hours, my appetite is far bigger than my stomach.
10. I need to exercise more (this is from Muriel as well – thanks).
11. I am looking for a new job (preferably paid to cover my bills).
Muriel’s questions and my answers:
1. Why did you start blogging?
A special friend told me that I wrote well and why did I not take it further. Further? Like what? Publish? No, why do you not start a blog! Splendid idea – that was more than two years ago.
2. What is your favourite book and why?
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It touches my heart.
3. Where would you like to live?
In Thailand, I love the people, the climate and the food.
4. What are your new year’s resolutions for 2013?
None – thank you.
5. What is writing for you?
Soul cleaning and grounding.
6. How do you find time to write your blog?
Ahem, if only I knew.
7. What is your biggest regret?
Having taken everything for granted at 20 and not having studied hotel business and gastronomy. By now I’d run a hotel in Thailand and would not have to move there (see 3).
8. What are you most proud of?
My daughter.
9. How do you stay motivated?
Writing daily in my journal and meditation.
10. If you could be a character, who would you be? Why?
My own, there is hope for improvement.
11. What makes you happy?
Sunshine, my family and friends, travelling and fine food and wine (and I count a lovely piece of cheese, some crusty bread and a glass of simple red wine amongst them).
And here come my nominees, I might be straying from the rules a little bit by giving it to a group:
All my friends of PBAU (Personal Bloggers Are Us), lovely and gifted writers each one of them, staunch supporters and friends, online and in real life. This is your highly deserved award with my humble thanks for a fantastic year and my wish for many mores to follow.
Here are the questions that I would like the nominees to answer:
1. What was your first thought this morning?
2. What is your favourite movie and why?
3. Where would you like to live?
4. What is your favourite food and why?
5. Where did you spend your last holidays?
6. When did you start blogging? Did you know where the journey would take you?
7. Is there anything that you would like to change in your life?
8. What makes you smile? What makes you laugh out loud?
9. How do you stay motivated?
10. If you could be a character, who would you be? Why?
11. What makes you happy?
Enjoy the award and when you find time, please pass it on – remember the extra bonus and what it did for you!
In Switzerland we have a custom on New Year’s Eve, we offer sweets made of almond paste that will bring you good luck in the following year, please accept my virtual piglets:
Have a wonderful and happy 2013!



