Jenny Cole: I was nominated for a Leibster Award!

I’ve been blogging for about 6 months now and am starting to feel really integrated into the blogging community. I’ve chatted to some lovely people from all over the world and it’s so great to feel part of something so big, yet so friendly. I started following Nikki, at Dollar Store Diva a little while ago, and this week she nominated me for a Leibster Award. You’re probably wondering what on earth this award is! Basically, it’s a chance for smaller bloggers to help each other out by tagging them on their blog, where hopefully their readers will see you and check you out. The ‘tag’ includes some questions to answer, and once I’ve answered them in this post, I will be tagging some fellow smaller bloggers with a new set of questions. So, here we go…

Questions I got from Nikki

1. Do you use liquid or powder foundation?

I’ll be honest, I don’t often wear foundation (gasp!) but if I do, I’ll wear liquid usually. I tend to find foundation too heavy for my skin, which is why I tend to avoid it, but there are definitely times I wish I could wear it! If anyone has any suggestions of lightweight foundations, or perhaps BB/CC creams/Tinted moisturisers I’d love to hear them.

2. What’s your dream job?

This is a difficult one, as I’ve had to adjust my thinking since becoming ill. When I was younger I wanted to be a ballerina, and I did dance right up until I got too ill. However, my more attainable dream was to be a doctor. I loved Biology at school and was really interested in reading about illnesses and the science behind them. I kept this dream for a while, but the longer I was unwell, the more I realised that it was a career that I’d never be able to manage. I thought about other medical careers – nursing, speech and language therapist, physio, dietetics, but none of them were right for me. Then I came across Occupational Therapy and it was like a light bulb switched on in my head. I realised I could use my illnesses to try and help others to manage their illness or disability. So, I’m now in the process of trying to train as an OT. It’s going to be difficult, I know, but we’re setting up lots of support systems to try and make it possible. I’ll keep you updated!

3. Do you live in a land-locked or coastal state?

I live in England, so live in a county rather than a state. But the county I live in, Hampshire, is coastal, although sadly it would take me at least an hour to get down to the seaside. Hampshire is a lovely county though – where I live we are very close to the Berkshire and Surrey boarders, so are surrounded by plenty of lovely towns and villages, rolling countryside and only a 45 minute train journey into Central London.

4. What’s your favourite app to use on your phone, and why?

Oo that’s a difficult one! I love my social media apps – Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp and Facebook, as they help me keep in touch with friends and family. Then there’s Picfx, a photo-editing app that I usually go to before uploading a photo to Instagram or Facebook. I quite like my Goodreads app, as it lets me keep track of my reading list, as well as seeing what friends are reading. And finally, for those times I need a little light entertainment, there’s Clumsy Ninja, which never fails to make me chuckle.

5. What’s your favourite ‘cheat’/unhealthy food? The greasier the better!

I’ll have to disappoint you I’m afraid as I hate greasy food. Nothing to do with it being unhealthy, I’m just not a fan of grease and find it makes me feel quite sick, so I tend to steer clear of it. I’ve always been taught that there’s no such thing as a bad/unhealthy food, and that everything can be eaten in moderation. I mean, take lettuce for instance. It would probably be labelled as healthy, but if someone were to live on lettuce alone, that would be unhealthy, just as it would be unhealthy to live on chocolate and sweets. So I’m all about trying to keep my fat and sugar intake down as much as I can, but not denying myself the occasional treat if I fancy it.

6. Do you use coupons/look for deals when you shop?

Absolutely! Bargain hunting and using money-saving vouchers used to be looked down upon a bit, but now I think it’s a central part of life. With the recession people had to become more frugal – shopping in charity shops, hunting out 2 for 1 deals and using vouchers to get money off your evening meal. I will always shop around for the best deal. I find it quite fulfilling when I manage to find a real bargain, and it makes me feel a little less guilty about spending money!

7. What’s the most visited website on your browser?

I’ve probably got a few to be honest. Blogger and Bloglovin are pretty high up, which for a blogger I guess is understandable! Blogging aside, I’m always checking my e-mails, having a nosy on websites like ASOS, New Look and Topshop, and also keeping up to date on mental health news on websites like Mind and Beat.

8. Who’s your icon in the blogging/youtube sphere?

One of the first blogs I came across was Sailboat and I’m still following Jennie’s posts today. The thing that really drew me in to this particular blog was the fact that you can really tell that Jennie loves her blog and most importantly stays true to herself. I enjoy the fact that she posts about a variety of things, from more light-hearted topics like fashion and beauty, to more serious topics about her personal life. She takes beautiful photos and if I still haven’t sold Sailboat to you, you should check it out even if it’s just to catch a glimpse of her gorgeous bunny, Ralphie!

9. What’s your dream concert lineup?

I haven’t been to many concerts actually, which is a shame, as I’d love to see more live music. I find them quite difficult with not being well, plus they tend to be pretty expensive and a lot of the time I don’t have the money to spend. However, if I were to organise my own concert, I would firstly make sure it was a seated concert, with plenty of space for wheelchairs, and perhaps lots of beanbags and cushions covering the floor! As far as the actual line-up goes, I’d be calling Ellie Goulding, Michael Buble, Pink and Beyonce. Can you imagine the price of tickets to an event like that?!

10.What’s the favourite piece of clothing you own?

Although I love to dress up in pretty dresses, accessories and shoes, I’m much more at home in a comfy jumper and jeans. I’ve got a couple of Jack Wills hoodies, which I always go to when I’m chilling out or in need of a bit of comfort. And more recently, I picked up an awesome Minnie Mouse sweater from New Look, which I can see becoming a firm favourite. Of course we can’t forget pyjamas and slippers, can we?! I could quite happily live in pyjamas – I have a cupboard full of them!

Thanks Nikki for tagging me! The people I am tagging are:

Claudia – beautyandthechic.net

Hayley – hayleyslittlethings.blogspot.co.uk

Nichole – upbeatuplifts.blogspot.com/?m=1

Roseanne – rosieposiepuddingandpie7.blogspot.ie

Sophie – foundationsinlove.wordpress.com

Meg – meg-says.com

Molly – mollysrollercoaster.blogspot.co.uk

My questions for them:

1. What made you get into blogging?

2. What is your favourite high-end beauty brand, and why?

3. What is your favourite bargain beauty brand, and why?