Awards....and 5 Places I've Been this Week

Ooh am I behind in my blogging manners. I am so bad at these awards, let me tell you! Which doesn't mean that I don't appreciate them:-)

You Make Me Smile, from Robin at Around the Island (I giggle a little, because she passed this award to me in a post entitled "World's Worst-Mannered Blogger" which I feel now applies to me instead!) If I could, I'd re-gift the award back to Robin, since her posts always make me smile. She is a great writer and won an honorable mention that was well-deserved in Scribbit's Write-away contest this month! I pass this award on to Brad at the Egel Nest. I enjoy all of his posts, but I have to make sure you read this one that definitely made me smile. Or this one. Or this one. Hey, he deserves it!

Blogging Star award, from Helena, the Thrice Blessed Momma

This award is for bloggers who shine their light throughout the Blogosphere. Some do it with humor, others with creativity, and others with their kind and thoughtful natures. We all know more than a few of them so why not give them some recognition?
Here's what to do if you receive this:
* Proudly display it on your blog along with a link to who gave it to you.
* Mention that it originated here at Skittles' Place so I can follow its journey.
* Pass it on to any blogger(s) you think should have it.

I have to admit, I would again re-gift this back to Helena. Her story is so inspiring and I love to read how she handles her wonderful (three!) five-year-olds. Plus, she sure knows how a mom needs a day off, and I agree and appreciate that one.

I gift this award to Melody at Slurping Life and Wrapped Emotions. She has been going through a lot lately, and her light shines through it all. The creation of the Wrapped Emotions project-blog has, I think, been an incredible addition to the blogosphere. Each week she challenges her participants (anyone!) to unwrap themselves just a little bit more through artistry. She is truly amazing, which you will see when you read either of her blogs.

Community Blogger Award from Marci...

This award was created by Sultana Blog. It is a Community Blogging Award designed to "celebrate people who reach out and makes the blogger community a better one."

I am super-honored by this award because I just wrote an article for my synagogue newsletter all about my blogging life and how I feel that it is all about building community! Marci, I think, understands me better than most since she is a fellow rabbi! She, too, deserves this award!

I am passing it on to Amy, the Crunchy Domestic Goddess. Amy was one of the first bloggers I started reading regularly, back when she was pregnant with her second baby. I was pregnant with my third, so I enjoyed reading her updates as I also got bigger. I am so impressed with the change and growth in her blog over the past year or so that I've been reading (wow, a year?) and the way that she "puts herself out there" to create the kind of bloggy community that she (and I) want to be a part of.

All of these awards truly make me speechless with joy. I am so honored that there are folks out there reading along with me as I post each (almost) day...it's so much fun and such a blessing in my life to be a part of the blog community. Thank you!

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Five Places I've Been this Week

Butternut Squash Risotto, at Simply Recipes

Teen Faces Punishment for Long Hair ...oy.

Right Brain vs. Left Brain (thanks to Rocks in my Dryer for this link)

Your Modifier is Dangling (New York Times)

Codes for Background and Text Colors in HTML and XML (who knew these things were so important!)

from my del.icio.us