Blogger Recognition Award + Versatile Blogger Award

​I’ve been nominated for another two awards?! Wow. I feel like Adele at the Grammys, and just as she did, I’m going to have to defer these awards to the true winners- all of YOU!

My blog was never meant to be anything more than a vehicle in which I could let out my thoughts- a socially acceptable “adult” version of a diary if you will. Yet, you have all transformed Words and Tonic into something so much more. Every person who has taken a couple minutes out of their day to read a post or two- I thank you. Every person who has taken the time to leave a kind comment- I thank you. Every person who has inspired me to keep doing what I love- I thank you. You have all given me the support and motivation I need to never give up and for that, these awards go out to you.

With that being said, I must send out a huge thanks to Andrei for nominating me for both of these awards. Andrei has been a huge supporter of my blog since day one! I can’t thank him enough for every kind comment left on my posts, and not to mention the great posts of his own ! Andrei’s blog is wonderfully written and inspiring beyond belief. Check it out when you have a chance!

The Blogger Recognition Award

Rules:

1.  Thank the blogger that nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
2.  Write a post showing your award.
3.  Tell a brief story about how you started your blog.
4.  Give two pieces of advice for new bloggers.
5.  Choose 10 other bloggers to nominate.
6.  Comment on each blog letting them know they’ve been nominated, and provide a link to your award post.

I started my blog at the end of last year as a way to clear my head. If you read any of my 16 Things I Learned in 2016 posts , then you’ll know that 2016 was quite a dramatic one for me. By the time December rolled around, I had a lot on my mind and had no idea how to break free from my thoughts. Overwhelmed, I decided to go back to basics and do what I’ve loved doing for as long as I could remember- write! This wasn’t the first time I had attempted blogging. When I was younger, I had a bunch of Tumblr blogs that were usually centered around music or utter randomness, yet nothing quite like Words and Tonic. In the past, I never saw a point to sharing my words, whether it be out of fear or lack of confidence. I started this blog with the same mentality- that no one was going to read anything I wrote, or let alone enjoy it! So, I thought, what the hell. 2016 taught me to let go of a bunch of my fears, so why not cross another one off my list. I’m so glad that I took the risk, which leads me to my first piece of blogging advice.

1. Just Do It

I’ve spent the majority of my life being quiet, not saying the things that actually matter. I’ve been terrified of ever letting my voice be heard out of fear that I would sound stupid. I’ve convinced myself out of practically every idea I’ve ever had because I didn’t see a point in pursuing it. What I’ve learned, however, is that playing it “safe” will get you nowhere. Do you want to live feeling as though you’re a benchwarmer to your own life? Or would you rather go out and fight for what it is you love- what it is that makes living worth while? Fear is a killer- trust me I know. But, living with regrets is even worse. So , if writing or finally speaking up is something you’ve always wanted to do- then do it! Take risks for what’s important to you.

2. Never Stop Being You

With blogging, as with any part of my life, I’ve always been afraid to fully put myself out there- to expose who I really am as a person. So, sometimes I’ve stopped myself from writing or saying the things that I actually want to. To me, there’s always been this line that I try so hard not to cross. I shelter a part of myself out of fear of being judged by others. But, you know what I’ve learned? Who fucking cares what others will think of you?! Is it going to be the end of the world if Sally doesn’t like what you wrote in your post? Heck no. I write, first and foremost, for myself. And what I’ve realized is that the more you write for yourself, the more you will in turn, be writing for someone else. The more true you are to yourself, the more authentic your writing will be. Putting emotion into your words will  transcend the boundaries of your own mind and allow them to mean something in the minds of others. The posts in which I’ve put myself out there the most and wrote about what actually matters to me, are the one’s I’m most proud of, and coincidentally, the ones which I’ve received the most positive feedback . So, don’t be afraid to be yourself!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Rules:

1. You have to thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their blog! (Thanks again, Andrei ! )
2.  Link the nominees and inform them about their nomination
3. Nominate at least 15 bloggers of your choice
4. Share 7 facts about yourself

7 Facts About Me

1. As you can probably tell in my writing, I like using curse words as adjectives, nouns, verbs- anything really. Whoever says a “lady” can’t swear , needs to kindly fuck off. 🙂
2. Concerts are my happy place- I love music almost as much as I love cats, which says a lot.
3. I’m 99% sure that coffee is the only thing that runs through my veins.
4. The other 1% of me thinks you’d find tequila.
5. I’ve perfected the art of third-wheeling
6. Indecisive is my middle name. ( Actually, my parents didn’t care enough about me to give me one)
7. I’m an expert at dealing with awkward situations ( refer to #4)

Nominees

I thought I’d combine my nominees for both awards so consider yourself nominated for both!

1. Twinkling Words 
2. Write Ally! Write
3. Yassy
4. Carla’s Healthy Living Blog
5. ATRW
6. FitnessConsciousnessHealth
7. Dave Gardner
8. Millie Schmidt
9. Just Ruminating
10. With Love
11. Lolsy’s Library
12. simplisticInsights
13. The Evolutionary Mind
14. empress2inspire
15. Let’s Talk Mental Health