The blogging world is a funny old place. It’s not just about writing a post every so often and hitting ‘publish’; to get the most out of the blogging experience you need to join in now and again.

There are lots of different ways to join in. Linkys, Me-mes, Twitter, commenting on other people’s blogs, posting on forums or joining blogging groups on Facebook.

And then there are awards. When you’ve been blogging for a while, and have started engaging with other bloggers, sooner or later someone will read your blog and realise you haven’t yet been given an award and slap one in your direction.

And when this happens, it’s good manners to post about the award, say a few nice things about the person who awarded you, and then pass the award on to others.

I was given the Liebster Award by YummyMummyReally last week. Anyone who knows me will be wondering what on earth I’m doing reading a blog with the words Yummy Mummy in the title, but this lady doesn’t just write about fashion and make-up. I  really enjoy her non-yummy posts which have so far covered the thorny issues of such topics as thank you notes, pavement parking and Tesco asking for ID from people old enough to not have to carry it.

The Liebster Award’s purpose is to showcase less well-known blogs with 200 followers or less. Liebster means dearest, or favourite, in German and the receiver of these awards are asked to link back to the blogger who passed the award on to you, and then to pass the badge on to a further five deserving bloggers.

I always find the passing on thing tricky. Quite a few blogs I would like to nominate have already received the Liebster from someone else, so are out of the running. As for the others; perhaps they don’t want to be tagged like this? I don’t want to make a nuisance of myself.

But I have to choose 5 someones, so here’s my list. If there is a theme to it, it’s probably ‘people I wish would blog more often’.

First up is someone who hasn’t written anything since November 2011!!! Livingtheparklife has chronicled the emigration of Laura and her family of four, from Scotland, to Melbourne, Australia. Laura is a FB friend of mine, so I know she’s still alive, but her blog seems to come to an abrupt halt with the arrival of her parents. Maybe she’s having too much fun to blog anymore? If at all possible, come back to blogland Laura, we miss you!

Another person who has been a whole lot quieter since moving to the other side of the world is FrankieParker. Frankie is a fellow kiwi, who has returned home with her husband and two little boys after a decade in London. She still blogs once a week or so but I want more. I have no intention of ever dragging my family downunder but I thoroughly enjoy reading about other people who have.

Slightly different from the usual parenting blog is Reopening the Case. This blog covers the highs and lows of returning to a musical instrument as an adult. I read it because it makes me feel slightly cultured and I can identify with much of what she writes. Like me on the piano, she’s struggling to fit in the practice in between children and life, but is managing to wedge in some theory as well. A must read for any adult learners or returners.

Smelly Melly writes a parenting blog only as much as she is a parent writing a blog. She’s a FB friend of mine and writes infrequent posts about what ever comes into her head. Her topics are a somewhat eclectic mix, but I love her style of writing and always leap on her posts with enthusiasm ( figuratively speaking, of course). She is also a fellow XFactor hater.

Last, but not least, I’d like to award a Liebster to Dilly Tante. She blogs pretty frequently, so is the odd one out in that respect  but I had to include her. I am the least crafty person on the planet but I love reading about Dilly’s Yarn Bombing projects. I’m actually considering learning to knit or crochet or something because of this blog. Read about her Valentine’s Day installations here.

So there you go, 5 Liebsters dutifully dispatched. I hope at least one of them takes up my challenge!

Oh bother, have just noticed that Dilly Tante has too many followers to qualify, but I’m going to leave her in anyway, in the hope that she might inspire some other wannabe Yarn Bombers!