Tag: blog hops

Old School Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Old School Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Old School Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

Is it just my imagination, or does it seem like school starts earlier and earlier every year?

When I went to school – admittedly back in the dark ages – we started right after Labor Day. And that still seems right in my head. After all, Labor Day is when summer is unofficially over, and nothing says summer being over – at least to a kid – as much as going back to school. Of course, this was back in the dark ages, I grew up in Cincinnati, which has all four seasons with a bit of a vengeance, so summers were hot and muggy and schools weren’t air conditioned yet.

The schools here in the Atlanta metro area have mostly already started. Gwinnett County, where I live, started on August 4, which just seemed unconscionably early, even to some of my friend who have kids in school.

At least the schools are air conditioned!

What about where you live? When did everyone go back? Did it feel early, late or just right? Answer in the rafflecopter for a chance at the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more terrific prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Sip Sip Hooray Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Sip Sip Hooray Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Sip Sip Hooray Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

My brain kind of tilts at the name of this Giveaway Hop. Maybe I’ve had too many sips of something to stay on track?

Or maybe it’s “Hip Hip Hooray!” let’s celebrate the drinks of summer by sip, sipping away!

There’s nothing quite like an ice cold drink on a hot day to complete the picture – and the taste! – of a perfect summer day.

One of our favorite things to do on the weekends is go to the local Truck ‘n’ Tap where there’s a different food truck every day parked next to a bar that serves hard cider on tap. There are plenty of places that have Angry Orchard available in bottles, but it’s really great to have a place that has ciders on tap alongside the beer. I’m not that fond of beer, but a good cider is sweet and tart with just a bit of a kick – all the best of summer in a glass.

It’s a treat to be savored. Not that my usual sparkling iced tea doesn’t hit the spot on work days like today.

What about you? What’s your favorite summer libation, sweet or spiked or both or neither? Answer in the rafflecopter for a chance at the usual prize, the winner’s choice a $10 Amazon Gift Card or up to $10 in Books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more prizes to cheer about, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

Those are fireworks on that graphic, because the “sparkle” in Sparkle Time, at least for those of us in the U.S., are the Fourth of July fireworks that will probably start entirely too early and not end until people run out. And for the first time since 2019, there will be celebrations and gatherings in many cities, towns and villages, complete with more, let’s call them professional grade fireworks extravaganzas.

Even our little subdivision plans on an in-person celebration, complete with fireworks, on the day. Which is a Sunday this year, so a lot of people get Monday off as the holiday. There’s no decent way to MAKE Independence Day a Monday holiday, but every once in a while we get a three-day weekend anyway. Making this year’s celebration even more extra-special.

But, for those of us who have pets, the fireworks can get to be a bit much because they frighten the furry companions who share our homes. We’re lucky that this particular clowder doesn’t get fazed by much of anything in regards to storms or fireworks, but that hasn’t always been the case, and isn’t the case for everyone. So please have a care for your neighbors’ furry companions as you light up the night.

I’m giving away the usual Reading Reality prize in this hop, the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in Books. Perhaps a chance to get noise-cancelling headphones for next year’s nights of booms and bangs?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more sparkling prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Berry Good Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Berry Good Giveaway Hop> Blog Hops> Giveaways

Welcome to the Berry Good Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

Berries, fresh berries, still feel like the taste of summer, don’t they? Not just the freshness, but the juiciness and the sweetness and the stickiness running down your chin when you bite into a really good one. Or any fresh fruit, honestly. They just taste wonderful and sweet and summery – no matter when you get them.

Because I just read a book about going to summer camp, I can’t help but think of the camp I went to – Camp Ross Trails near Cincinnati, which has been closed for decades and replaced by a subdivision! There were a lot of either blackberry or black raspberry bushes (I think black raspberry) growing all along the trails and roads, and if you happened to go at just the right part of the summer (there were 5-ish two-week sessions each summer) you could pick the ripe berries as you walked along to meals and activities.

Those berries were delicious. Possibly even more delicious in memory than in real life – isn’t that always the way – but they were wonderful.

These days, most of my berries are definitely blackberries – and from the grocery story. They may not taste quite as good as those long ago berries, but they are available fresh all year round. So every morning – even in the dead of winter – I get a little taste of summer sweetness in my morning.

What about you? What’s your favorite flavor of berry, and how do you like them best? Or most? Answer in the rafflecopter for your chance at the usual Reading Reality blog hop prize, the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books. This giveaway is open to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for more “berry good” prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Life's a Beach Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop, hosted by  The Mommy Island & The Kids Did It!

Last year’s hop image was a cat with sunglasses. We’d just gotten George, and he resembled the cat in the picture a bit. I was thinking that when he grew up he might look like the cat in the image – minus the shades, of course. George still has way too much big kitten energy to sit and pose with things on his face!

And now that George is full grown – or close to it – it’s easy to see from the pictures that he isn’t quite as pale and isn’t nearly as chill!

Speaking of chill, it’s a bit chilly outside here in Atlanta today (Monday, May 3). It’s also pouring rain and there’s a tornado watch. Not exactly a day for going to the beach.

Tuesday and Wednesday aren’t looking so hot either. C’est la vie.

So this isn’t exactly beach weather. It’s more like stay indoors and read weather, which is just fine with me!

Whether you want to get something for future days at the beach, or just want to curl up and read, fill out the rafflecopter for a chance at the usual prize here at Reading Reality, the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more terrific prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

Rain Drops on Roses Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Rain Drops on Roses Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Rain Drops on Roses Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

We’re not so much for the “rain drops on roses” in this house, but we have PLENTY of whiskers on kittens!

Even if they are grown-up kittens. Big kittens. In George’s case, huge kittens.

But the theme of this hop mixes the whole “April Showers” thing with the opening lines of the classic song from The Sound of Music, as Maria sings that “Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens” are just a few of My Favorite Things. Well, her favorite things, but mine too.

This is a hop where I get to give away one of my favorite things, either a book from the Book Depository, or a gift card from Amazon, where the winner can, naturally, buy more books. Or a bit of whatever one of their favorite things might be.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances at a whole host of possibly new favorite things, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

April Showers Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | April Showers Giveaway Hop> Blog Hops> Giveaways

Welcome to the April Showers Giveaway Hop, hosted by  The Mommy Island & The Kids Did It!

It’s not raining today here in Atlanta. It’s not supposed to rain until the weekend – because of course it’s going to rain on the weekend.

I remember my grandmother teaching me the rhyme that goes “Rain, rain, go away. Come back another day!” and thinking that the rain might shout back, “I DID!” and then just pour harder. C’est la vie.

This is the April Showers Giveaway Hop, so in honor of the name of the hop, I’m going to drag out another oldie but goodie.

“If April Showers bring May Flowers, then what do May Flowers bring?”

I’m looking for wrong answers only, please. I’m hoping for some funny ones.

Your answer, funny or not, will give you a shot at the usual prize here at Reading Reality, the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books from the Book Depository.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more great prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop. AND remember to come back here every day this week for more giveaways in Reading Reality’s 10th Anniversary Blogo-Birthday Celebration!

Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

Since this is the Honey Bunny Hop, let’s talk about bunnies! Specifically, let’s talk about CHOCOLATE bunnies. And chomping down on them for Easter. Or just because you like chocolate, shaped like a bunny or not.

Where does one begin to eat a Chocolate Rabbit?

It’s been studied. Of course it’s been studied. Because, well, humans. The study was not exactly serious, but it was published in an otherwise respected publication. (If you’re curious, it’s titled “Seasonality of auricular amputations in rabbits“, published in a professional journal for Otolaryngologists (that’s what ENTs, ear, nose and throat doctors are officially called). That journal is The Laryngoscope.

So the article is real – or real-ish – but the study wasn’t exactly on the up and up. Rather more on the tongue in cheek.

It’s been a while since I had a chocolate bunny, but I know I went for the ears first. Most people do. What about you? Answer in the rafflecopter for a chance at your choice of the usual prize, a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books from the Book Depository. This giveaway is open everywhere the Book Depository ships.

Hey, if you win the gift card, you could even get some chocolate bunnies and test it out yourself!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more fabulous prizes, be sure to hop on over to the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop> Giveaways

Welcome to the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!

Considering that St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, I think this hop is more about chasing what’s supposed to be at the end of the rainbow rather than chasing the rainbow itself! And also in spite of the fact that a lot of places celebrated over the past weekend and didn’t wait for tomorrow. The city of Chicago even did its traditional dye job on the Chicago River. They did it as a surprise so that crowds wouldn’t gather. Next year should be better on that front, but we’ll see.

But this month’s giveaway hops have managed to be all about luck in one way or another, both the recently completed Lady Luck Giveaway Hop and the Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop. And this hop is no exception.

So try your luck in the rafflecopter for a chance at the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or $10 in books from the Book Depository. This giveaway is open everywhere that the Book Depository ships!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For an even bigger rainbow of prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Giveaways> Let's Get Lucky Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Let’s Get Lucky Giveaway Hop, hosted by  The Mommy Island & The Kids Did It!

What does it mean to you to be lucky or to get lucky, beyond the obvious salacious double-entendre?

Galen and I regularly ask each other how we each got so lucky as to have found each other. We’ll be celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary while this hop is going on, and I think we both feel just as lucky, if not more so, now as we did when we got married. And COVID Times, as strange as they have been, have made that feeling of being lucky with each other even more profound.

We’ve also been very lucky with our fur-children, and they are certainly lucky to have found us – or at least someone like us – as they are all rescues. Lucifer seems to be the one most aware of his good fortune, as he was living “rough” as an adult cat. where the others were all rescued as kittens. Lucifer always comes to one of us to thank us before he eats. I know I’m anthropomorphizing, but it really does seem that way. It’s one of the many reasons that he’s the sweetest demon in the whole world.

Along with being the luckiest.

What’s the luckiest thing that ever happened to you? Answer in the rafflecopter for a chance to get lucky and win the usual Reading Reality prize, the winner’s choice of a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a book up to $10 from the Book Depository. This giveaway is open anywhere the Book Depository ships.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to get lucky, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!