July Social Connection Hop - Link up your social media, gain new followers! Have Summer Fun with other bloggers!

Welcome to the July Social Connection Blog Hop!

CoHosted by ME - Susan @ Mom Loves 2 Read!



During the Month of July 

Come Link up all of your social media and blog follow links and gain new followers - 

don't forget to follow others too!



What a fun way to spend this month - finding new blogs, making new blogger friends and gaining new follows/likes!

<center><br /><a href="http://www.bigfoottribe.com/2013/06/welcome-to-june-social-connection-blog.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1328.photobucket.com/albums/w534/BigFootTribe/Blog/julySC_zpsbe7b3851.jpg" width="125" height="125" alt="Big Foot Tribe"/><br /></a></center><br />

1. Feel free to link up all of your accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Linked In, Google +, and anything else you have linked to your blog or website.

2. Please place the blog hop button on your side bar after linking up

3. Please tweet or share this hop, help spread the word.

4. Come back throughout the month to make new connections with those who link up after you.

The Social Connection is your place to share and connect with new friends and fellow bloggers.  Enjoy!  Come back every month to join us again.

I would like to introduce you to this months Co-Hosts:

Mom Loves 2 Read

Chatter From A Single Mom

Enjoying The Epiphany

The Word of a Nerd 

 

Easy Green Mama





http://girlfriendshoes.com/

If you are interested in co-hosting next month's hop, please email me at Big_Foot_Tribe@yahoo.com

 

$200 Toys R Us Giveaway on Mom Loves 2 Read!

Welcome to the $200 Toys R Us Gift Card Giveaway!

Hosted by Giveaway Promote.

Sponsored by author Carole P. Roman.

Carole P. Roman takes you on a another journey, this time to Asia, landing in South Korea.

Once again, children can learn how life is like for young people on the other side of the globe. From food to famous landmarks, they will learn that's it's easy to find something in common with people in different countries.

This is the third book in the series, and we'd like to celebrate with a giveaway! One winner will receive a $200 Toys R Us Gift Card and a set of Carole P. Roman's cultural books.

The series includes:

• If you were me and lived in... Mexico: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World.


• If you were me and lived in... France: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World.


• If you were me and lived in... South Korea: A Child's Introduction to Cultures Around the World.

---

What fun books!  Have your kids ever asked about children from other countries? or places they hear about on TV?  These books are a great way to introduce younger kids to Countries around the world and the little ones who live there.

Enter to win a $200 Toys R Us Gift Card and a copy of the "If you were me and lived in…" series

Complete the tasks below to earn entries into this giveaway.

Refer your friends using your unique link at the top of the Rafflecopter for even more chances to win.

One winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries.

Open in the United States.

Ends at 11:59pm EST on July 9th, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Bloggers, if you'd like to participate in a giveaway event like this one, sign up for Giveaway Promote's weekly giveaway events newsletter.

Lock, Stock and Over a Barrrel by Melody Carlson ~ book tour on Mom Loves 2 Read

Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel

B&H Publishing Group (April 30, 2013)


by

Melody Carlson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.


She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

**Review to come - book did not arrive in time**

ABOUT THE BOOK

With high hopes, Daphne Ballinger lands her dream job at The New York Times. But it's not long until writing about weddings becomes a painful reminder of her own failed romance, and her love of the city slowly sours as well. Is it time to give up the Big Apple for her small hometown of Appleton?



When her eccentric Aunt Dee passes away and leaves a sizeable estate to Daphne, going back home is an easy choice. What isn’t easy is coming to terms with the downright odd clauses written into the will.



Daphne only stands to inherit the estate if she agrees to her aunt's very specific posthumous terms -- personal and professional. And if she fails to comply, the sprawling old Victorian house shall be bequeathed to . . . Aunt Dee’s cats.



And if Daphne thinks that’s odd, wait until she finds out an array of secrets about Aunt Dee's life, and how imperfect circumstances can sometimes lead to God's perfect timing.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Lock, Stock and Over a Barrel, go HERE.

I received one or more items for this review from the sponsor mentioned in the post. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Zaycon Foods as seen on Good Morning America ~ America's Drive Thru Meat Market

"This article may contain a book or product sample and/or links to other website(s). See my FTC disclosure for more details." 

How does Zaycon Foods manage to provide such high
quality super fresh meat and produce to its customers at such low prices? The answer is strength
in numbers. And not our numbers, yours!

Zaycon Foods can sell its products at bulk rate prices
to individual consumers and families because our unique sales event business model brings lots of
people together, adding all their purchasing power into a
combined bulk food purchase. And when you buy as part of a group that’s
committing to such a large purchase, the power is in the hands of the purchaser!
It’s the ultimate group buy in terms of both price and consumer
empowerment.

You can pre-select exactly what you want to order from
a given Zaycon sales event – sometimes you may want to stock up on our amazing meaty back ribs
and sometimes it might be all about the Zaycon bacon – and then, on the day of the sales event, you
and a whole big bunch of your neighbors will find yourselves in a nearby parking lot watching as an
entire tractor trailer’s worth of high quality natural food is unloaded into all of your cars! You will be
amazed at how quickly one of our refrigerated trucks goes from being filled with natural, fresh chicken or
hundreds of gallons of grade A non-homogenized milk to being empty and back on its way to the
farm!

 

A Zaycon Foods truck sales event often lasts less time
than you would spend on a trip to the grocery store, yet you will leave with a whole lot more food
than you’d get at the market, and for much better prices, too!

When you use the Zaycon Foods sales event as your
preferred place to purchase meats, milk, and any of our other fine products, you get advantages even
beyond the bulk pricing that comes with our special sales model. You also have the peace of mind of
knowing exactly what you’re going to get! A trip to the grocery store can involve wasted time wandering around
looking for various foods spread out across the store; at a Zaycon Foods parking lot meat truck
delivery (or milk or berries or fish delivery, too!) you have pre-ordered your foods, so all you have to do
is show up and wait for our friendly staffers and volunteers to load up your
car. 

Also, unlike in the grocery store, the prices you will
pay for a Zaycon Foods product are locked in on our website, so you will know how much you are going to
spend before you have committed to a purchase.

At a supermarket, you might pay one price for chicken
on one day, and then a higher price on another day. With Zaycon, you decide that you want to order a
case of our fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts, you check the price and then you commit to
it, knowing that from that moment on, we are committed to getting you your fresh, natural
food!

To Get Started Click on this link  https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf237713

 
All info in the above post was provided by US Family Guide.  I am a US Family Guide Ambassador and promote their products and giveaways because I feel they meet my family friendly blog policy and may be of interest to my readers.  If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Storm Clouds by M.E. Sutton ~ Book Tour and GIVEAWAY on Mom Loves 2 Read

Storm Clouds

Hero’s Sword Vol. 2

by M.E. Sutton

Genre: fantasy -middle
grade

Publisher:
Delabarre Publishing

Date of
Publication: April 24, 2013

ISBN: 9781619410558

ASIN: B00CIUR7HO

Number of pages: 76

Word Count: ~24,000

Cover Artist: Jen
Domani

Amazon  Kobo
  BN
 iBooks

Book Description:

Eighth-grader
Jaycee Hiller is beginning to fear she only imagined her trip to Mallory. But
when a rainy afternoon leaves her with hours of playing Hero’s Sword, her
favorite video game, she finds herself drawn back into the game – literally.

STORM CLOUDS is the
exciting second volume of the HERO’S SWORD saga – chronicling Jaycee Hiller’s
trials in eight grade, and her exciting adventures in Mallory, the setting of
her favorite video game. Jaycee enters the video game realm via a special
controller and is caught up in the action of this fantasy realm.

In STORM CLOUDS, a
valuable jewel belonging to the neighboring estate of Devin, the Sapphire Star,
is missing, stolen at the Fall Consortium. Lady Starla stands accused of the
theft. Devin’s demands are clear: return the Star or they will take it back by
force.

Now it’s up to Lyla
Stormbringer to find the Star and the thief. before Mallory finds itself at
war.

My Review:

Storm Clouds is the second book in the Hero's Sword series by M.E. Sutton.  It was
a quick and fun read, through a bit predictable at times. It is written well, and is simple and easy to follow for middle grade and even a bit younger kids. It is packed full of action and adventure and was fun to read.  I was not sure how much I would enjoy reading a book about a girl who gets sucked into a video game world, but it made this an interesting and unique story.  I think many middle grade kids will enjoy reading about a kid their age falling into their favorite video
game and living out the fantasy.  It is perfect for kids who enjoy using their imaginations to escape the real world at times (and better to read about video games than to spend all day playing them!)



About the Author:

A software
technical writer by day, Mary Sutton has been making her living with words

for
over a decade. She writes the Hero’s Sword middle-grade fantasy series as M.E.
Sutton, and The Laurel Highlands Mysteries series as Liz Milliron. She lives in
Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two children.

Website: http://marysuttonauthor.com

Blog: http://theresabodyinthelibrary.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mary_sutton73

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarySutton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6588083.M_E_Sutton

AmazonAuthor page

And now for the FUN - the giveaway!  Enter using the form provided for a chance to WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more items for this review through Bewitching Book Tours. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Paige Torn by Erynn Mangum ~ Book tour on Mom Loves 2 Read

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Paige Torn

Think (May 1, 2013)


by

Erynn Mangum

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A few things about her:

So, if we were having this conversation in person, we would probably be hanging out at Starbucks or one of the cute coffeehouses in town. I’m nuts about all things coffee, I’m crazy about all things pink and girly, and I love, love, love the Food Network! I’m married to my best friend and the most amazing guy ever, Jon. He is amiable toward coffee, does not like anything pink or girly and tolerates the Food Network. So, we make a good match! In July 2010, we became parents to one of the funniest, cutest, sweetest little guys in the whole world (and nope, we aren’t biased at all!), our Nater-Tot, who is legally known as Nathan. Most days, I’m cleaning up messes, making goofy faces, trying to fit some writing in, and just LOVING the life that God has given me!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Everyone knows they can count on Paige Alder. But between volunteering at church, putting in overtime at work, and helping her best friend plan an anniversary party, she's lucky to grab a cheese stick for dinner. Paige can't even remember the last time she had a few minutes to relax or dig into God's Word. Then she meets laid-back Tyler, an attractive, Jesus-loving guy. Will he be able to help Paige get her priorities on track?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Paige Torn, go HERE.

All info in the above post was provided by Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Pieces of the Heart by Bonnie S. Calhoun ~ Book Tour on Mom Loves 2 Read

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Pieces of the Heart

Abingdon Press (June 1, 2013)


by

Bonnie S. Calhoun




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bonnie S. Calhoun is Owner/Director of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, owner/publisher of Christian Fiction Online Magazine, Northeast Zone Director for American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), the ACFW ‘2011 Mentor of the Year,” President of (CAN) Christian Authors Network, and Appointment Coordinator for both the Colorado Christian Writers Conference (CCWC) and the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference(GPCWC).






For the last six years she has taught workshops in Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and creating Social Media promotions at both CCWC, and GPCWC, and in 2011 at the Montrose, Pa Christian Writers Conference. She also taught a Facebook workshop at the 2012 ACFW conference.




Bonnie and her husband live in a log cabin in upstate area of New York with a dog and cat who think she’s wait-staff.




Her sites are:

https://www.facebook.com/bonniescalhounsnarkandsuspense

https://www.facebook.com/bscalhoun



ABOUT THE BOOK

Cordelia Grace watched Bernard Howard, the love of her young life, go off to fight for our country in WWII. And she has spent the last three years creating the Pine Cone quilt that will grace their marriage bed when he comes home. Each row of triangles signifies a layer in her life, sets of memories, hopes, dreams, and prayers for her future, enough spoken words to cover them forever. Her image of their “happy-ever-after” grows proportionally as the quilt expands.




But is the man that returns from the war, the same man that she remembered? Are the dark shades of color that she had to use for the outside edges of the beloved quilt prophetic of her life to come? Can love and faith overcome all?




If you would like to read teh first chapter of Pieces of the Heart, go HERE.

All information in the above post was provided by Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Is this ergonomic pen ugly or not? GIVEAWAY of UGLee pen on Mom Loves 2 Read

"This article may contain a book or product sample and/or links to other website(s). See my FTC disclosure for more details." 

The UGLee Pen is good for everyone who writes (even just a
grocery list), and is especially helpful to people who experience pain and
discomfort when writing, for example those with arthritis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, etc.,. It's also the best writing utensil  for children who are learning to write and are developing
fine motor skills, as well as helpful for special-needs children who find
holding a pen or pencil properly difficult. And for high-school and college
students who have to take copious notes, this pen helps keep hands and fingers
from cramping.



My Review:



I tend to get a sore finger from too much writing.  I have tried several pens with cushiony parts that are supposed to make it easier to hold and more comfortable.  When the UGLee Pens arrived for this review, I thought "they aren't as 'ugly' as I thought they would be.  lol I know, not the best 'first thought' but due to the name I expected a very unsightly pen.

I started using the UGLee pen as my main writing utensil for a few days to see how it would feel.  I did notice a difference right away.  Most of the pen is covered in a gellee type material that is soft and sort of conforms to my fingers.  I noticed less pain in my wrist and was not uncomfortable when writing with it.  I really like this ergonomic pen, and plan to make it my personal favorite - meaning it is going in MY purse for MOM only to use - lol  I might even get some for the kids for school this year!



NOW for the FUN - Another great GIVEAWAY!

One reader will win a 3-pack of UGLee pens (random color) from the sponsor!

US only please - enter using the form provided!  Good LUCK!

Entry-Form

I received one or more items for this review I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

BLOGGER OPP - FREE LINK - Pamper Yourself Giveaway event July 2 - July 30

Sign-Ups are open for the

Pamper Yourself Giveaway hosted by The Breezy Birdie

This is a free event with announcement post (found here).

You will receive 1 free link (Twitter or Pinterest) for participating.

If you would like to opt out of the announcement post, there is a $5 fee.

All extra links are $1.





 If you'd like your link(s) added to the giveaway, but don't have a blog or don't want to publish the giveaway, please e-mail me at thebreezybirdie@gmail.com.



Please send any questions and/or PayPal payment to thebreezybirdie@gmail.com.





 Event Details:

July 2nd - 30th

US Only

Prizes from It Works!, Avon, Perfectly Posh, WoodWick,

Bath & Body Works, and Origami Owl



***The blogger with the most referrals will receive a daily comment entry on the RC form.***

PLEASE SAY SUSAN MOMBLOGGER REFERRED YOU!



Sign up here.

Netgalley Knockout Challenge - I just joined, you can too!

I just joined the Netgalley Knockout Challenge!

 

I have more ebooks for review than time to read them - so my challenge is to get at least 10 of them done withing the challenge time frame!

 

Want to know more or sign up yourself?  Check it out HERE!

The Birthday Times ~ A fun keepsake to honor the day you or someone you love was born! Review on Mom Loves 2 Read

"This article may contain a book or product sample and/or links to other website(s). See my FTC disclosure for more details." 

About the newspaper:



"The
Birthday Times is a personalized newspaper front page with real events
and news of your birthday. The perfect gift for yourself, your friends
and family!"



The website offers a sample for free of the
newspaper. The newspaper in high resolution PDFs costs $3.99, and the
Printed Edition (+ PDF) costs $4.99   You can check it out at  www.thebirthdaytimes.com



My Review:



The Birthday Times is a fun "newspaper" with articles geared to the birthday boy or girl.  It is a fun and unique way to celebrate the day you were born.  It is simple, just give the name and birthdate of the person you are celbrating, and the "newspaper" arrives with that date, name and a few fun articles about things that occured on that date in history.  Celebrities who share that birthday, my personal favorite "The President visits baby ..... at the hospital" with a cute article saying that The President of the US kissed baby ....

I love the format and the design. 



Although printed on a sheet of paper, it looks very similar to a page out of a newspaper.  I had my review one done for my son Josh's birthday - he is turning 12 this summer and I thought it would be fun to give him his own "Birthday Times" as a surprise gift.  I know he will love it - my husband and I both enjoyed reading all the articles on the page when it arrived!  I can't wait to see the look on my son's face when he opens it up and starts reading!



The Birthday Times is available for dates from 1929 through 2012!

I received one or more items for this review for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Win $10, or $25 or $50 Amazon or Paypal with the Diva's POV Giveaway event!

"This article may contain a book or product sample and/or links to other website(s). See my FTC disclosure for more details." 

100 Facebook Fan Giveaway 

Hosted by Diva's POV

 

As Diva's POV is growing their bloggers and supporters, they have chosen to celebrate each milestones along the way with a fun giveaway! For the growth of their Facebook fan base they are hostng a facebook growth giveaway  - the amount of the prize is determined by the amount of facebook likes!

100 Facebook Fans ~ $10 Amazon or Pay Pal 

250 Facebook Fans ~ $25 Amazon or Pay Pal 

500 Facebook Fans ~ $50 Amazon or Pay Pal 

There will be additional entry options added randomly throughout the giveaway events so check back often! And tell your friends - as soon as they hit each milestone the giveaway will begin!
-

For more info - check this link



NOW FOR THE FUN - ENTER HERE: 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more items for this review from the sponsor mentioned in the post. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Softball Mom's Survival Guide ~ How you and your daughter can be winners in sofball - review on Mom Loves 2 Read

"This article may contain a book or product sample and/or links to other website(s). See my FTC disclosure for more details." 

This survival guide is written for a single purpose: to help both you
and your daughter be winners in softball. The tips and suggestions,
varying from the practical to the emotional--safety, nutrition, sports
equipment, team drama, mental toughness, dealing with dad--will help you
get the most from your daughter's softball playing experience. And that
will help your daughter get the most out of her softball experience.
The two are closely tied together.



This ebook is easy and quick to read.  It is only about 100 pages long and is filled with great tips for how to not just survive softball season,
but how to help you and your daughter be winners.







My Review:

I liked quite a bit of this ebook.  With two girls just starting out playing softball, I haven't yet had any issues with coaches, other teammates or parents, but I know as they get older situations may arise that are mentioned in this ebook.  It really does have some great tips for moms (and dads) about how to be a great game parent and not cause embarrassment for your girl(s) or cause problems when things don't go the way you expected.  Here are some points from the book that I thought were interesting:



If the game didn't go the way you wanted - whether your team lost or you didn't agree with something the coach said or did, think about this . . .



You will embarrass your daughter. When you confront
the coach on the field after a game and give him or her a piece of your
mind, you will have an audience. Word will get around. “Did you see
Sarahʼs mom chewing out the coach? Man, Jennyʼs mom was really mad that
she didnʼt play; she let the coach have it!” You may feel better about
venting, but your child will only feel humiliated.



You need time to get perspective. Calm down. Vent to
your spouse or a friend. If youʼre like me, you may even suffer through
a restless night of sleep. Giving it a day will help you sort through
whatʼs important and if this is a battle you really want to take on. 
And if it is, then you will have time to formulate a calm and rational
argument.



Coach needs time to re-think the game. And believe
me, he or she will. Every coach does. Iʼve lived with one for
twenty-eight years, and after every game, he processes.  “What should I
have done? What did I do right? How can I help this team be better?” 
Allowing the coach time to relive the game may help him or her see why
he or she might have angered some parents.



Rants and angry accusations are weak arguments.
Chances are good that if you approach a coach in anger and vent your
frustrations, he or she will tune you out. But confronting a coach
calmly will be more profitable for your daughter. In that atmosphere,
you and the coach can come to a resolution that truly benefits your
child. After all, itʼs all about whatʼs good for your child, isnʼt it?
Not what makes you feel better.”



Although I personally haven't experienced any of these problems (yet) I know there are many parents who have.  This is an interesting ebook to read and has some valuable tips and information on how to be the best and most supportive team Mom (or Dad) you can be.

I received one or more items for this review for free using Tomoson.com. All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.