Linkity Link-Link

I'm still in major catch-up mode post-trip, so I've been a bit absent, but I thought it was high time I did a little housekeeping around here.

To start with, I'm very tardy in mentioning these two lovely ladies, but here we go:

A few months ago, I won two fun prizes from bloggers.

First, Rachelle from Rachelle Writes sent me a Mother's Day story from Story Time Felts. My youngest had a ball cutting the pictures out of the felt (I'm lazy like that and let her do it). Then we read the story together with the pictures. As we don't own a flannel board and I wasn't in the mood to make one, we used a couch cushion. She loved it, and she's played with the set off and on quite a bit on her own, even when I'm not around to read the story along with her. I think she's been making up her own stories as well. Rachelle has written several of the stories Story Time Felts produce. Check out their products here.

Second, I had a true stroke of luck when I won two prizes from Karlene of Inksplasher. She and her daughter Megan went on a big road trip this summer and gave out oodles of prizes in connection with it. One of my prizes was a plastic cougar figurine that will surely become a staple of the kids' play bin.

The other was a bag of Urban Botanics products. (That sound you hear is me singing in triumph. I have dry skin, folks.) My daughter loves the body spray and wears it even more often than I do, but my true love is the hand lotion. I use it every night and will cry when it's gone. (Hear that, Karlene? I'll CRY. You'll need to send me more. Or I guess I could actually buy some, since this is the second bottle I've won from you.) Visit Karlene's Urban Botanics page here. The joy of their products? You can customize your own scent. They're awesome!

And last but certainly not least, right before I went world traveling (and when I was in the throes of preparations and thus couldn't acknowledge it), Melanie J at Write Stuff awarded me with this totally awesome number:

Yay!!! I love Melanie's blog, and it was a big compliment to see mine in her list of ones she like to frequent as well. Thanks, Melanie!

Now for the award bestowal:

I got this close to giving it to Alison Wonderland, but then realized that um, DUH, she created the award.

(Wait. Does that mean she hasn't gotten it and therefore is eligible? What are the rules about bloggy awards anyway? Uh, Alison, consider yourself awarded. :D)

Ever since I got a Google reader, my blog list has grown to a crazy size, so choosing additional recipients is tough. I read lots and lots of great blogs and should probably cut down on my subscriptions.

For now, I'll pass also pass the award to some of the blogs I've been following the longest and love (I'm nothing if not loyal):

JulieQ at mental tesserae

Josi at Sundial in the Shade and

Jenna at Cranberry Corner.

UPDATE: In light of overlooked unreciprocated linkiness (See the comments. Goodness gracious, WHAT was I THINKING?!), go here and here. To make sense of it all, go here.

See, Wells? I gave you not one, not two, but THREE links. So there. How's THAT for linky-love?