Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose

 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here


MarksvilleandMe
reviews
Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose 
written by 
Tali Carmi



I am so happy to introduce my readers to yet another installment to the Terry Treetop Series. My family are big fans of Terry and the author Tali Carmi. She has many good books out there written for children. You can see some of my other reviews here. Now onto Terry Treetop and The Snow Goose.

We know that Terry Treetop is always watching and watch he did as the Geese went by. He decided to set up a place for them to rest inbetween their flights. Little did he know what would happen which will be a surprize till you read the rest. 

As always Terry is always keeping a watchful eye and wants to help out those in need. In this story he does what he needs to make sure everyone is happy. My now 13 year old daughter and 9 year old grand daughter still love hearing books read and each liked the part where he is making a place for the Geese to Rest. 

Check out Terrty Treetop and The Snow Goose which is avilable below.



About the Author Tali Carmi

Tali Carmi spent her childhood in the dessert, she memorized many of the books her parents read to her. She played with word and rhymes, writing her first book of songs at the age of 10.
As she grew she turned to other hobbies and a successful career.
Now she is back writing stories for young children.

You can find out more about the Author Tali Carmi at:


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.


Thursday, December 24, 2020

Do you have a hateful child?

 Do you have a child that is very different from the rest of your children? You know the one who you try to make happy and all they do it find something to complain about. Well I have one. We have 6 children and not one of the other children complained about almost everything they were given. From food, clothes, shelter, gifts, friends, family members, siblings, to us being her parents. 

She has never made friends easily or kept them very long, she finds fault in everything while as an adult you can see it is her that is at fault. It really is sad. It is not that we don't love her because we do. We are worried about how she will do when she is out on her own in the world. 

Take for instance this Christmas. She looked at her pile and then at her sister's. There are just two of them left in the home now. She said it seems like everytime I was bad you bought my sister another present. Funny thing is, is that I was thinking the very same thing the night before. Maybe subconsciously I did. 

We live with a daughter who finds fault almost everywhere, she doesn't like how people talk to her, while she thinks swearing is just fine and dandy. She doesn't follow directions causing things to go wrong often, and while we remind her following directions is important for future job employment, she reminds us that she will do what she likes and if her boss doesn't like it they can go *#@! themselves. By the way words like this are generally in every sentence she makes. 

I told you she is quite the character. She tells me almost daily that I should just die, or hopes I will die soon. She says this to her father and siblings as well. She is abusive to her siblings verbally and sometimes even physically. She thinks all old people should be killed off, that adults have to work for her respect. All the while she is sure to put people down until they just can't take anymore and move on to a better relationship. 

She is remote learning for her Senior Year and got a referral for responding to a teacher inappropriately. They couldn't really punish her too much because she isn't actually in school, so even though we stressed how much she should not do this she sees nothing wrong with what she did. She is now 18 and I can't wait for her to move out so we don't have to be stressed about what she might do on any given day. 

It is so hard to say this when as a mom you never really want your kids to move out, you want them little forever so you can protect them from everything, but as a parent you are to teach them how to survive when you are no longer around to pick up the pieces or help them get on the right path. It is heartbreaking to see a child or in this case young adult struggle so much. 

We took parenting classes and they worked for the most part with the other kids, but for some reason not with her. Somedays we are scared to be in the same home with her. She is really abusive, but not so much where we need to call the police although there have been a few close calls. 

Now with all of that being said, she can be good. I have seen her in public do the right things, helping an elderly person, being nice to children, and being polite, so I see the qualities we instilled in her. Things did get through to her. I just hope and pray they continue to grow inside of her. She is beautiful on the outside, just something on the inside, is inside out and twisted. 

I don't want to hear about we should have done this or that, we tried everything in our own upbringing and what the State sees as appropriate and nothing works. Now that she is an adult she has to start making those choices on her own. 

Until that day comes and maybe even after , the older children  and younger will continue to have those on the side glances, questions, and conversations on why is she so different. I know she will read this someday and I am OK with that. It doesn't' change the fact that I love her with all of my heart and soul and would give just about anything to keep her safe. As a parent I can only do so much with the rest being  up to God and her to deal with. 

My hopes is that someday she will be in a much better place mentally and can look back at her upbringing to find joy where we could fit it in. I want her to reach for her dreams with determination and confidence. I wish her well on her journey into adulthood. 

As a parent thinking these thoughts are hard much less sharing them with my readers, but I wanted those out there going through what we are going through to know you are not alone. Don't lose faith. Pray continually for your children. I know prayer works, it can just take years to actually see the results. Lovingly support their dreams along the way, while trying to instill in them best qualities you can in the short time you have to raise your child before they venture out into the world on their own. 

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

2020-2021 Books read by my daughter

 With many other parents, we had to make a choice to home school, send our children to school, or to join a host of others in distance learning. We chose distance learning. Even though my daughter is in 8th grade her reading level is far behind those of her peers. A whole different realization about how the education system let not only me down but most importantly my daughter down. 

So we are reading as much as we can across a wide span of  reading levels. Some she can read with ease then we  move up in reading level, some are much to hard for her so I read those to her, while I try to keep the books a little above her reading level to give her a bit of a challenge, I don't want her to give up on reading all together. Reading should be enjoyed, and even though she is interested in books, she gets discouraged just trying to keep up with her school work and most days it is a struggle to get her to read. All in a days work for this mom who wants to see her daughter succeed. 

Below you will find the books she has read or I have read to her. 

Amazon Affiliate links below. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.




Sunday, December 29, 2019

A year in the life of Marksville

I won't paint a pretty picture for you because this year was not full of happy stories in the least. We lost 10 friends and family this year. such a large amount to lose in a years time. Sadly most were from overdoses which just floors me that the epidemic has hit so close to home. A few died of old age or accidents. So many lives lost and I know some did not have a relationship with the Lord which makes it all that much heartbreaking.

For our family even though we feel blessed for what we have, we lost so much over the last year. My faith was really tested. Some of my readers who know a few years after my husband's accident when all of our savings had been depleted  and before his disability kicked in, (which took forever) we ended up separated and homeless for just shy of two years combined. After all of that we just found out in October after paying on our storage unit that it had been sold for 300.00. It had our personal papers, pictures, lifelong objects, etc. We had been paying on it for more then a year we have been in our apartment. They wouldn't let us take anything out till it was paid off so we were making monthly payments and extra for the overdue amount. The numbers seemed to never end. We went without in many areas trying to make these payments as what my husband gets for disability hardly covers the bills. A few times we had car repairs or upkeep that kept us from paying so that didn't help either. Then our van broke down and there it sits in our yard useless till we can get it fixed. Not sure how long that will take.

This may sound gloom and some days it is. I am often reminded of an item or more that we really need or used to have and I get angered. It doesn't last long but it hurts. I feel for those who have fires I do, but with this our stuff is somewhere so I know it is out there being used. We just pray that no one steals our identities with the information that was in the storage unit. I ask my readers that if they know someone is going to become homeless to offer a safe place for their belongings till they get back on their feet.

Don't get me wrong, some days I feel relieved to not have to worry about the things that were in storage we didn't need that were just taking up space. I know most of the things can be replaced, but for the items that have sentimental value, worth, or personal. They can't be replaced, and those hurt the most. When my husband got his disability the state took most of it because they were housing our family in motels which we understand but because they took so much we had just enough to get a used vehicle and a down payment on our apartment. There wasn't enough left over to get both storage units open. I even borrowed money to be able to just get our furniture out of storage and a few other things.

Sometimes people don't understand what others are going through or just how hard things can be. What is sad is there are many people who don't even have what we have and that is scary. This is why when we can we try to help others out even if it makes things hard on our family.

So yes a few bad and sad things happened in the last year but there were also great moments. We have a church family that cares for us. Our older children visit when they can. We have our grand daughter Lilly over a few times a month, and had her most of the summer too. We became grandparents to another grandson this last summer so we now have two grand daughters and two grandsons to love.

We were able to take part in a few outings with our family which was much needed. Our children took part in many opportunities in our town and with their friends families which kept them pretty busy throughout the year. They are also doing well in school. Dorothy loves to swim and even though she had to give up swim club due to our van breaking down looks forward to swimming again as soon as she can. Deanna is over half way through her Criminal Justice classes this year and loves the classes she takes and has a clear goal for what she wants in the future. My son has become Deacon of our Home Church, Samantha is still struggling but making strides in her life path, Bryan got into some trouble last year and we have yet to be able to track him down or hear from him so we have been keeping him in our prayers, last but certainly not least Nesie is doing well, has a job she loves and enjoys going to each day as well as a volunteer job she does in between everything.

Besides our health issues my husband and I are doing well, making the best out of each day. I was able to read many books this year and even joined a book club. Check out my reading log here. I don't get there every month but I do read the books and keep up with what they are doing. One of our favorite things to do is play Call of Duty together. We would love to play games like Apex and Fornite together but we only have one TV and game system, so my husband plays those. I am yet to learn. I know that sounds silly but it has become one of the things we do for fun.

I want to thank all of our readers, friends, family, subscribers, and of course all of the companies I have had the pleasure of reviewing products for, for all of your support. A heartfelt thank you for the last year and for the year ahead. May everyone find something to be thankful for even in the darkest of times.


Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Glasses for just a $1.00









Did you loose or break your glasses? Do you need a second pair but don't want to spend a fortune? Do you want glasses or sunglasses that are fashionable? I think I have the place for you to find your next new pair of glasses for an affordable price. Firmoo eye wear store.


To make an order was simple. I just picked out the frames I would like, added in my prescription (you must get this from your eye Dr. and measured the space between my pupils mine happens to be 57mm. The first pair I picked I was told that because of my pupil spacing they would not work for me to pick a different pair. This was awesome. It kept me from getting glasses that would not fit me or take care of my vision properly.



Once added to cart you can pick from lenses (some will cost more so the price might be higher then 1.00 if you choose some of these options) I went with all of the free items and I was completely surprised to see that I only paid a 1.00 total. So awesome.

Even if you aren't able to order for the $1.00 before the deal ends. Frames and lenses are so affordable that even our family with a strict tight budget can get a pair if a set is lost, broken, or we need a pair of prescription sunglasses. yes you heard that right prescription sunglasses. They have fashionable choice for Men, Women, and Children.

I was so impressed by the children's selection that if my youngest needs a pair of glasses I will sure to pick up an extra pair here for her. Our insurance does glasses but if they break you have to wait 2 years before you can get another pair payed for by the insurance company. I am really impressed with all of the little extras they send you like the hard case to store them in, a bag, eyeglass repair kit, and of course the lens cloth which is not pictured but can be seen at my video review here.









If you are interested or know someone who needs a new pair, replacement pair please mention this deal to them.



The deal ends on September 30th, 2019 use code 1usdec to get your first pair for 1.00.




Find out more about Firmoo on:

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.


Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Package From Santa



I get excited every year for the Santa letters either hand-made or sent for like these from Package From Santa. There are three different price points so you choose which you like best.

I can attest that your child will be overjoyed with the excitement of reading a letter from Santa while you notice the twinkle in their eyes and smiles on their faces.

Getting a child excited about Santa is easy, but sometimes us adults need to see the excitement of our children to get us in the spirit and this will do that for most people.


This uniquely personalized gift experience creates Christmas wonder and excitement that your child will never forget! Have your camera ready to video every step of this special Santa experience! It all starts at the mail box when the Package From Santa arrives from the North Pole! Delight in the process of making Christmas magic come alive in a very personal way for your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or any little one you know! 

This esteem-building personalized gift is an amazing experience of joy, memories, wonder and happiness! 

PackageFromSanta.com has options for EVERY BUDGET starting at $14.95 with an array of add-on goodies to choose from. Create a custom package for each child!


EVERY package comes with:
-Personalized Letter from Santa
-Santa's Special North Pole Return Address Label
-Genuine North Pole Stamp
- 90-day money-back guarantee
-FREE Personalized VIDEO
- FREE Personalized PHONE CALL from Santa
- FREE Personalized printable NICE LIST GUIDE


Take a look at the video below for a peak at what you can order.





My readers can get 25% off with 
Code FAM2060 at 

Find out more about Package from Santa on:

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Friday, November 9, 2018

11/13 National Kindness Day


11-13-2018 is National Kindness Day will you #ChooseKind ? 

I know our family will be choosing to be kind. We practice this everyday. We have tried to teach our children even on their hardest days to try to show kindness towards others. 

Check out these awesome National Kindness Day activities that are perfect for the whole family! http://bit.ly/WonderNationalKindnessDayActivities #Wonder #NationalKindnessDay #ChooseKind





Friday, August 10, 2018

Monkey Drum






Looking for a new to us instrument we settled on the Monkey Drum which reminds us all of a Karate' movie from years ago.

You can play it with two or one hand. My grand daughter had a ball with this one. Every time I use it the look on my face seems like it scares me but it doesn't. It is funny how our bodies react to different things that we come in contact with.

The size of this is quite nice with it being 6 inches in diameter. I do suggest if you have children to make sure you are near by just in case one of the beads or strings come loose. You just never know what a child may try to put in their mouths.

We are happy with this and my daughter plans to take this to school this year as part of show and tell. The Monkey Drum can be found below.




Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Rolling Around








When we moved we left behind our old skates from our older children so when we settled and our youngest wanted to skate we had nothing for her. As a mom I wanted a nice skate that would last her a few years which meant I needed one that had adjustable sizes. 

After looking at several different skates both online and in store I settled on these skates from Jifar. They do everything I wanted in a skate and them made them in fun colors for children as well as having light up wheels which are great for when they are skating at rolling rinks. 


These are my daughters first in-line skates so she was a little apprehensive about learning but I told her soon enough she would be skating on these just like she does on quads.

I chose Purple for my daughter and Pink for my Grand daughter. We love how sturdy they are as well as how easy they are to change between sizes. They do come with carry bags which we found were a bit a waste since the straps ripped off but for the price they are still a comparable bargain to others that don't have bags included. 

Both my daughter and grand daughter were really excited about the lights and can't wait to get them out on the rolling rink this month. Right now they have been just getting used to working with them in the house and yard. The sizes available are below and they are available in Blue, Pink, Purple, and Red.



The Jifar skates can be found below.


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

L'il Critters Probiotic


I love being apart of companies that send out free samples so that families can try the products and report back to their friends, family, and readers how the products worked. This time we were sent L'il Critter Probiotic from Smiley360. 

My daughter has had problems with going to the bathroom and her intestines. After seeing a specialist they were able to reset her system and with that both the specialist and our family Dr. suggested we put our daughter on Probiotics to help protect her system. 



After a month of using this we found we used her medication less often and my daughter was herself more often then not, which made everyone happy. A happy child makes happy parents. 

Since there are easy to chew gummy bears I also don't have to remind her to take them she just comes to me and I dole them out. Two a day is all she needs and she is off to enjoy her day. The only problem I had was actually finding these in stores where we shop but I talked to the manager of the store to see if they could get them in stock, so very soon they will be available near us. Until then we stocked up where we did find them.





1.00 off L'il Critters Probiotics while supplies last here

To find out more about L'il Critters check out:

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here



MarksvilleandMe
reviews
Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star
written by 
Tali Carmi

Recently I was able to read another installment in the Terry Treetop series called Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star written by Tali Carmi. Our family has been reading books from Tali Carmi for the last few years and we are always excited to see what her characters will be up to next. 

In Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star we learn more about Terry Treetops family. They are getting ready for Christmas and find that their tree still needs to be decorated but are having a hard time getting the star where it belongs. Next comes the adventure which you can read all about in the story.

You can find Terry Treetop and the Christmas Star on Amazon below.




About the Author Tali Carmi

Tali Carmi spent her childhood in the dessert, she memorized many of the books her parents read to her. She played with words and rhymes, writing her first book of songs at the age of 10.
As she grew she turned to other hobbies and a successful career.
Now she is back writing stories for young children.

You can find out more about the Author Tali Carmi at:


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.



Thursday, March 22, 2018

Dinotrux Supercharged Season 2


Looking for a action packed Dino inspired show for your little ones? Why not check out DreamWorks Dinotrux Supercharged Season 1 and also Season 2 which premiers tomorrow Friday March 23rd on Netflix.

Check out the trailer below to see if it fits with your family.




Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with TeamClick. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Make It Real



This is one happy girl she has been looking at this since before Christmas. Between my computer crashing, Christmas, my cell phone going missing, getting sick and now the move that wasn't planned someone needed a little pick me up and this did the trick.

Both of my girls love to design clothing. One wants to do it when she gets older, the other just likes creating things. Until we got this our girls used a window for tracing what they wanted.

This kit is awesome. You will need 3 AAA batteries in order for it to work. It has a cubby that holds 3 pencils. This is the only thing I wish were better. Having room for paper and more pencils would be great but my daughter said she is just going to keep extra pencils and paper in the box till it wears out and then change over one of her many back packs into a drawing station for on the go fun.

I do suggest making copies of the girls and the outlines to have on hand because they go quickly. This is awesome and there are other books with tracing patterns available but sold separately. This will keep the little designer in your life busy for hours.

Make it Real fashion design light table can be found here or at my affiliate link below.


Find out more about Make It Real on:


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Make It Real. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium Discount



Discover SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium! With an amazing 360 degree ocean tunnel and more than 5,000 sea creatures including sharks, rays and seahorses, the aquarium is the perfect stop for family fun. Perfect for educational and group outings, birthday parties and more. Ask about fundraising opportunities!




We are going to be in this very area in the next few weeks so this would be an awesome extra for us to enjoy while in this area. So excited. 

My readers can get a discount with the coupon codes below.

Kids Go Free! to SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium - Redeem this offer online at visitsealife.com/Arizona and click on the Promo tab or present this coupon to the SEA LIFE Arizona admissions counter to receive your Kids Go Free offer. 
Offer not valid with online discounted tickets, combination tickets or any other discount or offer. Valid up to four (4) free child tickets with the purchase of four (4) full price paid adult admission per coupon. 

The right of final interpretation resides with SEA LIFE Arizona. Not for resale. No Cash value. Expires 12/31/2017 Code: FamGuideKGF






Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with USFamilyGuide and SeaLife. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review or promote a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Keep your car clean when you have pets


I have seen many car seat protectors but non that have made this U shape before. This one from INNX products also allows the seat belts to be used with these Velcro areas that can be accessed. If you have a pet you can have it as shown to keep your pet from sliding off of the seat and unto the floor during stops.

This car seat protector is also waterproof and machine washable so you are sure to keep your interior clean. If you have kids this also doubles as a seat protector just undo the front headrest pieces and you have full coverage of the seats and floors, great for long car rides or even when you are renting or leasing a car, will keep your resale value high.

The best part is the versatility which makes this a great item to have on hand or to use everyday.

The INNX car seat protector can be found at my affiliate link below.



Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and INNX products. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Children's Solutions Travel Tray

* Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.
  



Traveling with children isn't always easy. You are trying to keep your eyes on the road but your child wants some attention too. Unless you have other children or another grown up in the car a product like this can help out by keeping your child entertained beyond the dvd player or electronic devices. 

Print out some pages from sites like Pinterest like road bingo, spot license plates from each state, etc. My daughter loves that this comes in a bag so when she is done using it in the car she can take in the house with her. We found that it works great for when a child is sick at home, make a great tray for while they are sitting in bed or in the living room. They can color, eat, etc. 

The mess size pockets are great for pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, water bottles, snacks, etc. What I like about this is that it has an adjustable strap so that you can have it around your child so when you are traveling and you come to a quick stop, we all know they happen at times the tray will stay in place, no more papers, crayons, etc rolling all over the vehicle. 

The Children's Solutions Travel Tray with bag and crayons can be found at my affiliate link below.



Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Children's Solutions. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. 

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Dinner Dish

* Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  


This item is so cute and can really be used at any age. It is made from 100% food grade silicone, is dishwasher safe, and is BPA free. This is great for babies learning to self feed, no more dishes or bowls thrown on the floor, great for toddlers, preschoolers, and even my nine year old daughter enjoys eating out of this because her foods stay separated. 

This is easy washes by hand or in a dishwasher, and so far has stood up to lots of use. Available in both blue and pink. What I love about this product is that it doesn't slip around when placed on a flat surface. 

The Dinner Dish can be found at my affiliate links below.



Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Osho. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. 


Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Keeping it COOL



Summer is coming and this a go to item for our family. We use these all year round for different activities but during the summer we find these especially useful for when the electric goes out on the hottest day and you can't sleep.

Just soak these with water, twist, snap, and place on your body to cool. Best places are back of neck, wrists, and back of knees. These are also great cooling down those who have fever or sun stroke. Also great for laying on sunburns.





Soft on skin, has 98% UV blocking rate 50+ UV protection index.

Most of the time these are used while exercising, yoga, pilates, bike riding, and walking in our family. I love that even if it is just sweat if you twist and snap it will still feel cool. A plus for those who may work outside in the heat all day long.

I love that they are two toned, but do wish they came in more feminine colors like pink and purple. My girls would be in love for sure.


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Aulexy. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. 

Saturday, June 3, 2017

3D Pen Filament


* Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  


Our family is rather new to using 3D pens so I thought I should stock up on filament because I am not sure how much of a learning curve there is with creating with it. My girls were super excited to see we got one and are coming up with ideas for making their own creations in the next few weeks. 

School is almost over and having something fun to do while learning a new skill is great for rainy days. With this filament from CoolPlus you get all 20 colors and each color is 32 feet long. That is amazing. My girls have lots of colors at their fingertips for making some neat projects. I might even have to give this 3D thing a try. 


The CoolPlus 3D filament can be found on my affiliate link below.


Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and CoolPlus. Regardless, MarksvilleandMe only recommends products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive compensation.  If you would like MarksvilleandMe to review a product or service please contact us at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. 


Friday, May 26, 2017

15 Summer Activities for Kids

What are your kids doing this Summer? For many of us Summer time with the kids is a time to enjoy the outdoors, the sunshine and if you're lucky the ocean.

As much as kids love Summer holidays, keeping them busy can be a real chore! If you've not got the luxury of a Summer camp then it's up to you as parent to find things for the youngsters to keep busy with.

Failing that, your kids might spend all their time in front of a computer, tablet, phone or other screen and research has shown that spending too much time in front of a screen can have a detrimental effect on the health and well being of children.

Yes my girls watch Netflix and YouTube but I am blessed because they would rather be outside playing then cooped up inside. They like to swim, bike, hike, build forts etc. 

Studies have shown that taking part in nature-based activities helps people who are suffering from mental ill-health and can contribute to a reduction in levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. In fact, a daily walk in nature has showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.

With what our family has been through in the last year this makes so much sense. So this mom is stepping up her game, introducing more nature-based activities, while not just turning fun into learning but also providing my children with new outlooks into the world. I may not totally enjoy nature, but I want to make sure that the opportunity for my child to make a decision in what they want to do with their lives is as broad as it can be.

One in four people are estimated to experience bouts of mental ill health and it's on the rise. Prescription medication of antidepressants are also at a record high level and the demand for more invasive treatments are also on the rise. Health and social care commissioners are examining and commissioning different options for cost effective services for mental health and one of these options is a daily walk of 90 minutes or more. We need to learn from the past when kids got excited to spend their time climbing trees and building dens rather than spending hours inside.

Joe at Nature Rated understands this all too well and has put together an info-graphic on 15 Summer activities to help your kids appreciate nature.

This is what it looks like:

15 Summer activities to help your kids appreciate nature

From baking a blackberry pie to constructing a pond or insect hotel, there's plenty for the youngsters to get up to. Head on over to his site for step by step instructions to get your kids out and about enjoying nature.

MarksvilleandMe has already taken a look and has big plans for summer time activities for my girls and my grand daughter. Here is to better mental health with the help of nature.