Ruth's Brownies

Years ago I was sent two batches of Ruth's Brownies and I still tell people about them but for some reason, some of my posts went to drafts so I wanted to make sure I was able to repost about these awesome treats. 

Ruth's Brownies... The Perfect Gift

As you can see they come well packaged and make great gifts as is. 

I was able to try both chewy and classic cake-style brownies. I am more of a chewy brownie eater myself but to be honest almost any brownie is game for me. 

Look at all that beautiful chocolate goodness. Each Brownie is 2 in by 2-1/4 in by 1-1/2 in tall and 1 dz Brownies weigh in at 1-1/2 lbs

What I love about brownies is that you can eat them as is or dress them up with ice cream, frosting, jams, whipped cream, or cheesecake topping. No matter what way you like to enjoy them these will fit the bill.

I couldn't resist enjoying one for myself. 

If you aren't into brownies remember Ruth's Brownies also has cookies, biscotti, and gift basket options. There are even gluten-free styles to choose from. A great gift idea any time of the year.

Find out more about Ruth's Brownies on:

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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.

Give Your Pet A Treat Giveaway

Welcome to the Give Your Pet A Treat Giveaway!

1 Winner Give Your Pet A Treat - Pet Treater Box

This giveaway is part of our Holiday Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

HOST IS MICHIGAN SAVING AND MORE

My co-hosts for this giveaway are Deliciously Savvy, This Frugal Family, Gifts for all seasons, Home Jobs by Mom, Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers, Miki’s Hope, A Nation of Moms

Below is a list of all the bloggers involved in the gift guide.

A Rain of Thought, Beautiful Touches, Deliciously Savvy, Giveaway Gator Here We Go Again Ready,, Home Jobs by Mom, Java John Z’s, Lisa-Queen of Random, Michigan Saving and More, My Crafty Zoo, My Silly Little Gang, Seeking Serenity and Harmony, Sweet Southern Savings, Tales From A Southern Mom, The Mommies Reviews, This Frugal Family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This giveaway's Sponsor is:

Pet Treater

Use code MICHIGANSAVINGMORE20 good for 20% off the first month of ANY subscription

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ INSTAGRAM

 

~~~

1 Winner receives the Give Your Pet A Treat - Pet Treater Box

Give Your Pet A Treat - Pet Treater Box

Choice of dog or cat Deluxe box - items in picture not what will be in box

Each pack is filled with 5-8 hand-selected items. Featuring a variety of super fun toys, mostly USA & Canada made treats, & Extra Goodies!

$25 ARV plus shipping

See review HERE.

~~~~~~

THE GIVEAWAY

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 11/30/20. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to las93063 at gmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Laura Smith at las930 (at)gmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

If you are a blogger interested in our gift guides sign up here or more information is HERE.

Get blogger opps just like this by signing up to receive blogger emails HERE.

Sponsors interested in joining our gift guides can see the information HERE.

I know personally that our pets would love to get something like this. Our cat Steve looks for something everytime an order comes in our home.

MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter

Good Luck!

 

Entry-Form

Easter Basket Idea for Toddlers

Today I am talking about this set of toddler puzzles you see above. Isn't the lady bug puzzle adorable?  My grandsons are still quite young so these will be going into my oldest grandson's Easter basket this year with a few small treats. In a few years his little brother will be able to play with them too. He loves back packs so I was really excited to see that this set of 4 puzzles comes with a little draw string back pack so they can be toted along for fun on the go. 

My suggestion once opened as long as you are keeping an eye on your child is to put the puzzle pieces to each puzzle in a zip bag so when playtime is open you can hand the board and pieces and they can put the puzzle together and not worry about mixed up pieces. Also as they get quicker at doing the puzzles you can add two puzzles and their pieces to make it a bit harder and keep adding till they have all four empty puzzles, as well as all of the pieces to challenge them even more. 

These are rated for children three years of age, but my son who is my grand sons father was doing 25 piece puzzles by the time he was 18 months old, so depending on my grandson who seems to be following in his footsteps these may be too easy. I always say go with caution. A parent knows their child best, if using with younger children make sure to be watchful and not leave your child alone while playing with small toys. 

Each puzzle board is 5.8 inches by 5.8 inches. Perfect for toddlers and a great gift idea.

Check them out at Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

Puzzles to Go

Today I am talking about the super cute toddler puzzles you see above. Aren't just the sweetest? My grandsons are still quite young so these will be going into my oldest grandson's Easter basket this year with a few small treats. In a few years his little brother will be able to play with them too. He loves back packs so I was really excited to see that this set of 4 puzzles comes with a little draw string back pack so they can be toted along for fun on the go. 

My suggestion once opened as long as you are keeping an eye on your child is to put the puzzle pieces to each puzzle in a zip bag so when playtime is open you can hand the board and pieces and they can put the puzzle together and not worry about mixed up pieces. Also as they get quicker at doing the puzzles you can add two puzzles and their pieces to make it a bit harder and keep adding till they have all four empty puzzles, as well as all of the pieces to challenge them even more. 

These are rated for children three years of age, but my son who is my grand sons father was doing 25 piece puzzles by the time he was 18 months old, so depending on my grandson who seems to be following in his footsteps these may be too easy. I always say go with caution. A parent knows their child best, if using with younger children make sure to be watchful and not leave your child alone while playing with small toys. 

Each puzzle board is 5.8 inches by 5.8 inches. Perfect for toddlers and a great gift idea.

Check them out at Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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.

Family Wall Art

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

We have had this idea forever and it seems like others had the same idea as well. We wanted something for our walls that was personal and customized to just our family. What I wanted was to make our family names into a Scrabble like look on our walls. We couldn't find anything at the time to do this. My husband didn't want anything too heavy for the walls, and wanted to be able to re- position if ever we had to add a name in the future. He did a layout on Graph paper years ago, of course we had added quite a few names (we are now grand parents) since then so we are still a work in progress.

A company asked me if I wanted to review their product and I took one look and knew this is exactly what we need to do our project. I went with rounded corners as you can see above but they do have square corners and they have completely round tiles to choose from.  Each tile is 4 by 4 inches which is the right size we were looking for. They come with a sanding block and you can stain or paint them which ever way you would like too. These tiles are versatile, think coaster, art projects, ect. We are currently looking for the templates for the letters and numbers and we found a few options for hanging them on the wall. I have links to the tiles which will take you to all and to the options we came up for hanging tiles. 

We decided on 3 inch letters and 1/2 inch numbers, found them while putting this blog together for you. We have to order more tiles to  get all of our names done and work it out on our walls. We went from smooth walls to wood paneling. We rent so we have to deal with the walls we have at the moment. We live on a small income so we are still getting the supplies together to complete this but hope to get it up soon. Until then there are some inspirational pictures below to see just about how we would like to do ours. I hope you like this and hope to show you ours as we get it up. I am sure it will be years in the making for all of the extra bits around the letters but I am so excited we can finally make this happen.

Back to School with Bananas

School is just around the Corner and our daughter can't wait to show her friends her #BananasCollectibles #crushiecharacterFind the new sundae-style chocolate dipped with sprinkles on top Banana Collectibles Singles at Wal-Mart. #BananasToys  Above are my daughters favorite from Bunch1. 

Find out more about Bananas Collectibles on,

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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.

Pure Parker Essential Oils

Our family loves to use essential oils. Even though we have been using essential oils for a few years now there are still scents out there we haven't tried yet. This set from Pure by Rachelle Parker is great for trying out scents or as a gift idea. The scents included are FRANKINCENSE, PATCHOULI, CLARY SAGE, BERGAMOT, LAVENDER, YLANG YLANG, CAMPHOR, CEDARWOOD, PINE, TEA TREE, LEMONGRASS, ORANGE, EUCALYPTUS, and PEPPERMINT.

My 16 year old wants a oil diffuser of her very own this year for Christmas. The peppermint and lavender are her favorites. They are our most used scents with a few others trailing behind. We use our essential oils in our diffuser, on our wool dryer balls to scent our dry laundry, in our baths, and even dabbed on our bodies. 

This set makes a great gift idea for those who have been wanting to try out essential oils but have been afraid to take the leap. 

Pure Essential Oils from Rachelle Parker are available at my link below.

Find out more about Pure by Rachelle Parker at:

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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.

Decorative Bowl Review

Recently I was able to review a really nice bowl. It is decorative and made from thick aluminum. I am really impressed with this bowl and everyone who has seen it falls in love. Right now we are keeping candy in it which really gets it seen by visitors. It stands out and has found a place at the edge of our entertainment center as you enter our living room.

I love how versatile it is and that it will go with most decor be it your living room, kitchen, dining room, or when you are entertaining. The measurements for this are 6"x 6"x 4" and holds 14 fluid ounces. You can see in the picture above just a few examples of how this bowl can be used.

This would make a great wedding, housewarming, or hostess gift. My readers can get an extra 10% off (can change at any time) with code INYOLIVE

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.

Summer Slime Fun

Looking for a great gift idea or something to keep the kids busy this summer? Look no further. Slime is in. Check out this set by Explorer's Choice which has everything included in the description below. You can also see the link where to find this awesome slime kit.

The first thing my daughter pulled out was the clear crystal slime and the fruit pieces to make this awesome slime which she called the fruit bowl. 

Later she also mixed some crystal slime with the foam beads that are included to make what she calls the fun-fetti slime. I can't wait to see all of the slime creations she is able to make. I love that the crystal slimes are already made and ready for mix ins.  

This is the galaxy egg that was included with our kit. At first we thought the egg was colored, but once opened the egg was clear and this was the color of the slime. I love how interesting it is when light hits it in different places. 

This is the slime my daughter made with the crystal grey slime and a little of  each of the three colors of the glitter she choose. So beautiful. We love how easy it is to incorporate add ins. Some slimes will not pick up glitter or foam balls well but this slim makes combining items easy so kids can enjoy their masterpieces.

There are so many options. Just pick a slime add in glitter, foam beads, and or fruit pieces for your own slimy fun. Great for parties, classrooms, playgroup, camp, home. Sure to make a some kids giggle with excitement when they get their hands on the hours of fun this box holds. 

INCLUDED:
- 24 color Crystal Slime (2.65 pounds)
- 1 pcs Galaxy Egg Slime (.13 pounds); An Explorers Choice Exclusive
- 6 Vials Glitter
- 6 Bags Foam Beads
- 1 Bag Fruit Slice
- 3 pcs Straws
- 3 pcs Slime Tools
- 1 Fruit Slime Mold (random)
- 6 Animal Molds (random)











- Letter from Explorers
NOTE:
To keep slime moist always keep in a tightly-sealed container after use.

WARNING:
- Always wash hands after use.
- Not suitable for children under 6 years old. Presence of small parts. Choking hazard.
- Slime may stick to a stain carpet, wood or other surfaces.






Explorer's Choice Slime Kit can be found at the link below.

Find out more about Explorer's Choice on:

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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.

Safely walking with Toddlers

Isn't this backpack cute? I thought so too. It comes in 7 designs and is available at the links below. This one is great for ages 18 months and above and also has the safety harness leash so when you are out and about your newly walking toddler can have a little freedom while you have the security of knowing they are within a safe range.

I love the backpack idea because I love giving my child something of their own. With this they can carry something to snack on, a drink, and something to play with, not to mention a favored lovey, or change or clothes for when trips take a bit longer then expected.

We also like to call them quite bags for when we are going to appointments filled with items the child only gets on those trips that they look forward too because it is the only time they come out. The size on this is about 9 inches high 7 inches wide and 3 inches front to back.

adjustable straps and chest plate

removable leash 

two pockets

 Find out more about Nuby USA on:

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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.

Best Grandma Ever

The Got Me Tipsy company really has some cute cups. This particular one is geared towards Grandma's. Think of giving this to the grand mother to be as a way of telling her she will be a grandma. What a great way to tell the fabulous news.

I love that I can enjoy cold or hot beverages with this clear glass mug. This is a really nice statement cup for gifts for grandparents day. I know I am enjoying my cup with my morning cocoa.

The Best Grandma Ever cup is available on Amazon.


What Got Me Tipsy has to say about their product.

"Best Grandma Ever" 13 oz Glass Mug. This high quality USA made glass mug will last for years to come.

Beautiful glass mug makes a great gift for your children to give their Grandmother on Mother's Day. Or, use it as a special gift for any "Best Grandma" you know!

#GrandmaGifts

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Got Me Tipsy. 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. 

Coloring is fun for any age

We have a few adult coloring books around the house. They are really fun to color with when the little ones are coloring in theirs. Yes we still color in regular coloring books but have something a little more intricate is always nice .

This is book has lot of pages to color. If you have a scanner you can always just copy and then share with other adults in the home as well. Kind of like a grown up coloring contest if you will. Coloring for other is like blogging to me, very therapeutic. Coloring takes you back to when you were little when the worst thing you had to worry about is what to put on your Christmas list.

You can find this coloring book on Amazon.


What Cornucopia Brands has to say about their product.

SOME KEY FEATURES OF FLORA AND FAUNA, A CALM COLORING ADVENTURE:

-30 pages of heavy weight paper 8.5" x 11" coloring pages, 30 in total plant and animal patterns.

-Varying degrees of difficulty, color for hours, or color for a few minutes, a diverse range of calming designs allows for both easy projects, and long drawn out beautiful coloring adventures.

-Independently created and published by artists and printers dedicated to the art of coloring for anxiety, and stress reduction. We truly believe you can color away some of the normal wear and tear of daily troubles.

-A diverse range of pattern allows for a huge age range, most stress relief coloring books can be marketed to adults, we however believe that nearly any age of person can enjoy our books.

An amazing collection of Flora and Fauna (plant and animal) patterns specifically designed to help reduce the toll of daily stress, allowing you to unwind and take yourself on a calm coloring adventure.

Printed in the USA, using hand drawn images from Spanish artists, that are then made into digital format for use in the book.

Featuring a diverse collection of Flora and Fauna, our coloring books feature some of the most intricate and creative plant and animal coloring patterns available in a coloring book to date. You can find wolves, bears, butterflies, peafowl, hummingbirds, turtles, and much more inside, waiting to be colored to life.

Coloring is proven to aid in stress relief, we truly believe our stress relief calming coloring books are some of the most beautiful, and well crafted books on the market today.

Our calming coloring book is constructed of the heaviest paper available from our printer, no cost was spared in creating and binding our stress relieving coloring book.

You can find out more about Cornucopia Brands on:

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Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion with Tomoson and Cornucopia Brands. 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.

Insect Excavation Kit

I am a very lucky mother to have had both boys and girls who both love to learn about things including bugs. My two girls recently were able to try out this Real Bug Dig Kit and they loved it. I think they were more excited about what bugs they might get then actually doing the dig. They had a bet going on what they would get. As a parent I love that they were learning while having a good time. 

I use these kinds of activities when my children have a snow day or it is raining outside and they can't find anything else to do.

You can purchase the Insect Excavation Kit here or on Amazon.




What Dr. Cool has to say about their product.

• * This hands-on dig kit contains a genuine spiny spider, fortune beetle, & scorpion preserved in acrylic
  * Kit includes digging tool, brush and magnifying glass and is a great way to start an insect collection
  * Perfect gift for any kid aged 6-12 that is interested in bugs, science, entomology, or paleontology
  * The 12-page info guide is filled with cool science facts about insects and was written by teachers
  * Activity booklet contains 10 wonderful puzzles and games for hours of extra fun and learning

Excavate 3 genuine bug specimens just like a real paleontologist. They’re each buried inside a beetle-shaped digging block! Your young entomologist will uncover a real scorpion, spiny spider, and fortune beetle specimen. These insects have been perfectly preserved inside acrylic so that you can examine each of these incredible creatures from all sides. This hands-on science kit includes an excavation tool, brush, and magnifying glass. There’s also a full-color information guide (written by teachers) so that you can learn all about insects, arthropods, and arachnids. You’ll learn cool science facts about each of the creatures in this kit as well as general info about bugs. Plus there’s an activity booklet with 10 fun games, mazes, and puzzles to complete. Your kids will bug-out with this fascinating excavation project!
AWARDS WON: Brain Toy Gold Award - Academic's Choice 2013

You can find out more about Discover with Dr. Cool on:

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#DiscoverWithDrCool

Disclosure:  MarksvilleandMe received one or more of the products mentioned above as part of a promotion using Tomoson.com. 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.