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So the girls and I mean all of the girls in our family love these Pop Its, so when I saw it in a game form I knew we needed to have one so I placed it on my wishlist. Low and behold one of the companies wanted a review so who am I to turn them down when I knew this would give some cheer to two of my favorite girls. Luckily my granddaughter was over this weekend so they both were able to open this surprise together. They were really excited, just check out my video here.
Years ago we had a small circle pop it game, you know way before they became popular. Now we see them everywhere but there are only a few that caught my eye. This one is one of them. I am so glad they are enjoying the time together while playing a new game together.
Being only three years apart they still like a lot of the same things which makes gift-giving really easy. I like easy and I love making them smile.
If you are interested in this pop it game which included a set of dice check it out below.
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Some of you might remember that we started family reading. Kind of like a book club for our family so we could read the same book at the same time. We usually have discussions on it and when there is a movie we would also celebrate the ending of the book with the movie and then critique it to see which parts we liked best. Spoiler for our family it is usually the book that wins.
Our first book was "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" written by C.S. Lewis. You can read all about why we started family reading here. We just finished reading it this last week and set Friday as our movie night to enjoy the book we read in movie form. We chose the 2005 version. We also ordered Turkish delight to have as a treat during the movie as a surprise for my daughter.
We bought both the fruit and nut versions of Turkish Delight because we couldn't decide.
My daughter called earlier asking us to watch my grand daughter for the weekend we call her Beaner. Of course we said yes. We enjoy almost all of the time we have with our grand daughter. My hsuabnd and I had decided earlier in the week as we were nearing the end of the book that we would make it a themed night so we served buttered toast with Sardines, cut up boiled eggs, and tea as well, before we pulled out the Turkish Delight just as Edmund was about to bite into his piece.
My grand daughter really was excited about everything and wished she had read with us over the summer. We told her she could still read the next book we pick out with us. We now have really neat gadgets and apps like facebook messenger, zoom, etc to be able to do everything in real time together. This whole thing really got my daughter excited about reading more books as well.
We are going to go back and read book one in the series since for some reason I didn't know that this wasn't the first book. That is OK though, sometimes that is just how you find a new author to read, and then go back and read all or most of their books. I can't count how many authors and book series I started in the wrong order and have gone back and read them in order, and then picked up other series they have written and read those as well.
Was Family Reading worth it? For us it really was and I hope to enjoy many more books with my family in the years to come. Here is to a new family tradition. Are there any new tradtions you have added over the last year?
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Over the years I have read many books to my children, the children I have cared for, my grandchildren, and even to myself. My husband and myself have read many books together and also shared our own genre of books with each other. I have a long time love of reading books. The love of reading books comes from my father who took the time each night to read to me till 4th grade when my reading level was college level and my father wasn't sure what to do so the Dr. told him to just read anything to me and he started to read medical journals, Life jornalism books, National Geographic, and the old Readers digest books, pretty much anything he could think of.
We were not rich by any means but I know there were always books for me to read, magazines like Highlights, Ladybug, Cricket, Jack and Jill, Spider, and Humpty Dumpty. Book sets delivered to our home that I devoured some with help, most without.
Years later when I would have my own children I just expected them to read like I did. At three years old my parent thought I had memorized the books I was reading and the Dr. told them that I knew how to read and wanted to know who taught me. They hadn't, they had just been reading to me and somehow I just picked it up. So when my children struggled with reading I didn't really know how to teach them because it had just come naturally to me, but thankfully my husband had learned to read the good old fashioned way so between us we did OK until the kids went off to school and let them take over.
Now forward past my first 4 children to my last two girls and I knew something just wasn't clicking for them and thought that the school had it all covered. In steps Covid-19, remote learning and the thrown in my face fact that the school had let me and most of all my chidren down. Not to say my kids haven't had great teachers because they have but the teachers can only do so much with the time they have when the government or state gives them a timeline to adhere to even if the kids are left behind (No child left behind is far from the truth of things). The truth is if the child falls behind they are usually left there to fail with little or no support to help them.
So our family after my 18 year old and 5th child graduated 12th grade by the skin of her teeth and my now 13 year old were done with school this year, we decided we would homeschool our youngest through High School. We want her to learn to read better, to understand what she is reading, and actually hold on to some of that knowledge before being rushed on to something she doesn't even understand (like algebra when she doesn't know her times tables).
Back to reading before I get going off to far in the wrong direction. This summer we decided to start family reading, where we all read the same book together at the same time. To make sure our daughter is staying up with us we all take turns reading passages so that we can help her with words she doesn't know while modeling what to do while reading. Such as pausing for commas, showing emphasis, how words look or sound the same but are very different from each other, and how to find out which to use in a sentence. We just want her to be better prepared for the future then her sister is at this time. We have just lost too much time trusting that the school would do the work for us.
So here we are on our first book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe written by C.S. Lewis, which by the way I thought was the first book in the series The Chronicles of Narnia not the second so we will be going back to book one The Magician's Nephew at some time in the future. Learning never ceases even as an adult. If you are interested in The Chronicles of Narnia check it out below.
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With everything that is going on in the world and our wake up call when the kids went remote that the school was not doing them justice. I won't go on about how far behind they are from other students or that they are were being asked to do work when they couldn't do the work leading up to that work, so they felt defeated everyday because they just didn't understand how to do the work. Yes my oldest child graduated by the skin of her teeth but that is a whole other story for another time.
Right now is where we are at. My now 13 year old daughter Dorothy has been asking to be homeschooled for a few years now and after what we have seen, we decided to take our cue from her seriously and take the plunge again. We have homeschooled before and enjoyed it. Looking back I wish we had homeschooled all six of our children right from the get go. With that being said he we beginning our journey into Homeschooling once more this coming fall.
We ordered our learning curriculum which has arrived (our state has strict guidelines to follow) and now we are looking at school supplies that will work with our families needs. We know we didn't really need a lot so we are just filling in around what we already have available in our home.
Since my daughter is entering 9th grade and with my health some of the days will be spent traveling or even at her sister's house we went with a system that would allow her to take her basic school needs with her where ever she might be learning on any particular day.
One of the big items we provided for her was a computer for home use, a microscope which will be coming in soon, and this ZIPIT'N'GO Organizer which will hold all of her books she is working on. We went with a system that has smaller workbooks that can be changed out as the year progresses, so they fit perfectly into the acordain file system that is built into this binder.
What I love most about this case is that once closed it zips up so nothing will be lost when in transit from place to place. There is a front pouch for holding pens, pencils, calculator, etc. A 3 ring spot for regular folders, dividers, paper, etc. A nice flap on the back where you can keep a flat pad of paper or store other projects. It has lots of different pockets built in to store pretty much everything you would need for a day of learning.
There is also a detachable strap for the binder so you can carry it with you and have your hands free for other tasks. You can also use the handle to carry it, or use the the tried and true in your the crook of your arm hold. Either way you are sure to be organized and ready for the day. What I love most is that it has a lifetime warranty which means they really stand behind their products.
We have had many ZIPIT products over the years and we have yet to have one fail us, now it is our turn to try out this and put it the test. Make sure to check back with us at the end of the school year to see how it held up. Find the ZIPIT'N'GO Organizer at Walmart.
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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
With summer coming and our family not being comfortable with everything opening up yet as well as the news we will be having our granddaughter most of the summer, I needed to come up with some activities to keep the girls busy in between when they run out of ideas. This girl’s creator braiding bracelet kit is one of the many awesome items we picked out. My daughter gave it a whirl today so we can make sure we know how to use it when the time comes.
Her results were OK for the first time using it. We didn't finish it off with the cutting or glue due to the fact she wants to practice to get better at it. My daughter is 13 and really needed a lot of help with this at first but once I showed her two rounds she was able to do the rest on her own. Like I said she wants to practice a bit more to get the string tighter and neater for the finnished look.
She did say that this will be a good item to use during the summer with my 10 year old granddaughter and I am sure a few of her friends.
The kit does say it makes up to 12 bracelets. With that being said this one took took two strings which leaves just enough to make 10 bracelets if you only use one color per bracelet so keep that in mind and maybe pick up some extra elastics and string. I see these being made with embroidery floss, paracord rope, yarn, and other simular strings which we have on hand and can be picked up easily at your local craft store or on Amazon.
We love that this came with a bag so everything can be stored inside and grabbed at a moments notice for some bracelet making fun. I personally see this being used for years to come as long as I can continue to provide the elastics and string. Sadly right now there were no refill kits but maybe in the future they will have those available.
Here is a picture of everything you get in the kit.
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INTERNATIONAL DINOSAUR DAY is MAY 18TH
National Geographic Kids is celebrating all month long with fun games, video shorts, facts, and even a dinosaur personality quiz. You can find them all here. They are even hosting a giveaway for one lucky winner on my site to win all 5 books below with a value of $80.00. Enter here.
I have always loved National Geographic while growing up and National Geographic Kids brings all of the beautiful illustrations and information down to a child's mind set. Check out these beautiful books. I just know my grandsons are going to love the bright pictures, while learning about dinosaurs, and then playing with their own dinosaur toys to bring the action to life. These books are big on pictures, facts, and inspiring stories to make learning fun for your child. Below you will find the books and a write up from National Geographic on each one.
(hardcover, ages 4-8, 128 pages, $14.95) - A #1 best seller on Amazon! The prehistoric world comes alive with dinosaurs small, big, giant, and gigantic, with stunning illustrations. Bursting with fun facts and age-appropriate information, each spread features a different dinosaur, along with simple text in big type that is perfect for little kids. Young dino fans will love the interactivity included in every chapter, and parents will appreciate tips to help carry readers' experience beyond the page.
(hardcover, ages 4-8, 32 pages, $16.99) - Ever wondered how to find a dinosaur? Paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson, host of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids, tells kids how! How do paleontologists find dinosaur bones? How do they know what dinosaurs ate or looked like? And what is paleontology, anyway? Dr. Scott tackles all these questions and more while inspiring kids to go out and make the next big dino discovery!
(paperback, ages 8-12, 208 pages, $8.99) - 300 dino-mite facts to sink your teeth into! Perfectly sized for back seat boredom busting, this new addition to the wildly popular WBT series is taking on the jaws and claws that ruled the Mesozoic world. Calling all dino dynamos! Did you know that the T. rex had vision 13 times better than the average humans? Or that people collect fossilized dino poop? And get this: There's a dinosaur named after Hogwarts--Harry Potter's wizarding school! Get ready to meet dinosaurs with horns and feathers, razor-sharp claws and gigantic teeth. You'll encounter the places they lived, the bizarre art they inspired, and the amazing paleontologists who discovered them.
(hardcover, ages 7-10, 296 pages, $24.99) - Big, beautiful and gift-worthy! The new edition of the popular Nat Geo Kids Dinopedia includes all the latest species and is the most complete, up-to-date dinosaur reference available. Find favorites, like the fierce T-rex and the gentle Brontosaurus, plus audacious new finds, like the Anzu, Kosmoceratops, and Yi. Every dino profile is colorfully illustrated and features descriptions of when they roamed the Earth, how they lived, what they ate, and more. There are more than 600 dinos featured in all, including 10 profiles of recently discovered dinosaurs and new entries in the Dino Dictionary. Reports from paleontologists present the latest news and insights from the field.
(paperback, ages 8-12, 208 pages, $14.99) - Curious which creatures ruled when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Get ready to meet the record-setters, including the biggest, smallest, smartest, weirdest, deadliest, most notorious, and most mysterious of all time. You'll find fantastic firsts, including the first dinosaur fossils found and the first dinos in space. And you'll meet other rad, remarkable creatures that lived before, after, and alongside them. Did you know that the largest fish, the largest turtle, and the largest flying animal that ever existed lived during the time of the dinosaurs? Or that mammals – no bigger than a small dog when dinosaurs roamed – eventually evolved into massive land animals? See who wins in head-to-head species smackdowns and enjoy games that complement the records.
If you are interested in buying one or all of these books check them out here.
Giveaway Dates ~ 5/8/21 12:00AM EST through 5/31/21 11:59PM EST
MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter
Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: 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 12:00 AM (EST)5/31/21. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to marksvilleandme@gmail.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 RaffleCopter Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Pamela Marks at marksvilleandme@gmail.com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.
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It is never too late to learn how to get your finances in order. We have been married for 30 plus years and we are just beginning to get ours in line. We married young, had a ton of kids, and lived very busy lives. We just never really took the time to learn things. Sure we skated by with a couple of falls and setbacks, but we never really learned to save for ourselves, children, or our retirement. What can I say we lived paycheck to paycheck and when we had extra money we spent it quickly on things we had deprived ourselves from having the rest of the time. So here we are at the age of 49 with hardly any savings. Sure we have no debt but we don't have anything saved or to show other then our family for the 30 years we have been together.
So like I said it is never to late to learn. Take for instance the book "Official Money Guide for Couples" this is a great book to start with if you are in relationship. There are many more to choose from but this is a good start and will help you make better choices, hopefully earlier then us but even if you are younger then us take the leap and learn more about finances not just for today or tomorrow but for years to come.
I believe if we had some guidance all of those years before things might have worked out very different for us along the way, but we can't change the past we can only move forward from where we are today. Since the beginning of 2020 many families have felt the sting of not saving earlier. Times are hard on tons of people and even if you can't save right now this book can really put you on the right track to getting your finances in order and changing your life over time for the better.
In the last year we have saved a little bit of money here and there so we have something in case of emergency. Now we are taking all of our money saving tips we have used over the years and are combining them with what we have learned in this book to do more with what we have. I don't think we are ready for the stock market just yet but hey it is a possibility.
If you are interested in learning more check out the book below or even visit their site. Links at bottom of post. There are products for kids to adults so that everyone in your family can learn to take care of their money better. Here is to everyone making a change in their lives one step at a time, it's never too late.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
What is Dancing & Life?
Dancing and Life is a company that provides free and premium training and coaching to help you overcome crises and live your best life. It will teach you the power of movement and dance to help you feel better now.
Dancing and Life is for everyone. You don’t have to be a dancer or even have rhythm or dancing skills; what matters is the movement and the intent behind it.*
I am currently working with Dancing and Life to let my readers know about a free program yes it's FREE to help you Dance through Crisis. I was sceptic at first but now that I have done a whole week of the challenges I am sold. I think it is great for people and companies to help others get through those times in life that are hard, or maybe even have been lifelong battles we just never quite got over. I will share a few of these over the next few days but be sure to sign up for your Seven Day Challenge with Dancing through Crisis to see all of the videos and advice to help you on your journey.
The first challenge wasShare your experience in spinning the gratitude wheel. Draw a big circle on a piece of paper; divide it into 4 sections; in each section write what brings you joy; spin a pen and share your experience with whatever joy it lands on.
Remember this is just a small bit of the challenge, for the whole Challenge sign up for free at Seven Day Challenge with Dancing through Crisis to get started on your journey.
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.
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.
There is no secret our family loves to play games. As a parent I also like learning games, and games that can be played in different ways like this Magnetic fishing game. I absolutely love that it comes in a package that can house the whole game in between play. First of all it is a fishing game where you can fish for numbered magnetic fish. This can be changed up many ways, as well as a set of alphabet magnetic letters. Use them in the game on a magnetic board etc.
Then you have the card set which teaches animals, the alphabet, and matching. I love the simple design and how much I can see this being played with by my grand children.
Check them out at my affiliate link. 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.
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.
