Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

Friday, February 16, 2024

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:

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.

Samsung 5.9 cu. ft. Capacity Samsung Freestanding Electric Range

This post was originally written on September 3, 2020, but for some reason, it never posted, since we use this every day I wanted to share about our experience with it. 


First of all, I have to say how excited we were to come across this range. Recently our old stove had the oven door shatter due to a mishap with a rolling chair so we had visited a few sites and stores looking at ranges to replace it.  No kidding we had it down to two stoves this very one and another by a different brand. 

We are used to glass cooktops so there was nothing really new here except for the 5th burner which keeps food warm (think gravy, veggies, dips, stews, etc). This fifth burner is great for family meals or for the Holidays.  We love the sleek design and the stainless steel accents, which we are totally new to.  

My favorite part is the hidden element. This is what makes the range so easy to keep clean. As a mom with children and grandchildren, we are always making meals, so clean up needs to be easy. The top wipes clean with little effort and upkeep, the inside is super easy as you don't have to clean around a heating element which makes cleaning tedious. 

I also love the controls, they are easy to use, and the light that lets others know that the cooktop is hot is awesome. All of our children and grandchildren know if that light is on the range is hot. A lifesaver for a family who likes to cook together. 



 







The oven is great and fits two small to medium pans on one shelf, my largest pan can only fit one per shelf, which is OK with me since this is the only way I have ever used it. I do wish that it had come with a third rack for utilizing the whole oven such as when baking cookies, pizza, etc. 

I only have two flaws that could be made better with future models and that is the vent under the controls on the range. Cleaning this area can be dangerous as it has sharp areas. I am used to a smooth surface that cleans just a bit easier than this. Maybe a grated area that can be cleaned without fear or laceration. The second is that the stove can not sit flush with the wall because of the plug. I am thinking of a recessed area so that there is room for the plug.


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, January 21, 2024

Freud’s Last Session Review

 


Recently I was able to view Freud's Last Session and found it quite interesting. It is a nice look at what both might have said to each other if they had actually met and debated over the existence of God. For me, I have strived to learn about God my whole life, and then I was introduced to Freud in College during psychology classes. It is interesting to see both of their debates, speeches, and writings going against each other in this movie. Of course, for me, it was also set in my favorite part of history as well. Take a look at the trailer below.



On the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, C.S. LEWIS and SIGMUND FREUD converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God. FREUD’S LAST SESSION interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey. PG-13

 Tickets can be found at  Tickets.FreudsLastSessionFilm.com 


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, February 24, 2023

No more ear pain

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


 Honestly, I hate in-the-ear headphones and have only been able to use over-the-ear headphones until my husband told me about bone-conduction headphones. I was intrigued and wanted to try them out. Luckily I was sent a pair of bone-conduction headphones by Wigfar to review and I am in love. 

I like over-the-ear headphones but they always leave my delicate ears in pain which I think is from the headphones pushing on my ears on top of where my glasses are. With these bone-conduction headphones, I don't deal with this. They run behind the back of my head so I can comfortably wear my hair up or down it doesn't matter. They are lightweight, pair up easily by Bluetooth and sit gently on the Tragus by your ear. I can also wear my glasses with them and haven't had any pain. That was the big seller for me. 

Now for a few reasons why I love these. A few of my girls are runners and I was constantly telling them to leave one headphone out of their ear so they could hear their surroundings while they were running so they would be more aware of nearby danger. With that being said depending on how loud you have the volume set others may hear what you are listening to but I find that I can have these set at a much lower volume because the sound is so clear. Again when my children have headphones on in the house, they often can not hear when someone is calling them so these are able to be used and you are still aware of everything around you. 

These would be great for exercise, relaxing, while cleaning your home, watching your favorite show, or even taking phone calls. 

If you are looking for noise-canceling headphones these are not for you. These are headphones where you can listen to your favorite music, podcasts, etc, and not have to worry about missing out on anything that is going on around you. Check them out below. 


Serving my drinks in style



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Hear me out. I am sure you have seen some videos online of people taking their beverages and pouring them into carafes and putting them in their fridge then throwing away the container they came in. Even though I think that is wasteful I do have a use for carafes in our home. We often buy fresh, frozen, and ready-to-drink beverages. I use our carafes when we are mixing up our frozen drinks or making homemade lemonade. 

I really like this set I was sent to review. It is a pair of carafes with lids, and little signs and even has a chalkboard marker included to change out the labels as needed. Here you see it being used for our orange juice and fruit punch. My husband says it would also make a nice vase in a pinch. 

Easy to use and care for they make me feel like I am Serving my drinks in style and remind me of the orange juice container my mother had while I was growing up. Besides the lids, I like that the carafes are plain so you can put whichever beverage inside you decide. The labels are cute and let those who are serving themselves know what is inside. Also did I mention they look great in the fridge or at the table. Think lemonade on the porch in the summer. So cute. 

So if you use it like others on videos or just need it for things like we used them for you can find them here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8YP33D4 if you click on the photo below it takes you to my affiliate link which helps me out too. 




 

Saturday, September 18, 2021

Not just any Pop it

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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.

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Aging and changing up your skin care routine.

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Getting older has many challenges. One of them are menopause or in my case perimenopause. On top of that add hypothyroidism. Saying my body has been through a lot this last year is just a small view into the whole picture. So here I am changing up all of my lotions because my skin is just so dry. On some areas of my body you can actually peel inches of skin off at a time. Gross I know. 

With my feet I have found that they also needed a new cream. My tried and true just isn't up to par against this new stage in my skin life. I was happy to be able to try out pureauty naturals foot cream. Below you can see day one and day nine of my foot cream. 




Yes I know others have much worse dry skin then this but my feet were actually the last part of my body to start drying out. I believe in working to stop things before they get out hand. I found this cream much less creamy then what I had been using making me doubt it would work but low and behold it is getting the job done. 



 

Overall I was very happy with this cream and found the best time to put it on was after washing and drying my feet. I usually put it on before turning in for the night so it can work while I sleep. What I love about this cream is that it is made in the USA and is animal cruelity free. 

Currently I have been trying out lotions and creams for my body, hands, feet, and face to see what will work best for my aging skin. I think we have most of them narrowed down but I can say what works for one person may not work for you. Everyone I have spoken to has suggested a different cream or lotion to try that worked best for them. Hardly any of them worked for me. 

No one suggested this for my feet I found it by doing this review. You just never know where you answers will come from. If you are dealing with dry skin don't give up there has to be a product out there that will work for you. 

If you would like to try pureauty naturals foot cream check it out here

Friday, September 3, 2021

From Dry to Supple

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 My daughter has been dealing with sore dry cracked lips. It really came out of no where an in the middle of the summer. Nothing seemed to be working. We were lucky enough to be able to try out pureauty naturals collagen lip mask which if you look from the first treatment to day 9 of treatment you can see just how much her lips have healed. 

Of course I am no scientist to know if the lip mask really did anything or not but we were using our regular lip balms with no results and the pictures and her smile are enough for me to encourage me to keep this on hand in the future just in case. 



We love that it is made in the USA, is cruelty free, and is easy to apply. It has a minty scent but didn't cause any irritation to my daughter while using which is a big factor when you are trying to heal something. Lips are so delicate. 


If you are interested check it out by clicking the product picture below or at the top of the post. 


Thursday, July 22, 2021

Eternal Spring

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My mother was a big collector of religious knick knacks, but once my father and her passed I wanted to decorate their gravesite with both religious and colorful items they loved in real life. With that being said I found these cute little birds from Gaidenly I thought would be a perfect addition to their grave site. They also make great decor for your home, garden, potted plants etc. 

I think it will give their gravesite a little touch of eternal Spring, and a pop of color in the middle of the cold days of winter. The next time I get to visit my parents I will drop them off, but until then they are hanging around here on our entertainment center with my very own small collection of knick knacks. 

They are well made resin pieces that measure about 2.8x2 inches each. I love how you can use them all at one time or split them up around your home for a little bit of surprise here and there. A great idea would be to buy these and when giving a gift of a plant to for say a housewarming party you could stick one inside the pot for a little extra pizzazz. 





You can find this four piece bird set at Amazon.

Monday, July 19, 2021

Getting Ready to Homeschool

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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





Check out ZIPIT on

Website

Pinterest

YouTube

Facebook

Instagram


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, July 18, 2021

The Cutest Thing Ever




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







Do you ever just stumble upon Something that tickles you pink? Well I do and sometimes those things just need to bought. That is what I felt when this I found this cute bike accessory. It is just so stinking cute. I couldn't resist. I know my daughter loves it too. Even though it feels like it has been raining forever, she couldn't wait for the first sunny day to put it on her bike and show it off a bit. The rubber duck was easy to strap to her bike and the color we chose really pops with the color of her bike. Now she has a trusty friends to go along with her while biking around our neighborhood.




Now tell me this isn’t the cutest bike accessory ever. He squeaks and lights up. He can have his helmet up or down and even comes with an optional gun. Ok so they had me at rubber ducky. Sometimes I am just pulled in for the sale on sheer cuteness or originality, and I think this hits both. They have six different helmet covers to pick from so you can match it up with your bike colors. It also comes with adhesive so you can attach it to the dashboard in your vehicle. Who doesn't need a little sidekick to bring some joy to their lives? I think this is whimsical and affordable. Bring a little cuteness into someone's life. 











Great for gift giving, bringing someone cheer, or just as a fun gift to surprise someone with. Coming from a first person shooter game family we find this has cuteness overload.


Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Screen Patch Repair Kit


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We rent a apartment that is very old and most things are really hard to replace. Take for instance our screen door. I think it was handcrafted for this house and if I had to guess was last updated in the 70's. You can take out the mid part of the door, changing out the glass panes for the screen piece. My daughter booty bumped the door to get it open because it sticks in the humidity and did some damage to it. Check out my blog about fixing it here

Before we did that we tried out the above product to see how it would work on just holes. Since we were replacing the whole screen anyways my husband caused a hole so that we could we could give it whirl. As you can see from the close ups there were tiny holes everywhere in the screen where it had rusted through. Like I said it was old. 

Anyways we have a hole where just using a piece of the mesh tape on each side was enough to fix it. It is noticeable but it is also a quick fix and much less expensive then replacing a whole screen. 




Then we have a much bigger hole here that had to have the whole treatment. The kit comes with a rounded needle so that you can literally sew the screen and then apply tape. As you can see in the second middle photo below that it isn't very neat, that is because everytime we tried to sew it the screen gave way because it was so rusted. Mind you if your screen is not as old or rusted through like ours was this would have looked amazing. After sewing you put a piece of the mesh screent tape on both sides and you are done. Again it is noticeable but less expensive then replacing a whole screen. 




We thought this would be great for use on tents or those pop up houses as well. Most of the time you need to get rid of your tent if there is a hole and for safety you do that with the pop up houses as well. Now you can get a little more use out of your products with a quick patch job with this kit from Magzo. Check it out here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798N7ZG5.



Screen Door Repair

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




Our front screen door opens hard when it is humid out. One day my daughter booty bumped it forgetting the screen was in which can be changed out for a glass panel in the colder months and damaged the screen. As you can see from showing you how to repair just a hole on the same screen, you can see this screen had mini holes all over the place when you zoom in on the screen and it had to be replaced either way with the side damage. Check out the repair patch kit here. The video for this repair is here.  


This door looks like it was hand crafted so everything had to be done in steps. Since we rent we wanted to be very careful as I don't think we could have found a replacement. My husband was more then a bit nervous doing this as he did not want to ruin it more. As you can see the results were way better then we thought they would be and we are very impressed with this replacement screen from Magzo. It was a large piece and did our screen door and can probably do a large window in our home if need be and a smaller window. For the price and time we spent on this project we saved tons of money. 

With this screen door there was no spline so my husband had to take the molding off carefully. It has to be from the 70's at least. Then he tore off the old screen removed the staples that were originally there then layed and measured the new screen. Once he adhered the new screen to the door he was able to replace the molding and finished it up with a fresh coat of paint. 

He then placed the screen in the door and it looks better then before. Like I said it came out better then we had hoped. All the anxiety he had over starting this project was unwarranted. My husband was very happy and relieved with the outcome.



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Below is the replacement screen we used from Magzo which was 48"W x 99"L. You can find it here