National Geographic Kids STEM Spectacular Prize Pack Giveaway

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November 8th is National STEM Day!

Celebrate National STEM Day with National Geographic Kids Books! 

Welcome to the

National Geographic Kids STEM Spectacular Prize Pack Giveaways

Hosted by MarksvilleandMe

Sponsored by

National Geographic Kids Books

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

A Rain of Thought, Deliciously Savvy, Freebies Deals & Steals, Giveaway Gator, Golden Goose Giveaways, Home Jobs by Mom, MarksvilleandMe, My Silly Little Gang, Pink Ninja Blog, The Stuff of Success, This Frugal Family, Versatileer

We are giving away all seven books listed below to one winner. The giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only. The pack has an ARV value of  $96.00

Brain Games: Experiments (ages 8-12, paperback) - Based on the hit National Geographic TV show Brain Games!

Discover what makes your mind tick. Explore the secrets behind smell, taste, touch, and vision. Find out how to trick your friends into thinking they taste something they don’t. Then turn the tables as you try to outsmart your own brain. Put your own mental powers to the test with tricky quizzes, optical illusions, and more. Learn about phantom sensations as you make your brain think your nose is six feet long! Each kid-friendly experiment is paired with step-by-step instructions, vibrant photography, and intriguing explanations of the neuroscience at work. Mind-blowing topics include:

* Senses: Test your powers of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

* Brain and Body: Explore how your mind knows where your body is, how to play brain games with your friends, and secrets behind superhero super poses.

* Thinking: Challenge your memory, strength of the hive mind, puzzle power, mind-reading abilities, and concentration.

* Reactions: Put your reflexes to work to catch, dodge, check snap judgments, and more.

Just Joking Science (ages 8-12, paperback)

Who says science can't be silly? Just Joking Science features 300 science-themed jokes that are scientifically proven to leave kids laughing. Jokes about all kinds of science stuff―kooky chemistry, funny physics, dinosaurs, space, and more―is combined with fast STEM-centric facts and 10 stories of real-life scientific experiments that are almost too wild to believe. Sized just right for Christmas stockings, back packs and back seat/holiday travel boredom                                busting.  

  

    

 Can't Get Enough Space Stuff (ages 7-10, paperback) 

Featuring more than 200 extraordinary illustrations and photographs, detailed diagrams and infographics and a winning combination of comprehensive articles that do a deep dive into outer space research, fast facts and first-hand accounts from experts, Can't Get Enough Space Stuff is the ultimate book for space enthusiasts.  This book covers it all -- get the scoop on space food, space junk, space volcanoes and NASA's future plans for reaching Mars and Europa.  Learn about how scientists are looking for life on other planets, cutting edge space technology, mind-blowing black holes and the International Space Station.  Hands-on activities you can try at home are a terrific resource for STEM studies and science fair projects.  

Break Down: Explosions, Implosions, Crashes, Crunches, Cracks, and More ... a How Things Work Look at How Things Break (ages 8-12, hardcover)

This book explores how things break down, crack, explode, crumple, and shatter. This fun, unique take on a how-things-work book explores the world through the lens of what it takes for things to, well, not work. In these vibrantly illustrated pages, you’ll peer through the smoke and rubble of controlled demolitions to discover the properties of building materials. Then get a glimpse of the inner workings of a cracked cell phone screen, peek carefully at mega-avalanches and sinkholes, and hold on tight as wrecking balls swing and car crushers crunch metal. Buckle up with crash-test dummies and travel back in time to explore the world’s most famous failures (looking at you, Leaning Tower of Pisa).  Featuring hands-on activities that walk kids through their own experiments in destruction, Break Down! will change the way you look at the world.

         

 Izzy Newtown and the S.M.A.R.T Squad Series (ages 8-12, hardcover) by                              Valerie Tripp

           Join Izzy Newton and her five brainy buddies in this fun three-book FICTION series,      where science and tech reign supreme!

"Written by girl-power expert Valerie Tripp---the author behind some of your favorite American Girl stories---the Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad series features five brainy friends inspired by iconic scientists---Izzy Newton, Allie Einstein, Charlie Darwin, Marie Curie, and Gina Carver---as they go through the wild time that is middle school, with stories on friendship, growing up, and of course, solving mishaps with science and the scientific method. ... It's one thing to have children's books about scientists or podcasts or stories about strong women in STEM, but it's another world entirely when your children get to feel represented by the characters they're reading about. The characters in the Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad series are diverse, smart, and sure of themselves the way all middle school girls are---through their dreams and newly acquired skills they're still getting used to." ― Romper

It’s not easy making the jump from elementary school to a middle school with 900 students. but for the S.M.A.R.T. (Solving Mysteries And Revealing Truths) Squad, it’s all about relying on the value of friendship and the power of science to help them think their way through all kinds of sticky situations. And when middle-school mishaps happen, the Izzy and her five friends (the S.M.A.R.T. Squad!) use their collective skills and the power of STEM to bring order to their school.

Check out all three titles in the series here:

Book 1: Izzy Newtown and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero

Book 2: Izzy Newtown and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Newton's Flaw

JUST RELEASED! Book 3: Izzy Newtown and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: The Law of Cavities

National Geographic Kids STEM Spectacular Prize Pack Giveaway  

Giveaway Dates ~ 10/27/22 12:00AM EST through 11/27/22 11:59PM EST

Open To US entrants and must be 18+ to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This giveaway/sweepstake 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) 11/27/22. 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 is 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 the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest is 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.

Homeschooling for the second year

 

We aren't new to homeschooling (we homeschooled my nephew who we have had since he was a baby) and wish we really did it with our first child and continued with all of them. With that being said on July 27,2021 we made the decision to homeschool our youngest child. Between Covid -19, remote learning, and the public school system doing a great disservice in teaching my children (at least the last two) we felt we needed to take the reigns so our youngest child would be better prepared for what the future may hold for her.

Little did we know I would find out that soon after that I had cancer and then find out it was Stage 3 Colon Cancer. My immune system was horrible, to begin with, Chemotherapy didn't make it any better so it was the right move at the right time. Even though last year threw us curve balls we made it through, seeing our child start to blossom, and finding out what she really enjoyed and what she hated in school was worth it. 

We are of course better prepared than we were last year and so far the school year is going well. 

Where I am today

 I thought I would update everyone on how everything is going. One thing I want to reflect on is my fight for disability. I was told when I was 11 years old that I should never work. Did I listen? No, I held down several jobs on farms, babysitting, and working in mom & pop stores as a teenager. Once I was married I worked in a grocery store, mom & pop store, ran my own child care for many years, worked with mentally and physically handicapped children and adults, worked for a movie theater, and did several freelance jobs. 

 When I was pregnant with our 6th biological child my Dr. made me promise once I had her I would not work anymore. I still tried to do freelance jobs which only caused me to get more sick until I just couldn't even do those anymore. 

 As you can see I have tried to make something of my blog but to be honest I don't make very much not enough to pay the bills but enough to get gifts for my family, but that isn't from what I write. That comes from doing surveys which takes time and you don't get rich from that, at least I haven't found a way to. 

 Then I do product reviews which is fun. I get to try out lots of products and introduce my family, friends, and readers to what is available and how I like it. Along with that, I am able to do giveaways for some of the companies as well as work with a whole assortment of bloggers in helping them with their giveaways. Again no payment just free items but it keeps me busy and I can work it around my being ill so often. 

 So back to my disability fight. It took me getting cancer for them to finally put it through. I am considered disabled for the rest of my life. We thought it would be the answer to our financial needs, and I would feel like I was contributing to our family's income. Sadly I was a wee bit short of the points to get SSI on my own. I know I may mess up the different programs up so I apologize, they are confusing enough. So they tried getting me money from another source and they say my husband already brings home too much in his own disability so I am not eligible. I am also not eligible for Medicare so I have to keep applying for Medicaid. 

 It certainly was not the answer we wanted, but it is what it is and has changed our future plans quite a bit, but we are going with it as the path we are supposed to be on and will keep plugging along. The worse part is my lawyer worked for over 7 years on my case and doesn't understand it all either. These are the only cases she does and has never seen one turn out like mine. She was only to get paid if I got money and I didn't so she literally spent years on my case for nothing in return. 

 I had planned to go see the Ocean which I have never seen when I made it through my treatments. We planned to make a big trip next Spring, but I don't think it will happen quite like we wanted it to. We wanted to stop at different places along the way to visit friends, family, and destinations. I know I'll make it to the ocean someday even if that is my children putting my ashes in the Ocean after I am gone. 

Today I awoke so my time here is not done. Thank you to those who stayed long enough to read and hope you will come back again. Hugs. 

Getting through the hard days

  I am a believer in Jesus and know not everyone's path is smooth. I have felt his presence every day. Even on the hardest days, it was him that got me through. Not that my family hasn't helped because they have and even friends helped out a few times bringing things we really needed to be able to get through this. I have several dear friends and family who checked in with me often, calling, sending texts, words of encouragement, things to make me laugh, and most of all praying for me. 

 My husband would just seem to know when I needed him most because I would be really upset or not feeling well. I sleep in the living room on an XL Twin adjustable bed while he sleeps in our room on our old bed. We hope to purchase the other half of my bed so that we can put them together in our room so we can sleep by one another again. Anyways I didn't always want to bother everyone when I was like that since they all did pretty much everything for me during my waking hours. He would just appear, pull over a chair and sit with me until I fell asleep. He even said he would often come out just to make sure I was still breathing.

 He prayed for me, played games with me, cried with me, and made me laugh when I needed it most. Oh don't get me wrong there were days he was so tired even with the help of the kids that he just needed a break, not as many as he would have liked to have I am sure, but when he was able to get a break it seemed like for a while after he would have the strength to get me through some more days. 

 There were nights I told my husband and God that if I died that night I would be OK. I am ready to go home, but sure enough, I would wake up the next day and know that God wasn't done with me yet. I wish I knew what my purpose was but most people never know and it isn't seen or realized until after they are gone. Miracles can be like that too. 

 I have been blessed in my lifetime to have seen many miracles. Some may never get the chance or shall I say open their eyes enough to see them happen. I wish believing in God was easy for everyone. I know there are those who may read this and not have a relationship with God or even believe in him, but that is your choice this is mine and I am not pushing it on you, just relating to how I have gotten through my life. Take what you will but don't be mean just out of spite. Everyone's path is different. You are on yours I am on mine. I wish well to all those who read my blog and hope this will touch everyone in some way. Until another day. Hugs. 

Scan and Test results.

 I haven't really written about my health issues since it all began but will be backtracking and adding in posts and hope to be able to have them in some kind of order if you would like to go back and read from the beginning. If the latter is true then just keep your eyes open for that post. 

 When this all began I wanted to keep an online journal here on my blog but things went so quickly even though at the time it didn't seem quick at all. I thought so many things would happen or I would have time for this or that but to my surprise, it didn't go quite like I would have liked it to. 

 For anyone just hoping on this rollercoaster, I call my life, Welcome, grab something to drink maybe even a snack. My name is Pamela, I have been married to my husband for 32 years and dating him for 33 years. We have 6 children. My son is 31, my daughter Samantha is 28, Bryan is 25, Nesie is 25, Deanna is 19, and Dorothy is 14. We also have 4 grandchildren 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. 

 I was adopted by my paternal Uncle and his wife. They are who I take about whenever I write about my parents if I talk about my biological then that will be the term I use while talking about them. My parents received me when I was two weeks old. 

 I hadn't been feeling well for quite some time (although to be honest I have been getting sick from the very day I was born). I kept losing strength and sleep was taking up most of my days and nights leaving me feeling even more tired. I knew something was wrong and when I found out I had diverticulitis we thought that was the answer but during a colonoscopy to check on my diverticulitis and at the time seeking a surgeon to remove my sigmoid from my colon they found a mass which they cut and removed which showed Cancer. 

 They were pretty sure they had it all and that I was at most stage 1 Colon Cancer but once they were able to do the Cancer Removal Surgery my results came back Stage 3 Colon Cancer. It had spread to my lymph nodes. As I said I am working on getting my notes from the last year or so together and adding them here so we are now going to take a big jump to now. 

 I finished my chemotherapy on July 21st. I had a few appointments after that date that will be added as I go along but we are going to keep our attention on my first set of scans and tests since then. 

 I had my colonoscopy in mid-September 2022. I have hemorrhoids, and my diverticulitis is still there, but where they did my surgery has healed well, and looks beautiful they said. My mammogram came back clean, but I am still waiting on the ultrasound they took of my ovaries. No news is good news, right? I see that Dr. later this month.

 I had my cat scans last Thursday. My Oncologists office called today to go over them with me. There is something on my thyroid (I already have hypothyroidism, and growth in the same area but not attached to the thyroid) that I didn't get the name of but will be confirming what action is needed next with my Primary Doctor who was given a copy of the scans. Called today but he had already left for the day so hope to hear from him by tomorrow. My oncologist is monitoring a few nodules on or in my lungs. Do forgive me I will update you when I know which it is. Instead of having a clear scan and being able to go another 6 months till my next scan I will be getting more scans in three months to check on my lungs.

 I had hoped to give everyone the all-clear for the next 6 months but it just isn't the case. I guess once you get Cancer you are always waiting for it to strike again. I didn't worry about it till I had it and now I can't shake the feeling of dread every time there is a test no matter how positive I try to be. I have a hard time sleeping and want to spend as much time with my family as I can. There is just never enough time to do it all.