Summer reads you won't want to miss

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

I Love Strawberries is an awesome book to read and learn how to grow strawberries, or even before going to your local farm stand. Reading this one is both fun and educational. I even picked up a few hints about growing strawberries in our garden. Perfect for the start of Summer.

Side note for anyone interested the very first job that I was paid to do was to pick strawberries on a farm when I was about 12. It was hard hot work but gave me a new understanding of the work it takes to grow food.

Farm Boots is a book for anyone who has ever enjoyed spending time on a farm or has fond memories of working alongside a grandparent. It is also a book for anyone who wants to celebrate the special bond between generations, the importance of family, and the simple pleasures of life.

 For me, this book brought back memories of helping my dad on the farm with the cattle or in our backyard where we kept pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and for a short time a goat.

Both of these books can be found at most bookstores or retailers online.

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.

Weird But True! Birthday Fun Pack Giveaway

Welcome to the

Weird But True! Birthday Fun Pack Giveaway

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 2 books, cake scented pencil, a cup with a twirly straw, cupcake shaped Squishmallow, and a fold-out balloon to one winner. The giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only. The pack has an ARV value of  $70.00

Weird But True! Birthdays  (Paperback, $8.99, ages 8-12) This fun-filled fact book takes the cake! Did you know that on each birthday, you are 31,536,000 seconds older than you were on your last birthday? Or that the winner at the world birthday cake-eating championship ate 14.5 pounds of cake in just under eight minutes? How about that you likely share your birthday with about 20.8 million other people around the globe?

Unwrap 300 wacky facts and pictures showcasing the hilarious history, crazy coincidences, awesome astrological beliefs, and surprising statistics behind birthdays. You’ll be blown away by the world’s craziest cakes, the most elaborate decorations, and the most grandiose gifts to ever commemorate a year in the life.

Weird But Truel World 2023  (Hardcover, $24.99, ages 8-12) A 10 out 10 for gift giving! Discover Earth’s strangest animals, natural formations, festivals, ancient wonders, news, and more in this newest addition to the wildly popular Weird But True! family―an annual compendium of everything Weird But True! fans love ... and then some. 

Readers will journey across the seven continents, dive into the ocean, and even blast off into space to discover a whole wide world of weird. From the troll doll bug of Suriname to the Bog Snorkeling Championships in Wales to a technicolor village in Indonesia, Weird But True! World offers an unparalleled, adventure-filled exploration of our world’s amazing uniqueness. 

 

a Rafflecopter 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 12:00 AM (EST) 5/30/23. 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.

Hop Into Spring with National Geographic Kids Books Giveaway

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

Welcome to the 

Hop Into Spring with National Geographic Kids Books Giveaway!

Hosted by

MarksvilleandMe

sponsored by

National Geographic Kids Books

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 six books listed below to one winner. The giveaway is open to U.S./Canada Residents only. The pack has an ARV value of  $76.00

That's Fact-tastic! Mind-Blowing, Eye-Popping, Jaw-Dropping Stuff About Our World (Hardcover, $19.99, ages 8-12,192 pgs)

Did you know that a giraffe’s eye is as big as a Ping-Pong ball? Or that about 19 million hot dogs are sold at major league baseball games every year? Or that there is only one bone in your body that’s not connected to another one?  This book is chock-full of fascinating facts, silly stats, and catchy little knowledge nuggets in all kinds of awesome categories, from amphibians to black holes to the gold rush.

Special features include Extreme Weirdness, Strange Places, What's the Difference, and more. Bold, colorful photographs in a supersize format and spectacular information create a winning combination for curious kids who can't wait to learn more about the world.

Little Kids First Board Book: Becoming a Butterfly  (Board Book, $7.99) Follow one of nature's most fascinating creatures from egg to caterpillar to butterfly in this vibrantly illustrated board book that introduces babies and toddlers to these incredible insects.

Bursting with vivid photos and featuring super-simple facts, this charming board book explores how a butterfly becomes a butterfly.  Little readers will be dazzled by the variety of colorful butterflies they meet as they learn how these beloved insects develop from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to an adult ready to spread its wings and fly.

Little Kids First Big Book of Sports (Hardcover, $14.99, ages 4-8, 128 pgs)

Climb, dive, skare and race into the wide world of sports! This lively reference book, co-branded with ESPN, introduces young readers to a variety of sports from across the globe and explores how they are played.

Whether a sport needs a ball or a stick, a pool or a field, a racquet or a ski pole, young readers can explore each sport’s history and the rules and skills that make that sport unique. From basketball to soccer, lacrosse to cricket, archery to diving, bowling to skateboarding, snowboarding to playground games, this lively reference book covers a variety of team and individual sports. Special sections look at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Whether you’re interested in team sports, solo sports, or watching from the stands, this book has something for everyone. Let’s play!

Features include:

• Age-appropriate descriptions of dozens of sports, and the rules and skills that make each sport unique
• Activities that encourage interactive learning and exercise
• Simple text for reading aloud or for beginning readers
• Fun facts on every spread
• More than 200 incredible photos
• Parent tips that extend the experience beyond the book

Zeus the Mighty: The Voyage on the Oddest Sea (Hardcover, $12.99, ages 8-12, 192 pgs)

Join Zeus the overconfident hamster, Athena the wise cat, Ares the treat-loving pug, Poseidon the proud pufferfish, Demeter the loyal grasshopper, and Hermes the daring chicken on another laugh-out-loud adventure through Greek mythology.

Plunge into stormy waters with Zeus the hamster and his gaggle of gods as they meet a shape-shifting soothsayer and uncover the mysteries of the deep in the spellbinding fifth book in this hilarious romp through Greek mythology.

After an earthquake rocks the Aegean Sea, Zeus and Demeter set sail in a not-so-seaworthy vessel to find out what really happened. When their ship is capsized by a slithering sea monster, the duo find themselves trapped in a mystifying underwater realm. The other Olympians mount a rescue mission, only to encounter enchanting mermaidlike creatures with hypnotic songs and a tentacled shape-shifter who tells tales of the future. His uncanny abilities make the Olympians question themselves―and each other. Can the god squad stick together, or will the strange currents of this underwater world tear them apart? www.zeusthemighty.com. 

5-Minute Baby Animal Stories (Hardcover, $14.99, ages 6-8, 208 pgs)

If baby animals make you go aww, this collection of stories is the book for you!  Curl up with 12 true tales about some of the most adorable baby animals on the planet.  Each story is the ideal length to be read aloud in five minutes, perfect for bedtime, story time, or anytime.

From inspiring tales of baby manatee and baby wombat rescues to irresistible stories of how panda cubs, penguin chicks, and more babies grow up, this nonfiction 5-minute storybook will engage and enchant animal lovers of all ages. Illustrated with colorful photographs, these true stories are perfect for any time you need a little boost of cute!

My Favorite Animals Super Sticker Activity Book  (Paperback, $12.99, ages 4-8, 112 pgs)

Chock-full of kids' favorite animals: dogs, cats, bunnies, hamsters, birds, cows, sheep, pigs, and many more! With a colorful design and loaded with tons of games and activities--such as mazes, matching, drawing, and counting -- kids are sure to love these pages of 2,000 stickers!

Hop Into Spring with National Geographic Kids Books Giveaway

MarksvilleandMe would like to wish all those who enter

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter 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 12:00 AM (EST) 5/27/23. 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.

Health update

 Hello everyone. I was waiting till we talked to our children before posting here. All of my tests have returned, some good some bad I will give you the good first. The Doctor thought I was in menopause naturally and because of my chemotherapy. I started to bleed last month after going 14 months with nothing. I waited a day before contacting my Hematologist who asked a few questions and then told me to call my Gynecologist which I did and relayed what my Hematologist wanted done which was just blood tests but the Gynecologist also wanted an inner and outer ultrasound done.

While there I also got a thyroid scan done to check to see what was going on there. My thyroid scan came back that it was just enlarged no Cancer. We were so happy. Then my appointment came yesterday. My blood tests showed that I am not in Menopause at all so I am just a rare case that got their monthly back. The Ultrasound showed that the wall in my cervix is twice the size it should be.

My Gynecologist wanted to do a biopsy yesterday. Dennis hadn't gone in with me so I didn't want to make the decision without him so we talked about options and we are going to wait a month to see if I get my period and go through another ultrasound to see if the wall has gotten thinner. If Either I do or don't get my monthly, and the wall is still the same we are going to do the Biopsy on May 11th to rule out Cancer. I am not going to lie. I am scared. Not sure if I have the strength to go through this all over again. Not sure if my body can take it again. Please keep my family and me in your prayers. Hugs.

Creamy Chicken and Tomatoes

 

Our family likes to try many recipes and even make some of our own. This one above was made from things we had on hand and that I thought would go well together. I hope you take the time to give it a whirl and let me know how you liked it or if something should be tweaked. 

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts

1 8 oz block of cream cheese

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes drained (we used 4 tomatoes)

1 package of onion soup mix (we used recipe secrets onion)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Rice

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

Cut the chicken into strips, place into a bowl, then toss with olive oil and tomatoes then pour in a package of onion soup mix and mix together. 

In a sprayed 9x13 pan place your cream cheese in the middle and then add your chicken and tomatoes mixed with olive oil and onion soup all around the cream cheese (make sure to scrap all the goodies out of the bowl). 

Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes. My husband did stir a few times but you can also wait till you take it out to mix everything together. 

We served this over rice. 

There was nothing left which always lets me know it is a keeper.