Library Lovers Day Review

Courtesy of Pixabay

February 14th is more than just Valentine's Day - it's also Library Lovers Day.  

This is a day to honor libraries, librarians and all us bookworms who love libraries and the books they hold. 

Some say that the whole month of February is a time to celebrate libraries.  I say ANY day is a time to visit a library!

Celebrate Library Lovers Day on February 14th

Libraries excitement mug

by Philbradley

With vast knowledge available at your fingertips on the internet, and with the invention of e-readers, one might think that public libraries are on their way out. But wait.... libraries are more than just places with books to borrow. They are places for meetings for groups of hobbyists or shared-interest groups.  There are regular story hours for toddlers. There are magazines and periodicals, movies and music, and the availability of microfiche of local newspapers for research purposes.  And, in keeping up with today's technology, most libraries have computers available for use.  

Librarians

Librarian Original Search Engine Coffee Mug

by empireofthecat

Librarians must have a degree in Library Science, thus making them invaluable in helping you find everything from obscure information to the latest best seller.  

And just as borrowing a book is free, so is a librarian's assistance. 

Children and Libraries

Many libraries have a section just for children where they can play quietly while older siblings and parents look for books to read.  

Tyler at the library 
Photo by Wednesday Elf

In a Cincinnati suburb near my son's house, such a play area at their local library is a favorite of my grandsons. There are small tables & chairs where they can read a book or play with jigsaw puzzles.

Library Play Area (c) Elf

There are also computers set up just for children.  The play area is light and airy located near big windows and also has comfy soft chairs for the parents to sit with a book while the children play.  

On a recent visit, I enjoyed a wonderful hour there with my grandsons.  Their mom takes them to this library at least once a week.  The library even has a coffee bar for adults to enjoy.

  

Did You Know....

 

Library of Congress. Image Source: Pixabay

The Library of Congress in Washington, DC is the largest library in the world. Within its collections, there are literally millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts.  The 164 million items are stored on some 838 miles of bookshelves.  It also has the world's largest law library, with more than 2.9 million volumes, and contains United States congressional publications dating back to the nation's founding. 

Library of Congress (Image Source: Pixabay)

The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the nation.

It also is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Books, Books, and More Books....

New Library Near Me (c) Elf

If you are looking for a good book to check out at the library and read, you'll find a wide range of Book Reviews to aid you in your selection from the following sources:

*Our own BarbRad reviews books here on Review This!  Barb also talks about educational and children's books on her blog Books to Remember.

*Other members of Review This! frequently review books for ReviewThisBooks.com

*Reading is a pleasure beyond words.  I described how much my family loves books and reading in "For Love of Reading", along with a list of our favorite books.

Dog and Cat in the Library Coffee Mug

by friendlyspirit

 

How to Celebrate!

There are many ways to celebrate Library Lovers Day:

• Visit your local library and check out a book.
• Volunteer at a library book sale.
• Take your child or grandchild to a library story hour or help a child get their very first library card. You will open a magical world to them through the joy of reading.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

Library Lovers Day Review by:

~Wednesday Elf~

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing the Lifetime Folding Utility 4' Table

I cannot believe I am this excited about a folding commercial utility table purchase. But I am! The Lifetime table is extremely durable, adjustable to three different heights, and is a convenient length. And it has just made my life easier.

Lifetime adjustable folding 4' table

Lifetime 80160 Commercial Height Adjustable Folding Utility Table

This table top is made of an extremely durable high-density polyethylene. These table tops last for years without breaking or cracking. I know because our conference tables at work are made of the same material (and I've knocked one over while trying to put it away but didn't cause any damage).

The legs are adjustable, easily moving between children's table height, adult table height, and countertop height. 

When set up, the legs are strong and lock into place. The feet of the table hold the table in place - even on carpet. 

This 4' long table is the perfect size for my current needs. I am using it as a temporary desk.

During this sudden and expected work-from-home situation, I was struggling with working comfortably on my laptop for 8+ hours each day. When I write blogs, or browse the internet, I sit in a chair, on my bed, or on the floor. I get up frequently and move around. But that wasn't at all comfortable for work. I needed a desk or some suitable work space. But I have neither the room for that or the desire to buy that furniture.  

This table is a very similar size to my desk at work. I can work on my laptop with everything I need nearby.  And when I'm finished working I merely fold the table up and move it out of the way. Perfect.

I spent only $55 on this solution - which is the same price as a decent folding card table but far more sturdy.

Lifetime 4' folding table

Other possible uses for this table include:

• seating (adult or child) for family reunions
• all-weather resistant so it is perfect for outdoor uses such as picnics and parties.
• extra table, desk or countertop space for small living areas (such as dorms, small apartments, mother-in-law suites, etc)
• the smooth top is perfecting for crafting, sewing, and large crochet projects - no rough edges for snagging things. 
• desk or table work space for children and their school work
• perfect table for jigsaw puzzles
• extension of counter or kitchen space for canning or other large projects
• small buffet table or dessert table
• workshops and garages

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Merry Christmas from Review This Reviews

 Merry Christmas to everyone from all of us here at Review This Reviews.

For me, Christmas is a time to be spent with the people you love and a wonderful time to create memories.  Everyone celebrates Christmas differently and has different Christmas traditions, one such tradition is the Christmas Tree.

Some people put the tree up as soon as Halloween is over and others on December 1st, when I was a child it was Christmas Eve in our household.   My brother and I tried to talk my parents into putting it up earlier and one year we thought victory was ours as mum relented and said okay we'll put it up on the Saturday before Christmas.

As it got closer to Christmas we realized that Christmas was on a Sunday which meant the Saturday before Christmas was, in fact, Christmas Eve!  When my daughter was younger we would put our tree up on the 1st Saturday of the school holidays.   This leads us to how you decorate your Christmas tree, there are lots of ideas that can be found on this Christmas Facebook page.   We used to have special ornaments that we put up every year, but some people like to create a new theme every year.

My brother and his family have a tradition of giving their children a present every Christmas Eve which is a pair of pajamas for them to wear that night.   They used to open the presents while still in PJs so it meant all the photos always looked good!

Growing up we would use pillowcases in lieu of stockings and when talking to some other ex-pats from the UK a few years ago we found that we had very similar things placed in our stockings each year!  There would always be an orange, a toffee dime from the Quality Street tin(how strange that this was the one that my parents didn't like from Quality Street - a must-have for any English household over the holiday season at that time!).   There would also be a book and/or a little game to entertain us and a nice outfit to wear.   

After waking our parents up at whatever time in the morning it was that we discovered Santa had been we had to go back to bed and weren't allowed up until 9am, hence the book/game.   Then we had to get dressed (hence the new clothes) and eat breakfast (which was usually porridge that took soooo long to cook!) before we were allowed into the front room to see the Christmas tree and all the gifts.   I can feel the excitement just recalling the moment when we could see the tree on Christmas morning. 

I have spent far more Christmases in the antipodes than I did in the UK so Christmas for me these days is in summer (I do still miss Christmas being in winter though I must admit).   Our family Christmases certainly look different to my childhood Christmases for one thing we usually watch Christmas movies (my daughter used to love Elf, whereas my husband and I are more Die Hard fans) in the lead up to the big day - when I was growing up we didn't watch much television.

Board games were a big part of our Christmases and I know they are for lots of other families as well.   I also come from a family of readers so there were occasions where after Christmas lunch was over we would all be stuck with our noses in books!  If you're after a book to read then be sure to check out our recommendations, and best of all most of these can be downloaded to your Kindle straight away (just in case no one gives you a book this year!)

Some people enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, others build Legos whereas others take walks as a family or for people Downunder it often means being in the pool or playing backyard cricket.   The first Christmas we spent in New Zealand we went down to the beach and tried out fly fishing rods that mum and dad had got, then found a log and tried our version of tossing the caber, I seem to recall a jandal throw as well.   Our very own Christmas games on the beach!

Whatever you're doing and whoever you're spending Christmas with this year make sure you are making some fantastic memories.   Keep safe, have fun and goodwill to you all.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Games Day Reviewed

 

"Stack O' Games" by Chealion is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Games Day is held each year on December 20th. It began in 1975 by the Games Workshop of Birmingham, England in the UK.  If you are not in England, you can still get involved by playing some games wherever you live.  It's a day that brings us all together. 

History of Games Day

Source: Pixabay

Games Day was created by Games Workshop, a British game production and retail company. The company started out producing more traditional games such as backgammon and later moved on to fantasy universe games, such as Warhammer (my cousin's favorite game!). Since 1975, this day of carefree fun has become extremely popular in England and then in the United States.

How to Celebrate Games Day

Source: Pixabay

Family and friends can enjoy this Games Day in hundreds of ways. There are so many games available from the traditional ones of Chess, checkers, dominoes and backgammon to the modern day ones, which naturally include video games. Just ask any teenager! 

The 10 Most Popular Board Games

Source: Pixabay

1. Chess
2. Stratego
3. Monopoly
4. Risk
5. The Setters of Catan
6. Scrabble
7. Battleship
8. Clue
9. Dominion
10. Ticket to Ride

Other Game Day Celebrations

Source: Pixabay

• January 26 – Dungeons and Dragons Day
• January 29 – National Puzzle Day – brain exercise games such as jigsaw, crossword and Sudoku puzzles.
• March 4 – Games Master Appreciation Day
• April 13- National Scrabble Day
• April 30 – International Tabletop Day – a day to celebrate tabletop games such as board games and card games
• July 8 - Video Game Day
• November 19 – Monopoly Day
• December 20 - Games Day
• December 28 - Card Playing Day

*Links in the above list are game reviews by contributing members of ReviewThisReviews.

Summary

Some games have had enduring popularity, such as Monopoly and Scrabble. Card games have been popular since early times. There is no end to the number and variety of games in all forms and for all age groups. 

Source: Pixabay & Fotojet

MY most favorite games of all time are any card game, Scrabble and Yahtzee, in that order.  What are yours?

A Variety of Fun Games on Amazon

Games Day Review written by (c) Wednesday Elf on 12/19/2020

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Wear a Halloween Apron This Year!

WHY NOT WEAR A HALLOWEEN APRON THIS YEAR?

A Halloween apron is not necessarily meant to be a costume though it certainly can be one. It also is a rather practical accessory designed to help you get into the spirit of Halloween. Why not treat yourself to one this year? On this page we review five fun reasons to buy a Halloween apron and five great places to source one.  

Click here to find this Happy Halloween apron on Amazon.

FIVE REASONS TO WEAR A HALLOWEEN APRON

(Just in case you need a good reason!)

🎃 No time to prepare a costume for yourself.

🎃 No money to spend on an expensive costume that you'll wear once.
🎃 No time left after creating costumes for your children.
🎃 Not going to a party so wearing an apron at home seems more reasonable.
🎃 No costume appeals to you.

If you have any of these problems, I say, "Go ahead, buy yourself a fun Halloween apron!"

FIVE PLACES TO SOURCE A HALLOWEEN APRON

If you don't have much choice at home, you might consider sourcing your Halloween themed apron from one of the following online sources:

AMAZON - A simple search of Amazon, by clicking here, turns up more than 1,000 Halloween-themed aprons! They're abundant and affordable.

EBAY - eBay has a much larger selection of Halloween-themed aprons, new and used, available than Amazon does and they have vintage ones, too. However, the number of vintage Halloween aprons is somewhat limited I expect because wearing a themed apron is a newer idea. For new aprons on eBay, click here and for vintage Halloween aprons on eBay, click here.

ETSY - The sellers on Etsy are a pretty creative bunch and Halloween aprons are found a plenty on that website. Check them out on Etsy by visiting this link.

MAKE YOUR OWN - You can make one on your own. If you are a seamstress, you might like to look through the resources shown on the page How To Make An Apron, from where you might find inspiration or assistance in crafting the exact Halloween apron that you have in mind.

Do you already have a Halloween apron or are you searching for the perfect one right now?

Happy Haunting!

Boo-renda

MORE HALLOWEEN AND APRON READING:

How about a Hocus Pocus T-Shirt?

Fans of the cult-favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus will love this tee!

A page of Not-Too-Scary Movies for Tweens

Have a youngster clamoring for scary movies? Here are a few safe choices.

Hey Monkeybrains! Real Men Don't Wear Aprons, Do They? 

Check out a fun debate and maybe even throw in your two cents worth.

Five Grandfather-Themed Aprons
Grandpa spends time in the kitchen? There's an apron for him!

Discover a fun Halloween Treats Jigsaw Puzzle

If you love working puzzles and Halloween, you will enjoy these treats. They're calorie free!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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