James

If you like giveaways, did you know I have put together a channel here on Instagram JUST to promote giveaways? No more looking for them... they go straight to your inbox. These are the #giveaways I enter personally for games, books, puzzles, toys, gadgets, etc. I consider them vetted. Feel free to tag me in the ones you find... and let me know if I can tag you as well. That way, you don't risk losing a friend cause you spam them... hope this helps! . . . . . . #freegiveaway #instagramgiveaway #freeentry #contests #sweepstakes #concoursinstagram #concours #worldwidegiveaway #bookstagram #boardgames #puzzles #wishlist

Father's Day 2024 started a little early this year. We kicked it off with a quick trip out to Rock Island State Park for a quick #familycampingtrip Normally, we don't go out for this sort of thing in June. The heat in #Tennessee can be a bit rough. So a trip out to the water was a must. We had some #smores and some late night stargazing. All in all, great way to celebrate. I highly encourage all dads out there to break out the tents and head out into the backyard.. it is never too late for some #familytime Tonight we will be checking out Inside Out 2 at the #drivein theater. What are your plans for the weekend. . . . . . . #familyadventures #qualitytime #campinglife #campsite #fishingtrip #memoriesofalifetime #childhoodmemory #corememory

So my birthday was on Friday, and my wife ( @thequirkymomnextdoor ) got me an amazing gift. She got me tickets to see @bradwilliamscomic and @ball4president at the Tennessee Theater in Knoxville. It was a great show! I loved seeing both of these guys and hope to see JB Ball in Chattanooga in October. Comedy is where it is at these days. We love to laugh, and these guys cracked me up. More importantly, they keep it real. They line up and shook every fan's hand at the end. They are genuinely nice guys. That is beyond rare these days. I have seen guys charge an exorbitant amount, just for a handshake. I have seen some run outthe door, straight to their bus. I have even seen comics send out decoys so they could away unseen. But these guys want to shake your hand and say thanks for coming out. I would loved to have chatted them up a bit, but we respectfully got our merch, our pic, and took off. There were a lot of people behind us, and it would have been rude to monopolize their time. . . . . . . . #comedy #comedyshow #standup #birthdaygift #birthdayweekend #lotsoflaughs #narwhal #dateyourspouse #memoriesofalifetime #datenight #nightoutwithfriends #goodtimes #laughterisgoodforthesoul

So I figured we are halfway through 2024, and I might as well give everyone an update. One of the goals I set for myself was to read 75 books. That is the soft goal, 100 is the next after that, and the stretch goal is 150 books. To date, I have completed 41 books. That includes a few short novellas, and some young adult books. Typically I like to read things I think my kids will like, and it will help motivate them to keep reading. Part of my book goal was to read the entire Shannara series from start to finish. Terry Brooks tends to write in trilogies, and the covers pictured above are the starters for each trilogy I have read. A beautiful thing about about his work is that he writes in sections. Each set of books can be stand alone, but they fit in a bigger world. I am done with 10 of the 41 books. I am actually struggling. I loved reading his stuff when I was a kid. It doesn't hold the same flavor as it did back then. Where I used to consider him one of the greats in the genre... I don't think I can say that now. I feel guilty saying that. In fact, he is very cookie cutter. It is like I am reading the same book, over and over, but instead of driving a Mustang, it's now a Corvette. His heroes tend be teens, or young adults at best. There tends to be a betrayal of a trusted advisor. There is at least one moment where something just happens to fall into place to save the day. So I guess my question for #bookstagram is this: Is it OK to drop a goal/series or should I see it through? I read The Wheel of Time series, start to finish (including the prequel) in 2023.... let me know in the comments.

It's another hatch day here at the #homestead Tint eggs produce tiny birds. After hatching turkeys, we decided to grab some #silkiechicken eggs, and this little one was our first arrival. We bought 10 eggs to start. 3 failed immediately and were likely not fertilized. Out of 7, we now have 4 little #chicks and one egg is pipped. A pip is the first sign of hatching.... so if it hatches, 5 of 7 is a pretty successful hatch rate. Hatching birds is an amazing experience. It is great when we candle to see which eggs are developing. Once that first pip happens.... I get giddy inside. Then comes the cracking, shaking, and moving.... the house becomes a chorus of cheers for the little bird to come out. . . . . . . . . #chickensofinstagram #babybird #hatchingeggs #lifeinthesouth #farmlife #homesteading #homesteadlife

🎉 Giveaway 🎁 Now that I have completed the puzzle Joy Waves by @mintyfizz_puzzles , I have decided to turn it into a traveling puzzle! I have signed one of the pieces. I would love it if the winner of this puzzle would complete it and send it on to a winner/ friend of their choice. This is a fun concept in the geocaching world with travel bugs, and I would love to see it take off here! If we can get all the pieces signed, maybe the last recipient could send it back to Mintyfizz, and she could have a trophy of sorts of all the people she impacted with its creation. She really is a gifted artist, and her puzzles are a lot of fun to work on. Audience: 🇺🇸 USA only 🇺🇸 🏆 Prize: Traveling Puzzle (Joy Waves, 1000 piece puzzle by Mintyfizz) How to enter: 1️⃣ Like and save this post 2️⃣ Follow @lost_in_geek_reviews and @mintyfizz_puzzles 3️⃣ Comment below and tag 3 friends 4️⃣ Share this post to your story and tag @lost_in_geek_reviews Optional entries: 5️⃣ +1 entry per additional comment below with 3 different friends 6️⃣ +1 entry for following @thequirkymomnextdoor 7️⃣ +1 entry for following @lost_in_geek on tiktok (send screenshot for validation) Rules: 🎯 The giveaway will end on the 9th of June at 8:00 PM. 🎯 This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only 🎯 The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize. If the claim is not accepted, a new winner will be chosen at random. 🎯 Please respect entry requirements as entries will be validated. Disclaimer: 🧩 None of the associated accounts are responsible if the puzzle is lost or damaged 🧩 This giveaway is not sponsored nor affiliated with Meta 🧩 The winner will be contacted via DM by this account only. The only information we will need will be your full name, shipping address, email address, and phone number for shipping purposes.

Tonight I finished the Joy Waves puzzle from @mintyfizz_puzzles and I had a blast doing it! I started this one with the kids, and we knocked out the border in relative short order. I decided our strategy would be to work by color. One chose pink, one chose blue, and I did green. Divide and conquer on the color wheel worked, but it was a lot more challenging than I first thought it was going to be. The colors are breath taking! The pieces themselves fit snuggly together, but I had zero false fits. Very well done. Highly recommend their puzzles. So what puzzles are you working on? Let me know in the comments! I may follow suit. ;-)

Which puzzle should I do next? I really need help with this one. We love #harrypotter in our house, and it's a tough one. On the one hand, you have #hogwarts and on the other, you have everyone's favorite #houseelf - #dobby Either vote on the poll or let me know in the comments!

When Kelly ( @mintyfizz_puzzles ) went over 8,000 followers, she held a #giveaway and I was the lucky winner. She had offered one of her own designs as the prize, and I picked Joy Waves. I figured it looked like her most challenging one, and the colors were vibrant. Man, the pictures didn't capture them enough. They pop out at you in person! My kids immediately flocked around the table! There were tons of "oooos" and "aaaahhhs" as they sifted through the pieces. Something else jumped out at me though... the texture of the pieces. They feel a bit cushiony. I don't think that is a real word, but they are extremely soft to the touch. Anyway.. I am still trying to teach my Littles that puzzles are all about a strategy. Come up with a way to do it before you start. For this one we went typical border first. I feel it is a must for the majority of rectangular puzzles. Then I asked them to pick a color... they went for their favorites. Pink. Red, blue... I just sat back and waited. They tapped out pretty quick, and then I went to work. Green us almost done. I told them... pick the section with the least going on. You use up pieces, which will make it easier to find the ones you want. Divide and conquer. What is your typical strategy? Oh... take a moment to look at the Mintyfizz line. I would love to hear which one would be your favorite... . . . . . #puzzlechallenge #puzzlecollection #puzzlecommunity #puzzles #puzzlelover #jigsawpuzzlesofinstagram #jigsaw #jigsawpuzzles #oddlysatisfying #brainteaser #brainhealth #onepieceatatime #memoriesofalifetime #childhoodmemory

And it is done! Once again, a shout out to @leogor.puzzles for making the Eternal Tree of Life #jigsaw #puzzle I really enjoyed this one. It was #oddlysatisfying as each piece clicked into place. I absolutely love #woodenpuzzles and think I may be addicted to them now. The colors on this one are so vibrant, and the detail is phenomenal! They did an excellent job in creating this one. My kids really enjoyed working on this one with me and were a bit saddened as we completed it. Highly recommend it. Have you done a wooden puzzle? Let me know in the comments. . . . . . . . #jigsawpuzzlesofinstagram #puzzlechallenge #puzzlecollection #puzzlecommunity #ilovepuzzles #indoorfun #qualitytime #funforkids #onepieceatatime #memoriesofalifetime #childhoodmemory #corememory

I was so excited when this @leogor.puzzles wooden puzzle came. I had won this in one of their #giveaways recently and couldn't wait to dive in. The first thing that jumped out at me was the box. It isn't a typical top and bottom style box. It is a magnetic flip top, which is a nice touch and let's people know they are in for a surprise. Upon opening the box, you will find the pieces wrapped in tissue paper. I liked that. It is more eco-friendly than the usual plastic bag. Then you get to the pieces themselves. They are thick, and the quality is readily apparent. The first task was to separate the specials. Miniature apples, trees, birds, and even bees are found in this one. When you flip the specials over, you can see the item in its entirety. I also chose to move the edge pieces to the side and work on those first. It isn't a typical rectangle, but border first was definitely the route to take in solving this one. I am a little worried about putting these pieces together. If I break a piece, there is a QR code to help get it replaced, but the pieces lock in an intricate way. All in all, I absolutely love this one. It is a pleasure to put together. It isn't the most challenging, however. Very relaxing. . . . . . . #puzzlechallenge #puzzlecollection #puzzlecommunity #jigsawpuzzlesofinstagram #woodenpuzzle #uniquepieces #indoorfun #familyfavorite #qualitytime #funforkids #memoriesofalifetime

Today I was teacher for the day for our youngest. I took two dogs to the groomer, and our youngest #homeschooler wanted to go with me. So we to the #locallibrary to hold our lesson. When the lesson was finished, I went exploring. It had been a bit since I really looked around. New books? Of course. Movies? Sure thing. Audiobooks? Check! Then I found #jigsawpuzzles available for checkout. They may not have all their pieces as they are donated... but... it was still VERY interesting to see! I also found a #boardgame section! I couldn't confirm if they were available to borrow, but it was still something to think about! So if you need a new puzzle or game to try out, you may want to head for your #library and see if they participate. If you have stuff to donate... same thing. . . . . . . . #puzzlecommunity #gamecommunity #puzzlecollection #gamecollection #indoorfun #puzzlesofinstagram #boardgamesofinstagram #libraryfinds