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Turn it Up! 6 of the Best Portable Laptop Speakers

The best portable laptop speakers are really incredible machines. These devices can be taken anywhere and are the perfect setup if you’re working between offices, moving about your house, or you’re just working anywhere that’s far away from an electrical outlet. 

With portable speakers, you can take your music into your backyard, the beach, or just about anywhere else you can imagine. And many speakers today come with nifty tools, like voice assistants, so you’re speakers aren’t just portable, they’re also smart!

These days, there are many options to choose from. And they range greatly in price, additional features, and size.

So if you’re looking for the best portable speaker around, then you’ve come to the right place! Continue reading and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know. 

1. Urbanista Brisbane

While the Urbanista Brisbane might not look so thrilling at first glance, there’s a powerful speaker that lies underneath its unassuming design. The sound quality is rich and loud and it’s extremely well priced. 

This speaker weighs around 2 lbs and is just a little longer than the new iPhone. That makes it extremely portable as well as sturdy. You can hold it easily in your hand.

You’ll find the controls on the speaker’s top. Here, you get your standard volume keys, fast-forward and rewind buttons, and power button. 

On the back of this speaker is a micro-USB charging port. It also comes with an AUX input if you’re not interested in using Bluetooth. Both of these inputs are covered by a rubber flap so that they don’t get damaged. 

This is a fantastic portable speaker to go with your portable monitor for Mac. 

2. Sonos Move

The Sonos Move is one of the best portable speakers currently on the market. Whether you need music for a midday picnic or late-night house party, the Sonos Move will get the job done. 

It’s fairly big, weighing over 6.5 lbs. It can connect to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and has a battery life of around ten hours. 

Many people are so impressed by the Sonos Move that they don’t just use it as a portable speaker but as their standard home speakers. This device comes with two drivers, a handy mobile app that can unlock playback from hundreds of different wireless sources, and multi-room capabilities.

It also utilizes smart audio-tuning technology which adjusts the output based on the speaker’s external environment. This portable speaker is extremely versatile and would be a great choice for practically any and everyone. 

With that said, it is relatively heavy and more on the expensive side. But if you’re looking for a durable and high-quality speaker, then you should definitely put the Sonos Move on your radar.  

3. UE Boom 3

The UE Boom 3 is incredibly small and lightweight. It’s a little over one pound and can last for up to 15 hours on a full battery charge. This device can get extremely loud without distorting any of the audio.

It’s dust-resistant as well as water-proof. And it also has a one-touch mix button so you can pull up your favorite playlists without having to touch your smartphone. 

While there are more powerful speakers out there, it’s hard to beat this one’s price and affordability. You can even get your speaker in different patterns and color combinations. 

4. JBL Flip 5

This is a fun yet pared-down portable speaker. It weighs the same as the UE Boom 3 and has a battery life of up to 12 hours. It doesn’t have an AUX cord and doesn’t do USB charging either. 

This simple device gives you a portable speaker that sounds great. And if you’re someone who doesn’t need hands-free call functionality or voice control, then the JBL Flip 5 may be all that you need. 

Its IPX7 rating means that it can be submerged up to 1 meter of water for thirty minutes without getting damaged. So you can take it outside to the beach or pool without getting worried.

5. Bose Home Portable Speaker

Looking for a Sonos Move-like portable speaker but without the hefty price tag? Then you should definitely consider getting the Bose Home Portable Speaker.

This speaker comes in at one-third of the weight of the Sonos Move. It can last for up to 12 hours and also comes with Bluetooth charging. 

The Bose Portable Home Speaker offers the talents of both Amazon Alex and Google Assistant alongside its Bluetooth connectivity. 

This speaker has a beautiful minimalist design that can withstand even rough weather conditions. It’s also easy to hold and take with you. 

While it doesn’t necessarily have the sound quality of the Sonos Move, it still sounds great. And if you’re a fan of the Bose sound, then this is a portable speaker worth purchasing. 

6. Anker Soundcore Flare

Many people know Anker for their extremely affordable portable speakers. And with the flare, that’s what you get but with great quality to boot. 

With a mouthwatering price of only $20, it’s hard to find a reason not to buy it. This waterproof speaker has terrific sound quality, only weighs one pound, and has a wireless range of 65ft. 

Which of These Portable Laptop Speakers Will You Get?

As we can see, there is a wide spectrum in the world of portable laptop speakers. But no matter your budget or your speaker needs, you’re sure to find one that best fits your lifestyle. Just remember, the best portable speaker is the one that you’re going to get the most use out of. 

Interested in reading other helpful articles? Check out the rest of our blog today for more!

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How to Drastically Improve Your Mornings

Some people wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world; they are morning people, and the AM is their time to shine. Of course, they tend to fade once the evening rolls around, but still, it’s not hard to see the advantages of waking up feeling excited for the day ahead. But what if you’re not one of these people: do you have to resign yourself to a life of hating mornings? No! There are things you can do that’ll help to improve your morning, in a profound way. We take a look at a few useful tips below.

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Sleep Well

The problem might not lie in the morning, but the night before. If you’re waking up wishing that you could spend many more hours in bed, then don’t blame the morning: take a look at your sleeping habits. If you’re finding it difficult to get a restful night of sleep, then you’ll struggle to wake up in a good mood. Fortunately, sleep problems are usually the result of one or two issues, which you can resolve. If you’re drinking coffee or alcohol before or spending too much time staring at a screen, then change your habits.

Give Yourself Time

Even if you wake up feeling refreshed, you’re not going to enjoy the morning if you have to rush around just so you can make it out of your home and get to work on time. Instead of rushing, why not look at setting your alarm for a little earlier? It’ll require a bit of a push to get yourself out of bed, but it’ll be worth it. Instead of rushing around, you’ll have time to read, meditate, and do other things that get you off to a great start to the day.

A Great Breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the low-quality meals some people eat every morning. You’ll find that you enjoy the morning much more and that you leave the home feeling great if you upgrade your breakfast. Look at bagels, smoked salmon, avocado, and other game-changing foods. Round it off by drinking some delicious coffee, which you can get from Kopi Luwak. After you’ve switched to awesome breakfasts, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted your time having low-quality cereals and coffee.

Work Up a Sweat

If you have the time, look at working up a sweat in the morning. You’ll be surprised at just how fantastic you can feel after a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute run. It’ll blow away any tiredness that you feel, especially if you finish it with a cold shower.

Beginning with a Smile

Finally, don’t forget that you can push yourself in the right direction just by having a positive attitude. Every day represents a new opportunity, so go at it with positivity and a smile — you’ll find that you’re in a much better mood throughout the day. 

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Here are a Few Reasons why you are Missing your Sales Targets

One of the qualities of a great sales manager is motivation. You have to make sure that you are constantly driving forward and that you are also able to meet all of your sales targets as well. If you are noticing that your team is constantly missing their targets however then this can be cause for concern, so it’s super important that you keep pushing them and that you also address any concerns as well.

Your Goals are Not Firm Enough

If your goals are not formed properly then they will be impossible for your team to achieve them. You need to set goals and you also need to make sure that you are setting realistic ways to achieve them as well. If you are not sure how to set goals, then you ultimately need to make sure that they are specific, measurable, realistic, actionable and time-related. If you make sure that every goal that you set meets these requirements, then you will be able to set better goals and you can also hit your targets much more efficiently. If you find that you or your team are missing quarterly targets then it’s a good idea for you to break down your goal into weeks or days. That way you can make sure that you are on track as time goes on.

Missing your Sales Targets

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You’re Not Collaborating with your Employees

Collaboration is very important in a team environment. If you want to get the best result out of your team then you need to try and make sure that you are giving them the chance to work with one another. Enterprise document management can really help you here, and so can investing in a cloud system. If you want to benefit yourself then it may also help to ask your team what they feel as though they need from you so that you can work to meet their every requirement.

You are Raising your Targets too Often

Not every sales rep will try and meet the goals that you have set for them. This may leave you wondering why, and the answer is relatively simple. You may be raising your sales targets far too often. If you want to help yourself here, then you need to think about it from their point of view. They may be working hard to hit the X goal, but if they do, the Y goal will be even higher so they may end up having to work even more overtime as a result. You can see why this would be a problem so you have to make sure that you take this into account as much as you can.

You are not Coaching your Team

If you have long-term experience, then you may find it hard to step back and really examine the short-comings of your team. At the end of the day, you may be part of the problem and this is the last thing that you need. Sure, you might be holding meetings often but are you really coaching your team during them? Being a mentor is so important because you have to be someone who your team respects and don’t fear.

You have Poor Lead Generation

Think about it, how strong are your leads? Valuable time and effort that is wasted on leads that will never convert aren’t good for business. So think about it, do you have a clear idea of what a good leader is? If you aren’t sure then try and find out whether you are aiming content at your ideal customer. It also helps to try and find out if you are placing content in front of the right audience.

Your Sales and Marketing Team are Disconnected

When your sales department is not aligning their efforts, your sales will suffer. If your sales and your marketing team are not reaching out to your customers in ways that complement one another then this will work against you in the long-run. One way for you to improve this would be for you to have meetings with both teams. Give them the chance to talk about their issues and also make sure that everyone is held accountable for their actions too. If you are able to do this then it will really work in your favor.

Of course, missing your sales targets can be demotivating but if you are able to get to the root of the problem then you will soon find that you can go on to achieve way more.

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5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

With the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping just around the corner ongoing debates over online sales tax, and related statutory rules and rate changes, remain more divided than ever. With annual vaulted sales projecting higher than normal turnarounds for small businesses this fall, and constant debate circling the Wayfair Act passage of 2018, making being versed in proper tax compliance important to nearly every savvy businessperson’s action list all sales tax holidays long. But sometimes understanding how to implement safeguards and systems, monitor ever-changing statutory laws, and finding easy and efficient ways to remit the right taxes can be tricky for even the most compliance-minded business person.

Making having an easy-to-follow starting point key for addressing sales and use tax compliance. With this in mind, here are five tips to identify steps your business can take to address your particular challenges this season with your small businesses at home:

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Determine taxes by analyzing changes to nexus rules

Nexus means connection. The term nexus when used in tax law to describe a situation in which a business has a tax presence in a particular state or states. A connection between a taxing jurisdiction, like a state, and an entity like a business that must collect or pay the tax.

While most businesses have some concept of nexus—what connects businesses, both online and in brick-and-mortar retail, per each individual taxing jurisdiction, as to what is required for sales tax collection and remittance, this complex system can leave many unaware of dramatic changes to nexus proposals happening this season. As there are numerous developments on the federal level,  focusing on current state proposals that that are currently underway is key. These rules change significantly over time and have the most direct impact on online retailers and at-home small businesses.

To stay compliant, review where you currently have nexus and identify applicable rule changes. Most important in light of recent Wayfair sales tax case changes. Which can be found from looking online on your state’s tax office page. As well as making sure your business is registered in states where it’s required and determining whether your business might have unknowingly created nexus in a jurisdiction. Particularly is you employ or utilize traveling salespeople, contract labor, leasing real or personal property in a state, participate in trade shows, or other nexus-creating activities. Making sure to avoid practices that put you at risk for audit including having out-of-date rates and rules and failing to recognize new tax laws and rates.

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Never ignore consumer tax

Consumer tax is defined as a tax on the use of a tangible personal property (TPP) not otherwise subject to sales tax. Generally speaking, a purchaser owes consumer tax and sales tax compliance on items purchased on which they paid no sales tax or less tax than the applicable sales tax rate. Unlike sales tax, the remittance responsibility lies with the buyer, by way of either the business or individual. In some cases, as in most small businesses and online businesses, the purchaser would be a business, such as a developer or a distributor, who regularly buys goods, mostly online, to use, or consume as TPP.  Including remitted taxes for businesses as they withdraw goods from inventory for its own use, particularly if the sales taxes were not originally paid at the time of purchase. It is the responsibility of all properly run business to self-assess their owned TTP, and if and when necessary, including changes to Wayfair tax policy, when you remit to your state what has been accrued on your next tax return.

This can be done by maintaining a written use tax policy leger spreadsheets, filing exemption certificates, when needed, for more complicated multip-purchase and shipped orders, creating an audit trail for certificates of ongoing purchases spanning multiple seasons, keeping accurate records of service exemption rules in each jurisdiction in which you do business, and creating quick-to-be-accessed, printable, nonexpired exemption certificate summary reports. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Know how to remit sales on tax returns

Even companies that ensure every possible step to diligently track and update changes in sales and use tax rules, sometimes inadvertently fail to remit their accused taxes correctly. Which is why knowing which form to use, where to file, and what to include in your returns, paramount each tax season at home.

This can be most easily done by review whether your filing schedule has changed as relates to your business revenue, at least ninety days prior to remitting for your annual or quarterly taxes each year. This can help you determine if new ore implemented e-filing laws will affect your business in each current season. This also will help businesses to avoid filing errors that increase your risk of audit. Including failure to prepay or establish payment plans, remit late payments, or payment to incorrect jurisdictions or states. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

Affiliate Sales

Some online retailers sell directly through affiliates. This style of marketing involves the selling company to advertise and sell goods provided by another company. Some states have adopted laws that require online marketers to collect and remit sales tax on products purchased from affiliates based in states where the law is in force, regardless of where the selling company exists or where the products are sold. Similar legislation in other states may follow, so always be sure to keep abreast of sales tax laws for online concerns in your state.

Get help when needed

No matter how versed you are with sales tax law, even the savviest of businesses might need help. Including Wayfair nexus. A site designed to help businesses better understand sales tax nexus and sales tax laws. As well as enabling small business owners better understand other tax-centric topics including, various sales tax software, sales tax filing, sales tax regulations, sales tax act, in a post-Wayfair Act world.

Resources to help you understand the ins and outs of sales tax nexus and sales tax laws. Including other tax-centric topics including, various sales tax software, sales tax filing, sales tax regulations, sales tax act, and specific Wayfair act procedures for overall Wayfair sales tax nexus laws compliance. Helping thousands of business owners stay focused on their core businesses by providing automated end-to-end compliance service information best related to your current business needs.  

Staying sales tax savvy is paramount for your small business at home this season. Are you ready to take on sales tax compliance this holiday season at home? Leave your thoughts below. 

5 Sales Tax Compliance Tips For Fall

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3 Signs Your Workplace Is Great

If you are starting a new job, you will have many things that you are keen to check to make sure that it is going to be a great place to work. It is always tricky at first to know whether or not you have found a decent job, and you might be a little apprehensive about the possibility of discovering that it is worse than you thought it would be. One of the things that will probably prove important to you is the workplace itself – there is much that you might reasonably want or expect from your workplace, and yet which a lot don’t tend to have, so it’s important to be clear on what you are hoping to get out of a workplace. In this post, we are going to help with this by looking at three of the clearest signs that your workplace is the kind of place you should be happy to work.

Source – CCO Licence

Safe

First of all, you should never be made to feel unsafe at work. If you feel that this has happened to you, then it is a clear warning sign that it’s a workplace that needs improvement, and that perhaps you should not be working there in the first place if it is really that bad. In the worst case, you might suffer a severe injury as a result of poor workplace practices and culture, and then you’ll be having to look for personal injury attorneys with a proven record of success to help you along the way. It’s better if you can turn your back on an unsafe workplace at the earliest opportunity, rather than risking suffering such an injury at all.

Friendly

No matter the nature of the work itself, it should always be possible to be friendly with one another as you work. If the workplace does not have the right kind of culture for that, then you will find that you are unlikely to enjoy your time there, and before you know it you will find that you are depressed with the whole thing. So make sure that you seek out a workplace that is friendly, and that you do your best to be friendly along the way too. By doing that, you should find that you are able to enjoy the work more, which is the most important thing of all.

Source – CCO Licence

Spacious

Chances are, you are going to want a certain amount of space in which to do your work. When you find yourself in a position where you are merely given a small cubicle in rows and rows of small cubicles, then it might mean that you are going to struggle to actually work and enjoy the work. The more spacious that the place is, the easier it is to work away, and this is something you can get a glimpse of when you go in for the interview. If it is too cramped, it is unlikely to be the best workplace in the world.

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Google: Digital Wellbeing Through Technology

This post is sponsored by wellbeing.google in partnership with the Forward Influence Network. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #ad #DigitalWellbeing

 

Labor Day Weekend is always busy for my family. Most years this three-day weekend allows us the time to visit many of our state’s musical heritage along the Mississippi Blues Trail, a trail created by the Mississippi Blues Commission in 2006 to commemorate notable historical sites related to the birth, growth, and influence of the blues music throughout the great state of Mississippi. We were able to see many attractions along the trail. Een a few remote locations. Locations that left me all a little worried about the quality of our phone’s service while on the road.

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Then it occurred to me, these moments when your family should be emersed in our state’s cultural heritage, why are we all so worried about our phones? Moreover, what can I do to ensure that moments such on our Memorial Day weekend trip aren’t so diminished? How can my family strike a healthy balance between the technology we use in our everyday lives, while still being in the present and focused on these things should matter just a little bit more. Like travel and quality time together. This is where the wellbeing.google can help.

Google #DigitalWellbeing Initiative

The Google #DigitalWellbeing initiative, in partnership with FOSI, an international, nonprofit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids. FOSI convenes leaders in the industry and nonprofit sectors to provide new solutions in the field of online safety, has created an initiative designed to provide the public with helpful products that improve peoples’ lives.  To bring families together. For as much as technology aids in the running of our day-to-day lives, it also works as a means of distracting us from the things that matter the most, like family.

Google feels a sense of responsibility in helping to make such things better, which is why they have created digital wellbeing tools and resources to make these necessary changes take form. Including product solutions, tips, and easy-to-access online resources designed to help people maintain a balance between their individual family dynamic and the technology that makes their homes and businesses run in ways that work best for them. I for one, need help in this area! As its oh-so-easy to get caught up in our daily routine. So it’s nice to have tools that can help us bridge the divide between tech and togetherness at home!

Friends, what does your current experience with everyday tech look like? Regardless of your situation, Google has tools available to you to best see what services best fit your needs. Including a tool that asks you simple questions to see what your relationship with technology looks like at home and which tools could be tailor-fit for your needs. After starting your own experience with the above-mentioned tools, you’ll be given suggestions to additional tips and tools to help you achieve your best version of digital wellbeing. For me, it was fun to see what tools I could implement to make my life a little better, tech-wise.

A montage of various smiling on-the-street interview subjects who have shared details about their relationship to technology.

One of the first tips I received was to set working from home boundaries. To step away from work when you want to. This is huge for me. As I work-from-home as a freelance writer, blogger, and influencer,  which makes it hard to walk away from social media as its so intricate to my career existence. But one of Google’s digital wellbeing’s best tools includes scheduled Do Not Disturb timers that can turn on automatically at certain times, creating digital personal, and professional, boundaries for me to use at home to minimize work time distraction.

Best of all, Google will show you how to use it. You can also set an auto-reply for your Gmail account when you are on vacation. Or just need a personal 6-hour staycation nap weekdays at home. 

Setting Limits

This is a huge, friends! Especially for parents, grandparents, and educators of tween and teens. You know, the demographic that needs healthy limits and boundaries enforced by the adults who care about them the most.  Even adults who sometimes need take a break reminder. Google has made it truly simple to set time limits and remind you and suggest to take a break from media take a break. We all know how easy it is to just keep scrolling feeds online. And this service can help. Google’s Family Link also allows you to set bedtime hour limits so you won’t use your devices after those times. You can even remotely lock a device like your teen’s laptop or tablet, enforcing screentime with or without you needing to be home to enforce this rule.

For families with children, especially for households looking to strike better balances between technology, education, and excessive screentime sessions, wellbeing.google has tools, both a family guide and video content, that allow parents to help manage app usage, lock devices, and set screen time limits. There’s also the self-reflection tool, designed to improve our personal relationship with technology. Perfect for influencers like me.

Then there are apps. For times when the kiddos are spending a little too much time in certain apps Google’s Family Link can help with this predicament as well.  Parents can also hide those apps so their child can’t access it. Remotely and at home. While this doesn’t delete the app, nor force users to lose their high scores or in-game progress, it does make the app inaccessible until parents remove or adjust limits for each app. Something we like to do is to give extra app and screen time as an earned reward. It puts a value on app usage. And who doesn’t love earning extra me time each week? 

Steps I use at home to maintain my digital wellbeing include:

  • No phones or tablets on the dinner table.
  • No use of phones or tablets after ten p.m. daily.
  • No answering emails past eight p.m. or before 8 a.m. daily.
  • No scrolling through devices while connecting with loved ones during calls.
  • Replacing two-screen hours a week with audiobook listening sessions.
  • No devices after 8 pm weekends.

Google’s #DigitalWellbeing Plan

As the wife of a tech teacher and robotics coach, I have first-hand knowledge of the necessity to keep your family and school-aged children safe online. Particularly as children grow. Which is why I was excited to learn about Google’s Digital Wellbeing Family Guide.  Packed with suggestions and tips to keep school-aged children safer online. I think every adult should print out and utilize the Family Guide poster with their families, co-ops, Sunday schools, media centers, and classrooms, too! My husband and I have started to fill out our own and my husband has done so for use in his tech classes at school. As its truly a great thing to way to set online rules at the start of each school year.

There’s also the area of needed to make parenting in the technological age a tad easier. Our lives are hectic and it’s nice to have a resource to help us manage the things we are already using. In better and more effective ways. Including difficult topics like internet safety and cyberbullying. Which are additional ways the initiative can help you to create a family digital wellbeing plan for yourself at home?

And because we all need to unplug more often and practice self-care,  be sure to check out the above-mentioned self-reflection tool from wellness.google to improve your own relationship with technology too! Friends, what does your current experience with technology look like? Are you thinking of trying out Google’s #digitalwellbeing Initiative tools yourself? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Homework Help at Home with TinkerActive Workbooks

Please note, this post is sponsored by Moms Meet. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

Whenever children embark on summer break, it’s always a concern that they may later in the season come back to the classroom academically behind. And sometimes no matter how much enrichment parents pack into summer recess, it may still not be enough. Coupled with many children having the type of learning style that if the information isn’t just the right kind of fun or their idea to utilize, it may go in one ear and right out the otherwise. Which is where TinkerActive Workbooks can help. 

TinkerActive Workbooks are designed to help build up your child’s fundamental math, literacy, and science skills while inspiring them to try new things, discover new skills, and imagine new possibilities. Created by award-winning educators and aligned to Common Core State Standards, they are an excellent supplement to schoolwork or at-home or co-op study. Packed with curriculum-based exercises designed for all learners (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic), TinkerActive Workbooks are a great way to foster your child’s love of learning for years to come.

With its focus on tinkering, making, and engineering, these workbooks equip even the youngest of readers to explore complex themes, including fundamental STEM knowledge skills, while fostering imagination and fun. Supplements designed to guide learners to think outside-the-box and explore the world around them in fun and fundamentally-sound ways.  My favorites? The TinkerActive MotMots. These friendly, fun, fuzzy creatures of all shapes and sizes guide youngsters through each critical early math and science skills in effective, simple to understand ways. Moreover, each lesson contains fun worksheets to help guide students through fun math lessons at home.

After your child or student has completed their workbook lessons, simply unbox a collectible magnet hidden in the back cover and place their lesson-of-the-day to your favorite magnetic surface! Your kids will love proudly displaying each completed lesson. As each provided magnet is designed to look like merit badges with images of characters from their book. A fun way to help propel your child to learning excellence at home. 

TinkerActive Workbooks can be purchased wherever books are sold. If you decide to purchase on Amazon, please feel free to leave a product review. Friends, are you looking for workbooks and activities for your little one at home or to pass on to your child’s classroom this back-to-school season? And what do you think of TinkerActive Workbooks? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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