grandma's bookshelf - Made By God - Curious Creatures Down Under and Forest Friends - Give-Aways!

Zonderkidz has a line of "I Can Read!" books which are wonderful tools to help our grandchildren learn to read. I'm delighted for the opportunity to share two of these with you today!

I Have a Winner in My Vineyard Worship, I Love Your Presence CD Give-away!

I'm happy to announce Sara Andzeiczak is the winner of the Vineyard Worship  I Love Your Presence CD! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Sara for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me on facebook so I can have this sent to you) and thank you Vineyard Worship for sending one for my review and for making another available for give-away!

crafting with grandma - Valentine Elephants!

If you decide to involve your grandchildren in a project to help raise money for Samaritan's Purse Children's Heart Project, these little elephants I found on Pinterest could be the perfect Valentine's Day craft for your project! If you are looking for a different, unique and creative card project, these Forget-Me-Not Elephants from Disney Family Fun, are cute, fun and just right!

Children's Heart Project . . . Help Your Grandchildren Help Children in Need!

I have been sharing fun Valentine's Day crafts and recipes with you all - and will be sharing more in the days to come - but today I want to share an idea for a great Valentine's Day service project you could involve your grandchildren in which could save the physical life of a child . . . and lead to the most important thing, the opportunity for children and families to come to know Jesus! I am delighted to share a ministry opportunity with you . . . the Children's Heart Project from Samaritan's Purse. I could write about this project to explain it, but Samaritan's Purse does a much better job, so I'll share what they say and one of their stories with you.


"Since 1997, the Children's Heart Project (CHP) has arranged life-saving operations for more than 800 children from Bosnia, Kosovo, Honduras, Uganda, Mongolia, and Bolivia. 

crafting with grandma - Heart Animal Creations!

One of the first books I reviewed on my blog was, My Heart is Like a Zoo . . . I absolutely LOVE this book and hope the author has another book in the works! As I was browsing on Pinterest today, I saw a great craft based on this book . . . one young grandchildren are sure to enjoy . . . so I just had to share it with you because while it is wonderful for any time of year, making heart animals is perfect for Valentine's Day!

grandma's cookbook . . . Homemade Heart Mints!

I was browsing on Pinterest this morning and found a recipe for homemade heart mints . . . they look like they would be great fun to make with grandchildren and certainly would be fun to give to people for Valentine's Day!

American Girl, McKenna . . . I'm Giving One Away!

As you likely know, I'm giving away one American Girl Doll, McKenna, the Girl of the Year on March 13th! So, how can you get your name in the drawing for this doll? It is pretty simple, first of all, you need to "like" grandma's cookie jar . . . not just this post, but the blog . . . using the tab in the "find us on facebook" box ON THE BLOG. You just need to do this one time. Then, for each time you share one of my posts between January 13th and March 13th you will receive one additional entry (please comment or email to let me know you shared). This is all there is to it!

Go Fish Guys & Denver & the Mile High Orchestra - Groovy CD - I'm Giving One Away!

There certainly are no shortages of music for our grandchildren to listen to, but my favorite group for kids . . . and for grandma's, too :^) . . . is hands-down, the Go Fish Guys and when you add Denver and the Mile High Orchestra . . . well, you absolutely can not go wrong!

I Have a Winner in My "A Mile in His Shoes" DVD Give-Away!

I'm happy to announce Jennifer Hoskins is the winner in my, "A Mile in His Shoes" DVD give-away (you will find the review at this link) Thank you Jennifer for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Vivendi Entertainment for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

crafting with grandma . . . Fun Heart Craft for Older Grandkids!

First of all, my grandchildren are young - six months and three years old. Secondly I do not drink soda pop. But, if I did, this is a craft which is so cool, I'd have to make one . . . or more! I found this Pop Can Key Chain while browsing, of course, on Pinterest! Follow the links because this "Crafty Lady" provides complete directions, photos and helpful hints to help you create your own pop can hearts! Enjoy . . . and if any of you try this, I'd love to hear how it goes for you!

The Best "Name" Ever!

I have many names . . . Lynda, wife, mother, daughter, Mrs. Freeman, granddaughter, niece, sister, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt and friend, but I have one name which is by far, the best ever . . . grandma! As wonderful as it is to be "grandma", there actually is something better . . . Josiah calls me his, "sweet, sweet grandma!" Clearly, hands down, this is my absolute favorite name! Particularly when he says, "I love you my sweet, sweet grandma!" What could ever be better?!!!!

crafting with grandma - Birdseed Hearts!

Typically, the end of January and beginning of February it is fairly cold - often bitterly cold, here in Michigan. This year it has not been bitterly cold, but it is still winter and birds still need food, so if you would like a craft which you could make with your grandchildren and one which gives them the opportunity to help birds, take a look at this great idea I found on Pinterest for birdseed hearts! (You'll find a step-by-step picture tutorial if you follow the links)

grandma's chuckles:^) - Apparently I Need a "Thing-a-ma-jigger"!

Josiah sure knows how to make me smile! Back in October he spent the night at our house and in the morning we were watching, the Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. Josiah said, "Grandma, Poppa needs to build you a thing-a-ma-jigger!" I said, "What would we do with a thing-a-ma-jigger?" Josiah answered, "We would fly in it!" Of course! What else would we do with a thing-a-ma-jigger???!!! :^)


Don't you just love the logic of three year olds??!!!

grandma's cookbook - M&M Brownies!

Of course anything made with M&Ms has to be a delightful and tasty treat, but these are also a wonderful surprise for Valentine's Day! I found this recipe on Pinterest . . . I'm sure it will be enjoyed at my house!

What Was Your Most Interesting Doll?

When I was a little girl, my family tended to take our vacations in the Smokey Mountains. One year I bought an Upside-Down doll while on vacation . . . it was my most interesting doll! What could be better than a two-in-one doll?!!! I loved my Upside-Down doll! I looked up on line the history of Upside-Down dolls and learned the following - "Considered a controversial doll by some, the authentic Topsy-Turvy doll, features a black doll with a headscarf on one end and a white doll with an antebellum-style dress on the other end. The black doll could represent a maid, slave or servant and the white doll could represent the master's child or the mistress of the house. The original Topsy-Turvy dolls were created before the Civil War in the Southern United States on plantations where slavery was prominent. Arguments arise as to whether the dolls were made for the slave children to play with or whether they were made for the white children who lived in the plantation house. Regardless of its history, this is a very unique doll and many storybook and nursery rhyme characters have been based on it since its inception. These upside down dolls have been used to teach the differences between the characters, showing contrasts between two opposites, good or bad, rich or poor, average and prominent, innocent and evil, subservient and authoritative." I didn't understand the controversy surrounding Upside-Down dolls, I just loved having two dolls in one. When my daughter was little, I made an Upside-Down doll for her . . . I'll try to get a photo of it and post it for you.

New VeggieTales Silly Song - Bubble Rap!

If you've been enjoying the VeggieTales daily Silly Song Countdown on my blog - be sure to check today's song out . . . it is an all-new silly song by Boyz in the Sink - Bubble Rap! Keep watching for information on the all new DVD, Veggie Tales: If I Sang A Silly Song - and a fun give-away for this DVD, too!

grandma's music "notes" . . . I Love Your Presence - and Give-Away!

I'm delighted for the opportunity to share my review of a new music CD - I Love Your Presence. This Cd has 13 songs of praise, but it has a "western" "kick" to it, so it doesn't necessarily sound like the praise songs you may be familiar with! If you are looking for music you can enjoy with your grandchildren, of all ages, but particularly your older teens, take a look at these songs. 

I Have a Winner in My Berenstain Bears All Things Bright & Beautiful Book Give-Away!

I'm happy to announce Pat King Mullen is the winner in my The Berenstain Bears: All Things Bright and Beautiful book give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Pat for reading my blog! (please message me your address so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending a book for my review and for making another available for me to give away!

I Have a Winner in My Second-Chance Mothers & Babies Game Give-away!

I have a wonderful game I've been trying to give away, but the winner didn't get their address to me, so I drew another name from among the people who most often comment, like and share my posts . . . Anita Seniuk is the winner of Mothers And Babies! (you'll find the review at this link and PLEASE message me your address so I can have this game sent to you!) Thank you Anita for reading, commenting, sharing and liking the posts on my blog and thank you Ravensburger for making this game available for review and another for me to give away!

A Moment to Thank You . . .

I want to take a moment to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog! I also want to thank you for sharing grandma's cookie jar with the people you know! In addition, thank you for commenting and sharing part of your lives with us all - I enjoy hearing your stories, too! I most sincerely appreciate you all! Thank you!

Remember . . .

Remember . . . as we get older, it can become more of a challenge to remember. Today's devotional, "Remembering the Lord", by Bobbie Wolgemuth in my Grandmother's Bible encouraged me to remember! She encourages us to share our stories, "Stories which display God's character - His great faithfulness, His promises and His pattern of working in the many years of your life - are an encouragement your kids and grandkids need to hear when they're in a desperate situation. What word from Scripture did you cling to? What hymn did you sing? What prayer did you pray when your own life was engulfed by catastrophe? Remember the Lord. Give your family the gift only you can give - stories of God's deliverance on your behalf. And like Jeremiah, you will be filled with thanksgiving and able to tell everyone, "salvation comes from the Lord."!

crafting with grandma - Crayon Hearts

I found a wonderful idea today while browsing on Pinterest . . . crayon hearts! You can make these from bits and pieces of old, broken crayons . . . rather than throw those old crayons away! It is very simple and fun - a  great craft for you to make with your grandchildren!

grandma's chuckles:^) - There Be "Scary Beasts" at This House!

Don't you just love the imagination of three year olds?!!! My grandson, Josiah, is three years old and he certainly has an imagination! Lately, one of his favorite things is for him to pretend to be a "scary" beast! Recently when Josiah was at our house, he and poppa were making "scary" sounds (oooooohhhh) into a tin bucket (the echo made the ooooohhhh's much more scary!) Josiah ran into the kitchen where I was and said, I'm making scary sounds, which was followed by ooooooohhhhh into the bucket! I said, "Oh dear!!! Whatever should I do?" Josiah said, "You need to be saved from the scary sounds!" then he ran into the living room and said, "Poppa, you need to save grandma from the scary sounds!" Poppa said, "You could save grandma from the scary sounds", to which Josiah replied, "I can't save grandma from the scary sounds . . . . I'm making the scary sounds!!!" :^)

American Girl Doll Give-Away! - Please Help Spread the News!

As you know, I'm giving away one American Girl Doll - the new American Girl of the Year McKenna Doll. As with all American Girl Dolls, a book is included with the doll so you can get to know McKenna . . . you can read an excerpt from her book at this link.


If you have "liked" grandma's cookie jar (not just this post, but the blog itself), using the tab in the "find us on facebook" box, ON THE BLOG, then you are entered in the drawing which will be on March 13th. If you have not "liked" this blog yet, please take a moment to do so and you will be entered in the give-away. It is this simple! In addition, if you share any of my posts from January 13th - March 13th you will receive an additional entry each time you share! Thank you for reading my blog, please share it with the people you know!

crafting with grandma - Heart Dish!

I enjoy browsing from time to time on Pinterest - you never know what you will find! Today I found the pattern for a heart dish made from magazine pages! This fun craft is one you can make with your grandchildren  - not only will they end up with a wonderful dish, but they will help you recycle that stack of magazines you don't really want to throw away, but do not really have any use for any longer! If you follow the link above you'll find a photo tutorial for making these fun heart dishes . . . if you make one, I'd love to see a photo!

grandma's movie reviews - A Mile in His Shoes - I'm Giving One Away!

I'm happy to share a movie review with you . . . one which the entire family can enjoy together! A Mile in His Shoes is based on the story of Mickey Tussler, a young man who was an amazing pitcher and who had Asperger's syndrome. The story is one which will encourage and touch those who have someone they love with Asperger's and those who do not as well. Mickey has to overcome a harsh father, a jealous teammate and his own challenges with Asperger's - which he does - and in the process learns a confidence he never had before as his world opens in unexpected ways. I appreciated the messages of trusting God, forgiving others and not giving up.

I'm Giving Away McKenna, the Girl of the Year from American Girl Dolls!

Do you remember your favorite doll from when you were a little girl? I remember my favorite doll! It was the "Kissy Baby Doll" (from the 1960's) . . . when you pressed her tummy, her arms came together and she "kissed". She had short reddish brown hair and a soft body with vinyl arms, legs and head. My little Kissy baby was a wonderful doll and I enjoyed many hours playing with her! (She is the smaller doll on the left in the photo)


These days the favorite doll of many girls is an American Girl doll. They are lovely dolls and are made with attention to detail. I love how the dolls include a story book which tells you who the doll is, what challenges she faces and how she overcomes her challenges! American Girl dolls are heirloom quality dolls - they are certainly dolls which should be saved once a girl has "out-grown" dolls so one day she will be able to pass her doll on to her own daughters and/or granddaughters!

Go Fish and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - All of My Heart

It can be tremendously difficult to find music with a solid message and tune which will get kids really singing . . . this is unless you take a good look at the music from Go Fish and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra! Their music is flat out, amazing! The messages are solid and the tunes combine harmony and "pep" so kids not only sing the songs, but get up and dance as well! These are songs which most importantly, communicate a solid message about God's love, grace, forgiveness and the joy knowing Him brings to our lives! Check this song out from the Go Fish VBS, Praise - All Of My Heart . . . 

crafting with grandma - Let's Make Love Bugs!

I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and came across a very cute little love bug craft even young grandchildren could enjoy creating, so i decided to share it with you!

National Soup Day . . . Cheesy, Potato Soup!

My dear friend, Maralee McKee, the Manners Mentor, just posted on her facebook, today is National Soup Day! Thank you Maralee for this info . . . since on Wednesdays I tend to share a recipe on this blog, I thought I'd go ahead and share my favorite recipe for Cheesy Potato Soup!

grandma's cookbook - Rice Krispy Hearts!

Pretty much everyone I know loves Rice Krispy Treats. Pretty much everyone I know loves chocolate. If you combine the two, well . . . you have something so
completely enjoyable, pretty much everyone you know will want to join you in eating them! 


I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and found a link for Rice Krispy Chocolate Valentine's Hearts and just had to share them with you!

grandma's bookshelf . . . The Berenstain Bears All Things Bright and Beautiful - I'm Giving One Away!

Children have been enjoying the Berenstain Bears stories for many years, and I'm delighted for the opportunity to share a new Berenstain Bears story with you!


The Berenstain Bears: All Things Bright and Beautiful (Berenstain Bears)
By - Jan & Mike Berenstain
Publisher - Zonderkidz
Ages - 4-7

American Girl Doll - Girl of the Year - McKenna - Give-Away!

First of all, I want to thank all of you who are sharing my blog with the people you know . . . I most sincerely appreciate it! I enjoy writing this blog and love being able to give things away - this blog allows me to do both! I also remember how much my daughter loved American Girl dolls when she was young, so I completely understand the enthusiasm you have for my American Girl Doll give-aways! I wish I was able to give a doll to each of you . . . I can not do so, but I can give away one, and am delighted to do so!

crafting with grandma - Let's Make Hearts!

Valentine's Day is less than a month away, and if you are looking for a fun, simple craft you could make with your grandchildren, take a look at these great hearts! I found them while browsing on Pinterest . . . 

Discipline and Children

Child discipline can be such a difficult topic . . . there are those who believe in spanking and those who do not. I think there are a great many who are just confused and not sure what the best "plan of action" is when it comes to child discipline. Certainly we all want our children and grandchildren to grow up as people who are able to show self-control and make wise decisions, but how do we best accomplish this. And what does the Bible teach about it?


I found an excellent article on this topic - I won't quote all of it here, but will provide the link and give a "condensed" version . . . this article presented three "interpretations" of child discipline/spanking and looked at three views of "the rod" mentioned in Proverbs.

VeggieTales Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men - I'm Giving One Away!

VeggieTales is releasing an all-new, delightful DVD, Robin Good & His Not-So-Merry Men on March 3rd! As you can expect with VeggieTales, this new story combines humor - which grandparents/parents will appreciate - and the return of VeggieFriends - which children will appreciate - to teach an important lesson about handling hurt.


I'll be sharing more about this great new Veggie story and the "short", Lenny and the Lost Birthday which is included on the DVD, as March 3rd gets closer . . . and will be giving away a DVD to one of you! So . . . "stay tuned" for upcoming information on Robin Good and this fun give-away!

Help Your Grandchildren Learn to Value Life and Help Those in Need

I recently read the following on a friend's facebook page . . . "More than 24 years ago, Pam and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant.

Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted. Pam said the doctors didn't think of the baby as a life, they thought of the baby as a mass of fetal tissue.

The American Girl Doll of the Year - McKenna . . .

As you know, I'm giving away one American Girl of the Year McKenna Doll on March 13th. I am very happy to say this doll's story is one which encourages girls to keep trying and to not give up when they face difficulties. It also makes a strong point about being willing to both accept help and give help to others. While McKenna is a good reader, she has trouble with comprehension, which causes problems with getting her homework completed and being able to take tests at school. She has to learn it is a good thing to accept help from others and learns important lessons about telling the truth in the process.

McKenna, the New American Girl Doll Girl of the Year - I'm Giving One Away!

Yes, it is true . . . not only am I terrible at keeping secrets, but I'm even worse at waiting! (Just ask my family - I start giving out Christmas gifts on Thanksgiving because I just can't stand to wait for Christmas day!!!!) So . . . yes, I'm giving away another American Girl Doll . . . the new American Girl of the Year McKenna doll! American Girl describes McKenna as, "A determined, energetic girl who loves gymnastics, McKenna shines on the balance beam, but when she falls behind in school, she must use her strengths to turn challenges into triumphs. Through McKenna, girls will discover the power of believing in yourself and your potential to achieve great things."

Thank You for Praying! Evan has been found!

I am thrilled to announce Evan Montgomery has been found! Thank you for praying and please continue to pray for the children who are still missing and for their families.

We Have Two Winners!

I'm happy to announce Roberta Apel Cole and Roe Fisicaro Bacher are the winners in my RumbaTime watch give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Roberta and Roe for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address so I can send them to you) and thank you RumbaTime for sending watches for my review and for me to give away!

Go Fish Guys - I'll Do My Best!

As you have probably noticed, I really love the Go Fish Guy's music . . . it is absolutely the kind of music we want our grandchildren to listen to and sing! So, I'm very happy to share one of their new songs with you . . . I'll Do My Best!

Stay Tuned . . . I Have Another Amazing Give-Away to Announce . . .

I'm so happy to announce an upcoming give-away . . . one which many of you will be very happy to hear about! Okay . . . I was not going to say what the give-away is yet, but I'm soooo bad at keeping secrets!!! I'll just say this, it is a doll, a very "American" doll and is sure to put a big smile on the face of the person who wins it!!!! More details will follow next week, so stay tuned . . . 

crafting with grandma , , , Counting Down the Ways I Love You!

As I was browsing on Pinterest this morning I found an idea I have to "tweak" a touch and absolutely use for my grandsons . . . counting down the ways I love you! The idea behind this is for you to begin a countdown to Valentine's on February 1st with an advent-type calendar made from envelopes you may download for free using the link above. On the inside of each envelope, write a love note and tell your grandchild what it is about them that makes you smile . . . or as I always tell Josiah and Caleb, the things which makes your heart happy about them! 

If I Sang a Silly Song . . . Countdown and Give-away!

It’s a Silly Song Celebration at VeggieTales!  If you have haven’t checked it out yet—please check the link here on my blog in the right column NOW through January 24 as Larry the Cucumber counts down the top fan-picked favorite Silly Songs in VeggieTales history—leading up to the unveiling of the ALL-NEW FAN-INSPIRED SILLY SONG which will debut January 24 with the DVD release of Veggie Tales: If I Sang A Silly Song! You'll want to check back each day so you can enjoy the fun of this Silly Song Countdown!