just for fun! Hippos and Mustaches!

I thought it would be fun to share odd, funny and unbelievable facts with you which you can share with your grandchildren!!! I'll try to share one each day, but at least five days a week . . . if you have an odd, funny or unbelievable fact to share with us - please do!!! I think it will be fun to learn all these "facts" . . . and will be fun to share them with our grandchildren!

grandma's cookie jar birthday give-away - One Free Magazine Subscription!

I was recently invited to take part in a special review and give-away of Magazines.com who gave me a $10 coupon to try one of their magazines - they are making available another $10 coupon for me to give away as well!

grandma's cookie jar's Special Birthday Month of Give-Aways Begins Tomorrow - LeapFrog Give-Away!

Yes! It is finally here!!! Tomorrow marks the beginning of the month of special give-aways for grandma's cookie jar's birthday month!!! I am giving away 20 things throughout the month, beginning tomorrow with the give-away of one LeapFrog LeapPad Mr. Pencil Ultra eBook the Lost Colors of Doodleburg!! You'll find the details for this give-away at this link - there is still time to get in the give-away!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Rosella Rowe is the winner in my parental GUIDANCE blu-ray give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Rosella for reading grandma's cookie jar and thank you Fox for sending one for me to review and making another available for me to give away!

grandma's chuckles - Apparently, I'm "Elderly", We Have a Reader & a Huge Hug!!!

It has been a fun weekend around this grandma's house! The boys came home with Poppa on Thursday to spend the night and hang out with grandma on Friday - my favorite day each week!!!  Thursday night we watched Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension. In the movie Perry bites Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Phineas says, "No, Perry! We don't bite the elderly!!!" Josiah asked me, "What is 'the elderly'?" I told him elderly means "old people", so he thought for a moment and said, "Oh. Like great-grandma and you?" I didn't really want to agree it meant "me", so I asked him, "Hhmmm. What about Poppa?" to which Josiah replied, "Yes, definitely Poppa!!!" Of course I had to smile at his answer!!! :-) I was also very pleased when Josiah showed consideration by offering to re-start the movie when Aunt Tiffany joined us part-way through and he learned she had not watched this movie before.

grandma's birthday give-away - Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe!

I have grandsons - Josiah is 4 1/2 and Caleb is almost 2 - so dinos showing up and rooaarrring is something which happens at this grandma's house from time-to-time when these two sweet boys are here! So, when I was given the opportunity by Sterling Publishing to review - and give-away - one of their new books about dinos, well . . . I had to say "yes"!!!

crafting with grandma - Another Crocheted Purse!

Well . . . I've been posting give-aways for a week . . . since I don't want you to get bored with all my give-away posts, I thought I'd write a post about the purse I made for my mom for her birthday!

grandma's birthday give-away - RumbaTime Perry Silicone Big Royal Watch!

Well, for the past several days I've been announcing the give-aways for grandma's cookie jar's birthday month of give-aways . . . and there have been a few of them!!! I still have a few more to announce, so today I want to let you know about a fun watch company . . . rumbatime - and a watch give-away!

rumbatime began making a simple, silicone band watch and have expanded their line from there to include a wonderful collection of watches - at least one of which is sure to fit the style, mood and look of pretty much everyone you know! I love rumba time watches because they have great color and fun styles! They sent me the RumbaTime Perry Silicone Big Royal Watch which I'm giving away in a drawing on May 26, 2013. This watch is a beautiful shade of royal blue, has a silicone band, 5 ATM water resistance, stainless steel back 38mm face and is a simple way to add a fun touch to your day!

Second-Chance Give-Away for parental GUIDANCE!

It has been quite a while since I had a second-chance give-away, but today I'm letting you know about another drawing for one parental GUIDANCE blu-ray which will be on April 30, 2013. You'll find my original review for this tremendously funny movie at this link.

So, how do you enter this second-chance give-away? First, you will receive one entry for each way you have followed/liked grandma's cookie jar; one entry if you follow on Google+, one entry if you follow on Google Friend Connect, one entry if you follow by liking on facebook with the tab in the "Find us on Facebook" box ON THE BLOG at this link (not just liking the post) and one entry if you follow by email. This gives you the possibility of four entries. In addition, you will receive one entry if you share on facebook, one entry if you share on twitter, one entry if you share on Google + for a total of three additional entries. Thank you for reading grandma's cookie jar and for sharing it with the people you know!     

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Tahina Quezada is the winner in my My Learn to Read Bible give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Tahina for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by May 4, 2013 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

grandma's birthday give-away - Rudy Project Gozen Sunglasses!

Several years ago my son introduced me to Rudy Project Sunglasses and over the years I've had the opportunity to review a number of their glasses. Today I'm reviewing one of their new line - XX2i Optics - and I'm announcing a special give-away for a pair of Rudy Project Sunglasses!  First the review of XX2i Optics!

XX2i describes their France1 Pro Racing Sunglasses as follows; "XX2i comes with one sunglass (black with laser black lens) and two sets of spare lenses (clear and orange). Included with these frames will be a tank protector case and one microfiber soft carrying bag which can also be used as a cleaning cloth. Features on these sunglasses are perfect for running, cycling, golfing or just about any activity which requires the sunglasses to stay on your face and remain fog free."

I like the sleek look, the interchangable lenses and the adjustable temple and nose pad. It is clear the France1 Pro Racing Sunglasses have been designed with attention to function and style! If you are looking for new sunglasses now that warmer and sunnier weather has finally arrived, definitely take a look at the XX2i France1 Pro Racing Sunglasses as they give you options and a really sleek look!

Teach Your Grandchildren to Sign!

If you are looking for something fun, useful and educational which you could do with your grandchildren, consider teaching them some American Sign Language. Sound interesting? It is really pretty simple to do if you just take one or two words or a sentence at at time. 

crafting with grandma - Converse Tennis Shoe Slippers!

I love my grandsons and I love to crochet, so I try to keep my eyes open for fun things to make for my sweet grandsons. My most recent completed project was the Perry the Platypus stuffed toys I made them - these were a huge hit! - and I'm working on an afghan for my new grandson who will be making his arrival in August! 


So, when I was browsing on Pinterest and found a free pattern for crocheted Converse tennis-shoe/slippers . . . I knew I would have to make some! I'm thinking about making these for the boys for Christmas - I'll have to adapt the pattern to make bigger sizes for Josiah and Caleb, but I think they will be fun - and warm! I especially like how they can tie on because it can be a challenge to keep slippers on little feet!

grandma's birthday give-away . . . Two Fun Monopoly Give-Aways!

You might be wondering if I'm really having yet another birthday give-away . . . well, the answer is, Yes! Yes I am! This time it is for the Monopoly: Phineas and Ferb Collector's Edition and for the Monopoly: Sonic The Hedgehog Collector's Edition games! Sound like fun give-aways? Well, first please allow me to let you know about these two board games!

Monopoly is a game we all grew up with and enjoyed with our own children, but now it is available in far more than the traditional Monopoly we knew. USAopoly has quite a variety of Monopoly games which feature sports teams, cities and characters from movies, tv and video games. Two of these are Phineas and Ferb and Sonic the Hedgehog! They are for 2 to 6 players ages 8 and up and while the basic game board and game play is familiar, the look and features are special! 

crafting with grandma - DIY Toddler Chairs!

I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and found a pattern for an absolutely adorable toddler chair which you could make for the sweet little ones in your life . . . of course I had to share it with you!  I think it would be great fun to make these chairs with my grandsons - certainly they would enjoy picking out the paint and fabric for their chairs, the assembling of the chairs and of course, the painting of the chairs!!!

Another Fun Give-Away from Cuisinart!

What do you fix for breakfast? Are you a cereal person? Do you grab a piece of toast as you head out the door? Do you skip breakfast? At my house I fix the same breakfast every day and while it may seem boring to have the same breakfast every single day, my hubby loves starting his day with this breakfast; so I fix it every day. What is it? I toast a thin, everything bagel, cook an egg, slice some swiss and sharp cheddar and cook one slice of turkey bacon for a breakfast sandwich which rates high in protein and flavor! As you might imagine, around this house the toaster and 8" fry pan is used at least once every single day!

Kringle Candles - a Great Coupon for Everyone & Two Give-Aways!

I have not been a huge "candle person", but I absolutely LOVE Kringle Candles! So, when they sent me several of their candles to review - and give-away - I couldn't wait to let you know about them! Plus, they generously offered a special code for free shipping . . . I LOVE free shipping!!! . . . well, it made it all even better!!!

Give-Aways . . . and More Give-Aways . . . and More Give-Aways!!!!

While I have give-aways all year long, have you noticed a definite increase in the number of items I'm giving away? As I said, I do have give-aways all year long, but twice a year I have  LOTS of special give-aways . . . throughout the month of November for my Special Christmas Give-Aways and throughout the month of May for grandma's cookie jar's month of special birthday give-aways . . . and, May is just around the corner! I have so many give-aways planned, I'll be giving something away almost every other day for the entire month! WooHoo!!!! What could be more fun?!!!

Just to recap the give-aways I've mentioned so far . . . 

grandma's bookshelf - Open Very Carefully: A Book With Bite - I'm Giving One Away!

If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar, it doesn't take very long to notice I review - and give away - a LOT of children's books! In a year's time I review books which are nice, books which are excellent and once in awhile, books which make it to my personal "best children's books must-have" "list". The book I'm about to share with you is one of the latter . . . it is such a fun, unexpected, creative and flat out funny book! I laughed, literally out loud, when I read it and then had to read it to my husband - he laughed out loud, too!

I am absolutely delighted to let you know about Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite . . . and thrilled to say I will be giving one away! But first, my review . . .

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Tarter95 is the winner in my The Hidden Deep book give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by April 30, 2013 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Zonderkidz for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

grandma's birthday give-aways . . . Boca Java Coffee!

I am absolutely delighted to let you know Boca Java has generously made available the opportunity for me to give away some more of their coffee!!!! So, I thought, "what could be better than a coffee give-away to celebrate the birthday month of grandma's cookie jar?!!!" :-) As my grandsons say, "Aaahhhh!!! Coffee!!!!!"

crafting with grandma - Scripture Switch-Plates!

I love being grandma . . . I love the hugs, kisses, snuggles, storytime, playtime, laughs, smiles . . . everything! But, along with all the fun of being grandma I want to also be certain to be intentional about remembering the most important thing . . . passing on a heritage of faith. I try to point the boys to Jesus when we have conversations about everyday things - such as when we talk about the changing seasons and how God created the world or talk about how happy we are to know God loves us! So when I saw a pin on Pinterest for a simple idea to pass that heritage on in a small way, I wanted to share it with you.

crafting with grandma - Mother's Day Journal Art!

I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and found a really fun and simple idea for a great Mother's Day craft which you could help even your youngest grandchildren make for their mother - Kid Embellished Journals! I really love this idea as not only is it a craft which your grandchildren can make for their mom, but it allows them to create something special just from them! For your youngest grandchildren you could trace around their hands for art any mom will love for sure!

Easier to Find Posts!

As you may have noticed, I recently changed the look of grandma's cookie jar. I wanted to "freshen" it up and make it easier to find your way around the blog. I'm so thankful for a husband who is in IT and his willingness to help me! :-)

Along with wanting the blog to look sharper, I wanted it to be easier to find information. To this end there is a tab for the Table of Contents at the top and on the right side if you scroll down past the "Find us on Facebook" box you'll see a blog archive where you can find posts by the month I posted them. Plus, if you know a few words of the post you are looking for you can enter them in the rectangular box at the top left of the page - the one with the magnifying glass in it - and it will pull up the posts I've written with those words in them. For example, if you are looking for "American Girl Dolls", and enter it in the search box, you'll end up with the posts about these dolls!

There is So Much Beauty!

What do you see when you look out your window? I see woods and sometimes wild turkeys   or deer running through the yard! I live in West Michigan and it is a very pretty place! Lots of trees, lakes, orchards, fields and lots of green all over the place! I'm only thirty minutes from Lake Michigan so there is a lot of natural beauty where I live!

We lived for several years in Northern California - we had amazing mountains on three sides of us - Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen and the Trinity Alps . . . talk about beautiful! We were just a short drive from Lake Shasta and if we drove 45 minutes we could be up on Lassen - nice in the winter as we could drive the kids to play in the snow and when they got cold we just had to drive home where there wasn't any snow! LOVED it! Mt. Lassen is an active volcano - it blew the last time at the turn of the last century - and there are lava tubes, waterfalls and so much beauty to enjoy!

grandma's chuckles - He Knows the Difference Between Can't & Don't Want To and Need & Want!

One of my favorite things about being Josiah's and Caleb's grandma is I get to hear and see the cute and funny things they say and do! For example, we were talking with Josiah about the difference between "cant' and "do not want to". I said, "If I said I can't make

cookies, would you believe me?" He said, "No! Because you can make cookies and make them for me all the time!" I said, "You are right! I can make cookies. If I said I don't want to make cookies, would you believe me?" He said, "Yes." I said, If I said, I can't climb a tree, would you believe me?" He said, "Yes, because you are a girl and girls can't do things boys can do like climb trees!" Can you tell he is a four year old boy? :-)

Get a Free Photo Magnet from Shutterfly This Weekend Only!

As I've said before, I'm a pretty typical grandma - I LOVE photos of my sweet grandsons! Any and all photos of them! So, when Shutterfly has a free photo magnet offer . . . well, my only dilemma is deciding which photo to use!!!! Believe me, this is truly a dilemma, but one which I'll happily resolve!!! :-)

The Hobbit - Books & a Give-Away!

Recently I posted about the release to blu-ray of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - and had a give-away for one blu-ray! Today I want to let you know about some books which are out about the making of The Hobbit . . . and let you know about a give-away of The Hobbit: Pocket Edition.

First, some of the books released in conjunction with the Hobbit . . .

crafting with grandma - Mother's Day Heart Gift!

Mother's Day is just a few weeks away so I thought I'd share another gift idea which you could help your grandchildren make for their mom. I was browsing on Pinterest and found an idea for a heart craft your grandchildren could have a lot of fun making for their mom! It is also a craft which you could help your grandchildren with depending on the level of help they need - older grandchildren would need little help and younger grandchildren would need more, but it is a craft which many children could make!

crafting with grandma - Crocheted Purse!

I enjoy crocheting. I like to take yarn and end up with something useful, pretty - and hopefully somewhat unique! So, the other day I was browsing on Pinterest and found some free patterns for crocheted squares and I thought, "What if I took those and made three different squares which I could use to make a purse? So, I did!

grandma's bookshelf - The Winnowing Season - Free Chapter Free!

Yesterday I shared the book trailer for The Winnowing Season so today I want to give you the first chapter for free! But first, check out the synopsis for this book: "The tornado which devastated Kings' Orchard pushed Rhoda, Samuel and Jacob to make a new start in Maine. Are they strong enough to withstand the challenges of establishing an Amish community - and brave enough to face the secrets which move with them? On the eve of their departure to begin a new Old Order Amish community outside of Unity, Maine, Rhoda Byler is shocked to discover choices made by her business partner and fiend, Samuel King, have placed her and her unusual gifts directly into the path of her district's bishop and preachers. She is furious with Samuel and is fearful the Kings will be influenced by the way her leaders see her and not by what they know to be true - that Rhoda's intuition is a gift from God. Jacob King won't be swayed by community speculation. He loves Rhoda, believes in her and wants to build a future with her in Maine. But when the ghosts of his past come calling and require him to fulfill a great debt, can he shake their hold before it destroys what he has with Rhoda? Samuel has a secret of his own - one he'll go to great lengths to keep hidden, even if it means alienating those closest to him. Throwing himself into rehabilitating the once abandoned orchard, Samuel turns to a surprising new ally. Book 2 of the Amish Vines and Orchards series asks: can the three faithfully follow God's leading and build a new home and orchard in Maine? Or will this new beginning lead to more ruin and heartbreak?"   

So, what do you think? I'll write more about this book tomorrow, but for now . . . the first chapter is below, so . . . enjoy!

grandma's bookshelf - The Winnowing Season

Do you - or your older granddaughters - enjoy Amish fiction? Do you ever wonder what it might have been like to live like the Amish do? Well, if you answered "yes" to either or both of these questions, then you may very well enjoy the new book from Cindy Woodsmall, The Winnowing Season, Book 2 in her Amish Vines and Orchards Series.  Check this video out and just maybe you will find it is a book you will enjoy reading!

Birthday Month Give-Away - MOGO!

Last year I reviewed and gave away some MOGO charmbands and charms and I'm delighted to say I'm giving away another set this year! Like I said last year, "If you have a granddaughter who is older than five, she likely loves MOGO! If she doesn't know about MOGO yet, as soon as she does she is likely to love it! MOGO is a new brand of bracelets and charms . . . available in lots of fun designs and the best part is the charms are magnetic! MOGO charms truly, 'just click'! These magnetic charms 'click' onto bracelets so you can mix and match, change to match your mood, activity or time of year! They are also tremendously fun to trade with your friends . . . girls are sure to fall in love with MOGO - for good reason!"  

Check MOGO out and you are sure to find charms which "fit" your own unique granddaughter whether she loves pups, cats, horses, dancing, the beach, soccer, swimming or express her faith or happiness there is a MOGO charm for her! The MOGO charmbands come in a wide variety of colors giving girls a chance to show their favorite color or match with their outfits! MOGO is just a lot of fun!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Before I write anything else this morning I want to say a big Thank You to all of you who read and share my blog with the people you know! I can not begin to express how much I most sincerely appreciate all of you and I am immensely honored to think you take time out of your busy days to read my blog. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

For almost two years I've been writing something every day and you take time to read it! I am so blessed with the most amazing people who read my blog!

So . . . for the entire month of May I will be celebrating grandma's cookie jar's second birthday with a month full of give-aways - what could be more fun?!!! I've already announced several give-aways - you can find them by looking in my "current give-away" column on the left side of the blog - and have more give-aways which I'll be announcing in the coming days!

Thank you so very much for reading grandma's cookie jar and for sharing it with the people you know!

grandma's bookshelf - Hey God, I've Got Some Guy Named Jonah In My Stomach and I Think I'm Going to Throw Up! - I'm Giving One Away!

Yes, Jonah and the Whale is a Bible account which has been told again and again and again, but perhaps never from the "perspective" of the whale! This is one of the things which makes this book so enjoyable . . . the other is the humor with which the whale's "story" is told! I - and my husband and daughter - laughed all the way through this book! I'm definitely looking forward to reading it to Josiah and Caleb on Thursday!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Julie R is the winner in my parental GUIDANCE give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Julie for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by April 24, 2013 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Fox for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

Mother's Day Gift Idea - Hand-print Picture Frame!

As I've mentioned a time or two - or likely many more . . . I love photos of my sweet grandsons! I also love to do tracings of their little hands, so when I saw this craft I absolutely fell in love with it! I just added a few things to my shopping list and you can reasonably expect my sweet grandsons will be making hand-prints when they are at my house later this week! Don't you just love the look of the mat with hand-prints on it? What a great, personalized and unique way to frame a photo!

Mother's Day is just a month away so if you are looking for a great gift which you can help your grandchildren make for their mom, take a look at this terrific idea I found on Pinterest for a hand-print picture frame!