grandma's cookbook - I'm Making Doughnuts Today!

My grandsons are coming over to spend the night, so I thought it would be a fun surprise for them for me to make some doughnuts today! I'm "torn" between two recipes, so I thought I'd share them both here and see which one you all think would be a fun surprise . . . or, maybe I'll make both???

FREE Valentine's Day Cards!

Valentine's Day . . . the day for giving and receiving cards which express love . . . but

buying cards for everyone who you want to give a card to could certainly add up. This, however; is not necessarily the case! I looked on-line and found some fun, FREE cards which you are welcome to download and print yourself and then give to the people on your Valentine's Day card list!

just for fun . . . !yaD sdrawkcaB si tI (It is Backwards Day!)

Yes, today is truly, "just for fun" because it is Backwards Day! "Backward Day is a day to do everything backwards. Use your imagination, and Backward Day can be lots of fun. It's especially popular with school aged kids. Try writing backwards or reading backwards. Wear your shirt with the back in the front. Eat your meal, starting with dessert. Now that's what I call fun! Walk backwards, or talk backwards. Play a board game backwards, from the finish line to the start. Are you starting to get the picture!? This day is limited only by your imagination."   

Special Month of Birthday Give-Aways - I'm Giving Away Isabelle, the American Girl Doll Girl of the Year 2014!

Yes, I'm happy to announce, I will be giving away the new American Girl Doll Girl of the

Year 2014; Isabelle! She literally just arrived on my door-step and I have to say I LOVE her glittery gold shoes and the sequins on her shirt! (Apparently little girls and grandmas love sparkles!!!) 

At any rate, I'm giving Isabelle away on May 24, 2014 . . . I know this is a ways away, but it is fun to have special give-aways during my grandma's cookie jar's month of special birthday give-aways (the month of May) and what could be more "fun" than giving away an American Girl doll?!!!

So . . . stay tuned for more information about Isabelle over the coming months and feel free to enter the give-away . . . you will receive entries in the following ways . . . 

Yelling at Children . . .

Most mornings I watch the Today Show as I get around and start my day. Today they talked about a recent article from the Washington Post about yelling at children; I found some very interesting information in this report and in the article, so I thought I'd share it with you.

First of all, yelling harms children. There is no debate about this; yelling harms children. The Washington Post said:

just for fun - January is Brainteaser's Month!

Typically, I'm not great at brainteasers . . . my husband is great at them, but I don't tend to "get them"! However, as we wrap up January, since it was Brainteaser's Month, I thought I'd browse a bit on Pinterest and look for some Brainteasers, even I could "get" and then share them with you!

I found a few . . . if I can "get" them, they are likely ones your grandchildren will enjoy, so . . . here they are . . . 

crafting with grandma - It Is Puzzle Day - Let's Make Puzzle Crafts!

While I was never a huge "fan" of assembling puzzles, I LOVE crafts with puzzle pieces! Not only are puzzle crafts interesting and unique, but they tend to be inexpensive as most of us have puzzles in our closets which are missing at least a piece or two . . . or they can be purchased at garage sales for typically less than a dollar!

You can do so many wonderful things with puzzle pieces . . . just look at some of the fun ideas I found on Pinterest . . .

crafting with grandma - Valentines Day Salt-Dough Hand-Print Hearts!

If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar for long, you know I love crafts which involve making hand and/or footprints of my grandsons . . . they grow up so very fast, so being able to save a "moment in time" when they are "little" (even if Josiah and Caleb both assure me they are no longer "little", but are "big"!) is something I cherish!

So, when I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a salt-dough hand-print heart, I knew I had to do two things . . . make some with my sweet boys and share the recipe with you! 

grandma's cookbook - It Is Blueberry Pancake Day & My Pancake Recipe!

Nearly every Friday evening, my husband picks up our grandsons on his way home from work so they can spend the night! Saturday morning I fix breakfast . . . they usually choose sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs and juice! Since Caleb can not have any dairy, I have made a few substitutions for a home-made pancake recipe which is actually extremely tasty! Sometimes, the boys choose blueberry pancakes, so since today is Blueberry Pancake Day, I thought I'd share my pancake recipe with you!

crafting with grandma - Make a Winter Bird House & Some Weird Birds!

It is a cold and snowy day here in West Michigan; over 400 schools have canceled classes for today because with the wind chill it is -20 to -40 degrees out there . . . like I said, it is COLD here in West Michigan!

So, what do you do on a cold and snowy day . . . especially if you happen to have your grandchildren/children at home with you? Consider making a bird house so birds can find shelter from the cold and snow, too!

just for fun - It is Chocolate Cake Day!

It is cold and snowy outside today (more than 400 schools have closed throughout the area where I live in West Michigan), so I am extremely happy to say it is Chocolate Cake Day! What could be a better way to brighten a grey, cold and snowy day, than with a piece of chocolate cake?!!! Even if it was not Chocolate Cake Day, it would still be a great way to brighten this day . . . but it is!!! So, let's celebrate!

I found the following information on punchbowl (dot) com about Chocolate Cake Day . . . "Today is National Chocolate Cake Day! Cakes have a rich culinary history. In Greece, cakes (or “plakous”) were heavy and flat, and people served them with nuts and honey. The Romans made cakes which were more like cheesecake or pastry, and presented them as offerings to the gods. In Medieval England, people used the words 'bread' and 'cake' interchangeably to refer to anything made with flour dough.

FREE Valentine's Day Game!

I was browsing on Pinterest and found a Valentine's Day game printable which I thought would be fun to share with you .  .  . so, if you have young grandchildren, this could be a Valentine's Day gift which not only will help your grandchildren learn to identify different animals, but will give you a fun game you can play with them!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say, Gianna is the winner in my Clay Crosse "reDEDICATION" give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Gianna for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by February 2, 2014 so I can have it sent to you)!

just for fun - It Is Observe the Weather Day . . . Have Some Fun Doing So!

Today is, Observe the Weather Day . . . I know, if you live in Michigan - or in most of the East half of the country - the weather is something you may rather not observe! We are having even more cold and more snow . . . observing it is not particularly enjoyable. However; it is winter and winter is cold and snowy, so I suppose it is doing what it should be.

just for fun - It Is Peanut Butter Day!

I LOVE peanut butter! It is one of my favorite foods for sure! So, when I saw on daysoftheyear (dot) com, today is Peanut Butter Day, well, I had to let you know so you can celebrate it as well! They said, "Who doesn’t love peanut butter? So let’s celebrate Peanut Butter Day. This auspicious occasion was created many years ago, to allow peanut butter lovers to celebrate the creation of this wonderful food. Peanut butter can be eaten and used in many different recipes. I see nothing wrong in sitting down and indulging in a jar of the creamy or crunchy delight with a spoon. What more do you need? Families and friends can celebrate Peanut Butter Day by getting together and creating delicious recipes containing peanut butter, from cookies and cakes to sautes and sauces. These can of course be consumed at home, or some prefer to make a day of it and go on a picnic style outing. There are many individuals who eat nothing but peanut butter on Peanut Butter Day." 

I may not only eat peanut butter on this day, but it is highly likely my lunch will be a peanut butter and banana sandwich! I thought it would be fun to look up some peanut butter info and fun facts and share them with you. Did you know . . .

grandma's bookshelf - Love You More Than Anything - I'm Giving One Away!

We grandmas - and grandpas and moms and dads - do not need a special day of the year to think about and focus on loving our grandchildren/children . . . we do this every day of the year! However; with Valentine's day less than a month away, it gives us another opportunity to express our love . . . one fun way to do this is with the book, Love You More Than Anything!

just for fun - It Is Pie Day - Enjoy a Slice for FREE!

Mmmmmm! Pie Day! I'm all for this day; after all, what isn't there to absolutely LOVE

about pie??!!! Sweet pies or savory pot pies . . . in my opinion, it is difficult to go wrong with pie!!!

Just for fun, I thought I'd "search" the web to look for any Pie Day "specials" and found a few . . . if you live in or near any of the following places, see if you can make it to these bakeries/resturants and enjoy some FREE pie!

Free Birds . . . Blu-ray Give-Away!

I've been invited to participate in a special give-away of the new movie, Free Birds - which releases to Blu-ray on February 4th, so while I have not watched this movie yet, I thought it sounded like a fun give-away and am delighted for the opportunity for one of you to win this movie!

Today is Celebration of Life Day!

As I browsed a website which lists unusual holidays, I knew I had to share the one for today with you . . . Celebration of Life Day! They described it in this way: "Celebration Of Life Day is when we take a step back and truly appreciate our children and grandchildren. Granted, some may do this on an everyday basis, but it’s an opportunity to look at our young ones’ lives from a different angle, think about what it is which makes them truly special, and of course, to lavish treats upon them if we so wish, be it an ice cream or a trip to Disneyland.

It can be easy to forget our children and grandchildren are people in their own right. You’ve helped them to discover themselves over the years, but you can’t take all the credit. Their life choices are ultimately down to them; sometimes they’ll do you proud, and other times, as is the case with us all, they’ll make mistakes. So be the one who’s there to offer congratulations or encouragement to pick themselves up when they fall. And above all else, as cheesy as it may sound, show them you love them."

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Janet W is the winner of Richard Scarry's Readers (Level 2): One, Two, AH-CHOO! (Richard Scarry's Great Big Schoolhouse)! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Janet for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by January 29, 2014 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

just for fun - Today is National Hugging Day!

Now this is a holiday for grandmas for sure! National Hugging Day!!! I LOVE this one! I looked on-line at punchbowl (dot) com and found the following information about National Hugging Day; "Today is National Hugging Day! Whether you prefer Bear Hugs, Heart-to-Heart Hugs, Cheek Hugs, or Side Hugs, embrace your loved ones today to show your love and affection.

grandma's movie reviews - Harry Potter Movies

For many children the Harry Potter books and movies are on their "favorites" list; this is true for some adults as well. I have not been a "fan" of the Potter series, but I have never read the books and until just recently, never watched the movies. However; since I just sat down and worked my way through the movies, I thought I'd share my thoughts with you about these stories and how they could potentially impact our grandchildren.

What We and Our Grandchildren Need to Know About Suffering . . .

I am honored to be part of WorldHelp's bloggers . . . I believe in the mission of WorldHelp and am honored to share it with you who read grandma's cookie jar. I am just one of many people who blog for WorldHelp; some of those who blog are currently in Africa where they are experiencing hands-on how WorldHelp is making a real difference in the lives of people in Uganda.

One blogger; Emily Wierenga, wrote a post entitled, What the Church Needs to Know about Suffering. I read it and thought, there is much I and my grandchildren need to know about suffering as well. We live here in the USA in houses which are warm; and with this winter being so cold here in Michigan, I'm very thankful for our warm houses. My grandchildren do not go hungry, they have clothes to wear and toys to play with . . . as do I - well at least I have clothes to wear; I don't particularly play with toys - unless my grandsons are at my house!

My point is, I - and my grandsons - really have no real idea of what it means to suffer. I read posts like Emily's and my heart is broken for little children who have nothing; literally nothing. I want my grandsons to grow up to be men who have hearts which break for those who do suffer. I want them to be men who are thankful for God's blessings to them and who know they can take those blessings to help others who do suffer.

Today is the International Day of Acceptance

For most of us, getting up, getting around and getting about our daily activities is not really a big deal. Oh, especially as we get older, we may have more aches and pains as we go through our day, but we are still able to do the things we need to do without a lot of thought or genuine effort. We are able to stand up for the things we need and are able to be accepted as people who have much to offer.

This is not the case for everyone. Some people have physical challenges which leave them where getting up, getting around and getting about their daily activities is a big deal. They may find it very difficult to be able to do the things they need to do and standing up for the things they need and being accepted as people who have something to offer is not something they are able to do without a lot of effort.

Today is the International Day of Acceptance; "Acceptance is created from an Empowered movement which Educates others to Embrace diversity and Love Life by seeing beyond abilities.  Friends, tell the world you embrace who you are; a person with social rights, who has an opinion, who has interests, who has goals and who loves life. You are a person who is empowered to make a difference in the world and not be without a voice in society. You are not living disabled, you are living."