Follow Manner's Mentor & Enter Give-Away for a Mother's Ring!

Since the start of grandma's cookie jar, I have shared links to the Manner's Mentor which is
written by a dear friend, Maralee McKee. Maralee shares, in her sweet and honest way, how we all can be, "You at Your Best"! Maralee says, "Manners Mentor, Inc. is an upbeat blog dedicated to helping you become successful in every part of your life by interacting with ease and savvy, and turning self-consciousness into self-confidence. If you want to be authentically You at Your Best you're in the right place!"

Please Take This Short Parenting Survey

When my husband and I raised our children in the 1980's and 1990's, life was very different than it is today. The world was different. Then, computers were just starting to show up in homes; today nearly everyone has at least one computer. Then, cell phones were new and only the wealthy had them; today even children often have their own phones.

Special Month of Birthday Give-Aways - Longwool Sheep Puppet

I thought it would be fun today to announce another of the special give-aways I'm having during the month of May when I'm celebrating grandma's cookie jar's third "birthday" . . . so, today I'm really happy to let you know about another of the amazing puppets from Folkmanis! 

grandma's cookbook - Homemade Mini Pizza!

When you think about cooking with children, choose recipes they can have a real part in helping to prepare . . . one great recipe is homemade unique mini-pizzas! The recipe is pretty straightforward, but it is one your grandchildren can literally "get their hands into" and really help prepare a meal for the family to enjoy!

Josiah and Caleb spent the night at my house last night, so for lunch today, we are making homemade mini pizzas! I'll mix the dough and then let them shape their own pizza into whatever shape they want. They will be able to add the toppings they want and then, when it is baked, they will be able to enjoy the pizzas they made! Sounds like delicious fun to me . . . I'm going to be sure to have a camera handy!

You will find the recipe and directions below so you can have fun with your grandchildren making mini pizzas! Enjoy!

grandma's cookie jar's Third Birthday - Almost Here!

In just a little over one month, grandma's cookie jar will be celebrating it's third "birthday"! Three years ago I began writing this blog and I have to say it has been a complete honor, delight and joy to write and get to know those of you who take the time out of your own day to read what I write!

So, first of all, I want to say a big, "THANK YOU!!!" Thank you for reading grandma's cookie jar! Thank you for commenting and sharing your lives with me and with the others who read grandma's cookie jar! Thank you for passing on word about grandma's cookie jar by sharing the posts with the people you know!

Throughout the month of May, I will be celebrating the "birthday" of grandma's cookie jar with special give-aways - what could possibly be more fun???!!!! I have already announced the give-away of Isabelle, the American Girl Doll, Girl of the Year for 2014 (the drawing will be on May 24, 2014 and you will find the specifics about this give-away at the following link).

Today I want to mention some of the special give-aways for May . . . 

Second-Chance Give-Away - Veggies in Space!

Last month I reviewed the new VeggieTales DVD; Veggietales: Veggies in Space The Fennel Frontier and asked, "What do you get when you combine several space themes, talking veggies, humor and a solid message? The new VeggieTales story: Veggies in Space, and it does not disappoint!" I reviewed this new Veggie-story and had a drawing to give one DVD away; however; the winner did not get their information to me, so I'm having a second-chance give-away to draw the name of a new winner!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Denise Taylor-Dennis is the winner in my Goodnight Songs book give-away! (You'll find the review at this link.) Thank you Denise for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by April 3, 2014 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending one to me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

just for fun - It Is, "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day"!

My grandson Josiah is sick today, so he and his brother Caleb are hanging out at my house. Since it is, "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day", I thought it would be especially fun on this day for us to make up our own holiday!

Two Year Olds and, "NO!!!"

My grandson Caleb is two years old and there are certainly times when his favorite word is, "No!" as is common with two-year olds! Wait! Did I say his favorite word is, "No!"? This would be a definite understatement as, "NO!!!!" is much more accurate!

He was at our house the other day when it was nap-time. I told Caleb it was time for his nap and asked if he wanted me to read him his book, Moose Tracks! or his book, A Dog is a Dog (two of his favorite books!) His answer was an unmistakable, "NO!!!"

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Gailya Proctor is the winner of the When Calls the Heart - Lost & Found DVD! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Gailya for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by April 1, 2014 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Hallmark/Word for sending one for me to review and for making another available for me to give away!

grandma's bookshelf - How to lose a Lemur - I'm Giving One Away!

"Everyone knows that once a lemur takes a liking to you, there is not much that can be done about it . . ." This is the way a charming new book from Sterling Children's Books begins . . . and ends as well! In-between there is a lot of silly fun which makes the book, "How to Lose a Lemur" a fun story to enjoy with your grandchildren; and is why when I was invited to review - and give away - this book, I was happy to do so!

Special Birthday Month of Give-Aways - Isabelle the American Girl Doll of the Year 2014

I have not mentioned my Special Birthday Month of Give-Aways American Girl Doll give-away for a while, so I thought I'd do so again today! So, as I think about giving away Isabelle, the American Girl Doll of the Year for 2014, I

thought it would be fun to "connect" with "Craft Month" one last time and give you a link I found on Pinterest for 8 Fun Things to Make For Your Dolls!

Follow this link and you'll find 8 fun crafts for American Girl dolls! 

So, how can you get in on the give-away for Isabelle which will be on May 24, 2014? Just follow these steps . . . 

A Few More Dr. Seuss Quotes!

Since it is still, "Dr. Seuss Month", I thought it would be fun to share some more quotes

from the "doctor". Have you heard any of the following quotes . . . 

Today is World Water Day, So Here are Some Interesting and Flat-out Amazing Water Facts . . .

As you go through this day, fix and eat your dinner and spend time with your family, consider the following information about water from water.org . . . 

crafting with grandma . . . One Purple Minion Completed . . . Two More to Go!

Last year for Easter, I made my grandsons crocheted Perry the Platypus' . . . I hid them in my house so they could go find them! It was lots of fun! For the last year the boys have slept with their Perrys . . . they have been well-loved, which is wonderful, since they were made with love! (You'll find the link to the pattern at this link.)


So, this year, I've been working on crocheting purple minions for my grandsons! You'll find the basic pattern I used at this link - I obviously made the minion purple instead of yellow and added a big mouth with lots of teeth, an eyelid to the one eye, dark grey overalls, longer arms and lots of crazy hair!

Today is World Down's Syndrome Day

Yes, today is World Down's Syndrome Day; "It's a day to raise awareness of the strengths and accomplishments of those around us who have Down syndrome. Some estimates have 400,000 Americans living with Down syndrome; 6 million worldwide."

I found some excellent information on the Global Down's Syndrome Foundation's website and am honored to share some of it with you today; you'll find a complete list of misconceptions and reality at this link.

Movie Give-Away & Fun, Free Extras!

I have been invited to share some fun, free activities with you which go with the movie, Walking With Dinosaurs - I also get to give one blu-ray away! (My review copy will arrive in a couple days, so I'll post a review of the movie when it arrives as well.) Since I personally believe dinosaurs were one of God's most amazing creations, even though the movies do not talk about God creating these animals, I thought it would be fun to share the free activities and have the give-away!

grandma's movie review - Frozen

Yesterday Frozen released to blu-ray and since we heard so many good things about it, we got one to watch. So, today, I'm happy to share with you a few thoughts about Frozen.

crafting with grandma - Eight Easy Spring Crafts for Kids!

While it is still cold and dreary outside - currently it is 24 degrees outside at my house -

Spring and warmer weather is likely to arrive soon! So, today I thought I'd share some fun crafts I found on Pinterest which can get us and our grandchildren thinking Spring thoughts!

I Have a Winner!

I'm very happy to say Sarah Coenen is the winner in my, "third-chance give-away for cherry yumminess!" Thank you Sarah for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your address by March 23, 2014 so I can have your cherry prize package sent to you - lyndagcj@gmail.com - if I do not get your address, the person whose name came in second will get it - and I have her address!) and thank you Cherry Republic for sending delicious cherries for me to review and for making an additional prize package available for me to give away!

grandma's cookbook - Surprise Inside Cookies!

Friday I shared a tasty cookie recipe with you for Peanut-Butter Cup Cookies (you'll find them at this link). I wanted to make some with my grandsons, but I didn't have any peanut-butter cups, so I decided to make cookies using chocolate kisses instead!

As I started adding my ingredients, I discovered I only had half the amount of peanut-butter my recipe called for!!! I looked through my cupboards and discovered a jar of chocolate-hazelnut deliciousness from Jiff and decided to substitute this for the remaining amount I needed of peanut-butter. The end result is a cookie which is sooo soft and tasty!!!

Third-Chance Give-Away for Cherry Yumminess!

Last month I reviewed some truly delicious items from Cherry Republic - and held a give-

away for a tasty gift box of cherry goodness! Sadly, the winner did not get their address to me, so I held a second-chance give-away, but once again, the winner did not get their address to me.

So, I'm going to try this once again. I can absolutely assure you this prize is fantastic and well worth checking back to see if you are the winner so you can get your address to me. Please enter this give-away, BUT, only do so if you will check back tomorrow to see if you are the winner - if you are, PLEASE get your address to me!!!! I will be drawing the name of the winner tomorrow; March 18, 2014. The Cherry Republic gift box includes the following items . . . 

Free Coupons & Heart Healthy Recipes from Campbell's

I have been invited to participate in the Campbell's Address Your Heart Campaign. What is

the, "Campbell's Address Your Heart Campaign", you ask? Well, it is an opportunity for you to discover Heart Healthy recipes from Campbells and also receive free coupons!

When it comes to cooking for our families, we all want to cook meals which are healthy and tasty. Sometimes this can be a challenge, but with some great new “American Heart Association Certified Recipes” from Campbell it has become much easier!

Campbell's says, "Health is foremost on people’s minds, keeping your family in tip top shape can be a challenge in these busy times. Campbell’s Soup wants you to 'Address Your Heart' with Heart Healthy Tips, recipes and more!

Visit AddressYourHeart.com to get heart-healthy tips, including 21 Campbell’s recipes which are certified by the AHA and product coupons, as well as Facebook.com/campbellskitchen for the latest Campbell’s recipes and offers."

My favorite recipes from Campbell's are . . .

More Quotes from Dr. Seuss!

Today I have my sweet grandsons spending time; they had a sleep-over last night and today their parents are joining us for lunch. I'm definitely in the mood for warmer weather so I'm fixing burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips and chocolate cake for our lunch! It may still be cold out, but our lunch says warm summer days and family fun!

So, with a mind for "fun", I thought it would work to share some additional Dr. Seuss quotes with you!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to announce Shay Thatcher is the winner in my Veggietales: Veggies in Space The Fennel Frontier give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Shay for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by March 21, 2014 so I can send it to you) and thank you Big Idea for sending one copy for me to review and for making an additional Veggietales: Veggies in Space The Fennel Frontier available for me to give away!

grandma's cookbook - Peanut-Butter Cup Cookies!

We have recently been happy to learn our sweet grandson Caleb is not allergic to milk!

The day after the tests came back, he was at my house. The first words out of his mouth were, "The doctor says I can have milk!" Then he headed straight to the kitchen where he started looking for Cheetos! He very happily ate some; after all, the "higher authority" of his doctor said he could have milk!

So, since he is now able to enjoy chocolate peanut-butter cups once again, when I saw this recipe on Pinterest today, I knew I would have to make some and share it with you! I love how this is a fairly simple recipe and it is one which my grandsons will have fun helping me with - I'm sure they will love putting the peanut-butter cups in the cookies! (Of course, they are very likely to sample a few peanut-butter cups as well!)

Goodnight Songs - I'm Giving One Away!

I was recently invited to review (and give-away) a new book filled with previously unknown poems from Margaret Wise Brown, who is one of the most popular children's authors of all time; her classic, Goodnight Moon has sold more than fourteen million copies and her books have never been out of print. Several generations of children from around the world have grown up with her stories. I am happy to share this book with you!

Dr. Seuss Quotes - Just for the Fun of It!

It has been a few days since I've shared any Dr. Seuss quotes, but since the month of

March is Dr. Seuss Month, I thought I'd share a few more!

Please Pray . . .

Please pray today for my cousin's granddaughter, Felicia as she is having heart surgery. So far, so good! Thank you!

grandma's movie review - When Calls the Heart - Lost & Found . . . I'm Giving One Away!

I remember when I was first married; nearly 33 years ago, I loved reading Janette Oke's books. I loved the way she crafted a story and created characters I could care about! So, when I was given the opportunity to review the DVD, When Calls the Heart - Lost & Found, I was happy to do so.

From One Generation to the Next

I have always found a reading of the Old Testament to be exciting . . . and heartbreaking. You have real people and how their real lives were impacted and changed when they came to know and walk with God; such as David. He went from being a lowly shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Yes, there were a lot of years between the two, but he knew and walked with God; even as a young teen . . . so much so he was able to trust God to fight for him when facing a giant none of the older soldiers in the army were willing to fight . . . they just ran and hid! He knew, walked with and trusted God to keep him through the years when he was being chased by Saul. Yes, he made some really horrible choices over the years, but when faced with his sin he turned from it and asked God for forgiveness and grace. He wrote the Psalms and modeled for us, even today - how to talk with God; how to worship and praise Him!

Yet, in spite of the amazing way David knew and walked with God, his children did not follow and share in his love for God. This is the heartbreaking part. If you spend time looking at the kings of Israel and Judah, some followed God and then in a generation or two they turned their backs on God. If you read Psalm 78 you see how over and over the Israelites walked with God and then forgot Him. Something bad happened and they turned back to God and then in a generation or two they forgot Him again.

I find this frightening. I love God! I want to know and walk with Him  I want my children and grandchildren and future generations, should Jesus tarry, to continue to know, love and walk with God. I do not want them to forget Him. It only takes a casual glance at the evening news to know our world is broken because it has forgotten God. It is heartbreaking.

It is the International Day of Awesomeness!

When I first saw this "special" day, I wasn't sure if I'd write about it, but then I saw the

following quote on the web page for the day; "No one's perfect, but everyone can be awesome!" and knew I had to write about it!

First of all, what a great quote! It is true, none of us are perfect, but we can all be awesome! I know my grandsons are awesome - at least to me! Take some time today to let your grandchildren and other family members and friends know how awesome they are to you . . . which makes you pretty awesome, too!

I thought it would be fun to share some of the information with you which I found on the International Day of Awesomeness' web page . . . 

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Robyn is the winner in my Dinosaur book Four-Pack give-away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you Robyn for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me to let me know your address by March 17, 2014 so I can have the books sent to you) and thank you Sterling Children's Books for sending books for me to review and for making additional books available for me to give away!

just for fun - Walk Through a Paper!

My grandsons enjoy science projects; especially when the end result has a "wow" factor! I enjoy showing them science projects . . . and of course, having them help with the projects. I especially love it when I can connect the project to something about Jesus as it is a great way to get something important to "stick" to my grandsons' minds.

So, today I thought I'd share a simple project with you which you could do with your grandchildren; all you need is a piece of paper and some scissors.

Special Birthday Month Give-Away - Isabelle the American Girl Doll of the Year 2014!

Today as I think about giving away Isabelle, the American Girl Doll of the Year for 2014, I

thought it would be fun to "connect" with "Craft Month" and give you a link I found on Pinterest for American Girl Doll Crafts!

Follow this link and you'll find 19 fun crafts for American Girl dolls! 

So, how can you get in on the give-away for Isabelle which will be on May 24, 2014? Just follow these steps . . . 

just for fun - Today is Doodle Day!

Are you a "doodler"? Do you tend to draw absentmindedly or when you are bored? Do you

tend to add little drawings or sketches to your name or when you write a note to someone? Most of us likely do this from time to time and today is a time to do so as it is, "Doodle Day"!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say LeAnn Fraas is the winner in my Cherry Republic Give-Away! (You'll find the review at this link) Thank you LeAnn for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by March 14, 2014 so I can have it sent to you) and thank you Cherry Republic for sending items for me to review and for making additional items available for me to give away!

It is National Oreo Cookie Day!!!!

What a fun and tasty day to celebrate!!! My grandson Caleb is absolutely a "fan" of Oreo cookies . . . after all, they are quite the tasty treat! Since today is National Oreo Cookie Day, I thought it would be fun to share a few, "Oreo facts" with you . . . 

Even More Dr. Seuss Quotes!

Are you ready for a few more Dr. Seuss quotes? Since Dr. Seuss wrote a lot of books; we have a lot of quotes to think about . . . today the quotes are ones which do this . . . make us think!

So . . . my Dr. Seuss quotes for today are . . .

It is National Craft Month - Let's Make Some Fun Crafts!

March is National Craft Month which, of course, means March is sure to be a fun month! It

also means it will be a fun month to spend time with grandchildren because while we can, and should, make crafts with them all year long, a month with a focus on making crafts is one when holds great times and memories for sure!

I looked on Pinterest for a couple fun ideas which you could do with your grandchildren and am happy to share them with you . . . 

Second Chance Give-Away - Cherry Republic Gift Box

I recently had the opportunity to review some delightfully tasty items from Cherry Republic . . . and give a gift box of these items away! Sadly, the person who won did not get their contact information to me, so I'm having a second-chance give-away for this delicious prize!

The Cherry Republic gift box includes the following items . . . 

Special Birthday Month Give-Away - Isabelle the American Girl Doll of the Year 2014!

If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar since the end of January, you likely have

noticed I'm giving away one Isabelle - the American Girl Doll of the Year for 2014! I'm very thankful for the opportunity to review American Girl Dolls - typically two a year - and give them away!

I wanted to take a moment to clear up some confusion about how to enter the give-away; and how often you may enter. Please let me say I am absolutely honored to have you all take time out of your busy day to read grandma's cookie jar! I am thrilled to see so many of you are sharing grandma's cookie jar with the people you know; thank you! I want you to feel free to enter the give-away as much as you like, as long as you follow the following information.

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?!!!

You will receive entries in the following ways . . .