grandma's movie review - Big Hero 6

I do not personally pay any attention to the Academy awards - trophies given by actors to actors just do not carry that much "weight" with me. So, while Big Hero 6 was chosen as the top animated movie for 2014, since my daughter saw the movie and said it was a lot of fun, I decided to buy it - when I found it on Amazon for just $18 I ordered it from them! So, last night we watched it and I agree with my daughter; Big Hero 6 is a lot of fun! Not only is it very funny, but it has some truly excellent messages in it . . . and a short which could actually have used my grandson Shane and his dog Gimli to film the end in live action!

just for fun - It is Polar Bear Day

Today is Polar Bear Day . . . and here in Michigan we can certainly identify with the snowy, cold area where Polar Bears live! On this day to celebrate these snowy, white bears, I thought it would be fun to consider some Polar Bear Facts I found on-line and enjoy a Polar Bear Shake . . . so, grab your grandchildren and get ready to celebrate Polar Bear Day!

First for the Polar Bear Facts . . . 

Earning & Buying Bunnies to Help Families in Need!

February is almost over and tomorrow when the boys are at my house we will be ordering the bunnies they have been working to buy for families in need around the world. Josiah and Caleb baked cookies - which they sold, and made bird feeders (Cheerios on chenille  wire) - which they sold so they could use the money they earned to buy bunnies from WorldHelp for families in need.

A couple weeks ago when they were delivering cookies and bird feeders to their great grandparents Josiah wanted to know what we were charging. I told him we would let them pay whatever they wanted. He looked concerned and asked, "But what if they only want to give us a penny???" I told him it would be okay and we would let them give whatever they wanted (they gave much more than a penny!). On our way home Caleb wanted to go right away to buy the bunnies . . . I think he wanted to hold them! I explained we were actually ordering the bunnies on-line; which he was not so happy about (I may have to find a bunny for him to hold!).

At any rate, tomorrow we will be ordering the bunnies the boys have earned and will spend some time praying for the families who receive them!

The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook - It's a Prize for the Cookie Contest!

Since the story which goes with this year's American Girl Doll Girl of the Year for 2015 involves her being a girl who loves baking, I thought it would be fun to have a cookie recipe contest and announced the contest about a week and a half ago. So far Amy C. has shared her grandma's recipe for Seven Layer Cookies, Karen shared her recipe for Chocolate Biscotti and Leah shared her recipe for Jam-filled Thumbprint Cookies. Be sure to check these out - and try them!

What would a contest be without prizes? I'm working on putting together a prize package, but so far the package includes 25 extra entries in the give-away for the 2015 American Girl Doll Girl of the Year and one Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook! 

My Day-With-the-Sweet-Boys Day

Today is, Day-With-the-Sweet-Boys-Day, otherwise known as Wednesday. I picked Josiah and Caleb up this morning and took Josiah to school. Caleb came home with me and we are enjoying our morning together while we talk, laugh, play and just have fun together. 

In a couple hours we will go pick Josiah up from school and then hang out together until it is time to pick their Poppa up from work - we might make cookies. We will pick up some supper and then take the boys to the mid-week children's ministry at our church. When it is over, we will take the boys home.

My Wednesdays are always busy, but I get very little actually done; that is very little other than spending time loving the boys, talking with the boys, listening to them and just being together! And of all the things I could do on a Wednesday, how can anything else be more important?

grandma's bookshelf - The Pirate and the Firefly - I'm Giving One Away!

I was recently invited to review a new book and since it had a pirate in it and is about a lesson in wisdom, I accepted the invite! BH Kids sent me the book to review (for free, but my opinions are my own) and they are making another available for me to give away, but first, my opinion!

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Jennifer Marie is the winner of one DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (Blu-ray+DVD+Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack) with Batzarro LEGO minifigure! (You'll find more information at this link.) Thank you Jennifer Marie for reading grandma's cookie jar - please message me your address; lyndagcj@gmail.com, by February 26, 2015 so I can have it sent to you. And, thank you Warner Brothers for making this give-away possible.

American Girl Doll Give-Away - Grace, the Girl of the Year 2015 - Do You Bake Banana Bread?

Do you enjoy baking? What is your favorite thing to bake? Do you like to bake banana bread? What is your favorite quick bread recipe? This year the Girl of the Year doll from American Girl has grandparents and an aunt and uncle who are bakers with their own bakeries. Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year, loves to bake as well and wants to one day have her own bakery - as we learn in the story which comes with Grace. 

On May 24, 2015 I am giving away one American Girl Doll and Paperback Book - Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year doll away (USA only)! If you live in the USA, are over the age of 18 and would like to be included in the drawing for Grace - which will be on May 24, 2015 (during my Month of Birthday Give-Aways), please comment below to let me know your favorite quick bread! I especially love Blueberry, Orange bread, but since today is Banana Bread Day . . . a wonderfully tasty day to be sure, I would have to say my family also happens to be big fans of banana bread!

I Have a Winner & Another Give-Away tomorrow!

I'm happy to say Lisa Seniuk Calvello is the winner of The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag! (You'll find the review at this link.) Thank you Lisa for reading grandma's cookie jar - please message me your address; lyndagcj@gmail.com, by March 2, 2015 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.

"If I Need . . . or Want Something . . . "

Today I was remembering one night when my husband and I went to stay with our grandsons while their parents went out for a couple hours. When we arrived, the boys were already in bed and Caleb was sound asleep. Josiah was not asleep.

As Dave and Jackie were heading out the door, from his bedroom we heard Josiah say, "Are they gone yet?" to which we said, "No". This happened a couple times.

grandma's chuckles - It Would Be Wonderful to Have Four Cookie Jars Filled with Cookies!

Yesterday was a busy cookie-baking day at this grandma's house. Before the boys arrived, I made Peanut-butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies and put them in my photo cookie jar. When the boys arrived we made Snicker-doodle-Sprinkles cookies and Caleb thought they should go in my penguin cookie jar.

When Josiah saw I had two cookie jars with cookies in them on my counter, he said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful to make more cookies and put them in the snowman cookie jar! And then make more and put them in the cow cookie jar!" I said I thought that would be too many cookies, but Josiah was sure it would be wonderful to have so many cookies!

I have to admit; it might actually be pretty wonderful to have so many cookies . . . as long as I had people to eat them with me - especially grandsons who love cookies!

just for fun - It is Cherry Pie Day!

What is your favorite pie? Around my house Chocolate, Peanut-butter Pie is the family favorite, but another long-time favorite is Cherry Cream Cheese Pie, so today, on Cherry Pie Day, I thought I'd share this simple Cherry Pie recipe with you. Yes, I know, the Cherry Pie we typically think of on Cherry Pie Day is a baked, traditional Cherry Pie, but in case you have a craving for Cherry Pie, but are looking for something just a bit less traditional, check this recipe . . . 

Yes, I Have Blessings, But I Also Have Challenges - We All Do!

Yesterday I talked about the many blessings God has lavished on me; today, I want to take a moment to talk about challenges which have also been part of my life. Just as we all have blessings - big and small - in our lives, we also have challenges. 

The Grandmother's Bible has a devotion which talks about "Strength in Adversity". Rebecca Manley Pippert said, "The measure of a person is seen in his or her response to adversity. David's life reminds us that being a believer, or even a future king, does not protect us from the ambiguities of life. God 'sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous' (Matthew 5:45). Our relationship with God does not protect us from the storm, but through knowing Him, we are protected from the storm's power to destroy us. We need to be realistic about the fact life is difficult. Instead of blaming God for our trials, we must turn to Him, for He alone can give us the resources we need to overcome them."

grandma's chuckles - He is a Problem Solver!

Yesterday I spent the day with Caleb and Shane - and Josiah joined us when he got out of

school. Wednesdays - otherwise known as; "the Day-with-the-Sweet-Boys", is a day I look forward to each week! 

Shane is just 18 months old and does not typically spend the day with us, but yesterday was his momma's birthday and his daddy planned to spend the day with her, so Shane joined us. He is such a little "character"! Shane has discovered where his grandma keeps the chocolate hearts - on the counter in a basket which ordinarily he can not reach. But, does not being able to reach it stop this little boy? Oh, no! Not for a moment! He is a problem solver, like his older brothers, and he discovered he can push his blue car or a chair to the counter, climb on it and then reach the tasty, sweet treats! And reach them he did! Shane is a rascal, but most definitely a very sweet rascal!

I'm glad Shane joined us for my "Day-with-the-Sweet-Boys" yesterday! The older he gets, the more I am able to see how he is like his brothers and like his own self . . . he, like his brothers, is a wonderful gift from the hand of God and I am grateful! 

What are Your Blessings?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the many blessings God has lavished on me . . . of course, the first is His love, grace and forgiveness! He has also blessed me with an amazing husband - we met on a volcano and have been married for 31 years! We have two grown children and one daughter-in-law - all blessings from the hand of God! I have three wonderful grandsons . . . most certainly blessings from God who I am able to spend time with each week - absolutely incredible blessings!

Being an Intentional Grandma

I love my grandsons! I love to spend time with them, I love to do special things with them and I love to give them surprises from time to time. I take seriously my "job" as grandma! 

Along with all the "fun" parts of this "job", I also know it is important; extremely important, for me to take seriously my responsibility to pass on a heritage of faith. I am always looking for opportunities to connect what we are doing with God's Word and how very, very much Jesus loves these three, sweet boys!

LEGO Justice League vs Bizarro League Blu-ray Give-Away!

Yesterday I was invited to participate in a fun LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League give-away, so today I'm sharing all the details with you! Not only will one person win a Blu-ray+DVD+Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack + with Batzarro LEGO minifigure, but everyone will be able to have the fun of discovering their own "Bizarro Name with the name-generator app and being able to print their own set of digital trading cards with the Bizarro name-generator app and exclusive Digital Trading Cards.

"Batman has joined the newly formed Justice League in order to keep tabs on Superman, a mistrust that is complicated by Superman’s clumsy – but well-meaning – clone, Bizarro. Bizarro’s creation of the Bizarro League has caused confusion amongst the world’s greatest Super Heroes, but an even greater and mysterious threat may force the Justice League and Bizarro League to band together to defeat evil. Available NOW on Blu-ray+DVD+Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack+Batzarro LEGO minifigure."

You can enjoy discovering your own "bizarro name" - and the Bizarro names for your grandchildren - by, typing in your name to the name-generator app, which you will find at the top right of my blog, to reveal your Bizarro alter-ego - If you don’t like your name, press the refresh button or try again! Josiah and Caleb will have fun with this tomorrow when they are at my house!

crafting with grandma - Make Your Own Photo Books & More!

I was browsing on Pinterest this morning and found a really great idea for making your own photo books and prints on wood, ceramic and tin and knew I had to share it with you! 

Spiderkid; not Spiderman!

Recently my grandson Caleb (three years old) decided he was Spiderman. For about a week he kept telling me he was Spiderman; a good superhero because he helps people! I told him Spiderman did not wear diapers, and asked him if this meant he was ready to start using the potty; which apparently it did . . . at least once-in-a-while!

But then this past weekend he told me he could not be Spiderman because he was a kid; not a man. He then told me he was actually Spiderkid! I laughed and said I was sure Spiderkid used the potty, too, which he decided he could do - again, once-in-a-while!

just for fun - It's Almond Day - Make Cinnamon Almonds!

Yes, today, February 16th is Almond Day, so I thought along with sharing a tasty recipe for homemade cinnamon almonds, I thought I'd share some history of almonds which I found on-line. Did you know . . . 

February is Bake for Family Fun Month & Cinnamon-Sugar, Soft Pumpkin Pretzels!

I know around this grandma's house baking is something we enjoy and definitely have fun as a family doing together! Just this past Friday my three grandsons helped me make cookies for their momma's birthday party . . . even little Shane (1 1/2 years old) got in on the "helping" . . . well, at least he helped taste and when he did, he said, "Yum! Yum, yum yum!!!!" Apparently he approved!

I grew up in a family of bakers/cooks. My mom, grandmas and aunts all knew how to bake/cook and family get-togethers meant there would definitely be no shortage of tasty food! I actually live in the house my grandparents had built in the late 1920's - my dad was born in this house! I remember having sleepovers here as a child and remember my grandma baking homemade bread . . . she always sliced it fresh from the oven and gave me a piece with Peter Pan Peanut butter on it . . . even now I remember how delicious it tasted! 

So, when my grandsons have sleepovers here, I have years of memories of sleepovers with grandparents in this house! My grandsons are growing up with memories of baking and time spent with grandparents on sleepovers here and this makes me very happy! 

I Have a Winner!

I'm happy to say Teresa Maddox is the winner of the book, A Dozen Cousins (you'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Teresa for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me at lyndagcj@gmail.com by February 22, 2015 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!

Valentine's Day Fun!

It is Saturday . . . Josiah, Caleb and Shane spent the night as they usually do on Friday nights. We will be celebrating their mom's birthday today with her birthday lunch, but I think we will also have some Valentine's Day fun with the boys!

We are giving them a couple little things for Valentine's Day, but I think it will be fun to do so as a Valentine's Day scavenger hunt! Of course there will be hugs and kisses too, although it does not have to be Valentine's Day for this grandma to snuggle her sweet boys!

What's in the Bible - All DVDs Just $5!

I have recently been invited to be an "affiliate" site for What's in the Bible. This means I'll be able to offer you specials to help you save money on What's in the Bible products if you order them following the link on my blog (look to the right and scroll down a bit). When you order your What's in the Bible product through my blog, I'll receive a commission.

I do have a really great offer to begin . . . through February 15, 2015 all DVDs are just $5! And, if you order five DVDs or more, you'll also receive free shipping! These are both great offers, so if you have been thinking about buying some What's in the Bible DVDs for your home, now is a great time to get them!

And, thank you for ordering them through the link on my blog!

grandma's chuckles - "Gimli!! Gimli!!! Gimil!!!!"

The other day my grandsons were at my house and Shane, the youngest at 18 months, was

frustrated about something and said; "Gimli!! Gimli!!! Gimil!!!!" I found this to be very funny because Gimli is the name of my grandson's dog and Gimli is an aggressive chewer. There has been a number of times when my son and daughter-in-law have walked into a room and found things all chewed up all over their floor. I suspect it is at times such as these sweet Shane has heard his parents say; "Gimli!! Gimli!!! Gimil!!!!" Apparently, when you are frustrated you say; "Gimli!! Gimli!!! Gimil!!!!" See why I thought it was so funny for Shane to say this?!!

grandma's movie reviews - The Box Trolls

I recently bought the bluray of The Boxtrolls and so today I'm happy to share my review of it with you.

Developing a Heart for Others!

My grandsons have been working on a project to show their love to others by making

cookies and bird feeders which they are selling so they can raise money to buy bunnies for families in need. So, last night the boys were delivering cookies and birdfeeders to their great-grandparents; Josiah asked me how much we should charge for the cookies and birdfeeders. I told him we would let people pay whatever they chose. He looked concerned and said; "But, what if they only choose to pay a penny??!!!" I smiled and told him whatever someone chose to pay would be just right. He looked like he was not convinced, but went along with it. (His great grandparents paid $20 for a baker's dozen fresh baked homemade cookies and two birdfeeders - $20 will buy two bunnies!)

So, as we took the boys home last night, Caleb (three years old) wanted us to stop by the, "bunny store" so we could buy the bunnies for the family! Obviously I need to explain better about actually buying the bunnies! 

Mark You Calendars for February 15th!

Yes, February 15th is just a few days away and it is a very important date, so mark your calendars and get ready for the 15th! Why you ask?Because February 15th is the day after February 14th and February 14th is Valentine's Day! 

February 15th, besides from these obvious things, is the day all the Valentine's Day candy goes on sale! Just stop and think about all the things you can do with heart-shaped candy . . . if you have it! 

You could . . . 

Cookie Recipe Contest!

Yesterday I shared a post about my American Girl Doll give-away (you'll find it at this link). Since the story which goes with this year's American Girl Doll Girl of the Year for 2015 involves her being a girl who loves baking, I thought it would be fun to have a cookie recipe contest! 

So, first of all, if it is a contest, there should be prizes . . . I'll work on putting together some prizes, but will announce the first prize today . . . 25 extra entries in the give-away for the 2015 American Girl Doll Girl of the Year! 

As I arrange for additional prizes, I'll announce them!

Now we have mentioned prizes, let's look at the "rules" for the contest! 

grandma's bookshelf - The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag - I'm Giving One Away!

The other day I received a package with two Berenstain Bears books for me to review; so I'm very happy today for the opportunity to share with you my review of one of these books; The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag . . . and announce a give-away as well!

American Girl Doll Give-Away . . . Do You Like to Bake? What is Your Favorite Cookie?

Do you enjoy baking? What is your favorite thing to bake? Do you like to bake cookies? What is your favorite cookie recipe? This year the Girl of the Year doll from American Girl has grandparents and an aunt and uncle who are bakers with their own bakeries. Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year, loves to bake as well and wants to one day have her own bakery - as we learn in the story which comes with Grace. 

On May 24, 2015 I am giving away one American Girl Doll and Paperback Book - Grace, the 2015 Girl of the Year doll away (USA only)! If you live in the USA, are over the age of 18 and would like to be included in the drawing for Grace - which will be on May 24, 2015 (during my Month of Birthday Give-Aways), please comment below to let me know what your favorite cookie is! Around my house Josiah's Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies have traditionally been our favorite; although currently Josiah prefers my Brown Sugar Sprinkles Butter Cookies!

It is World Marriage Day - What is Your "Story"?

Today is World Marriage Day and surprisingly, 34 years ago today my husband proposed to me! We met on a volcano . . . yes, I said a volcano! Mt. Lassen in Northern California is an active volcano and we met on Mt. Lassen. If you ever want to take a truly amazing vacation, go to Redding, CA. From Redding you can take day-trips to the East and see Mt. Lassen; you can even climb to the top of it, go through Bumpass Hell (like Old Faithful), walk through the "Subway Caves" (the last time Lassen blew, the lava made underground caves you can hike through now.), and go to see Burney Falls (they made some Tarzan shows there) and hike around the falls. Then the next day you can go North and see Lake Shasta, Mt. Shasta, and Castle Craigs. Of course you will want to go West and see the Redwoods and the Pacific Ocean another day. If you go South, you can visit the Sacramento Zoo - which is a great zoo and to San Francisco as well.

I Have a Winner & Another Give-Away in a Week!

I'm happy to say Amy C is the winner of Bunny's First Spring (you'll find the full review at this link.) Thank you Amy for reading grandma's cookie jar (please message me your address by February 15, 2015 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.

Showing Love!

As we think about love during February, it is very important for us to understand real love shows itself. Yes, it speaks love to others, but it does not stop with the words. Real love shows itself; just as God showed His love to us! One way we can help our grandchildren understand this is by involving them in projects to show love to others.

A few days ago I posted about involving grandchildren in showing love to families in need by having them raise money to buy bunnies from WorldHelp. For just $20 you can give a pair of bunnies to a family in need somewhere in the world; and of course we all know those two bunnies will very quickly be more than just two bunnies! This gives families a source of food and income as they sell bunnies in their communities.

crafting with grandma - Story Stones

As I've mentioned a time or two - or more - my grandsons and I enjoy making up stories together, so yesterday when I was browsing on Pinterest I saw a post I knew I would be making and just had to share with you! Story Stones are story "starters" - they encourage imagination by giving children - and grandmas - components from which they can "build" their stories.

They would be fun to make - go on a nature hike . . . after the snow melts . . . and gather some nice stones. Bring them home and paint items . . . cars, balloons, flowers . . . and if you have grandsons like mine, then monsters, aliens and poison lightning! I think it would also be wonderful to make an additional set of "story stones" with Bible features . . . boys, girls, men, women (all in Bible clothes), angels (strong men of course!), the Bible, Jesus, and any other "story starters" you might choose.

crafting with grandma - Zig-Zag Purse!

It is that time of year where I start thinking about crocheting new purses, so with this in mind I browsed on Pinterest this morning and found an idea which I think would make an amazing purse! Granny squares connected at the corner for a "zig-zag" look! This has the potential to be a fun and unique purse!

Of course, it would also make a wonderful afghan . . . and a fun project to work on with your granddaughters to help them learn to crochet. If they begin now, they could have it finished in plenty of time to give the finished afghan to their parents for Christmas! 

"Publish" Your Grandchildren's Story

Ever since my grandsons were old enough to talk, we have enjoyed making up "stories". We have fun stories about George the Bear, Monsters, Aliens and of course, Super Josiah and Super Caleb! From time-to-time the boys have illustrated their stories and had me write the words to make our own paper books, but the other day I thought it would be especially fun for the boys to see one of their stories actually "published".

crafting with grandma - Paper Hearts Heart

No, it is not a typo! This fun craft uses paper hearts of various sizes to make one larger paper heart! It is a fun project which you can involve your grandchildren in making! Younger grandchildren could help you make the little hearts for you to help them assemble into the larger heart and older grandchildren could "tackle" this project for themselves!

A Month of Love - Show Love by Speaking with Grace

How many of us grew up hearing our parents say; "If you can't say something nice, do not say anything at all"? This is excellent advice, and sadly, something people seem to have forgotten in this age of twitter and facebook posts which can be so unkind. But, it is still excellent advice and something we should not only observe in our own lives, but be intentional about teaching our grandchildren as well.

As we think about showing love, one big way we do this is with the words we do say. Look at Colossians 4:6 - "Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person." (CEB) This verse tells us the words we say should ALWAYS be gracious and insightful. The dictionary defines, "grace" as; "A controlled, polite and pleasant way of behaving" and "gracious" as; "marked by kindness, courtesy, tact and charm". So, how can we show this with the words we say and how can we teach our grandchildren to speak with grace? Consider the following . . . 

crafting with grandma - Valentine's Day Heart Craft for Birds!

This morning I browsed a bit on Pinterest and found a fun and simple idea for a Valentine's Day craft my grandsons could make. It is not just a "heart" craft, but a craft which they can use to help feed birds! Yes, I said, "feed birds"!

A Month of Love - Show Love by NEVER Gossiping

Yesterday I wrote about involving our grandchildren in a project to show love to families in need by raising money to buy bunnies for them. Since the month of February is a great time to stop and focus on love; each day this month I'll write about a way to show love to our grandchildren!

Today I want to think about showing love in a way you may not typically think of; by being a grandma who does not gossip. Gossip is insidious. Far too often we do it without even thinking. But gossip is evil and vile. It causes damage and hurts people, deeply. If we gossip around our grandchildren we lay the groundwork for them to mistrust us. We absolutely MUST have a zero tolerance for gossip and MUST be people who will NOT gossip; ever. 

How does gossip lay the groundwork for our grandchildren to mistrust us? It does so in the following ways - 

Engage Your Grandchildren in Showing Love - Give Bunnies!

Today is February 1st - the first day in the month of the year when we think about "love". It is the perfect month to involve our grandchildren in a project to show their love for others . . . by raising money to give bunnies to families in need around the world!

Bunnies, you ask? Yes! Bunnies! For just $20 you can give a pair of bunnies to a family in need. This pair of bunnies very quickly becomes more bunnies . . . and can not only be used to provide much needed nutrition, but can be sold and traded for things families need as well.

And since a pair of bunnies is only $20 through WorldHelp, it makes bunnies a very affordable project . . . grandchildren can work to see how many pairs of bunnies they can earn! And, it is so easy to make this a fun project! Consider the following . . . 

There Are Ninja Turtles at My House!

The other day my grandson Josiah asked me if I'd make him Ninja Turtle slippers. Of

course, Caleb thought he would like some slippers, too! I said I'd be happy to make them for the boys, so Thursday and Friday I was busy crocheting three pairs of Ninja Turtle slippers - the third was for sweet Shane.