grandma's cookie jar: October 2017

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Share This One Important Message with the Ones You Love!

When it comes to one of the most important messages for you to hand down to the children you love, we need to be sure to share the truth of how God is good, His love lasts forever and He is always faithful; He was faithful yesterday, He is faithful today and He will absolutely be faithful tomorrow.

Tomorrow, on November 1, 2017 my Christmas Gift Giveaway begins with a giveaway of a really cute storybook - Dough Knights and Dragons! (You will find my review and the details for the giveaway at this link.) If you have not yet signed up for this giveaway, please take a moment to do so - it is a great story and sure to be one the children you love will want read to them over and over . . . my grandsons have me read it to them often!

See, Remember & Share - God is Faithful All the Time!!

Today as you go throughout your day take time to ask God to give you eyes which see all He is doing in your life and ask Him to help you remember all He has done in the past. Then share it! Tell the children you love about how God has been faithful yesterday. How He is faithful today. And why you know He will be faithful tomorrow - to you and to them!

(Please check out, like and share my new facebook page for Grandmas with Heart and keep an eye on it for info to help equip and empower you to hand down the faith!)

Week Two of our Cooke Recipe Contest - Please Vote!

The voting just closed in the first week of round one of

voting - Leela's received the most votes and moves to our final round - which will be in a couple weeks. (You will find both Leela's and Jennifer Q's recipes at this link.)

Today we begin the voting in week two of our first round - you may vote for either Shirley's Peanut Butter Cookies - submitted by Tina (you'll find it at this link) or Peanut Butter No-Bakes from Gaye Valle (which you will find at this link). The poll at the top right of this page is the place to vote - very easy, just click on the recipe you like the most.

Two tasty recipes - one will move to our final round - please vote!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 30, 2017 - Photo Blanket from Collage.com

Today I'm sharing with you the last item in my 2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway . . . well, the last item scheduled for a giveaway in November as I may have a few more for the beginning of December! With this item I will be giving away 28 items throughout the month of November - ranging from books to dolls, puppets and beautiful photo blankets. If you have not yet entered the drawings for the items you like, please do! Someone will win - could be you!

Last month I was invited to review photo blankets from Collage.com. Today I'm writing about the blankets I reviewed and announcing the giveaway for another photo blanket - of the winner's choice with a value up to $229.99!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 29, 2017 - Nanea - American Girl Doll

I'm very happy to share with you about a new American Girl Doll - and announce the giveaway for Nanea - American Girl Beforever Doll (nah-NAY-ah)! Each year I'm always so happy for the opportunity to let you know about a new American Girl doll, but more than this, I'm always happy for the opportunity to give one away, knowing a little girl will receive it and be so happy to have her! Nanea is a beautiful doll - whatever little girl receives her is sure to love her!

Do What Truly Matters With Your Grandchildren

As October comes to an end and November begins, it is a wonderful time (as is any time) to help our grandchildren think about and focus upon showing sincere love to others. So, in the coming days and weeks make it a point to notice when they show sincere love, devotion to others and live in harmony with those around them - no matter their age or if they live near or far to where you live.

Invest in your grandchildren. Focus upon handing down the faith - these are things you will never regret doing and things which truly matter!

So far in my 2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway, I've reviewed the new Folkmanis Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Puppets. They are both beautiful and big - making a wonderful gift for the child you know who is a fan of Mickey and Minnie! Today I'm happy to let you know about two more puppets in this new Disney line from Folkmanis - and announce a giveaway for one of them.

Two days ago a large box arrived at my house while my youngest grandson was here. Inside we found one Donald Duck Puppet and one Pluto Puppet. He immediately started hugging Pluto and told me he "loves" Pluto. He played with the puppet for hours and when he returned the following morning, he continued to play with Pluto for about four more hours. He laughed at how when you squeeze Pluto's front legs, his ears go up and is very happy Pluto is big enough to hug and snuggle with on the sofa. Clearly, Pluto has to stay at grandma's house for the grandsons to enjoy. (I'd let them take it home, but their dogs Gimli and Roxie have been known to chew up toys. We decided Pluto was "safer" at grandma's house, for now.)

So, today I'm very happy to let you know about the Donald Duck Puppet- and announce another giveaway for this beautiful, big puppet!

Special Review & Giveaway - November 2, 2017 - Frankenbunny

Two days ago I was asked by Sterling Children's Books to review a new book; it arrived today. I know I already posted a review/giveaway earlier today, but I have quite a few to get through before the end of the month, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it. This book is a fun story and while the title - Frankenbunny - might make you think it was a book for this time of year, the story is one which goes well any time of year!

I recently had the opportunity to review something warm and wonderful from Shutterfly - their fleece blanket! Just being a fleece blanket - since I live in the chilly state of Michigan (it is 47 outside right now), is enough reason to think of it as, "warm and wonderful", but since it is from Shutterfly, this means there is at least one photo on it of people I love . . . and in this case, there are 6 photos on it! Yes, it absolutely is wonderful!

I'm happy to say Laura Waltz is the winner of one family 4-pack of tickets to Jurassic Quest in Grand Rapids, MI. (You will find all the details at this link.) Thank you Laura for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email me your contact info - lyndagcj@gmail.com - by October 30, 2017 - so I will be able to forward it to Jurassic Quest) and thank you Jurassic Quest for making tickets available to review and one family 4-pack of tickets available for me to give away!

You have until October 30, 2017, to vote for either Leela's Dark Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Pecan Cookie or Jennifer Q's Molasses Cookie (you will find the recipes at this link) by voting on the poll at the top right of this blog. Then next week you will be able to vote between two more cookies and the following week two more recipes. The winning recipe from each of these weeks will move to the finals and whoever submitted the recipe chosen in our final round of votes, will receive their own photo cookie jar from Personalization Mall!

And we all will be able to try some new cookie recipes . . . which should delight our families! Please vote today.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

God Is Answering Our Prayers; Even When We Can Not See the Answer!

God always does what He said He will do - He hears, He listens, He answers our prayers! Sometimes we are able to see how He answers; other times we have to wait to see, but He is answering our prayers! A praying grandma (grandpa/parent) is powerful, because our God is powerful! (Please share this with the people you know.)

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 26, 2017 - The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan or the Available State of Your Choice

I was born, raised and have lived most of my life in the state of Michigan. So, when I noticed Sterling Children's Books had a series of books based on the old carol, the Twelve Days of Christmas, but centered in quite a few States and Canada - one of which was Michigan - I knew I wanted to review it. Happily, Sterling Children's Books sent it to me and they are making another available for me to give away . . . for whatever state the winner chooses!

Do you wonder if what you do as a grandparent matters? Do you wonder about the legacy you leave behind and how it will impact your children and grandchildren?

Well, I want you to know what we do does matter and the history and legacy we leave behind has great power to influence the generations who follow. As an example of this, please allow me to share with you today a bit of my great-grandpa Badgerow's history and legacy.

I'm happy to say Tina is the winner of Bonaparte Falls Apart (You'll find my review at this link.) Thank you Tina for reading grandma's cookie jar (please email your address to me - lyndagcj@gmail.com - by October 28, 2017, so I am able to 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.

Tomorrow, on October 27, 2017, I'm giving away one family 4-pack of tickets to Jurassic Quest in Grand Rapids, MI. You will find all the details at this link.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Grandmas with Heart - Please Check Us Out!

The month of October I've been busy with reviewing and
posting about items I received for my yearly Christmas review & giveaway. It is a fun month, followed by a month packed with even more fun when I give away the things I wrote about in October! (By the way, this is a great time to say, if you have not yet entered the different giveaways I've announced, look to your left - you will see a long list of giveaways complete with links to find the places to enter each of those giveaways - please enter! Someone will win in each giveaway - could be you!)

At any rate, while giveaways are fun - and a whole month of giveaways is even more fun - giveaways are not the reason I write grandma's cookie jar. I write it to help encourage and equip you to hand down faith to the children you love.

I am so happy to share with you today about the very special giveaway - a Folkmanis Minnie Mouse Puppet! As with the Mickey Mouse Puppet (which I'm giving away on November 18, 2017 - you'll find all the details at this link.) Minnie Mouse is no small puppet . . . she measures 22 x 15 x 22 inches (LxWxH)! I actually wanted to keep it, but I know if I put it in my Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway, some child will receive it and be so happy to have her. So, today I'm announcing another of my favorite giveaways for this year . . . one Folkmanis Minnie Mouse Puppet!

I have grandsons who enjoy a book with excitement and a fun storyline. But now my grandsons are getting older; they are finding chapter books have the potential to be something they will enjoy. So, when I had the opportunity to review a new line of chapter books about a boy who is a Private Eye . . . I had to say yes!

Bonaparte Falls Apart & a Special Giveaway

Today I am happy to share with you about a book I received Thursday - since the story is about a little skeleton who has a hard time staying together, I'm announcing a special giveaway on Thursday, October 26, 2017 - yes, in just two days. It is my hope the winner will receive their copy of this cute book before the end of October.

Today I'm sharing two fun giveaways - yes, two! Not only am I giving away a one year subscription to Generations Quest, but I'm also giving away a very nice photo pillow from Shutterfly!

Each year I give away a lot of fun items in my Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway. This year I'm doing the same, but today's giveaway is more than just something which is "fun". It is something which has the potential to help draw you and the ones you love closer to God!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 23, 2017 - Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship Board Game

I love it when games I played as a child with my siblings and friends come back around for my grandsons to enjoy. And, when they are combined with a fun movie, what could be better?

Today I'm happy to let you know about just such a game . . . Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship Board Game!

We are ready to move to "stage two" of grandma's cookie jar Cookie Recipe Contest . . . it is time to vote! So today I'm sharing with you two of the recipes submitted in "stage one". You will be able to vote once for the recipe you like the best. At the end of the week, whichever recipe receives the most votes will move to "stage three" . . . our final votes for the winning recipe.

Today is the Last Day to Share Your Favorite Cookie Recipe & 5 Days Until the Jurassic Quest Giveaway!

Today, October 22, 2017 is the last day to share your favorite cookie recipe in grandma's cookie jar Cookie Recipe Contest. Tomorrow we will begin voting and whoever submitted the winning recipe will win their own photo cookie jar!

So far I have seven recipes from which you will be able to vote for your favorite . . . there is plenty of room for more recipes. I'd love to include your favorite cookie recipe, but for me to do so, I need you to share your recipe in the comment section below.

Just copy and paste or type it in and your recipe will be entered in our contest!

I love books with interesting illustrations and a text which includes a surprise . . . both these things are found in the new book sent to me for review by Sterling Children's Books . . . You Must Bring a Hat!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 21, 2017 - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppet

Around this house we are definitely fans of basset hounds, but I do have to say, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a pretty dog! Today I'm very happy to let you know about a new puppet from Folkmanis Puppets, their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Hand Puppet.

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 20, 2017 - NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible

Giving a Bible as a Christmas gift is not only a great idea, but it makes for a truly meaningful gift which whomever you give it to will use every day. And, if the person on your gift list is someone who enjoys coloring . . . especially a teen or adult who has taken up coloring, the NIV, Beautiful Word Coloring Bible, which Zondervan sent me for review, makes the perfect gift!

Do the children you love think dinosaurs are cool?

My grandsons are great fans of dinos - especially my six-year-old grandson! So, when I learned Jurassic Quest was coming to Grand Rapids, MI, I had to find out if it was possible to review it. I'm so happy to say not only are they allowing a review, but are providing one family 4-pack of tickets for me to give away (for use in Grand Rapids, MI only - November 3-5, 2017)

If you have not heard yet about Jurassic Quest, you may be wondering what it is, so please allow me to introduce you to an opportunity for your family to create amazing memories . . . with dinosaurs!

Three Day Extension to grandma's cookie jar Cookie Recipe Contest!

Yes, I'm going to extend the time for submitting and sharing your favorite cookie recipe by three days . . . until October 22, 2017! Then on Monday, October 23, 2017 we will begin the first round of voting for our favorite cookie recipe.

So, what is your favorite cookie? Toll House? Peanut Butter? A big Monster Cookie? When you make cookies at your house, what do you bake most often? Oatmeal cookies? Sugar Cookies? Your own special recipe?

I was recently invited by Sterling Children's Books to review some new titles - one sounded so fun I had to accept . . . and I'm so glad I did!

We all know the old Christmas Carol, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", well . . . the book I'm writing about today is a clever and fun "take" on this old song . . . with the addition of monsters . . . something my grandsons will enjoy for sure!

What is Your Favorite Cookie?

What is your favorite cookie? Toll House? Peanut Butter? A big Monster Cookie? When you make cookies at your house, what do you bake most often? Oatmeal cookies? Sugar Cookies? Your own special recipe?

Today - yes today, October 18, 2017, is the last day to share your favorite cookie recipe in our grandma's cookie jar Cookie Recipe Contest. Starting tomorrow we will be voting on the recipes submitted (and so far we only have four) and whichever recipe receives the most votes the person who shared it will win a photo cookie jar!

I am so happy to share with you today about the very special giveaway - a Folkmanis Mickey Mouse Puppet! This is no small puppet . . . this Mickey Mouse measures 22 x 15 x 22 inches (LxWxH)! I actually wanted to keep it, but my grandsons are past the age where they want to play with Mickey Mouse and I knew if I put it in my Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway, some child would receive it and be so happy to have it. So, today I'm announcing one of my favorite giveaways for this year . . . one Folkmanis Mickey Mouse Puppet!

Please Share Your Favorite Cookie Recipe & Applesauce Cookies

It is my firm belief most, if not all, of the people who read grandma's cookie jar are people who bake cookies - at least from time to time. So, I thought it would be fun to have a favorite cookie recipe contest . . . and arranged for a special prize for the person who shared the winning recipe.

But, with only today and tomorrow to go, for submitting a recipe, only four people have shared a favorite cookie recipe.

If you have been planning to share your favorite cookie recipe, and I hope you have, but just have not done so yet, you only have today - October 17, 2017 and tomorrow - October 18, 2017 to share your recipe.

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 16, 2017 - God's Great Love for You

I clearly love books and am always happy for the opportunity to review and give away excellent book - today is a very happy day as the book I'm writing about is excellent - and, in my opinion, is one of the best giveaways for this year's Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway!

Pray For Your Children & Grandchildren Today

3 John 1:4 is so true for all of us who are focused upon being intentional Christian grandparents (and parents, too!) Today if your children and grandchildren are walking with God, take time to thank God for how He is working in their lives and pray and ask Him to draw them closer to Him.

Today if your children and grandchildren are not walking with God, take time to thank God for how He is working in their lives and pray and ask Him to draw them closer to Him. God hears, listens and absolutely answers our prayers!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 15, 2017 - Photo Cup

My morning routine typically begins with cooking breakfast and making coffee for my family. I love sipping my coffee from a mug or cup with photos on it of the people I love. Over the years I've collected a number of photo mugs, but recently the photos have started rubbing/chipping off. Very sad to see this.

So, I thought maybe I'd give the plastic photo cups from Shutterfly a try and ordered a couple. Today I'm happy to let you know about these cups.

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 14, 2017 - 'Twas the Evening of Christmas

Last week I was invited to review some new book releases from Zonderkidz - they arrived this morning and I love these two books so much, I had to share one of them with you today! This book is a lot of fun - and a great way to review the account of Jesus' birth - perfect for Christmas for sure!

It Arrived . . . & You Have Time to Enter grandma's cookie jar's Cookie Recipe Contest!

I know what I will be doing tomorrow. My grandsons are coming over tonight for a sleep-over, and since my new photo cookie jar arrived today, tomorrow we will be making cookies! I think we will make peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies - they are the Toll House recipe, but I use half the butter called for and replace the other half with peanut butter. Makes a very tasty cookie!

So, this is a great time to ask you to please enter grandma's cookie jar's Cookie Recipe Contest by sharing your favorite cookie recipe - just post it below. Why is this a great time to ask you to please share your recipe? Because there are only five more days for you to share your recipe - the contest closes on the 18th of October and whoever submits the winning recipe will receive a photo cookie jar of their own!

You have time to enter . . . please do!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 13, 2017 - Goodnight, Little Bot

Around this grandma's house, robots are well liked. The younger grandsons like stories about robots and my older grandson is interested in building robots, so when Sterling Children's Books invited me to review their new book about a little robot, I was pretty sure my grandsons would enjoy the book.

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 11, 2017 - NIV Journal Bible for Girls

I absolutely believe Bibles make amazing gifts - any time of the year, but especially for Christmas. Last year in my Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway I was able to review and giveaway the new NIV Journal Bible for Girls from Zonderkidz, and I'm very happy to say I have another one to give away this year!

2017 Christmas Gift Review & Giveaway - November 11, 2017 - Two Hipsy Headbands

I'm very happy to share with you today about a product which is "new" to me - headbands. Yes, I know they have been around for a long time, but I have never used them, because each time I've tried them - throughout my life - they "pop" off the back of my head. I must have an oddly shaped head or something!

However; I recently learned about a company making the most amazing variety and designs when it comes to headbands and just had to try them. Happily, their product does not "pop" off the back of my head, so today I'm writing about Hipsy.com and announcing a fun giveaway as well - and a special code you will be able to use anytime . . . no expiration, to save 50%!

Eight Days to Go!

You have eight more days to share your favorite cookie recipe in grandma's cookie jar Cookie Recipe Contest! So far three of you have recipes - thank you! I'm quite sure more than three of my readers have a favorite cookie recipe . . . please share your recipe!

It is very simple to enter this contest . . .

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Monday, October 30, 2017

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Friday, October 27, 2017

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Monday, October 23, 2017

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Friday, October 20, 2017

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Monday, October 16, 2017

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Friday, October 13, 2017

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Tuesday, October 10, 2017