Tie-Dye with Baby Wipes

Yes, this title says; "Tie-Dye with Baby Wipes!" I was browsing  Pinterest  this  morning and found this craft project which looks like a fun craft children are sure to enjoy - and so will we! It is simple, easy to do and not messy! What more could we want???!!!

Dr. Seuss & Science Projects, Too!

This morning as I browsed on Pinterest I found a pin for 30 Dr. Seuss Inspired Science Projects and just had to check it out! My grandsons have been fans of Dr. Seuss and they love science projects, so a combination of the two has to be great fun!

You'll find all 30 projects at this link, but my favorites are . . . 

Update & Thank You

I know many of you have been praying for my family, friends and the community of the Redding California/Shasta County area - thank you. Just a quick update for you . . . The fire has grown to more than 89,000 acres - 5% contained, more than 40,000 people have been evacuated, more than 500 homes have been burned to the ground, more than 3500 firefighters are there battling this fire. The fire crossed the Sacramento River, there have been firenados and winds 75 mph. Two firefighters and a grandma and two young children have died. My family has evacuated three times as the fire changes direction and the place they went is no longer safe, but so far my family is safe and their homes are standing.

The authorities do not expect to have this fire under control for days, so your continued prayers are much appreciated.

Yeti Cup - Review & Giveaway

I was recently invited to select an item to review from the product line of personalizedcart.com. I looked over their often unique selection and chose the Custom Yeti Rambler . . . and am happy to say an additional one is available for me to give away (USA only).

A Free Gift for You

I posted this on Grandmas with Heart today and wanted to let you know, so you are able to get your copye as well.

September 9th is National Grandparents' Day - it is the perfect day to focus upon doing the most important thing we are able to do as grandparents - pray for our grandchildren. It is for this reason Grandmas with Heart is delighted to give you a gift - a Free digital copy of Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too - Mini Edition. You are able to download your free copy at this link. Feel free to share the link with the grandparents you know.

Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too - Mini Edition will give you 12 weeks of Scripture passages which have been personalized into prayers for you and for the children you love. It makes praying Scripture something you are able to do on a daily basis.

And, check out this link for the Christian Grandparenting Network - they have additional free resources for you to help you make National Grandparents' Day a Grandparents' Day of Prayer!

#grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose 

Please Pray

Monday a vehicle towing a trailer West on Highway 299 in Northern California got a flat tire. This does not seem like a "big deal", except the wheel scraped on the road sending sparks into the dry grass and resulting in what is currently more than a 30,000 acre fire, covering more than 45 square miles with 100 foot walls of flames. 

My sister-in-law had to evacuate her home Monday - she went to her son's home 30 miles away and last night she, my brother-in-law, their son and his family had to evacuate once again. Dozens of homes have burnt to the ground, people have been injured and sadly, one person has been killed.

CalFire says they do not expect to contain this fire for at least a week - the temperatures are going to be in the 100+ range with strong winds and low humidity. The fire has actually jumped the Sacramento River.

More Free Cards for You

In the past couple months we have shared with you two free postcards which you are able to download and snail mail to your grandchildren. Just download, print, write a personal note on the back to your grandchildren and put in the mail. Most grandchildren - no matter their age - love receiving real mail; which gives you the perfect opportunity to connect, encourage and hand down the faith!

With the start of the 2018/2019 school year almost upon us, I thought I'd share another card with you. This card, once again, has three cards on it for you to cut apart - this time they have a short Scripture prayer on them - a great way to remind and encourage your grandchildren with some of the things you are praying about for them.

Painted Yard Sticks

As I look out my window the leaves on the trees are still green, but I know in just a couple months they will be bright yellow, deep red and flaming orange as Fall arrives in all its colorful glory! We have a lot of trees in our yard . . . a LOT and these are trees with leaves which will change color . . . then drop. If I only received a penny for every ten leaves, I'd still be a very wealthy person!!!

At any rate, leaves aside, this is the perfect time of year to go for a walk with the grandchildren to enjoy the beautiful world God created! Of course, since I have so many trees in my yard, we would not have to walk far to find the supplies for the craft I found on Pinterest this morning . . . the main supply is sticks . . . and I have no shortage of them!

Make the Most of Being a Grandparent - Deeper In 4 Grandparents & Parents, Too!

As we continue to look at resources which are available for grandparents to use to help them pass on a heritage of faith to their grandchildren, I am delighted to share with you a book which will guide grandparents - and parents, too - in praying every day for the children they love! In the interests of transparency, I wrote this book.

Make the Most of Being a Grandparent - Extreme Grandparenting

Yesterday I talked about a book you could read to help you with handing down a heritage of faith to your grandchildren. Today I'm very happy to share with you another book . . . Extreme Grandparenting by Dr. Tim & Darcy Kimmel.

Reach the Hearts of Your Grandchildren

I originally shared this with you a couple weeks ago, but since the events happen in just one week and you still have time to go, I wanted to share them again.

One of the things we want to do here on the Grandmas with Heart blog is to let you know about resources and opportunities for you which will equip and encourage you to hand down the faith to your grandchildren. So, today I am very happy to let you know about two opportunities for you to hear from John Stonestreet (president - The Colson Center) and Larry Fowler (president - Legacy Coalition). John and Larry will be discussing "Four Big Cultural Shifts and How to Help the Next Generation Navigate Them" and "The Amazing Influence of a Grandparent", respectively, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT in Petoskey, Michigan and Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT, in Traverse City, Michigan.

Make the Most of Being a Grandparent - It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren

I've been writing for several years about how important it is for us, as grandparents to hand down a heritage of faith. One way I do this is to let you know about resources to help you as you do this. This week I'll be sharing resources with you which you could read and use to hand down your faith to your grandchildren!

The first resource I'm sharing with you is one I wrote . . . a book; It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren In this book, along with sharing some of my "cute-grandson stories", I talk about important things for grandparents to think about and keep in mind as they focus on handing down a heritage of faith to their grandchildren. I talk about -

Paper Egg Carton Helicopters

My grandsons do enjoy crafts . . . but, being boys, finding crafts which capture their imagination and keep their interest can be a challenge! So, this morning when I browsed on Pinterest and saw a craft which uses paper, paper clips and egg cartons to make a helicopter . . . well, I knew it would be a craft my grandsons will enjoy and I had to share it with you!

Please Check Out Grandmas with Heart

For seven years I've been writing grandma's cookie jar and am honored by how many of you check each day, or every few days to see what I'm writing. Thank you!

This year I - with seven other wonderful ladies - started a new blog - Grandmas with Heart. While there is some "overlap" between grandma's cookie jar and it, we do post articles unique to it as well. So, today I'm asking you to please check out Grandmas with Heart - if you have not already - and to please help us spread the word about Grandmas with Heart. Please "like", "follow" and "share" as well as invite the grandmas (and grandpas and parents) you know to check it out, too.

Thank you!

Prayer for True, Real Strength

"Jesus knew He only had to ask His Father for help and thousands of angels would have been there to help Him! Jesus knew He didn’t even need the angles – after all, Jesus made the angels! Jesus knew real strength is not shown by bragging or showing off, but rather by doing what needs to be done for the ones you love! Jesus showed us His great love by showing us what it means to be meek, what it means to have real strength!" (Deeper In Praying the Psalms 4 Children)

As your grandchildren get ready to return to school in the coming month or so, make it a point to pray for them to be people who have a meek heart; people who do not brag or show off, but who instead are quick to do what needs to be done for others. People who show true strength.

Dear Jesus, Thank You for showing us what true, real strength looks like. Please help me model what it looks like to be a truly strong person who is quick to see what needs to be done for others, so my grandchildren will learn to do the same. As they return to school, please help them be meek; please help them be truly strong by being the ones who see what needs to be done to help others and who do those things. Thank You for Your great love for us. Amen

#grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose 

Grandchildren the Summer, Fall & Praying for Them

One month from today my grandsons begin their new school year -the summer has just flown by! I suspect this last month will do the same as they will be going on vacation, their poppa and I will have our yearly summer days of fun with them and it looks like they will participating in the Mud Run again this year - a busy August for sure!

It is National Ice Cream Day!

I have three sweet boys at my house today and since it is National Ice Cream Day, we are celebrating! The first thing the boys wanted to do to celebrate was to eat ice cream - of course! So, while I do not typically let them have ice cream at 9am, since it is National Ice Cream Day, I said, "Yes!"

It is likely they will have more ice cream later in the day . . . after all, it is National Ice Cream Day!

So, in honor of National Ice Cream Day, here are some fun facts about Ice Cream which I found at this link . . . 

Heritage

When I was a child I looked forward to visiting my grandparents; and especially to sleep-overs! I have many wonderful memories of riding in my grandpa's car on the way to their house in the country for a sleep-over (they lived about six miles from my home in a small, "Norman Rockwell-town"). My grandpa always asked me to sing my Sunday school songs in the car on the way to his house . . . and I sang them at the top of my lungs! (It always embarrassed my older sister when I sang in Sunday school, but my grandpa loved to hear me sing - which amazed and delighted me!)

I remember the aroma of fresh-baked bread in my grandma's kitchen . . . and being given a fresh-from-the-oven slice of bread with Peter Pan Peanut butter on it . . . is there possibly a better, or tastier treat???!!!

"God Knows Something We Do Not!"

I talk a lot about handing down a heritage of faith to my grandsons; this is something which really matters to me. I want my grandsons to grow up to love, know and walk with God, all of their lives. So, we have conversations about Who God is and how very much He loves them. My husband and I do activities to get the boys' attention and help them understand how much God loves them and they are able to love Him back. We talk about how much God loves them and they truly are able to love Him back!

Please Share Your Prayer History

I (Lynda) am working on a new book - The DNA of Praying Grandparents & Parents. I hope to complete it the beginning of September, but am asking for your help. I would love, absolutely love to be able to include a chapter which shares accounts from people across the country - and even from around the world - about how God has answered their prayers. 

So, I am asking for your help. If you would be willing to share your, "Prayer History", some of how God has answered your prayers, or the prayers of your family, please email me at lyndagcj@gmail.com  I'm not looking for pages and pages of your "Prayer History", just a few sentences or a paragraph which share about a time when God answered your prayers.

I would be honored to include in my book how God has answered your prayers - please email me and feel free to share this with others who you know have experienced the way God answered their prayers as well.

#grandmas #handingdownthefaith #itmatterswhatwedo #grandparentingonpurpose

Notes from Jesus

As surprising as it may seem, the Summer is half over. For me, the first half has been filled with lots of wonderful time with my grandsons and has just "flown" by! I'm sure the second half will go quickly as well, so I want to be sure I make the most of the time I am blessed to spend with these three boys. 

We are working on a project to help them learn to pray Scriptures back to God and pray for the pastors and teachers at church. We are also taking time each day they are here to read one devotion from the new book by Mikal Keefer and Group Publishing - Notes from Jesus.

Joani Schultz (one of the Grandmas with Heart) sent me this book to review and today I'm very happy to let you know about it. 

Please Help Get the Word Out

For seven years I've been writing grandma's cookie jar and am honored by how many of you check each day, or every few days to see what I'm writing. Thank you!

This year I - with seven other wonderful ladies - started a new blog - Grandmas with Heart. While there is some "overlap" between grandma's cookie jar and it, we do post articles unique to it as well. So, today I'm asking you to please check out Grandmas with Heart - if you have not already - and to please help us spread the word about Grandmas with Heart. Please "like", "follow" and "share" as well as invite the grandmas (and grandpas and parents) you know to check it out, too.

Thank you!

Experience Joy

How often have you heard grandparents and parents say, when talking about the children they love, the most important thing to them is for their grandchild or child to be happy? Our world chases after happiness. We think more, bigger, better, newer, cooler will all equate to happiness. But it does not. Oh, yes, people may be “happy” for a few moments, until what they have is no longer more, bigger, better, newer or cooler.

Happiness depends on situations, and as we know, situations change – all too fast. What people are really looking for is joy; and it is not found in things. So, where do we find joy? God’s Word tells us – look at Psalm 100 . . . A Psalm for giving thanks.

God Delights in His Creation

In one of the devotions in the Grandmother's Bible from Zondervan, Jan Silvious focused on Psalm 139:1-12. She said, "It's true it's all about God, but in the long run, He is all about you. He created you, gave breath to your lungs and sustains your life . . . His love for you is without bounds. His interest in you is intense. . . He created you with purpose and ability . . . He is God. He created you and He absolutely adores His creation. Pass this good news on to your grandchildren. They know you love them, but the greater news is God, Who created them, loves them without limit."

Faithful

Faithful is a word we use as Christians, but do we really understand what it means? Dictionary.com defines it as follows . . .

Reaching the Hearts of Your Grandchildren

One of the things I want to do here on the grandma's cookie jar blog is to let you know about resources and opportunities for you which will equip and encourage you to hand down the faith to your grandchildren. So, today I am very happy to let you know about two opportunities for you to hear from John Stonestreet (president - The Colson Center) and Larry Fowler (president - Legacy Coalition). John and Larry will be discussing "Four Big Cultural Shifts and How to Help the Next Generation Navigate Them" and "The Amazing Influence of a Grandparent", respectively, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT in Petoskey, Michigan and Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT, in Traverse City, Michigan.

I Have a Winner

I am happy to say DeeDee McIntyre is the winner of one  Personalized Dog Walker Athletic Dept. T-Shirt. (You will find all the details at this link.) 

Thank you DeeDee for reading grandma's cookie jar, please email me by July 18, 2018 at lyndagcj@gmail.com  so I am able to have it sent to you. Thank you also to  GiftsForYouNow for making it available for me to review and give away.

Give Your Grandchildren What Truly Matters

It is very important; absolutely essential, for us as grandparents to remember you can do which is vitally important for your grandchildren. What is this “absolutely essential … vitally important thing”? It is to give your grandchildren something only you are able to give - your attention.

I can not over-emphasize how important it is for us to give our attention to our grandchildren. When they want to talk to us or ask us something, we need to put down what we are doing (especially if it is using our smart phones, computers, tablets, etc) and look them in the eye while they tell us whatever it is they want to tell us.

Facebook Profile Photo Frames from Grandmas with Heart

If you are on facebook you may be interested in the Grandmas with Heart profile photo frames. Just click on your profile photo and when the box pops up you will see two options - change your photo or add a frame. If you click on the add a frame, and then type in "grandmas with heart" in the box above the frames, you will see the frames we made . . . here's a look at the Grandmas with Heart facebook photo frames . . . 

Special Giveaway & Pets

Friday I posted a review of a fun t-shirt from GiftsForYouNow and a special giveaway to go with it in honor of our pets. (You will find all the details at this link.) Today I thought it would be fun to share about the pets we have had . . . when my children were growing up we had cats, dogs (basset hounds most often and a wonderful springer spaniel) horrible hamsters, a turtle, bunnies, fish and a bird which talked - and danced!

My grandsons have two wonderful dogs . . . and my middle grandson would love to have a husky!

Pets are wonderful ways to help children learn responsibility and how to care for others - and they just make a wonderful addition to a family.

What kind of pets have you had? What pet do you have now?

just for fun - Today is National Milk Chocolate with Almonds Day!

Mmmm! I do enjoy chocolate and almonds, so a day to celebrate 

these delightful treats sounds like a good idea to me! Especially since chocolate is good for you and almonds are good for you . . . combining the two has to mean this sweet treat is actually good for us . . . right??!!!

I thought it would be fun to share some almond fun facts with you on this delicious day - so I looked on-line for some info to share! Did you know . . .

All American Pet Photo Day & the Personalized Dog Walker Athletic Dept. T-Shirt & Giveaway

Do you have a pet? A four-legged family member? Or a winged or finned family member? Well, July 11th is the All American Pet Photo Day! I was recently invited to review one of GiftsForYouNow's unique pet-themed items - and am happy to announce a giveaway for you as well!

S'mores Pops

My sweet grandsons enjoy building bonfires in our yard with their poppa and/or dad. Of course bonfires are the perfect opportunity to make - and enjoy - roasted marshmallows and s'mores! 

Happy 4th of July

I enjoy the posts from nationalgrandparentsday.com! Most of them bring a smile to my face! So one of their 4th of July posts is one of my favorites and
I thought you might enjoy it as well! If you haven't already "liked" their page, please take a moment to follow the link, so you may also have a smile most days when you see their post for the day!

crafting with grandma - crochet plastic bag bracelets

I'm delighted to share with you a pattern I found on-line for an adorable bracelet made from Plarn - obtained from transparent plastic bags! Not only will you be able to help your grandchildren learn to make something new, but they will also be able to recycle at the same time!

44 Ways to Praise a Child

In the NIV Mom's Devotional Bible, I saw "101 Ways to Praise a Child", so . . . since any day seems like a great opportunity to encourage a child, I thought I'd share some of my personal favorite ways to praise a child with you today!

Be a Babushka for Your Grandchildren

I recently read in my Grandmother's Bible a devotion by Joni Eareckson Tada. In it she said, "When Ken and I were in Russia . . . we met many Russian 'babushkas'. The praying grandmothers . . . the stalwart saints of whom Stalin had cruelly said, 'If we can get rid of these old women, we will have the youth in our grasp.' Stalin failed. And thank God for praying grandmothers who served as a link, spanning a generation lost to atheism and connecting a new generation of young people who are asking open, honest questions about Jesus."  Then the prayer for the day, "Father of all ages, as gray hairs abound, may righteousness abound. May I never resent the encroaching years, but view them as an opportunity to deepen my life of praise and intercession."