The "Buzz" About, It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren!

 

A few years ago I wrote a book to help, encourage, and challenge grandparents and parents - Don't Worry: It Is Impossible to Spoil Grandchildren!   and thought it might be fun today to share with you some of the "buzz" . . . what people are saying about this book - and neither of these two people are related to me!

Tasty - and Even Healthy No-Bakes!

My family enjoys no-bake cookies - and I make them from time to time because the way I make them they are a healthy and tasty way to increase fiber, protein, and flavonoids! Today I am very happy to share with you my recipe for no-bakes - especially since tomorrow is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day. You will need . . . 

March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day

I LOVE peanut butter! It is one of my favorite foods for sure! So, when I saw on daysoftheyear (dot) com, March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day, well, I had to let you know so you can plan to celebrate it as well! They said, "Who doesn’t love peanut butter? So let’s celebrate Peanut Butter Day. This auspicious occasion was created many years ago, to allow peanut butter lovers to celebrate the creation of this wonderful food. 

Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children

Today I'm writing about a book written by my grandsons and I - it is more than just a book; it is a tool to help your grandchildren ages four through 14 learn to know and talk with God for themselves.   Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children is unique in two ways; first, it is specifically written and developed for children ages four through 14 to help them learn to pray by praying the Psalms back to God and secondly, my grandsons collaborated with me on developing, writing this book, and by providing most of the illustrations!

Climbing Our "Family Tree"!

Behind my house, in my back yard is a maple tree. It is no ordinary maple tree. It is enormous! It is behind our two-stall garage and it extends far above and far to both sides. It is enormous - well, not compared to a Redwood trees . . . which are truly enormous - but compared to normal Michigan Maple trees, this one is enormous.

March 2nd is National Banana Cream Pie Day

The month of February has been the Great American Pie Month, so as February comes to a close I thought I'd share one more pie recipe - and since March 2nd is National Banana Cream Pie Day, it seemed like a good idea to share my favorite Banana Cream Pie recipe with you - you will have time to gather supplies so you are able to celebrate with a tasty pie on Saturday!

VBS 2024 - Outback Rock from Group Publishing

Please share this with the Children's Ministry leaders in your church -  

I'm delighted for the opportunity to once again share Group's weekend VBS with you . . .  Outback Rock. The idea with this resource is to provide two affordable 2 1/2 hour sessions, plus a one hour celebration which churches could use over one weekend . . . or over three weekends . . . or they might be able to spread it out for one Saturday a month for a Summer of fun! And, if you do not mind repeating games and focusing more on the same Bible Adventure, you could stretch it for a week of VBS.

crafting with grandma - Dr. Seuss & the Foot Book

Since Dr Seuss' birthday is on March 2nd and the month of March is a fun time to celebrate the creativity of Dr. Seuss, I thought it would be fun to look at a Dr. Seuss craft today! But, first, a bit of info (I found on Wiki) on the man known to children everywhere as Dr. Seuss . . . 

Today is the Day After Tell a Fairy Tale Day

When you were growing up, did you have a favorite Fairy Tale? A story you really loved and wanted your parents to read to you at bedtime? Or, as you grew up, did you enjoy reading Fairy Tales, such as; Beauty and the Beast or  Cinderella or The Cunning Shoemaker? Or, did you enjoy making up your own Fairy Tales? As you became a parent, did you enjoy reading Fairy Tales to your children and now enjoy a good Fairy Tale with your grandchildren? Well, if you answered, "Yes!" to any of these questions, then even though yesterday was, "Tell a Fairy Tale Day", today is still a great day to gather the children you love and tell them a Fairy Tale.

Today is International Tongue Twister Contest Day

One day eleven years ago when my grandsons were at my house, my then four-year old grandson sat down and read several books . . . as you might imagine, there is no shortage of books at this grandma's house for boys to read! It made my heart happy to see him choose to take some time for himself to just enjoy reading books!

After a bit, he found me in the kitchen working on fixing lunch and said; "Grandma! I just read, Fox in Socks and my tongue is NOT numb!!!" If you have not read this classic book lately, on the back cover it asks, "Is Your Tongue Numb?" My sweet grandson was pretty happy he had read all those tongue twisters out loud and did not end up with a numb tongue! It made this grandma happy, too, and remembering this today it makes me happy again - because of the wonderful memory and because today is International Tongue Twister Contest Day!

VBS 2024 - Hometown Nazareth by Group Publishing

Please share this with the Children's Leaders in your church - 

Today I'm happy to look at "Hometown Nazareth" from Group Publishing - which equips you to take the children in your church and community on a visit to Jesus' hometown, Nazareth, where they will be able to experience village life as Jesus might have lived it when He was a boy! 

Celebrate Dr. Seuss' Birthday with a "There's a Wocket in My Pocket Rhyming Scavenger Hunt"

In a less than a week it will be Dr. Seuss' birthday so if you would like a fun idea for something you could to do with the children you love to "celebrate", check out this idea. When my grandsons were younger I browsed on  Pinterest  and found an idea I absolutely LOVE . . . a "There’s a Wocket in My Pocket- A Rhyming Scavenger Hunt" - we did this and it was SO much fun!

Today is National Chocolate Covered Nut Day

I personally LOVE dark chocolate covered almonds! I eat a few each day because they are good for me, and because I LOVE them! So, when I saw today is National Chocolate Covered Nut Day, I thought I'd share this tasty day with you! Did you know . . .

Fun with Grandsons - Making S'more Pops!

Today I am remembering ten years ago when I was blessed to spend a couple days with two, too-sweet-for-words grandsons (although I never am truly at a loss for words when it comes to telling how sweet they are :-)!) We had so much fun! One of the things we did was make s'more pops (you'll find how to make these at this link).

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

The month of March is Dr. Seuss Month, so, I thought I'd share a few quotes to get us ready for my Month of Dr Seuss Quotes!

grandma's cookbook - Today is National Banana Bread Day!

My family enjoys banana bread . . . for good reason; banana  bread tends to be moist, soft, and flavorful . . . in short, it is a tasty treat for sure! So, when I discovered it is "National Banana Bread Day", I had to share this bit of news with you! Days of the Year (dot) com says, "Banana bread first started to become popular back in the 1930′s, during the Great Depression. Cultural historians suggest resourceful and creative housewives of the era created the recipe as a way of not wasting over-ripe bananas. In fact, the riper the bananas, the better the taste of the banana bread, so it ended up being a very clever creation! It is traditionally known as a 'quick bread', but is actually more like a cake in both texture and flavor."

Yes! VBS Does Make Solid Dollars & Cents for Your Ministry!

Please share this post with the Children's Ministry Leaders in your church . . .

There was a time, not too long ago, when nearly all churches budgeted for VBS. Most considered it (and rightly so) a part of their evangelism budget as VBS was one of their biggest evangelism outreaches of the year. In many churches it was their biggest outreach of the year. Then in the years leading up to COVID more and more churches stopped using VBS - far, far too many stopped any ministry opportunities to children in the Summertime. Then COVID hit and pretty much all churches stopped offering VBS - and everything in person for two years. Last year some churches were starting to plan for VBS again, and this year even more churches are taking a serious look at VBS. I am very happy to see this as VBS is a fantastic way to reach into your community - it is one of the best and most effective ways you are able to make use of the money you budget for evangelism. Why is this? Consider the following . . . 

Today is National California Day

Today is National California Day - my husband is from California, we met on an active volcano in California - yes, there is an active volcano in California . . . Mount Lassen - and we lived there a few years when our children were young, so I personally find the silly laws and interesting information about California to be, well, interesting! Whether you live in, or have lived in California or not, I hope you find this post interesting, too. Let's start with the silly laws, did you know . . . 

VBS 2024 - SCUBA from Group Publishing

Yesterday I wrote about how it is the time of year where I post my VBS reviews on my other blog - today I posted my review of SCUBA from Group - it is, in my opinion, the best VBS of 2024. Please share this post with the Children's Ministry leaders in your church.

crafting with grandma - Purple Minions

Several years ago when my grandsons were younger I crocheted purple minions for them - the previous year I crocheted Perry the Platypus' for each of them. I thought I'd show you a photo and give you a link to the pattern in case you want to make one . . . maybe for a birthday, Easter, or even Children's Day - which is a real holiday and is the second Sunday in June; you have plenty of time to make them by then if you want to!

grandma's cookbook . . . Strawberries & Cream Pie!

February is the Great American Pie Month, so if you are looking for a tasty pie to try this month, consider making a strawberries & cream pie - this is a family favorite so I'm sharing the recipe for the pie with you today!

It is Time for VBS 2024

It is the time of year where I share my VBS reviews. I used to write my reviews for this blog and for  Christianity Today's Your Church Magazine  - I'd typically review about 16 kits each year. Now, especially after COVID, there are not 16 publishers still producing VBS, but there are some. I no longer review them all - I choose the VBS kits which I believe are the best based on my years of reviewing curriculum and then share my reviews with you. This year I am reviewing VBS from Group Publishing. You will find my full post at this link - please share it with the Children's Ministry leaders in your church.

Today is National Cherry Pie Day

Today is National Cherry Pie Day - if you are like many people, when you think of cherry pie, you picture a baked crust filled with tasty cherries - and topped with a scoop of ice cream, of course! At my house cherry pie looks a little different . . . I take a half block of cream cheese and let it soften to room temperature, whip 1/4 cup sugar with the softened cream cheese so it is fluffy, set aside, and whip heavy cream to a nice, creamy whipped cream, mix with the cream cheese, fill a graham cracker crust, and top with cherries. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve and then, of course, enjoy!

Now for some fun facts about pie - did you know . . .

just for fun . . . Today is Love Your Pet Day!

Yesterday I wrote about how today is Love Your Pet Day . . . and wrote about my cat, Candy - and shared her photo, today I want to share photos about a very sweet Basset Hound my daughter rescued named Rosie and our son/daughter-in-law/grandsons' two terriers named Gimli and Roxi.

Tomorrow - February 20th - is National Love Your Pet Day!

Certainly all of us who have four-legged family members, love them on all days, but tomorrow is a day to especially take time to be thankful for and to love these wonderful members of our family. In my home we have a cat - Candy. She is quite the cat. I thought she would be "aloof" but she is not at all! She greets us when we come home, she snuggles a LOT, and she is a pretty wonderful addition to our family.

grandma's cookbook . . . Easy Chocolate Mousse

We are celebrating a birthday at my house on Saturday - my daughter-in-law's birthday! I always let the birthday person choose the menu and she chose beef stew, biscuits, salad, and chocolate mousse . . . and what could be more delicious than chocolate mousse?!!! :^) It can be complicated and a bit tricky to make chocolate mousse, so I found an easy recipe from Betty Crocker - I have made this before and it is easy and tasty - a great way to end the meal!

grandma's cookbook - Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

February is moving by quickly - for me, so I thought I'd share another pie recipe since it is the Great American Pie Month . . . Lemonade Ice Cream Pie! This pie is so tasty - and simple to make . . . your grandchildren will be happy to help you make it for sure!

You just need four ingredients . . . 

Simple, Fun & Memorable - Make Your Own Erupting Snow!

While there is snow covering my yard, I found a cool project where you make your own "snow" . . . it looks like so much fun, I have to share it with you, too! I was browsing on  Pinterest and saw this link for making Erupting Snow - just follow this  link and you'll find the ingredients and directions for making "snow" and for having it "erupt"! Simple and fun, this is a project children will love, remember and want to show to others!

There are so many possibilities for connecting this cool project with Scripture as you enjoy it with your grandchildren, consider the following:

Next Week is Real Bread Week!

One of my most treasured childhood memories is one which happened in the house in which I live. My grandparents had this house built and when I was a child I visited them for sleep-overs. I loved it when my grandma baked bread and then gave me a slice of bread, warm and fresh from the oven with Peter Pan Peanut butter on it! What could be better!

grandma's cookbook - It is the Great American Pie Month, so make . . . Apple Dessert!

I live in Michigan . . . otherwise known as Apple Country, so I have to have at least one go-to apple recipe! For me, it is my Apple Dessert . . . I know, not an incredible name, but it does taste incredible! It is very simple to make and if your family likes apples, it is a dessert they are sure to love - especially during the Great American Pie Month!

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 are able to help our grandchildren understand this is by involving them in projects to show love to others.

One way you are able to do this with the children you love is by helping them show love to families in need by raising money to buy ducks from World Vision at this link. For just $30 you can give three ducks to a family in need somewhere in the world; and of course we all know these ducks will in short order become more ducks with eggs which allow families to raise more ducks or eat or sell eggs for income. 

grandma's chuckles . . . "It's Bigfoot! Run For Your Lives!"

Grandchildren are such a joy - they make our hearts happy! They also make us laugh from time to time! So, today I thought I'd share with you a post I wrote several years ago about about something my oldest grandson did which made me laugh - and still makes me laugh when I remember what he said! 

"My grandson - nearly three years old - was over to my home last night and he said something which will have me laughing for a very long time! We watched, the Goofy Movie; when Bigfoot showed up, he said, "It's Bigfoot! Run for your lives!" and ran into our dining room, around the table and into the kitchen saying, "Run for your lives!" Poppa got up and ran with him - for his "life", of course, but I was laughing too hard to run for my life (and I was holding a sleeping baby grandson - nearly one month old).

grandma's cookbook - Refreshing Blueberry, Green Ice Tea!

Ten days ago I shared my recipe for Blueberry, Lemonade, Cream Pie, so I thought it made sense to share my favorite recipe for blueberry tea with you today! 

Whether it is hot and humid or cold, this tea is a delicious and refreshing drink. Try this recipe with your grandchildren . . . it is simple, quick, and so delicious! A big added "plus" is the health benefit . . . blueberries and green tea are so good for you! My husband never liked tea, until I made blueberry tea for him! Now he drinks my tea instead of pop! My grandsons love this tea, too . . . and the only sweetening comes naturally from blueberries . . . not sugar!

Today is National Wisconsin Day

Today is National Wisconsin Day, so if you live in Wisconsin, it is a day to celebrate! So, let's learn about some of the silly laws and interesting facts which make Wisconsin special. Did you know in Wisconsin it is illegal to . . . 

Granny Square Purse for Grandma!!!

Do you like to crochet? If so, do you have any extra granny squares on hand? If so, you could take them and make a new purse. This is a purse I made from granny squares . . . it has enough room for my things and it has enough color to brighten a day here in Michigan! It is a really easy purse to make . . . just make some granny squares with leftover yarn - I used six granny squares for this purse - then crochet a liner. I attached the liner to the top of the granny squares and then crocheted some additional rows to make the top part of the purse, added a handle and voila! The purse was finished!

Today is Statehood Day in Arizona

Yes, if you live in Arizona you are likely celebrating today as it is Statehood Day! It did not become a state until 1912 - and was the 48th state. We will look at some more interesting facts about Arizona, but first some of their silly laws - did you know it is illegal in Arizona to . . . 

just for fun - It is Random Acts of Kindness Week!

While I encourage my grandsons to focus on being kind to others every day, since it is, "Random Acts of Kindness Week", it seems like a great time to remind them to be kind and to think of ways they can be kind to others. It is all about finding small ways to make a difference and in doing so, to also put a smile on someone else's face!

Take time today to talk about things the ones you love are able to do to be kind . . . things like . . . 

We are "View-Givers"

Today I want to write about something important. Handing down a heritage of faith to our grandchildren. Several years ago I heard Steve Bell (Willow Creek Church) say something which got my attention: "How we feel about our grandchildren is how they will feel about themselves."

Centuro Mini - THE Mobility Scooter for You & Those You Love

A couple years ago I received a special delivery which I am happy to tell you about again today. Bischoff & Bischoff (one of Europe's largest manufacturers of rollators and mobility scooters) sent me their Centuro Mini. Today I am very happy to let you know about this excellent mobility scooter. 

Today is Georgia Day

Today is Georgia Day - for thousands of years Native tribes lived in this area as it was the territory of both the Creek and the Cherokee nations, but in the 1730's European Americans began to settle in Georgia. On January 19, 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union and joined other Southern states on February 8, to form the Confederate States of America. Georgia contributed nearly one hundred twenty thousand soldiers to the Confederate war effort. During the broad-based activism of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, the city of Atlanta, Georgia became the base of African-American leader, minister Martin Luther King Jr. This State has a long history, which we will learn more of shortly, but first let's consider some of their silly laws - did you know . . . 

Words Have a Lasting Impact on Children

Over the years I've shared posts with you which my friend Maralee McKee, the Manner' Mentor, wrote on her blog; this one is from a few years ago, but is true today, too. Maralee wrote about her visit to a store where she heard unkind words being spoken by a mother to her daughter. Maralee said, "Words linger...words wind their way through our mind dropping off in every nook and cranny. They're never forgotten. Our sub-conscious holds on to them. After all our parents voice is our first voice of truth. Mama said it's so, so it has to be right."

Tomorrow is Hug Day!

Tomorrow - February 12th - is Hug Day! Nationaltoday dot com says, "It’s hard to deny the power a simple hug is able to have over our moods and general well-being. It’s amazing how such a simple gesture  just melts your troubles away. You hug someone to celebrate their highest of highs and to soothe them during their lowest of lows. Hugs help lower stress, increase mutual trust, and lower blood pressure, among so many other benefits. Hug a person you love today — it’s free!"

So, to celebrate Hug Day, let's first look at some fun facts about hugs - did you know . . . 

Hand Down Confident Faith with the little answer book for children

  

As you have likely noticed, from time to time I write about Barna's and Gallup's recent polls - for a very important reason . . . because we must stand up and take action to stop the loss of the ones we love. If someone does not speak up and ask others to join them, how will grandparents, parents, and church leaders know there is a way to stop what is happening? 

Amazing Science Project Ideas!

Yesterday my daughter shared a link on my facebook page to a video which showed some amazing science activities . . . did I say "amazing"? I should have wrote, "AMAZING"! So, of course I have to share the link with you!

Today is Teddy Bear Day!

Who doesn't love a nice, soft, snuggly teddy bear? So, I suppose a day to "celebrate" teddy bears makes sense . . . maybe! At any rate, whether it makes sense or not, today is Teddy Bear Day!

the little answer book - Will Help You Be Prepared

 

I am not a theologian, a scientist, a philosopher, or an apologist. I am a mom. I am a grandma.

I am also a friend, and as a friend I have listened as moms and grandmas shared with me their heartbreak when their loved child, grown child, and/or grandchild made the choice to walk away from their faith. These friends shared how they did what they knew to do as the ones they loved grew up – they prayed with them, taught them about God, Jesus, and the Bible, took them to church, encouraged them to be involved in their youth group, and tried to model what it meant to love, know, and walk with God. They never thought the one they loved would turn away from their faith, but disappointment in people, hurt, and/or difficult times came along and the unthinkable happened.

Random Acts of Kindness Week

Here's some news to brighten your day and challenge you to do so with others . . . on this day 26 years ago the first annual "Random Acts of Kindness Week" began. Originally, the idea to “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” came to Anne Herbert while sitting in a Sausalito cafe during the 1980s.

Today is National Pizza Day!

Oh yes, National Pizza Day . . . certainly a day worth celebrating, so in honor of this tasty day, I'm re-posting a recipe I shared back when I began grandma's cookie jar for homemade, personal pizzas, but first a few pizza fun facts - did you know . . .

Try Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children

When we trust God, we are steadfast and are able to experience His perfect peace. This is certainly what we want for the ones we love; at all times, but especially now with the upcoming election and the wars in Ukraine and Israel, along with the uncertainties of day-to-day life in 2024. Our grandchildren (and/or young children) may especially feel fear as they see and hear about the things going on in this world.

If ever there was a time to help them learn to be people who talk with God, this is it. So, to help you with this, I and my grandsons want you to know about our book, Praying Deeper Through the Psalms for Children. Look what people are saying about this book -