November is Manatee Awareness Month

Swimming in just a few places in our world is a unique and recognizable  mammal - the Manatee.   They are able to live 50 or 60 years and while they are known as "seacows", they are most closely related to elephants and hyraxes. Let's take a look at a few more fun facts about these wonderful animals and then some ways to celebrate them this month . . . 

Did you know -

crafting with grandma - Fun, Excellent & Inexpensive Gifts - Puzzle Candy Cane Ornaments!

If you have puzzles in your house, you likely have puzzles with missing pieces. If this is true for you - or if you have a friend or family member with a puzzle with missing pieces which they are willing to let you have . . . take a look at this great idea for making awesome, puzzle candy cane ornaments!

November is National Children's Month

When I first saw where November is National Children's Month my first thought was "Hooray! Another 'excuse' to celebrate my dear grands!" However; this is a month to draw attention to children in need by Standing up for the rights of children and making sure their needs are met. Daysoftheyear (dot)com says; "National Children’s Month offers a special opportunity to show appreciation for, celebrate, and meet the needs of children, especially those who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. Whether advocating for the government, helping out with a children’s charity or volunteering locally, there are plenty of opportunities for making a difference on this day and all throughout the year!"

crafting with grandma - Fingerprint Snowman Ornament!

I know it feels like Christmas is a ways away since it is the beginning of November, but in just a few weeks, Christmas will only be days away! So, if you are looking for an idea for an ornament which your grandchildren can actually make, look at this great idea I found for making an ornament using your grandchildren's fingerprints to make snowpeople!

crafting with grandma - Melted Snowman & I Spy Ornaments!

As I said yesterday, Christmas is just around the corner, so . . . I thought it would be fun to share another idea with you for an ornament which has to be one of the most fun ornaments I've ever made! It is a fun, simple ornament which you could involve your grandchildren in making - they could give them to teachers, coaches, neighbors . . . to anyone for whom they need to have a nice, little gift!

crafting with grandma - Give Thanks Board! AND it is National Gratitude Month!

November is National Gratitude Month and Daysoftheyear.com says, "Being grateful can boost your mood and make you feel more connected to others. When you focus on the good things in your life, you start to notice even more positives around you. National Gratitude Month encourages people to be thankful for the positive aspects of life, shift their attention from the negatives, and appreciate the good things around them. Studies show that grateful people tend to experience less stress, better sleep, and even fewer aches and pains. Expressing gratitude can foster a supportive environment, whether in personal relationships or workplaces​​."

So, how do we celebrate National Gratitude Month and what are the benefits for being a grateful person? Consider the following ideas . . .

crafting with grandma - Clay Pot Snowman

Christmas is next month . . . not very long actually. So, if you like to make gifts for people you love, and like to help your grandchildren do the same, check this idea for clay pot snowmen. It is a fun craft and one you could have your grandchildren make - or smaller ones to give their teachers.

Over the years I've made a number of different types of snowmen to decorate with and give as gifts, but this clay pot snowman is my personal all-time favorite snowman! 

"Don't be afraid grandma. Just think of dogs and us instead."

One thing we always do with the children we love from the time they are born is comfort them, encourage them, show love and kindness to them. As they grow up we are able to see how they took this comfort, encouragement, love, and kindness they received and incorporate it into the way they respond to others. Today I want to share with you one of the times I was able to see and experience this with my grands.

crafting with grandma - Jesus Loves Me I Spy Bottles

Christmas will be here before we know it, so if you are looking for a special craft/gift idea you could use to involve your grandchildren in making to celebrate   how special and loved they are to you and to Jesus, consider making Jesus Loves Me I Spy Bottles! I found a link on  Pinterest for making I Spy Bottles, and thought you could make them unique and special for Christmas by doing the following things -

"I Do NOT Like That Song!!!"

I know, it isn't even  Thanksgiving yet, but Christmas really is just next month, so I am thinking about it. This "thinking about it" has me delighting in the memory of a certain song and the fantastic response of my grands to it! 

Today is National Family Literacy Day

Today is National Family Literacy Day - a day well worth celebrating for sure! NationalToday (dot) com says, "Families across the country come together to celebrate National Family Literacy Day on November 1. Reading has many benefits and even more so when it comes to children. Families have so much to gain from reading together. Besides helping young children develop good vocabulary skills, it provides valuable family bonding time. National Family Literacy Day also serves as a platform to appreciate the empowerment effort of literacy programs." Let's look at some literacy facts - did you know . . .

What Do Your Grands Call You?

What do your grandchildren call you? Are you, Grandma, Nana, Memaw, or something entirely unique? A friend told me his grandchildren called their grandma, "G-Money" - they didn't know why, and a reader once told me when her grandchildren were little they called her, "Dave" - again, no one knew why! When my grands were little they called me, “Ga” - I loved being “Ga”! Now they call me, "Grandma" or "Grandmother" and I love both of them, too!

Christmas Book Review - When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel

I have one more book from Penguin Random House to share with you - When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel by Chris Pine and illustrated by Chuck Groenink. If you and/or a child you love has a dog, especially one who might be annoyed by squirrels in your yard, then this is the book for them!

Today is National Knock Knock Jokes Day

Do the children you love have a great sense of humor and love jokes - knock knock jokes in particular? If so, then today is a day to celebrate with them as it is National Knock Knock Jokes Day! The earliest variation of the knock-knock joke can be traced back to the 1900s. According to Merely McEvoy, the joke began around 1900, and it started with the question, “Do you know Arthur?” to which one would naturally ask, “Arthur who?”. The person telling the joke would then reply, “Arthurmometer!” I don't particularly "get" this knock knock joke, but let's learn a little about knock knock jokes and then I'll share a few which you are free to share with the children you love . . .