Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Butterflies Are Blooming Exhibit

 

If you live in, or near, Grand Rapids, MI, you are most certainly familiar with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The past few months I wrote a few times about one of their special exhibits – their Holiday Exhibition - I especially loved all the poinsettias in their tropical conservatory and their Holiday train display.

Today I’m very happy to once again be writing about Meijer Gardens (as those of us who live in this area fondly call them) and their amazing Butterflies are Blooming Exhibit which you can enjoy through April 30th.

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today - You have brains in your head . . .

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose!"  This is true, we do have brains in our head and feet in our shoes and we can steer ourselves any direction we choose, but we also need to keep in mind, God has plans for us! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  How exciting! The God Who created the universe has plans for you and for me! His plans are plans for our good, not our harm, and they will give us hope and a future! If you were looking for good news to brighten your day today, what could be better news than this?!!! This verse shows us God's great love . . . He has plans for us! So, since we do have brains in our heads, let's use those brains to discover God's plans for us! We can do this by looking at the gifts, talents and abilities He has given us, the place in the world where He has put us and spend time in prayer asking God to show us what He wants us to do! Then, we can use those feet He has given us to head in a direction and see if this is the place God has planned for us!

New Top Frame From Pair Eyewear - The Butterfly Sparkle Crystal

A couple months ago I shared with you how I got new glasses from Pair Eyewear - and showed you all my pretty top frames. Today I'm very happy to let you know about another new top frame I just got from their limited edition, Cottagecore collection - the Butterfly Sparkle Crystal. As Pair Eyewear says, "This Top features a purple to teal translucent gradient with iridescent butterfly glitter scattered throughout."  I love it! I love the color and the sparkle of the butterflies when I move and am very happy to add it to my top frame collection.

Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!"

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!" This quote makes me think of a few questions  . . . "What do I care about?" "Who do I care about?" "How much do I care?" "What am I willing to DO in regards to what and who I care about?" 

crafting with grandma - Handprint Shamrocks, Spring Flowers & Some Green Fun!

Yes, it is true, I have mentioned a time or two . . . or three or more :-) . . . about how much I like . . . hmmm, did I say, like? I should say, LOVE!!!,  hand-print crafts! I love them because they are usually creative and fun, plus they give a way to record a moment in time when a child was little - just look how small their hand once was!!!! I have a t-shirt I made when my children were little with their hand-prints on it. Yes, it most certainly is true, I LOVE hand-print crafts!

The Dr. Seuss Quote for Today - Today is Your Day . . .

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Today is your day! Your mountain is  waiting. So . . . get on your way!" What is your "mountain" just waiting for you to "climb" it? What can you do to "get on your way" today? We all have challenges and goals and while we may sometimes feel overwhelmed by them, remember, if we trust in God He will give us the strength we need to not only "get on our way", but to do so with "new strength"!  Isaiah 40:31  says, "But those who trust the LORD will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles  soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired." So, you could look at this saying as, "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So . . . trust God for your strength to get on your way!" What will you trust God for today?

crafting with grandma - Handprint Flowers & Handprint Easter Lily Brooches!

Resurrection Sunday is just a little over a month away, so if you are looking for a special craft you could help your grandchildren make as an Easter gift for their mother . . . make handprint flowers or take a good look at this craft I found on  Pinterest! I love how the flowers and the "lily" are made from the handprints of children! If you have two grandchildren, you could make it using one handprint from each of them! If you have more than two grandchildren, you could make more than one lily - but however you do it, and whichever you choose these are sure to be crafts a mother will cherish . . . you could make an additional one for yourself too, as grandmothers will cherish it, without a doubt! 

The Dr. Seuss Quote for Today - Think and Wonder . . .

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Think and wonder, wonder and think!" There are so many things in life to think and wonder, wonder and think about, but I think one of the most wondrous  things to think and wonder about is God's incredible love for us! It is a very familiar verse, but it says it all; John 3:16 says,  "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die!" Just think about this!!! God loved us so much! He didn't just love us a little; He loves us so much! And, not only does He love us so much, but He gave!!! His love wasn't just love in words only . . . He gave! And then to think about what He gave . . . His only Son!!! The wonder of it all! As if all this wasn't more than enough, He gave His only Son to die for us so we will have eternal life and never really die!!! Think about this! Wonder at the amazing love of God which gives!!!

100 St. Patrick's Day Ideas!

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? If so, and if you are looking for some fun ideas you could use with your grandchildren, take a look at this link I found on Pinterest . . . if you follow it, you'll find 100 ideas for recipes, crafts, decorating and more . . . lots of potential fun for sure!

The Dr. Seuss Quote for Today - You'll Miss the Best Things . . .

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut!" Wow! This short saying has some powerful truth in it! When I think about missing the "best things" by "keeping my eyes shut" I think about  missing out by not using the gifts and talents with which God has blessed us. I Corinthians 12:5-7 says, "There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.!" We need to open our eyes and use these gifts so we don't miss the "best thing" of serving God!

grandma's cookbook - Forbidden Oreo Pudding Cake

While I rarely eat cake, I do enjoy cake. I particularly enjoy chocolate cake. When I add pudding to the cake; well, there is ever so much more to enjoy. And, when Oreos are "thrown" into the "mix" . . . "enjoyment" is an absolute "given"! So, when I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a recipe for Forbidden Oreo Pudding Cake, I had to share it with you - since yesterday was National Oreo Day!

The Dr. Seuss Quote for Today - Today Was Good . . .

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Today was good! Today was fun! Tomorrow is another one!" If we are people who have experienced God's incredible love and grace, then we have something to celebrate each and every day!  Psalm 118:24 says, "This day belongs to the Lord! Let's celebrate and be glad today!" We can celebrate because our days do belong to the Lord! Some of our days are filled with good things, good times and good experiences . . . it is easy to celebrate and be glad on those kinds of days!  Some of our days are sad, difficult and trying . . . it can be difficult to celebrate on those kinds of days. On the difficult to celebrate kinds of days, remember Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

grandma's cookbook - Oreo & Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Since today is National Oreo Day, I thought I'd help you celebrate it by sharing a recipe I found as I browsed the Kraft recipes - I came across a recipe which left me with only one word I could say . . . WOW!!!!!  Chocolate pudding, Cool Whip (although I think you could easily substitute real whipping cream in this recipe), Oreos, Chocolate Fudge topping, and Ice Cream Sandwiches . . . mix all together and you have a dessert which will leave everyone who eats it saying, "WOW!!!!"

It is National Oreo Cookie Day!!!!

What a fun and tasty day to celebrate!!! My grands absolutely are "fans" of Oreo cookies . . . after all, they are quite the tasty treat! Since today is National Oreo Cookie Day, I thought it would be fun to share a few, "Oreo facts" with you . . .