crafting with grandma - Valentines Day Bird Feeder!

 

Valentine's Day is just a little over a month away, so if you are looking for a simple craft which your grandchildren could do . . . and one which has a purpose, then look at this great idea I found  on  Pinterest  for a Valentine's Day Bird Feeder! You'll find the simple directions at this link . . . my grands made this when they were younger. 

What Makes Candy Purr?

For the past few days I've been letting you know about the new books in my Candy the Kitten . . . and Me! books - today I want to let you know about one the children you love are sure to enjoy - What Makes Candy Purr? In this fun story children will get to learn about the things which make Candy, a sweet little calico kitten, purr. And, not only will they discover the things which make Candy purr, but they will be surprised to learn about animals which are not cats, but still are able to purr . . . such as bears! Did you know bears purr? In What Makes Candy Purr? the children you love will enjoy discovering not only about the things which make Candy purr, but will be surprised to learn about other animals which purr, too! 

crafting with grandma - Valentines Day Salt-Dough Hand-Print Hearts!

 

If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar for long, you know I love crafts which involve  making hand and/or footprints of my grands . . . they grow up so very fast, so being able to save a "moment in time" when they are "little" (even when they assure me they are no longer "little", but are "big"!) is something I cherish!

So, when I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a salt-dough hand-print heart, I knew I had to do two things . . . make some with my sweet grands and share the recipe with you! 

Family Fun Idea - Photo Scavenger Hunt!

 

If you are looking for fun ideas to use with the children you love this year, then I have a fun idea for you . . . 

Go on a photo scavenger hunt! Just give them a list of things to find and a camera and send them out to search around your yard or in a park, or any place you choose. They can look for items and when they find them, take a picture to show you when they get back!

Candy's Favorite Place!

Today I am happy to let you know about another of my new books in my Candy the Kitten . . . and Me! series of books - this time, Candy's Favorite Place!

In Candy's Favorite Place, children will get to learn where Candy, a sweet little calico kitten, loves to spend time. She really likes to be a cat in a box and a cat on her princess pillows, but there is one place where she really loves to be and children will enjoy discovering Candy's Favorite Place! 

crafting with grandma - I Love You in Sign Language!

 

Valentine's Day is just a month and a few days away, so if you are looking for some craft ideas which you could try with your grandchildren, look at this fun idea I found on Pinterest which works for any age of grandchild!

just for fun - January is Brainteaser's Month!

Typically, I'm not great at brainteasers . . . my husband is great at them, but I don't tend to "get them"! However, as we start January, since it is Brainteaser's Month, I thought I'd browse a bit on Pinterest and look for some Brainteasers, even I could "get" and then share them with you!

I found a few . . . if I can "get" them, they are likely ones your grandchildren will enjoy, so . . . here they are . . . 

A Family of Her Own for Candy

I often review books for children from a number of publishers and always enjoy the books which tell a great story and have colorful illustrations. If the books also find a way to involve the children in the story, then the book is likely to get a high review from me. So, when I write stories for children, I work to be sure all these things are covered in my stories and my Candy the Kitten . . . and Me books definitely do these things! Today I want to share with you one of the books in this series - A Family of Her Own for Candy.

Remember; They Are Watching!

 

Most weekends I am blessed to enjoy time with sweet grands . . . they typically spend Saturday nights on sleepovers - even though they are all nearly teens! We have so much fun when they are here!

Winter Fun - Amaze Your Grandchildren with Frozen Bubbles!

As I've mentioned a time or two, I live in Michigan - otherwise known as the "Frozen North"! I've never been a person who enjoyed the cold; being warm is so very much more pleasant! But, the other day when I was browsing on Pinterest I found an idea for something really cool which you could do with your grandchildren in the cold . . . make frozen bubbles!

Life on the Amazing Goldilocks Planet

 

I'm very happy to share a new book with you which will make a difference in the lives of the children you love.   Are you one of the grandmas (or grandpas) who are so blessed to have grown children who love and walk with God, and who are committed to hand down confident faith with you to the children you all love? Do your grandchildren want to go to church, want to talk about their walk with God, and embrace a confident faith of their own? Or, do you have grown children who, like so many their age, are no longer involved in church, who do not embrace a confident faith of their own, and/or grandchildren who tell you they are, "not into that church thing any more"?

grandma's cookbook - Chocolate Lasagna!!!

Chances are you are wondering about this post . . . what kind of recipe could possibly be called, "chocolate lasagna"? Is it good? It does have "chocolate" in the name, so doesn't this mean it must be tasty? But, chocolate "lasagna"???

Well . . . have no fear!!!! This is a dessert which will leave you heading for the store to get the ingredients, for sure!!!  My daughter, Tiffany, posted this recipe on her facebook and when I saw it, I knew I had to share it with you! 

Today is Not Really the Great American Grump Out, But Let's Celebrate It Anyway!

If you have been reading grandma's cookie jar for very long, you know I like to share with you silly holidays and special days . . . after all, when it is chocolate day, or pie day, or cookie day, or donut day, or ice cream day, who wouldn't want to celebrate with the ones we love???!!!

Well, today is not really the Great American Grump Out Day - it is the first Wednesday in May, but since we are starting the new year, it seems like it is a great time to focus on not being "grumpy, and it made me smile, so I thought I'd go ahead and share it with you anyway . . . On-line it says, "The Grump Out asked sour pusses to suck it up and refrain from getting their grump on -- at least for 24 hours. This includes no grumping, no frowning, no grousing, complaining, punching, slapping, hitting, or killing . . . FOR ONE WHOLE DAY. On this day you will knock it off with your grouchy thing and put a lid on it --- just for 24 hours. (It's not for a lifetime, just a mere 24 hours. If you get your 8 hours of sleep it means you only have to go for 16 hours.) After that you can go back to your old self again."

They also gave the following:

The Little Ginormous, Humongous, Hairy, One-Eyed Monster Boys Adventures!

    

Recently I shared how when my grands were young and at my house for a sleepover, we typically made up stories at bedtime. They almost always had monsters or dinosaurs in them. One night when my oldest grand was six, my middle grand was three, and my youngest grand was one, we were getting them into bed when my oldest grand said there was a monster under my middle grand's bed! This was not what my middle grand wanted to hear, so I said there could not be any monsters under the bed because the monsters were at their poppa's and grandma's house getting ready for bed on their sleepover. My grands found this idea very interesting, so of course, our bedtime story for the night had to have little, ginormous, humongous, hairy, one-eyed monsters getting ready for bed and being scared because they thought they saw, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, not-so-hairy, two-eyed people under their beds!