Today, March 19th is International Read to Me Day

Today is International Read to Me Day - a day well worth celebrating for sure! Daysoftheyear (dot) com says, "Research shows children who regularly read have advanced literacy skills and a greater love for reading. The day promotes literacy and also encourages families and communities to engage in reading activities. It supports the idea of how everyone can play a role in nurturing a child’s love for reading."

Memories & 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 in the country 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!)

"Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel . . ."

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today is, "Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind!"  There are things which are true about this saying, such as. . . if someone really loves you, they will love you no matter what you say because of who you are . . . a person who they love! So, when you are loved, those who love you will always love you - no matter what. I'm sure you feel the same way about the ones you love - you will always love them - no matter what.

But you might, on occasion, say things which may upset people who do matter to you. This can be a painful thing to have happen, but it can, and does happen from time to time. People who love one another do at times get upset with each other over things which are said and/or done.

A Tasty "Sloppy Joe" Recipe to Enjoy on National Sloppy Joe Day!

Today is National Sloppy Joe Day, so I'm sharing with you my favorite recipe for tasty sloppy Joes, or barbeques, or whatever you want to call them. I grew up enjoying barbeques made with ground beef, and while many are made this way, I use pork loin which I cook in my instant pot - the barbeques made this way are fantastic!

crafting with grandma . . . a Wealth of Easter Ideas!

As I browsed on  Pinterest a couple years ago, I found a link to 40 Ideas for Easter . . . there are so many wonderful craft ideas on this link, so I decided to highlight just a few of my favorites!

"Unless Someone Like You Cares a Whole Awful Lot . . ."

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today . . . "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!" First of all, 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?" Yes, these are questions for each of us to ask ourselves and then to make the choice to care and act so things will be better - for us and for the ones we love. This is an essential message for us to help the children we love learn as well.

Pair Eyewear - The Polarized Rainbow Gradient Sun Top

Yes, I have another new topper for my glasses from Pair Eyewear, but this time it is not a topper to give my glasses a new look - it is a sun glasses topper - The Polarized Rainbow Gradient Sun Top! Yes, Pair Eyewear offers Sunglasses tops - and this one is SO pretty! I really love the colors - VERY lovely for sure!

Pair Eyewear says their Sun Tops have the following features -

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

 

Resurrection Sunday is less than 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! 

"You Can Steer Yourself Any Direction You Choose!"

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 - we just have to make our choices. This is often easier to say than do, but it is important for us to understand we need to be the people who make the choices in our lives and then move forward with those choices - and we need to help the ones we love do this as well.

Sneak Peek . . . Chihuly at Meijer Gardens!

From time to time I write about the amazing things in store for you at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI. Today I'm very happy to let you know about something incredible which will be happening at Meijer Gardens from May 2 to November 1, 2026 - Chihuly will be here! Yes, Chihuly - and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the only place in the USA where you will be able to enjoy the amazing art of Chihuly this year!

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Something I say often, and encourage you to tell the ones you love, is about how you all deserve to be loved, feel at peace, and experience safety. Today I want to talk a little about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was signed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris, France on December 10th 1948 and which is a defining document in history outlining 30 articles affirming individual rights. You will find an article about it and a full listing at this link, but I want to highlight a few of them - 

"I'm Sorry to Say So . . ."

The Dr. Seuss Quote for today is, "I'm sorry to say so but, sadly it's true - that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you!"  This is true. Bang-ups and hang-ups can and will happen to us, but it is essential for us to hold on to the truth of how there is a huge difference between who we really are and the things which happen to us. It is essential for us to teach this to the ones we love, too. It is far too easy for us to think negative things about ourselves when "bang-ups and hang-ups" happen to us. We all have "bang-ups and hang-ups" happen to us and we are all still people of incredible worth, dignity, and importance. So, today I want to again share some of the truths about who you really are for you to take to heart and to share with those you love -

It is National Peanut Lovers Day

   

If you love peanuts and think every day is a day to celebrate the tasty treat, then you will be happy today as it is National Peanut Lovers Day! It is also a great time to share a simple way to turn a favorite recipe into an even better recipe . . . peanut butter toll house cookies!

crafting with grandma - Origami Bunnies!

Since March is Craft Month and Easter is just a few weeks away I thought I'd share a fun craft with you today. I have always loved origami! It is so fun to take a piece of paper, make a few folds and voila! You end up with something amazing! So, when I found a simple origami pattern for a  bunny on Pinterest, I thought it would be fun to share it with you!