Grandma Stories» Gifts

Christmas For Grandparents – Personalized Christmas Gifts For Grandparents

Grandma — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:37:52 +0000

Choosing Christmas gifts for grandparents can at times be difficult, especially since many if not most grandparents have a home full of just about everything they need. Having seen several lists of what are deemed to be the “worst Christmas gifts for grandparents”, it is easy to see why gifting grandparents with things like cookbooks or knickknacks that must be cleaned or dusted aren’t the best ideas for gifting purposes.

Many grandparents have already or are in process of downsizing their homes to smaller abodes, so the last thing grandparents or elderly people need or want is more “stuff” to fill shelves and spend time on cleaning. Finding the perfect Christmas gift for a grandparent doesn’t have to be expensive, can certainly be homemade and dearly loved, and the more personalized the gift is the happier the grandparents will be.

While many grandparents love to receive new photos of their grandchildren for Christmas or other occasions, a new twist on the photo gift is to make a homemade iron on transfer and put the grandchildren’s picture on a sweatshirt or t-shirt for grandma and/or grandpa to wear proudly. Using fabric paint for the grandchildren to put their little hand prints on the front or back of the shirt is also a nice idea, and some parents even have their children use a fabric marker to write a special personalized message on the sweatshirt for an inexpensive gift.

Both grandma’s and grandpa’s love to bake cookies with their grandchildren, so one homemade gift idea might be to make “jar gifts” from your kitchen with dry ingredients for making cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes etc and place the ingredients in wide mouth jars or Mason jars in layers, decorated by the grandchildren with pretty ribbons and recipe instructions.

Another nice Christmas gift idea for grandparents requires a little help from the parents for making a homemade calendar with computer software with photos of the grandchildren for each of the twelve months. The grandchild(ren) can help select some of the best pictures to be used on the homemade calendar for a personalized touch, and may even want to use some decorative stickers for special dates like birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. Kids can make some kitchen magnets with self-photos using magnetic sheets, or plain kitchen magnets in various shapes with small photos applied, poems, special phrases or quotes.

For grandparents who have gardens, making some personalized stepping stones with clay kits is another cheap gift idea that grandparents will love, or handprint clay kits for young children to give their grandparents with hanging ribbon to display on the walls of their home. Personalized Christmas ornaments are lovely gifts for grandparents to trim their Christmas tree each year, and many other do-it-yourself craft kits for making grandma a necklace or bracelet and many other homemade craft gifts.

For Christmas, grandparents of all ages and abilities love nostalgia. Giving thoughtful gifts that bring back memories of long ago and perhaps forgotten over the years can brighten the smile on a grandparent’s face, being reminded of fun family times and family gatherings with a digital photo frame to cycle through important happy events. Grandchildren making a homemade scrapbook with help from mom and dad is another inexpensive but well thought out gift for grandparents to cherish.

Many grandparents love to read books but may have difficulty reading books with poor eyesight, which makes audio books a great gift option. Noise-cancelling earphones or headphones with volume controls allows grandparents with hearing impairment to enjoy listening to their favorite music or TV shows without difficulty. Senior grandparents who have difficulty getting around on their own, but enjoy activities to keep their mind sharp, find gifts like crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, board games, dominoes and crafting supplies wonderful gifts for grandparents to keep active.

Deciding on the best Christmas gifts for grandparents of any age is just a matter of knowing what their interests and hobbies are. Gift Grandma and/or Grandpa with a luxurious shower gift set or bath set for enjoying a soothing, warming and body-ache-reducing luxury bath or shower, perhaps with a bottle of their favorite women’s perfume or men’s cologne for a nice xmas present. As always, it truly is the Thought behind the gifts given that counts not the price tag, no matter how cheap the gifts may be, your thoughtful gift will be appreciated and cherished for many years.

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Christmas Preparation – Preparing Christmas Activities, Gift Lists, Cards and Xmas Dinner

Grandma — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:40:35 +0000

Christmas will be here before you know it. Year after year, we strive to begin preparing for Christmas very early into the holiday season, usually months ahead of time. Planning and preparing the various holiday season activities and parties to attend, as well as compiling a list of those we plan to buy gifts for, buying or making Christmas cards, preparing the Christmas dinner menu and guest list, and yes, all of the shopping for budget-friendly gifts.

As Dave Ramsey says, Christmas is not an emergency – it falls on December 25 every year, so you know it’s coming.

Preparing for Christmas well ahead of time, several months in advance even, helps a lot when on a tight budget. Watching for great sales and discounts on potential gift ideas throughout the year, and saving the gifts until Christmastime arrives, is a great help with sticking to a budget and not going overboard on expenses.

Creating a gift list with everyone’s names and any initial gift ideas, along with the total cost of each gift, can sometimes create sticker shock. By the time all of the names are added up, and what you initially think will be an appropriate amount to spend on each person, can sometimes come as a shock to the budget, where trimming names off of the list might be necessary in order to avoid going over budget.

Rather than actually removing names from the gift list, reducing the total amount to be spent on each gift recipient is a good alternative solution. Christmas doesn’t have to expensive, and paying for Christmas gifts with credit cards isn’t a wise choice either, which is why planning and preparing for Christmas by saving up money for purchases many months ahead of time is our preferred option.

We put a lot of thought into what to buy for someone as a xmas gift, and oftentimes we find buying something as a gift that we know is a true “need” vs just things on a “want” list brings us the greatest pleasure during the holiday season. Fortunately for us, it hasn’t been difficult to choose a gift for anyone we buy gifts for. Many times we gather ideas of what to give friends and family simply by paying close attention to any mention of something they’re needing and hoping to buy for themselves at some point in the future, making special note of what they’re needing, and we’re able to buy the item for them as a Christmas gift before they’ve had an opportunity to get it for themselves.

Homemade gifts for Christmas, or for any other holiday or birthday celebration, are among the most unique and thoughtful gifts one can give to another. The time it takes to make handmade gifts varies of course depending on how difficult the project is, which is just one reason why making fleece throw blankets and giving them as gifts is so enjoyable, because homemade throw blankets are quick and easy gifts to make and don’t cost much money to buy the fabric, and choosing fleece fabric that matches home décor is quite easy to do.

I’m not quite sure how many throw blankets I’ll be making and giving as gifts for Christmas this year, since I had already made around 25 throws and given most of them as birthday or anniversary gifts, or my personal favorite “just because” gifts. As much as we enjoy Christmastime with all the family gatherings, parties, dinner feasts and celebrating by giving gifts at Christmas, giving gifts to those we love and adore “just because” we love them dearly is our all-time favorite.

Every year, we create a spreadsheet containing all the names of people we’ll be buying Christmas gifts for, with added columns for jotting down gift ideas, estimated costs, and for making note of when Christmas cards were mailed out and to whom. We also include a column on the spreadsheet for the date gifts were shipped to family or friends living far away, and we keep the shipping tracking information close by to ensure the gifts arrive on time and aren’t lost in the mail.

For the most part, with few exceptions, we tend to spend an equal amount of money on gifts for each person. Sometimes that might mean one person may receive one wrapped present, while another person may receive two or even three gift wrapped presents, which only means we’re keeping as close to equal spending as possible. The only real exception to that is when we’re giving gifts to very young children and grandchildren, since at their tender ages, they can only see that another child has a greater number of gifts than he/she received and hurt feelings can ensue. We prefer to avoid that misunderstanding altogether.

Grandpa and I also find it helpful to split the gift list up, where he chooses gifts for some and I pick gifts for the others, so the responsibility is shared between us and reduces the potential of stress during the holidays. We don’t necessarily split the list equally, right down the middle, but that plan works well for us. Our family is continually growing, and we have another grandchild on the way, so somewhere along the line we’ll probably have to decide on making some adjustments on who we buy for and who may have to be dropped off the gift list.

Many families find that just buying gifts for the young children works well for them and their budget, and the adults receive no gifts at all, but still enjoy the love, fellowship and family gatherings even without gifts being exchanged. There really aren’t any “rules” to gift-giving at Christmastime, nor should there be, but it sure does help to begin saving up for the next year’s Christmas shopping spree in January.

Starting to save money for Christmas very early into the new year allows us the spur-of-the-moment gift buying for those we buy for that love their gadgets and electronics, and we’ve found many discount deals on what will ultimately become a Christmas gift by buying gifts well before the so-called “Christmas shopping season”.

By then, we’re finished shopping for gifts and they’re already wrapped and hidden away months and months before the masses hit the malls and struggle to find parking, while we’re comfy and cozy relaxing at home by the fireplace and listening to Christmas music. No Christmas shopping rush for us. That’s why Christmas planning works so well for us.

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Kids Luggage Suitcase Sets – Melissa and Doug Trunki – Disney Suitcases For Kids and Babies

Grandma — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:45:48 +0000

Kids luggage, specially designed suitcases for kids, babies and toddlers are very popular for children of all ages for travel or when going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house for a visit. Children enjoy having their own luggage to call their own and put their clothes and toys in when traveling out of town, and since Grandpa and I have grandchildren that enjoy visiting, we thought it would be a great idea to look for kids suitcases for sale that are age appropriate and in colors or designs the kids would enjoy.

Kids luggage come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Children’s suitcase styles include backpacks, duffel bags, kids rolling luggage with wheels attached and are the right size as carry on bags when travel requires flying on an airplane. With a new grand baby on the way, we’ve of course looked for baby luggage as well. When our soon-to-be born granddaughter is coming to visit or spend the day/weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, the cute little baby girl will come supplied with everything she’ll want or need for a fun stay.

The toddler suitcases we found for sale are so cute, from popular luggage brands like Samsonite, and the Disney suitcases and polka dot luggage sets for kids or babies are not very expensive at all. To make it easy for young children to lug around their suitcases, luggage makers have fortunately made rolling luggage for kids, toddlers and even babies in the cutest styles.

Melissa and Doug Trunki Kids Suitcases

Since there is a new grand baby on the way, we were happy to find specially designed baby luggage by Child to Cherish in pink or blue colors that says Ready or Not, Here I Come Grandma on the outside of the suitcase. The very popular brand Melissa & Doug luggage called Trunki, part luggage and part riding toy, is prefect for little kids and toddlers who might otherwise grow tired pulling their suitcase or walking through the airport.

Older kids might be happy with solid color luggage or any number of character themes, patterns and styles of kids suitcases, but after seeing how cute the Melissa and Doug Trunki suitcase is for girls and boys, our grandchildren will have fun riding on their suitcase as a scoot toy and have the benefits of very own luggage all rolled into one.

While I’m sure there are many suitcase brands for kids of all ages available for sale to choose from, Melissa and Doug toys and wooden toys, puzzles, toy kitchen and play food, kids crafts, train sets, drawing easel, puppets and blocks for kids, and the extremely popular Melissa and Doug dollhouse for little girls are all high quality, trusted products. It only makes sense that Melissa & Doug’s luggage for kids on wheels, that little girls and boys can ride on and play with, would also be a high quality product parents and grandparents can fully trust.

Our toddler size granddaughter is almost two years old now and she has fun playing with all of the Melissa & Doug toys she has received so far and will continue to receive for Christmas, birthdays or as just because gifts, and the same goes for our yet-to-be born granddaughter when she makes her appearance into the world. Melissa and Doug’s Trunki comes in several colors for boys and girls, including Trixie pink, Sunny orange, Ruby red, Terrance blue, Jade green and Iris purple.

Disney Luggage Bags For Kids

Disney bags and Disney luggage sets and sleeping bags for kids are also very popular suitcases, with a variety of Disney character themes that toddlers and kids love. Some of the best known Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, Little Mermaid, Disney Princess and the Frog, Winnie the Pooh and others are amongst the list of very popular kids rolling luggage, tags and backpacks.

With so many luggage options for little girls and boys, it’s sometimes hard to choose one over the other choices, especially when kids get a little older and become a tad picky. We’re nowhere near that kid stage with these little grandchildren being babies and toddlers, so until the children get old enough to voice their own preferences for a specific suitcase style or their parents choose their favorite, we’re going to go with Trunki by Melissa and Doug in pink and purple. Once the Trunki’s are received and tested out, maybe I’ll do a blog review about it.

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Best Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas of Last Minute Gifts to Make or Buy

Grandma — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:00:42 +0000

No one can accuse me of being a procrastinator, waiting until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts for everyone on our list. Shopping for Christmas gifts at the last minute, within days, hours or minutes of Christmas gift-giving exchanges would make this Grandma stressed out and unable to enjoy the fun festivities of the holiday season. Christmas Eve gift shopping? Yikes!

Even though our Christmas shopping is often finished well ahead of time, gift-wrapped and ready for Christmas gatherings with family and friends, sometimes there is a need to buy or make a last minute Christmas gift for an unexpected guest. It isn’t much fun watching or participating in opening Christmas gifts when someone is invited at the last minute to a Christmas dinner party when there is not a single present for him or her to open. Awkward is putting it mildly.

I like to keep a list of a few last minute gift ideas for those “just in case” moments at Christmastime, gifts that are inexpensive but still thoughtful, and certainly something the child, teen or adult would actually like and enjoy receiving. If I were as crafty as I’d like to be, I’d have a few pre-made, homemade knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, mittens etc in a nicely decorated Christmas-themed box for those surprise moments when a last minute gift is needed.

Since I don’t know how to sew very well yet, and I certainly have no experience with knitting or crocheting or making other handmade crafts to give as gifts, I have to stick with quick and easy cheap gifts from a retail store or homemade gift ideas of things that can be quickly made and given from my kitchen. Homemade Christmas sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles, brownies, fudge, Pecan Sandies tea cookies, soup mixes in a mason jar, my pecan pie muffins with a recipe card attached etc.

Homemade Christmas food gifts like: rum cake, coffee cake, pumpkin bread, popcorn or granola mixes, caramel corn clusters, chocolate bark with or without nuts, homemade biscotti cookie samplers, canned jams and jellies, chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks, homemade hot chocolate mixes presented in a holiday-themed coffee cup or mug, all make easy last minute Christmas gifts to make and enjoyed by the recipient.

Last minute gift ideas for wine drinkers isn’t hard either; just make a small homemade gift basket out of a good quality bottle of wine, add some cheese and cracker selections along with a new bottle opener, wrap it all up in a pretty basket or box with some colorful cellophane and ribbon and you’re all set to go.

A last minute trip to our local grocery store or pharmacy offers some quick and inexpensive gift ideas of fruit and nut gift basket selections, varieties of bubble bath or novelty soaps, great smelling candles, gift cards for restaurants or movie theaters or electronics stores etc, gourmet coffee and tea gift sets, women’s perfumes or men’s cologne’s, just to name a few of some of the best things that can be found last minute.

Shopping last minute for Secret Santa Christmas parties at work with co-workers can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the maximum price for a gift is no more than five, ten or twenty dollars. We found a cheap webcam within the required price range and it was one of the gifts everyone was fighting over. Inexpensive tools for men or women, small electronic gadgets, digital photo frames, barbeque/grill tool sets, books from a top-notch author, movies, CD’s, magazine subscriptions all make excellent, quick and easy to find last minute gifts.

Last minute Christmas gifts for kids or grandchildren might include a couple of the most popular board games for kids, building blocks, jigsaw puzzles, stuffed toys, high-bounce balls, toy cars or trucks, etc. The possibilities are endless if you really put your mind to it. Gift shopping at the last minute before Christmas still means putting some thought into what the gift recipient likes and enjoys, specifically needs or wants for Christmas.

Even though we’re finished with all of our Christmas shopping and ready for just about anything, there is always the possibility that an additional guest or two will be added last minute to our dinner guest list. We’re not worried at all though, as we’ve got lots of ideas for gifts we can make at home, in the kitchen, or quickly run to a local store and buy a small gift for our house guest just in case.

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Decorative Christmas Boxes as Christmas Decorations to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Grandma — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:49:59 +0000

I get a real kick out of decorating our home for Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. The Christmas music, lights, holiday-themed movies, parties, gatherings of close friends and family for a meal and presents on Christmas Eve, and especially the joking and laughter that goes with spending time with people you love and who love you.

Buying Christmas decorations to decorate for Christmas can get very expensive, so I’m always looking for great ideas on how to decorate for Christmas inexpensively, on a budget. While I’m definitely going to be working hard to make my own Christmas decorations with my new sewing machine, homemade decorations that look good and presentable, I can’t help but smile and laugh at some of the ideas I’ve come across lately. When I say that I laugh, I mean that in a very good way. I’m often amazed at the craftiness some people have.

When I approached Grandpa a few weeks ago to ask him how he felt about possibly giving Christmas gifts to some of the people we stopped buying for a couple of years ago, I expressed my desire to give Christmas gifts not only to the very young grandchildren but also some of the adults as well, and I was happy to hear that Grandpa was in agreement with me. I knew then that I needed to come up with pretty unique ways to decorate, at least inside the house, otherwise it wasn’t going to look much like Christmas around here.

Since I really didn’t have the time or money needed to go and buy Christmas decorations this year, I began looking for some alternative decorating ideas online that are easy on the wallet. That’s when I heard about decorative Christmas boxes, and how you can make your home look beautifully decorated for Christmas just by using small, medium and large boxes that you might already have in your home to decorate with.

There are different kinds of decorative Christmas boxes, with completely different uses. Some people buy decorative Christmas boxes to put Christmas presents in rather than using wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, etc. That’s not the kind of Christmas boxes I’m referring to though. The type of Christmas boxes I’m talking about comes from the long list of holiday decorating ideas found right here and on other sites that might be referred to by some as “dollar store” Christmas decorations.

Decorating with boxes means gathering up empty boxes in various sizes, from very small, to medium, to large boxes and wrapping each box with Christmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, and maybe even slap a nametag on the top and place the empty wrapped boxes in groups around your Christmas tree, livingroom, or other rooms in your home as a cheap and inexpensive decorating idea. My favorite thing to do with empty boxes as Christmas decoration is to use oddly shaped boxes, cylinder/tube shaped boxes etc along with the regular square or rectangle-shaped boxes.

What had not occurred to me until a friend mentioned it, is that wrapping empty boxes (or a few lightly packed boxes with non-perishable junk inside) with old, unused Christmas wrap and faulty bows (where the sticky tab doesn’t stick anymore) works very well to thwart off pesky thieves. Place empty, Christmas wrapped boxes under and around your Christmas tree and wherever else you want to use boxes as decoration pieces, until just before the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day gift-unwrapping foray begins.

My friend even suggested putting old, to-be-thrown-away shoes, boots, shirts, broken electronics etc inside the boxes that will be wrapped and saved for next year’s Christmas decorating, to give the added illusion of there being real Christmas presents inside the boxes (in case your home is ever broken to). That was when I started laughing. Some people are so crafty it makes me smile.

Another friend of mine knows how to make glass block Christmas decorations out of real glass blocks that are drilled into from one side and decorated all sorts of unique and special ways. She made a 3-piece handmade set of decorated glass blocks with cut-out nativity scenes and fancy lettering designs and twinkling lights for Grandpa and I, wrapped them all in beautiful red and golden ribbon and gave it to us recently as one of the most thoughtful gifts we could have ever received.

Even if my own craft projects of making homemade decorations, gifts and crafts don’t turn out as nicely as some of those I’ve seen lately, I won’t mind at all because I know I’m in the company of many good friends who will teach me how to make homemade crafts like the professionals they are. The cheap decoration of wrapped empty boxes…, now that’s a decorative idea I can do on my own.

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Handmade Christmas Decorations – Indoor Christmas Decorations to Make

Grandma — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:01 +0000

Making handmade Christmas decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, diningroom table and fireplace mantel xmas home decor is just one of the many reasons why I’m anxious to receive my new sewing machine for Christmas this year. Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, not because of all the festive Christmas gift-giving or receiving gifts that goes with the holiday season, but because of what Christmas means to me personally.

To me, Christmas means spending time with those you love and who love you, remembering that Christmas is all about Jesus and all He did for us, not about Christmas presents. Christmas is a time of sharing and being with family and close friends, helping those in need who are less fortunate than ourselves, like people living in shelters or homeless people living on the street or those who don’t have enough food to eat. You don’t have to be a Church-going attendee to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Decorating for Christmas, indoor and outdoor, can get very expensive. I’m not really interested in decorating every room in the house for Christmas, but I’ve gotten quite a few great ideas on ways to decorate for Christmas from online pictures and sewing patterns of things I can make myself, at a much cheaper price than simply buying decorations at retail or online stores. As a self-proclaimed sewing beginner, finding simple, quick and easy craft projects that I can make with my sewing machine or by hand, gives me so many Christmas decorating ideas that I don’t know where to begin.

I’ve made my own Christmas wreaths before and the wreaths turned out quite nicely, so much so that I’ve been asked a few times to make Christmas wreaths for others, and I was happy to oblige. A few years ago I was asked to make several wreaths of varying kinds and styles that would be sold at a church craft sale and the proceeds donated to charity, and I fully intend on making and selling other Christmas decorations and crafts where the profit proceeds are once again donated to charities.

I enjoy handmade and commercial Christmas decorations and ornaments of all kinds just like everyone else does. Angels, gingerbread houses, snowmen, reindeer, Santa’s and elves, they’re all beautiful and unique in different ways. Indoor and outdoor animated Christmas decorations make us laugh and smile, but I have no lofty plans of making animated decorations or wooden outdoor Christmas yard art whatsoever. I’ll leave the animated stuff and lawn décor to the skilled and experienced professionals.

To make Christmas decorations that are homemade, made by hand or with my sewing machine, will be a long-term project of making a variety of crafts to display throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season at home, to give as inexpensive gifts or to adorn Christmas presents with homemade Christmas tree ornaments rather than using typical cheap ribbons and bows sold in stores.

I become a kid-at-heart during the Christmas holiday season, especially during our annual visit to a relatively expensive Christmas decoration store where I get some great ideas for decorating at Christmastime without actually buying much of anything at the very high-priced store. Virtually everything sold at the local Christmas décor store is handmade, including artificial Christmas trees, ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, countdown calendars, garland, home decorations, tablecloths, wreaths etc, but buying unique handmade Christmas decorations there comes at a very high cost that will drain your wallet dry rather quickly.

With my adoration for reindeer and snowman Christmas decorations being at the top of my list of craft projects to start making, besides the usual Santa’s and elves and sleighs of course, decorating the front door, fireplace mantel, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room areas for the Christmas season is going to be a lot of fun. It will also give me plenty of time and opportunity to greatly improve my sewing and crafting skills in order to feel competent and good enough to sell (or give as gifts) the homemade Christmas decorations I decide to make.

I’ll of course be watching closely for after-Christmas sales, discounts and clearances on exterior Christmas decorations to save for next year’s lawn displays. Finding unique and inexpensive blow up outdoor decorations shouldn’t be too hard, except at retail stores that have already been picked over and the only yard art left is stuff no one else wants either. I have no intention of turning the inside or outside of our house into a Santa’s village or “winter wonderland” at all, but it will be a lot of fun to at least have a few rooms decorated nicely for Christmas parties and family gatherings and not look so primitive and bare.

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No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Grandma — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:58:22 +0000

The No Bake Chocolate, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Cookies is a family favorite throughout the year, but these delicious cookies are especially requested around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and I’m happy to oblige.

I’ve been known to make these cookies and ship them overnight to family and friends living out of state, or make them and give a batch or two to friends as a “just because” gift. I’ve recently heard that some people refer to these cookies as “Reindeer Turds” and I can understand why, based on how they cookies look when they’re done setting up, but if you like chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter, you will love these cookies.

My Pecan Pie Muffins are made every year during the holiday season at the request of family, as are my Pecan Sandies cookies baked and rolled in powdered sugar. If you haven’t yet made these easy no bake cookies that have been popular for many years, I would highly recommend spending the few minutes of preparation time and give them a try. These chocolate oatmeal peanut butter cookies require no baking in the oven at all, as all the “baking” is done on the stove top and only take a few minutes to prepare.

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Measure out the ingredients for this cookie recipe ahead of time because you’ll need each item listed pretty quickly and you don’t want to burn the mixture as it cooks on the stove.

3 1/2 cups dry quick-cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy, crunchy or extra crunchy)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), cut into pieces

2 cups sugar (white granulated)

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons cocoa

How to Make No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Place the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa in a large saucepan, gently mix together. Turn the heat on high and bring cookie mixture to a full, rolling boil. Let the mixture boil for exactly 1 minute uncovered, no more and no less than a minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oatmeal and peanut butter. Use a large wooden spoon to quickly stir the ingredients together completely and thoroughly.

Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop the hot cookie mixture by tablespoons on wax paper. Allow the cookies to cool until set, approximately 30 minutes.

We usually double the recipe for a larger batch of these delicious cookies to last longer than a day. I’ve noticed some people suggest making individual cookie batches and repeat the stove cooking process for each additional batch desired because the cookie dough can become rather difficult to mix once the oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla have been added. That hasn’t been a problem for me, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if separating batches is really necessary or not.

These no bake cookies ship well overnight boxed up in an airtight container. I also like to include a index card with the recipe for the recipient to enjoy making them on their own and share with loved ones. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I bet this cookie recipe would do very well as a Christmas “jar” mixture gift, where dry ingredients are layered in a mason jar and the jar lid is decorated with Christmas ribbon and a recipe card attached. Enjoy!

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Grandfather Birthday Gift Ideas For Grandpa’s Birthday

Grandma — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:05:36 +0000

Grandpa’s birthday is coming up soon so I’ve been trying to come up with some really good ideas of what to get him for his birthday. Even though Grandpa’s birthday isn’t one of the so-called milestone birthdays, like if he were turning 50, 60, 70 or 80, his birthday is an important occasion and I want to make sure his gifts are things he would want and enjoy having.

As always, I pay very close attention to what Grandpa says, and by being thoughtful about gifts for people, I can usually come up with some great gifts for his birthday or as Christmas gifts etc. There isn’t much that Grandpa “needs”, so whenever I’ve asked him directly what he might want for his birthday, the usual answer is something like getting him a new bottle of his favorite cologne.

This year for his birthday, I want to get him something really special, something I know he would really like and be very happy to receive as a birthday gift. A couple of years ago, he had mentioned in passing conversation how someone he knows was talking about a new GPS Navigation System the guy had received as a birthday gift, and sure enough Grandpa thought the GPS was a really cool gadget and said he might like to get one ‘one of these days’. Grandpa does love his gadget gifts, that’s for sure, and I’ve found some very unique gadgets over the years that he really enjoys.

Well, either for a previous birthday present or as a Christmas gift a couple of year ago, I surprised Grandpa with the same exact GPS gadget that the other guy has and boy oh boy was Grandpa excited about getting that as a gift. That’s what thoughtful gift giving is all about and it’s a lot of fun for me as the gift giver. Grandpa hasn’t talked about any particular gadget gifts on the market that he would like to have, but he has talked about how having just network television has become increasingly boring, especially during weekends when sports games are being shown on cable television channels and we haven’t had cable television for years.

Grandpa had fun recently playing with an iPad someone else owns, and I’ve seen him checking out the Kindle ereader too, so either or both of those may become gift ideas for him at some point in the future. Of course, considering how much Grandpa enjoys doing fun things like fishing, hunting, golf etc, sports-themed gifts for Grandpa are always a good idea. I’ve noticed there are some new/newer sports type electronic games that can be played on the tv that just might be a hit for Grandpa when he’s feeling bored or wants to engage in game playing.

Having said that, I thought well.., maybe it’s time things change and we start looking into bundle packages for cable tv by DirectTv or some other cable provider company that serves our area. Grandpa and I had researched options for cable television, satellite tv and HDTV’s etc quite awhile back, but for the timebeing we decided to get a couple digital converter boxes and continue to use our non-digital tv’s. We’ve focused our energies and money on getting out of debt as fast as possible, and we’ve managed to accomplish quite a lot of that since we curtailed most of our spending on gifts for Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions.

Apparently, a local network television station is battling to be able to continue airing sports on their network station, which is the channel Grandpa usually turns on when he’s wanting to watch sports. Grandpa couldn’t watch the Rangers play and win the game against Tampa because we don’t have cable television, and “watching” the baseball game on an internet animated play-by-play simulator showed me how much Grandpa would enjoy having cable tv and be able to watch his favorite sports shows and movies.

Grandpa’s birthday this year is going to be a very special one, and he deserves every one of the gifts he’s going to receive, including finally getting digital cable tv hooked up and happily handing him the remote so he can relax and watch his favorite shows and sports games. Grandpa isn’t having just a one-day birthday party this year; Grandpa’s going to be enjoying a long weekend of fun and games for his birthday this year. His birthday this year will include what are commonly referred to as “experience gifts”, rather than gifting Grandpa with a lot of ‘stuff’ he doesn’t want or need.

Coming up with gift ideas for this particular man, husband, father and grandfather is pretty easy for me. Grandpa doesn’t ask for anything, nor does he want for anything. Whenever there are things he or I really want or need, we just go ahead and buy them for ourselves because we can and these sort of gifts or gadgets aren’t things that would be appropriate to ask for as gifts because they’re a bit higher priced than what would be considered reasonable.

I can hardly wait for Grandpa’s birthday to arrive because he is going to have the biggest smile on his face when he sees what very special and unique ideas I have planned for his birthday celebration. Birthday parties are fun, with delicious favorite foods and birthday cake, birthday cards and gifts made especially for the birthday boy. Grandpa’s birthday this year just might turn out to be his favorite birthday celebration thus far, and I’ll be camera ready to capture each activity and every happy smile and fun experience as they occur.

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I’m Going To Be a Grandma Again! More Grandma Stories to Tell!

Grandma — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:28:27 +0000

Yep, I’m going to be a grandma again, and I’m so happy and excited since hearing the news, I can’t help but make an announcement on Grandma Stories! I still consider myself a new grandma, since my two grandchildren are still so young, but now we’re having grandchild number three! Grandpa and I are both beside ourselves with excitement at the upcoming birth of my third grandchild (his fourth), and I’m doing my best to control my desire to rush off to the baby stores and shop till I drop!

Even though I don’t have an official grandma name or nickname quite yet, it really does not matter if I chose a name for myself or not, because the grandchildren are going to ultimately decide on my/our nicknames. My grandchildren are so young, but starting to talk more at this point, so there is plenty of time for choosing grandma and grandpa nicknames. I can think of a whole variety of grandparent names to choose from for my/our grandchildren to call us that we would prefer, but when it’s all said and done, the grandkids will make the decision and I’m fine with that.

Calling me Grandma is just fine of course, but I’d prefer not to be called Nana because one of the other grandmothers is already called Nana and the baby’s are going to get confused figuring out who Nana 1 is and who Nana 2 is. One of my sons and his lady love are expecting our new grandchild sometime in May of next year, so there’s plenty of time to prepare and plan for the day of his or her birth. I’ve already seen sonogram pictures of the growing baby, but it’s still very early into the pregnancy, so more sonograms are sure to be taken.

Oh the fun we will have holding, loving, playing with, rocking in the rocking chair, singing lullabies and playing peek-a-boo, buying toys and gifts for this new little baby. Oh yeah, and spoiling him or her is on the top of my list, just like my other grandchildren, that’s for sure! Okay, spoiling within reason, but not over the top extravagant, where the parents might feel the need to tell me to pull back the reins a bit. Grandparenting is awesome!

Over the Christmas holiday this year, the pregnancy will most likely be far enough along where the happy parents will find out whether we’re having a healthy baby boy or girl. I already have a grandson and a granddaughter, so we have no particular wish for a boy vs. a girl baby, even though the parents are hoping to have a baby boy. Seeing my son holding and cradling my granddaughter when she was first born tells me it won’t matter at all if the baby is a girl or a boy, because he is going to be an excellent father either way.

It is very important to me as a Grandmother to be careful to respect boundaries and give the parents their rightful space to make their personal decisions together, and not over-step. That is not to say that as grandparents we won’t offer suggestions, recommendations and guidance when desired, but the ideas we share are just that, ideas and suggestions. The fact that I am a mother of six children myself, and Grandpa is a father of two, we both know a few things about pregnancy, childbirth, babies, two o’clock in the morning feedings, parenting etc, so any advice or suggestions we may give is always with the purest intentions.

I understand all too well the sometimes overwhelming thoughts, fears, concerns, feelings and emotions that run through the minds and hearts of new parents. First-time parents often experience a flood of self-doubt, as to whether they will be good mothers and fathers, and that is one area that Grandpa and I can be of help. As a matter of fact, I’ve already ordered my son Armin Brott’s book The Expectant Father, as it provides a lot of great information for brand new fathers to help answer all of the questions new dad’s ask and wonder about.

Of course, the baby’s mother also receives the very popular What to Expect When You’re Expecting book by Heidi Murkoff, with excellent information and pictures of each stage of pregnancy and more. Quick, someone hold me back from rushing off to Babies R Us and Toys R Us and buying up a bunch of baby stuff already! Oh my gosh! I’m going to be a Grandma again! I couldn’t be more excited and neither could Grandpa.

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50 Grandparents Day Gift Ideas in Celebration of Grandparents Day

Grandma — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 19:05:15 +0000

Getting ideas for Grandparents Day gifts for Grandma and Grandpa for National Grandparents Day this year can be easy if you simply ask the grandparents what they would like or need. Of course, the common response to the “What do grandparents want for Grandparents Day?” question is often answered with “a visit would be nice”.

Grandparents certainly love spending time with their grandchildren as often as possible, but many grandparents live out of state, or even far away in another country, which makes visiting regularly nearly impossible.

Even though “a visit” would be the most popular answer of what to give grandparents on their special holiday, the second favorite gift would usually be a recent photograph of the grandchild(ren) in a nice frame. Being grandparents ourselves, Grandpa and I have discovered the benefits and pleasure of having a couple electronic digital frames with hundreds of family pictures around the house. Not only do we enjoy seeing our kids and grandkids automatically rotate with the frames, but we also included vacation photos and a variety of family-related events and special memories captured on camera.

Grandparents Day Gifts

Grandparents living in an assisted living facility or nursing home often requires a little extra thought in what to give as a gift, as these places have their own sets of rules and guidelines due to limited or lack of space. Before deciding on what to buy a grandparent in a nursing home or assisted living environment, talk to the staff who take care of the grandparent to see what items would be most needed or desired.

Homemade gifts for Grandparents Day are especially enjoyed by many grandparents, made by the little hands of young kids making something unique just for Grandma and Grandpa. Not all grandparents are made the same, meaning that some grandma’s and grandpa’s are thrilled to receive just about anything made by a grandchild, while other grandparents won’t find a homemade macaroni on a string necklace or a spray painted coffee can very attractive.

Grandpa and I are amongst the first group: we’d be happy to receive just about anything made by our grandchildren, perhaps a personalized gift with a message or card that says “I love you”, or a small handmade clay handprint of grandchildren’s little hands. Most grandparents agree that things a grandparent does not want or need for Grandparents Day, Birthdays or Christmas etc, are gifts that require dusting and cleaning like knickknacks, or silly gag gifts that inevitably find its way into the trash.

50 Grandparents Day Gift Ideas

Digital Photo Frame
Books
Candies or Chocolates
Gourmet specialty coffee or tea
Board games or puzzles
Crossword puzzles, word search, sudoku
Craft kits
Classic movies on DVD
Personalized afghan or throw for Grandma/Grandpa
Pandora jewelry, Pandora bracelet or charms
Grandma’s Memory Book
Gardening tools and supplies
Cooking/grilling gadgets
Victorian silhouette picture of grandchild in black and white, mounted and framed
Hand painted flowerpot or vase
Tickets to a play or special event
Gift card to grandma and grandpa’s favorite restaurant
Homemade cake or cookies
Personalized calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, holidays already written
Gift cards for gas or groceries
Gift card for favorite department store or clothing store
IOU notes for landscaping, housecleaning, carpet cleaning, car washing
Phone cards for long distance
Pharmacy gift cards
Quilt or Afghan, new flannel bed sheets,
Electric blanket or electric throw for winter
Floral or herbal sachets to hang on doorknobs or in drawers
Audio books on tape, CD’s of favorite performers from their era
Beauty salon or nail salon gift certificates
Magazine subscriptions are especially appreciated by nursing home/assisted living residents
Gift baskets or homemade treat baskets
Homemade jar mixes with instruction card
Fragrant soaps and body lotions
Scrapbook photo collage of family and grandchildren
Portable CD player or iPod
New bathrobe and slippers
Homemade baked goods, desserts, jams and jellies
Aftershave, cologne
Personalized stationary with envelopes, pens, Stamps
Personal care essentials, nail clippers, etc
Ice cream toppings and nuts to pour on favorite ice cream flavors
Flavored popcorn
Relaxation spa treatment at local Spa
Easy-to-care for household plants
Sports fan gifts: golf, fishing, hunting, football, baseball etc
Take Grandpa to a football or hockey game
A year’s pass to national or state parks
Digital camera
Homemade “all about your life” book, including photos, memories and stories from the past
Webcam – Grandma’s, grandpa’s and great grandparents who are computer users LOVE having a webcam to see and speak to their kids and grandkids on interactive online video chat.

Get a little creative in your thought processes while trying to find grandparent gifts for new and older grandmas and grandpas, or over 70 year old grandparents and great grandparents. Gifts don’t need to be expensive at all, and most grandparents would not want their children or grandchildren over-spending on gifts. Remember, your time or “a visit” is the number one gift on most grandparents wish list.

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