Grandma Stories» Parenting

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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Gaylord Texan’s Mother’s Day Brunch is the Best Mother’s Day Gift

Grandma — Fri, 28 May 2010 02:51:06 +0000

Mother’s Day is a very special day for mothers and family, and coming up with ideas on how to celebrate Mother’s Day can sometimes be a challenge. Out of all the possible Mother’s Day gift ideas, lunch or dinner meals, relaxation spa treatments etc to celebrate Mother’s Day, nothing compares to the Gaylord Texan’s Mother’s Day Brunch at Gaylord’s Hotel in Grapevine Texas.

Having researched the many Mother’s Day brunches around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex hosted at most of the nice local hotels or restaurants, deciding on the brunch at Gaylord Texan’s hotel was an easy choice. I didn’t want or need a Mother’s Day “gift” of some kind. I didn’t want or need anything as far as gifts are concerned, but the only wish I had was to enjoy a wonderful, relaxing meal with close friends and family.

When I read the entire Mother’s Day Brunch menu on the Gaylord Texan’s website, I knew what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day immediately. To say that Gaylord Texan puts on a magnificent brunch buffet in the Grapevine Ballroom is an understatement. White linen tablecloths, live musical entertainment, champagne/mimosa drinks, a beautiful yellow rose for each mother, hot breakfast items, chilled salads, fresh seafood, international cheese, pasta dishes, sushi, carved-to-order meats, desserts and so much more.

Tickets (purchased in advance) to Gaylord Texan’s Mother’s Day Brunch are $65 for adults, $25 for children ages 6 – 12, and FREE for children ages 5 and under. Well worth the price! There’s even a children’s menu of many delicious favorites for kids to enjoy. The price includes everything on the brunch menu, champagne, self-parking, musical entertainment, service charges, and tax. Valet parking and family photos are also available for an additional fee, but we took our own photos while we were there.

Celebrate Mom at the Gaylord Texan Mother’s Day Brunch

Gaylord Texan’s Mother’s Day Brunch has specific seating times: Every half hour from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m, and guests are encouraged to arrive about fifteen minutes prior to their scheduled reservation time. Reservations can be made by calling (817) 778-1000 or book reservations online at www.gaylordtexan.com, and I would be thrilled if we decide to make the brunch at Gaylord‘s an annual event for Mother’s Day each and every year. We all thoroughly enjoyed the Mother’s Day brunch, champagne toasts amongst friends and family, conversation and laughter – who could ask for anything more.

We had never visited Gaylord Texan’s hotel before, but have heard a lot about the fun events hosted there and how beautiful the hotel is. To celebrate mom at the Gaylord Texan’s Mother’s Day Brunch, or at any of the 4 hotel locations, is a celebration unlike any other. (Gaylord Hotel and Convention Centers can be found in Washington, D.C.; Grapevine, Texas; Orlando, Florida and Nashville, TN)

We’ve since learned that the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine also has a nightclub called the Glass Cactus that we plan to visit soon, and summer events for kids and families. After seeing some great photos of Gaylord Texan’s Summerfest from last year, kids and families looking for fun things to do in Dallas/Fort Worth should definitely consider adding a visit to Gaylord Texan’s to their list. I’ve also heard that Gaylord Texan’s is spectacular around Christmastime each year, so we’re looking forward to going back later this year to see what all the excitement is about.

Something tells me that the friends and family we invited to the Mother’s Day Brunch will be just as excited about visiting the hotel and nightclub with us again, even in the winter months, because Gaylord Texan’s is simply spectacular and we all had a blast on Mother’s Day.

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Kids In The Kitchen Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Recipes

Grandma — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:00:10 +0000

The Gooseberry Patch cookbook for kids called Kids in the Kitchen includes recipes that kids of all ages, including preschoolers, toddlers and older kids can enjoy the fun of cooking in the kitchen with mom or dad, or even Grandma and Grandpa.

Kids need to be in the kitchen rather than being shooed away, so children can learn the basics of nutrition, healthy food choices, correct portion sizes and much more. Gooseberry Patch cookbooks are not just for adults, and as a Grandma who raised 6 kids and now has two grandchildren, I love the great ideas found in these cookbooks for kids.

Cooking with kids in the kitchen is a fun activity that should be encouraged rather than discouraged. The Kids in the Kitchen: Recipes for Fun cookbook was designed exclusively with little kids in mind, and the list of recipes found in this cookbook will help little chefs want to learn how to cook lots of good food!

Kids in the Kitchen Cookbook for Kids

This delightful Kids in the Kitchen cookbook is loaded with recipes and goodies kids can make themselves, like “breakfast banana split” and “easy-as-pie spaghetti bake” plus crafty recipes like “homemade face paint”. This children’s cookbook includes thoughtful safety reminders, fun facts and charming full-color artwork too. The wipeable cover and 80 durable pages is kid-friendly and makes a great gift for kids.

The recipes and fun ideas in this cookbook are all easy and quick for kids to prepare and make. A review of the cookbook says, “This cookbook is filled with a lot of wonderful recipes that the kids can really make and they taste great. There is also craft recipes; play clay, face paint, bubble mix, dog biscuits and Goopy goo. Our family has really had a lot of fun with this book—a must have!”

Another reviewer says, “I noticed the cookbook because of the cover and bought it and the monkey measuring spoons for my 8-year old granddaughter. The recipes are kid friendly. My favorite is the breakfast banana split. We love the recipes in the back for bubbles, goop, etc.”

The list of recipes in this kids cookbook goes on and on. Besides those already mentioned, other breakfast meal recipes include things like “toad in the hole”, “jam surprise muffins” and more. Snack recipes include “bagel pizza”, “ham & cheese roll-ups”, “baked French fries” and delectable dessert treats like “crispy monkey pops” that even little kids can make.

Dinner type meals include recipes like “Texas straw hats”, “baked mac & cheese”, “easy cheesy quesadillas”, “easy-as-pie spaghetti bake” and much more. Sections include Breakfast, Anytime Snack, Dinnertime, Desserts and Just For Fun. Little kids will be thrilled to use their imaginations to create new ideas, and there are also adorable kid sized small kitchen utensils like the monkey measuring spoons and the kids apron set that are just the right size for kids.

Kids in the Kitchen Year’round Fun Cookbook is another fun cookbook by Gooseberry Patch with kid-friendly recipes for celebrating year ’round holidays…Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. You’ll even be ready for fun holidays like Friendship Day and Ice Cream Day. Kids will love the recipes for “funny-face pizzas”, “jungle malts”, “twistin’ tomato pasta” and “howlin’ good snack mix”…while parents and grandparents appreciate the safety tips to keep kids safe while cooking in the kitchen.

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Grandma’s Cooking Ham Roll Ups in Grandma’s Kitchen

Grandma — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:00:16 +0000

What’s cooking Grandma? Grandma’s kitchen is a favorite place to be at Grandma’s house when the kids and grandchildren are in town, and one of Grandma’s recipes that continues to be popular is Grandma’s ham roll ups recipe with broccoli.

Being a Grandma is wonderful, and passing along to my children and grandchildren many of their favorite recipes that have been prepared for them over the years is an added perk. People that haven’t learned how to make ham roll ups, or broccoli ham roll ups, are really missing out on a great recipe.

I would guess that many of the recipes given to me over the years originally came from my Grandma or great grandmother, but I can’t be sure of that. Cooking in the kitchen with my mother as I was growing up usually meant we were baking cookies or other sweet treats, as she preferred to be cooking in the kitchen by herself when preparing or cooking dinner meals for a family of eight, and that was ok.

There were never any leftovers at our house when mom made her ham roll ups recipe, and since we all loved broccoli with cheese sauce anyway, her ham roll ups were a hit. When I got married, I was given many family recipes and some great cookbooks to start my own cookbook collection, and I was thrilled to find a Mexican roll ups recipe included in one of the cookbooks. We always doubled (sometimes tripled) this recipe, since the kids love ham-broccoli roll ups so much.

Broccoli Ham Roll Ups Recipe

20 oz Broccoli spears, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

6 slices boiled ham, 4×6 inches in size

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook broccoli according to package directions or until tender. While broccoli is cooking, melt butter/margarine in a heavy saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted. Do not overcook.

Divide broccoli spears into 6 portions, splitting large stalks as necessary. Alternate direction of flower ends within each portion. Place broccoli portions on and parallel to narrow end of each ham slice, extending flower ends over edges of ham. Roll as for jellyroll with broccoli in the center of each rollup. Arrange rollups in a baking dish with seam side down. Use toothpicks to secure, if necessary. Pour cheese sauce over rollups. Bake until sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Another variation of the ham broccoli roll ups is Asparagus-Ham Rollups — Use fresh or frozen asparagus spears in place of the broccoli.

Cooking Mexican food and learning how to cook Mexican type dishes I hadn’t learned yet became a favorite hobby of mine, and my Mexican husband was beside himself when I surprised him with Mexican roll ups. My entire history of cooking was all about Mexican food, and making typical American type meals was a rare thing at our house, except for the ham broccoli roll ups and a few other American foods.

I can make some pretty mean authentic homemade tamales, Mexican posole soup, beef tongue tacos, Octopus stew, Mexican fish soup, potato tacos, menudo, and many other Mexican dishes that would blow your mind. No Tex-Mex type dishes were ever made in this Grandma’s kitchen – only Authentic Mexican food will do.

I haven’t made homemade tamales for many years now, and the idea of spending two full days in the kitchen making tamales with pork, beef or chicken just doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I have one of the best sweet tamales recipes ever known to man in my recipe collection, and one of these days I may have to make some sweet tamales to surprise the kids and grandkids.

Since my whole history of cooking was making Mexican food and not your ordinary American meals, I couldn’t be happier that Grandpa is an excellent cook and is very handy in the kitchen. Grandpa knows how to grill a steak like no one else does, and you know you’ve had a great steak when you don’t want or need to add steak sauce to give it any flavor. Thank goodness for Grandpa’s kitchen abilities!

Image Source: Kraft Foods

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Bad Gift Emporium – When It’s The Thought That Counts is Bad Gifts

Grandma — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:58:32 +0000

Heard of the Bad Gift Emporium? The Bad Gift Emporium is a site dedicated to re-gifting a gift received that are unwanted gifts. Bad Gift Emporium is the online version of people standing in those long return lines and gift exchange lines at stores to return bad gifts, since the belief of it’s the thought that counts is just a lie.

A bad gift may be both radiant or repulsive to the gift recipient, depending on the eye of the beholder. If you’ve ever stood in the gift returns line to return or exchange a bad gift, or a White Elephant gift you don’t want, check out Bad Gift Emporium at badgiftemporium.com

The day after Christmas is always a popular day for people to go to Bad Gift Emporium, which makes the bad gift site show up on the list of trending topics at Google Trends. Remember, it’s the thought that counts…..right? Wrong.

If you received a few gifts that you don’t want or don’t like, Bad Gift Emporium is the site of the day to explore, trade or compare your own bad gifts collection with the gifts that have been submitted.

Remember the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? That’s one reason why Bad Gifts Emporium is so popular right after Christmas. No driving to the store and standing in those long lines to return bad gifts anymore. Just head over to the bad gifts official website and turn in your bad gifts or unwanted gifts for someone else to enjoy.

At Bad Gift Emporium, people upload photos of bad gifts they received with hope that some visitor will see it and want to take their gift off their hands. Some people may have to keep their bad gifts, especially if they live with the bad gift-giver, so those people just share photos of the bad gifts they have to keep and put up with for a verrrry long time.

If nothing else, checking out the Bad Gift Emporium website can be a fun and entertaining site to visit just to see what sort of things people consider to be a bad gift. Plus, it further proves the point that it’s the thought that counts is just a bunch of bull.

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Children’s Books New Releases of Hot New Children’s Books

Grandma — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:00:13 +0000

What are the best brand new children’s books and hot new releases of children’s books for kids? Time will tell if the children’s books listed below will make it on the list of top children’s books of all time or not, but kids love books regardless of whether they are new books or “old” classic books.

USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of THE NATIONAL “BEST BOOKS 2009″ AWARDS (NBBA) on October 20, 2009. Over 500 winners and finalists were announced in 130 categories covering print and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2009 and late 2008.

Below are the winners and finalists of some of the best new releases of children’s books that are expected to be amongst the most popular children’s books in 2010.

Children’s Activity Book

Winner:
The More We Get Together: Nurturing Relationships Through Music, Play, Books and Art by Gari Stein

Children’s Educational

Winner:
My Choices Make Me Who I Am by David and Mutiya Vision, illustrations by Ignacio Alcantara

6 Finalists:
Jacob Has Cancer: His Friends Want to Help by Heather Cooper, RN, Heather Paschal, RN, Melanie Williams, RN and illustrated by Lindsey McMillion

Davy Brown Discovers His Roots by Keely Alexander & Velani Mynhardt WitthÃ¶ft, illustrated by Manuela Pentangelo

Jaspa’s Journey: The Great Migration by Rich Meyrick

The Moose with Loose Poops (Dr. Hippo) by Charlotte Cowan, M.D., illustrated by Penelope Neal

Fraidy Cat by Melinda Chambers, illustrated by Sue Ann Maxwell Spiker

Kyle’s Colorful Life by Drema McNeal, illustrated by Kasey Short

Children’s Fiction

Winner:
Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink by MAC

7 Finalists:
Why Do I Have To? by B. Annye Rothenberg, Ph.D., illustrated David T. Wenzel

Forest Secrets: A Fairy Houses Mystery by Tracy Kane & Kelly Sanders, illustrations by Tracy Kane

Running Home by Jennifer Charron Ward

The Grey Ghost (Wolf’s Apprentice) by Julie Hahnke, illustrated by Marcia Christensen

The Idea Miners: The Lost Lake Dig by P.W. Cross

The Last Fairy by Augustine Campana

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram

Little Wolf’s Adventure: A Medicine Dream and Warrior Ghosts by Nona Burroughs Babcock

Children’s Mind/Body/Spirit

Winner:
Another Sad Mad Glad Book – The Anatomy of Your Attitude by Chuck Stump & Jim Strawn

7 Finalists:
Where Do We Go? by James F. Weinsier, illustrated by Cliff Beaman

Sarah’s Waterfall: A Healing Story by Ellery Akers, illustrated by Angelique Benicio

The 4Fairy Scents: 4Fairy Tales: Book 1 by Tina Marie Mayr

What Are You Thinking? by Valerie Ackley, illustrated by Lori Nawyn

Fraidy Cat by Melinda Chambers, illustrated by Sue Ann Maxwell Spiker

Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too! by Grandma Sue

Make Your Dreams Come True by Karen Reed Hadalski

Children’s Non-Fiction

WinnerÂ :
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Seeing Is Believing! by Geoff Tibballs

3 Finalists:
Nana, What’s Cancer? by Beverlye Hyman Fead and Tessa Mae Hamermesh, illustrated by Shennen Bersani

Soil: More Than Just Dirt by Jerry Wermund

Tween You & Me: A Preteen Guide to Becoming Your Best Self by Deb Dunham

Children’s Novelty & Gift Book

Winner:
Elephant, Elephant Come Alive! by Steven P. Winkle, illustrated by Christie Mealo

2 Finalists:
Meet President Obama America’s 44th President by Angi Ma Wong

Tressi’s Magical Chest Series – Samantha and the Legend of the Whispering Trees by J.A. Kundert

Children’s Picture Book – Hardcover Fiction

Winner:
Darryl and the Mountain by Lynne Emily Ozgur, illustrated by Ismail Abay

8 Finalists:
Circus Fever by Alva Sachs, illustrated by Patricia Krebs

Beautiful Moon by Dawn Jeffers, illustrated by Bonnie Leick

Can’t Catch a Butterfly by Michelle Zimmerman

Kid Canine – Superhero! By P.T. Custard, illustrations by P.T. Custard & David Pearson

Nicholas, that’s Ridiculous! A Story About Being a Boy by Christa Carpenter, illustrated by Mark Wayne Adams

Nico & Lola: Kindness Shared Between a Boy and a Dog by Meggan Hill, photography by Susan M. Graunke

The Little Green Pea by Alison Barber, illustrated by Paige Keiser

Too Tall Alice by Barbara Worton, illustrated by Dom Rodi

Children’s Picture Book – Hardcover Fiction w/ Audio CD

Winner:
Tino Turtle Travels to Kenya – The Great Safari by Carolyn L. Ahern, illustrated by Neallia Burt-Sullivan

2 Finalists:
The Ugly Caterpillar / La Oruga Fea by Carl Sommer, illustrated by Greg Budwine

The Belly Button Fairy by Bobbie Hinman, illustrated by Mark Wayne Adams

Children’s Picture Book – Hardcover Non-Fiction

Winner:
What Does It Mean to Be Global? by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Chris Hill

8 Finalists:
Let My Colors Out by Courtney Filigenzi, illustrated by Shennen Bersani

A Is for Anaconda: A Rainforest Alphabet by Anthony D. Fredericks, illustrated by Laura Regan

Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Peace Prize by Kathy-Jo Wargin and illustrated by Zachary Pullen

S Is for Save the Planet: A How-to-be Green Alphabet by Brad Herzog and illustrated by Linda Holt Ayriss

Raising Lucy – The True Story of Raising an Orphaned Wild Goose written and illustrated by Carol Muzik

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Twist Series: Human Body by Camilla de la Bedoyere

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Twist Series: Space by Dr. Mike Goldsmith

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Twist Series: Wild Animals by Camilla de la Bedoyere

Children’s Picture Book – Softcover Fiction

Winner:
Four Pals at the Park by Angel Tucker and Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D.

6 Finalists:
Claire Bear Presents the Pilot Alphabet by Sue Hughes, illustrated by Wang DaiYu

Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy by Tina Turbin, illustrated by Aija Jasuna

Mabel Takes a Paddle by Emily Chetkowski, illustrations by Susan Spellman

Spitz A Cat With Attitude by Carolyn Garriott, illustrations by Jason Weibel

What Can We Do Next? The Adventures of Lexie and Lolly by Toula Magi

Hooray for the Circus: A Story of Sam the Lamb by Ginger DeVine, illustrations by MikeMotz.com

Children’s Picture Book – Softcover Non-Fiction

WinnerÂ :
Be A Thinker Not a Stinker: A story for kids and the big people they love by Sammie & Tudie

8 Finalists:
A Child’s View of a Prairie by Susan C. McDermott

Amazing Creatures, photography by Deborah Oelrich

AUTISM ABC by Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg, illustrations by Rachael Mahaffey

Daddy Loves You: Whispers of Wisdom from a Father’s Heart by Michael J. Hervey, II, M.D.

Gene the Pumpkin Man: 50th Year of the Pumpkin Farm by Carol Rhodes

Herman The Jester and The ABC’s of Art by Rafael Filion

I’m Not Weird, I Have SPD by Chynna T. Laird

Nettie Does the NCT: North Country Trail by Lorana A. Jinkerson, illustrated by Toby Mikle

Jeff Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, says of the awards, now in their seventh year, “The 2009 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States. With a full publicity and marketing campaign promoting the results of NBBA, this year’s winners and finalists will gain additional media coverage for the upcoming holiday retail season.”

A complete list of the winners and finalists of the USA Book News’ “Best Books 2009″ Awards in other popular categories are available online at USABookNews.com.

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Top 10 Children’s Books of 2009

Grandma — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:27:23 +0000

One of the best activities grandparents can do with their grandchildren is to read children’s books to them. Of course, as children get older and are able to read books on their own, Grandma and Grandpa can still help teach the importance of reading by having some of the best children’s books of all time available for kids to read.

The New York Times has released a list of what it believes to be the top ten children’s books of 2009, and there are a couple kids books listed here that even I had never heard of, but will definitely take a close look at adding some of these children’s books to our library.

Here is the top 10 children’s books list from the NY Times:

Top Ten Children’s Books

#1 – Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

#2 -Guess Again! by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Adam Rex

#3 – Dogs Don’t Brush Their Teeth! by Diane deGroat and Shelley Rotner

#4 – Crow Call by Lois Lowry; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

#5 – Elephants Cannot Dance! By Mo Willems

#6 – Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman

#7 – How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? By Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

#8 – Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie! by Judy Cox, illustrated by Joe Mathieu

#9 – The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Carson Ellis; music (included CD) by Nathaniel Stookey

#10 – The Snow Day by Komako Sakai

Reading kids books to grandchildren is just as much fun as when we read children’s books to our kids when they were young, starting when they were babies and as the children got older. You’re never too young or too old to enjoy reading books, and reading children’s books to grandchildren is a favorite thing to do for many grandparents.

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Getting Out Of Debt On Your Own – Personal Finance Blogs to Help Get Out of Debt

Grandma — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:38:37 +0000

Grandpa and I have been working hard on getting out of debt, or more specifically, getting out of credit card debt, on our own. Like many other Americans who are dealing with debt from credit cards and/or loans etc, working hard to reduce or eliminate debt from credit cards became our New Year’s Resolution after Christmas last year.

Of course, there is such a thing as good debt, such as paying for a mortgage that creates home equity – which after a period of time allows homeowners to sell their house at a nice profit if the housing market is right for homeowners to sell their home. Right now, the housing market sucks due to the economy, so there’s no way we’d be able to sell our house even if we wanted to, at least not for the kind of money we’d want and need to get for it.

Anyway, in order to help us meet our goals of getting out of debt completely, we made the tough decision to really tighten our financial “belt” so to speak and focus our time and energies on paying off all credit cards and loans as quickly as possible. One debt-inducing expense each year has been the amount of money that is often spent buying Christmas presents for everyone on our xmas list. We are generous gift givers, to a fault.

As the Christmas season rolls around each year, it seems there have been more and more names needing to be added to our Christmas gift list, and something has to give. Between family, friends, adult children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, bosses, co-workers, etc – the gift giving list and available monies has its limits, especially considering our efforts to get out of debt rather than increase our debt.

As much as we’d like to be able to continue buying everyone gifts for Christmas, as well as gifts for those we haven’t bought for in awhile, getting out of debt has to be given first priority. We’re not getting any younger either. Call it selfish if you wish, but we’re focusing on ourselves and our needs, for a change.

Getting out of debt once and for all means creating and sticking to a tight budget and not creating new debt, so that any and all remaining income from our jobs and money made from being a freelance writer and blogger goes to paying down debt until there is a zero balance on any and all credit cards.

“Getting out of debt on your own” means we are doing this on our own, rather than trusting our money and credit history to possible debt consolidation scams and schemes we hear so much about it on the news and online. A friend of mine was kind enough to buy Dave Ramsey’s book called The Total Money Makeover along with the accompanying Total Money Makeover Workbook as a gift for Grandpa and I to help us in our efforts to get out of debt the smart way.

Getting Out Of Debt Blogs

I’ve been reading many of the top personal finance blogs found online for quite some time now and will continue to do so. There are hundreds of “get out of debt” blogs online, with helpful tips about easy ways to reduce debt quickly, written by knowledgeable and experienced financial experts. Many of my favorite personal finance blogs are authored by people paying off debt just like you and I, who are “blogging away debt” and explaining their journey to a debt-free life on their personal finance blogs, for free.

We don’t need consumer credit counseling help either, and there are a lot of scams regarding those too, so thanks but no thanks. Creating a budget that we can and will stick to isn’t rocket science. Coming up with some easy and simple ways to pay down credit card bills isn’t hard either.

We’re eating out less. We’re watching rented movies at home instead of spending money at the movie theater and on expensive snacks. I quit smoking and the money saved by not buying cigarettes goes towards paying down credit card debt. Brown bagging lunches, instead of eating lunch at restaurants, creates a sizable savings each week that goes towards paying off debt.

We’re also creating a grocery budget, which will help to eliminate needless spending at the grocery store on things we really don’t need to be eating. The fact that we’ve set a goal of losing some weight over the next few months will also help reduce our grocery bill too, since we won’t be spending nearly as much money on snacks and junk foods. We’re well on our way towards getting out of debt, having already paid off a couple credit cards so far, and there’s no stopping us now.

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Do It Anyway

Grandma — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:00:21 +0000

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

DO IT ANYWAY

By Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone
could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway

Anyway by Martina McBride

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It’s The Thought That Counts Means What Exactly?

Grandma — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:55:48 +0000

I’ve heard the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” in regards to gift giving for so many years, you might think I actually buy into what that rather famous quote means. But I’m not sure I really believe that it’s the thought that counts rather than the price tag and quantity of gifts given at Christmastime or Birthdays or any other special occasion or holiday.

Call me Scrooge, but Christmas this year is going to be unlike previous Christmases because Grandpa and I have had it up to here with ungrateful, unappreciative, selfish-minded people who seem to think we have SANTA stamped on our foreheads.

Maybe there was a time, many years ago, when buying a gift for someone was based solely on well thought out searches for a gift based on what the person likes and enjoys without much thought about the price tag. That is the kind of Christmas shopping I always enjoyed, putting a lot of thought into whatever gift I chose for someone on our gift list, but just the mere thought of buying Christmas presents this year makes me wonder What the hell for?

If what matters most is the thought process that goes into choosing, buying, wrapping and giving a gift from the heart, then certain people on our annual gift list who shall remain nameless didn’t get the memo. Our usual list of around 20 people or so to buy Christmas gifts for has been reduced to a fraction of that, perhaps to the total count of just 4. Young grandchildren only, with no adults receiving Christmas gifts anymore.

Every Christmas holiday for the last few years has ended up with at least one person asking “Is this all that (insert name) gets?” That indicates that someone is counting the number of gifts received and if that number is not reached, then we haven’t lived up to the expected and anticipated responsibility as generous gift givers. Again, where does it say Santa on my forehead or on Grandpa’s forehead?

Being the primary person who buys or orders gifts during the holiday season, I’ve always put a lot of thought into the gifts purchased for each and every person on our gift list. We don’t own a money tree and we have our own bills, debts and expenses to pay off, and it has become obvious that the supposed “thought” of gift giving (at least for some) really means we’re expected to give generously regardless of our own financial situation.

Of those we used to buy gifts for at Christmas, most of them were very understanding when we let them know that we would not be buying Christmas gifts for adults anymore, but would stick to buying for the grand kids. Others were not so understanding, which as you may have guessed, are for the most part the very ones who have had the audacity to ask “Is this all that so-and-so gets?”

We’re supposed to concern ourselves with their feelings and Christmas wish lists during the holiday season or when Birthdays come around etc. The only two people who know our financial situation are the two people who should and need to know – Grandpa and I. We live in a nice house. So what. We drive nice cars. So what. We worked our butts off for what we have and anyone that allows the thought to cross their minds that we someone “owe” them a certain number of gifts – whether the gifts are inexpensive, cheap as hell, expensive or extravagant gifts just because we’re related in some way needs to take a step back and analyze their attitudes towards us.

We worked our butts off for what we have. We earned what we have from years and years of hard work at our jobs, buying things for ourselves that we wanted and needed with our own money as we could afford. The longer you work at your jobs, the sooner you will discover you can also begin to buy things you want or need because you’re able to afford it. Just because we can afford certain things doesn’t mean you are entitled to receiving a particular number of gifts from us or gifts that cost a certain amount of money, whether it be at Christmastime or any other holiday or special occasion.

We understand money is tight for many people, regardless of the recession or economic situation we’re in right now, and we don’t expect expensive gifts or a certain number of presents from our family or friends. However. If it’s true, that it’s the thought that counts when making decisions about gifts, than the thought shown towards us over the last few years has been nothing but selfishness and unrealistic expectations. Come to think of it – you know that thing about it’s the thought that counts about giving gifts of some kind? Yeah, that thing works both ways, ya know?

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