Grandma Stories» Technology

Blog Consulting Services, Blog Mentoring and Blog Coaching to Make Money Online

Grandma — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:59:59 +0000

Becoming a blog mentor for someone brand new to writing blogs is a job I never imagined myself doing, but I gladly lend my existing blogging knowledge and services to people I know who want to start a blog for one reason or another. I am not a blogging expert, nor do I claim such an esteemed title.

Even to momentarily consider myself to be a professional blog mentor or blog consultant would be rather presumptuous of me, so I prefer to say that I am just helping people learn what I already know and has worked well for me, and refer them to the real experts online for the answers to the hard questions.

Professional blog consulting and coaching services charge various rates for their expertise and are very good at what they do, if you choose the best of the best. Choosing the best mentor, coach or consultant can be difficult since so many “consultants and coaches” seem to think of themselves as experts in the field of blogging, whether the intent is to make money online or not.

Professional Blog Consultants and Coaching Services

True professional blog consultants and coaching services teach people everything they need to know about blogs and how to make money online with blogs, if making money online is one of their objectives. Choosing the blog topic or “niche”, how to rank high in search results with search engine optimization (SEO), ways to grow blog traffic and customers from a blog, and how to increase blog traffic through social media networking are just some of the many services provided by expert blog consultants.

Niche, or no niche? It’s been interesting for me to follow the somewhat controversial discussions and opinions about choosing niches, whether to choose a small niche that is focused on a particular topic, choose a large niche, or not to pick a niche at all. Blogging experts would likely say that this blog, my Grandma Stories blog, is the wrong kind of blog to start out with because I do not stick to writing articles about being a Grandma, grandparenting and so on.

Truth be told, I never intended for this blog to be a personal blog, where I would just stick to small niche topics of writing about grandparenting and sharing personal stories and photos of my grandkids and our activities. This blog is a blog written BY a Grandma (me), where I write “stories” or articles on pretty much anything I want to write about, which got my Grandma blog listed as number 10 out of the top 50 Grandparent blogs. Not bad at all, especially for someone doing this blogging thing “all wrong”, huh? Whether this blog should really be called Grandma Stories or “Grandma’s Stories”, makes no difference to me whatsoever. It’s working quite well for me.

Business Blog Consulting

Business blog consulting and coaching services, and blog marketing services for small businesses trying to market themselves on the web, helps business blogs learn essential tools to become successful money making blogs online. Michael Martine of RemarkaBlogger is an expert in the blog consulting & consulting business, teaching beginner bloggers and more advanced bloggers how to figure out a blog marketing plan with client testimonials proving he is one of the best.

Helping people I know personally offline start a new beginner’s blog, choose a domain name to buy, and finding a trustworthy blog hosting service for their particular niche blog has been fun. Helping them learn how to use WordPress on their blog (primarily intended to be a social blog vs. a business blog), learning a few basics about internet marketing as well as how to create links in articles are just some of the blogging lessons I’ve enjoyed teaching lately.

Seeing the excitement, passion and strong desire to expand their horizons with online blogging makes blog mentoring by me somewhat challenging, because I’m not nor claim to be a professional mentor or consultant, but I enjoy challenges immensely and have the patience for any and all “newbie” questions thrown at me. If or when the time comes where I don’t know the answers to specific technical questions, I know a few of the best blog consultants, coaches and blogging experts to consult with or refer my friends to for more help.

Professional consultants do not work for free, and some price their services cheaper than others, so choose wisely if you are in need of some professional advice about personal blogs, business blogs or even social blogs. Some so-called blogging “experts” offering their particular brand of blog services give wrong advice, namely, con artists out to make a quick buck from new bloggers who don’t know the difference between truth and b.s. Watch out for the scam artists, and stick to the legitimate, professional and honest consultants who really are looking out for their client’s best interests.

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Blog Writing – Writing a Blog to Make Money Blogging Online, but How?

Grandma — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:03:07 +0000

Blog writing on blogs has been a popular topic of conversation of late, and I’ve spent a lot of time trying to explain the differences between writing and blogging to several people who know I’m a writer. I write articles on a variety of topics on the different blogs I own. Some articles I write on my blogs are about very difficult subjects that other blog writers simply skim over lightly (perhaps out of fear of offending), beating around the bush so to speak, leaving readers and search visitors wanting more information.

My writing style tends to stand out because I don’t beat around the bush, nor do I tiptoe around subjects that are difficult or are emotionally-charged painful topics that discuss problems or situations people experience in their lives. Some articles I write on my blogs are subjects I’m personally interested in for one reason or another, or the topics are controversial, and many times articles are written on popular topics people search online about on a regular basis.

Regardless, I am a passionate writer, passionately writing articles that provide readers with information they are searching for. If I were to allow fear of offending anyone to control or filter what I write articles about (like some other writers do), or had deep personal concerns about hurting people’s feelings due to the subject matter I write about, I’d never get another article written. I am a writer. I don’t really care if anyone refers to me as a “blogger” or a “writer” or a “blog writer”, because more often than not, they don’t know what they’re talking about and don’t know the correct terminology.

Writing articles is what I do, on any and all subjects I choose, and I’m successful at it. I’m not bragging. It’s just the truth. With blogging or article writing on blogs, there is a big difference between a personal blog and a business blog, and I’ll be explaining those differences this weekend along with other basic aspects of blog writing.

There are many popular social blogs that receive tons of comments and interaction within the comment section, but social blogging is not my thing. It is a mistake to assume that blogs with little or no comments are not popular or successful. There is a difference between social blogging and business blogging, and my blogs are business blogs.

This weekend, I’ll be talking and explaining and showing how people can make money online by writing a blog, and I imagine the conversations on how to blog will go on for some time. Thankfully some of my online friends have provided much if not all of the information about writing blogs that I’ll be explaining (or trying to), and I’ve been printing articles left and right to bring with me for the long conversations about online blogging.

The very first blog I started is now what I consider and refer to as my “main blog”, but that’s only because it’s the largest (has the most articles) and oldest money making blog I have right now. Starting a blog for the first time was not hard at all, and I didn’t know or understand the different blog terminologies commonly used by blog writers, but I’ve learned a lot over the years. To say that writing is an art form is putting it mildly. I can’t paint or draw worth a dang, but that’s not where my creative abilities are focused. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I receive compliments on my articles regularly, despite the occasional grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

I also receive email correspondence from online visitors regularly, asking for my opinion and advice on how to handle various problems and situations in their families, marriages, with coworkers and so on. Those emails often become blog article topics, with details and information included (no real names), except for what I’ve been asked to leave out for privacy reasons.

Nevertheless, no matter what I write about, there is sometimes someone I know, or knew at one time or another (even many years ago in my past), who reads into things and the article(s) hit a little too close to home for them. Sigh…I will not filter my blogs or article writing in such a way that no one I know, or knew at some point in my life many years ago, reads an article I’ve written and feels wounded in some way. The issue is theirs, not mine. I am a writer.

Some writers/bloggers I’ve known for quite awhile have stopped writing altogether, and even went so far as to delete their blogs or at least made their blogs private (password protected), due to friends, family, neighbors AND acquaintances creating problems because of reading into things. A couple of years ago, an online writer I knew deleted her popular blog because a relative didn’t like an extremely generic product review article written about some kind of kids snack.

The writer’s so-called offensive behavior was mentioning in her blog article that “a relative’s kids love the snack just as much as my kids do”. I’ll never forget the chaos that came about over that simple statement. Reading into things and making a big deal out of nothing. Anyone thinking about starting a blog should seriously consider if they have the inner strength, passion, determination, fortitude and patience necessary to build a successful blog, regardless of how others might feel about it. I will never give up.

Some of the blogging questions I’ve been asked numerous times are things like, Can you really make money with a blog? Yep. How much money can a person make as a blog writer? That depends on a lot of different things, none of which I’ll get into here. Can anyone be a blogger? Yep, I suppose so. While just about anyone can start blogging, not everyone can be a writer, especially a money making successful writer.

Being a successful blog writer requires creative thinking abilities, something that doesn’t necessarily come naturally for everyone. Creative writing ideas are sometimes a struggle for me, but eventually my creativity comes through and I’m able to write articles in a matter of minutes. Some articles are written and ready for automatic publishing on my blogs within days or weeks of writing them, but some are saved and scheduled in advance for publishing months later for various reasons.

Starting a blog is not hard. Creating and building a money making, successful blog takes time, effort, skill and determination, amongst other things. Out of all the blog writing questions I’ll be answering as best I can in the days and weeks to come, my personal favorite is, Why start a blog? My answer is, Why not?

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Windows Antivirus Software – Consumer Reports Best Antivirus Firewall Protection Programs

Grandma — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:34:32 +0000

Antivirus and Firewall software is must-have protection against computer viruses, Trojans, spyware and malware that can infect and harm your computer. Consumer Reports side-by-side reviews and tests on free and paid antivirus detection and removal software programs reveals which anti-virus and firewall protection programs meet the criteria as being the best Windows antivirus software in 2010.

Based on online reviews and personal experience, McAfee antivirus software is listed among the WORST virus protection programs, and McAfee’s software program is not recommended. Some online antivirus and firewall protection program comparisons, articles and reviews, are either outdated or give consumers a false sense of security about the differences between free and paid-for antivirus software.

Everyone needs antivirus and antispyware software to protect their computer, but not everyone wants to pay for them. Free internet security suite programs have their place in the market too, but virtually all reviews of antivirus software and spyware programs say the paid-for versions are the best. What is the best Windows antivirus software for consumers, to detect and remove known and unknown viruses, spyware and malware?

Consumer Reports Antivirus Software and Firewall Protection Programs

Consumer Reports magazine June 2010 issue rates the top free and paid antivirus and firewall protection programs so consumers can make the best decision for themselves. Compare antivirus software reviews, prices, features, benefits etc listed among the top rated internet security products this year according to Consumer Reports, to secure and protect your computer from advanced viruses and internet security threats.

Consumer Reports takes antivirus protection very seriously, and CR recommends running a firewall AND an anti-malware program on your computer. Recommendation is also made to “run an anti-spam program if the filter on your e-mail program from your service provider allows too many unwanted messages to get through.”

Top 4 FREE Anti-Malware Protection: CR’s overall recommendation for free anti-malware programs lists Avira (Antivir Personal 9) as one of the best free programs, listed as number 1. CR says the differences between Avira 9 and Avira Personal 10 appear to be minor and should not at all affect their recommendations. A downside to Avira, according to Consumer Reports, is protection against “net threats” only received a Fair rating and the program persists in trying to sell consumers its untested $27.00 pay version, with added features.

Microsoft Security Essentials is listed as number 2, and is less obtrusive. Even though Microsoft received a lower score overall, it worked a little better at identifying websites that host malware and offers email support, unlike Avira. CR mag says either program used with a firewall (like the one built into all Windows operating systems), and perhaps a browser security toolbar (especially with Avira), would provide “decent protection” at no cost.

AVG (Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0) is placed at number 3, with a POOR rating for “net threats”. Alwil (Avast Home Edition 4.8) is number 4, receiving a Fair rating for ‘ease of use’ and a POOR rating for “net threats”.

Free Security Suites, protection against malware and includes a firewall: Comodo (Internet Security Free 2010) and Fortinet (FortiClient Endpoint Security Suite, Standard Edition 2010) are both listed as having received only FAIR rankings for performance and net threats. Neither of these free software programs were given any further mention or recommendation by CR.

The Best Antivirus Software Programs

Consumer Reports top 10 list of the best antivirus, pay security suites protection against computer viruses, malware, spam and includes a firewall.

1. Symantec Norton Internet Security 2010. Norton costs $70.00, with an annual renewal fee of $55.00. Norton rankings range from Excellent to Very Good, across the board. CR says Norton Internet Security is one of the best products tested for detecting Web sites that host malware, its speed in scanning a hard drive for threats, and also directs users to help. You must download separate software to activate its parental control child and privacy filters. See www.symantec.com to buy and download Norton.

2. BitDefender Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, with an annual renewal fee of 50.00. BitDefender is a little cheaper than Norton, with ratings ranging from Very Good to Excellent, but only received a Fair rating for Net Threats. BitDefender costs less and can work with non-Microsoft e-mail programs such as Thunderbird. Both of these internet security programs offer the best combination of performance and value, says CR, and both are recommended. See www.bitdefender.com to buy and download.

3. Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 costs $80.00, with an annual renewal price of $80.00. Ratings for Kaspersky range between Excellent to Very Good, but is more expensive than its top two competitors. See www.kaspersky.com for further information.

4. G Data Internet Security 2010 costs $40.00 to buy and for its annual renewal. Rankings are from Good to Very Good, but is given only a Fair rating for net threats. See www.gdata-software.com for more information.

5. ESET Smart Security 4 will set you back $90.00, with an annual renewal of $62.00. Ratings for ESET range from Good to Very Good (Excellent for Anti-Spam), but received a POOR rating for net threats. Visit www.eset.com for more information.

6. F-Secure Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, with an annual renewal of $46.00. F-Secure received only FAIR ratings for resources, scan speed and net threats. F-Secure doesn’t appear to be very secure at all. It also only received a “good” rating for overall performance and its firewall protection. Visit www.f-secure.com for more info, if you dare.

7. AVG Internet Security 9.0 costs $75.00, with an annual renewal fee of $56.00. AVG received a rating of Very Good for ‘ease of use’, Excellent for its Anti-Spam protection, but all other categories under review and tests were only given a ratings placement of “Good”. Visit www.avg.com if you wish.

8. McAfee Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00 to buy and for its annual renewal. McAfee reviews (including my personal experience) tend to agree that McAfee SUCKS! Consumer Reports review of McAfee only gives a FAIR rating for its Net Threats and Firewall protection, so buyer beware! Consumers are much better off paying a little more money for antivirus software and firewall protection etc than wasting their money on crap like McAfee. Don’t visit www.mcafee.com/us for anything.

9. Trend Micro Internet Security 2010 costs $50.00, and then $40.00 for its annual renewal. Trend Micro’s anti-spam performance received a POOR rating by Consumer Reports, and only a FAIR rating for its Firewall protection. Other ratings for Trend Micro range between Good to Very Good for ‘ease of use’ and ‘scan speed’, plus a surprising Excellent rating for its net threats/anti-malware protection. www.trendmicro.com

10. Check Point ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 2010 will set you back $80.00, with an annual renewal fee of $60.00. ZoneAlarm’s internet security program isn’t very impressive at all, receiving only a FAIR rating for its so-called anti-malware and anti net threats program. Scan speed received a Very Good, while all other test results show a mere Good rating. Is “good” good enough for you? Visit www.zonealarm.com if you dare.

Interestingly enough, the bottom two (#11 and #12) on Consumer Reports list are Panda Internet Security 2010 and Norman Security Suite 2010. That should tell consumers enough. Panda costs a whopping 80 bucks to buy and to renew annually. Panda’s low FAIR rating for anti-malware protection and FAIR rank for net threats speaks for itself. Norman Security costs $60.00, with an annual renewal fee of $50.00, but also received only FAIR ratings for anti-malware and internet security threats.

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McAfee Keeps Turning Itself Off – McAfee Virus Firewall Protection Turns ME Off

Grandma — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:43:53 +0000

McAfee virus and firewall protection keeps switching itself off without warning, turning off all protection against trojans, hackers, viruses, computer worms etc, which does not make McAfee customers like me very happy. Popup computer messages saying the McAfee Real Time Scanner is turned off, then suggesting to click “Fix” to get McAfee to turn back on, only leads to McAfee’s so-called enabled virus and firewall protection to turn itself back off once again.

Getting the balloon computer message that says “your computer is not fully protected” is not a message computer users want to see. It means your computer is not protected against dangerous activity like viruses, and anyone who uses the McAfee SystemGuard protection and are getting such a message should not ignore it.

Is a virus turning off McAfee?, and if a virus turns McAfee off, why isn’t McAfee’s virus protection doing what it’s supposed to do and provide…PROTECTION? Because, frankly, McAfee sucks. Anyone who runs any version of Microsoft Windows Operating System and uses McAfee’s so-called antivirus software is likely in for a very rude awakening, and should immediately begin searching for information on the best Windows antivirus software products available to protect their computer from harm.

Virus turns off McAfee?

Running McAfee scans for malware, spyware, viruses etc did not solve the problem and McAfee virus scans found no virus or adware etc on my computer, but knowing that the virus protection and firewall software by McAfee was not protecting my computer and was actually turning itself off was extremely frustrating.

Doing an online search (while McAfee was still turned on) for information about why McAfee’s virus protection program was continuously turning off brought me to McAfee’s communities support message board (and other computer tech sites talking about how McAfee sucks).

McAfee’s total virus and firewall protection program has apparently been having problems for a long time, as anyone doing a quick search for “McAfee keeps turning off” will find discussions going back as far as 2005 (possibly further back), and this year 2010. Why McAfee is turning itself off for no reason is what users are asking the tech support team but aren’t getting the answers hoped for, with customer replies saying their problem continues. Typical responses like “McAfee is aware of the problem” and is working to fix the issues as soon as possible is not good enough. Not even close.

Suggestions on how to fix McAfee’s problem of turning off include uninstalling McAfee and then reinstall the program, being sure to run program updates. Others recommended running System Restore but users were getting a message saying System Restore will not allow prior dates; downloading and running a completely different anti-virus plus anti-spyware program, and others said to make sure McAfee protection and updates are set to “Automatic”.

I typically run more than one anti-spyware and/or anti-virus program at the same time, in order to ensure my computer is safe and secure from any and all intrusion attempts, and have never experienced compatibility problems. I take internet security very seriously, and considering the fact that I regularly maintain a few online websites/blogs, having the best and highly ranked computer protection software available is extremely important to me.

McAfee’s virus protection didn’t appear on any recommended review lists of virus protection programs, but several other software programs received high ratings, including Norton 360. I don’t remember anymore why I switched from Norton to McAfee in the first place, perhaps because Grandpa used it, but it was bad move for sure.

The type of computer operating system being used by people using McAfee, with its problem of turning itself off, included Windows 7 or Windows XP, and the computers are said to be only a couple years old. To fix the real time McAfee VirusScan turning off and System Restore “will not allow prior dates” problems, one commenter said malicious programs have infiltrated and infected the computer operating system being used. Recommendation was made to uninstall McAfee altogether, kick it to the curb so to speak, and download one of the top rated anti-virus and anti-spyware programs available now and run a full, complete system scan.

Finding comments saying McAfee is NOT a recommended antivirus program to catch and remove dangerous infections pretty much synched it for me to uninstall McAfee completely from my computer, install Norton 360 and SpySweeper and run complete scans. Before deciding on Norton, I read reviews on what anti-virus programs are considered to be the best rated, and interestingly enough, McAfee was not even listed on any of the reviews I found.

Just as I expected, Norton’s antivirus program quickly found not one virus, but three viruses on my pc, something that McAfee’s program was supposed to do all along. I’ll say it again: McAfee SUCKS! Consumer Reports gives McAfee Internet Security 2010 black marks (only Fair ratings) for “net threats” and firewall performance. One very cool thing about purchasing and downloading Norton 360 is the program protects and operates on three different computers, so Norton is now running on my pc, my laptop, and on Grandpa’s computer too.

McAfee real time virus protection users, who find the software keeps turning itself off and are unsure how to fix the problem, should download and install a different virus protection program and run a full, complete scan. Most likely there will be at least one or more viruses or worms etc on your computer that McAfee’s program didn’t catch. Online complaints about McAfee say that McAfee’s virus protection software is one of the WORST anti-virus programs available, and my personal experience tells me that is true.

Buy or download an online virus protection program that actually performs like it should, and be sure to prevent McAfee’s automatic renewal from charging your credit card or bank account for another year subscription. Consumer Reports lists the best anti-virus programs for 2010, with raving security suite reviews for Symantec Norton Internet Security, but it’s not free.

The two best free anti-malware programs, according to Consumer Reports, are listed as Avira and Microsoft Security Essentials, but seeing black marks (fair rating) in the “net threats” category for Avira doesn’t make that program very appealing. The second best recommendation by CR for paid security suites is BitDefender Internet Security 2010, but it also has a black mark (fair) in “net threats”, whereas Norton get very high ratings (Very Good to Excellent) across the board. Goodbye McAfee, you suck.

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Sony Trinitron Troubleshooting TV Repair – Sony TV Sound, No Picture

Grandma — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:31:00 +0000

A little over a week ago, our Sony Trinitron TV shutdown, with no picture but the sound was ok. We’ve been pretty happy with Sony TV’s, although we have other brands of TV’s too. The Sony Trinitron, model number KV-32S15, was working fine until suddenly the picture went completely black, but we could hear sound as normal coming through the speakers.

We thought it was kind of strange that we never noticed any signs that the TV was about to shutdown like that. No error messages, no flashing or blinking lights that are meant to indicate something is wrong with the TV. We’ve had this 32-inch Sony TV (not a flat screen) for so many years that we have no idea where the manual disappeared to, so we could at least attempt to find the troubleshooting codes to help find out what was wrong.

Then again, the codes wouldn’t help us fix the problem if we can’t get the picture screen to show anything.

Troubleshooting Sony Trinitron TV’s

The only thing we noticed was how the TV seemed to take longer to warm up than in the past. As soon as we turned on the TV, we could hear audio sound for about two minutes before we could any picture image on the screen. Grandpa said he figured it was because the TV was pretty old and we might have to start shopping for a new replacement television and just get rid of the Sony.

I started asking around about flat screen TV’s, plasma TV’s and the different kinds of televisions that have come out in recent years, to get an idea what brands of televisions are considered to be the best and how much they cost. The new 3D technology TV’s look really cool and people who have seen Avatar swear by 3D technology, but we haven’t seen that movie yet and may not.

Since we’ve stayed focused on getting out of debt once and for all, the thought of spending a lot of money on a new TV didn’t sound very appealing. We really don’t watch that much television, so the idea of spending several hundred dollars or more to buy a new TV just didn’t make much sense. At least not right now.

We did some online research for troubleshooting a Sony Trinitron TV with sound but no picture, and was surprised to find so many people with the same or similar problems with their Sony television. Some couldn’t get their TV to turn on at all, while others were desperate to find where to find a replacement manual, and still others trying to figure out the meaning of the flashing or blinking LED lights on their Sony TV.

We decided it was worth it to us to take the Sony to a local TV repair shop to find out what was wrong, and if the Sony could be fixed for a reasonable price, or if it was better to replace the TV altogether. For just $27.00 the repair shop diagnosed the problems and found the problem with our Sony Trinitron was the high voltage transformer needed to be replaced. For a total cost of $165.00, including the cost of the diagnosis, our Sony TV was fixed for a very cheap price and we won’t need to buy a new television after all.

The discount sales on new TV’s, especially the large 50-inch flat screen TV’s, are pretty enticing. Maybe we’ll reward ourselves with a fancy new 42-inch Sanyo LCD TV once we’ve paid everything off, but for now we’re content with our 32-inch Sony Trinitron.

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Research Your Family Tree, History and Family Genealogy Records

Grandma — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:23:09 +0000

If you don’t know how to research your family tree in order to find genealogy records of your ancestors, or if you want to create your own family genealogy history for your children and grandchildren, there are many ways of finding the ancestry information you are seeking.

Have you ever wondered, What does your family name mean?, or what your family crest looks like? I did and that is just two reasons why genealogy research became a hobby of mine. Thanks to the internet, researching the roots of your family tree has become a lot easier. There are many online resources available to help create your family tree as I have been doing for a few years now, and I now know what my family name means and what my family’s crest looks like.

My family has never been very open and vocal about our family history, and getting the silent treatment anytime I’ve tried to ask questions about my own grandparents or most recent “ancestors” has always bothered me.

I was somewhat nervous as I began tracing my family tree through census records, obituaries, genealogy websites and databases, vital records, cemeteries and death records, because I wondered if I would find some deep dark secret the family wanted kept secret.

No such secrets have been discovered, but since I started an Ancestry family tree and began gathering more information and clues into my family’s past, I’ve discovered living cousins and other relatives I never knew about before. It also came as quite a shock to me when I learned quite by accident that my childhood best friend was actually a cousin, and my friend’s mother was my grandmother’s sister.

Research Your Family Tree

It still seems odd to me that no one in my family ever discussed or mentioned how our families were connected during all the years we spent playing and associating with each other. When I made this shocking discovery, I asked my brothers if they knew we were related to these newfound family members, and they were just as shocked as I was.

Tracing your family tree takes time, effort and determination, but it is doable. Most genealogy experts will tell you to talk to your relatives and gather as much information as possible to help you in your quest to build a family tree or genealogy website.

Unfortunately for me, family hasn’t been very helpful along those lines. I’ve had to become somewhat of an amateur private detective to find information on surnames, maiden names, birthdates, marriage dates, old addresses and phone numbers etc, just to begin building my family genealogy history to pass onto my children and grandchildren.

I want to learn about my grandparents and great-grandparents. I want to know where they lived, how they made a living, what they looked like, what kind of people they were. It was about a year ago that for the very first time in my life, I saw photos of my grandmother and grandfather on my father‘s side of the family, and only because of researching my family’s history. Hopefully I will also find photos of my grandmother and grandfather on my mother’s side, because for some unknown reasons, no such photos were ever on display while I was growing up.

My grandparents on both sides of the family had already died before I was born, so I have never personally experienced the joys of having known or associated with a Grandma or Grandpa. I want to know that, if my grandparents and great-grandparents were alive when I was a little girl, would they have been kind and loving towards me or if they were the old, crabby sort of grandparents who would “shoo” grandchildren away with a swish of their hand.

Family Genealogy Records

I found a lot of information about my family history from online genealogy census records, but you have to be careful to verify records before simply adding the information to your family tree. Some people choose to keep handwritten genealogy records in an old Bible or journal, such as when a baby is born or someone gets married, but over time the records can get lost, burned in a house fire, or simply forgotten.

There are free genealogy search engines that help to find your family tree and some details, but after spending so much time researching via search engines and getting questionable results, I finally broke down and got myself the family tree maker and I’m glad I did. Building my family history became much faster and easier all at the same time.

Once I had added various facts and details to the family genealogy software on my computer, I eventually decided to merge my family tree onto an online tree maker at Ancestry.com. I wish I had known about Ancestry’s family tree tools much sooner, because my genealogy research on the Ancestry website is where I discovered I had relatives I never knew were relatives.

If you’re going to research your family tree, know that the results can sometimes be quite surprising, especially if you end up finding out about some deep dark family secret you weren’t supposed to know about.

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Homemade Christmas Gifts For Grandparents-Personalized Grandparent Gifts

Grandma — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:25:28 +0000

Homemade Christmas gifts for grandparents vs. personalized grandparent gifts, which is best for grandma and grandpa? It can be a challenge to think of new Christmas gift ideas for grandparents, especially when Christmas shopping for elderly or senior grandparents who have everything already or grandparents who don’t live nearby. Gifts for grandparents, especially Christmas gifts for grandparents over 70, only requires a little creative thinking and time to find unique grandparent gifts grandma or grandpa will love.

Thoughtful Christmas gifts for grandparents are those that take care of needs, solve problems, keep them comfortable and show them you care. The best gifts for grandparents are tailored to their tastes, interests, hobbies and activities. Grandparent activities or hobbies may include things like bowling, golfing, fishing, hunting, gardening, boating, traveling, cooking, needlepoint, crafts, sewing, reading and volunteering. Many grandma’s and grandpa’s of all ages are also computer geeks, internet surfers, web-savvy, techie/gadget electronics lovers.

Best Christmas Gifts For Grandma and Grandpa

Today’s grandmother and grandfather are younger thinking than in past generations, keeping active by walking, hiking or playing tennis, and have a longer life expectancy. All grandparents love gifts that focus on their grandchildren, especially recent photos put in a digital photo frame that holds a lot of pictures. With a little help from you in learning how to add photos to a digital picture frame, grandma and grandpa will enjoy the pictures of their grandchildren for years to come.

Another favorite gift idea for grandparents are personalized Christmas gifts for grandparents and collectibles that take into account the personal interests, wants and needs of grandma and grandpa. Have you considered a family ring or mothers ring as a great keepsake gift for grandmothers and grandfathers?

There are many family ring designs to choose from, often personalized with genuine birthstones or simulated stones signifying the birth month, and/or names of each child or family member. Jewelry gifts for grandmothers or grandfathers may be rings, bracelets, charms, necklaces, pendants, lockets, gold or silver cufflinks, money clip, new wrist watch or pocket watch are all appreciated by grandparents.

Christmas Gift Baskets and themed gift baskets are a personal favorite, as gift baskets are a simple and inexpensive gift idea for grandparents regardless of their interests and hobbies. There are gift baskets that meet the needs and tastes of every grandma and grandpa regardless of age or ability, and you can’t go wrong giving your special grandparent a perfect gift basket filled with goodies or delectable gourmet snacks.

If your grandparent is living in a nursing home or senior care center, choose appropriate Christmas gifts that won’t take up a lot of room or add a lot of clutter, but pay close attention to what things grandma or grandpa may be needing or replaced because of wear and tear.

Bathrobe

Nightgown

Undergarments

Comb or brush set

Slippers

Cologne or perfume

Bath products, powders or lotions

Books or magazines

Word search or crossword puzzles

Chocolates or candy

Lap tables make a great gift!

Playing cards, dominoes or board games

New pillow, sheets, quilt or comforter

New clock or clock radio

CD player and CDs of their favorite music

Large button Universal TV remote

DVD player and/or favorite movie collection

Gift Cards, Restaurant Gift Certificates, large print books, lap blanket or throw, Grandma brag books, money and TIME spent together with family and friends are some good Christmas gift ideas for senior citizens and younger grandparents.

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Grandma Stories – 7 Things You May Not Know About Me Meme

Grandma — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:00:42 +0000

I was recently tagged with the “7 Things Meme”, and even though I have already done the 7 Things on another blog I own, I figured I could do the 7 Things meme here on Grandma Stories too.

The 7 Things Meme Rules:

1) Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
2) Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3) Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they’ve been tagged.

7 Things About Me:

1). I am an American Idol Fanatic, but I usually wait until the “real” show starts with all the chosen finalists because I’m not interested in watching the people that can’t sing to save their lives. Who tells these people they can sing anyway?

2). I have a bad habit of biting my fingernails, and I have been a nail biter since I was a very young girl and am now considered to be an adult nail biter, so I always have to get my nails done professionally so my nails look nice and professional.

3). I have 2 other blogs besides Grandma Stories that I work hard to keep updated regularly, even while working a full-time job, besides my hobbies and interests in Genealogy Research and reading A LOT.

4). I talk so much about writing and blogging that my eldest daughter recently decided to start a blog of her own, but since she hasn’t updated it for a couple of months now I can’t really justify tagging her with this 7 Things Meme.

5). I have discovered that Twitter and Facebook are very addictive and I spend far too much time on both of them. I’m working at setting limits on the time I spend on Twitter or Facebook to have more time for more important things.

6). I have to keep a To-Do list for myself nearby at all times to get my housework and shopping done. Otherwise, my house would end up looking like a tornado blew through it.

7). My hubby (Grandpa) is the most wonderful man in the world, and he encourages me to write and blog as much as I like since he knows how badly I want to quit my job and become a full-time writer at home. Now wouldn’t that be crazy cool if that could happen?

Hmm, coming up with 7 people to tag with this 7 Things Meme is going to be rather difficult since I’ve done this meme on another blog and already tagged 7 people. This time I’ll just say that if YOU want to participate in the 7 Things Meme, feel free to copy the rules of the meme and post your own answers, then tag 7 people with blogs to do the same. Have fun!

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