grandma's bookshelf - My Grandma & Me

If you are like me, you make a practice of keeping your eyes open for resources which you can use with your grandchildren to help them know, love, and follow Jesus. If you do, you may want to take a look at a devotional book, My Grandma and Me.

It is National Potato Day!

It is National Potato Day! Certainly the potato is a very versatile root and able to be fixed and enjoyed in so many ways, it is most worthy of a day to celebrate it for sure! So let's start with some fun potato facts . . . did you know . . . 

Interesting & Surprising Animals, Fun Activities in Cheetahs, Mimic Octopuses, Hoatzins & More!

    

Each book in the Life on the Goldilocks Planet series is filled with at least twelve interesting and surprising animals - many of which you may never have heard of before! For example, in  Cheetahs, Mimic Octopuses, Hoatzins & More! you will find Cheetahs, Eels, Philippine Eagles, Chameleons, Gerenuks, Mimic Octopuses & Immortal Jellyfish, Hoatzins, Moose, Boxfish, Iberian Wolves, Olms & Mombachos, and Bactrian Camels - which of these have you never heard of before? Did you know there is an octopus which is able to change how it looks to scare away predators by looking like creatures which eat those predators? Did you know there is a jellyfish which doesn't really "die"? Did you know there is an eagle which has blue eyes?

Today is National Ice Cream Pie Day - Let's Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie!

My family LOVES peanut-butter pie! I've been making it for years . . . ever since my sister shared the recipe with me when I was first married . . . my family has been forever grateful to my sister for this! :^)

Well, a couple years ago it occurred to me, if I "tweaked" the recipe just a bit and substituted ice cream for the whipped cream, I might end up with a wonderful, new pie! So, I told my family they were going to be "guinea pigs" for a new peanut-butter pie recipe with ice cream in it . . . they said they were completely willing to be "guinia pigs" for that recipe! :^)

I'm very happy to say, the pie turned out wonderfully! It is extremely delicious . . . and makes a wonderful summer pie - or any time pie! So . . . since today is National Ice Cream Pie Day I'm delighted to share my new peanut-butter ice cream pie recipe with you . . . but first a few facts about ice cream - did you know . . .

The Best Reason of All to Get Giant Anteaters, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Rufous Potoos & More!

    

You might be wondering why I am posting pretty much each day about the  Life on the Goldilocks Planet  books - well, there are a few reasons why . . . first of all, this is a fantastic time to get a book, or two to provide a fun resource for the whole family - especially as children return to school! 

Today is National Massachusetts Day

Yes, if you live in  Massachusetts, today is a day to celebrate! So once again, let's look at some of their silly laws and interesting facts - be sure to share them with the children you love. Did you know . . .

Learn the "Whys" with Scorpionfish, Clouded Leopards, Pygmy Hippos & More!

    

Yesterday I wrote about how vital it is for us to hand down confident faith to the children we love by teaching them the "whys" - why we are able to believe God is real and God and science DO go together. Today I want to write about what it may look like for us to do this!

Today is National Tell a Joke Day!

Why don’t cats like online shopping? They prefer a cat-alogue. 

What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.

What is a cat’s favorite song? Three Blind Mice.

What do you call an alligator wearing a vest? An investi-gator.

Okay, well, Today is National Tell a Joke Day, so I thought I'd share a few jokes from the Today Show's Jokes for Kids - you will find more at this link, because of course, one big way to celebrate Tell a Joke Day, is by telling jokes!

crafting with grandma - Chalkboard Placemats, Lunch Box Lids and Containers!

The children we love are heading "back-to-school" or will be shortly, so, I'm really happy to share with you an idea I found on  Pinterest for making chalkboard placemats! What a fun and simple craft - one your grandchildren could help you make - which you could use at your house . . . and make extras to send home . . . so they are able to practice writing or math or whatever while they wait for their meals, or wait to be excused from the table . . . or just for fun! Check this link for all the directions!

Today is a Great Time to Get Megabats, Bengal Tigers, Quetzals & More!

    

As a grandma/mom I know there is nothing more important than handing down confident faith to the ones I love. I wish I knew when my children were young and when my grandchildren were younger, handing down confident faith must include teaching the "whys" - why we are able to believe God is real, the Bible is true, God and science DO go together, and God is good - just as we teach the "whats" - what the Bible says and therefore what we believe. It is essential for us to teach the "whys", but sadly, there are not many resources to help us do this. There are some, but not many.

National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day - and while I certainly enjoy a tasty slice of lemon meringue pie, I'm thinking more about celebrating this with a cross between a lemon bar and lemon chiffon pie! To make this tasty treat I will make a butter shortbread cookie lemon bar bottom, take my lemon curd, cool it, whip the egg whites to make meringue, then fold the lemon curd and meringue together - gently - and top on my cooled butter shortbread cookie crust. This will be tasty for sure!

Saturday - August 17th - is World Honey Bee Day!

Yes, in two days we will all be able to celebrate the amazing honey bee as it is World Honey Bee Day on the 17th! On days of the year (dot) com it says, "World Honey Bee Day is an awareness day whereby honey bee enthusiasts, beekeeping associations and clubs, and beekeepers celebrate the honey bee. It is a day to recognize the contribution honey bees make to our everyday lives, as well as learning about the different steps we can take in order to protect this vital species." So, let's take a look at some fun honey and bee facts which we are able to share with the children we love - did you know . . . 

Get Red-Lipped Batfish, Giant Purple Squirrels, Kakapos & More! and Hand Down Confident Faith

 

I have truly enjoyed learning more about animals with which I am familiar - such as Komodo Dragons,  Blue Whales, and Whale Sharks. I have also enjoyed learning about animals I did not know existed - such as  Red-Lipped Batfish, Rufous Hummingbirds, Gharials, Asiatic Lions, Giant Purple Squirrels, Dumbo Octopuses, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Baikal Seals, Guanacos, and Kakapos! Yes, all of these are real animals and you will find all of them are in Red-Lipped Batfish, Giant Purple Squirrels, Kakapos & More!

Today, August 14th, is National Creamsicle Day and a Recipe for Creamsicle Pie!

Who knew such a day even existed, but since it does, why not celebrate it??? :-) I like creamsicles - after all, what isn't there to like about a bit of ice cream covered with a popsicle? I especially find Schwans' root beer float creamsicles to be particularly enjoyable, but it is hard to go wrong with any flavor of creamsicle!