Giant, Frozen Marbles!

Winter is here - whether there is snow on the ground, or not, it is still a great time to find fun things to do with the children we love. I do    love   Pinterest for the fun ideas I find on it. I thought I'd share with you one fun thing you might try. Granted, if you live where it is at least cold outside it will be easier to pull this off, but even if it is not cold and/or snowy outside where you live, this is still a fun activity you could try and one the children you love will never forget!

Today - January 13th - Is, "National Rubber Ducky Day", So Let's Make Ducks!

Yes, believe it or not, today is, "National Rubber Ducky Day!" In 1970, Jim Henson  performed the song “Rubber Duckie” as Ernie on Sesame Street, and the rubber duck bath toy has been an iconic American symbol ever since. Rubber ducks have been around since the rise of the rubber industry in the late 1800s, but no one knows their exact origin.

Plan You Own Silly, Snowy, Family Fun Day!

Since Winter has arrived and there is actually snow on the ground here in Michigan, I thought it might be fun today to share some winter jokes for children which I found online . . . 

Pair Eyewear - So Much Fun!

Today a bright package arrived in my mailbox - filled with three top frames for my new pair eyewear glasses! I have to say I am very happy today - will only be happier when my base frames with my new prescription arrive at America's Best so I'm able to put them all together for some of the best glasses I've ever had.

Why do I anticipate these glasses being the best I've ever had? Well, consider the following . . . 

Pair Eyewear - Such a Brilliant Way to Get Glasses!

Any day now I should get a call from America's Best telling me my new glasses prescription is ready! I ordered a base pair of glasses at America's Best from pair eyewear and one top frame and then ordered three additional top frames from pair eyewear's vast selection online (and they should arrive today!) I LOVE the idea behind pair eyewear - buy one base frame with your prescription, and then order a number of top frames so you are able to change the tops and the look of your glasses to match your outfit - or mood - an absolutely brilliant way to have several "pairs" of glasses!

Today is International Thank You Day!

I'm all for being thankful and for letting others know you are thankful for them, so a day to especially focus on being thankful is an excellent day to celebrate for sure! Nationaltoday.com says, "International Thank-You Day is celebrated yearly on January 11. It is a day which serves as a reminder we ought t express our gratitude to those who have made our lives better in some way. What better month to reflect on this than the beginning of the year? We often forget to say, 'Thank you,' because we take it for granted or we assume others know how we feel. This day was founded to recognize the importance of always saying thank you." There is some interesting history about being thankful - did you know . . .

The Great New Way to Get Glasses

I wear glasses - MS has messed up my vision, so they are necessary. It is my "philosophy" if I have to wear glasses, they might as well be "fun", have a bit of "spunk", some color, and a touch of "pizzazz", so I have always ordered glasses which are all of these things, because I believe why wear boring glasses if you do not have to do so? But, this has always meant buying multiple pairs of glasses each year - until now! I just had my yearly eye exam, and as expected, my prescription changed, so new glasses were needed, but this time I ordered a base pair of glasses from Pair Eyewear and several fun tops to give me the fun, spunk, color, and pizzazz - basically several "pairs" of glasses, but at a significantly lower price!

Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate Day

Mmmm! I do enjoy dark chocolate - especially if it also has almonds, so a day to celebrate this wonderful chocolate sounds like a good idea to me! Especially since dark chocolate is good for you - here are five reasons why chocolate is healthier than you think . . . 

crafting with grandma - Paper, Stuffed Hearts!

I was browsing on Pinterest and found a great idea for making paper hearts . . . not the typical, one-dimensional paper hearts you might first think of, but big, puffy, beautiful stuffed hearts!

Follow this link and you'll find all the directions . . . this is a simple enough pattern you could have your grandchildren make them to give their parents or school teachers! I think it would be fun to make smaller hearts and then give them to the secretaries at school and church - and a smaller size would be nice for shut-in neighbors, too!

Winter Fun with a Waterballoon Igloo!

Last year I saw a post on facebook about a waterballoon igloo, so today I had to share this idea with you! You will find photos of it and information about it at this link, but I think it looks like you take your waterballoons, let them freeze, then layer the balloons by putting snow around them as you build.

A Family of Her Own for Candy - Great Story to Encourage Reading in the New Year

A couple summers ago my husband, grandsons, and I went to the Humane Society to get a kitten. I wanted my grands to go with us because, first of all, they love all animals, and secondly I wanted to be sure whatever cat we got was one which was able to be around my grands without being aggressive. We spent some time at the Humane Society and finally settled on a very sweet calico - which we named Candy, because she is sweet (and my middle grand said she reminded him of candy corn.) 

crafting with grandma - LOVE with Handprints!

When you have little ones at your home, chances are you will also have little handprints . . . on the windows, on the doors, on the furniture . . . in lots of places! Well, one day when I was browsing on Pinterest, I found the best idea ever for using those little hands . . . and feet, to make a gift which will be absolutely treasured by anyone who receives it!

All you need is paint, something to put the prints on; could be paper, canvas, wood, t-shirts, glass . . . whatever you choose and, of course, little hands and feet!

crafting with grandma - Valentines Day Bird Feeder!

Valentine's Day is just a little over a month away, so if you are looking for a simple craft which your grandchildren could do . . . and one which has a purpose, then look at this great idea I found  on  Pinterest  for a Valentine's Day Bird Feeder! You'll find the simple directions at this link . . . my grands made this when they were younger. 

grandma's cookbook - Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites!

My sweet grands are typically at my house every Saturday for a sleepover, so when I was browsing on  Pinterest and saw this recipe, I thought it sounded like a fun recipe to try with them! After all, what could be more fun than making home made ham and cheese pretzel bites?