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Grandma's Briefs

for grandmothers and others

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Grandma's Briefs is for grandmothers and others. Bits on the good, bad, humorous and heartwarming of being a baby boomer, grandparent, parent to adult children, wife and writer. Features include lifestyle articles, reviews, recipes, grandma profiles, and more.

December 10, 2018

Grand greetings!

December 10, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Grand greetings!

When my daughter Megan sends out her annual Christmas cards, she typically catches up on sharing photos of Brayden, Camden, and Declan she’s not gotten around to sending earlier in the year. Sweet stuff like these school pictures and sports shots enclosed with this year’s card:

December 06, 2018

Firsts: Declan and snow... snow... snow!

December 06, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Megan made the trek from the desert to Colorado last month, to meet newborn nephew Benjamin. Brayden and Camden stayed home with Dad so they wouldn’t miss school, but as Declan is obligated only to two mornings a week at preschool, he had the privilege of joining Mommy for the visit.

The first morning of their stay at my house, Declan woke me early, bounding into my bedroom exclaiming, “Gramma! It’s SNOWing!”

December 03, 2018

12 days of sweet holiday treats

December 03, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

12 days of sweet holiday treats!

Who could use some new ideas for sweet holiday treats? If you raised your hand (and even if you didn’t) you’re sure to find some sweet inspiration from Sweet’N Low’s “12 Days of Christmas” holiday baking campaign in which twelve bloggers were chosen to share recipes based on the verses of the holiday song.

Yours truly shared a recipe based on the verse for the third day of Christmas! I didn’t bake up any French hens, but I did share a yummy French Butter Cookie recipe—that has less sugar…

November 28, 2018

Hosting wee holiday guests? 7 safety steps for grandparents

November 28, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

If you’re one of the fortunate ones hosting a houseful of young’uns for festive fun, consider making the following alterations while putting out seasonal decorations to ensure holiday gatherings at Grandma’s are as merry and bright—and safe—as can be.

November 26, 2018

Full, full, full!

November 26, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Full, full, full!

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was filled with family and abundant blessings.

At my place, we had a full house, full table, and full hearts.

November 19, 2018

Broncos babe!

November 19, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Broncos babe!

Can you guess who’s already one month old?

And who’s already an unabashed Broncos fan?

Yes, that would be Benjamin! Or, as his dad likes to call him, BenJammin’.

October 22, 2018

Welcome, Benjamin!

October 22, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Welcome, Benjamin!

My long-awaited (local) grandson has arrived! Last Wednesday, in fact. As his entry into the world—and Mama Brianna’s arms—didn’t go quite as planned, I’ve followed Brianna’s and Patrick’s lead in delaying celebratory announcements online and otherwise.

Jim and I did get to meet the amazing bundle of joy while word was still under wraps, though. (A true perk of being local grandparents for the first time!)

October 15, 2018

Peak preggers pic

October 15, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Peak preggers pic!

James had his last regular season football game on Saturday and when Brianna came over before we all headed to the game—one determining whether James and his teammates make the league playoffs—I asked Brianna to pose for a final pre-baby pic.

With induction scheduled for Thursday, this is surely the peak of pregnancy for my girl, the final photo before baby arrives.

October 08, 2018

And we think kids grow fast!

October 08, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

And we think kids grow fast!

My grandsons’ beloved Roxy past away a couple months ago. As home wasn’t the same without their best buddy, they soon adopted another golden girl and named her Emmy.

She’s adorable and Brayden, Camden, and Declan adore her—as Mommy and Daddy, too.

One thing about puppies is how well they put into perspective how quickly canine kids grow in comparison to how quickly our grandkiddos grow.

October 03, 2018

Grandbaby ETA draws near

October 03, 2018/ Lisa Carpenter

Brianna is officially at 37 weeks and two days today. Yesterday I had the privilege of attending one of her final ultrasound appointments—an exciting opportunity for me, considering my first three grandbabies were born 815 miles away, making this my first such experience.

I got to watch Brianna undergo a neonatal…

Grandma's Briefs

Grandma's Briefs is for grandmothers and others. Bits on life's second act and the empty nest: the good, bad, humorous and heartwarming of being a baby boomer, grandparent, parent to adult children, wife and writer. Features include lifestyle articles, movie reviews, recipes, product reviews, auto test drives, grandma profiles, and more.