11 last-minute gift ideas for grandmothers and others to give and get

/

Time's ticking and if you still have a few stockings to fill or a few gifts to give, here are some simple gift ideas to consider. I tested out each — free for review — and give an honest thumbs-up to all.

A few are ideal for grandmas to give, a few more ideal for grandmas to get. Bonus: All can be ordered online, so no need to be out and about in the snow. (Note: There are NO affiliate links in this post.)

RING IT GAME ($14.99, BlueOrangeGames.com)

ring it game

Oh my goodness! My four-year-old grandson loves this game, even though it's designed for...

Read More

No more babies, plus GRAND Social No. 181 link party for grandparents

/

No more babies

At this point in time, I no longer have baby grandchildren. That truth was confirmed (again) last week when Megan texted a few photos of fun at the park.

The most recent baby, Jak, is clearly no longer a baby.

toddler boy 

Nope. Jak's a big boy. Just like his brothers, Mac and Bubby, who...

Read More

Spooky stories, plus GRAND Social No. 178 link party for grandparents

/

Spooky stories

Sheesh! Can you believe Halloween is Saturday!? Time flies at such a scary speed!

Thankfully there's still time (admittedly little) to sit with a kiddo or two and enjoy scary Halloween tales together. Scary being relative, of course. I've shared a few sorta-scary ideas in the Back Room, some to read with a child in your lap, some for bigger kids to enjoy on their own:

halloween books for kids

Click on that graphic above to get the details on each of the festive tales from Candlewick Press I had the pleasure of reviewing over the weekend. I look forward to...

Read More

A Brave Heart, plus GRAND Social No. 174 link party for grandparents

/

A Brave Heart

A Brave Heart film

My husband and I watched an incredible documentary yesterday called A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY, courtesy a free, no-obligation screener from the filmmakers. It's the amazing, heartbreaking, inspiring...

Read More

Love, Grandma: 6 tips on writing memorable messages for grandchildren

/

Putting words on paper—or pixel, as the case may be in high-tech communications—can be difficult at times. Especially at the times that matter most, those milestone moments we want our sentiments to perfectly convey what's in our hearts and be cherished forever by loved ones.

what to write to grandchild

I often get email requests from grandparents to help them write the right words in greeting cards, letters, baby books and...

Read More

Kids and cameras: 9 tips for beginner photogs, from National Geographic Kids

/
Kids and cameras: 9 tips for beginner photogs, from National Geographic Kids

kids and cameras

As long as my grandsons have known me, I've had a camera in my hand more often than not. I may not be a pro, but taking photos is one of my favorite activities.

I like to think it's my penchant for taking pictures that encouraged my grandsons to enjoy using various cameras—from their kid camera to smartphones to my DSLR—for shooting shots around their place now and then. 

I'm pretty good about explaining to my grandsons the basics of using a camera, but as a true and untrained amateur photographer myself, I'm not the greatest at sharing with them sure-shot techniques for composition and more, in easy-to-understand snippets they'll understand and remember.

Enter National Geographic Kids book Guide To Photography by Nancy Honovich and National Geographic Photographer Annie Griffiths (which I...

Read More

Team with grandkids and National Wildlife Federation to create a wildlife habitat

/
Team with grandkids and National Wildlife Federation to create a wildlife habitat

certified wildlife habitat

Grandma and Grandpa's house is a magical place for a grandchild. Having your yard certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation can increase the magical factor tenfold and more.

Certifying your yard, no matter how big or how small, is much easier than...

Read More