May 16, 2021

Old-fashioned fun: 4 summertime games to teach grandkids

May 16, 2021/ Lisa Carpenter

Considering the Covid confinement of the past, well, let’s just say too long, there’s never been a better summer to relish outdoor recreation time with the grandkids. Why not seize the opportunity to share some old-fashioned fun with the youngsters by way of teaching them a few classic games of our youth.

May 07, 2021

7 tips for gardening with grandkids

May 07, 2021/ Lisa Carpenter

There’s something invigorating about getting one’s hands dirty then appreciating what comes (or might come) from the earth. For kids especially, gardening can be an ideal way to counteract the electronic and artificial stimulation bombarding them on a daily basis.

Here are seven tips to ensure your grandchild’s curiosity with the natural world grows right along with the goodies you plant together.

April 09, 2021

Stroll with a goal: 8 ideas for walks with grandkids

April 09, 2021/ Lisa Carpenter

Spring has sprung! So put on your walking shoes, gather up a grandkiddo or two, and hit the road—or sidewalk, as the case may be—for one of these springtime strolls with a goal.

August 06, 2020

James reviews the ChordBuddy Guitar Learning System

August 06, 2020/ Lisa Carpenter

When I receive a product for review, I don’t typically run out and purchase a duplicate of the product before I’ve even written the review. In fact, I’ve never done that with an item I’m reviewing. Until ChordBuddy.

See, I was immediately impressed by the ChordBuddy Guitar Learning System and was compelled to purchase a second one to share with a faraway family member. Before I had even shared my thoughts here with my readers.

October 25, 2019

Grand fun: A Bearizona visit with Arizona boys

October 25, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

Hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since Jim and I visited our grandsons (and daughter and son-in-law) in Arizona.

Hard to believe, too, that I’ve not shared the stories of all we did (other than make bracelets) during that visit. But with Benjamin’s milestones to mark soon after our return — such as his first haircut and his first birthday — details on our desert visit to see Brayden, Camden, and Declan were put on the back burner.

With temps hovering just below freezing and a snowy scene outside my windows as I write this, today seems an especially ideal day to recap one particularly grand fun-in-the-sun outing we had our grandsons at the outset of autumn. That being the day we spent at Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park, located about an hour south of the Grand Canyon.

October 03, 2019

Oh, yes we did: Bracelets with boys

October 03, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

This past weekend, Jim and I kicked off fall with a quick visit to see our grandsons in the desert, as I’d mentioned here was on the calendar. During the visit, I did indeed make bracelets with the boys, just as Declan had requested.

Thing is, despite his enthusiasm upon seeing the paracord bracelet kit I’d brought in my Grandma Bag, Declan bowed out of the bracelet making in mere minutes. Which worked out for the best as bracelet-making was quite a feat for a five-year-old. Well, a feat for this grandma — who’s 10 times that and more — as well.

September 12, 2019

Gramma learns a lesson: boys and bracelets

September 12, 2019/ Lisa Carpenter

My long-distance grandsons have what they call “the home phone,” an iPhone Brayden, Camden, and Declan all have equal access to for communicating with friends and family (approved by Mom and Dad).

Occasionally my phone dings and pings over and over as I get a flood of gifs and goofy emojis texted from “the home phone.” As my grandsons don’t indicate who it is doing the texting, I have to guess according to what the message contains. If text is included, it’s typically Brayden …