From the archives: Four for Valentine's Day

The annual day o' love lurks right around the corner and Cupid will soon be sprinkling hearts and flowery fun far and wide.

Following are four of my previously published posts to peruse, a collection of sweet and silly sorts of stuff focused on ensuring grandkids feel the love — and laughter — this Valentine's Day.

valentine's day activities

 

Click each graphic to see the full post featuring lovey-dovey ...

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5 reasons I like to play games with my grandkids

My grandmothers never played games with me. My daughters' grandmothers never played games with them, either.

Considering the grandmas who came before me, the ones from whom I most learned what grandmothering looks like, I'm unsure how I became a game-playing grandma. But I am.

And I love it. Here's why:

 

I enjoy watching them learn.
Kids learn so much from playing games. They improve motor skills and ...

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From the archives: Four for fall

Having blogged for more than seven years, I have oodles of goodies stored away in the Grandma's Briefs archive, goodies that rarely see the light of day because they go way, way back. At least seven years or so.

Today seems a perfect day to pull out some of those well-seasoned posts, a few of my favorite fall-themed features you just might have missed.

fall recipes and fun

 

14 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER

My shortlisted October loves... in no particular order:

1. The sun has shifted south. Whereas summer...

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Pinterest prize find: Build a Dinosaur

Pinterest prize find: Build a Dinosaur

What in the world did grandmas do before Pinterest? I'd be half the grandma I am — at least in terms of the eats and activities I share with my grandsons — if not for the food and fun pinned and promoted by folks far more crafty then me.

Take for instance the super simple puzzle fun I shared with my dino-loving middle grandson, Mac. Without my stumbling upon a Pinterest pin leading to this post by a clever mama, Mac would have never had the opportunity to see how a few circles, triangles, and squares can be pieced together to create his favorite creature.

Now, I surely could simply say: Check out that post cuz it's perty darn cool. But then I'd have to come up with a post of some other sort to fill this space today. More importantly, though, I'd have no reason to share the photos of Mac making his dinos, photos that prove how Pinterest-worthy this quick, easy, and inexpensive activity actually is.

With that in mind, here are pics of the day Mac and I created the clever, captivating cutouts during my desert visit in April.

build a dinosaur

What you need:

• 1 sheet of craft foam (green...

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11 ideas for free (or super inexpensive) summer outings with grandkids

11 ideas for free (or super inexpensive) summer outings with grandkids

So you have the grandkids for the week. Or the weekend. Or every work day throughout the summer as you (generously) help cover childcare while school-age kids are on summer break.

What to do, what to do?

Here are 11 ideas that won't bust your budget. Some are free, some are low cost, all are great ways for grandkids and grandparents to make grand memories together this summer.

free summer fun with kids 

FREE FISHING
This one tops the list because fishing is fun. Mostly, though, it's because...

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Newbie to natural: My wine-tasting education courtesy Pacific Coast Wine Trail wineries

Chateau Margene cabernetUp until a couple weeks ago, I had never been to a wine tasting. As a relatively new wine drinker — 7&7s, margaritas, and martinis my longtime cocktails of choice — the idea of stepping up to the counter of a cellar and sipping sirahs and sauvignons and such intimidated me to no end.

A mother/daughter trip to California featuring stops along the Pacific Coast Wine Trail courtesy Highway 1 Discovery Route and Morro Bay Tourism Bureau cured me of my wine-tasting trepidation. I owe my conversion from newbie to (kinda sorta) natural to three delightful wineries and the patient, passionate sommeliers who shared their spirits, stories, and expertise with this admittedly ignorant wine drinker.

The Pacific Coast Wine Trail features ten wineries...

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