Meow-y Christmas!

I am delighted that my second grade granddaughter's team teachers have spurned the traditional Christmas "gimme, gimme, sugar coma" classroom party in favor of a charitable endeavor. When my room mother daughter, Christy, was approached for suggestions, she pounced without hesitation! A local cat rescue - our favorite! - continually needs shelter supplies for the numerous animals it rehabilitates and offers for adoption. Students would contribute "wish list" items instead of exchanging gifts. The "craft station" at the party would find them tying kitty-sized, catnip scented fleece blankets - gifts to adoptees headed home during the cold winter months ahead. When both teachers purred with excitement at the idea, Christy and I put our paws together and got to work!

We needed an eye-popper of a collection center for starters. The pictures we take of kids filling it will be sent to our community and school district news outlets. That task caused grandma to twitch with glee! - this job was meant for me!

An ample cardboard box covered in bulletin board paper does the trick! Grateful Santa Kitty is born of paper and card stock scraps. My own wish is that kids will be excited to fill it to over-the-top generosity!

I'll let you know how it goes!

Meow-y Christmas, everyone!

"I Have a Grandma Who..."

This is a sponsored post.

I received a copy of  "I Have a Grandma Who..." in exchange for my honest review.

Collectively, my ten grandchildren have a total of six grandmothers, all of whom I consider great, even though only two actually meet the generational requirement that earns that term! We love with all our hearts and offer help and support wherever possible. In addition, we each have specific talents and interests that provide a rich treasury of experiences and knowledge to share with our families.

Looking beyond our roles as warm laps to nestle in and the source of indulgent "just because" gifts, we grandmothers deserve to be recognized as individuals worthy of praise and admiration from the children in our lives. This focus further develops the strong bond that the Foundation for Grandparenting asserts raises self-esteem, levels of emotional and social skill, and a sense of personal roots, history, and belonging.

I recently shared Rosemary Zibart's 32 page, soft cover "I Have a Grandma Who..." with my four year old granddaughter, Kaylee. What a delightful time we had!

From page to page, Kaylee enjoyed energetic illustrations of grandmotherly feats. Some drew a perfect match between us: "I have a grandma who adores puppies and kittens...as much as me," others, not so much: "I have a grandma who dresses like a Fashion Goddess..." (sooo not me!) In between, we reflected on Kaylee's paternal grandma's talents, finding her solidly on page three, happily at home in her prolific garden. And then we spring-boarded to original descriptions personal to us in a lively compare-and-contrast session: "I have two grandmas who love to have tea parties with me!" We snuggled and hugged, and pointed and read. We laughed and we loved.

You'll enjoy this book, too, grandma! And so will your grandchildren.








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or here:
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or here:
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Thanksgiving Theatrics - Family Fun Galore!

The kids don't know it yet, but they're going to superstar in a post-dinner Thanksgiving play at grandma's this year. Considering their love of theatrics, I'm confident they'll gobble up this opportunity right along with savory sweet potatoes served on the rapidly approaching family day of thankful feasting.

A Cast of Cousins

Age level consideration is the most challenging part of writing a play that includes everyone. My eight active participants (infants #9 and #10 will be sitting this one out!) range from seven and nine year old Pilgrims confidently spouting terms like "religious freedom" and "Wampanoag Indians," to a trio of four year old Native Americans requiring prompting on lines as simple as "Here! Have some turkey!" Our remaining cast members (two year old boys) will find themselves described on the playbill as "Turkey 1" and "Turkey 2" and "Ear of Corn 1" and "Ear of Corn 2!" A goofy string of gobbling or total vegetable silence is all I'll require of that lively pair!

Props and Costumes

My majestic Mayflower, lightweight and two-dimensional, glides on stage in Act 1, Scene 2 propelled by a boarded trio of Pilgrims. It's six feet wide, cut from a decorated cardboard box. Paper sails with flag glued to a wood stick mast complete an impressive six foot height.

Headbands identify male Pilgrims, three Indian squaws, and a pair of toddler turkeys. Our female Pilgrim sports a paper hat constructed from simple instructions found multiple places on Pinterest. "Ears of Corn" that appear in Act 2, scene 2 are light cardboard/tissue paper cut outs on a stick.

The Script

Ready to go? We are!

This three act play is for young children. It captures the general idea of the first Thanksgiving. Add or adjust historic details depending on ages/size of your cast. I purposely included points that will become answers to the Thanksgiving Trivia game that follows the play. This time, kids will be asking questions to determine if their parents were paying attention! Every correct answer earns a sticker token; winner holds most of them at game's conclusion! See suggested questions after the play script.

ACT 1 - Scene 1   November 1620

Three Indian squaws sit together at stage side....

Indian #1 - (gestures outwardly) "We have lots of corn this year!"
Indian #2 - "We are really good at growing things."
Indian #3 - "We know how to make delicious food and save it for winter so we won't be hungry when it's cold."

ACT 1 - Scene 2 

The Mayflower arrives carrying three Pilgrims.

Indian #1 - (looking surprised at the arrival) "LOOK! LOOK! What is that over there?"
Indian #2 - "It is a really big boat! There are people on it!"
Indian #3 - "Who are those people? They have tall black hats. They don't look like us!"

ACT 2 - Scene 1

Indians approach the boat.

Pilgrim #1 - "Hello people! We have sailed from England and have been on this ship, the Mayflower, for 66 days."
Pilgrim #2 - "We are seeking a better life in a place where we can find religious freedom."
Pilgrim #3 - "I am so glad to see land. We have traveled 3,000 miles with men, women, and children and some animals, too."
Pilgrim #1 - "It was a difficult trip. We began with 102 people and one sailor died. The good news is that a baby boy was born during our journey."
Pilgrim #2 - "We have had sickness and death on our long time at sea. There were some fierce storms, too. We have only a limited amount of food left, mostly dried meat and beans."
Pilgrim #3 - "These people look kind and friendly and well fed. Maybe they can help us get settled in this new land."

ACT 2 - Scene 2

Pilgrims exit the boat.

Indian #1 - "You people look hungry and tired."
Indian #2 - "We have lots of good food and nice wigwams to live in."
Indian #3 - "We take care of the land and use only what we need. If you are going to live here, we will help you do the same"

All Pilgrims - "THANK YOU!"

Pilgrim #1 - "We would like your help. This land is new to us and we will need many things to survive."
Pilgrim #2 - "Besides food, we will need houses. I am glad there are many trees here for us to cut down and use."
Pilgrim #3 - "It will be up to the women to cook while the men are building. What kind of food do you have here?"

Indian #1 - "We have cranberries! Lots of them!"
Indian #2 - "We have corn!"
                   ("Ears of Corn #1 and #2" come out and stand on stage.)
Indian #3 - "We have turkeys!"
                   ("Turkeys #1 and #2 come on stage, run around, and say "gobble, gobble!")

Act 3 - Scene 1

Pilgrims line up to narrate.

Pilgrim #1 - "After a first very hard and cold winter, thanks to the Wampanoag Indians, many Pilgrims survived."
Pilgrim #2 - "The Indians taught us to grow squash, cranberries, and corn, and hunt for deer and turkeys."
Pilgrim #3 - "We learned how to make canoes from trees and fish like the Indians do."

Act 3 - Scene 2

Indians approach Pilgrims.

Indian #1 - "You Pilgrims look happy now."
Indian #2 - "You have food and strong houses and medicine."
Indian #3 - "We are very happy to share with you."

Pilgrim #1 - "We are thankful for our new home here."
Pilgrim #2 - "We are thankful for the corn you taught us to grow and prepare."
                     ("Ears of Corn #1 and #2" come out and stand on stage.)
Pilgrim #3 - "We are thankful for turkeys!"
                     ("Turkeys #1 and #2" come on stage, run around, and say "gobble, gobble!")

Pilgrim #1 - "Would you Indians like to come and feast with us?"
Pilgrim #2 - "The five women left in our colony would be happy to prepare a delicious meal for all of us to share."
Pilgrim #3 - "We would like to celebrate your kindness and our thankfulness. We will serve meat, pumpkin, corn, squash, and other delicious food.

Indian #1 - "We would love to come to your dinner."
Indian #2 - "We will all bring food, too."
Indian #3 - "We can all be thankful together!"

Act 3 - Scene 3

Entire cast is sitting on a blanket, passing plates and gesturing eating.

Indian #1 - "Here! Have some turkey!"
Indian #2 - "And some delicious corn!"
Indian #3 - "We are happy to share with you!"

Pilgrim #1 - "This is a time to be thankful for your kindness to us."
Pilgrim #2 - "This is a time to be thankful for our new land and your friendship."
Pilgrim #3 - "This first Thanksgiving is an event to celebrate every year with family and friends to thank God for what we have been given!"

Performance concludes with a lineup of cast who take gracious bows after individual introductions amid wild applause! GREAT JOB, Director Grandma! You take a bow, too!

Follow Up Fun!

Are you like us? We're just getting started after a production like this! Our audience always wants more, more, MORE!!!!! And so we give it to them! Here are a few ideas:

COMEDY SHOW - Every family has its own perfect candidates who'd be naturals at regaling the crowd with cute Thanksgiving jokes. You'll find 20 of them here, at Lisa's Grandma's Briefs blog. If you get there quickly enough, you won't be stumped when you're asked, "What always comes at the end of Thanksgiving, Grandma?"....(trot right over to find the answer!)

SPELLING GOBBLE (same as a "spelling bee" but, well..."Thanksgiving!" - and besides, it's November! Bees have long left Plymouth, Massachusetts for the winter!) It's not hard to come up with a list of words that keep kids as young as six in the competition. But if you detect anxious glances at televised football from daddies and grandpa, just toss in words like "Wampanoag" and "Massachusetts" to knock 'em out early and send 'em (thankfully!) on their way!

THANKSGIVING TRIVIA - My three oldest grandchildren read well and will ask the following questions. Were parents paying attention to the play, where some answers were hidden? Hmmm.....this is how we find out!

1. How many days did the first Thanksgiving last? (3)
2. Which president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday? (Abe Lincoln)
3. What landmark shows where the Pilgrims landed? (Plymouth Rock)
4. True or False - All turkeys, male and female, gobble. (False - only males gobble; females cackle)
5. What is the busiest day of the year for plumbers? (day after Thanksgiving)
6. What other country besides the United States celebrates Thanksgiving? (Canada)
7. When is Canada's Thanksgiving Day? (second Monday in October)
8. What famous American wanted the turkey to be the national symbol? (Benjamin Franklin)
9. In the 1600s when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated, which utensil was not yet invented? (fork)
10. How many Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower for the journey to the new world? (102)
11. How many survived to be present at the first Thanksgiving? (50)
12. How many of that number were women? (5)
13. Who did all the cooking for the first Thanksgiving? (5 women)
14. Which Indian tribe helped the Pilgrims survive? (Wampanoag)
15. What type of houses did the Wampanoag tribe build for themselves? (wigwams)

From Self-Employment to Retirement

This is a sponsored post for which I have been compensated.

All content and graphics provided by VSP Vision Services.

From Self-Employed to Retirement - Making the Move After Working for Yourself

Did you know, the older you are, the more likely you are to be self-employed? One-fourth of those 65+ call themselves 'boss'. But where does that leave you when it comes to retirement?

For the self-employed, retirement looks different than for everyone else. If you are your own boss, you need to plan your own exit strategy. After all, you do this to fulfill your own dream, not an employer's, right?

You need a plan for our long term needs and lifestyle goals, especially since we're living longer. According to the SSA, married couples at age 65 today have at least a 50/50 chance that one of them will live to at least age 90. Need help getting going? Here is where to start:

FINANCES:

Of course, the ability to retire starts here. A first step is to create a spreadsheet with investments, savings, etc, and their current value. You can insert projections about what you'll save until the day we stop saving and start taking money out. Will you have some continued income from your business? This will affect your rate of saving and what you will need to withdraw.

Take stock of your social security benefit, as well. The SSA has excellent resources to help decide when to start receiving benefits, strategies to help maximize those benefits and getting started with Medicare as you approach age 65. See:

• Your Statement of Account with Social Security
• Your Retirement Estimator
• Retirement Toolkit - Department of Labor
• Your Retirement Benefit: How it is Figured - Social Security

INSURANCE:

Evaluate any plan that you have...do you still need it? Is it possible that additional payments are unnecessary? Whether your employer offers benefits into retirement or not, it is worth taking note of individual plans you might need, even if they are just supplemental. For example, our eye health is even more critical as we age. VSP Individual Vision Plans save you money on essential eye care needs, materials and more. Think you don't have a vision need? Well, comprehensive eye exams are about more than just correcting blurry vision. They provide clues to your overall health than you might think, like offering a clear view of blood vessels and cranial nerves.

YOUR HOME:

A big piece of the retirement puzzle is figuring out how and where you want to live. Options around house and home are many, so just take it back to your personal situation and goals. Do you own your home and is it paid off? Do you want to be closer to the grandchildren or move to where it's always warm? Do you want to stay put, but access your home equity? These are all things to consider when entering retirement.

Comprehensive eye exams provide many clues to our overall health.


















LIFESTYLE:

Being self-employed is about building the life you want, whether you retire at 65 or give up working altogether. Think about how you eventually may feel. Even if you can afford a life of leisure, will you miss working? So much activity has moved online that you might be able to work on the side from anywhere for a long time to come.

There is much more! Learn more by downloading the resource guide: Self-Employment to Retirement - Making the Move After Working for Yourself, brought to you by VSP Individual Vision Plans.

Business:

Finally, let's look at the big balance. In a large corporation, the workers work to fulfill someone else's vision, dreams and goals. But in a small business, you work to fulfill your dreams and goals.

Being self-employed is all about building the life you want. So your retirement needs to look exactly the way you want it to look. This is your retirement! You don't have to do it at age 65. You don't have to sit on your porch. You don't have to give up working all together. You can literally do anything you want. Just make a plan.

About VSP:

VSP is America's leader in eye care benefits and offers affordable individual vision insurance to people who don't have employer-provided vision care. Serving 72 million, VSP helps one in five Americans with their eye care needs. Visit VSPDIRECT.COM for details or to enroll in a VSP Individual Vision Plan today.

"Halloween-ies!"

"Halloween-ies" defined: quick, easy-to-make decorative bursts of the spooky season!

Everybody's looking for these this time of year because there's not a moment to spare. Why waste seconds that could be spent eating Halloween candy purchased in July because it was on pre-holiday special and satisfied that smug feeling of being stocked up? I'm on my third bag and

Errr....Never mind!
Okay! Moving on!.......

Paper Punch Drink Lids

I love the way bottle toppers dress up a kids' table. They also ensure that sippers-and-wanderers will eventually find their way back to their own drinks. Bats, spiders, or a combo of both....simply punched, stacked, glued and poked!

A 3" circle works for the base of each topper. Find shapes progressively smaller to layer in contrasting colors and patterns. Plastic spiders, ants, or flies are welcome, too! I use recycled Starbucks coffee drink bottles for perfect kid-sized servings. Poke a hole in each topper for a festive paper straw and hand them out!











Spooky Snack Baskets (pictured at top)

If you purchase your coffee drinks in the four-pack size, you've got a handy little tote to stuff with snackable monsters! Spray paint it black, decorate with punched orange dots, and round up some wraps! The green spinach guy holds a savory cheese and veggie filling, while his paler sidekick supplies dessert in the form of a PBJ spread. Attach baby carrot noses and big buggy confection eyes with a tiny dab of peanut butter. Personalize each snack tote if you're expecting more than one little grand-goblin at your family Halloween event!

"Dying to Know How Many!" Estimating Jars

This is my way of contributing to the classroom Halloween parties my daughters enjoy planning as "room mothers." They're charged with providing games and treats, and I like the way this educational activity creates a whirl of excitement and suspense for the classmates of my grandchildren.

Three clear, plastic jars stuffed with small toys and candy are accompanied by slips of paper for names and guesses.

















Teacher receives everything - including the answer sheet! - the day before the event so there's plenty of time for each child to carefully inspect every jar before estimating. Winners (those who guess closest without going over) are announced at the party.

I found my 32 oz. jars at Just Artifacts, although I see that Oriental Trading carries pint size (16 oz.) ones now, too. Present them smartly decorated in the same style as paper punch drink lids - and don't forget to make "freebies" for your own grandkiddoes!

This is not a sponsored post. The brand names and businesses I've mentioned are for the convenience of my readers. And that includes the Snickers coma I'm currently immersed in - thanks pre-season Halloween candy sales! 👻

5 Must-Have Resources For the Self-Employed

This is a sponsored post for which I have been compensated.

All content and graphics provided by VSP Vision Services.

The results* are in: baby boomers are rethinking retirement in favor of  'Encore Careers' working for themselves. Are you one of them? If so, you may be wondering where to start, and how to make it work with the life you already live. Here are just five of the many must-have resources available for your "second act". A full list of resources for the self-employed can be found here.

1) ALTERNATIVE WORKSPACES - Many towns and cities offer pay-as-you-go or affordable short-term workspace. Co-working options include informal open spaces with shared amenities like break rooms and fitness desks, or more formal offices that mimic the corporate environment. Perhaps "maker spaces," "commercial kitchens," or "incubator space" suits your business. Check out local social and traditional media for shared workspace locations near you.

2) GROUP BUYING & LOCAL DEAL SITES 
Sites like Rewardli or AppSumo leverage the power of the crowd to save money on office supplies, travel services, and more. Research group-buying sites with the best offerings for you.

3) BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES
Banks have specialists to help self-employed people manage their banking and credit card options. Online financial services groups like Lendio make it easier to get small-business loans. For that retirement nest egg, self-employed folks can create a Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account (SEP IRA).

4) INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE COVERAGE
Self-employed individuals are three times more likely to be uninsured than the national average. But, there are lots of individual insurance options from major insurance brands like VSP Individual Vision Plans, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, Cigna and Humana. Coverage can be the key to thriving in the new economy because it reduces the stress related to working for yourself and makes it truly financially rewarding. Talk with your eye doctor, physician and dentist about the care you need. Research plans to identify the one with the most coverage for your budget.

5) MEMBER DISCOUNTS & DEALS
Many Chamber of Commerce and industry groups like the Freelancers Union offer member discounts and deals that more than cover the cost of joining.

And speaking of vision coverage...

Did you know nearly 50% of Americans don't have vision coverage? And many are self-employed and/or retired. Some may think vision coverage is unaffordable.

Luckily, that's a misconception, thanks to VSP Individual Vision Plans. With individual and family vision plans, people who work for themselves can have the same benefits and savings as they would under an employer's plan.

Visit www.vspdirect.com for more details or to enroll in an individual vision plan today. Enrollment is open year round so you can be covered in as little as five days after enrolling in a plan.

Eyes do more than help you see; they have an impact on your quality of life. From increased effectiveness and productivity at work, to fewer headaches and reduced eye strain, it pays to keep your eyes healthy.

*https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2015/06/02/how-entrepreneurial-baby-boomers-are-rethinking-retirement/#4307bac810b0

Spooky Spotlight!

"Halloween-ery" has extended its sticky tentacles deeply within my family, infecting yet another generation. Mommy recently caught two year old Austin intently poring over a catalog, exclaiming with glee, "Want that! Need that! This, too!" at every spotted spider, hallow-eyed haunt, and gasping ghost within its pages. Two years old! Could this be an inherited trait? Any aspiring geneticists out there in pursuit of a dissertation topic? We'll help you prove this thesis with a hearty supply of test subjects for your case study experiments!

I offered a day of respite to Austin's mommy last week when daddy flew overseas on business for ten days. Meals, snacks, housework, babysitting, crafts.....all graciously accepted with only one specification: HALLOWEEN PROJECTS, please, grandma?!

And so, today I focus my spooky spotlight on Austin and older sissy, Brielle,* for a trio of satisfying seasonal crafts easily doable with your very own little grand-goblins!

*(One year old brother, Channing, still can't be trusted not to eat glue sticks. That's okay. We'll reel him in next year!)
















Pumpkin Portraits!

This ages-old decorating exercise is suitable for the five year age span I entertained here. That was my biggest challenge. Which activities would keep Bree engaged while not frustrating Austin?

Prep was as easy as the embellishing both kiddoes enjoyed. Wide open mouths invite a collection of teeth cut from the paper scraps you'll provide along with safety scissors, glue, and glitter! Dig out your craft punches to supply giant, friendly eyeballs!














Haunted House!

My grandkids are sticker crazy, and quite frankly, so am I! Problem is, sometimes these pesky little things (also known as "tickers!") end up on inappropriate surfaces - windows, walls, shoes, and dogs' ears! So, whose fault is it when there's not a worthy place to plant them?

Leave it to grandma to find the best solution at Sarah Jane's! This ultra-creative lady provided exactly what I was searching for - full instructions and a free haunted house template sporting open-and-shut windows that invite filling with small spider, cat, and pumpkin stickers.

This one takes a bit more time to prep than the pumpkin portrait, but the kids were delighted with the 3-D effect, and I was treated to many exuberant challenges to "Open it, grandma! See what's inside!" I wore myself out fainting in horror over a flutter of bats and grinning ghouls peeled from the pages of these books priced at only one dollar each at JoAnn Fabrics! Hurry on over if this one appeals to you - or if your pets need earfuls of cute "tickers!" :)















Spider Races!

Time for something the kids don't need to work at! I constructed every component of this game myself, although kids as young as four could put it together with a bit of help. All you'll need is one game board, and a pom pom spider and paper straw for each player. Then stand back and watch the competitive fun!

The board is a 12" x 24" strip of orange paper - piece it together if needed. I used decorative craft tape to indicate a start line as well as interim markers. Lay out a web opposite start line with purple craft tape (or draw it with a marker.)

Spiders ("pie-ders!") are 1.5" craft pom poms. Glue on a pair of wiggle eyes and yarn strand legs to complete each one - different color bodies, legs, or eyes suggested for each competitor.

Ready for action?! Place your runners on the start line, pick up your straw, and BLOW! First one to reach the safety of the web without flying off the board is the winner of each fast paced heat! Prizes optional - although when grandma's in charge, I think you already know they're an "everybody's a winner!" requirement!
















And finally! Enjoy rattling the funny bones of your grandkids with hoots of laughter while they craft and play. Challenge them with the 47 howling cute Halloween jokes you'll find here, at Grandma's Briefs. Thanks, Lisa! (she's my ghoul-friend!)

Bet you don't know why the skeleton didn't dance at the party!
Well, I do!
He had no body to dance with!

STEAM-ing Along!

Back in the day, my sisters and I decided we needed a backyard swing set. Crayon met paper, and blueprints for a carefully engineered three-seat contraption of sticks and strings emerged, promising a soaring summer of giggling glee.

But grandpa caught wind of our plans, was appropriately appalled, and instructed mother to take his money and install the best in store-purchased backyard entertainment "before those girls break their necks!"

Dear, sweet, indulgent grandpa. He meant well. But sometimes drafting, calculating, and trial and outrageous error are the best parts of unrealistic dreams nurtured among siblings who see the stars and seek to glide among them on scrap wood seats secured with jump rope knots.

I am delighted to see the preponderance of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art/design, and math) toys available today for purchase for my grandchildren. Books and toys that tease, unleashing the brain, are all I ever plan to buy for the near-monthly frequency of birthdays I face today. Once these ten kids hit the age of six, look out! Here comes grandma with her bag of favorites, the fruit of well researched and well tested creative satisfaction!

This is not a sponsored post. I just enjoy sharing the success I've had with these excellent mind-enriching products!

The Kiwi Company ranks "number one" with me. While most commonly recognized as a monthly subscription service delivering age appropriate STEAM projects directly to a child's door, I also like the convenience of Kiwi's online store. Here, we pick and choose reasonably priced, individual "crates" that contain everything needed to build enticing, quality projects. Cranes. Electric Circuits. Pinball Boards. Hydraulic Valves. Lanterns. Bottle Rockets. We've bought 'em all - and love 'em all!

Four year old Ava (top) holds an endearing yarn critter, part of the Arcade Kiwi Crate. Twin sissy (right) made one, too. Many kits keep more than one kid busy.....

Eight year old brothers built the accompanying wood claw, and all four siblings enjoyed operating it to grab critters for points. Crafting! Engineering! Cooperating! Family Fun! All in one!




















My faves are the mechanical sets (Tinker Crates) for older kids. Below, our young electrical apprentice concentrates on the construction of a trio of translucent multi colored battery operated lanterns. Easy and clear step-by-step illustrated instructions allow kids as young as eight to do-it-themselves while grandma sits nearby, taking pictures and beaming with pride!

Everything you need is included. Everything! 
















Take a look and see what you think! This link will net you a $10 discount on a year long subscription!

Okay. Switching to dinosaurs now!

Mindware offers a product I heartily endorse. Open the box to a slab of plaster-like material. Grab the included archaeological tools and a cup of water and begin chipping away! You just know there's something here that needs finding! DIG IT UP! 

The fearsome favorite T-Rex! Triceratops also available!












I passed these out at Grandma Camp to the older kids; six year old Brielle, and eight year old twin brothers, Nick and Sae.

For nearly an hour, heads were studiously bent over the puzzle before them......

Finally! Pay dirt!....a hint of something just beneath the surface! Smooth, shiny, and "rib-cagey!"

More digging!
Is this project a mess? Oh heck yes! Just the way kids love it! Perfect for a sunny day out on the deck!

What? An hour of work and all we get is this pile of bones?

There! That's better! A quick session of easy snapping yielded a trio of (14") take-home treasures just RAWR-ing to go!











Mindware DIG IT UP! Dinosaur kits can be found in my Amazon Gift Shop on page 15.

Scrap Trash Robots!

Leisurely hours on a shaded deck during Grandma Camping days serve several purposes when the topic at hand is a crafty project or two. For one thing, the grandkids love to create. For another, they know that activity is encouraged here - paints and paper and glitter and glue always lay nearby. And for still another, a seat on a chair is grandma's welcomed landing place during a souped up week of energetic fun!

My artsy-craftsy soul renders it impossible for me to discard any humble household castoff. I see beauty and potential in each and every plastic lid, bottle cap, or spool that enters this space, hoarding all with vengeance. Those items joined scraps of wood, a choice of bonding agents, cans of silver spray paint, and the directive, "Build yourselves a robot, kiddoes!" for an hour or so of remarkable - and frugal - crafting creativity.

Craft glue, safe and perfect for smaller detailing, takes so long to dry. I manned a hot glue gun, following kids' instructions on where it needed to go.

My only other job was to watch the thoughtful creativity unfold.....

Pill bottle legs, wood block heads, paper tube arms....

Any packaging contraption works!

I loved the jet pack constructed from larger pill bottles.

Fully constructed and waiting patiently for a coating of metallic silver spray paint!

Possibly the very best part of any crafty project at grandma's - your very own can of paint!






















I was impressed with the methodical way the kids built their scrap trash robots. Much attention to detail, balance, and symmetry. I attribute those skills to the problem-solving play they enjoy at home with science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) toys, including Lego sets. Next time, my (unsponsored) post will share several of my own buys that found the kids building and learning with enthusiasm.

Hope to see you here!























This is the fifth (and last) in a series of Grandma Camp 2017 posts that begins right here!

"Who Goes There?"

Grandma Campers are, by their very nature, explorers! They like to know stuff. Probing, seeking, speculating...."What is that made of, grandma?" "What would happen if we did it this way instead?" Encouraging and rewarding curiosity is the most challenging - and best! - part of this annual summer experience for me!

Last year, we brought home ladybug shaped rocks, painted them, wiggle-eyed them, and secreted them in neighborhood flower beds and mail boxes under the spine-tingling cover of night. How many would still be there the following evening?  Anxious with excitement, we had our answers when we ventured back to see!

But our backyard wooded lot consistently holds the best source of adventure and discovery. We've filled cardboard tubes with peanut butter and added a clever method for detecting critters who might enter for a nibble. Oh, they were there, all right, we learned the next morning, but speculation over what they looked like has hung in the air for over a year! Tiny footprints left behind are simply not enough!

We need to know, "Who goes there?" 

My purchase of a trail camera has been a satisfying investment. It's delighted even the biggest kid among us (me!). A trail camera is perfect for strapping to a tree, a foot or so above a carefully arranged peanut/corn/berry buffet of wildlife treats.


















Daylight hours capture full color images (both video and still shots - audio, too!) of scampering squirrels and chipmunks. An occasional blue jay will swoop down to snatch a peanut. But our best mysteries are solved in the morning after all night monitoring. That's how we discovered our inquisitive raccoon guest. He's one of the wood dwellers who only come out at night!

I've coupled the camera with a wildlife guide that we consult daily during Grandma Camp. Clearly illustrated are animals we're likely to see here in the midwest - turkeys, white tail deer, opossums....pretty tame compared to the rattlesnakes and exotic lizards you Arizonians might be fortunate enough to capture! We envy you!







"Hey lady! We're out of peanuts again!"





But I might add some manufactured drama of my own when the kids get a bit older. We'll set the camera right around Halloween. Under cover of late, late night, wearing a spooky skeletal mask, I'll peer into the lens, grunt menacingly, and shake the camera vigorously before the screen goes blank! "Who goes there?" you ask? I don't think the kids are gonna want to know!

The classic Reader's Digest North American Wildlife Guide is a great resource for identifying backyard visitors. 

This is the fourth post in a series of 2017 Grandma Camp highlights that begins here. Enjoy! The fifth, and last is here!

Where Fairies Flutter

Our second annual Ladybug Camp hosted twin sisters, Ava and Angeline, with cousin Kaylee. This four year old trio enjoyed a multi day, overnight affair busy with crafting, baking, play-acting, and exploring. On day two, we ventured into a magical wooded realm - the place where fairies flutter!

My little lady guests arrived well versed on the topic of those daintily winged garden dwelling nymphs, but they were delighted to reexamine their characteristics and the habitats they frequent in pop up books I couldn't resist buying for the occasion!*

This is not a sponsored post, but my, my! Looking to fascinate and educate? This is the set for you! We pored over each page, mesmerizing and rich in three dimensional glory, finding fairies in hidden nooks and crannies.

Gardens, woodlands, and more....I sent each little lady home with her own book (there's a third in the series) to secure delightful memories.

Armed with fresh tips on places to look, off we go a-hunting. Backyard woods held promise for finding fairies of our own.

Nestled in foliage, the first of three petaled sprites awaits discovery! (A favorite moment saw precocious Miss Ava animatedly point out that these fairies were actually not "the real thing!" They were "grandma-made" substitutes that might serve our purpose for today, yet still, not "really real" ones!) And of course, she is correct! Thank you, Ava! :)

Angeline and Kaylee cradle their new friends.

Forging ahead, an enticing vision beckoned! Were guests expected here? With places set for six?

Six indeed! One for each successful fairy finder, another for her newly acquired friend!

Months ago, the thoughtfulness of a cherished blogger friend, Judy, made my dream of today's event even more special. She sent me the tiny tea set pictured here. Her own granddaughter had reached the teenage years, and it was time for pretty vintage pieces to find another home, one where younger girls would take their turn pouring magic tea to serve in teeny tiny portions. This was the perfect occasion to introduce our gift. Thank you, Judy!

Room enough, and food enough for everybody!

Ladybug Campers nibbled cheese wraps and tangerine slices. Pot de creme bowls cradled hummus and baby carrot sticks.

But "real bugs" were not welcome at our repast, so craft punched, flower themed paper covers topped tasty drinks. Friendly butterflies alight on each straw.

Oh, what magic we found today in our foray into the place where (grandma-made!) fairies flutter, little ladies stop to snack in dappled sunlight, and grandma beams away in pride and satisfaction!




















My friend, Judy, a master gardener, blogs about beauty in nature, in fabric, and of charming places both near and far at New England Garden and Thread. She is also a fan of fairies. Her 2012 Fairy House Tour  is one of my favorite posts ever!

Fairy dolls are easily made from wooden peg bases found at craft stores. Dress them in petals pulled from silk flowers.

*The three Cicely Mary Barker pop-up fairy books I purchased for my granddaughters can be found on Amazon.com.

This is part 3 of my Grandma Camp 2017 series. It begins right here. Click here for part 4.