Grandma Stories

Christmas For Grandparents – Personalized Christmas Gifts For Grandparents

Grandma — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:37:52 +0000

Choosing Christmas gifts for grandparents can at times be difficult, especially since many if not most grandparents have a home full of just about everything they need. Having seen several lists of what are deemed to be the “worst Christmas gifts for grandparents”, it is easy to see why gifting grandparents with things like cookbooks or knickknacks that must be cleaned or dusted aren’t the best ideas for gifting purposes.

Many grandparents have already or are in process of downsizing their homes to smaller abodes, so the last thing grandparents or elderly people need or want is more “stuff” to fill shelves and spend time on cleaning. Finding the perfect Christmas gift for a grandparent doesn’t have to be expensive, can certainly be homemade and dearly loved, and the more personalized the gift is the happier the grandparents will be.

While many grandparents love to receive new photos of their grandchildren for Christmas or other occasions, a new twist on the photo gift is to make a homemade iron on transfer and put the grandchildren’s picture on a sweatshirt or t-shirt for grandma and/or grandpa to wear proudly. Using fabric paint for the grandchildren to put their little hand prints on the front or back of the shirt is also a nice idea, and some parents even have their children use a fabric marker to write a special personalized message on the sweatshirt for an inexpensive gift.

Both grandma’s and grandpa’s love to bake cookies with their grandchildren, so one homemade gift idea might be to make “jar gifts” from your kitchen with dry ingredients for making cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes etc and place the ingredients in wide mouth jars or Mason jars in layers, decorated by the grandchildren with pretty ribbons and recipe instructions.

Another nice Christmas gift idea for grandparents requires a little help from the parents for making a homemade calendar with computer software with photos of the grandchildren for each of the twelve months. The grandchild(ren) can help select some of the best pictures to be used on the homemade calendar for a personalized touch, and may even want to use some decorative stickers for special dates like birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. Kids can make some kitchen magnets with self-photos using magnetic sheets, or plain kitchen magnets in various shapes with small photos applied, poems, special phrases or quotes.

For grandparents who have gardens, making some personalized stepping stones with clay kits is another cheap gift idea that grandparents will love, or handprint clay kits for young children to give their grandparents with hanging ribbon to display on the walls of their home. Personalized Christmas ornaments are lovely gifts for grandparents to trim their Christmas tree each year, and many other do-it-yourself craft kits for making grandma a necklace or bracelet and many other homemade craft gifts.

For Christmas, grandparents of all ages and abilities love nostalgia. Giving thoughtful gifts that bring back memories of long ago and perhaps forgotten over the years can brighten the smile on a grandparent’s face, being reminded of fun family times and family gatherings with a digital photo frame to cycle through important happy events. Grandchildren making a homemade scrapbook with help from mom and dad is another inexpensive but well thought out gift for grandparents to cherish.

Many grandparents love to read books but may have difficulty reading books with poor eyesight, which makes audio books a great gift option. Noise-cancelling earphones or headphones with volume controls allows grandparents with hearing impairment to enjoy listening to their favorite music or TV shows without difficulty. Senior grandparents who have difficulty getting around on their own, but enjoy activities to keep their mind sharp, find gifts like crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, board games, dominoes and crafting supplies wonderful gifts for grandparents to keep active.

Deciding on the best Christmas gifts for grandparents of any age is just a matter of knowing what their interests and hobbies are. Gift Grandma and/or Grandpa with a luxurious shower gift set or bath set for enjoying a soothing, warming and body-ache-reducing luxury bath or shower, perhaps with a bottle of their favorite women’s perfume or men’s cologne for a nice xmas present. As always, it truly is the Thought behind the gifts given that counts not the price tag, no matter how cheap the gifts may be, your thoughtful gift will be appreciated and cherished for many years.

Similar Posts:

Homemade Do It Yourself Blogs – Make Your Own Shampoo and Conditioner, Household Cleaners

Grandma — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:33:19 +0000

I absolutely love do it yourself blogs, where easy to follow instructions and “recipes” are given to learn how to make your own this or that. Whether it’s making your own shampoo and conditioner, do it yourself style, or making homemade “green” household cleaners and homemade laundry soap to avoid harmful chemicals or just to save money, I love them all.

Even though we haven’t yet tried some of the homemade shampoo and conditioner recipes quite yet, experimenting will be fun, in order to find which recipes for shampoos and conditioner’s work the best and don’t strip color from color-treated hair.

I’ve been coloring my hair for many years, and the fact that there are ingredients and additives in shampoo that actually strip color from your hair, cause hair loss, and is very irritating to your scalp, makes the idea of making your own chemical-free shampoo and conditioner quite interesting.

Common “bad” shampoo ingredients to avoid at all costs, often found in “cheap” shampoos, especially if you color-treat your hair include:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate
TEA Lauryl Sulfate
Sulfur, in dandruff shampoos
Selenium Sulfate, also in dandruff shampoos
Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Thinsulfate
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Alkyl Sodium Sulfate
Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate
TEA-Dodecylbenzene
Sodium C12-15 Alkyl Sulfate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate

Color-treated hair already takes a beating from the chemicals and additives found in over the counter color-treating products to color your hair at home, as well as those used in hair salons. Spending the money to color or highlight your hair can get quite expensive over the long-term, so having chemical-laden shampoo and/or conditioner strip the color right back out of your hair is a lose-lose situation for anyone. Homemade, natural shampoo and conditioner recipes are a great idea, aren’t loaded with harmful chemicals, and are a huge cost savings.

Homemade Laundry Soap and Household Cleaners

Make your own laundry detergent and homemade fabric softener? Sure! There are lots of homemade laundry soap recipes available online, as well as recipes for natural fabric softeners, that have only a couple of ingredients and without the all-too-common chemicals more and more people would like to avoid. The quick and easy directions for the recipes are great, and many include pictures and even video how-to details to show the step-by-step instructions, proving that anyone can make their own laundry soap, shampoo and conditioners, and chemical-free household cleaners.

Matt and Betsy Jabbs of Do It Yourself Natural have created a downloadable homemade cleaners guide, with 84 pages of natural household cleaner recipes and instructions that you’re going to want just as much as I did, and explanation of why using natural cleaners is so important. In it you’ll find chapter after chapter full of easy recipes for making your own household cleaners such as:

Homemade Laundry Soap and Fabric Softener
Homemade Spray Starch for Ironing
Homemade Stain Pre-treaters
Homemade Liquid Dish Soap
Homemade Automatic Dishwasher Detergent
Homemade Kitchen Sink Scrubbers
Homemade Drain Cleaners
Homemade Garbage Disposal Freshener
Homemade “Green” Countertop Disinfectant
Homemade Granite Cleaner and Polish
Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash
Homemade Fume-Free Microwave and Oven Cleaners
Homemade Shower Spray and Soap Scum Preventer
Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaners
Homemade Mold and Mildew Cleaner Recipes
Bathroom Cleaners
Natural All-Purpose Cleaners
Homemade Wood Dusting Sprays & Cleaners
Natural Hardwood Floor Cleaners

Natural wall cleaner recipes for removing wall marks and sticky hand prints, natural air fresheners, carpet cleaners and deodorizer’s are also included in this very well created publication. The DIY home cleaning guide covers everything you want to know about how to make your own cleaning products that are chemical free, good for your health and the environment, and at great savings to your wallet. Visit the homemade, DIY Natural blog for information on how you can get this great ebook download stocked full of how-to home cleaning, natural personal care products like shampoo and conditioner, and make your own laundry soap and fabric softener recipes. You’ll be glad you did.

Similar Posts:

Christmas Preparation – Preparing Christmas Activities, Gift Lists, Cards and Xmas Dinner

Grandma — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:40:35 +0000

Christmas will be here before you know it. Year after year, we strive to begin preparing for Christmas very early into the holiday season, usually months ahead of time. Planning and preparing the various holiday season activities and parties to attend, as well as compiling a list of those we plan to buy gifts for, buying or making Christmas cards, preparing the Christmas dinner menu and guest list, and yes, all of the shopping for budget-friendly gifts.

As Dave Ramsey says, Christmas is not an emergency – it falls on December 25 every year, so you know it’s coming.

Preparing for Christmas well ahead of time, several months in advance even, helps a lot when on a tight budget. Watching for great sales and discounts on potential gift ideas throughout the year, and saving the gifts until Christmastime arrives, is a great help with sticking to a budget and not going overboard on expenses.

Creating a gift list with everyone’s names and any initial gift ideas, along with the total cost of each gift, can sometimes create sticker shock. By the time all of the names are added up, and what you initially think will be an appropriate amount to spend on each person, can sometimes come as a shock to the budget, where trimming names off of the list might be necessary in order to avoid going over budget.

Rather than actually removing names from the gift list, reducing the total amount to be spent on each gift recipient is a good alternative solution. Christmas doesn’t have to expensive, and paying for Christmas gifts with credit cards isn’t a wise choice either, which is why planning and preparing for Christmas by saving up money for purchases many months ahead of time is our preferred option.

We put a lot of thought into what to buy for someone as a xmas gift, and oftentimes we find buying something as a gift that we know is a true “need” vs just things on a “want” list brings us the greatest pleasure during the holiday season. Fortunately for us, it hasn’t been difficult to choose a gift for anyone we buy gifts for. Many times we gather ideas of what to give friends and family simply by paying close attention to any mention of something they’re needing and hoping to buy for themselves at some point in the future, making special note of what they’re needing, and we’re able to buy the item for them as a Christmas gift before they’ve had an opportunity to get it for themselves.

Homemade gifts for Christmas, or for any other holiday or birthday celebration, are among the most unique and thoughtful gifts one can give to another. The time it takes to make handmade gifts varies of course depending on how difficult the project is, which is just one reason why making fleece throw blankets and giving them as gifts is so enjoyable, because homemade throw blankets are quick and easy gifts to make and don’t cost much money to buy the fabric, and choosing fleece fabric that matches home décor is quite easy to do.

I’m not quite sure how many throw blankets I’ll be making and giving as gifts for Christmas this year, since I had already made around 25 throws and given most of them as birthday or anniversary gifts, or my personal favorite “just because” gifts. As much as we enjoy Christmastime with all the family gatherings, parties, dinner feasts and celebrating by giving gifts at Christmas, giving gifts to those we love and adore “just because” we love them dearly is our all-time favorite.

Every year, we create a spreadsheet containing all the names of people we’ll be buying Christmas gifts for, with added columns for jotting down gift ideas, estimated costs, and for making note of when Christmas cards were mailed out and to whom. We also include a column on the spreadsheet for the date gifts were shipped to family or friends living far away, and we keep the shipping tracking information close by to ensure the gifts arrive on time and aren’t lost in the mail.

For the most part, with few exceptions, we tend to spend an equal amount of money on gifts for each person. Sometimes that might mean one person may receive one wrapped present, while another person may receive two or even three gift wrapped presents, which only means we’re keeping as close to equal spending as possible. The only real exception to that is when we’re giving gifts to very young children and grandchildren, since at their tender ages, they can only see that another child has a greater number of gifts than he/she received and hurt feelings can ensue. We prefer to avoid that misunderstanding altogether.

Grandpa and I also find it helpful to split the gift list up, where he chooses gifts for some and I pick gifts for the others, so the responsibility is shared between us and reduces the potential of stress during the holidays. We don’t necessarily split the list equally, right down the middle, but that plan works well for us. Our family is continually growing, and we have another grandchild on the way, so somewhere along the line we’ll probably have to decide on making some adjustments on who we buy for and who may have to be dropped off the gift list.

Many families find that just buying gifts for the young children works well for them and their budget, and the adults receive no gifts at all, but still enjoy the love, fellowship and family gatherings even without gifts being exchanged. There really aren’t any “rules” to gift-giving at Christmastime, nor should there be, but it sure does help to begin saving up for the next year’s Christmas shopping spree in January.

Starting to save money for Christmas very early into the new year allows us the spur-of-the-moment gift buying for those we buy for that love their gadgets and electronics, and we’ve found many discount deals on what will ultimately become a Christmas gift by buying gifts well before the so-called “Christmas shopping season”.

By then, we’re finished shopping for gifts and they’re already wrapped and hidden away months and months before the masses hit the malls and struggle to find parking, while we’re comfy and cozy relaxing at home by the fireplace and listening to Christmas music. No Christmas shopping rush for us. That’s why Christmas planning works so well for us.

Similar Posts:

Edumacation Schmedumacation – Edumacating Myself For Advancement

Grandma — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:19:48 +0000

No, that title is not a typo. I fully intended on misspelling the word education for the urban slang term edumacation, which is just a silly way of saying I’ve been swamped with educating myself for advancement opportunities I’m currently seeking in my professional life. Unfortunately, I’ve been edumacating myself and taking a whole host of tests for certification purposes while being sick, but nothing keeps this ‘ol girl down.

Furthering my education professionally, and getting my hands on the final test results and official certifications to add to my ever-growing collection of certificates of achievement and professional licenses, are among some of my many personal goals set for myself over the last year or two. I don’t care how old a person gets, I’m only 51 now, you’re never to old to learn and create advancement opportunities for yourself in whatever profession is chosen.

In my career profession, there are many options available for advancement and growth. I aim to grab onto every single one of the advancement opportunities available to someone with my level of education, certification/licensing and many years of experience, and see where furthering my edumacation takes me.

Onward and upward is a term I’m known to use quite often, being the type of person who refuses to take no for an answer, and being highly skilled at what I do professionally. Educating myself for advancement opportunities often includes change. Change in professional philosophy based on intense research and advanced education, and sometimes even change in where one performs their professional duties. Change is good for you, and change is good for me too.

Being stagnant doesn’t suit me well at all. I’ve always needed a challenge, new things to learn and do, increased opportunities for greater things especially in my professional life. Getting edumacated (hehehe) in ways that completely change your whole way of seeing your profession and how you choose to fulfill your career/job responsibilities can sometimes be startling, shocking really.

Once reality sets in, after the mental and emotional turmoil and extremely troubling realization that some professional philosophies are nothing but money-driven nonsense, anger and disillusionment sets in. Some forms of formal education should really be called schmeducation. Pure garbage really. One of the reasons I haven’t posted anything new on this blog for a few weeks is due to the fact that several things regarding my profession have been scientifically proven to not only be flat out wrong, but detrimental and harmful to one’s health over the longterm.

I’m in a service profession, providing an important and necessary service to clients in the health industry, and the devastating realization (scientifically proven facts) that at least some of the job responsibilities I’ve personally been responsible to perform or assist in performing are not only unhealthy, but dangerous to one’s health over time. The mental and emotional toll has been enormous, and my conscience no longer allows me to perform those same duties, nor advocate those procedures as safe and effective and healthy.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from furthering my education through research and study, is the vital importance of researching and studying the evidence presented by those who do not agree with a particular health subject, or any subject for that matter. Pick a topic, research and read about the evidence presented on the “for or pro” side, but then do the same research and study on the “against or negative” side of the subject. To say that I wish I knew then what I know now, specifically regarding my chosen health profession, is the understatement of the century.

The fact that I’ve been sick, due to the changing of the seasons, makes wrapping my mind around the scientific evidence against aspects of my profession even harder to deal with. Question authority, always. Questions and doubt are good things in my opinion. Blind faith in authority figures or authority organizations, without taking the time necessary to delve deep into the research study results on any and all health-related topics, is only asking for trouble down the line. Been there done that.

But no more. Having spent the last few weeks coming to terms with the truth behind various health matters in my career profession that are basically drilled into the minds of people through television, news media outlets and a multitude of high-powered health organizations (whose only focus and attention is on money and profits), change is coming my way. And the results are going to include enjoyable challenges, job promotion with much higher pay, continued advancement opportunities, and most important of all to me – a clear conscience. Change is good. Bring it on.

Similar Posts:

Healthy Living – Eating Healthy On a Budget

Grandma — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:13:17 +0000

Living a healthy lifestyle of course includes eating healthy, learning even the basics of nutrition and understanding the many benefits of healthy eating on the body, mind and spirit. For people living on a budget, eating healthy may seem to be an impossible task, especially with food prices going up and trying to make ends meet in a down economy.

I’ve had a strong interest and desire for quite some time now to read and learn everything I possibly can about natural health and proper nutrition, in order to ensure that Grandpa and I are living and eating the healthiest ways humanly possible. Making proper food choices, receiving the greatest benefits from the four main food groups, getting in a healthy amount of exercise, etc.

Researching topics of interest is sort of an obsession of mine, to the extent that I’m sometimes referred to as a researchaholic. To say that I read a lot is an enormous understatement. Whether my reading is through books, science magazines, alternative medicine articles, holistic information or natural health websites and highly reputable authors, some newly found health-related discoveries have shocked me.

Previous long-held beliefs have been shattered to pieces due to overwhelming evidence proving what I thought to be true and beneficial for good health and wellbeing to be quite the contrary. “I wish I knew then what I know now” about a variety of important health issues, but I can only move forward and make changes to the products we buy, foods we eat or don’t eat, and that is only one reason why we chose to plant an organic garden in the backyard.

Having our own garden certainly helps the food budget, since we don’t have to buy those fruits or vegetables from the grocery store or farmers markets in our local area. We religiously buy certified organic foods as much as we possibly can and our budget allows, and regularly buy from local farmers markets who don’t use harmful pesticides and herbicides. I am very appreciative and grateful that there are so many truly nutritionally balanced healthy cookbooks with fast and easy recipes, websites, books, articles and blogs that help explain real nutrition and natural health, far beyond what is commonly believed to be “healthy”.

One of several quick and simple changes we’ve made in our diet is the elimination of typical table salt, which is really sodium chloride and lacking of any real nutrients. Having researched healthy vs. unhealthy salts to my hearts content, and comparing information on real sea salt and the health benefits from eating salt that naturally contains needed minerals that table salt lacks, we opted for stone ground Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt over Celtic Sea Salt (which is a really good salt too).

We’ve been making very good use of our Breville juicer, making many healthy vegetable and/or fruit juices without any additives or preservatives commonly found in store-bought juices, enjoying the benefits of the natural vitamins and nutrients found therein without the ridiculous high levels of sodium. We’re also thrilled to have discovered how good eating quinoa is for overall health with some magnificent recipes we’ve found, and we’re in process of learning all about making healthy smoothies with a blender vs. (hopefully not) having to buy a smoothie maker machine.

Being over the age of 50 now, it’s important that both Grandpa and I are getting all of the vitamins, minerals and healthy nutrients necessary for good health, primarily from making good food choices, but also understanding what is or isn’t good for us when it comes to vitamin supplements. Learning that some/many vitamin supplements actually have toxic fluoride in them or are laced with fluoride, researching and choosing 100% healthy supplements is a top priority.

There is a lot more to eating healthy, really healthy, than just choosing to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables and salads loaded with raw vegetables. Considering what I’ve learned so far about living a healthy lifestyle, I can at least understand why so many people nowadays have chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet, even though Grandpa and I are nowhere near ready to concede to not eating meat at all. Greatly reducing our meat intake is one thing, but completely eliminating meats of any kind would not only be extremely challenging but highly unlikely, at least as far as Grandpa is concerned.

Similar Posts:

What is Quinoa? Nutrition Facts and Recipes For Quinoa

Grandma — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:19:13 +0000

Quinoa? What is that?, I asked. Pronounced “Keen-wah”, not Kee-no-wah, quinoa is something I had never heard of until very recently and wanted to find out more. Friends were discussing a website called “Cooking Quinoa“, which has recipes for cooking with quinoa with lots of delicious looking pictures of foods made with it.

Based on everything I’ve read so far about quinoa, its numerous health benefits and the nutritional facts shown on bulk packages I found, adding quinoa to our diet is a smart choice. We’re not vegetarian or vegan by any means, we do enjoy eating lean meats for sure, but we have been reducing our consumption of fatty meats over the last few months.

So, my next question was, where can I buy quinoa? I happened to find some organic quinoa, made by the brand called Nature’s Earthly Choice, while browsing around in Costco yesterday. The package says quinoa is a 100% whole grain, gluten free, wheat free and an excellent choice of protein. Quoting from the back of the 4 lb resealable bag of quinoa, the nutritional benefits of quinoa are described as follows:

“Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a highly nutritious gluten free seed, originally from the Andean region of South America. It’s mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it a terrific substitute for rice or couscous. Quinoa, praised for its excellent nutritional profile, is an exceptional source of protein, containing all eight amino acids, making quinoa an excellent option for people looking to reduce their consumption of meat. Quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber and contain B vitamins and iron.

More and more consumers are seeking great tasting and nutritious gluten-free options. Our organic Quinoa is one of the very best. Quinoa is extremely versatile and easy to prepare. Cooked quinoa makes a delicious side dish when mixed with vegetables and seasonings. You can use our quinoa for everything from breakfast cereals, to soups and salads, or add to your favorite chili recipe. Quinoa is also great as a filling for fun and healthy burritos or tacos. Our quinoa is pre-washed so you can simply cook and eat, no need to presoak or rinse.

Using two cups of liquid per cup of quinoa, combine liquid and quinoa in a sauce pan or rice cooker. Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is tender but still chewy and white spiral-like threads appear around each grain, about 15 minutes. You can make a larger batch of quinoa and store it in your refrigerator. During the week as you need it, pull the desired amount of cooked quinoa from your refrigerator and add to your favorite recipes.”

Cooking quinoa ahead of time and refrigerating portions is a great idea for busy people like us who don’t have a lot of time for meal preparation, but actually prefer quick and easy recipes. Quinoa leaves are eaten like a leafy vegetable, which would make growing quinoa in a garden a great addition to all the other vegetables and fruits, if the soil and climate requirements are met.

Wikipedia has an extensive description of what quinoa is, including detailed explanations of the nutritional facts about quinoa in general, and the red and black quinoa varieties. Quinoa is incredibly versatile and there are so many different ways of using it on a daily basis. Considering how healthy and beneficial quinoa is for overall health and wellbeing, it just makes sense to buy quinoa in bulk and always have it in stock.

Quinoa can be prepared and used in many different recipe dishes, including breakfast meals. Use quinoa in cereals, yogurt, pudding, smoothies, juices, burgers, salads, soups, breads, muffins, pancakes, chicken recipes, and more. I found some quinoa flakes too, besides the seed variety, so we’re going to be buying both types.

I’m anxious to try quinoa seeds or flakes in a lean turkey meatloaf recipe I have, but I would imagine meatloaf made with lean beef and quinoa would be delicious too. The quinoa cooking website mentioned above has spectacular pictures and How-To instructions of meals prepared with quinoa, and there’s even a quinoa cookbook available for free download.

But, where do you find and buy quinoa? Not all stores carry it, but many health food stores do. I found the one brand of organic quinoa at Costco but I don’t want to be limited to just the one brand, and I want to buy quinoa in bulk vs smaller bags or boxes found in some grocery stores. Searching online for where to buy quinoa, including black and red quinoa in 10 or 25 lb bulk sizes, I found quinoa pasta, noodles, flour, flakes and seeds offered by different brands. Brand names like Ancient Harvest, Nature’s Path, Earthly Delights, Roland, Bob’s Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, Eden Organic and others.

I don’t think you can ever have too many cookbooks, so when I heard about the quinoa cookbook called Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood and another cookbook called The Quinoa Cookbook: Over 70 Great Quinoa Recipes, I just had to have all three. The rice cooker/steamer is plugged in and ready for some major cooking and experimenting with quinoa recipes this week and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

Similar Posts:

Home Canning For Beginners – Canning Books, Equipment and Supplies

Grandma — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:58:08 +0000

Home canning and preserving have been around forever, but I’ve only known a couple of people in my lifetime so far who know how to can. Learning how to can fruits and vegetables grown in our organic garden is a relatively new interest of mine, and it only makes sense to learn as much as possible about the basics of canning in order to can correctly the first time around, hopefully.

Being an avid reader with a thirst for knowledge on many different topics, acquiring books on home canning that explain exactly how home canning is done, the needed canning jars and supplies, and of course a variety of tasty recipes for the canned goods is a must-do for canning beginners like me. Fortunately, technology advances have improved the options available for people wanting to begin canning for the first time, where the “old fashioned” way of canning isn’t the only way anymore.

I only have a vague recollection of seeing someone in the process of canning in their kitchen when I was a very young girl, and if memory serves correctly, she was canning by boiling the dickens out of stuff the old fashioned way. Mason jars and lids were everywhere, as were a variety of prepared and seasoned vegetables and fruits, waiting to be put into the canning jars and added to the huge pot of boiling water on the stove.

Growing our own vegetables and some fruits in our garden is a lot of work and very time consuming, but the benefits of organic gardening far outweigh the so-called negatives of needing to spend so much time and getting dirty in the hot summer heat. The fruits of our labor are well worth the time and effort, and being able to preserve foods by canning some of what we grow to greatly increase the shelf-life is a great advantage.

Although we haven’t yet actually begun home canning quite yet, we are in the process of gathering the various supplies and cooking utensils recommended for people wanting to begin home canning. We’re looking into home canning kits and comparing prices and reading reviews on a variety of pressure cookers and boiling canners, in order to make an informed decision of the best way to start canning.

Stocking up on mason jars and lids for successful canning is of course necessary, and we’ve been on a hunt to find where to buy canning jars at the best prices, whether online or in a brick and mortar store. I’ve heard that home canning equipment and supplies can sometimes be found rather cheaply online, on eBay and other sites, so we’ll be checking those listings out soon for best prices and shipping costs.

We’ve been putting our power juicer to good use with some of the organic fruits and vegetables from our garden and others bought at local farmers markets that we aren’t growing ourselves, and starting home canning for the sometimes overabundance of foods grown just seems to be the next natural step. Home canned jams and jellies are absolutely delicious, without all of the added “junk” found in store-bought varieties, and having tasted a few samples of veggies preserved by home canning makes canning our own that much more enticing.

Having talked to a couple of people who do home canning regularly about what kinds of canning jars to buy and why, it seems most prefer the Ball brand, but one person mentioned liking the Kerr brand better. The wide mouth Ball mason jars get high recommendation, so we’ll be getting quite a few of those, along with the bands and lids that are necessary.

It’s only natural that there should be some sort of checklist of things to have on hand when beginning home canning, whether canning is done the old fashioned way or by using products like pressure canners/cookers etc. Checking off our list of things to buy is only a matter of time, once we’ve carefully considered and reviewed consumer reviews of home canning supplies and equipment, and of course compared prices.

Besides the items mentioned already, we already have some of the commonly used kitchen gadgets and utensils that are recommended for canning at home. Dutch oven or large kettle, colander, cooking spoons, heat proof rubber spatulas, measuring cups and mixing bowls, cutting board and knives and so on. We’ll need to get lid rims, a wide mouth funnel, food mill, sieve, waterproof labels and label maker, and maybe even a bakers cooling rack.

Having an extra refrigerator/freezer allows us to take home canning and freezing to whole new level, and I can hardly wait to get started. A friend told me to be sure to buy a good quality waterbath canner with rack included, which (to me) looks like a large stew pot my mom used to have, so that’s one more item to add to my home canning checklist.

I’m excited to try out some of the delicious sounding recipes I’ve seen online from canning “experts”, and once we’re confident that our efforts of learning how to can at home have been a success, we plan to share some of what we’ve made by giving some away as thoughtful gifts to others.

Similar Posts:

Garage Saling is Supposed to be Fun, Right?

Grandma — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:25:29 +0000

Going garage saling can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re able to find some really good stuff at the garage sales you come across and the prices are reasonable. As much fun as it has been driving around neighborhoods checking out local garage sales over the years, and finding some great stuff to buy, the work and time involved in actually having a garage sale of our own isn’t something I’m really looking forward to.

We’ve been discussing plans to have a garage sale in coming weeks, and we’re just in the beginning stages of deciding what all we will sell and how much we will try and sell things for. It’s incredible how much stuff can be accumulated in a seemingly short period of time, but it’s become apparent to us that it’s time to get serious and plan a garage sale.

The weather is getting nicer as springtime and summer approaches, so it’s really the perfect time to get our thoughts together, get organized and start collecting the things we hope to sell into one area in order to start pricing each item. Planning a garage sale is hard work and takes a lot of time to schedule, arrange everything that will be sold in some sort of organized way, add price tags, schedule newspaper ads, make garage sale signs and run around sticking the sign posts into the ground for all to see.

We still have to make some room in the garage by getting rid of a couple large items that take up too much space, mostly likely by donating the stuff or maybe even taking the stuff to the dump if that’s even an option. There are actually things that even the city dump won’t take; figures.

It will be nice when the garage sale is all over and done with, and we can relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor by putting the money into savings. As tempting as it might be to just spend the money made from having the garage sale, we’re going to smart and frugal minded, especially considering the way this crazy economy has been. Prices are going up on virtually everything and it’s not looking like there will any improvement any time soon.

Having a garage sale now and getting rid of things we really don’t need and don’t use for whatever reason, will not only earn us a few dollars that could be put to much better use later on, but also frees up the space taken up by all the “stuff” we’ve managed to accumulate. Sometimes I wonder where all the stuff came from, but there’s no point in dwelling on that.

Since I’ve already had garage sales before in years past, and have helped other people have a successful garage sale, I know what things are necessary to do in preparation for a really great sale. Once the big stuff taking up so much space in the garage is gone for good, we’ll be able to focus on setting up tables in the garage and begin arranging everything on the tables, hanging clothes on hangars that aren’t already hung up and so on.

Once it appears that we’ve gathered up everything we intend to sell in the garage sale, we’ll have a much better idea of what specific weekend to hold the sale and for how many hours each day, arrange local newspaper ads to promote the sale, decide on the small amount of cash we’ll likely need when customers pay and need change for their purchases.

We’re very confident that the garage sale will be a success, and considering getting rid of some of the knickknacks will reduce the amount of dusting around the house, I’m all for getting rid of some of the stuff that just creates more work for me. Less cleaning and dusting that is necessary each week will definitely be an appreciated change by me, freeing up my time and schedule to do things I actually enjoy doing. Like gardening, sewing, reading and writing, amongst others.

Similar Posts:

Top 5 Gadgets for Grandma

Grandma — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:40:24 +0000

As you may already know, some grandmas are pretty much set in their ways. It’s hard for them to embrace “new school” applications, especially when it comes to technology—some find all those fancy tech gadgets and accessing the World Wide Web a tad bid too complicated.

But there are in fact special gadgets that are designed with Grandma in mind. To learn the top 5 grandma-user friendly tech gadgets that she might want to try, continue reading below.

5. The TKO Door Knob Turner. This low tech but highly effective gadget is designed to make turning doorknobs, faucets and valves a simpler task–a perfect gadget for grandmas who suffer with arthritis or for frail grandmas who have minimal manual strength. Price: $22.95

4. Kodak Pulse digital picture frame. It’s no mystery that grandmas love to receive photos of their grandchildren, but due to social networking sites like Facebook, more than half of all photos get posted online and never see the sight of a decent photo frame. Instead of having to go through the hassle of showing Grandma how to maneuver Facebook so she can view photos of her growing grandchildren, this new digital photo frame from Kodak allows family members to send digital photos from Facebook or via email directly to Grandma’s photo frame. All she needs is Wi-Fi internet access.

3. The Amazon Kindle. For Grandmas who love to read but suffer with poor eye sight, this e-reader may be the perfect solution. This is because it is made with a special “ink” that prevents sun glare and reads just like real paper, unlike computer screens that put strain on the eyes if looked at for too long due to the back light. In addition, the e-reader is light weight and grandmas can download books without having to stress about computer technical difficulties. Price: Starts at $114

2. JitterBug. There is no denying that Grandma needs a cell phone, at the very least for emergency purposes. But if the new smart phones are just too advanced for her, get her a simple JitterBug phone. This phone, which is especially designed for the elderly, has giant buttons and a clear, crisp phone screen— perfect for those who struggle with poor eyesight. If Grandma’s hands are too achy or shaky to scroll down her digital phone book, the phone also has a voice- activation system that will call contacts for her. It also includes an emergency button incase Grandma ever finds herself in an unfortunate predicament. Price: Starts at $99

1. iPad 2. The iPad 2 may seem like a gadget that is too advanced for Grandma, but in actuality it’s the perfect grandma-user friendly device. The large and simple icon buttons are easy enough for her to see and press; in addition the ultra-light weight design allows her to take her iPad wherever she goes. A great alternative to a heavy lap top or desktop computer, grandmas can do a variety of activities on a iPad, including some light reading, download brain exercises to keep their mind fresh to help fight dementia, video chat with children and grand children located in other parts of the country, and watch YouTube videos of their favorite cooking shows in the kitchen, for example. Starts at $499.00

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

Similar Posts:

Submit An Article

Grandma — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:38:44 +0000

“Do you accept guest articles on your Grandma Stories blog? If so, what are the requirements for submitting a guest post?” I’m often asked if would accept guest articles on my blogs. Yes, I do accept guest post submissions on Grandma Stories, and you don’t have to be a grandma to write for this blog. I only ask that potential guest writers carefully review the guidelines and requirements for submitting guest posts here before emailing me to ask questions.

To submit articles for publishing on this blog, guest writers must be careful to follow legal standards for content and use of images within their guest posts, and adhere to a few specific guidelines for guest posts. Submitting guest articles for this blog is easy – just email me through the contact form with any specific questions or post topic ideas and I will respond promptly, or just email me with a copy of the guest article being submitted with whatever image is appropriate for the content.

Guest Article Submission Questions and Answers:

Do guest writers have to have a blog or website of their own? No.

Do you pay for guest posts? No.

Do you require guest writers to agree to write and submit articles on a weekly/monthly basis? No.

How many external links are allowed? Usually two, but sometimes three depending on the length of the article being submitted.

If you have your own website or blog, you can embed a link to it within the guest article and/or linked within your self-written byline paragraph at the bottom of your article that describes you and your site as a way of promoting you and/or your blog site or business.

No affiliate links and no “sponsored posts” are permitted. Guest writers who do not have a website or blog of their own may link to their Facebook page, Myspace page, Twitter page etc, or none at all – it is up to you.

Submit a Guest Article? Why?

Writing guest articles for publication online is a great way of expressing your creativity through words. If you don’t yet have a blog or website of your own but have been considering starting a blog, submitting guest posts helps to “get your feet wet” so to speak. There are many reasons for guest writing on blogs, especially for beginner blog writers wanting to get a couple links pointed at their site to build its search engine rankings.

I often find that people are more creative than they think they are, and writing articles is a great way of expressing that creativity. I’ve had people tell me in detail about a book they read or a product they tried, what they liked or disliked and why, and without even thinking about it for very long they discover they’ve just verbally written a guest article on that topic. When I ask them to write it down or type it out on the computer and send it to me as a guest post, they become very excited about the idea of doing more creative writing projects in one form or another.

Some blog writers are strictly confined within a specific niche on their own blogs and want to widen their horizons by guest posting on other topics of interest to them and others, but don’t want to start a new blog on that topic for various personal reasons.

Before submitting guest articles to me for possible publication on this blog, take the time to consider the kind of articles and subjects that fit best on this site. Grandparenting, Grandparent Visitation Rights, Aging, Health, Recipes, Crafts, Skin Care, Hair Care, Older Women’s Issues, Older Men’s Issues, Gardening, Canning, Recycling, Holidays, Religion/Spirituality, Technology and more. I prefer not to allow guest posts on Politics, nor do I write political opinion articles on any of my blogs, although I’ve been known to share my views on Facebook from time to time.

If you are unsure about a topic you would like to write and submit as a guest post, contact me and ask. I’m pretty easy. Religion, spirituality, bible/scriptural matters relevant to real life and family living are fine, as long as the content of the post is not highly controversial or inflammatory to individual beliefs or that negatively target specific religions or denominations.

Submitted guest articles do not have to be perfect, and I rarely ever reject guest posts unless the article has so many spelling/grammar mistakes that I would end up needing to virtually rewrite the entire article myself. Guest articles are run through spell checker and grammar checker, and I verify outbound link destinations and punctuation. Other than that, no changes will be made to the actual content of your guest article.

Submitted guest articles must be your own original work and must not be republished anywhere else on the web. No duplicate content. Articles are checked for duplicity with copyscape and google. Articles must have a minimum of 650 words, 800 + words are preferred, and image(s) must be free of copyright use restrictions and optimized appropriately. If you have an idea for a guest post you would like to submit, pitch your idea by emailing me through the contact form and I will reply promptly.

Guest articles should be submitted via word doc with desired image(s) attached. Once the submitted article is approved and published on the blog, the author will be notified via email along with a courtesy link to their published article. I retain the legal right to publish, edit or reject any/all article submissions for this site to maintain the integrity and reputation of the site and site owner (me). Guest article submissions requiring extensive editing will be returned to the author for rewriting, and if necessary rejected.

To submit a guest article for publication or if you have further questions about guest posting on my blog(s), email me your questions and check your inbox (or possibly the spam folder as it may filter there) for my prompt reply.

Similar Posts: