From the archives: Four for Valentine's Day

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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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Simple skeletons

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Simple skeletons

We're officially one week away from Halloween, and I haven't put up or out or on one single holiday decoration. With all the truly scary stuff going on in our country and beyond right now, it seems rather silly to add some faux frights to the mix. And especially silly — well, especially a waste of time, to be honest — when the chances of grandkids of mine arriving at my door for a quick trick-or-treat or visit of any sort during Halloween season are zilch, nada, zero.

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Pinterest prize find: Build a Dinosaur

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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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DIY gift: Creative and colorful coffee cups

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DIY gift: Creative and colorful coffee cups

On the lookout for inexpensive DIY goodies for holiday gifts? (And who isn't?) Here's an idea that went over swell for my youngest daughter's birthday this past summer.

Andrea loves coffee as much as her mother. For her birthday in July, she requested a set of special cups from which to drink and share her favorite breakfast drink. She even directed me to some ideas on Pinterest.

I accepted the challenge, tweaked a few Pinterest pictorials, and came up with these—a unique gift that cost less than $10.

diy coffee cups

What you need:

• Inexpensive, white ceramic mugs...

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Balloon pong: Cheap, easy, and hours of fun!

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Balloon pong: Cheap, easy, and hours of fun!

In many parts of the country (and world), winter time is when kiddos need plenty of things to do indoors as it's too chilly outside. Where my grandsons live, though, indoor fun is a must in the summer as triple digit heat often prevents outdoor play.

Whatever time of year children are stuck inside with little to do—whether it's because the weather is hot, cold or rainy—balloon pong is an easy and inexpensive way to provide hours of play.

balloon games for kids 

WHAT YOU NEED

  • Paper plates (one per child)
  • Craft sticks, the thick ones that look...
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Now is the time: Grandma Mail boxes

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One of the more popular posts here on Grandma's Briefs has long been one in which I write about the little mailbox I made for Bubby to receive mail from Gramma. I've since made one for Mac, too — and should probably getting moving on Jak's, as well.

 grandma mail boxes

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I'm here today to tell you that if you want to create a Grandma Mail mailbox for your grandchildren, now is the time to stock up...

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Super simple DIY gift: Coffee Hand Scrub

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Grandmothers and others who regularly deal with those germ-filled critters we call children wash their hands a lot. Even folks who don't interact with kiddos often wash their hands a lot. Or so I hope, considering all the crud out there of late. Crud that the passing along of can be cut down on by washing one's hands. Often.

coffee hand scrub

With all that handwashing going on, we're a nation with dry hands. Mine certainly are. Which is why I love this easy-to-make and...

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Thursday triple-play: Getting crafty

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I'm not the most crafty of grandmas. I used to enjoy making things from scratch, sewing up this and that, trying my hand at crochet and paper mâché and more.

easy homemade holiday gifts

Long and involved do-it-yourself projects no longer appeal to me, though. So I tend to go for crafts and homemade gifts that are relatively simple, don't require a whole heckuva lot of know-how and nimbleness. 

I've shared a few...

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My Pinterest: Hands, thumbs, feet

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I kind of go through phases with Pinterest. When I spend too much time on there, everything starts to look the same. The recipes. The crafts. The quotes.

hands, thumbs, feet Pinterest board

I recently returned to perusing the pins, though, after having taken a break of sorts. Not a conscious, intentional fast of any sort. I just have had...

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