I have a niece that is uber creative to the nth degree.  Times that by a gazillion.  (Let me rephrase that:  I don’t have just one creative niece.  I have a plethora of creative nieces — and creative daughter and daughters-in-law!)

Back to my niece.  Stephanie held a Valentine’s Exchange with her friends similar to the activity of exchanging Valentine’s like everybody did when they were in grade school (an activity that has gone to the wayside because we grow-up and mature).  She asked her guests to bring any type of Valentine that they would like to give to the other party guests.

Instead of the cheesy Valentines with cutesy critters or movie and cartoon characters, her guests made little gifts.  One made mini spa treatments; one made earrings; one shared a jar of homemade salsa with some chips; one made a heart shaped decoration.

Stephanie had heart shaped sugar cookies to decorate and pink and red sodas to drink.  Of course there was an assortment of Valentine candy to eat.  Yum!

This would be a fun idea to do with your teen-aged granddaughters.  They might have other plans for the actual day (as in going on a date with someone special) so you might want to do it on another day before Valentine’s Day. This exchange could be a great activity for a Saturday afternoon.  Or even Saturday morning where they come for a brunch.  (Just be sure that it’s not too early.  Your granddaughters probably like to sleep in!)

Take this idea.  Bend it.  Shape it.  Any way you like it.  (Can you name the song those phrases mimic??) Make this YOUR activity to fit your situation with your grandchildren.  Share Valentine’s — and love — with those special granddaughters in your family.

And maybe reminisce and giggle over the sweethearts everybody had in grade school.

Will you be able to spend Valentine’s Day with your grandchildren? I sure hope so.  Eating chocolate candy and getting hugs and kisses from Grandma are great activities for this holiday.

Family Education has some Valentine’s Day printables: cards (lots of ‘em), word searches, dinner place cards, alphabet Valentines, a Valentine Basket, party invitations, a quiz, a calendar, a shadow box, a heart mobile, and lots, lots more!

If your grandchildren live far away, you might want to print some of these printables up and then mail them in a Valentine’s Day package to them.

You might want to print off some of the Valentine Bingo cards that I have made, too.

If you live near your grandchildren, you can give them a ‘heart attack.’  Make arrangements with their mother to let you into their bedroom after they have gone to sleep the night before Valentine’s Day.  Put valentines (that you have cut out of red, pink, and white paper) all over their bedroom.  Sprinkle Hershey’s kisses and little heart candies all over.  You might want to include a couple of red and pink helium balloons with a note that says something about the heart attack being ‘brought to you by your loving grandma.’  (Be sure to save out some kisses for yourself . . .)

Here’s a cute idea of a Valentine’s mouse that you could make with your grandchildren.

Grandma Lizzie has a great idea for a count down calendar to Valentine’s Day.  What a unique idea!!!

I hope you can find a few activities here to do with your grandchildren!

Snow was supposedly in the weather forecast for today.  Nary a flake came.  A storm is predicted for tomorrow.  And Wednesday.  And Thursday.  If the storms for the next three days are as snow prolific as they were today, the snowplow drivers might have to take up knitting.

You don’t have to depend on the weather to get snow — or at least snowflakes.  You can make your own by cutting out paper ones!

Here are my directions for cutting lacy snowflakes.   Folding the paper the way I show you is the secret to making six-sided snowflakes.  (You don’t want to cut snowflakes like the ones you did in the second grade now do you?)    And remember:  the more paper you cut away, the lacier your snowflake will be.

Before you invite your grandchildren over to cut snowflakes,  you might want to head down to your local copy center to buy some colored paper.  Fuschia, lime green, or daffodil yellow snowflakes would be a hoot to cut!  Who says they have to be all white?

So, cut up a storm with your grandchildren!  But watch out.  I bet you can’t cut just one — it’s rather addictive.  Make sure you have lots of paper.

Happy cutting!

I am so not an artist.  I struggle to makie stick figures look like stick figures. . . But, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate fine art work when I see it.

I have recently come across the fabulous site Feed Your Soul.  Jen, the site owner, knows that when money is tight (as it is in our current economy) that money usually isn’t spent on non-essentials.  But sometimes it’s those non-essentials that bring sunshine to our souls.

Jen’s purpose is to bring a smile to your face and brighten your day.  (I personally think she has accomplished that goal!  At least she has for me.)

Since she isn’t an artist herself, she has asked some of her artistic friends (almost 75) to share one of their art pieces that could be printed up and framed.  (Do you have 75 artistic friends??  I don’t even think I have that many friends!)  Those friends have so kindly agreed and Jen has made them available for download in PDF format on her site.

Here are a few that I absolutely love:

• the little old lady and little old man shown above  (I identify with them) by K*Smith
• “Home is wherever my books are” by Stephanie Fizer
• the little girl with balloons by Shira Sela
• the hot air balloon one by Ellen Currier
• two owls by Amy Ruppel
• an orange by Stephanie Nance
• a snowman by Angela Traunig

Such a fun and artistically pleasing site!  I’m sure you’ll agree with me — as will your granddaughters.

Here are my ideas as to how you, dear grandmothers, can use this site with your grandchildren.  (Probably just your granddaughters.  I think the artwork would appeal more to the females in your family . . .)

Have a printing party!  Get together with your granddaughter and print up one of the pictures that she likes.  Have a frame handy that she could put it in.  (Of course you have gone shopping together beforehand to select the frame.  Of course.)  If you are really skilled, get a frame that could be painted to match the colors in the print.

Print up several so that your granddaughter can create a wall grouping.

Print up several and frame in one frame that has matting areas for multiple pictures.

And don’t forget about you.  Print up your favorites to decorate your home with, too.

Jen, thanks so much for sharing with us.  We are blessed because of your kindness!