When I transferred my Grandma Ideas from my previous Internet provider to my current one, I lost some of the content.  Not their fault.  Totally all mine. At that time, I tried to re-post all of the content I had previously put up.

However, I recently went through an old e-mail from one of my favorite college roommates.  She wrote about what she has done for her granddaughters.  I’ve looked back through my old postings and in my skimming, I can’t see one with this idea.  If I have posted it before and you remember it, sigh.  That’s just the way it goes.  I’m just hoping that my new readers since then will enjoy this.

Grandma Dani wrote:  “I moved to a new home that has a large walk-in closet upstairs that we don’t use.  I told my granddaughters that I have a secret garden at my house.  Inside the closet, I have a dresser with dress-ups, dolls, and toys that they love.  I also painted a big tree on the wall and hung Christmas lights that my husband connected to the light switch so they go on with the light.  I put magnetic boards on one of the walls with magnets and pictures of all the little cousins.

“When the girls come to visit, they run upstairs to see “their place” before doing anything else.  They spend a lot of time there playing when they are staying here.  When they tell mom they miss Grandma, they mention their garden.  Sometimes I tell them that a birthday present or special surprise is waiting in their secret place and they always get excited.  One day Savannah called long distance and  was crying and said she was having a terrible day.  I told her I would go into the secret garden and think about her and send her some love.  (She’s only 4, the idea helped her!)  Having their own space at our home has been a great connection! ”

Thanks for sharing, Dani!!

I loved Dani’s idea of painting a tree on the wall and then having the Christmas lights.  I’m thinking of making a ‘Harry Potter’ room in the space under our stairs.  Having Christmas lights there would be great fun.

Dani’s comment about having a magnetic board with magnets and pictures of the cousins got me thinking.  Wouldn’t it be great to have paper dolls with the faces of the cousins?  With some help from the following pages, I’m sure all of you creative grandmothers will be able to make them.

Design Your Own Paper Dolls

Paper Dolls of Stars, Royalty, Famous Americans, etc.

Printable Paper Dolls

‘Period’ Paper Dolls

Do you remember that last summer I mentioned how my friend, Denise, holds a Grandma Camp for her grandchildren?  She was recently on a local TV program discussing her different camps.  You can get a good idea of some of the great things that she has done by watching this segment. Congratulations, Denise, for getting on TV! You’re famous now . . .

I have grand dreams of creating movies of when our son was married in Hawaii.  But that was over two years ago.  Dreams of making movies of our trips to Tahiti.  To Costa Rica.  To Jamaica.  I’ve started the one for Hawaii but have run into some glitches.  Technology is sweet when it works and frustrating when it doesn’t.

I think I have a work around.

Enter Grandma Kathy from Elk Ridge, Utah.  Grandma Kathy recently went to Disneyland with their children and grandchildren for a family vacation.  Afterward, she collected everyone’s pictures and created a book.  An actual hold-in-your-hand-and-look-at book.  What a novel idea!  (She also created another book with the pictures from her trip to the Mediterranean.)

My first thought always leans toward creating DVDs of these types of events.  But, how many do I have to show for all of my good intentions?  Zero.  How many books has Grandma Kathy created?  A flurry!

As I pondered the pros of a book over a movie, I realized that maybe a book is the best way to go.  Technology advances so quickly that probably in 5 years what I would create now (if I ever got around to creating it!) probably wouldn’t work on the technology of the day.  A book is always accessible. So, I’m thinking about switching to making books instead. (I can’t believe the digital grandmother just said that!)

Grandma Kathy has used both Shutterfly and Snapfish.  (She likes Snapfish better because of the background design for the pages.)  When you use these sites to make a book, you can choose between a professionally bound hard or soft cover books printed with high quality archival paper.  You can choose from a variety of sizes — a 12″ x 12″ memory book down to a 4X4 brag book. Prices range from $13 to $50.  Other options include:

• Padded covers
• A window on the front cover
• A picture on the cover
• Hundreds of backgrounds and layouts
• Drag and drop insertion of pictures
• Additional pages for a small price

If any of you have created books using other online services, please post a comment and tell us about them!

Digi-Gram

(As a sidenote, here is a hilarious clip on YouTube about tech support.  I’ve provided tech support in people’s homes, at my work, over the phone, via e-mail and I identify with the tech support guy in this clip.  This is a classic.  I hope you find it funny, too.)

I’m currently busy recuperating from our son’s wedding, recuperating from a long drive to visit with good friends from Canada who are in the states, and currently busily compiling the list of ‘good books to read’ to grandchildren. However, I do have an idea to share from Grandma Kathleen from Spanish Fork.

I asked her what were some of the fun things that she does with her grandchildren. She said that her grandchildren’s most favorite thing is the treasure chest. Originally, Grandma Kathleen had a box that looked like a treasure chest. She filled it with all sorts of treasures from the dollar store. Then, when her grandchildren come for a visit, they are allowed to select one item from the treasure chest.

What a fun idea!

She said that the treasure chest was rather flimsy and didn’t last very long. She now just has a basket. Regardless, her grandchildren still enjoy selecting a treasure from the basket.

I did a quick search on the Internet and found a plastic treasure chest that is 19 inches long, 13 inches wide, and 14 inches tall for $20 at Century Novelty. Here is a link to view the chest:

http://www.centurynovelty.com/detail_265_209-617.html

Argh, matey. Shiver me timbers . . . young buccaneers will enjoy getting loot from this chest. Ye might be thinkin’ of gettin’ one for ye own gran’children.

Ol’ Bluebeard herself,
Digi-Gram