Category Archives: Fun

Christmas Reflections and Traditions

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Christmas at Our House

As Christmas approaches, I become more and more reflective.

My thoughts return to Christmas Past,

then move on to Christmas Present

and finally,

I try to glimpse at what might be Christmas Future.

  • Christmas Past:

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As a grandparent, the past is chock full of memories of my own holidays as a little girl in NYC…Fifth Avenue magic, Rockefeller Center skating and THE TREE! My mother, brother and I shared our home with my grandmother. While my mom worked Nana, took hold of the home front, and created Christmas memories as only a grandmother can. She was a wonderful cook and loved the Christmas season. She brought with her a strong faith so the  story of Christmas in our house always included the Christ Child along with a visit from Santa Claus.

As years went on, Christmas memories were made in my own home and with my own family. I tried to create the same feeling of Christmas the same way my grandmother had so many years before. My mother and uncle usually celebrated with us…they would come from Florida and enjoy brunch at the Ritz in Chicago, since we had all migrated from New York by then. Cookies were baked, the tree was decorated and stockings were hung. We were very fortunate to all be together. Many Christmas Eves, we attended midnight Mass in bitter cold but with warm hearts.

  • Christmas Present:

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My husband and I are now the “older” generation and we happily celebrate Christmas with our family which includes, a grandchild. It is again been joyful as we are making new memories built on the old ones which included great-grandparents our granddaughter will never know. Our tree is in the same place it has been for the past 20+ years…it is decorated with ornaments that each tell a story of where our family has lived and traveled  since 1977…New York, Florida, Chicago. It has 3000 lights, so in some ways it is my Rockefeller Center right here at home!

  • Christmas Future:

 

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As an old year is coming to an end, I am looking at the future with of course some trepidations which come with age but they are soothed by the loving hugs of my granddaughter and the wonder and amazement that she brings to this house that has seen  the footsteps of those who came before her.

The Christ Child is still here and Santa will soon ring his bells over our house. There is even a blanket of snow on the ground.

The presents still wait to be wrapped…and the best is yet to come!

 

 

 

Christmas Wishes to Jennie

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Homemade with Love by Jennifer Perillo

Merry Christmas Jennie!

And so, my gift to you is a super easy, really one bowl recipe for gingerbread—or should it be called  gingerbread cake? Perhaps I should eat one more slice to try and decide.

via gingerbread cake {a one bowl recipe} – In Jennie’s Kitchen.

If you are at all like me, I am always looking for a gift that is very special at Christmas time when it comes to my family and friends.

Since I love food and trust me most people do…I look for unique cookbooks by unique cooks.

Homemade with Love

is one of those cookbooks.

Jennie Perillo is one of those cooks.

As the year 2013 comes to an end, I am looking back at some of the wonderful people, I have met this year.

Jennie is one of them.

Last spring, I was introduced to Jennie through a group of Instagram bloggers from NYC.

She was launching her first cookbook, Homemade with Love. At first, I was drawn to her by her story.

Jennie had lost her husband suddenly. She and her two daughters were left without their anchor. Jennie found solace in her love of cooking.

As she grieved for her husband, she began to create Homemade with Love.

During her publicity tour, Jennie stopped in Chicago where I live. She did a book signing at a small bookstore.

As luck would have it…I read about the book signing after the fact.

I was so disappointed…

Well, I took to Twitter and sent Jennie a message asking if she was doing any other signings.

“No”!

But I was welcome to stop by her hotel and she would sign my copy.

I was more than thrilled.

Not only did Jennie sign my copy of Homemade with Love but she invited me to a media luncheon which she had prepared in her hotel kitchen. I was actually tasting some of her recipes and they were easy enough to make in this tiny kitchen.

Homemade with Love

I had fallen in LOVE.

I knew when I read about Jennie and read Homemade with Love…I was being reintroduced to my love of cooking again.

You see, I had been an empty nester after taking care of my own family and my mother and now I was helping to parent my granddaughter…I needed to cook again for a family.

Jennie came into my life and resurrected my love of cooking at a moment when I needed a new inspiration to cook again for a family.

Jennie, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and New Year full of new horizons.

Thank you.

Jennifer Perillo

Children, Holiday OverIndulgence…Grandparent Style!

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 Do your children have Santa Claus for a grandparent?

Is there an overindulgent relative in your child’s life?

And do they disregard your requests about gift giving?

I am not quite sure how to handle this type of situation except to be very direct in your requests as a parent.

It seems that there are many parent ideas about what is appropriate when it comes to their children.

In some cases parents do not even agree with each other when it comes to defining what is “overindulgent”.

It seems that grandparents may be the biggest group of overindulgers when it comes to  children, Christmas and Holidays. At least, that was the recent consensus of a group of parents discussing the holiday stresses at my grandchild’s preschool.

It seemed that the grandparents were not deterred by requests of their sons and daughters in their gift giving habits.

As a grandparent, I can understand both sides since I was also a parent of young presents and childrenI remember requesting certain things for my children and making suggestions to their grandparents. I guess I was lucky in that my husband agreed with this approach. So for the most part we did not get “stuff” that was inappropriate and not useful.

Some suggestions

  • Be honest about your feelings
  • Have gift suggestions
  • Perhaps suggest college fund donations, even small ones so as the kids get older and more appreciative of money as a gift, this might become a habit of their grandparents.
  • Be thoughtful and respectful
  • Be empathic and understanding that your relationship with your kids is different than your parents’ relationship with them which is what helps to drive the overindulgence.
  • Be realistic if you have really difficult grandparents…and try to make the best of the situation.

Aunt Annie’s Childcare: When grandma won’t do it your way- Part 1: The overindulgent relative.

Love Story…Theo and Beau

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Theo and Beau

In November, we introduced you to Theo and Beau, a diminutive duo, that subsequently stole the Internet’s heart. As a holiday gift to everyone, the magic continues on blogger Jessica Shyba’s Instagram account.

via 22 New Chapters In The Most Adorable Naptime Love Story Ever.

 

If you have not seen this photo stream of Theo and Beau, you are missing a delightful experience!

Jessica Shyba has captured the innocence of a child and his dog…both of whom are attached to each other and are each other’s soul-mate at nap time.

For the holidays…if you are looking into getting a dog…please consider going to your local ASPCA or Animal Shelter and rescue a puppy or an older dog that needs a home. Mixed breeds make wonderful family members.

Pets are known to actually lower your blood pressure and make you more relaxed…they help people especially those who are older, stay healthier because they live on a schedule of eating and exercising…they are also less lonely.

Make a pet choice carefully, the shelters will help you to understand the responsibilities of pet ownership and make an appropriate choice.

Happy Holidays!

Weekend…Christmas, Kids, Consumerism

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Chicago Xmas State Street

Christmas and Holidays can pose a dilemma especially for those of us with children. What is meant to be a time of joy and giving can become a time of stress and “gimme, gimme”.

So, I was overjoyed to see this post and thought I would share it with those of you who want to share some of these points with your own children….or grandchildren.

So it got me thinking – what do I want my kids to really know about Christmas?  And because I started thinking that led to me making a list for my kids. Which I’m sharing with you today.

via finding joy: 25 Things I Want My Kids to Know About Christmas..

 

 

In keeping with my consumerism theme this week, I am posting a link to one of my favorite bloggers and writers, Annie Urban.

She makes an excellent effort to “quell” consumerism in her home with her own children. This, mind you, is no easy task and it is certainly made easier if you have all the family together in support…especially the grandparents, aunts and uncles and all who dote on your kids.

But then the Christmas commercials started. Not in December, not in late November, but back in October or maybe even September. And that is when the chorus began. It didn’t matter what type of plastic crap was being advertised, they wanted it, they needed it, it was the best thing ever.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday Again…Kids and Safety

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Car Seat Safety for Kids

To me, there are few things more important than car seat safety since kids spend and enormous amount of time in cars.

Here is a must see video for new parents and seasoned parents as well as grandparents and any child caregiver.

car seats, safety first My go to person for car seat information is “The CarSeat Lady“. She is in my opinion the best information source for parents when they are choosing a carseat and when they want information in its proper installation and use.

“Naughty Nana”…A Beautiful Kid’s Book for the Holidays

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naughty nana

Naughty Nana

Guest Blog

By Saralyn Richard, Author of Naughty Nana

Naughty Nana is available from the website:  https://www.palmcirclepress.com.  

 

NAUGHTY NANA is a children’s book based on the real-life interactions of our grandchildren with Nana, our Old English sheepdog.  Writing it was a truly joyful experience.

Observing childhood through a grandmother’s lens has given me fresh insights, as I watched my grandchildren’s willingness to connect fully with animals.

Now, I realize how vital it is for children to experience positive messages while forming relationships, which are trusting and supportive with both people and pets.

Nana, the puppy, speaks for herself.

Her exasperating antics are not as amusing to Grammy and Papa as they are to Jason and Gaby, who recognize that Nana is child-like in her desire to “just have fun”.  The children’s visit with their grandparents and with Nana creates a dynamic in which everyone learns and grows.

Naughty Nana is available from the website:  https://www.palmcirclepress.com.