I keep reading about how no one wants their parents’ or grandparents’ possessions upon their death. That everything that they collected and everything that was precious to them has no value to family upon their death. What are the odds that children and grandchildren will want their parents’ or grandparents’ possessions? According to a study by 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, and apparently there is such a thing, nearly half of Americans (48% to 49%) would rather inherit nothing at all

I wanted this blog to help new grandparents and new parents maneuver these life passage events. This is one of my favorite blog posts. It contains one of my most important tips! Parents of a second child can use this tip too! Returning to Fort Lauderdale on Jet Blue, our preferred carrier between New York and Florida, a young father (and they are looking younger and younger to this Grandma) was walking up and down the aisle with an adorable baby boy, almost eight months old

A few nights ago, the booming thunder and crashing lightning right above my head made me feel like Chicken Little believing “the sky is falling,” like the song "It's the End of the World as We Know It . In my near eight decades on this earth, I never felt anything like it. The sound of the pounding rain on my Fort Lauderdale home was intense. Visibility was nil. The torrential rains seem stronger and seem to drop huge amounts of water harder and faster than our fragile eart

Recently, I spoke to someone close to me who told me about the experience of losing her son to brain cancer when he was eight years old. They did everything they could. How horrific was the journey to try to save their son that she shared! The memories are vivid and painful still and, in my opinion, may last her lifetime. I picked up The New York Times, and on the front page, Thursday, July 9, 2026, was an article about parents choosing to possibly lose a child, “As Parents

Roughly 252,756 miles away from the earth, a jar of Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread, floated past an astronaut’s head and drifted across NASA’s livestream during the Artemis II lunar flyby this week. This was the subject of a Wall Street Journal, article, Saturday/Sunday, April 11-12, 2026. The author, Ben Cohen, gives us the origin of Nutella. “During a Post war cocoa shortage in the 1940s, an Italian pastry chef named Pietro Ferrero had the genius idea to combine the

Spring has arrived, although in some areas, it seems just like a dream waiting to be realized. Keep this list (and the bonus surprise) so when outdoor time becomes a reality, you remember to appreciate nature and life renewed. Babies (0–12 months) 1. Outdoor blanket time: Lay a blanket on the grass and let them feel the breeze, watch leaves, and listen to birds. 2. Sensory nature basket: Fill a small basket with safe items like soft flowers, big leaves, or grass for to

Enjoy April Fools’ Day 2026 with simple, funny and harmless April Fools’ Day jokes . Here you are, parents and grandparents! They are divided by age group so the humor lands right and stays safe. The adult ones #3 and #5 work for all ages! See the BONUS one at the end! 3. The Endless Toilet Paper Roll Glue or tape the loose end of the toilet paper to the roll so it spins but doesn’t tear off. They’ll keep pulling… and pulling… but nothing separates. HAPPY APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!

As a grandmother, I will do anything to make my grandchildren happy. I knew about MrBeast on YouTube because my then seven-year-old and 13 year-old grandchildren kept showing me all the contests where he was giving away ridiculously large amounts of cash. They were hooked on MrBeast, who has been on YouTube for thirteen years, longer than the ages of my grandchildren when they introduced me to him. When MrBeast announced that he was selling chocolate, of course they wanted th

As many of you may have experienced, when the first grandchild is born, you cannot wait to take them to the circus and other experiences. It is joyful to watch their eyes light up as they see things for the first time. And of course, you take them as soon as you can. We took our oldest grandchild when he was close to four. Please read the blog post, “ Of First Born Children and First Born Grandchildren: Benefits of Loving The First the Longest.” Especially those of you wai

My mother, a Holocaust survivor and daughter of a Kabbalist rabbi from a small town in pre World War II Poland, had a unique outlook on life. It is not unusual that looking back on my childhood and younger adulthood that I realize now her wisdom was rooted in Kabbalah. I just did not know then. I wrote a previous New Year’s blog about my mother and feelings of gratitude. Rereading it reminded me of the wonderful generational life lessons she instilled in me every day that she

When I was researching for board games for 2025, I decided that Wirecutter was the best resource. Then I accidentally came across the fact that Wirecutter for 2025 has listed gifting ideas by age starting at baby and going to adult. Here is the index to all of the alternatives on Wirecutter. I hope this helps finish your last minute Christmas and Hanukkah and holiday shopping. From WIRECUTTER: “The best gifts for kids help them experience the world in new, exciting ways—and g

The photograph is a 1904 depiction of an acquisitive and manipulative Standard Oil (founded by John D. Rockefeller) as an all-powerful...

This Grandma’s eighteen and nineteen year old grandchildren wanted a vacation in the Greek Islands and had no interest in Athens or the...

Having teenage grandchildren is an education. Not necessarily an education that I expected nor that I desired. I did teach middle school...

When my father used to tell my brother and me that he bought a loaf of rye bread for a nickel, and we had to buy a loaf of rye bread for...

During the COVID-19 coronavirus lock down period in March and April, 2020, I interviewed our older grandchildren, two aged 13 and one...

This Grandma has given many cooking and baking tips for grandparents doing so with grandchildren, including cleaning tips, covering...

Eight years ago, January 27, 2013, I wrote a blog post about thank you notes from grandchildren which was then a topic on the Today Show...

When I wrote the last blog post about masks, I really thought it was going to be my last. Now with schools starting in Florida, parents...

Now that we all are spending more time at home, the news today included that we may have another run on toilet paper as the coronavirus...