Category: grandparents

Button Jars, are they Obsolete?

~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

Both of my grandmothers and my mother used to keep a jar full of buttons. I loved their button jars, chock full of miscellaneous sizes and colours of buttons. Of course in those days spare buttons were much more useful, you never knew when you might need one. These days it is more common or acceptable to run out and buy a new piece of clothing from which the buttons are missing. Or at least a new package of buttons. Does the younger generation know how to sew on a button?

This recollection of button jars bubbled to the surface of my memory recently when my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter was “helping” me sort through my sewing drawers.

She loves pulling out each tiny drawer to inspect the contents and is especially fascinated with the buttons. And she loved the fact that most of the drawers contained at least one button. An hour later we had all the buttons, from each drawer, scattered on the floor…

button jars

Then came the chore of putting all the buttons into two (they would not all fit into just one) drawers and putting them away. That step took a while, she did not want to relinquish those buttons!

button jars

A few hours later she asked to go play with the buttons again. I think we’ve discovered her new favourite toy! Button jars are not obsolete, at least not in this house.

Things to do with Kids During a Pandemic

~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

Are you having a difficult time keeping your kids or grandkids entertained during the pandemic? Luckily for me, my grandchildren love the outdoors and nature, giving us lots of options to choose from. We have discovered lots of things to do with kids in tow.

Last week we took a road trip to my grandparents farm where they could run around outside while I had a socially distanced visit with my aunt and uncle.

This week we stayed in Ottawa, driving a short jaunt to the Log Farm. Pandemic precautions were in place, but fairly inconspicuous for the children.

  • lots of hand sanitizer around the spacious farmyard
  • masks are mandatory in the gift shop and indoor bathroom, but not outdoors
  • tickets purchased online to control the number of visitors
  • two 90-minute sessions are available with farm yard activities cleaned between sessions
  • attractions, activities well spaced out to encourage social distancing
  • outdoor bathrooms available

It was a beautiful fall day, perfect for checking out the animals and exploring the farm yard activities. Check out the pictures!


Another popular outing for us takes advantage of the many groomed woodland trails throughout the Ottawa area. My grandkids love to wander through the forests and across the wetland boardwalks, feeding the birds and looking for frogs, turtles, and the like.

feeding chipmunks
feeding birds
looking for frogs
looking for frogs
calling the birds

Hazeldean Woods is right in my neighbourhood, so readily accessible and on my list of things to do with kids. Now that kids are allowed back on play structures at the city parks, we can walk to the park and through the woods. And back to Grandma’s house, without encountering the Big Bad Wolf!

            Hazeldean Woods

When the weather keeps us indoors, baking is always a hit, especially the mixing bowl clean-up and taste testing!

By the way, in case you were wondering, the feature picture (top of article) is a reflection of my 3.5-year-old grandson and me looking for frogs, lying on our tummies on a boardwalk, along one of the mentioned trails. Just one of the many things to do with kids.

Nail Polish and Granddaughters

~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

Having raised three sons, but no daughters, I am really enjoying the girly activities my two granddaughters currently bring to my life. Nail polish and granddaughters just seem to go together.

Case in point, recently they polished my nails. The younger of the two granddaughters got very creative painting my fingernails. She couldn’t decide between green and purple, so did both, resulting in a camouflaged, bicoloured look. Pretty cool and artistic for a two-and-a-half-year-old.

nail polish
nail polish

The older granddaughter painted my toenails at the same time her cousin worked on my fingers. This granddaughter will be seven very soon, so is much more vigilant and precise with the placement of the nail polish. Although she too had a hard time sticking to just one colour, so I got pink on one foot and purple on the other, both with a sparkly coating on top:

I love their creativity. Who needs a nail salon? Not me! As long as my granddaughters come to visit, the nail polish will come out. I guess I’d better stock up, some of my bottles are ancient and dried up, and definitely need replacing. Perhaps Santa will bring us all some in our stockings this Christmas.