GS’s daycare added a “cooking” class, he seems to be having a ball.
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So terrific to have these kinds of enrichment opportunities for the little ones.
The older three grandkids (4K, 1st, 2nd grades) are in a new school - (Christian Cottage) start up nonprofit (they reinvest in their programs in addition to covering all costs of teachers and facility) - classical education, which will get accreditation as soon as allowed - they use a record keeping system that makes them meet requirements for accreditation. On Tuesdays and Fridays (which are their non-uniform days), they include homeschool children that can participate on one or both of these days each week - they do a lot of ‘extras’ during those times. One thing done at various times is crafts, and GS1 (age 6, First Grade) was so proud of the vest he cut and stitched (it is on a Teddy Bear which he has on his bed).
We are so glad this school developed after the abrupt ending of their Catholic School that had a stellar 30 years.
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GD loves cooking with me. Your post reminds me … I want to get an apron with her name embroidered on it. Etsy is very disappointing, because it seems like my searches aren’t turning up small sewing businesses. Does anyone know a better platform to use to find something like this?
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Is there a small business where you live that will do this?
I have not been able to find one. I’m going to go to some craft shows to see if I can find someone.
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If you can’t find someone to sew directly onto an apron, you might be able to get a patch with her name on it and then sew that to an apron.
I have a few friends with pretty sophisticated sewing machines that could easily do it. You could go to a Sew and Vac store and I bet they could do it or know someone who could. Or go to a Bernina retailer. I bet not only would it have her name but also some ‘extras’ like a rolling pin or cake.
My daughter played hockey and another player on the team’s Mom had a big (BIG) embroidery machine. Her business was to personalize things for teams, businesses, etc with names and logos. She sold us all team sweatshirts with their names, team name, numbers etc on them. My daughter LOVED that sweatshirt.
So look in your area for embroidery businesses, sewing machine stores (especially ones that teach classes), maybe even a quilting business as their machines do a lot.
Back in the days of ‘Malls’ we had a mall with a kiosk in the center that did embroidery. I think some dry cleaners that have tailor shops might do some embroidery on uniforms. Oh, ask at uniform supply shops!
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I have now bought about 11 of the spiral bound board books from Pinhole press…one per year for each of the three grandkids. The pages are like board books, practically indestructible, and you can add extra pages. I do a year in the review (e.g. Mike’s 3rd Year) and I make the font size small so that I can fit in lots of words opposite the photo page. I try to do about one photo or more per month, and include shots of the different adventures and places they go. They are a big hit, and I think, SO important since almost all of photos are online…. it’s good to have some in print.
pinhole press runs lots of sales., right now through November 27, 20% off with EARLY20 code. You can also upload your photos to make memory games, etc. (or 25% off with Early25 if your order is over 75$)
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I bought monogrammed aprons on Etsy for both grandkids last year. It was a last minute idea and they came right away from what I believe to be a home business. I hope it’s allowed to mention the Etsy seller - search for sweetsummerbaby. I didn’t spend much and they are adorable. Both kids use them a lot.
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One of the best memories I have of my grandmother (who died 60 years ago) was making pies and tarts. I had my own rolling pin. I would have been overjoyed with an apron or chef’s coat with my name on it.
My friend gave her husband a chef’s coat with his name on it about 10 years ago. He still wears it when entertaining. He would have been about 65 years old then.
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Ok, my SIL is physics geek……
There are different types of “noises”, each with their own acoustical spectrum.
White noise, pink noise, and brown noise.
White noise is like white light. It contain sounds from the entire spectrum of audible sound frequencies. (Just like white light contain light frequencies from the entire visible spectrum.) It’s also called “broadband noise”. White noise is often compared to sound of a vacuum cleaner or window AC running.
Pink noise contains lower frequency sounds; it has a lower pitch than white noise. It has a smoother, more even sound (think falling rain or a waves at a beach) and is considered even better than white noise for promoting sleep in infants.
Brown noise (also called red noise) is even lower pitched than pink noise. It’s rumbly and bass-like. Think heavy thundershower or bathroom shower with high water pressure.
There’s also blue noise, violet noise and gray noise–all of which are in the higher frequenceis with a higher pitch and different level of responsiveness to volume changes.
Research has shown that most babies sleep better with pink noise.
If you have a smart home assistant like a google home, amazon area or a apple HomePod, you can simply ask the assistant to “play pink noise” and it will run a loop that lasts about 8-12 minutes, You can tell the assistant to play it on a continuous loop until you tell it to stop.
D and SIL used to do play pink noise on Alexas for the twins before they got a Hatch.
/lecture
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Perhaps you can do a local search for “monogramming and personalized gifts” - Facebook or maybe Google; with our local place, I purchase items and have them personalize. They sell stuff in their store as well to personalize; latest items were baby blankets with the baby’s name stitched on one corner (for GD2 and my niece’s baby). I found the blanket on Amazon, and shared the specific info with the store owner, as she told me she had a hard time sourcing baby blankets.
DH gets hats through them with his local club and they personalize – DD1 had one made up elsewhere (as a gift from our daughter), and the setup fee for that logo ‘belonged’ to my husband with his purchase, so he electronically got the setup stuff sent to him and then shared for our local place and she could load it onto her stitching machine. She has a good source for these hats, so they pay for the hat plus the logo.
DD1 has a sound machine in the kids’ rooms, and they have the sound up pretty high with loud ‘swoosh’ noise - it is something they all have gotten used to and has worked well for them. They also emit enough light that should satisfy the kids. 2YO is a different story - she will climb up to a high dresser to turn on a lamp; she also gets up to change into varying pajamas and will also crawl from her bed into the crib (for GD3 when she moves out from parents’ room) - she is an active busy girl. She has to be asleep before sibling put to bed in that room.
GD2 started to really walk last Monday. She is beginning to say few words, “hat” for hot, “dia” for diaper, ma, dad, tried to say “po-po” and her sister’s name. Her favorite word is “that.” It could mean anything.
Next week GD1 is coming to spend the weekend with me. She said she needs to stay at least 2 days with me, but would prefer 5. D1 said, “that’s moving in.” I am just happy that GD1 likes to spend time with me. Of course she gets to do whatever she wants with me, but that’s besides the point.
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Seriously? I know a little bit of physics, too. Your post tone was very disrespectful.
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I want to be a grandma like you 
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I apologize if my post came across as disrespectful. I simply thought it was fascinating to learn about the physics of acoustics via all the different types of noise.
I don’t know why but the idea of noise being “pink” has always made me giggle.
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Yesterday I went with D & Nashville GD to see a wonderful performance of Beauty & The Beast. I asked to take them a few months ago because I remembered it was D’s first Broadway performance in the ‘90s and my mother had been with us on that trip, so a three generation experience. GD was so delighted, as was I, to have our own 3 generation experience. I love gifts like this because it was a gift for us all. Wish the 2 FL GDs could have been with us as well, but you can’t have it all.
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I love that you were able to go with your D and GD to see Beauty and the Beast!
Beauty and the Beast was the first musical we took D1 to when she was 5 years old. I remember that she didn’t make one peep during the entire first half. At intermission I asked her if she liked it and she said it was the best thing she had ever seen in her life 
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On one of the evening performances (where some friends went - driving up to Nashville from Huntsville AL), they reported: “We went to see Beauty and the Beast in Nashville. At the end of the show, Kyra Belle Johnson, who played Belle, announced a special guest… and then SUSAN EGAN - the original Broadway Belle - came out and sang with her!!!”
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I have a daughter who loves theater and anything done in a theater (ballet, musicals, plays) and movies. I think the first musical we went to was Annie, and by the end she and the other kids were standing on their seats belting out “Tomorrow, Tomorrow”
Last summer I went to Frozen (with my sister, as it has a sister theme) and I enjoyed seeing all the kids in their costumes (why wouldn’t one ‘dress’ for the theater?) as much as the show. I thought they should have had an audience sing-a-long for the finale as clearly we all knew the words and wanted to Let it GO.
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