September 24 marks the beginning of Take a Child Outside Week, a national program to help children understand and appreciate the environment, and build enthusiasm for its exploration. Allowing children to play freely in nature helps them develop a sense of wonder about the world, improves their focus in school, and reduces the risk of obesity. (more…)

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Grandparents Volunteering in the Classroom More and more grandparents are volunteering in the classroom, and the result is beneficial for both the...

Grandparent Advantage Class The Grandparent Advantage: Staying Close and Connected with Your Children and Grandchildren Last fall...

National Grandparents Day Founder Marian McQuade National Grandparents Day falls on September 13 this year. Last September I wrote my first “Go-To Grandma”...

4 Exercises to Do with Your Grandchildren Last December I finally decided to add a strength-building routine to my fitness schedule. I’ve been...

For those of us in the northern hemisphere the autumnal equinox occurs today. There are many ways to help children appreciate the changes that Fall brings and enjoy the outdoors before it gets too cold and wet. So go outside for a walk and give your kids and grandkids a chance to witness the changing landscape up close. (more…)

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Vacation Journals Save Precious Memories From the time I was a young child, family vacations with my parents and grandparents were a summer ritual....

Conversation with Adair Lara On Sunday, May 3, 2009 Adair Lara will be the guest speaker at our GaGa Sisterhood meeting in San Francisco....

Granny Camp is a Big Success This summer Granny Camps are being held all across America. Our grandkids are on summer break and their...

7 Ways to Say Congratulations, You’re Going to be Grandparents Eight years ago we were celebrating my daughter's birthday. After opening all of her presents, she told...

I love sharing great finds, and Cannon Beach, Oregon is a spectacular find for the whole family. I’d never heard of this charming resort town until last June.  I was browsing through the bookshelf in the Yosemite Falls gift store and picked up a copy of 1000 Places To See Before You Die. I flipped to the section on the Oregon coast. I was planning to be in Portland for my cousin’s wedding and wondered where else I could explore after her wedding. I read the descriptions of Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, and Ecola State Park and made a note to do more research when I got home. (more…)

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Run for the Seals on March 13 A friend who's a race director sent me information about an upcoming event that sounds fun for grandparents...

Strengthen Family Bonds with Stories This year share some family stories at your holiday celebrations. It’s a wonderful low-cost form of...

Yosemite with the Grandkids—Camping or Comfort? My husband and I just spent three glorious days in Yosemite celebrating our 41st anniversary. The last...

Kids’ Imaginations Take Off with Cardboard Cartons Patty Fisher, San Jose Mercury News columnist, wrote a great column about the simple pleasure children...

What a wonderful meeting of the GaGa Sisterhood we had! And how appropriate that we met on National Grandparents Day. Thirteen of us sat in a circle and took turns responding to our topic: Who Are You When You’re Not Grandma?

Before we began, I explained that Grandparents Day was not dreamed up by Hallmark, as many of our members thought, but founded thirty years ago by Marian McQuade, a grandmother of 43 grandchildren. (more…)

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Tales from the Sandwich Generation On the morning of our May 3 GaGa Sisterhood meeting, I received several "regrets" calls from members...

GaGa Sisterhood Ezine Receives All Star Award I was just informed that the GaGazine, our monthly online GaGa Sisterhood newsletter, has been named...

Grandparents — Let’s Have Our Say! At our July GaGa Sisterhood meeting twenty grandmas engaged in a lively discussion that was long overdue:...

GaGa Sisterhood Featured in Parenting on the Peninsula A year ago I attended the 70th birthday celebration of a good friend. At his luncheon I sat next to an...