GrannyXpress

Into the Garden I Go….

Filed under: GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, organic garden, GrannyXGardens @ May 12, 2008 10:39 am by healthiacynthia

In times past I have enjoyed many granny gardens– my own grandmothers both gardened, one being what I would call a “master gardener”. Gran Rempel came from a long line of ‘horticulturalists‘, many of whom trained at the University of Guelph, where I see you can now gain an on-line and distance certificate in various landscaping, horticulture and golf/turf subjects. Very interesting!

I always look in EBay for items that I find elsewhere but know I can get less expensively from EBay– example being, good quality gardening gloves, bulk, or a gardening apron (with a place for seeds, tools, gloves, kneepads), and maybe an industrial pressure sprayer that some old gardener no longer needs.

Rebounding back into Life…

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, GrannyXRebounds @ February 15, 2008 5:08 pm by healthiacynthia

Today this granny came back all jazzed up with a new haircut… I had spent the morning ‘volunteering’ with the local Maternity Home (an offshoot of the Pregnancy Care Centre– called Chartis House, it reaches out to homeless pregnant women who need an oasis within the desert of hard-knocks life– women who are in recovery from drugs and the street-life) where P. used her exemplary hair-cutting skills and gave me a great ‘do’. I walked in and jumped on to the rebounder in my office for a few minutes of bounces. You can read about the benefits of ‘cellular exercise’ in the book Looking Good, Feeling Great, or you can just take it from me that rebounding is a great way to build up your cardivascular fitness.

I bought my Cellerciser from the inventor David Hall and have been extremely happy with it. It folds up so that I can take it with me when I go to stay with my grandkids or when I go to our Church’s annual week of camping (where I camp in a motel room haha). It has great bounce, unlike the cheap-y mini-trampolines that can actually injure your back when you jump on them. It is also constructed with special materials in the springs and the “skin” so as to be practically un-wreckable. You can read/here more about it here.

If you already have a rebounder that works for you but you aren’t using it, maybe you need some help with a workout? Looking Good, Feeling Great has a mass of great simple workouts, but if you would like something on DVD that gives you a little more of a workout, then I would suggest you might want to check out the First Timers; Urban Rebounding featuring J. B. Berns. Something about that beat really gets you working those cells– but in a nice way that doesn’t kill us grannies!

If you want to check out the good rebounders on eBay, click below… if the specific auction is over, just do a search for “rebounders”. Enjoy yourself– life is short and sweet!

Organic really is what to wear…

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, organic @ February 10, 2008 5:56 pm by healthiacynthia

Tip from my hippie son: wear organic! Grandmothers should also buy organic items (toys, clothes, treats) for their grandkids… wouldn’t you want them to have the best of the non-toxic world?

Here are some finds on eBay: (if the bid is over when you get here, just do a search for what you would like to buy organic on the same widget below:)

Vacuum Cleaner Deals

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Suggests, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, GrannyX Comforts, Kirby Vacuum @ January 26, 2008 7:37 pm by healthiacynthia

Last week we had a call from the rug cleaners asking if they could do our rug for free in exchange for some referrals to friends. My husband took the call.

The upshot is that we DID have our rug done, and a fine job it was too (friends out there– please use this service! Call and we’ll give you the information). The guy showed us all the gunk that came from the carpet after we had vacuumed (supposedly??) with our cheap-o little cannister, and also vacuumed the dead skin from our mattress (eeeew). Did we buy the vacuum cleaner they were REALLY SELLING? Well, remember, my husband took the call. He showed the fellow how much the vacuum was selling for on EBay (about 1/5 of their cost– over $2000) and then the unexpected happened. The cleaner/salesman said, “Thank you , thank you! I KNOW this is an excellent vacuum but I really hate trying to strongarm older folks who are either senile or on a fixed income… this gives me a way out!” And he left quite pleased with himself. It was a very weird sort of WIN-WIN situation. Take a look at the brand and when you do your research, you will find that they do get an excellent consumer rating on the internet:

GrannyX LOVES A DEAL…

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Loves Vita-Mix, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY @ January 7, 2008 11:36 am by healthiacynthia

My son Conrad was home over the Christmas break and he made the whole clan delicious and nutritious Green Smoothies every morning with my trusty Vita-Mix. Because I sooo love the Vita-Mix and use it daily, I became an affiliate so that I can promote its many benefits to others. But I happen to know that if Conrad buys one, he will probably get it over the Bay, because that is the kind of guy he is. You might be looking for a good deal here too. Go ahead and check out my Vita-Mix affiliate site here, and then come back and compare with the possible auction deals below:

Remember, that to see the articles on the above eBay-to-go widget, you just click on the picture as it comes up. It will take you right to the specific picture, where you can bid, or look around. New to eBay?
 Take a look, and then register to become a bidder. It’s a secure and easy process with this proviso: Always look for sellers with a good ratio of positive feedback (I’d say never under about 98% is what I would look for because the competition is high and I would prefer to get the seller with the best rep over someone who might seem to be offering an unbelievable deal who has a less stellar rep).
If you already have a Vita-Mix, you might want to subscribe to my Whirled Soup newsletter so you can get yummy, tummy-warming recipes delivered right to your email box twice a month. Click here to sign up for the recipe newsletter. Go to the Whirled Soup blog and sign up in the left hand frame.

Raggedy Ann Revisited

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Suggests, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, GrannyX Dolls @ January 6, 2008 9:46 pm by healthiacynthia

When my eldest son was little his great-grandmother gave him a Raggedy Andy doll. I have no idea what became of that doll. We moved a lot and he must have got left behind… I am finding that that is my legacy having allowed my husband to do a lot of the packing up whenever we moved (while I looked after the children).

In any case, Raggedy Ann (and her twin, Andy) were the brain children of American artist Johnny Gruelle. He was a cartoonist back in the turn of the 20th Century on to his death in 1938. Initially he did cartooning for adults, but eventually he turned his eye to the juvenile market and really enjoyed development of the Raggedy characters. There is a museum to Johnny and his characters in Arcola, Illinois. The legacy of the Raggedys was carried forward through this museum project by his sons, Worth and Richard, and their respective spouses.

Children, and adults, continue to connect with these cheerful-looking dolls. Here are a number of possibilities to introduce Ann or Andy into your doll collection– or to gift your little grandchild or great-grandchild, as my grandma did:

There are many more variations of this theme on eBay…. just click on any of the above pictures to check out what is up for auction or what can be bought directly. Have fun!

The Story of Blythe…

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Suggests, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY, GrannyX Dolls @ January 1, 2008 1:03 pm by healthiacynthia

My little granddaughter is spell-bound by the Blythe doll videos on youtube. They are mostly made by Japanese artists, I think, and combine the whimsical, the arty and the innocent in a way that appeals to two-year olds and others who are interested in maintaining the image of ideal woman as all big-eyed, small-featured, and sweetly vacuous.

Most of the Blythe dolls I have seen have round blue eyes or green eyes and hair colors ranging from blond to coppery to turquoise blue. They have long lashes, sometimes ornamented with glitter or maribou. Their eyes open and close and rotate from side to side.

The original Blythe doll was designed by Marvin Glass and manufactured by Kenner toys in 1972. Tonka Toys bought out Kenner and in the mid-80s, Hasbro bought out Tonka Toys. Marvin Glass died in 1974 and was one of the first group inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 1984.

At first children found the Blythe doll rather macabre (the large round eyes changed from green to pin to blue to orange with the pull of the string on the back of her head). As often happens with the avant garde, Blythe was only popular with a small clutch of doll collectors, and after a year she was pulled off the market.

In 1997 photographer Gina Garan was introduced to Blythe by a friend. Gina “got” Blythe right away and channeled her fascination into thousands of photos of the little doll. She began to take at least one of her Blythe dolls with her on her many assignments around the globe.

Gina showed some of her Blythe photos to the founder of CWC (Creative World Connections) who intuited that a modified Blythe would be a big hit with Japanese young women. Parco Toys introduced a TV commercial in 2000 and neo- Blythe took off in Japan.

On eBay you can find everything from vintage Blythe dolls to all the accessories (and then some) for the fashionista neo-Blythe dolls…. teeny-tiny shoes, wigs, etc. Have a look, try a bid:

Merry Christmas! (Cheap Cheap)

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Suggests, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY @ December 25, 2007 11:23 am by healthiacynthia

Wow, what’s with all these supposedly “exclusive” gifts at escalated prices all over the web? Would you pay $36. for a dozen banana muffins? Come on! Wouldn’t you like to give something that has much more REAL value than muffins and that will be around as an heirloom? For less than $36?

If you didn’t get to all your gifts before Christmas and aren’t happy with hanging out at Walmart just because it’s open 24 hours a day, click below for some real wonderful dreams-come-true for prices that match:

Granny’s Fave Gifts

Filed under: GrannyX Suggests, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY @ December 19, 2007 2:31 pm by healthiacynthia

I know that this is a bit of a cliche, but I really treasure gifts that are created by someone I know. You want to give your grandmother a gift she will cherish forever? Forgo the fancy nighties and the expensive perfume and chocolates… give Granny something you crafted or painted or wrote for her.

Below are some beautiful examples that my friends have done this year.

Eva Cote is our Pastor’s wife. She has cross stitch on the go all the time it seems. It’s a labor-intensive art, but something that people keep and hand down through the generations. Here are the pictures that she made for my daughter-in-law.

Mary Lou Johnson lives on Hornby Island and every Christmas she paints (usually a watercolor) a picture for her ‘Country Mouse Cards’– the Christmas card replication of her Christmas painting. I bought this year’s painting and fancy that these little missies are my granddaughters in a future snowy Christmas scene.

If you have a spare day (haha) before Christmas I suggest that you might want to do something creative for someone you know. Another great gift for Grandma? How about some of her favorite homemade goodies, made lovingly by you?

**If you want more information about contacting Eva Cote (cross-stitch) or Mary Lou Johnson (watercolors), contact me by clicking right here. (Your email address is not revealed on-site and I hate spam as much as you do).

Looking for a Gift for Grandma?

Filed under: GrannyX Approves, GrannyX Suggests, GrannyX Recommends, GrannyXLovesTHE.BAY @ December 16, 2007 4:23 pm by healthiacynthia

Or a Gift for Grandpa, as far as that goes? Here are some ideas that you might not have considered:

Techie Treats
Many of the Grandmothers I talk to complain that they don’t use the computer because they don’t know much about it, and are, often, afraid of doing something really awful to it. They know that a 12-year old knows much more than they do around the computer. I know that. We all know that. If you are a tech-savvy 12-year old or teenager or 20-something with a grandmother who expresses some interest in learning about using the computer, how about schedule some lessons? Either sign Gran up for a set of lessons at the nearby YWCA (an example) or, better yet, offer to spend an hour a week teaching something of what you know. Remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don’t launch into program languages, but do:
~ go over some basics of e-mail.
~Show them how easy it is to journal on Blogger.
~Give them a tour of eBay– maybe they have some stuff they want to make money on, or a collection they would like to expand. Help them set up an account.
~Have fun! Explain about “cookies” during one session… talk about ways to avoid spam at another session.
~Take Granny on a Facebook jaunt… show her how many Groups there are started by people who love and adore their Grannies! Let them see all the groups for people over 50. Invite Granny to be one of your FB Friends.

These are just some ideas! If Granny is not into the computer in the least, then finding other ways to spend time with her will be just as valuable!

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