- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

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If you are like me, you need a planner of some kind to keep track of appointments, birthdays, to do lists, and everything in between. These nifty Personal Planners are so cool, because you can make them as personal as you want to.

First, they come in 4 sizes, so you can choose the size that fits you best. Then, you can choose the photos for the front and back covers, the color of the page headers in side, add birthdays either manually or by syncing them with your Facebook account. You truly get a planner that is personal to YOU.

Don’t worry about them not being delivered for Christmas: You can purchase a gift code up until December 25th, and let the recipient design their own planner to be delivered after the big day.

You can personalize the front cover with two lines of text, and your own photograph. I used a picture I took at the Grand Canyon, but one of my friends used a picture of her kids. You can use any photo you want to make it uniquely yours.

You can also choose your own photo for the back cover. This is on Hwy 89A between Jacob Lake and Cliff Dwellers in Arizona.

Create your own message on the owners information page that is inside the front cover. There is room for your name, address, blog address, and phone number as well.

The calendar pages can be personalized in many ways. You can have lines or no lines; choose colors; choose to add weather information; to do lists; and much more. Add birthdays to the calendar by manually inputting a list or by syncing them from your Facebook account. Oh, and you can pick which month you want your planner to start with, so if you don’t get it until February, you won’t be wasting the month of January in the front of the planner.

BUY IT: These very useful personal planners retail from $24.95 to $34.95, and that includes free shipping in the United States. When I ordered mine, it arrived very quickly but the website says delivery will be 3 weeks after payment is received.

WIN IT: One reader will win one personal planner of their choice, any size. Use the Giveaway Tools entry form to enter the giveaway. Giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

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Ambrosia Pie With Maple Chocolate Chip Cookie Crumb Crust (Gluten free of course!)

Karen · 6 Comments

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Udi's Gluten Free Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies — Udi’s Gluten Free Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently received a huge box of samples of Udi’s Gluten Free products. There were so many good things in that box, including Cinnamon Raisin Bread, White Sandwich Bread, Cinnamon Rolls, Double Vanilla Muffins, and more. The Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies were also in the box. These are new and I had not tried them before, but if you are a fan of maple these cookies are for you!

I was asked to create a recipe using one of the products in the box, so here is what I made. I named it Ambrosia Pie because it has apricots and coconut in them, and surely those must be food of the gods, they taste so good together. I used the Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies to make a cookie crumb crust for my pie. Here is how I made it:

Ambrosia Pie With Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Crumb Crust

Cookie Crumb Crust:

1 pkg Gluten Free Maple Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
¼ stick of butter
¼ cup brown sugar
Mix ingredients together in food processor until crumbly. Press into a pie dish and up the sides. Put in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:

1 cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

Mix all ingredients well with electric mixer. Pour into pie crust, bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Remove it for last 20 minutes of cooking. Cool before serving. This is good with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Family Gift Guide: Dearfoams Slippers For Men And Women Giveaway

Karen · 190 Comments

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I received product in return for hosting this giveaway

Dearfoams has been making feet comfortable since 1947. Today they are known for having the most stylish colors and styles, with soft, warm fabrics and materials that provide the best comfort available. The people at Dearfoams sent Fabgrandpa a pair of slippers that look really nice, and feel comfortable with every step he takes in them. They come in men’s sizes 7 to 14.

Fabgrandpa's green Dearfoam slippers — Fabgrandpa’s green Dearfoam slippers

I also received a pair for myself. I chose a pair of clogs. They are so soft and fuzzy with the microsuede outer and faux-fur lining and cuff. My feet stay toasty warm and comfy all day. Women’s sizes go from size 5 to size 12.5. Dearfoams also sells women’s pajamas and accessories.

BUY IT: Dearfoams are available retail on their website, at Amazon.com, and at leading department stores near you.

WIN IT: One reader will win a gift code valued at $35 that includes free shipping. Use the Giveaway Tools entry form to enter.

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Making A Wreath For Christmas: #Fabulouslyfestive

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I was compensated for this post by Joann Fabric & Crafts

I had been thinking about what I was going to make for this month for quite some time, and finally decided it was going to be a Christmas Wreath for my front door. I don’t decorate a lot for the holidays, but wreath at the door just makes everyone who comes to the door put a smile on their face.

Yesterday I was getting ready to start making the wreath, but I couldn’t find my hot glue gun. I have had that thing since probably 1985, and even though I haven’t used it in quite some time, I knew that I still have it. We hauled it around in our travel trailer for 13 years, and I know it was still in the wicker trunk when I unpacked it. Except that I couldn’t find it. It was not in any of the places I thought it might be. Fabgrandpa even helped me look for it. We looked in all of the boxes and bins that are stored on the back porch and in my office, but it is just not there. You know when I will find it, don’t you? When I buy a new one. It always works that way for me.

So, today I gathered all my supplies together, and started working on a revised version of the wreath that I was going to make, the version that does not use a hot glue gun. I needed a large piece of cardboard for the framework of the wreath. I had a shipping box on the back porch that was big enough to work with. There really isn’t a special size, just whatever size you like. The one I made is about 18″ around. So, here are the materials and tools you will need to make a wreath like the one I made:

Materials:

A large piece of stiff cardboard

packing tape

fabric glue

bubble wrap, about 4 yards or leftovers from packages received (I used a little of new and a little of recycled)

1 yard of 120″ wide fabric in a neutral color (I used ecru quilt backing fabric)

1 spool of 1/4″ wide ribbon (I used green)

15-21 1 inch jingle bells

Tools:

a large pot lid for marking a circle

a cereal bowl

a Sharpie marker

scissors for cutting the cardboard

5-7 safety pins

Place the pan lid on the cardboard and draw a circle around it with the sharpie marker. Then, use the cereal bowl to draw a smaller circle inside the larger one. Because I wanted my wreath to be wider than the pot lid circle, I used the first circle I drew as guide to draw a larger circle outside of that line. Then, cut out the large circle, and cut out the small circle so I had a round piece of cardboard with a hole in the middle.

Wrap the cardboard circle with bubble wrap pieces

Next, starting on the back of your cardboard, start wrapping the bubble wrap around and through the hole in the middle. Overlap the edges of the bubble wrap so that all of the cardboard is covered. Begin and end each piece of wrap on the back side of the cardboard.

Wrap fabric around cardboard. — Wrap fabric around cardboard, fold raw edge under on last wrap on the front so it doesn’t show.

Next, Cut the fabric into pieces that are 12″ wide X width of fabric. You will have three pieces of fabric that are 12″ X 120″. Fold one piece of fabric in half so it is 6″ wide, and start wrapping the fabric around the cardboard over the bubble wrap. Start and end each piece on the back side of the cardboard. Use some fabric glue to attach the first piece of fabric to the bubble wrap. Make sure you over lap the fabric so that each round covers the raw edges of the previous round, and the folded edge is on top. Continue to add pieces of fabric in the same way until the entire bubble wrapped cardboard is covered. On the last wrap on the front of the wreath, fold the raw edge under about 1/2″ so that it doesn’t show on the finished wreath. Glue the end of the fabric to the back of the piece. I used packing tape to hold it in place until the glue dried.

At this point, you will have a shabby chic fabric wrapped wreath that looks puffy from the bubble wrap, like in the picture above. Now you can decorate your wreath any way you wish. I chose to add red jingle bells to mine.

This is where I had to improvise in making my wreath. I had intended to use different decorations on my wreath, but that depended on using a hot glue gun, which, as you know, I was not able to find. So, instead, I used these pretty little jingle bells. I strung three together on a piece of green ribbon, and attached them to the wreath with safety pins. I used a total of 18 jingle bells in six clusters, but you can use as few or as many as you like, spaced evenly around the wreath. I like the way it turned out, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to do at first. And this way, I can change the decorations on the wreath to fit another holiday if I want to.

This wreath turned really simple and easy to do. You can use your imagination to add other things to yours to make it as elegant or as simple as you want. I might add some leaves made of green fabric, glued to cardboard, and then glued to the wreath around the bell clusters.

Do you make any of your Christmas decorations? Do you keep them from one year to the next? If you would like some ideas for making your own house Fabulously Festive with Joann Fabric and Crafts, you can check out their online catalog. If you do decide to make your own, you can use this coupon to get 50% off any one regular priced item, either in-store or online, thru December 31, 2013.

How Senior Citizens Fare In Different Countries

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The face of the elderly: how do senior citizens differ across the world?

With more and more people living longer, healthier lives, much of the world now has what is known as an aging population. This means that there is a larger proportion of individuals above retirement age in the country and means increasing pressures are put on those of working age to contribute financially to the care of these individuals via government taxation and other processes.

Yet, despite the differences, not all countries perform the same when it comes to their elderly residents. In fact, a recent report ranked the social and economic wellbeing of elderly people across 91 countries with some startling results.

Here are the key findings:

Sweden came top of the list while Afghanistan was ranked at the other end of the scale in last place
The United States comes in at number 8, behind Sweden, Norway,Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, and Switzerland
Nations are said to not be addressing the aging population quickly enough to cope
By the year 2050, the number of individuals over the age of 60 years will outnumber the number of children aged under 15 years
This will be the first time this has happened in history
Prosperity of a country was found not to be an indicator of the state of the social and economic wellbeing of elderly people living there
BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) rank lower than many poorer countries including Uruguay and Panama
Sweden was praised for its top healthcare facilities which helped it achieve the number one spot on the rankings
Common problems faced by nations with an aging population is the dilemma of how to fund their care and upkeep
In most cases, an increase in retirement age is suggested although this is approached with caution with many experts warning against a mandatory or compulsory introduction
A combination of top healthcare, a pension system celebrating its centenary, good education coverage and plenty of social support helped Sweden achieve the top spot
After Sweden, Norway and Germany made the list in second and third place
The Netherlands and Canada also made it
Afghanistan, which came in last place, has life expectancies of 59 years for men and 61 years for men compared to the global averages of 68 years for men and 72 years for women (according to U.N data)
Afghanistan also fails to offer a pension to citizens not in the government

Whatever your thoughts on the situation, it is clear that more action is needed to cope with the greying population the world is finding itself subject too. With the UK also facing similar issues and considering changes to pensions and retirement ages, the need for people to recognise the demands of the elderly is more important than ever. Whether this means seeking additional governmental aid or simply speaking to firms such as Bathing Solutions who can help improve facilities at home so that elderly people get the quality of life they deserve, the focus of all should be on making the needs of the elderly a priority.

Family Gift Guide: Clipa Purse Hanger Giveaway

Karen · 17 Comments

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How many times have you gone into a restaurant and had to place your handbag on the floor? The Clipa, the instant Handbag hanger, will keep your purse off the floor everywhere you go. Just clip it on the strap of your handbag, and go. When you get where you’re going, open the clip, place one end on table edge or other surface, and hang your bag from the other end of the clip:

To use, simply clip to your bag strap. To hang your bag, put one end on a table or other surface. When you’re ready to go, just pull the strap and Clipa slides back onto the bag automatically. You can see the two-minute video on YouTube: type Clipa Handbag Hanger in the search box.

Hang your purse from the table with Clipa

The Clip comes in handy in so many places, such as bathrooms, restaurants & bara, outdoor cafes, sporting events, concerts, theaters, salons, airplanes, casinos, at the pool, and for use on strollers and shopping carts.

Clipas come in many colors, some with crystals embedded too. I chose the Jenna, which is Swarovski Xirius lead-free crystals set in Polished Silver. It retails for $39.99. The price range for Clipas is from $14.99 to #39.99.

BUY IT: You can purchase the Clipa on their website or on Amazon.com where they qualify for free shipping with Prime.

WIN IT: One reader will win a Clipa of their choice. Use the Giveaway Tools entry form to enter.

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Family Gift Guide:Escali SmartConnect™ Kitchen Scales Giveaway

Karen · 116 Comments

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I received compensation for writing this post.

If you are serious about eating a healthy diet, losing weight, or learning about the nutritional value of the foods you eat, this is the product for you. The Escali SmartConnect™ Kitchen Scales are so amazing! It starts out with an app for iPhone that you can download to your smartphone or iPad. (The Escali SmartConnect™ app is currently compatible with Apple iPhone® (4S,5, 5S, 5C), iPad® (3rd & 4th gen.), iPad® Mini, iPod® Touch (5th gen.) and iOS 6 or 7. Mobile device not included. – See more at: http://www.escali.com/smartconnect-kitchen-scale#sthash.e29h02ev.dpuf) Then, you weight the foods you are preparing, type in what it is, and the SmartConnect™ Scales syncs up with the app, and analyzes up to 35 nutrients from a selection of over 8000 food items, creates a food journal and measures in cups and tablespoons. I am absolutely amazed at what this thing can do!

Apples on the scale, analyzed in the app on a smartphone!

The Escali SmartConnect™ Kitchen Scales and the app will absolutely revolutionize how you keep track of your daily food consumption. It is wonderful for diabetics, athletes, runners, or anyone who has a need or a want to keep track of calories, carbohydrates, or other nutrition values of the food they eat.

analyze 35 nutrients from a selection of over 8000 food items, create a food journal and measure in cups and tablespoons. – See more at: http://www.escali.com/smartconnect-kitchen-scale#sthash.dbh8BKex.dpuf

BUY IT: The SmartConnect Kitchen Scale retails for $99. 95 and you can purchase it online at Escali or at Amazon.com.

WIN IT: one very lucky reader of Fabgrandma.com will win an Escali SmartConnect™ Kitchen Scale. Use the Giveaway Tools entry form to enter the giveaway. Giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada.

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Family Gift Guide: Nielsen-Massey Extracts Giveaway

Karen · 130 Comments

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If you have someone in your family or circle of friends who loves to cook more than anything else in the world, the perfect stocking stuffer gift will be some of these little bottles of goodness from Nielsen-Massey. While Nielsen-Massey is famous for their Madagascar Vanilla Extracts, they also produce several other delicious flavors that any baker would love to receive. Peppermint Extract, Chocolate Extract (soooo good when you add a bit to a pot of chili!) Orange Extract, and Lemon Extract are just a few of their offerings. Also, Nielsen-Massey products are Kosher and Gluten-Free.

BUY IT: You can purchase Nielsen-Massey products at Amzon.com or find a store near you that carries it.

WIN IT: One lucky reader will win a gift pack that contains a bottle of Madagascar Vanilla Extract, a bottle of Almond Extract, and a bottle of Chocolate Extract. Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter.

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