Dry, cracked heels are something a lot of grandmas quietly deal with. It’s not something we talk about much, but it’s a problem that sneaks up on us as we age.
And if you’re thinking about Mother’s Day, you might be tempted to grab a pedicure gift card.
But here’s the truth:
A lot of us don’t go.
We don’t have time. We don’t feel comfortable. And sometimes… we just want something simple we can do at home.
So instead, here’s a gift that actually gets used, and is very effective.
The Simple At-Home Solution
You don’t need anything complicated. Just a few things that work together:
A warm, bubbly foot soak softens everything and makes the rest of the process actually effective. It only takes a few minutes, but it makes a big difference.
If you’re looking for an activity that will keep kids busy, curious, and completely engaged, this is it. The Fizzy Table is one of those setups that looks simple but delivers big. All you need is baking soda, citric acid, and water, and you’ve got a hands-on science experiment disguised as play. What You’ll Need • 2 parts baking soda • ½ part citric acid • Mica powder or gel food coloring (optional) • Sensory table or large bin • Water • Tools: droppers, spoons, bowls, scoops, silicone molds, play tea set, small toys How to Set It Up 1. Mix the baking soda and citric acid together. 2. Add mica powder for color and sparkle if you’d like. 3. Pour the mixture into your sensory table or bin. 4. Shape into molds or bowls. 5. Set out water and tools — then let them go! What Kids Do With It Kids transfer water onto the powder using droppers, scoops, and cups and watch it fizz on contact. Add silicone molds, little figures, and a play tea set and it turns into a whole world. They’ll mix, pour, scoop, and experiment for a long time. A Few Tips • This works better than vinegar. There is no bad smell, and the fizz lasts much longer. • Put a mat or towel underneath for easy cleanup. • Add mica powder for a magical sparkly effect. • Make extra because they’ll want to keep going.
If you love the idea effects of fizzy science play but hate the smell of vinegar, this is for you.
This version gives you all the fizz without the smell.
I made these the night before, and the next morning my grandkids played with them for over an hour and kept coming back all day. They absolutely loved it!
What You’ll Need
Baking soda
Citric acid
Cornstarch
Dish soap
Optional: food coloring
Silicone molds
The Recipe
2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
½ cup cornstarch
2–3 teaspoons dish soap
Drop just a drop of gel food coloring
Mix everything together until it feels slightly damp—just enough to hold its shape when you press it.
Add a little food coloring. Just a tiny drop. You don’t want to activate the fizz.
Press into silicone molds
Let dry overnight.
It turns into open-ended play instead of a one-and-done reaction. The dish soap makes the effect last longer. When the fizz is done, the water stays bubbly and foamy.
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I am all about creating fun with my grandchildren by using what I already have around me including objects from nature, thrifted items, and things already lying around the house. But once in a while, I do come across things to purchase that are worth buying so here is my list of a few of those things. The criteria is that the grandkids had to play with it a lot, that it wasn’t too big of a mess, and would not create a bunch of plastic waste.
1 The Water Table
This checks all the boxes except it doesn’t have a water pump built in. I have a good water pump that runs a long time. They are very inexpensive. See item 2 below.
There are so many water table to choose from. I find the simpler, the better. Items with lots of moving parts will break and become clutter. Keep it simple.
I have had quite a few versions of these. This is what I have right now. You can use it on the water table or use it inside with water play. It has a strong magnet that you can stick to whatever surface you need and it will stay put. Chargeable. Super fun design.
The little crown on top comes off and it makes it a fountain that sprays straight up, for a bit of variety. This toy can turn anything with water in it into a sink. We even use it in the sink so that the kids can play with circulating water at the sink and not waste water. Could also be used in bathtub.
This is another must have, and it needs to be this particular one because it is easy to use and the bubbles don’t spill out of it. The liquid is contained. Which makes it so much more child friendly. The bubbles last about 15 minutes. Runs on 3 AAA batteries that have lasted a long time for me. I have not changed them yet and this thing has been going every day for about two weeks.
This is so much fun for kids. They get automatic balls coming at them. You can adjust speed. They love playing with this outside. Perfect toy for spring!
This is so cute and just the right size for toddlers and preschoolers. They love having a place to sit that is just their size. I prefer plastic outside so it doesn’t get splintery.
My grandkids absolutely love this new addition to our home. I ordered all the flavors but this one comes with a pack of 3. It has already been used so much since we got it a month ago. Easy to clean and easy to use.
I have seen a few parents list this in their accounts but I have not been able to order it yet. It is next on my list! My 8 year old grandson will love this! He’s always looking for a fun game to play outside.
EastPoint Spring Fling Bounce Game – Black/Blue Durable PVC Construction – 6 Balls, 20in Trampoline & 29.5in x 24in Target – Dynamic Reflex Game, Sports Activities for Boys, Organizer for Easy Storage
Again, I do not own this. I built my mud kitchen out of old appliances and benches. But it you want something a bit more aesthetically pleasing, this is a good one. My grandkids of all different ages have enjoyed the mud kitchen so much. Here is some photos of the one I built.
Screenshot
This is an Amazon one that is cuter if you’d like. It has all the things a good mud kitchen needs. Places to put water, actual mud, several levels.
Today we played with rain. It started with splashing in puddles and turned into an art project that went better than I thought it would.
It started the way it always does—just splashing in puddles. No plan. No setup. Just kids and water and that moment where you almost stop them… and then don’t.
One puddle turned into another. Shoes got soaked. Like, totally soaked. I actually felt kind of bad when their parents came. Next time I will take shoes off and put their crocs on.
The puddles turned into paint.
The driveway turned into a canvas.
And what started as “just playing in the rain” turned into an art project I never planned.
We took a pan and put paper in it, then squeezed some paint onto the paper. I chose 3 colors that would blend well together. Red, blue and purple. We sat the pan out in the rain and watched the magic happen. The rain painted the picture. Patterns started emerging that I did not expect. It really was so cool.
Then the kids brought in the bubble machine and that gave even more patterns.
They started painting everything outside, which always happens when I get out the washable paint. then they would watch the rain wash it away.
At one point my granddaughter tried to paint the bubbles but quickly learned that that was not possible. So. Science!
The painting didn’t last. It got mushy and fell apart. But I know the memories are building, the lessons are being learned, and the spark to create is getting stronger. I call that successful.
My daughter in law posted this in October. So I updated it with a printable for spring General Conference. It is an excellent way to keep kids engaged in conference with some fun categories mixed in with testimony building tasks.
Our first day of April brought lots of dandelions in the yard. My granddaughter just saw beautiful flowers and wanted to pick them all to give to her family. We collected enough to make a little picture for Easter.
This is Day 1 of my Finding Toys in Nature series — simple activities using what’s already outside.
Spring break at Grandma’s doesn’t come with long lines, overpriced churros, or matching T-shirts.
It comes with dirt, yard scraps, and washable paint.
Last week I had three grandkids at my house all day—ages 8, 3, and 21 months. Two boys and a girl. Different personalities, different attention spans… and somehow they all ended up doing the exact same thing for hours:
Playing in a mud kitchen.
What Is a Mud Kitchen
A mud kitchen is a low table or play surface, old pots, pans, bowls, utensils, used appliances. Dirt + water, foamy bubbles and most importantly, permission to make a complete mess
That’s it.
No batteries. No instructions. No “you’re doing it wrong.”
And somehow it holds their attention longer than anything else I own.
How I Set Mine Up
The first rule of Grandma School style is that it doesn’t have to be aesthetic. It does t need to be specifically made for mud kitchens. It just needs to be safe and sturdy.
I started at the thrift store. I had my eye out for kid size tables, desks and benches. I scored right away with this Stanley work bench made for kids.
This was perfect because it had multiple layers and places to hang things. I also found a few benches and stools.
Then I added some used kitchen appliances. I looked for no sharp edges, unbreakable glass, and other kid proof things. I found this toaster oven and a three pot warmer. I cut the cords off. The kids all loved the toaster oven. It even had a timer and bell. And the three crock pot warmer was great for dried flowers, pine ones and other yard scraps. The pine ones were the favorite.
I had some pots and bins to put water in and I added a big pot of potting soil.
I didn’t buy a fancy setup. This was very much grandma-style resourcefulness: thrifted, already owned, or scavenged. Nothing new.
The big hit of the day was the “ok” the kids got to paint any and all surfaces. Washable paint works so well. It really does wash away. They had so much fun painting everything.
They:
Made “soups” and “cakes” Mixed mud + paint + bubbles into… something Painted the cardboard (and themselves, let’s be honest) Took orders from each other like a little restaurant
The 8-year-old didn’t think it was “babyish.”
The toddler wasn’t left out.
The 3-year-old ran the whole operation.
Everyone was fully in it.
It was a very fun day. Perfect way to kick off spring. The weather was warm and sunny. I am excited to use it during the spring and summer. I will add things I continue to thrift as well as sensory bin fillers.
A Simple Daily Kindness Activity for Little Kids (Perfect for Valentine’s Season)
There’s something really powerful about kindness when it’s practiced in small, doable ways — especially for little kids.
Not big lectures.
Not complicated charts.
Just simple moments they can understand.
That’s why I created this Daily Kindness Jar — an easy, low-prep activity you can use at home, at Grandma School, or with preschool-aged kids anytime you want to gently focus on kindness.
💗 What Is the Daily Kindness Jar?
The Daily Kindness Jar is a printable set of simple kindness cards designed especially for young children.
Each card suggests a small, realistic act of kindness — things kids can actually do with a little guidance.
Some examples from the cards:
• Draw a picture for someone
• Share a toy
• Say something nice about someone
• Practice saying “thank you”
• Help clean up a room
• Go for a walk and wave hello to people you see
Download my free PDF for the month of February. Great Valentines Day theme for the whole month!
Label for jar
I will be doing this with my granddaughter and will share what we do. Please post some of your activities! Happy February!
If you’ve ever wondered whether your age is a disadvantage — this is for you.
Grandma School truth: the older you get, the more powerful you become — and you may not even realize it yet.
I was working out this morning with PJ Wren, a 50-something fitness trainer I discovered on the FitOn app. FitOn is a great workout app with hundreds of workouts for different skill levels and intensities. I’ve been using it for about two years now—doing strength training, HIIT, yoga, and walking regularly. I use weights, I work hard, and I feel strong.
PJ is one of the trainers I really like, and I recently found her YouTube channel. I did one of her workouts this morning and noticed a quote displayed behind her that immediately stopped me in my tracks:
“Your age is your strength.”
That line stayed with me.
I’m 57 years old, and I’ve spent most of my life overweight—battling my weight, battling for energy, and feeling tired much of the time. One of the biggest challenges I face is that I have a mental illness that requires antipsychotic medication, which causes weight gain.
When I was at my sickest in my 30s, I started taking Seroquel. For every 100 mg increase, I gained about 10 pounds. Eventually, my dosage reached 1000 mg, and I gained close to 100 pounds. Gaining weight was easy. Losing it has been a lifelong battle. I did not lose 10 pounds when I went down 10 mg of Seroquel.
Even now, I work out at least four mornings a week. I walk, lift weights, and stay active. I feel very fit—even in an overweight body. But losing weight is still incredibly difficult.
In March of 2024, I started Weight Watchers and by October had lost 30 pounds. Then October came, and everything changed. My dad became very ill and passed away that month while on hospice. During that same time, I had a gallbladder attack and had surgery just two days before he died. The surgery itself wasn’t the hard part—it was the fear of going under anesthesia and worrying that I’d wake up and he’d be gone. Thankfully, he held on two more days.
That season was overwhelming. I also care for my mom, who lives nearby, and with no siblings close, much of that responsibility falls on me. My husband is incredibly supportive, but the emotional load was heavy. On top of all that, I care for my grandchildren full time.
It was a lot of stress.
After October, my weight loss completely stalled. I was still exercising and following Weight Watchers, but nothing changed. Add menopause into the mix—I went through menopause that same year—and my body seemed to dig in its heels. I didn’t gain weight, but I didn’t lose any either.
Recently, I’ve finally started losing again—about 10 more pounds so far—but it’s slow. And that’s frustrating. I sometimes find myself thinking, I don’t want to die fat. I want to overcome this. I want to reach a healthy weight.
But I’m also getting older, and it feels harder with every passing year.
Being a woman can be exhausting—being a mother, a wife, a grandma. Your body doesn’t always cooperate with your goals. Losing weight is hard for me. Still.
That’s why that quote mattered so much.
I really like PJ—not just her workouts, but her vibe. She’s challenging without being punishing. I’m out of breath, but I can do her workouts. And seeing that quote reminded me that I’m not too old. I’m not running out of time.
A few days ago was my dad’s birthday. A friend of my mom’s—who plays the harp—came over and played for about 30 minutes. It was beautiful. She had also played at my dad’s funeral, which made it even more meaningful. While talking with her, we learned she didn’t start playing the harp until she was 65 years old.
That surprised me. And it challenged me.
I often tell myself I’m too old to learn something new—to paint, to make art, to try another creative pursuit. I’ve tried so many things over the years: crochet, cake decorating, baking macarons, cheese making, reselling, book selling. I’ve enjoyed them all, but I’ve never quite “succeeded” at any one thing.
But maybe that’s not the point.
That quote—“Your age is your strength”—reminded me that I still have time. I have experience. I have wisdom. I have resilience. My age isn’t something working against me—it’s something supporting me.
It felt like exactly the message I needed at the beginning of 2026.
So that’s my quote for the year:
Your age is your strength.
Thank you, PJ, for the workout—and for the reminder.
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