Don’t you just love photos of your grandkids? Did you know you can use your digital photos to make unique holiday gifts for your family? Wouldn’t you agree that homemade gifts are more enjoyable to create than buying store-bought presents? It’s economical. And your family and grandchildren will cherish them even more.

I’ll show you how to create your own fun video of your grandkids—as jolly little elves! It’s easier than you might think. They are free to use and free share with your family and friends.

“Snowball fight!” created with JibJab.com

Click on the little Play triangle below.

Try JibJab.comSendables® eCards today!

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran

I enjoy discovering innovative websites. I surf the Net with my “Grandparent eyeglasses” on, looking for fascinating, easy-to-use places where I can produce fun creations for my grandchildren. I ask myself, “How can this website be useful to me and other grandparents?” (What’s in it for me?) These websites spark my imagination, and I think how exciting it would be to design something for my grandkids to enjoy.

There are many really cool websites on the Internet you can use to connect with your grandkids by creating entertaining projects for them. I wrote about some of these in December’s Cyber-Savvy GRAND column in GRAND Magazine. Sites to develop projects from your digital photos, like Scrapblog and SmileBox. Sites for photo sharing, like Picasa, Kodak Gallery, SnapFish and ShutterFly. (Read our Picasa review here.)

Dancing Coo Coo Clock elves created with ElfYourself.com

Let’s look at two websites where you can create videos starring your grandchildren: JibJab.comand ElfYourself.com.

I created the two videos above at JibJab.com and ElfYourself.com. The ElfYourself site is powered by JibJab’s innovative software. They employ the latest technologies such as face recognition.

ElfYourself from OfficeMax is a whimsical online program that allows you to create videos of elves dancing—with your grandchildren as the stars of the show. Simply upload  the photos you want to use, adjust the face to fit (size, outline, and rotation), choose a ready-to-use dance, and click the button. It quickly produces your video. You can post it on your blog or family site, and email the link for free. If you like, you can download the movie for $4.99. (Note: ElfYourself is only available during the holiday season.)

JibJab has a variety of ready-to-make videos, pictures and ecards. Some are free. Some require a $12.00 annual membership. Downloads are $4.99, or only $1.99 with a membership. The steps to build a video at JibJab.com are similar to the way described above. You upload photos to create “heads” (faces). You choose the video, movie, or picture to make. Try a JibJab Risk FREE Trial!

JibJab’s Photo-Maker lets you create fun still pictures like this one.

At ElfYourself.com and JibJab.comyou can also purchase other products like mugs, ornaments, greeting cards, etc — all with your picture on them.

So go make some videos of yourself or your grandkids. Give a video or picture to them as a merry little gift. They will enjoy seeing it over and over again. It’s sure to have the whole family giggling with delight.

In future posts, GrandparentsTLC will review more websites to create fun stuff for your grandchildren.

Enjoy! – Grandpa Shayne

Have you used JibJab or ElfYourself or another cool online program? How has it enabled you to connect with your family and grandkids? Please share your comments. We enjoy reading about your experiences.

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I always put my “grandparent glasses” on as I review websites, to see how they can enable us as grandparents to connect with our grandchildren in fun new ways. Today, I’m delighted to help you discover StoryOfMyLife.com. Story of My Life is a place where people can write and store their life story, forever, for free!
The Story of My Life website “features one fascinating person per day.” They have given Grammy Tanda and me the honor of featuring each of us in a set of stories written by professional storyteller Sarah Peppel. My story is featured on the site today (Feb. 4, 2009), and Tanda’s story on Feb. 5, 2009.

I’m sure you’ll agree that there is nothing in life that compares with the wonderful feeling of being surrounded by our family and grandchildren. We want to feel connected. We want to share our legacy, our stories with our posterity. Family history is important.

The history of our grandparents is remembered, not with rose petals, but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children’s children. It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone. It is in us that their history becomes a future. ~Charles and Ann Morse

Have you ever felt the excitement of finding a letter or journal from a grandparent or ancestor? Something that paints a picture of their personality and life. Remember (or imagine) as you read it, how you seemed to connect and bond with them?

Now I want you to ask yourself this soul-searching question: Wouldn’t you want your grandchildren and posterity to have the same experience, to feel the same love and bonding with you after your gone? Sure you would!

So, what do you need to do to make that happen for them? You need to write the story of your life! Our grandkids deserve to get to know us. They will cherish the memories that we share with them in person. Through our stories, they will come to love and admire us for the good in our hearts, as well as for our struggles and trials. It’s all part of life.

Now, thanks to modern technology, writing your life story is easier than you might think. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Story of My Life all the tools you need to record your life stories, one slice at a time. It has been engineered to bring all the pieces together in a coherent, finished compilation; with chapters and categories. You simply write short stories about an era of your life; about specific events that shaped your character.

They have a rich help system, complete with FAQs, glossary, a writer’s forum, etc. The writer’s forum includes help to get you started, overcome reservations you may have, and tips and links on storytelling. One of the most powerful aids in the writer’s forum, is a set of inspirational questions to ask yourself to help trigger memories. These questions are organized into three stages of life, each with categories and events that provide you with a suggested outline for chapters in your life story.

There is a Getting Started section that encourages you to “start with computer, and simply begin writing.” It explains “the website makes it so easy for you to start slowly and build your Stories on top of each other. You select a time frame and the system will automatically sort things chronologically.”

About Story of My Life

CEO Patrick Tardif is the mastermind of Story of My Life. He describes Story of My Life as a collection of “people’s life stories” that categorizes “important things about people to share through the generations. Story of My Life is a place where you leave your legacy; place secrets in a time capsule, and transfer your stories to your next generation.”

StoryOfMyLife.com has over 100,000 stories at this time. Most of them are private, but many are public so anyone can read them. There are three types of networks: family, friends, and interest groups. So you can invite people to your networks, and request to join other’s networks.

When I talked with Kristen Kuhns, COO of Story of My Life, she suggested their site differs from other social networking sites by using this metaphor: “If LinkedIn is the office, Facebook is the school reunion, MySpace is the concert/club, Twitter is the conversation at the water cooler, then Story of My Life is the family backyard BBQ!”

The Story of My Life Foundation™ is a not-for-profit entity who manages the content related to the Story of My Life website. The foundation has a “Forever Promise” to store and safeguard your life story forever.

May I offer you a couple of tips?

• When you set up your account, choose a username (ID) that’s readable, and capitalize each name or word. For example: ShaynePacker, not shaynepacker. GrandmaWebb, not grandmawebb. I usually advise people to use their real name and photo. The same for any social network, such as Facebook and twitter. (See my Twitter quick start checklist.)
• As you write your personal history, ask yourself these two very important questions: 1. “What do I want my grandchildren to know about me, my personality and character traits, about my life?”  2. “What do I want my grandchildren to know about life? What counsel can I offer them? Advice, tips, warnings?”

So go look it over and give it a try. Then invite your family and friends to take a look once you’ve got started. You don’t need to be completely finished before you start sharing your stories with others. Hey, it’s a work in progress. Think of it like building a house. You want to share your enthusiasm by inviting folks to follow your progress. And don’t worry if there might be some construction rubble lying around.

I encourage you to start today. Sign up for an account. (It’s free.) Then, while your over there at StoryOfMyLife.com, we would be honored if you would read Tanda’s and my featured story and leave a comment there.

What next?

• Read “Eyeing Technology Through Grandparent Glasses” – Grandpa Shayne’s story on StoryOfMyLife.com.
• Read “That’s Where Tradition Stops, Buddy!” – Grammy Tanda’s story on StoryOfMyLife.com.
• Sign up for free a free account on StoryOfMyLife.com.
• Please go back to mine and Tanda’s stories and write a comment.
• Go to the Story of My Life home page and click on the orange “Take a Tour” button. Explore their site. Read some of the stories.
• Explore their help section, especially the Writer’s Forum. (Click the life preserver icon at the top of any page, then click the Writer’s Forum tab.)
• Start writing your own life story. Have fun. Share it with those you love.

- Shayne Packer

We welcome your comments. Tell us how your life story project is coming. Once you have a profile set up on StoryOfMyLife.com, let us know your username or your Story URL so we can come read the story of your life.

Related post: The TLC in Grandparenting

Related post: ScrapBlog digital scrapbooks – website review

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Christmastime is a delightful season! Especially when you share it with your loved ones. Grandchildren love to receive thoughtful gifts from grandparents. But more importantly, grandkids love to feel that special kind of TLC that only Grandma or Grandpa can give. Whether it’s through a personal visit, a package of homemade goodies, or via some form of modern technology — connecting grand-to-grand is a special gift grandkids look forward to with an anticipation to outshine the jolly ol’ elf in the red suit himself. There’s lots of fantastic resources on the web where Grandparents can get ideas for projects, crafts, stories, gifts, etc. Grammy Tanda and I share with you here, our favorite Christmas webpages for grandparents. Some of these links are from our very own subscribers — other grandparents who have websites or blogs — with helpful ideas and tips for that loving connection with your grandchildren. 

Uncles and aunts and cousins, are all very well, and fathers and mothers are not to be despised; but a grandmother at holiday time is worth them all. ~Fanny Fern

We know it can be frustrating at times to find what you’re looking for on the internet, so we hope these links will make it easier for you. Enjoy browsing our favorite Christmas web pages.

- Grandpa Shayne

(Tip: right-click or command-click the links to open them in a new tab so that you can refer back to this article.)

• Make a gingerbread house with your grandchildren
• Free Christmas gifts you can make for your grandchildren
• Nana’s Corner - Santa’s Favorite Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Nana Finds - Homemade Christmas treats and other ideas
• Insightful Nana - Free Christmas Printables
• Grandmother Wren’s Christmas Pages
• Advent Ideas to Share with Grandkids Near and Far
• Songs about Santa
• Free Christmas Activities, Puzzles and Crafts for Kids
• Create Christmas Photo Greeting Cards on your computer to mail to your Grandchildren
• A Review of the Childrens Book “Christmas Tree In The White House” with suggestions of other books by author, Gary Hines
• A story about a family who cannot even afford Christmas dinner, much less gifts under the tree
• Inspirational Poetry of Connie Arnold for the holiday season
• A short talk about Christmas traditions by Grandma Joy
• Online Shopping For Finding The Best Christmas Deals
• 13 Days of Christmas Giveaways
• The Ten Best Christmas Songs For the Kid in You
• Crafty: Shrinky Dink Your Christmas Tree
• Santa Claus Can Call Them For You

Let us know if you have a favorite Christmas webpage. Your comments are appreciated.

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A fun part of the holidays are family traditions. I want to share some tips for celebrating Thanksgiving to give you ideas for establishing your family traditions. Then Shayne and I will share our favorite Thanksgiving webpages with free resources for grandparents. Because as you know, the web is a world of discovery.

The first thing I think of about Thanksgiving is families getting together, sharing food, fun, and laughter. Food often reminds us of our favorite memories of Thanksgivings past. Relationships are being built while taking time to share favorite memories. Small activities give us opportunities to connect with our grandchildren in comfortable ways — while we’re setting tables, eating, cleaning up.

Take time to share memories with your grandkids of Thanksgiving when their parents were little, or when your were little. How it’s the same, how it’s different. Tell them what your parents and grandparents were like so they feel a connection with their heritage. Reminisce what their parents were like as children, and things you remember about your grandchildren as babies. Share family stories. Everybody has favorite family stories that get past around, embarrassing moments, silly times. Often, repeating those stories over meal times becomes a family tradition and builds fond memories.

Many families have traditional activities they share together — a family football game, a walk in the crisp fall air. One of the things my family did when I was a child was watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.

One Thanksgiving tradition I started when our family was young is to set 3 kernels of corn by the side of each place. Each of person takes a turn telling 3 blessings they are grateful for. This idea represents the friendship the Native Americans extended to the Pilgrims in teaching them how to survive in this new land of America. They taught the English colonists how to grow corn and thus helped them survive their first year in Plimoth Plantation in New England. This led to the first Thanksgiving feast.

So, enjoy your family and your traditions. If you can’t all be together, use the blessing of modern technology to connect with your family this Thanksgiving. It’s all about making memories!

A happy family is but an earlier heaven. ~John Bowring

Grandpa Shayne and I have so much to be thankful for. We will be enjoying Thanksgiving with 3 of our married children and 5 of our grandchildren. Even though it will take us all day to get there, it will be well worth the trip. ♩♬♪ Over the river and through the woods to our grandchildren’s house we go. ♪♫♩

We express our gratitude for you, our dear readers and friends. We wish you a delightful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and loved ones.

- Grammy Tanda

Now, enjoy these links to our favorite Thanksgiving web pages. (Hint: right-click or command-click the links to open them in a new tab so that you can refer back to this article.)

• Plimoth Plantation for Kids - coloring pictures, stories, recipes…
• Disney Family.com – crafts, recipes, printables, decorations, games…
• Disney Famliy.com – how-to videos
• SandwichINK.com - Thanksgiving fun making handprint wreaths, trees…
• SandwichINK.com – more Thanksgiving ideas
• GrandmaIdeas - Fun Thanksgiving games to play with your grandchildren
• GrandmaIdeas – Make cute Thanksgiving holiday decorations (edible)
• GrandmaIdeas – More activities to do with grandchildren on Thanksgiving
• Joan Adams – Fun Thanksgiving Songs
• BeTheWeightYouWant - make pumpkin bowls and dip, eat with ginger snaps
• Peggy George – Thanksgiving Scrapblog and inspirational online movie link
• The story of how a Thanksgiving Prayer became a Family Tradition
• Nana – Gratitude, The Power In Being Thankful For Life!
• Thanksgiving Day photo greeting cards create memories for grandchildren
• Teddy Bears should be Given to All Children

We welcome your comments. Tell us about the Thanksgiving traditions your family share.

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Do you like surfing the web to find articles and tips about grandparenting? There’s a lot of useful information on the WWW. Grandpa Shayne and I are always looking for fun way to connect with the grandkids. We’ve collected some of our favorite Halloween web pages for grandparents.

Halloween is a wonderful time to share with the family. It’s especially fun to see the grandkids all dressed up in their favorite costumes. Here’s a photo of our 6 month old grandbaby in the cute costume I bought at 60% off. Hey, I’m like my mom, always looking for a bargain!

A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween. ~Erma Bombeck

I teach family and consumer science, I’ve always admired Erma Bombeck. She was such a practical homemaker.

Shayne is a Cub Master, and one of his Weblos is a budding artist named Zac Willberg. He draws comics and publishes them on Zac’s Cartoon Cave blog. Shayne commissioned Zac to draw a special comic strip for today’s Halloween post. Boo is the main character (a ghost). Ancient is his girlfriend (a mummy). Today, there’s a special guest appearance by Boo’s Grandma.

Halloweenies by Zac Willberg

One of our favorite cartoons by Zac is his Charlie Brown Halloween.

Before you leave, be sure to subscribe to our Grandparents TLC feed.

Favorite family-friendly web pages with ideas for grandparents

Nana’s Corner – Halloween recipes and poems

Nana Finds – Special halloween books for grandchildren and Ideas for homemade Halloween costumes

Joan Adams – collection of fun Halloween songs and lyrics. (Joan says “I hope you all have as much fun with this site as I have! We love to sing with the grandchildren! Our two are 5 and 6 years old, so they are the perfect age for learning all the fun Halloween favorites! Enjoy!”)

Grandma Ideas – Halloween ideas for grandchildren

Grandmother Wren - Family Alternatives to Halloween

SandwichINK – Sharing God’s Love on Halloween

LoveMyGrandchild – Halloween ideas

FamilyCorner – Lots of Halloween ideas

ParentHacks – Best Parent Hacks (tips and ideas that work for grandparents too)

GroupCard – Free Halloween ecards (the whole family can sign an ecard)

Bluemountain – Free Halloween ecards (free month trial)

DLTK’s Crafts for Kids – Halloween Activities for Children (halloween coloring pages, printables, worksheets, craft projects, games and puzzles, online games, pumpkin carving patterns, recipes)

Babble – Just in Time for Halloween: How to Make Your Own Slime

Radiant Ideas – Tips for going green this Halloween

What are some of your favorite Halloween web pages? You are welcome to add your family-friendly link in your comment.

Have a fun Halloween! – Grammy Tanda

Hey, I’m on twitter now!

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