Welcome to GaGa Sisterhood

Purchase Our Book
Guide For Grandmas

When Being A Grandma Isn't So Grand

Available for purchase
at these locations
Amazon
ITunes

Whether you’re a brand new grandma, a seasoned grandma or a grandma-at-heart, you’ve come to the right place. The GaGa Sisterhood has a wealth of resources for grandmas who are totally “gaga” for their grandchildren.

As the founder of the GaGa Sisterhood, I’ve been curating resources for grandmas since I first became one in 2003. I know firsthand how complicated the role can be. When you and your grandchild’s parents begin the exciting journey of welcoming this precious new being into the family, your lives will be forever changed.

You will experience the highest highs and possibly the lowest lows as you grow into your title of “Grandma” or “Nana” or “Noni” or a host of other grandma names. Whether you’re “Kiki” or “Baba,” (my grandma name,) choosing your grandma moniker may be your first big decision.

Donne Davis

Donne Davis
Founder of
GaGa Sisterhood

The content on this website includes twenty years of blog posts that offer advice on how to begin this exciting new relationship, book recommendations, ways to stay connected with your grandchildren, long-distance grandparenting advice, self-care and much more.

Be sure to click on our Resources page, where you’ll find links to our favorite grandparent websites. On our Press page, you’ll find links to podcasts and articles featuring my conversations with hosts about the ins and outs of being a grandma.

How GaGa Sisterhood Was Born

History of GaGa Sisterhood

Idea grew out of passion for becoming a grandma

My idea for GaGa Sisterhood grew out of my passion for becoming a grandma after witnessing the birth of my first grandchild, Juliet on April 26, 2003.

Immediately, I wanted to find kindred sisters who shared my enthusiasm, and boy did I! So many grandmas have graced my life over 20 years — it’s hard to quantify.
For two decades GaGa Sisterhood was a growing national membership organization. The organization provided “gaga” grandmas a place to bond, brag, and benefit.

Contact Me

Contact me if you need an article on grandparenting, a guest on your podcast or a speaker for your organization.

For more than twenty years, I’ve been writing and speaking on the joys and challenges of modern grandparents as well as the importance of rituals and traditions for families.

Drop a note to me on the Contact Form.

Over the years

From our first meeting on December 7, 2003 to our last farewell meeting on December 7, 2023, grandmas have shared their stories and touched my heart.

For two decades, the GaGa Sisterhood has always been a labor of love for me. I produced regular blog posts and newsletters for our growing audience of grandmas. Over the years, the format of the group evolved but my mission remained firm — to inspire grandmas to keep growing and learning along with our children and grandchildren.

Since COVID, it became more laborious trying to juggle two almost disparate groups — our original local Silicon Valley grandmas and our newer online community from all over the U.S. (sometimes even Australia) The other difference was the age of our grandchildren. Lots of our members felt they’ve “aged out” because their grandchildren were teenagers and older. Finding speakers and topics that appealed to all ages became more challenging.

As I faced these challenges, I realized it was time for me to step down from hosting regular meetings and bid farewell to our GaGa Sisterhood members.

20 years -December 7, 2003 to December 7, 2023

On December 7, 2023, our GaGa Sisterhood members met for our last formal meeting. While there will be some small, local franchised GaGa Sisterhood groups who will continue to meet in their local neighborhoods, we are no long continuing GaGa Sisterhood as a national online membership organization.

Going forward

Many ask me what’s next? I’ll continue to enjoy my three precious grandchildren and family. I’ll write articles and do some speaking on some of my favorite topics — the joys and challenges of modern grandparenting and rituals and traditions. I’m available for podcasts, panels and public speaking opportunities.

Contact me if you or your organization needs a speaker. I look forward to staying in touch.  Drop a note to me on our Contact Form.

GaGa Sisterhood Resources

Link to Blog- 20 years of blog posts to inspire grandmas to keep growing and learning

Link to Resources- GaGa Sisterhood’s favorite grandparent websites

Link to Media and Press Clippings - links to podcasts and articles featuring me and the GaGa Sisterhood

Ask GaGa - send a note to connect

Visit GaGa Sisterhood Blog

20 years of posts about topics grandmas need to know

Our Blog contains 20 years of grandparent focused content. Excerpts from some random posts published during the past 20 years appear below. Click on the excerpt link to read the entire post. Also you can search all the posts by Topic, when you visit our Blog Page.

Grandma Amelia’s Charoset Recipe

By Donne Davis | April 19, 2009

Cooking with your grandchildren is a great way to pass on your family heritage. I taught my granddaughter how to make my grandma’s charoset.

Read More »

33 Things To Know About Raising Creative Kids

By Donne Davis | November 16, 2010

Whitney Ferre, author of 33 Things To Know About Raising Creative Kids, believes creative thinking will determine our grandchildren’s success in the next century.

Read More »

Parental Guidance Is Not Just for Grandparents

By Donne Davis | January 7, 2013

Billy Crystal’s Parental Guidance is a feel great movie that will have you laughing with familiarity and probably shedding a tear if you’re a softie like this grandma.

Read More »

1918 Pandemic Impacted San Francisco Business Women

By Donne Davis | August 24, 2020

Guest author Diane Levinson shares her perspective of the Spanish Flu pandemic that affected her grandmother’s life in 1918. They recognized the importance of wearing masks even when they were dressed “to the nines.”

Read More »

Do You Lose Sleep Worrying About Your Grown Children?

By Donne Davis | September 26, 2017

According to a recent study, many older adults with grown children still feel the same stress now as they did when their children were young and it’s normal to feel that way.

Read More »

Yoga with Our Grandchildren

By Donne Davis | September 26, 2008

A year ago Jackie Long invited me to participate in making a DVD called Yoga With Your Baby. My daughter, two granddaughters, and I joined several other families for a weekend last fall to make the video.
The DVD is now available and it’s beautiful.

Read More »

Dealing with the Disappointment of Canceled Plans

By Donne Davis | May 1, 2013

How do you deal with the disappointment of canceled plans when your grandchild gets sick? Here are four steps for dealing with disappointment. The hardest part is getting past the initial disappointment and angst of indecision to a place of accepting that your plans must be canceled and reaching a place of calm.

Read More »

Should Grandparents Limit Tech Time?

By Donne Davis | March 11, 2015

When grandchildren visited their grandparents, the grandparents were frustrated that the children didn’t want to engage with them and wanted to play games on their iPads.

Read More »

Mother’s Day Tribute to My Daughter

By Donne Davis | May 7, 2011

On this Mother’s Day I encourage you to call the mothers of your grandchildren and tell them some of the wonderful qualities you admire and respect about them.

Read More »

Transitioning from Paris Honeymoon to Daily Routine

By Donne Davis | October 28, 2013

Transitioning from my Paris honeymoon to my daily routine has been hard. Two years ago I wrote a post about how to beat post vacation blues, so I thought I was prepared.

Read More »

6 Ways to Stop Cold and Flu Germs From Spreading

By Donne Davis | December 7, 2010

Spending time together at the holidays is precious, but the colds and flu that follow are definitely not precious. Here is what can you do keep your family healthy.

Read More »

My Toaster Oven is Toast

By Donne Davis | December 17, 2009

My toaster oven died yesterday. I liked my old one. It was easy to use. Being a technophobe I’m afraid I’ll have to learn a new operating system when I replace it.

Read More »

Family Passes Down Antique Dollhouse for 138 Years

By Donne Davis | November 7, 2012

Martha Cullimore has continued her family’s tradition of passing down an antique dollhouse to the first-born daughter on her fifth birthday, a tradition preserved for 138 years.

Read More »

Start a New Birthday Tradition (Giveaway)

By Donne Davis | March 23, 2020

Joni Rubinstein, author of “The Night Before My Birthday Book” tells the story of how her book took on a life of its own. The GaGa Sisterhood is giving away an autographed copy of her book.

Read More »

Is Technology Robbing Our Grandchildren of People Skills?

By Donne Davis | February 22, 2016

Technology is robbing our grandchildren of the chance to interact face-to-face with others and depriving them of the opportunity to develop important people skills.

Read More »

Ask Dr. Gramma Karen Offers Advice for Moms and Grandmas

By Donne Davis | March 26, 2014

In her new book, Ask Dr. Gramma Karen, advice columnist Karen Rancourt offers help for dealing with the thorny issues that come up between young parents and grandparents.

Read More »

How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick

By Donne Davis | February 3, 2015

As we age, our family and friends face illness. Letty Cottin Pogrebin’s book, “How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick” offers advice on what to say and how to help.

Read More »

A Time to be Grateful

By Donne Davis | December 14, 2008

a simple everyday ritual to remind us to be grateful

Read More »

Cold Weather Activities For Children

By Donne Davis | December 23, 2010

I just read about a fun winter activity to do with your grandchildren—track the temperature where you live. The idea comes from Rebecca Cohen, founder of Rebecca Plants.

Read More »

Four Grandmas Celebrate Sixty Years of Friendship

By Donne Davis | April 14, 2011

Three of my oldest and dearest friends and I celebrated our birthdays together. Three of us met in elementary school. Two of us knew each other before we were born!

Read More »

Testimonials

“I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed yesterday’s meeting, my first. What a lovely, dynamic bunch of women!”… Susan

“Thank you so much for the wonderful opportunity to join the GaGa sisterhood. I really enjoyed everyone and the common bond we all share in our own way as Grandmothers. It is surely a great group of women and I loved how open hearted everyone was, I felt very much at home”… Mary Beth

“I get many newsletters. By far, I’d say yours is one of the most interesting and useful” … Helga

“Usually I avoid groups, but the GaGa Sisterhood is very special and I enjoy the meetings, the subjects, and the other grandmas tremendously. Thank you for creating this group and keeping us going”… Carolyn

“Your Sisterhood organization information has been so helpful in preparing me for this unexpectedly rewarding time of life. Thank you” … Carolynn

“Thanks for sending the GaGazine. All of your tips and work are so valuable and fill such a need in uniting three generations”… Berna

“Your newsletter is consistently informative. I don’t know how you do it, but you write the best e-newsletters. I read every part of it. I am sorry that I missed this meeting, but your newsletter brought me up to date.  Thank you”… Carol

“Every meeting has offered something to take away with me ~ some little nugget of advice, some inspiration, a closer connection with another GaGa”… Susan

“You are in for lots of treats as our GaGa gatherings are always very enjoyable”… Kathleen

“After meeting all of you, I’ve been inspired by how you nurture your grandchildren and how GaGa Sisterhood is truly a place for us to be nurtured. You are a wonderful group of ladies and I am proud to have become a member”… Carol

“Your GaGazine is awesome!  Colorful, straightforward, and loaded with information”… Len

“The GaGazine is a real winner!”… Joyce

“You always produce an enjoyable must read. I look forward to every new issue. Keep up the Grand work!”… Christine

“I really had a transformative experience this afternoon! I came home and described the meeting in detail to my husband who was very interested and so pleased that I had this opportunity. The women were so open, and willing to share their experiences and caring attitudes! I will definitely join the group and hope to eventually bring some friends along too!”….Sue

“Thank you for being the very special, loving and caring person that you are. You are so generous to share your natural talents as our leader, to be better grandparents and people. We continue to learn much in many ways...from the speakers you bring to us, by the friendships and commonalities, to the fun and laughs, and even tears we share.  It is truly the very best, because of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Donne”…. Carol

“You plan such lovely meetings for all of us. I have developed two new friendships from our group, for which I will be ever grateful”… Bev

“What a wonderful GaGa Sisterhood meeting! The way you organized it worked so well and the questions really generated discussion in a most meaningful way. Hats off to you for figuring out how to make it work!”… Marcia

“The GaGa Sisterhood provides not only a place to brag, bond and benefit, but also a place for support, sharing and just plain silliness as we explore who we are as active, involved and evolving grandmothers”… Susan

“I feel very fortunate to have discovered GaGa Sisterhood while visiting my daughter who recently moved to California from the East Coast where I live. I’ve attended just a couple of meetings so far but those meetings and the women I’ve met there have helped me feel more at home at “my home away from home”. Because of this, I am trying to time my future visits to the West Coast, whenever possible, to match the bi-monthly GaGa Sisterhood meetings”… Marcia

“I love the speakers who present at our GaGa Sisterhood meetings.  They are always the highest caliber professionals and they always have something really interesting to say”… Carol

“I really enjoy meeting with this group of women. They are far more informed than the grandma’s of yesteryear. Moreover, they are willing to open up, share, and be enlightened by others. The group of women is very eclectic–each woman has a unique and individual gift to bring to our circle.”… Lisa

“I enjoyed the meeting today. It felt like a comfortable, supportive and fun place to be. Thanks for organizing this group. I think it is a good fit for me and I look forward to future get togethers”… Ricka

“Great meeting. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Very supportive and collegial. Thanks for creating such a warm environment”… Berna

“Thank you for an absolutely outstanding GaGa meeting this afternoon. I feel fortunate to be a part of this lovely group of women. It was an exceptional meeting and I appreciated how honest and genuine everyone was.”… Cheri

“I loved today’s GaGa meeting, it was enlightening and ever so much fun! I can’t wait until the next one in September. So glad I am now a part of this wonderful group of Grandmas!”… Carol

“I admire the way you run the meetings, how inclusive you are, and, mostly, the fact that you created this group out of a common life event–being a grandmother” .... Miriam

“What a treat to be able to share this amazing grandmother experience with those that ‘get it!’ Such a joy!”

"Being a part of The GaGa Sisterhood is such an incredible gift! I love the intellectual stimulation and the building of new relationships. I hope you understand what an incredible experience you're offering to so many of us. You truly are a blessing and I deeply appreciate all you do to make our meetings so meaningful"  .....  Kate

"Your newsletter has great information that's given me inspiration and wisdom on my journey as a grandparent." .... Diane

"Thank you for all you do for us. You enrich our lives and expand our minds" ... LH

Scroll to Top