Welcome to GaGa Sisterhood

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Guide For Grandmas

When Being A Grandma Isn't So Grand

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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.

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.

“Beyond Sixty” Challenges Ageism

By Donne Davis | May 31, 2021

Melissa Davey made her first documentary film in 2018 after retiring from a 30-year career in the corporate tech world. Her second act is fueled by a lifelong passion for film and story-telling. In “Beyond Sixty” she weaves the stories of eight multi-talented women into this inspiring 75-minute film. They show us the power of resilience, defiance, and the wisdom of experience.

Read More »

Vacation Journals Save Precious Memories

By Donne Davis | August 21, 2009

Journaling can save precious memories for future generations. I kept a journal of our recent family vacation to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Read More »

10 Strategies for Joyful Aging

By Donne Davis | July 5, 2021

Ageism, like any ‘ism’, comes from a place of fear, and sometimes it’s our own. Dave Stewart, the founder of Ageist Magazine recommends we do something to outmaneuver society’s negative view on aging and live better and longer lives ourselves.

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GaGa Sisterhood Ezine Receives All Star Award

By Donne Davis | March 16, 2011

For the second year in a row, GaGa Sisterhood’s online newsletter has won Constant Contact’s All-Star Award.

Read More »

Tips for Making Friends as You Age

By Donne Davis | December 4, 2019

Friendship and community are important for our health and happiness. As adults, we require connection with other humans to release certain hormones like oxytocin.

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Patience Can Be Learned 

By Donne Davis | April 19, 2021

With the right attitudes and a bit of practice, we can learn to harness the power of patience in our lives. It’s a combination of motivation (wanting to,) awareness (paying attention to our inner landscape,) and cultivation (practicing.) Patience is a human quality that can be strengthened. We already have it but we’re just not always aware of what helps us be patient, what triggers our impatience, or what to do when our patience wears thin.

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Worry Is a Big Waste of Time

By Donne Davis | July 12, 2010

My vivid imagination can take me on some pretty scary worry trips, if I let it. I found some useful strategies to break the useless cycle of habitual worrying.

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Hand in Hand Nurtures the Parent-Child Connection

By Donne Davis | October 8, 2009

Hand in Hand, a non-profit organization, offers classes and online services to parents and grandparents for building close connections with their children and grandchildren.

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Zumba: The Workout for All Ages

By Donne Davis | October 18, 2010

Zumba is a fast-paced dance program which fuses Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves. It’s the fastest and most fun hour of exercise I’ve ever done.

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Get Your Grandchildren’s Thoughts on the Pandemic

By Donne Davis | August 10, 2020

Try this creative family activity to show and tell how you and your grandchildren are feeling during this pandemic.

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Parents and Grandparents Need to be Allies, Not Enemies

By Donne Davis | February 20, 2017

When grandparents call parents the “enemy,” even in jest, it discourages team building and mutual respect, which is crucial to establishing a solid relationship with your grandchild’s parents.

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Grandma Worried Grandson Is Undernourished

By Donne Davis | November 21, 2017

A grandma is worried that her 4-year old grandson’s mom is negligent and not feeding him enough. Since he’s a picky eater, I’ve offered some tips for handling picky eaters.

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Tips for Getting Along With the Other Grandma

By Donne Davis | January 16, 2012

It’s normal to feel envious of the other grandma, but competing with her is a sign of insecurity. Remember grandchildren thrive when they have lots of grandparents who love them.

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Emily’s First 100 Days of School

By Donne Davis | May 28, 2010

Rosemary Wells’ popular children’s book, Emily’s First 100 Days of School, has imaginative illustrations that make counting fun for children as well as adults.

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Meal Train Helps Friends Support Friends With Meals

By Donne Davis | August 2, 2011

Meal Train is the perfect solution for friends who are going through a difficult or challenging time due to a birth, surgery, or illness and could use some help.

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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!

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Solving the Morning Jumble

By Donne Davis | November 5, 2013

For the past 45 years, my husband and I have begun our morning by solving the Jumble — the scrambled word game which appears in our daily newspaper.

Read More »

Mike Robbins Nails It with Nothing Changes Until You Do

By Donne Davis | May 6, 2014

Mike Robbins’ new book, Nothing Changes Until You Do offers lessons and insights on how we can have more compassion, acceptance, and love for ourselves, others, and life itself.

Read More »

Enjoy Every Sandwich Teaches Gratitude for Life

By Donne Davis | February 3, 2012

When Dr. Lee Lipsenthal was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, he wrote his thoughts about healing the fear of death. In this book, Lipsenthal shared his journey of transcending his fear.

Read More »

35 Fun Activities to Enjoy with Your Grandchildren

By Donne Davis | June 17, 2019

We grandmas love spending time with our grandchildren, especially in the summer when the pace is slower. I’ve put together some of my favorite activities to enjoy with your grandchildren.

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

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