The votes have been cast, the public has spoken, and the decision has been made. No, I'm not talking about the Grammies, Oscars, or even American Idol. I'm referring to the SandwichINK first-ever poll. The response to my question of how you feel about the Twitter resource article once a week was, wonderfully, the same as mine. The content was useful but there was, perhaps, a bit too much. So now I will spotlight my favorite one or two links from Twitter each week AND I am experimenting with a Twitter widget on the right side where you can see all my Twitter comments – the good, the bad, the funny. That way, you can easily follow me on Twitter here, as well as at the Twitter site – @SandwichINK. I'll definitely keep twittering and tweeting items of interest for Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents! 

Speaking of the right side, you may have noticed some minor tweaks to how SandwichINK looks. I've moved the primary column to the left to make it easier to read if you are using a smart phone. Also, I've added some book ideas for the Sandwich Generation along with some of my grandkids' and my favorite books, Bibles, and DVDs. I'd love to hear what you think of all the changes  - whether you love them, hate them, or ?

Today's Spotlight On Twitter is from @AgingSuite. They tweeted an interesting article, Ankles Gain as Candidates for Joint Replacement Surgery, from the New York Times Health section. Did you know that "more than 770,000 hip and knee replacements are performed each year in the U.S.!" And now ankle joint replacement surgery is becoming more popular as well. Though, as this article and its comments point out, it's not without its concerns. Definitely an interesting article to read!

Our family has dealt with hip joint replacement surgery and knee joint replacement surgery. I've even had ankle surgery when I broke my ankle. But this was the first I'd heard of "ankle joint replacement surgery!" How about you? Have you or your family had it or considered it? What are your thoughts on the subject – or on the changes here at SandwichINK. We'd love to hear. And don't forget to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email for more interesting resources from Twitter for the Sandwich Generation.

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Sandwich Generation Tweeting: Ankle Joint Replacement Surgery

The snow has stopped (for the moment), the roads are clear, and the sidewalks are fairly safe to walk on. Only problem is, it's COLD! Even bundled up, with knit hats, scarves, etc., my senior mom didn't feel up to making her usual trek. She really hates not walking though. She is determined to stay active and healthy and knows how important regular exercise for a variety of reasons including her arthritis. I'm quite proud of her. She's way more focused on it than I am. Fortunately, I have the grandkid-chasing to keep me in good shape.

I offered to take her walking at the mall but she didn't want to drive so far. Then I suggested Walmart and her eyes lit up. Off we went to walk the aisles, get some exercise, and even do a bit of grocery shopping. Now granted, mall walking before the shops open can give you the opportunity to walk a bit faster. That's perfect for the moms with strollers. It's not usually that necessary for our senior parents. In fact, the speed they can walk at Walmart is probably better suited to them. 

She enjoyed herself thoroughly, picked up a few groceries she was missing, and even had fun doing some garden-dreaming. In fact, she wound up coming home with a couple of pots and a "seen on TV" upside down kit – all for her future tomatoes. She also found a Mother Earth Organic Gardening Guide to read at home. All in all, a nice afternoon of exercise for less than the cost of a game of golf. As for me, I had already done some walking earlier so I settled for picking up some of my Dr. Pepper Diet Cherry sodas,  doing some writing, and helping her when she needed it. The Jitterbug comes in quite handy at Walmart! 

How do you and your senior parents exercise when it's too cold outside? We'd love more ideas. Also, be sure to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email for more fun exercise ideas for senior parents, grandkids, and all of us in the Sandwich Generation. 

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Looking For a Warm Place For Walking Exercises for Seniors?

Super Bowl Sunday! Those three words make us think of football, food, football, commercials, football, Disneyland, and still more football. My husband, my senior dad, and my grandpa all loved the Super Bowl! Me – I have to confess, I am not really much of a sports fan. I'd much rather be playing a game than watching it. Unless, of course, one of my grandchildren is playing. Then I'm rooting and cheering and screaming with the best of them!  

There is one thing about sports, including the Super Bowl, that I do appreciate. The sports stars who are out there, working hard, maintaining high integrity, and setting a great example for all of us, including our grandkids! As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

I get especially excited when I look at those sports heroes who are actually running for both earthly AND heavenly crowns! One such role model is retired coach, Tony Dungy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his biography, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, last year and highly recommend it. I found it to be encouraging, interesting, and motivating. It showed strengths and weaknesses that he has, but most of all, his total faith in the God we love. 

His life has not always been an easy one and he is certainly not perfect. He has experienced dark days, just as we in the Sandwich Generation often do. But he has stood firm on God and His Word, and I appreciate that I can point my grandchildren towards him, for an example of someone who has combined his faith, his sport, and his work in such a positive manner. Now that's a fun Super Bowl Sunday thought I can really root for!  :)

If you're interested in finding out more about this Super Bowl sports hero, he has been staying busy writing. He has two more books, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, and a children's book, You Can Do It! He also visits on Facebook, Tweets on Twitter, and combines vlogging (video) with blogging at All Pro Dad.  In fact, here's a video clip from Tony Dungy's blog with some words of encouragement for all of us in the Sandwich Generation.

Withstanding Trials from Family First on Vimeo.

How about you? Who is your favorite Super Bowl or other sports hero? We'd love to hear who and why. Also, I'd love to have you sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email to stay up to date on other interesting books for the Sandwich Generation.

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SandwichINK Salutes Super Bowl Hero Tony Dungy

Thursday I told you about the big Toyota recall. It is definitely a headache for them. It's also a headache for those of us in the Sandwich Generation if we have to add elderly parents' car and/or our car repairs' to our To Do list. As I'm sure you'll agree, a Sandwich Generation To Do list is rarely short!

Today, though, I want to write about Toyota again, from a happier perspective. A hearty THANK YOU to my local dealership, which provides car washes and useful waiting rooms to their service customers.

One of the new things I've learned since moving to Kentucky is that rock salt, salt brine, and ice melt are wonderful and necessary things for our roads after a big snow. They provide us with a safer road to travel on when we have to head out to take a grandchild to school or an elderly parent to the doctor's office.

They are not great for our cars, however. Within three days of the last storm, my minivan had a dirty white layer all over it! A friend warned me that it needed to be washed off quickly or it would be damaging to my car. Before I had a chance to do so, I discovered I had a dead parking light bulb on the same car. With Bible study class, babysitting, and doctor appointments all filling my calendar to overflowing, I called my Toyota dealer, explained the situation, and asked if they could squeeze me in AND if it could be done in an hour or less.  I was so happy to be told, "Sure, bring it in. We can have it done for you in plenty of time." They did too!

I sat in their waiting room with my iPhone plugged in, checking my email as they fixed the small but vital light. They brought my car around, sparkling from their car wash! What a wonderful gift to this Sandwich Generation senior home care giver! What a smart move on the part of the dealership. Not all service departments do this, I can assure you. And what a great time saver for me.

You know I"m always looking for great ways to save money, but ways to save time can be just as vital – sometimes even more so. I definitely look for good time saving options whenever I have to do anything, including getting my car repaired. I will definitely be calling this Toyota dealership again when I have another problem. And bragging about them to others!

How about you? What ways to you save time when it comes to car repairs? Do you have favorite companies who help you as you deal with all your Sandwich Generation duties? Be sure to let us know in the comments below! And don't forget to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email to stay caught up on other great ways to help the Sandwich Generation save money and time.

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Big Thanks to Toyota Dealer From This Sandwich Generation Grandma!

A week from Sunday is Valentine's Day. Will you be doing anything special with your grandchildren on or before that date? Some years we do a lot. Others, not so much. I'm not sure what we're up to this year but if a good opportunity arises to have some HEART-y Valentine fun, I've found some great resources with terrific ideas for us all.

1. Living On A Dime has several Valentine fun ideas for decorating and celebrating with plenty of ways to save money.
2. Disney's FamilyFun Crafts has cute Valentine Ideas for cards, games, and recipes.
3. Kaboose is always another favorite of mine and they have lots of fun Valentine craft ideas. I especially like their Valentine Idea for a Heart Wreath.
4. DLTK offers such Valentine fun as coloring pages, word games and recipes.
5. ChildParenting offers several cute Valentine game ideas.
6. Martha Stewart has some delightful Valentine ideas, including some really adorable handmade heart doilies. 
7. Christian Preschool Printables has some delightful Christian Valentine Ideas.

Well, there you have it. Lots of interesting Valentine craft and game ideas to keep us all plenty busy during this season of love. And, of course, there's always the very simple, quite inexpensive, yet very cute little boxes of  Valentine cards. Some years my grandchildren and I have just enjoyed getting those, signing our names on them, and exchanging them with each other.

How about you? Have you got some fun Valentine ideas to share? We'd love to hear them. Also, be sure to sign up the FREE SandwichINK email for more holiday resources to inform and encourage Sandwich Generation grandparents. 

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7 Valentine Craft and Game Resources

I love my Toyota Sienna Minivan. It's easy to drive, has wonderful flexibility with the seating, and provides plenty of room for my senior mom, grandkids, strollers, wheelchairs, etc. It is also, happily, NOT on the current recall list for Toyota SUVs and other Toyota vehicles. However, if you or your elderly parents (or anyone else you know), drive one of these:

2005-2010 Avalon

2009-2010 RAV4

2007-2010 Camry

2008-2010 Sequoia

2009-2010 Corolla

2005-2010 Tacoma

2008-2010 Highlander

2007-2010 Tundra

2009-2010 Matrix

2009-2010 VENZA

2004-2009 Prius

I wanted to be sure you knew there is a massive recall for many of them and they will need to be taken to your local Toyota Service department to have the correction made. You can read more about it at the Toyota Recall site.

It's also important to make sure we let our senior parents know AND follow up to be sure they get this fixed. It's a fairly major problem and not something we want our elderly parents to miss. 

Drive safe, and be sure to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email to stay up-to-date on news of interest to the Sandwich Generation.

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Do Your Elderly Parents Drive a Toyota?

Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents can experience a myriad of events, emotions, and experiences throughout their days, weeks, months, and years. Aren't we glad that there are also some things that never change!

While the earth remains,

seedtime and harvest,

and cold and heat, and summer and winter,

and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8:22

For more lovely photos, inspirational Bible verses and words of encouragement, just pop on over to Penny Raine's blog. Word-filled Wednesday is a great way to encourage the Sandwich Generation!

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Word-filled Wednesday To Encourage The Sandwich Generation

Welcome to SandwichINK. Normally you would find an article full of great Tuesday Twitter resources for you. Today, though, I'm doing a bit of exploring. First, I'm learning about how to add occasional polls to this site. Even more importantly, I'd like to use this poll to learn your opinion of the Tuesday Twitter (sometimes Monday Micro) resources. I'd love it if you'd select one of the options below. And yes, I'd also enjoy reading comments from you – how the poll worked, if you like polls, more info about how you like (or don't like) the Tuesday Twitter resources articles, etc.  

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Tuesday Twitter Resources – What Do YOU Think?

Can you believe it's already FEBRUARY! Wasn't Christmas last Thursday? Hmmm, actually I guess it was two snowstorms, a cold, a flu, a few doctor's visits, and a trip back. WOW! Time does fly when you are staying busy in the Sandwich Generation! Well, if this is February 1, that means Valentine's Day is, gulp, right around the corner! Two weeks away. You should be very proud of me, though! For once in my life, I'm actually ahead of the game! Thanks to the warnings of a mega ice storm and the memories of last year's two weeks without power, I planned my Valentines ideas, did my shopping and even mailed the surprises early. And then relaxed and enjoyed the four inches of snow we actually got.

I have to admit, I don't do a huge amount for Valentine's Day. It's mostly just having fun with unique Valentine gift ideas – like favorite character toothbrushes or tiny stuffed animals, always accompanied by the cute little kids' Valentine cards that I still enjoy buying. A couple of times I gave "hugs" by giving towels I had purchased for a GREAT price at Costco! Valentine books are always fun Valentine ideas as well. My senior mom discovered some great ones this year. I thought I'd share some of them with you:

• Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse is my new favorite. It's by the same writer famous for the "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" series that my grandchildren absolutely love! The story is sweet, there are some great lessons in it, and it's just plain fun to read!
• Fancy Nancy, Heart to Heart. I have seen this series before, but never looked at any of them. This past week I read through this one and really enjoyed it. It's primarily for little girls, but I suspect a brother might enjoy it as well.
• Olive You!: And Other Valentine Knock-Knock Jokes You'll A-Door. This is one we already had and I LOVE it. I'm definitely the "Knock Knock" grandma! My grandchildren know I'll "knock knock" joke with them for the longest time and we have such a good time laughing over each one. This little book is full of fun "knock knock" jokes you and your grandchildren will truly "a-door!"

It's probably too late to send any Valentine books by media mail if your grandkids live a long distance away. The next best thing might be to take advantage of the Post Office's flat-rate priority option. I try to save up a bunch of things I might be sending for the next holiday or special occasion. Then I pack in as many things as I can possibly squish into the box and usually end up saving money based on the weight. It's a great help to Sandwich Generation grandparents, that's for sure!

What are some of your favorite Valentine's Day gift ideas or books to read? We'd love to read about them in the comments section. And don't forget to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email newsletter so you don't miss out on any fun holiday ideas for you and your grandchildren.

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Valentine Gift Ideas for Grandchildren

As Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents, we can have up days and we can have down days, can't we? For that matter, so can our elderly parents, our adult kids, and even our grandchildren. But God is always there to lift us up, encourage us, and enable us to deal with whatever life throws our way.

Today I watched a video featuring a young man with an infectious smile who reminded me of this very fact. I knew I had to share it with you. Nick Vujicic is an Australian who was born to parents who were strong Christians. He was born without arms and legs. In spite of what seemed to be an overwhelming obstacle, he has grown up to love God tremendously and now has a wonderful Christian ministry to encourage others to fully surrender to and depend on God.

The two encouraging quotes that blessed me the most, as a senior home care giver and grandmother, were:

God does not seek out our capabilities to serve Him. He seeks our availability.

The greatest lie we are believing today is that you need to do this life alone!

 

As the Bible reminds us:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge HIm and He will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

No matter how hard the senior home care can be, no matter how sad going through hospice is, no matter how difficult it is to deal with problems involving grandchildren, we need to cling to the fact that GOD IS IN CONTROL, GOD LOVES US, GOD HAS PROMISED TO NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US!!!!  I hope and pray this video will encourage each each of you in the Sandwich Generation to know that you can hold on to God and His promises and He will lead and guide you!

Don't forget to share this video with your grandchildren. You might also be interested to know that he has recorded a DVD entitled "Life Without Limbs,"  as well as a DVD for teens, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries: Youth Version,  and has a book, Life Without Limits, coming out in October of this year. That's one I know I'll be watching for.  With all the heroes our grandchildren look up to who have feet of clay, it's such a blessing to know there are Godly heroes, like Nick Vujicic, who can inspire them and encourage them to put their full trust in God! 

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Encouraging Quotes and Examples for Us AND Our Grandchildren