As the old saying partially goes, few things are as certain as death.  Whether it’s a beloved senior parent, an aging relative, or even a dear elderly neighbor, we are very likely to be in a position to plan or help plan funeral services sometime in the not so far away future.

When I was a teen I remember reading a book by Vance Packard that, among other things, detailed the various ways to save money on funerals. His books were interesting and informative and I was determined to follow the guidelines he suggested…until I was in a position when I had to do so, while dealing with waves of grief and helping family members deal with their pain as well. Saving dollars on funeral costs was the furthest thing from my mind then. All I cared about was making things as easy and comforting as possible for everyone I loved.

I thought of that when reading an interesting article in the newspaper this week. Emily Fredrix wrote, “Wal-Mart starts selling caskets, urns online,” about the fact that Walmart is now selling caskets on line at deeply discounted prices. Turns out Costco also sells caskets online, along with a few other stores including Overstock. I was interested to note that Sam’s Club does not carry caskets though they do have some lovely casket spray floral arrangements.

Walmart can ship their caskets directly to the funeral home you selected and they give you the option of taking up to 12 months to pay with low monthly payments and no interest. That could be a big help to those dealing with an unexpected death, those who have to wait on insurance payments, and those on tight budgets, especially if they’ve been dealing with a major illness requiring expensive hospitalization. Walmart cannot deliver caskets to all areas of the U.S. You should check their list now for future reference, and then check it again at the time you actually need it, as changes could occur.

Costco can also ship to the funeral home of your choice and they, too, have restrictions on where they can ship the caskets.  Both also limit returns to “due to freight or cosmetic damage from shipping” and you will need to contact them before returning it.

These are definitely interesting and useful options to know about. I think it would be a bit more stressful in the short-term to go this route, as opposed to letting well-trained staff at the mortuary walk you through it all. At the same time, a very expensive funeral will cause stress over a prolonged period of time.

Discussing future plans ahead of time with all your family members, especially your senior parents, is one of the wisest steps you can take. Share this info on caskets along with information about other funeral costs with them as well and talk about what you all would prefer and what you can handle. Be aware, though, that when the time actually comes, you may change your mind just because of strong emotions. Discuss that as well so that you will all be prepared for that situation as well.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Post from: SandwichINK.com

New Ways to Save Money on Caskets

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My grandkids and I love to play! From freeze tag to Cranium Cariboo, from riding Razor Scooters to playing Pictureka, from Old Maid to Crazy 8s, we do have lots of fun with educational toys and games. And yes, I meant that word EDUCATIONAL to be there. You might not think of all these toys and games as educational, and yet they are. My grandkids are learning important character traits like good sportsmanship and how to share at the same time they are learning critical thinking skills and how to read numbers, not to mention how to balance well.

Two new games we’ve tried in the last couple of months are Bakugan Battle Brawlers and Sequence for Kids. After spending some time with both, I wanted to share our thoughts about them.

Bakugan Brawl Board Game: My grandsons love Bakugan. When I spotted this game at Walmart, I recognized the name and stopped. The description on the front states, “A Game of Strategy & Intense Bakugan Brawling” and “5+.” The picture looked somewhat like chess or checkers. “WooHoo,” I thought. An interesting, critical thinking skills game that would be right up their alley. The timing was perfect since I would be babysitting them for a few days that week, so I purchased the game and brought it home.

I made the mistake of setting it up while they were there. It’s always better to take it apart, set it up, and learn the game when you are alone, but my schedule hadn’t allowed for that. Still, we had fun putting it together. Then we worked through the rules. I don’t know who decided it was a game for 5 and up. My grandkids are quite bright but even the 7 year old didn’t really understand the concepts. It was even confusing for me! The game itself looks like it would be fun and interesting for an older crowd. But if you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for kids under 10, I can’t recommend it for them.

Sequence for Kids: Even though the front cover states it is for ages 3-6, this game has turned out to be great for my all my east coast grandkids, including their big sister of 13. She’d probably also enjoy the older kids’ version, but we’ve all had fun with this colorful game. I brought it with us for a long road trip, and it was great to play with one or two at a time each morning before the rest woke up. They have to get four chips in a row up and down, sideways, or diagonally. There are two special cards – a UNICORN that lets you place your chip anywhere and a DRAGON that lets you remove your opponent’s chip from anywhere.

The one hard part, that can be a bit difficult if you have younger children or if any of yours are on the autism spectrum or with certain learning disabilities, is the DRAGON card. We found it can be fairly frustrating, especially if the one losing the chip is almost at four chips to win the game. I wound up playing the game with each of my grandkids individually several times. We started off really easy. If I got the DRAGON card, I used it at the beginning of the game when it wouldn’t bother them. As we continued to play the game, I made it just a wee bit more challenging for them each time. Eventually they have all reached the point where they are enjoying the game even when they lose a crucial chip at the end of the game.

Overall, this game is entertaining, interesting, and fun – even for me. I also like that they are learning to deal with frustration in a positive manner. I highly recommend this game, and it’s big brother, Sequence. The company also makes Sequence, Numbers – to help them learn to add and subtract; Sequence, States and Capitals – perfect for around 4th or 5th grade when they are learning those; and several other interesting sounding games. All in all, a great way to help our grandkids learn while we all have fun! I’m looking forward to playing it with my west coast kids next time I get to visit them.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

2 Educational Toys and Games for Grandkids

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Since I posted twice yesterday:

Praise and Worship With Word-Filled Wednesday to encourage Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents,

Multitasking at CarMax and Toyota Dealership with the great ways we can stay busy while getting a cheap oil change,

I am just doing a short news update today.

On Tuesday I mentioned the possibility of an extension of unemployment benefits and the new home buyer’s tax credit – both of which can help our multigenerational families in this tough economy. Today I read that the Senate had voted to approve this. Now it goes to the House where they are also expected to approve it.

11/5/09 4:16 pm – Latest Update – The House of Representatives has also passed this bill and it has now gone to the President for signing, maybe as early as tomorrow.

I personally know of those in the Sandwich Generation who will be blessed by this extension in these difficult times. How about you?

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I was visiting at one of my favorite blogs, Penny Raine,  and discovered a delightful meme she is participating in, Word-Filled Wednesday. The purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God’s Words (no famous quotes or other literature — only the precious and beautiful words of our Lord God) through photos & a Bible verse! I noticed we can also add a little thought of our own, as well. What a great idea! And what a great encouragement it was to me as I read the various sites.

I decided to share this with you, as well, on a weekly basis. As Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents, we can always use extra encouragement. So I am actually posting early for my next post and in the future, I hope to be participating in this great meme each Wednesday. I’d love to hear your comments about it. And do be sure to check out the other encouraging and uplifting photos and verses which you can find at Penny’s site. It’s a great opportunity to stop for just a second to spend time in praise and worship to our wonderful Lord, then head back to caregiving duties with a lighter heart!

The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O Lord, teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:64

When I am tired or discouraged, I love to walk out to look at the gorgeous flowers, delightful trees, fluffy clouds…

All of God’s creation is a gift to us, reminding us of His love, His power, and His majesty!

As I look at all the beauty He created, I am blessed and encouraged!

Thank You, Lord God!

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Praise and Worship With Word-Filled Wednesday

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When it was time for me to buy a new-to-me used car several months ago, I researched well, shopped a lot, and when I had settled on what I wanted, I headed straight to my favorite of all the used car dealers, CarMax.  When I moved two states away, I was thrilled to find there is a CarMax only an hour away from me! For the most part, I can take my car to the Toyota dealership in my city, and will be glad to do so. But for a couple of specialty items, it has to be CarMax and I was so relieved to find a friendly one so close by.

I spent most of my day there today and enjoyed their delightful hospitality. I especially appreciated that they have two desks available in the waiting room, complete with electrical outlets! My old CarMax didn’t have that but it was only five minutes from my house so I didn’t need it as much. It was wonderful to be able to get some serious work done for the time I was there. I actually got extra work done since I had no internet available. I was able to do some weeding, some filing, some planning, and some writing. It was great!

The Toyota dealership I went to in Virginia offered the same kind of setup and provided free wi-fi, so I was thrilled with them as well. Generally, if I have to leave my car for a prolonged period, I just have them give me a ride to and from my home. But for shorter trips, like taking advantage of their great oil change coupons (one of my favorite ways to save money is to get a high-quality yet cheap oil change with coupons ), it’s easier to just tote my laptop with me and work in peace and quiet at one of their desks.

I appreciate both the CarMax and Toyota dealership for providing these pleasant waiting areas for their customers. To me, it’s a sign that both these businesses are going the extra step to provide excellent quality service and I bet I’m not the only one that makes good use of the areas.

If you aren’t a writer or a blogger, it’s still a useful area for you as well. You can use it to get caught up on all those letters you never get a chance to write, work on your checkbook, or update your To Do list and calendar. It’s a great way for all of us Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents to get some serious multi-tasking done!

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Multitasking at CarMax and Toyota Dealership

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Senior Home Care Givers:

Top 10 Diseases Made Famous by Celebrities – Parkinson’s Disease is #4 and Autism is # 10. @ParkinsonsInfo

An interesting EldercareABC blog carnival.

Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use 10/27/09 – Transition, Memories & Meaning…

Good info for those who will soon be having cataract surgery! @mike_gamble

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it’s about learning to dance in the rain! @TeresaBaine

Lack of ZZZZs Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice.    @GlenboAZ

Grandparenting:

Kids elect “awesome” homecoming queen with autism. @SafetyNetSource:

Show off your grandkids in a high-tech tiny keychain fun sort of way. Giveaway – Digital Photo Keychain.  @Janetfaye

Sandwich Generation:

Go get your free Christian holiday book now – The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren. @HomeEverAfter

Encouragement – You are my help and my deliverer; O my God.

Are eggs required for baking? A better option is to grind a tablespoon of flax seed & dissolve it in 3 tablespoons of water. This equals the same consistency and binding power as the eggs and is a lot healthier for our baby boomer generation bodies (not to mention our senior parents’ bodies). @Carebuzz

Mixed news from many quarters on whether the economy is better, worse or the same. The bottom line, though, is that there are still plenty of people I know who are out of work and need some extra help. If you know anyone using food stamps, let them know that many wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club are now taking food stamps. For a large, multi-generational family, that could be a big help!

Democrats Agree to Extend Home-Buyer Tax Credit as part of a package that would also extend unemployment benefits. It could come up for a vote today. If you want to express your opinion on this, either way, you’ll find the congressional contact info at SandwichINK.

Food safety is vital for the Sandwich Generation and their families. Poultry is the #1 source of food poisoning in the U.S. — here’s how to keep your family safe. @parenting

Humorous & interesting article – My Neighbor Rocks – Baby Boomer Generation Meets Guns and Roses.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

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It’s that time of year when my grandkids’ feet are growing faster than the holes in their shoes, even with all the scooter braking they’ve been doing.   I enjoy helping with this process so I’m always keeping my eyes open for great sales on children’s shoes in a wide variety of sizes. Today I hit the Mother Lode and thought I’d pass on the info to you as well.

Gap had cute flats for younger girls shoes and loafers for little boys that were 40% off the marked down price. Sears had a great sale going for boots. Payless Shoe Source was offering a Buy One, Get One free sale on all their shoes. My granddaughter’s favorite store, Justice For Girls, had the cutest boots at 40% off. Walmart won the “Best Of…” contest. Not only did they have sales on Sunday School shoes AND low top vinyl boots, their regular price on big-kid boots beat most of the sale prices! A GREAT help for grandparents everywhere!

Then I came home and checked the online shoe stores for my long distance grandkids. Sears had some great sale shoes for kids, and their site was fairly easy. I couldn’t find anything on the Gap site. I found the same boots we liked at Justice For Girls stores online site but they weren’t showing the 40% off deal the store clerks told us about. Payless Shoe Source was offering their Buy One Get One Free online as well, with only $5.95 shipping/handling or FREE if sent to a store near you.

Walmart also had great deals on children’s shoes in their online shoe store. I found all the regularly priced cute boots and shoes I spotted in the store, along with some sales I hadn’t seen. I even spotted some great deals between $6 and $15 by clicking on clearance. And if I wanted to send shoes to my long distance grandkids’, I could order them, pay for them, and have them sent to the store in my family’s area at no shipping charges, the same as Payless Shoe Source. How cool is that!

All in all, I had a nice day shopping today but it took a lot of time and walking. That’s something I, as a Sandwich Generation senior home caregiver and grandma, don’t always have available. It’s great to know that in the future, when I don’t have time, I can head for a great variety of friendly online shoe stores and let my “fingers do the shopping” via my keyboard.

How about you? Have you found great deals for grandkids at online shoe stores? What’s your favorite? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below. And don’t forget to sign up for the SandwichINK free email to stay current on all the fun and useful ideas and resources for the Sandwich Generation.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Cute Children’s Shoes For Cute Grandkids

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Cold and flu season was in full swing. After a particularly difficult and exhausting week of senior home care giving and grandparenting, I was sitting in church listening to the pastor read a passage from the Bible, Matthew 14:22-33.

He told of the time after Jesus miraculously fed a multitude of people. He had sent the crowds away, sent his disciples off on a boat, and gone off on His own to pray. Later that night, the disciples were still on the boat, when it was caught in a major storm, with the waves pounding against it. All of a sudden they saw Jesus coming towards them on the water and they were terrified, thinking He was a ghost.

…they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” Matthew 14:26b-33

Did you notice something in that passage? Jesus immediately spoke words of comfort to them when they were in the midst of being buffeted by the waves, and He immediately reached out to grab Peter when he became afraid and started to sink in the water. BUT the storm kept going on! It did stop when He got on the boat, but not sooner.

God is ALWAYS with us in the middle of our trials, whether they be from caregiving or from other situations we may be dealing with. He is always ready to speak words of comfort and encouragement to us through His Word, through hymns and praise songs, and through sermons. But the trials do NOT always stop immediately. Sometimes they go on for a few minutes or hours, like here. Sometimes they go on for days, as happened for Lazarus’ sisters when he died. And sometimes, as Paul discovered, trials, such as prison, beatings, illness, and thorns in the flesh can go on for months or even years!

It’s vital for us to cling tight to Him no matter how long our trials endure, trusting Him and praising Him. As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I pray that you will each be blessed this week with the comfort of His presence and the encouragement of His Word as you go about your Sandwich Generation senior home care giving and grandparenting!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Storms for the Sandwich Generation

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Many of us in the Sandwich Generation are providing dementia care for aging parents. One big concern as the disease progresses is the safety of our senior parents. Every few days you read about a patient with dementia who has wandered off and is lost. Currently, there is no national system in place to help find them, such as the Amber Alerts which help find children. As I wrote in my original post on silver alerts and in my Twitter updates about Silver Alerts,  it’s vital for us to contact our elected representatives and ask that they support H.R. 632 which would provide an inexpensive and easy way to send Silver Alerts out across the nation. Since it is not uncommon for a dementia patient to be found many miles and several states away from home, this is a definite need.

Since I recently moved, I just contacted my new senators via email. It took me about ten minutes to find their email addresses and type short notes. Thanks to RefDesk, you can do it even faster for this and other issues of importance to you. They just sent me a great link that did NOT turn up when I was doing my Google search. It would have made it much easier and faster for me! As busy Senior Home Care Givers and grandparents, we all need as much help in that area as we can get.

The website is a government site, USA.gov. You’ll find email and snail mail addresses, phone numbers, website addresses, and even info about being able to “tweet” your representative. While you’re there, be sure to send an email to each of your senators to support H.R. 632 to provide help finding missing dementia patients, and any other cause you support.

As I wrote yesterday at SandwichINK Real Estate Info, I also highly recommend RefDesk. You can visit there daily to see their latest “Site of the Day” or sign up to have it mailed to you daily. I do find the most interesting sites from them. It’s one of my favorite resources! 

Once you’ve contacted your senator, you can check here often to see if there has been any movement on this bill. I have a button on the far right side that shows what is (or is not) happening. And do sign up for the SandwichINK free email so you don’t miss out on any of the resources provided here for great Sandwich Generation Senior Home Care Givers and Grandparents like you!

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Easy Way to Ask Your Senator To Help With Dementia Care and Silver Alerts

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Grandkids and Christmas are such a sweet combination! One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making Christmas presents for their parents, grandparents, and each other. My local grandkids and I have already started and are taking our time. I’m looking forward to visiting my long distance grandkids before Christmas and having a fun weekend doing a bunch with them all at once.

A bunch of what you might ask? This year we’re sticking with the same grandma game plan as last year. I went to Michael’s, which is my favorite place for art and craft supplies, and bought a bunch of cute wooden Christmas tree ornaments and some fresh new art supplies. Since my grandkids are still pretty young, our needs are pretty simplistic – kids’ scissors, washable Crayola markers, and glue sticks. As they grow, though, I’m sure I’ll be getting more interesting kids craft items.

We have had fun for the past couple of weeks, coloring and decorating one Christmas ornament each time they visit. They each chose one ornament for themselves, as well, to start them off on their own collection of Christmas tree ornaments. I did this with each of my kids, and they still enjoy the ornaments they made and/or received each year. One very important tip – make sure you put their initials on the back of each Christmas ornament, along with the name of the recipient. I also like to put the date on the back. It’s amazing how quickly we forget just a couple of years down the road.

I’m watching the sales ads closely right now. When I head to the opposite coast to visit my long distance grand-sweeties, I’ll either take more Christmas ornaments I found here on sale, or I’ll stop and pick them up there, depending on how good the sale is and how full my suitcase gets!

Christmas Day is only one day out of the year. Having fun with our grandkids making Christmas ornaments, cute Christmas decor, and delicious Christmas cookies stretches the fun out wonderfully! How about you? What do you and your grandkids enjoy doing during the holiday season? We’d love to hear. And for more fun grandkid ideas, be sure to sign up for the SandwichINK free email.

Post from: SandwichINK.com

Have Fun Making Christmas Ornaments With Grandkids

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