Tis definitely the season for Valentine Fun. I just came home from Walmart. The decorations I spyed there are huge and the goodies in some of the carts were too. For my Sandwich Generation family, it's going to be a bit smaller than the norm due to so much going on, but we're still enjoying bits and pieces of fun, including prepping those cute Valentines and hiding away little goodies for the big day. And here at SandwichINK we're going to enjoy some Valentine blog party fun in the blogosphere. It's a terrific way to enjoy some Happy Holiday cheer and give some sweet caring for the caregivers, even if caregiving needs are keeping us right at home! So let your fingers "do the walking" with the help of a friendly mouse or trackpad, and enjoy some sweet cheer and enjoyable site-seeing at a variety of great places, some familiar ones from last year and some new ones especially focused on eldercare givers! Enjoy!

Life Between the Buns where fellow Sandwich Generation-er, Jacquelyn, shared the cutest Valentine project with us, along with plenty of empathy for the busy-ness that comes with the caregiving territory! 

Michelle Seitzer, from Seniors For Living, came up with some great ideas for New Ways to Show Love on Valentine’s Day. And what a sweet treat for this Sandwich Generation granny nanny when I read #3! I'm still smiling big, Michelle, thank you!  

A great resource for those caring for the elderly parents with Alzheimers Disease or other dementia symptoms, Alzheimers Reading Room, has a Valentine for us, as well! 

Denise Brown has a fun winter idea at Caregiving.com – We Break For Winter.  It's not a Valentine party, but it's still plenty of fun and hitting at the perfect time to put a sweet smile on our faces. Visit and share something in the comments section for a chance to win a Movie Madness gift pack, plus be entered into a chance to win one of their grand prizes. Today's the last day so hurry to visit. As a past prize winner, I can tell you, they are always sure to make your caregiving day much brighter when you are opening those special goodies! And guess what, I won one of her many prizes again this year! Hooray. And THANK YOU Denise! 

Oh my, wait til you see the lovely Valentine tablescape at The Little Round Table. It's gorgeous – and guaranteed not to add a single pound to our waists!

If you can never get enough of Christmas, Debbie-Dabble has FIVE of her SEVENTEEN Christmas trees still up and beautifully decorated for Valentine's Day. They are gorgeous! 

My senior mom AND my granddog voted for the inclusion of Susan and Bentley's cute Valentine post, Women Bring Love Into A Home. From the cute valentine pix, to the sweet tribute to Susan's mom, to the always adorable Bentley, it's a surefire pleasure! 

EVERYONE seems to be extra busy this Valentine season, including The Thrifty Groove. But she, too, made some time to decorate beautifully AND share some fun, creative and practical ways to save money in the process. A Valentine for us all. 

If you're still looking for fun and easy crafts and Valentine ideas for the kids (not to mention all us seniors), be sure to pop over to 5 Minutes for Mom. They've got such fun craft ideas, delightful stories, and adorable movies to share with your grandkids!

For more fun vintage, enjoy The Vintage Valentine Party at Common Ground as well as the fun post at A Sentimental Life.

And Sue Loves Cherries is all about the RED, so you'll find lots of red lovelies there today, as well as checking back on Valentine's Day, itself, for Rednesday. 

Wait tiil you see Holiday Haven's cute hot Valentine drink decor idea – I LOVED it.

Also, don't forget yesterday's post, Easy, Creative and Free Valentine Ideas for the Sandwich Generation, which has some fun Valentine ideas and resources for you, along with links to two more great Valentine blog party posts. AND if that's still not enough, check out last year's article, Boomer and Senior News for the Sandwich Generation: Plenty of Valentine Blog Party Fun for Busy Caregivers. It has lots more great links to fun blog party posts for 2011. If you're wanting even more Valentine fun, have fun perusing. Isn't this a delightful way to ease some of that caregiver stress, and "caring for the caregivers?" Happy Valentine's Day weekend to caregivers everywhere!  

Kaye

WOW! Where is the time zooming? Next week is already Valentine's Day! We're so busy this year, the grandkids and I haven't even had much time for the fun and easy crafts for kids that I also love. Then again, there's no reason the seniors in my home can't enjoy them sans grandkids. While I usually send the sweet little kids' Valentines sometimes handmade with my favorite cute country clipart, along with small gifts for the grandkids and the elderly parents in my family, my senior mom loves to send regular Valentine greetings cards to all the grandkids. She usually enjoys picking out special ones from Walmart or Hallmark but occasionally indulges in some fun handmade greetings cards.

I'll have to show her – and YOU – about this adorable and FREE ebook from Sidetracked Sara. She is such a fun resource for easy crafts for all of us, from kids to seniors. Just click here to head to her site, sign up for her free email, and the ebook will arrive in your inbox. A sweet gift for a sweet and happy holiday!

Another of my fave resources is Tawra Kellem, author of  Dining on a Dime cookbook and so many other books. She's also got a free Happy Valentines Holiday ebook for all of us in (and out of) the Sandwich Generation. I just got mine and if you'd like one as well, just click here. It's full of  fun, practical and creative ways to save money while you enjoy creating special family memories on Valentine's Day with your loved ones. 

Be sure to pop back tomorrow for a listing of a few of the many fun Valentine's Day party blog posts that are up and about around the internet. It's a fun way to go to a party without ever leaving your home – perfect all of us busy Sandwich Generation caregivers. And here's two early parties – Bargain Hunting With Laurie, with the cutest old-time-y cards and comments, and  Pink Saturday, where the theme this week is sharing all sorts of things we love – in all sorts of colors. In my case, that would be GOD, FAMILY, and sharing Valentine fun. How about you?

P.S. No, I didn't forget the article – just the date. So part two of the Christian audio books for kids series will be NEXT week

Kaye

With this being the month of love and hearts , it's definitely appropriate for our Sandwich Generation families to remember the important news for all of us boomers and seniors that it's also American Heart Month! The CDC (Centers for Disease Control Prevention) want to encourage all of us to:

• Get up and get active by being physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. (playing active games while babysitting grandchildren is a fun way to combine the two )
• Make your calories count by eating a heart-healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium and trans fat. (sets a great example for those grandkids too)
• Take control of your heart health by following your doctor's prescription instructions.

AND

Corinne Ruiz  from The Bakersfield Voice has a terrific challenge for all of us – "Imagine if each person who made a New Year’s resolution knew how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Or if, instead of roses, 198 million AEDs were deployed in schools, churches, shopping malls and other public gathering places across the country." Smart ideas, aren't they? It definitely ain't easy with all the other Sandwich Generation issues of life that we have going on, but certainly especially useful for us as we are caregiving.  I am happy to say, I have had CPR training, including the use of the AED. How about you?

Also – something important that I personally discovered recently – if your elderly parent is showing symptoms of high blood pressure, shortness of breath, confusion, or even odd heart beats, be sure to get them checked out at the doctor's right away. Along with any and all other tests they decide to run, I would suggest you ask about a urine test for a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), as well. We learned that the symptoms of a UTI can be quite different for elderly women than younger and can occasionally include the items I listed. It can be very odd, very frustrating, and very easy to miss – even for medical personnel! It won't hurt to check, and it could save you a lot of time and worry!

And speaking of doctor visits, be sure to check out my latest guest post at EldercareABCblog - Doctor Visits With Our Senior Parents Are Beneficial to All - including in situations like these.

Definitely a heart-y helping of interesting news for all of us boomers and seniors who are caregivers – in OR out of the Sandwich Generation. Have a great day!  

Kaye

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, and today being Word-Filled Wednesday, this Sandwich Generation granny nanny decided to have some creative fun this season, combining encouraging Bible verses about love with cute country clipart from Trina and Friends. And while there may be no snow outside, I'm having SNOW MUCH FUN inside with these cute Valentine snowpeople. Here's a cute duo – one in color and one in black and white, thanks to one of my new favorite and fun apps for the iPhone – Instant Sketch. 

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MESSAGE)

What an awesome "Valentine" from God to us. And what a fun way of sharing these words of encouragement with our grandkids.

I thought these might be fun Valentines for some of our grandkids to enjoy coloring or maybe even share with some of their friends, not to mention their grandparents and great-grandparents. Happy Early Valentines Day from my Sandwich Generation Family to yours.

Kaye

While Colorado and other areas were wrapped in snow, my Sandwich Generation family has been blissfully exulting in off and on spring-like weather – much of it quite delightful.

We did get a hint of a storm the other day. (Check out this photo – shot with my easy to use digital camera in my iPhone and edited on my Mac with my latest of the fun photo editing apps, this time, though, for the Mac instead of the iPhone! It's called PaintBrush! It's not as easy to work with as Picnik.com but it's the easiest I've discovered so far, so I'm going to keep trying it. What do you think? I just resized the pictures and added the text. )

But all that came from those stormy looking clouds were a few sprinkles and then they were on their way, leaving my grandkids and me laughing with glee over ball tag and kickball in the MIDDLE OF WINTER.

Uh Oh, though. So many trees are sprouting too early. It will definitely be "interesting" for this Sandwich Generation granny nanny and senior mom to see what happens with gardening over the next few weeks and months. How about your weather – are you getting spring instead of winter too? Or even summer?  Don't forget, you can enjoy more fun photos at Sweet Shot Tuesday. Also, easy to use though they may be, if you have questions about your digital camera, she has a photo twitterchat coming up tomorrow. And… 

Kaye

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, it's definitely time to make sure we have our Valentines ready for our Sandwich Generation family. I just mailed off some kids' fun and easy crafts and activities Valentine cards for my long distance grand kids that I found at Walmart and Dollar Tree. I'm thinking my compadre seniors-in-law might have fun helping the grandkids work on them.

I admit, I also enjoy cute SMALL goodies to go with the cards. For the kids, I do avoid candies, preferring something like the fun and small Webkinz stuffed animals I also sent off earlier, thanks to the great deals on Amazon. It's perfect timing for them to update their account for another year!

For older grandkids and their parents, I love to give "HUGS" via thick towels I find on sale, cozy fleece or Sherpa throws and blankets, or encouraging and interesting books. My sweet seniors love all the Karen Kingsbury Christian novels. Her latest books are  Longing, which just came out in  November, and Loving, which is due to be released in March. It's a fun way to spread out the holiday if you get both of them.

For the younger grandkids, another fun and inexpensive non-edible treat is one of the Happy Meal Toys from McDonalds. Unlike some other restaurant fast food chains, McDonald's is wonderful about letting you buy the toys WITHOUT buying the Happy Meals – making them a great treat for all grandkids, including those dealing with food allergies and intolerance symptoms. Right now, they have some uber cool Hot Wheels cars my grandboys are loving, along with some girly toys (Barbie I think?) for the grandgirls.

For those who do prefer the traditional candy, I gotta tell you, I am currently hooked on Lindt Lindor Dark Chocolate Truffles. Oh…my…delicious….gracious!!!! They are so tasty and healthier than plain chocolate (after all, they do say Dark Chocolate is the "new vegetables." I don't know about that. I DO know that when the Sandwich Generation juggle starts getting on my nerves, lots of prayer and a couple of those tasty treats are a GREAT RX!

Well, that's my main Valentine's Day shopping list. What's yours? We're always up for more fun and creative gifts ideas for our Sandwich Generation family members – from grand kids to the beloved elderly seniors!  :)

Kaye

It's Super Bowl Sunday! I have to admit, I'm not a big football fan (though if any of my grandkids starts playing it, that will change – at least for the time they play ). I don't even pay that close of attention to the funny commercials, though I usually get to enjoy one or two of the best, thanks to the TV news. Nope, this Sandwich Generation granny nanny's favorite sports are whatever my grandkids are playing and right now – that's Upward basketball. 

One of my favorite parts of any Upwards sport is that they have the kids work on encouraging Bible memory verses through the week and I get to have fun helping them practice saying them. This week, we've been working on Joshua 1:9 from the NIrV and I have to tell you, it's been such an extra special blessing to me and is so perfect for so many situations, including the Sandwich Generation issues of life!

"Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified. Do not lose hope. I am the LORD your God. I will be with you everywhere you go." 

This was already a favorite Bible verse of my grandkids and myself. I love to sing them the version I learned from GT and the Halo Express, back when my kids were young. Thanks to that song, they already knew the verse but I still keep having them say it and listen to it. I don't think we can ever get enough of this particular one. What do you think?

So when your life feels a bit like the stormy clouds in the picture above, I pray that this comforting and uplifting Scripture will be as much a blessing to you and your family as it is to me and my family – in AND out of the Sandwich Generation. Happy Spiritual Sunday!  

Kaye

Are you, like so many of us in the Sandwich Generation, caring for a family member – whether your elderly parents, or another member – with some type of major illness or other special needs? I just learned something new that I had never heard of and thought it might prove useful for some caregivers. Most will never need this but for those who might, here's the scoop.

Did you know that there are special plastic laundry bags, called melt-away water soluble laundry bags, that dissolve in the hot water wash? These are primarily geared for medical care facilities but they are available at Amazon, among other places, and I could think of a couple of instances where they might come in handy for senior OR junior home care givers, can't you? Even if it's just to give a weary caregiver an occasional break from dealing with certain unpleasant odors when doing the wash. It may seem minute, but I still have vivid memories of one beloved's clothes, many years later, during the last couple of weeks and I would have loved anything that could lessen that. And, of course, if you are dealing with someone with a contagious illness, that's exactly what these are well-suited for.

Per Amazon, These Sani-Melt Water Soluble Laundry Bags…designed to isolate soiled or contaminated linen — are a great way to manage dirty or infected laundry while protecting your staff! Clear bags can be washed along with linen contents. Bag ties dissolve at 40 degrees F, the bag itself dissolves in hot water flush at 140 degrees F.

As I explained at the beginning, I doubt most of us caring for elderly parents or other family members will ever need these melt-away bags. But I've learned from experience to pass on anything unique like this because there WILL be some of us who will be thrilled to learn of these bags. And any useful little tips for taking care of elderly parents or any other family members in the Sandwich Generation are always such a blessing to share as well as learn, don't you think? And speaking of great tips to help caregivers, the latest Twitter #ElderCareChat recap is now available at Seniors For Living. Great resources for the Sandwich Generation, all!  

Kaye

Because of all the various issues, including health, that my Sandwich Generation family is dealing with on a regular basis, we do spend a LOT of time in the car!  I'm always on the lookout for great educational and character building resources for quiet times together and I've got two excellent resources to share with you this week and next.

The first is one I've mentioned before – Down Gilead Lane. It's a Kids Christian radio drama full of interesting stories, character building episodes, and plenty of Biblical values – and it's really fun to listen to!  You can actually listen to episodes at no cost at CBH Ministries or buy them on CD or as mp3 downloads to listen to in the car or on your iPod or other mp3 player.

I first bought a couple of their CDs back when my oldest grandchild was about 10 or 11. We had a long drive ahead of us and I thought they would help to make the trip a bit more enjoyable. They did! And I enjoyed the stories as much as she did! Now my 8 and 10 year old grandsons have started listening and they are all enjoying them just as much. 

The stories center around the Morrison Family – five kids and their parents – living in a small town. They have a variety of friends, some saved, some not. There is mystery, intrigue, family fun, drama, happy times, and sad times – and it's all Christ-centered and biblically based. We are currently listening to the stories about a beloved family friend who is a senior citizen. He is in the midst of developing Alzheimer's Disease and I was wiping away tears as we listened to the story of how he disappeared for a few hours during a storm. Having lived through something similar with a great-aunt, I used this as an excellent opportunity to talk about ways to deal with this situation if it ever occurs again.

I know, from listening to some special episodes set later than this story, that his passing away will also be dealt with – and with senior grandparents on both coasts, I am sure that will be another good opportunity to plant seeds of love, compassion, and caring in the hearts and minds of my grandkids – both from the stories themselves and from our chats as we listen.

And yes, I continue to listen to AND enjoy these stories right along with my grandkids. They truly are very interesting. There are 12 seasons in all, with 12 half hour shows per season. I was able to purchase a complete set of all 12 episodes on CDs during an extra great discounted sale this past Christmas, so if you think you want to buy them, signing up for their email list can be a great idea. I've transferred them to my iPod and "iTouch" and my grandteen is enjoying the new episodes as much as the rest of the grandkids!

I enjoyed reading some of the CBH history in an article by the West Michigan Christian News. I still remember my own kids listening to some of the original radio programs with their home schooling buddies many years ago – talk about your sweet family memories! 

I love the fact that these are audio stories rather than video. Don't get me wrong – I do enjoy TV (LOVE my TIVO), but, as Dr. Michael Rich, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health, puts it in the article, Are audiobooks a good use of kids’ time?, "Audiobooks are valuable media for your children because they don’t pre-digest imagery for them. That means that as your kids listen to the stories, they’re given the exquisite experience of actively imagining the worlds they’re hearing about, rather than having the characters and scenery presented to them like in a book or TV show." (Hmmm – sounds like that would make it excellent brain exercise for all of us boomers and seniors as well )

You can get more information about all of this, plus find out about more of the great Christian resources they offer our kids and grandkids, by clicking here. And whether you're out and about on those zillion errands that are a part of our Sandwich Generation lives, or gathered around the computer the way our senior parents used to gather around the radio, enjoy some quality programming and fun stories with your grandkids. You'll treasure your own sweet family memories in the years to come as well. And be sure to check back next week for another interesting audio resource. In fact, to make sure you don't miss it…

P.S.I thought I'd use one of my fun new iPhone apps, Ransom Letters, to wish you all -

Kaye

Eyesight and aging eye changes can definitely be an issue for the whole Sandwich Generation family – from grandtots in eyeglasses to senior parents facing cataract surgery. And one that is especially concerning to me personally, and perhaps to many of you, is Macular Degeneration. Since this is Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness month, I thought it would be good to share some important facts about this not-very-nice disease that my own senior dad had. 

According to the National Institutes of Health:

Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older. It is a disease that destroys your sharp, central vision. You need central vision to see objects clearly and to do tasks such as reading and driving.

AMD affects the macula, which is the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. It doesn't hurt, but it causes cells in the macula to die. In some cases, AMD advances so slowly that people notice little change in their vision. In others, the disease progresses much faster and may lead to a loss of vision in both eyes. Regular comprehensive eye exams can detect macular degeneration before the disease causes any vision loss. Treatment can slow down vision loss, but it does not restore vision.

They have some very useful and comprensive information and FAQs for us at their site, Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Genentech and the American Society of Retina Specialists also share some concerning info about this disease including:

"The same things that put you at risk for heart disease and stroke also put you at risk for AMD, such as:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

I was surprised to discover that gender (WOMEN more than men) is one of the other things that play an important role in whether you might get this disease, along with age (over 60), and family history. You can read all the warning signs and find more useful information at their site, AMD Awareness.

As Dr. Ryne C. Wood, Optometrist with Leet EyeCare in Missouri, points out, "February is AMD Awareness Month and we encourage all people, especially those at higher risk for this disease, to familiarize themselves with the potential symptoms and need for regular eye examinations." Sounds like good advice for all of us in the Sandwich Generation, along with our senior parents! 

P.S. If you'd like more information on this subject, you might like to check into the book, The First Year: Age-Related Macular Degeneration: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Daniel L. Roberts, which comes in a Kindle and Extra Large Print books. Mr. Roberts is a patient of AMD himself and has a resource-full website devoted to the topic of AMD.

P.P.S.

Kaye