In part 1 of this series on moving tips, http://www.sandwichink.com/the-sandwich-generation-moves-part-1 , we discussed planning, utilities and packing. Today’s ideas cover the actual moving process.

Scheduling the moving van. First check with your real estate agent or your apartment manager to see if they have a van available for free or reduced fees. If not, I’ve found that U-haul, www.uhaul.com , and Budget, www.budgettruck.com/Home.aspx?partnerid=428&mpch=sem , are both excellent choices for do-it-yourself moves, whether local or long distance. If you are moving long distance and want to do it yourself, but don’t want to drive a big truck, there are some excellent companies out there that can bring a container to your house, leave it for you to fill, then return and move it to your destination. I used ABF and was quite pleased with it – www.abfs.com/default.asp?bhcp=1 . I learned the hard way to make my reservations for any of these options as early as possible. While you can often get one at the last minute, I have had to reschedule two moves because they turned out to be popular weekends for movers and I couldn’t get a truck.

Moving Assistance: While you can certainly hire movers to help you, for local moves I prefer to go with less expensive help, even though they are also less experienced. Friends are often available and willing to assist with packing and/or loading and unloading. Our Bible study group had a great time one night packing up a friend’s house when he had to move sooner than expected and his wife was out of town caring for her mother.

Another great resource is your church or child’s school. We asked the principal at my daughter’s school to recommend two responsible high school seniors to assist us. They came and worked hard all day, and we paid them a great rate for teens, along with lots of pizza, which was a lot cheaper than hiring professionals. Another time we were able to hire young adults who worked at the same location we did.

If any of you are in the military, you might ask friends there if they know of any young men or women who would like to earn some extra money helping you move. You get the help you need, and you get to help one of our brave young soldiers, a definite win-win!

Elderly Parents: Whether your parents are moving into a new home, an assisted living facility, or into your house, it will probably be a difficult day for them. When my parents moved in with me, my strong sons-in-law and daughters did most of the heavy lifting, while I directed. We got their room settled first as quickly as possible. That gave them a quiet place to work while we all finished moving other items in and out of the bathroom, kitchen, and garage. They were an important part of the process, but they also had a quiet place to retreat to when they became exhausted.

Babysitting: If there are young children or grandchildren involved in this move, I highly recommend involving them in the move for a short while, then hiring a babysitter to watch them at another location so they are safe and happy, and you are able to focus on the moving process. Some children like the excitement of everything and want to see it all, but others find it very disconcerting. This gives you a good option for each of them.

Pets: It can be a wise idea to find a petsitter as well. Many animals can sense when things are in an upheaval and find it very distressing. It’s important for families that their cat or dog make a positive move, as well.

Pre-Moving Day: The day or two before a move or the first thing in the morning, I like to go to the new place and give it a good wipe down and, if necessary, a full cleaning. Even if the previous occupants did clean, it’s amazing what you might find. Also, if you are going to have the carpets cleaned or the house sprayed for insects, you might want to take two days for this process, to ensure all is dry by the time you start walking in and out with moving boxes.

This is a good time to stock the new place with light bulbs, toilet paper, paper towels, glasses, plates, water bottles, snacks, toys/books if any children will be there, and pet supplies if there will be pets moving with you. Make sure you are also well stocked on sodas and bottled waters at both houses for your family and the people helping you move. An ice chest full of ice is a big help if the refrigerator will be moving.

Moving Day: Load the vehicle and take the items to the new house. It’ll save you time and headaches in the long run if you ask those helping you to place boxes in the rooms that are marked on the boxes, with the OPEN FIRST or starred boxes in a separate pile.

Lunch time: You’ll get more done and keep your helpers happy if you keep the soft drinks and water flowing. Accompany that by treating your helpers to a yummy and filling lunch. I personally think pizza is the easiest, especially if you have it delivered. That frees you up to get more work done. Order plenty. People will eat a lot initially. They may also snack on it throughout the day. Do watch to be sure it gets put away before bacteria can attack it and cause food poisoning.

Finishing at the old home: Once the boxes are out, it’s time to clean the house/apartment you are vacating. If you have the time, it’s nice to be able to do this a day or so after the move when you’re not so tired. If you have to do it the same day, it might be a wise idea to ask for help – either volunteers (friends or relatives), or paid.

Finishing at the new home: Realistically for most of us, that will take a few days. But at least the boxes are in the house, the lights are on, and you can make your way to the refrigerator. I like to make the beds early in the day. Then when we are totally exhausted, they’re all ready for us to fall into.

Today found me standing in line at the post office, on their self-proclaimed busiest day of the year. While waiting for 45 minutes, I had time to listen to a couple of the conversations around me, all the while multi-tasking by deleting text messages I no longer needed in my smart phone.

One conversation I heard dealt with a father who sounds like he is also a member of the Sandwich Generation. The speaker commented, “What with moving children in and out of college and home, and helping his mom move, he’s always moving someone.” I could certainly relate. In the past seven years, between my children, my friends, my parents and myself, I’ve helped with moving projects more than 15 times. That’s a lot of moving! Whether you move a lot, move a little, or help an elderly parent or child move, here’s a good checklist with tips we learned along the way that can be helpful. It’s too late to share them with the people in the post office, so here they are for you instead.

New Beginnings: Find the new house or apartment and set the moving date.

Utility Companies: Call the current utility companies to cancel service. (Once you’ve gotten settled, it’s a wise idea to call back and confirm that all the cancellations went through smoothly so you don’t wind up paying a double bill.

Call the new utility companies to start service. If you’re not sure who they are, ask your real estate agent or apartment manger. They should have a list. If that fails, go to the website for the city you live in. Utilities may include some or all of the following: Gas, Electric, Water/Sewer/Garbage (This may entail one or two companies), Cable, Internet, Phone (these may be 1, 2 or 3 companies).

Start packing. Find free boxes from your local grocery or liquor stores, Freecycle, http://www.freecycle.org/ or Craig’s list www.craigslist.com . If using Craig’s list, select state, city, then enter moving boxes or packing boxes into the search box on the left with the “for sale” option showing. The last page shows available items and it also has a drop down box “all for sale/wanted” which you can then change to “free stuff.” For my area, that took a list of 66 items available down to an easier-to-read seven items available.

Label as you pack: I like to use Sharpie Markers and list the room the box belongs in, along with highlights of what are in the box. Another good idea my daughter liked was to use color-coordinated stickers. All the blue stickers were for the living room, the green stickers went into the kitchen, and so on. Whichever plan you use, be sure to clearly mark what boxes need to be opened first in each room. That way you shouldn’t wind up late at night with only boxes of books opened, unable to find sheets, blankets, and pillows. I like to use big stars and/or OPEN FIRST in big letters on those boxes.

Be sure to carefully pack all financial papers, checks, etc. together and mark them in such a way that you know what they are, but strangers wouldn’t. With identity theft such a danger, this is vital.

Weed and Clean: As you pack, take the time now to weed out items you no longer need. It’s a lot easier to dispose of them before you move, rather than after! Be sure to shred any papers with important personal information. If there isn’t time for a yard sale, you might try Craig’s List for items you want to sell. I’ve never used it but others in our family have and really liked it. For giveaways, many thrift stores will pick up. My personal favorite is Salvation Army. Other options include neighbors, your church, Freecycle, and you can even use Craig’s List for giveaways.

See www.sandwichink.com/the-sandwich-generation-moves-part-2

for Part 2 of this article.

Over the hills and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go… During the holidays many adult children go home for Christmas. Parents and grandparents also may leave home to visit their adult children. I’ve enjoyed both these types of visits. In November, I wrote some tips for “taking home with you” as you travel, perhaps on business or even pleasure – http://www.sandwichink.com/take-a-bit-of-home-on-your-travels . Here are more travel tips for those times when you are traveling to visit family or friends you see often, or vice versa.

When I first went to visit my daughters’ homes, I bought a big plastic tote (like ones made by Rubbermaid or Sterilite). I filled it with items I normally use, such as shampoo, conditioner, a bath sponge, hand soap, and other toiletry items. There are small bottles of my vitamins, pain relievers for headaches, etc. I have coloring books, crayons, and a couple of favorite children’s Bible song CDs in there for a special time with my grandchildren. I also packed a copy of my favorite study Bible. Now when I go to visit them, they pop that tote out from storage and I have all my favorite items without having to run to the store. We all use different soaps due to allergies, dry skin, etc., so it makes it really easy to visit them without adding to their busy schedules or mine. Trust me, when I’m visiting, I’m constantly moving, because there’s so much to enjoy and so little time to do it . This also results in lighter luggage and fewer headaches in the security line at the airport. We even bought one extra booster seat for my visits with the grandkids. That way I can take one grandchild at a time with me on errands for some one-on-one visiting, and their parents don’t get stuck without a car seat when we forget it’s in the back seat.

When regular guests, including grandchildren, visit me, I have the same type of tote waiting for them as well. I have filled this tote with a special sponge, a wash cloth, slippers, a bathrobe, favorite lotions, manicure goodies for the gals, and aftershave for the guys that we purchased together at various times. The day they arrive, I put the tote out on their bed, along with a fresh towel, new box of tissue, and a bottle of water for each.

Some other ideas for welcoming guests can include:

Stocking up on breakfast items they enjoy, like cereal, fruit, milk, and yogurt

Putting a few books and magazines you know they’ll enjoy into their room

Providing an alarm clock and making sure there are enough available outlets for their needs, including cell phones, laptop computers, etc.

They say you can never go home again. That’s not true, for which I’m quite grateful. But it is certainly different. These ideas help to make it seem less different and more “at home and homey."

Too much to do, too little time! Ask most families who are right in the middle of the Sandwich Generation why they don’t exercise and that would probably be the number one answer. But studies have proven that regular exercise makes you feel better, stress less, and renew your energy. It can even slow down some of the symptoms caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. I definitely saw that with one of my loved ones. When he got Parkinson’s Disease he didn’t stop walking. In fact, he walked more. And he stayed active and alert for 15 years after that diagnosis. Contrast that to a friend’s dad who, once he got his diagnosis, stopped exercising, stopped going out, and was practically bedridden for years.

The need for exercise is not just for us grown-ups. Studies also show that our grandchildren aren’t getting enough exercise either. Everyone can benefit from more exercise. But how do you squish it in with all the other items you are busy juggling? Try mall walking!

Many malls open their main doors earlier than the stores actually open to allow people of all ages to walk around the inside, safe from too much heat, frigid cold, snow, or rain. There are restrooms and drinking fountains easily available. Security personnel are on duty so you have a safe and pleasant environment. We used to be regulars on the mall circuit – granddad, granddaughter, and me in the middle. Granted, our speed wouldn’t have sent any records. The mommy walkers with their jogging strollers often passed us three times in a day! But we all got exercise and we got out to see new scenery. We even made new friends and ran into old friends.

Our mall occasionally offered special events for the walkers such as health screenings. They even came up with a cute T-shirt for the walkers. Different malls have their own policies and rules. You can call your mall, or ask at the mall’s information center the next time you are there.

One added advantage for the early morning mall walkers – you are there right when the doors open! So you can get your exercise and then hit those sales running! Talk about great ways to save money – free exercise and early bird sales! Now doesn’t that get your energy up?

I have a sad confession. When it comes to going to the dentist I am, well, not terrified, but definitely not a happy camper! It probably stems from too many cavities at my first dental appointment. Or perhaps I was traumatized by those years in braces. Probably the fact that my mouth is a bit on the small side plays a large part. Also, I am very tender – both in the mouth and in my scalp. It must be a head thing.

What’s a dental chicken to do? For awhile, I went to the max and had them give me laughing gas. It definitely relaxed me. I hate unnecessary medications though, so I really wanted to work past that. I decided to give a more natural remedy a try.

Lamaze. We all love to laugh when TV sitcoms portray a woman in labor and there she is, deep breathing and “he he he” panting away right before the blessed event. I’m here to tell you that it’s not just funny. I used it with each of my deliveries and it really helped! Admittedly I am very blessed that I had fast, relatively easy labors. But they still hurt! All that breathing may look silly but it has a very definite purpose and it very much eased the pain to where I could tolerate it without using any medicine.

I decided that if it worked for babies, maybe it would work for the dentist. Guess what, it did! I now sit down in the chair and take several deep breaths in order to start out relaxed. When the dentist or hygienist starts working, I resume the deep breathing as needed. It definitely helps! But I still tended to cringe a bit.

Then a new trauma ensued. We moved and I had to find a new dentist. But God was good, I found a wonderful new dentist and he offered a special option I’d never heard of at my old office. He told me I could listen to an iPod or tape player if I wanted. They even kept one in their office for people to use if they forgot their own.

What a difference! I take in my iPod with either praise and worship music, a good novel, or an interesting nonfiction book, and I am instantly relaxed. I know it makes it a little harder for the dentist and his staff. They often have to ask me something 2-3 times. But it is so worth it for me, and I suspect for them as well. The time goes by faster, I am rarely aware of what is going on, and before I know it, I’m done. On those rare occasions when they accidentally poke a little to hard, or when the drill is loud enough to penetrate through my earplugs, I throw the Lamaze breathing in as well.

The nice thing is, this is something that works for all ages. If I have to take a grandchild in, they are rarely nervous. However, if they are we can play some kid songs, or a Clifford book on tape. My elderly relatives enjoy hymns, classical music, and their favorite mystery novels. I just make sure to remind them (and myself) a day or so in advance so we can have it all ready to go. I still don’t RUN to the dentist, but I don’t dread it as much either. That makes me a very happy camper!

There are lots of great and free ways to store your photos. I keep mine on my computer using Google’s Picasa. http://picasa.google.com/ I have found it very easy to use. You can also upload your pictures online where you will find 1 GB available. That’s enough to store thousands of pictures of those darling grandchildren, your wonderful children, and your sweet elderly relatives.

When you do upload your pictures to Picasa online you have your choice to set it up for anyone to see, no one to see, or certain specified people to see. I hate emailing more than a couple of pictures at a time because, depending on the resolution, the files can be too large to email properly. With Picasa, I just upload as many as I want into a protected account. I send the site and logon information to the people I want to allow in, and they can view the pictures easily at their leisure and even download them to their own computers. They have a nice basic information manual at http://picasa.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=93183 .

There are other online storage sites as well, including Yahoo’s Flickr, Smugmug, and Shutterfly. You can find them easily at:

http://www.flickr.com/ Their free account limits the amount of photos you can see at one time to the 200 most recent and limits how many pictures you can upload monthly. For personal use, most people will probably find they don’t exceed those limits.

www.shutterfly.com I like their site and have used them to make a photo book as a gift (that article is coming soon.). They do offer to store as many pictures as you like with no limits but you can can’t download them in high resolution so to me it isn’t worth using them as a storage site. One thing I do love about this site. They work with Target and you can upload pictures to them, order copies of prints, and choose to pick up the pictures at Target.

www.smugmug.com This site is not free. It offers three levels of membership, with the first starting at $39.95. It is an excellent site and I know several people who use it extensively. I have assisted one friend in working with photos he stores there for his business and found using it to be quite simple. Even with the least expensive option, you get unlimited storage.  They also have an excellent staff who answer email questions quickly and knowledgeably.

Do you have a favorite site not listed here? We’d love to hear about it. Leave the information in the comments below or write to Kaye@SandwichINK.com .

Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19

With all the problems and crises going on in Washington, D.C. and around the world right now, I found this passage very comforting. Here’s my personal paraphrase of it:

Though the economy falls apart and banks fail, though war may come and destroy all, yet will I rejoice in the Lord. The Sovereign Lord is my strength. He will give me strength and energy and courage. He will continue to provide for me and my family and other loved ones. We are tied to this world and this set of circumstances, but God is not tied to anything. He is always in control and His promises always stand. He is now and always will be our Provider. With that in mind, let us keep praying for wisdom for our leaders, as well as those in our family who need our extra help, such as our elderly parents, our children and our grandchildren. And let us keep our eyes fixed on God, our strength.

Looking for some fun and frugal ideas for crafts with your grandkids? Maybe a fun way to supplement their home schooling program? I’ve got three great resources for you !

Fun-With-Pictures has a website full of fun coloring pages for kids along with other printables and activities. One of my grandkids loves it for its Batman pictures. They also have Pooh, Care Bears, and other “name brand” pix. On top of that they have a lot of plain-Jane pictures such as fairies, cars, trucks, dinosaurs, and more.If you are like me and want to be notified when they add pictures, you can even go to the bottom of the page and click on one of the RSS buttons and you’ll start getting their occasional blog updates.

Uptoten is a very cool site I just discovered, thanks to Stumbleupon (I will definitely be telling you about Stumbleupon in a future post!). It looks like a lot of fun for both the kids and me! I had fun experimenting with their Kaleidoscope and I’m betting my younger grandkids will enjoy it as well. And be thrilled to have something they can “do” on the computer themselves after we push the button.

They have coloring pages where the children do the “painting” online, and then can print out their masterpieces. No mess for me – and lots of fun for them! They have a raft of other goodies and I am looking forward to exploring them with the grandkids.

This is a combination site – it offers a free portion with ads and that’s what I’m going to start with. It also offers a paid-for site which you might want to look into later, if you really enjoy it and want the added protection of no ads and no external links. The paid option reminds me of Webkinz which we really love, but does seem a bit more pricy. It might have more to offer though so I will definitely be checking it out. (If you have tried it, please let us know what you think about it – both the free side and the paid side. Just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. We LOVE comments!

Kaleidoscope

Coloring Pages offering pictures you can color online – In that same area, they had several other choices, including a word and color match game.

ReadyMech – This site offers cute patterns for little paper toys that you can print out, cut out, and assemble. You should use matte paper for these projects, and they are only supposed to take a few minutes to assemble. I would think they would be entertaining for all ages, though the younger children will need more help, of course. There are a couple of the patterns I would not care to use with my grandkids – a skull, for example. But the little girl called Jules is adorable and there are some super-hero type ones that boys will like.

CAVEAT – All of these sites look like they are fun, educational, and entertaining. They can be a great addition to a fun playtime with your grandkids and even be great for their online homeschooling. It is important to note, however, that they, along with all other sites on the internet, do require close supervision for your young and not-so-young grandkids. It’s especially vital to note that the first two sites both have ads and links to other sites.

That said, let’s have a safe and fun time giving them a whirl! 

Two, two, two book reports in one! Two great books for you today. One extremely encouraging during difficult times for the grownups. The second for children and grandchildren to teach them about the Bible.

RED SEA RULES

The Red Sea Rules, by Robert J. Morgan, describes itself as “10 God-given Strategies for Difficult Times.” The ten chapters each cover one rule. Some of the rules include:

Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.

Envision God’s enveloping presence.

Don’t forget to praise Him.

As you can see, these are great topics for everyone and especially for the Sandwich Generation – those of us caring for different generations – from senior citizens on down to grandchildren.

What he has written encouraged me greatly. On top of that, he has found wonderfully comforting passages from God’s Word along with inspiring quotes from a variety of Christians.

I underline in books as I read. It helps me find items I was interested in when I go back. I can always tell how good a book is by how much I underlined. My copy of this book has a TON underlined!

I especially loved Rule 2 – “Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.” That’s something God’s been teaching me for a long time and it’s so nice to know I have company. Caregiving has difficult moments – whether because you are concerned for your loved one who is in pain, or because someone you are caring for is being a bit recalcitrant. Multigenerational caregiving can double or triple the issues you deal with. But God can use all of that to teach us, to grow us, to use us to teach others about Him. As his quote from Matthew Henry puts it, “God sometimes raises difficulties in the way of His people, that He may have the glory of subduing them, and helping His people over them.”

I have given away four copies of this book and suspect I will give away more in the future. I will also make sure to keep a copy close by for myself. The verses he selected for it are encouraging to me, in and of themselves. I highly recommend this book to all of you.

I LOVE MY BIBLE

This book is for those young ones you want to encourage in the Word. Written and illustrated by Debby Anderson, it is geared for children ages 2-6. She has done an excellent job of teaching basic concepts about the Bible in an entertaining way. She uses cute pictures liberally. She has included Bible references throughout so if you have a very patient toddler, you could have your Bible handy and show them where to look in the Bible to find the references.

The book begins by showing the difference between fairy tales, tall tales, video games, and the Bible. Ms. Anderson teaches Who wrote the Bible and how. You child will learn good reasons for memorizing the Bible and a good way to do so. When to read the Bible and how to share the Bible with others including those overseas is also covered. I was very pleased with this book and look forward to reading it many times to my grandchildren!

MORE IDEAS…

Well, there you have it. Multigenerational book reports for all you multigenerational caregivers. Have fun reading! And let me know what books you’ve read that encouraged you and your grandkids! Just leave a comment below or send an email to Kaye@SandwichINK.com

Do you like free? Do you like classical music? Do you like sharing with your grandkids, kids, and/or senior family members/friends? For that matter, would you enjoy a bit of a “Sandwich Break” listening to some great music? Then I have a deal for you! Well actually, a company called Munchkin has a deal for you – along with some great products for babies and toddlers. If you click on free classical music for caregivers, you will wind up on a page where they are offering free downloads of two classical “Music Soup” albums. The Mozart Wombsong collection includes about 33 pieces while the Mozart for Toddlers collection has 24.

The albums are geared towards grandkids who are babies and toddlers and songs are selected around their wake up times, play times, and sleepy times. This being said, I listened to the first album and found them quite delightful for anybody at any time. There was only one song I noticed that would be considered a child’s song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

This is also a wonderful resource for any of your grandkids involved in a home schooling program. For that matter, listening to classical music while doing any kind of homework is supposed to help a child’s brain work better.

If you’re wondering how I discovered this, I subscribe to a great ezine called About.Com Freebies and it’s written by Lee Seats. Definitely worth a look.

I think you’ll find this music a pleasure for young, old and in-between. As a member of the Baby Boomer Generation, I can certainly testify to the in-between.    On top of that, we’ve both discovered a new resource for grandbaby supplies and gifts. Enjoy!