SENIOR HOME CARE GIVING:

Dale Carter is Hosting "How to Help when Both Aging Parents are Ill & Declining", TODAY, 01/19 at 11 a.m. EST on BlogTalkRadio.  If you are reading this after that time/date, though, you will still be able to listen to it on an archived copy.

Your Local Disability Rights Office can help with adaptive equipment.  Per @caregiving

Very thought provoking!  Senior Care Advice in Exactly Three Words. Don't forget to peek at the comments as well – even more good ones there. Yup, including one from me. I have to confess, I used one our pastor once taught us – JOY = Jesus, Others, you. Works well for all parts of life including senior home care giving AND grandparenting.  

CAREGIVING IN AMERICA magazine is premiering this month. It targets 50 million US caregivers of family & friends. WOW! Can you believe there are that many of us! Via @ElderCareRN

Do you need some crochet hat ideas for a beloved elderly parent going through chemotherapy? @HookingStitches suggests that you crochet a Rasta hat like one of these for them.  And maybe even make some extras to donate to @halosofhope and her ministry of making crochet hats for cancer patients. Isn't that a wonderful ministry idea for senior home care givers who have a bit of extra time but can't leave the house!
 
Tips for Aging Adults on Conserving Memories. Via @Carebuzz. I highly recommend Twitter. It will definitely keep your mind active and engaged as you learn all sorts of interesting new things.  

Speaking of my grand-YorkiPoos, I guess it's never too soon to think about providing senior home care for an Elderly Dog. I nursed my beloved little kitty through cancer before she died several years ago and have had several elderly relatives who have had to take care of their elderly dogs and cats! Good info to think about! Via @HomeHelpIreland

Older adults miss out on lots of activities/field trips. Why not get them a transport wheelchair?   Great tip from @TeamPribisko

Don't forget to check back here next Tuesday. Instead of Tuesday Twitter, it will be the Boomers and Seniors:News You Can Use blog carnival, with lots of great info for you. AND if you are a writer / blogger about boomers and seniors topics, we'd love to have you submit a post!  

GRANDPARENTS:

The owner of Legoland has purchased Cypress Gardens, the venerable Polk County, Florida attraction.. Sounds like another LegoLand to make our grandkids happy is in the works! Via @relogal
 
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

Grandparents' and parents' prayer: O Lord, Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children [and grandchildren].

"As a kid, I thought of "old" as 40. Now, "old" is merely a state of mind, never an age." Love that! Via @Seniors4Living and @ageopportunity

Senior Home Care Giver's Prayer – O Lord, satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

“Anyone can serve the Lord when it makes sense and is easy. But it takes commitment to do the Lord’s will when you don't understand." @pastorkjl

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King. Via @PaulaRobinsonRN

I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in Whom I trust.

BABY BOOMER GENERATION / SANDWICH GENERATION:

Wider at the Waist? Watch Out for Dementia. Oh dear! Gotta get back to walking daily!!!
   
Yoplait Smoothies From Freezer to Fabulous Giveaway – Head to Moomettes’ for a chance to win a Yoplait Smoothie AND blender! 

A Trojan in the guise of a W2 form attached to spam purportedly from IRS is making the rounds. As always, don’t click directly on links from sources you don’t know. And NEVER give out info to sites you didn’t go to directly. And sometimes, not even then!

Walgreen Threatens To Pull Pharmacies From Medicaid Program.  Via @PattyGrace 

Too much TV may have deadly toll! Good for us to know for our elderly parents, our grandchildren, AND ourselves!

If you are going to watch TV, you might want to munch a few almonds. Eating 1 oz of almonds a day, abt 23 whole almonds, can lower LDL cholesterol levels.   RT @ElderCareRN

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVERS:

Alzheimer's Disease – A perspective from the Front Row. Via @ElderCareRN

A New Year for Medical Advances. Via @Seniors4Living

Tips For Taking Care of the Elderly.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Increases Cancer Risk.

Addressing Senior Ailments as a Caregiver. Via @Carebuzz

Grab Bars are Great. 

Learn about more advance directives and 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders.

GRANDCHILDREN:

Fun with grandchildren – snow painting! I'd never heard of this fun idea before. I'll have to give it a try wiith my grandchildren some day.  

Happy Birthday to Cissy King today! Here is a clip of Cissy's first Lawrence Welk appearance. Enjoy!

When I was young, I loved going to my grandparents on Saturday nights to watch Lawrence Welk with them. I have such fond memories of those times. Now I am building similar memories with one grandchild as we watch the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana. I'm looking forward to sharing this video of Cissy King with her and enjoying a five-generation memory maker! 

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Through God we shall do valiantly.

SANDWICH GENERATION:

If you enjoy turning your photos into a lovely scrapbook album but don't have a scanner for your very old photos, you can use a Photo Scanning Service To Preserve Treasured Memories. 

Yummy SandwichINK Salad recipe at VegWeb.

10 ways to save money in 2010.  Via @FMFblog

Enjoy all those Christmas candy canes with a good conscience.  Peppermint candy canes have many benefits. (And when they run out, peppermint flavored Icebreakers gum is good too.)  

I personally recommend consulting with an attorney to prepare a will for yourself or an elderly parent. If you definitely prefer to do it on your own, or just want some ideas to do your own preparation before visiting your attorney, this site could be helpful.  Do Your Own Will, free online.

For more twitter resources for the Sandwich Generation and their homes, please visit SandwichINK Real Estate Info. Among other Twitter tidbits there, you'll find an interesting article about one of this member of the Baby Boomer Generation's favorite Judy Garland movies, Meet Me In St. Louis, complete with tons of interesting photos. Bet your senior parents would enjoy it as well.

Even though much of the internet has slowed down due to Christmas festivities, Twitter stayed busy providing excellent resources for Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents. Here's a sampling:

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVERS

Prepare for the New Year: Learn about more advance directives and 'Do Not Resuscitate' orders.

Health tips for aging adults.

Elderly couple meets in retirement home, falls in love, and marries on Christmas Eve. Via LarisaBelliveau

Alzheimer's Disease May Stave Off Cancer and/or Vice Versa.  People who had cancer seem to be less likely to get Alzheimer's DIsease. Via @caregiverforum

It is definitely vital to keep a list of medications for aging parents or yourself in your wallet! How medication mistakes happen in the hospital.  @ElderCareRN  (via @caregiving)

Alzheimer's Disease Doesn't Take a Holiday. via @Mike_Gamble

10 Signs an Aging Relative May Need More Help. via @caregiving

New Year's Resolution suggestion: Do Your Own Will free online. 

GRANDPARENTS

Sprittibee has a great list of resources for homeschooling programs.

Piggy Paint Nail Polish: The Safe Nail Polish for Your Grandchildren including a fun giveaway.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

God is true.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." - Mother Teresa Via @CarePathways

I know it's after Christmas, but these gifts are great all year long!   Christmas gifts: To your enemy, forgiveness. To a friend, your heart. To a child, a good example. @BillHurlbut
 
SANDWICH GENERATION

The Best Photoshop Resources of 2009 – Design Reviver. via @andysowards

LED traffic lights aren't melting snow, leading to accidents! Be extra careful in the snow if your city uses them and be sure to warn your aging parents, as well.

Senior Home Care Giving:

Retirement Workout Ideas you’ll actually enjoy.   @Seniors4Living

Benefits of Pet Therapy for Seniors. @GlenboAZ

Chronic pain found to increase risk of falls in older adults. @CaringTrans

Hope for Adult Day programs in PA. Great idea for all Adult Day Programs. @PattyGrace

Employers’ Best Practices for Workers with Senior Home Care Giving Responsibilities. @ElderCareRN

Excellent, Thoughtful Approach for Alzheimer’s Disease – Principles For a Dignified Diagnosis. @CarePath @mike_gamble

‘Medicare Advantage’ at Issue in Senate.  @caregiving

Be sure to check out the Holiday Survival Guide for senior home care givers at Caregiving.

Vital info regarding Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia and Medicare.

There’s a great new Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival this week.

Grandparents:

Fun Christmas ideas for Grandparents.

For a creative and funny bunch of ideas to do with and for your grandchildren, pop over to @ShaynePacker ‘s site.  They are very adorable.

Words of Encouragement:

God is the rock of my refuge.

God is my salvation.

God is our helper.

God is the strength of my heart.

Baby Boomer Generation:

Surprising analysts, Bank of America says it will fully repay $45 billion taxpayer aid soon. Good news about one of my favorite banks!  On the other side of the coin, with the repeal deadline approaching, House votes to extend estate tax (45% rate). There’s been no action yet in the Senate.  @SoundMindInvest

Yummm. If you have a Christmas party planned this year for friends, neighbors, or grandchild, here’s a delish-looking Candy Cane Fudge recipe!

Senior Home Care Givers:

You may have noticed an interesting new badge on the right side of this page. I’m very excited and pleased to announce that Seniors For Living just published “SFL’s Top 45 Senior & Boomer Blogs & Sites on Twitter” and SandwichINK was included on the list. A big THANK YOU to Seniors For Living! Be sure to pop over there and learn about the other 44 great resources!

A good reminder that even in the later stages of Alzheimer’s Disease, it’s wise to give our aging seniors easy chores such as folding clothes, putting silverware on the table, etc. This lets them know they are still needed. Thank you to @elderCareRN & @seniorcaretips for this tip.

Great suggestions for helping an aging parent with dementia sleep problems & Alzheimer’s Type Dementia. Per  @Carebuzz & @SeniorsResource

New issue of Preserving Your Memory is now available for a free download at AlzInfo.org

If you are a senior home care giver while also running a business, here is an interesting article about dealing with emotions and business.

Great article at Kiplinger’s, There is No Place Like Home, The elderly qualify for a wide range of services that help them stay put. Thanks to @AgingTech for letting us know about it.

How Family Caregiving Can Save You Money on Your Taxes. Per @ElderCareRN

@ALZHEIMERSread reports that The Straits Times has an interesting article, Surfing Slows Dementia. Woo Hoo! In that case, I should be good to go til at least 500 years old!

Grandparents:

Excellent reminder from @ForCaregivers that car seats, when used out of cars, injured 43000 US kids! This is an excellent reminder for all of us grandparents.

If you or another grandparent you know have lost a grandchild, our heart goes out to you. In addition, Grandparents TLC has an excellent resource article, Grieving the Loss of a Grandchild.

Sandwich Generation:

Here are some fun and interesting Intergenerational Activities to Bring Families Together from Home Care San Antonio. Thank you @Carebuzz.

Taking a relaxing break periodically is vital for all caregivers. If you live near Burbank, CA, here’s a fun break idea coming up October 26. Novelist Jan Karon’s “Mitford” becomes a musical.

Music is another excellent way for caregivers to relax and @RELEVANTMag is offering RELEVANT readers a free download of “Love Song,” by Army of Me, featured on The Drop. Click on the link, right click on the Download it HERE. Save it as an mp3 recording.

Yummy and healthy recipes for you, your aging parents, AND your grandkids, courtesy of @Carebuzz. Four favorite fall power salads.

That’s it for this week’s Twitter resources for Senior home care givers and grandparents. Be sure to sign up for the SandwichINK free email with article updates arriving regularly in your email-box to save you time and bring you plenty of resources and encouragement daily!

WOW! Can you believe it’s already September! And Autumn is right around the corner! Hooray! Got some twitterific tips from Twitter for y’all…

Senior Home Care Givers:

Those of us providing senior home care for aging parents – near or far – have a new resource available that looks good! OurParents.com provides a free search site for senior parent care facilities from adult daycare centers to hospice and everything in between.    For more info, you can also check out their blog article, OurParents Launches The Internet’s Largest Independent Directory Of Senior Care Providers.

With so many in the Baby Boomer Generation also becoming part of the Sandwich Generation, this company has a great program, Caring Workplace!

Public Shredders Please! Medical Record Dumping On the Rise! This article discusses the importance of shredding sensitive documents, including medical documents, to protect yourself and your aging parents AND grandkids from ID theft!  Per @vpmedical

A good resource site for hospice! The site explains so much including how to find a hospice near you. It’s easy to navigate and a good resource for senior home care givers who live close or at a distance. Thank you to @ElderCareRN & @joeskillin for the link.

If you think you have a hard time as you caring for elderly parents, read this interesting article: When The Patient Is The President. From @matthewbjohnson

Grandparents:

One of my most important goals as a grandparent is to leave a spiritual heritage and example for my grandkids of knowing and loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and loving others as we love ourselves. Sounds like that was one of several great goals of this gentleman and that he did it exceedingly well in the article, Goodbye, Dad.   Per @mike_gamble

Toys 'R' Us launches a Cash4Clunkers, baby-style program, modeled after the government's car swap program for cribs, car seats, and other grandkid items that can have safety issues when bought used. Very cool!   Per @Executivemom133

While participating in and visiting an interesting blog carnival for homeschooling programs this past week, I also found an intriguing "flubber" recipe which would make really fun activities for grandparents and their grandchildren to enjoy.  

Refdesk is an excellent resource for homeschooling programs, school homework, businesses, etc. I’ve appreciated their site for years as well as enjoying reading their Site of the Day emails. This week’s included the Earth Calendar which lists holidays and celebrations all around the world. A very handy holiday calendar for planning fun activities and projects for grandparents and their grandchildren.

By the way, have you been wondering, “ When is GRANDPARENTS DAY?” The Earth Calendar is there to remind us that it is coming up on September 13. Yummily, the day is also International Chocolate Day and Librarian Day. As the personal librarian for my family and a big believer in grandparents helping to keep their grandkids well supplied with books, I think that is the frosting on the chocolate cake of grandparenting love! 

Speaking of Grandparents Day, two terrific sites have fun contests to help us celebrate:

• Bcelebrated has a grandparents and grandkids contest that runs from August 25-September 25, 2009. Grandparents and/or grandkids write what is great about your grandkid/grandparent in 60 words or less and attach a photo. The prizes are two free Bcelebrated memberships and a $50.00 Barnes and Noble gift card. Prize value is $250.00! For those, like me, who are uber protective of your grandkids when it comes to pictures, it is ok for them not to show identifying traits. For example, they loved my adorable grand-twins and their foot photo.
• Another fun Grandparents Day contest is at Presto, home of the Presto Email Printer and Service! This one is a video contest and the prize is Presto for Life! WOW! I have not been brave enough to try video yet. It’s on my list of To Do’s but I probably won’t get to it for another year or so. But if you have a video camera, you could really have fun with this.

If you enter either or both contest, let us know so we can root for you.

The Sandwich Generation & The Baby Boomers Generation:

If any of you are taking a vacation from caregiving duties or have to travel for business, are traveling to another country, and are thinking of taking your cell phone, you MUST research carefully first! Particularly if you have a new cell phone, as this cautionary tale reminds us! 

Frugal Upstate has a YUMMY sounding Green Chile Chicken Lasagna recipe that looks to be an easy fix, making it perfect for busy caregivers and grandparents! I gave the recipe to my senior mom who also thought it looked DELICIOUS!

Did you exercise this morning? Here's some inspiration from Seniors for Living!  I have to admit, I especially loved the picture! I bought one of those balls to use at my desk. I had so much fun with it when my grandkids came over, I now have two. I keep forgetting to swap it for my chair but boy, is it great fun with the grandkids.

Here’s a good article on the Sandwich Generation issues from CBN.

@copykatrecipes found us a great article about healthy food preparation such as keeping your cooking oils fresh, mayonnaise safety tips, and a mouthwatering salad that is safer to take to potlucks and family gatherings than the traditional potato salad. This is also good information to share with our aging parents!

With all the ups and downs and roller coaster effects often found in the life of a caregiver, this encouraging and inspirational Bible verse is especially comforting!   God set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Ps. 40:2b

Did you know that Coke is the most familiar name-brand food in the US and Campbell's soup is the 2nd? @Foodimentary always has such interesting foodie facts!

That’s it for this week’s Twitter Tuesday. Have a Twitterific Day!

TIPS & INFO FOR SENIOR HOME CARE GIVERS:

CNN has an interesting article on vitamins and herbs that can harm you or your aging parents.  Per @ArthritisUpdate. I found this especially interesting as the #1 item was St. John’s Wort. I took that several years ago for PMS.  I did not sleep, literally, for three days! When I figured out St. John’s Wort was the only thing new and quit taking it, I was finally able to sleep – the NEXT day! The frustrating thing was that I had researched it before taking it but there just wasn’t that much info out there – it was in the early days of the internet. Please understand, I have heard that it can work well for some people. BUT IT, like any other medication or over the counter product, should be tested carefully and well-discussed with your doctor. And be sure to discuss with your aging parents anything like this that they may have started taking and not thought to mention to you or their doctor.

Here are some excellent tips on giving a bath to a senior home care parent with Alzheimer’s Disease. Per @wecaresenior who has a great article of her own on helping our aging parents with just a little extra light!

Tips to meet daily challenges – Alzheimer’s Disease. Per @Carebuzz

GREAT RESOURCES FOR GRANDPARENTS:

Sparky’s Back-to-School Safety Tips.    Good to share with your grandkids. Per @TinaFightsFire.

Encouragement: Now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You! Ps. 39:7

ThinkFun is a an interesting educational game site I found at And Twins Make 5.  ThinkFun lets you “test drive” their games before buying and their games look both fun AND educational. My favorite kind! Do take a peek at both these fun sites, and while you are at And Twins Make 5, join me in leaving a comment to try to win one of ThinkFun’s games.

Useful Resources for Grandparents Helping With Homeschooling Programs:

Top ten educational websites for the home school family.

A blog carnival with lots of interesting posts for those working with any kind of homeschooling programs AND its got some fun juggling info as well.

One more interesting blog carnival with info for homeschooling programs AND some adorable cat photos

SANDWICH GENERATION / BABY BOOMER GENERATION INFO & ENCOURAGEMENT:

“Only 1 review on brand new Keen Emily shoe over at @zappos but it’s awesome! Super shoe!”  Per  @BarkingDogShoes who is my favorite shoe resource writer. She struggles with some of the same painful feet issues I do, so I appreciate her reviews of shoes she has actually test driven! And I, too, love Keen shoes! I have a pair of Keen sandals that I love and I am going to break down and get a pair of their nice dress shoes for church this fall/winter! Then I can look nice AND not have such painful feet.

Don’t know what it is about penguins. They’ve been in the news a lot and they’re just sooooo cute you can’t help but smile even on those tough caregiving days! 

Encouragement – May those who love Your salvation always say, “The Lord be exalted!” Ps 40:16b (NIV)

Bcelebrated is a brand new Twitter friend of mine with a very interesting site. According to their website, Bcelebrated gives you the ability to: Create your own autobiographical memorial website; Automatically email your community when you pass away; Write password protected private messages for loved ones; and Leave a permanent site where your friends and family will celebrate your life. I am planning on giving them a good test drive in the next couple of months BUT they are currently celebrating Senior Citizens Day with with FREE lifetime memberships at Bcelebrated.com thru 8/25. Just enter code SENIOR. As you know, FREE is always one of my favorite ways to SAVE MONEY! So I definitely wanted to pass this info on to you in case you would like to take a test drive as well. Just in case you are as busy as me, 8/25 IS TODAY. So if you want to take advantage of this great deal, hop over there ASAP

Buzz Aldrin to accept Emmy for NASA moon broadcast. As a proud member of the Baby Boomer Generation, I say HOORAY . Per @_Spock_.

I loved the story in last week’s Upwords by Max Lucado. I hope it gives you a smile as well.

Twitter Tech Tips

TWEET IDEAS: 13 Things to Do on Twitter Besides Tweet.   per @VickiElam

10 Ways to Archive Your Tweets per @mattkeegan

And finally, ending on a “sweet note,” Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorite authors! She is now on Twitter and has a fun contest for those who sign up to follow her @KarenKingsbury .  In fact, she also has a couple of other fun contests at her website – KarenKingsbury.com Have fun!

SENIOR HOME CARE:

10 Warning Signs of Poor Senior Nutrition Per @CarePath and @steveeldercare

Kaiser Health News: Who Will Care for the Elderly and Disabled?

Brief overview of assisted living: how to tour, things to look for, etc.  Per @RetireLife

Wall Street Journal: Elderly Home Care Cutting Repeat Hospital Trips — Simple Idea, Hard to Pull Off.  Per @ECMatters

Caregiver Closeness May Slow Alzheimer’s Disease Progress Per @SeniorsResource

According to Boston.com: Work longer, stay sharper - Working beyond normal retirement age appears to keep dementia at bay Per @RetireLife

The UK Telegraph reports that: “Patients forced to live in agony after NHS (National Health Service – United Kingdom’s NHS is one of the largest publicly funded health services in the world) refuses to pay for painkilling injections.” Concerns are that it will primarily impact the elderly and frail.

Facing the Initial Impact of the Sandwich Generation – A good article with lots of excellent links for Sandwich Generation senior home care providers

US News and World Reports contributing editor Philip Moeller writes about the people, ideas and programs that provide “best life” retirement solutions and opportunities. Looks like a good resource for those of us in the Baby Boomer Generation who are providing care for elderly parents and often grandkids as well.

AAA Web Site Promotes Senior Safety

Book Review:Insider’s Guide to Better Nursing Home Care: 75 Tips You Should Know.  Per @JLCHRLS

An Island-based bioscience company is working on groundbreaking research in finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease

Don’t Let Caregiving Ruin Your Other Relationships. Per @Carebuzz

Twitter Twatter: Teens or Elderly Parents? All about looking for that all-important, sometimes elusive work life balance!

Encouragement: The Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.

GRANDPARENTS:

@Suesbooks reminds us to help our kids and grandkids by reading to our grandchildren whenever we can.

If you have one or more autistic grandchildren, you might want to check out this internet browser made specifically for those with autism.   RT @Autisable

Recommended by @autismfamily: Guiding Your Teenager with Special Needs Through the Transition from School to Adult Life: Tools for Parents

Grandmother Wren has a fun paper helicopter for you and your grandkids!

Encouragement! God is forever and ever!

SANDWICH GENERATION MISCELLANEOUS:

Are you or is someone in your family dealing with unemployment? The New York Times reports that: Prolonged Aid to Unemployed Is Running Out For those in the Sandwich Generation who are dealing with job loss, coupled with extra expenses due to caregiving, this is not encouraging news!

Geek Tech Talk – Update for previous posts and tweets about computer security concerns:

Adobe’s latest info

US-CERT’s latest info

Microsoft’s latest info:  “Microsoft encourages users to take action now by running Microsoft Update now rather than at a regularly scheduled time.”

Encouragement for Sandwich Generation caregivers and grandparents:

Our computers may fail, our bodies may fail, BUT

God is faithful!

Seniors for Living has posted their latest Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use Blog Carnival and it’s got some great resources for those of us in the Sandwich Generation.

You’ll find articles about:

• Caregiver burnout
• Dementia Care – communication
• 21st century communication for our aging parents
• Social Security disability
• Caregivers and postage stamps
• Healthy eating for those of us in the Baby Boomer Generation and the aging parents we provide senior home care for
• Health and Medical resources on Twitter

You’ll even find links to a couple of my articles (how’s that for a shameless plug     ).

I found plenty there to bookmark as a resource and I think you will to. I do hope you’ll mosey on over to SeniorsForLiving to check out the Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use. Then let us know what your favorite article was in the comments section below.

SENIOR HOME CARE:

Here’s an interesting article about one family’s struggle to find the correct diagnosis, which turned out to be Alzheimer’s Disease. Per @ALZHEIMERSread

Alzheimers Long Term Care Costs and Calculator

The goal at Parkinson’s Disease News is to provide coverage of all significant new research, reports, books, and resources concerning Parkinson’s Disease. Per @ParkinsonPD

Beyond Coping: Mastering the Art of Joyful Caregiving. This telesummit is a FREE virtual event designed specifically for caregivers of aging parents or loved ones who want to experience more joy in their role of a caregiver. Dates include July 28th, 30th, August 3rd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 18th and 20th with free replays available to those who have signed up.

Simplifying Senior Care – AARP’s Doughnut Hole Tool.

How to e-mail Grandma if she doesn’t have a computer. Per @CarolMarak

The elderly are finding “Online, ‘a Reason to Keep on Going.” @CarolMarak

GRANDPARENTING:

If you, like me, are enjoying the blessings of twins included in your grandkid count, I bet you’d enjoy @TwinHappyJen’s Twin book. You can win a free copy, “Two Snowflakes,” just by leaving a comment at her site, TwinHappyJen.

Many states have SALES TAX HOLIDAYs coming up in the next few weeks. That’s when you can buy school supplies, computers, and school clothes for your grandkids TAX-FREE! Couple that with the great back-to-school sales going on and it’s definitely one of the great ways to save money this summer – a major help for a grandparent’s budget! Keep your eyes peeled for the announcements at various stores, in the local newspaper, and/or at the website for your state. Per @invisibleillwk

For those grandparents whose grandbabies are being breastfed, you might be interested to know that the first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week. Per @SarahStewart

SANDWICH GENERATION MISCELLANEOUS:

Ways to Save Money on Books – Truthbomb Apologetics has a free E-Book Library with some good resources, both religious and secular, including many full books.

Hurry to Family Doctor Magazine to take advantage of their money-saving, limited-time offer for a free issue of My Family Doctor, a health magazine written mostly by doctors.   

We in the Sandwich Generation need to remember to drink plenty of water during these hot summer months, as well as remind our aging parents and young grandkids to do so. Per @dakimbrainfit

Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody’s hand and squeeze it, while there’s time. Author: Dale Dauten via @LilliJ

Seniors for Living has a terrific resource for those of us in the Baby Boomer Generation.  100 Ways to a Healthier, Happier, Longer Life

A brownie recipe that is DELISH from a site with a great name, Cook Like Your Grandmother! We tried it and really liked it. I will caution you, it’s very rich and a bit more on the moist side than my ultra-favorite brownies, but it was definitely a hit at the pot luck because it is so good!

A Tiny Bit of Tech:

IMPORTANT ALERT ABOUT FLASH BY ADOBE: Homeland Security Issues a Vulnerability Notice – Adobe Flash. By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (e.g., a web page or an HTML email message or attachment) or a PDF file, an attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code. There is currently no known fix, although they expect one this week. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), does have some (very complicated) work arounds.   I have so far managed to disable Flash in Internet Explorer and Firefox and determined not to open any PDFs. There really is more I should do, but I am staying so busy with grandkids this week, it isn’t going to happen in my house. Then again, I’m not getting as much computer time in either, so that would appear to be not so bad either.

Homeland Security Headlines for the Sandwich Generation: Here’s a couple of great ways to stay on top of any known problems, freeing us up to focus on our caregiving. Two of my favorite sources of emergency information from weather to terrorism are reaching out to us via Facebook and Twitter. National Terror Alert has added a Facebook Fan Page. Become a “fan” for a chance to win prizes.  Emergency Email is now on Twitter with quick headlines of high interest.

For my fellow Sandwich Generation, caregiving, and grandparenting bloggers, BlogHerald has a good article on blogging skills with lots of great links.

Pho.to is a serious photo editor with a fun side as well, allowing you to turn your photos into a cartoon, if you’d like. Great for those of us in the Sandwich Generation, fixing up photos for our aging parents, along with having a good laugh with our grandkids! Per @ShawnHussey

Picnik is also great for photo editing online free. I’ve used this extensively and it’s very easy!

Top 10 reasons for churches to Twitter. Per @curtjonestweets

Finally, if you’re traveling this summer, and want to use wifi at the airport but it’s not a free wifi airport, here’s an interesting article. Free wifi is definitely one of my favorite ways to save money when traveling! Per soultravelers3