Old-time TV. My senior parents grew up on it and my mom continues to enjoy the programs from back in the 40s and 50s. I still have fond memories of Our Miss Brooks and Father Knows Best. What I just learned was that apparently they. along with many other programs, started out on the the radio before eventually landing on TV where I discovered them. Even more interesting is that iTunes has a wide variety of these shows available for free! Perfect for a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandparent.

While doing some research, I discovered Old Time Radio. Just go to iTunes, iTunes store, and in the top right search box, type in Old Time Radio. You should see a handful of the podcasts they offer along with the words "See All." Click "see all" and you will be delighted to see:

• Old Time Radio Nostalgia
• Old Time Radio Comedy
• Old Time Radio Drama
• Old Time Radio Mysteries
• Old Time Radio Scifi
• Old Time Radio Shows
• Old Time Radio Thrillers
• Old Time Dragnet
• The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
• Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod
• My senior dad's favorite genre – Westerns!
• And so many others

Most are listed as Kids & Family, so I would assume they would, indeed, be fine for every age, but, of course, it's always wise to check them before letting the grandkids listen. All of the above have that listing except Dragnet, which is under Arts. There are several other options that are actually being developed as a current project, which may have more language and other issues than the "Old Time" shows, so we're sticking with the oldies.  

Just to give you a tiny flavor of what you will find:

• Jack Benny
• The Shadow
• Superman
• The Life of Riley
• A Date with Judy
• Maxwell House Coffee Time
• Blondie
• The Bob Hope Show
• Fibber McGee and Molly
• Family Theater
• CBS Radio Mystery Theater
• Dr. Kildare
• Mister I.A. Moto
• The Fat Man
• The Falcon
• Mystery Playhouse
• Gangbusters
• Inner Sanctum Mysteries
• Hallmark Playhouse
• And many, many more.

For a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, who is also a full-fledged member of the Baby Boomer Generation, these Old Time Radio Shows brought back so many fond memories, including times spent with my dad and mom when I was very young, laughing our heads off over Eve Arden and her co-stars in Our Miss Brooks. 

Best of all, they are all FREE (always one of my favorite ways to save money), and I've subscribed to most of them. Once a week, I go through and pick a few from each of the categories and copy them (burn them) to CDs for my senior mom to enjoy on her beloved CD player. She has throughly enjoyed them. They are bringing back terrific memories, giving her a nice alternative to TV re-re-reruns, and "exercising her brain" – always a good thing.

They are also handy for those times when I'm going to be away for longer periods. Making up several of these CDs gives my senior mom a special treat and the cost is low since a 50-pack of CDs runs me about $15, or less if I find them on sale. That's only about 30 cents per CD. iTunes is such a wonderful resource for all of us in the Sandwich Generation, from our oldest senior parents to our youngest little grandkids! I love that you can Download thousands of popular radio programs on iTunes. Not to mention great music, sermons, business podcasts, and so much more!  How about you? Have you found any other interesting  old-time radio or TV shows online? We'd love to hear about them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talk about trauma! Three of my grandkids were busy working on their Webkinz sites last week when they all got a notice that their one-year plan was up in two weeks! If they didn't add a new Webkinz pet code in the next couple of weeks, all the virtual pets they already had in Webkinz-land would disappear forever into the netherworld of the internet! 

Having found Target and Walgreens to be great ways to save money on cute Webkinz toys, I checked on their stock later in the week when running errands. I was disappointed to find that Target had sold out of most of their Webkinz during Christmas. Walgreens had a couple of the little Webkinz for $6.99 which isn't bad, but all the rest were the big ones and more expensive. I picked up those two to use as birthday gifts for the grand-twins and headed home. Spotting a second Walgreens as I got near my house, I popped in and was thrilled to discover they had a bunch of the bigger Webkinz left over from their Black Friday sale for only $5! WOW! Definitely a great way for this grandma to save money. 

I now have a huge bag of Webkinz in my "gift" closet, full of presents for everyone's birthday gifts for the year AND some extras for those unexpected needs that always seem to crop up at the worst times. And being the care-giving grandma I am, I've let all the parents know that if any of the grandkid's codes give out BEFORE their birthday, to let me know. We can always add the code in early, and save the actual stuffed animal to wrap up on the actual day. 

Webkinz is one of my favorite ways to save money, add a special treat to a birthday gift, and have fun with my grandchildren. In fact, this week found me playing a snow sled game with one grandkid, a great educational word game with a second grandchild, and even adding some Webkinz dollars along with some strawberry seeds to the account of a third grandchild who lives at a distance. How fun is that!  

I don't know if anyone else's Walgreens is offering this great deal but it's certainly worth checking out. And if you spot some great prices on Webkinz toys for grandkids in your neck of the woods, do give us a holler in the comments section.  :) 

As you've probably noticed, I love praise and worship music, I love finding great ways to save money while being blessed by praise and worship music, I love Amazon's free music offers AND I LOVE sharing all of these with YOU. SOOO, here's a special Sunday blessing for each of you in the Sandwich Generation – free praise and worship mp3 songs from Amazon.

I pray these will be a blessing to you if you aren't able to get out to church, or perhaps as you head for church and are preparing your hearts with praise and worship music.

I am enjoying them all, but I was especially blessed by the lyrics to the Big Daddy Weave praise and worship song, "In Christ." They are especially comforting to this busy Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, reminding me of the spiritual blessings I have in Christ, and I pray they will encourage you as well! Here are just a few of the lines:

In Christ I can do all things
In Christ I mount up on eagle's wings
In Christ I wait for a great reward
That I have in store
In Christ I have His righteousness
In Christ I have what I confess
In Christ I don't worry about all the rest
Cause everything I need to be is in Christ

And here's the whole song wrapped up nice and neat in a fun Smilebox Card!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Have a blessed Sunday. And don't forget to sign up for the FREE SandwichINK email full of resources to inform and encourage Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents everywhere!

Mysteries are some of my favorite books to read – from older traditional mysteries by Agatha Christie, Dorothy Gilman, and Emma Lathen to my current favorites by Brandilyn Collins, Randy Alcorn, Dee Henderson, and Diane and David Munson, who are all Christian authors. As a Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, mysteries have often been a fun diversion while waiting – at doctor's offices, school parking lots, hospitals, etc. I love figuring out clues and trying to read between the lines. When I can come up with the solution before the end of the story, that makes me feel ten feet tall! I have to confess, (it's a well known secret in my family), I frequently LOVE to peek at the ending of the book. If it's good enough, I still love to read it. But peeking early allows me to put it down and get some work done before I finish the book. With this kind of track record, I was pleased to find a fun mystery book for my grandchildren and me to enjoy together. And I was thrilled when two of the oldest (both a boy and a girl), loved it as well.

You Be the Detective (Jigsaw Puzzle Mysteries), by Marvin MIller, is an older Scholastic book. Published in 1991, it is often available used at Amazon. (Used books are definitely one of those great ways to save money that I absolutely love!) One of my 7 year old grandkids can read it on their own, the other enjoys it being read to them, and both are having a blast with the special twist this mystery book provides. Each mystery in the book (seven total) has two pictures. One shows important clues. The second is a jumble of squares which the kids have to cut apart and rearrange into the correct order. After it's done, they find even more clues and can usually guess the solution.

We use blank paper and glue sticks for them to put the pieces on. It makes it easy to rearrange them, but keeps the pieces from moving around when they aren't supposed to. And once it's done, they like posting the pictures for their brothers and sisters to enjoy. We are enjoying using this book as part of their homeschooling programs. It's definitely good for their critical thinking skills

When we finish this book, we're moving on to another by the same author, You Be the Jury. It also uses pictures but doesn't have any divided into squares for them to cut up. Since that is what my grandson enjoys the most, I plan on cutting it up myself ahead of time, putting it together all mixed up, copying it, and then letting him cut the new one up. I can then mail a copy of the same sheets to my long distance grandchild. This is a series of four books, all of which are available used from Amazon, as well. They should keep us busy for awhile. Then, I've found three other interesting mystery books that are next on the list:

1. Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol. My kids enjoyed these short, chapter-long mysteries, as did my oldest granddaughter. I'm betting the rest of the grandkids will love it as well.
2. Two-Minute Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol. These are shorter than the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries – about two pages each.
3. One Minute Mysteries – 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science by Eric and Natalie Yoder. We've gone through three of these mysteries and they've enjoyed hearing them. They're a bit shorter – 2 or 3 pages – and don't have the fun puzzle, but they've enjoyed "putting on their thinking caps" and solving the mystery.
   

Please note that any and all children's books I recommend should be checked by you before passing them on to the grandkids, to make sure there is nothing in them that you are not comfortable with. I am particularly cautious about evolution so I've skipped a story or two in the Science mystery book. I've also read another that we then had a very good discussion about.

Overall, it's going to be a mysteriously good reading year for my grandchildren and me! How about you? Have you found any good mystery books for your grandchildren? We'd love to read about them in the comments section. And don't forget to sign up for the SandwichINK FREE email for more fun ideas for you and your grandchildren!  Happy "solving."

SENIOR HOME CARE GIVING:

Excellent article about dealing with beloved elderly parents forgetting who you are due to dementia such as that caused by Alzheimer's Disease.

Six myths of caregiving.
 
Elder Care 101:When do you stop an elderly parent from driving?   Via @DLindberg49

Next time you visit your elderly parent, check his or her fridge for expired items, especially salad dressings. Via @Seniors4Living
 
February & Valentine's Day activity ideas for senior care activity directors to use with senior citizens. Via @Carebuzz
 
EldercareABC Blog Carnival  has another interesting edition out including some excellent security tips for elderly parents.

Many blue foods have anthocyanins & phenolics, two powerful phytochemicals now being studied for antiaging benefits. One example: blueberries. Via @kimduess

Alzheimer's Reading Room: Dealing with Difficult Behavior Caused by Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Via @SeniorsResource

Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival just came out this morning. It looks very interesting with articles about Excercising in Tucson,  Knee Pain issues, and a couple of entries from SandwichINK. There's even some fun videos to check out.

Speaking of Boomers & Seniors, SandwichINK is proud to announce we will be hosting the next Boomers and Seniors: News You Can Use blog carnival on January 26. If you are interested, we would love to have you enter an article or two in this blog carnival organized by Seniors For Living.  

GRANDPARENTS:

Golden Corral: All day, everyday, kids 3 and under eat FREE with adult purchases. My senior mom, my granddaughter and I love to eat there! It's a great place for the Sandwich Generation.   Via @ThriftyParents

GIVEAWAY: The Princess and the Frog for the Wii! From now until January 26, there is a fun contest for five free copies of these fun Wii games for kids. I bet our grandkids would love this! Via @WeekinRewind
 
American Girl fun for grandchildren and homeschooling programs.
 
Video Chat with the Grandkids at GrandMagazine by @ShaynePacker.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day." Sally Koch. Via @Rainer_Seiffert

Caregiver's prayer – As for me, I trust in Thee O Lord. I say, "Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand."

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Epictetus. Via @AnneSadler:
 
"God's Desktop Picture"  Definitely puts worries into perspective!

I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. Abraham Lincoln. Via @KristenArnold

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
 
SANDWICH GENERATION:

Now that Christmas is over, it's time for "Stocking the Empty Gift Pantry™" as well as "The Magic Mason Jar Filled With (Potential) Lights."  These are great ways to save money via @frugalluxuries.
 
CaringBridge is an excellent resource for families dealing with health issues, from grandchildren to elderly parents. Via @MatthewBJohnson
 
Quick, easy, and healthy, Carl's Jr. has a new apple, cranberry, and walnut salad that "is yumaluma!" per @jeneanw.

Are heart attacks more common in winter?  Via @Carebuzz
 
Curry and black pepper may help to prevent breast cancer. (AARP )  per @ElderCareRN

Kaye

Can you tell I'm on a learning jag for our new wood burning stove? Now that I've learned about woodstove safety options for grandchildren and elderly parents, I'm on to investigating what I can burn in my woodstove.

Of course, wood is at the top of the list. I already knew seasoned Oak was one of the best woods to burn, along with Elm and Hickory, among others. I went with Oak and now have two lovely ricks stacked neatly inside my garage just waiting for me to add it to my firewood holder beside the woodstove. From there to the log rack inside, and then, glorious heat. Hmmm, but how do I start it burning? For that, I'll need a good firestarter. My grandkids and I collected all the twigs we found from our own trees plus a few from walks and filled a box. It's enough for a fire or two. Then what?

When my kids were young, I used newspaper to help start our fires so I headed for Google to get some more ideas and hit the jackpot. First I found a great ebook to help with using woodstoves, A Guide to Residential Wood Heating, from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It is loaded with information about burning wood efficiently, purchasing and preparing your fuel supply, and wood stove accessories for the hearth.

Continuing on with my search I then found the directions for making actual fireplace logs out of newspapers at Instructables. I also found a site that discussed that process. Most of the writers think it makes too much ash. If you decide to make fireplace logs with your paper, they suggest two paper logs to one wood log. I think I'm going to wait on that idea for now. At least until my grandsons are old enough to do it and then I'll see if they would like a job!     

Finally, though, I came to the perfect site for me. As a busy Sandwich Generation senior home care giver and grandmother, speed and easiness are two of my favorite words. Woodheat has simple directions for tying newspapers into knots to use them as firestarters! I LOVE it! I can do it. My grandkids can do it NOW. My senior mom can do it. And it even looks like fun! It could even be a good research project for their homeschooling programs.

Some of my grandkids got to spend the night. This morning, I  had fun knotting away with them, and we added several of these to the firewood racks along with the logs.

After we had a serious talk about woodstove safety rules, I started the fire. I have to admit, the knots worked great but the fire dwindled quickly. I went back to Woodheat and found more help from them on how to build the fire. I later tried the top down version and I'm thrilled to tell you it's burning fairly well as I type.  Don't you love it when you find practical solutions that all the generations can have fun working on? Especially when it's one of those fun ways to save money like using the newspaper you already subscribe to?  I know I do!

Do you have more suggestions for what to burn in our new woodstove? We'd love to hear them. We'd also love to have you sign up for the SandwichINK free email so you don't miss any info or resources to encourage Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents.

As I wrote a while back, I switched from a Pantech Duo to a Blackberry Pearl cell phone last June as it had an antenna strong enough for the apartment I was living in.  While the Pearl was better for phone calls and the antenna was definitely stronger, the phone itself was not the greatest when it came to texting or working on the internet.  In addition, the keyboard colors were harder for me to see than my Pantech Duo. (Can you tell I REALLY missed my Pantech Duo!!!)  On top of which, I was REALLY tired of forgetting to take the two steps necessary to prevent acccidental 911 calls and then discovering my phone had called the emergency number yet again. Don't get me wrong. The Blackberry Pearl was a big help in that apartment and it has a lot of great qualities. I am keeping it as a back up and in case I need some of its specific business options. It is, however, not one of my favorite cell phones.

I was, therefore, thrilled when a dear friend, who had recently upgraded to the iPhone 3g,  gave me her old original iPhone. It still works wonderfully but it doesn't have a couple of features she really needed. Since I don't need those particular features, I'm in iPhone heaven!

First I had to learn some basics. Once those were mastered, I moved on to one of the really fun features of the iPhone – Apps (mobile applications). Guess what! I discovered there are plenty of apps for the Sandwich Generation. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. Naturally, since I am always on the lookout for great ways to save money, most of these apps are free, or have a free option. I've linked the apps to their primary website for your information (as well as an opportunity to see other apps some of the creators have designed), but all of these are found and downloaded directly from iTunes – either using your computer or your iPhone.

Caregiving:
Pocket First Aid & CPR  I wrote a review about this First Aid app a while back. It's one of the few on this list that is not free but it's also one of the apps I feel is well worth buying!  $3.99

UMMS Medical Encyclopedia – The University of Maryland Medical Center has a great looking medical information iPhone app with topics such as symptoms, injury, disease, surgery, nutrition, poison, and more. FREE

If you or an elderly parent can't sleep, and are looking for different ways to fall asleep but don't want to listen to a sermon or music, you might like to try some "white noise." Two apps that offer that option are White Noise Lite and Sleep Machine Lite. Both of the LITE versions are FREE.

I found several more Caregiver app ideas from CaregiverLand, a new-to-me caregiving site. The suggestions include an interesting app from Johnson and Johnson's called CareConnector. "The CareConnector is designed for caregivers on the go. It gives you information at your fingertips to make caregiving easier." You can use it to store information including insurance numbers, medication information, etc. I have added this to my iPhone but plan to be extra careful about what information I store as there are identity theft and security concerns for cell phones as well as computers. Not to mention the fact that cell phones do get lost or stolen at times. If I do store vital numbers on it, I plan to encode them in a special way I can understand, but no one else can. FREE

Grandparents:
 
If you'd like to have some iPhone apps to share with your grandchildren, perhaps while waiting for dinner at a restaurant, there are a lot of great options out there, including:

Brain Challenger – Play 12×12 Lite – A multiplication practice game for four years old and up that is simple yet fun. The lite version covers the 2x to 5x. The full version has 2x to 12x. The LITE version is FREE. The PAID version is 99 cents.

Basic Math – a simple math problem "game" for ages four and up. Basic Math is FREE. Basic Math Deluxe is $3.99.

Freddy Fraction – A little honeybee who is trying to get across the room by moving into the hole with the correct fraction or decimal that matches the number on the right. A fun way to help your grandkids practice fractions and decimals.

My Paint Free is a cute little drawing program that reminds me of an Etch a Sketch, except you rub the eraser to clear the screen, rather than shaking the iPhone.

Hangman Classic  – A fun version of the ever popular word game that doesn't require a paper or pencil. The LITE version with ads is FREE. The FULL version with no ads and more word lists is 99 cents.

Tic Tac Toe by Optime – Gives you the option of one or two players. Easy and fun to play by yourself while waiting or with your grandchildren. Please note: There is a network option which allows you to play with other people you don't know. You might not want your grandchildren to select that option. Tic Tac Free is FREE.

Wooden Labyrinth 3D – A very cool iPhone app your grandkids and you will love. It's based on one of those wooden maze boxes with holes. The goal is to get a marble through the maze without dropping into one of the holes. It is so realistic looking you'll go wow! FREE

Sandwich Generation:

TV Guide has an app that I really like. It works well, including providing TV show listings, and can be quite handy. There is another television app from i.TV.  It doesn't seem to work quite as easily as the TV guide app BUT it could be quite handy for a long distance Sandwich Generation caregiver. You could set the one you like best for your own area, and have the other set for the elderly parent who doesn't live near you. Then, if they need help finding a show, you are all set to help them. FREE.

Kindle – This book-reading software is quite handy for everyone, but particularly those of us who might need to spend prolonged and/or unexpected time sitting in doctors' offices or emergency rooms without enough time to grab a book. The nice part is that Kindles are great ways to save money as the Kindle versions of books are often less expensive than a physical book. And the best part about this app is that it is FREE.

PocketBible by Laridian -"There is no charge for the PocketBible program, and it includes access to the King James Version Bible and 39 other free Bibles and reference book," including the ASV, Matthew Henry's concise commentary, and Pilgrim's Progress. I first downloaded Laridian's software years ago with my Windows Mobile 6 cell phone. At that time, I also purchased the NIV and Message options from Laridian. I love that, once I purchased them, they have worked on all the different cell phones I've had, including the Blackberry and the iPhone. I've always enjoyed this Bible software for cell phones but it's especially easy to use on the iPhone! It definitely makes it easy to look up inspirational Bible verses on tough days away from my primary computer. FREE for the basics. Fees for additional Bible versions or other books.

Well, that's it for now, though I suspect I'll have more suggestions "down the road." How about you? What are your favorite apps? We'd love to hear about them.

Advent and Christmas are over and the New Year's fun is coming up! What's a grandparent to do? If you're like me, you may occasionally (or often) find yourself blessed with the happy laughter of little cherubs while mom and dad enjoy a special date night. I have as much fun on New Year's Eve as my grandkids! Granted, that could partly be due to the fact that at least part of me is still a bit of a "kid at heart."

Soooo, what do we have fun doing on New Year's Eve? We've done everything from miniature golf to bowling, from crafts to movies, from sparkling apple cider and 7-up to playing brand new family games bought just for New Year's Eve. Some things remain constants. I always try to get cute party hats, party balloons, party blowers, and party poppers. Sometimes I've even thrown in some streamers or Silly String. (That I do NOT highly recommend! Very messy!) When I am blessed to have the grandkiddies, we have a fun and noisy celebration around 7 pm! Then they head for bed and I enjoy a peaceful, quiet rest of the evening til bedtime. Sometimes I'm awake at midnight, many times I'm not. But that's OK because our real celebration was earlier.

In case you are having your grandchildren over to celebrate, here are some fun crafts to help with your New Year's Eve grandkid party:

• Since we're all looking for ways to save money, how about helping them make their own party hats, and one for you as well?
• Here's the directions for making fun party noisemakers.
• Amazing Moms has some really cute ideas including one suggestion to use party balloons to play "volleyball." Then, when you are ready to ring the New Year in, whether at 7, at midnight, or whenever, have everyone sit on their own party balloons and try to pop them by bouncing on them.
• Once the loud noisemakers are done, and you're looking for a good project to help them settle down before bedtime,  it's time to bring out the washable markers, crayons, and paper. Family Fun has several interesting ideas for holiday traditions. My favorite idea is to make a calendar to help usher in the new year. Many stores, including the Dollar store (one of my favorite ways to save money ), have blank calendars, often with stickers, that your grandchildren can decorate. Alternatively, you can print out one of the calendars from Family Crafts which has a cute collection of calendar pages, each with a variety of cute pictures at the top of the pages. Either way, turn your grandchildren loose with stickers, printouts of family pictures, glue, and markers and let them have fun decorating a calendar for the New Year. I think we may be giving that a try this year!
• If they're spending the night, a bedtime story or two is a must at my house, including a Bible story. A good one for New Year's Eve would be the Creation. If you don't have that story handy, you can use these Bible coloring pages to print out and read to them. Then they can have fun coloring them as well, perhaps the next morning while watching a parade.

Have a delightful New Year's Eve with your grandchildren. And to make sure you don't miss any fun holiday ideas for Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents…

Kaye

SENIOR HOME CARE:

Dementia Holiday Activities That Lower Stress and Raise the Joy. Great ideas in this article!

"Make 10 Christmas Cards, drop off to any retirement community, and ask the activities director to give them to the loneliest residents." A very sweet idea! This would be especially easy for those who have aging relatives living there already. It might also be a good addition to the Dementia Holiday Activities. Even if a relative with dementia can't write, perhaps they could draw a picture or add stickers.  Via @AgeWiseLiving

7 states of dementia.

WOO HOO – We senior home care givers are worth A LOT! The price of unpaid senior home care exceeds total Medicaid expenditures or total sales of WalMart! Via @ElderCareRN

10 Tips for Preventing Dementia Sundowning. Via @Carebuzz 

Interesting info at EldercareABC Blog Carnival including slip and fall info. 

Study shows 'Name Game' hints at Alzheimer's Disease. Via @SafetyNetSource

A very interesting article, Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) vs. Lifecare Community – are they the same? from @PattyGrace.

For Elderly in Rural Areas, Times Are Distinctly Harder (NY Times). Via @caregiving

Mental tasks and exercise may help lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Via @RetireLife

Very handy – especially for aging parents – No slip hand towels for the kitchen or bathroom. 

I'm putting this last in this section as it deals with both senior home care AND fun with the grandchildren – The latest Boomers & Seniors: News You Can Use. I especially enjoyed the articles about Senior Travel Smarts and Pie Dough Fun with Grandchildren!

GRANDPARENTS:

More than 70 million strong , grandparents are one of largest and most powerful consumer segments in US!  Via @Carebuzz.

Here's a great Advent/Christmas project for our grandchildren's homeschooling programs!

GREAT WAYS TO SAVE MONEY:

25 days of Christmas – free mp3 music downloads,  including Christmas Praise and Worship,  from Amazon. Please note, though, there are also a couple of songs that are not appropriate for all audiences, including one with an explicit rating! So do check each one out to be sure it's something you want.

Free classical Christmas mp3 downloads from Amazon as well. 

10 frugal gifts.

Charming VIntage Tins…Packaging GIfts from the Kitchen. Very delightful and frugal ideas!

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

The Angel said to Mary: "You will bear a Son and you shall name Him Jesus..He…will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."

As for you, Bethlehem…from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago. From the days of eternity 

 “We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go, on whatever we touch.” ~Lewis Thomas. Via @ShaynePacker

Words to encourage – The Lord is good.

BABY BOOMER GENERATION:

I love Charles Swindoll's Bible teaching. He has a new book out, "Insights on Romans . " This is the first in a series from 45 years of teaching those 27 books of the Bible. What a great Christmas gift this would make.  

Aging members of the baby boomer generation face a caregiver shortage. Via @Carebuzz 

"For Some Ages 55 to 64, Medicare health insurance for seniors – and maybe now for younger than seniors – Will Cost Too Much.

Moving Changes Like Bambi, Beauty, and Rental Property Insurance at SandwichINK Real Estate Info  

Yummy recipe from Jenn Fowler – Chinese Takeout Style Chicken Wings!  

Christmas appetizers and snacks. Via @njfamilymag Yummy!!!

28 *invaluable* holiday baking tips from TipNut!  Via @eMom

Talking about baking and holidays, wait til you see these Gingerbread Houses – the Most Elaborate in the US!!! Via @mike_gamble