Lotsa Blog

Contributed by Haley Burress

It really does take a village to raise a child. Hopefully you have a village full of grandparents, aunts, uncles, best friends, and neighbors that are available to help you out with parenting advice and assistance. Unfortunately, a health crisis can cause you to seek out a village to help fill in for your role as chauffeur to extracurricular activities, head chef in the kitchen, homework helper extraordinaire, and the many other roles that you take on when you become a Mom or Dad. Sometimes you simply need to rely on parents helping parents and ask for help in a somewhat unlikely place: your child’s classroom.

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Contributed by Tiffany Silverberg

Potlucks are made for community. They celebrate togetherness and allow everyone to get involved. They also can make dinner preparation a bit easier for everyone by requiring only one item or dish from each family. Everyone can enjoy a varied and delicious meal, without all the work and cleanup of preparing a host of different dishes. Bring your community together – maybe your group of friends, your neighborhood, your book club, or even your family – once a week for a potluck and enjoy the various benefits of healthy potluck recipes.

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Contributed by Christine Binney

If you are struggling with a difficult situation, the encouragement of your family and friends may not always be enough to help get you through. There will be times that you need more help than even they can provide, and that assistance can come in the form of a support group. Support groups provide a safe place where members can share ideas, explore feelings, provide advice, and lend emotional support to each other. Members create a strong bond because they can relate to each other’s unique experiences in a way that others may not be able to.

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Contributed by Haley Burress

Here’s the good news: your loved one is ready to be discharged from the hospital. No more uncomfortable beds or uncertainty. Here’s the bad news: your loved one is ready to be discharged from the hospital. Before you can head back to the comforts of home, you have plenty to do before that hospital discharge. Being prepared can make or break your homecoming, so we are here to help by giving you the three steps that you need to have taken care of before you jump in the car with your loved one. Trust us – these are some of the best ways to reduce stress and get you both home safe and sound.

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Contributed by Christine Binney

Planning a funeral is never easy. Trying to plan a ceremony that respects the wishes of your loved one and all the family members involved is complicated, and doing it under such stressful circumstances makes it that much harder. It can be hard to manage emotions while taking care of all the details that go into organizing a funeral. With some proper planning and a few tips, the funeral process can be made easier for everyone involved. Simply remember these seven things and you’ll be able to honor your loved one’s memory in the perfect way.

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Contributed by Tiffany Silverberg

When a friend or family member loses someone close, sympathy is a natural and immediate response. Tradition has often called for a bouquet of flowers in memory and in good cheer. They bring a sense of brightness, life, and joy in an otherwise dark or sorrowful time. However many bouquets can turn a living room into a garden. Those with allergies or those uninterested in cleaning up dozens of blooms may prefer an alternative while those sending sympathies may want something more creative to convey their feelings. Here are a few sympathy gift ideas that can show someone that you are there to comfort them in this time of need.

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Contributed by Haley Burress

Downsizing your home can sometimes get a bad rap. It might feel like you are downsizing your possessions or even your memories. But making room in your new retired lifestyle is good not only for the soul, but also for your future. Before you make plans for a garage sale or start your search for boxes to pack, check out our go-to tips for how – and why – to downsize your home effectively.

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Contributed by Michelle Hassler

In the summer, it is inevitable that the calendar will fill up with special events and community activities. Before you know it, weekends can be flooded with graduation parties, weddings, concerts, and family outings. However, using a wheelchair can cause extra stress when attending summer events. Buying a ticket or sending in an RSVP often comes with collection of unknowns. Will there be a ramp? Are there paved pathways? Will I have someone to help me if needed? What about the bathroom? Whether you use a wheelchair or are attending an event with someone who uses a wheelchair, it will make the experience more pleasant if you know how to maneuver best in your given situation. Knowing what to expect before you arrive will help to minimize worrying or trouble-shooting when, let’s face it, you just want to participate and enjoy yourself.

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Contributed by Nathan McVeigh

Understanding how to plan your day is typically easier said than done. It’s especially true for those whose concern extends to other people besides themselves. Caregivers must pay close attention to the way they monitor their schedules, often because they are responsible for their own needs, their families’ needs, and/or the needs of those to whom they’ve been clinically assigned.

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Contributed by Haley Burress

If you have recently lost a loved one, you are probably feeling your way through the complex maze of grief. While we certainly cannot claim to make this journey easier for you, we can offer ideas on ways to memorialize the person that you loved so much. Taking time to memorialize someone not only honors the person who is gone, but it also gives you a way to showcase what you loved so much about the deceased. You might choose to memorialize a loved one immediately, during funeral services, or after you have had time to process through the early stages of grief. No matter when you choose to do something special in memory of your loved one, it is sure to be an occasion full of emotions ranging from sadness to joy, pride to peace. Here are just a few of ways to remember your loved that may inspire you.

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