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Music is Magic–Amplify Joy

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Hiya;

One of the common discussions we had with fellow caregivers during The Heartland Caregiving Conference by Sandwiched KC,  was the magical effect music has on our loved ones. We were mostly referencing how engaging sing-alongs are, and how songs help, especially with dementia, bridge the mind’s time gap to happier and fulfilling memories and moments. 

As vibrational beings we have the power to amplify joy and our health with simple sounds. The gentle tide of breath, the unassuming hum, and the practice of laughter, have all been scientifically proven to help our bodies reduce depression, stress, anxiety, and even boost our immune systems.

Our caregiver journey began, like many, suddenly. Communication was the biggest challenge we faced helping our loved one. So we did what we do, we researched solutions. Kristin found stroke recovery activities and started creating activity sheets.  Delaina began online sound therapy classes and now creates handpan music.

We both love how music calms and connects our loved ones. And how it helps us tune-in to our wellbeing and joy. Some of our daily favorites can be found here: Centerpoint’s Holosync, Hello Caregiving’s sing-a-longs and more, and Delaina’s various musical offerings. 

Thank you for being in our lives and letting us be in yours. We hope we have helped you in some way find your vibe. Also sharing is caring so please share your go to music hubs with us.

In love and gratitude,
Delaina and Kristin

Building Connections

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Hiya;

Oh my gosh what a great time we had at the Sandwiched KC’s Heartland Caregiving Conference. It has been a long time since we sponsored a table at an event. And Rachel Hiles and her crew at Sandwiched KC did a wonderful job. The event was full of nurturing breakout sessions as well as vendors and sponsors like us that sincerely support caregivers on the journey.

And at the end, thanks to the genius that is Danielle Ate the Sandwich, we created a song together. Caregivers wrote caregiving words that are important to them on a poster and Danielle put the words to a chorus and created this years Caregiver Anthem. How incredible is that?

Rachel said that her reason for doing all of this was so that caregivers don’t feel alone. We think that is what attracted us to the event in the first place. Caregiving can feel isolating and many times (a day) caregivers feel underappreciated and undersupported. It was clear to see during the Heartland Caregivers Conference that caregivers are not alone. We are so grateful we were able to stand with our fellow caregivers.

We are especially grateful for the connections we made with the caregivers that stopped by our table. Kristin and I were both surprised and delighted to see people’s eyes light up when they learned we were fellow caregivers sharing what works for us. To think that not only is our caregiver journey helping our loved ones but that our creations are helping other families. Maybe, this sounds daft. After all, why be there if we didn’t think we would be helpful, right? But that is just the thing, sometimes we are so deep into it that we miss noticing how helpful and valuable we can be.

To our fellow family caregivers, thank you. Thank you for what you do day in and day out for your loved ones. Thank you for stopping by our table and letting us share our passion of family caregiving.

With love and gratitude,
Delaina and Kristin

Checking In

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Hello Friends;

It seems like it’s been ages since our last connection but in reality it’s only been three days. But I guess with all the things happening in the world and in our lives it feels like a lot has happened in three days. Am I right?

Puppy for cuteness only. We would not gift a caregiver a puppy.

Anyway, we have signed up as sponsors for the Heartland Caregiver Convention hosted by Sandwiched KC. The event is November 1st. Here is the registration page if you are in the area and would like to attend. We plan to donate a gift basket to the event. What would you like to see in the gift basket? Hello Caregiving swag, large print books, coloring books, activity sheets, maybe a CD (does anyone, besides us, even listen to CD’s anymore?). What makes or breaks a great gift basket in your opinion?

Besides our little announcement and “gift basket poll” we really just wanted to check in on you, say hiya, and drop a little encouragement into your day.

 Delaina shared a post that someone created and it has us thinking about value. The post is a quote attributed to Kobi Simmons talks about the price of a bottle of water. The cost rises depending on where you are: a supermarket, the movies, an airplane; you get the idea. And goes on to say that if you don’t feel valued maybe you are in the wrong place.

 Delaina is playing the submission game again. AKA, writing poetry, editing poetry, submitting poetry, waiting to hear if the poetry was good enough for said journal to publish it. And that’s just it right? She is not really waiting to hear if the poem is “good enough.” She is waiting to hear if the poem is a good fit with the journal. That is the thing right? It’s not about quality as much as it is about placement. It’s about finding the right place for the poem.

The same is true no matter what any of us bring into the world. Our words, art, talents, and contributions are valuable. They are what the world needs now because we are here to create them. Be true to you, tune into your intention, and find your playground. We believe in you. We know there is value in your creations. And we know that you are what the world needs now, because just like water, you are valuable.

Okay, that is us for now. Meanwhile let us know what you think we should put in our gift basket and let us know if you have found your playground.

 In love, light, and gratitude,
 Delaina and Kristin