Thankfully, it’s very easy to remind friends and family to call into your VoiceQuilt – especially if you used VoiceQuilt’s email invites – the templates you access when clicking on the “Manage Invitations and Reminders” button.

 
Simply toggle the “To” button in your email invitation.

Then, add some reminder text to the top of your original email invite. We recommend creating urgency with a phrase like “Only 5 days left!”.

If your family is on Facebook, try sharing a voice message from a child – along with a gentle (or not so gentle) nudge to record a message. Many gift givers also post reminders on twitter and on personal web sites.   Some even do a countdown, reminding callers multiple times (“Only 3 days left”, “Only 1 day left”, “Only 1 hour left”) as the deadline approaches.

As life speeds up at the end of the school year, it’s easy to remind family and friends to call in and record a voice message toast – and it’s well worth the effort.  The more the merrier. You and everyone who participates will be delighted by the final result.

In days gone by, a shiny apple might have been a good teacher gift, but things have changed. A special, unexpected teacher gift is a great way to express gratitude. However, gift cards for anything from coffee to dinner to a massage or movie tickets will probably be appreciated more than an apple!

In addition to Teacher Appreciation Week, there are many other occasions warranting a thoughtful teacher gift. Retirement is a big milestone in anyone’s life and a teacher will always appreciate a memorable retirement sentiment.

The simple act of expressing appreciation for a teacher goes a long way. One way to do this is with Thanking of You, a great online gratitude site whose tagline is “Gratitude affirms life.” Gratitude is powerful, both for the giver and the receiver.  That said, we’re hopelessly biased.  We hope you’ll consider thanking a teacher the same way this group of graduating seniors thanked their coach.  By creating a teacher appreciation gift, you could win $150 for your school.

Regardless of approach, we hope you’ll affirm the life of a special teacher during Teacher Appreciation Week!

Child Art – A Great Gift for Mothers

Our guest blogger today shares ideas for great  gifts for  mothers.   As a freelance blogger for Caregivers.com and creator of The Long and Winding Road: A Journey Through Alzheimer’s and Beyond, Ann Napoletan combines a great passion for eldercare with her love of the written word. Having been caregiver to her mother during an almost decade long struggle with Alzheimer’s, she has a special place in her heart for family caregivers.

With Mother’s Day coming up, the search is on for great gifts for mothers and grandmothers! The good news is we have a couple of fun ideas that allow you to incorporate your own special touch.

Many sites are offering photo books these days, but Shutterfly is my personal favorite. Even as her Alzheimer’s progressed, my mom absolutely loved looking at photographs, so these books were perfect for her. They truly make great gifts for mothers and grandmothers, and whether you want to customize the layout or prefer a simpler approach, Shutterfly has an option for you. Photographs have a unique way of touching hearts, and a book full of precious images is a keepsake mom or grandma will cherish forever.

Homespun creations also make great gifts for mothers and grandmothers. If you’re working with a limited budget, here’s an idea that will allow you to unleash your inner artist without breaking the bank. It’s as simple as purchasing an inexpensive solid colored (light colors or white work best) coffee mug and grabbing a Sharpie.

Write a message or draw a design on the mug, bake it in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, and you have a gift for grandma or mom that they are sure to treasure.

This is a fantastic project for small children! Be sure to write the date on the bottom for future reference and bear in mind that these pieces should be hand washed. If you want to go a step further, an even safer bet for preserving the design is to pick up a Pebeo marker. Although the cost is a few dollars more, this will ensure that the design isn’t going anywhere.

Many of us will agree that the most memorable and cherished gifts we’ve received were often the simplest. There’s something special about knowing thought and creativity went into the gift rather than it being plucked from a store shelf. So this Mother’s Day, remember that nothing is more precious than a gift you’ve created yourself or even a simple, heartfelt voice message telling mom just how much she is loved.

Need some teacher gift ideas? Check out these personalized teacher gifts and crafts.

Of course, we’re hopelessly biased. We love it when parents and students record thank you messages for teachers and coaches. Next week, a VoiceQuilt gift giver named Cristina will be part of a week long celebration of teachers in Colorado.

On the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week, the children at Cristina’s school will deliver thank you notes to the staff and teachers. On the second day, the school principal will make a thank you presentation to the staff and teachers. On the third day, there will be a teacher appreciation lunch. During the meal, Christine and the other parent volunteers will play sample thank you messages recorded by the children for their teachers. After the meal, Christine will email 60 electronic VoiceQuilts – each one containing over 30 voice message thank you’s – to each of the school’s faculty and staff.

Interested in celebrating a special teacher at your school? Check out VoiceQuilt’s “Thank A Teacher” contest. Start a VoiceQuilt between now and June 15, 2013 for a favorite teacher or coach. Enter “Teacher Appreciation” as your occasion and we’ll automatically enter you in a drawing to win $150 for your school.

General contest rules: To enter, you must be a U.S. resident and at least 18 years of age. The winner of the $150 school donation will be randomly selected, contacted via email and announced on Facebook. Void where prohibited. Contest will end June 15, 2013 at 5pm ET.

Our guest blogger today is Ann Napoletan.  As a freelance blogger for Caregivers.com and creator of The Long and Winding Road: A Journey Through Alzheimer’s and Beyond, Ann combines a great passion for eldercare with her love of the written word. Having been caregiver to her mother during an almost decade long struggle with Alzheimer’s, she has a special place in her heart for family caregivers.

Ann graduated with honors from Franklin University with a degree in Business Administration and works as a finance professional for a Fortune 500 company. Her interests include blogging, photography, reading, and travel. She is also a passionate advocate for Alzheimer’s research and awareness.

When I lost my mother after a long painful struggle with Alzheimer’s, I wanted a piece of custom jewelry to keep her close to my heart. Although I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, I felt that when I found the right thing, I would know it. Sure enough, Thumbies fit the bill just perfectly. I selected a small heart shaped pendant that would be personalized with Mom’s thumbprint as well as a tiny inscription on the back, and I’ve yet to find the words to explain just how much the necklace means to me.

Just like our voices, no two fingerprints are the same, so incorporating such a rarity into custom jewelry is a marvelous idea. In addition to remembrance pieces, these necklaces, bracelets, and rings are growing in popularity for many other occasions. Fingerprints are even being incorporated into custom handmade wedding bands like those created by Brent & Jess.

Some pendants incorporate two fingerprints into a single heart, creating a unique keepsake for siblings, couples, best friends, and mothers and daughters. Think about a yin and yang set to mark an important milestone anniversary, or a imagine presenting mom with a one of a kind dragonfly whose delicate wings are formed by her children’s tiny fingerprints. There are even some wonderful possibilities for pet lovers.

Etsy is a great place to find many styles of custom jewelry. As cliché as it sounds, my necklace gives me a feeling of tremendous closeness to my mom. I often catch myself unconsciously holding it gently between my thumb and forefinger when I’m working at the computer, driving, or in the middle of a conversation. It’s a comfort, and I’m so grateful that I’ll have this very unique and personal piece of her to hold close forever.

Reverend Julie Harley

I am moved and inspired by Reverend Julie Harley – and the many ways her congregants are providing caregiving support. A few days ago, I received this VoiceQuilt invitation.

“Many of you know that Julie Harley, a former pastor of this congregation, has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Julie’s friends are making a special gift for her daughters, Rachel and Emma. It’s a VoiceQuilt, a collection of special stories and happy memories about their mother. When Rachel and Emma listen to their VoiceQuilt, a wonderfully rich, affectionate and lasting picture of their mother will emerge. We hope those of you that know Julie will participate by adding a message.”

After talking with the VoiceQuilt gift giver, I learned that Julie has a long history of helping others in her role as pastor. Today, she continues to inspire even as she confronts Lou Gehrig’s disease. I was particularly touched by these words in her Christmas sermon.

“I thought I was glorifying God when I was at the height of my physical powers — competing in a triathlon or hiking up a mountain. But perhaps the message of Christmas is that God is glorified just as fully when I allow others to take care of me.”

Reverend Julie’s community has seized the opportunity to give back to someone who has given so much. Thanks to LotsaHelpingHands.com, over 140 volunteers are offering caregiving support by delivering casseroles, running errands and driving Julie to doctor’s appointments. “Team Julie” (as the group is known on LotsaHelpingHands) is also collecting movie recommendations, reading books aloud and even raising money for medical expenses.

At the end of this month, Julie will receive a VoiceQuilt from Team Julie for her 53rd birthday. Everyone has been asked to record special stories and happy memories of Julie – so that her daughters will have them forever.

“When Rachel and Emma listen to the VoiceQuilt, a wonderfully rich, affectionate and lasting picture of their mother will emerge. We hope you will participate by adding a message.”

I am inspired by Reverend Julie Harley, her community and the LotsaHelpingHands tools that make this kind of caregiving possible.

Shark Tank Audition Photos

We learned Thursday afternoon that  ABC’s Shark Tank was holding auditions in Atlanta on Sunday. What an experience!

We arrived at 5:45am for the 11am Open Call, joining 125 other entrepreneurial teams already camped out in front of the Fox Theater. By 7am, there were over 500 people waiting for an audition for ABC’s Shark Tank. The show’s personnel were gracious and professional, never losing patience with the crowd.

After donning the official numbered wrist band at 11:30am, we waited until around 2:00pm to present. Although three messages were on our VoiceQuilt Keepsake Box, we played snippets of two (Ava and Aunt Selma) because of time constraints. Ava’s rousing rendition of “You are my Sunshine” was particularly easy to hear in the loud room. Five companies pitched at the same time in the same room – each at different tables (see photo in bottom right)!

Will VoiceQuilt  get a call back from ABC’s Shark Tank? I’m not so sure… Nevertheless, it was a terrific experience.

Interested in seeing more photos from a Shark Tank open call?  Please check out VoiceQuilt’s Flickr page.

Shark Tank on ABC

We need your help! “Shark Tank” on ABC holds auditions in Atlanta this Sunday. We need your input about selecting a voice message sound bite that will capture the attention! Which of the three voice messages above should we choose?

For those unfamiliar with “Shark Tank” on ABC, here is the description.

“The entrepreneurs who dare to enter the Tank must try to convince the Sharks to part with their own hard-earned cash and give them the funding they desperately need to turn their dreams into million dollar realities. But the Sharks have a goal, too – to get a return on their investment and own a piece of the next big business idea. When the Sharks hear an idea worth sinking their teeth into, they’re more than ready to declare war and fight each other for a piece of it.”

Yep. Absolutely terrifying. But it’s worth the try.  We need the exposure – and some funding to upgrade our Keepsake Box player!

Which voice message sound bite do YOU recommend for “Shark Tank” on ABC?  Post your comment on VoiceQuilt’s Facebook page .

Singing (and Recording) “Happy Birthday”

A gift giver named Lisa posted on VoiceQuilt’s Facebook page today.

“I was so happy to stumble upon VoiceQuilt! Truly, it was an answer to prayer. I have a childhood friend who is suffering from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Her birthday is next week, so this was a perfect occasion to use VoiceQuilt to brighten her day. We started a Facebook event page and spent 2 weeks searching high and low for friends and family that we knew would want to participate.

It turned out so much bigger than we could have dreamed! We filled up the full 4 hours with Happy Birthday greetings, memories, songs, prayers, reading of scriptures and even some devotions. This has been such a blessing to those of us who created this for our friend. To be able to tell her how much she is loved and thought of, and to share stories that will remain with her two children for years to come, all wrapped up in a beautiful Keepsake box. Thank you so much VoiceQuilt for providing an avenue to do this! Many blessings to you all!”

When I connected with Lisa over email, she mentioned that the National Christian Choir of Washington D.C had sung Happy Birthday on the VoiceQuilt. A choir member captured the recording session on video and put it on YouTube!

Once again, I amazed by the resourcefulness of VoiceQuilt birthday gift givers - and their friends.  Get more birthday ideas here!

Sending a card is a thoughtful way to connect. It’s a small gesture that has a big impact.  According to the American Greeting Card Association, women purchase 80% of all greeting cards and most are purchased to commemorate birthdays.  However, more people are posting “Happy Birthday” on Facebook resulting in fewer greeting cards being mailed.

Do you tend to forget the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family? Treat.com offers a reminder service for these special dates.  Even better, you won’t have to come up with something clever to say on your photo greeting card.  The Treat.com  Message Library offers a wide selection of inspirational verses, funny sayings and pithy words for any occasion.

Don’t have a sentimental photo?  Wow your child’s grandparents by personalizing a greeting card with one-of-a-kind artwork made by your child.

No matter what images or words you choose, a greeting card is always a thoughtful gesture to show how much you care.