Creating A Circle of Appreciation - VoiceQuilt

A few years back, scientists established a link between feelings of gratitude and good health. Oprah picked up on this theme right away, urging viewers to keep a gratitude journal. Then, the Wall Street Journal pitched in, reporting that a medical study had proven that “an attitude of gratitude can improve psychological, emotional and physical well being”.

We occasionally overhear snippets of VoiceQuilt messages in quality testing. Virtually all express thanks and appreciation. I can’t help but wonder whether callers feel physically better after recording those voice messages.

Birthday CARE Packages - And VoiceQuilt

If you want to send a birthday CARE package to a loved one far away (whether deployed or away for another reason), we suggest a few creative approaches.

If you have children, ask them to draw a birthday cake (with the appropriate number of candles, of course) and add that to a birthday care package. You could also ask your child to sculpt a birthday cake with clay. (Crayola Model Magic works great for this and is light weight.)

Inside the box, we recommend including lots of confetti so that other soldiers, friends or family can laugh as it spills over your loved one’s work space or kitchen table. We also recommend adding your loved one’s favorite treats – preferably something that won’t get damaged in severe weather conditions.

Our favorite idea? Connect with your loved one over Skype or another webcam service and ask your kids to blow out the candles at home on a real cake. You could even have your loved one open the birthday box and blow out the candles on the pretend cake at the same time.

Atlanta Falcons Record Encouraging VoiceQuilt Messages for Chloe

Last week, we wrote about how proud we were of the Green Bay Packers. Even amidst Super Bowl celebrations, their president had taken the time to call in an encouraging message for a recovering teen named Chloe Brunke.

Chloe is a high school senior undergoing rehabilitation after a horrific car accident. She is re-learning how to walk and talk at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Chloe is an avid football fan and was thrilled to hear Mark Murphy's message.

One of our amazing VoiceQuilt friends heard about Chloe's story and helped spread the word here in Atlanta.

VoiceQuilt Military Families Share Thoughts About Flat Daddy

After our daughter was born, I knew life would be different. Intellectually, I had understood this. However, I didn't really "get it" until I looked that newborn in the eyes. It was one of those epiphanies that friends with children had tried to share....but couldn’t.

I had a similar reaction when I read about the film documentary called “Flat Daddy”.

As military families across the United States endure the repeated deployment of loved ones to Afghanistan and Iraq, many have attempted to fill the void with “Flat Daddies” and “Heroes on a Stick,” life-sized cardboard cutouts of their husbands, wives, parents and children serving overseas. Using these two-dimensional surrogates as a connecting thread, Flat Daddy follows four such families over the course of a year to explore the lasting impact of the war on those left behind.

Green Bay Packers, Chloe and VoiceQuilt

Even amidst ongoing Super Bowl celebrations, the President of the Green Bay Packers remembers the important things – namely, the fans. Last week, Mark Murphy phoned in encouraging words for an avid fan named Chloe. Chloe is a high school senior undergoing rehabilitation after a horrific car accident. She is re-learning how to walk and talk at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

A friend of Chloe's named Bev is organizing the VoiceQuilt to encourage Chloe during recovery; she thought that Chloe would be thrilled to hear from her favorite football team. And she was.

The inspiration for VoiceQuilt came from a get well scenario, so it's particularly gratifying when families assemble a “cheering squad” for someone going through a difficult time. We’re big believers in the mind-body connection and I’m convinced that thoughtful gestures like Mr. Murphy's can make all the difference.

Kudos to the Green Bay Packers for being such a thoughtful and outstanding football team!

Valentine's Day Traditions and VoiceQuilt

Not all stories can be as romantic as these two bald eagles madly in love. Some are fun, some are silly and some are hopelessly sappy.

Do you have any special Valentine's day traditions? Do you have a special love letter or romantic story that you share on February 14th?

Nancy, one of VoiceQuilt’s amazing friends, asked me to share the following.

For us, Valentine's day is a special day -- like Mother's or Father's day. With two cats, two kids, a workaholic husband and an entrepreneurial mom, things often get really busy. We’re always looking for a good reason to slow down and celebrate. And for us, it’s important to incorporate the entire family into our traditions.

VoiceQuilt - The Medium IS the Message

Elizabeth Bernstein's whimsical article in today's WSJ "I Just Called to Say, Ahem, I, Uhh, Love You" describes the riskiness of sharing your feelings -- especially as Valentines Day approaches.

This thought stood out:

"Technology doesn't help, even as it keeps us hyper-connected. We email, text or tweet in as few words as possible, many of which we don't even bother to spell out. And without eye contact, or even full sentences, it's hard to express our true feelings."

We beg to differ...

Game on... It's Super Bowl time

It's that time of year again, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers. Football fans and non-fans alike can rejoice because there's something for everyone at your Super Bowl party!

So, lets get this party started, here are a few ideas:

Ads, ads and more ads. Grab a pen and paper and let each of your guests rate the commercials with a yay or nay. At the end of the game tally the results. You may be surprised at which commercials were most popular. Plus, this game will provide ample conversation. Who are we kidding, we watch the game to watch the commercials. This is a fun activity for all guests.

Dress up. Encourage guests to dress up as the most fanatical Super Bowl fan ever. Encourage body paint, wigs, jerseys, you name it. Winner gets a prize, maybe a special dessert to take home. If your event is especially family friendly (fans are like family ), encourage guests to dress up their babies. Of course, all children are winners in that case, but the kids will have fun picking out their outfits and showing them off. A nice favor could be to give each child a brown paper bag filled with a few goodies, like sports stickers, sports inspired pencils, and maybe something sweet.

What's on your Valentine's playlist?

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” Or so says Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...

Did you know that nearly every VoiceQuilt gift giver uploads a song to their VoiceQuilt playlist? Regardless of the gift giving event, we hear songs combined with toasts, tributes and favorite memories. In fact, many VoiceQuilts alternate meaningful music and voice-based memories.

Now that Valentine’s Day is approaching, we're feeling love in the air...and hearing it, too. In fact, I just overheard “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg!

With that as inspiration, we'd like to have some fun. What tunes will be on your Valentine's playlist? Tell us which special song you’ll play to create a fun mood on February 14th and we’ll enter you into a drawing for a $25 iTunes gift card! Just post your song title and artist on VoiceQuilt’s Fan page or email us at info@VoiceQuilt.com.