Our Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast guest in our 100th episode is used to the Hollywood spotlight. You probably know Leeza Gibbons from Entertainment Tonight, her talk show Leeza, Dancing With the Stars, co-host of the Rose Parade and as the winner of Celebrity Apprentice. You may not know that Leeza is a family caregiver. She cared for her mom and her grandma who had Alzheimer’s and is caring for her dad who has heart disease. Leeza’s passion is pouring her resources and energy into her non-profit, Leeza’s Care Connection, which helps family caregivers. In this episode we talk about boundaries, optimism, self-care, big dreams and the importance of sharing your story.

Listen to the show: Caregiver Spotlight – Leeza Gibbons

Watch the show

Words of Encouragement

Each episode starts off with a few words of inspiration or motivation that is pulled from the Happy Healthy Caregiver Jar. You can also create you own jar by downloading the Caregiver Jar inserts.

In order to carve out more time to take better care of ourselves, we need to adjust the boundaries in some of our relationships. #CaregiverJar

Links & Resources Mentioned

Leeza’s inspiration for her non-profit was her mom

Leeza is the author of several books, including:

Elizabeth and Leeza talk about the organization show on Netflix called Get Organized with The Home Edit that has prompted Elizabeth to do a pantry purge because cleaning out the pantry makes sense and makes us feel like we have some control.
FCTA = Former Caregiver Turned Advocate
Elizabeth has been a student in Leeza’s Journaling sessions via Zoom, offered through Leeza’s Care Connection. The free-form journaling teachings from Leeza helped Elizabeth shape what she wanted to say in mom’s ‘Zoom Memorial‘.
Elizabeth’s free resources to help you become a ‘master delegater’ include: Family Responsibilities and Caregiving Responsibilities
Checkout Leeza and her partner Tony performing the Tango on Dancing with the Stars Season 4 and hear what Donald Trump says to Leeza when she won Season 7 of Celebrity Apprentice! All her winnings went toward helping family caregivers!
Leeza’s non-profit, Leeza’s Care Connection offers online and in-person resources and programming in their three buckets: education, empowerment, and energy.

Elizabeth is the facilitator of the NW Atlanta Daughterhood Circle which offers support for caregivers in Atlanta. Check the directory to see if there is a Daughterhood Circle near you.
Elizabeth shared with Leeza that they both had a passion for scrapbooking. Elizabeth was a Creative Memories Consultant for 10 years.
All of the prompts from the lightning round segment of the show are borrowed from Elizabeth’s book Just For You: a Daily Self-Care Journal.

Leeza and her family have a holiday tradition of doing ‘Gratitude Hikes’ on Thanksgiving. Each member writes letters for what they are grateful for. They hike to the top of Runyon Canyon and read their letters to each other.
Elizabeth and her family create an annual list (20 for 2020 list) of things they’d like to try or do in each year.
For more information about Leeza’s non-profit for family caregivers, visit Leeza’s Care Connection.

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Favorite moments & quotes from the episode

“When things don’t add up, we should start subtracting. I’ve really had to subtract and release with love people in my life that really are toxic.” @LeezaGibbons #boundaries

“We have to know that we have value. We have to know our worth.” #caregiving @LeezasCareCafe

Leeza’s YES System: Your Empowerment System. Create your list of what makes you feel empowered (e.g. rested, time, respected). If someone asks you to do something you can see if it fits into your empowerment system. If it doesn’t say…

“I want to create this place. Our family is so lost. I want to create what we wished we had.” #familycaregivers #Alzheimers @LeezasCareCafe

“You have so much more power over anything once you name it.” @LeezaGibbons #Alzheimers

“I didn’t know then that my brain wasn’t really able to access what I may have been able to access helping someone else. You just can’t do it for yourself.” #caregiversupport @LeezasCareCafe

“My mom’s wisdom: Show up. Do your best. Let go of the rest.” @LeezaGibbons #acceptance

“My mother was so instrumental in my ability to face all my fears in life. The biggest fear was I can’t fix this for you [her mom]. I’m not going to get you back. She helped me realize she was still my mom, even through all these…

“I learned when I was putting lotion on [mom’s] hands or brushing her hair that was the highest form of communication and I could just be quiet.” #Alzheimers @LeezasCareCafe

“You don’t know how your words are going to affect someone. You don’t know how your story will touch someone. You don’t know how witnessing someone else’s path is going to change their path.” @LeezaGibbons #tellyourstory

“You don’t need to unscrew someone else’s light-bulb to make your light shine bright.” @LeezaGibbons #leadership

“Often times we get stuck in the story of ‘I don’t have time’ because it allows us to put ourselves last. If your are somebody that is telling yourself this story, you really can, and have to, rewrite that narrative.” @LeezaGibbons…

“You don’t have to let go of yourself just because you are showing up for someone else. In fact, it’s imperative that you don’t.” #boundaries

“When you have a burning desire in your life… you can be unstoppable.” @LeezasCareCafe

“My dream is to offer ‘HUGS’ (Helping You Grow Strong Ambassadors) nationwide in communities.” @LeezasCareCafe

“Legislatively we [#familycaregivers] really need more attention. I think #Covid has given us a chance to look at our local and national leaders and see who are the ones who are really languaging around this issue and who is putting…

“What I really get out of it [journaling] is going back and seeing my patterns. I found answers in the pages of the journal.” #selfcare @LeezaGibbons

“I love [Thanksgiving] because we are celebrating that sense of abundance within ourselves. We know when we are thankful for what we have we get more. It’s a reminder of what are we greatful for.” #thanksgiving @LeezaGibbons

“There is not a caregiver heaven if you do this [#caregiving] by yourself…Figure out how you can become someone who delegates…You will gain incredible respect for yourself and you will see your strengths and feel your courage.”…

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