The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Recall of the Week: Banzai in-ground pool water slides sold by Wal-Mart and Toys R Us due to death, serious neck injuries

By Rita R. Robison

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. are recalling of about 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides.

During use, the slide can deflate, allowing the user to hit the ground underneath the slide and be injured. The slide is also unstable and can topple over in both still and windy conditions and carries inadequate warnings and instructions, the companies and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement.

The commission is aware that a 29-year-old Colorado mother died in Andover, Mass. after fracturing her neck going down a Banzai in-ground pool water slide which had been placed over the concrete edge of a pool. The victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated.

The commission and retailers are aware of two other injuries which have occurred in a similar manner, including a 24-year-old man from Springfield, Mo. who became a quadriplegic and a woman from Allentown, Pa. who fractured her neck.

The recall involves Banzai in-ground pool water slides designed for use with in-ground pools. The vinyl slides have a blue base, yellow sliding mat, and an arch going over the top of the slide. By connecting a hose to the top of the slide, water can be sprayed on its downward slope. The words “Banzai Splash” are printed in a circular blue, orange, and white logo, shaped like a wave on either side of the slide.

The recalled slides, which were manufactured in China by Manley Toys, Ltd, were sold at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for about $250. The recalled slides have the barcode number 2675315734 and model number 15734. Both the barcode and model number appear on the original packaging but aren’t on the slide.

The commission urges consumers to immediately stop using the product and return it to the nearest Wal-Mart or Toys R Us for a full refund. Consumers can also cut the two safety warning notices out of the slide and just return that portion.

For additional information from Wal-Mart, call 800-925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.walmartstores.com. For additional information from Toys R Us, call 800-869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, or visit the firm's website at www.toysrus.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Happy Mother’s Day

By Rita R. Robison

Today, I’m thinking about my mom, Ruth L. Slingsby. She was a good kid. That’s what she used to say to me even when I was an adult.

My mom passed away on July 14, 2005. Here’s a tribute I wrote to her recently.

Today, I’m lucky. I’m able to spend the day with my daughter and grandchildren. We made chocolate cupcakes that say “Happy Mother’s Day.” And, we went out to lunch. What fun.

I hope that you’re having a good Mother’s Day celebration, too. 

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facts and figures on moms for Mother’s Day 2012

By Rita R. Robison

The average person celebrating Mother' Day is expected to spend $153 on gifts, up from $141 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $18.6 billion, the National Retail Federation said in a statement.

Consumers will give mom special meals and/or outings, clothing, electronics, flowers, and more. Two-thirds will buy flowers, spending a total of $2.2 billion, and nearly one-third will treat mom to a new blouse or sweater, spending $1.6 billion on clothing and accessories.

Those buying electronics, 13 percent, will spend a total of $1.6 billion on tablets, digital cameras, and more, and more than half of all celebrants will treat mom to a nice dinner or brunch, spending $3.4 billion. In addition, consumers will spent $1.8 billion on gift cards and $1.3 billion on personal services such as a trip to a day spa.

Mobile and tablet owners will keep an eye out for deals this Mother’s Day as nearly four in 10 smartphone owners and just over half of tablet owners plan to use their devices to research products/compare prices, redeem coupons, look up retailer information, and purchase gift items.

For who American mother’s are, the U.S. Census Bureau offers these statistics:

How many mothers

85.4 million

Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2009.

4 million

Number of women between the ages of 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 month.

53%

Percentage of 15- to 50-year-old women who were mothers in 2010.

81%

Percentage of women who had become mothers by age 40 to 44 as of 2010. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.

How many children

2.5

The total fertility rate or number of births in 2009 per woman in Utah (based on current birth rates by age), which led the nation. At the other end of the spectrum is Vermont, with a total fertility rate of 1.6 births per woman.

94%

The percentage of the 37.8 million mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2004, who lived with their biological children only. In addition, 3 percent lived with any stepchildren, 2 percent with any adopted children, and less than 1 percent with any foster children.

20%

Percentage of all women age 15 to 44 who have had two children. About 47 percent had no children, 17 percent had one, 10 percent had three, and about 5 percent had four or more.

Recent births

4.13 million

Number of births registered in the United States in 2009. Of this number, 409,840 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,934 to women age 45 to 54.

25.1

Average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25 years in 2006 and 2007. The mean age from 2007 to 2008 reflects, in part, the relatively large decline in births to women under age 25 compared with the small decline for women in the 25-39 age bracket.

55%

Percentage of mothers with a birth in 2010 who were in the labor force. This decreased from 57 percent in 2008.

27.3%

The percentage of mothers who had given birth in the past 12 months who had a bachelor's degree or higher. Among states, New Hampshire had the highest percentage of recent mothers in this category with 48 percent. Mothers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland also had percentages higher than the national average.

83%

Percentage of women age 15 to 44 with at least a high school diploma who gave birth in the last year. For women age 30 to 44, the figure was 90 percent.

Jacob and Isabella

The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively, in 2010.

Recall of the Week: Christmas Tree Shops’ Farm Glass & Metal Spiral Tea Light Holders due to fire hazard

By Rita R. Robison

Christmas Tree Shops is recalling about 6,200 Farm Glass & Metal Spiral Tea Light Holders.

Due to the design of the product, the tea lights can burn with a high flame, posing a fire hazard to consumers, the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement.

Christmas Tree Shops has received one report of a tea light burning with a high flame that resulted in a burn to a consumer's hand.

The recall involves a decorative spiral tea light holder made from a painted glass with a red, orange, and green floral design. The glass has a metal insert for holding tea lights. The metal insert is spiral shaped with places for three tea lights. The metal insert is placed within the glass container. SKU/UPC number 000015931955 is found on a label on the bottom of the glass.

Manufactured in China, the tea light holders were sold at Christmas Tree Shops in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest from July 2011 through March 2012. The cost was about $5.

Consumers should stop using the recalled spiral tea light holder and return it to any Christmas Tree Shops store to receive a full refund, the company and commission advise.

For additional information, contact Christmas Tree Shops at 888-287-3232 any time, or visit the firm's website www.christmastreeshops.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Nine ways to stay protected on Facebook

Face book offers many privacy controls that may not be easy for consumers to understand.

Below are nine tips from Consumer Reports that will help users use privacy tools:

• Think before typing. Even if a user deletes his or her account, which takes Face book about a month, some information can remain in Facebook’s computers for up to 90 days.
• Regularly check Face book exposure. Each month, users should check how their page looks to others. Review individual privacy settings if necessary.
• Protect basic information. Set the audience for profile items, such as town or employer. And users should remember: Sharing info with “friends of friends” could expose them to tens of thousands of strangers.
• Know what can’t be protected. Each user’s name and profile picture are public. To protect one’s identity, consumers shouldn’t use a photo or use one that doesn’t show their face.
• “UnPublic” the wall. Set the audience for all previous wall posts to just friends.
• Turn off Tag Suggest. If users would rather not have Face book automatically recognize their face in photos, they could disable that feature in their privacy settings. The information will be deleted.
• Block apps and sites that snoop. Unless users intercede, friends can share personal information about them with apps. To block that, they should use controls to limit the information apps can see.
• Keep wall posts from friends. Users don’t have to share every wall post with every friend. They can also keep certain people from viewing specific items in their profile.
• When all else fails, deactivate. When a user deactivates his or her account, Face book retains the profile data but the account is made temporarily inaccessible. Deleting an account makes it inaccessible forever.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Million of Facebook users risk sharing updates beyond their ‘friends’ because they don’t use privacy controls

Nearly 13 million U.S. Facebook users don’t use or aren’t aware of the site’s privacy controls, potentially exposing personal information widely beyond their network of Face book “friends,” according to Consumer Reports.

Its report on Facebook and privacy also shows that more than 4.8 million people have posted about where they planned to go on a certain day, a potential tip-off to burglars, while 4.7 million have “liked” a Facebook page about health conditions or treatments, details that insurers might use against them.

Facebook is the largest social network with more than 900 million users worldwide and 150 million users in the United States.

Facebook makes it easy for people to keep up with friends, family, and colleagues, discover great content, and connect to causes. To deliver this service, Facebook and other social networks collect enormous amounts of often highly sensitive information and distribute it widely and quickly.

This data collection has risks. About seven million households using Facebook said they had trouble last year, ranging from someone using their log-in without permission to being harassed or threatened – up 30 percent from the previous year, according to the Consumer Reports Annual State of the Net survey.

Unless an individual chooses his or her privacy settings carefully, a friend who runs an app could grant it access to the person’s information without his or her knowledge, including information that was set to “friends” only view. Only 37 percent of users say they’ve used the site’s privacy tools to customize how much information apps are allowed to see, according to the Consumer Reports survey.

What does Facebook know? Americans feed all kinds of personal details into Facebook’s vast database by posting status updates on their “wall,” updating their profile, “liking a page,” or using other Face book features. The numbers below show how many people engaged in each activity during the past 12 months, based on projections from the Consumer Reports State of the Net survey:

• 39.3 million identified a family member in a profile.
• 20.4 million included their birth date and year in their profile.
• 7.7 million “liked” a Face book page pertaining to a religious affiliation.
• 4.6 million discussed their love life on their wall.
• 2.6 million discussed their recreational use of alcohol on their wall.
• 2.3 million “liked” a page regarding sexual orientation.

While some privacy or security issues arise from poor choices Facebook users themselves make, other problems can stem from the ways the company collects data, how it manages and packages its privacy controls, and the fact that users’ data can wind up with people or companies with whom they didn’t intend to share.

Some users might be surprised to know that Facebook gets a report every time they visit a site with a “Like” button, regardless of whether or not they click on that button, have a Facebook account, or are even logged in.

Better protections. Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, wants:

• A national privacy law that holds all companies to the same privacy standards and lets consumers tell companies not to track them online.
• Industry and privacy groups to meet to set clear rules for how personal data is collected and used, an Obama administration initiative.
• Consumers to sign a petition urging Facebook to improve privacy controls and address concerns about sharing practices.
• Facebook to fix a security lapse that permits users to set up weak passwords including some six-letter dictionary words and help users avoid inadvertently sharing status updates with the public, either by alerting them more prominently when they are about to do so or by changing the default audience for posts to the user’s preferred audience.

The report can be found in the June 2012 issue of Consumer Reports, available on newsstands on May 8, and online at www.ConsumerReports.org. The issue also features a report on online security and what consumers can do to protect themselves.

My next post will offer information on Consumer Report’s recommendations on “Nine Ways to Stay Protected” when you use Facebook.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers need to fight internalized agism

In the popular culture and throughout society, the message is loud and clear: Young is good, old is bad.

Although baby boomers experienced women's liberation and gay rights, they have anti-aging messages ingrained into their psyches, says Carol Orsborn, CEO, FierceWithAge, Spirituality for Grownups. These messages are economically, socially, and politically damaging for boomers and all age groups.

Boomers are allowing stereotypes of aging to take over their thinking about who they are as they age, Orsborn says.

She suggests boomers start or join a Fierce with Age Consciousness Group.

Find between two and 10 boomers and set a time to meet regularly. Discuss whatever you want, but when the following five flags come up, catch yourself and catch others.

1. Comments, satire, or jokes, including asides, that revile, infantilize, or marginalize aging and old people.

2. Youth-centric language, as in "young at heart" or "youthful." Replace it with age-neutral words such as "vital" and "passionate."

3. Separating one out from peers, as in: "Can you believe I'm 60 years old?"

4. Definitions of successful aging that are based solely or primarily on your having attributes normally associated with individuals younger than your own age.

5. Romanticizing or sanitizing images of aging.

For details, see Orsborn’s Huffington Post article “Aging With Pride: The Call for Boomer Consciousness.”

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Spring apparel, candy to send Easter sales past $16 billion, survey says

Americans will spend an average of $145 on everything from apparel and candy to food and decorations this year, up 11 percent from $131 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $16.8 billion.

“Though the price of gas is on everyone’s mind, Easter is one of the few holidays some consumers are willing to stretch their budgets, especially because many children look forward to treats and new outfits on Easter morning,” said National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Consumers celebrating Easter want to buy for candy and new spring clothes, according to a federation survey.

Nearly half will head to the stores to take advantage of spring sales on fashions and accessories, with total spending on those items expected to reach $3 billion. Most, 89 percent, will buy more than $2 billion on traditional favorites such as chocolate eggs and jelly beans. The average person will spend more on these items as well: $26 on apparel, up from $22 last year, and $20 on candy, up from $19 last year.

Americans are also set to spend more on their Easter meals with the average person expected to spend $44, up from $40 last year for a total $5.1 billion. In addition, consumers will spend an average of $21 on gifts for their friends and family, $11 on flowers, and $9 on decorations for their home and office. Half will buy greeting cards, spending an average of $7.

More than half of tablet owners celebrating Easter will use their device to research products and purchase gifts and other merchandise. In addition, 43 percent of smartphone owners celebrating Easter will use their mobile device to research and/or purchase items.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Quick and easy recipes for Easter and Passover

Looking for new recipes for upcoming Easter and Passover celebrations? Grandparents.com offers these taste treats:

Easter

Easter Calzone (Scalcione di Cipolle)

Instructions:

For the filling:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 bunches scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup chopped Kalamata or Gaeta olives
Red pepper flakes
Salt
1/4 cup chopped anchovy fillets

For the dough:

1 pound all-purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
Pinch salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add scallions, wine, tomatoes, olives, and hot pepper and salt, to taste. Saute for about 15 minutes. Remove from stove, drain, and cool completely. Set aside.

2. To make the dough, combine flour, wine, 1/4 cup olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Knead together until a dough is formed.

3. Cut the dough in half. Flatten one half into a thin, round sheet large enough to cover the bottom of a 16-inch baking pan. Apply a very thin film of olive oil to the pan. Position the dough in the pan and spread the scallion mixture uniformly on top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread the anchovies over the scallions.

3. Take the other half of the dough and flatten it with the rolling pin into a round sheet that you will use to cover the scallions. Place the dough over the scallions, cutting off any excess around the edges. With a fork, seal the two sheets of dough together.

4. With your fingers, apply a thin film of olive oil over the entire surface of the scalcione. Then, with a fork, puncture the surface every 2 inches. Bake for 60 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Serves 8.

Easter bread (Gurrugulo)

Ingredients:

1 pound (slightly more than 3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
9 large eggs, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 lemon, zested
Colored sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, 4 eggs, sugar, olive oil, baking powder, and lemon zest. Mix until it becomes a dough.

2. Cut the mix into four equal parts (one for each Gurrugulo). Reserve two thin 6-inch strips for each Gurrugulo. Take one part, divide it again into three equal parts and roll each part into a strip about 1/2 inch thick.

Tips for baby boomers who are traveling again

Baby boomers love to travel. Boomers consumers now account for more than three quarters of the cash spent on leisure travel in the U.S. every year.

I asked Bob Diener, co-founder of Getaroom.com, to answer the following questions about baby boomer travel these days and to offer tips on using travel dollars wisely.

Rita: How can you find a cheap airline ticket?

Bob: It’s very important to pick the right days to fly. Air travel on Saturday, Tuesday, or Wednesday are the best bets to save money because they are much lower demand than other days, especially Friday and Sunday.

Another important tip is to check different airlines for both directions of your flight. There is no law saying you have to book the same airline for both your departing and return flights. By looking at different airlines you greatly expand your options, so you can find a southerly route in the winter and avoid possible weather delays. You can also save money by booking two one-way tickets instead of a typical round trip.

Rita: What can baby boomers do to reduce their travel costs in the United States? Abroad? What are some deals you can get in Europe this spring before the heavy tourist season sets in?

Bob: Baby boomers that want to reduce their costs should always look to book their rooms in far as advance as possible. Many sites such as Getaroom.com offer substantial discounts for vacations booked 21 or more days in advance. Savings can still be had for the spur of the moment trips by looking at flash sales or daily deal type websites that feature discounts that only last for hours or a day.

Las Vegas is very popular for this generation, and some four-star rooms can be booked in Sin City for only $100 a night. Europe trips through the end of May offer some significant discounts compared to deeper summer travel. Paris, London, and Tuscany are attractive boomer destinations that are very cost effective in July and August.

Rita: What are the top five travel destinations for boomers?

Bob: New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, and Washington D.C. are all top destinations for baby boomers. Each of these destinations offers upscale accommodations for surprisingly affordable prices.

Rita: Are more boomers traveling now since the Great Recession is easing?

Bob: Baby boomers have seen their retirement and investment accounts growing in the past year, and this has freed up much more money for them to travel. There’s also less pressure on their children as the economy improves, so they’re worrying less and can spend more cash on longer and more expensive trips both domestically and internationally.

Rita: Thank you, Bob, for giving us your insights on baby boomer travel.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist