The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Memory mistakes after 40

When I entered my 50s, I began burning pans of food and teapots on the stove frequently.

I decided I needed to change my habits when it came to how I operated the stove. I made a new rule: I would put the timer on every time I turned the stove on high. It worked. I seldom burned pans or teapots after that.

Until last week. I made a mistake. I put the teapot on the stove and forgot to put the whistle down so it would sound AND I didn’t set the timer.

As I was writing a post, I was surprised when the smoke alarm went off. I couldn’t figure it out. When I entered the kitchen, I saw the problem immediately. Red-hot burner under empty teapot.

I used a pancake turner to get the teapot off the burner. I was hopeful that the teapot wasn’t ruined. However, a few minutes after I moved the teapot, the small, ball-shaped knob on the teapot lid popped off. I knew it was all over.

It’s common for people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s to make memory mistakes when they’re busy and preoccupied. Just because you’re getting older, it doesn’t mean you can’t improve your memory skills.

Here are some ideas on how you can improve your memory:

“Your Memory: Five Ways to Keep It Sharp” – Consumer Reports Health.org

“How to Improve Your Memory” – suite101.com

“How to Improve Your Memory” – howstuffworks

“Four Strategies to Stretch Your Memory” – Johns Hopkins Health Alerts

“Mind Games – Improve Your Memory With Some Simple Rules” – CBS News.com

“Improving Your Memory: Tips and Techniques for Memory Enhancement” – Helpguide.org

“How to Improve Your Memory” -- Howcast

“11 Quick Tips on How to Improve Your Memory” – ManageYourLife Now.com

“Memory Loss: Seven Tips to Improve Your Memory” – MayoClinic.com

“Forgetfulness Isn’t Always a Cause for Concern” – Consumeraffairs.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 list of the top 10 beaches in the world

Baby boomers love the beach and the exercise opportunities beach activities provide.

Going to the beach is relaxing. The beautiful water, sandy beaches, blue sky, and the soothing action of the waves draw millions of people a year.

What are the best beaches in the world?

I read dozens of Web sites and blogs and selected what I thought were the best lists of the top 10 beaches.

For my top 10 list, I picked the beaches mentioned most often on these lists. They are:

1. Ipanema Beach, Rio de Jariero, Brazil
2. Clifton Beach, Cape Town, South Africa
3. Pink Sands Beach, Harbor Island, Bahamas
4. Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, U.S.A.
5. Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece
6. South Beach, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
7. Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8. Maroma Beach, Yucatan, Mexico
9. Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania
10. Whitehaven, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

Here are the 10 lists that I selected these 10 beaches from:

“Top 10 Beaches of the World” – Guardian.co.uk

“Top 10 Beaches” – Maps of the World

“Top 10 Beaches in the World” – Uptake Beaches Blog

 “Top 10 Beaches We Love” – msnbc

“Top 10 Best Beaches in the World” – Trifter

“Top 10 Beaches” – lovetoknow.com

“10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World” – Listphobia

“Top Best Beaches in the World” – TravelUnderCost

“Top Best City Beaches in the World” – Travel + Leisure

“Top 10 Exotic Beach List” – Hotels by City.net

Let me know your thoughts on the beaches you enjoy most.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are your favorite beaches?

With the rain tapping on my roof, I’m thinking about summer and sunny beaches.

What are the beaches that you think are the greatest? The beaches that draw you and your family and friends back again and again?

Here’s a list of the top 10 beaches that my family and I have enjoyed:

• Cannon Beach, Oregon – Giant rock monoliths and nine miles of sandy beaches.

• Florida – Favorites include Miami Beach beaches, Bahia Honda State Park, the Florida Keys, Sanibel Island, and Southwest Florida Coast beaches.

• Mazarron, Spain. Picturesque beaches with great swimming and water sports, with 315 days of sunshine a year.

• Playa de los Genoveses near San Jose, Spain. A kilometer long with shallow waters and rocky headlands at each end.

• Playa de las Catedrales Beach, Galicia, Spain. A magnificent beach with rock formations like the arches in a cathedral.

• Paradise Island, Bahamas. Beautiful beaches and warm water.

• Dubrovnik, Croatia. A variety of nice beaches for swimming and sunbathing.

• Santa Cruz, California. A series of sandy beaches great for swimming and surfing.

• Sydney, Australia. Favorites include Bondi Beach and Manly Beach.

• Ocean Shores and Westport, Washington. Great beaches for a brisk walk in the fresh ocean air.

My next post will be on the opinions of others on the best beaches in the world.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Fitness balls by EB Brands

About 3 million Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, Valeo, and Body Fit fitness balls are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Manufactured by EB Brands, of Yonkers, New York, the fitness balls, if overinflated, can unexpectedly burst while in use, causing the user to fall to the floor.

EB Brands has received 47 reports of fitness balls unexpectedly bursting, including reports of a fracture and multiple bruises.

The recall involves rubber fitness balls sold in 55-, 65-, and 75-cm diameter sizes. The fitness balls were sold with a pump and inflation instructions. The fitness balls were sold in various colors with the Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, or Valeo logo printed on the ball.

Manufactured in China, the fitness balls were sold at department stores and fitness retailers nationwide from May 2000 to February 2009 for between $15 and $30.

Consumers should contact EB Brands to receive a copy of the updated instructions on how to safely inflate the ball, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact EB Brands at 800-624-5671 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ebbrands.com.

For information on other recent recalls, visit www.Recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison

Top 10 reasons for baby boomers to be optimistic

Yesterday’s post on the “Top 10 Baby Boomers Challenges” wasn’t upbeat. In these tough economic times, the problems can be great.

Here’s the other side of the coin, ways baby boomers can embrace new thinking and opportunities during the recession:

1. Reinventing yourself

A job loss or downsizing at your workplace can lead to the opportunity to look at what you really want to do in your work life. Doing research and finding companies or agencies that are hiring rather than only responding to ads are techniques that work even during a recession.

2. Reducing spending

Buying less and having fewer things often lead to a simpler and happier lifestyle.

3. Focusing your business

A recession offers the opportunity to slow down, examine your business, and make plans for the future.

4. Thinking positively

It promotes positive solutions and can draws things to you as in the Law of Attraction.

5. Investing opportunities

The financial crisis offers investment bargains if you have any new money to invest. Be sure to work with a financial planner to help you make wise choices in these unusual economic times.

6. Making different retirement decisions

Delaying retirement may have its advantages. You may be able to come up with a plan, such as moving to a lower-cost community with fantastic part-time employment opportunities, which will be better able to meet your retirement needs.

7. Improving health

Job changes and spending less may free up more time for exercising, walking, running, cooking nutritious meals, and learning relaxation techniques such as yoga. 

8. Contributing to the community

With the economy sagging and unemployment at record levels, you have the opportunity, through various community programs, to help those who have lost their jobs and homes.

9. Experiencing a more progressive society

With an administration in the White House that believes in pro-work, health-promoting policies and consumer protection, boomers can benefit from a federal government that serves them better.

10. Getting greener

Green projects and organic food sales are on the upswing. It’s a good time to consider green jobs, goods and services, and volunteer opportunities. Check green Web sites such as Green America, formerly Co-op America, Worldchanging, and Global Exchange for information on what’s happening. You won’t find many reports about green activities in the media.

Let me know your opinions. What do you see as opportunities for baby boomers today?

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What states kill the most pedestrians?

Where are pedestrians the safest?

During a recent visit to Miami, I wondered about it. I’ve begun walking for my health, and on walks in Miami, drivers didn’t wait for me to get through the crosswalk. When they had a free right turn, they’d dash through the crosswalk to see if they could beat me. Of course, they always did because they’re bigger. I’d pause so I wouldn’t get hit.

In Washington state, drivers are more polite. They usually wait for pedestrians to walk across the street when they’re in a crosswalk.

States with more than 150 pedestrian deaths or a fatality rate above 2.5 are Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas, according to “New Focus on Highway Safety” by A. George Ostensen on the Federal Highway Administration’s Web site. Cities in that category are Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, and Phoenix.

About 6,000 people die each year in pedestrian crashes.

Here are some pedestrian safety facts from Federal Highway Administration’s Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System.

• Pedestrian crash rates – crashes per 100,000 people – are the highest for 5- to 9-year-old males, who tend to dart out into the street.

• Males are more likely to be involved in a crash than females; in 2003, 69 percent of pedestrian fatalities were male, and the male pedestrian injury rate was 58 percent higher than for females.

• Rates for older persons – age 65 and older – are lower than for most age groups. This may be due to greater caution by older pedestrians – for example, less walking at night, fewer dart-outs – and a reduced amount of walking near traffic.

• Older adult pedestrians are more vulnerable to serious injury or death when struck by a motor vehicle than younger pedestrians. The percentage of crashes resulting in death is more than 20 percent for pedestrians age 75 or older, compared to less than 8 percent for those under age 14.

• Pedestrian crashes occur most frequently in urban areas where pedestrian activity and traffic volumes are greater than rural areas.

• Rural pedestrian crashes have a higher fatality rate. This is due to increased vehicle speeds found on rural roads and the fact that many rural areas have no sidewalks, paths, or shoulders for pedestrians to walk on.

• Sixty-five percent of crashes involving pedestrians occur at non-intersections.

• For ages 45 to 65, pedestrian crashes are about equal for intersections and non-intersections.

• Pedestrians age 65 and older are more likely to be injured or killed at intersections – 59 percent – compared to non-intersections – 41 percent. Older pedestrians tend to cross at intersections more often than younger ones.

• Most pedestrian crashes occur during morning and afternoon peak periods, when the traffic levels are highest.

• Fatal pedestrian crashes typically peak later in the day, between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., when darkness and alcohol use are factors.

• Nearly half of all pedestrian fatalities occur on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday – 16 percent, 18 percent, and 13 percent, respectively.

• Crashes where older pedestrians are hit are more evenly distributed throughout the days of the week than those for younger ones. Older pedestrians are more likely to be struck during daylight hours.

• September through January have the highest number of nationwide pedestrian fatalities, with these months typically having fewer daylight hours and more poor weather. Child pedestrian fatalities are greatest in May, June, and July, due to an increase in outside activity.

• Speeding is a major factor in crashes of all types. In 2003, speeding was a contributing factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes.

• Of the 4,622 traffic crashes that resulted in a pedestrian fatality in 2003, 34 percent involved pedestrians with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater. More than half of the pedestrian fatalities in the age groups of 21-24, 25-34, and 35 to 44 involved intoxicated pedestrians – 55 percent, 57 percent, and 55 percent, respectively.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

100 ways baby boomers can improve their lives in 2009

It’s often difficult to remain cheerful in these turbulent economic times. News of more job layoffs. Banks and other financial institutions continuing to have problems. Businesses closing.

Although the news can be discouraging, it’s important to think through what’s positive in your life and how to get more joy and satisfaction.

Here are 50 ways to improve your life this year:

 

Health

• Read novels to reduce stress.

• Walk, walk, walk.

• Use less toxic products, especially for cleaning your home and on your body.

• Eat more vegetarian meals.

• Plant fruit trees.

• Buy organic food.

• Talk honestly to your doctor about your health needs.

• Try yoga.

Community

• Talk to your neighbors.

• Find a rewarding volunteer activity.

• Move to a walkable neighborhood.

• Contribute to your city or county government.

• Take a walk in a park once a week.

Finances

• Compare prices before you buy.

• Pay off your credit cards.

• Complain when something you buy or a service isn’t right.

• Figure out ways to simplify your life.

• Read Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound.”

 

Joy

• Read “Finding Joy: 101 Ways to Free Your Spirit and Dance With Life” by Charlotte Davis Kasl.

• Sign up for the lessons you’ve always wanted to take.

• Say “I love you” to someone you love every day.

• Have coffee or lunch with a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

• Relax by soaking in the bathtub.

• Laugh out loud.

• Sleep in once a week.

• Hold a baby.

• Remember to get as much joy as you can from the present, rather than worrying about the past or future.

• Visit a farm.

• Watch movies that are fun.

• Stop being a perfectionist.

• Visualize daily what you’d like your life to be like.

• Surround yourself with people who are positive.

• Spend a realistic amount of time using the computer.

• Don’t think about work when you leave for the day.

• Pursue your dreams.

• Enjoy the wonders of nature.

• Give up nagging.

• Figure out ways to enjoy your children more.

• Reduce the amount of television you watch.

• Take care of yourself.

• Don’t dwell on your mistakes.

• Pace yourself.

• Be open to new ideas and activities.

• Let go of disappointments and negative people from the past.

Home

• Turn on your favorite music when you clean house.

• Organize one spot or cupboard in your house weekly.

• Use lights and plants to make your home more enjoyable.

• Remodel a room.

• Buy a pretty new bedspread.

• Organize your photos.

• Recycle.

Here are additional suggestions from the article “50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2009” in U.S. News and Reports:

Money

• Recycle old gadgets for cash.

• Choose “Obama” stocks.

• Advance your career online.

• Put your cash in safe accounts.

• Start your own nonprofit.

• Drink screw-topped wines.

• Lose the ‘microwave’ mentality.

• Make friends at work.

• Watch television free online.

• Try that home before buying.

Health

• Bike to work.

• Use glass to store food.

• Take an afternoon nap.

• Get paid for good health.

• Walk the cravings away.

• Get a new toothbrush.

• Move to Vermont.

• Get your eyes checked.

• Add obstacles to your jog.

• Get fit as you get older.

The brain

• Read Edgar Allan Poe

• Publish your book yourself.
  

• Go back to school for new skills.

• Study philosophy.

• Save that November 5 newspaper.

• Silence noise pollution.

• Finish a crossword puzzle.

• Start using Twitter.

• Learn Russian

• Keep a “clothes hanger” journal.

The world around you

• Learn about Abraham Lincoln.

• Plant a square-foot garden.

• Hypermile when you drive.

• Help those hit by the recession.

• Switch to a push mower.

• Air dry your laundry.

• Practice spreading tolerance.

• Ditch the phone while driving.

• Get your news online.

• Buy laptops for kids.

 

Play

• Learn to play bridge.

•  Visit Alaska.

• Celebrate the life of Miles Davis.

• Take a “staycation.”

• “Geotag” your digital photos.

• Watch the Beatles “Let It Be.”

• Teach your kids to cook.

• Play a fake musical instrument.

• Read the book before you see the movie.

• Try your hand at pottery.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

New Year’s resolutions help baby boomers make changes in their lives

I’m surprised to be writing about the positive benefits of New Year’s resolutions. I stopped making them years ago, although I wrote often about what consumers could expect in the coming year. I didn’t think the resolutions were effective.

 

However, John Norcross, Ph.D., clinical psychology and professor at the University of Scranton, said his research studies show that New Year’s resolutions are beneficial in helping people make changes in their lives. People who make resolutions have more success in developing new habits than those who don’t make them.

 

Norcross was interviewed for a recent story on National Public Radio, “Making New Year’s Resolutions Stick.”

 

Based on his studies, he said 44 to 46 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions will be successful in six months. Those who want to make a change, but don’t make a resolution have a 0 to 4 percent success rate.

 

If your resolution is realistic, obtainable, and measurable, you’ll be more successful in changing your behavior, the researcher advises. For example, it’s more realistic to set a goal to lose 10 pounds than 50.

 

Combining two related items, such as losing weight and exercising, will work. However, never combine more than two resolutions, Norcross said. For example, if you add quit smoking to your resolutions of losing weight and exercising, it may not work.

 

A family can make resolutions, he said, but everyone in the family needs to agree to participate. If the kids don’t want to do it, it won’t work. As the family progresses toward its goal, positive rewards can be shared.

 

A buddy system, someone you can call if you begin to waiver or if you’ve made a mistake, will help you achieve your resolution. Your buddy can offer encouragement and help you get back on track.

 

About 70 percent of people who make resolutions find that they have a momentary slip in January. They need to realize that the first slip isn’t a fall. They can refine their action plan and get up and start again.

 

Norcross said it’s important to remember that a New Year’s resolution is a marathon, not a 10-yard dash. New habits are developed over time by many repeated actions, not in a few weeks of frenzied activity. And, if people aren’t successful with their resolution, they can try again next year.

 

“Life is a long quest for improved behavior,” he said.

 

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What to do about holiday blues

Are you feeling sad or lonely as the holidays approach rather than experiencing joy? It’s not unusual for the holidays to bring on sadness or loneliness because you aren’t able to be with loved ones, you’ve lost someone important due to divorce or death, you’ve overspent, you’re tired and worn out, or you’ve lost your job.

Some tips for reducing stress and depression are exercise, eat healthy food, watch alcohol consumption, write in a journal, meditate, focus on the positive, find company, host a party, try something new, or volunteer.

Here are resources to help you cope with holiday sadness or depression if you’re having trouble this year:

“Holiday Depression and Stress” -- MedicineNet.com

“Battling Depression: Hope for the Holidays” -- WedMD

“How to Avoid Holiday Depression” -- eHow

“Holiday Blues and Depression” -- Depression-helper.com

"Holiday Blues" -- About.com

"Does a White Christmas Make You Blue" -- About.com

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How you can help green America

Co-op America is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

In the Fall 2008 issue of Quarterly magazine, Co-op America offers an article on "25 Ways to Green the World."

"We've assembled, all in one place, our top, time-tested 25 ways you can use your economic power to advance the green economy," Co-op America tells its readers.

Check out the list below and select ideas that you haven't tried, and add them to your life.

1. Live simply and use less.
2. Get what you need without money.
3. Connect with neighbors.
4. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
5. Buy green and local.
6. Buy fair trade.
7. Green your food choices.
8. Put energy efficiency first.
9. Advance green power.
10. Stop dirty energy.
11. Rethink your transportation.
12. Protect the world's poor from climate change.
13. Know what your purchases are funding.
14. Stop sweatshops and child labor.
15. Advance environmental justice.
16. Support green jobs.
17. Be wood wise.
18. Choose least-toxic products; use precaution.
19. Screen your investments.
20. Invest in communities.
21. Join shareholder actions.
22. Give generously.
23. Foster peace.
24. Use your vote.
25. Educate others.

Co-op America, an organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change, is changing its name to Green America. The change takes place Jan. 1, 2009.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist