The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Blogging Boomer Carnival #261: Read about veterans, weight loss, hepatitis C testing, investments, part-time work, and food storage

By Rita R. Robison

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival is hosted by Vaboomer.com.

Take a look at the weekly roundup of boomer articles on a variety of topics including remembering veterans, losing weight, testing for hepatitis C, investing, working part time, and solving food storage problems.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a fascinating group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Vaboomer, Empty House Full Mind, and Witty Woman Writing.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Blogging Boomer Carnival celebrates its fifth anniversary with travel tips, financial discussions, food and health issues, and pet love

By Rita R. Robison

Blog carnivals collect links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. A blog carnival is like a special interest magazine. It has a title, a topic that flows through its postings, editors, contributors, and a focused audience. Editions of the carnival come out on a regular basis, often weekly.

A couple of weeks ago, I joined the Blogging Boomer Carnival. This week, the carnival is marking its fifth anniversary with a roundup by Laura Carter, blogging at The Midlife Crisis Queen.

Laura reports on using trout in salad, sightseeing in Dubai, helping adult children financially, hearing problems boomers face, challenging investment decisions, loving pets, and looming food shortages. See "Blogging Boomers Blog Carnival #260" for details.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a fascinating group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Vaboomer, Empty House Full Mind, and Witty Woman Writing.

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

Consumer group says U.S. needs better system to track animals to prevent ‘mad cow disease’

By Rita R. Robison

Two consumers that I know don’t eat meat or poultry anymore due to outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or “mad cow disease” in the 1990s.

With a case reported last week in a California dairy cow, I wondered if their plan of action is something I need to consider.

The cow was never presented for slaughter for human consumption and at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement. In addition, the agency said milk doesn’t transmit BSE.

"The United States has had longstanding interlocking safeguards to protect human and animal health against BSE,” USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford said.

These include the USDA ban on specified risk materials, or SRMs, from the food supply. SRMs are parts of the animal that are most likely to contain the BSE agent if it’s present in an animal. The USDA also bans all nonambulatory or "downer" cattle from entering the human food chain.

For animal health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ban on ruminant material in cattle feed prevents the spread of the disease in cattle herds.

"Evidence shows that our systems and safeguards to prevent BSE are working, as are similar actions taken by countries around the world,” Clifford said. “In 2011, there were only 29 worldwide cases of BSE, a dramatic decline and 99 percent reduction since the peak in 1992 of 37,311 cases.”

USDA remains confident in the health of the national herd and the safety of beef and dairy products, he added.

However, the Center for Science in the Public Interest doesn’t agree.

The U. S. has first-world resources and technology but a third-world animal identification system, Sarah Klein, food safety attorney for the center, said in a statement.

“In fact, some third-world countries do a better job of tracking livestock than America does,” Klein said. “Botswana, for one, uses RFID microchips to track its animals up and down the supply chain.”

She said if American cattlemen suffer economic losses at the news of discovery of BSE in the California dairy cow because some consumers reduce their meat consumption, they should blame only themselves and other opponents of a mandatory animal identification system.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Boomer consumer journalist wins awards from state organization

By Rita R. Robison

It was fun yesterday to go to the awards luncheon for the Washington Press Association.

I received the following awards:

• First Place for Consumer Affairs – “FDA Misses the Mark on New Sunscreen Requirements”
  

• Second Place for Consumer Affairs – “FDA Action on Sunscreen Too Little, Too Late” 

• Second Place for Sports – “Super Bowl 2011: Another Round of Violent, Sexist, and Ageist Ads”
  

•  Second Place for Food – “What’s a Gluten-Free Diet?”

• Second Place for Agriculture/Environment – “Ways to Help the Planet on Earth Day”
  

That’s me in the photo with John Lesow, a WPA member and Bellingham writer, who helped present the awards.

I enjoyed visiting with my journalist colleagues. It was interesting to learn about their work and tell people how much I enjoy blogging about baby boomer consumer issues.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Need help finding an Earth Day activity?

By Rita R, Robison

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22.

Created in 1970, Earth Day is a time to recognize the importance of the earth and its environment and do something to help protect it.

The website, Earth Day 2012 – Mobilize the Earth, urges consumers, on the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day, to unite their voices in a call for a sustainable future and undertake an activity to improve the environment.

Its featured event for Earth Day in the United States will be a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Thousands of people from all parts of the country will be joined by civic leaders and celebrities to bring attention to environmental problems and their solutions. Activities include music, speakers, voter registration, renewable energy demonstrations, informational booths, and interactive exhibits.

Among other Earth Day events you can attend are: an Earth Week Film Fest in Gainesville, Fla.; an invasive plant removal party in Greenland, N.H.; a “Root Down” to plant trees in Columbus, Ohio; a highway cleanup in Clinton, N.J.; an electronic recycling event in Littleton, Colo.; or a food and wine festival in Pasco Robles, Calif.

See the webpage A Billion Acts of Green for how you can find an Earth Day activity in your community and other Earth Day resources.

The Share Your Photos section of Earth Day 2012 – Mobilize the Earth website is fun. The photos of Earth Day projects are randomly arranged on a page. You can click on the “Flip Photo” feature and read on the back of the photo about the Earth Day activity.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Seven deals and free items for Earth Day

Mount Rainier National Park

Earth Day is Sunday, April 22.

If you’re interested in finding good prices or free items, dealnews.com offers these possibilities are available to consumers.

Free reusable bag from Target

Target is giving away one reusable Target bag per shopper on April 22. Go to your nearest store and visit the Guest Service desk to get one.

Free reusable bags from Kellogg’s

You can earn a series of reusable shopping bags from Kellogg's. You'll need to purchase any two Kellogg’s cereals or Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts, 10 oz. or larger, to earn a free, 1960s-inspired Kellogg’s print bag. Fill out a short form and you can start collecting all four.

Free Origins skin cleanser

Bring one of your current skincare products, either full or empty, to any Origins counter, along with a form, and they'll swap it out for a full-size sample of one of their skin cleansers. Visit your local Origins store to receive either A Perfect World SPF 25 Age-defense moisturizer with White Tea or the Starting Over Age-erasing moisturizer with Mimosa.

Free greenery and scenery at the national parks

The National Park Service is offering free admission to all 397 national parks to celebrate Earth Day and National Park Week April 21 to April 29. If you miss this free offer, mark June 9, Get Outdoors Day, on your calendar as the next day for free admission sponsored by the Park Service.

Free sunflower seeds from Pottery Barn Kids

In association with National Geographic, Pottery Barn Kids is giving away free packets of sunflower seeds on April 21 and 22. Go to your local store to pick up your seedlings for planting.

Win a year's supply of Better Life greener cleaners from Whole Foods

Only one person will win this item, but that person could be you. Share one change you’re planning to make for Earth Day to win. Pledge your Earth Day everyday commitment by April 22 to win $350 worth of eco friendly cleaners.

20 percent off earth friendly Toys at BN.com

At Barnes & Noble, you’ll find an assortment of kids' toys and games marked down 20 percent to celebrate Earth Day. And, you’ll receive free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

Earth Days past

Last year, Earth Day freebies included free coffee in your mug at Starbucks and free trees at Lowe's. Check to see if these companies are offering something again this year. Be on the lookout for another freebie; Starbucks begins giving away used coffee grounds to gardeners around this time of year.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Free shipping was my best consumer experience this week, while loss of my strawberry patch is upsetting

By Rita R. Robison

I was able to get free shipping from a firm that hasn’t offered any coupons or deals. That cheered me up. However, when the weather turned nice, my weeds bloomed.

My best consumer experience: Free shipping from New York firm

Since I have allergies, I order my shampoo and body soap, laundry detergent, and dishwasher detergent from N.E.E.D.S., a company in New York. That’s heavy stuff. Often, my shipping bills are high.

On my last order, I was able to get free shipping. The customer service representative also pointed out that the sale catalog I’d received had a $5 coupon. I dug through the recycling and found it – the last thing in the bottom of the barrel.

My worst consumer experience: Loss of my strawberry patch to weeds

I don’t use pesticides in my yard. Pesticides are harmful children, adults, and pets. I don't think consumers should use them.

So I pull the weeds in my yard by hand. This spring, when it finally warmed up, the weeds seemed worse than usual.

Last year, I had a nice strawberry patch.

Here’s a close up of some of the strawberries.

I picked these strawberries for a tasty treat.

This year, my strawberry patch has completely disappeared. In its place is a weed patch.

Maybe the cold weather killed the plants.

I have lots of weeding to do. Are the weeds worse this year, or did I not keep up with them enough in the fall?

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist