The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

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

More women in their 60s living with their friends

Some say the ‘60s hippies are going back to the commune. Others call the growing number of female baby boomers rooming together “‘The Golden Girls’ phenomenon.”

It’s really about women choosing to live with friends, Martha Nelson, author of “Black Chokeberry,” novel about three older women who unexpectedly end up sharing a home, said in a statement.

“As a group, we’ve been empowered more than past generations of women,” said Nelson. “We’re more worldly, stronger, financially savvy, and healthier than our ancestors… and we know what we want.”

Increasingly, what women want is to actively age with the camaraderie, laughter, understanding, and support of other women who share their ideas of healthy lifestyles, good food from their own gardens, green living, and other activities.

In 2010, 480,000 boomer women lived with a least one unrelated female, according to an AARP analysis.

And, the number of U.S. HomeShare programs, which help connect people interested in sharing a house, has been steadily rising since the Great Recession.

“This concept is really trending on the East and West coasts and is very big in Europe,” said Ryan Cowmeadow, vice president of the National Shared Housing Resource Center, a clearinghouse of HomeShare programs.

HomeShare’s numbers are up about 15 percent since 2007, and about 75 percent of applicants are female.

The cohousing movement – where residents have private living spaces but share common areas, such as dining rooms, and tasks, such as cooking – started in Denmark and is becoming popular in the United States.

Cohousing can be found in more than 200 communities in America, with the states of California, Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington offering the most cohousing opportunities.

Nelson said more women are interested in living with other women because women usually live longer than men, and men are more likely to remarry after a divorce or the death of a spouse.

“And fundamentally, I think it’s as much about the special bonds women share,” she said. “We form these wonderful, supportive, 'tell the truth' friendships, which survive the demands of husbands, children, and careers.”

A former journalist and educator, Nelson’s marriage ended in divorce when she was in her 50s. After regaining her balance as a single woman, she turned to her friends as she stepped back into life.

"I came to fully understand the importance of women friends in my life," she said. "They are the gold standard and as we age, they are critical to happiness, regardless if one is married or in a committed relationship."

The practical considerations of creating close living communities – include health and safety, care in times of an accident or medical emergency, and financial considerations – are important for many women who find themselves single or widowed after long marriages, Nelson said.

But boomers are known for demanding more than creature comforts from life, she said. “We want to be happy; we’re healthy, active and we want to enjoy ourselves as we age. We want to travel, go to a movie with a neighbor or housemate, cook a meal, share a garden, and feel that we are contributing to our communities.

“We’re strong women, and we can choose to live the way we want as we get older,” Nelson said. “Very often, that will mean with other women in close knit communities."

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Winning videos show how kids, adults can add more fruits, vegetables to their diets

By Rita R. Robison

The winners of the MyPlate Fruits and Veggies Video Challenge show consumers of all ages innovative ways to "make half your plate fruits and vegetables."

Tips for Kids

1st Place: On the Go Snack Boxes – You can have a healthy option by creating easy to make snack boxes to put in your backpack. A busy student shares how she and her mom wash and cut up a variety of fruits and veggies and store them in individual snack boxes.

2nd Place: Let's Get Involved – A fun way to get your children excited about fruits and vegetables is let them select the fruits and vegetables they eat.

Popular Choice: The Fruit and Veggie Pokey! – These students share their tips for eating more fruits and vegetables while they dance to the "Hokey, Pokey Song."

Tips When Eating at Home

1st Place: Wrap Rap – A delicious and nutritious wrap is a great way to get more fruits and vegetables. A rapper provides us with an easy to remember "wrap" song to encourage us to make half our plates fruits and vegetables.

2nd Place: Eating fruits and veggies without straining your budget – Seasonal, local, and grow-your-own options are good ways to eat more fruits and veggies. This student provides some creative ways to stretch your dollar.

Popular Choice: My Tip: "Think Vegetables First" – A mom shares how she changed the meals for her family. Think vegetables first when planning a meal and add the rest of the foods to complement the vegetables.

Tips When Eating Away From Home

1st Place: Substitution and Replace...A story of Give and Take – A mom discovers her sons have been hiding junk food and avoiding more nutritional fruits and veggies. Through substitution and replacement her sons discover a healthier way to eat.

2nd Place: Pack Your Lunch Bag with Fruits and Veggies! – Here are some tips for workers/students on the go who want to make sure they fill half their plate – or lunch bag – with fruits and veggies. It saves money and calories.

Popular Choice: Richmond Avenue Café – Kids can make "make half your plate fruits and vegetables" when they eat out, too. A young student applies what he learned in health class at the Richmond Avenue School about healthy eating.

In September, U.S. Department of Agriculture asked individuals and teams to submit videos that provide innovative, easy, and practical tips on how to "make half your plate fruits and vegetables." The winners will divide $9,000 in prize money.

The videos are featured on ChooseMyPlate.gov. MyPlate is the USDA’s new icon that illustrates the five food groups, which are the building blocks for a healthy diet.  

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How consumers vote with their forks

By Nancy Mehagian, Health Care Practitioner and Author of “The Supernatural Kids Cookbook”

Guest blogger

When it comes to food quality we vote with our forks every day. Even though statistics show there is a rise in childhood obesity and diabetes due to the abundance of processed foods with high sugar, fat, and sodium contents as well as huge portion sizes, I remain an optimist. 

The tide is turning, and we are getting ourselves back to the garden. The pendulum has swung so far in the wrong direction we have no choice but to swing back.

Things have changed a great deal since I wrote my first natural foods cookbook for children in 1977.

Organic, natural foods were looked on as the food of the flower children. I couldn’t even write on the book cover that the recipes were all vegetarian without being mocked. 

Now, farmers’ markets are popping up everywhere. Some schools have started gardens and have classes in the culinary arts. My local supermarket has an ever-expanding section of organic produce while soy, rice, almond, and even coconut milks are now in the dairy case.

Oprah and Dr. Oz have jumped on the “let’s get healthy bandwagon” while books, documentaries, and Jamie Oliver are exposing the unappetizing facts about the ways some of our food is being produced. 

Alice Waters sparked a movement to eat locally, and Michele Obama even planted an organic garden at the White House. It all looks like heaven to me.

The cultural diversity found in most cities has been another contributing factor to an awareness of eating food that will actually sustain us. So many traditional foods, the ones that are passed down through the generations, have gone mainstream and we’ve discovered that not only do we love fish tacos, couscous, hummus, and Pad Thai noodles, but that these dishes contain healthful, natural ingredients.

I have always been a believer that food is our best medicine, and so the quality of what we are putting into our bodies of the utmost importance, especially when it comes to our growing children. In a sense, our future depends on the health of our children. And we owe them that.

There are several things you can do to vote with your forks every day and keep things moving in the right direction:

• Get your children off to a healthy start by exposing them to natural foods early in life.

• Request that your local markets carry more organic food items and locally grown produce.

• Learn to read labels and avoid those products that contain additives or were grown outside the country.

• When you go out to eat, support the restaurants that are making an effort to serve healthier, more natural cuisine or expose your children to different ethnic cuisines to expand their awareness of new foods.

• Educate your children by taking them to a local farmers’ market so that they may sample the produce and decide what they like. If you don’t have a farmers’ market local farmers will sometimes allow people to come and pick their own produce, which makes for a great family outing.

• Start a backyard garden to enable children to make the connection between how food is grown and how it comes to the table. Kids who might not like vegetables change their minds when they eat something they grew themselves. Backyard gardens are a great source of fun and family togetherness. If you don’t have a backyard, you can use containers on a patio or windowsill.  It’s still a thrill.

• Studies now show that family dinners contribute to less-troubled teens. Get the entire family involved in shopping and meal preparation, then enjoy the time spent together eating food prepared with love.

• Take cooking classes and use a variety of health-minded cookbooks to create new meals and keep life interesting.

• Support organizations that monitor health and food safety.

• Keep it simple and take the time to enjoy what you’re eating.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: RedMax brushcutter/trimmers due to fire hazard

By Rita R. Robison

About 10,500 RedMax brushcutter/trimmer are being recalled.

The brushcutter/trimmers were manufacturered by Husqvarna Zenoah Co. Ltd., an affiliate of Husqvarna Professional Products Inc.

Some fuel tanks allow leakage at the fuel cap, posing a fire hazard to consumers, Husqvarna and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. No reports of fire, personal injury, or property damage have been received.

The recalled brushcutter/trimmer is a RedMax model TR2350S. Recalled brushcutters have shaft serial numbers ranging from 10215377 to 10625892, and engine serial numbers ranging from 10115390 to 10425910.

The product is powered by a 2-cycle gasoline engine, and it cuts grass or weeds through the use of a spinning black trimmer head containing a spool of filament line.

The model number and shaft serial number are located on a label on the shaft halfway between the trimmer head and the engine. The engine serial number is located on the bottom of engine between the two screws that secure fuel tank to the engine.

Assembled in U.S., the brushcutter/trimmers were sold at authorized RedMax dealers and distributors throughout the U.S. and Canada for about $260.

Consumers should immediately stop using the product and return it to their local RedMax dealer for repair, the company and commission advise.

For additional information, contact Husqvarna toll-free between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday at 877-257-6921 or e-mail recalls@husqvarna.com.

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

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What was your best and worst consumer experience this week?

By Rita R. Robison

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Getting the right tool for the job

I finally picked out a company to paint my fence. My usual contractor was going to do it, but he got busy. The warm days of summer melted away.

The painters are coming Tuesday to pressure wash the fence with a chlorine solution. In addition to trimming my shrubs to get ready, I’m washing the fence and digging the dirt out from under it.

When I went to the hardware store, I picked out a small shovel with straight edge rather than a spade shaped one and a narrow trowel. I saw tool with three prongs on one side and a scrapper on the other. I thought it was too heavy, so I didn’t buy it.

However, after using the shovel and trowel, I found I needed something stronger. I went back to buy the tool I thought wouldn’t work well. It’s great for scrapping the dirt from under the fence.

It also will work well for removing moss from my flowerbeds, but that’s another project for another time.

My worst: Low-quality customer service from Regence

This year, Regence has taken over the administration of my health care plan.

I can’t believe how slow Regence is in processing claims.

I thought the former company was bad, with a six-weeks wait for claims to be processed. But Regence is much worse.

When I called to complain, the customer service representative said Regence realizes it’s behind. It has hired more claims processors, and they’re working evenings and weekends.

Regence is five to six months behind in processing insurance claims. I’m having to pay bills now from the beginning of the year because my deductible hasn’t been met. It’s unreal. It’s September.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What was your best and worst consumer experience this week?

By Rita R. Robison

Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep?

Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week:

My best: Green beans from my garden

Today, I had my second batch of green beans from my garden. They were delicious. I served my first picking at a company dinner last Friday.

My carrots also are getting bigger; I should be able to eat them soon.

I love vegetables. Getting fresh, organic product from my garden is such a joy.

My worst: Trying to get financial papers shredded

When I went to Tumwater Community Days today, I saw a truck that was shredding documents for the public. When I talked to the attendant, he said they were leaving shortly, but I could go to the mall where another truck was operating until 5 p.m.

After watering my yard, I gathered my documents. But, just as I prepared to put them in my car, the bottom fell out of the box.

By the time I found another container and got to the mall, it was 4:50 p.m. The truck had already left.

Darn. My current shredder that I bought at Office Depot isn’t working at all now. It hasn’t worked well since I bought it. I paid $60 for it. I hate to spend money for another one.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Do you want a winter garden? Time to take action now

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

In mid-June, when I returned from my vacation in Spain, I planted my garden. It’s beginning to do well.

 

I have kale and green beans that are ready to eat. My carrots are looking good.

 

Hopefully, I'll have a lot of yellow zucchini.

 

For tomatoes, I have a few green ones. These are Early Girls. I usually don’t get many red tomatoes here in the Seattle area.

My raspberry patch produced a lot of raspberries.

Now, it’s time to plant my winter garden.

Carrots, parsnips, peas, beets, spinach, lettuce, onions, leeks, broccoli, collards, and cabbage are among the vegetables that are candidates for a winter garden.

If you’re planting seeds, the ground needs to be warm for them to germinate. That’s in August for warmer climates.

Check with the Cooperative Extension Service in your area for information on what vegetables will work best for a winter garden in your area.

See my article, “It’s Time to Plant Your Winter Garden,” for details on how the first winter garden I planted last year turned out.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Are you a 'foodie?'

 

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

A "foodie" is person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking, according to dictionary.com.

As I was driving around town the other day, the thought suddenly popped into my head: "I'm a foodie."

I love to eat fresh, local organic produce. I buy most of my food at food co-ops and farmers' markets because I think organic food is better for my health.

I have a small raised-bed organic garden, and this year I'm growing kale, yellow zucchini, green beans, carrots, tomatoes (maybe), cucumbers, and kohlrabi. In my patio garden, I have more tomatoes and herbs. 

I support local, organic farmers. For the past several years, I've attend the Green Festival in Seattle and blogged about a variety of earth friendly speakers.

But my daughter says I'm not a foodie because I don't use many spices in my cooking, and I'm not that interested in seeking out the latest foodie-type restaurants.

What do you think? Are you a foodie? What's your definition of one?

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist