The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Facts and figures for the 2018 holidays

It’s that time of year. The holidays are upon us. Hanukkah has been celebrated and today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least daylight and the longest night. Christmas is approaching rapidly as is Kwanzaa, Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.

Celebrants

Nine-in-ten Americans — and 95 percent of Christians — say they celebrate Christmas, according to a Pew Research Center survey. These figures have generally held steady in recent years. Today, 46 percent of Americans say they celebrate Christmas as primarily a religious rather than cultural holiday.

Top 10 stores for Cyber Monday shopping

Cyber Monday isn't just for Black Friday leftovers. Some of the year's best sales will take place on Monday, Nov. 26. So, you may want to save part of your holiday shopping budget for Cyber Monday deals.

Which stores will be offering the best savings? DealNews.com offers 10 suggestions, based on the best sales last year from Cyber Monday and the Sunday before.

1. Amazon

Best for: Gaming, toys, home, and almost anything else you can buy online

While plenty of other retailers offer Cyber Monday sales, none of them match Amazon's. Last year, DealNews.com saw three times as many Cyber Monday deals at Amazon as the next highest retailer.

Beauty, personal care, and cleaning products contain secret fragrance chemicals linked to cancer, report shows

Companies don’t put all chemical ingredients on the label, the “Right to Know: Exposing Toxic Fragrance Chemicals in Beauty, Personal Care and Cleaning Products,” a report by the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners or BCPP says.

In addition, companies often don’t tell consumers about fragrance chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and respiratory problems.

“BCPP’s report reveals that when we use common beauty and personal care products, we are exposed to a shocking number of unlabeled, unregulated toxic fragrance chemicals without our knowledge or consent,” said Janet Nudelman, director of program and policy at BCPP and director of BCPP's Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Allure hair dryers recalled by Xtava due to fire, burn, and electrical shock hazards

Xtava is recalling about 235,000 Allure and Allure Pro hair dryers.

The hair dryer and power cord can overheat and catch on fire, posing fire, burn, and electrical shock hazards.

The company has received 193 reports of the hair dryers or power cords overheating, melting, exploding, or catching fire, including 18 reports of burns and two reports of a minor electrical shock. Four of the reported burn incidents resulted in a blister to the hand, wrist, or finger. One consumer reported a severe burn.

Watch out for online nanny and caregiving job scams

Finding a new job can be a challenge. Websites can help you find work, but scammers also use these sites to find people to rip off.

Do you look for work on caregiver/nanny job sites? Sometimes scammers will offer a job but say you need to buy supplies or other equipment, said Carol Kando-Pineda, attorney for the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Consumer and Business Education. They pressure you to act quickly, before you have time to think. They send you a check and tell you to deposit it and transfer money to their vendor to buy the supplies.

Don’t do it — scammers post fake job listings for nannies and caregivers, then make up elaborate stories to get your money, Kando-Pineda said. The positions seem real, but they’re not — it’s a scam. The check will bounce. So, the money you sent is actually your own — and it’s gone.

Boomers: Still keepin’ on

 

Fifty years ago, 1968 was a tumultuous year for baby boomers. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated. Students all over the world protested the Vietnam War, and Apollo 8 was the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon.

Next year, will be the 50^th anniversary of Woodstock. How time flies.

Meanwhile, boomer bloggers keep on writing. This week they’re reporting on how to deal with trauma, change and how to keep a positive attitude, inexpensive ways to reduce your environmental footprint, how airport travel is all about hurry up and wait, nontoxic skin care, and healing candles infused with crystals and botanicals.

Carol Cassara of Heart·Mind·Soul describes these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #556. Click here to get the links to the articles. And, be sure and join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2018, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What’s the latest on the Zika virus?

In 2018, no local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission has been reported in the continental United States.

Where you live, your travel history, and the travel history of your sex partners can affect your chances of getting Zika, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many people infected with Zika won’t have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms. However, a pregnant woman, even one without symptoms, can pass Zika to her developing fetus. Zika infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects.

Rodan + Fields needs to remove misleading claims from its website, environmental group says

The Environmental Working Group is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and California's attorney general to stop Rodan + Fields from making misleading claims about benzophenone, a chemical that has been linked to cancer. 

Rodan + Fields tells consumers to click on a link which, the company claims, provides the FDA’s views on benzophenone.   

However, the link actually leads consumers to a website operated by the Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group.

Should you shop on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday?

Black Friday is usually thought of as the best shopping day of the year with 24 hours nonstop discounts. But is it really the best day to shop for everything?

In some cases, the answer is no, according to DealNews. In fact, it says Thanksgiving is probably your best bet.

DeanNew's research shows that Black Friday comes up short compared to Thanksgiving. Last year, it posted about 20 percent more of the best deals on Thanksgiving than on Black Friday. Thanksgiving also had about 31 percent more of the best deals than Cyber Monday.

However, not every type of deal is better on Thanksgiving.

To help you figure out your best time to shop, DealNews looked at last year's sales to see when the best deals were offered.

But, remember. Things can change from year to year. It's always best to keep an eye on all deals throughout the Black Friday season.

Copyright 2017, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat all year around to avoid eye damage

In the past, I've written about the need to wear sun glasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your eyes and skin from harmful sun rays. The recommendations I'd read said to wear them April or May through September.

However, recently I heard a story on the radio that said you need to wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat all year long. It seems protection from ultraviolet radiation is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. UV rays from the sun can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also reflect off of surfaces such as water, cement, sand, and snow. 

The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Daylight Saving Time – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time – are the most hazardous for UV exposure outdoors in the continental United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.