My dad was really good at guessing what was in his presents. One time, to fool him, I bought him a magazine subscription and I put it in a toy jack-in-the-box. When he turned the handle, boom. The clown delivered a note about the present. He was really surprised.
This year, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, a lot of the activities we’d usually do with our dads, wouldn’t be a good choice for this year. For example, getting on an airplane to visit your dad is risky. Also, going to a restaurant with a large group of people isn’t advisable. Nor or hugs, unless you’ve been staying at home together.
But, you can order a present and make plans for a get together later.
Some gift ideas include:
Tech gadgets. Apple iPad, Kindle or Nook, digital camera.
Tools. Drills, rakes, hoes.
Clothing. Shirts, ties, t-shirts, jackets. (For some dads, but not others.)
Sporting goods. Book on sports, sports paraphernalia, new gear.
In the past, I’ve written dozens of articles on how to celebrate Mother’s Day. However, this year is so different.
Instead of being in Madrid celebrating with my daughter and her family, I’m at home by myself, picking up groceries once a week as my only outing.
Fortunately, except for the people who have to work, you can still order things for Mother’s Day gifts. And, in some states, restaurants are opening. However, in Washington state where I live, we are still under Stay Home, Stay Healthy orders. I think it’s too early to go out to a restaurant, so I’m not putting that on my list.
Here are some suggestions:
Set up a Zoom or Skype meeting with your mom. If she isn’t tech savvy, you may be able to help her get started by a phone call. If you live in the same city with your mom, you can continue your social distance visiting.
Check local flower shops in your mom’s city to see which ones are delivering. Many are saying that wholesale supplies have been interrupted so selections may be limited. In addition, some are requesting that you order your flowers to be delivered on alternate date to support logistical constraints.
Order pizza or a special dinner. Although most restaurants may be closed to dining, many are offering pickup and delivered meals. For example, in the Seattle area, you can order food from the Australian Pie Co., Elliott Bay Brewhouse & Pub, Frank’s Smokehouse, Vietnam Café and Sandwich, Sushi In Joy, Anthony’s Des Moines, Theo Chocolate, Dick’s Drive-In, Ivar’s Seafood Bars, Pagliacci, Red Robin, Tutta Bella, Canlis, Sunlight Café, and many other restaurants.
Buy a gift card for your mom’s favorite restaurant, department store, or spa.
Give her a themed gift basket with snacks and chocolates. Or, order a box of chocolates. The choices are endless.
Make a spring wreath and hang it on your mom’s door when you drop off your gift and card.
Get copies made of family photos you love and put them in an album.
Give her the gift of an online cooking class.
Schedule a virtual happy hour or play a game such as Scrabble over Zoom.
Order several different wines so she can have a wine tasting and have them sent to her.
Order her a kitchen herb garden kit.
Buy her a new pair of pajamas or sweats and slippers, since that’s what we all seem to be wearing. Or, a new spa robe would be nice.
Give her a “Best Mom” or “I Love You” mug.
Get a diary for your mom so she can record how the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is unfolding.
Give her a card with a letter setting up a date to for a special occasion such as a concert or trip to a museum.
Order a book, if your mom is an avid reader.
Look for jewelry that you think she might like, although the prices sometimes go up just before Mother’s Day.
Copyright 2020, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist
During the coronavirus Stay Home, Stay Healthy order in Washington state, I’m doing well. The time is flying by. It’s difficult to believe that we’ve been doing it for seven weeks.
Why are things going well here? I’m working on my book “Follow the Money: My Life as a Financial Journalist.” Since I love blogging so much, it’s been difficult to get my book finished. Now, I work on my book first, then, I get a reward to write a blog post. It’s working. I’m three-fourths done with my book.
The photo is my dining room table stacked with articles I’ve written: well over 1,000 print articles. When I finish writing about my Tacoma News Tribune articles, I’ll pause and sent my book proposal out to interested agents I met at recent writers’ conferences. While waiting to hear from them, I’ll undertake the huge task of writing the final chapter – describing my blogging work, which includes more than 6,000 articles.
However, it’s disappointing that I’m not in Madrid visiting my daughter and her family like I usually do in May. She misses me, too, because I’m good at cleaning the kitchen. In addition, we just figured out she and the kids probably won’t be able to visit in July and my holiday trip to Spain is unlikely to occur.
Here’s how boomer bloggers are handling being at home. They’re writing about:
It’s been a tough week. I had to organize the hundreds of photos I took at the National Women’s History Alliance conference in early January, which meant I lost time writing my book, “Follow the Money: My Life as a Financial Journalist.”
On Sunday, the Super Bowl was so violent, the game itself and the ads, and sexist, the half time show, that I’m trying to get over it before it before I write about the Super Bowl ads. Then, the delay in results for the Democratic winner of the Iowa caucuses disappointed. Next came the state of the union address, which I didn’t watch, but I’ve had to endure dozens of clips on the radio and television. Then, Wednesday, the Senate voted to acquit President Trump.
Can I go to bed and cover up my head?
Meanwhile, my baby boomer blogging friends are writing about:
A sailboat trip in the West Indies.
The challenges of shopping at IKEA.
The pros and cons of cruises.
What to do when mobility starts to decline.
The one thing you need to do to follow your dreams.
How North Carolina isn’t turning out to be warm for a winter vacation.
How to view your life with kindsight.
Carol Cassara of Heart•Mind•Soul writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #635. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers enjoy hearing from readers.
Copyright 2020, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist
The Federal Trade Commission is suing online dating service Match Group, the owner of Match.com, Tinder, OKCupid, and other dating sites, alleging that the company used fake love interest ads to trick hundreds of thousands of consumers into buying subscriptions on Match.com.
The FTC also alleges that Match exposed consumers to fraud. In addition, the agency alleges Match offered false promises of “guarantees,” failed to provide services to consumers who weren’t successful in disputes, and made it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions.
“We believe that Match.com conned people into paying for subscriptions via messages the company knew were from scammers,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Online dating services obviously shouldn’t be using romance scammers as a way to fatten their bottom line.”
Going on a cruise is quite an adventure, I learned as a first-time cruise goer in late March. It was a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean with stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, Costa Maya, Mexico, and Cozumel, Mexico.
The purpose of the cruise was to celebrate my sister’s 80th birthday. My niece arranged the cruise, so all I had to is get out my credit card and pay. And pay I did.
Since it’s an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, here are tips to help you have the best cruise possible:
Decide where you want to go.
The possibilities are endless, with a cruise industry expanding its offerings to serve 28.5 million passengers a year. Once an unusual sight, you now see cruise ships in many major ports. The Caribbean, Alaska, and the Mediterranean are the most popular destinations.
While my baby boomer colleagues were busy writing articles at home, I was on a seven-day cruise in the Caribbean. It was fantastic. The weather was good, the food fantastic, the excursions interesting, and the seas not too heavy. I’ll be writing about how to pick out a cruise and top tips for first-time cruise goers. So, stay tuned.
Meanwhile, my fellow boomer bloggers were writing about:
Spring through photos.
The secret of retirement.
The greater meaning of the hard things that have happened in people’s lives.
Why granny pods are becoming popular with baby boomers.
How to find your rhythm and flow.
The problems women are experiencing from breast implants.
Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #589. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Personal Finance Writer
Why am I writing about this when spring is approaching? Because winter coats are on sale now and it’s a good time to get a bargain.
I like long, warm wool coats, especially red ones. My niece brought the coat in the photo as a present for me. It fits perfectly. I get lots of compliments on it. However, I’m looking for a new one to have when my red coat wears out. Today I saw a cobalt blue coat at Macy’s. What was remarkable was that it had a hood. I liked it a lot, but it wasn’t long enough and it didn’t fit snugly around my neck.
Every year I write about the Academy-Award nominated movies and evaluate them for violence, ageism, sexism, and diversity. The results this year? Movies are more diverse, but still too violent. And more films are needed where women and older adults are the leads.
While I’ve spent hours this week finishing up my marathon movie watching, my baby boomer writing friends are continuing to write great articles such as the following:
Travel is high on Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting’s list of favorite things to do. Her latest adventure found her on a South American adventure. Although not a professional photographer, she enjoys taking photos of the sights. In this week’s post, she shares photos of some of the natural wonders of the Southern Hemisphere.
Tom Sightings at Sightings Over Sixty has been snowbirding in Charleston, South Carolina, for the month of February, where the weather isn’t tropical, but more like April or May in the north. In his post this week he takes us on a tour of the city from the vantage point of its historic harbor. So hop aboard “Sightings of Charleston” to see . . . what else, the sights.
Carol Cassara at A Healing Spirit wonders why some people don’t get the message no matter how obvious it is. Such was the case at a recent lecture, after which some of the attendees acted out in ways directly opposed to the message of the lecture. Cassara offers a helpful way to view tone-deaf people in “What Tone Deaf People Are Really Telling You.”
Laura Lee Carter of the Adventures of the New Old Farts writes that growing up a boomer wasn’t as easy as many today think. Most boomers are under serious financial strain today, worrying more often than their parents did about money, and suffering stress-related illnesses as a result. Boomers are also feeling financially stretched because they’re supporting both their children and their aging parents. More than half of boomers still provide financial support to at least one adult child. See “Boomers: Not the American Generation Who Has Had It So Easy as You Think” for details.
This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #585. Be sure and take a look at our boomer group’s articles this week. And, do join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
