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Encouragement: Ending July with a Bang! We are Over 50 Firecrackers!

7/28/2017

During the month of July, we hear the sound of loud pops and blasts as well as streaks of bright lights and colors across the sky. It seems that the 4th of July is a month long celebration. Most Americans are proud of their country and want to show the world their love. Showing their enthusiasm for America with fireworks is a long held tradition.

That is the way we should feel everyday. As women (and men) over the age of 50 (or approaching the fifties), we should be living loud and proud. We have a lot to offer the world and we should be proud we are still here to share what we have.

Every day that we wake up should be a blessing and we should use it to our advantage. I have so many things I still want to do that I plan to be going full speed until I take my last breathe (I only hope God agrees and allows me to live a long and healthy life). As we grow older we should not be sad for the years gone by or the events of those years, we should look to the present day.

In the book by Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Restoring the Character Ethic), he reminds us to "Begin with the End in Mind". In other words, is the goal of our life to just fade away into non existence or to live fully until we can't live any longer? The end of my life will (I hope) come late in life, very late and as a surprise to myself. If someone at my funeral says that I lived a happy and full life because I pursued my goals right up till the end, then I have done a good thing. I have inspired someone to live fully right up to the end of life.

Covey also encourages us to be "Proactive". In other words, don't let life happen to you, you need to make life happen. The first page of this chapter has a quote that if you truly understand it's meaning, says it all:

" I know of no more encouraging fact
than the unquestionable
ability of man
to elevate his life by
conscience endeavor."
- Henry David Thoreau -

We have more control over our lives than we fully realize. No matter what our circumstances are we can and should be proactive when it comes to our own lives. If we don't take control of our own life, someone or something else will.

I want to leave this earth like a firecracker. I want to be on fire and leave a beautiful, colorful memory behind as I just fade into the atmosphere. I want my children to be proud of the life I "chose" to live. I want my children and grandchildren to look at my life and say "that's the way I want to live". Leaving a positive example of how to grow older in a happy and fulfilling way is a gift that I want to leave them.

How do you want your family to remember you? As an active, happy older person? Or a sad, fearful older person? Would you want your grandchild to grow older in a positive way because you set the example for them? Your friends and family are watching you as you grown older, give them a positive role model, be on fire for your life right up to the end.

XOXO

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Product Review: Green Giant's Sautes - Herb Butternut Squash Medley

7/21/2017

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“Walk everyday,
Eat your veggies,
Wear the red lipstick,
And don't accept less than all you can be!”
- Sheryl, 2017-

If your are trying to eat more vegetables, as I am, this is a good product. It's easy to prepare and tastes really good. A single package makes a complete lunch for me. The flavor is mild, but full. This is the only version I have tried so far, but I intend to try others.

Here's a little information:

1. Flavor: Butternut Squash, Apples, Parsnips, Yellow Carrots, Carrots, and Black Beans. Garnished with pumpkin seeds. You use a small amount of oil, a little water, and the seasoning packet that is incuded.
2. Package prepared makes about 1 cup. It only has 140 calories for the whole package.

If you're in a hurry and need to eat some vegetables, this is a good option. Of course, fresh, home cooked are the first choice, but this is great in a pinch.

Do you get enough vegetables in your diet? Do you ever used prepared vegetable dishes? Would you consider giving this product a try? Let me know if you do and share your thoughts.

XOXO

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Beauty: Retinol vs Retin A vs Retinoids vs Tretinoids??? Clarity, please!

7/14/2017

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Vitamin A has become the holy-grail of anti-aging products, but not without some confusion. There are several forms of vitamin A for your skin. How do you know what is best for you? How do you know what works? How do you know if they are safe? What about side effects?

The main thing to do when choosing a product with vitamin A as an ingredient is to read the label - all of the label, the ingredients, what it promises to do, who tested it, anything and everything on the label. There are certain ingredients you should consider eliminating right off the top. Certain ingredients may be weaker, have serious side effects, or may be dangerous to your health.

(As with everything, you are the only judge as to what you use. I am not an expert, I only know what I would choose or myself and I am willing to share with you the information I have gathered on the matter. You must make your own decision on whether to use these products or not.)

Here are the major forms of vitamin A and a little information on each:
1. Retinol
2. Differin
3. Retin A
4. Tretinoid
5. Retinoid

Each does well for what they do, but none of them are perfect. Some you can purchase over the counter in the beauty department of your local store. A few require a prescription from your doctor. Cost vary and so does effectiveness.

Dana Sachs, an associate professor of dermatology, at the University of Michigan Medical School says:
"In off-the-shelf formulas,
the ingredient called retinol
is the only derivative of vitamin A worth using."

A few facts about Retinol from www.allure.com:
1. Non-prescription alternatives of vitamin A needs to be converted into retinoic acid by the skin at the cellular level.
2. Daylight breaks Retinol down, so it is recommended that you use with a sunscreen or void sunlight after treatment.
3. It is also recommended to apply to dry skin.
4. May take as long as 12 weeks to work, with continued improvement for up to a year and in some cases longer.
5. While these forms do workn to a certain degree, they are weaker than other forms: Pro-retinols, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Aetate, and Retinyl Linoleate. (Check the ingredient list for these)
6. Retinol is a form of Vitamin A — it's the kind people get when they consume animal products like eggs or milk.

According to http://www.health.com/beauty/best-retinol-cream these are the best over-the-counter Retinol creams by dermatologists:
1. Neutrogena Ageless Intensive Deep Wrinkle Moisture Night Cream - $22 Walgreens
2. CosMedix Serum 16 - $80 www.dermstore.com
3. Neocutis Nouvelle Plus Retinol Correction Intensive Anti-aging Cream - $150 www.dermstore.com
4. ROC Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Night Cream (highest strength retinol you can get before a trip to the dematologist office) - $20 Target (Best)
5. Amarte Wonder Cream - $120 www.dermstore.com
6. Hydro Peptide Anti-Wrinkle Polish & Plump Peel - $78 www.dermstore.com
7. Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer SPF 30 - $18 Target
8. Skin Medica Retinol Complex .25 - $62 www.dermstore.com (mildest)

What are some of the side effects of retinol? According to http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-retinol-side-effects.htm the following are known side effects. I recommend you visit their website for the details.

1. Peeling skin is one of the most common retinol side effects.
2. Dryness, redness and itching
3. In some cases, the higher cell turnover rate retinol causes can result in breakouts.
4. Sun sensitivity, retinol increases a person's sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation, so it often is easier to get a sunburn after using it.
5. Drug interactions, a wide range of drugs interact with retinol, including anticoagulants, tetracycline antibiotics, hepototoxic or liver damaging agents, orlistat and oral medications.
6. General toxicity symptoms, it is not common for a person's retinol levels to reach toxic amounts, but it is possible, and certain drugs, such as those used to control cholesterol, can make overdose more likely.
7. Birth defects, even though a fetus needs vitamin A to develop and be healthy, medical professionals think that retinol might cause birth defects when used in amounts exceeding the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

Retinol and Retin A is considered the fountain of youth aside from surgical procedures such as mini-face lifts, brow lifts, lip implants, or full face lifts. While it does improve the skin, it also comes with a few side effects that may not be desirable.
In my next blog post on Vitamin A I will look at Retin A.

Do you use an over-the-counter Retinol product? Have you had good results using an over-the-counter Retinol product? Have you experienced any side effects, good or bad?

XOXO

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Life: The World in Chaos - The Over 50's Reaction for this 4th of July

7/7/2017

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The world around us is changing - again. It has changed many many times in the past so this is no different. The only difference is, it is happening when we have more invested in this world than we ever had. How so? We are older, we no doubt have a spouse now and possibly children. Some of us may have grandchildren. Things we didn't have when we were younger and therefore, life was much easier to handle.

With these added loved ones in our lives, come additional worry, concern, and responsibility. It is not until we are parents ourselves that we realize what is at risk when the world has problems. For example, we worry about the futures of our children and grandchildren - will they be free? We are concerned that health care may deteriorate and our children and grandchildren will suffer more - will they live long lives? We have responsibility to take part in the voting process, voicing our opinions, and teaching our children and grandchildren how to survive certain world issues.
However, as stated earlier, this is not the first time the world has changed and it won't be the last. While much of life changes day to day, some things never change - God, for example. He is still accessible with the same mode of communication, prayer, as always.

With the fourth of July behind us, let us not forget what it meant. Let us remember that the American people have always been strong, always been fighters, and always come out stronger in the end. It is up to us to teach the younger generation about how to handle disappointment, both in personal life and in political life. Things are not always going to go our way, sometimes it goes in the complete opposite direction. We must teach the younger generations how to roll with it and how to keep their faith through it all.

As Over 50s, we have a huge responsibility to pass our knowledge of the world around us on to our children and grandchildren. If left to less experienced people, the media, or their peers, they will not faire very well. They will expect the conflict to end quickly and will have no idea of the risks or consequences of their actions towards these world events. That's why we are so important. That's why we much take care of ourselves to ensure we live long lives so that we can pass this on to the younger generations.

No doubt many of you are saying "but they don't listen", "they think they know everything", or "the media controls their minds". Maybe because of the internet, television, and other modern communication progress it will be more difficult, let' not forget one thing - every generation has felt the same way. Every generation thinks the younger generation is lost, too wild, and doesn't listen to us. This has been the same since the beginning. While some of these have true in the past and are still true today, there are some who do listen and heed warnings. They may not act or respond like they are listening to you, but they are.

We much be vigilant and available if we hope to help them at all. The Bible says that older women and men are to instruct the younger women and men:

Titus 2:3-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things—
4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works;
in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,[a]
8 sound speech that cannot be condemned,
that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.[b]
9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters,
to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,
10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity,
that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

This hasn't changed. What has changed, is the over 50 crowd has accepted that youth is more valuable than age. The media has been driving this message for years. If you are over forty, you are old and of no value. It's up to us to change their thinking.

In closing, this fourth of July holiday week, I leave you with a challenge...

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
(Mahatma Gandhi)

Eat right and exercise, don't smoke and limit alcoholic drinks, be happy so that you can live a long and healthy life in order to pass your knowledge on to your family and friends. Stay on top of current events, participate when you can (voting, writing your congressmen and women, etc.), and never stop teaching others.

Never complain about how many days we celebrate the fourth of July....this country has earned it's freedom through the lives (and deaths) of many soldiers. We should never be tired of celebrating our independence. If we celebrate every day of the year, it would never be enough to repay what we have lost or risked in order to preserve the freedoms we enjoy every day of our life given to us through the Declaration of Independence.

“You must not lose faith in humanity.
Humanity is an ocean;
if a few drops of the ocean are dirty,
the ocean does not become dirty.”
(Mahatma Gandhi)

What do you do to celebrate the fourth of July? Do your children and grandchildren know the significance of the Declaration of Independence? Are you teaching others how to survive a changing world? Share your stories, you may be helping someone else even if you never know it.

XOXO

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Encouragement: Ending July with a Bang! We are Over 50 Firecrackers!

Product Review: Green Giant's Sautes - Herb Butternut Squash Medley

Beauty: Retinol vs Retin A vs Retinoids vs Tretinoids??? Clarity, please!

Life: The World in Chaos - The Over 50's Reaction for this 4th of July

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Encouragement: Ending July with a Bang! We are Over 50 Firecrackers!

Product Review: Green Giant's Sautes - Herb Butternut Squash Medley

Beauty: Retinol vs Retin A vs Retinoids vs Tretinoids??? Clarity, please!

Life: The World in Chaos - The Over 50's Reaction for this 4th of July

My mission​

Categories

Archives

About

Blog

Contact

My mission