By Audrey van Petegem, Chief Editor

You may already be familiar with these handy little Stick-Um!, but, for me, they were an Uh-huh moment and I find them just brilliant! As the namesake states, UM! is the first sound made when you have an epiphany. And each of their products are genius solutions created to make our life a little bit more organized.

Each product uses nano-suction technology; meaning that there are millions of little suction cups that allow the products to stick to a clean, flat surface. When you touch them they feel sticky but really it is just all these little suction cups. So, instead of using glue or tape or nails to hold something in place, this product can be removed with no damage to any surface. I love my Stick-Um for my iPhone in the car!  The Stick-Um sticks to my dashboard securely and my iPhone sticks to it. Perfect for handsfree!

Um-Brands have lots of choices, from Hook-Ums! to Clamp-Ums!. Think apartments, college dorms and anywhere else that you don’t want to damage to a any service.

Buy directly from Um-Brands.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

I’m a baby boomer. And I think that I speak for many of us when I say that, despite all of our bravado that speaks of how much more confident we are as we age, how much better we feel about ourselves now that we are no longer caught up in the angst of youth… there are still a bunch of things that suck. Like thining hair. Arrrgh.

It never even occured to me that this would happen. I expected wrinkles, waistline expansion, gravity taking hold of various body parts… But thining hair? That was never something that I expected to add to my list of vexations.

I started noticing the widening hair part and, let’s call it what it is, the hair loss at the temple area about six months ago when I donned a hairband to pull my hair back. Eeeeeeeck! Is that a receeding hairline? WTF?

Since then, I’ve been taking Biotin supplements (wrote about that here). It’s hard to measure, but it seems that it helped a bit; I’m seeing more baby hair growing at my temples. But, that’s not enough since I do like to wear my hair pulled back. To the rescue? The Hair Veil, a powder hair filler which Audrey and I discovered during our treasure hunt at the International Housewares Show.

Formulated by expert hair stylists, the Hair Veil is like a smudge-proof “eyeshadow” for the scalp. Pick the shade that best matches your hair color and apply Hair Veil to the (darn) betraying areas where the scalp is showing more than you’d like it too (great for scars too). The formula is water-resistant and will not fade, transfer, bleed or run until you wash it off (sweat it at gym in all conficence!).

Here are the photos taken at the show. You can see how the stylist is applying the Hair Veil to my scalp and how my hair part has filled in nicely with the product applied.

I was provided with a sample of the product and have used it many times since, applying it myself quite successfully. It works well on eyebrows too. Funny that we are losing those eyebrow and eyelash hairs too as we age but, adding to the laundry list of aggravations, we get hair that grows in new places. Like the persistent really dark and coarse single hair that pops up every six weeks on my chin!?!?!? WTF? Sorry, I know I said that already…

Anyhoo, this fantastic product is available online – in a variety of colors, even Salt & Pepper! – on the Beauty Choice website for $24.98. So totally worth the investment.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

Audrey and I were honored to be interviewed by Becca Niederkrom at the AgingInsider.com. She featured us in her new series called the 5 Alarm Boomer Blogger Series. Becca is all about empowering the aging senior, especially on the tech gadgets and systems. She also reaches out to us Baby Boomers as she knows well that we are the ones making most of the decisions for our aging parents. Here’s more about Becca’s work. 

If you ever wondered how this whole bloggin’ thing got started, you’ll have to story right here as painfully coaxed out of us by Becca!

You will also want to watch the fun interviews with other boomer bloggers, namely Donna Hull of My ItchyTravelFeet.com, Bobbi Palmer of DateLikeaGrownUp.com and Veronica & David of GypsyNester.com. See them here.

BTW, here is the wine glass article that got Audrey to start blogging and our post on the Garject, the ultimate garlic press so awkwardly mentioned here (I was sure Becca would edit that out!).

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

If you are a fan of the Mad  Men show, then you know that the era’s drink of choice was the cocktail – and not just one… Set in the 60′s in NYC, the era romanticized the Rat Pack’s image of a bottomless drink and a smoke, a vice for each hand.

Forget about the cigarette. The cocktail represents the return of drink sophistication. Just their names – the Manhattan, Vodka Gimlet or the Old-Fashioned – conjure up images of men in snappy suits and women in beautiful cocktail dresses, looking stylish and sexy.

The cocktail is a classic drink meant to be sipped and savored, not rushed. Whether it is because of the show’s cult following or the fact that this is another affirmation that everything old is new again, cocktails are making a BIG comeback. However, the days of the Rat Pack are gone and we are now in the era of healthy living. This goes for our libations as well. So, if we can relax at the end of the day with a drink in our hand, why can’t we also have some antioxidants at the same time?

We can!! Here are three mixes that will ensure your choice of cocktail to be that much healthier:

	ALTAR Herb & Botanical Mixers - This herbal and botanical mixer is a blend of natural and organic fruits, vegetables, teas, flowers and spices. With names like Aphrodisiac, Bliss, Chi, Restore and Chill, one can definitely be found to fit your mood. And with only 25 – 40 calories per serving I can hear, “Bartender, pour me another one!” Buy directly from Mikuni with free shipping.
	Liber & Co. – A small craft -mix company that was started by three friends in Austin, Texas. Made in small batches, each bottle is numbered. There are three unique mixes named Spiced Tonic, Rhubarb and Ginger and Texas Grapefruit. Simply add your favorite liquor and savor the flavors of ripe citrus, fresh-cut botanicals and hand-cracked spices. Buy directly from the website.
	Skinny Girl Cocktails - Choose between either Vodka infused with natural flavors or ready-to-serve cocktails, these low-cal options are delish! Choices are Mojito, Margarita, Pina Colada, Sangria and, my fave, Cosmos! Skinny Girl Cocktails can easily be found in any major grocery store across the US, however, go to their website to find where the product is available near you.

Mad Men’s two hour season 6 premiere is airing on April 7th (check your local listings). This would be a perfect time to try out a new mix for an old classic (sans cigarette).

Cheers!

By Audrey van Petegem, Technical Writer

If you have never heard of Lekue you’re in for a treat. This company was one of the first to embrace the wide use of silicone. Silicone, an odorless, colorless substance that is found naturally in sand, quartz and rocks, has been around for decades, but it is just within the last five years that we are seeing it everywhere. And for obvious reasons.

Silicone is light, flexible and comes in a variety of bright, delicious colors. It can withstand extreme heat and cold and therefore can be used in ovens, freezers and microwaves (it’s BPA-free, bien sûr). It is naturally non-stick and will not rust or stain. Plus, it lasts a long time, however when it is time to replace it, silicone is biodegradable. So, what is not to like about silicone? Seriously!

Lekue is a Spanish company that carries a fun range of colorful ingenious products for the kitchen.

Since it is getting close to Easter, we thought we would feature their OVO products (Ovo in Spanish translates to Egg in English. Pretty clever tie-in, huh?).

You can combine your favorite ingredients to your egg in these fun-shaped egg cookers. Either use as a poacher in boiling water or straight in the microwave. You’ll cook an egg in minutes and the end result makes for a great presentation Easter morning. For recipe ideas try the Spinach and Goats Cheese Egg or Broccoli and Diced Smoked Salmon Egg.

Buy directly from Lekue or on Amazon.

By Susan Keats, Contributor & Seize-the-Day Propagandist

“I’m sorry.  Do I know you?”

That was the reply I received to an email inquiry I sent to a teacher at a local school.  I was hoping to find piano lessons for one of my children and I wanted to find a really good teacher, so I sent out a few emails to people asking for recommendations.

No matter how I read her reply, it seems rude to me.  I’ve tried to read it out loud in a variety of voices:

Sweet voice:   “I’m sorry.  Do I know you?”  Seems a little sarcastic.
Casual voice:  “I’m sorry?  Do I know you?”  Hmmm…..still a little snarky.
Sexy voice:  “I’m sorry….do I…, KNOW you?”  Totally inappropriate.

I’m guessing I annoyed her with my request.

Read the full story »

By Liza Kovacs, M.S.C, M.A., Fitness Contributor

Do you feel a strain in the back of your neck after too many hours of the computer? Do you find yourself massaging your shoulders in the hopes of finding relief? If you regularly have pain in the back of your neck this post might be for you.

Our cervical spine (the segment of our vertebral column that makes up our neck) is the most mobile part. It also holds a heavy appendage, our head, which generally weighs around 10 lbs (or 4.5 to 5 kilos). Simplistically, your posterior (back) and front (anterior) neck muscles work together to maintain your head erect. Sometimes these muscles become imbalanced because of habits, such as forward head posture for example, as we extend our head forward for long periods of time to read our computer screen. In this position we strain the back muscles of our neck responsible to hold our head up while the front muscles simultaneously stop contributing to the action. The balance is thrown off and this is when we begin to experience discomfort.

Here is a video with 2 simple exercises that target that area, one to strengthen the front of your neck muscles, one to stretch and help release the back neck muscles. I recommend doing 4 of each. You can do these exercises anywhere and I suggest you do them as soon as you feel pain or discomfort creeping up. For those if you with a busy life, these exercises might be more practicable.

And, for your convenience, here are the written instructions for these simple exercises to strengthen your neck as well as some stretches to provide you with relief when neck pain occurs:

1. Anterior Neck Strengthening Exercise: place your fingertips on your forehead. Gently press your forehead into your fingers and hold that pressure for an exhale. If you put your other hand on your throat you will feel those front muscles engaging. It is a good sign! Repeat three times, making sure that the back of the neck is not participating in the action.
2. The Double Chin Stretch! Look straight ahead and without dropping your chin down reach your ears back in space, giving yourself a double chin (you heard me right!). Again hold it for an exhale.
3. Neck Stretches:
   1. Drop your ear to your shoulders. Gently place your hand on the top ear for a greater stretch of your shoulders. You can hold this for three long breaths or longer. Repeat to other side.
   2. Turn your head 45°diagonally to one side. Drop your chin down. Place your hand on the crown of the head so your elbow points in the same direction as your nose. Hold this for three breaths as well.

Make sure you are gentle with your stretches. Breathe into them and visualize your muscles releasing and giving way with each exhale, stretching for three breaths in and out.

Remember to do these simple exercises, especially #1 and #2, when you first start feeling the discomfort. Such simple tips can make a big difference in your everyday wellbeing.

See what exercises Liza recommends to keep arm toned and to alleviate back pain when standing all day at a standing desk. And, stay tuned for her upcoming tips & tricks to fix our “growing old” ouches.