Crafts to do with Your Grandkids

Beaded Star
Photo by morguefile.com

What types of activities do you enjoy doing with your grandkids?  While it is fun to read them stories, or even watch a movie together, you may also have unique talents and abilities that your grandchildren would love to have passed on to them.

One of our grandsons recently got a metal detector and he loves using it to explore the beach. When the detector indicated the presence of metal, he was having trouble sifting through the sand to uncover his discovery.  My husband took both our grandson and granddaughter to the hardware store, bought a piece of screen and then, together, they attached the screen to some scrap pieces of wood to make a sand sifter.  The grandkids love it!  My husband has also taken them fishing, and shown them how to carve pieces of drift wood.  We've also taught them how to crack eggs and make their own scrambled eggs.  Basic sewing skills are also being passed on.

When they were growing up, I taught my daughters how to crochet.  In coming years, I hope that at least one of my granddaughters will show an interest in it, too.  It is an easy and relaxing hobby. 

However, I am not ready to stop with just the simple homemade crafts that I already know how to do.  I have been scouting around for more ways to spend fun winter afternoons with my grandkids.  Recently I saw a wonderful craft website that is loaded with ideas for making beaded jewelry, painted t-shirts, easy napkin rings and simple flower arrangements.  If you are looking for some creative ways to have fun with your grandkids, you might check out www.domestic-divaonline.com.  For example, I love her Stained Glass Cuff bracelet, which can be made using safety pins, stretchy cord and colorful beads.  You can see a photo of it below and get detailed instructions at http://www.domestic-divaonline.com/Site_1/stained-glass-cuff-bracelet.html  Both boys and girls will enjoy this craft, since the bracelets make wonderful gifts for mothers and grandmothers!  You'll find detailed directions for lots of other crafts on the site, too.

Easy Stained Glass Bracelet
photo by Domestic Diva Online

In addition to crafts you might find online, think about all those simple things you enjoyed doing as a child.  Whether you liked making hooked rugs and potholders, decorating gingerbread houses, beading felt Christmas ornaments (like the one pictured above) or designing simple doll clothing, your grandchildren would probably enjoy doing the same things.  These crafts make it possible for children to create gifts for their families and friends, and is time much better spent than playing video games!

If you are looking for more information about grandparenting and retirement, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page for links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer.retirement.com

Have a Long Life and Live to 100

Why do Some People
Live to Be 100?

Have you ever wondered why some people can stay healthy, have a long life and live to100, while others may die of age related illnesses when they are decades younger?  Researchers have begun to unravel some clues that may give you an idea of how fast you are aging and how likely you are to see the century mark. Based on a lengthy article on Yahoo Health called "10 Surprising Clues You'll Live to 100," this summary just reports the essential facts. If you want more detailed information on any of these factors of aging, you may also want to read the research in the full article on their website.

The first clue that you might live to be 100 is whether or not you have had relatives who lived to be at least 90 years old.  Longevity does seem to run in certain families.

Next, measure how fast you walk when you are strolling normally.  People older than 65 who are able to comfortably and normally walk at a speed of 2.25 miles per hour or faster tend to be healthy and live much longer than their peers who walk more slowly.  This speed works out to 3.3 feet per second.

Sorry, guys, but women really do seem to live longer than men.  They are much more likely to live to be 100. Don't give up, however.  Some men still make it to the century mark.  Look at George Burns.

The next clue applies to women, only.  If you are a woman who conceived a baby naturally after the age of 35, you probably age more slowly.  This means that you are likely to have a longer lifespan.

Another point the researchers made seems to follow a trend that has been going on for hundreds of years.  Just as you are likely to live longer than the generations who went before you, young people today have an even greater chance of living to be 100 than you do.  (Do you think the time will come when Medicare doesn't even start until age 80?  Do you ever wonder how long a life is too long?)

I found the next point very interesting.  People who worry, but only a little, have a longer life than people who worry excessively or people who do not worry at all.  You would think that being free of worry would help us to live a long life.  However, the truth is that people who worry a little are less likely to be risk takers.  This means that they are not as likely to die an accidental death.  On the other hand, people who worry too much are more likely to develop stress related diseases.

Having a Body Mass Index of 27.4 or less increases your chance of living to 100.  Like a lot of Baby Boomers, this may be a weakness for me, as I know that my BMI is higher than that.  However, my heavy-set grandmothers both lived until their late 90's, so it is possible that I will still live a long life, too.

The next factor is one that you cannot evaluate without expensive testing.  How long are your telomeres?  The telomeres are DNA sequences on the ends of your chromosomes.  Long telomeres indicate a longer life.  Although you could have yours tested, you can also simply choose to live a lifestyle that helps maintain the length of your telomeres as much as possible.  Avoid chronic stress, don't smoke, and eat a healthy diet high in Omega 3's.  Researchers have also discovered that walking briskly for at least 40 minutes a day can actually lengthen your telomeres. 

Finally, have a positive attitude.  Your emotions do affect your health, and people with a positive attitude seem to live longer than people who are negative.

Obviously, you cannot control all of these factors.  However, if you control the ones you can, you may live a longer life than you ever imagined.  The opportunity to live to 100 may be within your reach!

If you would like to learn more about retirement, healthy aging, where to retire or financial planning, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page.  They contain links to hundreds of other helpful articles.

For more information on healthy aging read: http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Photo courtesy of morguefile.com)

2012 Social Security Benefit Increase

Finally!  An increase is coming to
Social Security Benefits.
photo by Wikipedia.com/commons

Good news for recipients of Social Security.  After having gone without any increase in benefits since January, 2009, the Social Security Administration has announced that recipients will receive an increase of approximately 3.6% in January, 2012.  Since the average Social Security payment is $1,082, a 3.6% increase averages out to almost $39 a month.  It will vary, depending on whether you get more or less than the average amount of money.  The increase will apply to both retirees and disabled recipients.

I have a number of friends and neighbors who have been living on a fixed income the past few years.  Several of them are either totally dependent on Social Security, or it makes up a large part of their income.  This increase, although small, will provide them with some help. 

The reason that there has been no increase during the past two years is because the official rate of inflation was considered too small.  Only twice since 1975 have Social Security recipients gone without a Cost of Living Increase ... and that was in the past two years.

It is important to also note that the increase in benefits will be partially lost because Medicare premiums are expected to increase by around $3 to $8, and these premiums are deducted from Social Security payments.

Continue to stay up to date with your retirement planning.  You may be interested in following this blog by email, or reading the articles listed in the sidebars.

Get more retirement information at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

Top Places to Retire by U.S. News

Beautiful Arizona is
One of the Best Places to Retire
photo by public-domain-photos.com

How much thought have you given to where you are going to retire?  It seems as if every few days another news source comes up with their own list of the best places to live cheaply, or the best retirement communities with a low crime rate.  Below is a summary of a list of wonderful retirement areas that was released by US News and World Report in an article written by Emily Brandon on October 17, 2011. Although this was a few years ago, these areas remain excellent choices for retirees who are looking at a variety of retirement options.

The criteria used by U.S. News when they compiled this list included cities that have good weather, affordable houses and other real estate, as well as plenty of activities to keep you busy and interested in life. 

Based on their list, here are the top places you may want to settle during the Golden Years of your life:

Flagstaff, Arizona
Boone, North Carolina
Traverse City, Michigan
Walnut Creek, California
Ithaca, New York
Lincoln, Nebraska
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Port Charlotte, Florida
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Of course, these are just suggestions.  What is particularly appealing about this list is that it includes a number of mid-sized towns from a variety of regions of the United States.

Baby Boomers will not want to limit their choices only to this list, however.  There are a number of other communities that also could be desirable, depending on your interests.

If you are looking for more places to retire, you will want to use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of other articles about great places to retire in the United States or overseas, health issues to consider, financial planning and more.

Your may also want to check out these blog posts for other areas that have been recommended by various groups:

Living on Social Security in the US
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/10/living-on-social-security-in-us.html

Cheap Places to Retire
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheap-places-to-retire.html

Finding the Best Places to Retire
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/finding-best-places-to-retire.html

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com