healthy aging Archives

What We Are UP To: The Reentry Edition

May 19, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby 2 Comments

Thank you so much for being patient the past few weeks. Like many people, we’ve been busy with vaccinations and thinking about reentry! While we’ve been waiting for this moment for a while, it’s possible that on some level, reentry could actually be more challenging that sheltering. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Watching | Falcon and the Winter Soldier

> Regular readers of Unretirement Project know we’re Marvel fans. We finished watching WandaVision recently and just started on this new show. However, we do have a tough decision to make with our reentry: when will we feel comfortable going to a movie theater? There are lots of exciting movies coming out in the months to come.

Reading | The Stand

> I’m not a big horror fan, but I do love Stephen King’s writing. Since the pandemic started, people have been talking about “The Stand” and I had never read it. Finally got my hands on a copy. It’s the “uncut” version – 1308 pages! So far, it’s off to a good start but I have a lot more pages to go. Something tells me that I’ll be well into reentry before I finish this one.

Remembering | The “next normal” is what we make it

> I keep reminding myself that returning to normal doesn’t necessarily mean a return to everything we used to do. We’ve developed some good habits over the past year that we want to keep. And we’ve gotten rid of some old habits that we don’t want to start again.

Working On | Vacation plans

> Like many of you, we’ve had several vacations cancelled over the past year. I’m not sure if we will get a lengthy vacation in this year but we are finding that travel accommodations are in demand. We’ve looked at a few trips over the past few weeks that are marked “sold out”. It’s clear that we’re not the only ones missing travel.

Feeling | Good

> While we’re certainly not done with COVID-19, things seem to be moving in a positive direction. Vaccinations are up and cases and deaths are down in many places. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are offering more guidance on the things we are able to do as part of our safe reentry and return to society. It’s great to be able to do more activities, but we’re playing it cautious.

Planning | A day trip

> As part of our reentry, we’re planning a few day trips. Gainesville is a small city, so we’ve decided to drive to a larger city (like Orlando or Tampa) to run some errands. It’s a good way to get our car on the open highway and when we’re ready to come home…we can. There’s also a terrific barbecue place right outside the city, so we can stop for some takeout on the way back home.

Loving | Nail Oil Pens

> One of the habits that I started during the pandemic was using a nail oil pen on my cuticles. I haven’t been going for manicures and my nails were quite a mess. I read somewhere about a writer who kept a nail oil pen on their desk and used it every morning. So, I decided to give it a try. Very easy habit to develop and it really makes a difference! While I’m looking forward to manicures as part of my reentry, I will not be abandoning this new habit.

Geeking | Spaceship Earth speaker holder

> If you have an Amazon Echo dot or a Google Mini Nest, this holder is so cool! It’s a 3D printed copy of Disney’s Spaceship Earth, the iconic ride at the entrance to EPCOT. The dot/Nest sits on top, and it has a port for the cords to come out the back. Fun for kids and adult kids alike.

What’s UP with you? Let us know what you have planned for your reentry!

What We Are UP To – The Waiting Edition

March 10, 2021 by Sharlyn Lauby Leave a Comment

Occasionally we receive free products for review or include advertising links in posts, but no one impacts the honesty of our opinions.

One of the little factoids you might not know about Gainesville, Florida is that it’s the birthplace of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty. I can’t help but think of his song “The Waiting” as we are all “waiting” our turn for COVID-19 vaccines. See what I did there – ha.ha. Seriously, while we’ve been waiting, we’ve found a few things to keep us busy.

Watching | History of Swear Words

> I understand there are many studies that say people who use swear words are more intelligent and creative. My use of swear words is mostly limited to when I slam my fingers in drawers (as in “Oh, S***!) But we do like Nicolas Cage, so we were anxiously waiting for this Netflix series. It’s fun and there are great history lessons from etymologists about the origins and evolution of swear words.

Reading | Books About Cosy/Cozy

> To help me enjoy my waiting time (and because it’s a little chilly outside), I’ve been reading books focused on the art of comfort. My list includes “Cosy: The British Art of Comfort” and “The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge”. My big takeaway from them is to define your own cosy/cozy. It might take some time to figure it out. And we also have to learn how to be respectful of other people’s cosy/cozy.

Remembering | Our most popular post

> We were wondering the other day about the most popular content on Unretirement Project. Interestingly, it’s a post from 2019 titled “3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism”. There are some great reminders in it about not sitting around waiting to get old and making your own decisions on how you want to age.

Working On | Taking Pictures

> One of the things we miss about traveling is taking pictures. We love street art and it’s fun to walk around cities and capture their essence through street art. We’ve decided that we haven’t been fair enough to Gainesville and, instead of waiting to take pictures of other cities, we’re going to take more local images. Our city has installed a new social justice murals project that we want to check out.

Feeling | Hopeful

> We’re very encouraged by the positive vaccine news. We know that we still have several weeks – possibly months – of waiting until we’re able to get the vaccine. It’s nice to know the process is moving in the right direction. We can’t let our guard down. In the meantime, we have started double masking.

Planning | Of course, vaccines!

> While we’re waiting, I’m finding it very helpful to start bookmarking the websites of places that will be offering the vaccine in our area. Even though we’re not in the eligible category yet, this allows us to see how the website works and what information we might need to have handy at the point we are eligible. You might find it helpful to prepare in advance so you’re ready when it’s time.

Loving | Ghee

> We’ve been watching some cooking shows lately and they’ve mentioned Indian clarified butter or ghee. We found some at the grocery and decided to give it a try. Our first attempt was using it to sauté some gnocchi. OMGosh…so good!

Geeking | LEGO Bonsai Tree

> I love bonsai trees, but they do not love me. I’ve had more than my fair share perish. Keith absolutely refuses to buy anymore. However, he did buy me one that I can’t destroy. LEGO has created a botanical collection including a bonsai tree. It’s beautiful! They also have a bouquet kit that I’ve got my eye on.

What’s UP with you? We hope you’re safe and well.

Healthy Aging is Trendy Thanks to Global Shift

February 10, 2021 by Keith Lauby Leave a Comment

wall art with the sentence the time of your life while healthy aging

We know that healthy aging is important. Harvard Health reports that more seniors are opting to age in place rather than pursue other options. They recommend a checklist of potential health-related issues that should be considered for successful healthy aging. These include strength, flexibility, sharp thinking skills, and endurance among others.

Right now, only 15 countries have more than 20% of their population at an age of 65 or above. That number of countries is expected to grow to 44 by 2030 and to 61 by 2050. For the first time globally in 2018, the number of people over 65 has surpassed those under 5 and that number has only grown since.

The growing numbers of aging adults has prompted AARP to partner with the University of Michigan to create the National Poll on Healthy Aging (NPHA). The goal of the survey is to tap into perspectives of older adults and their caregivers to help inform the public, health care providers, and policymakers on issues related to healthy aging.

With the onset of COVID-19, NPHA has focused many of their surveys around the risks for older adults. Shifts to telehealth visits and patient portals showed lack of medical information access at a time when it is needed most.

The healthy aging trend has not been lost on Madison Avenue and other leading marketers throughout the globe. As a result, many brands are viewing seniors as a prized demographic. They are expanding their product offerings along with their marketing budgets to reach the over-65 consumer. And even a few brands that target a much younger audience are developing new product lines with healthy aging in mind.

For instance, a company which makes infant formula has now launched a product in China that it says contains ingredients to boost the immune system in aging consumers. Another company introduced a powdered milk drink targeting older adults which it says enhances mobility during aging.

Swedish furnishing retailer IKEA has expanded its product line to include upright armchairs with higher seating to make it a little easier for aging adults to rise out of their chairs. Proctor & Gamble Co. has started selling razors that they envision for caregivers in Canada, where company data shows one in four people helps someone with aging-related needs.

Not surprisingly, this product expansion has extended to skin and beauty products and the trend is expected to continue longer-term. It’s too early to tell the outcome of marketer focus on mature consumers. For now, we can probably just be thankful that executives want us to stay healthy later in life.