Showing posts with label 50s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 50s. Show all posts

Friday, May 6, 2016

RE-POST from The Zeit

health-wellness-articles-apple-image fruit choice download HealthyOptionsLogoColor

Finding alternative uses for vegetables keeps your taste buds guessing, and boosts your nutrition! Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, which acts as an antioxidant and helps detox your system utilizing enzymes. Cruciferous vegetables are believed to lower risk of cancer due to these beneficial sulforaphanes. Ricing or mashing cauliflower allows you to mold the flavors you desire […]

via I Mashed and Riced Cauliflower – This Is What Happened! — The Zeit


Wednesday, April 20, 2016

I'm a "10" for sure!


Yayyyyyy I am a 10!  I reached the milestone of 55 on April 18th and in looking at the cup half full, I recognized that I'm finally a 10.  In 1979, the movie "10" starring Bo Derek and Dudley Moore and hit the big screen, and forever after gals wanted to be scored a ten in looks.  

I may be taking liberties with my own definition of being a ten (55 years old:: 5+5=10) but there is so much to be thankful for, I reckoned why not.  My personal benchmark may be different than others, yet they are mine alone:



  1. I'm happily married to a wonderful man who to this day makes me appreciate him and the life we have formed together.
  2. Through blending our family, we have four awesome kids aged 21, 23, 25 and 27 where the eldest, Kyle, has been working at the same corporation for 8 years, Des is solid in her career and engaged to be married this year, Chantal is finishing up her 2nd year of university and Kelsey is off to make her fortune in Vancouver with a great job in a law firm and with the man of her dreams.
  3. Ones own happiness is often defined through motherhood and my kids are happy, healthy and really great people.
  4. I am working for an excellent Canadian corporation that sets the bar in many ways.
  5. I have discovered my love of writing and blog as often as I can.
  6. I have found balance with work, life and love.
  7. I am a fashion forward fashionista where even the young gals where I work often comment on my ensembles.
  8. I have my mom who is 81 years old and still there for me with love, support and an example of how healthy living can carry you to a longer life still able to travel, dance and be true to herself.
  9. I have a beautiful home which I am continually redecorating and improving.
  10. I have an adorable pet dog named Buddy who makes my day every day.


I guess those are pretty basic to most.  Yet, we should stop every once and a while and just appreciate what we have to be thankful for and give gratitude to those who make our lives meaningful.  I am lucky to have a few great friends whom I've known for years and years.  

Aging is all about continual improvement, seeking more knowledge, being satisfied with what we have while still stretching ourselves towards new goals.  


Material things and money are easy targets for setting goals, however, the simpler things are sometimes harder to appreciate.  Certainly, when I was in my 20s, my list was fairly long.  I've experienced great success, great disappointments, periods of sadness or melancholy, and times of money.  


At the end of the day, what makes me the most content are:
  •  spending time with my kids, family dinners and playing games like "Heads Up" or having a backyard fire pit just hanging out and talking.
  • sharing time with my best friend and her husband whom Rob and I really enjoy hanging out with.
  • talking on the phone with my mom or sister, to discover the quick hello evolved into an hour.
  • my youngest daughter calls me almost every day from Vancouver, although I miss her tremendously, I love talking with her on her updates, news, happiness.
  • my stepdaughter, her fiance and my son drop in often just for a visit and sometimes a sleep over.
  • My older brother Greg and I get to go have dinner when he is in Calgary on visit.
  • My sister and I have been on vacations together to Mexico three times and there are wonderful memories that I would like to add to by going again.
  • My husband and I have been able to travel on tropical vacations, we like just going for drives in the beautiful country surrounding us, meandering through garage sales, or me just sitting on the driveway soaking up the sun while he putters around on our "Getaway Car".
  • While so many are unemployed, I have a job with a great company and have learned that my job title no longer defines me.
  • I have Buddy to take me on walks with, snuggle up with and who protects me faithfully.
  • We have a beautiful home that can accommodate our kids and their friends, hosting get togethers and celebrations.
  • I love working on my garden and transforming it year after year into a haven of beauty to be enjoyed not only by us but those who walk back the green belt pathway that goes along our back yard.


Sure, I wouldn't be me without some things we call bucket list as we grow older, transformed from goals:
  • a dream job doing marketing or maybe even dabbling in sales again
  • my writing starts to generate an income, for the extras in life we want:: travel first and foremost
  • I'd love it if my writing were to evolve more into reviewing items geared towards the female 50s crowd, with samples arriving from Brands who value my opinion and a following that trusts it.
  • My mom and sister are always telling me to write a book.  Humbly, I think everyone wants to write a book or thinks they can.  To be any better would be egotistical.  I recognize one just has to "do it".
  • I'd love a chance to go with Rob to Seattle to watch a Seattle Sea Hawks football game.  So strange for a Canadian hockey fan to put an NFL game on her list ... eh?
  • It would be fun to be invited to help decorate a show home or a room to stretch the imagination and challenge myself.
  • See if my painting hobby of re-purposed objects could actually be sold as art :: more designed for the garden.
  • Maybe get a second dog, smaller, for a companion for Buddy, like our teacup poodle Coco was before she passed on at 13 years old and who will trot after me as I putter in the garden (Buddy is too busy running around and playing bodyguard to follow me).


It is safe to say I am able to stop and be grateful for what I have and yet energetic enough to want to stretch farther and reach higher.  I am content for the most part yet still have a restlessness to want to do more.  The next decade is going to be interesting to see what unfolds.


Saturday, April 16, 2016

Deal makers or deal breakers



I'm a mom with three beautiful daughters and I share the advice that I constantly reinforce:  understand the deal makers and deal breakers in any relationships.

It applies to woman of various ages.   Take all the complaints of a feminine kind, on the men that become part of their lives.

It is time to stop complaining and whining.  You are your destiny.  It is within your own determination and boundaries that set the limits to the man or men you allow to be in your sphere of consideration as to whom you willingly embrace a relationship with.

I am talking about whether you go online and go on to a dating site, or whether you are a millennium woman or a mother of one.  What you both have in common, with the exception of the older lady who is impracing life on a new path solo with the men options before you, or a young 20-30 year-old-something that has moved beyond the dating scene and beyond tangling your heart with a prospect boyfriend.

Do you really know what you want?  Pleasssseee don't be cutting yourself short for a man who is breathing and who says he's looking, waiting, or willing to embrace a real love relationship.

Its time to take stock, regardless of age.  Reality has to be completely and comprehensively taking stock.  Throw off the candy coated eyeglasses before you set your sights so high.  Seeking a romantic relationship is not all about listing a tall list of must haves which I call deal makers, and listing the deal breakers.

I'm divorced, happily married to my second marriage with whom is what I consider and nickname him as a hunkster hubster.  What makes him so?  Well, I evolved over some times, that encompassed my prior ex-husband, there were qualities that allowed him to qualify to be the man that I would hand over my confidence, believe, dreams for  the forever-after.

The first go around, it wasn't like it was the wrong route.  He met many of the checkpoints that my sub-conscious told me that he was the right one to cast all of my preconceptions and dreams behind.  As a 20 year old he met the criteria that was important for  me at the time:


  • he was responsible and was reliable and provided security that is far more important in my 20s
  • I'd envisioned him as someone who was solid, steady, and someone whom could be relied upon.
  • He was the ying to my yang - he was the opposite of me and created a balance that I craved.
  • He was handsome, had some awesome qualities, was an ex-pro-hockey to my serious competitive figure skating ...so athletic balance was a given
  • He was committed to his career and showed signs that he was ambitious.
  • He was accountable and responsible.
  • He had his guy/guy activities, but he was relaxed about me doing my gal/gal stuff
  • There was a balance :: we were happy to hang out at home, yet there was a balance to socializing independent and as a couple

And so on.  It various.  What is your deal makes (solidifies the commitment to the relationship) and the deal breakers ( the red flags, identified as intoler-able behaviors that you cannot see yourself associate with over the long haul.  Things that you know right off as habits or weakness that your honest self says this is just not going to be something I can overcome and give acceptance to.

With this evaluation process, you can easily fall into a comfort zones of what are the deal breakers and deal makers.  What is important in those two identifiers, allows you to develop a backbone and admit to yourself that there are things that are red flags and by frank reflection, you determine that are just too large to overcome.

The easy deal breakers are dishonesty, drug usage, drinking to excess.  

You need to take notes.  What are the items that are the deal breakers or you:  those habits, poor judgement, personal habits (i.e. aggressive behavior, rudeness, disrespectful impression, poor first impressions) that sends someone to the "off" pile right away.

Evaluate the deal makers:  polite, embraces the other parties' family relationships (especially if it is communicated to be important), being true to your word, honest, not telling us what they think we want to hear.

I think it is critical, regardless of age :: someone re-entering the dating and relationship hunt scene or else those that are younger and entering the dating scene.

Regardless of which side you fall on to, there are complicating factors like recovering from a breakup or optimistically putting yourself out there.

You have no business entering the fold unless you have come up with a semi-list, I discourage an ever-ending list.  

Examine yourself :: if you are light sleeper, you may not able to be able to stand a snorer.  Then again, if there is respect, quality of interests, and agreement on not being into substance assistance (i.e. drugs or alcohol) .. be realistic that you can deal with snoring if there is no drugs, a lot of respect, gets along with friends and families, understand that snoring is just one weakness that is easier to accept than so many of the other destructful habits ones would have to deal with :: investigation into sleep apnea, or any other solutions available.

Having said all that, there are clear deal breakers:
  • drug dependancy
  • anger control
  • habitual dishonest (telling right from wrong)
  • exhibits of disrespect to what matters to you:  family, career desire, or any other matters of importance like the environment
  • you are expected to carry the weight of the relationship :: carry the values that have been identified as important

"What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me."                                          ~ Helen Keller



Be honest in yourself with what you are hoping for
  • Look for good qualities in a person:
  • honesty
  • where the word is a quality that they prioritize
  • has interests, involvement with long-term friends that they wouldn't give up even for you
  • politeness, manners, reliability
  • support:  altho they may not agree with your stance, they are going to back you
  • your greatest cheerleader:  someone who has taken the time to understand you, understands your weaknesses but wants to champion your strength

We rely on each other, vulnerabilities uncovered nor weaknesses disguised.  You should be looking for your champion.  The last thing you need is anyone who is not fairly trying to massage your weaknesses and champion your strength.


These are a few ideas on the dating scene.  The world is conditioned for a team.  You have the choice to decide what makes someone an advocate, cheering in your corner.  You don't need someone who is trying to belittle you or misrepresent who you are all about.

Do your homework.  Decide what are the deal makers and breakers, based on your unique DNA, to create your own unique formula on who should be there for you.  Accept that there are some that meet a majority of your criteria, while understanding what you can live with.

It would be nice to be swept off our feet with a magical partner.  However, once the first giggly dates are behind you, don't be snowed.  Understand that the perfection can wear off.  

Just decide what you can live with and live without.  If you are truly committed to meet someone meaningful, be honest on what would drive you crazy.  Open yourself up to the fact that some deal breakers will not always eliminate a potential date or mate .. because you've identified some qualities you understand bring more value and can cancel out the deal breakers.  

Write down, be honest, on what you know are a write off (can't hold down a job, can't manage finances, lousy job, won't do their share) or whatever else you come up with, then cross-reference the deal makers (punctual, respectful, likes having an extended family, doesn't clip the nail during a movie).  

At some point, you have to realize that some of the deal breakers are very small when offset by some great other qualities.

Have a notebook, write down the opposing forces:  in the long run, you will be thankful and discover that there are people or dates or relationships or possible spouses that can still make the grade.  

You just might find that some of your strongest qualities minimize the other's weaknesses and there is potential laying there, just waiting for you to take the leap of faith.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Meandering Musings




Often (or I used to be anyhow) I am asked about a particular look :: you'd better catch me wearing it so I'd remember :: because I'm a shopaholic shopping fashionista - here me CLICK!  (I'm going to experiment and give my choicest sites to get that "Fix ").


I'm also gonna write about how to shop guilt-free :: tips | tricks to hide "the evidence".
I think I'll make into a series within my Meanderings about .... blog.  It is here where I let my creativity rip. Whatever  makes me unhinged.

The beauty of writing your own blog (or in my case a few), you are the master of your domain :: really, truly amazing eh?

Call me an optimist, but I really think ladies in their 50s, post menopausal, fire breathing divas, are going to like my blog.  I have faith that once the storm hits, the blog will go viral and maybe I'll even attract a few major brands endorsement on my site :: of which they will pay me in money and gifts in kind (the ones they want me to try and review for women 50+). 




Sound fanciful?  Not really when you think about it, a gazillion percent of the world's population are women 50+.   They call the shots in their lives and influence those around them.  Confident and classy in sync with their inner voice, they need or want a laugh, raise their eyebrows once again, or pat their heart in sisterhood memories davine. 




It will be merged to become one unanimous collaborative voice for women born 1960 or later.  It will eventually be a club, which will charge fees for its membership.  Where only the truly gifted or inspirational women voice will be invited to blog :: about what matters, reflects how we feel, want to be more optimistic, smarter, or look classier.




It will start here.  The place where I discovered my foundling, the #bestofeverything hashtag.  Where inspiration to be the best of anything was born.    I've made some truly amazing connections, interactors, professional, artistic, creative people from around the world.  Alot of fiction writers, since I'm a prolific reader and far fewer of those that feed my knowledge junkie.




The first 50 commenters (subscribers) will automatically be invited into the Fashionista Club.  Fashionista being defined as:  a fabulously feminine,  fashionable, polished lady.  More likely in their 50s but not excluding the daughter Millennials who caught the wisdom of their mothers of studying and approving their lives by the women of influence before them.



  

Please enjoy the time you  spend with me.  
I enjoy having you along on
 my journey.

:: Love Jeannette ::








P.S.  Let me know what you think of my new page :: design/theme?  If you want a web image consultation, let me know, and we'll see what we can come up with together.


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

My beauty basics



I remember being in my 20s and intrigued by my mother-in-law and mother's beauty regime always starting with moisturizer.  After all, who'd be thinking of wrinkles at that time.  I do recall marvelling at they both had remarkable skin and discovered they used the same daily moisturizer:  Oil Of Olay.


By the time I was 40, I was well into a daily regime that started with a gentle facial cleanser and moisturizer, both morning and night.  I was cursed with sensitive skin that resulted with acne whenever I attempted to change the products.

I've gone to the home parties, Mary Kay and Merle Norman, where you get together with friends and try out new products.  Mine often resulted in break outs.  I've poured over the Avon catalogue, being tempted to try out the  latest beauty wonder.

Now that I'm in my 50s, I realize that just having a daily routine and sticking to it is what is important.  There are rules we should all follow, namely one that often is ignored:  don't go to sleep with the day's makeup left on, a residue that can be left on your pillow, to attract more dirt which can create a cycle of poor hygiene and detrimental to beauty.

We're pretty lucky that the cosmetic companies are always trying to get us to try their new miracle cures for acne, wrinkles, and any signs of aging.  I've simply come to the understanding, that my skin tells me what it needs.  If I stray from my basic Oil of Olay for Sensitive Skin wash and moisturizer, I am not surprised when a break out occurs.  I have learned that regardless of age, a strong routine will pay dividends in years in advance.  I also know that the most expensive is not necessarily the best.  

So here, I found other great products that solve beauty ails.  One of the best are these convenient wipes.  I live in a two story house and when I get home, I feel my skin screaming at me for some nice cleaning - it is so refreshing.  Like removing the day's dramas, hassles, I want to wash that traffic blocks away.


I keep a package of these in my downstairs bathroom to have a handy clean.  I don't just use the wipes alone.  I fill the sink with steaming bearable hot water.  First using the wipe to take the make up residue away, then soak it in the hot water and cover my face, and pull it gentle down.  Repeating a couple of times -- I can tell when my skin is saying thank you.  The last swipe takes it down past my chin to my neck.  We forget our necks when that is where age is rarely disguised yet often ignored.



I have tried Neutrogena products, tempted by their ads and beauty promises.  I do like the the Grapefruit Oil-Free Cleansing wipes, especially in the summer time.  The smell alone is rejuvenating and feels very fresh.



I used to work in business development and it would take me a good 30 minutes or more to get ready in the morning between showering, beauty cleanse and moisturize discipline and then make up with a blow dryer and curling iron.  We had friends over a few weeks ago for dinner, and I decided to paper myself getting ready.  It shocked me after 45 minutes that I used to do this every day.

One thing of contention I have with ladies as they age, drop any beauty aids altogether.  I've discovered that you don't have to spend 45 minutes getting pampered up, just 5 to 10 minutes and you're all set.

First thing I've gravitated towards is easy style so it is easy to do.  You don't have to look made up in order to look fresh and crisp.  Light colors as back drops illuminate our skin and bring out our best feature, our eyes.


I found it is smart to invest in a decent foundation.  Not a mask.  Something gentle that smoothly glides on, hiding our natural uneven skin tones.  My favorite comes from Lise Watier where I can match my tone.  Remember, it is suppose to glide on and blend in.  Don't make the mistake of going a shade darker or with red tones if you think that is going to brighten your face.  Quite the opposite would be the result.  What we're trying to do is create a quick look that takes 5 to 10 minutes max.  Looking naturally made up, not a clown effect.  The following image I found is certainly a much younger lady, however, it shows how just a simple routine with cleansing and foundation can show the slightest difference:



Au natural with a barely there is the key.  Like many of us, as we age, our lifestyles and life experiences have a way of being reflected in our faces.  I'm not suggesting miracles.  I'm simply showing how you can present a cared for appearance from slump.  I believe that even if you want to look natural, you can manage looking cared for.  In principle, if you care about how you look, you will care about many more things like relationships, career, wellness.  




I learned a great secret to having a easy and natural makeup look is having the right tools.  I realized this only the past 10 years or so:  so toss away the makeup pads in the eyeshadow kits and invest in a few nice brushes:  Eye makeup brush, eye definer brush and rouge brush.  Think of it as a nice Christmas gift for your mother or daughters.  Something that they may not buy themselves, but appreciate when received.  


We all have blotchiness, perhaps acne, and dark circles, imagined or real.  I think I probably take this step more seriously than required.  Having a concealer is important, but only if it is of good quality.  Dotting it around your bones around your eye is more important than the crayon types or the ones that dry too easily.  There are so many choices out there, it is going to take some trial and error to find one that looks natural, without appearing caked on.   


I've tried the wheel types and find they dry out really easy and cake on enhancing wrinkles more than disguising them.  My pick doesn't require your fingers to touch or dab, when this kind gives the same effect.  The packaging allows it to stay moist for dabbing on.

When you are being shown how to put makeup on properly by the professionals at Merle Norman, Clinique, they always convince you that you need something you don't have:  a finishing powder.  A light dusting to seal the look.  I found that Pure Minerals has the best one.  I slightly swipe it all over my face.  I keep it in my purse in case I feel my skin becoming oily.  A quick dust along with refreshing lipstick will carry you for hours.  It carries a lightness and coverage that allows your skin to breath while avoiding that oily look.




Face it, we all feel and look tired more readily as we age.  We have to use the tricks to portray a barely there ensemble that still gives us a refreshing and natural look.




I've discovered a finishing touch for those blah days: Light pink concealer gently applied under eyes to create a more bright eyed look.  I don't know why they don't just have the pink one on its own because I don't use the other colors.  Yes, I break the rule of using my  finger for this little dab finisher, being careful to wash my hands before and after -- no point adding micro yuck since we've been so careful so far. 

Now we're starting to round the corner to half way there and this should have only taken 2 or 3 minutes max so far.  Next up is the eye shadow to accentuate our beautiful eyes -- not to appear goth or over the top glam -- keeping it fresh and simple.  A light pink color should look great on any eye color.  

We're bringing out the eyes instead of making them water .... where others blink with dismay at the dramatics.   (We all see those whom we want to pull out our Fashion Police badge and arrest them for all their efforts, when makeup at best should appear effortless).  Anyone who tells you it looks good at the office or as a check out clerk, is lying to you!

Forget the cream eyeshadows if you're 35 plus.  They just end up in the creases as the day progresses.  What we're trying to achieve is a just made up look for the entire day.  More so on the right than the left.  The optics shown to emphasize a light dusting is better than a plastered on look, and that green, blue or brown eyes can go this direction.















Maybelline does the trick:  not expensive, easy to buy anywhere with the extra amount of the soft pink and a contrast for the eye crease.  Ignore the lid color and replace it for the crease as this shows to create a softer essence.



I did find GOSH in neutral tones glides on wonder-fully, doesn't appear caked on and will last all day. I have found that the shadows with a little bit of a fleck of shimmer, seem to stay on longer without creasing.


I start out by putting the base color (left) from the eyelid all the way up to the eyebrow bone.  It works in a pinch, and you don't have to create that 70s look where the eyebrow powder is shimmering white.  I am apply a second coat on the eyelid so that there is a bit more contrast.  Then take the second from the left which is a bit mauve taupe that compliments my green eyes, yet would go with any eye color I'm sure.



A slight deviation now:  let's talk about eyebrows.  One of the best money you can spend on your beauty regime is going to a salon for a brow wax and shape.  How many .... ewwwwww .... when you see a tattooed eyebrow or a sharp pen gone amuck drawing eyebrows in because they've been plucked so mercilessly.  Do yourself a favor and take the time to enhance your eyebrows.  They are the finishing touch that speaks that you care about your appearance without being made up.
















I think I have dramatized my point here.  They can make or break your look, enhance or detract from a pretty face, regardless of age.  The best product I've ever found was by MAC for eyebrows.  I have fair eyebrows, so it would look stupid to try to make them too dark.  Trust me, I've been there and tried that and it looks silly and trying to hard.  MAC's Waterproof Brow Set goes on effortlessly and fills in the gaps.  It takes only a few minutes.  So dramati-cally different, I've turned my sister and sister-in-law on to this awesome product.

Yes, we're just about done and it has taken what? 5 to 10 minutes like I promised you (without the time invested to shop or have your eyebrows shaped or waxed).  




If you read my previous article about my eyelash extension misadventure, when I imagined that my eyelashes would end up full, wash and wear, without any fuss.  Instead, it was more horrifying to find clumps missing and less than stellar replacement to the good ole fashioned stuff called mascara.



You'll be as relieved as I am thrilled to have found THE best product out their to plump and lengthen those eyelashes, without putting yourself through eyelash extensions which I found to be expensive and a hassle to maintain.  (Way worse than nail gel fills every few weeks.)  First you apply the white base coat, let it dry for a few minutes and then apply the black stuff - voila!  C'est magnefique! If you want even fuller, thicker ones, you can add a more volumizing mascara afterwards.  Just be sure not to lay it on so thick that it appears crusty.


Finally, we're getting there.  Towards makeup heaven where we embrace our maturity not a full out battle to hide anything.

It is much more pleasing to the eye capturing the essence of you that says "So what, I have a few miles on me, but I feel fantastic." 


Bring it on!  Smile.
You have taken no more than 10 minutes to look fresh, light along with the smarts and life momentos we call wrinkles.  

The finishing touch or piece de resistance is lipstick.  I'm envious of this look that the youthful gals can have.







Well we can't all be born with Angelina Jolie's plump lips, nor should we subject ourselves to the knife or needle or whatever it is that some use to inject to get a boost for a more youthful yet unnatural look.





I'm embarrassed for women who think that it is is better to falsely improvise than to take what you've been given and make the most of it.




I don't know if it is age or skin type or what, but I can't wear faint lipstick and I can't seem to go without a lip liner to seal my lipstick.  Fair shades tend to fade or a plain waste of money.


I've been a loyal fan of Rimmel lipstick since forever.  Mostly because they seem to moisturize while adding color for me.  I don't like the pencil lip liners that are so sharp and contrast significantly, contradicting the hardly trying scenario I've tried to recreate.

I do like the new pencil crayon lipliners/sticks in one.  They can be applied all over with a lighter glossier lipstick in the middle for sheen.  They are a brilliant idea and it is no wonder they are so popular.

I don't have the fullest lips, but they're not thin either.  Colorblur LIPSTUDIO by Maybelline is a wonder find for mature lips that tend to bleed.  Keeping the outline natural and easily filled in for that polished professional appearance.  




Bordeaux luscious for winter.  I use Mabelline's COLORblur as an outline for Rimmel's 124.   Lipstick contained by  thicker than average liner filled in with creamy lipstick.  Heavenly.


There you have it.  Some of my basics and favorites all rolled into one.  The secret being not trying too hard.

Let me know if it takes you longer than 10 minutes.  I would be interested in knowing what took you so long!




p.s. if you are a major brand and want to contribute to this blog, that is great. However, my reviews and recommendations will never be influenced by monetary gain.


The color for winter 2015-16:  bordeaux lips.