Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Great Dress....No Stress

My husband's niece is being married on May 10th and of course this requires a new dress. Since I started Lunar Radiance, I have not gotten nearly enough exercise. Consequently, I have put on a few pounds. This lack of exercise, combined with menopausal belly has left me less than excited about the prospects of shopping.

This time I decided to approach my shopping trip with a new point of view. Instead of conjuring up a ton of negative chatter in my head I decided to just accept that my body is where it is right now. Instead of limiting myself to my usual "black because it makes me look thinner" I was open to pattern and color. I asked my best baby boomer girlfriend, who I trust to give me an honest, yet encouraging opinion, to go with me......and presto.....I found the perfect dress for the occasion! It has color, pattern and even a belt!

Sometimes we are so hard on ourselves. We see all of our flaws and forget to play up the good stuff. I still have a decent pair of legs, so I opted for something that highlights them. It felt good to take this different approach and it was quite freeing.

Now don't get me wrong.....I know that I will feel better both physically and mentally when I shed my unwanted pounds, but that doesn't mean that I have to participate in the self loathing that many of us so often do.

Try being kind and accepting of yourselves ladies. Look for the beauty that you have, play up your many assets and push out those negative messages. Let's all dress with less stress!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Transitional Moments

Yesterday my daughter turned 18. My baby will soon graduate from high school and in a short 4 months will be off to college. How did this happen?

When talking about how to celebrate her birthday, I requested that we do something one last time....have a sleepover. When she was young, I used to dread those sleepovers. I was always daunted by the prospects of keeping a gaggle of young girls occupied. This year I wanted it. Initially, my daughter thought it was "corny" but when she ran it by her girlfriends they were all for it.

Last night and this morning I found myself surrounded my 4 amazing young women. They are all bright, focused and full of anticipation of the upcoming events of prom, graduation and college. Three are future science majors and one is an impending children's book illustrator. Every once and a while I would stick my head in an overhear snippets of conversations.....the regular girl stuff and said a quick "thank you" to the universe for blessing me with a daughter who has remained innocent and enjoyed her youth. Neither she nor her friends have been spoiled by ugliness. Their faces are fresh and optimistic.

I graduated from high school 22 years ago, and although it didn't seem it at the time, options were limited. The possibilites available to our daughters seem endless to me, and it thrills me to see them embracing them.

Those of you who visit my blog regularly know of the trepidation I am experiencing over my pending "empty nest." I really wanted this pajama party as much for myself as for my daughter. I knew she would have fun, but I wanted to have one more night to watch the look on her face as she opened gifts, laughed and enjoyed being carefree.

This time, I looked upon the sleepover as one more opportunity for each of us to create a memory as we both prepare to move on, just like we should be.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Looking for Hot Flashing Squirrel Lovers!

I was searching for a photo today for a project I was working on and came across a photographer who really does some pretty neat stuff. Her name is Teri Francis....her work is at the right and left.

What started out with her love for squirrels has turned out to be more than just a hobby; it has become a passion that has taken her beyond the world of her furry/feathered friends.

I contacted her to find out where I could purchase some of her work and we had a chance to chat. She, too, is a baby boomer.....soon to be 50....(ok now I outed her age, hope she doesn't mind) who has turned something she always enjoyed doing, into something that not only brings her joy, but some green too! She is a fascinating, creative and talented woman. I can't wait to have her do some work for my wicking sleepwear business!

I LOVE to hear about baby boomer women who are pursuing dreams and passions, and I just wanted to share!

To see more of her work (she has much more than just critters) look for Teri Francis at BigStockphoto.com or Dreamstime.com. Have a passion for squirrels, visit Squirrel Hugger.

If It Ain't Broke...Don't Fix It!

Ok....maybe it my age (the big 50 is just around the corner).....maybe it is because I am sentimental, or maybe change is just difficult, but sometimes I think that there are some things that just shouldn't be changed.

Last night, my husband and I paid a visit to the Ritz Carlton in Center City, Philadelphia. We periodically stop by there to have a drink in their small bar called "The Vault" or sometimes just enjoy coffee or tea in their beautiful lobby. This place is filled with sentiment for us. We went there on our first date and subsequently had our wedding reception there as well. We have fabulous memories.

On a regular evening, it was not uncommon to find large groups of people having cocktails, sitting around chatting or enjoying the spectacular Chocolate Bar on Friday evenings. There was always a bustling crowd. The food was great as was the service. Located in a stately, historic, old bank building it was the perfect combination of gracious ambiance of the past and modern day convenience.

Last night, as we entered through the grand doors were were faced with tall white partitions which were erected to hide the view of "renovations." The main lobby is closed, but we ascended the main staircase to have a peek over the barrier. My first reaction was "YUCK." For some reason a decision has been made to convert this once comfortable, traditional, grand old man into something more hip and contemporary. From there we went to "The Vault." In the past, you would never be able to get a seat on a Friday night. There was no problem last night. There were six people total.....two at the bar and four crowded around one the the five, small square tables that have been shoved into a room that once served as the vault to the old bank.

My husband and I talked about it this morning with a sense of melancholy. Must all "old" traditions make way for the modern and urban? Does this renovation actually symbolize a greater message: old and traditional must make way for younger and newer? Since when is the familiar and comfortable such a bad thing? Just because something is old, doesn't mean it is broken.

I know that I am not privy to the $$ bottom line of the large corporation that runs this hotel. Most likely there is a rational explanation for these changes, but on for me it was a huge disappointment. As I said earlier, maybe it is just this baby boomer's impending milestone birthday at the root of this post, but it it ain't broke...don't fix it.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Where Has Good Service Gone?

I decided yesterday that my printer wasn't as efficient as I needed it to be, so I went on the hunt for something new. My first stop was at one of the well known business supply stores. I perused for a bit, found two that met my needs and then had to search for someone to answer my questions. My first gripe.....I had to search for help.

When I asked the young man if I could see one of my choices in action, he politely informed me that the model I was interested in was new and that the store did not have one on display. When I asked if we could open one since the store would have to put one up for display anyway he told me in no uncertain terms, "No."

OK.....well let's look at model #2. I asked for a demo. I really wanted to check out the quality of the print. As it turned out, the ink in my second choice was low, so the printer spit out a basically blank piece of paper.

"It's out of ink," responded the young man. NO KIDDING! The two of us just stood there looking at each other. After I suggested he replace the cartridge, he begrudgingly agreed. This took about another 10 minutes.

Then I asked to see it do the two sided print that he box boasted. He couldn't get it to work. He literally scratched his head, pulled up a chair and repeated the same steps over and over to no avail. When I offered the idea of reading the directions, that was a bit of a problem because it meant we needed to open another box to get them and he informed me that he doesn't usually read directions! After about 20 minutes, my husband and I left.

On to super store number two. No luck here! Plenty of workers on the floor, but no one who really seemed too interested in selling any printers. My help came in the form of a young man, whose pants were so low on his hips that he had to periodically stop to pull them up. When I asked if he had the model I was looking for, his mumbled response was "Did you see it?" He then made a cursory effort to find what I wanted, walked up and down the aisle literally slamming the lids of various printers, then told me "Looks like you're out a luck." The end!

Store number three......here I was actually lucky enough to find a man in his early 50's who was an actual HP representative, visiting the store. He was knowledgeable and genuinely interested in selling a printer. Finally......success.....so I thought. After a demo that put my mind at ease, there were none in stock!

I started to think that maybe the universe was trying to send me the message that I wasn't supposed to buy a printer, but I really needed to get one. So....back to store one. I didn't see the young man who worked with me the first time. I think he was so disturbed my his first encounter with the printer earlier, he must of had to take an early lunch or maybe a nap!

My husband put the cumbersome box in our cart, I made my purchase and we were off. Needless to say, I was one frustrated baby boomer woman!
  • Why is good, friendly customer service so hard to find?
  • What has happened to people really trying to help their customers?
  • Why don't people who work at stores know their products?
  • Does anyone really care about customer service anymore?

If I ran my business this way, I wouldn't sell a single pair of pajamas!


Sunday, April 6, 2008

Making Your Way Through Financing College

Many baby boomers are in the middle of funding college educations for their children. Next year, I will have two children in college. My son will be a senior at a public college in Maryland and my daughter will be attending a private college in Pennsylvania.

For most of their lives I was a single parent. While I always made a decent living, there was not much left over to save generously for college. Their dad, for various reasons will not be contributing to their college tuitions, so I am solely responsible for funding. I have to admit, this has started to cause me some sleepless nights.

There seems to be quite a maze of options available for financing, and I thought I would share a bit of what I have learned and I am hoping that others will add to this information as well.

OK....so how can we get our kids through college? What are our options? What do we, as parents or guardians need to do?
  • Community College: These are two year schools which offer students a chance to take many of the basic liberal arts courses that are required in the first two years. Most of the time your student will live at home so this saves tons of money on dorms and meal plans. Tuition is very reasonable and if your student has done well academically in high school, they may even be able to have that tuition reduced. In New Jersey, the STARS program rewards students graduating in the top 20% of their class with free tuition! Many community colleges work closely with public 4 year colleges to make transferring after two years at community easy.
  • FAFSA: This must be completed if your student is planning on applying for scholarships or student loans. This is done EVERY Year! The sooner you can complete this the better. It is highly recommended that it be done by the end of January. You can use the previous year's tax return and then go back and update once you have your current tax return completed. Check with individual colleges for deadlines. It is a bit time consuming and initially seems overwhelming. This application can be done online, so click here for a direct link! Note: Your expected family contribution is based on the household in which the child resides. So if you are remarried, the step parent's income is considered even if they are not helping pay for tuition!
  • Scholarships: Private colleges and universities usually have a structure in place for awarding "free money" to students. Each school will have its own set of guidelines for these awards. So as you are looking at colleges take a close look at what your child needs to do to be eligible. Many times it is connected to class rank and SAT scores, so you need to be realistic. Think you have an athlete who will receive money for their talents? The NCAA has a boatload of rules and regulations for this too! Only Division One and Division Two schools can award athletic scholarships, but there are academic requirements. Click Here to find out more about the qualifiers and talk to your child's high school counselor! There are also a multitude of small, some quirky scholarships available, but you and your child will have to dig and read. FASTWEB is one such website where you can register for information and apply for independent scholarships.
  • Grants: These are need based awards. After you fill out the FAFSA and your expected family contribution is calculated your child may be eligible to receive a grant. This is money that does not have to be repaid.
  • Student Loans: The Stafford Loan is available for students to take. Repayment does not begin until after graduation. Again the FAFSA must be completed and your child needs to apply through his/her college. This can all be done online and colleges are usually good about helping you through the process. Click Here to find out how much your student can borrow each year and for more information on the Stafford.
  • Parent Loans: PLUS-Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students. These are low-cost education loans for parents at a fixed interest rate (currently 8.5%) Repayment starts shortly after disbursement and requires a credit check. There is also an "origination fee." You can do this through your selected college.
  • Monthly Payment Plans: Some colleges will offer interest free installment plans. My daughter's college will allow me to decide how much of her tuition I would like to pay over a ten month period and deduct this from my account monthly.

These are just some of the options available that I have found. Believe me, I am learning as I go and by no means claim to be an expert. Use the financial aid office at your college to help you with all of this, and read as much as you can to help yourself become familiar. If any of you have helpful information or tips that you have found, please share!!!