The Savvy Boomer

You know why they are called the "good old days?"

Because everyone was stoned.  Check out these products available in the late 1800's early 1900's.

That Cappuccino may help your memory

It's nice to see a study about that finds something good about coffee.  BBC reports that a University of Florida study showed that drinking 5 cups a day could reverse memory problems found in Alzheimer patients.  The test was done on mice but anything that says coffee is good is fine by me.

In case you were wondering about what's in all those posh coffees that you order, below is a chart from Lokesh Dakar that will help you figure out a few of the more popular ones.

Stylish reading sunglasses for boomers

Most of my sunglasses are prescription and now virtually useless because for some reason as I have aged, my eyesight has improved to the point that I now only need glasses for reading.  Regular sunglasses don't help so I have been on a search for reading sunglasses and I have found the answer from the Read In Style online reading glasses site.

I really like these polarized, stylish sunglasses by Scojo because they are bifocal so I can also use them as regular sunglasses, not just reading.  They are very comfortable and while they cost a little more than sunglasses on other sites, I think they are worth it since they are durable and well designed. 

The site seems to carry higher end products with several designer frames, most less than $100 and a couple even under $10.

Where you can pee in Canada

I recently read that public urination in Vancouver can bring you a $100+ fine if you are caught by a bylaw officer and apparently it is frequently enforced.  Since summer is here, I ride my bike as much as possible and being a boomer, pit stops are a necessity, but of course there is always the question of where to go. 

The Powder Room not only rates public washrooms across Canada but also gives you a wealth of information you may have never considered about -well, pee and peeing.  I don't know what else I can tell you except to check it out.

Canadian website for swine flu

The Public Health Agency of Canada has a website to keep Canadians informed.  As of this morning, there were 6 known cases in Canada.  Click on the graphic.

Fashion Reading Glasses for Savvy Boomers

We've discussed reading glasses a few times on this site over the past couple of years so when I was approached by Fashion Reading Glasses to review their products, I thought it would be more of the same.  However, I was pleasantly surprised not only by their fun and trendy styling, but also their incredibly low pricing.

Just because our older eyes require some assistance to read all the small print, doesn't mean that we have to wear nondescript glasses.  Take a look at the  pictures below (the polka dots are my personal favorites) and you'll see why I think these glasses are great value-most of them around $15.  I gave a couple of pairs to boomer friends who had much the same reaction-both had been using glasses they paid close to $50 for and had zero styling so of course, they were thrilled with these.

Here's the best part.  Order 2 pairs from the Fashion Reading Glasses website and if you mention this post in the comments section of the order, you'll get a 3rd pair free.  In other words, about $30 for 3 pairs of fashionable reading glasses or the same price that you'll pay for 1 old fashioned pair from your drugstore.  A nice touch is they have matching cases.

Also, for our Canadian readers, they are Canuck-friendly with not only Canadian pricing but also no worries about clearing Canadian customs as they also ship from Canada.

How long should you keep food?

Notwithstanding the fact that most restaurants in my area seemed to be packed every night, I think a lot of people are eating more at home to save money.  The problem is trying to make sure that you eat what you buy before it goes off, or if you freeze food whether it be fresh or leftovers, knowing how long it will keep before you should eat it.  Note that freezing food means that it will never be unsafe to eat after thawing, but all food will deteriorate in quality if left too long in the freezer.

Of course the internet being as far reaching as it is now, has a site called Still Tasty that gives you all the info you need to know about this subject, plus a lot of other information on storing and serving food.

Reading glasses-a boomer's best friend

There are several products that lend themselves to buying on the internet and I think reading glasses is one of them.  With 2 pair of boomer eyes in the house, reading glasses are as much of a necessity here as a phone and now that they can be purchased inexpensively, having a few pairs just makes sense.  Like a portable phone, reading glasses tend to end up being located in the last place you used them, but unlike a telephone that will ring to let you know where it is, reading glasses tend to get misplaced regularly.  (Or am I just getting more forgetful?)  I refuse to wear them on a chain around my neck so I've found that having a few pair lying around in convenient spots is the way to go.

We now have no less than 8 pair in the house, after receiving an order of 2 more regular pair from Reading Glasses Shopper.  We also ordered 2 pair of reading sunglasses so that we don't have to wear a pair of sunglasses over top of reading glasses.  They arrived within a few days even though they had to pass through Canadian customs so shipping to their U.S. customers (free for orders over $30) will be even faster.

The best part is that the last 4 pair are not only more stylish (see pictures) than the 4 we previously purchased, but their cost is less than 1/2 of the first 4 pair.  They seem to be better constructed and clearer as well.  If they break, get lost or if when we need stronger power, we'll just order more.  4 pair for well under $100 is a great price.  Take a look at their website which is easy to navigate and even shows you the glasses in the color you choose when you click on the various colors available for each pair of glasses. 

Accept it.  Boomer reading glasses are just a fact of life so you may as well look good wearing them.