Month: February 2024

If you’re in search of thoughtful Valentine’s Day gifts for the wonderful women in your life who are over 50, you’ve landed on the right page. We’ve put together a tailored list catering to these remarkable ladies who have crossed the 50-year mark. The gifts suggested are carefully chosen to be not only unique but also timeless, reflecting the depth of character and experience these women bring to the table.

Here are our top Valentine’s Day gift suggestions for Women over 50:

1. Victoria’s Secret Gift Card – A Victoria’s Secret gift card is a thoughtful and flexible way for her to choose items that celebrate her unique style and beauty. It’s a personalized invitation to curate her wardrobe with comfort and confidence.
2. MasterClass Subscription – A MasterClass subscription provides access to a diverse range of expert-taught classes, allowing her to learn at her own pace from home, making it a valuable and enriching gift for continuous learning.
3. Sterling Silver Rose Heart Initial Letter Pendant – The elegant chain and pendant, featuring a sophisticated initial letter embellished with high-quality 5A Cubic Zirconia, exude timeless elegance.
4. Songfinch – Songfinch turns personal details about your special someone into a unique and heartfelt song crafted by professional musicians and songwriters, offering a creative way to express emotions through a personalized musical gift.
5. Ballerina Herbal Warming Slippers – Designed for relaxation, not walking, these incredibly comfortable slippers have lavender-filled insoles. Warm them in the winter for a soothing lavender aroma, or chill them in the summer for a refreshing, cool treat for the feet.
6. Le Creuset Cast Iron Heart Shaped Casserole – Made with love, this heart-shaped cast iron piece is an ideal Valentine’s Day gift, standing out in both charm and functionality. Constructed for even heating and prolonged warmth, it’s perfect for various dishes, featuring a lovely heat-resistant heart-shaped knob as the finishing touch.
7. You’re Awesome Ring Dish – A practical and space-saving trinket dish, perfect for safeguarding rings, earrings, bracelets, and cherished items, eliminating the worry of misplacing her favorite jewelry. Every glance at it serves as a reminder of your love and admiration for her.
8. Inspirational Morse Code Bracelets – This Morse Code bracelet keeps its message secret. The 7-inch bracelet, extendable to 8.5 inches, made of durable 316L stainless steel, is comfortable and won’t fade, tarnish, or cause skin reactions.
9. Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Bracelet – This stylish aromatherapy set in a flower-painted gift box is perfect for women over 50 who enjoy aromatherapy. It includes a beautifully crafted diffuser bracelet with a retro look. The set features four 10ml essential oil bottles (Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Orange, and Peppermint).
10. Anne Klein Bangle Watch and Bracelet Set – Circular watch with a sleek black glossy dial, gold-tone hands, and stick markers. The set includes a chain bracelet, an enamel inlay bangle, and a bangle with 36 premium crystals.

This Valentine’s Day, let’s go beyond the ordinary and make it truly unforgettable for these remarkable women who have added so much value to our lives. Let’s go beyond chocolates and flowers!

History of Valentine’s Day

The history of Valentine’s Day is shrouded in legend and has evolved over centuries. The most widely accepted origin is associated with a Christian martyr named St. Valentine, but there is some uncertainty about which St. Valentine the day is named after.

One popular legend suggests that during the Roman Empire, Emperor Claudius II prohibited young men from marrying, believing that single men made better soldiers. St. Valentine, a priest, defied this decree and continued to perform marriages for young couples in secret. When his actions were discovered, he was imprisoned and, according to some accounts, executed on February 14th.

Another version of the story suggests that St. Valentine might have been a sympathetic figure who helped Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. Some legends propose that he sent the first “valentine” greeting himself when he fell in love with a young girl, possibly the jailer’s daughter, and signed his note “From your Valentine.”

While the details of St. Valentine’s are unclear, the association of February 14th with love and romance gained traction in the Middle Ages. By the 18th century, exchanging handwritten notes and tokens of affection on Valentine’s Day had become a common tradition in England. The practice spread to the United States in the 19th century, and the commercialization of the holiday grew over time, evolving into the celebration of love and affection we recognize today.

How to Choose a Valentine’s Day Gift for Women Over 50

Selecting a Valentine’s Day gift for a woman over 50 involves considering her preferences, interests, and lifestyle. Here are some thoughtful tips to guide you:

Personalized Touch

Opt for personalized gifts that reflect her individuality. This could include custom jewelry, monogrammed items, or something tailored to her hobbies and passions.

Experiences

Consider gifting experiences rather than physical items. This could be a spa day, a weekend getaway, tickets to a show, or a cooking class. Experiences create lasting memories and can be particularly meaningful.

Fine Jewelry

Elegant and timeless jewelry pieces, such as a classic necklace, bracelet, or pair of earrings, can make for a sophisticated gift. Choose pieces that align with her style and preferences.

Subscription Services

Subscribe her to a service that caters to her interests, whether it’s a monthly book club, a gourmet food box, or a streaming service for her favorite shows and movies.

Wellness and Relaxation

Gifts that promote relaxation and well-being are often appreciated. This could include a spa set, a massage gift certificate, or items like scented candles, essential oils, or a cozy blanket.

Fashion Accessories

Elegant accessories like a stylish handbag, a high-quality scarf, or a pair of sunglasses can add a touch of sophistication to her wardrobe.

Memory Lane

Create a nostalgic gift by compiling photos and memories in a scrapbook or photo album. This personalized touch can be a heartwarming and sentimental present.

Fine Dining

Treat her to a gourmet dinner at a high-end restaurant or organize a special home-cooked meal with her favorite dishes.

Remember, the most meaningful gifts are those that show thoughtfulness and consideration for her personality and interests. Tailor your gift to reflect her uniqueness and celebrate your connection.

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Women Over 50

Victoria’s Secret Gift Card

A Victoria’s Secret gift card is a thoughtful and flexible way to empower her to choose items that celebrate her unique style and beauty. From delicate lace to vibrant colors, this gift allows her the freedom to pick pieces that bring both comfort and confidence. It’s a personalized invitation for her to curate her wardrobe with items that resonate with her individuality.

MasterClass Subscription

A MasterClass subscription is like having a key to a treasure trove of learning and inspiration. It’s an online platform that grants you access to classes taught by experts in various fields, ranging from writing and cooking to photography and music.

With a MasterClass subscription, she can learn at her own pace from the comfort of her home, gaining insights and knowledge directly from accomplished professionals. It’s an excellent way to expand her skills and knowledge in areas she’s passionate about, making it a valuable and enriching gift for those eager to pursue continuous learning.

Sterling Silver Rose Heart Initial Letter Pendant

This distinctive heart-shaped rose design is a timeless symbol of eternal love. Whenever she wears this necklace, it serves as a beautiful reminder of your love and shared moments of joy.

Crafted from 925 Sterling Silver and plated with white gold, both the chain and pendant exude elegance. The pendant features an initial letter adorned with high-quality 5A Cubic Zirconia, adding a touch of sophistication.

Songfinch

Songfinch lets you share personal details about your special someone, and then their team of professional musicians and songwriters creates a unique and personalized song based on those details. Whether it’s a love story or a celebration, the resulting song captures the essence of the person, turning it into a heartfelt and memorable musical gift. It’s a simple and creative way to express emotions through a personalized song.

Ballerina Herbal Warming Slippers

Designed for relaxation, not for strolling, these are not just incredibly soft and comfortable; their removable insoles are filled with fragrant lavender buds and thermally conductive flax seeds. In the winter, warm up the insoles in the microwave, enjoy the soothing warmth on your toes, and breathe in the enhanced lavender aroma. In the summer, chill them in the freezer for a refreshing and relieving cool treat for your feet.

Le Creuset Cast Iron Heart Shaped Casserole

Made with love, this iconic piece makes an ideal Valentine’s Day gift. Its charming heart shape sets it apart from the rest of the cast iron collection, yet it maintains the same level of functionality.

Constructed from cast iron, it ensures even heating for delicious flavors and keeps your food warmer for an extended time when presented at the table. Perfect for preparing stews, roasts, soups, casseroles, and baking heart-shaped cakes. Adding the final touch is a lovely heat-resistant heart-shaped knob.

Past Present Future Necklace

Beth Lawrence, a skilled jewelry artist, beautifully encapsulates the journey of time in her exquisite necklace. Featuring three interlocking circles, the piece tells a story: an oxidized ring, subdued and weathered, signifies the past; a sterling silver ring, adorned with a band of silver wire, captures the essence of the present; and a gleaming gold-filled ring symbolizes the future.

Secured by a subtle 18-inch silver chain, this necklace is more than a stylish accessory; it serves as a gentle reminder to cherish each moment. The package includes a card that eloquently explains the symbolic significance of the necklace.

You’re Awesome Ring Dish

A practical and space-saving trinket dish, perfect for keeping rings, earrings, bracelets, or other cherished items safe and easily accessible. No more worrying about misplacing her favorite jewelry.

Every time she will look at it she will be reminded of your love and admiration for her.

Inspirational Morse Code Bracelets

This special bracelet is designed in Morse Code, keeping its message a secret unless you share it or someone understands military code. It’s discreet, stylish, and suitable for everyone. Each bracelet is unique to the person wearing it.

The Morse code chain bracelet is 7 inches long with a 1.5-inch chain extender, fitting most wrists (around 7”-8.5”). Made of durable 316L stainless steel, the bracelet is comfortable and won’t fade, tarnish, or cause skin reactions.

My Life Story – So Far

Capture the essence of her life’s journey with the Life Story Book. Filled with inspiring prompts, it transforms the task of sharing memories, friendships, and gained wisdom into a joyful experience.

The sewn, clothbound journal isn’t just a place to record her story; it becomes an instant family treasure, a tangible testament to the richness of your experiences. As you fill its pages, you contribute to a legacy that ties family members together through shared stories and cherished moments.

Sterling Silver Necklace

Express your eternal love with this romantically engraved necklace. Ideal for wives, girlfriends, moms, grandmas, daughters, and more, this necklace is a perfect gift that symbolizes selfless and enduring love. Order it with her birthstone gem for a personalized Valentine’s gift.

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Bracelet

This set, presented in a stylish flower-painted gift box, is a perfect gift for women Over 50 who enjoy aromatherapy. It includes a beautifully crafted diffuser bracelet and pure natural essential oils.

The aromatherapy bracelet is designed to loop twice around her wrist, and its dial features circular carvings for a retro and elegant look. She simply has to add a few drops of oil to enjoy a charming scent in her daily life.

The set includes four bottles of 10ml essential oils (Tea Tree, Lemongrass, Orange, and Peppermint), a black diffuser bracelet, and eight felt pads.

Anne Klein Bangle Watch and Bracelet Set

Circular watch showcasing a sleek black glossy dial with gold-tone hands and stick markers. The set comprises a chain bracelet, an enamel inlay bangle, and a bangle adorned with 36 premium crystals. The 32mm alloy case houses a mineral dial window, powered by Japanese quartz movement for analog display.

Aromatherapy Shower Steamers

The Aromatherapy Shower Steamers, infused with Natural Lavender, Eucalyptus, Citrus, and Peppermint Essential Oils, offer a perfect start or end to her day.

Lavender creates a serene atmosphere, washing away stress; Eucalyptus and Peppermint blend for refreshing relief; Citrus options lift mood and reduce stress, filling her space with a fresh, invigorating aroma.

Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places

Take her on a visual journey with NatGeo as they guide her through the world’s most breathtaking destinations, sparking ideas for her next adventure. She will explore hundreds of awe-inspiring locales, both natural and man-made, captured by the lens of NatGeo’s renowned photographers.

Destinations of a Lifetime not only provides stunning visuals but also offers practical information like the best time to visit, dining options, accommodations, and must-do activities for an enriching and authentic travel experience.

Sephora Gift Card

Perfect gift for the makeup lover! Sephora offers a wide and varied array of high-end beauty products, available both online and across the 250 nationwide stores. Whether she’s a fan of classic brands such as Clinique, Bare Essentials, Dior, and Philosophy, or she’s seeking elusive brands like MAKE UP FOR EVER and Fresh, this gift card offers her convenient access to over 13,000 products from more than 200 brands.

Find more Valentine’s Day gift ideas from QVC here.

Hint hint… forward this article to your significant other and mention your favorites from the list.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you like giving or receiving Valentine’s Day gifts? What are your favorite items to receive? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Click Here to Shop Her Dress in the Pink Version

1st Photo: @crystalkungminkoff / 2nd Photo: @kylerichards18

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Floral Scalloped Dress

The journey to simplify my life has taken many detours over the past few years. After moving from London to Switzerland in July 2013, I put all my energy and passion into launching a new business, Sixty and Me. It has now grown into a community of over 600,000 women over 60 focused on well being, financial security and independence.

If you have been with us for the last 10+ years, you know we discuss the changes we encounter as we get older and share our shifting attitude to life, people, places and things. The need for prioritizing and finding meaning seems a common and constant theme for us all. In the Facebook community we share personal stories. Our YouTube Channel now has over 1500 videos. The conversations are on topics of interest to women who are aging beautifully and living with passion and purpose.

Letting Go

The content on the Sixty and Me website ranges from yoga to travel to health, beauty, retirement, grandparenting, fashion and inspiration. We talk about downsizing often – and the conversation often goes beyond things. As it should. Women in their 60s have accumulated a lot of everything in their lives – some that are in little boxes inside that are locked tight. Others that we are ready to let go.

So we talk about downsizing stuff, moving into smaller homes, letting toxic people go, letting a lot of emotion, experience and memories go. But we circle back to stuff, material possessions, and so I wrote this article that really summarizes how I see the process.

Learn to Simplify

My desire is to continue to learn to simplify my life and stay focused with a simplification mindset in everything I do. Whether it is travelling light, preparing simple meals, simplifying my surroundings or reducing the clutter in my mind.

This will be the place where we can learn to simplify our lives together. I am looking forward to the adventure!

Simplify Is a Verb

Learning to simplify is not a passive activity. It is about making decisions, taking action and using simplicity as a way to facilitate a lifestyle that is truthful and dynamic. It is not about saying no to things, but saying yes to life.

Simplicity drives action and uncovers meaning. It is a way of life, not a moment in time – an endless process of reducing and at the same time expanding and defining what is really, truly important in life.

So let’s get started.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What are you looking to simplify in your life? Have you started already? What did you start with? Have you found simplifying easy or difficult?

Have you been told you have fatty liver disease or are at risk for developing it? Research estimates that as many as 25% of the US population has this condition. That’s close to 100,000,000 people!

It may be asymptomatic in many, but having it is indicative of a high risk for symptom development as well as serving as a trigger for metabolic diseases such as Type II diabetes, kidney and heart problems.

It’s not unusual to give little thought to your liver until you receive a diagnosis of fatty liver disease. But once diagnosed, there is much you can still do to improve your health and to stop the progression of liver disease.

What Is the Liver?

Let’s start with getting to know our livers. The 3-pound liver is the largest solid organ in the body and is located beneath the rib cage in the right upper abdomen. It is a hard worker that acts like a cleansing agent in the body, removing toxins from the body’s blood supply.

It helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, regulates blood clotting, and performs hundreds of other vital functions including:

• Activating enzymes to aid a variety of bodily functions
• Converting nutrients to energy
• Producing bile to aid digestion
• Breaking down carbohydrates, fats and proteins
• Storing iron
• Synthesizing blood proteins and helping with blood clotting factors

Along with its ability to filter toxins, your liver can find, catch, and destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, and other germs that get into your body through food. It has immune receptors that eat germs and can launch a full-blown immune reaction when needed.

The liver has a relationship with the gall bladder. It secretes bile to the gall bladder to aid in the breakdown of fats. You can survive without the gall bladder but not without the liver.

Causes of Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease can be classified as a lifestyle disease. Contributing factors are poor food choices, obesity and lack of exercise. Causes of other types of liver disease may be medications, especially acetaminophen which accounts for at least one third of toxic liver disease, hepatitis, and chronic alcoholism.

Medical Approach to Fatty Liver Disease

Usually, the first line of treatment is to lose weight, as nearly everyone with a fatty liver is overweight. For those with fatty liver who are not overweight, the types of foods you eat or chronic medications may be the cause. In either case, starting with healthy eating works for everyone.

Weight loss helps reduce fat, inflammation, and scarring in your liver. Losing just 3% to 5% of your body weight can cut down on how much fat is in your liver. Along the way to healing your fatty liver, you will also lower your blood pressure by losing as little as 5% of your body weight.

Let’s do the math to give one example:

You have fatty liver disease, and you weigh 205 pounds at the time of diagnosis.

Then you lose 10.25 pounds, resulting in a weight of 194.75 pounds.

You have accomplished a 5% weight loss, a worthy goal for reducing fat in your liver.

Let’s say you repeat this process and start the calculation at 194.75 pounds.

You lose 9.74 more pounds, resulting in a weight of 185.01. That’s a 20-pound net loss, a great benefit to reducing the fat in your liver.

Taking weight loss in little bites can be much easier than starting off thinking you need to lose 20 pounds.

Your blood pressure will also reduce as you lose this weight.

But how can you painlessly lose weight? You may have tried many diets in the past, depriving yourself of food because your diet called for calorie counting rather than nutrient counting. It’s much easier to lose excess weight when you eat healthy because the nutrients in healthy food will satisfy you and give you wanted energy.

Foods for Weight Loss and Healing Your Liver

The famous quote by the Greek physician Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food” has stood the test of time.

The food choices you make play a vital role in the development of fatty liver disease. The best way you can regain control over your food is to buy and prepare the majority of what you eat.

As a chef in my nutrition training program commented years ago, “The diner has no idea of what we put in food to make it taste good. Oils, high fructose corn syrup, salt and refined sugar are standards.” The only way you know what you are consuming is to prepare and season your food yourself. The results will be worth the effort.

Here’s a list of what to avoid, and I’ll follow it with a list of foods to eat:

Avoid

Avoid fats from vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup, processed foods with multiple additives and chemicals, artificial sweeteners, refined sugar, poor quality supplements and over-the-counter medications unless prescribed. Remember also that chemicals you rub on your skin are absorbed into the body and can stress your liver.

Include

Include rich, organic whole foods, especially green vegetables. They are very friendly to the liver because of the astringent qualities of most greens. If you eat meat, poultry or seafood, choose meats with no added hormones or antibiotics; poultry with no antibiotics and choose wild caught seafood, especially wild salmon and cod. Extra virgin olive oil is also fine, as are organic brown rice, quinoa, barley and other whole grains, seeds and nuts.

Become a Label Reader

We can’t buy every item we use or consume unpackaged, so for those that come in a package, read the labels carefully. For food, limit the number of non-food ingredients (preservatives, artificial flavors, etc.) and choose items with few if any additives.

If you are new to cooking your own food, start gradually. Cut back on restaurant dining and take out slowly until you shift the balance to more home cooked meals. As you shift, you will notice how satisfying home cooking can be.

Experiment with spices and seasonings like turmeric, cumin, basil, thyme, ginger and cinnamon that are pure with no added salt to enhance the flavors of your food. Make garlic a part of your cooking. I have many recipes on my blog.

A diagnosis of fatty liver disease can be the trigger that propels you into making healthy changes in your lifestyle. The human body has great capacity for healing and with careful attention to positive changes you will notice the difference in how you feel and how you look.

If you have fatty liver disease and find these suggestions helpful, please share with us how you plan to improve your liver health.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you been diagnosed with liver disease? What symptoms of this disease are you experiencing? Are there foods you’ve decided to take off your diet and others you’ve had to introduce?

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor to get specific medical advice for your situation.

Click Here for Additional Stock

Photo: @drnicolemartin

Originally posted at: Nicole Martin’s Black Floral Dress