Month: May 2024

Erin Lichy’s Pinstriped Pants / Real Housewives of New York Instagram Fashion May 2024

Erin Lichy shared some gorgeous rooftop photos oh her in a chic pinstriped pant suit. And she also paired that with a nice inspirational quote.  Which I totally agree with, you should defintely take risks without fear. And one of those “risks” should be recreating this look, obvi. 

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

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Photo + Info: @erindanalichy

Originally posted at: Erin Lichy’s Pinstriped Pants

Have you ever considered doing something that sounded fun or interesting, but it just made you feel too anxious and full of fear?

This is part 3 of a three-article series about common ways we hold ourselves back from living the life we truly desire. The first article discussed how easy it is to find ways to talk ourselves out of making life changes that will move us toward fulfillment.

The second article explored the role of “busyness” in keeping us stuck when we truly desire something different.

Finally, we will normalize the fears that may arise when we decide to make a change in the comfortable status quo of our daily lives.

What Are You Anxious About?

When we want to try something new or make a change in our life, it is perfectly normal to feel apprehension, fear, or nervousness. These are simply other words to describe feeling anxious. Look back on your life and the transitions you have experienced such as leaving the home where you grew up, learning to drive, or starting a new job. How did you feel? You got over feeling apprehension and the change in your life became normal, right?

Just because we are over 60 does not mean that we don’t continue to change and grow… and the feelings commonly associated with transitions are still perfectly normal rather than reasons to not move forward.

Check your thoughts right now. Are you thinking that you are happy just as everything is; don’t rock the boat? Are you thinking that it takes too much energy to try something new ‘at your age’? Remember that many of our assumptions about what is possible at 60, 70, and beyond arise from the media messaging around us. It is way more fun to rebel and allow yourself to blaze your own path through the years of older adulthood.

I was very nervous the first time I met with a Dragon Boat team to see if I liked paddling. In fact, I almost didn’t go. Now, paddling is one of the best parts of my life! I was apprehensive about traveling alone for the first time. I learned a lot about myself and that alone didn’t mean lonely. What have you done despite feeling some anxiousness? Was it worth it?

Name one thing you can do that gives you butterflies. Doesn’t it feel enlivening? Of course, be wise about it. I would not try to learn to ski jump with the state of my bones.

Fear of Change

Some life transitions are related to changing how we live life, such as getting married or divorced. Other examples are starting a business or selling one; moving to a new location is another. The sense that life may spin out of control is a common response when navigating this type of transition. This is a little different than feeling anxious.

Think about what it might feel like to hike in an area you don’t know and discover you are lost. You don’t know how to get back to where you started. Your stress levels rise to the ‘flight or fight” levels. When you make a major life transition, you may fear the potential of being lost.

If you listen, you know you have a sense of direction. You can use cues and your intuition to guide your way forward. Begin by talking back to the fearful thoughts. They are not the truth. You will know your next step; you will know what you need.

Think about “fear of success.” What if life is deeply transformed due to retiring, moving, having a successful business, or living on your own? You are stepping into the transition and creating a transformed life. Will you lose yourself and what matters? Will you be overwhelmed? Probably not.

Less than two years ago, when I got married and moved from my home of 20 years, it was like I held my breath for several months. I had to keep my heart and mind focused on my “why.” I was determined to live life with a loving partner, and I had met him. What would it be like to share a home and decision-making with someone? Would I lose my identity by being a wife? So far, I have been thoughtful about what I need to remain balanced and happy.

It is important to remember why you are making a change in your life. Maybe you are very dissatisfied with your current situation and have finally decided to do something about it. Maybe you sense the potential for more happiness and fulfillment if you make a change. The trick is to listen to yourself, trust yourself, and know how to set boundaries.

Find Your Support

Having the support of friends, guides, and your own inner wisdom are key to smoothing the waters of change. When you talk about your fears, they lose their power. Talk with supportive friends about the change you are making and what you are afraid of. It is normal and okay. Read books by others who are knowledgeable about the change you are undertaking. Find a coach or counselor if you would benefit from extra support.

Most important, stay in touch with your own inner knowing. Visit yourself every day. Celebrate your bravery and give those fears a hug. Tell them it will be just fine.

As older adults, we continue to live full lives, grow, and navigate life’s transitions. The fears you may feel are a normal part of living, so put them in their place! Remember that among the things people most regret at the end of life include not taking more risks and living their dreams. What does that mean for you? What, at age 90, do you want to look back on as you lived your 60’s and 70’s?

Now is the time. I’d love to hear your stories about life transitions, moving past fear, and embracing life by fully living the one you are here for.

All of Ardith’s articles can be found at Becoming You After 60.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

I’d love to hear which of the three ways you have noticed in yourself when hesitating to be and do what you desire. Do you find ways to talk yourself out of it? For example, you are “too old”, or it is “too hard?” Do you find yourself too busy to focus on what, in your heart, you know really matters to you? Or, do you start to feel overwhelmed and anxious, so avoid taking steps in the direction you want? How have you overcome your hesitation and moved forward?

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Originally posted at: Margaret Josephs’ Blue Tie Dye Shirt

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Originally posted at: Rachel Fuda’s Travel Steamer

It can be challenging to buy a gift for your senior family members or friends who have visual impairment. You want gifts to be useful and make your loved one’s life easier.

This list contains 8 useful products and devices that would make great gifts for visually impaired individuals.

1. MagniPros 3X Page Magnifier

This ultra-bright page magnifier with 24 anti-glare dimmable LEDs is one of the best gifts for visually impaired individuals. It is ideal for seniors with weak hands as it is ultra-light.

Other features include:

Reduces Eye Strain

It provides an evenly lit viewing area and adequate magnification with 24 SMD LED lights, covered with an anti-glare reflector.

Dimmable SMD LEDs

You can control the brightness with a dimmable switch. The lights are designed to last 100,000+ hours. It has 3 lighting modes (cold, warm, and mixed).

Minimal Arm Fatigue

The unit only weighs 4 ounces which is ultra-lightweight when compared with other magnifiers. Easy to hold and ideal for long reading sessions.

This magnifier has a good lens area and great lighting for reading. It is a great tool for book lovers with visual impairment as it is perfect for reading a book page when you hold it vertically.

2. Magnifying Glasses

Magnifying glasses with dual LEDs are ideal for visually impaired individuals who do not want to hold a magnifier.

Seniors can use Zoom Vision’s glasses just like regular glasses to read newspapers and books or even thread a needle.

The features include:

Comfortable

It comes with a soft silicone nose pad that does not slip and sits comfortably on the nose.

Use with Regular Glasses

Zoom vision glasses can be worn over regular reading glasses and contact lenses.

Great Gift Packing

The set comes with i) zoom vision glasses with LED lights ii) zoom vision classic iii) a pair of aviator sunglasses iv) 2 carrying pouches and batteries.

Multiple products in one package make great gifts for individuals who prefer glasses over holding a magnifier in their hand.

3. Cirbic Talking Watch

Talking watches are ideal gifts for visually impaired seniors. This watch by Cirbic brings many useful features for blind and low-vision users.

Works Out of the Box

It comes with pre-installed batteries and is ready to use, out of the box.

Loud Voice

Announces time and date in a loud North American voice. One tap on the button gives time in a clear voice, tap again for the day and date announcements

Easy to Set

One-button setup with easy-to-follow audio instructions to set time, date, and alarm.

This watch has excellent user feedback, ratings, and reviews from the senior community.

4. American Lifetime Clock

This clock comes with a large display of time, date, and day of the week. An easy user interface with clear time in big numbers makes this clock a useful gift for older adults.

Other features include:

Alarms and Reminders

The clock comes with multi-function alarms (up to 5 times a day) with the option to set a reminder to take medications on time.

Absolute Clarity

The 8-inch high resolution display clearly spells out time, day of the week, month and date in clear letters with no confusing abbreviations.

This clock is a nice gift for seniors with vision impairment and dementia issues. The users report the best experience using it for their medication reminder and keep track of the time.

5. Brightech LightView Floor Lamp

This product combines a floor lamp and magnifier making one of the best gifts for visually impaired adults and seniors. It is very easy to move around because of the flexible gooseneck and older adults can use it for several different purposes.

Flexible Gooseneck Bend

The flexible 17-inch gooseneck bend points the magnifier and lights where you need it. Both hands are free to read a book. The glass lens can be adjusted up and down and in all other directions.

Multiple Uses

Seniors can use this lamp for multiple purposes, to work at any angle. It is suitable for repairing electronics, painting, jewelry, puzzles, and more

Quality Lens and LEDs

The lens is genuine diopter glass, better than acrylic/plastic lens. It is heat-resistant and scratch-resistant. The 9W, 540 lumens LEDs provide uniform light.

This lamp is highly praised by seniors with vision impairment as they love to move its flexible neck around easily, without moving the base stand.

6. Big Button Corded Phone

This simple classic design by Home Intuition is very popular among older adults with vision impairment.

Its key features include:

Simple Design

The phone design is what seniors had growing up with large easy-to-see numbers. It has a dedicated button to call 911.

Hearing Impaired Support

The phone handset comes with a receiver volume control switch that complies with FCC requirements. It has a loud voice to support hearing-impaired seniors

Easy to Use

The telephone comes with a 9-foot chord to give you a wide range of movement. It comes ready to use out of the box. It is equipped with a bell ringer so you do not miss any calls.

Large buttons support visually impaired seniors and loud voice support for the hearing impaired make it an ideal gift for elderly loved ones.

7. Flipper Big Button Universal Remote

Older adults with vision impairment have problems using TV remotes with too many small buttons. You can gift them an easy-to-use universal TV remote with big buttons.

The flipper remote is a senior-friendly remote with big buttons that perform 3 important functions: on/off buttons, channel up and down buttons, and volume up and down buttons. The remote eliminates all unnecessary buttons that seniors do not use.

• Flipper is the best-selling big-button remote 
• The remote has multiple uses. You can use it for TV and cable, satellite, or a DTV box.
• You can customize up to 25 favorite channels to access them without going through all other channels that you do not watch.

This universal remote has large size minimum buttons that make it easy for the elderly to change channel or volume without looking at the remote.

8. Amazon Echo Show

[image ‘Amazon Echo Show’ here]

Alexa devices such as the Amazon Echo Show make great gifts for visually impaired seniors. Amazon released an advert showing how Amazon Echo can make life easier for visually impaired individuals.

Some of the things low-vision seniors can do with Amazon Echo include:

• Find out the date and time, just by asking Alexa
• Setting alarms and reminders
• Getting weather updates
• Making To Do lists
• Getting the latest news
• Controlling lights, heating, and more
• Finding cooking recipes
• Setting timers
• Listening to the radio, podcasts, and more
• Audio and video calls to loved ones

The possibilities are endless for low-vision elderly to make their lives easier by having an Alexa device. They can play voice-controlled games such as puzzles, trivia, and more on Alexa devices.

Alexa can help keep visually impaired users entertained, informed, and updated and is a helpful device for dementia patients.

Buyer’s Guide: 5 Tips to Pick The Perfect Gift for Visually Impaired Seniors

Useful Product

The most important thing is to choose a gift for your loved ones that is both useful and wanted by them.

Gift Item That Solves a Problem

You can talk to your elderly parents or older adults about their struggle and find a product that solves those problems for them. All of the above products solve a problem

Know What They Already Have

It can help to know what products they already have and use. You can gift them a better and newer version of those products or buy them something they do not already have.

A Gift That Is Easy to Use

Buy something for your elderly parents that is easy to use for low-vision individuals. Amazon Echo Show is a great example that works on voice commands and brings the visually impaired all the updates, information, and entertainment without any visual input.

Know Their Interests

Big button remote makes a good gift for the elderly who like watching TV in their free time and magnifiers are great tools for book and newspaper readers. Know your loved one’s interest to see what suits them best.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What do you think makes a good gift for a person with visual impairment? Have you bought something appropriate for a loved one? Have you received such a gift yourself?