Kenya Moore’s Pink Satin Top

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 13 Episode 16 Fashion

While some people may be questioning her definition of “girl code” as we get deeper into this season of Real Housewives of Atlanta, I don’t think many people question Kenya Moore’s fashion sense. Especially if she keeps wearing super fab pieces like her pink satin off the shoulder top. And while the pink versions seems to have up and left us like Porsha, I highly suggest stealing this style in another color for Spring.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Michelle Mason Top Sold Out at Intermix / Click here to Shop it in Black

Originally posted at: Kenya Moore’s Pink Satin Top

For most of my life I’ve been unemployable. That doesn’t mean I haven’t had jobs. I was a college language teacher for many years. That led to an opportunity to write textbooks – and I found that I loved the creativity of writing.

I then went freelance and got contracts to write training programs for corporations.

All the while, my passion for health tugged at me. I read books on organic food and supplements, and spent hours every week at my local health food store, searching for the secrets to longevity.

I didn’t connect my passion to my work until I got a business coach who pointed out the obvious. My perfect writing market was sitting right under my nose – or rather, in my kitchen.

Online research revealed that natural products, supplements and organic foods had blossomed into a colossal industry, with trade shows drawing 60,000 industry people several times a year. Suddenly I had a focus for my business, and my life changed dramatically.

So how can this help you? It’s simple: If you have a passion for health, and enjoy writing, you have many opportunities to make a living writing about what you love.

How to Make Money in Retirement, While Helping to Make the World Healthier

Millions of baby boomers, just like us, are retired or close to retirement. We want to stay slim or lose weight, have energy, and live without disease or disability. We realize that conventional medicine doesn’t always hold all the answers, especially for chronic disease, so we are turning to supplements and natural products to stay healthy.

Because of our keen interest in health, companies see opportunities and the natural products industry is growing exponentially.

Every supplement, natural skin care product, and organic packaged food has to be marketed and sold. This means that manufacturers need people to write their sales copy (copywriters) for their websites, e-books, and packaging. This creates an ever-growing demand for copywriters who specialize in natural products.

The good news is that you don’t need to be Margaret Atwood to write sales copy. Even if you have never written professionally, you can develop copywriting skills by buying several excellent yet inexpensive copywriting books, or by taking a course.

Copywriting is an ideal way to earn money at any stage of your life. You can travel and write from a laptop, or have all the conveniences of your home. You save money and time because you don’t have to commute to an office, deal with demanding bosses or cranky co-workers, or buy business clothes. You work when and where you want to, and can take time out to pursue other interests at your convenience.

Along the way, you fulfill your passion by continually learning how to keep yourself healthy. Many of my clients are health experts such as scientists or alternative care doctors. From them I learn about new supplements, and often get free samples of their products.

If you have a keen interest in health, wellness or fitness, and you enjoy writing, copywriting for the natural products and alternative health industry can be incredibly satisfying and motivating, while keeping you healthy.

That’s a recipe for longevity if I ever found one!

Have you considered a copywriting post-retirement career? What topics would you like to write about? If this particular job is not right for you, have you looked at other options? Please share with the community!

Drew Sidora’s Reading Glasses

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 13 Episode 16 Fashion

Every time a pair of reading glasses appears on any of the Real Housewives I look for them, because I know I am going to get a request on them. And since I don’t wear them myself it can definitely be a challenge. That’s why I was super happy that Drew Sidora’s reading glasses had a very familiar pattern on the side. So even if she’s giving Cynthia Bailey “Auntie”, she’s definitely giving those of you in search of glasses options.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Burberry Glasses

Click Here to Shop them in Black

Originally posted at: Drew Sidora’s Reading Glasses

Family disputes over elderly parents are more common when multiple children are involved. Siblings may be wondering how to protect the money of elderly parents from a financially dependent brother or sister.

Relationship tensions may escalate if an adult child living with parents becomes overbearing or controlling. One sibling may be taking on the load and not receiving help. How do you juggle these responsibilities and tensions?

The Issues

There are potentially two kinds of situations that develop. Assistance with care and the potential abuse of loved ones by a sibling.

A sibling may say they have no time to help. There is an insinuation that the primary caregiver has all the time in the world. Primary care providers (mostly women but a growing number of men) often have to quit jobs or face obstacles from their employer. We have covered many times the issue of caring for the caregiver as many caregivers put themselves and their wellbeing last.

Siblings may say they can’t afford to help. There is validity there. Family caregivers are usually not paid. This affects their current and future financial state. If you are not paying into Social Security (U.S.) then your retirement may be underfunded.

Another “excuse” is not being able to bear seeing mom and dad in that condition. Well, they have probably seen you in dire straits at some point and were likely there to help.

Often you end up with one sibling stepping up. But is it the right one? When one caregiver lives with a loved one or is close by, there is potential for abuse – physical and financial.

How to Ask for Help

• Be direct with your requests to your siblings. Implied requests or subtle hints are not sufficient for siblings to realize that they should step up. If they have never cared for an older person, it may be hard to understand and anticipate a caregiver’s or senior’s needs.
• Sit down and create a list of realistic tasks. Divvy up responsibilities according to each person’s strengths. Let them choose what they want to tackle.
• Keep everyone in the loop. There are now websites that let family members collect all the information in one place. Convene regular family conferences.
• If you are being ignored, you have to move on and seek out other sources of help.
• Most importantly, find a balance between caring for your parent and maintaining your own well-being.

Solving Disagreements

What if siblings disagree on the care for mom or dad? Siblings may argue about paying for care or how much care is needed. An outside opinion can help. Arrange for a geriatric care manager to assess the situation.

Consult your parent’s primary doctor about recent deterioration and developing physical challenges. Neighbors may be noticing something. Even postal workers, contractors, delivery people could be observing signs.

Consider a mediator. Sometimes a neutral third party is the only way to calm the situation. Consider the National Family Caregiver Support Program or your local Area Agency on Aging. A doctor or geriatric care manager can also mediate.

Signs of Trouble

Sometimes one child takes over the caregiving role and leaves other family members in the dark, perhaps even limiting access to the elderly loved one. If your sibling is acting as a gatekeeper and prevents you from reaching your parents, there may be abuse or exploitation involved.

Here are some telltale signs:

• Unexplained signs of injury
• Reports of drug overdose or apparent failure to take medication
• Signs of being restrained
• Unusual weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration
• Unsafe living conditions.

Your aging parent may be the obstacle too, threatening or attempting to manipulate you when the topic of outside care is broached. Recognize this as a sign they need professional help. This can lead to a divide between siblings who want to follow their parent’s wishes and those who know it isn’t feasible.

You may find that the parent you’ve been close with your entire life is physically threatening or verbally abusing you, and your siblings won’t believe it’s happening.

Of course, there is the potential for financial abuse. That is why it is important to plan before the crisis.

• Budget for long-term care needs.
• Consider long-term care insurance.
• Write a will.
• Complete a living will that specifies end-of-life wishes.
• Appoint powers of attorney, or durable powers of attorney, to carry out your wishes.
• Know about inheritance and estate issues in mom or dad’s state/country in advance.
• Do estate planning.

At the end of the day, a lot of this comes down to simple communication and transparency issues. It was pretty straight-forward for me as I was the only child left to care for mom, my sister pre-deceasing her. My wife had three siblings all working together for the care of her mom and dad before they passed.

What about you? Are you facing sibling rivalry in the care of mom or dad? Are old, long-standing relationship issues surfacing? How do you handle them? Please share any helpful tips that may help our community tackle sibling issues.

My mother just received the results of her PET scan. Did the radiation treatment she got in September work or not?

She is 83, and I am happy to say yes, the radiation did its job. Does she know how relieved I am? Does she know how much I still need her, even though I am 58 years old and a grandmother to boot? Maybe.

But, just in case she doesn’t, guess what my mother is getting for Mother’s Day. Perfume? Flowers? More stuff? Heck no! My mother is getting a tribute legacy letter and if you haven’t written yours, now is the time to begin.

Start Writing Your Legacy Letter Today

So, let me help with some suggested sample questions you can answer. You can incorporate your answers into your letter. That’s how easy it is to develop content for your tribute legacy letter to your mother.

If you write a tribute legacy letter to your mother, consider letting me know her reaction or sharing your letter with others here on the blog. Your letters and the questions you asked your mother can give others invaluable guidance in accomplishing this important task. Please click here if you want to see legacy letter examples.

Below are 10 sample questions. Next month, I will give you ten more sample questions, so you can write your father a tribute legacy letter too, just in time for Father’s Day. Don’t you think he has enough ties?

Sample Tribute Legacy Letter Questions about Your Mother

• What are your two or three favorite memories of your mother?
• What are the two or three things you most admire or appreciate about her?
• What do you consider are her most significant achievements and accomplishments? Why?
• What are some of the difficulties or challenges she faced in her life? How did she handle these? What did you learn from her about overcoming obstacles?
• Can you recall a choice or decision you made based on a value or principle taught to you by your mother?
• What trait(s) of your mother do you most wish to emulate? Why? Can you share a story or two that helps illustrate these traits?
• What talent or skill does your mother have that you would like to develop? Why?
• What life lesson(s) did your mother impart to you that were most useful? In what way?
• Was there a crisis in your life that your mother helped you overcome? How?
• What are profound ways your mother helped you, or someone you love?

Even if your parents have passed, perhaps you have someone else special in your life that awakens the best in you. Write them a tribute legacy letter.

If you would like some help with writing a legacy letter, please get in touch with me. Otherwise, I hope that the questions listed here inspire you to write a legacy letter for your mom or someone else special in your life.

If you started to write a legacy letter for your mom today, what would be the major themes that you would focus on? What do you appreciate most about your mom? Please join the conversation in the comments below.