Gen Plus » Products By and For 50 Plus

What gift to consider this holiday season…for that person who has everything!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:10:27 +0000

There is nothing more frustrating, especially when you are scrimping and saving on every last dime, to find the right gift for those you love, know well and…who basically…don’t need anything. So here is the first installment of some of the sweet pickings I’ve been able to find. Unique, interesting, and since they all appealed to me, I figure they might appeal to you!

First is an unusual memoir/cookbook by none other than the always amazing Linda Evans. Yes, I have a fireplace, and yes, I LOVE to curl up with a good book. But what I love the best is when I can curl up with a good book and smell dinner cooking in the other room. For those of us boomers who watched every episode of Dynasty with bated breath, Linda Evans was beauty personified. But who knew she was a great chef, too? In her truly delightful book, Recipes for Life, My Memories, Evans weaves her life story with recipes from those periods in her life, including recipes from many of her celebrity friends (like Leslie and Tony Curtis’ Lemon Souffle with Raspberry Sauce!). It’s an inventive take on creating a memoir and the peek inside her life and her ability to rebound (with gusto) from the bumps in the road of her life, make for a really fresh read. Here’s a freebie recipe:

Linda’s Famed Artichoke Dip
By Linda Evans,
Author of Recipes For Life: My Memories

I’ve been making my artichoke dip for years. Practically everyone who has ever tasted it has asked me for the recipe. It’s perfect for large parties or for smaller, intimate gatherings. Or when your husband’s ex-wife comes to dinner! The secret here is to use the artichoke bottoms, not the hearts. Artichoke hearts may be easier to find, they don’t produce the same results. The recipe easily doubles or triples for large gatherings. You can also replace the artichokes with 7 ounces of lump crab meat for a delicious variation.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Tabasco (or more, to taste)
1½ tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (white part only)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I prefer Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1 (13¾ ounce) can artichoke bottoms (not hearts), drained and finely diced

Preheat oven to 350°F.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the mayonnaise. One by one, blend in the Tabasco sauce, scallions, and Parmesan.

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the artichokes (don’t use the mixer for this).

Spoon the mixture into a 3-cup baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with crackers.

The above is an excerpt from the book Recipes For Life: My Memories by Linda Evans.

Here’s a coupon site that gives as it receives. What if every purchase you made at 2,500 retailers (from Amazon to Zales) earned a free donation for your favorite charity?

GoodShop.com is an online shopping mall that donates a percentage of each purchase from more than 2,500 stores to the charity or school of your choice. I’ve tried it out and while I couldn’t find some of the charities I wanted to donate to, I was able to find enough to make this site worthy of a mention. It also provides over 100,000 of coupons and free shipping deals so you save a bit of money. If you are an online shopper, like me, this is a good find.

Chocolate. Chocolate. So many choices and isn’t it nice to find something new and interesting in the world of chocolate? Yum…Frangelico Truffles are created by renowned chocolatier, Maribel Lieberman, chef/owner of MarieBelle Fine Chocolates in New York.

The truffles are available at Neiman Marcus stores and online (for those without a Neiman Marcus near them) and come beautifully packaged in five different assortments to chose from, starting at just $15– a reasonably priced for the chocolate lovers in your life!

Forever in Blue Jeans, Baby. The master of making a Boomer swoon, Neil Diamond, is justabout to release a long-awaited compilation CD of 23 of his best-loved hits from the 1960′s to 2008. With his inside recollection liner notes and the authenticity behind the original studio recordings, who wouldn’t want this as a Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or … ANY kind of reason for a present? Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings The Very Best of Neil Diamond – The Original Studio Recordings on Tuesday, December 6.

I’ll let you know what else I find that is super special.

Are you in a Crisis? Midlife Crisis Queen releases new book

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:20:21 +0000

Laura Lee Carter, well-known blogger (Midlife Crisis Queen), recently released her book “Midlife Magic: Becoming the Person you are Inside!”

It’s could almost be sad to say that books about the midlife crisis have become relatively available. However, there is something very compelling about a writer baring her emotional soul to the anonymous reader.

In this case, Laura Lee Carter writes a very heartfelt and well-thought out chronicle of her journey through leaving an abusive marriage, losing her job in her late 40′s and a hysterectomy to a successful rediscovery of self and a promising look at the next stage of her life.

Complete with a reference guide and peppered with motivating quotes and resources, Laura Lee’s book is a quick read, sure to give you a boost of inspiration for managing your own midlife crisis! Available on her website, at B&N, or at Amazon.

September Songs in January.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:33:18 +0000

One of my New Year’s resolutions has something to do with dating and finding a life partner. Coincidentally (or is it?), just got my copy of September Songs: The Good News About Marriage in the Later Years, by journalist Maggie Scarf (you may know her bestseller Intimate Partners). And I can’t wait to read it. Her new book is about long marriages as couples age and offers a view of their lives that is has been called insightful and surprising (and positive). Because people are living so much longer, not only are marriages lasting longer, but for those of us, like me, who stay more single than coupled, there is hope…for a second…or third stage of life marriage.

Some really great reviews, but more than that, I’m particularly delighted to find a book written for this demographic. Scarf interviews couples that have been together for decades and I am very curious to find out how they see marriage’s evolution through the years (Scarf refers to this time as the “bonus” years.)

I’ll let you know what gems I discover.

Natalie Cole…Definitely Still Unforgettable.

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:58:00 +0000

What could be better on a Friday night than slipping off my shoes, sipping a glass of rich red wine, munching on bits of cheese and chocolate and…listening to the newly released “Still Unforgettable”, a just lovely album by Natalie Cole. The eight-time Grammy winner, who has recently revealed her battles with Hepatitis C, has come up with a wonderful showcase album for her timeless voice and incredible phrasing. This exploration of American Pop Standards includes a heartwarming interpretation of “Walking My Baby Back Home”, once again, in a duet with her late father, Nat King Cole.

And to get your next few Fridays off to a great start, Rhino Records has sent me a give-away copy that I’m going to randomly select a winner from my subscriber list. If you want to be in the draw and you are not yet a subscriber, just add your email to the subscribe me box. If you don’t want to subscribe to the email feed, then just shoot me an email and I’ll add your name into the mix, too! I’ll draw names and announce the winner next Friday for inclusion in the following week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival.

For a preview, click on any of the Listening Party Links:

Quick Time
Windows Media Audio
Real Player

You can also purchase I-Tunes.

Official Site http://www.nataliecole.com/
Official MySpace – www.myspace.com/nataliecole

Touched by the Stork — a review of Cryo Kid

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:53:00 +0000

Just released Cryo Kid: Drawing a New Map is already picking up some attention. Over at Touched by the Stork, blogger Kathryn gives a revealing write-up of the book:

It’s hard not to be touched by the story of a grandmother who has watched her daughter struggle with infertility and who finally sees a granddaughter born through the use of cryogenics. It’s particularly hard not to be touched when you know that the story is true and that it’s told straight from the heart.

Corinne Heather Copnick has published just this book called Cryo Kid: Drawing a New Map. And there is more to it than meets the eye.

Although the book is written from the perspective of the grandmother, it also adds in the voice of the granddaughter (the girl who was born through cryogenics.) And surprisingly, it adds in the voice of the sperm donor who made her birth possible, touching on the fact that this girl has siblings out there in the world. More importantly, it takes a very real and human perspective at looking at the issue of infertility and the technological treatment options that are available today.

Anyone who has gone through the struggle of dealing with infertility will benefit from reading this book.

Late to the gate on the Kindle?

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:31:00 +0000

What is this thing? Reading my daily subscription from The Boomer Chronicles, I discovered something that I had not yet seen. The Kindle! An electronic reader that approximates the experience of reading a book – -but digitally. Kind of the iPod for the literati. So I headed over to read about Kindle and there are already almost 1000 reader reviews of the item…some great, some not so great…but wow. A great concept. Right now, they are running at $400 a pop…which means that like the Shuffle, the Mini, etc., within a couple of years we’ll be seeing the Mini versions going for $50 – $99.

But if I had $400 to spend right now? I’d head right over. Step aside i-Phone. Reading is back in vogue.

Bye-bye Thanksgiving, Hello Chanukah and Christmas!

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:20:00 +0000

In order that my holiday shopping remains fun and festive, I search relentlessy for the new, the interesting, and the downright inventive every year. From atomic clocks to keychain tools to dancing dreidels, I search for them all — and particularly if they are made by a 50 plusser.

The first item worth mentioning this year is the inventive AND preventive MenorahMate, an ingenious addition to the Chanukah celebration. For any of you who celebrate Chanukah, or who have been to celebrations at the homes of Jewish friends, you’ll remember seeing the beautiful menorahs…with streams of hot wax…dripping down on the table…or as in many homes, on a sheet of aluminum foil!

Hello MenorahMate:

“We knew that there simply had to be a better way of protecting the table. And even more importantly, we wanted to create a renewed connection to the three traditional blessings, to encourage everyone at the table to participate,” comments the product’s creator Debra Wurzel (a Gen Plusser, of course) of Los Angeles.

What is MenorahMate? A smart concept — a protective, décor-enhancing mat with a soft, non-skid backing, designed for use under the menorah combined with the Chanukah blesssing imprinted right on the surface in Hebrew, English, and transliteration.

In addition to protecting the tabletop, “This product is unique because it places the blessings right in the center of the holiday, where they belong,” says Wurzel.

I find it a great product and in addition to the contemporary design, I particularly like the fact that the wax just pops off the mat after a bit of time in the freezer.

Launched just in time for Chanukah 2007, MenorahMate already has generated excitement within the Jewish community and has popped up in stores across the US. Best of all, this product is manufactured in the US… in Los Angeles, California. For more information, a list of retailers or to order MenorahMate, visit www.menorahmate.com.

Lots of fun, not too expensive, great for a family or friend gift and also wonderful for office acquaintances and friends. I’ll let you know about any other great finds as I continue on my merry shopping jaunts.

Strategic Planning with a 50-Plus Edge

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:42:00 +0000

I can’t believe it. Summer is almost over. Every year, come September, I get into “school” mode. That means I get an urge to learn something new. Something about the pencils and notebooks on sale in the “Back-to-School” marketing season just makes me long for white eraser, a few retractable pencils and a new 3 subject notebook!

If you aren’t sure what to focus on, here is a look at our workbook, “Keep Dreaming: Creating a Strategic Plan for the Rest of Your Life”. This thought-provoking (and hopefully not too scary) e-workbook will do just what it says…give you insight into what type of strategy you need to focus on in order to move in the right direction for the next stage of your life.

The course (put together by yours truly) brings together the concepts behind strategic business planning to your life plan! Using proven business and marketing strategies in this electronic workbook, you will be able to develop as comprehensive a strategic plan as you need for moving into the next phase of your life.

I’ve taken the best of what I’ve learned in my over 15 years as a corporate executive, managing hundreds of people, creating mult-million dollar budgets, creating and executing strategic and marketing plans for significant operations in both the US and Canada, and re-shaped it, in a very user-friendly way, to help you achieve your personal strategies, targets and goals.

The program incorporates easy-to-understand worksheets and forms, that will help you identify objectives, hit your goals and measure results. And you’ll end up with a written plan and a developed approach to achieving success for your future.

No computer skills are necessary – other than you being able to click through to order the e-workbook, and then to download and print out the 50 plus pages. I’ve kept the price very reasonable at $14.99. Why? Because I really want you to take control of your destiny and the only way to do that is to create it. It doesn’t matter what type of person you are, what resources you have, or where you live. All that matters is that you have a dream and you just aren’t sure how to get there. Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams”? “Build it and they will come.” That was the promise. Let me help you build it.

Road Warrior’s Lament, ET, iPhone and the Summer of Love

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:16:00 +0000

You can’t surf more than a couple of minutes without finding some chatter about the iPhone. I have to admit, that I’m one of those people who is drooling to have one. I’m a Boomer obsessed with technology that I don’t understand. Even though I have a crackberry (blackberry) and am reasonably addicted, I want more. I want that touchscreen and to be able to follow any whim, any desire and have the information right at my fingertips.

As a road warrior (perhaps not as many as most, but I spend about 25% of my time on the road), you’d think I’d have travel down to an art. Well…I kinda, sorta do. But I have NO sense of direction. HATE renting a car in any city, even when it makes better economic sense. I’ll confess. I get lost. I don’t know where to go to eat. I can never find my destination. I can NEVER find my way back to the hotel. (I can’t even find my way back to the parking lot to find my rental car from whatever the best mall might be in that particular city.)

I’m navigationally challenged — I travel with a compass, pre-printed driving routes, have google mobile programmed into my blackberry, and keep a list of local people that I can call up any time of day or night to direct me to my destination.

There was one commercial for the iPhone that sold me on the spot. I don’t remember the exact sequence, but it was something like this: X gets a phone call and decides to go out for dinner. The iPhoner then researches sushi (or Greek?), calls for a reservation from the webpage, gets driving directions and then (I think?) starts to play some music or watch a video clip as they head out.

Whatever it was, it filled me with an unstoppable desire to get one! While there is no way I’ll be standing in long lines, or shelling out the big bucks to get one right now, nonetheless, a funny thing did happen.

I was reading an article about the iPhone on a relatively new blog, Over 50 Now . And I had a reaction. It wasn’t quite drooling. It was…yes…it was an ET moment. Do you remember ET intoning, “ET…Go Home. ET…Go Home.” Well, my head started repeating, “Wendy…iPhone. Wendy…iPhone.” I couldn’t shake it. And I realized something. I had romanticized a summer of love, starting off with thinking about fireworks on the 4th of July.

But that is NOT what my summer of love is really going to be about for me. It is going to be about my unrequited desire for an iPhone. “Wendy…iPhone.”

Really. I have got to get a grip!

Strategic Planning with a 50-Plus Edge

Janet Wendy Spiegel — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:44:00 +0000

I’m very pleased to announce the release of the first Gen Plus e-workbook, “Keep Dreaming: Creating a Strategic Plan for the Rest of Your Life”. Over a year in the making and with thanks to some terrific beta testers, this introductory edition is now available through the Gen Plus shop.

What is “Keep Dreaming…”? This e-workbook is a course that brings together the concepts behind strategic business planning to your life plan! Using proven business and marketing strategies in this electronic workbook, you will be able to develop a Strategic Plan for moving into the next phase of your life.

I’ve always believed that one can manifest one’s own destiny. Every time I have set my sights on a goal and created a strong vision and a plan to get there…guess what? I’ve been able to do just that. So I’m urging you to leave your fear behind you! I’ve taken the best of what I’ve learned in my over 15 years as a corporate executive, managing hundreds of people, creating mult-million dollar budgets, creating and executing strategic and marketing plans for significant operations in both the US and Canada, and re-shaped it, in a very user-friendly way, to help you achieve your personal strategies, targets and goals.

The course incorporates easy-to-understand worksheets and forms, that will help you identify objectives, hit your goals and measure results. At the end of this course, you will have a written plan and a developed approach to achieving success for your future.

And because of the many, many questions I’ve gotten from my readers over the years about using computer skills, I’ve created this course so that no computer skills are necessary – other than you being able to click through to order the e-workbook, and then to download and print out the 50 plus pages. I am dedicated to your success, and I am offering this limited introductory edition for $14.95 (retail price is $29.99). Why? Because I really want you to take control of your destiny and the only way to do that is to create it. It doesn’t matter what type of person you are, what resources you have, or where you live. All that matters is that you have a dream and you just aren’t sure how to get there. Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams”? “Build it and they will come.” That was the promise. Let me help you build it.

The book is not yet available in print, however, if you would like to be on a wait list for the printed publication (it will retail at around $99.95) rather than the e-workbook, please email me at wspiegel@genplususa.com and I’ll make sure to let you know when it is available.