These guys came up with the idea for the iPhone...
I'm a BIG, admirer of sexy, golden bronze skin. Since I don't come by it naturally, I like getting my color out of a bottle. No tanning beds or spray tans for this Baby Boomer. Give me a Fake Bake, Guinot Paris or Jergins sunless tanner, five minutes and a hand with my back, and I'll show you some healthy-looking skin.
Way back in the DARK AGES before blogs, I was born on Thanksgiving Day.
Thank you internets, you may now commence the turkey jokes...let me know when you're done.
Back so soon?
Ok, I'm not gonna lie to you. Being born on the day we give thanks to the patron saint of white meat and cornbread stuffing has its downside, but it also comes with a few perks.
At great risk to my personal safety, I am going to break the code of silence and reveal the two secret perks that are only bestowed on people born on Thanksgiving Day:
1) You always get gravy on your birthday...and
2) That's about it.
Gravy, Dude. YEA!
Being born on Turkey Day also makes you a little non-traditional. I mean when you're born on a national holiday the HOLIDAY always wins. It's the scissors-cuts-paper rule of birthdays. HOLIday trumps BIRTHday every time. No biggie, really. You blow out the turkey candles on your cranberry relish and get on with your life. It's part of what makes it a non-traditional birthday.
Charlotte, Cole and I have our own non-traditional, traditions. We celebrate Thanksgiving at the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. No matter where we are at that time of the year, we find a way to meet up down at the beach.
I teach my kids about the things that really matter. I will teach them about Abraham Lincoln and Ronnie Van Zandt, because they are equally important in my house.
Just in time for the holidays, Bob and I have teamed up with Minus417 for a get-gorgeous giveaway perfect for Boomer Babes. Valued at more than $228, this treasure chest of anti-aging skincare solutions is primed to help you stop time in its tracks.
New to the U.S., Minus417 skincare products are designed to add moisture, help regenerate skin cells and prevent the signs of aging. The collection is based on ingredients from the lowest place in the world: 1,373 feet (that is 417 meters) below sea level, a place where time stands still.
Calling all Boomer Babes! We're giving away a get-gorgeous gift set from Minus417 including four age-fighting skincare solutions:
You could win this dreamy, $228.97-value set ... FREE. Click "Read More" for details on how to enter*. Contest ends Dec. 1!
When Bob and I moved to this area years ago, we made a pact. He was a Fort Worth ad man. I was a Dallas technical writer. Whenever we had a bad day (at least once a week), we'd meet for the best comfort food around. Shrimp, okra and potatoes all deep fried and served up with plenty of ketchup (yum!).
"Shake, shake, shake. Shake your booty!"
Fitness guru Kathy Smith gives new meaning to that '70s anthem on her latest workout DVD, Ageless with Kathy Smith: Total Body Turnaround (AcaciaLifestyle.com; Nov. 15, 2011). In this three-part-thinning-session, Kathy shows how to shape not only your booty, but your legs, arms and core while trimming your waistline, improving your balance and increasing your energy. Nice!
...and then we discovered the Aflac duck had fallen on hard times.
Big, blue and fringed with long, luscious lashes. My friend Margie Montague (now Thieleman) has the most gorgeous eyes.
After a long, hot summer here in Texas, we're ready for fall. With cool days and warm colors -- oranges, yellows, browns and magentas -- on the horizon, we asked award-winning interior designer and floral expert Annie Vanderwarker for help using flowers to welcome the season.
On second thought...nahhhh!
When Charlotte and I talked about moving Boomer Brief HQ to our Collywood home back in March, I had no idea our relocation would involve a major home remodel AND an appearance on HGTV.
Internets, have we met? I'm Bob from the planet CLUELESS.
If you've been the reader following this experience, then you know our appearance on Donna Decorates Dallas has been a wild ride. There have been days the street in front of our house looked like the back lot at Universal studios - complete with lights, cameras, directors, grips, production assistants and actors. Think creative-decorating-TV-people, being, well, creative-decorating-TV-people and you'll have a pretty good idea of what's been going on around here.
It's a good thing Charlotte looooooves this decorating stuff. It's even better that it hearts her back.
Everything began innocently enough. All Charlotte wanted when she opened our Collywood door to HGTVwood was an office that she would really like. Now that you've seen the episode (if you didn't, you can catch us in reruns) you know Donna doesn't just decorate, she delivers.
Charlotte got everything she wanted and her office turned out great. Not just run-of-the-mill great, but everybody-gets-a-free-chalupa great.
Want a behind-the-scenes tour? C'mon and let Charlotte show you around:
Bob will be the first to tell you I like things hot. I'll always choose a sunny beach over chilly mountains, a knock-out red over any green and fresh jalapenos on my pizza.
And color me sold on anything that cuts time in the kitchen. I never compete with Pillsbury in the piecrust department or spend hours stirring up pasta sauce when it's so easy to open up Ragu.
So when the folks at Nueva Cocina asked us to try some of their heat-inspired shortcuts-to-homemade-goodness, I thought "Time to mix it up!"
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We're giving away a gift basket filled with 100% natural, Latin-inspired favorites from Nueva Cocina. It includes 12 rice mixes, seasoning packets and soups (a $29.99 value) sure to spice up your meals.
Click "Read More" for details on how to enter. Contest* ends Nov. 17!
Now that Cole has moved to New York, Charlotte and I are doing a lot more traveling. We love getting out of Collywood, but traveling comes with its own set of complications.
It's finally turning cold in Texas.
The time of year when we go from running our air conditioners 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 24 hours a day - every other day. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...............60 degrees.
So that's why we decided to turn on the fireplace for the first time this year. Like most urban pioneers, we gave up actually having a "real" fire years ago. The smoke, the ashes, the wood. It was never worth the hassle. Fireplaces, at least for us, are matters of convenience. You flip a switch and PRESTO you have INSTANT
Boomers, lemme 'splain.
It's cold (OK, cold for Texas) and Charlotte wants a fire. I FLIP THE SWITCH and NOTHING happens. Not even a spark to ward off the wintery blast of sub-60 degree temperatures. I flip it again. Nothing. Again. NOTHING.
Pretty soon I get the hint. This baby ain't gonna light no matter what I do. It's been 40-odd years since my Boy Scout days, so I pass on the opportunity to break out my flint and steel and call the fireplace repairman instead. He tells me he can come out in about a week.
"A WEEK?" I think to myself, "It'll be 90 degrees by the time he shows up." This is after all, TEXAS.
HGTV ALERT!
The Donna Decorates Dallas Episode Featuring Charlotte's New Office
Airs 9:30 p.m. (CST) This Saturday (Nov. 5).
Yeah, I think we've got proof...
Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.
Tips:
If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.
If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.
Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.
Follow us on Twitter: @BoomerBrief
and @CharlotteBoomer
Know someone battling cancer? Baylor Health Care System's Sammons Says... cancer blog is a great place to go for help. Here, you'll find information, resources, physicians, support groups and just about everything you need to help you navigate your way through this illness.
Senior Forums is a great place to get the news and share views on everything from hobbies and healthcare, to food, family & travel.
Matt Drudge gets the goods and his site ain't bad either.
You don't have to live in Dallas to enjoy D Magazine.
