Today’s BoomeR

Today’s Vol.1 No.5

Featuring The Only B2B Featuring The Only B2B Featuring The Only B2B ---Business 2 BoomeR Marketplace!Business 2 BoomeR Marketplace!Business 2 BoomeR Marketplace!

Caring for Others Caring for Others Caring for Others AndAndAnd Yourself Yourself Yourself Tech Trendz: Tech Trendz:

Top Tablets Top Tablets for Boomersfor Boomers Finance Report: Shoppers to Remain Conservative This Holiday Season

Boomer Travel Holiday Hot Spots

Escape in Stress-Free Style Social Security:

Find True Value Cyber-Monday at Social Security.gov

Manage a Manage a Manage a Healthy, Healthy, Healthy,

Happy & Happy & Happy & Balanced Balanced Balanced

Life Life Life

Boomer Healthy Festive Eating

2 Today’s BoomeR

Up Coming Cruises-Book Now!

Navigating South America & the Panama Canal 2013

“Credit Union Discovery Symposium 2013” March 17-April1, 2013

Exploring the Canary Islands 2013

“Credit Union FutureVision Symposium” June 1-12, 2013

Iceland & Norway Voyage of Discovery 2013

“Credit Union Challenges & Opportunities Symposium”

July 1-15, 2013

The Hawaii Islands Tropical Exploration 2013 July 20-27, 2013

Credit Union Leadership Challenges Symposium

September 15-27, 2013

Today’s BoomeR 3

Founder John Vardallas & Alexandra Maragha

Editor-In-Chief Alexandra Maragha

Contributing Writers :

Karyl Richson– Social Security

Gary Knowles– Travel Writer

Chef Eben Atwater- Healthy Eating

Advertising Team

For Letters to the Editor, articles and feedback

as well as advertising inquiries email

Alexandra@TheAmericanBoomeR.com

The American BoomeR.com

John Vardallas CAE, CUDE

CEO/Founder Professional Speaker

Business/Lifestyle Strategist

Boomer Sage and Blogger

JohnVardallas@TheAmericanBoomeR.com

(608) 577-8707

Alexandra Maragha

Co-Founder, Editor-In-Chief Today’s BoomeR

Alexandra@TheAmericanBoomeR.com

Today’s BoomeR Vol.1 No.3 Today’s BoomeR is published

six times (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/ June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct,

Nov/Dec) a year by The American BoomeR.com

769 North Star Drive (Suite 207) Madison, WI 53718 All rights

reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission

is prohibited.

The American Boomer

@American_Boomer

Today’s

This Issue

November/ December 2012

Volume 1, Number 5

Boomer Hot Topics 5

Boomer Travel 6

Holiday Hot Spots

Tech Trendz 9

Top Tablets for Boomers

Caring for Others 10

And Yourself

Social Security 13

Find True Value Cyber Monday

Shoppers to Remain 14

Conservative this Season

Boomer Healthy 16

Festive Eating

Set the Table to Shine

B2B Marketplace 19

Business 2 Boomers Marketplace

4 Today’s BoomeR

(feature) p. 10

p. 4

p. 12

Receiving Through Giving

EDITOR’S LETTER

Today’s

Alexandra Maragha

Editor-In-Chief

Send Letters and Feedback to: Alexandra@theamericanboomer.com

One of the most talked about things this time of year is

how we can give to others who are in need. Donations of

money, clothing, food and time really can make a differ-

ence in your local community through local organiza-

tions.

It is equally important to remember and take time for

those who are a bit closer to home. This issue’s feature

addresses the exact situation that many boomers face of

taking care of their aging parents, while balancing the day

to days of work, children, outside commitments, and their

own piece of mind.

Time is valuable in so many ways. To those you take time

for, it gives a sense of self worth and increases the invest-

ment and output in the relationship that is established.

For boomers, the time that you give to your parents and

older loved ones can give you a sense of satisfaction that

they know you care. The time that is spent with children

can give you and them memories that will last a lifetime.

Younger generations can learn from this example; from

the example set by their boomer parents. Speaking for my

own generation (generation y), if we say it or not, we do

take notice of all the little things that you give to those

around you, and thank you.

We hope our Boomer Travel and Healthy Festive Eating

will entice and delight you this season while giving time

with those you care about and love. Happy Holidays.

Today’s BoomeR 5

Boomer Boomer Boomer HOT HOT HOT

Topics! Topics! Topics! The Average Shopper will

spend $749.51 on gifts,

décor, greeting cards and

more this holiday season. The

biggest portion of budgets this

year going towards gifts for

family members with the

average person planning to

spend $421.82 on children,

parents, aunts, uncles and

more.

Source: National Retail Federation

1 1 1 ininin 8:8:8: The number The number The number

of older of older of older Americans Americans Americans that have that have that have

Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s. November is November is November is

National National National Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Awareness Awareness

MonthMonthMonth Source: Alzheimer’s

Association www.alz.org

46 MILLION turkeys were eaten

on Thanksgiving last

year.

Source: National Turkey

Federation

Americans get healthy meal ideas from the

Internet (39%), cooking shows (37%),

magazines (34%), cookbooks (33%),

word of mouth (31%), recipes on labels

(26%), and culinary magazines (12%).

Source: Shopping for Health 2012 study by the Food Marketing

Institute; Prevention

6 Today’s BoomeR

B

OOMER TRAVEL

BOOMER TRAVEL

Holiday Hot SpotsHoliday Hot SpotsHoliday Hot Spots Escape This Season Escape This Season Escape This Season in Stressin Stressin Stress---Free StyleFree StyleFree Style

By Alexandra Maragha

The St. Regis Aspen Resort

Today’s BoomeR 7

Top Thanksgiving Retreats

Aspen, Boston, California and Mexico may not come to mind when thinking of where to spend the holidays. Usually it is who’s house will family and friends gather to visit, but this year, take the family, or who ever you may want, with you to these hot spots.

Don’t let the stress of cooking a large Thanks-giving dinner and plan-ning stand in your way of having an otherwise enjoyable time this sea-son. These getaways are more accommo-dating than one may think for hosting an en-tire family gathering, fixings and all.

St. Regis Aspen Resort –Aspen Colo.

If the cold and adventure laced in luxury is your style, visit the St. Regis Aspen Resort. Here all the amenities

including but-ler service, will not leave you or your family or sig-nificant other disappointed.

For ski enthu-siasts, the Ski World Cup

takes place Thanksgiving weekend where resort guests can take in perfect views of the race. For the family, the hotel will have an inaugural tree-lighting ceremony that include carolers, hot chocolate, cooking decoration stations and fireworks. If you are looking to getaway with that special someone, the hotel is offering a three night package for two (priced at $1904, the year the hotel was built) in a premium room category, Thanksgiving dinner at Chefs Club by FOOD & WINE and spa treat-ment for two. Visit http://www.stregisaspen.com/.

XV Beacon Hotel -Boston Mass.

Want to give back this Thanksgiving while also treating yourself? Stay at the landmark XV Beacon hotel in Bos-ton and ten percent of the room rate will be donated

to the Greater Boston Food Bank. The “ThanksforGiving” package include complimentary air-port transfer, a welcome ameni-ty and $100 food and beverage credit. Use the credit at the ho-tel’s signature restaurant Mooo for their Thanks-giving dinner ($75 set menu) and dine free with $25 left to enjoy. Visit http://www.xvbeacon.com/.

Crystal Symphony Cruise -California and Mexico

Try something a little more “out there” this Thanksgiv-ing on board a Crystal Symphony Cruise to California and Mexico. The Pacific Holiday Cruise sails Nov. 18-25, embarking in Los Angeles and stops in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Ensenada, Mexico, and San Diego. The multi-course Thanksgiving dinner is served in the Crys-tal Dining Room and there are plenty of other activities offered. All-inclusive, cruise-only fares start at $2660 per person. Visit http://www.crystalcruises.com/VoyageDetail.aspx?CID=2228.

The St. Regis Aspen Resort

Fifteen Beacon

Fifteen Beacon

8 Today’s BoomeR

The Greenbrier -White Sulfur Springs, W.Va.

Visit the National Historic landmark, The Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia and take in Thanksgiving at this classic 1778 American resort. The holiday is welcomed with scavenger hunts, afternoon tea, fashion shows and a gala dinner party and dance with chef Richard Rosendale (winner of the 2012 Bocuse d’Or USA championship) heading the Thanksgiving meal. Rates are $400 per night, Nov. 21-25, with a 2-nigh minimum stay required. Visit http://www.greenbrier.com/

Top Cities for Sparkles and Lights

Looking to have a cheery getaway filled with sparkle and Shine? Plan a trip to these most festive places to get into the holiday spirit.

New York City

The lighting of the giant Christmas tree in New York City at Rockefeller Center Plaza leaves many Ameri-

cans to know that the holiday and Christ-mas season has begun, with New York City to be the holi-day capital. Tourists

and locals alike venture to ice skate at the rink build below the plaza’s Prometheus statue, do some shop-ping or just take in all there is to see. Your children, or the child within may want to visit the famous FAO Schwarz and see the displays at Macy’s Santaland where toy trains, elves and holiday scenes are plenti-ful. The Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, featuring the famous kicking Rockettes will leave you with visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.

Taos, New Mexico

For a more cultural Christmas celebration, visit Taos where Native American and Hispanic influences give way to activities like the lighting of Ledoux Street, with farolitos, or little lanterns lining the way when the street’s shops, galleries, studios and museums offer music, food and drink, and bonfires to passerby.

Celebrate the Hispanic tradition Las Posadas in the days prior to Christmas where a candlelight proces-sion takes place at Ranchos de Taos Plaza. On Christ-mas Day, the dwellers of Taos Pueblo hold a proces-sional car-rying the statue of the Blessed Mother with bon-fires lit and traditional tribal dances per-formed. Thinkstock Jeffrey Keeton, flickr

Crystal Cruises

Today’s BoomeR 9

Specs

Microsoft Surface RT

Apple iPad 4

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

8.9

Google Nexus 10

Samsung Galaxy Note

10.1

Screen Size 10.6 inches 9.7 inches 8.9 inches 10 inches 10.1 inches

Resolution 1366 x 768 2048 x 1536 1920 x 1200 2560 x 1600 1280 x 800

Weight 1.5 lb. 1.44 or 1.46 lb. 1.25 lb. 1.33 lb. 1.31 lb.

Dimensions (WxHxD)

6.7 x 10.8 x 0.37 inches

7.3 x 9.5 x 0.37 inches

6.4 x 9.4 x 0.35 inches

263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm

7.1 x 10.3 x 0.35 inches

CPU

Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3

Dual-core 1.3GHz A6X

Dual-core 1.5GHzTI

OMAP4470

Dual-core A15 1.4GHz Quad-core Processor

Storage 32GB or 64GB 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB

16GB or 32GB 16GB or 32GB 16GB or 32GB

Stylus Pen

No No No No Yes: S-Pen allows hand-written notes

Connectors

USB 2.0, microHDMI

Apple 9-pin dock Lightning

connector

microUSB, microHDMI

microUSB, microHDMI

USB 2.0

Operating

System

Windows RT iOS 6 Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.2, Jelly Bean

Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sand-

wich & Samsung Touchwiz

Battery Life 8 hours mixed activity

10 hours video playback

9 hours 9 hours 8 hours

Camera

Two 720p HD cameras, front and rear facing

5MP rear cam-era, VGA front

camera

HD front camera 5MP main, 1.5 MP front

1.9 MP front camera, 5MP Rear camera

Networking

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0

Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Bluetooth

4.0

Dual-band Wi-Fi or dual-band Wi-Fi and 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; Bluetooth

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0

Price

$499 for 32GB, $599 for 32GB

and Touch Cov-er, $699 for

64GB and Touch Cover

$499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB

(Wi-Fi); $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, $829 for 64GB (Wi-Fi +

LTE)

$299 for 16GB, $369 for 32GB

(Wi-Fi); $499 for 32GB, $599 for 64GB (Wi-Fi +

cellular)

$399 for 16GB, $499 for 32GB

(Wi-Fi)

$499 for 16GB, $549 for 32GB

(Wi-Fi)

With so many new tablets available on the market just in time for the holiday shopping season, it can be quite

confusing to choose the right one, especially for baby boomers. Factors like screen size, resolution, battery life,

camera capability, operating system/market and price are key points that boomers look for when selecting the

right tablet. Here is how the newest tablets; Google Nexus 10, Apple iPad 4, Microsoft Surface, Amazon Kindle

Fire HD and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 stack up against each other. The largest screen size of the five is the

Microsoft Surface at 10.6 inches. The Apple iPad 4’s retina display is one of the best on the market. The Samsung

Galaxy Note’s Stylus Pen allows for users to write actual notes like pen and paper. If you want a reader that does

more, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is a great pick and the Google Nexus 10’s price point is competitive. See below

for a full list comparison.

Apple iPad 4

Amazon Kindle Fire

HD 8.9

Google Nexus 10

Samsung Galaxy

Note 10.1

Microsoft

Surface RT

10 Today’s BoomeR

Five Proven Five Proven

Steps to Steps to

Successfully Successfully

Manage a Manage a

Healthy, Healthy,

Happy & Happy &

Balanced Life Balanced Life

While Caring While Caring

for Aging for Aging

ParentsParents

By Kathleen Cleary

www.ThrivingInTheMiddle.com

Caring for Others

And Yourself:

L ife is a Balancing Act. If you're like most professionals I

know, you run along on the 'Treadmill of Life' wondering

when you can come up for air each day. Between spouses

and partners, bosses, children, pets, friends and volunteer

obligations, it feels like everyone wants a piece of you.

For many Boomers, the day often arrives when … things change.

Perhaps you get a call from one of your parents, a sibling, or one of

your folks' neighbors and hear something like, "Mom had a heart

“Your Well-Being is the Soil

upon which the garden of your

life blossoms or not.”

Today’s BoomeR 11

attack" or "Dad had a stroke".

There are over 65.7 million

caregivers of chronically or

terminally ill people in the US today:

64% care for a parent and 50% are

working full time.

Boomers are being impacted by their

aging parents changing health care

needs in a big way. Many struggle

with time, balance, guilt, worry and

lack of information and resources.

During 16 years of helping my

parents while running 3 small busi-

nesses, raising 3 sons, writing a

book, serving on a non-profit board

and rebuilding a house we lost to

fire, I learned there were 5 basic

steps that allowed me to stay healthy,

happy, productive and focused.

Step 1: Make Self- Care your

#1 Priority

The number one lesson I learned was

that Self Care MUST be your #1

Priority.

“Your Well-Being is the Soil upon

which the garden of your life

blossoms or not.”

As soon as you are feeling stressed,

overwhelmed, or sick, you are no

longer an effective caregiver to those

who depend upon you. Your diet,

health, fitness, and emotional well-

being need to be taken care of. Don't

ignore them!

Step 2: Assess where your life

is in or out of balance

There is a powerful tool you can use

to give you a vivid representation of

the way your life is currently, com-

pared with the way you'd ideally like

it to be. Google: 'Wheel of Life as-

sessment tool'. Many variations

come up, like this one from

Mindtools.com.

Each area of your life is mapped on a

circle, like the spoke of a wheel. You

can personalize the categories to re-

flect things that are important to you.

This wheel shows 'roles' you might

have. Others use categories like

health and fitness, family and

friends, personal growth, environ-

ment, fun and recreation, career,

money, etc. On a scale of 0 – 10, 0

reflecting complete dissatisfaction

and 10 being 'life can't get any bet-

ter', put a mark along each area

where you are today.

Most people end up with an irregular

wheel showing a 'bumpy' life ride.

Once you've had a chance to see

where you need to focus to bring bet-

ter balance into your life, it's time for

step three.

Step 3: Define Your Priorities

& Schedule Them into your

Life

An exercise I encourage my clients

to do is to take a serious look at how

you use each hour of your day for an

entire week. Chart out a week with

all your activities: sleeping, groom-

ing, working, errands, playing with

your kids, talking with your spouse,

pet care, etcc. Most are quite stunned

to discover they only talked with

their spouse an average of 12

minutes a day or spent less than 30

minutes with their kids in a fun ac-

tivity all week.

This will make it clear to you what

your actual priorities are (those you

spent the most time on) as opposed

to those you claim are your priori-

ties.

Then give yourself some time to re-

flect:

Do your priorities surprise you?

Are there things missing from

your list?

Do you have too much going on

in your life, leading you towards

a breakdown?

What needs less attention and

what needs more?

Is it time to get some support

with all you are balancing in your

life?

If this was your last week on

earth, would you be happy with

how you spend your time?

Now, create an ‘Absolute Must List’

for your life in the areas you want to

honor as your priorities. This could

be your daily exercise routine, time

devoted to your family, time devoted

to a passion, etc. This time gets

SCHEDULED on your calendar and

honored.

12 Today’s BoomeR

And remember, “NO” is NOT a selfish word! When

asked to help with a project or volunteer on

a committee, ask yourself, "If I say 'yes',

will this give me a feeling of happiness or

accomplishment?" If not, politely decline.

Step 4: Build your Support Systems

At each stage of our lives, we have different needs for

support. Evaluate where you could use help to make life

easier both at your parents' house as well as your own.

Among options to consider:

Personal Care Assistants

Household Help

Companion Services

Home Health Aides

Aging in Place Specialists

Caregivers Coach for Emotional Support, Goal set-

ting and prioritizing

Career or Business Support

There are countless services online for meal prepara-

tion, grocery delivery, and in-home help such as:

Dream Dinners: www.dreamdinners.com

DineWise: www.dinewise.com

Let's Dish: www.letsdish.com

Local Meals-on-wheels listings: www.MealCall.org

Share the Care: www.sharethecare.org

Sitters for Seniors: www.care.com

Step 5: Be the CEO of Caring for Mom and

Dad, Inc.

Adult children are concerned with their parents’ safety

while Seniors want to stay home and be left alone on

their own terms. To gain cooperation with my own

mother, I told her to look at our relationship as a

business partnership.

I was CEO of her care and she was my most important

client. She was still 'Queen of the Castle' and we'd make

decisions together about what help she needed. If Plan

A wasn't working out, we'd discuss and come up with

Plan B. This gave her a sense of control as well as a

feeling of being respected with dignity.

As CEO of your parents, be sure all essential documents

are complete. If your parents move to a different state

after signing legal documents, be sure to have them re-

viewed for validity in the new state!

Essential documents include:

Health Care Power of Attorney

Wills and Financial Affairs paperwork

Durable Power of Attorney

Advanced Directives

Two sources for finding elder-law attorneys to help with

these are:

1. American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys—

www.aaepa.com

2. National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys—

www.naela.com

Caring for aging parents can be very complicated. There

are many

certified

profes-

sionals

and

services

available

to help

you find

answers,

gain

peace of mind and learn to make decisions with

confidence.

Most importantly, there is support to help YOU remain

happy and healthy so you can actually enjoy the many

blessings along your caregiving journey.

To learn more about how you can find the answers you

need to caring for your parents while remaining happy,

healthy and balanced yourself, I invite you to visit my

website: www.ThrivingInTheMiddle.com and join our

community.

Today’s BoomeR 13

Social Security: Find True Value Cyber Monday at Social Security.gov

Let the shopping season begin!

The day after Thanksgiving has virtually become a holiday of

its own. “Black Friday” is the busiest shopping day of the

year, with people lining up at midnight for door-busting deals

as they begin the busy holiday shopping season.

And the Monday after that has become a virtual holiday, so

to speak. “Cyber Monday” is the day web-savvy people

search for deals on the Internet.

But there is more than one way to find value on the Internet.

For example, Social Security offers many online services to

the general public — and they are free! Not only that, but

doing business online with Social Security will save you time

and money. And it’s so easy to do. Here are some of the

most popular services you’ll find at www.socialsecurity.gov.

The online Social Security Statement is a hot new service that

is a big hit with the millions of people who’ve used it since its

launch last May. Your online Statement provides you with a

record of your past earnings, and it uses those earnings along

with projected earnings for future years to give you accurate

estimates of future Social Security benefits. Get your State-

ment at www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement.

The Retirement Estimator is an easy way to get an instant,

personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits.

Just key in some basic information and the Estimator will use

information on your Social Security record, along with what

you input, to give you a benefit estimate on the spot. You

even can experiment with different scenarios, such as chang-

ing your future earnings and retirement date. Check it out in

English at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator or in Spanish at

www.segurosocial.gov/calculador.

The online Retirement Application is the most convenient

way to apply for Social Security retirement benefits. You can

apply from the comfort of your home — it’s fast, easy, and

secure. It’s so easy, in fact, that it can take you as little as 15

minutes to apply online. In most cases, after your application

is submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms

to sign and usually no documentation is required. Social Se-

curity will process your application and contact you if any

further information is needed. When you’re ready to retire,

apply at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.

Business Services Online is our one-stop shop for small busi-

ness owners. The site allows organizations and authorized

individuals to conduct business with and submit confidential

information to Social Security. Employers can use it to file W-

2s for their employees the fast, convenient, and paperless

way — online. Visit Business Services Online at

www.socialsecurity.gov/bso.

In the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Social Security’s

online services continuously receive the highest ratings in

both the public and private sectors, year after year.

To learn more about all you can do on Cyber Monday, or any

day, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.

By Karyl Richson

Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

Your Social Security Questions Answered

Q: What is the earliest age that I can apply for my

Social Security retirement benefits?

Answer: The earliest age to receive retirement bene-

fits is 62, but you can apply up to three months be-

forehand. If you retire at age 62 today, your benefit

would be about 25 percent lower than what it would

be if you waited until you reach full retirement age.

Even if you are not ready to retire, you still should sign

up for Medicare three months before your 65th birth-

day. You can do both online at

www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.

14 Today’s BoomeR

Boomer Finances:

Shoppers to Remain

Conservative this Holiday Season

Consumers are prepared for a holly, jolly holiday season,

though it’s evident most will take a conservative approach

with their gift-giving budgets. According to NRF’s holiday

consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight, the

average holiday shopper will

spend $749.51 on gifts, de cor,

greeting cards and more, up

slightly from the $740.57 they

actually spent last year. NRF is

forecasting holiday sales will

increase 4.1 percent to $586.1

billion.*

"We’ve seen this pattern of cautious optimism all year and

despite the challenges that still exist in our economy, it

looks as if consumers are eager to celebrate with friends

and family,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

“As the most promotional time of the year, retailers will

continue to look for ways to stand out, specifically with

attractive deals on toys, electronics and apparel, even well

before the ‘official’ start of the holiday shopping season –

Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”

Economy Now “New Normal” as Fewer People Plan to

Change Spending Plans

In recent years, NRF’s holiday surveys have asked how the

economy will impact consumers’ spending

plans. This holiday season, now accustomed

to living on a budget, cutting back on non-

essential purchases, and using coupons and

searching for deals, 52.3 percent say the state

of the U.S. economy will affect their spending

plans, down from 62.2 last year. While recent

polls have shown that consumers are focused

on the economy as it relates to discretionary

spending, the lower percentage is indicative

of a consumer that has spent four years

changing spending habits, and is better pre-

pared for the uncertain economic outlook in

the near future.

“More than half of Americans this holiday season will feel

the impact of the economy and will compensate by doing

what they’ve been doing for several years – looking for

ways to cut any corners, comparative shop online and in

stores more often, and even planning to travel less or not

at all,” stated Shay.

Specifically, three in 10 (31.4%) consumers affected by

the economy will comparative shop online more often,

46.4 percent will shop for sales more often, 23.2 percent

will travel less or not at all, and 6.0 percent will compara-

tive shop using their mobile device.

Shoppers Plan to Start Early, More Than Half Will

Shop Online For Gifts

Consistent with results seen the past 10 years, four in 10

(41.4%) of Americans say they will begin holiday shop-

ping before Halloween. Perhaps boosted by interest in

layaway options or an urge to score the season’s “must

have” item before it is too late, 22.1 percent say they will

begin in October, up from 20.3 percent last year. Another

four in 10 (39.0%) will begin in November, 16.2 percent

will begin in first two weeks of December and 3.5 percent

will wait until the very last minute and shop in the last

two weeks of December.

? Report from the National Retail Federation (NRF)

39%

22.1%

3.512.3% 7% 16.2%

Today’s BoomeR 15

? There’s no question about the role comparison shopping

plays with today’s budget-conscious shopper, especially

when it comes to the winter holiday season. According

to the survey, consumers will spend a considerable

amount of time in stores and online this year looking for

the best deal. Nearly two-thirds (65.3%) will shop at

discount stores and more than half (57.8%) will shop at

department stores. Clothing stores (36.2%), electronics

stores (31.8%) and specialty stores (16.7%) will be pop-

ular with holiday shoppers as well. Grocery stores will

also see increased foot traffic – 51.8 percent will shop at

a grocery store for holiday items, up from 48.8 percent

last year.

Setting a new high, more than half (51.8%) will shop

online for gifts and other items this holiday season, up

from 46.7 percent last year. When asked what percent of

their holiday shopping they planned to do online, the

average person will complete about 38.8 percent of

their shopping on retailers’ and other companies web-

sites, another survey high. Shop.org, NRF’s digital divi-

sion, is forecasting online holiday sales will grow 12

percent to as much as $96 billion.**

Self-Gifting Reaches All-Time High

As a nod to just how much shoppers enjoy taking ad-

vantage of retailers’ holiday promotions to treat them-

selves to something nice, consumers are expected to

spend the most on non-gift items in the survey’s 10-year

history. Six in 10 shoppers (59.0%) plan to spend an

average of $139.92 on “self-gifting” this holiday season.

Seven in 10 (71.5%) young adults ages 18-24, often the

ones seen standing in the long lines for retailers’ mid-

night and early-bird Black Friday promotions, will

spend an average of $159.62 – the highest percent of

any age group, though not the most amount of money.

Adults ages 25-34 will spend the most at $175.65.

“It looks like young adults have the ‘one for you two for

me’ mentality about the holiday season this year, which

is surprising given that this is also the age group that

typically doesn’t have the income or ability to splurge,”

said BIGinsight Consumer Insights Director Pam Good-

fellow. “What isn’t surprising is that retailers’ holiday

promotions continue to strike a chord with this age

group, especially with promotions surrounding popular

electronics and apparel items.”

Six in 10 Holiday Shoppers Would Most Like to

Receive Gift Cards

When it comes to holiday wish lists, the usual culprits

top the list each year: clothing, books, DVDs, video

games, and electronics, but there’s one that stands out

more than any other – gift cards. According to the sur-

vey, six in 10 (59.8%) of those polled say they’d like to

receive gift cards this year, up from 57.7 percent last

year and the most in the survey’s history. Half (49.1%)

say they would like clothing, 45.7 percent said books,

CD, DVDs, videos, or video games, and more than one-

third (35.8%) are requesting electronics or computer-

related accessories. Nearly one-quarter (24.0%) want

jewelry, the most seen since 2008.

Smartphones, Tablets to Aid in Shoppers Holiday

Purchases

Mobile shopping will be a big part of consumers’ shop-

ping experience this year, and according to the survey,

more than half (52.9%) of those who own smartphones

and nearly two-thirds (64.1%) of those who own tablets

plan to use their devices to research and purchase holi-

day gifts, de cor, food items, and more.

About the Survey The NRF 2012 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey was designed to

gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter

holidays. The survey polled 8,899 consumers and was conducted for

NRF by BIGinsight October 2-8, 2012. The consumer poll has a mar-

gin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

BIGinsight delivers executives timely, consumer-centric insights

from multiple sources. As a comprehensive resource of information,

BIGinsight represents the voice of the consumer and provides

knowledge to marketers regarding consumer views on the economy,

personal finance, retail, lifestyle, media and domestic and world

issues. www.BIGinsight.com.

16 Today’s BoomeR

BOOMER HEALTHY EATING: Festive Healthy Choices to Help You Shine This Holiday Season

Snacks and Appetizers Instead of chips and dips, set out bowls of house-roasted, fresh hazelnuts, chestnuts, and dried cranberries; they’re delicious, simple, and much healthier, guaranteed! Hazelnuts: Spread a single layer onto a baking sheet and slip them into a preheated 350° F oven. Toast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the nuts start to brown and the skins blister. Remove nuts from the oven and wrap in a lightly moistened kitchen towel; let steam for 1 minute. Gently

Ah, the holidays. The time of year for eating especially well. We

all know what can, and does happen during the “Season of

Excess”. The pain of blown diets and unwanted pounds lasts far longer than the brief joy of

the meal. This year, make your resolution early and cook delicious holiday fare that won’t

break the calorie bank. Here are some tips to help you shine this season.

rub the nuts inside the towel to remove loose skins, and then allow them to cool completely. Chestnuts: Locate the flat side of each nut; carefully slice an “X” all the way through the skin on that side. Place nuts on a baking pan and slide that into a preheated 425° F oven to roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Gently shake the pan periodically so the nuts cook evenly. Remove from the oven and peel as soon as

they’re cool enough to handle, (If they cool too much, they’re really tough to peel!)

Eben Atwater is a Chef and writer who began cooking professionally in the 1970’s in Washington State and Idaho. In addition to a

food blog he publishes with his wife and partner-in-crime Monica, Eben is an accomplished musician and instrument maker. He

lives in western Washington State where he manages a bakery-café. Visit www.urbanmonique.com

Recipes and Photos from

Chef Eben Atwater

www.urbanmonique.com

Today’s BoomeR 17

Turkey is Tops

Turkey remains a top choice for holiday ta-bles for good reason; it’s festive, delicious and pretty darn easy. All too often though, diners

feature a grim smile whilst carving through a dry, tasteless bird. Here’s how to beat that trap. The answer to the dry look is brining your bird, but brining with salt can cause die-tary and health challenges for some folks. The solu-tion, (pun intended), is an alternative brine, and for that we love apple cider. The cider will make your turkey incredibly tender and juicy, with a hint of sweetness. ¼ cup unsalted Butter Sprig of fresh Sage, (or a Tablespoon dry) ¾ Cup Apple Cider. Pinch of salt and pepper Combine in a sauce pan over medium low heat and reduce by 50% so it nicely coats a spoon. Keep warm and baste with a brush. We cover the bird in foil for the first ¾ of the roasting time, then uncover and baste for that last quarter.

A perfectly prepared bird can still be mangled in the oven, so set up for success ahead of time. A probe thermometer is an investment worth having, period, end of story. Get the thermometer and cook to an internal temper-ature of 165º F in the thickest part of the breast, then allow the bird to rest on the stove top for at least 10 minutes before carv-ing, and you’ll turn out a perfect bird, every time.

Sides Not to Pass On Roasted Potatoes Instead of mashed potatoes, go with roasted. Not all potatoes are created equally, either, so shop around for something other than the ol’ russet. In most markets nowadays, you can find a good variety of spuds; we went for a three-color finger potato blend that I’ll bet you can find locally as well, and those little

guys taste as good as they look. Cut in half, then simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and roasted in a 350º F oven for about 15 minutes yields a healthy and very tasty treat.

18 Today’s BoomeR

Cranberry Sauce Zest ½ lemon, lime and orange, and then squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Top off with water until you’ve got a cup of liq-uid. In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, dissolve ½ cup granulated sugar in the water and juice blend. Add a bag of cranberries, the zest, and ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg. bring to a full boil, stirring constant-ly. When roughly ¾ of the berries have popped, remove from heat and pour into a ceramic or glass bowl to cool. Cover, refriger-ate and serve cold.

Sweet Pumpkin Flan And finally, there’s desert. Let’s be honest, desert must be sweet and tasty or we’ve flunked as cooks! That said, we don’t need the whole pie, whipped cream, ice cream ex-travaganza to put the perfect finish on a great meal. Our pumpkin flan is classy, lower in sugar and fat than the big boys, 100% de-licious and a breeze to prepare. ¾ Cup granulated white sugar ¾ Cup whole milk 2 Eggs 2 Egg yolks 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ½ teaspoon grated Nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground True Cinnamon ¾ Cup canned Pumpkin filling Arrange 8 (4-ounce) ramekins inside a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Heat ½ cup of sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and forms a me-dium-brown caramel, (5 to 10 minutes). Carefully pour a tablespoon of the caramel into each ramekin, swirling rapidly so the entire bottom is coated. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350º F. Bring 3 cups

of water to a full boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Heat half & half in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through; turn off heat and leave on the burner, cov-ered. Thoroughly combine eggs, additional yolks, ¼ cup of sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinna-mon, then fully incorporate the pumpkin in-to the mixture. Equally fill each ramekin, then place the baking sheet into your hot ov-en. Pour the hot water carefully into the bak-ing pan until it reaches roughly halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until flan is set. Test by gently shaking the baking pan; the flan should have a slight wiggle to it and feel firm when gently pressed with a finger tip. Remove from the oven and the baking pan, and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. To serve, center a desert plate over a rame-kin and give it a quick, neat flip. The flan will slip out of the ramekin, and all that lovely caramel will be dripping down the sides of the flan.

Today’s BoomeR 19

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