Does The Engagement Ring Size Matter? | Red Flags Warning | Singles Dilemmas

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International Bestselling Author Stella Eromonsere-Ajanaku offers advice on ring size, and warning signs that singles should be aware of.

 

Enjoy and do not forget to subscribe to her YouTube Channel.

An Announcement from Overseas Adventure Travel™ - Vaccination Requirements and Updated Health & Safety Protocols on Land Adventures—and Resuming 2021 Travel

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The safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority. We have updated our health and safety protocols for our Small Group Adventures on land. In addition, all travelers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days before departure, and all staff will be vaccinated as well. With these guidelines in place, we will resume travel on more than 25 adventures in 2021—see them all here.

How to Combat Social Isolation During COVID-19 Pandemic

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Even before COVID-19 limited social contact with friends, family, and colleagues, many adults experienced loneliness and depression due to limited contact with others.

 

Now, a year after the pandemic forced many people into even greater levels of isolation, the issue of social isolation is especially prevalent in Americans over the age of 50. Despite the physical implications of a global pandemic, research shows the mental health stakes are high, too. A nationwide survey, commissioned by Barclays, found that half of Americans over the age of 50 said the isolation from their friends and family has been more challenging than concerns over health risks they may face.

 

Social isolation has provided plenty of time for Americans to reflect on their priorities. The majority of Americans surveyed (90%) have re-evaluated their post-age-50 goals and put spending more time with family at the top of their lists. The most common first thing 50-plus Americans will do once COVID-19 is over is to see and spend time with their families (41%).

 

“While restrictions are beginning to ease, many older adults are still isolated from friends and family, and that takes a toll on their mental well-being,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation. “We must do all we can to help older adults, who have suffered greatly during COVID-19, strengthen the social connections that are so essential to their ability to lead longer, healthier lives.”

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For example, AARP Foundation’s Connect2Affect platform equips older adults with the tools they need to stay physically and mentally healthy and connected to their communities.

The AARP Essential Rewards MasterCard from Barclays is helping fund the foundation’s work to increase social connection with donations based on new accounts and eligible purchases, up to $1 million annually.

 

A little creativity and a commitment to filling time productively can help reduce the strain of being alone until it is safer to resume social activities.

 

Use technology to connect with loved ones. Video chats and traditional phone calls can help you feel connected even when you cannot be together in person. While a drop-in call can be fun, consider arranging regular visits with kids and grandkids. If you schedule calls throughout the week, you will have something regular to look forward to and can benefit from a check-in that affirms everyone is healthy and safe.

 

Make time for physical activity. Staying closer to home may mean you are not getting the exercise you once did, but your health needs to stay active. Regularly using your muscles helps keep your body strong, and even light physical activity a few times each week can help keep your cardiovascular system fit for better heart health. Regular exercise can also provide a range of positive mental health outcomes, including reduced stress, anxiety and depression, and improved memory.

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Volunteer in your community or consider virtual volunteering. Helping others is a way to release feel-good endorphins for you. While your limited social calendar may afford you some extra time, inquire with local nonprofits about how you can contribute to their causes. Especially as funding for charitable organizations has dropped, volunteers are still essential to most nonprofit organizations, whether the help comes in person or virtually. Even from a distance, you may be able to help with tasks like making calls to donors, assisting with mailings, or planning fundraising campaigns.

 

Learn a new hobby or skill. Another way to fill your free time, and reap some positive energy, is to explore a new hobby or skill. The personal satisfaction of learning and focusing your mental energy on something that interests you can help offset the disappointment of being away from those you love.

 

To find more resources that support older adults, go to connect2affect.org.

Tips for Soon to be Weddings and Newlyweds by Jennifer Scott

Omar Medina Films from Pixabay

Jennifer Scott has done a lot of research that would be useful for the soon-to-be brides and grooms and newlyweds and talks about wedding planning *and* life after tying the knot.

To learn more, click on the links below: 

How to Plan a Dream Wedding Without Going Broke

How To Reduce Your Wedding Day Debt

Making Stepfamilies Work

Home Advice for Newlyweds: Five Tips for Buying Your First Home

How Much House Can I Afford?

Down Payment Assistance Programs

Moving in Together: A Newlywed's Guide

There's Never A 'Right' Time For A Baby — But These Questions Can Help You Decide

Budgeting for a Child

Vô Vi from Pixabay

Tips to Help You as the COVID-19 Restrictions are Slowly Being Lifted

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Every day, we are receiving information as to how we can slowly get back to doing some of the things we did before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us like a ton of bricks. Should we continue to wear a mask if fully vaccinated? Must we keep maintaining social distancing? The answers can be somewhat overwhelming, depending on who is providing the solutions.

 

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

To help make things clearer, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention - which offers updated information on how you can protect yourself, your family, and others.

Solo Travelers Over 50 are Opting to Personalize Their Voyage

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Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is the leader in solo-friendly travel for women over 50, exploring the globe, experiencing new cultures, and connecting with others from every lifestyle. Solo women travelers help to enrich the lives of the people they will meet along the way – often women and girls in faraway places – just as their lives will be enriched by the discoveries they will make on their journeys.

 

More than 80,000 solo travelers have traveled with O.A.T. in the last five years, and more than half of O.A.T.’s travelers are women traveling alone. The company has 38,000 solo women travelers who have reserved travel for 2021 and 2022. O.A.T. offers Free Single Supplements on 92% of its 30,000 single spaces to support unaccompanied travelers.

 

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In the spirit of women supporting women, O.A.T. issued the complimentary NEW 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers. Edited by O.A.T. Vice Chairman Harriet Lewis, the booklet assembles advice primarily from O.A.T.'s most seasoned solo women travelers.

 

The NEW 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers, written specifically for the mature woman, shares tips on top solo-friendly destinations, specific regions of the world, solo travel safety, money matters, etiquette, dining, and culture. Anyone may request a complimentary copy of the NEW 101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers (or view it) at http://www.oattravel.com/community/101-tips.

 

For many O.A.T. solo women travelers, the best part of their adventures is the support through O.A.T. travel for Grand Circle Foundation projects, many of which focus on women and girls. The organization's community development, for example, establishes the means for women and village leaders to create sustainable changes in their communities to become economically self-sufficient. By 2022, 85% of O.A.T.’s travelers are choosing to personalize their experiences in more than 80 countries.

 

O.A.T. is the only travel company to offer the level of flexibility, so solo travelers can create a truly personalized experience. 

 

Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is part of Boston-based - Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwide, among them, 100 schools in 50 countries. The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $200 million since 1981.

 

To learn more about O.A.T., please visit http://www.oattravel.com or call 1-800-955-1925.

How Can A Man Love His Wife And Have An Affair? | Best Marriage Tips

Our Favorite married couple, Augustine and Stella Ajanaku will share some interesting tips on marriage. Enjoy this video. Moreover, please leave your comments and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.

Ten Gripping Mysteries with Shocking Endings by Vivienne Diane Neal

Do you enjoy reading narratives, believing you know how the stories will end? Well, think again. Following are 10 page-turning, edge-on-your-seat mysteries written by some of our favorite authors that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Diabolical by Charlotte Marshall-Murray - A man confesses with evidence to killing five missing women but the police have doubts about his story.

Death Toll Recon by Terry Keys - A District Attorney is accused of murdering a judge.

Dead Man’s Detour (Abby Waither Series - Book 1) by Maxwell T. Blackmore - A museum curator works with a detective to value a piece of art found clenched in a dead man’s hand.

One Dead Politician by Tanya R. Taylor - While visiting a Caribbean country on police business, a Los Angeles Detective becomes embroiled in a murder mystery.

Nana by Brandon Massey - A stranger shows up at a funeral making an outlandish allegation.

Threat Nexus by Cortez Law III - An enemy who has a puzzling message, which will bring back painful memories and threats approaches a detective.

Agent Red: Fatal Memory (Teagan Stone Book 1) by Ava S. King - A secret organization kidnaps a retired operative who has lost her memory.

The Book of Jericho by J. D. Oliva - The son of a powerful and destined lobbyist is murdered.

The Cyclist by Tim Sullivan - A dead body is discovered on a site that is scheduled to be demolished.

Minus One (The Drew Smith Series) by Norwood Holland - A newly licensed lawyer comes to the defense of his best friend accused of murder.

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Planning an Economical Wedding during COVID-19

 

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Due to COVID-19 restrictions, micro-weddings are big right now but as weddings get smaller, so have budgets.

 

With many people suffering financial hardships, salary cuts, or job losses, many couples can no longer afford to have the lavish wedding they had their hearts set on.

 

Over the past year, some couples have had to postpone or cancel their weddings, missing deposits, and venues they carefully picked.

 

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For these reasons, weddings have become more personal, focusing more on the shared experience rather than over-the-top aesthetics.

 

Maureen “Nono” Skosana, founder and chief executive of event planning company, Nono Events, says, “Given our COVID-19 restrictions where events are limited to 50 guests, micro-weddings are now massive. While the guest list and booze bill may have dwindled or disappeared completely, the cost to create an intimate but memorable experience has not.

 

“Some vendors are increasing their fees to accommodate complex logistics, inflation, and to keep their businesses afloat. Also, when you buy or order in bulk, you save. That’s not the case anymore, which is putting pressure on the budget.”

 

Nono Events, with the help of Budget Insurance, have put together a guide to budgeting for a micro wedding.

 

Their tips include:

 

Commit to a wedding budget - When you start planning your wedding, understand the state of your finances, and then set an overall limit of how much you can spend and stick to it.

 

Avoid debt - Do not go into debt to pay for the day. Similarly, you do not want to dip into savings you have for a specific purpose such as a new house.

 

Package deals - Select a package deal from one supplier if possible instead of using different suppliers. Be honest and discuss your budget with your preferred supplier. This will enable them to work out an appropriate cost-saving package.

 

RSVPs - Make sure that you have proper RSVP processes in place. This will help manage catering costs amongst other costs. 

Know what things cost - Make a very detailed list that includes the venue, food, décor, and drinks, down to nails and hair for the big day. Decide what you would like and find out how much these things cost. The more detail you put in, the better you can budget and plan, and see where you can save or cut.

Marriage is all about compromise - Start early and draw up a list of what will make your wedding memorable, and special; what can you do without, at a push.

 

Susan Steward from Budget Insurance, says, “At a time where budgets are already stretched to the limit, couples need to ensure that they have their dream day without breaking the bank. Remember, the wedding is not the end; it is the beginning. The marriage is what counts. The best way to start a marriage is in financial health and with a commitment to building a secure future together.” 

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Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein’s ‘Purpose Wines’ is Promoting Social Justice

Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein

Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein is a deep thinker because as Oregon’s first Black woman who owns a winery and as a winemaker, she has a lot to envision. There are the daily challenges of running a business. There are also the struggles people like her face in the industry, where historically a lack of diversity has led to a lack of role models from similar backgrounds.

 

‘Purpose Wines’ was launched in 2018. Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein Winery opened its first tasting room in the small town of Astoria, Oregon in 2019. The winery focuses on wine from the Willamette Valley, and each month, a portion of the sales is donated to different charitable causes.

Goldstein grew up splitting time between her home in the United States and her grandparents’ farm in Zimbabwe. Her grandfather brewed beer while her grandmother had a passion for drinking and sharing wine. She saw firsthand the way beer and wine opened up conversations and brought people together. It left a profound impression on her.

 

Although she went to the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television and graduated with a degree in filmmaking, there was never any doubt in her mind that, someday, she would create something linked to wine. After all, she says, “Francis Ford Coppola, who is UCLA film school alum, had successfully pursued careers in both industries. If he could do it, she could, too.”

 

This unwavering belief in her is one of Goldstein’s defining uniqueness. However, it is her belief in humanity that sets her apart, both as a person and as a winery proprietor. She believes we can all do better and will do better, for each other as well as the earth. This hopefulness and the sense of responsibility that comes with it shines through with Eunice Chiweshe Goldstein Winery labels like Black Lives Matter Pinot Noir, marked by wisplike letters spelling “I can’t breathe” in the shape of a cross inspired by the murder of George Floyd. Goldstein says she incorporated the cross on the label to reflect the fact that George Floyd was a human being who did not deserve to lose his life.

 

Goldstein believes that one of the key lessons of being on this planet is that we have to take care of each other. We have to do better. She is a big fan of Paul Newman and all the charity work he did through his food brand. She would love to do something like that so she can continue to help people, because as she says, “At the end of the day, we cannot take it with us. The Egyptians tried it and it did not work.” For more information on her winery and wines, please, click here.