Baby Boomer Divas Know How to "Work it Out!"

OK...I'm on a mission...I just came from my aerobics class at the gym and by the end of the class I was definitely sweatin' like a pig to the oldies.

I had a great exercise week. I only missed one day. You see in order to maintain "Diva Status" you have to work it out. You have to challenge your body and break a sweat. A leisurely walk in your neighborhood is fine if all you're seeking is nature but if you really want to burn some calories, you've got to step up the pace and work that body.

At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three or more times a week is what I recommend. Even if you can't afford a gym membership, you can pump up that heart rate by doing a combination walk/run in your neighborhood or a designated location where runners go. If you think it's too cold outside, put on your favorite dance CD and work out a routine. If you were a cheerleader like me, you're sure to have a few kick routines you can throw in. Jump roping is also a great exercise and it gets your heart rate up in a relatively short period of time. This is where you can test yourself to see how many times you can jump without stopping. Set a goal. Start out with 20 jumps and add five each time until you're doing 100 comfortably. If you have stairs in your home, develop a routine where you climb up and down so many times a day and increase the number by two each day.

Oh, and don't forget the strength training. You can't look like a Diva if you're just skinny. You need to have some toning on your body. Divas can't have flabby arms or stomachs that make them look pregnant. Now, I'll admit that's an area I'm still working on. But the key here is I'm still WORKING on it. And whatever you do, don't give up. It really does get frustrating when you work hard and you don't see any visible results right away. But look at it this way, it took 10 or more years to gain the weight so don't expect it to fall off overnight.

OK...well, that's my baby boomer diva tip for today. Next time, I'll talk about diet.

Baby Boomer Divas Understand Priorities

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a man who, although I didn’t know his age, was a baby boomer. He started the conversation by asking me how old my son was. Of course, I laughed and corrected him on the fact that the infant I was with was my grandson. You know what came next, don’t you? He told me I looked way too young to be a grandmother so he just assumed the baby was mine. I thought to myself, “You’re right Mister, Baby Boomer Divas know how to keep it together so for all you know I could be a great-grandmother!”

Anyway, we got to talking about the older women he knew who had babies by men who were 15 to 20 years younger than them and he thought that was a shame. Personally, I think DISGRACE is a much stronger word and a total misuse of sperm. As we continued to talk, he expressed his frustration over not being able to find a woman in his own age group and he also wanted to let me know that he had tried dating younger women in the past but it never worked out because they had nothing in common. He also said he didn’t want to be considered a “Sugar Daddy” so he felt it was in his best interest to end the relationships. Then he said something that stuck with me: “Love is something you TRY---not something you BUY.”

It got me to thinking about my own “younger” days and the priorities I had for choosing the right companion. It’s funny how my priorities were so screwed up back them. Thank God I’ve grown up into the Baby Boomer Diva I am today and my status has attracted just the right Baby Boomer man.


Beverly Mahone, Author of Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age http://www.thebabyboomerdiva.com

Selling at the Salon

What do you do on a day when it’s raining cats and dogs? I decided I wasn’t going to let tropical Storm Ernesto rain on my parade today so I decided to go selling at the beauty salon.

Well, actually that’s not totally true. I went to the salon to get myself all “dolled up” for my husband (who came home early today), but since I’m one to always look for an opportunity to sell my book (Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into Middle Age), I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Get gorgeous and get paid! Mind you, both can be challenging!

I walked into the salon and saw women everywhere. I thought to myself, “Oh, this is great!” So, I didn’t waste any time. I had two books in my purse and walked over to the dryer area. I randomly selected two women.

“Hi! My name is Beverly Mahone and I wrote this book. While you’re under the dryer, why don’t you take a look at it and if you like it, get back to me.”

My stylist then called me back to the shampoo area. While getting my hair washed, I heard lots and lots of laughter! They were really laughing very loudly. When I returned to my hairdresser’s chair, I discovered the laughter was coming from the two women who were reading my book. Before I got under my own dryer, three other women asked me if I had more copies so they could also read it.

“Of course, I do!” I learned that as an author you take books with you EVERYWHERE you go so I went out to my car and brought in seven books. I figured with 12 women in the salon, I could sell them all just on the reaction of the women who were already reading them.

And you know what, I did sell them all! Two women just picked up the books and purchased them, without even browsing through any of the pages, saying they couldn’t wait to get home to read it. I thought to myself, “I can’t wait to get home either but I won’t be doing any reading because my husband is home!”

One woman said she was going to pitch my book to her reunion group this weekend and wanted to see if I would be available to come and speak to them about the book. “Of course, I will!” I also learned that as an author you never miss out on an opportunity to talk about your book.

Well, I got my two for one today. I left as a satisfied "babyboomerdiva" and I introduced seven more women to, what is soon to become, a best-selling book!

I left the salon thanking God for the blessings and was reminded of the scripture: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Peace & Blessings,
Babyboomerbev