gifts

I recently had the great pleasure of representing AARP on The Doctors to share some of my top caregiving tips, give away copies of my new book, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and tell everyone about AARP’s Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers contest. (You can watch the segment, below.) It made me think about what I really want for Christmas this year and it’s exactly that: small kindnesses that free my time, nurture my soul and minimize the stress of the holidays while maximizing the joy.

My no-nonsense German grandmother tried to teach me how to knit when I was 12 because she believed that knitting and crocheting were  keys to happiness.

Mother’s Day brings a spending spree as Americans dole out a record $21 billion this year for cards, flowers, jewelry, gift certificates, electronics and gardening tools, as well as creating a crush at restaurants for brunch and dinner on Sunday.

My daughters, Alexandra and Jennifer (right) , sure hit the gene jackpot: As heirs to my beauty and fashion sense, my steely self-confidence, my quick wit and collection of Chanel bags, these are two lucky babes, let me tell you.

African Americans/blacks have a history of giving. More than two-thirds give to churches and organized charities. We also give to family members who need help paying bills, college students who need tuition assistance and others. We are responsive to our churches and Greek-letter organizations that make appeals.

Sorry, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, but your name on a perfume bottle is not enough to entice a choosy sniffer like me.

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it's impossible to get away from the message that we should be making a list and checking it twice. We wondered if adult children ever age out of the gift list.

Many of us still fondly remember talking on the old-fashioned rotary dial phone with the curly cord. At one time, just about every home had one. But when it comes to the new forms of communications and technology, there is a digital divide between old and young that needs swift action. And AARP is seeking to close the gap with online training in digital technology especially suited for people who are age 50-plus.

When it comes to gift-giving, Father's Day ranks in last place among holidays, generating $7 billion less in spending than Mother's Day. Of the average $113.80 spent on gifts, much will be for boring stuff from ties to lawn trimmers. Try giving Mom a gift like that for her day!

Coco Chanel once said, "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future."