Summer Alert, Blog Frustrations, and Money and Retirement on This Week’s Blog Round-Up

Summer is almost here and the weather (at least in the mid-Atlantic area) is finally cooperating. Sunday morning dawned sunny and cloudless, the first beautiful day in a week. I picked our first strawberries of the season. They are plentiful and sweet this year following a slow but successful recovery from near-death following Hurricane Sandy.

I cannot wait to stroll down to the beach with my chair, a book and sunscreen. Deciding which sunscreen to buy can be challenging, with stores displaying numerous options. This week’s Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide contains clues to choosing the best one.

Rita R. Robison, consumer journalist, gives the recommendation of two consumer groups on which sunscreens are best. Consumer Reports tested 34 sunscreens and said the ones with chemical filters work best. The Environmental Working Group analyzed 1,700 products and found 80 percent offered inferior sun protection or contain ingredients the group calls harmful. The EWG thinks sunscreens with mineral filters are less dangerous.

Laura Lee is giving up her original blog, "Midlife Crisis Queen" for technical reasons. She is so disillusioned with what's become of the Internet! So much for freedom of expression, eh? She now blogs at Adventures of the New Old Farts. Check out her post Why Blogging Isn’t Much Fun Anymore. 

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty asks: Can you afford to retire? In his post How Much Money Do You Need in Retirement? he highlights some interesting findings from a recent report sponsored by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, which surveyed American attitudes about their ability to afford retirement. So, among other things, find out how much money people say you need in order to live comfortably after you retire.

Meanwhile enjoy some of the free aspects of retirement - the outdoors, fresh air, start of a new season. Take a walk or get together with a friend. Take a trip to your local library and get a stack of books for summer reading.

I am going to do some cooking. My family descends next week and I want to be prepared.

Have a great week!