AARP The Magazine - March/April 2010

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CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM McCAULEY; ILLUSTRATION BY ADHESIVE DESIGN; MASTERFILE;“BEAUTY BOUND” SOURCE: VIBRANTNATION.COM

It Is Easy
Being Green

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On the very first
Earth Day (in 1970),
111 million vehicles
zoomed down U.S.
roads. Now the num-
ber is 254 million—
which makes a clean
planet seem about as
likely as a fuel-
efficient Hummer.
But small actions can
make a world of dif-
ference, and that’s
why the Earth Day
Network—a global
group of eco-minded
organizations—is
encouraging people
worldwide to do one
billion Earth Day “acts
of green,” from pick-
ing up litter in their
neighborhoods to
recycling soda cans.
You can celebrate
this year’s event on
April 22 and register
your action online at
billionactsofgreen
.net. To download
a new tool kit that
offers simple tips
on going green,
visit createthegood
.org/diy-toolkits.
—Frank J. Yuvancic

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Who You Callin’ Granny?

HAVING GRANDKIDS: spectacular. Being called “Gramps”: sobering. Want a cooler moniker? The New Grandparents Name Book offers more than 700 options. “Choose carefully—the name sticks,” says coauthor Lin Wellford, 58 (who goes by “Mimi”).

But there’s no need to be traditional: the Preschool Experience in Newton, Massachusetts, recently asked 40 of its teeny tots what they called their grandmothers, and only five said “Gramma,” “Gram,” or “Granny.” Check out these modern alternatives—yes, you really can try these names—from Wellford’s guide. —Leslie Quander Wooldridge

It’s called the lipstick effect: the retail-biz gospel that women buy cheaper luxuries instead of pricey ones during a recession. But boomer women are proving to be an always- look-your-best exception. Their biggest cosmetic splurge: antiaging moisturizer. —L.Q. W. Beauty Bound