Looking to treat yourself, connect with new friends, enter a contest or giveaway, explore cultural and entertainment events, try something different, play a fun game or freshen up your fitness routine? Check this space or your inbox each week (a new e-newsletter issue arrives each Tuesday) for free opportunities and offerings that we think Sisters readers will enjoy.
Tips:
- Clicking on some links below may connect you to our social media channels, our parent site aarp.org, or a related contest or giveaway on another of our channels. If you've missed one of this week's Sisters newsletter articles, check it out or add it to your reading list before you leave our site!
- To access most events or games from AARP, you'll be prompted to complete a one-time, free registration for an aarp.org account. You DO NOT need to be a member of AARP to connect with us. With an account, the fun begins!
Here's what's happening between March 19, 2024 and March 25, 2024.
Sisters From AARP Soul Sanctuary: Visit Our Members-Only Facebook Group Anytime!
You are cordially invited to join the Sisters From AARP Soul Sanctuary private Facebook group! It’s the ultimate online social media space designed exclusively for Sisters to get together and share our journeys of health, wellness and happiness in a safe, supportive, members-only environment. No drama, just a healthy daily dose of laughter, love, support and celebration created just for you by Sisters From AARP. Welcome! We look forward to meeting you!
Sisters From AARP Cultural Cues Word Search on AARP Games—Play Anytime!
This unique version of the Daily Word Search, created by the Sisters From AARP team, invites you to explore African-American culture and history in your world with featured and weekly puzzles. Become a master word searcher by discovering clues about fascinating people, places and things. Up, down, backwards and diagonal – words are hidden everywhere! How fast can you find them?
AARP Virtual Community Center
These scheduled events are online. Join from anywhere!
A Conversation With Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
7:00 p.m. ET • 6:00 p.m. CT • 5:00 p.m. MT • 4:00 p.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
His groundbreaking series “Finding Your Roots,” now in its 10th season on PBS, has become a revered source for people discovering their genealogy. In a new episode of Real Conversations with AARP, Harriette Cole sits down with distinguished professor, genealogist, and author Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Gates is a globally recognized scholar of race, culture, African American history, and African and African American literature. He is the director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University and the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor.
His new book, The Black Box: Writing the Race is being released this month.
Cooking Class: An Easter Roast
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
2:00 p.m. ET • 1:00 p.m. CT • 12:00 p.m. MT • 11:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 90 Minutes
Chef Liz Barbour of The Creative Feast will demonstrate how to make roast Butterflied Leg of Lamb and Spinach Gratin, or you can easily substitute pork if you prefer.
Cook along with Liz or just sit back and enjoy the class. If you like, you can download a list of ingredients to have on hand.
iPhone Photography Tips & Tricks
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
4:00 p.m. ET • 3:00 p.m. CT • 2:00 p.m. MT • 1:00 p.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Learn how to make the most of your iPhone camera from the leaders of the largest photography club on Hawaii’s Oahu Island. Join beginners and experienced iPhone photographers to get acquainted with the camera features of your iPhone, including:
- ·Basic layout
- Orientation
- Shooting modes
- To flash or not to flash
- Editing, and much more
Come prepared to ask questions!
Instructors Milton Hee and Don Rostow are leaders of the Eyes of Hawaii Photography Club, with over 90 members.
Learn The Electric Slide and The Wobble
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024
12:30 p.m. ET • 11:30 a.m. CT • 10:30 a.m. MT • 9:30 a.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pearline Stevens, a Baton Rouge-based fitness teacher, will lead us in such classic line dance steps as the “electric slide” and the “wobble” to the beat of old-school jams and some of the latest hits.
The “Feel the Beat!” virtual line dancing lessons provide an entertaining and social way to increase your fitness level and stamina. You’ll want to have water handy and wear comfortable clothing that allows movement.
The goal is to improve your cardiovascular health as well as your balance. Please consult your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.
The Secrets of Growing Tomatoes
Wednesday, Mar 20, 2024
12:00 p.m. ET • 11:00 a.m. CT • 10:00 a.m. MT • 9:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 90 Minutes
Join AARP Vermont and the nonprofit Vermont Garden Network to learn gardening tips and tricks for growing tomatoes.
In this webinar, we will begin by understanding the terminology of tomato variety: Is it a hybrid or heirloom, determinate or indeterminate, paste or beefsteak tomato? Participants will also learn about:
- ·Transplanting techniques unique to tomatoes
- Pruning and fertilizing throughout the growing season
- Advantages and disadvantages of trellises and other structures as support
- Pests and diseases that are common to tomatoes
While this class was developed with New England's growing climate in mind, lots of great information for all climates will be shared.
Sisters & Friends: Sex at 50+
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
11:00 a.m. ET • 10:00 a.m. CT • 9:00 a.m. MT • 8:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
If you’re 50+, sex and dating can be a whole new ball game! Join us as we get down and real, providing tips and warnings about dating apps and meeting people online, advice on how to find that special someone and insights into the impact of aging and prescription drugs on your libido.
Hosted by: Dr. Sonya Gunnings-Moton, associate dean of Support Services and Engagement and an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at Michigan State University.
Presenters:
Dr. Octavia Cannon, provider at Alliance Obstetrics and Gynecology
Amy Nofziger, AARP director of Fraud Victim Support
Yoga and Mindfulness for Relaxation
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET • 12:00 p.m. CT • 11:00 a.m. MT • 10:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 45 Minutes
Follow along as your instructors in this virtual yoga class demonstrate gentle movements and yoga postures appropriate for attendees at all skill levels. They’ll also offer a toolkit of mindfulness techniques you can use to find calm off the mat in your daily life.
The workout is aimed at improving flexibility, strength and mobility of both body and mind. It’s led by Open Up, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to share mindfulness tools and movement practices that are accessible to all. Please consult your physician before beginning any new exercise regimen.
A Virtual Guided Tour of Mexico’s Baja California Sur
Friday, Mar 22, 2024
12:00 p.m. ET • 11:00 a.m. CT • 10:00 a.m. MT • 9:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 90 Minutes
Let’s go to Cabo! This 90-minute presentation takes you to a region of Mexico that has become a world-wide tourist attraction, with beautiful beaches and over 100 hotels and resorts.
We’ll explore the cities of San Jose del Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos, La Paz and Los Barriles. In Cabo San Lucas, attractions include whale watching, boat rides to the Arch, sea lions and flying fish. Every fall, the Bisbee fishing competition is held here. Birders can hope to spot endemic birds such as the Gray Thrasher, Belding’s Yellowthroat and Xantus’s Hummingbird, as well as southern and desert species.
Fitness Friday: A Strength & Conditioning Workout for All
Friday, Mar 22, 2024
10:00 a.m. ET • 9:00 a.m. CT • 8:00 a.m. MT • 7:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Your total body strength and conditioning workout, part of our “Fitness Friday” series, is led by instructor DaShaun Johnson. Light weights, water, a towel, and comfortable clothing are recommended.
The workout incorporates strength training exercises and gets your heart rate up. It allows you to go at your own pace and can be tailored for every fitness level. Please consult your physician before starting any new exercise regimen.
Doing such a workout regularly can help your muscles and bones get stronger so you can perform physical and daily activities more easily. In addition to the workout, each class will offer helpful AARP resources.
The Stories of Four Harriets of History
Monday, Mar 25, 2024
4:00 p.m. ET • 3:00 p.m. CT • 2:00 p.m. MT • 1:00 p.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Happy Women's History Month! Join AARP Pennsylvania and The National Constitution Center for Civic Story: Four Harriet’s of History to celebrate the lives and achievements of four American women:
- ·Harriet Robinson Scott (Dred Scott's wife. Their legal battle to be freed from enslavement culminated in the infamous United States Supreme Court decision Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857.)
- Harriet Tubman (Union scout, spy, nurse, suffragist, and conductor for the Underground Railroad)
- Harriet Jacobs (known for her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl)
- Harriet Beecher Stowe (abolitionist, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
These women confronted slavery through literature, lawsuits, and direct action in their efforts to free themselves or others from bondage.
A Mindfulness Lunch Break for Caregivers
Monday, Mar 25, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET • 12:00 p.m. CT • 11:00 a.m. MT • 10:00 a.m. PT
Duration: 60 Minutes
Take a calming lunch break and join Melissa Smith, the founder of Caregiver Wellness Resources, for a series of virtual classes on mindfulness for caregivers. Her organization is dedicated to promoting the well-being of those caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
The Mindful Caregiver series, which runs until early May, focuses on improving caregivers’ quality of life, perseverance, and ability to handle stressful situations. Melissa will offer simple mindfulness techniques you can use throughout the day. Her 30-plus years in the wellness industry and understanding of caregiving will ensure that you have - or are equipped to find - the tools you need!