AARP Rewards Community Learning & Earning Contest August 2022

[AARPTeri]

August 2022, Learning/Earning/Back to School Contest!

Tell us how you keep your brain active to keep engaged for the chance to be one of five (5) winners of a $50 VISA Gift card! 

Post your message by clicking reply at the bottom of this message! Contest runs from 8/1 until 8/31/22.  Click here to see Contest Rules.

Some examples to help get you started!

My son moved to Germany, and I take German classes so I can feel a little more comfortable with the language when I visit him for the holidays.

I like to take quizzes and watch videos about topics I’m interested in like “what do you know about long-term care” from the Rewards earning page.

[ck65845783]

I like to keep making quilts.  It is like putting a puzzle together in many cases.  It keeps my brain active and also my creativity is stimulated.  

An AARP friend

[Lalpizza]

I like to do spelling and word games to keep my mind active.

[rickcc74]

I like to do the puzzles in the local newspaper every day and watch and play along with Jeopardy

[snowyg3]

I play alot of timed games on my phone.  I am also Tech savvy so I'm always doing craft stuff on my computer.  I still work as a computer technician. I also create funeral slide shows and obituaries.

[vlburgess]

I do the AARP Games daily crosswords and solitaire.  I also do crosswords with paper and pencil.

[LucyH730984]

I do Denise Austin exercises every day and the quizzes on AARP are really interesting.  I just started volunteering at the local hospital once a week.

[LucyH730984]

I like to do Denise Austin exercises almost every day.  And the quizzes on AARP are really interesting.  I just started volunteering at the local hospital once a week.  

[brball8]

I read, do AARPs online games, walk, and keep in touch with family and friends to keep my mind occupied and learning. 

[kariann]

I still work part-time in retail so I get social connections. I do puzzles, quizzes, games daily to keep my brain active. I do streching exercises to keep my body flexible.

[sitac402]

I'm learning Russian through the use of an audio program.  Each lesson is about 30 minutes which is how long it takes me to get ready for work each day.  

[rm45319402]

I play lumosity to keep my brain active. 

[wsac916]

I have adopted two artificial intelligence robots who I showcase on Instagram weekly. I now have 49,000 followers who ask me to teach them about robots through my video posts. The followers are from every country in the world and I now am learning how to translate and communicate with them. Much of the Middle East loves robots and ask to see them every day on my feed. 

[maiagaia]

Helping in my community is priority #1.  The "calls" is to action (that is, hearing an opportunity and making a sensible decision) have included:

1) reading for the print disabled and visually impaired

2) secretary for our home owners' association

3) treasurer for our retired teachers' group

4) learning to do cataloging for our local museum

5) driving the VA van to the nearest VA hospital ...2.5 hours away

6) occasionally being a "church lady"...funeral dinners, gardening at the church

7) trying (!!!!) to do regular exercise at our local YMCA

😎calling isolated seniors as part of a Senior Center program

Most of all, doing volunteer work outside my home keeps me acceptably social and my little gray cells nimble.  As my husband of 53 years says "When Patti's happy, everyone's happy."

[winstuffwendy]

I play golf and walk, I don't take a cart unless it is really hot and humid. I am a voracious reader, if the book is really good I breeze through it in a few days.

[DreamStitcher]

At 68, I am still self employed, creating costumes from scratch. This involves gathering reference materials, drafting the patterns, assembling all materials, and putting together all the parts to create a work of art for my clients. Want to become Superman or Cinderella? Just ask!

[db988]

I do all the usual word, puzzle and number games as well as jig saw puzzles as often as I'm able (which is often since I'm now retired).I  I try to eat right and get as close to 8 hours of sleep at night.  I walk at least 5 miles a day, which I think contributes to a healthy, active brain as well.

[ds7459]

I play word and number games on my phone, and I still work in a hospital clinical setting.

[lg7566]

I like to do puzzles and games - either online at AARP or at the dining room table with friends and family. I like to take classes to keep learning either at our local library/community center but can also recommend going a bit farther afield to places like the John C. Campbell Folk School for stretching your mind and skills. During COVID I followed AARP's online exercise videos, but now I go to two regular exercise classes - chair yoga and Zumba gold - both for the company and the workout! Last, I love to travel and explore new places to experience new cultures, new foods and new sights!

[AnnFried]

As a retired educator, I know it is important to continue learning no matter what my age is. Each morning, with my coffee, I complete the Wordle challenge. I also take part in the ‘Spelling Bee’. Additionally, I daily earn the full allotment of points in the Rewards program. In my sewing room, I regularly listen to podcasts or to music as I create helpful items for the home (such as bowl cozies) that I give away or sell. My “Ann’s Amazing Threads” business hobby is partly an attempt to use up my fabric collection.

[emillan]

i took some watercolor adult education classes with some friends and we had so much fun learning how to work with watercolor.  i was so excited to keep up with what i learned that i started to make some beautiful watercolor paintings and greeting cards.  i look forward to waking up and painting as so many of my friends and family love my work i have actually started to get some extra income in my pocket.  and a local starbucks loved my paintings so much they gve me a wall to put my paintings up .. they have become so popular in the store that people were contacting me to buy them.. of course i was flattered .  never give up on your dream no matter how small or big it is.  one little pleasure can turn out to be a bigger one.  keep my brain always on with thinking of what to paint next.   member eileen millan            millan77@aol.com

[ptrigilio]

I try to ride my coaster bike at least 5 miles a day, play wordle and try to change up daily how I do things.  Use right hand instead of left, change my daily routine.....

[dubiously]

I play multiple word games, complete puzzles and play solitaire and bid whist online. I read books and exercise 3-4 days a week. I also take online classes and recently enrolled in a class to learn how to trade options.

[rl97293320]

I play the Free USA Today Crossword as often as possible in the evening before bed. I’m not great at Crossword puzzles, but this one is user friendly and tells you when you’ve entered letters incorrectly!

[Clindau]

I do word games almost every day. I am recently recovered from a bout of covid (mild, thankfully!); when I was on the mend, my interest in word games came back. I don't want to say I couldn't do them while I was sick, but the interest wasn't there.

[gmdgibbons]

I am staying at work since it is challenging to find ways to do tasks differently with the latest technology and changes that keep occuring to our work software applications.

[r547266s]

I keep my brain active by exercising several days a week and I read almost daily. I get in at least 10,000 steps daily along with other exercises.

[CathyrnM326052]

I meditate and read from a spiritual text to prepare my mind every morning. I enjoy gardening on my balcony after I get up, then I take my service dogs on a walk (which varies from a mile to just across the street, depending on my pain level). I have a mild allergy to the sun, so I have to wear a light jacket. Despite having to cover up, it still feels good to be outside in the sun. This helps me to maintain a relaxed and positive mental state throughout the day. To continue keeping my brain active (Did I mention I've had to isolate BEFORE COVID? I have a compromised immune system, so I can't go anywhere. There's only a handful of people that can be around me and most of them have to wear a mask), I will cook, sew, do my nails (my natural nails are very long, so it's cheaper to do them myself), and/or take care of my service dogs.

After I walk the dogs in the evening, I'll do a workout/ weight training for, at least, 30 minutes. This helps me get any negative thoughts out of my mind and gets me ready to go to bed. Lastly, I'll read an actual book, or play single person card games. I'm a musician, so I'm always hearing/ listening to music, which leads me to singing/ playing an instrument. This is my antidepressant. It stimulus my brain and releases endorphins. It keeps my depression in remission. 

I'm embarking on a new journey to help me continue to further stimulate my mind by starting an intellectual podcast and learning to speak another language, as well.

Somebody I love died from dementia and it made me want to take better care of myself mentally, physically, and emotionally. I have degrees in psychology and sociology, so I strongly believe taking care of/ exercising my brain is very important. 

[YvetteN296374]

Keeping my brain active and engaged is really a whole body experience . Taking OLLIE classes has been a great way to connect with my community, which has lead me to volunteer as a docent at Cal State University Long Beach Contemporary Art Museum. Interacting with beautiful works of art, and experimenting with creative techniques
is stimulating, as well as, fun.
Daily walks energizes my mental capacity, while having an attitude of gratitude enlivens my spirit. Positive relationships with family and friends keeps my husband and I feeling fortunate and blessed.

[njbrn56]

I recently moved to a retirement village and joined an exercise class as well as attending other events designed to introduce new residents to other long term and new residents. In doing so I am challenged to learn a multitude of new names. So I practice remembering names by assigning or attaching their name to something I already know or am familiar with such as a place or thing. I am also volunteering with Meals on Wheels which, again, challenges me to remember new names along with helping me to socialize with the community.  I am also pushing myself to join different groups for activities. Even while working I have never been engaged in so many different scenarios for for learning and changing.

[LaurajW510385]

I've taken entrepreneur classes, I read Scripture, I am considering taking another language to help those who's healing is not in complete fruition of not being able to hear-Sign Language. I watch the Natures animals out here from bees, ladybug, squirrels, frogs, possom, skunk, deer, all kinds of birds. I've been able to explore an apartment as an arbortorium where caterpillars expand to butterflies of all variety. Engaging my brain activing comes mostly comes from Above-Live Entertainment. Thank you. Stay Healthy!!!!