Hotel Chocolat, another great Hello Stiletto Shoe Club event. Boston, MA

Are you and your girlfriends looking for reasons to dress up?  Well, besides going out to dinner, or a show, or clubbing you could just sign up for the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club!  My first event was a couple of years back when there was a trunk show at a Neiman Marcus with a Kentucky Derby theme.

And on that note...I signed up for an event at the new Hotel Chocolat on Newbury Street, this past Saturday, this is the chocolate stores first U.S. location.  As I walked in, there was a tray of chocolates shaped into ghoulish treats, from sculls to tombstones, and the champagne and wines from Barefoot wines began flowing.

Towards the back, in the tasting room, there were some designer handbags from Genevieve designs which were exclusively made.

As the store filled up with more and more people wearing their finest fall heels, Melissa, the founder of the shoe club, invited everyone who was willing to take part in the pink carpet walk off.  Jennifer, the handbag designer, along with Vickie, the CEO of Hotel Chocolat, were the judges.  The runners up and winner were presented with different chocolates.

All in all it was a perfect event on a very rainy Saturday night in Boston.  I may not have walked away a winner but I walked away being happy that I went out by myself and had a great time sipping champagne and eating fine chocolates.

So...let's review...
1. Please consider signing up for the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club.  There are branches in various cities across the country and it is a great way to finally wear those shoes you keep in a box for special occassions
2. If you are in London, St. Lucia, or Boston and are looking for some great chocolate gifts, I would have to say that Hotel Chocolat is the way to go.

Until the next review!

Body Pump, at your local BSC gym.

Well, it certainly feels like winter time again.  Who ever expected snowflakes to fall on the 15th of October?!? 

Hibernation begins and people are off the streets and back in the gym.  Luckily, the BSC is finally providing some new and very effective classes.  I have yet to try the Body Combat class but can't wait until Monday, until it actually falls at a time when I am free.  I have however gone to two Body Pump classes and am loving the results already.  The main difference is that Body Combat involves cardio and Body Pump is weight training...I know that a few months into the winter gym routine, running will get pretty boring and I will be showing up to Body Combat on a weekly basis.

As for Body Pump, if you are looking for someone to kick your butt and get everything from your quads, back, shoulders, biceps and other muscle groups sculpted then this is definitely where you should be spending your time, even the music gets you in the mood to keep going and pushing harder.  So if you are looking for a change in your gym routine you should definitely try these new classes out and see the results for yourself!

So...let's review...
1. Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, winter is upon us already...get out your shovels!
2. Thankfully, the gym has become more fun again.  For new cardio training check out BSC's Boot Combat class and if you do enough cardio you should certainly also be weight training on the side to build up your strength, so try out Body Pump.
3. If you are in denial and want one more fun fall activity, head over to the 45th Charles River Regatta this weekend!

Until the next review!

The Hatch Awards. Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA

It's fall and I think it's time to highlight some events!

The 49th Hatch Awards happened on October 6th at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.
I have fallen into quite a fantastic group called the Ad Club, a big thanks to Suffolk University and one of their networking events.

This is the second event I have volunteered at with the Ad Club.  Unfortunately at the first I was unable to see the finished product due to other obligations but I was extremely excited to see the Hatch Awards through the end.

I, along with several other volunteers, came by at 10am and began helping out with getting the venue set up for the evening.  It of course took a lot of manual labor but I've realized that, if given the chance, event planning and set up is definitely the side of advertising that I would seriously like to explore.  We all assisted in getting the goodie bags made and made sure that the winning art work was hung up correctly.

Eventually, my time for the day was up and I rushed home to change and be ready for the evening. When I arrived it looked like more help was needed so I helped out with registration until one of my fellow volunteers came and we then decided to really enjoy the night.

The amount of people that showed up was incredible.  The night started off with cocktails and was followed by watching the Boston University drum line kick off the awards show.  There were a number of unique categories and student awards to be handed out, Arnold Worldwide and Hill Holiday, were of course among the biggest winners of the night.

The night finished up with more cocktails and "street food" to follow in the urban themed night.

Overall, this was once again a fantastic event and great opportunity.

So...let's review...
1. If you are looking for some great event planning/coordinating experience look into volunteering for the Ad Club or any other organization to get a better feel for the industry
2. There is always time to attend a fantastic event such as the Hatch Awards, so throw on your heels or a nice pair of slacks and put yourself out there!

Until the next review!

Honey Pot Hill Orchard. Stow, MA

If anyone was to ask me for a place to apple pick, I would without a doubt suggest Honey Pot Hill Orchard.
I have made this a yearly occasion and don't plan to stop any time soon.  The orchard is located on a beautiful hill in Stow, Massachusetts.  The drive to Honey Pot itself is worth the trip, especially if you come down route 27.

This is a perfect place for people of all ages.  There are hay rides, a number of animals to feed, pumpkins to pick, many options for sweet treats and depending on the season, you can also pick pears and blueberries.  You should also stop in the store to pick up some fresh apple cider, honey or perhaps some fresh veggies to cook with.

One note of caution is that the orchard does get pretty busy during the weekends, so if you are not keen on large crowds of apple pickers I would suggest you come during the week day when it feels like you have the whole orchard to yourself.

So...let's review...
1. If you are looking for a great apple picking location, I would strongly suggest Honey Pot Hill Orchard
2. Make sure to bring a camera for all of the great pictures you can take of your children on the hay ride or among all of the pumpkins
3. You absolutely have to have a caramel apple and fresh cider donuts!

Until the next review!