Boston Business Women

If you know me in real life, you know I’m someone who loves being a connector.

Join Boston Business Women with my link https://bostonbusinesswomen.com/?via=danielle

One of the best networking groups I’ve found in MA is Boston Business Women

Before the pandemic, I’ve enjoyed their networking meals.

Here’s some of the BBW table when they met in Quincy!

With the pandemic, a ton of their training moved online and I appreciate that.

Women who have their own business have found customers through meetings and the huge Facebook group – Over 34,000 members!

Join Boston Business Women

I have used BBW for growing my fundraising consulting business, but also promoting the nonprofit I work in fundraising for, Dogs for Better Lives.

You know I love a good women’s network – but I will not recommend them unless they are welcoming.

Let me know if you have any questions!

If you join, please use my affiliate link, so they know I referred you.

Boston Travel Show 2020

I had a wonderful time attending the Boston Travel & Adventure Show on Saturday.

I was originally planning to bring my daughter but I left at her nap time and I didn’t want to wake her so she stayed home with Dad. I’d forgotten how fun it is to attend events like this solo and be able to talk without having to always have eyes on your toddler!

Thank you Visit Miami for having a photo station. (I’m pretty bad at taking selfies and I missed my husband being around to snap a photo for me.)

Here are some photos from the show floor:

I was excited to learn more about 2 local food tours, Bites of Boston and Rhode Island RED

I think I’m going to plan a date night with my husband to try them both out.

I’m lucky that I live so close to RI. It’s a very short drive and I’ve done many trips to Providence for just a few hours to attend The Lady Project events.

My favorite booth to visit was Wanderful and they hosted the blogger panel I attended later in the day. They’re a company dedicated to women’s travel and I’m very intrigued.

I also spent some time at the Global Beats Stage watching Bharata Natyam performed by Natyamani School of Dance.

The panel I attended in the afternoon was “So You Want to Start A Travel Blog?
A Conversation with Boston’s Top Travel Influencers”

Moderator: Beth Santos, Founder and CEO, Wanderful
Panelists: Brianne Miers, A Traveling Life
Lillie Marshall, Around The World L and Teaching Traveling
SanTara Cassamajor, The Gorgeous Ingredient

I’m pretty lucky that MA has such a wonderful blogging community – that I’m already friends with Lillie Marshall and Brianne Miers. (Small world, Brianne and I both have backgrounds in the nonprofit space.)

I’m so happy I was in the audience for this panel both to cheer for my friends and learn.

It made me feel better to realize they made the same “rookie mistakes” I’ve made. They don’t have social media all in the same name. Nor do I, my twitter handle is what my AOL IM username used to be. That’s dating myself – huh?

My blog name is also a bit too limiting now that I blog about more than fitness, but I don’t think I’m going to change it since I have my instagram in the matching name.

My next travel adventure will be to Seattle, WA in February for a wedding. Too long of a plane flight for my daughter so it will be an exciting husband and wife get away.

Are you planning any travel?

Have you been to the Travel & Adventure Show when it’s come to your area? I recommend stopping by!

 

Disclaimer: I received free admission to Travel & Adventure Show – all options are my own

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Looking Forward to Boston Travel + Adventure Show

I’m very much looking forward to to the Boston Travel & Adventure Show this weekend (January 11th and 12th).

Last year I had a great time and I have a feeling that my daughter is going to enjoy it even more now that she’s two and can engage more.

New for 2020 is the Taste of Travel Stage

Feed your senses at the NEW Taste of Travel Stage, where you’ll experience travel like never before. Join chefs from around the world as they prepare cuisines from destinations represented at the show, live from the show floor. The best part? Each visitor will receive a sample from the culinary demonstration, free with your ticket to the show!

 

I also hope to catch some performances on the Global Beats Stage.

I also just found out 2 of my favorite bloggers will be speaking on the 11th so I’m definitely going to that panel.

Savvy Travel Theater

So You Want to Start A Travel Blog?
A Conversation with Boston’s Top Travel Influencers

Moderator: Beth Santos, Founder and CEO, Wanderful

Panelists: Brianne Miers, A Traveling Life
Lillie Marshall, AroundTheWorldl.com and TeachingTraveling.com

Have I gotten you excited yet? I have a discount code to share! STAYFIT2020 – good for $10 tix ($5 discount)

Let me know if you plan to attend and maybe we can coordinate our visit.

Boston Travel and Adventure Show 2019

My family & I had a wonderful time at the Boston Travel and Adventure Show on Sunday.

My daughter is 14 months old & she loved the Global Beats Stage & all the vendors that talked to her and gave her toys. She got a fan from the visit Korea booth and mini beach ball from The Jersey Cape.

The highlight of my day was riding a camel!!! Very cool bucket list activity.

After I road the camel, I watched our daughter, so Dave could make a s’more at the Camp Cody booth.

We had such a great time we’re already marking our calendars for next year: January 11-12^th 2020

Same place, Hynes Convention Center in Boston

Hope to see you there!

Disclaimer: I received free admission to Travel and Adventure Show – all options are my own

Parenting with a Punch

I had my first Mom’s night out thanks to Parenting with a Punch and Drinkable Arts.

I was a little hesitant to leave my 8 week old, but I’m glad I did.

Amanda from Parenting with a Punch was great to hear from.

She specializes in early childhood.

4 Pillars of Parenting With a Punch:

1.) Communicating effectively with your partner and children

2) Owning your energy, mindset, and behavior

3) Parenting on the same page- Teamwork

4) Redesigning Discipline

80% of children’s brains are developed by age 5.

Sherry from Drinkable Arts lead us in a wine glass painting night – with a fun design for Valentine’s Day.

Thank you to Jackie from Next On Scene for organizing this fun & educational night out.

 

Ladies Night Out at University Station

Last week, I attended a fun women bloggers night out at University Station in Westwood.

First, we got manicures at Miniluxe.

I’m a huge fan of Miniluxe and when I lived in Boston I had my nails done at their Newbury Street location nearly weekly. It’s great to see them have a location closer to me on the South Shore.

Next we visited Nordstrom Rack, where the manager pulled some clothes to show us examples of the brand names at discounted prices available at their store. I bought myself a new pair of flats.

Finally, we headed over to Not Your Average Joe’s for some appetizers and met with their executive chef for the whole chain. It’s a different space for Not Your Average Joe’s – but in a good way. The restaurant was packed even though it was a Wednesday night.

I’m a Not Your Average Joe’s fan – since I love that their cooking is from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. You can usually find me at the Randolph location though – so this was a nice change of pace.

Thanks to Miniluxe, Nordstrom Rack, Not Your Average Joe’s, and University Station for hosting us!

Fitness at the Nonprofit Technology Conference

I’m back in MA after a week long trip to CA for the Nonprofit Technology Conference.

It was my 1st year attending and I was blown away by how awesome the event was – educational and amazing networking opportunities.

I was a speaker on the panel “How Nonprofit Staff Can Regain Control of Their Work Lives and Get Better Results“.

I was also impressed by the effort to offer active networking opportunities at the conference.

During lunch break on the 1st day of the conference, I went on a walk lead by Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman – Authors of “Happy Healthy Nonprofit“.

Group photo from the #16NTCwalk

The following day at lunch there was a cycling tour – but I am not a fan of riding a bike without wearing a helmet, so I skipped that in favor of lunch with my fellow panelists and Nonprofit Marketing Guide All Access Pass members.

On the last day of the conference, there was “Geek Yoga” during the lunch break.

I’m on the right side, facing the camera, ready to yoga – despite wearing a dress

I had a great time at both active sessions and am super glad I joined in.

I hope to be able to attend the Nonprofit Technology Conference in 2017!

 

Lady Project Summit 2016

On Saturday, I spent my day volunteering at The Lady Project Summit.

I’m a BOS Lady Project member, so I was excited to see what the Summit was like.

I started the day as a volunteer at registration and then was the room host volunteer in the Lower Lobby for the sessions there.

It was an extremely inspiring day!

Definitely worth the hour drive from my home to Providence, RI to attend.

Emily Belden spoke about her journey to get her book published and how talking to people with no expectation helped her get where she is today. Along the way, she ended up on the Today Show talking about her “penny floor“.

Natali Wachtman Perilo spoke about effective leadership practices – and shared some cringe worthy personal experiences of times that leadership was ineffective.

Tiffany Yu spoke about disability, diversity, and identity. I was moved way more than I expected to be by this workshop.

Easy Entertaining hosted a healthy cooking demo – with delicious samples post demo. There were fish cakes, kale salad, and cauliflower “fried rice”.

Kelly Jensen spoke on taking risks, which I found very appropriate to me since I’m job searching post lay off, and in light of the theme of the photo blogging challenge I participated in last month.

The feeling the whole day was electric! I got to reconnect with a friend from college that is also a BOS Lady Project member, and make lots of new connections that I hope turn into friends.

It was a great beginning to my month of attending conferences. This Saturday I’m attending a nonprofit governance conference. The following week, I’m both leading a session and attending the Nonprofit Technology Conference.

I’m Back! Yoga at Beacon Hill Yoga

On Sunday night, I joined a small group of bloggers for a yoga class at Beacon Hill Yoga.

The class was lead by Kyle (Instagram: GuyUpsideDown).

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that the new year was not kind to me health wise, culminating with surgery in early February. I’d been cleared to work out again, but was scared.

I’m so glad that I signed up for the yoga class and attended. It was exactly what I needed to feel back on track, fitness wise.

Kyle was great leading the 5 of us and offering modifications for yoga novices.

I felt a little bit like there was “no place to hide” with such a small class, but I know that’s all in my own head and something I need to work on.

I’m proud of myself for taking a fitness class before I’m over the fear of not being ready.

Northeast Comic Con Winter 2015

Last Saturday, my husband & I attended the Winter 2015 Northeast Comic Con. We’ve attended twice before, and had a great time each visit.

(Read previous posts: Northeast Comic Con June 2015 & Northeast Comic Con December 2014. My husband also blogged about NECC at Recap: Summer Northeast Comic Con 2015 & Recap: 2014 Winter NorthEast Comic Con.)

Once again, it was an amazing event we enjoyed every minute of!

This year, we wandered the show floor instead of attending panels.

We got 2 autographs from talent attending the show and a sketch from comic illustrator George Perez.

My husband Dave and George Perez

I highly recommend attending Northeast Comic Con! We’ll be back for the summer 2016 event.