LIZZIE BELL, MBA
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LIZZIE BELL, MBA

MOM OF TWINS: MY FAVORITE BABY PRODUCTS AGES 6-12 MONTHS

7/4/2021

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As a mom of twins, I have tried out a variety of items for our kids are they get older. Here are my favorites for ages 6-12 months! First of all, I highly recommend putting together two of these Skip Hop baby gates to keep the play area safe.

Baby Feeding:
  • ​Water bottles - I didn't realize when I started feeding the girls that straw bottles are actually preferred because it helps them move their tongue up which improves later speech. The bottles that they like the most include: the straw ones and these with the straw built in.
  • These are the baby spoons that we practiced most with - easy for little hands!
  • If your kiddo has any sensory concerns try these amazing Nuk brushes to get them used to moving their tongues around.

Baby Indoor Toys:
  • As they start sitting up on their own, this wooden Battat busy block was such a joy!
  • They gained some self sufficiency with these little chairs and also used them to look out the window :)
  • Although you shouldn't leave them in it for more than 15 minutes a day, we really loved jumping with this Jumperoo!
  • An activity center that's stationary is also a must-have -- you can bring it outside if the weather is nice and use it later to walk around once they can pull to stand better.
  • This toy rocking horse was a big hit in our house, and now they can get on it themselves!
  • We found this awesome toy car second-hand.
  • This rainbow tunnel is fun to crawl through.
  • A pop-up animal toy is a blast.
  • If you're looking for a quick way to distract them during a meal, try these suction cup toys that are easy to transport.
  • A bead maze like this one keeps them occupied.

Outdoor play:
  • This water table is truly the best!
  • We are enjoying this Burley Bike Trailer which is great for two kids! Don't forget the Giro helmets.
  • If you're looking for bathing suits, there's nothing easier than Rufflebutts - mainly because there's fewer parts to manage and you can easily remove the swim diaper and change into a regular diaper.

Baby Books:
  • All of the Spot books are well loved.
  • The Little Red Barn and The Little Blue Boat are read often in our house, and they help turn the pages.
  • Sweet Child O' Mine book is so beautiful and fun to sing. We also love Everything Is Gonna Be All Right.
  • We read them a lot of books about being twins! It helps bond their relationship. Two is for Twins is great, also A Twin is To Hug, and the books like Bathtime is for Twins, and Playtime is for Twins. 

Other
  • When starting the big tub baths with twins, we used these Keter bath seats which were great for transitioning.
  • Highly recommend this Tineco vacuum mop with picking up baby food that's super messy.

I'll keep adding items that I can remember to be helpful. Hopefully this has given you a good idea of some essentials for this age group to watch them grow. If you have any questions for me, let me know!

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Products I Like: 2021 Edition (Updated)

1/4/2021

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As a mom of twins, I am blogging about baby products that I appreciate and recommend. I thought I'd use this space for products that I like as well to give them a "shout out" on the interwebs.

Health
  • ThisWorks deep sleep breathe-in spray

Cleaning
  • Force of Nature vinegar cleaning system
  • Bissell Lightweight vacuum
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Mom of Twins: My Favorite Baby Products Ages 0-6 Months

10/29/2020

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As a new mom of twins, I've had to make a lot of brand decisions. It's been an exciting adventure to research and test out baby products -- after all, I have two very different babies to shop for, so I can test out each item on not one but two babies!

There have been some definite hits in our house and what I consider the best baby products for ages 0-6 months. I'm hopeful that the following items will help others. I purchased these items myself (and many others).
Twin Stroller:
  • It's a big decision, but we are finding that we made the right one with our twin stroller. We enjoy having the babies side-by-side instead of one in front of the other. That way they can see ahead equally. The Bumbleride Indie Twin stroller fits through most standard doorways as well. And for us the best feature is how high the stroller handle can go (46" or so) since some of the competitors' only go to 42" high max. Their rain cover is great for any wind.
  • ​We got the Nuna Pipa carseats, but we would NOT recommend them as they do not fit in our car (Toyota Sienna) safely and also are quite heavy.
Baby Furniture:
  • We LOVE this Newton Baby mattress and sheets - so much relief to know that they're breathable once baby starts to roll.
  • Ofie Mats -- I put three of these together in our living room - they are so easy to clean and soft to play on with babies.
  • For twins, we used and loved the Table For Two which is like a little car seat in their nursery to put them down to rest, for relux after eating, or even to feed them the bottles at the same time; it also comes in a Table for One baby! Definitely worth the investment as it's easy to use and supports baby well!
  • Our #1 favorite toy is this Baby Swing - it lulled them to sleep, and it allowed us to focus more on one baby if the other needed to rest. An absolute must!
  • As baby gets closer to 5-6 months, we love this Sit Me Up floor seat to get them part of the action!
  • These colorful hampers are so useful to toss in baby books and toys!
  • We got the Infant Optics baby monitor which works great and allows you to sleep with it all night by your side. The only challenge is the cameras only work with one monitor but it is portable in case you need it upstairs and downstairs.
  • For our sound machine, we use the Hatch Rest+ Baby Sound Machine - they say that babies like the white noise/TV sound the best with the color red being the most sleep-inducing.​
  • We didn't splurge for a Baby Bjourn, but we did try a couple of bouncers and found that this Lion Around baby bouncer is the most popular in our house - great for kicking, discovery, and for rest bits between rolling around on tbe floor with their Farmstand Activity Mat!
Baby Diapers & Care:
  • Medical Grade Vaseline -- they use this in the NICU, and I swear by it!
  • Alcohol Prep Pads - use for sterilizing the rectal thermometer (rectal is still recommended as most accurate by pediatricians, something I didn't know!)
  • Aquaphor Baby - this is great for everything from dry skin to contact rash. You can also use breastmilk if you have extra supply!
  • WaterWipes unscented baby wipes are really awesome and soft - we use these as well as the Seventh Generation wipes, sometimes with a wipe warmer!
  • Bath thermometer - we love using this bath in the sink, and the ducky thermometer helps us keep it the right temperature always. Speaking of which, this bath is the best one out there.
  • We love Sensi-Care for any diaper rashes, but luckily there haven't been many!
  • This diaper caddy organizer has been wonderful, especially with multiple sizes needed.
  • We love the Keekaroo diaper changer - it's easy to clean and put anywhere. A must!
Baby Feeding:
  • Medela Symphony pump - I rented this professional pump monthly from M&M Medical Supply - in my opinion it's not worth using a cheaper pump. I also recommend these duckbill valves which work more reliably!
  • Dr. Brown's 3 Piece Bottle Brush - even if you don't use the Dr. Brown bottles, these brushes are fantastic! We also love the Dr. Brown's formula mixing pitcher - makes multiple bottles! Since formula is only good for 24 hours, write the time you mixed it with a dry erase marker.
  • ​To boost lactation and breastmilk production, try this Milk Maid tea and Lactation Cookies.
  • Formula: use what's right for you, but we really love this gentle Earth's Best formula!
  • Drool bibs are essential for messy eaters! These patterns are so beautiful.
  • Don't forget this bottle sterilizer: with twins, we ended up getting two of these - they've been so helpful and reliable. They recommend you sterilize each item used once a day. I use it for pump parts, bottles, binkies, it's wonderful! Best of all, there's no dropping in the dishwasher!
  • If you need to bring cold bottles anywhere, try this Packit Freezable Lunch Bag (I got the Hobo version in black and white which isn't available currently) - freeze in between trips!
Baby Bath Time & Grooming:
  • Baby Nail Scissors - these are the best that I've found, and we tried a bunch!
  • ​Wooden Brush: Hip Peas -- this brush is perfect for sweeping baby's hair after bath
  • Cradle Cap/Dandruff Care -- I only had to use this one time and the dandruff never came back!
  • We use two each of these baby hooded towels for drying off! They wash well.
Baby Books:
  • Since little babies can only see high contrast, I recommend this awesome book where Baby Sees Colors - it is still a hit months later.
  • I can't recommend this under the sea baby book highly enough - it crinkles and is well written and just an all around amazing find!
  • Curious George is an absolute FAVORITE in our house - this book comes with a puppet!
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear: I've read this to them multiple times a day!
  • ​Goodnight Moon: we read this every day for night time and the first nap - my only question is, as they age will they understand what a telephone is now that we only have smart phones?
  • And if it starts to snow, read them the book Snow -- a big hit!
Baby Toys & Games:
  • This boppin' birdie plays bells and attaches to any car seat and can also be dangled during doctors' appointments to keep their attention away from any scary shots! The bird is magical!!!!
  • ​For 6 months, start introducing them to different colors and textures with this sassy stacks stacking rings set; I love how different it is from the smooth rainbow rings of our youth!
  • If you need to have baby sit at a table, these toys suction to the table and provide fun play!
  • The SmartNoggin rattle toy is fun on the run - it lights up and there's a mirror too!
  • Definitely get this Manhattan Toy Winkel rattle - great for teething, rolling, grasping!
  • Babies love looking in the mirror - try this tummy time floor mirror. It's great!
  • As babies learn to reach and grab, we highly recommend this play mat and activity gym. Plus the farmstand is so cute!
  • I bring this fairly quiet sound machine with me for doctor's appointments to help distract and please the little ones.
Baby Clothes:
  • ​For sleeping, I highly recommend a sleep sack such as the Halo until they're ready to be unswaddled. Then we transitioned to the Woolino 4 Season Baby Sleepsack -- I love it because it regulates their temperature so you don't have to worry! I ended up rotating two Woolinos each, and washing on delicates then air drying. It lasts up to 2 years so a good value.
  • Many babies like ours don't love when the onesie goes over their head. You can actually pull up a onesie from their feet to their head. But our preference are the Moon and Back Hanna Andersson onesies that are kimono style and snap without having to lift anything over baby.
Baby Winter Clothes:
  • Zutano Cozie Fleece Trapper Hat - this hat will stay on baby and keep them warm! And we love the Zutano booties as well in cotton and fleece!
  • Zutano cozie elf suits are perfect for stroller because they're thin but warm. For a bit more warmth, we use the LL Bean bear bunting and in snow the LL Bean lightweight down.
  • As the wind blows, we use a clear rain shield for the stroller (get one that is made for your stroller), but these car seat canopy covers are wonderful and plush for cooler weather!
Baby Summer Clothes:
  • I tried a bunch of hats and sunglasses, and the only one that babies both liked is this sun hat!
  • We put this mosquito net over the stroller for our daily walks.
Miscellaneous Good Stuff to Have!
  • Nest Thermostat Sensor - Put these in the babies' room if you have a Nest thermostat, and you're sure to have the perfect temperature there for them to sleep in (68-72 degrees is recommended.)
  • The Sleepeasy Solution is a wonderful read regarding getting babies to sleep well!
  • Get a door silencer for your nursery door - it works magic - don't wake a sleeping baby :)
  • Having a baby scale at home reduces time at the pediatrician!
  • We love this little green frog lovie blanket - don't use it in the crib, but it's great for the stroller or car seat or during play!
  • A label maker is fantastic and will make you feel so organized, especially with baby twins! You can also label baby bottles or medicine using these stickers.
  • Don't forget a twins on board bumper sticker for your car!
  • On the go anti-microbial pacifier holders really worked for us in the early days.
  • If you don't want to wander too far from the nursery, I recommend this amazing mini fridge that you can store things like formula pitchers and bottles. 
  • As they drift off to sleep, this Baby Einstein soother really helped get them to dreamland with its musical lullabies.
  • And if you're inclined, I really love filling out this Baby Book! It's not too overwhelming.
Congratulations, new parents! I'll be updating this list with any new finds that we enjoy and also creating new "best of" lists as the babies get older. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions!
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Revisions

2/10/2019

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Admittedly, it's been a while since I've last posted. 

In that time professionally a lot has changed for me. I have in fact been writing blog posts, but they are happening over at my Food Tour website. We have grown considerably since 2017 when we had 2 guides and 2 tours operating both in Somerville to now having 10 tours in Somerville, Boston, Cambridge, and Lowell with more in development and over 20 guides. 

Our initial logo was developed in 2017 - my idea was to copy the color palette of one of my favorite Somerville murals that we visit on the tour. I loved the idea of exploring our great state of Massachusetts, and eating all around the state. 

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That concept still inspires me. But as time wore on, we decided that we really wanted a refresh! We felt that it wasn't like our company had some time-honored logo that couldn't be changed. It was time to start anew and revitalize the brand. 

It was frustrating that our current logo couldn't be simplified well or made into a single-color logo that easily. Also the brand name lacked a certain PUNCH! In addition, we wanted to start creating content beyond Massachusetts, bringing in content not only in our amazing state but also to sell merchandise and discuss our travels.

I was lucky enough that one of my esteemed friends Nancy who worked on the Barbara's logo with me when I was a Brand Manager at Barbara's/Weetabix agreed to collaborate on a new logo. I briefed her on our new objectives, and she suggested a variety of logos -- starting from chicken scratch scribbles and then morphing into real options. I knew I didn't want a fork and knife like most other food tours -- I was looking for something new and different! 
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As a consumer researcher, I love gathering feedback. I emailed and texted these logo options to many people from our guides to our guests to our family and friends to acquaintances. 

That helped me narrow in on some positives and negatives of each. I then worked with Nancy to tweak the colors, the fonts, the design -- making sure our off the beaten path elements were added back in and that everything was clear and legible. 

And voila, our new logo is born!
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'Because we are a small business, I was able to quickly update the website and social media with our new logo. I can't say I don't miss elements of the older logo, but I felt that we need to keep running forward - to constantly strive to make our tours and processes and branding better!

And the logo was developed just in time -- we are working on a new website for the tours since it's been harder and harder to organize the current website which I designed on a less forgiving template. There's currently too much white space on the website, and there's so much more opportunity to brand it as our own without losing the friendliness or authenticity.

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Recently I listed to an interesting podcast by Malcolm Gladwell called Revisionist History. My husband and I love the song "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen, and I was interested to learn that he had revised it over 80 times. In the podcast, which I recommend, Gladwell speaks about being a Picasso or a Cezanne: both important painters. Picasso was able to create a brilliant work of art that stood the test of time -- the first time. Cezanne revised his paintings over and over, taking longer to create something brilliant. And to top it all off, the song Hallelujah, Gladwell explains, almost didn't get recognized as one of the best of all time. The early versions of Cohen's song weren't as good - melodically or lyric-wise - and it took a random version being heard by Jeff Buckley while house sitting in NY for it to be sung (and improved) by him, and then the untimely early death of Buckley to make it go viral. 

Our food tour business like most startups I know (at least the bootstrapping ones) is more like a Cezanne. We are constantly tweaking and updating and retraining and improving. We take our feedback seriously and always seek to improve the guest experience. It definitely feels like a labor of love, and we are hopeful that the new website will help us share our passion with new guests and readers.

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As many of you know, I helped design the "new" Stop & Shop logo of 2007-ish. I was so proud of the "fruit bowls" logo and colorful new refresh of the dated stop light logo. When the recent recession hit, the company reverted its plans back to short term promotions instead of fully updating and renovating the stores to be all about "great food" and the store of the future. Over time, they retracted some of their growth plans and eventually merged with Delhaize. Imagine my surprise when I saw a new Stop & Shop store on Needham Street in Newton that used a simpler version of the old stop sign logo. It turns out they're now going back to a similar version of the old old logo -- and interestingly towards salad bars which honestly I LOVE but am well aware of their ability to be a breeding ground of bacteria. Although I'm not at all involved in their branding or marketing now, it makes me wonder if they were never able to achieve the promise of their 2007 logo and instead decided to settle on what they think is a more modern version of the retro logo. I can imagine they did a lot of consumer research to determine this direction. I'm sure their loyal fans felt nostalgia towards the old logo, and other customers probably felt less loyalty to Stop & Shop and therefore liked the idea of a logo that wasn't too aspirational and didn't (over)promise too much that the brand experience couldn't deliver. Either way, this approach reminds me of the Cezanne approach of tweaking and modifying (albeit costing much $$$ to replace.)

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I also heard recently that after the sale to Post Cereal, the Barbara's packaging will be updated as well. It also pains me to see some of my hard work be revised as I had redesigned and wrote all copy on the new packaging -- yes there was lots of opportunity to take it in a different direction that at the time I wasn't able to influence; that's hierarchy at play. I just hope that the new Brand Managers are sensitive and loyal to the brands' initial vision of being a pioneer in the natural and organics space and not a mainstream, commercial brand with less soul. We shall see.

Ultimately, brands speak volumes but take a long time and money and feedback to get right. It's not always able to please everyone, believe me - I know (and some guests are HARSH!). And I'm sure our food tours' logo and website will be revised again and again as we grow. It's what keeps life interesting, helps us find ways to communicate better, to deliver better, to share our passion and vision, and get closer to that brilliance we all seek.
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Journey Starting A Food Tour

12/19/2017

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My primary job has been independent marketing consulting, but I've learned from the example of my entire family who have been their own bosses the pleasures and excitement of starting one's own company. For my next independent start-up, I wanted to make sure that it was:
a) high-impact,
b) in line with my skills and talents (among them: research, food, and planning),
c) relatively low start-up capital (I had explored massive start-up costs in the past via food manufacturing that was discouraging)
d) somewhat flexible

This past July, I started Off The Beaten Path Food Tours, which is an awesome food tour company that takes guests around offbeat but delicious and historically interesting Boston neighborhoods such as Cambridge and Somerville with a friendly guide. Now you can eat with us around the state, and you don't have to get stuck in perennial Boston favorites like the North or South End. We stop at 3-7 places per tour and give you a lot of fun, interesting historical facts about the neighborhoods and businesses.


Our mission is to share delicious food, support local businesses and entrepreneurs, and highlight the rich cultural history of off-the-beaten path destinations in Massachusetts and beyond! We also offer unique event experiences throughout the year in order to delight and entertain our guests. You can read more about our food tours on our website (and hopefully try one!)

In starting the food tour, I've definitely practiced my marketing skills within a limited budget. Here are some concepts for resource-strapped marketers:

1. The Internet Indexed: With all of the talk of net neutrality, there's definitely a feeling that the internet is "free", but that is anything but the case. Having a small business makes me realize a few things about the "pay for play" aspect of the internet. As much as we think we can search and find anything we want organically, especially niche, it is important as marketers to take a step back and realize that the Internet has become curated and organized over the past decade in ways we may not have paid attention to. Although you may think you're searching freely on Google, they're choosing what content to show you often because of those who paid more for stronger SEO to appear at the top of the search results, often without as much relevance as you'd think. Google decides through their algorithm how much your business would pay for certain keywords, from upwards of $1 a day. Even our personal apps have this clout. On TripAdvisor, for example, our food tour is indexed under Somerville and Cambridge although our competitors are able to enjoy being indexed under Boston. How many times have you googled "Boston food tour" versus "Somerville food tour" in the past 90 days? It puts us at an unfortunate disadvantage right from the start, even before we start garnering reviews. And businesses like Yelp scourge new companies for fees of at least $600 a month to start with no guaranteed impact.

2. Industry Fees: Another area of red tape for start-ups is trying to claw your way towards a level playing field with others. We looked into joining the Greater Boston Convention Center Bureau to get noticed by conferences coming into town and the like, and their fee was over $1200 to join and list an event on their website. That's probably more than we'll make in profit this entire year! We also paid some industry insiders hundreds of dollars to be part of their paid e-mails, and didn't receive a single sign-up from doing so, so the ROI all goes into the bucket of "awareness", I suppose. Did you know that concierges all over town are getting upwards of $20 per Duck Tour ticket they schedule? With those kinds of margins, they have practically a monopoly over the concierge word-of-mouth marketing attention.

3. Instagram Fees: Food bloggers all over town are trying to monetize their feeds. In doing so, there are lots of comment pods, which means many of the people commenting on their posts are friends of theirs who aren't interested in buying your product and often are trying to climb the ranks of followers and engagements themselves. My biggest pet peeve in this channel, which otherwise I do love for many reasons, is that super-unhealthy items like greasy cheese, donuts, and bacon seem to get the most likes and engagement so those are shown more. On one hand it's good to post items that your audience loves, but it also feels extremely disingenuous that some of the bloggers are posting a million photos with dozens of donuts without actually eating them and honestly just tossing them in the trash after showing them near their face. #yuck

All in all, it's been an incredible journey. Check out our Boston Food Tours and Chocolate Tours!
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Babson's Entrepreneurship Forum

10/31/2017

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Please join me at the Babson Entrepreneurship Forum on Friday, November 10th. I will be moderating the "Taste Good, Do Good" panel on food and beverage entrepreneurship with some excellent panelists from 4-5pm. There will also be some incredible speakers such as billionaire Dean Metropolous and Wombi Rose from LovePop. For more information visit: https://lnkd.in/eaexf8X

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​What's in a hobby?

5/30/2017

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I must be a product of my generation - at the edge of Millennials - and so I often purchase a book cheaply on Half.com if I know I want to savor it or own it without having to return it to the library soon. There are some books that I can whip through and others I want to come back to time and again. More often than not, I want to feel the book in my hands, turn the pages, and throw it into my bag instead of flip digitally through it. After reading a variety of travel blogs, I stumbled upon (8 years late) Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. 

This book came into my life at precisely the right time. As a planner, her methodology made perfect sense to me, and it was fun to learn what she specified as resolutions in her own life. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately around doing primary research myself from scratch the hard way versus allowing myself to take "shortcuts" and experiencing others' summaries in order to get through more material and advance myself quicker on numerous topics. 

In the book, one of her brilliant reflections is on the positivity of embracing a hobby. Having a hobby is quite at odds with other goals, namely: removing clutter! I myself live in a small urban apartment, and so I constantly re-assess every item in my household and if we really need to hang on to it and why. Since I was a small child, I indulged in hobbies. I even had a short-lived perfume sample and postage stamp collection. Currently I collect postcards and magnets, both off-shoots of my travel obsession and also easily stored. While traveling, it's great to be on the "hunt" for which postcard or magnet I will select, and also I love finding, writing, and mailing postcards for other people. 

Other collections of others that has inspired me includes: finding different blue plates to assemble as part of a china set, a teacup collection, old cookbooks and cooking magazines, antique keys, buttons, and Wellesley college memorabilia. 

This past trip to California, my fiance and I were in a vintage record store out of an old flower shop in Alameda which is in Oakland. My friend and her boyfriend who is an audiophile and previous college DJ encouraged us to make the purchase. Maybe it's my roots in consumer insights, but I love looking out for other people and trying to indulge them in hobbies themselves. As such, Sam and I found ourselves cradling a brand new baby record player and brainstorming a million ways to get it home safely to our pad in Davis Square.

Given Sam's love for music, especially the Grateful Dead, this hobby was especially fitting. We found ourselves the next day in antique stores in Headlsburg, rummaging through hard-to-reach places and comparing the scratches on a pair of James Taylor vinyls. When we got home, we had ordered the necessary pre-amp, speakers, and did our research on which audio shop could best repair a few items on our vintage MCS. Hearing that warm sound of Sugar Magnolia weaving through our air waves at home was a sweet reward to an afternoon of preparation and research. Suddenly those silly record stores around town seemed cool and intriguing, and we spent hours rummaging through Goodwill to find $0.99 albums we were excited to try. 

I finished the book, and I am hoping to embark on another one of Gretchen's challenges: writing a novel in 30 days. I highly recommend that you guys revisit this book as it sets up a good structure in which to evaluate your time, your tone, and your togetherness. What do you think?
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​The Importance of Storytelling

4/10/2017

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For the last couple of years, my fiance and I have been ushering for the Calderwood Pavilion and Huntington Theater company of Boston. We have seen numerous shows, and each one has been extraordinarily poignant and rewarding. So far this Winter, a favorite show of mine was Topdog/Underdog, which demonstrated a powerful relationship between two brothers, each with their own talents and shortcomings, jealousies and insecurities. We also saw a comedic opera sung in English based on Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and most recently a high octane, intense drama entitled The Who & The What which explored clashing themes regarding modern Islam.

As the curtain lifts, I find myself mesmerized in anticipation of the stories ahead and eagerly wait for the outline of the characters to be colored in with richness and depth. We start off at the basics, and then little by little more is revealed until I can see into their souls. At intermission, I flip happily through the Playbook seeking more data on their backstories, peruse the actors' bios, and discuss themes with those around me.

Similarly, in my work consulting to growing companies and start-ups, I have come to fully realize the importance of storytelling. For the founder or marketing manager, Instagram posts may start to feel rote. Promotions may seem too "tried and true." And core products may be harder and harder to refresh and perk up. What may feel like ho-hum day to day drivel to a founder could actually still be a unique, behind-the-scenes peek to a customer. Sharing a testimonial from a customer may not be unwanted nor silly but actually a cool way to connect heart-to-heart with another seeking content. Sure, not everyone in the audience may want to be there, but there are some in the house hanging on your every word. So, the next time you're feeling a plateau or lacking motivation to create compelling content or share your brand's journey, I'd encourage you to get out to a theater such as the Calderwood for a play - roll the dice since they're all good - let me show you to your seat, and then sit back, relax, and listen to the story.
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Learning Respect From Japan

2/12/2017

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One of the best reasons to travel is to expand one's mind and discover how others at far reaches of the globe live. I encourage everyone to go where they don't "blend in." Whether that's 3 or 300 or 30,000 miles away from home, it's important for us all to experience entering an environment where we feel out of place, misunderstood, and/or uncomfortable. 

As a planner, I enjoy researching a place before visiting. Even for me, however, the idea of traveling to Asia was daunting. I spent weeks pouring through information on Tokyo and Japan, reaching out to those who had been there recently, and reading blogs and articles into the late hours of the night. Compared to other destinations, however, no matter how much I learned about Tokyo, I still had this frustrating feeling that I had still no idea what to expect.

Days before I arrived in Japan, I read a blog post instructing me "don't eat while you're standing or walking" since it's bad manners. It told me not to point at people or religious things. Don't blow my nose in a handkerchief; it's even more polite to sniff. Speak quietly on the train, since many travel long distances and often sleep or rest there. There aren't many trash bins in public places, so one should hold rubbish until home or find one at a coffee shop or department store but don't litter. The ground is considered dirty, so don't sit on it. People wear surgical masks to avoid getting sick or passing on their sickness to others. Don't talk loudly in public, and definitely do not gab away on your cell phone while walking the Tokyo streets.  
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Stepping off the train platform into Tokyo Station, I marveled at the efficient processes and social code as swarms of people made their way through the station. Tokyo felt three times as large as New York City with less than half of the noise. On the train, a peaceful hum of quietude greeted me despite the crowds. I knew I stood out as different, and I studied those around me in order to fit in as best I could. The quietness allowed me to be with my thoughts.

And yet, a simple nod from strangers felt friendly and personable. Buying a bag of chips at the convenience store felt special because of the dramatic hand gesture the cashier made to present me formally with my receipt. Purchasing anything from the department store felt important because they unwrapped and checked the items I wanted to make sure they were in good condition and wrapped them back up with care, even taking off the price tags. I didn't worry about my pocketbook placed in a small holder on a cafe floor because I knew no one would steal it. A tiny bookmark that I bought my grandmother was packaged by the clerk with stickers and emblems worthy of a much grander buy. A woman on a crowded street in Kyoto struggled in broken English for 10 minutes to help me find a suitable dinner option once I asked. The toilet in my tiny hotel room even had a luxurious warming seat function to provide some ordinary comfort. Taxi seats were covered in fabric doilies and their doors opened and shut automatically to escort me to the curb.

Of course I felt happy to return home to the United States. However, I felt a strong contrast that is worth considering. I am not saying that the Japanese liked strangers more or were more hospitable than those here in Boston. But I can say that the way they treat each other and their public environment is unequivocally more outwardly respectful on the whole than the way we do here.

I think that there is a lot we can learn from the Japanese respect. I wish there was a stronger social code in Boston where we acknowledge each other on the street, hold our rubbish until we find a trash can, respect those trying to rest on the train, admire nature and ceremony, and take pride in our purchases and jobs. One cannot mistake respect with kindness, but the allusion of kindness to me was just as powerful, and I find myself longing for it here in Boston as well.
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Re-engineering "comfort" food

10/17/2016

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One of my favorite food challenges is to "lighten up" heavier dishes by including more vegetables, fiber, and lower glycemic index sweeteners. In the early 2000s, companies all jumped on the "low fat" bandwagon, adding in sugary fillers to reduce the fat of various goods. Today, consumers can pretty much rely on two things: 1) every body's metabolic make-up is different so one diet may work for one person but not for another and 2) the only transparent nutrition information is the ingredient list itself + education. 

Despite these challenges, there are some food items that caught my eye which are fun if nothing else -- and that is re-invented comfort food!
  • Cookie Dough -- Companies like HungryRoot have matched the texture of cookie dough but made it vegan and swapped out flour, sugar, and butter with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and almond butter. Don't waste your money - check out homemade versions online.
  • Spiralized Veggies - Even Wegman's grocery store has spiralized beets and zucchini in the prepared foods section. The best thing about these is that they cook in half the time as spaghetti! I recently ate some beet spaghetti with turkey meatballs.
  • Real Fruit Seltzer - My can of Watermelon Spindrift looks like a little birthday present -- with only one-fourth a slice of watermelon inside the can, it's still a fun reminder that sparkling water doesn't have to be boring and sweetened soda is so yesterday's news!
  • Vegetable Pizza Crust - Okay so I do like to pile on the sauce and cheese, but fiber-rich cauliflower pizza crust (and cauliflower rice too!) is definitely worth a try -- there's even a retail concept near me in Somerville that uses veggies for all its crusts. 
  • Eggplant Bacon - Half the time, I can't tell the difference. Years ago, I read an article about a certain seaweed that tastes like bacon. Strangely, this hasn't come to market yet - but give eggplant a try.
Any more ideas I should check out? Comment below!
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    Lizzie Bell

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