By now you may have heard that Winter Storm Nemo is bearing down on New England and preparing to drop anywhere from 1-265 inches (give or take) of powder in the Northeast, and possibly anything from a few flurries to a catastrophic blizzard of biblical proportions around the region, including New York, New Jersey, DC, Miami, Atlanta, Albuquerque, the US Virgin Islands, Belize, Hawaii (the island of Oahu only), New South Wales, Isengard and The Shire. Here is the latest Storm Tracker XL5000 DopplerMaster Radar Luxury Edition III satellite photo of Nemo's approach:
Always concerned for the wellbeing of our readers, we've compiled a list of the following snow preparedness tips so you can be ready for The Wrath of Nemo:
-Stock up on milk and bread.
-While you're at the market, might as well pick up other food that you might need to eat an actual meal instead of subsisting off milk and bread like a Dickensian street urchin.
-Hold up the entire damn line at Stop & Shop like there's no one else waiting while you look for that expired coupon for milk and/or bread.
-Act like it has never snowed before. Ever.
-Call a parent, grandparent or older relative so they can remind you how this is nothing compared to the Blizzard of '78.
-Start live-Tweeting the storm now so that your hash tag wins. #snowedin #statingtheobvious #didImentionitssnowing? #catchinguponHomeland
-Post a Facebook update encouraging everyone to stay safe and warm. Seriously. Do it now. Do you want your friends to die a horrible, freezing, snowbound death? You've got to warn them!
-Gather the supplies you'll need if there's an extended power outage: candles, flashlights, warm blankets, non-perishable food, booze, satellite phone, animal pelts, whale blubber, a trashcan to throw through the front window of whatever store you're planning to loot.
-In the event of both a parking ban and a power outage, set your car on fire to stay warm and avoid costly parking …More
If you feel like you’ve seen that little orange leaf popping up all over and around the Ocean State, you’re right. Five Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt locations have opened within the last six months, the newest of which is in Seekonk. January 24 was the official grand opening of the Massachusetts location although it has actually been open since late July.
Aside from free frozen yogurt, the grand opening was celebrated with an in-store DJ and a giveaway of four Celtics floor seats – not a bad bonus on a trip out for fro yo!
The manager of the Seekonk location explained that one of the most important facets of Orange Leaf is their dedication to the local communities surrounding their stores. Local organizations like the Girl/Boy Scouts are invited to host fundraising events at their neighborhood location and 10% of the profits of all frozen yogurt sales go towards their fundraising goal. To find out more about how to raise money for your community organization with the help of Orange Leaf check out www.orangeleafyogurt.com.
Looking to display some love and affection the week before Valentine’s Day? The Robert Potter League for Animals, now in its 40th year, will be hosting its Have A Heart Cocktail Party & Auction on Friday, February 8 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Hotel Viking. Enjoy a range of cocktails, as well as wine & beer tasting during the preview party & live auction from 5:30-6:30pm. From there take part in the main event, which will include a silent auction, a 50/50 cash raffle, culinary stations & sweets and more, all to benefit the potter league’s commitment to bettering the lives of our furry little friends. One Bellevue Avenue, Newport. www.potterleague.org
The East Bay Food Pantry & Thrift Shop in Bristol is looking for an assortment of items for both their thrift shop and pantry on the behalf of charitable donations. Thrift shop items in need range from clothing, household items and furniture & decorative items. Most needed is seasonal clothing for the fall and winter. All items must be clean. Miscellaneous items including books, DVDs and sports equipment are also greatly appreciated. The Food Pantry is looking for a wide variety of items as well, including: canned soup, breakfast cereals, granola bars, olive oil, shampoo, detergent, and paper towels. Visit their website for a complete list of requested items. Donations can be dropped off Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am-5pm. 150 Franklin Street, Bristol. 401-396-9490. info@eastbayfoodpantry.org.More
Last weekend I was invited to attend an after hours shopping event by Lori Clegg, owner of The Children’s Orchard of Seekonk. This particular event, the “Baby Buck,” was usually reserved for members of their M.O.M.'s club, where membership includes access to special after hours shop-portunities such as this one, as well as other great benefits. Children’s clothing was on sale that evening for only $1, so needless to say this event is popular. I’m almost depressed that there is no such thing as a Grownup’s Orchard!
Throughout my shopping experience there, I was very surprised to see so many little fashionistas picking out their own clothes – and actually enjoying it. I can remember shopping for outfits with my mother when I was a wee lass as nothing short of nightmare. One adorable little duo had become close friends through their mothers shopping there. What a valuable life lesson in womanhood: Friends Forever. Shop Together. I myself had great luck in finding an (adorable!) nautical themed outfit for a friend’s upcoming baby shower.
One awesome service Lori provides is personal shopping for her customer’s little ones. If you don’t have time to shop, Lori will set aside an outfit for your next visit.
Curious as to how much parents actually spend on their children’s clothing, I did a little research and found that according to a recent survey of 1,000 mothers from Parenting.com, 91% of them admitted to spending more on their children’s wardrobes than they do on their own. Additionally, 60% admitted that clothing will be their biggest expense this year. Thank goodness for stores like this where moms can find gently used designer duds for their little ones, and have still have money left aside to get that Brahmin bag they’ve been eyeing!More
I recently was offered a unique opportunity from Jeff Mello, known as “The Bee Man” and founder of Aquidneck Honey, to help participate in transporting a hive from its location in Portsmouth to a couple’s home in Exeter. They were going to utilize the hive to practice Bee Venom Therapy, or BVT, within their home.
Jeff made sure to tightly secure the contained hive while we transported it off the island, closing off any open spaces those little bees could sneak through. Knowing that there was literally thousands of them in that hive, I kept vigilant of growing buzzing noises. Thankfully, I heard none. Jeff is extremely passionate about his honeybees, fondly calling them “his girls”, as all honeybees are female (drone bees are male). Throughout the drive, he let me in on some of the do’s and don’ts of beekeeping, as well as the many (forgive me) bee-autiful things that they do:
1. Naturally, they make honey and honeycomb: Nature’s golden nectar that is both delicious and nutricious has been used for its healing properties dating back to ancient Egyptian times, and, it never expires. Too bad lunchmeat doesn’t share that same quality.
2. They pollinate: They pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitutes a third of everything we eat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, without bees, our diet would consist of little more than water.
3. They sting us: Though it can be slightly painful, and most people are terrified of getting stung by an angry bee (myself included), bee venom has powerful anti-inflammatory and painkilling attributes. In fact, BVT has been known to help conditions such as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Adolapin, a compound found in bee venom, seems to greatly improve vision, coordination, mobility and sensitivity to touch in MS patients, according to an article from Discovery Fit …More
Providence Media, the leader in local lifestyle and the publisher of your favorite (right?) local magazine(s), is looking for an Internet Ninja to join our team. (No, that won’t be the actual job title.) This person will be responsible for managing our total online presence, including four websites corresponding to each of our magazines (you can name them all, right?) and various social media presences, including Facebook and Twitter.
What you would be doing…
-Posting all content from our magazines to the web.
-Creating original, web-only content.
-Managing social media for all four publications on Facebook and Twitter.
-Expanding our social media presence into new platforms.
-Selling and managing web advertising.
-Creating newsletters and e-blasts.
-Devising and executing an overall online presence with an eye toward both the editorial and the marketing/PR sides of things.
-Spending a lot of time on the Internet.
-Staying up on the latest trends and developments in online media; determining which ones are worthwhile and which ones are little better than cat memes.
-Learning lots of industry jargon and buzzwords, then trying not to confuse us with them.
What you should know/be able to do…
-Construct a halfway decent sentence.
-GET PEOPLE’S ATTENTION!!! in a more effective and less obnoxious manner than that.
-Distract our audience from getting actual work done through strategic deployment of status updates, tweets, blog posts and other Internet ephemera.
-Care about the communities and cultures of Rhode Island. Get interested in them, develop relationships with them and spotlight the most interesting parts.
-SEO. What is it? How do you do it? We’re not entirely sure either, but if you don’t already know it we’re going to send you to a class to learn it.
-Sell advertising. (Duh.)
-Graphic design, photography, Photoshop, HTML, etc. – those kinds of skills …More
The first of what will hopefully become a monthly tradition at Aidan’s Pub in Bristol began last night with their first “Beer Dinner.” For $50 per person, the chefs at Aidan's served up a five-course dinner, each course prepared with and paired with a different Harpoon beer. In between courses, diners got a bit of history about the beer from Harpoon’s own Mike Fraioli. From the grilled brat sliders and UFO White to the sweet potato bread pudding paired with Harpoon Pumpkin, the night was filled with a lively crowd, a hearty meal and an awesome variety of beer.More
Green Envy Eco-Boutique celebrated their Grand Re-Opening this past weekend with Reflexology treatments, discounts, free gifts and lots of yummy treats "From Scratch" and The Green Grocer. Each item at Green Envy is made locally or by fair trade artisans using organic, recycled or natural materials. That benefits both people and the planet – so you can pretty much feel awesome after buying anything there. We personally fell in love with the Scrabble charms (shown above) and recycled bridge token necklaces.More
Create, converse and crack-up laughing every Tuesday night at Drink and Dabble, a fun weekly event that’s led by RI funny man Charlie Hall. Sip cocktails, listen to some party music and enjoy a night out with friends while learning how to create your very own painted canvas. Drink and Dabble is an ideal girl’s night out, perfect for bachelorette parties, date nights or even as a corporate teambuilding exercise. Don’t worry if you’ve never painted before, experience is not necessary. All the essential materials will be supplied for you as well. And after the night is through, you can take home your masterpiece. Who knew you were so talented? The event takes place at Redlefen's Restaurant from 6:30-9:15pm. Tickets are $40.More
Do you ever drive by all of those renovated mills in Warren and wonder what exactly is inside them? Now, with the holiday shopping season in full swing, there’s no better time to check out Cutler Mills and 30 Cutler Street, two repurposed mill buildings that house 40 artists, artisans and small business owners. Simply put, there’s a lot to check out. “Everyday hundreds of people are comng through. It’s beautiful, clean and a place where people can come and feel safe,” says Michael Sigourney, owner of Cutler Mills and AVTECH Software Inc. Think of it like a mall,but significantly prettier and more locally minded: stained glass windows, solid wood doors and antique accents in these boutique mills create a unique shopping environment. 30 Cutler Street artists specialize in signs, furniture, home accessories, sculpture, photography, jewelry and so much more. It’s an ecclectic place to shop for the holidays if you’re looking for truly one of a kind offerings. Check out their Facebook page for cool alerts like trunk shows, and open studio events.More