Image Courtesy of Radio 92.9

Looking at the lineup for the 19th annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest is like revisiting my middle school mixtapes and high school CD collection. Yup, it’s that good. From Third Eye Blind, to Eve 6 and The Spin Doctors, Bostonians are in store for a fun day of live music at The Hatch Shell on Saturday, May 19. Oh, and did I mention its all free?

Presented by Whole Foods Market, the day of music kicks off at 11:30 a.m. and goes until about 5:00 p.m. with Twin Berlin, followed by Eve 6, Switchfoot, the Spin Doctors and Third Eye Blind. In addition to great live music, the EarthFest themed festival will also feature a number of exhibits and environmental displays dedicated to educating festival-goers about the number of different environmental issues facing our planet. From sampling earth-friendly products, to an MBTA hybrid bus display and a free bike valet courtesy of MassBike, there’s a lot to see, experience and enjoy.

If you’ve never gone to a concert along the DCR Hatch Shell, I highly encourage it. The beautiful space, combined with the great lineup at Radio 92.9 EarthFest, makes this a great concert and event to stop by.

For more information about the 19th Annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest, including the full lineup, visit www.earthfest.com.

The prospect of throwing an at-home bridal shower can seem daunting – and rightfully so, as it is a lot of work.  The sooner you accept that it’s far more significant and detail-oriented than your average dinner party, the better.  It’s (hopefully) a once-in-a-lifetime event for the bride and it should come off as flawless.  No pressure, right?

English Tea Themed Bridal Shower Treats

Reality check aside, if you love to entertain, hosting an at-home bridal shower is also very rewarding.  It’s incredibly fun to pick a theme, design a menu, decorate and celebrate your friend or family member’s upcoming wedding.

Here are 7 tips on hosting an elegant event to remember:

Tip One: Select Your Venue Carefully – Be realistic about how many people the home can fit.  If the bride wants 30-50 guests, an at-home shower may not work, unless you’re open to using your backyard for opening presents (weather permitting).  Our venue had a family room the size of a two car garage and we sat 35 comfortably in chairs (no tables).  I don’t think we could have accommodated more than that.  Keep in mind that presents for 35 guests will also take up a TON of space and plan ahead for that.

Tip Two: Think Though the Theme – The theme sets the scene and tone for the bridal shower.  From the food, drinks, music, favors and decor, pick a theme that you can realistically execute.  Before committing to a theme, make out a sample menu, think through favor ideas and determine the cost of what must be purchased.  Once all of the bridesmaids and MOBs agree, then you’re ready to divide and conquer.

Tip Three: Learn to Love Lists – Once you’ve committed to a theme, you need to draw up an official event plan.  Carefully think through all of the elements that will go into your shower: guest list, invitations, RSVPs, favors, food, drinks, music, seating, decor, the number of plates, glasses, napkins and silverware needed, and more.  Then, divide amongst the bridesmaids.

Tip Four: A Little Creativity Goes a Long Way – Everyone in your bridal party will have different talents, so encourage them to add their own personal touches to what they have ownership over.  We lucked out to have a graphic designer that could make the invitations, a baking enthusiast who learned to make scones specifically for the shower, a girl who suggested having a bellini bar with homemade raspberry and lemon purées (huuuuge hit) and another that had access to amazing, yet inexpensive roses.  In addition, we made several photo boards which everyone loved, and dressed according to the English tea theme in flowery dresses and outrageous vintage hats.  And yes, we had a fab vintage hat for the bride-to-be!

Assorted Sweets, Nibbles and Tea Sandwiches

Tip Five: Time is Never on Your Side – Be extremely realistic and overestimate how much time it is going to take to execute what you’re delivering to the party.  In a perfect world, doing this will allow you to have everything ready as the first guest arrives.  I was baking up a storm and found it helpful to take the day off beforehand to bake, clean and decorate the house.  I also stopped at a bridesmaid’s home two days beforehand to pick up dishes and the favors so that they could be set up in advance.  While some things, like baking, can only be done one day beforehand, making favors, buying ingredients/alcohol, or pulling out photos for a photo board can be done far in advance.

Tip Six: Plan How the Event Will Flow - To set the scene for your guests, you also need to make a plan for how the event will flow.  Having an at-home shower means that many guests will be strangers, so it’s the bridesmaids job to greet them and welcome them to the event.  We had the bridesmaids rotate answering the door, greeting each guest, taking their coat and walking them to the kitchen/dining room where the first hour cocktail portion of the event was.  We also took their present off their hands and brought it to the designated present opening area.  From there, we had guests enjoy cocktails and nibbles for an hour before transitioning the shower into the family room to open presents.  After presents, people were free to mingle again.

Tip Seven: Present Opening Made Easy - No matter how you go about it, it takes a good hour or so to open presents.  To make the present opening go faster, make sure to have scissors on hand to open cardboard boxes and have two bridesmaids dedicated to funneling the presents to the bride-to-be.  One bridesmaid should be dedicated to recording each present and another should be dedicated to snapping photos.  During this time, it’s easy for the guests to lose attention and start chatting with their seatmate.  We found it helpful to have everyone write marriage tips, notes of congratulations, or funny memories of the bride-to-be on a slip of paper and have one of the bridesmaids read them between presents.  It kept everyone’s attention and made the event more sentimental.

Final Thought: Though a lot of work, I found hosting an at-home bridal shower to be more intimate, cost-effective and a fun excuse to spend an entire day in the kitchen baking.  The event ended up being very successful, largely because we were incredibly organized.  No event ever goes 100% according to plan, but if you go into the shower with a positive attitude and have fun, it will be an excellent time for all involved.

The Art Institute of Chicago

Attending and speaking at a quality conference every few months is fantastic for putting things into perspective and getting the creative juices flowing. From meeting intelligent, enthusiastic professionals, to learning the best practices of dynamic companies, social media conferences are both educational and inspirational. At GSMI’s recent Social Media Strategies Summit in Chicago, I was fortunate to be one of the morning keynote speakers, but also gained many valuable learning’s to share with my favorite blog readers.

(1) Copy Should Be Human, Yet Spontaneous
Ever find yourself in a content rut when you’re drafting copy for your social media channels? During one of the best presentations of the conference, Ekaterina Walter from Intel encouraged attendees to be human and spontaneous. Effective copy on social media needs to be approachable, relatable, but also shareable in order to break through the clutter. From delivering valuable news, to making someone laugh out loud at their desk, the top brands on social media understand and project a genuine voice, while delivering a content mix of humor, great photos, exclusive news, and more.

And, if you’re truly stuck in that content rut, my best advice is to look for great photos for inspiration. Listen to the voice inside when a fantastic photo catches your eye and write the first piece of copy down that comes to mind. My best copy always comes when it’s not forced. See, human, yet spontaneous!

The Bean

(2) Diversify Your Content Strategy Across Multiple Platforms
Just as companies were getting the hang of Facebook and Twitter, up popped Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and more. As a result, it didn’t come as a surprise that conference attendees were very focused on learning the best practices from social media savvy companies on emerging platforms. One key theme? The importance of creating unique strategies for each platform. While it’s challenging to create specialized content across a handful of sites, a one size fits all social media strategy won’t move the needle.  The bottom line? Invest the time, be creative with your resources and your content development in order to boost engagement and generate stronger results.

And, for those who heard Ramon De Leon, who represents five Domino’s Pizza stores in the Chicago area speak, the best way to have a never-ending stream of content for all of your platforms is to be a walking, talking, “WOW-ing” content production professional. From smart phones, to Flip cams, and more, it’s never been more important to have an arsenal of content at your disposal. Then, when inspiration strikes, you’ve got the technology at your fingertips to capture the moment.

Inside the Bean

(3) Have a Social Media Crisis Plan
Everyone wants to think about the happy, fun side of social media. But, what happens when a campaign isn’t well-received, or a negative wave of publicity extends to your company’s social channels? Or, *eeep*, grows into a full-fledged crisis? Following an interesting presentation by Rick Wion of McDonald’s, conference attendees got to hear the story behind #McStories. While it’s never easy to face situations of that nature, I give Rick credit for speaking to us about it.

The message to attendees? If you don’t have a social media crisis plan, there’s no time like the present to create the infrastructure for one. I’d wager a guess that the PR departments for most larger firms have one, but have you run that plan through a social media lens? Things to think about include:

• Do all of the people who contribute to your social media channels know that anything you say on social media channels during a crisis or sensitive situation can be quoted in the media?
• What’s your monitoring plan during and outside of business hours?
• Who needs to be contacted during a crisis?
• How can you contact those key stakeholders quickly off hours?
• Is your company open to taking a more formal PR/Legal statement and adding a more human social voice to the statement?
• What is the defined process for getting a social media statement approved?
• Do you have a blog, or place on your website where you can quickly publish a statement and link to it on your social media channels?
• Are there are ongoing crisis/sensitive topics that you can pre-write and secure approved social media friendly responses for from that key stakeholder list?
• Do you have a job plan for who needs to manage what in a crisis? E.g. Monitor, track, respond, cover various “shifts,” or platforms?

The list could go on, but the above is a good start.

My friend Baochi and I, kicking it at SMSS Chicago

All in all, I love when a social media conference can connect you with inspiring people, interesting case studies and result in fresh new ideas. GSMI’s Social Media Strategies Summits always do just that, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Meaghan and Byron for making the event a great one!

Editor’s note: In honor of my 5th anniversary volunteering for the Boston Marathon, I am re-publishing a blog entry that I wrote in 2010 about five reasons why you should volunteer for the Boston Marathon. Volunteering continues a great experience and I would recommend signing up to anyone who is interested!

Every year the Boston Marathon rolls into town and takes over the city. As thousands line up along the course to watch the runners make their way into Boston, it’s very easy to get swept up in the excitement of the race. For the past five years, I’ve volunteered for the Boston Marathon and think it’s one of the better ways to enjoy the race.

Here are five reasons why you should consider volunteering for the Boston Marathon next year:

1. Some of the best moments are not reflected in the media coverage. Ask any Boston Marathon runner and they’ll tell you that some of the most powerful moments are the conversations and stories from the course. Same goes for the volunteers behind the scenes. For example, one year I volunteered in the family information stand at the finish line and was responsible for helping the runners find whatever they needed – family, food/drink, directions. Among the highlights were an 80-something year old man dancing a jig after running 26 miles, turning silver blankets into trendy “apparel” for runners and the tears/smiles/cheers as family and friends were united.

2. You’re surrounded by people that are incredibly excited about the race. Sure, it’s fun to sit at a bar on Boylston Street, but you wonder how much people actually pay attention to the race? Volunteering unites running enthusiasts and proud Bostonians for a common cause. Plus, you could even make new friends. During my first year volunteering, I met someone who is still a very close friend today. And we volunteered for several years together until the hockey team he works for decided to have a good season and make the playoffs (grrrr)!

3. “Free” Marathon Schwag. While the free adidas jacket shouldn’t be your number one reason for volunteering, it certainly doesn’t hurt! I now own orange, grey, neon yellow, lime green and neon green jackets that are great for running. People can certainly see me coming!

4. You feel like a VIP. Wearing a volunteer jacket and official hang tag makes you feel special. Strangers are more friendly than normal – I simply can’t believe how many people will strike up a conversation and share their stories from the day. The jacket is also your ticket to moving around the crowded Back Bay as quickly as possible.

5. You’re a part of Boston History. The volunteers are the backbone of the Boston Marathon. No assignment is insignificant and seeing how grateful the runners are for your help is a wonderful feeling. Quite simply, it’s amazing how much help is needed in one day. Sure, it’s a long day, but it’s a rewarding one.

For more information about volunteering at the Boston Marathon, keep checking http://216.235.243.43/utilities/volunteer.aspx or http://www.baa.org/ for updates.

Inspired by our fun weekend, here are a few highlights from our favorite meals and activities. Feel free to take these ideas for when your family is visiting Boston, or when you’re trying to cater to a larger group of five to seven friends!

Best Dinner: 5 Napkin Burger
We kicked off our weekend with a family dinner at 5 Napkin Burger in the Prudential Center. My parents had tasked me with selecting somewhere new, but not too fancy or expensive, with good food and a nice atmosphere. Having come off a long workweek, I selfishly selected 5 Napkin Burger in part for its proximity to my apartment, but also for it’s amazing veggie burger and sweet potato french fries. Little did I know that they also have the most delightful, refreshing frozen mojito (thanks for discovering it, Matt!). Three veggie burgers, a Chinese chicken salad, a sushi roll, and three massive piles of sweet potato fries later, we were stuffed. But not too stuffed to get after dinner drinks at Towne!

5 Napkin Burger Veggie Burger (via 5 Napkin Burger Pinterest Account)

Deliciously Low-Key Weekend Brunch: Harvard Gardens
On Saturday, we fueled up for a busy day of walking around with a scrumptious brunch at Harvard Gardens. It’s challenging to find a brunch place in Boston that can easily accommodate seven people, let alone one that has amazing food. Harvard Gardens is definitely a hidden gem because it has great food and is surprisingly not crowded. We feasted on blueberry pancakes, egg white omlettes and huevos rancheros. Oh, and quite possibly the best breakfast potato’s everrrr. The Parmesan on top is truly a game changer.

Egg White, Mushroom and Tomato Omelette w/ Breakfast Potatoes

Huevos Rancheros

A Lovely, Scenic Stroll: Charles Street > Public Garden > Comm. Ave
After brunching at Harvard Gardens, we took our time strolling down Charles Street. If you have time, I recommend popping into cute shops like Black Ink and Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill, which offer lots of gift-y items and fun browsing. From Charles Street, head into the Public Garden. If your crew is anything like my family, you’ll find yourself surrounded by an array of cameras and camera phones. And, why not? The Public Garden was made for an impromptu family photo shoot!

After snapping photos, we continued down Comm. Ave (Commonwealth Ave. to non-locals), for more strolling. Inevitably, more photo opportunities arose!

Strolling Down Comm. Ave

Perfect Pit Stop: Max Brenner
Following a healthy amount of walking and shopping, we were craving something sweet. As luck would have it, Max Brenner had enough open space at the bar for all seven of us. Oh, and did I mention they have chocolate? Lots and lots of chocolate!

Max Brenner

Hip, Yet Parent Friendly Drinks Spots: Catwalk, Liberty Hotel and Towne
I highly recommend snagging a bar table on the third floor of Towne, or a table at Catwalk on the third level of the Liberty Hotel. Both venues offer great drinks and seating in a hip environment that’s slightly away from the throngs of people on the levels below.

Cheers!

All in all, it was a great weekend. From amazing meals, to good, long strolls around the city, it proves that all my strategizing is worth it.