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@alisonsimons
Unboring List item "Watch TedTalks" from 2014 has come true in a way I didn't expect. I still find that it doesn't fit my lifestyle to sit before a computer/iPad/whatever and watch TedTalks. But I have found that the Podcast versions are quite enjoyable when I listen to them in the car.
Give it a try!
Unboring List item "Watch Gone with the Wind" happened with a good friend on a rainy day with a few shots of bourbon and some delicious snacks. I think that's the only way I would have made it through.
I did not care for this movie in the slightest. It was more laughable and dated than anything. I'm thankful to my public library for bringing this production free of charge.
That is all. Ha!
Unboring list item #1 for 2014 was a big one... the biggest one of all... Get married!
And we did it right! Oscar and I agreed that we loved every moment and wouldn't have changed a thing. (And if you would have, don't tell me!)
We had a backyard Brazilian BBQ. Planning a cross cultural wedding can be tricky. It was very important to me to honor the Brazilian side of the family and not make this a "theme" event in the wrong sense of the word. Our caterers were a Brazilian cafe (my catering contract was in Portuguese!) and we had a 6' charcoal grill for grilling steaks at the event. Too bad Oscar and I didn't have more than a bite of two! I was (appropriately) warned that we wouldn't have time to eat. But that's OK because we spent more time with family and friends instead.
Captain Father John officiated, which was very special. Not every girl is married by her father! (He's available if you're in the market for an officiant!)
As any backyard wedding would be, it was thanks to the tremendous efforts of our family (and a couple of amazing friends) who helped set-up (in the rain) and clean-up. I think they got got to relax during the reception at least! And a huge, heartfelt thank you to Aunt Rebecca for offering her home as the venue.
But why do it once when you can do it twice? My mother planned and hosted a most wonderful event at my parents' home in Lake Bluff so that we could celebrate again with family friends. (That's the red photo on the dance floor). I wore my dress again by having it cut-off at the knee. It was a great night all around and I actually got to enjoy some Brazilian food that night!
So now it's time to enjoy our new life together and plan for the next great adventures - Alaska, Brazil and a new house! (some day, anyway!)
Alison Simons is a Boston based marketing professional. She works with clients to achieve their goals of: growth, online marketing, coaching & development, and branding.
First Unboring List item of the year!
Make a pecan pie.
It's fiance Oscar's favorite and it's Valentine's day... so cross your fingers for me. And remember my love, it's the thought that counts!
Usually I would try to give you some advice if you wanted to try this... but baking isn't a strength of mine. So, my advice, just following the recipe and serve the results to nice people!
Unboring list 2014!
As always seems to happen, some items on this year's list are major undertakings and others are easier to accomplish.
get married!
make a pecan pie
watch Ted Talks
visit the Harvard glass flowers
watch Gone with the Wind
finish Pimsleur Portuguese lessons
make a new kind of cheese
plant a window herb garden
Also, there are carry-overs from prior years to take care of - "make a piece of jewelry" from 2013 as well as “try snowshoeing,” “meditate” and “golf in a new state” from 2012.
I hope you'll consider joining me for one or more of these activities!
Happy New Year! Let's make it a great one!
On sushi!
With fewer than 12 hours to go in the year I squeaked out one more Unboring list item - make sushi!
Tuna, avocado, and cucumber were the ingredients to keep things simple. Interestingly it was the rice (official “sushi rice”) that was my downfall. It was WAY over cooked and ended up quite mushy.
Oscar was a real gentleman to even consider ingesting this mess. We mostly picked at the innards which were delicious.
All in all a fun attempt and I’m likely to try it again… But I’ll admit that I won’t balk at sushi prices at the restaurants so much any more!
Happy New Year!
Fish - it's what's for dinner when you're Unboring in 2013.
I wanted to mix it up a bit when it came to our dinner plans... it seemed like chicken was on the menu every day (it probably was!). So, I said "let's have fish more often. It's healthy!"
And we did! Also, we tried many new vegetables which also helped to add variety to our meals and made grocery shopping fun.
What should you know if you want to make fish more often.
1) Know your weekly schedule in advance. Fish won't save long in the fridge so if you shop for your groceries on Sundays, plan to eat fish on Sunday or Monday.
2) Buy what's on sale. Fish is expensive - particularly if you're buying the local or sustainable kind. So, buy what's on sale and try something new. If you don't like it - you can always have chicken tomorrow (wink).
3) You don't need much. A serving size is the size of a pack of cards so don't think you have to buy 3 pounds - just get what you need for one meal.
4) Ask for help. The guys at the fish counter (fish mongers?) know their stuff - they do at Whole Foods anyway. Ask them for a favorite way to prepare it or a favorite seasoning. They're glad to help!
Join a non-profit board
It's been a long time coming... On my 2011 Unboring List, "Join a non-profit board" was made a priority. I spoke to many but wanted to make the right choice - not jump in because I had a list item to attend to.
Courageous Sailing is a FANTASTIC organization and one that I am honored and humbled to be a part of. It's a Boston treasure and I will work diligently to help to continuously reach the mission of transforming lives through sailing. (Which is what sailing has done for me.)
Courageous is multi-faceted in its activities. From weekly races for adults (summer and winter frostbiting!) to adult sailing lessons, to facilitating swimming, science and sailing lessons for kids who would otherwise only look at the Atlantic from dry land, Courageous is making sailing accessible to people of diverse income, ability, and skill levels.
I've only just gotten involved so I'll know much more in the months and years to come. For now, I'm just thrilled to be a small part of a magnificent endeavor.
So, what should you know if you want to join a non-profit board?
1) Have a connection to the cause. I think that the rain forests and the whales and the homeless all need help too. But I grew up sailing and it changed my life for the better. I want more people to have that same opportunity.
2) Size matters. Very small organizations (those with budgets of perhaps $500k) have very involved boards - "working boards" they are often called because there is very limited staff and the rest gets done by the board. Very large organizations (budgets of $10M+ have donor boards to write checks and make introductions and full staff to take care of the operations). I wanted a Goldilocks board - somewhere in the middle of giving and effort.
3) Protect yourself. Ask good questions about DNO insurance and fiscal health and succession plans for the executive director, etc. What is the composition of the board (longevity, variety of knowledge, etc)
4) If you make the commitment, commit. Know what is expected of you - from board meeting frequency, to annual giving, to how your skill set will be put to use. If you agree to join the board, be ready to do what you say you will.
5) Get educated. I learned about boards from the Arts & Business Council's Business on Board program. It's awesome and not just applicable to arts boards. If you can, check it out!
I'm just getting started so I certainly don't know it all. What else do you think is important for board members?
Unboring list 2013... only five weeks to go and still more fun to be had...
One more check box and this is a good one. Plant a tree... and I did it without getting my hands dirty. (Though actually I would enjoy learning about how to select and plant a tree - maybe once I have a yard of my own.)
The Nature Conservancy is on its way to planting ONE BILLION TREES through its program Plant a Billion Trees. I've been aware of this program for a while and wanted to help.
I donated a modest $25 for 25 trees to be planted in Brazil.
Oscar planned a very fun day at Shelburne Farms in Stow with his family. The kids had a blast riding the pony, playing in the hay, and picking apples.
It must have been a draft version of my Unboring List 2013 that included "fruit picking." It probably didn't make the cut because Oscar is allergic to apples!
http://alisonsimons.tumblr.com/post/39407560215/unboring2013
Vegetable of the week. Gilo
It's a bright green Brazilian pepper.
Gilo are easy to cook - just remove a bit from each end, chop in half, and put in a pot with some water and a sprinkle of salt.
Oscar's sister gave us these peppers. I don't know where you buy them. Um... they are not my favorite. The flavor is somewhat bitter. But maybe you'd like them??
Always good to try something new! Here's our list. What have you tried lately?
Try one new vegetable every week recap:
Week 1: Beets
Week 2: Baby kale
Week 3: Turnips
Week 4: Parsnips
Week 5: Purple varieties
Week 6: Artichoke
Week 7: Chayote squash
Week 8: Fiddlehead Ferns
Week 9: Jicama
Week 10: Fava Beans
Week 11: Canary Melon
Week 12: Gilo
Alison Simons, Marketing and Advertising: The authoritative source of Alison Simons's personal information, links, and social activity.
In the most basic terms, the mainsheet on a boat controls its direction and speed…. marketing can do the same for your firm.
Do any of these statements sound familiar?
”We aren’t winning as many new client bids as we used to”
”Prospects and clients are pressuring us on fees”
Alison Simons at Mainsheet Marketing, LLC helps professional service firms to reach their growth and strategy goals through hands-on marketing and business development support.
Unboring country concert!
One of my unboring list items for the year is to go to a country music show. I was lucky enough that my favorite country band, Zac Brown, came to town. (Last year I wrote about my new interest in country music inspired by unemployment… Inspiration takes many forms apparently!)
Oscar was nice enough to come with me and we had a great time singing and dancing with the crowd.
The band played for 3 hours non-stop and performed not only every song of theirs I can think of but also 6 or 7 covers - including Simons family favorites from Jimmy Buffett.
The weather was perfect and it was a fun night. So unboring!
So bright yellow it caught my eye from 10 feet away!
This is a canary melon... it is delicious and you should buy one. (I just wish they were local!)
At a cost of only $.99/lb, this oval specimen cost just $3 and brought me endless joy as I carted cubes around to work and family to encourage them to try this exotic food. It is sweet and soft - for me "just right" in both categories. Perhaps I lucked out because I have no idea to tell if it's ripe or not!
The one trick to this otherwise wonderful food is that the rind and the fruit are the same color so one must take care when cutting it.
OK OK! It's not a vegetable... but it is awesome... and given the 100 degree heat, you can perhaps forgive me for not firing up the oven for a new recipe.
And it has great nutritional benefits too. 50% of your daily Vitamin A and Vitamin C, fiber and only 80 calories in one cup.
Try one new vegetable every week recap:
Week 1: Beets
Week 2: Baby kale
Week 3: Turnips
Week 4: Parsnips
Week 5: Purple varieties
Week 6: Artichoke
Week 7: Chayote squash
Week 8: Fiddlehead Ferns
Week 9: Jicama
Week 10: Fava Beans
Week 11: Canary Melon
Vegetable of the week - Fava Beans!
For this week’s Whole Foods “Try one new vegetable every week” challenge, fava beans.
Fava beans look big when you buy them, but after removing the beans from the inedible pods and then again removing the beans from the inedible protective shells (done by quickly boiling then blanching them)... you're left with about 10% of what you started with... and 30 minutes less in your day.
What started out as a large handful of bean pods that I could hardly grasp became a small handful of cooked beans to serve with dinner. Thankfully I watched a video on how to prepare fava beans because I would NOT have gotten that right on my own.
The color is a nice green and the flavor is very bean like (more like edamame than chic peas). I sauteed the beans in olive oil and added a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice after cooking.
All in all, nice food... probably not worth the effort on a regular basis unless you have child labor!
Try one new vegetable every week recap:
Week 1: Beets
Week 2: Baby kale
Week 3: Turnips
Week 4: Parsnips
Week 5: Purple varieties
Week 6: Artichoke
Week 7: Chayote squash
Week 8: Fiddlehead Ferns
Week 9: Jicama
Week 10: Fava Beans