Write Woman's blog

Hoboken Comedy Festival

The recent, first annual Hoboken Comedy Festival, was a hit!

They should have called it the "hit"boken!

For 4 nights, headliners packed rooms at popular Hoboken lounges and comedy venues such as Lana Lounge and Maxwell's.

Each show brought to the stage- top comedians from Comedy Central, David Letterman, XM radio and the Verizon Fios commercials. You know the red headed, bearded cable guy, who no one wants to order "old"cable from anymore? Matt McCarthy is his name and he reminded me of Sam Kinison mixed with Steven Wright, only more "blue."

Chuck Nice headlined on Saturday night and he was sure to remind the crowd how hard it was to work on stage as a black man with one spotlight! He was hysterical.

Great acts and MC's such as Mike Demayo charmed and entertained the audiences.

With Comma D Production and Dan Frigolette at the helm, the first annual Hoboken Comedy Festival was hopefully the first of many great festivals to be hosted in Hoboken.

A great town, small but lively. Young, a bit yuppie and so close to NYC you can see it, literally across the river and a short PATH train ride away. You will feel like you are truly away from the hustle. Dont worry, Hoboken has plenty of hustle in its own right.

Great bars and restaurants such as Nine and Lua, serve up Latin and Caribbean style cuisine and offer live music and romantic atmospheres.

The W hotel Hoboken is replete with all of th familiar W hotel amenities and it has a great location overlooking the Hudson River!

Hoboken, "Ken" you get there? Absolutely!

Enjoy!

Ellie

http://hobokenfestival.com/

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1785

www.luarestaurant.com/

 

The Proof is in the Gel-ling

The GelPro Anti-Fatique Floor Mat is revolutionary!

Cooks, Writers, Teachers. Anyone who stands for long periods of time will benefit from having a GelPro Floor Mat.

With so many colors and textures to choose from, this easy to clean floor mat will make your legs love you more!

The external texture hits pressure points on your feet while the gel filled interior will help prevent foot fatigue. Do you often suffer from sore ankles after standing for hours? That soreness can effect your legs as well.

The GelPro mat helps to combat fatigue by creating a cloud beneath your feet. Hardwood floors are great to look at, but not as great to stand on for extended period of times.

The GelPro blends well your floors, either at home  while preparing that endless Thanksgiving dinner or while making a long speech in the office, at the head of a conference table.

GelPro comes in a variety of colors- From an elegant Tan to a deep Navy. The exterior has a feel all its own. It can feel like little bubbles to the touch or like potato chip ridges if you choose varying styles. Cordoba, Trellis or Ostrich to name a few, increase your Gel Mat texture/style options.

If "size matters, " then The Gel Pro will suit you on that level as well. From the "standard" size of  20" x 36" to the NEW Designer size of 36"x 144" , GelPro has you "covered" and sells from $69.95.

The latest GelPro products to hit the market are PerfectPlacemats.™  They are made with the same quality fabrics found on GelPro Mats. Designed  to protect your tabletop from everyday spills and scrapes, PerfectPlacemats™ are the perfect pairing with  an existing GelPro Mat.

So, for home or office, for form, function AND design- turn to the GelPro Anti Fatique floor Mat!

http://www.gelpro.com/

Chobani...Is "Cho" goody!

Chobani Greek Yogurt is the perfect combination of old world, natural flavor and modern, low fat contents!

It tastes creamy, but there is no cream added. It tastes sweet but there is only natural sugar or honey added. No artificial anything.

With so many flavors to choose from, Chobani Greek Yogurt can please even the most discerning palate. Everything from bright blueberry, to tropical pineapple to my all time favorite, honey yogurt, you will think it just came out of the yogurt churner.

That homemade taste using simple, all natural ingredients and so many varieties to choose from.

You can find Chobani Yogurt in all of your major food chains as well as specialty markets such as Whole Foods, Fairway and many other locations.

On another note, the 6oz Chobani cups/containers are the perfect size to re-use for storing jewelry, paper clips or to fill with water to feed your plants!

Therefore, not only is Chobani good for YOU, it is great for the environment too!

A little plain Chobani yogurt can be given to cats as a natural digestive aid! It is so delicious you may not want to share it with fluffy or fido! AS a matter of fact, you WONT want to share it!

Keep it to yourself and get fluffy "meow"bani instead (there is no such product-yet!)

Chobani Yogurt- natural, healthy and full of flavor without the fat.

That's "greek" to me!

www.chobani.com

The Rack Trap "traps" a mugger in his tracks!

The Rack Trap is not just for bra beauty and bag free convenience anymore! It doubles as a deception to thwart would-be muggers.

Ona  recent trip to Europe, comedian Shawn Pelofsky was wearing her Rack Trap, so she could enjoy hands free sight seeing. When a would be mugger approached her to grab her bag and pickpocket her, he was the one who was "trapped." Why? because he was expecting to get Shawn's $, credit cards and other important identification. He came up empty as the Rack Trap rested firmly and securely on the inside of her bra cup! She had the "last laugh," no pun intended to her comedic profession!

The Rack Trap is a creative and functional necessity for women, designed by women. One of the partners was in the airport one day and pulled the $ out of her bra as many stood and watched in both amusement and interest. The Rack Trap was born.

The Rack Trap is made of silk or canvas style polyester wiht a  nylon lining, making it easy to wash and dry. It comes in a wide variety of colors and is both elegant and strong. It is perfect for working out in the gym or for a night out on the town, when you dont want to carry a purse.

The Rack Trap fits securely inside your bra cup (regardless of bra size) and comes in a pretty drawstring pouch. You can hold a great deal of important items in the Rack Trap. Everything from  your drivers license, to credit cards to money. Bills may be preferred to change as you dont want to jingle while you walk. Or maybe you do!

Please visit their website for information on how to order your special Rack Trap(s)!

www.theracktrap.com

 

 

The NY Times Small Business Summit- From the Breakfast to the Breakouts!

The NY Times Small Business Summit, held on September 24th, just marked its 5th year. With American Express OPEN as the founding sponsor once again, it was a grand success! Held at the famous Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, it was centrally located for both local businesses and for out of town business owners.

From the breakfast to the breakouts. From the Logistics Lounge to the Lufthansa Lounge, the NY Times Small Business Summit had it all covered.

Whether you were a small business owner or someone seeking to start a small business, you could find the information you needed. It was motivational and factual. Creative and driven.

The speakers and moderators came from all types and levels of business. From The NY Times President, Scott Heekin-Canedy's opening remarks to Zip Car Founder and CEO, Robin Chase's closing keynote session to all of the sessions and networking events inbetween it was a not to be missed event. However, if you did miss it, there is always next year!

If however, you are prime to start or grow your business NOW, I will offer links at the end of this article, where you can talk ONLINE with the exhibitors and speakers. In forums such as Facebook and Twitter. In fact, therer was a panelist who said he "tweets" on average, about 20-40 times a day. Many in the audience chuckled at the inferred "double entendre!"

The attendees, event planners and panelists were all very helpful to one another and extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The entire day, from what I could gather, went as smoothly as a large annual event such as this can go.

The Hilton prepared hundreds of box lunches, but these were not your old boxed lunches from school days. They were  eco-packed with gourmet sandwiches, pasta, fruit, chips and a drink. Seems like everyone is going green!

Even for the "grown-up" attendees, many said the highlight of their summit day was receiving free Ben and Jerry's ice cream after lunch. If you are wondering why they gave everyone B&J's it was following the luncheon's keynote speaker, Jerry Greenfield himself! Co-founder and co-owner of the now infamous Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Business, Jerry spoke about how he and his lifelong friend Ben, got started. Their trials and NOT so "creamy, smooth" travails on their road to ultimate success. They really had no idea what would come out of their extremely hard work and dedication as well as ongoing charity donations. But as Jerry himself said, you get more when you give more. Business is not only about making money it is about using those profits and the developed brand, to help others who are less fortunate. It is a positive feedback loop when you purchase products from local, fair trade farmers and give a certain amount of profit back to social causes that help people help themselves and possibly become business owners in their own right.

He spoke in a humble and humorous manner and kept the packed grand ballroom engaged.

Many diverse businesses were represented in the lounge areas.

Businesses such as UPS, The Network Journal, Met Life, National Association of Women Business Owners and even MSNBC was on hand to offer live interviews to businesses. People discussed how they grew their businesses and why they were in attendance at the day's summit.

I told MSNBC that I did not have a business and when asked in return "then why was I there?," I simply said "MY business is to write about and help OTHER businesses grow."

The mid-day speed networking session and closing cocktail reception truly allowed attendees to interact with one another and learn from each other's goals, ideas and concerns.

Well presented and well rounded, The NY Times Small Business Summit was once again a success.

For more information on the event and to connect with attendees and panelists, please visit them on Facebook Groups- "Small Business" or American Express Open" or on their main website- www.nytsmallbusinessummit.com

Thank you!

Ellie

 

Be with the "Inn " Crowd, The Hampton Inn!- Kingston, NY

The Hampton Inn is a perfect location for business and pleasure traveleres alike.

With locations across the country, The Hampton Inn strikes the perfect blend between simple elegance and corporate savvy.

The Hampton Inn, in Kingston, NY is conveniently located off the NYS Thruway and so close to large shops, top restaurants and the famous Dutchess County Fairgrounds just across the river in historic Rhinebeck, NY. There you will find endless fairs, festivals and nature.

The price is right at The Hampton Inn, which is close enough to Rhinebeck but remote enough to ensure tranquility. Kingston, NY is historic enough in its own right with lounges and music festivals in the downtown area.

Each Hampton Inn room is well appointed with flat screen televisions, plush bedding and signature soaps.

Spacious, clean and eco friendly. These are words wihich come to mind when decsribing The Hampton Inn!

The main lobby area also serves as a 50+ seat dining area to serve their FULL buffet Breakfast!

A breakfast replete with scrambled eggs and cheese, hard boiled eggs, healthy hot and cold cereals, fresh baked muffins, and the best, "make it yourself" waffles! Nothing more fun than to watch adults try to make their own waffles. It brought out the kid in every adult I watched!

You can have herbal teas or fresh brewed coffee 24 hrs a day while you sit by the REAL fireplace and enjoy a movie on the large flat screen tv.

It is called an Inn but feels more like a boutique hotel. The service at Hampton Inn Kingston is amazing- helpful yet so easy going.

They offer a business center and spacious conference rooms. Perfect for the business traveler because he/she can extend their stay to make it a mini-vacation as well.

Heated indoor pool, fitness center and designs from nature.

What better way to enjoy your family or your funds?

Part of the Hilton Hotel Corporation, The Hampton Inn strives to and maintains the highest standards you would expect from a large hotel chain, without the attitude.

I would highly recommend The Hampton Inn  in Kingston, NY to anyone!

Please visit their website for more information and to make reservations:

http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=POUKGHX

For around town events, festivals and dining:

www.ulstercountylive.com

www.dutchessfair.com

 

"Instant Oatmeal"

Are you more of a Instant Oatmeal person or a "Steel Cuts" type?

Do you need everything to be convenient and fast or can you wait for your meal to cook the proper, "old fashioned" way?

In a world of quick texts, instant downloads, and stock market booms and busts is there anything worth waiting for anymore? And if there is, can people actually WAIT?

How long do you sit at a green light before honking the car in front of you?

Do you feel crushed by people behind you in the line at Dunkin Donuts?

Is there no respect for time anymore? Why do we "never have enough time" for the things we plan? Is it because we put too much emphasis on the quantity of our lives vs the quality?

Ever ask a client or patient to fill out an application before coming in to your office and no sooner than you ask, and the grimace is planted on his/her face. The mere THOUGHT of filling out "another" application. "Cmon, I just need a job, why do I have to fil this out?" And then the boxes to check off. The OPTIONS. What options. They say filling out the questions about your "ethnicity" is "optional" but it sure does seem to count in many cases and job selections. ooohhhh shocking?

I dont think people are shocked by much of anything anymore. The sadness that when we hear of death, floods, crashes it has almost become second nature. Even the news reporters are guilty of this, "ONLY" 10 people died.. welll, tell that to those 10 people!

What happened to the QUALITY of life? The pleasures, the simplicites?

I actually think they are all still there, and that time is what YOU MAKE IT, not what it can make you..Older, colder and more confused.

Try the regular rice next time vs the "minute" rice and opt for the NO tv dinners vs frozen meals and ofcourse, try being made of steel, "steel cut" oats vs. "Instant" Oatmeal.

And for those of my same generation remember the words of this classic disco hit..."Take your time, do it right, we can do it babyyy, do it tonight!"

Enjoy your life!!

Ellie

"Green Eggs and Pan"

Maybe Dr Seuss was on to something when he wrote: “Green” Eggs and Ham. Was he being “green” long before it was the in thing to do? Or was it just a rhyme.

Well fast forward to today when “being green,” has taken on many new meanings.

From Eco-friendly mats, mugs and materials to green technology and hemp dresses, to be green is to be seen!

Now you can be a cool COOK too. You can cook “green.”

The new, Original Green Pan is healthy, environmentally friendly and convenient for everyday use.

Perfect for cooking healthy omelets, vegetable dishes and so much more, the Original Green Pan is the first in its class. It is actually NOT green in color. It is has a beautiful teal color and is coated with a patented Therrmolon technology. This is what makes the pan “non stick.” However, it is not the nonstick you may be thinking of.  It is certainly eco-friendly and natural! Thermolon is actually formed from molten minerals. Completely natural and can withstand upwards of 450 degrees © temperatures!

The Original Green Pan contains absolutely NO PTFE or silicone oil. Thermolon is part of the larger sol-gel technology, a process in which materials are formed from small particles suspended in solution that gel together to form a matrix.

Now you can look cool as you cook! You can rest assured, knowing you are preparing healthy meals for your family while preserving the environment and reducing toxic emissions which in turn reduce your carbon footprint. The Pan’s Bakelite handle ensures an ergonomic grip. Your food cooks faster and more evenly and cleans easily. What is not to love?!

Green Street Gadgets (tm)

The next time you flip your pancakes or your burgers with a Green Street Gadget you will be flipping water bottles!

These practical yet unique cooking utensils are completely made from RECYCLED plastic water bottles! They are FDA Approved, dishwasher safe and resist heat up to 475 degrees. All green street gadgets are made in America using green energy and the suggested MSRP for each Gadget is only $3.99 and are easily found in Kitchen Collection stores across the country.

They are made in slotted or solid styles are formed into spatulas and/or spoons.

Both the Original Green Pan and Green Street Gadgets make perfect holiday gifts or can be shown off in your kitchen to holiday guests who will surely be amazed and “green “ with envy!

For more information on these great products, please visit:

www.green-pan.com

or

www.kitchencollection.com

 

 

Feel at home with Honeywell!

The Summer heat is almost behind us, Fall is around the corner. The beginning/end of each season is a great time to do a thorough home/office cleaning. Once you clean, you will also want to PURIFY the air of summer humidity, mold, pollen, pet dander and much more!

Honeywell makes so many amazing products for these purposes. Their fans, air coolers and purifiers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

They fit with any decor as they have a streamlined appearance and many have remote control functions.

You can be hard at work writing at your desk and control your "Tower Fan" from practically across the room!

This Honeywell Whole Room Tower Fan is part of Honeywell's "Quiet Set 5." The fan's whisper quiet functions allow you to write in a peaceful and quiet room without distracting noises. Unless ofcourse if your 2 year old is running around that may be a distraction! Speaking of 2 year olds, another great "Tower Fan"  feature is its Auto Shut-off Timer with 1, 2, 4 and 8 hour settings.

Therefore, if you know that your toddler will be up and running around at a certain time, you can set the fan to shut itself off and this creates a feeling of safety for you and your family! In addition, their visual LED displays are clear and easy to read.

If you have this particular Honeywell product in your counseling office, there is a great "white noise" option, which literally blankets your voices and helps protect private and confindential conversations and sessions.

The HY-105 delivers strong,all-room, oscillating cooling power and it looks as good as it functions. How many PEOPLE can we say that about?!

The Honeywell Quiet Set 5 Whole Room Tower Fan has a suggested retail price of $54.99 and is available at Target and Best Buy!

Another unique product on their extensive list of new products is the Honeywell Pet CleanAir™ Tabletop Air Purifier.

The Honeywell Pet CleanAir™ Tabletop Air Purifier fits perfectly on your table or desk, nightstand or near your pet's food, sleeping or bathroom areas. It captures up to 95% of airborne allergens such as pet hair, pet dander, and other allergens as small as 2 microns!

The Pet CleanAir Purifier comes complete with a three-stage filter and an ionizer to remove negatively charged ions from the air. It cleans on three levels, it is quiet and is best used in a specific area as mentioned above or within a small room. You can definitely operate the Pet CleanAir Purifier with OR without the Ionizer feature.

You never have to worry about knowing when to change the filter! The electronic filter INDICATOR LIGHT reminds caring pet owners. You can continue to engage in pet play and give and get tons of hugs from your furry friend, all the while knowing you are keeping their and your environments basically dander and pet hair free! 

Great for country homes or small city apartments as the PET CleanAir Purifier has a great space saving design and can be placed either vertically OR horizontally.

The PET CleanAir Purifier offers odor reduction, pet dander and hair reduction in a great TABLETOP design, all for only $59.99 retail.

For photos and more information on these products and to read about their FULL line of Purifiers, Coolers, Heaters (yes hard to imagine needing a heater now- but just wait!), and Humidifiers, please visit:

www.kaz.com

Stay WELL with HoneyWELL!

Ellie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.kaz.com

Uno's Chicago Grill-Girl's Night Out!

What a unique concept! Enjoy dinner with your girlfriends while you shop. And you dont even have to leave the restaurant!

The companies come to you! Companies such as Avon, The Pampered Chef and Clove-ee.

Uno's Chicago Grill in Bay Ridge Brooklyn held their first "Girl's Night Out" at that location, on August 24th from 6-9pm. Perfect after work/dinner hours.

It was a hit. Even though there were only 5 vendors, it was a success, because it was more intimate and the 50-60+ guests were able to more closely interact with and speak with each vendor. They gave out great product samples and held gift raffles. Vendors/merchants walked over to the tables as opposed to waiting for guests to come to them. This was not perceived as invasive. Quite the opposite and according to many guests I spoke with, they enjoyed that aspect. It made their experience more positive and they said they would definitely come back for another "girl's night out!"

The Uno's staff and event management were extremely friendly and helpful. They also appeared to enjoy the event, because it brought people together and perhaps in ways made their job more tailored and focused. They got to know who they were serving in a more 1-on-1 manner.

Now, about the food!

I think when most people think of Uno's Chicago Grill, pizza and salads come to mind.

While those are surely Uno's signature dishes, their Roasted Vegetables and Feta wrap along with their Turkey, Bacon and Swiss Sandwich were equally delicious.

I did opt for their famous Cheese and Tomato Deep Dish Pizza and it was as I expected. DEEP dish with the right amount of melted cheese and fresh sauce. Topped with dried herbs it hit this "girls night out's" spot!

Top this off with Uno's Mini Granny Smith All American dessert and there you have it!

$20 per ticket and it came with the dinner (choice of one entree, a dessert and a drink (alcohol) or soda).

Interacting with your friends, moms or colleagues while sampling great women's products, PRICELESS!

Look for their future "Girl's Night Out" event in Bay Ridge in October. Please visit their website for similar events in Uno's across the metropolitan area!

www.unos.com

www.pamperedchef.com

www.avon.com