Apr 30 2012

Would you spend $1,200.00 to "timeshare" a 15-carat diamond necklace?

By Debbie Melino | Corporate Furnished, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Georgia, Marketing, Health, Travel, Development, Lifestyle, Community, | (1) Comments

Well, thirteen women did just that! They are co-owners of a diamond necklace which they nicknamed Jewelia, in honor of the late chef Julia Child. My book group read their book, “The Necklace” by Patti Channer. The book tells the story of how wearing the necklace changed their lives, and inspired them to give the “gift” of Jewlia to raise money to support the community.

The book was written in 2009, and these women are continuing to support and inspire fundraising activities all over the world. http://www.womenofjewelia.com/past_events.html

I’d love to meet these wonderful women!

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April is national WHAT Month?!?

By Virginia Partridge | Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Apartment Living, Marketing, Health, Travel, Development, Environmental, Food, Lifestyle, Community, | (5) Comments

I was perusing BostonGlobe.com this past weekend, and saw an article all about Grilled Cheese. I LOVE cheese, so naturally I had to follow the link. Come to find out, April is National Grilled Cheese Month. I thought to myself, "wait a second, I thought it was National Organ Donation month - no wait, I think I saw that it was Earth Month?" Turns out, April wears a lot of different hats. Below is a ABC list of what people all across the national celebrate in April. See if you can fill in the blanks!

A – American Cancer Society Month
C – Celebrate Diversity Month
D – Donate Life Month
F – Frog Month
G – Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month
H – Humor Month
I – International Guitar Month
J – Jazz Appreciation Month
K – Keep America Beautiful Month
L – Lawn and Garden Month
M – Math Awareness Month
O – Older Americans Month
P – Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
R – Rosacea Awareness Month
S – Stress Awareness Month
V – Volunteer Month
W – Women’s Health Care Month

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Apartment Parties: Yay or Nay?

By Kristen Donovan | Massachusetts, Multifamily, Apartment Living, Marketing, Health, Food, Lifestyle, Community, | (2) Comments

false At some point in almost every social butterfly's life, we're going to want to invite people into our home for food, drink, and fun. When that home is an apartment, however, lots of questions come up. Am I allowed to have a group of people in my apartment? Will people want to actually come and hang out in my little space? Do I even have enough space for a party? How loud can the music be? Is this really a good idea? With a little creativity and a lot of consideration for your neighbors, you can probably pull off a lovely apartment party - so read on for some tips to make it marvelous!

- First, don't go overboard and invite anyone & everyone. Keep the guest list small and keep your small space in mind!
- Next, check in with your management office. Let them know what you're planning and find out if it's actually ok. You don't really want to risk that phone call from them the next day, do you? You know the one: "Good morning, Miss Party Pants. I'm calling because I received several complaints from your neighbors about an apparent ruckus in your apartment last night..."
- Speaking of your neighbors, you should also check in with them, too - all of them. The ones across the hall, to your left, to your right, above, and/or below you. And don't spring it on them the day of your gathering; give them a couple of days' notice! Tell them you're having guests and ask them to come directly to you if they're being bothered. Wouldn't you rather see neighbor Mary in her nightgown at your door than Officer Killjoy? Yep, you would.
- Don't forget about your neighbors after you've told them about the party. Keep the music at a reasonable volume and gently remind guests not to scream like banshees.
- Use your space wisely! Keep the food and beverages in an area where there's enough room for people to move about easily and make sure there's plenty of seating so people don't feel on top of each other.
- Don't skimp on the food options! Having more food than you need and getting stuck with leftovers is better than your guests needing to stop for fast food on the way home.
- More bodies in your apartment means it's going to get a little warm in there...but if you open the windows, you could freeze everyone out. Be aware of how hot or cold it is and watch for shivering or melting party guests.
- Have some music playing in the background, just in case you run into the dreaded awkward silence (which you won't, because your friends are awesome - right?). Just in case.
- Did we mention that you should be conscious of your neighbors?

Sounds like a lot of work, but it's all absolutely worth it and can make for a wonderful night in!

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Draw Something is Drawsome!

By Shannon Flannery | Corporate Office, Marketing, Lifestyle, | (1) Comments

null It’s official: The world is obsessed with Draw Something…myself included!

The game, which asks you to sketch objects and pop culture references on your smartphone or tablet for your friends to guess, has become a dominating force on the social graph. It has earned the number-one best seller slot in many countries, in both the iOS App Store and Android Market. It has sold 37 million times worldwide and is completely addicting!

The app is basically a smartphone or tablet version of Pictionary. I’m no Picasso but so far I have managed to put my art skills to the test and have created great replicas of pop culture references such as “The Jersey Shore”, “President Obama” and “Lady Gaga.” If you haven’t downloaded this app yet I suggest you do!

Be careful though – you will get addicted!

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QR Codes in Action

By Dan Harvey | Massachusetts, Marketing, Lifestyle, Dan Harvey, | (1) Comments

A QR code or “Quick Response code” is a matrix barcode similar to UPC codes scanned by cash registers. These codes are designed to provide immediate access for any type of data the designer chooses. While some see QR codes as a marketing fad I think that they have a practical place in our lives. We crave instant information and as long as QR codes meet that need I think they will be around for while.

Here are a few QR placements in action:

1. Rock the vote. In the 2010 presidential election about 91 million American’s voted out of a total 217,342,419 eligible voters,
while around 122 million voted for the next American Idol. Until we can text in our votes for president, Rock the vote
volunteers have outfitted themselves with t-shirts featuring a QR code. People interested in voting simply scan the shirt and
are brought to a site where they can register, adding a little life to a process that can seem like drudgery to the gen-y crowd.
http://www.psfk.com/2012/03/t-shirt-voter-registration.html

2. The Home Depot has started using QR codes in a practical way. They have started placing QR codes on items that are
commonly purchased in large quantities by commercial customers. Maintenance technicians can download the app and
scan everything from shower heads to tubes of caulking. Once scanned these items are placed in their online shopping cart
taking the time out of managing inventory and ordering.
http://hdsupplysolutions.com/shop/home

3. QR codes just can be just for fun. There is a team at Facebook that is working to paint huge QR codes on the roofs of
buildings around the US. There is nothing practical about this, just good old nerdy fun.
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/facebook-paints-giant-useless-qr-code- roof-headquarters-139202

4. A Portuguese artist Nuno Serrao is using QR codes to accompany pieces of art. People coming to view these works can
scan the code to access a soundscape that accompanies the piece, creating a unique experience for gallery visitors.
http://mashable.com/2012/02/25/qr-codes-art-music/

5. Soon Princeton Place Apartments in Worcester MA will be placing QR codes throughout corporate furnished apartments.
These codes once scanned will bring guests to a tutorial video for the item they scanned. You’ll find them on thermostats,
TV remote, appliance, anything that residents might need a little help using.

Where have you seen noteworthy QR code placement recently?