FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

#HLS12 – @WholeFoodsRVR Mini Mingle

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When Heather asked me if I’d be willing to host an unofficial Summit “mini-mingle” a few weeks ago, I responded to her immediately that I would absolutely love to!  I remember what it was like going to the cocktail party as a Summit newbie last year and having mini-mingles this year was a genius plan to connect newbies and non-newbies alike.

Then Healthy Living Blogs posted the invite to the lunch mini-mingle that I was hosting and nervous stomach hit.  What if nobody signed up and the only person heading to the Whole Foods mini-mingle was me!  Talk about scariness.  Thankfully a few girls signed up that day and the bulk of my anxiety vanished as the blank page filled up.  Phew!

Then things took a turn towards even more awesome!  The Whole Foods mini-mingle group was EXCITED and began tweeting back and forth with the Riverside store.  David, the store’s marketing team leader, and I got in touch and started a little planning beyond salad/hot bar lunch.  He suggested having Emma, their Whole Body specialist, talk to our group about the importance of using skin care and make-up that was free of the dirty thirty.  The mini-mingle group shared my interest in this topic, so we officially put it on the unofficial schedule.

Not only did Emma’s informational sesh get off to a strong start, she managed to keep all of us, a group of tech addicts, completely engaged.  She stressed the importance of reducing the amount of toxins you put on your largest organ, your skin.  And she gave us practical suggestions such as replacing a product that you normally use with a non-toxic version as it runs out.  Or if you feel the need to make a change right away, replace a product that you use daily (like deodorant, foundation, body wash) with a non-toxic version.  It was a no-pressure, un-sales-y, informative, motivational discussion.  I’m so thankful that the Whole Foods Riverside team came up with this idea!

AND!  In addition to lots and lots of good info, David and Emma put together a goody bag filled with lots and lots of good product!  I’m really pumped about this because 1.  who doesn’t love free stuff?? and 2. this is the perfect motivation to test out the new stuff and replace the toxic stuff stat!

Thanks again Emma, David, and Whole Foods Riverside for making lunch even more special!!

#HLS12 – Russell House Tavern

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After an afternoon of swag bag stuffing, a few of the Healthy Living Summit early arrivers headed to Harvard Square for dinner.  We ended up at Russell House Tavern which had a variety-filled menu with lots and lots of drink options.

They sat us at a huge round table with a decent amount of light for a place with a tavern-esque ambiance, perfect for a table full of SLR carrying bloggers.

Meghann and I split an entire side of the menu, which wasn’t apparent until the waitstaff delivered the abundance of plates.  Oops!!

Everything we ordered was pretty delish.  Meghann favored the brussels sprouts and I was pretty obsessed with the lobster slider.  I have a feeling this won’t be my only interaction with lobster during this trip!

Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better setting for a hip, get-to-know-you dinner.  The restaurant accepts open table reservations for parties of up to seven, so this would be an excellent place for small groups to eat and be merry on Saturday night after the conference!

#HLS12 – In Boston!

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Do you remember when you were a little kid and you got presents for say… your birthday.  And it was total sensory overload because you wanted to play with every single gift at the same time.  And play with all your friends.  And eat cake.

Well, not much changes when you’re big kid at the Healthy Living Summit.  And you want to try on every free piece of clothing (note headbands and shirts above and sneakers (yeah SNEAKERS!!) below).  And you want to get silly with all your blogging friends.  And you want to eat swag bag snacks.

I guess where I’m getting at is that I’ve been in Boston for 5-ish hours and it feels like my birthday (without the turning 30 part).

Off to dinner with Meghann, Katie, Mindy, Amanda, and Danielle!

#HLS12 – So Excited!

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It seems like just yesterday Meghann and I were sitting at the Southwest terminal at Tampa International Airport, waiting to board our flight to Phili for last year’s Healthy Living Summit.  At this very moment, I cannot even begin to comprehend how quickly the 10 months since HLS has flown by and how much my life has changed during that time.  But I can tell you with certainty how my much I’m looking forward to this year’s HLS and why.  Oh, and I’ll enjoy every minute of it!

As soon as we arrived at the hotel, a small group of bloggers got to work stuffing swag bags.  And even though this wasn’t an official Summit event, I loved it just the same, if not more.  I was relatively new to interacting with other bloggers and had never attended a blogging conference before, so this gave my social-self an opportunity to meet friendly new faces while giving my awkward-self a bag stuffing distraction.  I have already booked an early flight to Boston this year to help my blogging friends real-life friends Meghann, Heather, and Julie with Summit prep work.

After bag stuffing, a huge group of us went out on the town for a hip dinner.  You know how much fun it is eating a meal with a dozen other people who love food the same way you do?  LOTS!  The most notable part of this night was getting to not only meet with, but converse with, Kath.  Kath’s blog was the first blog I remember reading and hanging out with her was like checking “meet celebrity” off your bucket list.  Seriously, I was star struck for a moment.  But Kath’s vibe was so kind and friendly that it was impossible to feel like a stranger for more than that initial moment.

And then there was the roommate sitch, which I purposefully left for last.  Meeting these girls was hands down the best part of the trip.  We were all from varying parts of the country and, likewise, were all so very different.  But after a few minutes of chitchat, it was as if we’d known each other for years.  We’ve all kept in touch since last August and I’ve even been fortunate enough to visit with Lauren in Eugene, OR and Emily in North Adams, MA.  And in a mere two months, I’ll be able to give Krista and Emily big hugs and catch up on all the fun we’ve been having since the last time we were together.

There are no less than a million other things that I’m looking forward to when it comes to #HLS12, it truly is one of my all time favorite events.  And in this one instance, I’m so thankful at how quickly time is flying – August 16th will be here before ya know it!

*Photos from Meghann, Lauren, Kath, and Me