Brunch at Coppersmith's Bar and the New England Boat Show Recap

Our Saturday trip to Boston for the Boat Show started off with an easy drive up I-93 to Boston and we made our 11 am reservation at Coppersmith's Bar, a restaurant in South Boston located close to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, the site of the New England Boat Show. The restaurant opens at 11 am, but they also have a cafe that opens a few hours before and you can order coffee drinks along with tasty treats if you're eager to get going on a Saturday morning.

We walked in and were promptly seated near the dueling food trucks, which are permanently installed inside of the restaurant floor. For weekend brunch, they also have a Bloody Mary bar where you order the alcohol from the bar and then go to the Bloody Mary bar to customize it to your liking. We're not big Bloody Mary people so we skipped that.

We ordered the food which took a little while to prepare. We tried all of the appetizers from sweet potato donut hole treats and tater tots to hangover wings and your typical steak and eggs or omelette. Emily tried the Felafel sandwich and the kids had sliders and chicken tenders. We truly enjoyed all of the food and smoothies, frappes and cappuccinos before heading over to the show.

Upon arriving at the New England Boat Show, we parked onsite for $18 in a lot behind the convention center which made it easy to get to the show since the show is on the first floor. We had to pass through metal detectors to enter and the whole process was quick.

We got to go on the various boats and the kids really enjoyed themselves, getting to explore boats and even try sitting in captains chairs! Luckily for the boat owners, the wheels were disabled so the kids could play with the steering wheel as much as they wanted to without ruining things.

One of my favorite booths was Yeti, the makers of the eponymous premium coolers and stainless steel rambler mugs. Their Tundra cooler line, which range from $200-450 are crafted with precision combine versatility with durability. The coolers are made of durable rotomolded construction and have up to two inches of PermaFrost™ Insulation. They also have cooler bags called the Hopper Flip which is a soft-shell cooler whose smallest size can hold 8 cans and the Hopper Two which is a carry bag that is built to last. The Hopper Two is easy to load and unload. Its tapered body shape is comfortable to haul and has a detachable shoulder strap. New for this year, they also have an attachable Side Kick dry bag which you can toss your mobile phone into and not have to worry about it getting wet thanks to RF-welded seams and a magnetic HydroShield™ Closure. The mugs are available in a variety of sizes and are double-insulated to keep your hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. They are also made of stainless steel and are easy to wash.

There were also some great kid-friendly things for families. Progressive, the title sponsor of the show had a section where you could use a remote control boat to try driving it in a little pool and you could also enter to win a t-shirt, hate or cute keychain.

The Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary had a booth and they brought along a huge inflatable life-size humpback whale that you could actually go into and learn all about whales. We found it absolutely fascinating! Who know whale poop was so good for the environment?

We hope you enjoyed our recap and we look forward to attending this show again - it was so much fun!

NOTE: We worked with the New England Boat Show and have been provided passes to attend as well as brunch at Coppersmiths Bar. All opinions are our own and are not influenced by any consideration we received..

Comcast releases unparalleled Winter Olympics Viewing Experience on all Xfinity platforms #hosted

1980 USA Hockey “Miracle on Ice''
Olympic gold medalist Jim Craig and Dave.

Last week, I had the opportunity to enjoy some delicious food and company at Boston Winter while learning about the new viewing experience available to all Xfinity TV customers. At any point during the Winter Olympics, you can take your X1 Voice Remote (available to all X1 customers) and say "Olympics Home" at any point to access the special Olympics experience.

If you have the Xfinity Stream app for iOS or Android you can also take the Olympics with you! I love being able to watch my favorite shows via Xfinity Stream and now with the ability to stay up to date on the medal counts and latest Olympics coverage the app will be surely in use quite a bit in our house!

At the event we learned about these great features, had the chance to hear from special guests 1980 USA Hockey “Miracle on Ice'' Olympic gold medalist Jim Craig and Consul General Kim Yonghyo from the Korean Consulate in Boston. We also enjoyed watching various curling clubs from the area give a demonstration of Curling, the sport where you slide a 40+ pound stone on ice and others sweep the ice so the stone can travel smoothly. I've always wanted to try it - who knows, maybe I will join one of the teams one day.

NOTE: I attended an event sponsored by Comcast Xfinity to learn about all of these new features for the upcoming Olympics coverage. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

For more information, here is a press release from Comcast:

Comcast Unveils Unparalleled Winter Olympics Viewing Experience For Xfinity TV Customers Across Platforms

Access All of NBC Olympics’ Coverage in One Place on X1 and Xfinity Stream 

X1 Customers Will Enjoy 50 New Olympics Virtual Channels, New Voice Controls, Athlete Profiles, Real-time Stats, Daily Summaries, and Medal Counts

Comcast unveiled the most live, mobile and technologically advanced Olympics experience that will be available to Xfinity TV customers on the TV and across platforms for the Winter Olympics PyeongChang 2018. Following the success of the Rio Olympics, Comcast is rolling out a host of new features on Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app and web portal so viewers can customize and control their Olympics viewing experience across platforms, and never miss a moment of the Winter Games.

“Our goal is to raise the bar for the modern-day Olympics viewing experience across platforms, and experiment with new features and functionality that will surprise and delight our customers in exciting new ways,” said Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President, Xfinity Services. “With 50 new virtual channels dedicated to the PyeongChang Games, enhanced voice control, medal counts, real-time stats and daily summaries, we are excited for X1 customers to experience the Olympic Games like never before. And by creating one go-to destination for all Olympics coverage across devices on Xfinity Stream, all Xfinity TV customers can access every moment of every event on their favorite devices, at home or anywhere in the country.”

X1 customers will enjoy easy access to all 2,400+ hours of NBC Olympics’ live, on demand and streaming coverage—the most ever for a Winter Games—in one place. And for the first time, all Xfinity TV customers will be able to access this comprehensive NBC Olympics dashboard across devices with the Xfinity Stream app and web portal.

The X1 experience will feature:

• 50 Virtual Channels, curated by the Xfinity TV editorial team, that highlight the best moments of each day in PyeongChang, trending athletes, spills and thrills and more. Customers can watch all videos included in a playlist or browse and select only the videos they would like to watch.
• Daily summaries offering real-time snapshots of the Olympics with up-to-date information on the day’s events, featured athletes and a medal tracker.
• On demand access to NBC programming in 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos three-dimensional sound, including the opening ceremony, ski jumping, figure skating, and snowboard big air. NBC Olympics’ 4K HDR coverage of the PyeongChang Games is presented by Xfinity.  
• An on-screen companion experience with the X1 Sports App, providing viewers with the latest scores, schedules, stats, and highlights for every sport and event.

With more than 500 million voice commands generated monthly, X1 customers are using their voice remotes more than ever to navigate their entertainment experience. And to ensure users can access all NBC Olympics programming, updates and information quickly and easily, X1 customers will be able to control their experience with 1,500 Olympic-specific voice commands. For the PyeongChang Winter Games, X1 customers can:

• Say “Winter Olympics” to navigate to the NBC Olympics dashboard.
• Check the hockey score while watching curling by saying, “USA Men’s Hockey.”
• Explore events, replays, and highlights for any sport by saying, “Alpine Skiing.”
• Find out when athletes are competing by saying, “Gus Kenworthy” or “Team USA.”
• Check out how any country is doing by saying, “What is the medal count?”
• Plan out your day by saying, “What Olympics events are on today?”
• Say, “What song is this?” to get song and artist information for the music playing during figure skating performances.

The NBC Primetime Show begins February 8th with coverage available via NBCUniversal networks including NBC, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), USA Network, CNBC, and the Olympic Channel. 

For more information about X1, visit www.xfinity.com/X1. 

New England Boat Show coming to Boston 2/10-18 and a giveaway #NEBoatShow

The 2018 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show drops anchor at the Boston Convention Center, February 10th -18th. This nine-day interactive, educational, immersive and entertaining experience attracts more than 50,000 marine enthusiasts of all ages and lifestyles. With something for every budget and level of interest the Show will feature 600 boats, 250 exhibitors and the best deals of the year for New Englanders prepping for another glorious summer on the water.

I have a special offer for my readers, if you purchase tickets before Friday, February 9th, you can use the code BOATGO to get a special Buy One Get One (BOGO) free deal!

I'm giving away a pair of tickets to the New England Boat Show along with a $50 gift card to enjoy some food at Coppersmith's in South Boston. Enter using the RaffleCopter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Details:

When: Saturday, February 10 through Sunday, February 18, 2018
Where: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210)
Hours:
Saturday, February 10: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 11: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Monday - Friday, February 12-16: 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday, February 17: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday, February 18: 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Tickets: 

$16 for adults;
FREE for children 12 and under (when accompanied by an adult)
● Purchase tickets online at www.newenglandboatshow.com or at the box office during the show
● All active military will receive one free ticket with valid ID

Highlights include: 

Progressive® Boat Club: Attendees can take the helm at Progressive’s NEW Oculus Rift virtual reality 
experience, putting themselves at the helm of a virtual boat race, navigating simulated waters, all while trying to beat the clock. For those looking to improve their nautical know-how the Annapolis School of Seamanship will be on deck with an array of hands-on boating courses and visitors can master docking skills at the docking pool with remote control model boats. Plus, exhausted attendees can relax, talk to Progressive experts, get a free quote and win prizes in Progressive Boat Club’s lounge area. 

* GREAT FOR FAMILIES *
Touch-a-Boat Tour: An up-close opportunity for kids of all ages to explore an array of vessels, talk with captains, snap a pic at the helm and learn the ropes of life on the high seas. Kids get their very own boat show passport to collect stamps at 10 boat stops around the Show.

• Climb aboard a real United States Coast Guard Boat, plus a variety of recreational boats from pontoons to cruisers and more! 

• Hop on “Salt”, the life-size whale, a 40’ life-size inflatable Humpback whale to learn about safe boating around whales. 

• Build a toy boat to bring home as a nautical souvenir. 


Gone Fishing: Goose Hummock Shops will be offering top-notch fishing seminars and kayak demos in two giant, brand new fiberglass water tanks, attendees can test lures, rods and reels, plus the latest kayaks. Stay tuned for more seminar times and updates soon on NewEnglandBoatShow.com. 

Nautical Fare: A returning fan favorite is, South Boston’s dynamic restaurant just minutes from the BCEC, Coppersmith will offer visitors live cooking demos from Executive Chef Jason Heard and his team for a perfect day on the water. Demos will include tuna tartare wontons, prime rib sliders and more on Saturday, Feb. 10, Thursday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, Feb. 17 from the Goose Hummock booth. Plus, make sure to visit Coppersmith in South Boston to snap a pic with the “Show” boat featured in their restaurant starting Feb 9th to enter to win a grand prize worth $3,000.
Climb Aboard: Hundreds of the latest boat models under one roof for attendees to browse, board and buy for every lifestyle and budget ranging from luxury cruisers and sport fishers to center consoles and pontoon boats, plus marine accessories and much more. 

Dozens of boating seminars: With a special emphasis on fishing tips and advice on sailing and boating topics. 

Learn to Do It Yourself: Step into Fred’s Shed, an interactive garage with experts teaching the art of boat 
maintenance and repair. 

Discover Boating Center: Unbiased information and affordable boats - some can even be financed for less than $250 
per month! 

Pets on Board Contest: Share your favorite photo of your pet living the boating life to win a pet life jacket! There are 3 
ways to enter– Bring the photo to the Show, tag #petsonboard and #neboatshow on Instagram or Twitter, or post your photo as a comment on the designated Facebook post from 1/27/18. 


NOTE: I am receiving compensation in exchange for this post, some social posts during the event as well as a post-event recap. All opinions are our own.

Third Day of Red Sox Fantasy Camp 2018 #redsox #redsoxfantasycamp

Photo ©Lehigh Photo. Used with permission
http://lehighphoto.com

I woke up around 5:45 on Wednesday and got ready to go to take the first shuttle to the park. We arrived at 6:30 am and I ate breakfast and went to the trainers to get stretched.

I’ve learned a lot of things from camp. One great piece of advice I got at the rookie orientation was to start slow, and taper off. At the time, I didn’t quite get what they were saying, but by the third day, I was glad I was listening to the sage advice.

The trainers were all from the minor league teams, some interns and the athletic training coordinator, Brandon. All of the trainers were great and took care of everyone with the same care they would provide the pros.

Jim Corsi led the daily Kangaroo Court and even put a clown mask on to have some fun with it. The entire room cracked up… As we were walking to the fields I noticed the chefs were smoking some salmon which we would be eating later. We went to play our first game of the day against Stanley’s Steamers.

Before the start of the game, our coaches, Bret Saberhagen and Tom “Flash” Gordon, got us all together to give us a pep talk and encourage us. Those of us not playing in the field for the first few innings, cheered our teammates on from the bench and also as we played offense.

I was pretty excited even though I grounded out at my first at-bat the first inning to a fielder’s choice, my friend, Steve scored and I got an RBI. My second trip to the plate, I grounded out to the pitcher.  Since I was the last out, I was the pinch runner for my teammate Frank, who would swing the bat with one hand, while holding himself up using a crutch with the other hand. Frank hit the ball and I ran as fast as I could to first base and wasn’t thrown out! I started running as the ball was hit and made it to third base as my teammate Jake hit a ground ball and got a double due to an errant throw to first. Matt popped out to center and then Wayne singled on a line drive to left field. As the ball dropped, Bret was telling me to run home and I scored a run for Frank and Jake was close behind.

I played in right field for the last four innings and enjoyed it. We won our third straight game and were off to a 3-0 start. see the game recap  at the end of this article - I was prey excited since I ended up in the recap!

After the game, we went back to the clubhouse to each lunch (the smoked salmon was delicious!) and then I went to see the trainers since I wasn’t playing the afternoon game. They told me to go in the cold tub for 10 minutes. I didn’t think I heard them right but took their advice and sat in the cold tub. I didn’t think anyone would believe me so I had my dad dump in two scoopfuls of ice. He was laughing so hard the entire time - he couldn’t believe I was in there!

I went to chat with the Mike, the equipment manager, and took some photos of the equipment room. It was amazing to see so many baseball bats, uniforms helmets and other baseball items! They had tubs upon tubs of Dubble Bubble bubble gum and I couldn’t believe they even had sugar-free double bubble. It was awesome.
I watched the afternoon game and enjoyed the camaraderie of talking with my teammates in the dugout.

We toured the major league clubhouse and enjoyed a barbecue inside JetBlue Park while watching the home run derby. I couldn’t believe Al Bumbry pitched the entire game - he is such a cool guy.

Afterwards we all came back to the hotel and hung out in hotel lobby, and got to know my new friends a little bit better.

Al Bumbry

I was taking a lead from 1st...

The equipment room - so cool!

I even was the 1st base coach for a few innings.

Tom "Flash" Gordon talking with an umpire.
Photo ©Lehigh Photo. Used with permission
http://lehighphoto.com

Frank at bat.
Photo ©Lehigh Photo. Used with permission
http://lehighphoto.com

JetBlue Park at sunset.

Kangaroo Court

Kangaroo Court

I was running to the base - I made it.
Photo ©Lehigh Photo. Used with permission
http://lehighphoto.com

NOTE: I won this experience as part of a contest held by JetBlue and the Red Sox. I was not asked to blog about this, cover this experience by anyone. I am solely writing about it out of my own excitement and thought that my readers would enjoy my journey of playing baseball and being coached by some amazing individuals. I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride! All opinions are my own.


Sabes' Babes Blows Away Stanley's Steamers By Seven RunsSabes' Babes sailed to an easy victory over Stanley's Steamers 9-2 on Wednesday
Sabes' Babes fired up the offense in the first inning. Dave Dudek hit into a fielder's choice, scoring one run.
Sabes' Babes put up four runs in the fourth inning. The offensive firepower by Sabes' Babes was led by Wayne Martins, Bob Connors, and Brian Stoltz, all driving in runs in the frame.
Sabes' Babes tallied 14 hits. Dave McGovern, Connors, and Jake Hallonquist all managed multiple hits for Sabes' Babes. Hallonquist, Connors, and McGovern each managed two hits to lead Sabes' Babes.
Stanley's Steamers tallied ten hits on the day. Herb Sargent and Ron Young each had multiple hits for Stanley's Steamers.

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