CultureJunkie

LOHAS

I've seen references to "LOHAS" twice in as many weeks. So it's time to take a look at what it means:

LOHAS stands for "lifestyles of health and sustainability."

You may not be familiar with the acronym, but you're likely familiar with the concept: it refers to that segment of the population that is looking for balance (in their diets, budgets, lifestyles) and mindfulness (through self help books, yoga practice, or eco-tourism, for example).

And as you can imagine, the LOHAS market represents big business for a variety of products and services related to good health, eco-consciousness, meditation, yoga, and holistic wellness. In fact, it was worth an estimated $209 billion domestically in 2005 — equal to the value of the aerospace industry and more than the food services industry. Last year, Americans spent $5.7 billion on the yoga subset alone — including equipment, clothing, vacations and media — which was an increase of 87% since 2004.  And here's something else of interest: while yoga practitioners may be a relatively small group (~ 7% of US adults), they are a relatively affluent one, with 44% reporting incomes of $75K+ and 24% with$100K+ (read: a marketer's dream).

Today, LOHAS consumers are estimated to account for one-third of the U.S. population (63 million adults) and over $230 billion in sales annually.

Apparently, I'm a Lohasian and I didn't even know it! Here's why:

I love my yoga practice at Charlestown Yoga. Nothing beats an hour of Hatha Flow after a stressful, desk-bound day in the office.

I recently discovered (and subscribed to) Ode Magazine, a magazine and Web site "written for intelligent optimists” that focuses on ways to sustain "ourselves, our minds, our energy, our planet, our society." In fact, as part of your paid subscription, Ode will plant a tree to help stop global warming.

I've raved about The Source to numerous people. It's Dr. Woodson Merrell's guide to integrative medicine, including tips for better eating, exercise, and social connectivity.

And there's probably more.

While I don't consider myself an activist like, say, the other Stephanie Rogers, I would say I'm much more conscious of health and sustainability than I've ever been. And I'd venture to say that the general population is heading there as well.

Watch for the current green marketing fad to shift subtly in order to encompass simplicity and inner wellness for the consumers, not just the environmentally-friendliness of the products.

[Note: I have no affiliation with the above products and services, other than being a happy customer.]

Back from Boulder

Well, we're back from Boulder, and had a fantastic trip! I can see why people love it there so much - we had perfect, 85-degree, sunny weather every day, and cool 65ish (great for sleeping) nights.

Some of the highlights:

• Shopping & dining on Pearl Street, where TJ got pulled into a street performance (see the video series on Flickr):

• Stopping for elk and buffalo jerky on our way up to the mountains (yum!):

• Spending 5 days at a gigantic cabin in beautiful Estes Park, gateway to the Rocky Mountains.

• Doing all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, climbing (yes, me), and zip-lining (no, not me)

• Seeing all sorts of wildlife, like badgers, marmots and elk (oh my!) and hearing the crazy coyote calls at night

• Attending my first Rodeo - complete with Wranglers, Coors, Dodge pickups, and these showgirls:

• Not to mention this bucking bronco:

• Returning to Boulder for breakfast at Chautauqua - a park & recreation area originally created in 1898 to bring culture to rural areas - and photos of the Flatirons

  

• A visit to the Dushanbe Tea House, a gift to Boulder from its sister city of Dushanbe, the captial of Tajikistan. The house was hand crafted and built by over 40 artisans in Tajikistan and then taken apart and shipped to Boulder where it now stands. My pictures don't do it justice, but it's really quite beautiful, with hand carved and painted ceiling, walls, columns, and ceramic panels representative of the Persian Empire.

...and much more!

Here's the full photo set:

Sail Boston 2009

The beautiful Tall Ships have returned to Boston Harbor as part of Sail Boston 2009, the city's celebration of its maritime history and designation as official Port of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009.

About 40 ships from around the world participate in this trans-Atlantic regatta which takes participants from Vigo, Spain, to the Canary Islands, Bermuda, Charleston SC, Boston, then on to Halifax and Belfast.

Here are pictures of the first group of arrivals in the Seaport District today:

Social Media Breakfast @ PUMA City

Just posted a recap of this morning's Social Media Breakfast at PUMA City over on the PARTNERS+simons blog. Here are a few photos from the event:

PUMA City

Last night we attended the opening night party for PUMA City, the portable retail store/bar/event space made of 24 shipping containers on Boston's Fan Pier.

The portable "city" is part of a 3-week celebration while the Volvo Ocean Race is in town, and a huge publicity event for PUMA, one of the official sponsors, whose headquarters happens to be just down the street on Drydock Ave. By joining the race, PUMA has entered a new premium category and launched a full range of marine clothing and apparel.

After a bite at nearby LTK (FINALLY some warm weather here...and we got to eat outside!) we headed over to the event - just in time to beat the crowds who lined up shortly after 9. In fact, the city/containers reached capacity very early, forcing security to turn many party-goers away. But not us - we lucked out and got in early, able to enjoy the warm night on the waterfront in PUMA's open-air bar with a dj spinning hip hop & dance beats.

The space is very cool (see Inhabitat's coverage of it here): the containers are all adjoined like building blocks, but large panels have been removed to give it an open feel. The first and second floors contain retail space, while the 3rd is the bar & patio. The beautiful Volvo and Puma sailboats are docked alongside, and the area surrounding the City - normally an empty parking lot - is filled with other sponsor tents, bars, stages, and flat-screen TVs for viewing the race. Definitely a fun addition to the waterfront, if temporary. But be forewarned: the indoor bar area can get extremely hot (presumably from the 80-degree sun beating down on those shipping containers all day)
and the bathroom situation is terrible: deluxe port-a-potties (that's not the terrible part) that are not situated in the bar area (that is) - and if you have to leave the party to answer Mother Nature's call, you cannot gain readmittance without waiting in an unbearably long line (see previous note about being at capacity).

Thus, we departed on the early side, but not before the highlight of the night: photographers from The Achilles Project & New Brahmin showed up and snapped pix of my oh-so-stylish friends, Ryan and Shibani. See all the shots here:

The Headhunt Fishing Tournament

I realize Spring has just begun, and it's still rather cold outside, but it's not too early to start thinking about Summer fun. And one of the most fun events of the Summer is the Harwich Headhunt, a Cape Cod fishing tournament started by my friends, Ryan and Sean Burke.

In an effort to increase exposure within the fishing community to one of the best fishing areas in the country, the Burkes started this annual event in the waters off of Harwich, MA - home to some of the best striper fishing in the world.

The Harwich Headhunt is the fastest-growing striped bass fishing tournament on Cape Cod. This year's tourney on July 25th marks the 6th anniversary of the event, which typically draws dozens of fishing enthusiasts, local business sponsors, and other assorted hangers-on (like me) who simply show up for the big weigh in and after-party.

For those in the boats, it's a full day, with a 4am start time, weigh-in at 2pm, and all-out celebration from that point on.

If you're interested in fishing, register here, and be sure to check out the rules & regulations. If you'd like to sponsor the event, buy a t-shirt, or get any additional info, contact the Burkes.

Oh, and don't miss the colorful commentary going on over on the Headhunt blog. You'll be hooked!

Trip to Vermont

This post is a couple of weeks late, but I visited Sugarbush, Vermont, for the first time last month, and oh my - it is gorgeous!

Here are some of the highlights; if you're planning a trip up there anytime soon, be sure to check these out:

The lodge at the base of the mountain is beautiful - that silver grain silo was converted into rooms:

It has an outdoor, heated swimming pool that was very active despite the single-digit weather (primarily children...Sugarbush is a much more family-oriented spot vs., say, Killington).

The little town of Warren, VT is quaint, but blink on your drive through and you might miss it. The centerpiece is The Warren Store, a charming spot right in the center of town, full of local delicacies, housewares, clothing, and novelties.  We enjoyed breakfast at their deli/bakery, and took home a jar of the Thursday Cottage handmade rum butter.

A short drive north brings you to Waitsfield, VT, my favorite part of the trip. Much larger than Warren (but still a very small, quaint, New England town), Waitsfield is full of art galleries, craft shops, and gourmet food stores.

The Sweet Pea Natural Food Store in the Village Square Shopping Center is the best! We cooked in a couple of nights and the produce and prepared foods from this place are fantastic. We took home an extra bottle of the Vermont Wholesome all natural maple chipotle dressing - highly recommended.

At the Artisan Gallery I picked up some Vermont Goat's Milk Soap from Elmore Mountain Farm; it smells divine (in Bergamot Rosewood and Spearmint Bergamot) and creates a rich lather. I'm tempted to try some of the other products on their site as well.

I also picked up the namesake cookbook of The Inn at the Round Barn, a 19th century farmhouse and a attached horse barn that were converted to an inn which now boasts its own catering service. And a really cool photograph called "Downhill" by photographer Jon Olsen. He uses a pigment ink printing system on 100% cotton rag watercolor paper coated to receive pigment inks...so while it's a photograph, it actually looks like a watercolor. It's really quite striking.

Last, but not least, is The Store. This place is awesome: chock full of gourmet food items, dishes, housewares, antiques, and quilts, all displayed in displayed in a restored 1834 Methodist Meeting House. There is even a cooking school in the back, where you can take classes or schedule private events: 

 

All in all, a really fun weekend. View the full slide set here (sorry, forgot the "real" camera so we're stuck with Blackberry shots):

Avoid Towing with SWEEP:BOS

If you live in the city, you know what a hassle owning a car can be. Beyond the traffic, potholes, and high insurance rates, there is the ever-present joy of trying to find street parking.

If you're lucky enough to find a spot - particularly in congested neighborhoods like Beacon Hill or the North End - you may be tempted to leave your car there for days or weeks at a time, only to find that it's been towed thanks to the city's aggressive street sweeping program (there's some lively dialog about this over on UniversalHub).

Well, worry no more! My friend Chris has unveiled a new iPhone app, SWEEP:BOS, that will help you keep track of those pesky street cleaning schedules and avoid towing fees. Features include:

• Saving your vehicle's parked location
• Conversion of days/times to actual Next Sweep Dates (i.e. 1st & 3rd Tues to Tues, Oct 6th, 8AM-12PM)
• Adding/editing streets, blocks and sweep day/times
• Adding/removing neighborhoods
• Snow Emergency Route information
• Street sweeping color notification (Green = 7 days out, Yellow = 3 days out, Red = 24 hours out)
• Neighborhood information updated regularly and available for download

 It also has a clever parking-ticket design:

Boston area neighborhoods currently available:

• Allston/Brighton
• Back Bay
• Beacon Hill
• Cambridge
• Charlestown
• Dorchester (north/south)
• East Boston
• Jamaica Plain/Roslindale
• North End
• Roxbury
• South Boston
• South End

More neighborhoods (and hopefully a Blackberry version!) are in the offing. See photos of the app (plus its many fans!) on Facebook or just get it now at  iTunes or Apptism.

Boston's Greenway & South End

I finally uploaded my photos from last weekend's Rose Kennedy Greenway opening celebration and the South End Open Market.

Enjoy!

Weekend Happenings

Lot's of exciting things happening in the city this weekend:

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Opening Celebration takes place Saturday from 8am to 8pm. Walk the entire length of parks (where that ugly, elevated highway once stood) and experience free yoga classes, arts & crafts, a farmers market, petting zoo, and live music, among other things. There's even a text-messaging-based scavenger hunt: sign-up by texting GRNWAY to 80108 or visit m.go2.com/grnway on your mobile phone and enter your phone number. There's a treasure map available to download here (pdf).
Check out the full schedule of events; afterwards, be sure to share your event photos with the Greenway Conservancy's Flickr pool, and friend them on Facebook!
Tomorrow is also the last day to catch Exiles at the Museum of Fine Arts. The film chronicles a day in the life of a group of twenty-something Native Americans who left reservation life in the 1950s to live in LA.

If you're looking for something a bit more frivolous, then head down to the Seaport for Harpoon Brewery's 19th Annual Octoberfest.

And finally, on Sunday, the South End Open Market hosts Baked Fresh, a day of live music, food, and products from over 120 local artists, crafters, and entrepreneurs.