October: National Woman's Small Business Month

In case you didn’t know, October was National Woman’s Small Business Month. To wrap up the month, I wanted to share with you several female-owned and operated small businesses recommended by the Women in Business Executive Board!

Local Businesses in the Amherst Area:

Dobra Tea: This partially woman owned tearoom in Northampton is run by a fascinating couple, Alli and Joel. After traveling around China’s tea lands for a few months, they realized that their future would entail a lot of tea making. That’s when they opened Dobra Tea in Northampton. 

Clothing and Accessories

Bold Body: If you attended our WiB meeting a couple of Mondays back, Becky the founder of Bold Body told us about her business. Bold Body sells high-quality workout sets, that also function as everyday attire. Becky’s business has an emphasis on standing out and making yourself seen, this mission is obvious through her personally designed sets.

Flowers By Franny: flower and nature-inspired handmade jewelry. Check out their Instagram here.

Fabled By Riley: If you want high-quality, classy gold jewelry this small business is for you. Find them on IG here.

Greene Is Gold: This small business sells beautiful jewelry made with elements of nature. You can find adorable lockets with little flowers and ferns inside of them. Here’s their Instagram.

Kaya Creations Co on Etsy: customizable resin pieces including hair clips, keychains, and more. Find them on Instagram here.

Moon Bloomer: Homemade dainty, mystical, edgy, sometimes astrology-inspired jewelry. Here’s their IG.

Health and Wellness

Rev’d Indoor Cycling: A woman and black-owned business cycling gym. They have locations in Burlington, Boston, Dedham, Foxboro, Hingham, MA, and Providence, RI. 

Jaded CBD: This business is striving to break down the negative stigma surrounding CBD products through focusing on how CBD can play a positive role in helping anxiety and mental health. Learn more about their business.

Peace Power Soul: Owner Paula Harvey leads online workout classes. You can find her class listings here.

Birchstone Apothecary: This south shore Massachusetts women-owned small business makes clean beauty products that are all made with local ingredients. You can find them on Instagram here.

Home

Moonbloom Loom: Homemade wall hangings. Here is their IG.

How to Wind Down After Halloweekend

By: Sophia DiFonzo

This upcoming Sunday is Halloween and so many people are excited, myself included. This weekend is best known as ‘Halloweekend’; it is a weekend that for most college students is super busy. After ‘Halloweekend’ is a good time to wind down and relax, seeing as most of us are exhausted. Here are some ways that you can relax after this weekend!

1. Take a nap

After a long weekend, sometimes the best way to relax is to take a good nap. And with most of us not getting a lot of sleep, your body will thank you for it. Close those curtains, get under the covers, and rest up. Playing music in the background can help, but, honestly, sometimes a completely quiet space is the best.

2. Watch a movie or tv show

For those who have trouble taking a nap, or maybe aren’t even all that tired, watching a good movie or a tv show is a great way to wind down. I love relaxing in my bed with some snacks and watching my newest interest, which right now is Shameless, Season 11. If you are still in the Halloween spirit and like scary movies, I definitely recommend any of the Conjuring movies! And if you’re completely done with Halloween and want something new to watch, I recommend You (Netflix), Shameless (Netflix), Dynasty (Netflix), and of course the newest season of Grey’s Anatomy (Hulu)!

3. Listen to music or a podcast

If there are some things that you have to do such as coursework, laundry, or tidying up your room, and you do not want to do it in silence, I highly recommend listening to music or a podcast. Or even if you’re just trying to relax and want to take your mind off of things, listening to something can be really helpful. If you have Apple Music or Spotify, you can search for playlists that fit your current mood, or you can create your own! There are also lots of cool podcasts to choose from on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other media outlets. 

4. Read a good book

If none of the above ways for relaxation work for you, reading a good book might be a good way to chill out. There are lots of good bookstores nearby to look at and find books, and the library on campus also has a lot of options. And if you have a kindle paperwhite, that is another option in which you can buy and read books. If you like a good thriller, or something scary, I recommend Steven King novels. 

5. Get some good food  

And after this long weekend, get some good food (or eat some yummy snacks). You can go somewhere on campus like one of the dining halls, Blue Wall, or Roots Cafe. Or you can get food delivered here from a restaurant nearby and chill in your room with some friends. Maybe even get some Insomnia Cookies.

Tips for Managing Your Money

By: Olivia Coelho

When it comes to adulting, one of the more confusing things to figure out is money. How do you budget your money? What are some basic ways you can understand your personal finances better? While I am still figuring out how to manage my own money, here is a list of some tips that have helped me understand money a little better:

*Quick disclaimer! These are solely recommendations; if some of the tips are not feasible for you for any reason, that’s totally okay! Pick and choose what works best for you :)

Consider opening a Roth IRA

While some of us already have a checking or savings account, I think it is less common to have an account where you invest your money long-term. This is where a Roth IRA account comes in.

For those who don’t know what a Roth IRA account is, it’s a form of a retirement account. A benefit of the account is that you can increase your earnings without the money in the account being taxed. 

Many of you might be thinking, isn’t it a little early to plan for retirement? It may be a long time until any of us need to worry about it, but starting an account now means you can get a head start on investing your money. Plus, once you’ve had the account for five or more years, regardless of your age, you could access the money in the account and put it towards a big purchase like a home! As long as you have a job that allows you to earn an income, you qualify for a Roth IRA account.

Figure out how to split your finances and income

Something that helps me when deciding how to spend my money is having a set amount that I want to put into each bank account. Alternatively, I have also split up my income by deciding how much money I want to spend in a given period of time and how much I want to save. 

For instance, you could aside 70% of your income towards your longer-term goals and 30% as spending money. Doing this can also help you with budgeting; if you only allow yourself to use a certain amount every week or so for spending, you will be less likely to spend more than you are comfortable with.

This is just an example, but consider creating percentages you feel are reasonable based on your income/current savings. 

Set money goals for yourself

Going along with the previous point, create money goals for yourself! Like any goal, make sure it is specific, attainable, and has a set timeline. That way, you can stay on track to complete it.

If you’ve been thinking about taking a vacation with your friends for spring break or saving for an apartment next year, you can set aside a little bit of money every month or week toward that goal. Plus, it’ll motivate you to achieve your goals quicker if you see your savings piling up.

See where you can save (student discounts, sales, etc.)

If you are anything like me, you try to save wherever you can. If that’s the case, keep an eye out for student discounts. Some stores in the area offer discounts in-store if you show your student ID, so take advantage of these when you can.

One app I recommend is UNiDAYS. When you create an account, you get access to discount codes you can use online at places like Aerie, HM, and plenty of other stores!

Spooky Sights to See: The Top Haunted Places in Massachusetts

By: Anna Martin

Halloween is right around the corner, but most of us have been ready since Starbucks put their Pumpkin Spice Lattes out. Whether you're more of a pumpkin-carving, apple-picking gal or a haunted house and corn maze fan, there’s something for everyone in the fall. If you didn’t know, Massachusetts is home to some of the creepiest areas in the country. With our rich history, we’ve conjured up a lot of stories here in the Bay State. And what better time to talk about these areas than the spookiest month of the year? Here are some of the creepiest locations in Mass (enter at your own risk):

Salem, MA

This is probably the top haunted area since Salem has made its mark due to the infamous witch trials. Of course, you can visit the Witch Museum to get all the witchy vibes, but Salem has a whole bunch of haunted hot spots around the city where spirits love to roam. Some of the most popular places are the Old Salem Jail, the Joshua Ward House, and Gallows Hill. All of these places possess the spirits of people from the witch trials who are still trying to claim their innocence, so it’s very common if you hear voices or see strange figures.

Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA

Down on the Southcoast is where the wicked Lizzie Borden used to reside. If you don’t know the tale, Lizzie Borden brutally killed her father and her stepmother with an ax in her Fall River home and later went to trial but was acquitted. What was interesting about her was that she was known as a proper woman who went to church on Sundays, so hearing about her killing her family was odd. The Borden House is now a bed and breakfast, and rumor has it that guests have felt fingers tapping on their shoulders or heard footsteps in empty rooms. A woman in Victorian Era clothes may also pay a visit. So, if you’re up for it, stay a night and experience it yourself.

Hoosac Tunnel in North Adams, MA

This mysterious tunnel aka “Hoosick Tunnel” or “The Bloody Pit”, runs from North Adams to Florida, MA. Although it seems like a normal railroad tunnel, about 200 of the construction workers that were building it died during its 25 years of production, and about 30 more people died after it was finished. If you’re there long enough, you might hear cries of agony coming from inside the tunnel as well as floating lanterns and the ghosts of miners. Even the locals don’t go near the tunnel because of superstitions.

Houghton Mansion in North Adams, MA

*TW: suicide 

What once was home to the former mayor of North Adams during the late 1800s is now a tourist site for paranormal enthusiasts. Albert Charles Houghton, the original owner of the home, lived with this family in this Neoclassical-style mansion. One day, Albert, his daughter, their chauffeur, and a couple of their friends went for a drive up to Vermont and on the way, they got into a car accident. Everyone but the chauffeur died shortly after the incident. Because he felt guilty of everyone’s death, he shot himself a couple of weeks later. Rumor has it that Albert Houghton himself haunts the mansion, and people have seen flickering lights and ghostly shadows move around with no one there. Footsteps, knocking on doors, and voices may also be heard if you’re walking the halls.

Sources:

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/boston/most-haunted-places-in-massachusetts

https://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/boston/haunted-places-in-massachusetts

https://ghostcitytours.com/salem/haunted-places/

The Power of Reflection

Reflecting is general enough for every individual to be able to take something away from it. Reflection by definition is “serious thought or consideration.” It is clear that a lot has changed in the past year, even the past couple months, and to some the past couple days.

College has thus far been the most stressful experience personally. I went from having a summer with an easy babysitting job with plenty of time to spare, to counting the minutes of free time I have during the days. Looking back at the time I have had and now don’t have has been painful, to where I feel that now is my period to heal. However, during the summer reflecting back to a difficult spring semester, it was refreshing to be able to see that although I was going through a low point in my life, there are some roses to look forward to.

Reflecting is often referred to as a positive thing, where one is able to see how much they grew and how much better they are doing. It can also be exhausting to look back and see how simple things were and how rigorous things got. Something I recently learned that I never noticed was when reflecting back on a bad time, it gets upsetting to think of what one could have done differently or missed out on, and that is where we focus on healing.

My favorite way of reflection is journaling. Sometimes it is refreshing to see what was going on a few years back and compare it to now and see my progress in healing it. I was never taught “how to journal” so journaling to me is honestly like writing in my diary. I write my accomplishments and my failures. My highs and lows. My thoughts and doubts. How bad I did on my exam and how good I did on my presentation. All things that take place in my life that can sometimes be forgotten.

As someone who suffers from PTSD, reflection is something I tend to do subconsciously but it is not always a positive experience. I am constantly reflecting on my past where I wish my life was different and upset in how it affects me today. What have I learned from that? Time doesn’t stop. As much as I can dwell on the past and focus so hard on reflecting back on what life could have been like, it isn’t effective and will not better me as a person, that is where the post-reflective healing comes along.

As far as healing goes, there is no one-way road in doing so. Healing comes in different forms and ways for every individual person. Therapy has been my best friend in healing and I recommend it to anyone even if you don’t feel you have a specific thing to deal with. To me, healing means having time to breathe and having nothing to do. I tend to be a busy person and recently I have found that it is my way of escaping what I really have to deal with internally since I put all my energy into external forces such as classes, jobs, clubs, and friendships. 

My best days to reset are days where I can stay in bed until noon and go through the day in my pajamas and work on a naturally evolving schedule rather than having an extensive to-do list of things. To others, healing may be the opposite. It could be exercising, having check-ins to see progress, or the current state of mind. It could be not changing anything about their day-to-day lives and just adding a quick moment of self-care and self-love. My point in all of this is, healing is what you make it mean.

So have a moment with yourself and ask, how do I measure my progress as an individual? Am I giving myself enough love and support to be my best self? How will reflection affect me?