Amanda's Adventures and New Product Reviews

Baseball ghost stories Spirits still run the bases and roam the outfield: a blog about the spooky side of America’s pastime By Amanda Black By now, all but three Major League Baseball teams have closed the book on the 2012 season. Most fans have closed out the year disappointed, but Detroit Tigers fans are looking forward to meeting whoever wins game 7 between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. Even though I’m new to the Tigers bandwagon, I hopped on long before the post-season. In fact, I wrote my “Goodbye Cubs, Hello Tigers”  blog  on May 29. My hatred towards the Cubs has softened a bit (cause, hey, there’s always next year!), but it’s been nice to be a Tigers fan. The end of October also is the time to think about all things spooky. It’s rather fitting since baseball is a game full of ghosts and ghost stories. It has a long history and a tradition of curses, so it’s no surprise that baseball takes a turn for the spooky at times. I heard more about thi

When you have two cats and a small apartment, it can be a challenge to keep things smelling great. Even the most vigilant cleaning can lead to a home that is, well, cat like. I need help, and for that, I've turned my attention to Glade. I love their scents, and I know that everything works well. With the new line of Glade Expressions, it's great to see some sophisticated combinations come along. I was really excited when BzzAgent sent me the kit with free coupons for Glade Expressions spray and the oil diffuser. It was fun to take those coupons with me to Meijer and choose my scents. For the spray, I chose the Apple Cardamon. It was Lavender Juniper Berry for the oil diffuser. The scents are really distinctive, in a good way. The apple spray smells just like the gift shop at the apple farm. It's warm and comforting, like fall in a bottle. The lavender juniper berry doesn't bring to mind any particular place, but I do like it. These products are really great...and

Let’s go to the mall | Group Tour Magazine Blog Let’s go to the mall This blog dishes on what malls are doing to attract grown-up shoppers and group tours By Amanda Black I had the chance to visit a new store this weekend. It’s designed for teens, but I thought it would be fun to shop the iPhone accessories, brightly colored decor and other swag. Boy was I wrong. The loud music, pods of teenagers and the narrow aisles made me feel a mix of old and annoyed. And plus, I don’t want to spend my hard-earned money on stuff I don’t really need or want. It was a lot different than the days of cruising the mall with some cash handed off from my parents. My  favorite store  was next door, and it was an oasis of grown-up calm. Michael Bublé was playing on the radio, and I was able to shop for tablecloths, sea salted chocolate bars and couscous in peace. If you think the mall is only the domain of teenagers shopping for gewgaws and skinny jeans, you should take a closer look at what

The power of crowds | Group Tour Magazine Blog TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012 Nikola Tesla's lab, Wardenclyffe, as it looked in 1904; more than a century later, the lab will be saved and preserved. The power of crowds This blog examines the true story of how a cartoonist raised $1 in a week to fund a Tesla museum By Amanda Black Did you hear the one about the cartoonist that raised a million dollars for a new museum? It’s not a joke; it’s something that’s really happened — and it only took a week. Matthew Inman, the cartoonist from t heoatmeal.com , has long admired Nikola Tesla, the inventor and one-time rival of Thomas Edison. (Warning: his website is very funny, but it’s not exactly family-friendly.) Like Edison, Tesla worked in a workshop, did amazing things with energy, and earned the title of genius. He was a character in one of my favorite movies:  The Prestige , a dark, twisty Christopher Nolan movie, and he was the namesake of Tesla Motors, the innovative ele

Originally submitted at Avenue.com This plus size chemise is laced with style. The contrasting lace addes a pop of color to a soft and solid body. Knit jersey v-neck chemise. Lace trim at the bust and hemline. Empire waist with darting at the bust. Thin, adjustable straps... Contrast Color Lace Chemise Cute and short By Amanda from MI from Holland, MI on 8/20/2012   3 out of 5 Waist: Feels too small Length: Feels too short Pros: Soft, Comfortable, Cute Cons: Short, Clingy, Thin Material Best Uses: Sleeping Describe Yourself: Trendy/Stylish Dresser Was this a gift?: No This sure is cute, but it sure is short. I have purchased lots of Avenue body before, and it doesn't have that well-made silky feel. It's more like a slip, and it has a nice stretch. But It's not that greatly made. I am worried that the lace will come apart. But for the price, it's a nice little nightgown. It's just not a great one. And it's so short! ( legalese )

One bird, two bird, red bird, blue bird | Group Tour Magazine Blog One bird, two bird, red bird, blue bird Rovio Entertaiment, the company behind Angry Birds, made $100 million dollars last year.  This blog ponders what Angry Birds has to teach tour planners about the importance of creativity By Amanda Black Something old and forgotten came back into my life this weekend: something involving red birds, egg-dropping white birds and disgruntled green piggies. If you play Angry Birds, you knew exactly what I meant. If you don’t, it’s the game for phones and tablets that has taken over pop culture. I hadn’t played the game for months, mostly because I lost my iPod and lost interest. On Saturday morning, I was straightening up when I found my lost toy. It was exactly where I thought it should be, so it was beyond me why it took months to find it. So I charged it up and the first thing I did was play a new round of Angry Birds — the first of many. Later that day, I he

Tennis anyone? | Group Tour Magazine Blog THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 Photo: Wimbledon Championships The grounds of Wimbledon are open to tours year-round and include a visit to the museum. Tennis anyone? By Amanda Black Wimbledon closed with a bang this year: Serena Williams proved her strength and won her fifth title while Roger Federer smashed records on the way to a Grand Slam title. The same grass courts of Wimbledon will host the Olympic tennis events , beginning July 28. Both Williams and Federer will be playing in the games, and I’m sure I’ll be watching. I don’t follow tennis all the time, but it’s always enjoyable when I do. The big events are worth watching, and few events are bigger than the Olympics. Curiously enough,  odds makers  have Williams as their favorite, but they chose Novak Djokovic to win the gold over Federer. Djokovic lost to the eventual Wimbledon winner in the semi-finals. Part of the excitement of the Olympics is seeing how it all unfolds. Wil

Take flight | Group Tour Magazine Blog MONDAY, JULY 9, 2012 Photo: Amanda Black This duck doesn't mind one bit when people come to see him, especially when they bring food.  Take flight A blog explores how birds of a feather — and group tours — flock together By Amanda Black It’s one of those rites of passages, something that signals you’re grown up — like purchasing insurance or talking about oil prices. This, however, is much more pleasant. I’m not sure how I became a birder, but somewhere along the way, I crossed the line from casual admirer to a hobbyist. I dutifully fill the feeder once a week and enjoy the views out my window often. I’ve spent time learning the difference between a grosbeak and a grouse, and I frequent the  webpage of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . I’ve spent a lot of time playing Angry Birds, too. Doesn’t that count? When I was flipping around this weekend, I ran across a showing of  The Big Year , a 2011 movie starring Owen Wilson, J

In fashion | Group Tour Magazine Blog MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012 Photo: Murray Close Fashion played an important part in The Hunger Games; seen here is a scene from the 2012 movie.   In fashion It’s been sweeping through the office lately. I’m not talking about an illness or an inside joke—I’m talking about reading  The Hunger Games. My colleague Erin, wrote an excellent  article about tours based on the Hunger Games , so I don’t feel like I need to write about the book per se. What impressed me the most was its description of  fashion , so I thought I’d check around to see how groups can incorporate fashion-forward locales into their tours. The first idea that comes to mind is to visit the centers of the fashion universe: New York, Milan and Paris all have untold riches for group tours. Manhattan’s famed  Metropolitan Museum of Art  is home to the Costume Institute, a collection with more than 35,000 items of clothing and accessories. While the entire collection is not on displ

Voyager boldly goes | Group Tour Magazine Blog Voyager boldly goes By Amanda Black A tiny planet in a tiny solar system has finally branched out. The Voyager I spacecraft is reaching the end of our home solar system — and it’s the first manmade vessel to reach this milestone. The spacecraft was launched at the end of the 1970s, and it’s been tooling through outer space ever since, sending back data along its journey.The recent information it’s been gathering has really excited scientists. It’s reaching a point between our solar system and “interstellar space” as NASA scientists have called it. NASA scientists can do a much better job than me explaining Voyager’s amazing journey at the spacecraft’s  homepage . Radiolab, a masterful public radio show also does a fantastic job of this too with a  recent story . I hope this wonderful story captures the attention of a new generation because I fear that attention to and awe of space is on the wane. A few years ago, I visited

My latest blog for Group Tour Magazine.... 'Dallas' icons return | Group Tour Magazine Blog MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012 Photo: Mark Seliger JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen have returned to 'Dallas' with a new generation of Ewings. 'Dallas' icons return I’m finally old enough to watch this now: a blog about the return of the TV show ‘Dallas’ as group tours to Southfork Ranch continue By Amanda Black I watched a lot of TV growing up, but the risqué network TV of the ’80s was off limits. I was not ready for prime time, at least according to my mother. Not to say I didn’t watch them…I used to sneak over to a friend’s house to watch taped copies of Moonlighting , which was much too frisky of a show for us to watch. But we did anyway. And there was my grandparents’ house. They didn’t have the same limits on TV, so I watched what they watched. That meant  Oprah  (back before she was a national icon and queen of the media),  Golden Girls , Murder She Wrote , and  Da

Here's my latest Group Tour Media blog: Rock on - Culture/Entertainment Group Travel Rock on © 2012 Group Tour Media Blog, June 6, 2012 Without irony, I want to admit a love for a certain genre of music that’s having another day in the sun. This music involves big sounds and even bigger hair. The movie  Rock of Ages  hits the movie theaters June 15, building on the success of the Broadway musical. I have to admit, I loved it as soon as I saw the trailer. Seeing Tom Cruise dressed like Axl Rose and singing Bon Jovi should have struck as some kind of heresy, but I found it really delightful. That’s the thing about late '80s rock (or hair metal), it’s all about the fun. Perhaps I love it because I am too young to remember the classic rock of the ’60s and ’70s. When I first started listening to the radio, long-haired musicians like Poison, Warrant and Slaughter ruled the airwaves. It wasn’t quite heavy metal or rock ’n’ roll, but my 13-year-old self thought it was great. M

Goodbye Cubs, hello Tigers  Goodbye Cubs, hello Tigers The Chicago Cubs broke their  losing streak , but they’ve lost me. This was not an easy decision. I’ve loved this hard-luck baseball team literally as long as I can remember. The love of the Cubs was passed down from my grandfather to my father to me. It’s one of the few things that we shared in common. I asked my dad if his grandpa was a  Cubs  fan. It is possible, but he can’t remember which team he loved. He does recall watching the CBS game of the week with Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean with him, though. So I’m a possible fourth-generation Cubs fan, but surely a third. That’s why it’s so hard to say I’m done. When I flipped on the radio last week and heard the Cubs hadn’t had a lead in 53 innings, it was then I decided to resign — to quit, throw in the towel, return my credentials, tender my resignation, give up, etc. I can’t do this any more. Just watch this awful throw from pitcher Matt Garza and you'

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Where were you? | Group Tour Magazine Blog Where were you? This blog by Senior Staff Writer Amanda Black ponders how TV nostalgia is good for group tours The problem with having hundreds of cable channels is there is no time to watch them. Last night, in a bout of laziness, I decided to venture into the high register of channels and stumbled on Antenna TV. It’s one of those old timey TV channels like TV Land was before it starting showing  George Lopez  and  Friends  reruns. Anyway, I was drawn to an episode of  Too Close For Comfort from 1984. It was awful — the humor was as outdated as the jeans. In case you want a little trip back to 1984, here's the  Too Close For Comfort  intro. Enjoy the Ted Knight pratfall. One part made me chuckle, however. The blonde bombshell daughter was trying out for a news reader job. The joke was she couldn’t pronounce the name of Muammar Gaddafi, and then she quipped “How long could he really last?” If only she knew… But none of us

From follower to fan | Group Tour Magazine Blog My radio romance and how group tours can experience the dedication behind the dial: A blog by Amanda Black MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 Photo: James Cridland WGN Radio has been a Chicago institution for decades; the lively conversation continues 24 hours a day.  From follower to fan By Amanda Black Anyone who’s listened to me for more than a few sentences, either in person or in print, has heard me utter the phrase: “I heard this on the radio.” This love of mine started young. My family moved to Chicagoland when I was two, and we immediately started listening to  WGN, AM 720 . Chicago’s hometown talk station has been a Windy Institution for more than 75 years. It was started by Col. McCormick, the same impresario behind the Chicago Tribune . In fact, the radio’s call sign stands for the World’s Greatest Newspaper. I still think it’s the world’s greatest radio station. I have fond memories of listening to the r