Detroit Moxie teams up with Groupon

I’m excited to announce that Detroit Moxie has joined the Groupon Affiliate Program. I talked about Groupon when it first launched in Detroit and I love to take advantage of their daily deals while supporting local businesses.

I have wanted to add some sort of advertising to this site for sometime but I wanted to make sure it was going to be a good fit. Groupon is a service that I personally use and I believe it will add value to the Detroit Moxie community. I know many of you already use the service.

I don’t take these decisions lightly so I reached out to Lisa Berry of Vintner’s Cellar of Royal Oak. Berry has used Groupon twice as a small business owner and has seen positive results.

“For a small company like myself, I don't have a large marketing budget so this is a great way for me to get exposure,” said Berry. She says that she has been a fan since day one and ran her first Groupon deal the first weekend that they went live in Detroit. Vintner’s Cellar will be running their third Groupon later this month.

Not only is Groupon good for local businesses, it’s also a great value for area consumers. Often, people are introduced to new places that they may not have tried if not for the daily deals.

In the spirit of full disclosure, if you click the link in the sidebar and purchase the daily Groupon, I will receive a commission. Hopefully, it will help cover the costs of running the site and possibly lead to other opportunities.

And, in case you missed it, the American Apparel Groupon is good until the end of the weekend! Click the side deal to view it. 

Mustaches & machines making a difference in Detroit

As we head into the holidays and the season of giving I want to tell you about two different groups of friends of mine who are representing Detroit in a remarkable way while doing good.

First up are the girls, Girls in Tech specifically. The Detroit chapter of Girls in Tech (GIT Detroit) launched earlier this month with Audrey Walker as Managing Director and Nikki Stephan, Jenni Murray, Trisha Verma, and Sarah Worsham rounding out the board. I’m extremely lucky to call all of these women friends.

“There are so many women in southeast Michigan who work in the technology field, and I felt there were a lack of organizations that catered to our demographic,” said Walker.

“Some of our goals as we get this chapter up and running include creating a mentorship program and scholarship, hosting networking events, serving as a support group for women in tech fields and helping to strengthen our local community. We’ll also use the national group as a platform to help get the word out about Detroit and our strong tech and digital community.”

 Although the chapter just launched they’re already making Detroit a better place with their Laptops for Ladies initiative.

Laptops for Ladies is a charity drive to re-home unused laptops to under-served women and girls in the metro Detroit area. GIT Detroit will distribute the donated laptops to mothers at Lighthouse of Oakland County and girls from the Detroit Public School District via Reality Check Detroit.

If you or your company have just updated to a new machine please consider donating your old laptop to GIT Detroit. Check the Laptops for Ladies website for more information.

And then there are my male friends. November, no more! This is now the month of Movember where men go retro and make a statement by growing a mustache (or mo) to raise awareness for prostate cancer.

Ryan Meray sporting his goatee & Dave Murray with a bit of fuzz.

Just as the pink ribbon raises awareness for breast cancer, men all over the world are growing and wearing their mustache as a facial ribbon. Team Backchannel Detroit includes many of my friends including David Lingholm, Ryan Meray, Henry Balanon, and Dave Murray.

The stache may look silly but the statistics aren’t.

According the the American Cancer Society, In 2010:

• About 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed

• About 32,050 men will die of prostate cancer

Take a look at their day-by-day photos and donate to the cause. It doesn’t matter whether they’re sporting a Fu Manchu, a Dali, or a handlebar mustache; these men deserve great praise for standing up and growing fuzz to raise awareness.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

As we approach the holiday season, there are dozens of magical events going on in the Detroit area over the next month or so. Thanksgiving is a week away and, like it or not, it’s time to don our gay apparel and join in the festivities.

The holidays can be a stressful time for many so take time out and enjoy yourself!

Weekend Roundup

1. Detroit Derby Girls - Our hometown skaters open their new season at a new venue, Cobo Arena, to accommodate more fans. The double-header bouts feature The Motor City Disassembly Line, The D-Funk All Stars, and The Devil's Night Dames. November 20th.

2. Wiyos of Oz - The retro, folk band, performing at the DIA, weave their catchy music around the story of The Wizard of Oz. November 19th.

3. Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony - The Christmas tree in Campus Martius will light up and the skating rink opens for the season. Entertainment from the Mega 80's, horse-drawn carriage rides, and more. November 19th.

4. Third Thursdays - Head down to Midtown for a celebration of local art, food, and fashion on West Willis and Canfield Streets. Shop local! November 18th.

5. Rock of Ages - Catch the national tour of this award-winning musical that features songs from the 80's including hits by Journey, STYX, and REO Speedwagon. Through November 21st.

Also, the annual Hob Nobble Gobble is on Saturday, November 20th but it's quite spendy.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Roller skating down memory lane

I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates. You’ve got a brand new key…

OK, maybe I don’t have brand new skates... yet. I took a trip down memory lane last night and visited a place I spent way too many Tuesday and Friday nights in as a tween: Skate World of Troy.

It’s the place that I hung out with friends and just hoped beyond hope that that boy, the one with the curly hair, would ask me to skate during the ‘couple’s only’ song. It didn’t happen much but when it did I’m sure it made my pink diary with the key lock.

But I loved roller skating! I even practiced with the speed skating team and learned a few of the tricky jumps.

Ever since we saw the Detroit Derby Girls last year, I’ve been itching to get back in the rink. Last night was the first time I strapped 8 wheels to my feet in over 20 years and you know what? I still love it.

Skate World looked exactly the same: shag carpeting, disco balls, and space invaders were all intact.

Yeah, I tried rollerblading when they first came out and it just wasn’t the same. It was… work. Exercise. Roller skating, on the other hand, is easy and fun. It’s joyful.

Go ahead; call me a dork, old fashioned, or just plain weird. I don’t care. It took me a few minutes to get my old groove back but once I did I felt like I could have skated all night to Lucky Star, YMCA, or some god-awful song by Eddie Rabbitt.

I learned a few things on my little roller skating outing:

• My husband has never been roller skating. How do you marry a man and not know this very important bit of information? Apparently, it wasn’t that big in England.

• Who would have thunk it but roller skating is still popular! I thought we were going to pull into the parking lot and see tumbleweeds. It was adult night at the rink and it was hopping! Young adults, senior citizens and everything in between, they were all skating their socks off.  I was flabbergasted.

• Revisiting the activities that you loved when you were young not only lets you reminisce, it also makes you feel just like that kid you used to be. Seriously, I had a blast and felt a few years younger.

While I’ll definitely be doing this again, my husband said he’d rather go ice skating. And, for the record, he didn’t skate last night. For me, ice skating is one of those activities that was fun as a child but is painful as an adult. I’ll take the wheels over the blades any day.

As the cold weather heads into Detroit, it’s time to find those inside places to have fun and exercise. I think I’ve found mine.

Some of my friends skated at the old Ambassador rink, which is now Leon & Lulu’s, and others skated at Bonaventure. I’ll stick with Skate World as it holds all my youthful memories. Did you have a favorite roller rink in the Detroit area?

So, what did you love doing when you were young that you haven’t done since?

Photo credit: Flattop341 on Flickr.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

I want to thank all of you who supported me in my quest to become the Good Mood Blogger. I finished in 12^th place with 7740 votes and move to Phase 2 of the competition.

I couldn’t have come this far without your support! I will keep you posted on the next round.

Weekend Roundup

1. Whitdel Arts Festival - The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) presents this evening of art & music in the historic Whitdel Building. Plus DJ's and a silent auction. November 13th.

2. The Park Players present Palmer Park - Detroit's oldest community theater present this play set in the University District of Detroit between 1968-1972. It examines racial relations, white flight, and integration. November 12-14, 19-21.

3. Family Animation Rarities Festival - Twelve rare classic cartoons are being shown on the big screen at The Redford Theatre. Droopy, Felix the Cat, and Daffy Duck! November 13th.

4. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Zing Zang Zoom - The Greatest Show on Earth is back at The Palace and promises to delight with illusions and magic. November 11-14th.

5. Earthly Treasures Holiday Show - The annual exhibit returns to Pewabic Pottery and features hand-picked ceramic pieces from over 100 artists. Support this amazing local business and kick off your holiday shopping. November 11th through December 30th.

6. George Washington Carver Exhibition - The scientist and innovator is more than just peanuts! Explore his life and experiments at The Henry Ford. Now through February 27, 2011.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!