Red eyes, stuffy nose, can’t breathe
Plus: ⛷️ The deal of the ski-son
It’s Wednesday, Boston.
📸 Say cheese! Boston’s photobooth craze has arrived in the North End with this cute new(ish) booth in L’Angolino Gift Shop. Peep this v chic green background.
🥳 And a big HBD to B-Side Member Emily Coffman! We hope your day is … picture perfect. <3
👀 What’s on tap today:
- Goodbye, pet store pups
- In: Boston Chilling
- JB is SUCH a Scorpio
Up first …
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Allergy szn survival guide
Break out the Flonase, B-Siders! Allergy season is back. And if the last few years were any indication, we’re in it for the long haul.
So, we asked local allergists and chronic allergy-sufferers to share their hacks for surviving the sneezin’.
💊 First thing’s first, start your meds yesterday. “If your symptoms start in May, start taking them in the middle of March,” said Paige Derenzo, a pre-PA at Greater Boston Allergy. Why? It’s easier to prevent inflammation than to soothe it, according to Dr. Aleena Banerji, clinical director of MGH’s Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit. These days, she tells patients to “start your medications on Saint Patrick’s Day.”
👃 Make nasal spray your BFF. Nasal sprays (think: Flonase and Nasacort) are “the cornerstone of treating seasonal allergies,” Banerji said. But “you have to be taking them consistently to see lasting results,” Derenzo said. Like oral meds, start spritzing them early and every day. “Set all the alarms so you never miss a dose!,” one B-Sider wrote into our poll.
🪟 Turn your room into a pollen-free zone. For B-Sider Courtney Q., the biggest game-changer for managing lifelong seasonal allergies has been “minimizing how much outside contamination [she brings] into [her] home.” Translation: Clear yourself of pollen by taking a shower and changing your clothes, and keep your windows closed. Bonus points if you check the pollen count on Allergy Alert before you head outside to avoid exposure on bad days.
😷 If all else fails, mask up! B-Sider Katherine Doublet noticed that she “didn’t really suffer” from allergies when she was masking during COVID times. But her symptoms returned once she got vaccinated and masked less. While masking alone won’t curb all your symptoms, Dr. Banerji said they “can reduce pollen exposure because … you’re not necessarily going to be breathing as much pollen.” Note: Masks with fewer pores are more effective, so N95s or blue surgical masks > cloth masks, she said.
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TOGETHER WITH FIDO PIZZA
Carbo load with the whole crew
🏃♀️🍕 Whether you’re running the Boston Marathon this spring or just running from bar to bar, one thing is certain: you’re gonna need fuel. Luckily, FiDO Pizza is open that weekend with pizza, pasta, and cold drinks ready for the occasion. Bringing a crew? It’s also a perfect spot for laid-back celebrations and group dinners of 12+ — ideal for birthdays, team hangouts, or a pre-race carbo load. But heads up: FiDO Pizza is closed on Marathon Monday, so order a take-and-bake pizza kit beforehand and keep the party going at home.
CITY
Quick & dirty headlines
Image: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe
🐶 Beacon Hill could help a lot of very good boys and girls. On Thursday, the Mass. Senate unanimously passed a bill that would ban the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in pet shops. The goal is to prevent the “inhumane puppy-mill-to-pet-shop pipeline,” according to Senate President Karen Spilka’s office, as part of a wider crackdown on for-profit pet sales by large commercial breeders. Unsurprisingly, the Retailers Association of Massachusetts isn’t a fan, but supporters say that pet stores can pivot to pushing adoptable pets from shelters. Now, it’ll move on to the House.
🛒 It’s a bad week to be your Trader Joe’s frozen dinner. The grocery chain is issuing a massive recall for millions of pounds of its frozen products because they may contain … glass. The products to worry about are Chicken Shu Mai, plus Japanese-style, chicken, and (as of last week) vegetable fried rice. Here’s what they look like. If you have any of these products, either dump it or “return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund. The recall also applies to tons of Ajinomoto products, which are available at H Mart.
😎 Out: Boston Calling. In: Boston Chilling? The Lawn On D is looking to fill the Boston Calling-sized hole in our hearts this spring with a new, one-day music festival on June 6. Enter: Boston Chilling. While the lineup is still TBD, organizers told us it’ll be “perfect for those that love a good party, but don’t want to deal with being trampled by the crowds, and do appreciate heading out at a respectable hour.” Now that we can get behind! Stay tuned for deets here.
⛷️ We found the deal of the ski-son. This just in: $179 will get you unlimited spring skiing at some of New England’s best mountains with the New England Pass. The pass gets you access to Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon (which is just two hours away!) now through the end of the winter season — which tends to stretch anywhere from mid-April to May. That includes access to events like ’80s Day at Loon and Bust ‘N’ Burn at Sunday River. Grab the pass here!
THINGS TO DO
Upcoming local picks from The B-Side
Below are some of the hottest local things to do. This month, B-Side Members can save more than $150 across our events plus monthly freebies like free coffee at Flour Bakery.
🍳All March: Jamie’s Ice Cream breakfast deal, $5. B-Side Members get access to an exclusive $5 latte and breakfast sandwich combo from Jamie’s Ice Cream in Cambridge. Visit and redeem your coupon to get the deal!
💼 March 28: WISE Summit, $30. WISE Summit is a women’s entrepreneurship conference featuring keynotes, workshops, and a student founder marketplace. This year’s theme is “Good to Grow.” Book here.
💪 April 1: Barry’s Member deal, FREE. We’re teaming up with Barry’s in Downtown Crossing to give B-Side Members two complimentary treadmill and strength training classes between April 6 to 19.
🔑 P.S. After you sign up to become a member, we’ll email you promo codes for these events.
Start a membership for $1 for your first three months!
👀 Want to feature your upcoming event above? Click here.
ONE LAST THING
The Celtics 🤝 Astrology
Image: Barry Chin/The Boston Globe. Illustration: Gia Orsino.
The secret to the Celtics’ success this season? *The stars.*
Jaylen Brown told reporters during a recent post-game interview that the key to improving communication with his teammates this season has been learning about their astrology, zodiac, and numerology.
Obviously, the clip went viral.
“I learned communication styles that work best for each individual, and started utilizing that when I speak to each and every guy,” he said. “I didn’t know if it would work before the season started, but that stuff definitely works.”
Even more impressive: He memorized all the info, and rattled off a bunch of it on the spot. FYI: Derrick White was born in the Year of the Dog, JT is a Pieces, and Sam Hauser is a five.
You can watch the clip here.
— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario
♏ Thanks for reading! Classic Scorpio.
💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, FiDO Pizza, for supporting local journalism and giving us all a tasty neighborhood spot to keep coming back to.
👀 The results are in: 53% of readers said they’d like to see a financial literacy event series. One reader said: “I think the stock market was invented to confuse the girlies! I want to be able to level up my finances.” Heard!
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