As I was leaving a paint and sip (and eat mac and cheese) session last night in downtown Troy, one of the people in our group mentioned $65 deals to the UK.

I went on their site www.norwegian.com/us/ and saw that the $65 deals are sold out but $99 one-way are still available, with the return flight at around $250. A round trip price of $350 is a great price. An amazing price. And I love Edinburgh and Dublin and Cork (other offerings are Shannon and Belfast which I haven't visited yet).

And, on the other side of the pond, they are offering similar deals from the UK to the US: http://media.norwegian.com/uk/#/pressreleases/norwegian-unveils-69-pounds-flights-to-the-usa-from-5-uk-and-irish-cities-1823267

Now to determine if I'd want to spend a week this winter closer to the Arctic Circle or further from it.

You learn something new every day.

For $2 a day per device in Canada and Mexico, and $10 per day per device for more than 100 other countries, your wireless Verizon plan can travel with you.

While this will not work for me for an upcoming trip to Cuba, I am considering it for a couple other trips to Europe (though $10 is a bit steep, the convenience may make it worth it).

You can see the list of countries offering this here: https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/travelpass-countries/

I can think of no better reason to start blogging again than to raise money for 31 - yes, 31- great and deserving causes in the month of March.

The Women's March inspired me. And, being the cheesey wordsmith that I am, I thought to myself, "Self, there's a whole month named March during which a lot of good could be done." 😀

I plan on donating to and raising money for 31 causes - focusing on one each day of the month.

And on each and every day in March (Women's History Month), to truly earn your pledged funds, I will: walk/run 6 miles, or bike 12 miles, or swim 1 mile. I enjoy physical activity, but this will be a challenge for me. I don't work out *every day* normally (who does?) so even I'm wondering how that part of the challenge will go.

Nevertheless, I will donate at least $5 of my own money to each organization - or $155. My goal is to raise a total of about $1,500 for these causes.

They include:

1. National Organization for Women

2. ACLU

3. NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault 

4. Albany High School PTSA

5. Unity House

6. International Refugee Assiatance Project

7. Sierra Club

8. Planned Parenthood

9. Troy school 2 PTA

10. New York Times

11. EarthJustice

12. WAMC 

13. Local LGBTQ center

14. National Immigration Law Center 

15. The Record

16. Troy/Lburgh Boys and Girls Club

17. Joseph's House

18. Islamic Center of the Capital District or Council on American-Islamic Relations

19. Clothe A Child

20. Greenpeace

21. Times Union

22. NAACP

23. Natural Resources Defense Council

24. Arc of Rensselaer County

25. Arts Center of the Capital Region

26. WMHT

27. Troy Public Library

28. Human Rights Campaign

29. Momentive Unions in Waterford

30. The Trevor Project

31. She Should Run

How can you help? 

If you have any interest in helping any (or all) of these organizations, you can donate to my GoFundMe fundraisers for this.

Here are the links:

http://www.gofundme.com/awomansmarchnow

http://www.gofundme.com/awomansmarchaclu

I am also creating FB fundraisers for those non-profits that have the ability to donate directly on Facebook (a few of them do).

So keep an eye on my personal FB page for daily updates in the month of March:

https://m.facebook.com/danielle.sanzone.1?ref=bookmarks

And, if you'd like to donate to a particular cause, please indicate that in the comments of the GoFundMe page or message me. Otherwise, donations will be equally distributed.

Lastly, what's in it for you?

Other than that nice feeling you get, I am going to have the money raised for the media outlets (The New York Times, The Times Union, The Record, WMHT and NPR) go towards a subscription or membership. If you donate to any of the organizations through this fundraiser, you'll have a chance at winning one of these subscriptions or memberships. (A $60 membership with WMHT, for example, would receive access to Passport which is a large library of PBS programs online. And you'll have access to digital and/or a print subscriptions for the newspapers.)

I will announce winners for the subscriptions/memberships on April 2. I would just ask that you send a receipt showing that the money was spent on a membership or subscription.

Full disclosure: I work for a local PBS affiliate.

And, that about does it. Questions? Email me: daniellesnews@gmail.com

Thank you for reading and for the support!

Today only, while tickets last, you can get tickets from Albany, NY to Florida for $29 on Feb. 29 only.

Here are some details: http://blog.timesunion.com/savings/fly-jetblue-out-of-albany-for-29-on-feb-29-today-only/17574/

There is a 1.3km (or about 1 mile) trail in Canada that allows you to ice skate through a provincial park wood.

The Arrowhead Provincial Park Ice Skating Trail opens this month and is open for the season, weather permitting, through March.

Located in Huntsville, ON, the park with this unique skating trail is about 7.5 hours from the Albany, NY area.

You can learn more in this Huffington Post piece from earlier this month: http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/8925198

And here's a link to the park info: http://www.discovermuskoka.ca/ice-skating-trail-arrowhead.html

Admission is CA$17 per vehicle. Skate rentals are CA$10 and CA$5 for skate sharpening. Hours vary but there are some scheduled nights that will allow skating by torchlight.

Caldwell House, located about 1.5 hours south of the Capital District, not far off of I-87, has a pretty interesting promotion as part of Irish tradition...

LISTEN UP, LADIES: Drop to One Knee for a Leap Year Proposal, Get Engaged, and Get a Free Night's Stay

Get your ring ready, this coming February 29th a woman can propose to her sweetheart and get a free night's stay at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast in a nod to the inn's Irish heritage and Leap Year Day

SALISBURY MILLS, NY /October 26, 2015 _ Every four years, Irish tradition has it that a woman can propose to a man. With Leap Day fast approaching on February 29, 2016, the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast in Salisbury Mills, New York, is honoring its Irish roots and helping women pop the question -- the inn is even offering to help.

According to Irish legend, St. Bridget made a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose as a way to introduce balance to the traditional gender roles, in the same way Leap Year Day balances the calendar.

"This is such a special holiday and it only comes around once every four years," said Dena Finneran, who co-owns the award-winning country inn with her husband John. "It's important that we help our guests mark this Irish tradition with some incredible memories."

While Irish folklore has it that a woman may propose to a man, the inn is embracing a more modern approach where a woman may propose to whomever she loves, regardless of gender. It's rumored, that if the proposal is rejected the man (usually) has to pay a fine. At Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast the inn believes its Irish abode will bring forth a “Luck of the Irish"  'yes.'

Leap Years are important because they keep our modern day Gregorian calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. It takes the earth slightly more than the allotted 365 days to circle the Sun, so every four years we get an extra day to reset that order and claim extraneous time so that we don't lose it. It’s also our country’s Presidential Election year.

The "Take a Luck of the Irish Leap" package includes:

• 1-night stay at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast plus an additional FREE night on Mondayif the woman proposes
• A bottle of wine or champagne from one of our local Shawangunk wineries and a box of chocolates
• Complimentary three course gourmet breakfasts
• Complimentary parking
• Free WiFi at the inn so you can share your post-engaged glow on social media

Package starts at $245 (plus tax); price varies depending on room selection.

If the couple wishes to marry where they got engaged, the inn can help with that too. The Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast has its own chapel backdrop on its manicured grounds -- as a well as Great Room for weddings, vow renewals, and engagement parties, among other festivities. The large fields on the property offer beautiful sites for an outdoor, tented wedding, too.

For additional information or larger groups contact the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast at 1-845-496-2954 or visit www.caldwellhouse.com.

About Caldwell House

The Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast is a multi-award winning member of the prestigious Select Registry and Diamond Collection groups of Inns. Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley– just 60 minutes from NYC by car or train and close to the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Storm King Arts Center, Brotherhood Winery (and many of the Shawangunk Wine Trail Wineries), and the Woodbury Premium Outlet Mall. Some of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful hiking/biking trails are within walking or easy driving distance. Built in 1802, this historic inn is full of many original features, antiques and original paintings, as well as modern amenities. Each guest room includes its own private full bath (several with Jacuzzi tub for two), smart TVs with Netflix/Hulu, free Wi-Fi Internet access, individual room temperature controls, iPads and more.

The Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast is located at 25 Orrs Mills Road, Salisbury Mills, NY 12577. To make a reservation call 1-800-210-5565 or visit www.caldwellhouse.com. Also at: facebook.com/CaldwellHouseBandB

This, I think, will definitely be worth the $30.

Guided International Grocery Store Tour

On Saturday, October 24th, 2015 from 10:00 – 4:00 PM, the International Center of the Capital Region (ICCR), in collaboration with the Central Business Improvement District, and “foodie” and YELP Ambassador Daniel Berman, will be sponsoring a fabulous guided bus tour of area international markets including: Rolf’s Pork Store, Breakthrough West African Market, Tay Vietnamese Market, Chester’s Smokehouse, and Parivar Spices and Food.

Get an in-depth insider's look at what’s available in some of these very unique grocery stores while sampling their wares and meeting their owners along the way.

Call ICCR at (518) 708-7608 for more details or to make a reservation.  Cost is $25 for ICCR Members and $30 for Not-Yet Members.