Bertucci’s and TCBY Night!

Hey guys! I am currently stranded for an extra night in Tennessee due to the snow storm back home, but I don’t hate it. I love it here and could stay for days and days more! I have been eating tons of food and having great quality family time. I’ve even managed to get in a couple of good workouts, including a 4 mile incline treadmill run today! I have to be honest that sometimes I get hesitant to indulge on vacations or let loose and let myself enjoy things I don’t normally eat, but I have been concentrating on being with my family and trying to use that to distract myself from any worries I may get about vacation food. After all, this tasty food is definitely not something that should be cause for worry!

Before I start recapping this trip I want to recap a couple of yummy nights out I had last week, starting with last Monday’s dinner!

I was a crazy woman last Monday night and went out to eat after the gym. Yes, I’m wild and insane. Usually I go straight home, but I made plans with Jeff and Kim to go to a Thai restaurant that I had a SaveNowCT deal to. Well, you know how small restaurants are sometimes closed on Mondays? Yes, that happened.

NO WORRIES! I’m a coupon queen, and had a $5 of $25 deal from the Bertucci’s Facebook page, so I met the two of them there instead. At this point I was ready to eat my arm off and I immediately started on a roll. Mmm. I love their rolls and olive oil + herbs.

Jeff the hand model

Luckily my meal came with a cup of minestrone, so I got that fairly quickly and was relieved from my hanger. It was delicious! I loved the plentiful red beans and noodles. I hate runny, lackluster broth soups. This was hearty!

Check out the herbs on top – love it! For my meal I selected the Seafood di Mare, which awkwardly means Seafood of the Sea? We will let that one slide. This was a brick oven entree of baby scallops, shrimp, mussels, cod, with plum tomatoes and a baked crostini AKA crusty, amazing bread that I put the tomatoes on top of and ate like a homemade bruschetta.

The mussels were very good! It was my first time trying them and I’m glad I had something new. The rest of the seafood was wonderful as well. My only complaint is the temperature of the dish. This thing was HOT, and not your normal restaurant hot. I’m talking after 15-20 minutes of eating (I eat slowly), I was still blowing on each bite and desperately sipping water to cool my mouth down. I finally figured out that taking the remaining components of the meal out of the hot oil they were chillin’ (not at all) and setting them on a bread plate for a few minutes would cool them down quickly. The amount of oil this was baked in was too much anyway – there was so much leftover when I finished! I’d recommend using less oil and heating it less – but really, what do I know about cooking? Just a thought though, Bertucci’s!

And now I’ll embarrass myself by showing the website’s image of my meal. Looks pretty similar in terms of what came with it, but man I would’ve enjoyed having that lemon!

Thanks to Bertuccis.com for image.

Jeff went with the Seafood Torta: “Bertucci’s famous dough filled with tender scallops, shrimp, roasted tomato sauce, tomatoes, shaved cheese and oregano. Topped with fresh thyme and then baked to perfection in the brick oven.” I’ve had the Vegetable Torta before and while it’s delicious, I found it hard to eat and too similar to a pizza. I might as well just get a pizza, it’s easier to manage!

We all agreed that the presentation on this dish was pretty sad. It looked so bland on that plate – so lonely! But Jeff said he liked it. And another website photo for comparison…

Thanks to Bertuccis.com for image.

If only Jeff’s meal had come with that sprig of thyme laying oh-so-delicately on the torta!

Kim got one of my favorites, the Venetian Spinach Salad: “Grilled chicken breast atop a bed of spinach, grape tomatoes, red onions, shaved cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.” Her only complaint was that the red onions were too large for the salad – they were in rings, not shavings, and she doesn’t like too much onion taste at once. I gladly took a few rings off her hands and ate them whole. Classy.

I’m really lucking out with the availability of pretty website photos to put mine to shame, huh?

Image from Bertuccis.com

I’m always impressed with this salad. It’s one of the few I will order from a restaurant. I like to get the salmon – it is worth the higher price. Bertucci’s offers surprisingly delicious salmon.

At this point, we were feelin’ pretty good because the meal was over and it was time to head to TCBY for some FRO YO!

Cute couple aka my dining partners in crime.

We arrived and I discovered that it was Trivia Night, aka answer a trivia question right and get $1 off. And I got the only easy question (Which designer’s daughter owns a candy shop in NYC, Ralph Lauren OF COURSE), so I got $1 off! Poor Jeff and Kim got questions about the 70’s gas shortage and the tallest waterfall on Earth.

The most interesting topping on tap was star fruit! I’d never had it before and was excited to try it. Jeff nailed it when he compared it to an under-ripe pear – it was OK, but not something I’d go for again. Maybe it was just under-ripe!

I went with a mix of PB, white chocolate mousse, caramel, and cake batter flavors. Lots of toppings and topped off with sugar-free chocolate sauce.

And now I bring you…our creations!

Jeff's

Kim's

Mine.

Hey, it looks like there’s a candy cane in there! Trust me, there’s not, I hate them. I am obsessed with those frosted animal crackers though.

What’s your favorite fro-yo topping? Have you ever run into a meal that was just WAY too hot?

Another Guest Post: The Actor’s Diet

HI FROM TENNESSEE! Due to the snowstorm back home I may actually be stranded here another day, but for now a quick update to let you guys know to head over to Lynn’s blog The Actor’s Diet and check out my guest post about Newman’s Own products!

Gonna stick with the Tennessee spirit and say have a good one y’all!

Beyond Bananas Guest Post!

Hey guys! Today I am guest blogging over at Caitlin’s blog, Beyond Bananas. No, I am not speaking about myself in the third person and starting a second blog about my favorite fruit. It just so happens there’s another blogger out there who shares my name, its correct spelling, and a lot of the same interests as me!

The post I wrote is a review of some tasty Odwalla bars I won in a giveaway on Katie’s blog, so head on over to Beyond Bananas and check it out!

I just finished a sweaty Stair Master workout. It was only 30 minutes, but I had to turn down the level after 20 minutes and my heart rate still didn’t go down. I did intense intervals and it was so hard! Quality over quantity, my friends. Tomorrow will be a strength-centered day, so we’ll see what the hotel gym has to offer.

Ready to rock this morning.

I’m at Daybreak doing homework and sipping on a nonfat pumpkin spice blanc. Ah, the little things. Hopping on a plane to Tennessee in a few hours – feels surreal! Not sure how much I’ll be blogging this weekend but I hope you all have a good one!

What are you doing this weekend?!

Hotel Room Workout

Hey guys! It’s been a whirlwind week but today is my Friday because tomorrow I am off to University of Tennessee to visit my little sister and I can’t wait! SEC football and tailgating – there’s nothing better. Also can’t wait to see my Nana Connie (grandma) and a bunch of my parents’ old friends that I haven’t seen since I was a few feet tall. Oh, and the libations consumed during tailgating should be fun too 😉 I will try to take lots of pics!

Uncle's 50th birthday party – Tennessee theme

Last night I went to my first Zumba class at the gym near my office. I did Zumba a lot at UConn and it was awesome, but the gym near my house offers classes that I haven’t found challenging enough. Happy to report that this class’s choreography was, though not as heart-pumping as I usually like, more advanced and the music was great. I really loved the instructor’s energy too.

I was still craving that peak-HR that I like to try to get to in each cardio workout though, so I hopped on the treadmill and put it at a 1.0 incline. I decided to try to accomplish the goal I’ve had for a couple of years of running a sub-8 minute mile. And after 7 minutes and 55 seconds of feeling like I might die (well, maybe in the last few minutes I felt that way), I DID IT! I love accomplishing mini goals like that and I left feeling pretty awesome.

My "I'm Awesome!" pose

This morning I woke up really early for no reason, and since I have class tonight I thought it would be good to squeeze a workout in. I did 30 minutes of total body strengthening using my body weight. It was no joke – just goes to show there is plenty that you can do with absolutely NO equipment! I like to call these “hotel room workouts” and thought I’d share with you all what I did. Remember I’m not a trainer, and always check with your doctor before starting a new workout!

Hotel Room Workout (try to move from one move to next without stopping!)

I think I remembered everything!
I’ve gotta run for now but let me know if you try the workout, and how it goes!
What’s the last mini-goal you accomplished?

Quickie

First of all, I’d appreciate it if you would take a chance to check out my About page, which I updated yesterday. I added a little more about my relationship with food/working out there, and hope you like reading an updated version of my story!

Yesterday was the first rest day I’ve had in awhile where I didn’t feel antsy and cranky. Instead I felt, well, rested. I consider this an accomplishment! I enjoyed my day off and am ready to get back into it today. I plan to sweat it out later with some Zumba or Spin – we’ll see which!

I honestly don’t have much time for posting today, which is a bummer because I wanted to recap a fun and delicious night out I had on Monday. It will have to wait though, hence this post’s title (get your mind out of the gutter). For now, please enjoy (?) a couple of photos I’ve accumulated over the last few days. This is turning into my MO!

Sunday's dinner

Sunday nights seem to be protein parties in my house. My dad inevitably ends up grilling three different kinds of meat, and we also happened to have leftover black beans from Saturday night. I had a turkey burger patty, half of a turkey sausage, and a piece of grilled chicken, all dipped in spicy yellow mustard. This was VERY filling! I relieved my dad of his potato skin and filled it with Mariah’s Chow Chow Relish.

Potato skins = my taco shell substitutes. Unless I’m eating real tacos, that is. Then no substitute will do.

Monday’s breakfast obviously, judging by its size, left me eating lunch at 10:30am. Oh well! I can move meals around and eat at my desk at work, so it’s all good.

Banana and Dark Chocolate Dreams PB

Eh, that definitely looks kind of gross.

Finally, I wanted to give a shout-out to the Elvis Duran Show (any fans out there?) and suggest that you head on over to their web store and pick up a HELLO LADY shirt. ALL profits will be donated to Susan G. Komen, and there’s still enough time in October to promote breast cancer awareness (of course, this can be done anytime). If you listen to the show you know and probably love HELLO LADY, and if not, I recommend you get on IHeartRadio and listen to Elvis Duran’s show because it is HILARIOUS and accompanies me to work every single morning.

That’s all I’ve got for today, folks.

Do you listen to the Elvis Duran Show?

Do you ever eat a breakfast that’s too small and end up eating a ridiculously early lunch?

Playing Catch-Up

Hi friends! Happy Tuesday, or as I like to call it, the most useless day of the week. Hear me out on this. At least on Monday you still have a post-weekend high. Wednesday is hump-day. Thursday you know you’re almost there, and Friday is Friday. Tuesday has nothing to offer me, so I’m hatin’.

I have several photos, the oldest from exactly a week ago today, that I never shared with you guys in terms of eats. So I’m using today’s post to play catch-up.

Last Tuesday's dinner.

This was a good one. We had leftover chicken and turkey burger in the fridge, so I had some of each. My mom went to Moe’s and got some of their black beans to-go, which was awesome. I LOVE their black beans. And of course the ever-present Ore Ida frozen fries with spicy yellow mustard. These are so addicting. I definitely had more after I cleared my plate. I can NEVER leave any left on the pan. I don’t hate it.

Last Wednesday's dinner.

Please forgive the Barney bowl, the paper late, and all the shadows that are having a party in this picture. This was awesome though, despite how unpretty it is to look at. Broccoli with tons of garlic, turkey and bean chili, and two whole-grain taco shells for dipping.

I also wore a new shirt to work that day, and was excited enough to take pictures.

Ann Taylor sale!

 The next night’s dinner was another hodge-podge of components, only this time, all in one bowl.

Last Thursday's dinner.

This bowl of deliciousness, and the second one as well, contained broccoli from the night before, pico de gallo, and awesome Mexican casserole my mom made, and some leftover filet mignon that my dad brought home from a work dinner. So random. So good. Doused with a heaping helping of garlic salt. Filet mignon on a Thursday night is what’s up.

And some random salad beast lunches that always look the same…

Protein of choice: leftover spaghetti sauce meat

Protein of choice: leftover Mexican casserole

Yay! Now I’m all caught up. Also, I had a good workout last night. Good, not great. But it’s because I wasn’t challenged enough! I went to Group Power and for the first time, I knew I could’ve lifted a higher bicep weight. I also could have lifted more in shoulders. I’m bummed that I could’ve gotten a harder workout in, but I also know that it means I’m getting stronger and I love it! Today is a rest day because I have class and haven’t taken one in a week!

Quick – tell me what you had for dinner last night. 

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday! Yeah, I’m trying to keep it optimistic. I had a great, productive, relaxing weekend though! I’m still feeling very organized and efficient, so I’m even gonna organize this post by subject – oh goodness! Maybe next weekend’s recap will be organized by day – craziness! Or, the exact opposite!

Fitness

I went to Group Step both Friday evening and Saturday morning. I really love the new release, and I can especially tell since I didn’t mind doing the same routine twice in 24 hours! I ran into Lauren and Casey again at the Friday class, so that was fun. And one of my favorite instructors was there Saturday in addition to his usual Friday class. For Sunday’s workout, I woke up naturally at the ridiculous hour of 7am. Luckily there was a Spin class starting around that time, so I headed straight to the gym to get my sweat out of the way. I hadn’t been to Spin in a few months, so it was HARD. It was nice to switch up my routine though – classes like this always remind me how good it is to not get too comfortable with a few types of workouts. Of course, always do what you WANT to do in terms of exercise, but today’s Spin class fit conveniently into my schedule and reminded me of how tough it can be! Despite the fact that I was disgusting afterward, I was in a great mood.

Food

Friday night, I met my former co-worker and friend Tom for dinner at a restaurant in town I’d had yet to try, the Diamond, to use a SaveNowCT deal. I was pleasantly surprised! It’s one of those bar and grill places, so I didn’t think I’d be able to find any options that would be delicious and not too…fried? And salads from those places are never worth the money! But I got the blackened chicken quesadilla with extra salsa and it was awesome! It came on an herb tortilla, a nice touch, and when I asked them to go light on the cheese they definitely complied. The balance between cheese and chicken was perfect. Their salsa was so fresh and chunky, not the Tostitos-style I was expecting! I also had a glass of Salmon Creek Cabernet before my food came, and it really hit the spot. Such a delicious house wine! Sorry, no photos (left my camera in the car because I was running late after Step), but the lighting would have been awful anyway.

I had lunch Saturday at one of my favorite places, Whole Foods, with a couple of fellow marketers. We had a great conversation and already have plans to meet again around the holiday season to restaurant-hop for the blog – they loved it!

Sole cake with spinach and butternut squash puree.

I do love me some Whole Foods trips on Saturdays – they’re always giving out the best samples! I had the above dish the second after I walked in. It was perfect! The squash gave it such a nice, fall feel. Check out the cute little foldable spoon! I also had half of a chocolate chip cookie buttercream sandwich sample from the bakery. WOW is all I can say. I devoured it before I could get a photo.

I’m barely skimming the surface of what was in here but I do remember that there was: edamame, falafel, roasted veg, many bean salads, cabbage crunch salad, and eggplant!

I had to restrain myself once I got to the salad bar, as usual, and get a little container. That didn’t stop me from piling over a pound of food in there and finishing every last bite.

After lunch I went to my favorite package store. I have to be honest that they are only my favorite because I can always count on them to have free wine tastings on Saturday afternoons – and wouldn’t you know it, I found just what I was looking for, a free wine tasting. I rarely buy alcohol, unless I am at some kind of tasting, so I couldn’t leave without a bottle. I went for the most festive bottle, which, ironically, Katie blogged about last night!

Pinot noir!

Fun right? I like to buy a bottle if I find something I like at a tasting, and save it for whenever an occasion comes up, like the BBQ I attended last weekend. Who knows when I’ll break this bottle out, but I now have it and a bottle of chianti waiting in my house’s “Caitlin Reserve”!

Saturday’s dinner came courtesy of my dad and his best friend, who headed to my favorite Mexican restaurant in the state, Loco Perro, to pick up some delicious takeout for the Tennessee vs. Alabama game. I ate my meal on the floor in front of the fireplace (trying to keep warm – dammit it is getting too cold already for me). Unfortunately Tennessee did not fare well against Alabama, but we weren’t expecting a win. Still, there was the usual amount of anger, yelling, and head-shaking that accompanies any game that Tennessee loses. My dad is a die-hard fan – one of his retirement dreams is to live there and attend sporting events every single day. He doesn’t need much to be happy! I guess that’s where I get it from 🙂

Shredded chicken quesadilla, salsa, black beans.

Sunday’s eats were extremely routine (except for dinner, which I will post about later). Of course I spent the morning studying at Daybreak with Toasted Coconut coffee (I had Mocha Java on Saturday). I got so much done, and I’m so ahead of my work!

I did manage to get a photo of a random snack though…Good Neighbors black bean dip and baby carrots.

Fun

On Saturday I did a little shopping and pampering. A cute boutique in my town, Silver Dahlia, was having a huge one-day customer appreciation sale. Everything was 20% off, and all clearance was 50% off. I got two more charms for the charm key chain on my car keys. The books and the Class of 2011 charm are the new ones, and the other four I collected this summer! Unfortunately I now have no more room for charms. Probably a good thing, they’re a little pricey, at $3.95 per charm. I’m not sure what company makes them, but if anyone wants to know I can find out! I got my sister one for her birthday too.

I got another key chain too. I liked its message! And the other side says “Life is Good”.

After seeing an awesome nail color on Jenny’s blog last week, I found out the name of the color (OPI In the Espresso Lane) and went to my favorite nail parlor to get a polish change. I love polish changes – they are $4 cheaper than manicures and I think they look just as good! At the end, I got a little free massage with a warm piece of a plastic-like material around my shoulders. It felt sooo good, since I was already pretty cold.

Thanks to my dirty workout top for serving as my photo background…

I also saw two movies this weekend, “50/50“ and “Ides of March“. I’d highly recommend both! “50/50” was very well done and not too depressing, despite what some (*cough* my parents) may have thought from the premise. “Ides of March” wasn’t what I was expecting exactly, but I still really liked it. I love me some Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling. In terms of female actresses, I really like Anna Kendrick, Marissa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood, so there was a lot to like about these movies.

Today I caught up with a lot of my shows and started a new one – “Revenge“. I LOVE THIS SHOW so far. I’m already almost three episodes in! I’m a big fan of Emily Van Camp from the “Everwood” days, so it’s good to see her back on TV.

That recap ended up being a lot longer than I thought it’d be! Props to you if you read it all. Even if you didn’t, maybe you can answer a few questions for me…

Have you seen any of the movies I mentioned, or “Revenge”? How about “Everwood” – any hidden fans out there?

Are you aware of the money-saving powers of the polish change?

What was your best workout, meal, and/or purchase of the weekend?

Edmondson’s Farm: Fall Decor At Its Finest!

TGIF!!! I am already feeling like it’s going to be a good weekend. Yesterday, my professor showed up to class 15 minutes late, and proceeded to tell us we’d be getting out over an hour early! I used the extra free time to attend Group Power and finally check out the newest release. I was fairly satisfied, but thought the second leg track was a bit too easy. It was still nice to get a surprise lifting session in! I came home to an awesome dinner and of course, an ice cream sandwich follow-up.

I also woke up early this morning (a good early, as in naturally, before my alarm, feeling well-rested). So, I left home ahead of schedule, beat some traffic, and got some term paper research done at Starbucks before work. It was nice to do some reading, even if academic related, and start my morning out NOT looking at a screen.

Continuing with the fall vibes I’ve been feelin’ lately, I thought I’d share the awesome experience I had on Sunday (before the Applefest) at a little farm Joe and I stumbled upon after I picked him up. Edmondson’s Farm was advertising hayrides on a road sign, so we pulled over and were pleasantly surprised to find not just hay rides, but tons of pumpkins and an adorable country store with extremely affordable autumn decor! I was freaking out – and so was Joe, but over the fudge selection, not the home furnishings.

While Joe was deciding on his fudge flavor of choice, I was busy picking out as many decorations as I can hold. I am a decor junkie.

I couldn’t argue with the prices though. That sign on the right was only $4.99. Seriously?! I’ve seen stuff like that at specialty shops for $20!!

How cool is that painting with the crow? I really wanted it but had to restrain myself. And the bronze sun would look beautiful in a garden!

Don’t worry, I didn’t buy that pumpkin-scarecrow-manthing. He weirded me out a bit.

But I did get plenty of decor for my cubicle at work, including a Christmas decoration that will have to wait until after Thanksgiving for its debut!

We didn’t even end up getting to do the hay ride because it had just left when we arrived, and we were on a schedule (as I always seem to be…), but I didn’t mind at all because now my workspace is a little bit cheerier and definitely Halloween-ready.

Why yes, I have a giraffe print stapler, why do you ask?

I’ve clearly been bitten hard by the decorating bug, so I also went to a hardware store last weekend to get adhesive magnetic strips for the ceramic piece that I painted at the Claypen a few weeks ago! Yay LivingSocial deals! All I had to do was stick the strips on the back of the piece (the adhesive is fairly strong) and ta-da, I had a giant magnet that I could stick on my cabinet!

I’m feeling so thrifty! I’m pretty sure I have the most decorated cube in the whole office, but I love it. I spend a lot of time here, so why not make it fun?

This post has quickly gone from farmstand fudge to how-to-decorate-your-cubicle – funny how that happens!

And by the way, Joe chose the maple walnut fudge. He said it had plenty of maple, but not enough walnuts. In case you were wondering.

Do you decorate your cubicle at work? What’s your favorite flavor of fudge?

Apple Harvest Festival 2011

On Sunday, I attended the Apple Harvest Festival that my town puts on every year. It’s a beloved tradition around here, the kind of thing kids come home from college for. I truly believe there is something for every age group – it used to be the rides that drew me in. Then it was the craft tables and food. Now I can honestly say I participated in everything – and I got to do it all on a pretty fall day too. I had an amazing time!

I won free tickets on the festival’s Facebook page, so Joe and I got to bypass the whole spending-money-at-the-door thing (in favor of spending way too much money once we were through the doors). We were greeted immediately by a person in an apple suit. Seriously, I was loving it already.

Lucky for him I don't actually like apples.

I was hungry upon our arrival, so we trudged through the muddy fields to see what food options awaited us. Answer: EVERYTHING. It was one of those occasions when I wished I had about 5 stomachs – I have never seen such a variety of tasty food at the Applefest before! And of course it coincides with the point in my life where I am at my peak level (so far) of foodie.

This booth was selling some of the freshest pulled-pork sandwiches I've ever seen.

I was freaking out about all the food, but Joe was pretty calm. He knew what he wanted.

Fried dough with marinara and sugar of course!

While I was decided, I went to visit my mom at her church’s baked potato booth. Remember the attack of the potatoes? Well, they clearly didn’t stand a chance because they were being sold to hungry fair-goers topped with cheese, bacon, chunky salsa, and broc. Mmm.

But I passed on a potato, because we were having them with dinner that night anyway. And the sign to the right of that booth caught my eye…

Be still, my heart! Greek food love! For just $3, I got one of my favorite Mediterannean creations…

(Green?) falafel and tzatziki sauce!

Does anyone know why the inside of this falafel is green? Does that mean it’s not legit? I mean probably…it’s from a fair…but it still tasted DELICIOUS and the outside was so satisfyingly crunchy. If you tell me it’s fake I won’t care!

We continued on our journey and picked up free Chobani Champions yogurt from the Chobani truck! I also got a free bag to carry my purchases in, in exchange fro the promise to like them on Facebook – and I did, obviously. I’m a woman of my word!

And then it was time for perusing the craft booths. Ran into my friends Capa di Roma and sampled more of their awesome marinara sauce – even though I already know what it tastes like and that I love it. Stopped by Ariston Olive Oil‘s display too and purchased garlic-stuffed olives. This olive/garlic freak was in heaven. They had an impressive display of olive oils and vinaigrettes for sampling and purchase!

One of the coolest cooking creations I came across was made by Judecraft Specialty Foods. They make “gourmet dip mixes, cheesecake dessert mixes, and bread dipping blends” in tons of varieties. There was a sample out for every single dip flavor! I went to town – the creamier dips were created by blending the mix with some sour cream and other simple ingredients (listed on each package) and pretzel sticks were provided as the “sampling tool”.

I was most enthused by the mixes meant to be blended with olive oil though. They were sampled on crusty bread and I knew after one bite that I’d have to take some of these home with me. I went with one package each of the Bruschetta, Garlic Butter, and Grecian Delight (obviously).

Though I was no longer hungry from falafel and samples at this point, that didn’t stop me from spending several minutes oggling desserts. And sampling peanut butter and maple fudge.

Had one of these at '09's fest…amazing.

And then it was time for RIDES! I didn’t think a cheap-o like me would be willing to fork over $20 to go on a few rides, but I was feeling the Applefest spirit.

The rides were SO worth it, even if just for the pictures I got. Awesome views from the ferris wheel!

My favorite shot of the day.

Awkward spindly finger clutching the edge?

Mid-ride photos are the best.

After three rides, we determined it was time to head out, and hit the local mall and DSW to run errands. And, for the better, we both left purchase-less. I also almost left phone-less because I lost (and found) my phone in DSW. D’oh, careless.

What a fun day though! Thank you to the Chamber of Commerce for putting on such an awesome event 🙂

Do you have a local fall festival in your area that you attend?

Love Your Body Day

Today, Wednesday 10/19, is the NOW Foundation’s annual Love Your Body Day. From NOW’s blog: “Each year NOW Foundation celebrates Love Your Body Day to send a positive message to women and girls that beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. This year’s blog carnival will encourage women to come together to celebrate a day of self-acceptance and promote positive body image by contributing their unique voices.“

I have in the past, and still do, struggle with loving my body. I think it’s a shame that most women do, but it’s also not hard to see why. People think they have the right to comment on others’ bodies (I know I am guilty of this) and give their opinion on how others look. Usually it’s not done to someone’s face, but if you hear others talking about someone else, it’s only natural to assume people may do the same about you when you’re not around. There’s also not enough media literacy around to combat all the messages our media sends us. I like to read “Women’s Health” and “Shape” as much as the next blogger, but you have to know how seriously you can take what those magazines tell you – more often than not, there is money motivating each statement they make, not just health.

I don’t know if it’s possible to ever really love your body fully – I know for me, at this point I feel like I’ll always be picky about any flaws I may see. But I also know that there are improvements I can make – starting today, and any day – on how I view myself.

So I was hoping everyone would join me today in listing five things that you like about your body that aren’t appearance-related. What do you appreciate about your body that is not evident from someone simply just looking at you?

For me it’s the following…

  1. I appreciate that my body can make it through an hour of lifting weights in Group Power, and more often than not, not be sore the next day.
  2. I appreciate that my body has enough coordination and muscle memory to help me nail almost every move in Group Step.
  3. I appreciate that my body’s feet can handle heels – and dancing in them – fairly well. Now, if you throw in a couple drinks, this is questionable.
  4. I appreciate that my body has healed the heart murmur I was diagnosed with when I was a kid on its own, so my heart still allows me to be as physically active as I’d like to be.
  5. I appreciate that my body has a pretty awesome immune system. I have never had the flu, and have not had strep since 3rd grade. I get colds, but who doesn’t?
I’ve still got a ways to go, but making these kinds of lists and thinking outside the box like this are ways that we all can learn to like ourselves a little bit more.

What are your five things? Feel free to do your own post (join the Carnival!) or answer in the comments.

What do you try to keep in mind to help you love your body?

This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival.

Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

Privacy Policy

I allow third party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit this blog. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g. click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice visit the NAI at http://www.networkadvertising.org. To opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices.