Archive | February, 2012

Orlando Premium Outlets Get the Best of Me

29 Feb

Oh my goodness. By far the best outlet mall I have ever been to, the Orlando Premium Outlets totally blew my mind on full day #1 (Sunday) of this trip, when I was still feeling super under the weather. I was determined to not waste a SINGLE day in Orlando though. If I couldn’t enjoy premium eats, I could at least enjoy premium shops!

FAVE purchase of day.

JUST KIDDING about the above. This was a serious for-sale dress at the Papaya Outlet. Would make a great slutty college girl Halloween costume. Hey, I’m not judging. I’ve been there…

Junior year, 2010.

ANYWAY.

Purchased the above two necklaces at Charlotte Russe, 2 for $10 and then got 15% off for having a college ID, score!

Two more necklaces from Ann Taylor Loft, buy one, get one 50% off. They look kind of weird all folded up in their cellophane bags, but I like how the cashier placed them in there and stapled the bags shut, so I’m keeping them there until I can unpack them at home.

Lighting makes this J. Crew dress look more coral, but it’s actually bubblegum pink and has one of those exposed zippers in the back. I tried to find a more telling photo online but couldn’t!

This necklace was only $5 and J. Crew has a student discount too!

Ahhhh Vera Bradley outlet!!! I used the opportunity to purchase several Vera items I’ve always wanted but haven’t been able to justify purchasing – another notebook for school, sticky notes in assorted sizes, a calculator for my desk at work, and a luggage tag. The outlet prices were an additional 20% off!

As if I need any more shoes, right? I got some Toms look-alikes at Pac Sun, because I am in love with the ones I got in Boston but too cheap to pay $54 for another pair. I am more in love, though, with the pair on the right that I got at Journey’s. I have been wanting black and white 20′s-inspired shoes for awhile and am so happy to have found some that were reasonably priced – and I got 15% off from a coupon!

At Pac Sun I also got the above cloth leopard-print tank dress. It’s so comfortable and such a simple cut. The design also has a cute criss-cross back that’s unexpected if you just look at the dress from the front! I like the leopard print – I can even dress it down if needed with a black cardigan. I’m also excited about the bikini I got because I’ve always wanted one with a “sculpted” triangle top!

Ann Taylor was having a BIG sale, 40% off everything in the store, and my madre was kind enough to buy me the clothes I picked out there for my birthday (March 22). I love the above sweater and the gold buttons adorning it, and the tank is so cute and simple. Until it warms up, I can wear it under sweaters. I also am a bit obsessed with the 3/4-sleeve dress on the right. If I wear a tan or black cami underneath, I can wear it to work, and the longer sleeves mean I won’t be freezing my butt off like I always am in dresses. This will be paired with heels – obviously :)

I really like the prints that Ann Taylor comes out with every season. I have always been a fan of prints over solids (though there’s a time and place for everything!) and now that I have the above three tops, my next mission is to find some of the amazing colored ankle-length pants that have been all over the fashion mags lately.

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Drumroll please, my biggest and most ridiculous/spontaneous purchase of the day – and ever.

I am a watch addict, so strolling into Fossil on a whim (I originally was headed to Auntie Anne’s, but alas, the damn line was out the door) was probably a big mistake. I immediately spotted several watches I’d had my eye on for awhile. Okay that’s a lie, two of them I’ve had my eye on, one I just saw and became enchanted by it. It reminded me of, oddly enough, birthday cake.

Do you see what I mean? That teal face (it’s more green in “real life light”), those colorful rhinestones. This is a total birthday watch!

My sister got the above watch for Christmas, and I was instantly jealous. Now I can say I have my own!

I saw the above watch, brown with a rose-gold stripe, online several months ago. I fell in love! It was even more beautiful in person.

Yes…I bought all three watches. AHHH. I was so afraid that the salespeople were judging me – ha! I was nervously chatting with the girl who helped me try on the watches, trying to make sure that there were people out there who had bought more than three at once before to calm myself. I am never this spontaneous and I don’t do things like this often…and I’m pretty excited about my watches…but it’s safe to say I won’t be going shopping again for awhile.

So all this shopping definitely cheered me up a bit, but I still went into the evening feeling sick, especially after being on my feet at the outlets for about four hours straight! My dad and I picked up takeout from TooJay’s and I was able to eat some of it (see above).

What’s the most spontaneous purchase you have ever made? What do you think of my purchases? What’s the best outlet mall you’ve ever been to?

February Foodie Pen Pals

28 Feb

Don’t forget to read last night’s post about Daily Feats, a new social networking rewards site that helps you meet your goals AND earn bonus points to use towards rewards and/or charitable donations. The post contains a code good for 50 free bonus points at (also free) registration!

And you can find out what I got my foodie pen pal, Halley of Blunder Construction, here!

Not only do I get a Birchbox every month, but I also get an even better kind of box - from my Foodie Pen Pal! Lindsay of The Lean Green Bean has taken on QUITE the project – she now has over 200 participants! Bloggers and blog readers alike can participate (just last month, a reader without a blog did a guest post for me so that she had somewhere to share what I sent her).

This month, my pen pal was Julia of A Girl with a Stethoscope. She is a new graduate nurse with a love for running and eating. One of my favorite things about this program is the way it connects me with other bloggers and their blogs that I may never have found! I really like her blog AND her taste in food…check out all the goodies she sent me!

First glance inside...ooh...

  • Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Herbal Tea: YES I am so excited to try this! I adore honey vanilla teas and the fact that this is decaf will make it perfect to enjoy in the evenings. I have loose leaf herbal tea but to be honest, have not made a single cup because I have been to lazy to prepare loose leaf! Maybe I’ll start drinking tea more often now that I have a bagged variety.
  • Rhythm Superfoods Sweet Potato Chips: I was super psyched to try these out, but they weren’t exactly my cup of tea (wrote that and then realized that phrase would fit better in the above bullet) because despite the fact that these are the Sea Salt variety, they weren’t salty enough! However I’m sure someone in my house who isn’t as hopelessly salt-addicted as me will end up polishing these off. The whole bag has just 100 calories!
  • Kaia Foods Sprouted Sunflower Seeds: I know many bloggers out there are addicted to sunflower seed butter, and sunflower seeds themselves. I honestly haven’t tried the butter and have not had plain sunflower seeds since I was a picky elementary school kid who only ate Wonder Bread and buttered pasta. SO, what I’m trying to say here is, I’m very excited to try these because a) I’m way more open-minded now and b) these are a Cocoa Mole flavor! I think that these sunflower seeds would go GREAT in a plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese snack.

  • Barbara’s Snackimals: Funny story, I remember seeing these in Whole Foods when I was shopping for my foodie pen pal this month, and being curious about them. How convenient that Julia got me a snack bag! Another great mix-in for Greek yogurt/cottage cheese messes, or something nifty to keep in my cubicle for those emergency hunger situations. The vanilla flavor is definitely what I would have chosen myself.
  • Nature’s Path Love Crunch Granola: And the snack ingredients keep on coming! Love the Dark Chocolate & Red Berry flavor…it reminds me of chocolate covered strawberries! I bet adding some chocolate syrup on top of this granola would be amaaaazing, maybe on top of a berry crisp…ooh, my recipe mind is churning!
  • Justin’s Nut Butters: I saved the BEST for last! I have always wanted to try Justin’s nut butters and finally can. Julia was kind enough to send me several varieties! Even though I’m more of a PB fan, I am pleased to announce that I have started with the Classic almond butter variety and have been enjoying it on bananas. I don’t think I’d ever have it on something like bread, but paired with a sweeter component like fruit, the roasty salted almond flavor is definitely better to me than the last time I tried almond butter.  I’m sooooo excited to try the chocolate hazelnut butter too. I think I’m going to save it for last!

This month’s foodie pen pal package was great, and I already can’t wait for March. I also can’t wait to find out how my pen pal, Halley of Blunder Construction, likes her package – I think it’s the best one I’ve ever put together. Thanks again to Julia for going above and beyond, and sending me some fab goodies!

A little blurb from Lindsay herself to get you motivated to sign up: If you’re interested in participating for March, please send  an email to Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
-WHETHER YOU ARE A US RESIDENT OR CANADIAN RESIDENT.

Have you ever tried any of the products I received?

Daily Feats

27 Feb

I was contacted a couple of months ago by Monique of Daily Feats, a new-to-me site that helps users do “small, positive actions, every day” that “add up to big change”. I’m completely in support of using challenges, mini goals, and game-like methods to reach goals. Sites like Daily Feats can make lifestyle changes fun and break them up into steps that don’t seem so scary!

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The site is completely free and registration is super easy thanks to ability to link your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. Once registration is complete, users get started by choosing specific feats to aim to accomplish. Instead of general, vague goals like “eat better” or “work out more”, cute badges sound off more specialized choices like a complete breakfast or stretches at your desk.

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Even if you’re already at a point where you’re fairly happy with your healthy living lifestyle and commitment to it, Daily Feats can still be used to spice up or relax your life by committing to trying new activities or taking care of your mental health.

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Visiting an art gallery…that’s something I’ve never done! And after reading Steve Martin’s latest book, I’ve been dying to do so.

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I drive 30-45 minutes to/from work each day, and the above badge can certainly apply to me many a week.

To be honest, looking through the Daily Feats badges as I wrote this post inspired me to try many new goals I didn’t even know I had!

If you’re more into an overall challenge or aren’t sure where to start (I like specific goals, but some people may want to have specifics chosen for them), then go for some challenges that contain certain specific feats that follow the same general theme.

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Whatever way you choose, feats or challenges, you will earn points after you complete each a certain number of times. Then the best part comes in – redeeming your points for rewards! OR, you can turn your points into a donation for a nonprofit – how cool is that? Don’t worry, no judgement if you redeem points for prizes – I probably would do that first. And do you know what’s AMAZING about the rewards? You can type in your zip code and find places to redeem near you – rewards that support local businesses are as good as it gets!

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I honestly have not been as active as I’d like to be on Daily Feats since signing up. It seems that the more social networking sites I sign up for, the less time I spend on each one! But writing this post has actually inspired me to revisit my chosen feats and get to work on those that are new-to-me.

Monique has done Cait Plus Ate readers a solid and has hooked you all up with a code for 50 extra rewards points! So if you have a chance, head over to Daily Feats and open an account. It’s free, you have nothing to lose, and if you enter caitplusate100 by 11:59PM on Thursday, 3/1/12, you get those 50 bonus points to get you moving towards rewards and/or charitable donations.

What do you think of the idea behind Daily Feats? Is this something you’d be interested in?

Disclaimer: I was not compensated by Daily Feats for this post, but was approached by them initially. This is simply information and a deal I wanted to share with my readers after I learned more about the site.

Vacation Days Turned Sick Days

26 Feb

I have the worst luck, huh? Less than two weeks after getting over a stomach virus, I was hit with another one upon waking Saturday (yesterday) morning. I felt iffy, yet was experiencing no actual symptoms, so I still went to the gym and completed 30 minutes of HIIT on the StepMill. Looking back this was probably a bad call – I should have let myself rest. I wasn’t very hungry all day but managed a tiny breakfast and lunch. Luckily I was still doing OK on the plane ride to Orlando. However, my luck ended there.

This certainly LOOKS lucky – amazing dinner cooked by my dad. The place we’re staying is a timeshare so it’s more a condo than a hotel room. I was actually feeling very hungry for this dinner and it tasted fantastic to me. So fantastic that I ate myself silly!

Baked potato with salsa in the skin, medium to medium-rare filet mignon, and veggies dipped in Publix garlic hummus. Went back for more steak and also a turkey burger in spicy yellow mustard.

It all tasted so delicious, but I felt way too full afterward. I took a water bottle and went to sleep. And woke up a couple hours later in SO much pain, lots of stomach cramping, my body was VERY mad at me. I shouldn’t have let my guard down! But I did and I spent all day Sunday (today) feeling pretty darn crummy. Twitter was a lifesaver as usual – thanks to all who wished me well and gave me advice on how to tame my tummy!

Picked some of this good stuff up. Includes ginger!

I was way more cautious  and though I had a couple of moments of meh feelings, I am feeling better tonight, OK enough to VERY slowly eat some rye bread and turkey pastrami from TooJay’s, a Florida go-to. I refuse to miss out on this trip! I also had WAY too much success at the Orlando Premium Outlets, by far the best outlet mall I’ve ever been to (upon recommendation from the lovely J of J’s Everyday Fashion), which cheered me up. I will be sharing my purchases soon!

Our hotel room is also gorgeous! Again, more like a condo, kitchen included. That’s how we’ve been able to stay in for a couple of nights – and no one is fighting over TVs that’s for sure! Here are some pics for you all – gotta run :) I’m gonna read my amazing book and hit the hay in a few. Here’s hoping I wake up feeling better!

My room, will be sharing with grandparents for a couple evenings.

My bathroom, the wallpaper is cute!

Despite the fact that we have a washer/dryer room, I did NOT pack light.

Living room and dining area.

Clearly the rents don't plan to use their jacuzzi for anything other than a suitcase stand.

What’s the best hotel room you’ve ever stayed in?

Have you ever gotten sick right before or during a vacation?

Quick Friday Hello!

24 Feb

Oh my goodness…last night’s dinner at J. Gilbert’s was SO delish! I took photos and can’t wait to share with you guys whenever I get a chance to write up a full recap. Here’s a Twitter pic of my meal for a little preview:

Ahi tuna, asparagus, baked potato w/pico de gallo.

I’m so ready to go to Group Step tonight after work!  Yesterday I did a few yoga stretches in the morning but other than that it was a rest day, so I’m definitely feeling energized and anxious to get my cardio on, especially after sitting at my desk job/in class today and yesterday. I’m having takeout black beans and quesadillas from my favorite local Mexican place, Loco Perro, after my workout. Then my Nana Connie and I are off to the Bushnell to see The Addams Family Musical!

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One of my family’s favorite movies to watch over and over again is Addams Family Values, so I am anxious to see this musical. I love talking to other people and finding out what their “family’s movies” are. I feel like everyone’s family has those one or two movies that they quote endlessly and never get sick of. It’s hilarious how one family’s treasure can be another person’s “WTF?” (like when I was told by my friend Kim that her family’s movie is Meet the Parents – big confusion on my end).

Tomorrow morning I’ll be back to the gym for a morning workout, hanging at Daybreak for some amazing coffee and homework/blog work, and then hopping on a plane with a healthy salad packed lunch for ORLANDO!! Good thing too, because I awoke this morning to an (unpleasant) surprise snowfall. This was the view outside my kitchen window this morning:

Thanks to Nana Connie for the pic!

GET ME TO FLORIDA!

Do you have a movie that you can watch over and over again with your family and quote endlessly? Does it bring about any special memories?

What are your plans for tonight?

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