My First Massage – and One for You!

Unfortunately my host is under a bot attack that is targeting WordPress sites, so the blog has been down off and on since yesterday afternoon. I hope it gets resolved soon! In case you missed yesterday’s post about a paella cooking class I attended at my favorite restaurant for events, Barcelona in West Hartford, be sure to do so to learn about paella, pick up some cooking tips, and check out photos of both commonly and unusually delicious foods!

Despite my self-proclaimed addiction to daily deal sites, where  discounted massages are available on the reg, I have never had a massage! That is until I was contacted by Randi Plake, on behalf of Kellie Dunne and Brilliant Options Wellness in Plantsville, CT. Kellie is a Licensed Massage Therapist, as well as a Certified Health Coach and Occupational Therapist.

The radiant Kellie! (Source)

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Paella Partying at Barcelona!

Thank you so much for your comments on Friday’s post! I have to admit this weekend and today I have failed at my me-time and less technology goals…but that’s no reason to give up. I’m going to keep at it and have a couple relaxing nights in planned tonight and tomorrow! Glad to hear my therapist’s definition of an “introvert” was a new and interesting find for some.

The last event I attended at Barcelona Wine Bar in West Hartford (as their event blogger) was a Monday night cooking class appropriately titled “Paella Party”. I invited a couple of friends from high school – one of which had come with me to the Foods of Galicia dinner – and we turned the evening into a foodie girls’ night of nostalgia!

Lindsay, Corri, and me!

Lindsey, Corri, and me sitting in front of the outdoor patio’s mural!

The cooking class took place in my favorite area of dining at Barcelona – the gorgeous outdoor patio.

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An Introvert’s Goals

I usually do Fashion Friday if I have time to blog on a Friday, but instead today I’m feeling some reflections on this morning’s therapy session (yes I go to therapy – have been since I started my recovery – and I used to be ashamed of it but now I’m comfortable saying it benefits me and I don’t know many people it COULDN’T benefit). I explained to Bridget that I’ve been feeling pulled in a thousand different directions and I thought that after I handed in my big MBA capstone on Monday I’d be feeling better, but on Tuesday morning I woke up in one of those I-hate-anyone-who-tries-speaking-to-me moods and last night I dropped some salsa on the floor, it spilled everywhere, and I started sobbing. So I’m still feeling lots of (non-MBA-related) pressure.

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On a Snacky Quest!

One of my favorite parts of being a Fitfluential Ambassador is – not gonna lie – getting the chance to participate in product review campaigns! I enjoy receiving fitness gear or healthy eats in the mail as much as the next girl, so I jumped all over this Quest Nutrition campaign and embarked on a Quest to try the super-generous variety and amount of protein-packed tastes they sent my way.

To be honest – Quest’s branding at first was a bit of a turn-off to me. I am not a user of protein powders or supplements and a visit to their website gave me a GNC/Vitamin Shoppe vibe. But I’d already heard a ton of positive reactions to Quest bars from some of my favorite bloggers, so I certainly wanted to try them for myself.

#allthebars

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Chobani and Physique 57 in NYC – Again!

During my August NYC trip for BlogHer ’12, I had two very important “firsts” – my first Physique 57 class (followed by a second a day later, holy addiction) and my first trip to then-new Chobani SoHo. I knew I wanted to experience both again during my NYC day-trip last week to tour the Elvis Duran Show, but would I be able to fit both in one afternoon? OBVIOUSLY.

Chobani SoHo

Kaitlin was super-excited for her first Chobani SoHo trip since she is a fellow Chobani fanatic! We arrived at the store after doing some fabulous shopping near the Elvis Duran studios (everything was grouped nice and close together) and found a sweet employee posted-up outside handing out samples of the PB&J creation (creamy PB, Concord grape jelly, sliced red grapes, peanuts, plain Cho).

Clearly everyone loved the samples - just one left!

Clearly everyone loved the samples – just one left!

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No we did not plan our matching jackets and bags.

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MIMM: Elvis Duran Show in NYC!

Man oh man! I am very thankful to It’s Only Natural for helping me spread the word about my gift card & cookbook giveaway – after they posted it on their Facebook page, I got tons of last minute entries! Oddly enough though, the winner was an early entrant – lucky #4!

ionwinner1

Congrats to my vegan friend Sasha. She has never been to ION before and I know she’s going to LOVE it! She also will be graduating from college this month so the cookbook is perfect for her as she embarks on post-college working life!

ionwinner2

Thanks to everyone who entered and I’ll see you at ION this summer at their weekend patio parties, yes?

Last Tuesday 4/30 I had the most marvelous opportunity ever – the chance to bring my blend Kaitlin with me to NYC so we could visit our favorite morning radio show, The Elvis Duran Show, at the Z100 Studios! I still remember the first time Web Girl Kathleen, the show’s web girl, tweeted me saying she liked my blog. Who knew that eventually she’d be sweet enough to extend an invite to me to come and tour the studio!

Thank you Katie for inspiring me to share what’s marvelous every Monday!

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It’s Only Natural Vegetarian Restaurant Giveaway!

A huge thanks to all my supports who helped my blog’s FB page hit – and surpass – the 600 like milestone yesterday! My next milestone goal is 4,000 followers on Twitter and I am currently at 3,917 – so close! So if you’d like to throw a follow (or 83) my way, I wouldn’t object 😉 I’m so thankful for all of those that continue to support me!

I’ve been to It’s Only Natural – a popular vegetarian restaurant in downtown Middletown, CT – many times. My area does not have many vegetarian/vegan restaurants, so every meal there feels special. The food is always unique and fresh.

My last visit was unfortunately, while delicious, also slow and sullen thanks to a waitress who was overstaffed but also making no effort to apologize for the speed of service or make customers feel welcome. I was there with Kaitlin, who elaborated on that negative part of our visit on her blog.

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Barcelona Goes Galician

Thank you to all who entered the HealthyChic $25 credit giveaway! The winner is my girl Linz of Itz Linz!. Congrats lady and I’ll contact you about redeeming your prize. If you’re bummed you didn’t win, remember you can still create an account through my invite and use discount code FRIENDS15 for 15% off your first order.

Last March I was transported to Mendoza during a wine dinner at Barcelona in West Hartford. In April, Exec Chef Alexander Feldman was at it again on Wednesday 4/17 with a Foods of Galicia dinner menu.

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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.

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