Category Archives: Fitness

My First Thinking Out Loud Thursday!

I definitely am feeling some of that pre-holiday and pre-vacation stress, and also trying to figure out where 2014 will take me. I need to make some big decisions about my career, my location, and just how much uncertainty I can handle. I have SO much on my mind that I figure it will help get it all off my chest to think out loud a bit.

Amanda's new link-up has already seen great success!

Amanda‘s new link-up has already seen great success!

1. I cannot stand the aforementioned uncertainty. I have no idea what I’ll be doing or where I’ll be this time next year. Okay, maybe I have some small idea of where I’ll be. But what I’m doing? I don’t even know. I keep wishing for something to come along that will be a huge “sign” and tell me exactly what to do with my life and what direction to go in and what decision to make and when to make it. I know, be careful what I wish for, because that something could end up being awful!

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MIMM: Holiday Cheer!

The winner of my giveaway for a Blue Nile Sterling Silver Branch Necklace is actually the first person who submitted any entries – Shawna! I will be contacting you to get your shipping address. Congrats to all who entered and thank you for the enthusiastic participation!

I had plans this past weekend for not one but two holiday parties. Unfortunately Saturday’s snow resulted in one of them getting cancelled but I still managed to make my weekend full of plenty of marvelous holiday (and overall) cheer.

Be sure to link-up with Katie if you’re participating in Marvelous In My Monday today!

Marvelous is…visiting Kaitlin on Friday! She was kind enough to host me for the evening and showed me a wonderful time. We started with a gift exchange…she got me a set of champagne flutes and a bottle of Prosecco, not to be opened until I move out of my parents’ house and get my own place 😉 my kind of motivation! The booze theme proceeded to carry on throughout the evening.

We went to Total Wine in Norwalk (which only made me more pumped for FL this month because there’s one by our condo) and they were having not one but two wine tastings AND a vodka tasting. Thank you Friday night! I’m worse in liquor stores than most girls are in Target so I walked out with two bottles of late harvest dessert wines, a nip of coffee liqueur, and a really nice Cabernet to share with Kaitlin at the holiday party we planned to attend later. I also ran into a fantastic guy named Latif who overheard me asking an employee if Total Wine carried Cesca Vicent, my favorite red to order at Barcelona. We immediately bonded over our love for Cesca and Barcelona! It was classic.

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Gymdoll Fitness Apparel Giveaway!

I received a tank top free of charge from Gymdoll. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

I’ve mentioned Gymdoll previously, in my HealthyChic review. But that’s because I happened to choose this cute tank when I was picking out something to purchase during my try-out of the website.

Moar selfies plz.

This time around Gymdoll has contacted me separately to host a giveaway, and try out another tank. I was hooked by Chris’s rhyming subject line in his email to me…”Cait Plus Ate + Gymdoll = GREAT”. How could I say no to that?! He offered me the Skulls & Barbell Active Tank, perfectly suited for a lady like me who is passionate about her gym‘s Group Power class. (Even though the first time I wore it, I was taking Group Kick…oh well.)

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Five Things Friday: Linking Up!

Check out yesterday’s post to see a review, discount code, and GIVEAWAY for Ellovi Butter, a raw six-ingredient body butter created by my friend from high school!

I’ve done Five Things Friday (or some variation) posts in the past but this is the first one I’ve done since Clare started her link-up! And I have several different things to say today so it’s very appropriate timing. I love these kinds of posts because I don’t have to focus on one topic. I can just bop around and share different news/insights/etc. And what do you know…Clare featured one of my posts in her Five Things Friday today! Thank you Clare!

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1. I got really full on Wednesday night. I felt anxious all day at work because not only did I do a morning (which means shorter than usual) workout, but I had dinner plans with Kat to eat in the Millwright’s Tavern. The staff at Millwright’s have a tendency to spoil me 😉 and I found myself future-tripping all day about whether or not that would happen. Well it did – Chef Tyler sent out some amazing appetizers after we’d ordered our (first) drinks and entrees.

Kale with 6-minute egg, tomatillos, blue cheese, bacon, &sweet onion vinaigrette.

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MIMM: Well That Worked Out!

The winners of the Bristol Bliss giveaway are Steph, Heather, and SmileyJoyLove! Congratulations and I will be contacting you for your shipping info so that you can receive your scrub. Remember to check out the Bristol Bliss Etsy shop for natural beauty goodies for yourself…or a custom gift basket for a holiday gift!

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This weekend taught me a few lessons and gave me some great ammo for the next time I’m feeling down. I always need these kinds of weekends to prove to myself that the fun in my life is not a “bad habit”…it’s marvelous!

Join Katie‘s marvelous weekly link-up!

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MIMM: One Early Night, One Late Night

Be sure to check out Friday’s blog post about New Britain Museum of American Art events, and head to their Facebook page to like them and enter the giveaway for a pair of tickets to this Friday’s Scotch vs Bourbon tasting! I’ll be there!

I feel like it’s been awhile since I did a Marvelous In My Monday (MIMM) post! Not that my weekends haven’t been marvelous, but I’ve just been busy with real-life work and blog posts I’d previously committed to publishing. I promised myself I’d start this week off with a post about one of my marvelous weekends.

Be sure to join Katie’s weekly linkup!

Marvelous is…kicking off the weekend with a podcast feature! Awhile back I recorded a podcast with the Bate brothers of The Lifestyle Accountability Show. It went live this past Friday! Click here to listen and if you have a chance after doing so, please head to iTunes and submit a review. I had a nice time connecting and chatting with these gents!

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Albion Fit Petal Pants – Giveaway!

I received complimentary clothing from Albion for review purposes. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

It’s not often that I experience love-at-first-sight with a piece of clothing, but when I do, it sure does hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d been having a hard time getting Albion Fit’s Petal Pants out of my head since the moment Kaitlin sent me a link to them one day during our usual G-chatting.

Source

I’ve worked with Albion Fit in the past to review the Go Long Crew top, and thankfully they wanted to work with me again to review a pair of bottoms to help promote the new fall collection. A very special pair of bottoms…the Petal Pants! They arrived and I was surprised to find they were striped; I’d only looked at the photos like the one above, which made them seem heather gray, and not the more detailed photos. I always prefer patterns over solids though, so it was a pleasant surprise!

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Physique 57 Online Workout: Free Trial!

I received two free days of Physique 57 online workouts so that I could review this video. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

I mentioned at the end of my last Physique 57 post that the fitness program now offers, in addition to studio classes, online workouts for fans all over the world! Great news for folks like me who love doing Physique 57 in person, but just don’t live close to any of their locations. Last Friday I was searching for a morning workout since I had plans after work, and thankfully Natasha of Physique 57 reached out to me around that time to see if I’d like to review the months’ new video: Cardio Sculpt. From the description page, I knew it was just what I was looking for – short (so I could sleep later – ha) yet effective.

Tone and sculpt both the upper and lower body by efficiently combining non-impact cardio exercises with strength training.  By engaging several muscle groups at once, you’ll transform your body into its greatest form. Equipment Needed: portable ballet barre or sturdy piece of furniture, a set of weights (5lbs-10lbs) and a cushion or thick towel.

I was sure to wear my Physique 57 grippy socks! I used a chair as my sturdy piece of furniture.

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Three Things Thursday: Working and Playing Hard

Another Three Things Thursday, another day-before-Friday (though tomorrow’s post will not be a Friday Five). As a co-worker said this morning, “we’re on the downward slope”. Speaking of which…

1. I have been having some kick-butt workouts this week.

Two spin classes down and while they mostly did NOT involve downward slopes, they did involve amazing music and heart-pumping intervals. I left each class feeling satisfied and accomplished. Last week my workouts were so-so and I honestly think it was because I was not fueling myself well enough. This week I made a conscious effort to not think twice about that Sunbutter, not question myself if my body told me I needed an extra snack, and not let my mind trick me into thinking seconds of dinner are something that shouldn’t be allowed. Talk about immediate gratification…I killed it in Group Power on Monday, and didn’t miss any single-count curls during the bicep track, something that usually happens by the end of the song. I rarely ever get sore from core workouts, but the one I did on Tuesday STILL has me sore on this Thursday morning! Trying to get through a workout without being properly fueled sucks, and I’m glad I’ve been reaping instant rewards for my efforts to make sure I eat enough food (and enough of the right food) for my gym sessions.

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Marvelous Work Day (Yeah Right)

The Biena Foods roasted chickpea snacks giveaway closes tonight at 11:59PM EST, so make sure to enter! I will announce the winner tomorrow.

Who has the day off for Columbus Day? Oh, you do? Well I don’t like you. Sorry, I am a bitter Betty today. My alarm went off for work and I felt as if I could’ve slept another few hours (realistically I probably would have slept about one hour more, but I’m just sayin’).

At least Columbus Day meant my commute was not long or crowded.

Let’s focus on the marvelous though, because it’s marvelous that I even have a job, after all. And my weekend was full of marvelous too.

Be sure to join Katie’s link-up and share your marvelous!

Marvelous is…Friday night pizza and salad at Kat‘s house with her, hubby Mike, and baby Penelope. I provided the wine, Kat provided the delicious food, and Penelope provided the laughs (and alas tears – she is teething). Kat prepared a fresh spinach salad with radishes, heirloom tomatoes, balsamic, and EVOO. She also made four naan flatbreads – one with roasted shredded baby cabbages and goat cheese (we obviously had some on the side too), one with fig and prosciutto, and two with buffalo chicken and fresh basil (bro-friendly for Mike). My favorite was definitely the fig and prosciutto but the Brussels pizza was obviously a close second.

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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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