Tag Archives: giveaway

CONNetic Dance Nutcracker Ticket Giveaway!

Last holiday season I had the opportunity to see the Sunday matinee of CONNetic Dance‘s The Nutcracker: Suite & Spicy at Downtown Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. You can see my review here. Director/founder Carolyn Paine is a friend of mine as well as a huge part of Hartford’s cultural scene. She is one of those awesome people like Chion Wolf who I see at almost every area event; she’s on a mission to show the state that Hartford Has It. Well it’s that time of year again…CONNetic Dance will be performing The Nutcracker: Suite & Spicy at the same venue this coming Friday 12/20 and Saturday 12/21 at 8PM, and Sunday 12/22 at 2PM. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased here.

My favorite dance of the show.

This year CONNetic is literally mixing things up by adding an official cocktail sponsor – Tanduay Asian Rum! You may recall that I am a fan (may or may not have had some last night, ice cold with a splash of sweet vermouth, not bad for a Monday). Tanduay will be pouring in the lobby and the program will have special recipes developed just for the show. Here’s a preview!

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Blue Nile “Give One, Get One” Necklace Giveaway!

I received a complimentary necklace from Blue Nile for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

Seattle-based jewelry company Blue Nile has invited me to partake in a “Give One, Get One” holiday campaign. That’s great news for me AND you guys because not only did I receive the Sterling Silver Branch Necklace for review, but I am also going to give one away! The necklace is priced at $40 (unfortunately currently on back-order) and arrived promptly and beautifully packaged.

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One for me, one for one of you, and some Kisses too!

Blue Nile actually is the source of Kaitlin‘s beautiful engagement ring and her wedding band will come from them too! They currently offer free FedEx shipping on every order (shipping is ALWAYS my online shopping hangup) as well as an extended return policy for the holidays.

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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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Ellovi Body Butter – Giveaway!

I received a complimentary jar of body butter for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

I’m back again this week with another preservative-free beauty product review and giveaway! But this one is all the more special to me because though the product is not made locally, it is made by a local. Huh? The company – Ellovi – was co-founded by former Glastonbury resident and fellow GHS graduate Kelly Winterhalter!

Yours truly topping the pyramid, and Kelly on the left with her tongue sticking out, at her high school grad party!

Yours truly topping the pyramid, and Kelly on the left with her tongue sticking out, at her high school grad party!

Nowadays, looking tres glam! Source

Nowadays, looking tres glam! Source

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Bristol Bliss Natural Products Giveaway!

I received complimentary Bristol Bliss products for review purposes. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

When I visited Brilliant Options Wellness for my first massage, I noticed some cute and great-smelling soy candles in the studio. BOW owner Kellie informed me that they were a local product (hooray!) by Bristol Bliss. I contacted owner Mary Brown to find out more about her natural/organic candles and other beauty products. She was kind enough to offer me some samples for a review and giveaway blog post!

I received bath salts, a candle, lip balm, and body scrub.

Unfortunately I never take baths so I never got a chance to use the All-Natural Detoxifying Ginger Bath Salts. The ingredients list is short and sweet: epsom salt, sea salt, ground ginger, baking soda, essential oil. I am not a big user of natural beauty products (or beauty products in general…I just have a few basics) so these pronounceable ingredients are new to me – that’s a good thing!

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Scotch, Bourbon, and American Art

The winner of the Albion Fit Petal Pant leggings giveaway is Lisa! Thank you so much to all who entered – so much enthusiasm for this product! 

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Remember that from now until 11/3 you can get $20 off your Albion purchase of $100 or more by entering code “caitdiscount20” at checkout.

When one hears “Connecticut”, I’m sure the subject of history comes to mind. But what about art? It just so happens that in New Britain, CT, the art-curious can find the New Britain Museum of American Art. The best art museums aren’t just in the big cities! I’ve visited this museum three times and each visit has me circling back to old favorite exhibits and oohing and ahhing over new pieces that arrived since my last time there. Some exhibitions are permanent, while some come in and stick around for only a little while. NBMAA makes a real effort to promote its art not just to your stereotypical museum goers, but to the youth of the area as well. That’s where their fantastic events come in!

Art is fun - clearly.

Art is fun – clearly.

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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.

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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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Oddball at Real Art Ways – Giveaway!

Remember to check out Friday’s post for a link to a Physique 57 online workout code that will give you a free 48 hours of access – up until 10/31!

This Saturday 10/26 I will be attending the Halloween event of the season – the 2013 Oddball at Real Art Ways in Hartford! Ticket proceeds will benefit Real Art Ways, an art organization that shows independent films, commissions public projects, and puts on other live and visual arts based events. This is the fifth year of the masquerade ball featuring “tricked-out art galleries, eerie photo opps, and outrageous tunes”. Doors open at 8PM!

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The $65 ticket includes a specialty Absolut cocktail and food from some of the area’s best restaurants – Max’s Oyster Bar, ON20, Pond House Grille, Firebox, and Republic. Trust me, their food is good…I’ve been to all of them except ON20, but given all the awards they win and the fact that one of my favorite mixologists Brent Bushong is now in charge of their bar food and cocktail menu, I’m comfortable saying they’ll have some delicious offerings.

I actually had dinner at Pond House Grille on Saturday night. They’re doing all-hours happy hour food right now – buy 1, get 1 for a penny. These are the Gorgonzola sweet potatoes and crab cake croquettes. I enjoyed both, ESPECIALLY the sweet potatoes.

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Biena Foods Roasted Chickpea Snacks Giveaway!

I was sent complimentary Biena Foods roasted chickpeas to review. All opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post.

I may have already done a review/giveaway for The Good Bean roasted chickpea snacks, but the first brand of roasted chickpea snacks I ever tried was Biena Foods, at the CT Veg Fest! Now they offer more flavors and I was pleased to accept their offer of a sample of each one to review.

I will be honest with you – there is not much difference between the roasted chickpea snacks offered by The Good Bean and Biena Foods. They have the same amount of calories, fairly similar flavor variety, and comparable all-natural ingredient lists. I will say however that I much prefer Biena’s Sea Salt chickpeas to The Good Bean’s, which are too salty. The point of sea salt is a little goes a long way, and Biena Foods seems to get that! I also loved the Honey Roasted flavor, and The Good Bean does not offer a comparable option. I had the Honey Roasted both in a savory lunch (my salad) and an after-dinner sweet snack (in my favorite Jello pudding); I love that it mixes well with both sweet and savory ingredients!

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Fashion Friday: Bishop’s Corner Giveaway!

The experiences detailed in this post were provided to me free of charge (with the exception of my overzealous purchasing at 2 out of 3 stops). The opinions are my own.

A couple Sundays ago I had my second-ever experience at West Hartford’s Bishop’s Corner shopping center. My first was eons ago at the plaza’s Sakura Garden, but on this visit I hit three different spots and got to do so with blends. Winning! And you guys can do some winning too, just stay tuned til the end of the post…

The ladies in attendance – Julie, Latanya, Alana (of Eden’s, the company who put on the event), me, and Maria! Source.

I showed up in workout clothes (obviously) fresh out of a gym session and ready for lunch. To be honest I was super-wary when I found out the dining destination would be Noodles & Company. I’m not big into pasta or rice or any kind of noodle! A scroll through the menu had me calling this place “Panera for Pasta”.

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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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