Tag Archives: giveaways

Oh Hoppy Day – Mohegan Sun BrewFest Giveaway!

Happy Sunday night! I know, I know. Sunday nights are often not happy for us M-F 9-5ers. This particular Sunday has been a bit hard for me – more to come tomorrow, I’m doing some reflecting still but am anxious to share my thoughts on the weekend with you guys.

Now for a hoppy announcement!

But I’m here to cheer up your Sunday with a giveaway for my readers close to Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT! I love Mohegan’s food and drink events. The Sun WineFest blew my mind earlier this year, and I even got to attend the first ever Mohegan Sun BBQ Fest back in June. Now the casino is launching an annual BrewFest!

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The event is this coming weekend, Saturday 10/6 and Sunday 10/7. Three sessions are available to attend – Saturday noon to 4pm and 6-10pm (I’m going to that one), and Sunday noon to 4pm. And get this – tickets to a session are just $20 each! So affordable. This isn’t a dinky event either. Check out Mohegan’s BrewFest webpage for a long list of both drink and food vendors that will be there. The casino is also featuring a hotel package to go with the event.

One of my favorite spots in Mohegan is the beautiful Leffingwell’s Martini Lounge!

Portions of ticket proceeds benefit a great cause too, a cause that I never before considered a need for, but as soon as I heard about it I was on board. Snowball Express helps the children of fallen members of our military. It’s so important to take care of the families of America’s heroes, both living and those who have lost their lives.

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Mohegan Sun is offering a giveaway for two passes to a BrewFest session of your choice! One Cait Plus Ate reader will win the passes, so make sure you are free this weekend in case you win! And even if you don’t, it’s only $20 per ticket, so you should totally hit up BrewFest…heck, I’ll be there Saturday night, so come then!

Giveaway ends this Wednesday 10/3 at 12PM EST! To enter, you can do the following – and leave a comment for each:

  1. Check out the list of vendors attending and leave a comment telling me which excites you most! (mandatory)
  2. Follow @MoheganSun on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  3. Follow @CaitPlusAte on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  4. Tweet “I entered the @MoheganSun BrewFest #giveaway from @CaitPlusAte! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1wT” and comment here with the link to the tweet.
  5. Follow Mohegan Sun on Pinterest and comment saying you did.
  6. Follow Cait Plus Ate on Pinterest and comment saying you did.

So many ways to enter 🙂 good luck!

Rules: No Purchase Necessary. This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States who are 21 years of age or older. The email addresses that are collected for this giveaway will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner and will never be given out to anyone nor sold. The winners will be randomly chosen and contacted via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond. Please make sure you check your junk mail folder.

Fashion Friday: Double Take

Time to announce the winner of a free hairdo by Blo West Hartford…

The winner is Olivia!!! I will be contacting her to set up receipt of the prize!

Congrats to her and thanks to all who entered, and to Blo and Cuvee for making this giveaway possible!

Thank you for all the well wishes on yesterday’s one-year belated blogiversary reflection! I love having this blog to look back and recognize how much I’ve grown while also remembering all the fun I’ve had in the past year.

Fun with the best dad in the world! Rockin’ those classy plaid shorts for Fashion Friday!

I have to admit that this hasn’t been the best week for me. I’ve been doing a lot of feeling bad about myself. I’m honestly just downright sick of it and I’m trying to keep trucking on – I know I need to be out of my comfort zone to learn the lessons I need to learn to be happy in the long run. But it sure isn’t easy.

Some mornings, eating my banana and beloved PB isn’t easy. Good thing I love the combo so much 🙂

I was cheered up today when I read a post from Lisa about how she is taking the plunge and is going to stay in California on a “sabbatical” for the next year. I am so envious and at the same time inspired! I want to leave Connecticut and live in a place that’s more “me” one day, but there are things I need to do (my MBA, save more money…) before it’s “practical” to do that. I’m a very practical person, but that doesn’t mean I’m always happy about it. Still, seeing someone do what I want to do makes me realize that it is indeed possible. I need to be patient!

At least last night in class when I dated my page as Tuesday, I got to cross it off after realizing it was Thursday, and not the other way around.

I’ve got a fun weekend ahead – but then again, I always do (I’m not trying to be snotty, it just seems to be the case!). Sometimes that’s the problem! The fun activities are fun to me often because they might entail some food…some drinks…and I feel guilty for thinking those things are fun. But that’s me. That’s my passion, along with the people I’ll be spending time with. I need to focus on them!

Will be hanging with my mom for sure on Sunday night for dinner!

And onto Fashion Friday! Let’s do it! I wanted to showcase a couple of skirts I’ve purchased over the summer that I’ve worn a couple of different ways. Maybe it’s the fashionista in me, but I love those features in magazines that show different outfits using the same piece. Sometimes there isn’t much of a difference, but sometimes a new outfit combo can result in a completely different look!

I used the above outfit in a prior Fashion Friday, but this week I wore the H&M skirt and those shoes again, just with a different shirt. This is an example of a different shirt NOT changing a look much…especially since it’s literally the exact same shirt, in a different color. #sorrynotsorry

Went for lime green this time!

I love wearing neutral colors on the bottom and BRIGHT neon on top! I think the two balance each other out well, and I decided to stick with that look.

This photo makes it look like I’m wearing one earring, but the glittery gold dot (Aldo) and the shell (Forever 21) are two different pairs. I refuse to lay down and let it be fall! Bring on skirts, bring on seashells!

Necklace: Mikarose

Top: Armani Exchange

Watch: NYC flea market

Bracelet, Rings: Forever 21

Skirt, Flats: Urban Outfitters (on sale now for $14.99!)

Top: Forever 21

Watch: NYC flea market

Skirt: Urban Outfitters (see above)

Heels: Steve Madden

I think the two outfits featuring the Urban Outfitters skirt definitely give a more different vibe. I love black lace because I feel like it’s a contrast between girly and dark. I think the first outfit is all girly, from the soft colors to the flats.

Also, in my “travels” through the Urban Outfitters sale skirt section I came across these two gems. I WANT.

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I don’t even like watermelon, but I want the skirt below!

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Which way of wearing each of the two skirts is your favorite?

How do you feel about my latest Urban Outfitters wish list skirts?

Do you find yourself wearing the same pieces in completely different types of outfits?

Pink Thursday at Cuvee Blo’s Up – Giveaway!

Congratulations to the winners of the Mama Micki’s Vegan Cookie giveaway! I received 136 entries – thank you so much for your interest in these local goodies baked with passion and care right here in New England.

Congratulations Jeanne and Audrey! I will be contacting you to get your shipping information and choice of prize! You also clearly have good taste 🙂

Remember the 3rd Anniversary Party I recently promoted and attended for Cuvee? Well they’re at it again, and this time you can support a good cause AND drink champagne at the same time in this fabulous champagne room in West Hartford’s Blueback Square.

At Cuvee, each Thursday in September has been Think Pink Thursday – wear pink and get a free glass of champagne! As you can probably guess, the pink is more than just a girly twist – it’s been selected because Cuvee has partnered with Susan G. Komen’s Connecticut chapter to support breast cancer awareness. In addition, patrons can purchase a pink champagne flute and bring it back next Thursday 10/4 for a three-hour open champagne bar!

Feasting on apps and champagne with my friend Kelly in one of Cuvee’s cozy, intimate corners!

This Thursday is the last Think Pink Thursday at Cuvee, and it will be an especially can’t-miss evening since Blo West Hartford will be there giving out beauty tips and information about this new Blo location and its services!

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In honor of the last Pink Thursday at Cuvee, Blo West Hartford is giving away a free do from the Blo Hair Menu to one lucky Cait Plus Ate reader! Want to enter? There are several ways – but leave a comment for each or they won’t all count! Giveaway is open until 12PM this Thursday, 9/27!

  1. Comment on this post telling me which style on the Blo Hair Menu you’d choose! (mandatory)
  2. Tweet Blo up @CuveeCT for @komenct this Thurs 9/24 & enter the @CaitPlusAte @bloheartsyou #giveaway! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1vt and comment with the link to your tweet.
  3. Follow @CuveeCT on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  4. Follow @komenct on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  5. Follow @ScarlettOHair_a on Twitter – owner of Blo WeHa – and comment saying you did.

Good luck to all who enter and remember – if you’re in the West Hartford area, THINK PINK this Thursday at Cuvee to support breast cancer awareness!

Mama Micki’s Vegan Cookies Review and Giveaway!

Words can’t describe my appreciation for your supportive comments, emails, and tweets in response to Tuesday’s post. It’s hard to open up like that and I still feel pretty vulnerable, but it seemed like each moment of self-consciousness I had over sharing so much was accompanied by yet another kind message of encouragement rolling into my Twitter feed or inbox. I’m so thankful to have this community and will be responding to you all when I have a chance (it’s been a busy work week).

Oo a package!

In the spring I attended the first-ever CT Veg Fest in Hartford, and had the opportunity to meet tons of passionate vendors looking to spread the word about their food offerings. One of those vendors, Mama Micki’s All-Natural Bakery of Scituate, MA, really stuck out to me for a few reasons. Not only are many of Micki’s baked goods vegan, but they are all made with REAL ingredients – and she even uses only non-GMO soy! Micki’s drive to share her love for all foods whole comes from her own personal experience with the healing power of real food; it has aided her for years in a quest to improve her hearing!

Micki and her “pup”! Source

Yeah yeah yeah – but do they taste good? The answer to that question is a resounding YES! At Veg Fest I had the privilege of sampling three varieties of vegan cookies – Chocolate Orange Walnut, Molasses, and Oatmeal Raisin Sunflower Seed. I was particularly impressed by the first two! In fact, just thinking about that Molasses cookie is making my mouth water right now, due to the autumn-fever that’s been taking over New England the last couple of weeks.

Cute tagline, right? Source

I’ve liked Mama Micki’s on Facebook and followed her on Twitter since Veg Fest, but we recently re-connected on that Facebook page. I proposed doing a review and GIVEAWAY for you all of these wonderful vegan baked goods, and Micki was all over it! She was kind enough to send me three different flavors of cookies to try, and even let me pick them out.

Hello to you, cookies and kind note!

I did ask for the Chocolate Orange Walnut cookies again, just because at Veg Fest I so admired the complexity of their flavor. The orange is the perfect level of subtlety and the real cocoa flavor shines through in each bite. I love being able to bite into something and say, “Oh yeah, I KNOW that’s made with Ingredient X”. The walnut in these cookies is nice and chunky too!

Enjoyed a cookie crumbled into chocolate Jello pudding after dinner – more than one night I might add!

I wanted to also sample a more “plain” variety of cookie to cover all my bases, and the Sugar cookies were right up that alley (notice I didn’t say MY alley – plain is NOT my alley!) I liked these, but since I prefer a more complex flavor, they were my least favorite of the three.

Still those that prefer way less going on in a cookie will enjoy these – that’s what sugar cookies are for, right?! And how FUN it would be to decorate these around the holidays! The coolest part by far, though, are the red sprinkles dusted on top of each cookie. I noticed beet powder on the ingredient list of these guys, and asked Micki about it. Turns out she won’t even use artificial dyes in her kitchen – the beet powder is what turned the sugar red! At that point I TRULY realized how dedicated Mama Micki’s Bakery is to its principals.

Finally, I had to save the Coconut Almond Bliss cookies for last! They seemed to use the same “foundation” as the Chocolate Orange Walnut, only minus orange and plus a hint of coconut flavor! I do wish the coconut had come through a bit more strongly, but I’m a coconut fiend. For others, it may have been just right! Once again I could so clearly taste the fresh cocoa used in these cookies, and really liked that some of the almonds in them were actually whole!

Accompanied by ever-present hydration!

Overall, another favorite characteristic for me of ALL of Micki’s baked goods is their lower sugar content! Eating processed sugars makes me feel sleepy and kinda crappy (not to say they don’t taste wonderful – I try to save them for after dinner so I can drift off into a sugar sleep :-P) and lowering the amount I consume over the last couple of years has made my taste buds really sensitive to them! Probably why I prefer my drinks strong like an old man’s, hmm? A cookie that tastes less sweet and more hearty and whole is the cookie for me, and that’s what Micki is putting out there.

Another combo of choice? A Mama Micki’s cookie crumbled into my beloved plain Chobani!

I was sure to share the wealth with friends. I brought my co-worker a few cookies to give his daughter, who is a vegan. She must have REALLY loved them because she was so grateful that she made me the below beautiful drawing, which totally brightened my day and is still brightening my cubicle!

I also was sure to share some with my ever-present foodie friend Jeff! He is always benefitting off my blog! I asked him his opinion via text.

I did like how the lack of butter made them so easy to crumble into my pudding or yogurt!

So now that you’ve heard from my friends and I how good these cookies are, let’s get to the part you’re most excited for – the giveaway! Micki has generously agreed to give away two bags of her cookies to each of two winners. This giveaway ends Saturday, 9/22/12 (11:59PM EST) and is open to US readers only (excluding Hawaii and Canada).

To enter, you can do the following and leave a comment for each or multiple entries won’t count!

  1. Head over to the list of products on Micki’s website and let me know in a comment which creation you’d want to try most. (mandatory)
  2. Follow @MamaMickis on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  3. Follow @CaitPlusAte on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  4. Tweet “I entered to win #vegan cookies from @mamamickis – thanks @CaitPlusAte! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1uC” and comment with the link to the tweet.

And if you just can’t wait to see if you win the giveaway, or if you don’t want to take your chances, you can head over to the Mama Micki’s website, shop online, and use the coupon code CaitPlusAte to get 20% off your online purchase until October 20th! 

Thanks Micki for making this review, giveaway, and coupon code possible. Good luck to all who enter! I received samples to review from Mama Micki’s Bakery free of charge, but all reviews and opinions are my own.

Weekend With My BB – Part One

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway for two Anchor Bay fitness DVDs – I received 193 entries! The two winners are…

Laurel and Angela!

Congrats, ladies! I will be contacting you for your shipping information. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the DVDs! And now, onto today’s weekend recap (part one!)…

During Friday’s drive from work to the gym, I was itching with excitement. Yes, I felt pumped to get to the gym after taking a semi-active rest day the day before. But I felt MORE pumped for what would be arriving in Glastonbury after my gym trip – Heather, my best blend!

Cheers!

My BB drove from MA to CT to stay for the weekend. We both absolutely craved the same things Friday night – wine, salad, and pajamas. Consider it done!

My mom captured the bloggers at work!

I purchased a bottle of Pinot Grigio for the perfect price of $7! I’d sampled this Pinot, from Lulu B Wines, at the Yelp Helps! event in Hartford recently. It was definitely Instagram-worthy, as you can see above, and also tastebud worthy! I find that white wines are way easier to “do cheap” than reds!

Using glasses from Chamard Vineyards!

Heather and I like to buy each other little gifts when we see things that remind us of each other (you can vomit now), and we weren’t even surprised when we pulled out bags from the same store (our little piece of heaven, Urban Outfitters) when it came time to exchange presents.

Who’da thunk it?!

I love giving people presents. I’ve been known to find someone the PERFECT birthday gift, and buy it, regardless of whether the birthday is a week or almost a year away! Hanging onto the gift becomes difficult. I only got Heather’s gift last weekend, but have been so anxious to give it to her since!

And for good reason! I knew this would be Heather’s face when she opened her present – a large photo book containing a history of the Beatles through FASHION! I don’t know much about the Beatles (don’t judge me) but I do know she loves them, and loves the fashion of the 60s (and beyond). Also, the book was $2 .Yup. Purchasing it for her was kinda a no-brainer.

Wet hair, don’t care.

The notebook on the right literally lists the benefits of drinking coffee – as if I needed any convincing to consume it daily – and is so perfect for grad school. Especially since I just started back this past Thursday! I love the contrasting stripe and polka dot patterns of the notebook on the left. They’re sure to get my creative juices flowing, which is appropriate since Heather purchased the notebook for the specific purpose of my continued journey with #AmazingMe. Um, #AmazingHeather! I’m so touched by her constant support.

The pan in the center has curried sweet potatoes from Whole Foods (plus ketchup) that we made extra crispy in the oven. Le duh.

We’d planned to add re-runs of “The Hills” to our salad-and-wine soiree, but they were not available on MTV.com. Never fear! We were better off moving ourselves and all our “gear” down to my basement to use Netflix. Five or six episodes later, we were in major #jadorelavie mode.

I also need to give Lauren Conrad props for having the BEST bitch faces ever.

I awoke with an annoying stab-my-eyes out headache, but I wasn’t too concerned. Heather and I had plans to visit the local Bikram Yoga studio. I had 9 classes from a Groupon to use and she’s a big fan, so we thought it was an appropriate Saturday morning BB workout. And a workout it was! Not only did I feel physically challenged, but also mentally. I noticed that whenever my mind started to wander, my balance did too! My desire to hold poses longer and more correctly drove me to bring my mind back to the present. The practice felt hardest to me during all the transitions to and from savasana, as strange as that sounds. The switching between lying on my back and whatever mat pose was next really got the blood flowing to and from my head, which made me feel light-headed and set my heart to a racing pace at times. That might sound scary, but I still felt in control of my body – just challenged as well. I felt like my heart and lungs were fighting to get stronger! I always discover something physically and mentally new about myself when I practice yoga, particularly a style as extreme as Bikram.

The post-Bikram glow – and HLS headband!

After showering and packing a snack bag (priorities, people), we went to our special Glastonbury spot – Daybreak Coffee Roasters. Every time Heather visits Glastonbury, our time together is not complete without a blogging session at Daybreak, just as my visits to her are not complete without a Wildflour trip (which must include a scone).

Of course my standard cottage cheese and fruit snack was on stand-by!

We ordered Pumpkin Spice (Heather) and Southern Pecan (me) French press coffees. In mugs, for ultimate coziness.

All set up with her protein oats!

We both were super productive thanks to our fresh fuel and cups of joe! And super zen thanks to the morning’s yoga and the peaceful atmosphere of Daybreak.

Thanks for the labels, Daybreak!

Afterwards, we went to Sonoma Wines & Spirits, my favorite package store ever, to help my mom pick out some craft beers. Sonoma has a great selection of singles of unique beers from smaller brands, and customers can build their own six pack AND get 10% off! Later in the day, I joined my mom in sampling some of the Dogfish Head Burton Baton and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum. We both agreed the Hoptimum was the winner!

Beer in a Coca-Cola glass, classic.

Perfect for Tennessee football viewing!

We obviously had to do a photoshoot outside of Sonoma. Because that’s what bloggers do.

Sonoma – and Heather’s fishtail braid skills – rock!

We had another Whole Foods experience for our late lunch, but managed to spend a bit less money this time.

Heather’s awe of how “cute” my town is totally made me realize that I sometimes take it for granted. I DEFINITELY used to in high school. I’m glad that since moving back home, I’ve learned about the treasures my town has to offer. One of the cute gift shops we visited, Emmy Lou’s, also happened to be home to Heather’s favorite type of dog, a corgi.

Awkward…

This particular corgi was named Tasha, and she was literally camera shy – as in, afraid of cameras! Opposite of a blogger. A hilarious attempt to get a photo of Heather and Tasha together ensued.

Corgi fail!

Corgi isn’t having this shit.

Seeing Heather laugh that hard was pretty awesome.

Tasha is over it.

Thanks to the shop/corgi owner, we got a good photo!

After our Glastonbury adventures were done, we went back to my house and I watched the football game with my mom (and my beer) while Heather read her book. Seeing my friends read makes me so happy, since I’m such a bookworm! We took some time to read each other favorite passages, both of her book and my latest (which I plan to do a post on soon). After more episodes of “The Hills” (can’t stop, won’t stop), we set off for dinner. To be continued…

You can read Heather’s take on our first adventures here 🙂 and more to come from me!

Cheap wines, red and/or white…do you buy/drink them?

Which old show could you watch endless re-runs of?

Have you ever tried Bikram yoga?

Element Yoga DVDs: Review and Giveaway!

Thank you for your kind, supportive words about my honesty at the end of yesterday’s post. Each time I open up on this blog about the “other side” of my feelings about food and drinks, I am rewarded by your comments and tweets…and just any form of encouragement I receive. It helps more than anyone knows!

After receiving an Anchor Bay Fitness AM & PM Yoga DVD by Element in my Fitness Magazine Meet & Tweet swag bag (you can read a great review of that DVD on Meredith’s blog, Dare You To…, here!), I contacted one of their reps to find out if they had any power yoga DVDs for me to check out. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile then you already know this, but on days I have class or an event after work, I like to do a yoga DVD or online video in the morning since I can’t make it to the gym. Well…I suppose I could. But doing a gym workout just isn’t what I want to be doing at 6:15am – so I do yoga instead 🙂

My at-home yoga “studio” – complete with TJ Maxx mat!

It turns out Element has many yoga DVDs to choose from! I was sent the Yoga for Weight Loss and Power Yoga DVDs to review. I want to note that though I am reviewing the Yoga for Weight Loss DVD, I am NOT reviewing it from the perspective of someone trying to lose weight. If anything, I am working on being OK with gaining back some healthy weight, and I look at yoga as an aid in that journey because it helps me find peace in doing a less-intense form of workout.

The Element Yoga for Weight Loss DVD with Ashley Turner actually turned out to be extremely fitting to that purpose because it really was a nice balance of power yoga and the more relaxed, stretch-focused types of yoga. According to Ashley herself, the practice is meant to combine vinsaya yoga with poses that can foster “self-acceptance, focus, forgiveness, and gratitude – reducing stress and creating happiness from the inside out…so you will want to treat [your body] respectfully and maintain a lifestyle that is good for your health”. I appreciate the recognition that weight loss is a journey consisting of so much more than simply burning calories.

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I definitely felt accomplished and at peace after completing this DVD. The low music, serene Pacific-Ocean-view setting, and calm manner with which Ashley delivered her instructions effectively combined to create what I felt was a judgment-free zone that a beginning yogi would find helpful while attempting new poses. I don’t think someone completely new to yoga would have an easy time understanding the poses (so they can be attempted) during an initial viewing, but after a couple of runs through the DVD, the routine wouldn’t be to hard to get a grasp on.

I always have my mason jar of water handy while I’m practicing!

The Element Power Yoga DVD certainly focused much more on the physical challenge – a true lower body, and at times cardio, workout! Ashley Turner once again teaches in the same serene setting, with the same low music and patient-sounding voice. However, the instructions she delivered were for more challenging poses with quick flows and longer isometric holds! At one point during this DVD, when my left leg had been in a right angle for what seemed like years, I literally yelled, “SHIT!” as I fought through the burn. Yes my friends, this Power Yoga DVD enduces cursing, so if you have little ones you better make sure they’re out of earshot before beginning. 😛

Don’t worry, she doesn’t ask you to do this! Source

I don’t want to scare anyone though! I clearly felt challenged, but also accomplished and strong after the DVD’s conclusion. I enjoyed the pattern of poses – those emphasizing the core were scattered throughout, and a nice backbend sequence wound down the practice. It’s usually very difficult for me to fight the urge to just shut my yoga videos off as they enter the savasana portion, but in this case I felt pretty pooped and the rest period was most welcome! I wanted to just chill out in corpse pose before I had to get ready for work.

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Anchor Bay Fitness has two new Element DVDs coming out 9/25: Yoga for Energy & Relaxation and Accelerated Pilates with Resistance Band. The former features yoga expert Tamal Dodge and consists of a 30-minute energizing practice and 40-minute relaxation practice. I love that the DVD “categorizes” both series of poses so that if one does not have time to do both, or is just looking for an energy boost or a relaxing stretch, the viewer can easily choose which portion of the workout to complete.

I hope to get the chance to try out the latter DVD, Accelerated Pilates with Resistance Band, for endless reasons! Firstly it’s just a 30-minute total body workout and 10-minute ab routine, which fit perfectly with my yoga/pilates attention span. 😀 Ssecondly, I was a HUGE fan of the resistance band’s uses in Physique 57 and would love to see how trainer Lisa Hubbard incorporates the (PINK!) band into this practice. The fact that the DVD calls this pilates “accelerated” also jumps out at me because though I don’t do pilates often now, I did it a few times a week during my senior year of college after I had just entered recovery and was in great need of a form of workout far less intense than what I’d been doing. For that reason, I have always felt a special bond with pilates because of the way it kept me “sane” when I was forbidden from higher-intensity workouts. Any chance to try out a new routine is welcome to me because every instructor does pilates so differently!

You can purchase all Anchor Bay Fitness DVDs in stores or on Amazon.com!

I’m partnering with Anchor Bay Fitness to give TWO lucky Cait Plus Ate readers the chance to try BOTH of these DVDs! Two readers will each win a copy of both new Element DVDs, Accelerated Pilates with Resistance Band and Yoga for Energy & Relaxation! The giveaway is open to US readers only. Entries will close Saturday 9/8 at 11:59PM EST!

To enter, you can do the following – and leave a separate comment for each:

  1. Comment on this post (mandatory) and tell me which of the four DVDs mentioned in this post you’d most want to try!
  2. Follow @CaitPlusAte on Twitter, and comment with your Twitter handle saying you did.
  3. Follow @AnchorBayEntFit on Twitter, and comment with your Twitter handle saying you did.
  4. Tweet “I’m entered to win two @AnchorBayEntFit #yoga #pilates DVDs from @CaitPlusAte! #fitfluential http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1rd” and comment here with the link to the tweet.
  5. Repin something from Element on Pinterest and comment with the link to the repin.
  6. Follow CaitPlusAte on Pinterest and comment with your Pinterest name saying you did.

Though it’s not an option for giveaway entry, you can also like Anchor Bay Entertainment’s Fitness page on Facebook! Good luck to all who enter!

I received free copies of the Element Power Yoga and Yoga for Weight Loss DVDs to review. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review/giveaway.

Love With Food Giveaway!

Remember CT readers – one of my favorite spots for unique cocktails and tasty small plates in the Hartford area, Cuvee, is holding a special third-anniversary party at 7PM on Thursday 8/30 at their location in West Hartford’s Blueback Square. But there is ALSO a special VIP event with complimentary drinks, champagne tastings, apps, and more from 5-7PM. If you want to win a chance to attend, text BUBBLY to 37798! Maybe I’ll see you there!

I’m coming at you today with a review and giveaway for another food subscription box service – but don’t judge books by their covers, because Love with Food is different in that they aren’t just delivering food to you, but to others as well.

Founder and CEO Aihui (pronounced i-we) Ong sent me a complimentary box to review after I connected with Love with Food at BlogHer ’12 a few weeks ago. They stuck out to me because I was intrigued by the variety of products on display at their booth, the price point of just $10/month, and the fact that for each box sold, Love with Food donates a meal to a hungry child.

With a Love with Food box at BlogHer ’12’s Expo Hall.

I was excited to dig into my box and check out the tasty treats I’d been sent. A handy sheet was included which explained each product.

The box’s theme of Travelin’ Eats was appropriate for the trips many people take in August! I love the cute animation.

Overall I was fairly impressed by the products inside:

  • Sun Flour Baking Company Vegan Cookies – I’m of course most excited to sample the PB variety. Sometimes lemon-flavored things and I don’t get along so the fact that the other cookie is described as “Lemony Lemon” makes me a bit weary but we’ll see!
  • The Ginger People‘s Gin Gins Super Strength Ginger Caramel Candy – I don’t really like candies so I wasn’t too psyched over this one, but it does fit the Travelin’ Eats theme…the insert included with the box explained that ginger calms motion sickness.
  • Tangerine Glee Gum – Again this didn’t excite me because I always chew the same gum (Trident Original) and I may be open to many new foods, but gum just isn’t really one of them. Still the insert pointed out that the gum would aid a flying traveler in preventing ear popping!

The little red slip pictured above gave a preview for the September box (which the winner of the giveaway will receive). Stephanie Quilao of Back In Skinny Jeans has input into the box and it will include her favorite pre-and post-workout eats!

  • East Shore Skinny Dipping Pretzels – I can’t figure out whether or not these are called “skinny” because East Shore wants to market to females or because they literally are skinny pretzels. But the bottom line is, I really like pretzels. And I’m guessing these will be yummy – like all pretzels are!
  • East Shore Key Lime with Ginger Mustard – Out of all the products included in the box, I am actually most excited to dig into this little guy. I use mustard a TON at home with my dinners, especially on meat or regular/sweet potato fries. As soon as my mom makes fries in the oven I will be busting this out.
  • Sconza Candies Coconut Toffee Peanuts – These sound beyond. Amazing. And dangerous! The bag isn’t exactly tiny but I can see it being tempting to sit down and finish it in one sitting! I can just imagine how fabulously they’ll pair with my plain Greek yogurt in the evening…
  • Cherry Bay Orchards Dried Montgomery Cherries – I know that many bloggers would go bananas (or cherries) for these but cherries aren’t really my thing. I like how well-portioned the sample pack is.

As with all subscription services like this, the Love with Food box products’ full size versions are available for sale on their website. Subscribers can also earn points for committing to a 3, 6, or 12-month plan, reviewing what they received, and/or purchasing full sizes. The points can be used to get more full sized items for free.

It’s great to know that Love With Food is literally spreading the love WITH food…by giving it to children in need each time they sell another box. The affordable price point will surely encourage more people to buy boxes, meaning more children will get meals. There is a $2/month fee for shipping, but if you sign up for the 6-month plan it becomes $1/month, and the year-long subscription will give you FREE shipping. You can check out pricing details here.

Love with Food is offering Cait Plus Ate readers $2 off the purchase of a box! The code expires 8/31 (the last day to order the September box) so hurry! Just enter CAITVIP at checkout. No, I didn’t choose that code, Aihui did. KINDA love it 😉

And one lucky reader is also going to win the September box for FREE! This is going to be a quick giveaway because I want the winner to have time to get on the website and use a special access code to order the September box by 8/31, so entries will accepted until 11:59PM EST tomorrow night (Tuesday 8/28). How do you enter?

  1. Go to the Love With Food Products page and tell me in a comment here which product you’d most want to try! (mandatory)
  2. Follow @LoveWithFood on Twitter and comment here saying you did.
  3. Follow @CaitPlusAte on Twitter and comment here saying you did.
  4. Tweet “I’m spreading the love with @LoveWithFood through a @CaitPlusAte giveaway! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1pO” and comment here with the link to the tweet.

Good luck to all who enter and I hope that some of you guys spread the love with food and purchase a box with the discount code!

Knoshbox Winner!

As promised I am popping in to reveal who won the Knoshbox giveaway! I’m beyond overwhelmed by the response, and Knoshbox is too – 254 entries!

 

Congratulations to Angela!

 

Her winning pin!

I will be contacting Angela for her shipping info to deliver to Knoshbox – she will receive the September Wine Trail themed box!

Huge props to Knoshbox for providing me with a complimentary box for my review, and for creating a product that helps spread the word about the smaller vendors out there. Thanks to all who entered!

 

BIG News and Knoshbox Giveaway!

Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post if you’re a CT resident – it contains some special instructions about how to possibly get into the VIP portion of Cuvee‘s 3rd Anniversary Party in West Hartford next Thursday 8/30!

Before I get into today’s review and giveaway, I have big news for you guys that I’ve been holding off on sharing until after I  was done recapping the 2012 Healthy Living Summit. On Monday I was contacted by Ripe, a local company that makes 100% natural drink mixer juices. They, along with Onyx Moonshine (another favorite local company of mine) and Morton’s of Hartford, are sponsoring a Farm-to-Shaker Bartender Challenge at my favorite CT farmer’s market, the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market, on Sunday 9/9 at 2:30PM. Area mixologists will be asked to use ingredients from the day’s farmers’ market offerings to make unique cocktail creations. Adding a local twist to fancy beverages?! This has ME written all over it!

And Ripe thought so too, because the reason I was approached on Monday was so they could ask me to be a JUDGE at this event! I enthusiastically, immediately accepted the “job”. I am not only excited to get a chance to sample all these cocktails, but beyond honored and pleased that my blog has accurately portrayed my passion for the most out-there, skillfully crafted, and simply tasty cocktails. The fact that I was thought of as a good person to judge this kind of event means that I am doing a good job of being ME when I publish posts! And after having just tuned into the “I Am the Blogger in Your Neighborhood” session at HLS and feeling encouraged and reassured about my involvement as a CT blogger, this is only further proof that I am on the right path!

My BB Heather just so HAPPENS to be visiting that weekend too (this keeps getting better) so she will be able to join my parents in watching me judge – and take photos/videos to show you all!!!

Knoshbox Review & Giveaway

Now let’s get into the goods. As in, good for you guys!

My friend Richard has utilized his local food expertise and started Knoshbox, a monthly subscription service that delivers local treasures to foodies nationwide. There are other food sample subscription services out there, but Knoshbox differs in a couple of ways.

Firstly, the products Richard selects to send out each month are not produced by “big business” by any means. Knoshbox recipients can rest assured that the food they’re receiving is coming from sources such as start-up ventures or farms.

So simple and classy!

Secondly, Richard is not sending subscribers sample items. Instead, he sends out full-size items so that foodies have plenty to enjoy. Also, farms or start-ups might not already be producing sample sizes, so I think it makes sense and is considerate of the producers to not restrict Knoshbox items to those that come in sample sizes only.

I was so excited when Richard sent me the company’s first box and even included a note explaining just how fresh the box’s contents were. The words “a few days ago”…”this past Friday”…”first bounty of the season”…totally stood out to me and made me all the more excited to see what was inside.

No, I’m just kidding, the box did NOT only include packing “potpourri”. But I thought it was way fun.

Like my do?

But seriously, my Knoshbox contained a variety of high-quality foodie treasures.

  • Ashlawn Farm Coffee: This bold blend contains fair trade and organic beans! I haven’t had a chance to use it yet since I typically don’t drink coffee I make at home, but my mom is excited to try it. The only reason she hasn’t yet is because the bag came with whole coffee beans instead of ground. This was a bit inconvenient, but I also understand it was necessary to preserve the freshness. I love that it came right from a farm in Lyme, CT. I’d love to visit their cafe sometime.
  • Zen Tara Tea: The Golden Meyer Lemon Black Tea is the perfect basic flavor, made with lemon peel and lemongrass. Zen Tara is a company based in Bethesda, MD.
  • Two Cousins Biscotti: You probably have seen me tweeting away about having this as a late-night snack with my beloved plain Chobani. An Italian couple in Clinton, CT makes this authentic, complexly flavored biscotti. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory and each bite was like a surprise because I didn’t know if I’d hit a cranberry, a pistachio, or an apricot. Any of the three was welcome! Love that satisfying crunch too.

  • Taza Chocolate: I raved about Taza when I tried their stone ground chocolate at CT Veg Fest and I’ll rave about it again here. Once again, plain Chobani provided an excellent place to mix in this salt and pepper dark chocolate. Such a rich flavor and the difference between Taza and other dark chocolate brands is totally noticeable. I was so excited to see it in the Knoshbox.
  • Full Bloom Apiaries: It doesn’t get more legit than honey straight from those that do it best, like this apiary in Franklin, CT. I have to admit I don’t use honey often but would love to find some baked good recipes to incorporate this into.

Me and ma honey 😉

All of these items and those that appear in any Knoshbox are available for purchase on the site’s Market. Your next question, I’m sure, is “How much will this cost me?” You can guess that with full-size local products, the price point of a Knoshbox is not as low as the $10/month I was paying for my Birchboxes. However for $30/month, you can get your own Knoshbox without having to pay shipping. And if you aren’t sure whether or not you want to commit, you can order just one box (with shipping) – that would even make a great gift, since Richard shares on the website ahead of time what kind of goods will be in the upcoming month’s box! For example, September will bring the Wine Trail Box with goodies like Vermont wheat crackers and Portland, Oregan chorizo – perfect for the wino on your gift list (*cough*)

My nighttime routine (for four nights since I had four biscotti) was having the biscotti crumbled in plain Chobani while I read my book!

One lucky Cait Plus Ate reader will WIN that September Wine Trail Box! Giveaway is open to US residents only (except Alaska and Hawaii) and will close Saturday night at 11:59PM ET. The winner will be announced Sunday. There are several ways to enter, and make sure you leave a comment for each:

  1. Head to the Knoshbox Market and comment telling me which local treasure you’d most want to try (mandatory).
  2. Follow me on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  3. Follow Knoshbox on Twitter and comment saying you did.
  4. Tweet “I entered to win a @Knoshbox full of local foods from @CaitPlusAte! http://wp.me/p1SfTW-1nX” and comment with the link to the tweet.
  5. Follow me on Pinterest and comment saying you did.
  6. Follow Knoshbox on Pinterest and repin something from there. Comment with the link to the repin.

Good luck to all!

Manic Monday

ZOMG. You know that song Manic Monday? This is not “just another Manic Monday”. This is THE Manic Monday. So I am just going to say a few things:

  1. I’m going to Barcelona Wine Bar tonight for a Patio Party grilling class at their outdoor seating area with their talented chef, Jason Welch. The cocktail and/or glass of wine I have will be much needed. As will that yummy food! Got any grilling questions for me to ask Jason? Comment with them here or tweet them to me by 7PM tonight (the event’s start)! I will ask him and hopefully report back with some useful tips.
  2. I guest posted for Janetha of Meals & Moves on Friday. I’m still pretty awestruck because I have been reading her blog since 2010, when I first started reading healthy living blogs. So to be writing for her still has me dizzy with glee. I shared the recipe for that red sangria I made last month and know that a few of you were looking for that, so head on over 😀 there’s also other options for drinks to order out this summer.
  3. If you  haven’t entered my Mikarose giveaway for a $50 gift certificate, you are crazy. AND you still have time (til tomorrow night at 11:59PM EST) for me to declare you sane, so go enter!
  4. I hope to do a post on Wednesday recapping my Baltimore weekend in the form of photos. Yup, Wordless Wednesday. Yup, alliteration. For an advance preview, check out my Instagram account, because I was doing mass-uploads periodically up until last night. But it was an amazing time. I didn’t miss out on a thing and am proud of myself for that.

Repping the Orioles at work today in honor of my trip!

How’s your Monday going? 

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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