Tag Archives: lunch

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: Boston Strong

Last Monday was certainly not marvelous for Boston. And just a few days prior to the marathon bombings, my friend Colin and I made travel plans to go to Boston this past Saturday 4/20 to visit our best friend Greg to celebrate Colin’s 24th birthday. On Friday, the manhunt for the bomber had us wondering whether or not our trip was still on. Of course I am glad he was apprehended first and foremost because we can finally get some answers which will hopefully give this tragedy some closure. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also happy he’d been caught because the travel ban was lifted and our Boston visit was back on. The visit ended up being pretty marvelous!

Thanks for keeping Monday positive, Katie!

Marvelous is…learning a new and hilarious game – Cards Against Humanity. Think of a crass Apples to Apples (the tagline is “a free party game for horrible people”). Examples of black “category cards” include “Lifetime movie _______, the story of _________” and “Instead of coal, Santa now leaves naughty children _____.”  The cards used to answer are called white cards and include phrases like “black people”, “Nickelback”, “the miracle of childbirth”, and…well, you get the picture. Hilarity ensued.

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WIAW: Additional Florida Edition

Oo bet that title confused you just a little bit, huh? Stay quick on your feet folks, because this post will be speedy. I miss blogging so much and have not felt at all satisfied with what I have had time to post which is not much. I had a nice chat with my girl Meg about this yesterday – I also miss reading and commenting on all of YOUR wonderful blogs. But it also doesn’t do me any good to place stress on myself and try to make time for everything, because then what I do end up doing will suffer. I would rather do a few things to my best ability, and right now my top priorities are school and (alas, as much as I hate to say it) work. Hey, I gotta pay the restaurant bills. I have so much more than just FL vacation food recaps to share – there’s a lot of feelings associated with that food and the vacation and my birthday. I hope I will get to go deeper into that soon.

For now though I’m going to quickly use What I Ate Wednesday to recap my eats during my latest vacation to Florida. Alas I haven’t even had time to upload my camera photos so I only have Instagram photos to share for now but will try to share camera pics later when I discuss my feelings on the vacation food/drinks. I’ve recapped FL eats before in this photo-dump manner and it seemed to work well! So let’s get this Jenn-hosted party underway. I landed in Florida on Sunday afternoon 3/24 after some bothersome flight delays, and wasted no time stocking our condo with…provisions.

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WIAW: The Olden Days

Your comments on yesterday’s post seriously blew me away! And my mom too – I read some aloud to her and she was pleasantly surprised by the fact that some of you called her inspiring. Thank you so much for your support and for sharing your own struggles with feeling inadequate about doing “enough” cardio. Together we can learn to love and congratulate ourselves for WHATEVER workout we do, be it HIIT or a gorgeous afternoon walk!

And after that workout, it’s perfectly acceptable to drink wine in our workout clothes.

Now it’s time for a BLAST FROM THE PAST edition of What I Ate Wednesday. Thanks Jen for hosting the WIAW party each week!

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WIAW: Florida Vaca Eats!

Today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a copy of the Tone It Up Beach Babe DVD! Check out my thoughts on the post and enter if you are interested!

It’s time to do another not-daily-eats take on Jen‘s What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW). I’ve already done that, and if I shared typical workday eats each WIAW, this blog would be Snoozeville, Population: ALL OF YOU.

After all, you’d much rather read/see a recap of the food & drink I enjoyed during my Christmas vacation to Florida, right? I thought so. I already shared my raw/vegan lunch experience at Christopher’s Kitchen with Brittany, and my apricot beer and TooJay’s takeout on Christmas Day, so start there if you haven’t seen those posts!

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Floridian Blends

My $50 Mohegan Sun gift card giveaway in honor of their Restaurant Week ends tonight! Hurry and get your entries in!

My lovely lady blend and Florida resident Brittany of Go The Extra Mile was home for her winter break while I was visiting Florida last week, in the same general area. Um, hello meet-up! We knew we’d be in the same place around Christmas-time since we got to talking during the Chobani dinner at HLS in August, so we’ve been psyched for our December meetup for several months. And it did not disappoint.

Brittany and I were seatmates at the Chobani dinner!

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WIAW: Sensational Salads Tutorial

Just wanted to throw out a quick reminder to you guys that discount codes for both Sprigs products I’ve reviewed, Earbags and Banjees, are still valid! Check out my reviews if you’re still on the fence – these would make great holiday gifts for a fit friend/family member OR you ;)

Thanks for your fabulous feedback on my wonderful weekend (I don’t think it’s possible to OD on alliteration right?). I did experience some challenges in relation to these good times – a lot of anxiety and guilt over dining out several days in a row. But blogging my experiences focuses my attention on the reasons I’m too blessed to be stressed, and your comments only add to my ability to focus on the passion and peace I feel when I am enjoying myself with my friends.

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Fashion Black Friday 2012

Thank you to those who entered my Sprigs giveaway for a Banjees (running wallet)! Remember that my review post contains the promo code “CaitBanjees” which can save you 10% off a purchase up to $29.99 or 20% off a purchase $30 and up until 12/31/12. So if you didn’t win a Banjees, you can purchase one (or more!) for yourself and/or family and friends for the holidays…at a discount!

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The winner is Laurel! I will contact you for your shipping information – congrats!

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A week ago today, America experienced its biggest shopping day of the year – the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday. Last week there was no Fashion Friday on this blog because I was too busy taking advantage of a day that not only means deals to me, but also tradition. Since I was in at least middle school if not earlier, I have been going Black Friday shopping each year with my younger sister, and sometimes also my Nana Connie (she’s the one who introduced us to the “holiday!) and/or my dad. I love fashion, I love deals, but most of all I love my family and how much fun we have together on Black Friday! Family time doesn’t stop at Thanksgiving!

Of course, I DID get some great deals…I’d say this year’s Black Friday was even more successful than last year’s, though more so because I didn’t waste the day feeling distracted by as much guilt (there was still some) over the Thanksgiving meal I’d enjoyed the night before (of course it also helps that this year I wasn’t completely and utterly hungover).

Yeah just what I need..another Fossil watch. But CHECK OUT that price difference! Thank you Nordstrom Rack in Farmington, CT!

Hallmark was having Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off on all Yankee Candles. More things I don’t need. I love how the little guys are just $1.99 each!

I’m obsessed with this Elle dress from Kohls! On sale for just $30. I can’t wait to wear it to work!

This Kohl’s sweater was on sale for about $12! The Lauren Conrad collection skirt was $17. I always seem to find great deals on her clothes on Black Friday!

Kohl's sweater.

Wore the sweater yesterday in fact!

Sweater and Fossil watch.

Went all matchy-matchy with my “birthday cake” Fossil watch.

LOFT necklace

Topped it all off with a LOFT outlet necklace. I love dainty accessories with floral prints!

I adore adding touches of velvet to an ensemble and am in the market for a pair of plain black flats (believe it or not). These were on sale at Urban Outfitters for $19.99!

Jeggings (slowly accumulating a pair in every wash…), pleated skirt (last Black Friday I was pleats-obsessed too), and the best sports bra I’ve ever seen…all from American Eagle. Everything in the store was 40% off! I plan to wear the sports bra not during workouts but with loose tops, kinda like a bandeau.

I didn’t shop for only myself! I picked up some cute holiday cards for co-workers, some presents for my parents, and FIFA ’13 for Xbox for just $35 from Best Buy for the little bro. Last year I got him FIFA ’12 and gave it to him when I got home from shopping. This year was no different.

Best Buy is right next to Trader Joe’s. The place was deserted…understandably, no one wants to be in a grocery store after having been in one so much right up until Thanksgiving. So I didn’t have to wait in line at all to purchase these babies

Come on! Black Friday has gotta be Black Foodie Friday when I’m involved! Another family Black Friday tradition is meeting my dad (or going with us if he joined us to shop) for lunch somewhere when we are done/wiped out/in need of refueling. I suggested Max Burger and my sister was all over it. The menu has something for everyone – in my family’s case, it was burgers and fries for my dad, sister, and brother, and a fan-freaking-tastic scallops salad for me!

Max Burger Blackened Scallop Salad

Blackened scallops, greens, pico de gallo, onions, asparagus, black beans, and orange vinaigrette.

I also polished off my brother’s fries and dipped them in Max sauce (WHAT’S IN IT?!). I left perfectly satisfied and my seafood/veggie craving was quenched. And by a burger place no less! Max Restaurant Group does it again (in fact, I’m dining at another location, Max Amore, tonight for dinner…and to say I’m excited is an understatement). Truly the best way for me to conclude my Black Friday.

Did you go Black Friday shopping? Any deals?

Have you ever had to work retail on a Black Friday? What was it like? *raises hand* I have!

Which of my finds is your favorite? I know Meg will say the salad! :-P

Mohegan Sun Blogger Girls Weekend!

Remember that the giveaway for a pair of Sprigs Earbags ends tonight at 11:59PM EST! Make sure to enter before cooking time begins :-P

If you follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram, you probably saw bits and pieces of my fabulous girls weekend at Mohegan Sun with other bloggers. My love for this Connecticut casino is well-known to readers of this blog. I’ve written about trips there many a time…

Thankfully, Mohegan is a fan of the blog! PR Manager Michelle Williams invited me and some other lovely ladies to spend time at the casino this past weekend, including overnight accommodations in the hotel – which I’ve always wanted to stay in!

I was in some excellent company! L to R: Me, Maria, Anne, Elizabeth, Theodora, Julie, Tina, Bianca, Beth.

Maria and I arrived Saturday morning in our puffy vests, ready to take on a hike at Mystic, CT’s Bluff Point State Park!

In vests that match our personalities! ;)

Mohegan Sun offered each blogger her choice of activity – hiking, biking, shopping, or a visit to Mystic Aquarium. I’m not the most coordinated biker (gimme a stationary spin bike any day) and I’ve already shopped in Mystic and been to the aquarium, so I thought a hike would be a unique activity and a perfect way to enjoy the beautiful day. You know what else is a perfect way to enjoy a day? A limo ride.

My limo crew – Maria and I hiked, while Bianca and Beth visited the aquarium.

I certainly enjoyed riding to and from Mystic in style, though I felt a bit under-dressed for a limo!

Sadly the limo was devoid of champagne.

I spy a Daybreak coffee cup…and snacks!

Maria and I arrived at Bluff Point and were pleasantly surprised to find that we would have a guide! Kim, the Education Director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, made the hike so amazing. Without her, Maria and I would have still been enjoying the sights; with her though, we could know WHAT we were looking at and enjoying, as well as some history of the area.

Look how clean and clear this water is!

Cheesy as it sounds, I felt completely inspired by the fact hidden gems like Bluff Point exist right in my own backyard. It makes me wonder what other beautiful sights are out there that I still haven’t seen!

Saltwater cord grass! (See, I never would have known that without Kim on the hike.)

New opportunities await…

This incredible quiet beach is just a mile from the park entrance – a completely manageable walk for someone who wants to avoid the typical beach crowds!

Upon reaching the top of Bluff Point, Maria and I just had to stop and take a moment to take in the beauty. I can tell Kim enjoyed seeing our reactions.

Me and the big world!

I obviously had to get silly.

Kim led us on a speedy walk back to the entrance to meet the limo (we were running a bit behind) and Maria and I departed with huge smiles on our faces! Thank you Kim!

Me and Kim!

Mohegan Sun was kind enough to provide us boxed lunches, but they were not too plant-heavy and Maria and I both had a hankering for salads. And seafood. To Summer Shack we go!

May or may not have also had a tequila craving.

I ordered a Crab Cobb Salad (no bacon). It was wonderful! I ate every last bite, along with some Summer Shack cornbread.

Look at all that crab!

After lunch (and some shopping…THANKS Maria for getting me into Lush) I was super-excited to check into our room. Why? Three letters. V-I-P!

Michelle arranged for all of us bloggers to check in at the casino’s Aquai VIP Lounge. This was my first time as a VIP and I was not very good at hiding it. For example, when asked if we wanted water or champagne, Maria and I stood dumbfounded. Finally Maria said, “Can we have water AND champagne?”

Balance, exemplified.

The answer, clearly, was OF COURSE!

People who are used to VIP treatment probably don’t ask for pictures of themselves being treated like VIPs.

On our way up to our room (32nd floor, baby!) Maria and I stopped by the indoor pool to scope it out. Um, hello?! How did I not know this beautiful thing existed?! I’ll be back! Look, there’s a bar!

Mohegan Sun totally hooked us up with a room with a view! Completely gorgeous.

The inside of the room was certainly not shabby either. I adored the purple accents throughout! Felt totally perfect for a girls weekend.

Isn’t the tile around the mirror beautiful? The bathroom floor had a matching design!

Makeup mirror and brocade purple shower curtain!

Our toilet came equipped with its own door so its user could have privacy while someone else used the bathroom sink/mirror. It also came equipped with…a phone!

As my grandpa used to say…I was having “a shitty conversation”.

Maria and I spent the rest of the afternoon pampering and getting ready for dinner. As I sat at my laptop uploading photos, letting my nails and hair dry, and sipping champagne, I could hardly believe…my life! I felt so very special and honored that Mohegan Sun was hosting me. You like me, you really like me!

And man oh man, the fun doesn’t stop there. Stay tuned for my recap of our fabulous dinner at Todd English’s Tuscanyto come after Thanksgiving. Which, by the way, is TOMORROW! Really?!

I hope you all have a beautiful Turkey Day and if you don’t celebrate, a fabulous Thursday.

When was the last time you went on a hike?

What’s the most glamorous hotel experience you’ve ever had?

Do you have any casinos in your area?

Disclaimer: Though I received my stay at Mohegan Sun free of charge, all thoughts 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?