Tag Archives: TV

Bertucci’s: Awesome Customer Service!

Hey guys! Happy Hump Day – my week is flying by – how about yours? If it’s not, I apologize for saying mine is. Forget I ever did?

Last night I had class, which dragged on, but it also happened to be a rest day from the gym. It was actually my first rest day in almost two weeks after looking back through my Daily Mile feed, so probably a good thing, but I still felt a bit restless!

I woke up this morning way before my alarm, at about 5:45am, and was quite awake. I took advantage of this and went to the gym to get my workout in – now I won’t have to go in the evening, and I’ll be home today around 6:45pm! That’s unheard of for me. I did 30 minutes of intervals on the Stair Master – each time I do this, it never ceases to amaze me how hard it is. Another instance in which I was trying to tell myself that quality > quantity! I followed it up with about 10 minutes of abs with a 10 pound medicine ball (to try to get some arms in), 30 regular push-ups, 30 tricep push-ups, and 30 tricep presses with the med ball. Abs and upper body, done!

Thanks womenshealth.com for the image!

It seems that whenever I try to set an alarm to get up and work out before work, I always wake up feeling like death and can barely drag myself out of bed. So I always plan to work out in the evening on weekdays, but if I happen to wake up early in the morning (because I go to bed fairly early), I try to get my workout in then. It just works for me! Another reason I work out at night is because I love group fitness classes, and the morning classes at my gym all start at 5am or 5:4am. It’s just TOO early! So, I opt for the night classes.

Work continues to be crazy busy. I was also lucky enough to have a chance to finally start on all the saved episodes of “Hart of Dixie” on my DVR. It’s a cute show! Rachel Bilson’s clothes are gorgeous. Sure the show is cheesy, but I was always more of a Summer fan than a Marissa fan (I miss “The OC”) and can’t help but enjoy it. I hope the show makes it! Anyone else into this show?

Image courtesy of Boomtron.com

This past weekend was the end of my week off from work, and full of tasty food. Weekends often are – isn’t that one of the many reasons why they are so wonderful?

My mom and I kicked things off Friday afternoon with manicures and then glasses of Avalon Cabernet at J. Gilbert’s during happy hour. Best happy hour in town!

My mom and I each had 1.5 glasses (we split her last one) and I was feeling SO buzzed. Good thing she was driving!

Did NOT plan to get my nails done to match my wine 😉

We headed home, picked up my little brother, and went out to dinner at Bertucci’s. I have to share a great customer service example here!

I went there for dinner before I started blogging more regularly, in early October (hence why there’s no post about that particular meal to reference). The next day, Bertucci’s posted on their Facebook that they would be giving anyone who dined there in October a coupon for a free birthday dessert to use during the next visit.

The dessert choices.

I was confused – I’d just eaten there, it had been October, but I was coupon-less! Being the coupon queen (and probably a bit obnoxious) person that I am, I wrote on their post, asking why I hadn’t received a coupon. Someone from Bertucci’s reached out to me right away and asked for my mailing info. Within a week of providing it, I received my missing coupon in the mail! I was so impressed that they would take the time to send me a coupon and show me they care about each customer. I already love Bertucci’s, but now I have even more good things to say about them!

So I insisted we go there Friday night to use my reclaimed coupon. Another satisfying meal. I got my favorite Venetian Spinach Salad with Grilled Salmon and Goat Cheese. I ate every last bite, as usual.

My brother Michael got a Cheese Pizza with Chicken. Lucky for me he didn’t eat his crusts, so I had some. The tomato sauce remnants that were left on each crust were SO fresh and delicious. Bertucci’s may have my favorite pizza sauce. I know, a bold statement!

My mom ordered the Grilled Chicken Chopped Salad with Goat Cheese and also polished it off.

I was going to give Michael my dessert coupon, but it wasn’t necessary. Our waitress was awesome and let us have two free desserts for one coupon! Michael went with chocolate cake while I chose one of my favorites – tiramisu.

Then, the cherry on top: our waitress ALSO let me use a Facebook coupon I’d gotten for “liking” Bertucci’s.

So THANK YOU Bertucci’s for an amazing coupon experience!

Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening workout person (or a mix)? Are you sick of seeing me write about Bertucci’s? Do you have any awesome restaurant customer service experiences to share?

Weekend Wrap-Up

Happy Monday! Yeah, I’m trying to keep it optimistic. I had a great, productive, relaxing weekend though! I’m still feeling very organized and efficient, so I’m even gonna organize this post by subject – oh goodness! Maybe next weekend’s recap will be organized by day – craziness! Or, the exact opposite!

Fitness

I went to Group Step both Friday evening and Saturday morning. I really love the new release, and I can especially tell since I didn’t mind doing the same routine twice in 24 hours! I ran into Lauren and Casey again at the Friday class, so that was fun. And one of my favorite instructors was there Saturday in addition to his usual Friday class. For Sunday’s workout, I woke up naturally at the ridiculous hour of 7am. Luckily there was a Spin class starting around that time, so I headed straight to the gym to get my sweat out of the way. I hadn’t been to Spin in a few months, so it was HARD. It was nice to switch up my routine though – classes like this always remind me how good it is to not get too comfortable with a few types of workouts. Of course, always do what you WANT to do in terms of exercise, but today’s Spin class fit conveniently into my schedule and reminded me of how tough it can be! Despite the fact that I was disgusting afterward, I was in a great mood.

Food

Friday night, I met my former co-worker and friend Tom for dinner at a restaurant in town I’d had yet to try, the Diamond, to use a SaveNowCT deal. I was pleasantly surprised! It’s one of those bar and grill places, so I didn’t think I’d be able to find any options that would be delicious and not too…fried? And salads from those places are never worth the money! But I got the blackened chicken quesadilla with extra salsa and it was awesome! It came on an herb tortilla, a nice touch, and when I asked them to go light on the cheese they definitely complied. The balance between cheese and chicken was perfect. Their salsa was so fresh and chunky, not the Tostitos-style I was expecting! I also had a glass of Salmon Creek Cabernet before my food came, and it really hit the spot. Such a delicious house wine! Sorry, no photos (left my camera in the car because I was running late after Step), but the lighting would have been awful anyway.

I had lunch Saturday at one of my favorite places, Whole Foods, with a couple of fellow marketers. We had a great conversation and already have plans to meet again around the holiday season to restaurant-hop for the blog – they loved it!

Sole cake with spinach and butternut squash puree.

I do love me some Whole Foods trips on Saturdays – they’re always giving out the best samples! I had the above dish the second after I walked in. It was perfect! The squash gave it such a nice, fall feel. Check out the cute little foldable spoon! I also had half of a chocolate chip cookie buttercream sandwich sample from the bakery. WOW is all I can say. I devoured it before I could get a photo.

I’m barely skimming the surface of what was in here but I do remember that there was: edamame, falafel, roasted veg, many bean salads, cabbage crunch salad, and eggplant!

I had to restrain myself once I got to the salad bar, as usual, and get a little container. That didn’t stop me from piling over a pound of food in there and finishing every last bite.

After lunch I went to my favorite package store. I have to be honest that they are only my favorite because I can always count on them to have free wine tastings on Saturday afternoons – and wouldn’t you know it, I found just what I was looking for, a free wine tasting. I rarely buy alcohol, unless I am at some kind of tasting, so I couldn’t leave without a bottle. I went for the most festive bottle, which, ironically, Katie blogged about last night!

Pinot noir!

Fun right? I like to buy a bottle if I find something I like at a tasting, and save it for whenever an occasion comes up, like the BBQ I attended last weekend. Who knows when I’ll break this bottle out, but I now have it and a bottle of chianti waiting in my house’s “Caitlin Reserve”!

Saturday’s dinner came courtesy of my dad and his best friend, who headed to my favorite Mexican restaurant in the state, Loco Perro, to pick up some delicious takeout for the Tennessee vs. Alabama game. I ate my meal on the floor in front of the fireplace (trying to keep warm – dammit it is getting too cold already for me). Unfortunately Tennessee did not fare well against Alabama, but we weren’t expecting a win. Still, there was the usual amount of anger, yelling, and head-shaking that accompanies any game that Tennessee loses. My dad is a die-hard fan – one of his retirement dreams is to live there and attend sporting events every single day. He doesn’t need much to be happy! I guess that’s where I get it from 🙂

Shredded chicken quesadilla, salsa, black beans.

Sunday’s eats were extremely routine (except for dinner, which I will post about later). Of course I spent the morning studying at Daybreak with Toasted Coconut coffee (I had Mocha Java on Saturday). I got so much done, and I’m so ahead of my work!

I did manage to get a photo of a random snack though…Good Neighbors black bean dip and baby carrots.

Fun

On Saturday I did a little shopping and pampering. A cute boutique in my town, Silver Dahlia, was having a huge one-day customer appreciation sale. Everything was 20% off, and all clearance was 50% off. I got two more charms for the charm key chain on my car keys. The books and the Class of 2011 charm are the new ones, and the other four I collected this summer! Unfortunately I now have no more room for charms. Probably a good thing, they’re a little pricey, at $3.95 per charm. I’m not sure what company makes them, but if anyone wants to know I can find out! I got my sister one for her birthday too.

I got another key chain too. I liked its message! And the other side says “Life is Good”.

After seeing an awesome nail color on Jenny’s blog last week, I found out the name of the color (OPI In the Espresso Lane) and went to my favorite nail parlor to get a polish change. I love polish changes – they are $4 cheaper than manicures and I think they look just as good! At the end, I got a little free massage with a warm piece of a plastic-like material around my shoulders. It felt sooo good, since I was already pretty cold.

Thanks to my dirty workout top for serving as my photo background…

I also saw two movies this weekend, “50/50“ and “Ides of March“. I’d highly recommend both! “50/50” was very well done and not too depressing, despite what some (*cough* my parents) may have thought from the premise. “Ides of March” wasn’t what I was expecting exactly, but I still really liked it. I love me some Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling. In terms of female actresses, I really like Anna Kendrick, Marissa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood, so there was a lot to like about these movies.

Today I caught up with a lot of my shows and started a new one – “Revenge“. I LOVE THIS SHOW so far. I’m already almost three episodes in! I’m a big fan of Emily Van Camp from the “Everwood” days, so it’s good to see her back on TV.

That recap ended up being a lot longer than I thought it’d be! Props to you if you read it all. Even if you didn’t, maybe you can answer a few questions for me…

Have you seen any of the movies I mentioned, or “Revenge”? How about “Everwood” – any hidden fans out there?

Are you aware of the money-saving powers of the polish change?

What was your best workout, meal, and/or purchase of the weekend?

Weekend Fun!

I had an awesome weekend! I’ll be dedicating a full post to the Apple Harvest Festival I attended on Sunday, but that wasn’t the only fun that was had. I headed to work on Friday in a very TGIF mood, still a little cranky from the day before, but a fun outfit and yummy (yet routine) lunch cheered me up a bit. And the fact that it was Friday, but I’ll give that part a rest at the risk of sounding too much like Rebecca Black.

Red eye removal went to town.

  • Top: Forever 21 (Christmas ’08!)
  • Jeans/Headband: American Eagle
  • Watch: flea market!
  • Shoes: Wal-Mart ($13 baby)

As I mentioned earlier, I used a SaveNowCT deal at South Tavern on Friday night. That place has never left me disappointed!

Pulled pork nachos, shared by the table.

I was impressed with the quality of their Greek Salad. It wasn’t too expensive to add the shrimp, and it came with more than your standard fare: artichokes, chick peas, and pepperoncinis in addition to the usual romaine, feta, tomato, onion, and kalamatas.

Ugh restaurant lighting!

I got a ton of homework done at Daybreak both Saturday and Sunday morning. On Saturday I went with their Bacio (chocolate/hazelnut) flavor for my nonfat cafe au lait, and on Sunday I tried the Pumpkin Spice flavor. YUM.

My co-worker Steve had a BBQ on Saturday night and it did not disappoint! I put together a cheese, cracker, and olive plate to go with the bottle of Priam Vineyards Cayuga White that I have been housing in my fridge for almost a month now. For the crackers I found a tasty wheat variety at the store from Special K: Savory Herb. I also included the normal Ritz for the non-wheat eaters. I usually like to include options for parties for those that may be “watching” what they eat and those that aren’t. Either one of those is fine with me as long as there’s something for everyone!  I used my Artisan Foods cheese but did leave half the wedge in my fridge (too good to give it all up).

Steve really outdid himself. The BBQ had SO MUCH FOOD. I was in heaven and also ended up drinking all but one glass’s worth of that bottle of wine. Woo hoo…I was still in bed before midnight. Grandma needs her sleep!

Grilled pizza! I topped my slice with grilled chicken and my olives.

Roasted cheesy potatoes and crusty bread! Dipped both in garlic hummus.

Romaine, tomato, cheese, some sort of delicious dressing.

Oh boy! I braved the creeper to get to that delish corn.

4 glasses of wine later…

Missing are photos of steak, grilled chicken, ribs, hot dogs (I had my first hot dog in forever…that classic white bun, ketchup, and mustard was AMAZING), stuffed mushrooms, and grilled veggies. THANK YOU to Steve and his wife Sharon for having me!

Sunday I woke up feeling quite iffy from the wine, and also still full. I hit the gym for a Bootcamp workout class that I’d never taken before. It was quite intense but also a little less enjoyable for me than other fitness classes I take. It was a lot of sports drills which were tough and high intensity, but I didn’t get a satisfying muscle-burn like I get from Group Power or the fun choreography I see in Group Step. It was still good to step outside the box though and keep my body guessing!

I also barely took any photos yesterday (Monday), but that could be due to the fact that it was a day of repetitive eats. Seriously, if you want to know what I ate, look here. Hit the gym after work for Group Power and 25 minutes (2.68 miles) on the stair master. I read the latest issue of “Health” with Sarah Michelle Gellar on the cover – it was a good one! I love SMG, her interview was real and she seems so cool. Looks like I need to start watching “Buffy” since I’m so into “Ringer”.

This morning I woke up a little bit earlier than usual to do some nice yoga stretches per Shayla’s suggestion. I get very antsy and feel “pent-up” on my long work/class days, since I have a desk job and my responsibilities all involve a computer and SITTING! Hoping that starting my day out with some soothing yoga poses will help that today – thanks again Shayla!

The rest of my weekend is deserving of its own post, so I’ll end this here!

What was the best thing you ate this past weekend? I don’t think I can choose…

Is anyone else watching “Ringer”?

The Friday Five

Around the blog world, I have noticed a trend called The Friday Five, which began over at Meet Virginia. I’ve decided to join in the fun!

Miss Meet Virginia’s list has got categories, but instead of categories I’m just going to list five things I am currently loving on this lovely fall Friday (though it certainly doesn’t feel like fall out there…humid and rainy CT, wtf?)

1. the baristas at the Simsbury, CT Starbucks

I tweeted and Facebooked about this both yesterday and today, but the last two mornings after getting into my car, post-coffee-run at Starbucks, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find a “Happy Fall!” message and illustration on my cup (grande non-fat half-caf extra-coffee misto for the none of you that are probably wondering). The baristas there are always so nice and efficient and it’s great that they felt like doing a little something extra to perk (bad coffee pun) up my morning! And I’m a sucker for all things FALL, so that only aided in making me smile. Believe me if someone had draws a snowman and puts “Happy Winter!” come January, they should fear for their safety, because it’s likely that I’d physically harm them. “Happy” and “winter” should never be used together.
But I’ve gotten side-tracked. Just look at these cute illustrations!
2. wine tastings
I’ve done three wine tastings in the last few months and have had a great experience every single time! I love expanding my horizons and trying new wines. The CT Farm Wine Development Council has a CT Wine Trail, and I picked up my “passport” to the trail at the tasting I attended last weekend at Priam Vineyards in Colchester, CT. The tasting actually made me realize that there ARE white wines out there I like, and I even bought a bottle of one on special called Cayuga (fun name, and obviously even better because it was the cheapest).

Lidia and I at Priam Vineyards, enjoying our tasting of a red wine.

I’ve also used a Groupon at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton, CT with my mom, where we got to sit out at picnic tables and listen to jazz while we each enjoyed a glass of Merlot. At the Newport Vineyards in Newport, RI, I got the chance to try a dessert wine called a port, which I really enjoyed! My dad was shocked since it’s a bit heavier (think half red wine/half brandy), but I guess I can handle the hard stuff more than one may think!

My dad and I enjoying the tasting at Newport Vineyards.

Wine tastings are great because wine drinkers like myself can try new wines, or non-wine drinkers like my friend Lidia can discover that there are wines out there they like. And so many of these places let you buy a bottle or a glass and drink it on their picnic tables. You can bring your own snacks – Priam even has a pizza place that will deliver to their patio! It’s a great idea for a date night or a girl’s night – or bachelorette party, because I saw my fair share of those at both Priam and Newport. The grounds are so pretty on a nice day!

The view from the picnic tables at Chamard Vineyards.

3. local coffee shops
Oops, two things on this list are about coffee. Oh well, I’m addicted! Also, this doesn’t really make sense since #1 on this list was about Starbucks aka The Man, but hear me out. I go to Starbucks M-F for the convenience and quality factor. I grab my coffee, go straight to work, and don’t stick around.

Cafe au lait in a mug at So G! Cozy windowsill seating too.

When I DO want to stick around, or when I’m visiting a new place, I want to try something new and/or local. I love studying in cafes – the atmosphere helps me concentrate and there’s something so cozy about drinking coffee out of a mug. Cafes are also a great place to hang out with friends and chat. Since I moved back home in May, I’ve been trying to keep my hometown coffee visits restricted to the two local spots that I’m really enjoying in my town, Daybreak Coffee Roasters and So G. Both are places with extremely high quality coffee (Daybreak roasts their own, and the types they have are endless!) and really friendly staff (a So G barista delivered a freshly-baked cookie to my friend Kim and I during one visit!) Call me a nerd, but I can’t wait to spend my weekend doing homework at one (or both) of those cafes.

Kim’s gorgeous So G latte.

When I’m in a city I’m not normally in, I’ve got to try a cup of coffee from a place I can’t get to often. This past weekend, in Brooklyn with Lidia and our NYC-living friend Hong, I got to try one of Brooklyn’s best cafes, Blue Bottle Coffee. Each cup is individually brewed by a barista pouring hot water from a teapot into special hemp filters – how much more fresh can you get?! The coffee was from Africa too, and really high quality. I’d read about this place on other food blogs, so visiting myself was a great opportunity!

The barista pouring hot water into each individually brewed cup.

 

Aren’t the mugs cute too? I want one!

 

4. audio books

 

Call me a grandma. It’s okay, I know I am. But ever since I started work and took my Nana Connie’s suggestion about listening to audio books on my commute home, I’m addicted. In fact, now the only time I listen to the radio is when I have passengers or in the morning on the way to work. Any other time, you can bet I will be listening to my audio books! I love the ones that are read by more than one person, to account for different characters. The best audio book I’ve listened to was “The Help” – the character acting was so great that I thought I was listening to a play!

 

Currently I’m listening to my first Jennifer Weiner book, “Best Friends Forever“. It’s pretty fluffy and cheesy, to the point where I’ve found myself rolling my eyes. I’ve considered quitting but I only have a couple of discs left and I am curious as to how it’ll play out – even though I’m the ending will be just as fluffy and cheesy as the rest of the book.

 

5. my DVR

 

This seems like a very not-intellectual, non-fulfilling thing to put on my list. But I’m going to be real: I love the nights when I have time to plop my butt down on the couch, eat dinner, and catch up on the shows saved in my DVR. Especially with all the new fall shows starting, and my addiction to “Dance Moms” at its strongest point, it just makes for a relaxing way for me to end my day. My Friday night is going to consist of hanging out with my parents while we spend some quality time with the DVR and dinner. No shame.

 

So that’s what I’m loving this Friday, and that post definitely made me happy – may make this a weekly thing!

 

What are your thoughts on a weekly Five Things Friday feature?
Do you ever listen to audio books? Are you as addicted to the DVR as me? Got any cafe or winery experiences to share?

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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