PRIDELY - CONNECTICUT Vol 2

Renovations

to increase home value

Personalization: We all want to make our home unique to our own character. However, when it comes time to sell, buyers want to envision themselves in the home, which can be difficult if the entire home is personalized to you. Avoid any personalization that is difficult to undo and stick to a nice universal outlook that speaks to everyone.

Landscaping: Just like with personalizing, it’s best to keep it simple. Some home buyers may love how elaborate your landscaping may look, but most of the time they’re considering the cost of upkeep or the difficulty of maintaining that look. A clean lawn with curb appeal is the best first impression to give to potential buyers.

Closet Space: Some of us are minimalist and can do with a larger room by sacrificing closet space, but most potential buyers value the importance of storage. Remember, buyers want to see themselves living in the home, and a lack of closet space might send them looking elsewhere.

Bold Paint: Freshly painted rooms are a great way to brighten up your home. There’s nothing wrong with bringing a little color into your home but keep in mind that buyers may not favor the same colors you do. Stick to keeping the colors subtle with small accents and focus more on neutral tones to appeal to potential buyers.

Trendy Designs: Barn doors and patterned tiles may look great to some buyers, but avoid trendy designs that might be outdated when you decide to sell. No matter how tempting the latest home design trend may be, the classic look is always the safest bet.

DIY Projects: Projects that you build yourself are great, but only when they’re done professionally. This is important to potential buyers so make sure if you’re going to do your own home project, that you do it exceptionally well. This also applies to repairs, quick cover ups will only get you so far. These sort of projects can either increase or decrease the value of your home so make sure you know what you’re doing before proceeding.

Long-Term Necessities: When it comes to renovations, keep in mind that not every buyer needs a built in office desk, or a workshop, or anything that may seem like a great idea to you. Tread carefully when adding permanent fixtures, not all buyers have the same vision as you when it comes to changes made. Make sure your room structures allow the flexibility for potential buyers to make their own changes.

Restaurants

Agave Grill

Tableside guacamole & a long list of tequila star at this lively Mexican restaurant.

100 Allyn St #1418, Hartford, CT 06103

Phone: (860) 882-1557 | Web: agavehartford.com

Chez Est

Hartford’s only LGBTQ+ Restaurant, Bar and Cabaret featuring drag queens, DJs & karaoke.

458 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06114

Phone: (860) 525-3243 | Web: chezest.com

Archie Moore’s Bar & Restaurant

Celebrated for Buffalo wings, this area chain also offers a full menu of bar food in basic pub digs.

39 N Main St, Wallingford, CT 06492

Phone: (203) 265-7100 | Web: archiemoores.com

Have a restaurant you’d like us to feature?

Send in a recommendation for your favorite restaurant to be added to our list. Be sure to mention why you think they are worthy of being featured and include a link to their website.

Laskara Restaurant

Greece, Italy & Spain are all represented on the Mediterranean menu at this easygoing area staple.

295 Parker Farms Rd, Wallingford, CT 06492

Dolphin Bar

Trummbull Kitchen

Seafood headlines the eclectic menu at this casual, industrialchic eatery with a lively bar scene.

150 Trumbull St, Hartford, CT 06103

Pacifico

Nuevo-Latino seafood, tapas & popular mojitos in a colorful, two-story space with a lively bar.

220 College St, New Haven, CT 06510

Feng Chophouse

Upscale eatery offers creative sushi & a range of Southeast Asian cuisines in a sleek urban setting.

93 Asylum St, Hartford, CT 06103

Galaxy Diner-Restaurant

Old-fashioned operation since 1981 doling out hearty portions of American, Italian & Greek classics.

4241 Main St, Bridgeport, CT 06606

Coyote Flaco

Casual outpost offering familiar Mexican fare & margaritas in easygoing surrounds. 635 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 06106

Red Rock Tavern

Veteran, brick-lined hangout featuring late-night American grub & weekend brunch.

369 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106

Pop’s Family Restaurant

Modern family-run eatery offering a breakfast-to-dinner menu of classic American & Greek dishes.

134 Old Gate Ln, Milford, CT 06460

Apr 22

Connecticut Beer Fest

It wouldn’t be spring in Connecticut without the CT Beer Fest! This year the festival takes over the XL Center in Hartford. Come out for great day of brews from over 60 local breweries, plus great food trucks, vendors, and live music. Tickets at www.connecticut.beer/ctbeerfest2023.

Apr 27

International Food & Cultural Festival

This festival is not just about food, it’s about bringing communities together, showcasing different cultures, and celebrating the diversity of our community’s cultural dishes, traditions, arts, and values. Come and join other community members for the fun, exciting, tasty, and truly memorable experience. For more information, please visit artsinct.org

May 13-14

Dogwood Festival

Blooming dogwood trees, live music, and arts festival, and garden plant show and sale. Activities for all ages. The festival is always held Mothers Day weekend. Details at greenfieldhillchurch.com.

Jun 17

North Haven Pride

Come celebrate LGBTQI+ Pride in North Haven, CT! Enjoy entertainment, delicious food, and a variety of vendors. Visit www.northhavenpride.org.

Jun 23

West Hartford Pride

Live music, speakers, drag artists, vendors, food, kids activities, and tea dance. West Hartford Pride is an incredible month-long celebration ending in a festival day filled with joy, storytelling and opportunities to network and connect with family, friends and statewide resources. Visit westhartfordpride.org.

Jul 28-29

Midsummer Festival

Old Lyme’s Midsummer Festival is a town-wide celebration of the arts. The festival kicks off Friday, July 28, on the lawn of the Florence Griswold Museum with live music. Saturday brings the Market En Plein Air, featuring flowers, fruits, vegetables, breads, fine cheeses, herbs and specialty foods in a setting modeled after outdoor markets in French villages. Original art is sold and visitors enjoy open galleries, author talks and sidewalk sales. Also on Saturday is the dog show and parade. Visit www.exploreoldlyme.com.

Aug 10-13

Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival

Each summer outstanding local, regional and national bluegrass acts converge on the Podunk Stages and deliver an awesome festival experience. Visit ctvisit.com.

Aug 26

Connecticut Taco Festival

Join us at the Connecticut Taco Festival, providing CT’s Best Tacos for 6 years! Featuring live music, craft vendors, margaritas and cold beer, Birria Taco Contact, gourmet tacos, Lucha Libre Mexican Wresling, taco eating contact and kids zone. Find out more at eventbrite.com.

Sep 9

Hartford Pride

The annual Hartford Pride Fest and Concert is a family-centered event showcasing entertainment, food, local businesses, giveaways, activities, and numerous community organizations. Visit hartfordpride.org.

Oct 7

Oktoberfest

If you love sampling beers, tossing kegs, and listening to great music, you’re going to love the Oktober Fest at Powder Ridge! Beer sampling, live music,

With lodging, food and entertainment all included in one price, choosing to do a vacation on a cruise gives great value. Traveling on the sea can be extremely fun, but it is important to choose the correct cruise line. If you’re going to spend a lot of your vacation time on a cruise ship, it may as well be one of luxury. Thankfully, there’s many luxury cruise lines ready to cater to your every

whim while ferrying you to and from some of the world’s most mesmerizing destinations in plush comfort. Some offer exotic voyages to faraway destinations, while others attract travelers with comfortable cabins and stimulating enrichment programs. Use this guide as a starting point to find out which luxury cruise fits best for your next vacation.

We made a list that factors in itinerary affordability, health ratings, and reputation among experts and travelers.

1 2 3 4 5

SILVERSEA OCEANIA REGENT SEVEN SEAS SEABOURN

EATING THE PSYCHOLOGY

Control weight gain and compulsive eating behaviors by making better choices about the food that you eat.

Control weight gain and compulsive eating behaviors by making better choices about the food that you eat.

ConsumptionSome of us more than others realize that what we eat can effect how we feel such as eating too little or too much. We should be able to enjoy what we eat but also feel better when we do.

Eating healthy is a challenging task that many of us

strive to achieve but often fall short.

InfluencesCultural, social, family, and economical factors may be a direct influence linked to our food and eating behaviors. However, a more serious influence such as stress, boredom and anxiety can play a larger role as many of us eat as a coping mechanism. Although it can

sometimes help bring relief and ease feelings, it often leads to regret and build more negativity. Avoiding the problem with food will often create another problem with self-image when suffering from weight gain or other negative affects caused by unhealthy eating.

Weight ManagementHere are tips to help you manage your weight.

For starters, never skip a meal. By skipping a meal, you’re allowing yourself to become

hungry later which can result in reckless binge eating. Be sure to plan your meals ahead of time and limit night time snacking. This will allow you to always be one step ahead

of your weight by creating a routine. If you’re getting a craving between meals, try to exercise or find another way to distract yourself from food.

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Eating Diary - This is a great tool to keep track of your eating habits. Record what food you eat and when you eat it. Also take note of how you feel after eating and if you were doing anything while eating such as using your phone or watching TV.

By recording your habits, you will be able to pinpoint which foods and activities to avoid. The diary can also assist you when you’re working with a dietitian to help you make the best decisions.

HARTFORD GAY & LESBIAN HEALTH COLLECTIVE

The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective empowers individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions to lead healthy lives through the provision of health and support services, education and advocacy.

HGLHC.ORG | (860) 278-4163

NEW HAVEN PRIDE CENTER

he mission of the New Haven Pride Center is to provide educational, cultural and social enrichment programming and LGBTQ+ competent and trauma-informed services for the LGBTQ+ community to make a positive contribution to the entire community of Greater New Haven and Connecticut.

NEWHAVENPRIDECENTER.ORG | (203) 387-2252

CLARO

Connecticut Latinos Achieving Rights and Opportunities (CLARO), is dedicated to educate and promote equality for the LGTBQI+ community to achieve rights, address homophobia, and discrimination. We accomplish these goals by mobilizing our community and partner agencies on issues like marriage equality, parental rights, anti-bullying policies, employment discrimination, hate violence, privacy rights, sexual education, adoption, and HIV/AIDS. HARTFORDPRIDE.ORG | (860) 841-2345

STONEWALL SPEAKERS

Stonewall Speakers, a program of the Connecticut Stonewall Foundation, Inc., is an all-volunteer speaker’s bureau comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, pansexual, queer people and their allies. Our speakers give their hearts, time and travel expenses to help eliminate hate and promote understanding.

STONEWALLSPEAKERS.ORG | (860) 523-9799

PARTNERS CAFE

Open seven days a week, Partners is proud to be a staple in New Haven night life and culture since 1974. Come on down and celebrate pride in our diverse and friendly atmosphere. We welcome all! PARTNERSNEWHAVEN.COM | (203) 776-1014

EVENTS

keg toss & Steinholding competitions, food trucks & vendor village. Beer sampling from over 50 breweries with 100’s of beers. Details at ctvisit.com.

Nov 16

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas

Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley come together attain to celebrate the holidays. Sun Records rings with sounds of the season and the chart toppers that made the Million Dollar quartet famous. The gang is back and up to their usual antics as we journey through stories of Christmas past, present and future! Learn more at ctvisit.com.

Dec 2

Official Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl

Get ready to rock your ugliest sweater, comfiest onesie, Santa costume, or any holiday outfits that come to mind like the Grinch, or the elf on the shelf at the New Haven’s Pub Crawl’s Ugly Sweater edition! Join the ultimate bar event holiday celebration, crawl through the best nightclubs and bars, and indulge in holiday-themed drink deals better than happy hour. Don’t miss out on the most festive party of the year - get your tickets on BarCrawlLive.com.

Jan TBD 2024

Sun Wine & Food Fest Grand Tasting

Sun Wine & Food Fest is your chance to sip and sample your way through endless vintages and signature dishes, incredible showcases and tastings during a four-day affair across the Uncas Ballroom, Earth Expo & Convention Center, and restaurants across the property. Learn more at mohegansun.com.

Mar 17-18 2024

Sugar Maple Festival

Food, live music, face painting, free sugar house tours and demonstrations, a quilt show, and so much more will fill your weekend with fun, laughter and all things maple. Don’t miss out on the tractor parade! Find us on Facebook.