Try this: Cardstore.com

I just sent an Easter card to a friend for FREE! Free card, Free shipping, Free stamp! It should arrive in their mailbox just in time for some Easter love! How did I achieve this awesome deal?


In celebration of Easter, Cardstore.com is offering another FREE card with FREE shipping today, 3/26, and tomorrow, 3/27, only.
Use the code CCE2326 to get the FREE card.
There will be 50,000 free cards given out each day, so if they run out today you can try again tomorrow.

Missed this Easter Promotion? Cardstore.com has MANY discounts and giveaways through out the year! Keep them on your watch list :) The Quality is great, the deals are AMAZING, and they always arrive in perfect condition :) I am very happy with this company :)

Oakwood Dog Park

This is one of my favorite Raleigh finds, the Oakwood Dog Park! It is right in the center of Raleigh, NC and all FREE. It is a volunteer run program, and it is well kept! There are two fenced in areas (one for smaller dogs and one for all the rest!). And they have baggies for... you know... and a water pump that you can fill up buckets of water for the dogs. There are trees, some hills, a huge overall area, and nice wood chip mulch covering the ground. I felt Bentley was safe there, and it was so fun to see him enjoy the area! They also have a good website about the rules, directions to get there, and more information about the area. Check it out! One of my favorite dog parks in the area, by far :)

Oakwood Dog Park
910 Brookside Drive  Raleigh, NC 27601

(919) 831-6995

Bentley is excited to go to the Dog Park!

Bentley exploring the HUGE open Dog Park full of trees!

Tired pup after a hard day of play!

Try this: Cardstore FREE card giveaway!

HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to all the Leap Year babies out there! February is a very special day to be born and deserves special recognition (since it only comes once every four years!). My Grandfather (on my father's side) was born on February 29th, and would be "21" today! Happy Birthday Pappa! We miss you and are so happy you are with Grandma Sweetie in heaven!


Well, I found a company that believes, like me, birthdays should be celebrated and recognized: CardStore! And in honor of 2/29/2012, they are giving away FREE cards! You can customize a birthday card (words and pictures and all!) and at check out, just type in the code for your FREE card! It has FREE delivery too! How sweet are they!

http://www.cardstore.com/

code: CCC2029
exp: 2/29/12 only! or till 29,000 cards have been given away.

Bugfest 2011

Last weekend, we met up with some friends and went to a Free event at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science called: bugfest 2011!!! It was a really neat set up (and very kid friendly). Outside the museum, there was a small carnival around the area with bounce houses, all kinds of foods and drinks, live music, and info stations (some interactive) all encompassing the them of Bugs. Inside, there were a ton of interactive stations and info stations, as well as the usual exhibits too!
I learned a lot about spiders, beetles, worms, butterflies... Etc. And probably learned more then I cared to too! One of the craziest things we got to do, was EAT a bug! A cinnamon sugar covered meal worm to be specific!!! Now, I say I'll try anything once, I never want to regret an experience because I didn't try! Honestly, it was ok. It didn't taste like anything but cinnamon sugar for the most part, but the exoskeleton kind of didn't leave the mouth as easily. Ew. It wasn't my favorite experience, but I'm glad I did it! In another booth, a Chief was cooking up combos of grasshoppers and dragonflies... I didn't get a chance to try those.
What is really interesting about this whole bug eating thing, was just a month ago, I read a New Yorker article about Entomophagy and it was sooo interesting! I can't fond the exact one, but here's another: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/magazine/10wwln-essay-t.html
Basically, bugs are the best for humans. They supply protein (I think more protein per gram than any other meat!) and they regenerate rapidly (so no limited supply) and, they don't use a lot of resources to grow (think about cows and chickens... How much land they need and food...). Bugs really could be the solution to our food problems... If we could get over the fact that they are BUGS! Ew. I'm not saying I will easily convert, but it is a valid point. Interesting "food for thought".

North Carolina State University

There are so many colleges and universities in North Carolina, especially in the Triangle area... which seems to encompass Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill. With that said, it is always neat to explore the local schools, especially when there is so much history involved.

Tommy use to attend NCSU, so he is always my personal tour guide and I have come to enjoy NCSU's campus probably as much as he does!

Here are some pictures from a couple different trips we have taken there:

In front of the Memorial Bell Tower


The Memorial Bell Tower


The Free Expression Tunnel!!!!


NCSU is known for their use of Bricks. Whew! There are LOTS of them!
Why all the Bricks?

RDU Airport Observation Deck

This is some thing you don't see everyday... especially with all that tight security at airports! It's an Observation deck open to the public for FREE! The RDU airport did a great job in making this place. It has a deck over looking one of the major takeoff and landing strips, you can hear ACTUAL conversations from the control tower to the pilots, there are picnic tables, a playground for kids, and information pillars all around for a little edu tlc. We enjoyed our cool Sunday evening watching planes take off against the setting sun, and I recommend this spot to any one looking for something a little different; whether you know your planes or not :)



Here is the official website info (with map):
http://www.rdu.com/whileatairport/obpark.htm