15,000th Dunkin' Donuts Store in Raleigh

Dunkin’ Donuts 15,000th store…I had to make sure I got the number of zeros right on that. That’s pretty impressive – they must be doing something right. I went through the drive thru at the 15000th store on Glenwood and celebrated with hundreds of others yesterday. They had a celebratory 15 cents special for a donut, coffee (hot or iced) or soft serve cone. I opted for coffee, a glazed donut, and a soft serve cone.  You sugar cops…before you get on my case… I passed the donut onto my husband as that’s his favorite. The soft serve cone is more my style mid day.

$25 Raleigh Barbecue Restaurant Print Out Gift Certificate For $2!  Read on…

Have you been to Capital City Chop House by the Raleigh-Durham Airport? They’re known for their steaks, seafood and none other then…their chops. It’s a great casual place to go even though they call themselves fine dining. That’s a good thing in my opinion. I like to go when I’m ready for a full meal, and want to eat somewhere with a slower pace. The atmosphere inside is dark and there are booths everywhere so you can have an intimate dinner party. Like Sullivan’s is more a social restaurant with people buzzing around. The Chop House reminds me of an upscale Steak & Ale type of place…btw, I was sad for a brief moment when that restaurant closed by Crabtree.

Arby's Roast Chicken Club Sandwich

Okay I feel fatter today, because I had Arby’s Roast Chicken Club sandwich in Raleigh. Remember I’m not a big fast food eater. Oh and don’t confuse this sandwich for the Arby’s Roast Burger… we’re talking different meats here but same concept. Like the Roast Burger, the Roast Chicken Club is messy. It has bacon on it which in my adulthood I still can’t get myself to eat.

Every Wednesday Arby’s will have a freebie starting today. Meaning a free sandwich with the purchase of a drink. So basically for around 2 bucks you can get the sandwich freebie du jour and a drink. I got the Mandarin Peach tea. So it cost me $2.14 which includes our local tax…

Did u watch this season’s finale of MTV’s ‘The Hills’? It was about the buildup of the princess wedding that Heidi always wanted, to none other than that idiot guy Spencer Pratt? Remember they “got married” in Mexico and then learned it didn’t count in the US (even in laidback L.A.). Uh…maybe you shouldn’t decide on getting married over a few drinks… just maybe.   But anyway, then Spencer came up with his brilliant idea to go down to City Hall to get it legalized. Luckily before they did, he realized that Heidi wanted a “princess wedding” with her mom there and possibly her former best friend Lauren Conrad. I know it just seems like dumb and dumber. But in the end it’s their lives.And before they said ‘I do’ on the final episode last week, there was a Bridal Shower for Heidi.  Still wondering who actually threw it?  My guess is that it was a combined effort from her Maid of Honor sister who showed up late, Stephanie Pratt who wanted to be Maid of Honor, and friends Audrina and Lo.  Anyway, one of the gifts that Heidi got was a gift bag with these flip flops in it that leave a cute “just married” imprint in the sand.

If you know anyone getting married, then you should get a pair to give to her or throw in her Bridal Shower Gift Bag. For heaven’s sakes, they’re just $2.99
Just Married Flip-Flops – White
  and are guaranteed to be a hit! They come in 5 different colors (white, black, lavender, blue and orange) and are normally priced around $10 each. So get ‘em at this cheap $2.99 price before they sell out! I think the sale ends on June 30th.

The roof collapse about the world’s largest producer of meat snacks, Goodmark Foods in Raleigh (Garner), has made it across the nation’s news networks. Goodmark Foods produces Slim Jim and Beef Jerky which used to be some of my favorite salty snacks growing up. That was before I got older and I wised up on healthy foods and reduced eating processed foods and ones with nitrites.

If you want to get 50% off a shrub, then march on over to Logan’s One Stop Garden Shop with this coupon.  That’s my favorite Raleigh garden shop located at Seaboard Station. Not only is it fun to walk around that nursery and shop in the indoor shop and outdoor areas, but I think they carry very high quality plants. And lots of the tropical bright colored ones I love! Not that Lowe’s or Home Depot doesn’t have nice plants. But I have found the ones that I buy at Logan’s live longer and look better after I bring them home. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t have a green thumb.

Just to give you an example, I nearly gave up on this beautiful plant that I bought a few years ago from Logans…

Do you need to replace your floor or carpet in your Raleigh home? Thad’s Carpet One is my choice locally because they are the best value. It’s as simple as that. There are other places I would consider for higher end materials. But if you know you will have to replace the flooring again or have a lot of wear and tear, then Thad’s Carpet One is a good one.

Raleigh is full of lakes that you can walk around like Shelley Lake and Lake Lynn. And there are big lakes like Lake Wheeler and Jordan Lake. But if you head west in North Carolina to the mountains, there are some even bigger lakes that would take you days to walk around and you can do all kinds of fun boating and watersports. What better than combining the lake with the mountains?!

I was just vacationing not too far a drive from Raleigh. Have you ever been to Chimney Rock Park? If not you have to go! It’s absolutely breathtaking and one of the best kept hidden secrets in North Carolina…I always thought of myself as an ocean person more than a mountain person. I think it’s just what you grow up with. Not that you have to be one or the other, but I have found my opinion has totally changed after visiting Chimney Rock. And it doesn’t hurt that not only are the mountain views beyond amazing, but there’s also a huge gorgeous lake (Lake Lure) that surrounds the mountain town.

This should be one of the wonders of the world…that’s how gorgeous I think it is.