Thursday, February 26, 2009

Free Diet Dr. Pepper

Yep, that's all there really is to it, right up there in the title: Free Diet Dr. Pepper. Go out to www.freedietdrpepper.com, register, and they will send you a coupon for free Diet Dr. Pepper in the mail in 3-4 weeks. Yes, you have to wait, but, come on, it's free Diet Dr. Pepper!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Abita Beer Tasting at Brixx


Pizza. Beer. Both are delicious things that I love, and I now know that Abita Beer is delicious beer!
I went with some friends tonight to Brixx for a beer tasting, and for only $7 we got lots of beer and lots of pizza. Abita is a brewery out of Louisiana, so there was this whole Mardi Gras/New Orleans theme going on. In addition to wearing beads, we had little pimento cheese toasts and crawfish pizza and I have to say I will probably dream about that crawfish pizza tonight.
I loved all of the beers that we tasted, but I think the Amber was my favorite, then the Purple Haze. Oh yeah, and I won a prize. They did a drawing for an awesome Purple Haze pint glass, and, hooray, I won.
Also, for those of you who are working on getting your Brixx MBA, be on the lookout for when they are doing other tastings like this. It's now required to attend one to get that MBA. Buddy is only 8 away from his, I need 12! Free $50 worth of food, here we come!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Free Pancakes and Free Tacos

All I have to say is Happy Fat Tuesday! I didn't partake in any of these freebies because I am trying to be super good so I can look great in my friend, Sarah's, wedding in April... But, I wanted to give a shout out to iHop and Jack in the Box for the awesome deals today.
The Tuesday before Lent can be called a lot of things, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, etc, but it is also Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday. Years and years ago, Lent meant no flour, eggs, etc., so Shrove Tuesday became a great day to celebrate and eat pancakes to use those items up. Fast forward to today and iHop is serving free pancakes and just ask you to give a small donation to Children's Miracle Network if you so desire. There's nothing wrong with delicious pancakes and helping little kiddos.
Jack in the Box has a little different thing going on... I guess the story is that Jack Box (you know the guy from the commercals with the creepy cartoonish head and man hands?) was hit by a bus and is undergoing treatment. They are giving updates on the website www.hangintherejack.com and this is also where you could print a coupon for 2 free tacos, good only today. I suggest checking this site daily to see if they will do it again... This is marketing at it's finest. I think it's crazy clever.
Why pay for food when they are giving it away?

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Candy & Potter's Volunteer Army


My friends, Kim & Sharon, and I went to volunteer with Candy & Potter's Volunteer Army today and we had an absolute blast! For those of you who don't know, Candy & Potter are a husband and wife duo who do mid-days on 107.9 The Link. Once a month, they organize a large volunteer project for the "army" to partake in. Kim and I had been talking about volunteering with them for, seriously, over a year and today is the day that it finally worked out for both of our schedules, so we roped Sharon into going with us also. We were clearing brush, leaves, etc. and beautifying the new ropes course at Alexander Youth Network. Our backs hurt and we had mulch down our pants but you couldn't wipe the smile off of anyone there's face when the kids came and sang us their spirit song. It was then that we all really knew exactly why we were there, and it felt really, really good.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Take a survey, win some really awesome paper products!

A friend of mine works at Carolina Pad & Paper and sent me an email asking me to take their monthly surveys. Of course, I love giving my opinion, and I definitely have one on cool notebooks and pads of paper, I'm an absolute sucker for those sorts of things! We all remember Lisa Frank, right? Well, I LOVED her stuff! So, I get to the website and find out that everyone who fills out the surveys gets entered into a monthly drawing. That's never much of an encouragement because I'm just not someone who wins prizes. Well, wouldn't you know it? I won! My prize pack arrived today and I'm so thrilled with all of my new, beautiful notebooks, folders, etc. It's like the first day of school on crack and I'm enamoured!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tuesday Nights at Arpa


I went to Arpa tonight for seriously some of the best deals in Charlotte. On Tuesdays, select tapas and appetizers are half off. Incredible, right? Well, add to that $10 large pitchers of Sangria (that's about $2 a glass), plus deals on Bud Select, Corona, and Corona Light. We had a fabulous time, and it's so fun to share the Tapas with the table, such a communal, sharing feel. It's like an event that is all about the food, and food is good. My very favorite is the croquettes, yummy ham and shrimp all on a little fried bit of yumminess. Pair that with a delicious glass of Sangria and some fun conversation, and, really what more do you need?

Monday, February 16, 2009

Send a virtual cupcake and support the fight against Ovarian Cancer

We've all seen the adorably perky commercials for Electrolux appliance with Kelly Ripa, right? How can you not just love her? Well, now you can have a whole new reason. If you go to the Kelly Confidential section of the Electrolux website, you can create and send a virtual cupcake to your friends. It's fun to create and choose all of the little options, plus for every cupcake sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to the fight against Ovarian Cancer, what a great cause. I made a little birthday cupcake and sent it to my friend Gretchen in honor of her 29th birthday this Saturday. So, have some fun making your cupcake, help fight ovarian cancer, and the best yet, no calories!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Half-Priced Bottle of Wine Night at Loft 1523


What could be a better end to a stressful week than sitting on a fabulous patio drinking fabulous wine poured by a fabulous bartender? I can't think of any, and that's exactly what I did tonight. On Tuesdays and Fridays at Loft 1523 bottles are half off, such a great savings. Plus, the bartender, Russ, is so great that he'll make sure that you get yourself the right bottle. When I walked up to the bar to order, I told him that I wanted a red and asked him what he recommended. He then asked me all sorts of questions like what is my favorite scent and what seasonings do I like to cook with. The result was me drinking the perfect Pinot Noir. And, no one could have planned that perfect weather last night, but it was a great time to be hanging out on Loft 1523's awesome patio. For those of you reading the blog from outside of Charlotte, I'll just describe my outfit for you: jeans, short-sleeve top, flip flops. Everyone really should live in Charlotte! Such a fabulous city for so many reasons!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Warhol Exhibit at the Mint


So, just to clear up any confusion, that's not a Warhol piece in the photo. No photography was allowed in the actual exhibit area, so I took a photo of my favorite piece in the Mint Museum. You will know that I have arrived, when that hangs above my super chic sofa. (BTW, I don't have a super chic sofa, so I guess I'll be needing that also)
Enough about that and back to Warhol. My friends Sharon and Erin and I went and I'm so glad that we did. It was fascinating. Everyone knows about the Marilyn Monroe Warhol piece, but there are so many iconic images that I had no idea were Warhol that I truly enjoy. Honestly, my favorite Warhol piece was one that he did of Santa Claus. There was a whole series of myths, which is where St. Nick fell, along with Superman and the Wicked Witch of the West. I also enjoyed learning about the history and the processes surrounding the pieces, so great. It was wonderful to be able to learn about a real piece of our history. Oh yeah, and for free. Don't forget folks, the Mint Museum is free every Tuesday after 5pm, so get out there and get cultured!
"You have to be willing to get happy about nothing." -Andy Warhol

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Crossroads Charlotte: The Movie


Have you ever thought about what Charlotte will be like in 2015? Will this city have prospered or tanked? Who will be our leaders? Some fantastic artists and poets have really profound ideas about these things and this is what Crossroads Charlotte: The Movie is all about.

My friend, Sharon, and I attended the free premiere at the new Epicentre Theater and it was amazing, even life-changing. The movie is comprised of 4 very different stories of how Charlotte's future could turn out, from the very bleak 'Fortress Charlotte' to the happy existence of 'Eye to Eye.' There are also some wonderful poetic responses to the 4 stories, the most moving one to me being the response to 'Fortress Charlotte.' Everyone in Charlotte needs to see this movie. All of the attendees of the 6 free premieres last night received a free copy of the DVD, so there are quite a few of these rolling around the city. Plus, it will be airing on WTVI on February 19th. Be looking for your very own Cheap & Free Blogger, as I was interviewed for for my reaction after the film.

We are at a crossroads, quite literally, right now, and we all need to decide if we are going to be the change that we want to see in the world or if we are going to just sit back and hope that someone else does it. Crossroads Charlotte is so much more than just a movie, it's a movement. Get involved and let everyone know what you are going to do shape Charlotte's future.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Super Bowl Sunday at Ed's


So, Buddy and I are Steeler's fans... Do you think we enjoyed the Super Bowl this year? Oh, yes we did! Of course, we headed up to Ed's with a bunch of friends. They were running a great deal. It was $10 to reserve yourself a seat and for the $10 you got a buckets of 5 beers, $2 each and the beer we chose was Bud Select, not a bad deal. What we did was reserve 4 spots and that allowed us to reserve the biggest table they had, so we would be sure and have enough seats for all of our friends. There were beer specials and drink specials galore. I definitely reccommend trying an applesuce shot, they were only $4 each that night. I seriously want a candle that smells like the applesauce shot! Ed's was also doing a raffle, $1 a ticket and all proceeds went to the Make a Wish Foundation, great cause. We bought 5 tickets, and, wouldn't you know it, we won a little grill shaped like a football. Oh, the entertainment wasn't too bad either! Woohoo Steelers! 6 Super Bowl wins! "We're from the town with the great football team! We cheer the Pittsburgh Steelers!"