Here’s a list of some of my favorite upcoming events.

Joe Goode Performance Group
3/9/2010 Tuesday 8:00p
NCSU Stewart Theatre, Raleigh NC

Laser Michael Jackson
All month
The Children’s Museum and Science Center at the imperial Centre, Rocky Mount NC

“Go Green” Wine Dinner
3/12/2010 Friday 6:30p
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Raleigh NC

Clay Aiken
3/12/2010 Friday 8:00p
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh NC

LEGO-palooza
3/13/2010 Saturday 11:00a
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, Chapel Hill NC

Menopause – The Musical
3/13/2010 Saturday 2:00p
Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh NC

Broadway Series South presents Little House on the Prairie The Musical
3/16/2010 Tuesday 8:00p
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh NC

St. Patrick’s Day Mug Night!!!
3/17/2010 Wednesday 5:00p
The Pour House Music Hall, Raleigh NC

Autism Society of NC Night with the Hurricanes
3/18/2010 Thursday 7:00p
RBC Center (Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena), Raleigh NC

WSN Series: An Evening With Pianist Stefan Litwin
3/19/2010 Friday 8:00p to 10:00p
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Women’s Empowerment 2010
3/20/2010 Saturday 11:30a
RBC Center (Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena), Raleigh NC

Mozart, Bach & Schumann
3/23/2010 Tuesday 8:00p
Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh NC

Lisa Lampanelli
3/27/2010 Saturday 8:00p
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh NC

Natural Egg Dyeing (age 4 & up, with parent)
3/28/2010 Sunday 2:00p to 3:30p
North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill NC

Know of any other great events?  Share with all your neighbors on our blog!

I love to decorate too. What are your plans for a spring facelift?

Spring is coming, which usually means the itch for the great outdoors is creeping up in me.  Another thing I just love to do when Spring arrives is changing the decor…especially outside! However, before you spice up outside of your apartment, you may want to think about a few things.

All in all, my decorations turned out wonderful! Sadly, I kept it subtle. I wouldn’t mind knowing about what my fellow apartment dwellers who don’t have an outside entrance like mine do in regards to decorating?? Post some pics if you have some!

First thing’s first, you should call your leasing office and ask if it is ok for you to put decorations in your windows or hang stuff on your doors. Some complexes are a little touchy about the complex image so they might restrict it. Luckily all of the places I have lived have let me go a little bat-crazy with the decorations.

Unless you’re a huge dork like me and hunt for decorations like there is no tomorrow (I have storage bins for just about every holiday), you’re mostly going to have decorations for the big and festive tree decorating holiday! Just so you all know, I also decorate my store for all of the holidays, that being the biggest reason I ended up with so many decorations.

Where I live, I have an outside entrance to my apartment that is placed right next to the door for the apartment below me. One thing you must make sure you do is talk to your neighbor before hanging decorations. I did because the place where I wanted to put lights would leave them hanging over my neighbor’s door as well and I didn’t want to disrespect her if she didn’t approve. Luckily, my neighbor is incredible and nice and makes us cookies and loves us! So we got to put up some awesome decorations.

I wanted to put the wall lights (they would cover a whole outside wall) on the side of our building where our door was, but the ladies in the leasing office said that would be a bit much (which is why you should ask about decorating beforehand).

The question is…should you be the one to discipline them?

It’s a touchy subject and as mom to a 21 month-old, I have mixed emotions.  I think that if someone’s gonna get hurt, you should speak-up, but other than that I think you should just a chat with their parent.

What do you think about this controversial subject? Watch this video to see what other moms have to say.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/areay89/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Decorating your apartment does not have to break the bank.  A survey suggests that renters will decorate within the first three months of their move.  Most renters say that their biggest decorating challenge is staying within a budget.

 Each of us has our own taste for decorating.  Whether you are male or female, you should decorate your apartment based on what you will be most comfortable in and not according to the latest trend.

 But if you are intimidated by the idea of decorating, first try a small yet important room, like the bathroom. A great shower curtain can make a world of difference. Then you can move on to a bigger area like the living room – start small with a nice lamp. Re-covering old dining room chairs or a worn-out ottoman are easy ways to subtly change the style of a room.

Remember to start off small and work your way up when it comes to decorating. Be creative! Good Luck!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/

flickr photo: twicepix photos

If you are a regular iTune purchaser, you could win $10,000 in iTunes.  Apple is giving away this awesome gift card to whoever buys its 10 billionth song.  The milestone is expected to come up this month. 

 Follow the countdown on the Apple web site. 

 It’s just like 2006 all over again, when the 17-year old boy from Michigan won a $10,000 iTunes gift card, an iMac, and 10 iPods for downloading the 1 billionth song from iTunes.  And chances are, he still has money on that gift card and probably will for a few more years.

Wouldn’t that be great to be the winner of this???

They’ll have two party rooms, two bands, tantalizing Bayou food and a Shrimp Boil on top! Guests are encouraged to meander from one room to the other as they eat, drink and enjoy some Mardi Gras mania. Also, don’t forget your mask (you could win a prize!) According to their website “this is the the real deal – as “down-home” a Mardi Gras party as you’ll find without hopping on a plane!!”

Sounds like a great time and good opportunity for some beads! What are your Mardi Gras plans?

Hope you enjoy it with someone special and that you eat all the chocolate you want.

“The most beautiful view is the one I share with you.” ~Author Unknown

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dainec/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

The answer may lie in just how long you’ve been together. It makes a difference on the holiday’s gift etiquette, whether you’ve been out on a few dates or have been in love for years.

It’s suggested that if you are new to a relationship something small, but thoughtful, is always appreciated. Maybe you know who their favorite author is, and can surprise them with their latest novel?

For the more involved couples, you may have wanted to have a heart-to-heart a few weeks before about expectations. You don’t want to hurt your girlfriend’s/boyfriend’s feelings by not planning anything at all because you think it’s a made-up card holiday. Keep in mind it’s never too late to ask!

The article doesn’t say, but I guess if you’re married, like myself, do what you usually do, but maybe you can sneak in an expected surprise. I’m buying my husband Rock Band for his PS3. I know not, it’s romantic at all…but he’ll love it!

Final tip, although 10% of engagements happen on Valentine’s Day, don’t expect anything ladies and don’t feel pressured guys! It will happen when the timing is right, not just because it’s February 14th.

This year’s Super Bowl ads did not disappoint. There were lots of hilarious ones and some that were heart-felt. Did you see the Snicker’s one with Betty White? That one was my favorite. There were also some really bad choices, like the Career Builder commercial. Men in tighty-whiteys should not be on TV in my opinion.

What were your favorite commercials?

If you happen to miss the Super Bowl, you can go here to see all the best and worst ads.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The New York Jets who lost in the AFC championship aren’t the only ones skipping the Super Bowl this year. Pepsi has announced it has chosen to pass on their annual $3 million commercial and invest more in their social media strategy.

Pepsi Refresh is an initiative Pepsi is taking to invest $20 million dollars of grant money back into local communities for aid in projects for health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. They plan to market this message in ways that are more viral including social media. This is the first-time in 23 years that Pepsi isn’t running a Super Bowl ad. What do you think? Are you disappointed or do you think it’s a smart move for the company?

I think this may be Coke’s chance to really shine during the most watched TV show of the year.

You can read more about Pepsi’s decision here.