We Love Durham NC

Donate Your Shoes

Thinking of throwing out those old shoes to make room in the closet for new Christmas gifts? You better think twice- Santa needs them. Well, at least Santa’s helpers at New Balance Raleigh-Durham. The Triangle’s leading supplier of technologically advanced width-sized performance footwear and athletic apparel is proud to offer its customers the easiest way to get on the Good List with a chance to participate in the Soles4Souls program, a charity that facilitates the donations of new and gently used footwear to those in need worldwide. Both the Raleigh store,  Glenwood Ave., and the Durham store, across from the Street at Southpoint, will host the shoe drop-off station from now until to December 31, 2008.

Customers are encouraged to donate new and gently worn shoes in exchange for $10 off one pair and $25.00 off two pair of adult New Balance shoes purchases or $5 off one pair and $15.00 off two pair of kid’s New Balance shoes purchased. In the past years, donations have helped people in need in over 40 countries and five continents.

BuckleyBoo at A Sea of Learning

A Sea of Learning in the Renaissance Center across from Southpoint will be hosting a showing of the BuckleyBoo, a toy created by a mom in Chapel Hill.

Glad you asked! This is a BuckleyBoo.

Stocking Stuffer Yard Sale

This looks fun.

REP SAMPLE SALE! CHRISTMAS PRESENTS GALORE! NEW GIFT ITEMS!

~gift books, candles, bubble bath, bar accessories, cocktail napkins, I pod cases, fashion jewelry, watches, kids books, cookbooks, journals, stationary, frames, ….~tons of fun stocking stuffers like key rings, car fresheners, luggage tags, magnets, wind up toys, … ~Hundreds of single greeting cards for holiday, birthday, wedding,…

A very eclectic mix of really fun products! Not your typical yard sale! Rain or shine!

Saturday November 15^{th
8:30am – 3pm
2716 Ferrand Dr
Durham, NC 27705}

Durham Mothers Club Yard Sale Today

There is still good stuff, and bat cupcakes!

Saturday at Southpoint Mall

This is a photo of how far away from the mall the hubby & I had to park yesterday for the Apple Store. Christmas shopping already? No, it’s just Saturday. I’ve never been on a Saturday it wasn’t like this. (Not unpleasant, by the way, just very busy.)

Can you even see the mall in this photo? Don’t get distracted by the Halloween & More outparcel; it’s much farther back.

In the Apple Store, several kids were crowded around a short table playing Mac games on desktops. I wasn’t going to tell the boy this exists, but I couldn’t resist the thrill.

Domo-kun

You know the Domo has reached mainstream when you find little stuffed ones in the Target. I shouldn’t have even stopped in the toys, but we spied him on the endcap on the way to light bulbs. There is some disagreement as to his rightful owner. The Girl fell asleep clutching him, but haha! I will stay up later and he will be mine, all mine.

Costco Mattresses

Costco was full of back-to-school items today, including mattresses for outfitting new apartments. Someone did not tie their twin set to the top of their car well this afternoon, and it landed on 15-501, the mattress on the shoulder and the box spring in the middle lane. Ouch. I narrowly avoided a crash navigating between these and another vehicle.

Swiper, No Swiping!

Sunday morning found us motivated to do some home improvement, so I went around measuring things that needed parts replaced and taking notes. We took these notes to the Home Depot and started filling our order. We quickly traded the buggy for a flatbed cart that I found parked in a long row of such carts outside the building materials entrance.

We gathered lattice pieces, measured and cut molding, waited in a longish line to ask about stair treads, looked for fence parts in three different places, looked at trees, and found some items on sale, too. The cart was loaded and it took about an hour and a half.

The last item we needed was a length of foam to cover the A/C pipe. I parked the bulky cart, went one aisle over to ask an orange-vested employee where I could find foam tubing, and went over one more aisle to get the tubing. We quickly measured it and turned around to get our cart, which was now… gone.

Stunned, we walked up and down the store looking for the cart. By this time, the kids were exhausted, hungry, and worried that I was going to try to gather the items again. (I wasn’t.)

No cart. The fencing guy came by and said, yeah, you have to hold onto your cart or people will dump your stuff and steal the cart. The cashier confirmed this.

I cannot believe someone will up and steal your cart in the Home Depot.

Harris Teeter Opens at Hope Valley Commons

Harris Teeter opened yesterday as the anchor of the new shopping center at the corner of Highway 54 and Hope Valley Rd. (Highway 751), Hope Valley Commons, in the rapidly growing Southwest part of Durham.
The store is similar to the one on Martin Luther King Parkway, but newer and bigger than the one near the corner of 54 and Fayetteville.

Some features of note:

• olive bar
• salad bar
• large prepared foods / deli area
• order ahead and pickup groceries at scheduled time
• open 24 hours
• pharmacy
• Harry the Dragon ride for little ones*
• parking reserved for customers with children, beside a covered tent for buggies (like the Chapel Hill North Harris Teeter)
• rocket-themed buggies for kids
• Starbucks (looks like Durham increased the number of Starbucks while other towns were losing locations)
• large floral selection

As others have noted, the parking lot seems smallish, and I learned not to park in the main row coming off the entrance because of the number of incoming cars. We will probably continue to shop at the MLK location, but this Harris Teeter has a large market in the neighborhoods south of us.

The dragon ride is 50 cents and the song has changed. I miss the “Go Harry! Go Harry! Go Harris Teeter Dragon!” but it’s good to see he’s back in service.

Harris Teeter School Donation Program

If you shop at Harris Teeter, don’t forget to re-link your VIC card to the Together in Education donation program for the new year starting August 1st.

Hope Valley Commons Update

The sign outside the Hope Valley Commons reads “Harris Teeter Opening 10″ which we think must be a countdown to opening day. Workers are inside and out setting up the store. The parking lot held about 25 cars this morning, presumably of these employees.

We spied two new “coming soon” signs: Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness and Fast Frame. Construction continues on the other units, including Char-Grill and Japan Express.

Leasing information available from Weingarten Realty (866) 373-9437.

Elmo’s in Durham…

…today until 6 at the New Balance store at the Renaissance Center off Fayetteville Road, giving out stickers and signing up kids for the toy raffle, with his friends Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and Newbie the New Balance mascot. Free size fitting for kids. Tax-free purchases all week (New Balance pays the sales tax until the official state tax-free on August 1-3). New Balance is one of our favorite shoe companies, maintaining one of the best track records in the industry for their factories and worker relations.

New Durham Central Market

Here’s your chance to become a founding member of Durham’s new cooperative grocery store. All the cool kids are doing it.

Eye on University Marketplace

With all the talk about Hope Valley Commons happenings, don’t forget about the development down the street. University Marketplace was set to begin construction this month. Hawthorne Retail Partners confirmed that interior work is being done in preparation for demolition, which should begin in the next few weeks.

Yard Sale with Toys July 12th

I wish my kids would get motivated to do this! It happens July 12th. Check it out:

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My four- and six-year-old daughters asked to have a yard sale - Most items will be from their play-room, and they will be pricing the items themselves. Please feel free to come haggle prices with them, there are sure to be some good deals!

The sale will start at 7 AM! We are on Cole Mill Road, across the street from the Croasdaile Golf Course.

Lemonade will be for sale for our parched guests.

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