Hi Raleigh Lover!

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day yesterday. We had a quiet day at home with the girls eating a lovely dinner and hanging out. I watched the final episode in Season 4 of the Outer Banks and am NOT okay!!

I hope the full feelings of love, joy, and gratitude linger long in your heart and positively impact all those around you. May the blessings continue to touch your life on all your tomorrows! We appreciate you so much!

Raleigh’s holiday season kicked off in a big way last week with the Raleigh Christmas Parade and a couple of tree lighting events. The fun will be ramping up over the next few weeks so enjoy this festive season with those you love. We have our Raleigh Holiday Bucket List to help you plan out your festivities.

May the sales be with you, if you’re taking advantage of Black Friday deals today, and for the rest of the week. I mean how long does it really go for now?

Saturday is Shop Small - so remember to support local Raleigh businesses as best you can!

We’re also a local Raleigh business that supports local Raleigh businesses - the best way you can support us is read our content, engage with it, and share it with those you know!

And if you love travel, don’t forget we have a global travel site that we’ve created content on now since 2010! We have travel tips, guides, and itineraries for destinations all around the world, with a large focus on Australia, USA and Europe. Click here to visit ytravelblog.com

Thank you!

💖 FAVORITE FINDS

• North Hills has a certain kind of Hallmark Christmas Magic. It was lovely walking around there on Saturday night for the tree lighting. I’m loving how this area is evolving. And there was a great mix of people from babies to grandparents.

• The sunset that night at North Hills was also pretty special. They have been quite enchanting lately.

• Beth’s Christmas store - it really connects me to the spirit of Christmas. We visited their store at the Junior League Shopping Spree on the weekend and was impressed with the quality and range of their holiday gifts and decor. We’re working with them on a giveaway for you - coming soon!

• Crime of Passion Cocktail at True Food Kitchen. prairie organic vodka, cappelletti aperitivo, passion fruit, lime, elderflower-rhubarb foam

• Blue Ox Bakery - I found them at the North Hills Market. I did not get to eat anything as I’m gluten free, but their baked goods looked incredible! They bake out of Little Blue Bakehouse on Newbern Ave, East Raleigh.

⭐DID YOU HEAR?

• Rivals UNC and NC State faceoff tomorrow in football! May the best team win!

• Dix Park’s Gipson Play Plaza is planning to open in spring 2025. It”s been a long time coming and should be a wonderful community gathering space.

• Local favorite, Phillips Farms will host a Christmas Wonderland Friday, November 29–Sunday, December 1 and will have Christmas trees available.

• The Dreamville Festival has announced its return to Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park on Saturday April 5 and Sunday, April 6.

• The Christmas Carousel Holiday Gift Market takes place at the N.C. State Fairgrounds from today until Sunday. More than 250 vendors will exhibit arts, crafts, holiday foods, gifts and more.

• Dix Park and Raleigh Parks Teen Zone are offering a new series of programs that builds connections and fosters a fun supportive community for teens starting this Sunday with a picnic and book/ record/ video games swap. Full line up here. 

🖋 ON THE BLOG

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👍ON THE GRAM

• LISTENING: How to manifest anything with the secret laws of the universe with David Ghiyman on the School of Greatness Podcast. - Possibly the best podcast I’ve listened to - at least on this topic.

• READING: An old course of mine on Money Mindfulness that I’m resurrecting!

• WATCHING: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (I liked it this year - especially our Australian Bluey and Kylie Minogue featured!)

• DOING: Christmas shopping, celebrating a friend’s birthday, going to see Wicked with some girlfriends,