Hampden: a holiday tradition

Now that I’ve lived in Baltimore for over two years, I’ve decided to make it a tradition to visit Hampden’s 34th Street for the holidays each year. It is a great thing to do with friends and family and cherish the moments of this season.

If you haven’t been to see the lights, they are always eye-catching. From the hubcap tree to the collection of just-a-tad-creepy Santa dolls, you’re sure to find something to remind you of Christmas.

You can also enjoy a stroll down The Avenue to visit the assortment of boutiques or stop in Cafe Hon-look for the giant pink flamingo-for a cup of hot chocolate and pose with Elvis.

Whatever you decide, 34th Street is sure to remind you of the miracles of this holiday and that there is still so much to be thankful for.

Festival of Trees in Baltimore

If you haven’t already, this weekend is the Kennedy Krieger Institute Festival of Trees at the MD State Fairgrounds in Timonium. You can enjoy the gingerbread towns, train forests, craft boutiques, and other holiday goodies along with night time entertainment! It is also a great event if you have kids or a favorite niece or nephew you want to take out for the holiday season. Lots of great kiddie rides too including a carousel.  The event is tomorrow, 10a a.m.-6 p.m.

Prices are $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors. You can also order online and get a $2 discount! I wish I could take advantage of this deal, so please make up for me by going out and enjoying this event!

 

$5 tattoos support cancer and animal control

Today you can get a tattoo for just $5 at Immoral Ink in Joppa, Md starting at 1 p.m. All of the proceeds from the event will be donated to breast cancer research and Alley Animals. This is a 24 hour event so you have until tomorrow at 1 p.m. to attend the event and support the cause.

On their Facebook, you can view some sketches of tattoo designs to select from. Some are breast cancer awareness themed, others Friday 13th.

Immoral Ink is located at 112 Philadelphia Rd. For more info on the location, you can also visit their MySpace.

Super Sweet Savings Pt. 2

I figured now would be a great time to post Pt. 2 of my Super Sweet Savings, just in time for the holidays coming up! Whether you’re in B-More or visiting family out of town, these deals are online and can used at popular stores that are probably closer than you think.

I’ve got three this week that I hope you will find handy!

1. Midnight Box.com

On this Web site, you will find three new products posted every night at midnight. These items are only up for 24 hours or until they are sold out, which sometimes can be quite fast. You can also browse through other products that didn’t sell out on their post days. Their products include  ”Computer Peripherals, Video Gaming Consoles and Accessories, Digital Cameras and Accessories, MP3 Players & Accessories, Audio/Video Accessories, Home Theater Components, DVD Players, Satellite Radio, GPS Navigation Systems, Car Audio, Housewares, Watches, and much more.”

2. Slickdeals.net

I really like the idea of this site. It is a user-driven forum where you can post sweet deals that are going on, possibly coupons or discounts on items at your favorite store. My boyfriend told me about this Xbox 360 deal going on at Walmart where you could buy it, ONLY TODAY, for $199 and get a $100 gift card. Looking at this site, I also see that Amazon is doing the same thing, but this deal quickly sold out.

Great place to look around the holidays if you are looking for a bargain, but you got to be fast!

3. 1 Sale A Day

This site is quite interesting as well. As you can guess by the title, there is one sale posted every 24 hours. You can also see other links off the site that list free items or other discount items for that day. Since these are also “sale” items, I don’t exactly understand how this is only “1 sale a day” but they do offer a variety, and who doesn’t like free stuff?

Stroll through Baltimore’s Farmers’ Market

Every Sunday, you have the option to take a stroll down East Saratoga Street and be amazed by Baltimore’s Farmers’ Market! It’s a great place to just walk through and visit, you don’t even have to buy anything. If you do plan on spending, you’re sure to find a bargain here!

It’s one of the places you can guarantee you’ll find fresh, locally grown food. Among the vast selection, you may stumble upon those selling seafood, chicken, a variety sauces, fresh flowers, juices, fruit, and much more.

This is the largest and oldest farmers market in the state so be sure you arrive early because once they sell out, they pack up and go home!

The market is open Sundays, 8 a.m.-noon, unless they sell out, and is located at 407 East Saratoga St., downtown Baltimore.

Free Lantern Parade and Festival in BMore

Looking for something to do tomorrow? The annual Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival is 3-9 p.m., parade departing at 7:30 p.m. at 275 S. Patterson Park Ave.

People gather together with handmade lanterns and parade around Patterson Park as a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe and the spirit of Halloween. Before the parade, you can also enjoy free hayrides, lantern making, live music, and a rendition of Poe’s “Eureka: A Prose Poem.”

You don’t want to miss this night of giant skeletons, gothic stilt walkers and lots of lanterns.

Check out a map of the area and enjoy some free, holiday fun!

Super Sweet Savings Pt.1

Looking for a sweet deal to make you happy today? Don’t feel like leaving your lovely abode in B’more? Well I have just the thing. I have a collection of over 20 sites I am going to share with you throughout the semester that offer a variety of coupons, free deals, specialty low-priced items, and more!

I will highlight about 5 sites each week or so. Let me know what you think of them!  I am calling this “Super Sweet Savings.”

1. Woot.com

This site offers a special deal a day for the geeks at heart. The sales are geared mostly towards the electronics department including digital cameras, high-tech gadgets, and surround-sound systems. My boyfriend Sean just bought a Phillips 1000 watt surround sound system for $100. The quality of sound is great and it was quite a steal compared to other brands that cost up to $400, sometimes more.

Another interesting aspect of this site is when they host a Woot-off. This is when they need to get rid of overstocked items. They sell each item, one at a time, through a fast-paced sale where the item is up for grabs only until the complete stock is sold. The Woot-off could last a few seconds or it could last a few hours. So when you hear about a Woot-off, be sure to stay updated on the items because you never know when they’ll run out!

2.  Dealspl.us

This site offers coupons, deals, and discounts on a variety of items for some of your favorite stores including Macy’s, Barnes and Noble and Target. You might have to do some digging, but I already saw some great deals including present ideas for the upcoming holiday season;)

3. dealcatcher.com

Similar to the previous link, this offers deals each day for popular stores, brands, and even restaurants. Check it out to see all there is to offer!

Sweet shopping my peeps.

A month of free thrills

It’s October and that means time for some fun! This month, Free Fall Baltimore gives several opportunities for family, kids, students, and the like, to enjoy free events throughout the city.

Here are two of my personal favorites.

1. Halloween Theater Weekend by the Strand Theater Company is great for the season of spooks. On Oct. 29-31 at 8 p.m., the play Graves in the Water will be performed in an actual graveyard.  I think I might try it out just because I’ve never seen a play for Halloween before. It’s something different from the old, haunted house tours and trick-or-treating.

2. Also in the spirit of the season, something I would love to take part in if I’m not working is Thrill the World with Dance Baltimore. Dance groups are getting together to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest performance of one dance by the most people at the same time. And what are they dancing to? Michael Jackson’s Thriller. If there is any way possible, I want to be one of the supporting zombies dancing the Thriller to show my support, not just for the event, but also to represent Baltimore talent.

If you don’t know how to dance the Thriller, here is the tutorial videos by Thrill the World. It is pretty lengthy and if you know some of the steps, you can probably skip half of the videos, but it divides the choreography up easily.

Check the complete listing of Free Fall Baltimore events and find out what suits you. Everything is free so go enjoy this month of free fun!

Take thee a free trip to Renaissance Fest

Students at Towson University can pickup a FREE  ticket to this year’s Renaissance Festival for a day trip on Saturday, October 24.

I have never been, but I have seen my share of medieval times fans and done my bit of Shakespeare in high school. From what I hear, there are jousting tournaments, people dressed up in authentic looking medieval garments and all the giant turkey legs you can eat! Plus, it will be Chivalry Weekend which means you will have the chance to see a special  jousting tournament  ”to determine who is the greatest knight in all the realm.”

A bus will leave Lot 11 at 10 a.m. and return at 5 p.m. You must show your TU ID to get the ticket and there is a discount of $10 for any non-student in case you want to bring a friend along. You can purchase or pickup tickets at the University Ticket Office on the first floor of the Union. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 2.

**Price includes admission into the festival** NOTE: You will need your TU ID to board the bus with a student ticket Sponsored by Campus Activities Board. If you would like more information please contact Heather at hkyler1@students.towson.edu or call 410.704.2070.

***EDIT*** Tickets for this trip are officially sold out! Sorry if you missed it. Tune in to my blog for other great deals!

Hooray for Museum Day!

Today is Museum Day! That means you and a guest can visit one of several participating museums for free.

In Baltimore a few include the Baltimore Museum of Art, B&O Railroad Museum and the American Visionary Art Museum. Or, if you want to take a trip to D.C., there are several museums, besides the Smithsonians that are usually free anyway, including the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, the Woodrow Wilson House and the National Building Museum.

Unfortunately I have to work today so I won’t be able to visit a museum, but I encourage students to take advantage of this. You learn a lot by visiting museums, could maybe use it for a class that you’re taking and they are just fun to walk through at your own pace without having to follow a large group on a field trip. So go have some free fun and if you do go, take some pics and share them on here, just to rub it in my face:)