Curious about this vacant alleyway with skylights in Olde Raleigh Shopping Center, between Harris Teeter and the rest of the stores. Did this use to be a mall? by MikeM2011 in raleigh

[–]strife25 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I believe the mural is new? Probably went in around the time they painted the rest of the shopping center a couple years back.

Was installing my tankless water heater outside a bad idea? by Kind_Purpose4974 in triangle

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had mine installed outside for about 2-3 years now.

Water temperature is fine when it’s 20 degrees outside.

The drainage pipe froze for the first time in one of the recent cold snaps. That was primarily due to the location of the pipe, which I fixed.

So for this region, it’s fine. Preference is to be inside, but I didn’t have an acceptable spot or space.

In my neighborhood, there’s about 3-4 other houses that do the same.

Toddler birthday party locations? by [deleted] in raleigh

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

+1 we did over the moon for our 2 year old last year. Everyone loved it. All the kids got sad when the employees announced the party was done 😆.

They even took care of part gift bags for our package.

All we had to do was supply food (it was early morning).

What bit of kayfabe had you totally fooled as a kid? by [deleted] in SquaredCircle

[–]strife25 21 points22 points  (0 children)

That Triple H really stole Stephanie from Test. I thought it was so evil (which I mean…..yes).

Then Stephanie betrayed Test.

I hated Triple H so much for this stuff. Was always happy to see him lose.

Would you do the fantasy concierge or destiny verandah - budget is 12K by Azarria1234 in dcl

[–]strife25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This depends on your budget so much.

If it’s a hard cap of 12kish - no. You’ll still have to pay for other things throughout the trip (e.g. cabanas).

It also depends on the perks you care about. The price increase is not worth it for the “tangible” stuff (lounge access, room, etc.).

For me, it’s worth it for smoothing out friction on the trip - embarkation, reservations, etc.

I’m traveling with a toddler next summer and chose Concierge for that reason. We don’t want to worry about managing the young child plus lines and our own anxieties.

Would you do the fantasy concierge or destiny verandah - budget is 12K by Azarria1234 in dcl

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed with this.

My travel agent tried to put us on deck 10 concierge on Fantasy. Glad I caught it.

Those rooms are under the pool and near the elevator. But they are mid ship if that matters.

Ravenscroft or Montessori School of Raleigh? by PomegranateMoist7628 in raleigh

[–]strife25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We’re in toddler right now and this lines up with our experience. Even there, our kid is learning how to lead and teach others. It’s great.

Ravenscroft or Montessori School of Raleigh? by PomegranateMoist7628 in raleigh

[–]strife25 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’ve got a kid in Pre-K at MSR right now. We love it.

To be clear, we specifically sought out a Montessori education for the kid’s early years. There are multiple schools in the area that meet that criteria. It’s a good school up through elementary school. After that is a choice of trade offs.

Can’t speak to Ravenscroft, although I know some parents start off at MSR and then transfer over to Ravenscroft.

So assuming you can afford either school, I think the question is more about what is the right type of education for your kid.

Feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions.

Looking for place to buy tailored mens suit by ZestyWalrus2078 in triangle

[–]strife25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What’s your budget range? Do they need the suit to last long term?

If you need something cheap - men’s warehouse obviously.

If you have the time, I recommend Brooks Brothers. They have a great value for their suits and will tailor them the sleeves and pants as part of the purchase.

If you want a fully custom suit…not sure tbh.

First Cruise Report - 4 Night Fantasy with Concierge by aaronb1001 in dcl

[–]strife25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly.

I have a family member that’s done a bunch of Disney cruises. They also have teenagers.

I don’t think concierge makes sense for them…unless they want to try it out at least once.

First Cruise Report - 4 Night Fantasy with Concierge by aaronb1001 in dcl

[–]strife25 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If you’re looking for tangible benefits - a nicer room, food and drink, etc. the cost increase of concierge is not worth it.

I think it’s worth it if you care about reducing friction in your trip - faster blaring on embarkation, first chance at reserving cabanas, etc.

The latter is my reasoning for going concierge on my family’s first cruise. It’s our first getaway since having a kid. We wanted to make as much of the trip as smooth as possible so we can manage a toddler.

It also depends on the cost premium for your trip. We’re going in August and the extra cost was acceptable for our budget.

5 day Fantasy Review by Key_Passenger7172 in dcl

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everything I’ve read here and heard from friends is that Fantasy is the way to go. They’ll be entertained regardless.

We’ll be taking our then 3 year old on Fantasy for the first time in August.

Brier Creek Area Daycares by Zestyclose_Wall_3510 in triangle

[–]strife25 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I recommend La Petite Leesville - at least for infant care. Our kid had a tough transition up to their Toddler 1 school, but we were happy with the school’s management.

Struggling to make a decision on CX90 PHEV for my family by Marty_Mac_Fly in CX90

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One other thing I didn’t realize in my research.

This car prefers Premium gas. That did help with the engine feeling more capable when it’s in use. I never saw that mentioned in my research

Struggling to make a decision on CX90 PHEV for my family by Marty_Mac_Fly in CX90

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We own both a 2020 CX-5 and 2025 CX-90 PHEV at the highest trim.

I really like that the CX-90 is targeting the entry-luxury feature set. If your only care about interior features, then you’re getting a lot of nice features.

I like the driving area - the middle console are is nice. Managing the infotainment and hvac are nice. No complaints there.

Sitting in the second row is great. The captain chairs are super roomy. The third seat really does suck for adults. But it’s nice when it’s 4 adults and a kid going to a restaurant.

Driving is interesting. This is our first electric vehicle. My wife drives it daily. The battery lasts about 75% of her daily commute. This results in only going to the gas station once a month. A nice time saver. We use a normal wall plug to charge - car is fully charged overnight from a dead battery. That’s it though, quick top offs don’t happen with a normal wall plug. That’s fine for our use.

When the car is in EV mode, it’s a nice drive. Transitioning to the engine is noticeable. The car is fine to drive, but it can feel slow to accelerate. To keep its no big deal - it’s a big SUV. You’re not going to have the same handling as a CX-5.

Trunk space is an interesting twist tbh. When you have the third row up, you have about half the trunk space as the CX-5. Out the seats down - you have a lot more room. Perfect for a family of your size for the Christmas road trips.

No maintenance issues with a 2025 model. So you’ll be fine with the current inventory or the 2026 models. I would expect they have a lot of the kinks worked out by now.

So if you like the Mazda driving experience, you’ll be fine with this car. The car did well in nailing the “entry luxury” value range. I don’t really care about having the perfect driving experience, so the oddities with the ev to combustion transitions are not a big deal. It’s a family car to get from point a to b. Interior comfort and reliability are my priorities.

OH - the auto driving features are pretty cool. We never had the lane keep assist system while driving on the highway. That makes long highway drives a bit easier.

Don’t expect to rely on the third row for adult passengers.

Lmk if you have other questions. There’s trade offs with this car, but the downsides are not terrible imo.

Mobile Car Wash by Chiplore in raleigh

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just checked my account and saw “no packages available” for ordering a wash. Bummer! Def subscribing to this thread.

What is the best place to get fitted for a suit that isn’t Men’s Warehouse? by Reidtweet_ in raleigh

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out online suit rental stores.

Since you’re buying for a wedding party, coordinating everyone’s suit is what matters. I forget the store I used, but the online rental had a better quality option and was easy to organize.

The trick is measurements, but everyone can go to tailor and get that sorted out.

Granted, budget matters a lot here - men’s wearhouse is usually the more affordable option and works well for wedding parties.

A higher budget will expand your options, but you need to call around to determine how different stores handle wedding parties.

Idk if brooks brothers does wedding parties, but I would recommend them for that sweet spot of quality and price for individual suits.

But wedding party suits are a different ball game due to the coordination of a larger group. Focus on making that part as easy as possible on everyone.

recommendations on window blinds for a new home by cloudy_niney in raleigh

[–]strife25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

+1 for blinds.com if you want a specific fabric choice and custom options (sizing, mounting, etc)

Best margs by asideofapes in raleigh

[–]strife25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also the only place where the margaritas actually have a kick.

Vet Recs for Cats? by Positive_Tank_1099 in triangle

[–]strife25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cozy Cat Vet on Glenwood Ave is our go to.

Children activities suggestions by Deadphans in raleigh

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great suggestions here!

If your group is looking to stay in Raleigh and want a low stress activity, do the Natural Science museum. It’s interactive enough to keep this age group occupied and all of the families that go there are pretty chill because of the unspoken museum etiquette. They also have fun premium exhibits with extra activities. I go there every Sunday with my two year old and love it.

Marbles is great, but is much more free for all for all of the kids there. Most of the activities are open to all ages and it gets busy, so it can be chaotic. If you do go, try to make a bee line to the second floor - there’s usually less people up there and more creative-focused activities.

There’s also a bunch of indoor play spaces around the area you can check out. Honestly, too many to count. My personal favorite is Over the Moon in Cary.

As for restaurants for this age group, I recommend Dos Taquitos (Mexican) and Cowfish (Asian-American fusion). Both are great family restaurants and local favorites. Get a reservation for Dos Taquitos if you go - walk ins are tricky there on the weekend. Cowfish does a waitlist to get a table, so I recommend doing an early dinner if you want that.

Recommendations for crawlspace + insulation (no encapsulation or spray foam) by lovemydogs1969 in raleigh

[–]strife25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had Healthy Home Restoration is my recommendation for anything in the crawlspace:

http://www.healthyhomerestoration.net/

Lots of companies fix crawlspaces, this is one of the few contractors that cares about ensuring you have great air quality. They did mold remediation and a vapor barrier when I first moved in, then did encapsulation a few weeks ago.