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Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora, NC

When we take a vacation, I tend to search for months beforehand to get idea of things to do in the area. We try to do something new every time we go. Topsail Island, NC is our go-to beach spot. We’ve been going for years. So after so many years it’s harder to find something “new” to do. Don’t get me wrong we still have our favorite, must-do things, but we like discovering and exploring.

I guess because of the search I was doing, a blogger article came up in my facebook feed about the Aurora Fossil Museum in Aurora, NC. It looked like something interesting, it was free, and the “dig pits” were a big draw (also free). When I mapped it I found it wasn’t too far out of the way for a stop on our drive back home from Topsail Island to PA (relatively speaking).

Getting there involves going through some beautiful rural areas. The town of Aurora was much smaller than I expected but the Aurora Fossil Museum’s dig pits were active. As we pulled into the parking lot we noticed license plates from Wisconsin, South Carolina, and other states so we were not the only out-of-state visitors.

The museum is free (but donations are accepted). While the museum itself is small it had a lot of interesting fossils and info on the area. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They have a museum store where you can purchase souvenirs, fossils, gems and minerals, and digging supplies if needed. They also sold bottles of water. They have a guest book that they encourage visitors to sign. Currently they have had visitors from 48 states. Last update on the Aurora Fossil Museum facebook page was they haven’t had visitors from Iowa or North Dakota. That was as of July 2024.

My daughter couldn’t wait to get out in the dig pits. We did take a plastic beach shovel and a ziploc bag for findings. However, things went a lot smoother when we bought a sifter and a decent hand shovel in the shop. My daughter found a sharks tooth within 5 minutes. I found one myself after about 10 min of digging. There were lots of fossilized coral too. There are multiple dig pits so you don’t have to worry about being elbow to elbow with people.

We spent about 45 min in the dig pits and came home with a few pieces of fossilized coral, a cute shell, and about 6 sharks teeth from at least 3 different species. They have helpful visual charts up at the dig pits to help you identify what you might have found. The museum staff encouraged us to bring items into the museum too if we needed help identifying.

Next to to the museum was a little shop that advertised ice cream and a few other treats. We did not venture in but it was available and would be a nice treat on a hot day. Less than a mile from the fossil museum was a little restaurant called Frank & Shirleys. Though it was small they had plenty of staff, a big menu with a nice variety of options, and the prices were great. My daughter ordered a soft shell crab meal, I ordered a greek salad with chicken added, hubby got a club sandwich, and my son got their hotdog special. My daughter got a brownie for the road that was huge. For the 4 of us to eat including tip and the brownie it was only around $52. So a budget friendly place to eat after the museum visit.

Frank & Shirley’s restaurant in Aurora, NC has a facebook page where you can see their menu and daily specials.

Things to know before you go

Take a sealable container with you to collect your dig treasures. Ziploc bag or jars work great.
a garden trowel or small shovel is handy as the plastic beach hand shovel we have wasn’t really cutting it.
Have some kind of sifter to sift through the dirt made it much easier to find the sharks teeth through the rocks and dirt. The holes need to be a decent size. The plastic beach sifter we had did not work. They do sell them in the museum store for about $6 if you don’t have one that works.
I have Consumer Cellular for my cell phone service which runs off of AT&T and T-Mobile towers. Google maps got us there but once in the town I had ZERO cell phone service. Only SOS mode available We had moments of 1 bar of service so I was able to get it enough to pull up the map for the area on my phone to find Frank & Shirley’s. Once at Frank & Shirley’s we were able to pull up the wifi from the Dollar General to get Google Maps up and running to get back out of town. Just keep that in mind that you’ll either need to remember your way out or do the same if you’re not familiar with the area or have the same cell service I do.
If you don’t want to spend any money I’d suggest packing a lunch as places to eat were limited in the town. There is a gas station not far from them museum as well if needed.

Summary

I’m glad we took the time to stop. I think it was such a great experience and something not everyone has seen. It’s possible to get away with not spending any money at all for this fun side trip if you plan well. I would encourage a donation to the museum though as it is such a nice resource and draw for the little town. The staff were all great.

I would not make this your only destination if you’re driving more than an hour to visit as the museum really only take about a half hour to get through if you really look at everything though you could spend as much time as you want to in the dig pits.

I would add this to your itinerary for travel on the NC coast if it’s not too far out of your way, especially if you have younger kids. It’s a great way to get the kids out of the car to learn, move, and expend some energy. I would definitely consider stopping again as part of our itinerary.

Budget Friendly Jewelry For Big Moments: Starlette Galleria

I get so many affiliate invites anymore. Most of the time I glance through them and decline them. Many have nothing to do with my blog or things I write about. Then I got the invite for Starlette Galleria.

Starlette Galleria offers beautiful alternatives to real diamond jewelry. For the frugal couple looking for beautiful yet affordable wedding rings. For the couple getting engaged that don’t want to throw a year’s worth of salary on a ring. For the traveler who wants to have a ring on their finger but worries about taking their real wedding or engagement ring on vacation. Need a placeholder ring until your real one is sized or fixed? Maybe you’re single but don’t want to be bothered when you’re out on girls night with your gal pals. Whatever the reason Starlette Galleria has some gorgeous options.

There are so many styles to choose from. There are eye-catching rings with more intricate styling. There are small dainty rings that can be used alone or as stacker rings. If you’re not looking for a ring they also have studs, hoops, necklaces, and even tennis bracelets.

Do you like their styles and wish they had them in real diamonds. Well guess what, they actually have a few real diamond rings options too and they’re stunning!

To add to the value, you get free shipping on orders over $100 and even more savings when you sign up for their newsletter.

Unlock up to $50 after joining Newsletter

If that’s not enough, they even have payment options. A great way to get the piece you really want on your budget.

I’m just saying, Mother’s day is coming up in early May. Use the newsletter discount, take advantage of the free shipping and you have a nice Mother’s day gift. (If any of my family is reading this I like the huggie hoops or the bezel tennis bracelet ::hint hint::)

Don’t forget to check out the sale section for even more money saving ideas!

The owner Olivia started this company in her own house with no connections and grew from there. Her saying is “If they can’t tell, why should you?” I love it and it’s so true. Plus so many younger couples are choosing not to put themselves in massive debt right off that bat. Forgoing traditional diamonds for more unique stones or budget friendly pieces. And I’m here for it. When my husband and I were getting engaged I told him “Don’t you dare spend more than $1000 on my ring. I told him I don’t want anything bigger than a 1/2 carat. And I meant it. I couldn’t see going into massive debt at the beginning of our lives together. Plus I’m more of a minimalist when it comes to jewelry designs.

This post does contain affiliate link. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links

I Got A Cricut Explore Air 2 For Christmas, Now What?

I had been wanting a Cricut cutting machine for years. It was always something I put off to the side a not a need but a want. I’m not super crafty but I loved the things some of my friends and family would make with theirs.

Honestly I was a little intimidated. Would I be able to use it? I didn’t want to pay for the machine then not be able to use it, get frustrated, and let it gather dust. Then there was the idea of space I knew I’d need a desk or table to work at. I have a desk for my laptop but could it be a work desk/craft desk? And it’s in the living room, I didn’t want it getting cluttered or messy all the time.

Well my dad asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I would have never asked him for a Cricut. I would have felt guilty asking him for something that cost so much money. So I found a hoodie I liked and a smaller make up set for ideas and told him either of those would be fine. Well Christmas Day at my dads house there was an unusually large gift that definitely did not look like a hoodie or small make up set. When I opened it, I couldn’t believe it. He must have saw my facebook conversations with friends enough times to know I wanted one. He got me a Cricut Explore Air 2 bundle so it had some basic tools, vinyls, cutting mats, and transfer tape with it.

The first chance I had I started looking at Youtube videos, tiktok, etc for beginner advice, tips and tricks, etc. I finally felt confident to start it up. The guide that came with it was helpful too. I did my first practice project with the cardstock sample paper they had in the box. I messed up the first time, but got it the 2nd time.

My middle son was shouting out ideas of things he’d like me to make him. While I was excited, I was also a little bit “whoa slow down there” I mean I’m brand new to Cricut. I had bought his girlfriend a custom boba glass as part of her gift (she loves boba). My son says “Maybe you can make me my own boba glass” So I got a glass to practice on from the dollar tree. I bought a few permanent vinyls on sale at Michaels. And found some SVG files on Etsy I wanted to use and purchased them. He’s a big Miami Dolphins fan so I was excited to find Miami Dolphins SVG files. Not only that but I was able to upload them to my design space with ease. After watching some helpful videos on youtube again for layering and transfering I went to work. I made mistakes but learned with each one. In the end I created my son’s custom boba glass and he loved it.

That project boosted my confidence a bit. While at Michaels I had bought some insert cards to try because I had seen them in some of the videos and though they looked great. But again I thought I messed up because the ones I bought said “Cricut Joy” on them. Again after watching several videos with several ideas of how to use them on a Cricut Explore Air 2, I went to work. Believe it or not this project was much harder for me as a newbie. I wasted several cards until I figure out how to do it. Why? because most of the insert card videos showed to use the Cricut 2×2 card mat or showed an alternative way with a piece of cardstock. All great ideas but I spent the money on the insert cards so I was determined to use them. I did not want to have to purchase yet another accessory (the card mat) to be able to do another project. After wasting those several cards I finally figured it out. I was excited to have figured out an alternative without a helpful video this time.

So my question for other, more seasoned, Cricut users….What are some beginner friendly Cricut Explore Air 2 projects you think I should try? I did get some iron on vinyls with my Cricut so I’m thinking maybe a t-shirt. Or maybe a decal for my car with removable vinyl. But I’m open to suggestions.

I’d also love to know what your first project was and did you have trouble like I did or were you a pro right out of the gate? In your opinion, what are your must have tools? Do you have any tips on where or when to find the best deals on Cricut accessories?

This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links

Oil Perfumery – Holiday Guide 2022

I am someone that love fragrance. So does my husband for that matter. My middle son (18) enjoys wearing fragrance too. But, we kind of have expensive taste when it comes to fragrance. We all like to have a variety on hand for different situations, looks, occasions, etc.

Have you ever walked up to a fragrance counter and tested the perfumes? You really like one or two but you see the price tag and say “maybe another time”. Fragrances can get expensive.

One day I’m on TikTok and I come across this TikTok from this guy helping people find dupes for their favorite name brand and expensive fragrances. Specifically he was trying to find a dupe for Tom Ford Bitter Peach. Spoiler alert, it was from a company called Oil Perfumery.

Oil Perfumery Bitter Peach rollerball dupe

I don’t know a whole lot about Tom Ford fragrances other than I know they’re expensive and I know they’re popular. I would never buy a bottle of Tom Ford perfume on a whim online because it’s too expensive. But when I read the notes of Bitter Peach it sounded like something I would love. So I ordered the Oil Perfumery Bitter Peach impression. Oh my goodness so good. Very different from anything I own. Best part, it was only $14.95 for the rollerball. When you compare that to $80 for a Tom Ford Bitter Peach 0.34 oz travel spray, um yea, huge difference.

It comes in a glass rollerball. I put it in my hand so you can see it’s kinds of your average size rollerball. Specifically this is 10 ml or 0.34 oz. Perfect to slip into a purse, backpack, or pocket.

What I will say is the fragrance fades after about 2 hours. Having never tried Tom Ford fragrances I have to imagine the actual Tom Ford fragrances would last longer.

Oil Perfumery has fragrance impressions for A LOT of fragrances. My husband is a big fan of Creed Aventus. Another crazy expensive cologne you can’t just buy anywhere. Only sold online or in boutiques. It’s made in France. But guess what…yep Oil Perfumery has impressions for many of the Creed fragrances. Also, I don’t know what it is about Creed Aventus but wow, it’s an amazing scent.

Someone in my family usually asks for some type of fragrance each year I think this would be great stocking stuffer gift for my hubby and son.

FYI Oil Perfumery is also doing early Black Friday sales right now! These fragrances would make a nice stocking stuffer or under $20 gift.

**This post does contain an affiliate link. I will earn a small commission from sales made through my links**