Apex Good Living

If you’ve got kids, you will love this site!

Clearly, writer Elizabeth Shugg has put a tremendous amount of work, and energy into creating this awesome resource to find all sorts of events and information relating to kids.

Beyond just information, the site is an interactive social networking site too. You can upload photos, connect w/friends and other moms and much more.

Check it out and sign up today!

“You can’t do everything, but you can do something!”

I tell my boys every morning before school to “Make a difference today. You never know how a small deed can change the world, so do something to change the world today!

I wasn’t thinking of that when I saw the craiglist post late last Monday night “puppies die today”. All I could think of was their photo…all night long. I know that animals die in shelters every day, but these…these were going to die the next day at 4pm. How would I feel at 4:05 if I did nothing?

I knew I just couldn’t “think about it”. Ironically, I had just told my boys the day before that sometimes “grown ups are just too smart”. Explaining that sometimes the most successful people are those that are “too dumb to know better”.  We buy into the idea that we have to be an “expert” before we can do something, we have to know all of the “why’s and how’s”. We buy into all of these “made up stories” that control our every thought and move. “you need to really think long and hard about things” “you’d better know what you’re doing”, “you can’t do THAT!”, “that’s impossible”, etc. I said “where would we be if Einstein or Edison, or Bill Gates or the countless others that have changed our world “bought into what everyone thinks”.

Sometimes to be truly “smart” you need to be dumb! Dumb enough to convince your husband to grab a cardboard box, check your kids out of school and drive to Lumberton in search of the (very well hidden!) animal shelter to save 7 puppies! With a middle ear infection (aka. Major car sickness!), with no idea who would adopt them, with no thought about how much I  didn’t need to be spending the money, and with a grandma in ICU that could “take a turn for the worse” at any moment.

I just knew that there are enough awesome people in this area, that it couldn’t be that hard to find them homes!

What I didn’t know was how the 12 emails that I sent to my friends would be forwarded to dozens more who would send it to even more. I had never heard of “Marleys Cat Tails Rescue Group” when my phone started ringing off the hook, and emails pinging left and right. My email had gone to Carol at Marleys, who sent it to her AMAZING network of people. I had no idea how my life would literally be transformed by dozens of people that I didn’t even know, offering help, or just saying “thank you!”. One person even wrote “…I’ve often thought that most people shouldn’t have kids. I’m so glad that you did.” WOW!

There are no words to describe it…

I didn’t know that late that evening my 9yr old would look at me with the biggest grin you have ever seen and say “you know what the best part is mom?

We made a HUGE difference today!” Talk about priceless!

You can’t do everything. But you can do something! DO SOMETHING! You have no idea what a gift it will be…

Check out our story on NBC17!

Puppy Rescue!

Coming right along! These luxury brick townhomes will soon be complete! Choose yours now and be in by October!

You won’t believe all of the custom details! Progressive Builders of NC is notorious for their impeccable quality and these homes are no different. You won’t believe that you can get a home of this caliber for $275k-$300k in Apex!
Who needs a yard! Enjoy the lush green park across the street without maintaining it!
Low maintenance, beautiful, loaded w/features, walking distance to the park, greenway, church, school, coffee shop, photography and music studios, dental and others offices and more! What more could you ask for!

Yes, thanks to the “pain at the pump”, we will now be paying 14% more for electricity in Apex. Town Manager, Bruce Radford states that this will be a small difference in the average monthly bill, but with many still reeling from increased tax values and a tax rate increase, all in the same year, it’s hardly insignificant.

For more info see the NBC 17 story.

Preliminary results of the end of grade tests for Wake County schools were recently released. I must admit that I was concerned after hearing the local news report that many schools “failed” the “No child left behind standards”. So I went online to check out my boys’ school and discovered that most of those that “failed” missed only one target goal. Which, considering the fact that the benchmarks were raised so drastically last year, doesn’t concern me much after all (in perspective). I did have a bit of a time trying to find the scores however, so here is the link so that you can check them out yourself! http://www.wcpss.net/test-scores/ayp/2008/elementary.html

Yes folks, we’ve made yet another list!  The Raleigh area was recently named the #2 best place to”Live, work and Play”.

If you want to live somewhere that is in the top 10 of practically every list you would want to be on, this is it!

Despite the local news (which only reports national trends), the fact of the matter is that our real estate market, unemployment rate, economy and schools that are far more impressive than the rest of the country. And that is why everyone moves here!

We are lucky to live here and enjoy all of the many benefits this area has to offer. So smile, be proud, and be thankful~

click here for the flyer

Apex is known far and wide for its slow, Southern pace, welcoming attitude and the quaint Downtown Historic District, but fashion!?! YES FASHION!

My Girlfriend’s Closet - is known for their unique clothes and accessories at a great bargain.

Hair, Body & Sole Salon - Offering a broad range of salon and spa services, this is THE place for a new look, style, cut or color.

Nativa - the new sassy little women’s boutique, where the window changes often, always has fun, new arrivals.

Blue Tiger- a sophisticated gift shop with classy jewelry and unique gifts.

Common Grounds Coffee Shop - the place to rest from all of your shopping and enjoy a latte or tea and a pastry.

This Friday, June 13^th at 7pm, these shops are teaming up for a real, live runway fashion show, featuring must have items for summer and the latest trends in hair, makeup and nails!

Common Grounds Coffee Shop

(219 N Salem St.)

Admission is free! It’s standing room only, so wear comfortable shoes! Have a cup of coffee, a yummy pastry and see what’s hot for summer as we watch Apex become the Peak of Fashion!

Gas prices got you down this holiday weekend?  Find out the cheapest (and most expensive!) places to buy this black gold in your area. Just type in the zip code! Pretty cool! Thanks MSN.

Yes, we’ve made yet another list! According to “Bizjournals” the Raleigh Metro area is the best place in the country to live for “young adults”(age 18-34…hey wait! does that mean I’m no longer a young adult? guess so!). This was based on population, job growth, salaries and the number of young people with college degrees.

So, the next time you wonder where everyone is coming here from and why, it’s because we are one of the best places to live if you want to live somewhere that’s on EVERY list imaginable!

Want to know how we rank on other lists? Check this out from Wake County Economic Development:

#5 Best Medium-Sized City for Families with Children (Raleigh, NC)
Who’s Your City?, May 2008

#1 Best Place for Young Adults (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, May 2008

Top 15 Place for Cultured Retirement (Raleigh, NC)
Smithsonian.com, April 2008

#5 Recession-proof City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, April 2008

#2 Best Place to Buy Foreclosed Homes (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, March 2008

#4 Major Market in the South (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
#9 Market in the South for Advanced Manufacturing (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Top Ten Great Innovation Market in the South (Raleigh-Cary-Durham, NC)
Southern Business & Development, Winter 2008

#20 Best Place to Live and Launch (Raleigh, NC)
CNNMoney.com, March 2008

#3 Most Romantic City for Baby Boomers (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Sperling’s BestPlaces, March 2008

#1 Best Place for Business and Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, March 2008

#6 Medium-Sized Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Site Selection, March 2008

#10 Least Miserable Airport (Raleigh-Durham Intl.)
U.S. News & World Report, February 2008

#2 Best City for Bargain House-Hunters (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, February 2008

The Best American City for Singles (Raleigh, NC)
Every Day with Rachael Ray, January 2008

#9 Best City for Jobs (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, January 2008

Top Five Strongest Real Estate Market (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Veros.com, January 2008

#3 Most Wired City (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, January 2008

#1 Healthiest City for Men (Raleigh, NC)
Men’s Health, January 2008

5-Star Public Education Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, December 2007

#7 Top Appreciating Metro Area (Raleigh, NC)
Money, December 2007

Top 25 Places for Retirement Jobs (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
MarketWatch, November 2007

Top Research Science Park (North Carolina State University - Centennial Campus)
The Association of University Research Parks, November 2007

#1 Top Business Climate (North Carolina)
Site Selection, November 2007

#16 Top Real Estate Market (Raleigh, NC)
Expansion Management, October 2007

#3 Economic Development Hot Spot (Wake County, NC)
National Policy Research Council, September 2007

#10 Economic Development Hot Spot (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
National Policy Research Council, September 2007

#3 Techiest City in America (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 (Data released September 2007)

#3 5-Star Business Opportunity Metros (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, August 2007

#12 Most Affordable Real Estate Market in the Nation (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Forbes.com, August 2007

#12 Best Market for Female Execs and Women Business Owners (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, August 2007

#18 Fastest Growing Suburb in America (Holly Springs, NC)
#20 Fastest Growing Suburb in America (Wake Forest, NC)
#63 Fastest Growing Suburb in America (Apex, NC)
Forbes.com, August 2007

#15 Most Educated Workforce (Raleigh, NC)
Business Facilities, July 2007

#14 Best Place to Live (Apex, NC)
# 22 Best Place to Live (Holly Springs, NC)
Money, July 2007

“Fast City” for Research and Development (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Fast Company, July 2007

#8 Fastest Growing Large City (Cary, NC)
#15 Fastest Growing Large City (Raleigh, NC)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 (Data released 2007)

#1 Seller’s Market-Residential (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes.com, June 1007

#3 Best City for Relocating Families - Medium Markets (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation, 2007 Report

#8 County for Business Recruitment and Attraction (Wake County)
#10 Large Metro for Business Recruitment & Attraction (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC)
Expansion Management, May/June 2007

Top 5 Cities for Young Singles (Raleigh, NC)
Kiplinger’s Best Cities for Every Stage of Your Life list, June 2007

5-Star Knowledge Worker Metro (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
#3 Metro for College Educated Workers (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, April 2007

#3 America’s Best Jobs in the Hottest Cities (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Business 2.0, May 2007

#7 Business Boomtown (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Inc., May 2007

Top Ten Places in the South for the Creative Class (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Southern Business and Development, Winter 2007

#3 Best City for African Americans (Raleigh, NC)
Black Enterprise, May 2007

#4 Hottest Job Market for Young Adults (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournals, April 2007

#1 Best Place for Business and Careers (Raleigh, NC)
Forbes, April 2007

#8 Fastest Growing Metro in the Nation (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
U.S. Census Bureau, April 2007

#5 Best Place to Find a Mate (Raleigh, NC)
Men’s Health, March 2007

#1 Best U.S. City for Jobs (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Forbes.com, February 2007

Top 50 Hottest Cities for Expanding and Relocating Companies (Raleigh-Cary, NC)
Expansion Management, February 2007

Top Ten Tech Town (Raleigh-Durham, NC)
Wired Magazine, January 2007

#1 School District in the Nation for Certified Teachers (Wake County)
National Board of Certified Teachers, January 2007

Have you seen NBC 17’s new community and news website for Apex and the surrounding community? Kudos to NBC 17 for putting it all together! Check it out at http://apex.mync.com/site/apex/