A Surprise Day Date

If you've been a reader here for a while, you might remember that Kevin and I rarely exchange gifts for any occasion. It hasn't always been that way of course. When we dated, we exchanged gifts like most normal couples. We purchased Christmas, Valentine's Day, and anniversary presents. But then we got married, got a joint bank account, and realized gifts were a little pointless for us as we can get whatever we want, whenever we want and it comes from the same bank account regardless. So instead of exchanging gifts for each other, we worked out a little system. For Christmas we usually complete a project for the house be it redecorating a room, getting new furniture, laying hardwood floors, etc; Birthdays and anniversaries we splurge at restaurants that we wouldn't normally go to. And for our anniversary, we usually take a trip somewhere be it a trip to the beach or just spending a night at a hotel to get away. In the end we give each other the gift of our time, which is something we don't often get these days. I'll take that over a new shirt that I don't need any day.

With that said, this year our home project was Harper's playroom. If you didn't catch the reveal, you can see it here. It was a labor of love that was worth all the time, energy, and money that went into it. However, since this project was really part of Harper's Christmas, I decided to go a bit above our usual Christmas gifts and decided to surprise Kevin with a little road trip to Chapel Hill; the home of our beloved Tarheels. Christmas morning I gave him a gift bag. Inside was a bag of coal (it happened to be candy haha) as well as a ticket for a surprise day date. Of course Kevin was curious and had many questions but other than telling him we could go Monday or Tuesday, that's all the details I was willing to offer up. 

So come Monday, December 29th, we dropped Harper off at daycare then hit the road with my brother in law and his girlfriend. It was so much fun with all of us knowing where we were going and Kevin not having a clue (;

Our first stop was to grab lunch at Top of the Hill Restaurant, Brewery, and Distillery. None of us had ever ate there but it came with great recommendations from several of our family members who lived in the area. And I have to be honest.. the food and scenery did not disappoint!

Kettle chips with homemade sour cream dip. 

Cheeseburgers and beer battered fries! Yum!

Our second stop was to browse Franklin St. for a little shopping. Johnny T-shirt happens to be my favorite Carolina shop so we popped in so I could pick up these cute UNC themed people for my car that I saw online. Corny I know :P

Our last and final stop in Chapel Hill was the Carolina Basketball Museum. None of us had ever been, and quite frankly, I never knew it existed until Amanda over at A Sweet Simple Southern Life shared about her experience there on her blog. After seeing it, I knew it would be a big hit for each of us. Combine our love of history with a love for Carolina Tarheel basketball and you have a sure fire hit! 

Love the marble floor entry way with their logo. 

The inside entrance.

Tarheel themed Christmas tree.

Championship game balls. 

Who knew when you win a NCAA Championship that they give the winner the hardwood flooring from center court?!

Standing at a point of a game winning shot!

I remember this game winning shot like it was yesterday!

Had no clue this many Tarheels had been drafted into the NBA.

Look at all those 'Heels!

And on to the trophies...

Check out all those National Championships!

As you can see, it did not disappoint. The museum was filled with history of Tarheel basketball. It took us nearly two hours to get through the museum after reading all the plaques and watching most of the videos. If you're a history buff or Tarheel fan like myself, you'll love it. And the best part, it's all free. A bargain lover like myself can't turn a deal like that down :P