It’s finally time! 🚀 For over two years, I’ve been quietly building The Borrow Bar. With the incredible support of Launch Garner this past spring and winning my category in the Wake Tech Blueprint to Skyline pitch competition, I’ve been selected as one of the top 16 finalists in the statewide SBCN Start Up Showdown!
We’re bringing “access over ownership” to the NC Triangle, renting out high-end household and hosting goods. Think stand mixers, espresso machines, and outdoor movie projectors—convenience without the clutter.
This is where I need my amazing community. We are competing for up to $30,000 in startup funding to get us fully rolling for the Q4 holiday hosting season. The final judge is YOU—the community vote!
Voting is officially open NOW until Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at 5 p.m.
Here is how you can help me win in less than 60 seconds:
2️⃣ Give the video a “Thumbs Up” (Like) on YouTube! Every single like counts as a vote.
3️⃣ Share the video with your network!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey so far. I’m also opening a limited beta for 50 members this month, so be sure to check out the video for a sneak peek of our inventory!
Hey y’all—Lisa here! It’s been a minute since I checked in on the blog, but I’m back with a little life update, a lot of excitement, and some smoothie-powered goodness to share.
But that event ended up being more than just a gig—it was the beginning of a deeper connection with a brand I truly believe in. After seeing how their team operates and diving into the product myself, I became not just a customer, but a small investor in their most recent fundraising round… and I’ve officially joined the affiliate ambassador program!
🫐 Why I’m All In on Blender Bombs
Let me be real: I’m not a lifelong smoothie stan. In fact, for most of my life, I found smoothies to be either too chalky, too sugary, or just not filling enough to be worth the effort.
But The Bomb Co. totally changed that for me.
What drew me in—and keeps me hooked—is how their products are made from real food. There’s no health-washed nonsense here. No unpronounceable ingredients. No powders promising magical results. Just whole-food-based Blender Bombs and plant protein, created to fuel your day without the sugar crashes or supplement fog.
As a business owner, foodie, and someone who gets tired of the same ol’ routine, I’ve found that using these bombs in my smoothies adds just the right amount of nutrition and variety to my mornings. It’s been a super easy lifestyle upgrade that doesn’t require a ton of brainpower during busy weeks (yes, please 🙌).
💣 Want to Try? Here’s 20% Off
If you’ve been curious about trying The Bomb Co. products, now’s the time! When you shop through my affiliate link, you’ll get 20% off your entire order:
If you’re in the Raleigh area, head to Gateway Plaza (right off Capital Blvd!) to visit The Bomb Co.’s Bomb Bar. It’s a gorgeous space with major good vibes—and here’s the best part:
Every time you buy Blender Bombs or plant protein in-store, you get a FREE smoothie.
Yes, seriously. Buy the good stuff, and they’ll whip up a smoothie for you on the spot. What a damn deal, y’all.
🍓 Smoothie Recipes You’ll Actually Look Forward To
While I’d love to take credit for these recipes, they come straight from the brilliant team at The Bomb Co.—and they’re truly next-level. I’ve curated and shared some of my favorites on my new Pinterest board:
Whether you’re into energizing coffee blends, antioxidant-rich berry bowls, or festive fall flavors like Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread, there’s something here to fit your mood, your cravings, and your calendar.
Every recipe includes a full ingredients list and links to grab what you need, including your 20% discount.
💌 So What’s Next?
Honestly, I’m just excited to be back to sharing things I love—from local business wins to personal wellness tools that actually make life smoother (again, pun intended). Thanks for sticking with me and cheering me on through every phase of this wild entrepreneurial adventure.
Whether you’re a smoothie skeptic or a superfood junkie, I hope you’ll check out The Bomb Co., give a recipe a try, and let me know what you think.
Now go forth, blend boldly, and don’t forget to drop a bomb in your blender. 💣 — LJN
Of the many things Johnnie Nobling and I have ventured into together this year, one of the things I’m most proud of is putting our name a piece of dirt together with a water view. 🏝🏖🌊😎 (As many of y’all know, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, and Beaufort are our relaxing getaway destinations from Raleighwood.)
August 22-September 1, 2022, we have a little window where it’s not currently rented to others enjoying their own getaway, so if any of you would like to head to the coast for a few days at a special friends and family rate, send me a message before booking and let’s get you on the calendar at Bay Breeze Retreat!
PS: The internet is blazing fast (faster than in Raleigh, actually), so we’ve particularly set this place up as a great work from home spot… don’t be afraid to book a few weekdays!
About a year ago I was all over social media sharing my excitement that I got a great auto rate from Esurance. It’s an online/app-based business and their South Carolina-based customer support phone team is fantastic.
You can imagine my disappointment when I called this morning for a homeowners quote and found out they won’t offer us insurance because this vicious lady pictured below is on the list of breeds they don’t allow. (PS: She’s a mutt from SPCA of Wake County, so no one knows which “breeds” she actually represents.)
Delta Dog is 13 years old, so if she’s biting, it’s because you’ve disturbed her 12th nap of the day. (I’d bite you too.) Truth be told, Johnnie and I doing DIY projects on our home assisted by Bud Light are a larger liability than she is…
As many of you know, we’ve welcomed many abandoned furry friends into our home over the years. I absolutely will NOT be doing business with a company with incomprehensible breed restrictions like this, so needless to say, they’re losing my auto insurance business, too.
Tell me friends, who is your favorite auto + homeowner combo? (We’re with Farm Bureau now and the constant rate hikes are why I’m shopping around…)
Sorry, Esurance… you messed with the wrong #DogMom. ?
Today’s breakfast/lunch (truly brunch without the boozy drinks) combo I whipped up in my small but mighty kitchen here in Antibes inspired this post. I used leftover bread from last night’s dinner as the base; layered in leftover sauteed Brussels sprouts, a few slices of mozzarella cheese, and frozen spinach; and topped with four eggs scrambled with about a half cup of water and voila — I have brunchy goodness that’ll be easily re-heated for the next several days and not an ounce of waste in sight.
That’s got to be one of the best habits I’ve picked up living here in the South of France: just how little food I’m throwing away on a regular basis. Back in the States, it’s pretty normal for us to hit the grocery store about every week to 10 days, spend $100+ with the best of intentions of cooking a ton of meals at home, and then inevitable, every two weeks or so… I’m cleaning out the refrigerator and throwing a solid chunk of that $100 into a trash bag.
Here in Antibes, the refrigerator in my apartment is the size of most dorm room units, and I’m also only cooking for one. I also have the better part of six+ grocery stores and markets within walking distance and a farmers market two blocks from home that’s open every day from 6:00 a.m. until 1 p.m. So I’m buying fresh items, every two or three days, and making the most of them. I’ve thrown away so little while I’m here and hope this is a habit I can stick with when I return home in May. The only complication is that it might mean more occasional trips to the grocery store, which is not nearly convenient at home as it has been here.
Speaking of the grocery shopping aspect: I do a pretty solid job of utilizing both Lowes Foods and Harris Teeter’s online ordering services, though… so I think I can easily maximize the return on the $4.99 convenience fee charged AND save the time of having to actually shop in the store, too. I’v also been stalking the inventory of RelayFoods.com and am constantly drooling over their selection, so I see a lot more of that in my future, too. I think the saved cost of not throwing away so much of our inventory week after week will well make up for any additional costs in my convenience shopping ways.
If you’re like me and despise getting all of those “you’re pre-approved” credit card offers in the mail (waste of printing, waste of money, waste of trees, waste of my time!), then this is a website you must check out: OptOutPreScreen.com
What you need to know:
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you (“Firm Offers”). The FCRA also provides you the right to “Opt-Out”, which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers.
What this website does for you: It allows you to opt-out of the selling of your information for this purpose for five years if you fill out the form on the website, which requires your social security number (submitted securely). If you take literally two extra minutes and the cost of a stamp, you can permanently opt-out via postal mail. I did this years ago and it has cut the crap in my mailbox in half.
So worth repeating – go to OptOutPreScreen.com and get off those credit card offer mailing lists once and for all.
The manfriend and I have been hard at work in the kitchen this morning. Here’s what we’ll be taking to tonight’s ITB Super Bowl gathering. Drumroll please…
I’ll be cheering for the advertisers tonight – the Super Bowl ads are my favorite part of one of America’s most-watched sports programs all year. This pre-released spot already has my heart: #BestBuds – with nearly 33 million views in just four days, I’d say it has also captured the hearts of many, many others, as well.
What are you serving at or bringing to your Super Bowl gathering?
(Click to enlarge – It’s not the best picture in the world, but it’s a fun “panoramic” courtesy of Nick’s Droid cell phone.)
On Thursday night Nick and I ventured to the new Cherry Bomb Grill – now in the space of the former Joe’s Place, which for the record, I cannot remember going to once in my 26 years in Raleigh. (Maybe because I never saw it open during dinner or weekends?)
Based on the early marketing for the restaurant and bar, I didn’t think I was going to be much of a fan. It was a little too pin-up cheesy for me. Luckily, I am all for giving a local venue a first chance, because once we got there, it was a lot more toned down inside on the original concept – which I think was a great move.
Seating – + The restaurant has a really accommodating open layout and bar. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the hostesses and waitresses and taken to a high-top table for two. (They were overstaffed for the evening, however – so the girls were just hanging around up front with not a lot else to do. Not necessarily a drawback, just an observation.)
Service – + Our server was a little shy, but by the end of the night she finally became a little more personable with us (although I think it was mostly due to asking her what she had tried and liked on the menu so far).
Atmosphere – + As I noted before, it was much better than I had originally imagined it to be based off the concepts they marketed before opening. The bar setup was accessible and had a nice TV display – great for game day. The restaurant is on the corner of a busy street in Downtown Raleigh, so I was bit surprised when all of the street-facing windows were covered with heavy, dark red curtains. (From a marketing standpoint, I’d rather see them left open so those driving by can see everyone inside having a great time.)
Food and Beverage – (neutral) http://cherrybombgrill.com/dinner.php The bar also features three walls of draught brews – mostly micro-brews. Nice! (They lost points and a few dollars revenue for being out of Shotgun Betty, however, because that’s Nick’s go-to choice. With Lone Rider Brewing Co. being here in Raleigh, it should be the most readily in-stock brew. Maybe an early-opening oversight?)
The menu features a wide selection of appetizers, salads (with meat), entrees, and desserts. Nick had a burger and fries (fries were good!), but unfortunately I was left with few options as a vegetarian. I opted for the macaroni appetizer (sans the bacon) and that was it. (And obviously not fulfilling.) Our server noted that the lack of vegetarian options was brought up by their staff and would likely be remedied in the full menu being offered in the coming weeks as the restaurant gets situated and “fully open”. I am kicking myself for not having dessert, though! There were four dessert offerings, including a peach something or another dessert that I sure would have sealed the positive deal for me. 😉
Nick liked his burger just fine, and that’s about all you’ll get out of him in regards to a “review”. It’s not necessarily somewhere he’ll be asking to go back to specifically for a burger like Tribeca Tavern in Cary (that review to come later). My macaroni was fine, but it tasted more like an Italian mac and cheese than a cheddar or some other based-dish. My preference goes to cheddars, pepper jacks, etc. So again, it was fine, but not something I’d go back just to have that one dish (very similar to Capital Club 16 – again, another review to come!).
Pricing – (neutral) Our bill for two was less than $20, but had I opted for an entree it would have tipped just over that. I would say it’s “about norm” for casual dining in Downtown Raleigh.
Overall – + Their facebook marketing is a bit overkill (I’ll “like” your page, but please get away from the “be our friend” kick… it’s just too much), but I’ll venture back for a drink when near the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater again. I’d also give them another chance when they expand the menu to see if they offer more non-meat options. The new owner(s) have invested a great deal in upfitting the restaurant and you can tell that they’ve put some time into it. The music played when we were there was not as rockin’ and rollin’ as I expected (but I liked the music nonetheless).
The only other “hitch” in the evening was that an owner or manager never approached us to see how our experience was (even though I noticed him sitting at a table on his laptop during our visit). I have come to expect it in independently-owned restaurants, but it’s not something that would keep us from coming back… it’s just a nice touch that I think really ensures a positive experience when the owner thanks you for coming in and asks for feedback.
Who has $685,000 to lend me? I think this would make a GREAT location for my first restaurant… no?
My friends at Glenwood Agency have listed this very cool water tower (and current home to the NC chapter of the American Institute of Architects) and are having a little open house/tour on Wednesday of this week (ie: tomorrow). Consider this your official invite, via Ann-Cabell’s post on my facebook wall:
Okay, so, it’s official – invite whomever you’d like! 115 W Morgan Street – Wed from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at the Old Raleigh Water Tower! We’re going to serve some champagne, too! I sent out a post card to some folks, but, am eager to get as many people there as possible since it’s such a cool building!
Who has $685,000 to lend me? I think this would make a GREAT location for my first restaurant… 