Let The Shopping Begin With The HoHo Expo!

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Ok, I know we haven't even stuffed our face with turkey yet but I am all about some Christmas spirit at the moment. And when I speak of Christmas spirit I'm referring to the magical make believe that comes around this time of year...when adults pull out boxes of decorations and redecorate their homes in hopes of catching that wonderful feeling we once felt as a child, the awww that once held us captivated while we watched snowflakes, snuggled in blankets, sipping on hot coco.

 

 

 

 

And this weekend, Chattanooga will turn the local Convention Center into a Winter Wonderland, inviting over 200 vendors to share their products with the community. This is a perfect time to get your holiday shopping done as well as enjoy plenty of free cookies and cider. There will also be snow and ice skating as well as FREE pictures with Santa. Seriously...I love all things FREE!!!

 

So, if you're in town this weekend, make sure to check out what will certainly be a magical moment at the HoHo Expo!

 

HoHo 2013 Expo Schedule:

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
10a – 5p
Mistletoe Mimosas
10a – 12p*
*while supplies last
Gingerbread House Contest Registration
10a – 12:30p
Santa Photos
11a – 1:30p
Gingerbread House Contest Judging
1:00p
Christmas Time at the Pool Place Stage Presentation
1:30p
Gingerbread House Contest Winners Announced
2p
Gingerbread Cookies
2p – 4p
*while supplies last
Santa Photos
2p – 4:30p
Grand Prize Drawing - A County Christmas Getaway to Gaylord Opryland
4p


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24
1p – 5p
Apple Cider & Sugar Cookies
1p – 5p
*while supplies last
Santa Photos
1p – 3p
Christmas Time at the Pool Place Stage Presentation
1:30p
Santa Photos
3:30p – 5p
Grand Prize Drawing - A County Christmas Getaway to Gaylord Opryland
4p

 

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Explore Chattanooga: Boo In The Zoo

October is a great time for outdoor activities in Chattanooga, and it just so happens that Boo in the Zoo is a great opportunity to enjoy a great family time with treats and animal tricks.

 

 

Join us for the most Spooktacular event of the season! Visit it with some of our friends from the Wizard of Oz (courtesy of Chattooine), play games, participate in the costume contest, ride ponies, get your face painted and much more! This non-scary Halloween event is sure to have the whole family talking for years to come. Admission:$8.95 for adults, $5.95 (ages 3-12) and under 3 is free. Members receive half off ticket prices. Tickets may be purchased in advance or day of at the Zoo Gift Shop.

 

My family and I certainly plan to attend this event, all decked out in our costumes with smiles. The zoo also offers a variety ofother exhibts such as Tuesday Chimpanzee and Zoo Tales, all of which can be found on the Events Calendar .

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Explore Chattanooga: Spirit Halloween

Are you ready for Halloween? Got the candy? Got the garb? If not, Spirit Halloween is your one stop shop for all your Halloween needs. From toddlers to adults, they have a large assortment of costumes to choose from. You can shop by brands, themes, assessories, and/or decorations - like I said, a one stop shop for all your needs!

 

I recently took the kids in to see all the great items available. I believe we activated every mechanical monster in the place. Seriously, if you're hosting a party this season, you should definitly check out the yard decor, it certainly provides that professional look all the super spooky houses like to show-case.

And for all those not in the Senic City area, you can always order your supplies online and use the code: EERIESHIP for a $4.99 shipping rate on all orders $65 or over.

So, what are you waiting for? It's time to get Spookey!

   

  Spirit Halloween

5450 Highway 153

Hixson,TN 37343

(423) 362-3730

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Explore Chattanooga: Buy It Downtown

I recently received a fabulous gift from my students at school, the Buyit Downtown gift card . I  had actually never heard of this but after speaking with others, it seems this is a pretty snazzy way to shop downtown and support our local stores and community.

Buyit Downtown can be used with over 90 locations from clothing stores, restaurants  movie theaters, to even local attractions like the Tennessee Aquarium. 

Buyit Downtown cards are easy to use, simply swipe as you would a debit/credit card and you're ready to go. Each transaction subtracts from the balance, which can hold from $20 up to $500, and you can even receive discounts and prizes for using your card! Ok, so I'm hooked. I'm Exploring Chattanooga and all it has to offer, making great memories with my friends and family, and I'm helping our my local community while I do it...next year, everyone I know is getting a Buyit Downtown card!

What about You? Do You use your Buyit Downtown card frequently to shop Chattanooga?? Like this post? Vote for me! 

Explore Chattanooga Through Recyling

As a kid I was all about recycling, I share a bit about that here, in a post, Recycling 101, but lately I've slacked off. The house is a bit cluttered as it is and truly I don't want to add to the mess by piling up papers, plastic, and aluminium. It's just a project that will have to wait. However, when given the opportunity, such as cleaning out the closet from all my research papers for my thesis, I took a moment to take the kids down to our local recycling center and dump off a box of paper.

I am grateful to live only a couple miles from a center, therefore I can never make the excuse that it's out of my way. And with how convenient the centers are set up, you simply drive up and drop your material off in large dumpsters, the process only takes a couple of minutes. I didn't even get the kids out of the car. We simply pulled up to our marked container, I jumped out, tossed in my box, and away we went. One side of me felt proud as a productive member of Earth's residents while the other side realized I really could do so much more. I plan on looking into organizing a couple recycling containers for here at the house, planning to keep it as clutter free as possible. Honestly, I'm not sure how much of a difference my house will make in the larger picture, I can day dream and believe we're making it all grand and perfect, but truly, my wish is more for my kids to know and appreciate recycling. My mom always said we make a difference by teaching our kids and so the change continues on.



And here's a great article from the Times Free Press and Chattanooga Now on recycling centers of Chattanooga. So, why not get out and make a difference through recycling and Explore Chattanooga! Like this post? Vote for me!

Explore Chattanooga With The Creative Discovery Museum

It's Mommy and Daughter day and so we've decided to take a trip downtown and explore the Creative Discovery Museum, otherwise known as the CDM. The CDM is, "recognized as one of the premier hands-on children's museums in the region," and with the themes of Winter Wonders and Helping Hands, who couldn't have a blast with that?!!
We started our journey by taking the local {free} electric shuttle from our parking. The shuttle loops around downtown through out the day, offering riders a relaxing lift to shops, hotels, and attractions. 
Once we arrived, Maddie checked out all the statues outside. She was actually so impressed with everything to see outside, it took 5 minutes before we could even get in to purchase tickets. 
But once inside, the fun began. Maddie has visited CDM a couple times and even though it's probably been close to a year, she quickly asked to go see the dinosaurs. She kind of has a small obsession with dinosaurs at the moment...along with 20,000 other things. So, we dug in the sand, uncovering dinosaur bones, checked out all the cool bugs and snakes, and she quickly learned how to use a microscope. 
We then met up with friends and began discovering other others of play. There was the...



doctor moment...

the track stamping {footprints} in baking soda {snow} moment...

the ice skating with a friend moment...

the felt board moment...

the hockey moment...

and the bee moment. This may have actually been her favorite area. We watched live bees in a hive, moving freely from outside back in, to videos of the importance of bees, and then to simply playing with large, stuffed bees and climbing in this bee hive. 
Maddie loved it all!!!
Honestly, we didn't even get to see but 1/3 of the museum and we covered that in 1.5 hours. This certainly could turn into a whole day of play if given the opportunity. Price wise, adults and children 2-12 are $11.95 each. Memberships start @ $75 and are good for 12 months. There are also discounts for local police, firefighters, and those with a military ID. 
Overall, the employees were happy, the children were engaged, and the bathrooms were clean...this Mother couldn't ask for anything more!
The CDM offers a variety of activities for homeschoolers, after school programs, and many more. So, check them out and Explore Chattanooga!

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