get outside!

We love this time of year. Watching everything come back to life after the long (wet) and dark winter is so refreshing. The change of season can bring shift in our perspective and revival to our spirits. With the start of spring comes excitement and ample opportunities to enjoy beautiful east Tennessee.

Image from Visit Knoxville.

Here are a few ways we encourage you to get outside & welcome the new season…

Explore Knoxville’s tree-based adventure park, Navitat, at Ijams Nature Center, or take a hike on one of the Center’s trails.

Pack a picnic lunch and bring a blanket for a sunny feast at Sequoyah Hills Park.

Sweep off porch and patio areas. Make them more inviting with a new welcome mat or strand of lights.

Enjoy a beer with a friend at the Bearden Beer Market to support Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful.

Celebrate EarthFest’s 20th year anniversary at SoKno Taco Cantina.

Image from Outdoor Knoxville.

Enjoy a Signature Spring Wildflower Hike at Norris Dam State Park.

Participate or cheer on participants downtown for the Covenant Health 5K & kids run.

Instead of going to the gym, head to Lakeshore Park and traverse the loop at any pace you please.

Begin preparing your gardens and attend Easy Vegetable Gardening seminar at Stanley’s Greenhouse.

Make a bonfire & invite new neighbors to enjoy it with you.

summer survival tips

School's out for summer...The kids across Knox County are cheering for full days of play and fun, while parents have a new duty of planning summer activities and being prepared for whatever the fun days might hold! Here are a few ideas to help you be extra prepared: 

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Image via Yummy Mummy Club blog.

• In the car...

You never know what you (or your various passengers) might need. This pop up organizer has a place for everything. Consider keeping the following items on hand: paper towels, bandaids, umbrella, trash bag, activity books, bungee cords, sunscreen, nonperishable snack, and a beach towel. 

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• In the garage...

Coming home from trips, pool days or picnics - the garage sometimes becomes the landing place for these items. Having a trash can and recycle bin will help with efficiently clearing out the trash before taking bags into the house. Keeping Clorox wipes near by to wipe out coolers after being used, will keep them from getting nasty over time. Make it a priority to always wash the wet bathing suits & towels from a trip immediately. Rinsing off any items with sand or dirt on them will save you from future mess! 

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Image via Market Square Farmer's Market instagram.

• In the kitchen...

It seems like everyone is snacking more than ever in the summer. After a successful trip to the Farmer's Market, fill up a bowl with your fruit for anyone to grab on the go. Granola bars, PB&J, hummus, nuts are great snacks to grab on the run. If you have kids, designate areas for their snacks and drinks, separate from what you are using to cook meals to avoid confusion or clutter. Having paper products for an impromptu picnic will allow you to spontaneously decide to take your meal outdoors, and provides a quick and easy clean up. 

Keys to a Peaceful Summer

A big hooray for students, teachers, volunteers and parents who worked hard this school year!

Kids have been counting down the days; eagerly awaiting pool play time, road trips, and freedom to roam the neighborhood day & night. While summertime is sweet it can also add some chaos to our homes and cars. Here are a few tips to keep peace in your home & car this summer while the fun summer activities ensue!

1. Fill a small tote with the summer outdoor essentials and keep it in your garage or laundry room (easy access to grab and go). Fill it with these items: outdoor/picnic blanket, sunscreen, bug spray, band aids, frisbee, and the ever useful Eno hammock.

2. Designate a section of the pantry and refrigerator for kids snacks and drinks. Make sure to pick an easily accessible shelf for your kiddos. These snacks and drinks will take up more room in the summer than they do during the school year, so it saves everyone from clutter and hunting for the right snack to designate a specific shelf.

3. Plan some free family fun - check out these local hikes from Outdoor Knoxville. Be sure to check the weather forecast, grab some snacks & hit the trail together. This is a great alternative to more expensive indoor activities. You could even incentivize the hike by allowing your kids to invite a friend if they consistently keep up with their chores around the house for a week straight!

4. Check out the Children's Festival of Reading hosted by the Knox County Public Library. This Saturday, May 21 is the free kick off event at 10:00 AM! The library is a great resource to continue education and reading throughout the summer, especially on those rainy days.

Happy summer to you! 

Garden Shed Organizing

Image from archilovers.com

Spring is right around the corner and we've gathered some tips from around the web to help you purge, organize, and restock your garden shed. Sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get a jump start on your yard and garden plots but having an inspiring potting shed definitely makes it easier. If you don't have a shed, think about possibly creating a gardening/lawn maintenance corner in your garage.

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Image by Creative Organizing

1. There is nothing worse than rusted, dull gardening tools. To keep tools sharp and shiny, try storing them in a sand filled bucket or clay pot and mix in a little bit of oil. Your tools will be well kept and easy to grab on the go.

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Image from bhg.com

2. Be resourceful. Think outside of the box and repurpose items you already have. Use a chick feed as a shelf, use an old shutter as a shelf, mount old rusted tools to the wall to hang things from. Once you start thinking creatively you'll find you have all kinds of things you could probably put to good use.

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Image from bhg.com

3. To help keep track of when to plant what, try displaying your seeds by month. We love this idea of using ribbons and clothes pins. Seed packets are so pretty it's like displaying informal art.

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Image and tutorial from Turtles and Tails

4. If you have limited space and you're sharing real estate in a garage, use this handy pull down table to create space for potting plants when you need it.

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Image and tutorial by Instructables

5. Need seating and storage as well? This step-by-step tutorial walks you through how to create these tasteful and useful benches when storage is limited.

HYD hopes these ideas give you reason to get outside, get a little dirt under your nails, and enjoy the spring that's on it's way!