‘Nooga Life

Sports in ‘Nooga

July 8, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

Whether you are interested in playing sports yourself, or seeing professional matches, Chattanooga is a good place to be! Here’s a look at a few places Chattanoogans (and visitors) can get out and play:

Climbing gyms — There are three climbing gyms in Chattanooga: TBA (Tennessee Bouldering Authority) in St. Elmo, Urban Rocks on Appling Street, just off Riverside Drive, and Highpoint downtown. All three are good for beginners or experienced climbers. All three offer a variety of classes.

Outdoor Chattanooga — Located in Coolidge Park, Outdoor Chattanooga offers all sorts of ways for residents and visitors to be active and have fun outside. Want to try stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, or climbing? This is the place. You can also rent bicycles, and learn about different classes and events.

Chattanooga Sports Leagues is for adults who love team sports — kickball, basketball, soccer. It’s a way to still play all the games you loved in school. They welcome both individuals and teams, so if you’ve been fondly remembering high school P.E. and all the fun you had, check them out!

The Chattanooga Flying Disc Club is for ultimate frisbee enthusiasts. They are always seeking new players!

If running is your thing, the Chattanooga Track Club has all the resources you might need. They have running groups, sponsor races, offer discounts, help people find running partners and much more.

There is no doubt we have left out some fun, interesting, and exciting ways for Chattanoogans to get out and play. Tell us what we missed! And stay tuned for next week’s post on where you can go to watch matches and games!

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings Tagged With: 'Nooga, chattanooga, entertainment, family friendly, fun, play, sports

Where To See Fireworks in Chattanooga in 2014

July 2, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

If your Independence Day celebration usually includes watching a professional fireworks display, here are a few places around Chattanooga you may want to go!

On Thursday, July, 3, you can see fireworks at:

Coolidge Park, as part of Pops on the River

after the Lookouts Game at AT&T Field

Camp Columbus, at dark

Lake Winnie, at 10pm

the Outdoor Wilderness Theater in Trenton, GA at 9:45pm

Then, on Friday, July 4, there will be displays at:

the Signal Mountain Golf Course

the lake in Soddy Daisy

Heritage Park in Dalton

Jasper Recreational Park

Main Street in Dunlap

City Park in Graysville

Lake Winnie at 10pm

Bradley Square Mall in Cleveland

Did we miss any? Please let us know in the comments!

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings Tagged With: 'Nooga, CHA, chattanooga, entertainment, family, fun, holidays, neighborhoods

Celebrating Independence in ‘Nooga

July 1, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

How does your family celebrate on the 4th of July? Do you decorate, shoot bottle rockets, eat BBQ, or spend the day on the boat? This year you may want to add the symphony to your list.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will present Pops on the River at Coolidge Park on Thursday, July 3. You can enjoy the free concert and fireworks display, along with a pre-concert flyover from the Hixson Museum of Flight. The concert begins at 8pm, and the park will close to traffic at 4:30pm. Food, beer, and wine concessions will be available, and a fireworks display over the river will follow the concert.

However you celebrate, do it responsibly and have a great holiday!

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings

Secrets 2 Staging – A Slight Twist on #LovingtheLocal

June 27, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

Each week, we like to feature an outstanding local business here on theNoogaLife. This week, instead of our usual format, we would like to share a guest post from business owner Theresa Maddox, owner of Secrets

before staging

2 Staging. Theresa helps homeowners and real estate agents ready houses for the market. If you would like to learn more about her business, you can reach her at 423-987-3054, or send her an email at secrets2staging@yahoo.com.

My goal in working with realtors and their clients is to help home buyers to visualize the house as “their home” and guiding sellers in staging their house to show off its best features.

Once a home is put on the market it becomes a house, a marketable product. The goal is to sell the house as quickly as possible and for the highest price. Statistically staged homes sell for 10-20 percent more than non-staged homes. 94% of staged homes sell with 33 days compared to non staged homes which sell in 144 days, according to the website stagedhomes.com.

When you go to a play, the scenery on the stage is set to give you information of where you are, or what the actors are doing. That is the goal in staging a home for potential buyers. We want to show off the features and focal points of the home, not the personal “stuff” of the home owner.

I like to tell my clients that staging is the first step in packing. If you can box up thinks that are stuffed in closets, cabinets and drawers, precious breakables and hardly used item you are working your way toward moving. It’s also a great time to donate items that you are not planning on using in your next house.

The three most important steps in staging a home are de-personnalizing, de-cluttering and cleaning. Removing paper back books, packing up personnel photos and collectibles gives more space to help potential

after staging

buyers see the architecture of the home and visualize themselves in the home. We are all attached to our personal things and the memories they create but these things might keep a buyer from seeing potential in the home. Each room in the home needs to welcome guest into the room so they can mentally want to place their furniture and themselves in the room.

The finished product, is the selling of the home. I love finding out that the house has sold. The client is happy, the realtor is happy and so am I. When working with homeowners, you really get to know a lot about them, their families and their lifestyles. Everyone has reached the goal and the results are worth the effort.

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal Tagged With: guest posts, home, lovingthelocal, staging

#LovingtheLocal with Area 61

June 20, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

Area 61 is part of the burgeoning arts scene on the Southside of Chattanooga. Originally, the gallery was going to feature works of art made from wood but it quickly evolved to include all sorts of beautiful, handcrafted art. From jewelry to painting to sculpture to furniture, you’ll find it all — and much, much more! Owners David and Keeli Crewe have done a fantastic job of creating a comfortable atmosphere that is a bit unusual for an art gallery. You’ll probably want to pull up a chair and enjoy the ambiance for awhile when you visit.

On May 5, 2014, Area 61 celebrated their five year anniversary. Having opened during a serious economic downturn, things were touch and go at times, but by finding and showcasing gorgeous work from local artists and craftspeople, as well as by contributing to the community, Area 61 pulled through the most difficult period for most new businesses.

A fun time to visit the gallery is during the Southside Stroll, the last Friday of each month from 5-8pm. (It’s the perfect thing to do just before Nightfall!). Many of the artists are at the gallery during the Strolls. The next Southside Stroll is Friday, June 27, and Area 61 will be featuring a new body of work by local artist Bob Fazio, called Italy Reimagined.

Take a look!

Come on in!

David and Keeli Crewe

There’s a LOT to see!

Every corner is filled with beautiful things.

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal Tagged With: 'Nooga, Business, CHA, chattanooga, family friendly, fun, lovingthelocal, shopping

#LovingtheLocal with Southern Star Restaurant

June 6, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

If you like meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, pork chops, and other delectable southern food, you need to visit the Southern Star. With two locations — one on the Southside, and one on Signal Mountain — the Southern Star makes it easy for Chattanoogans to get a fix of southern cooked goodness.

Operated by Rick and Nancy Adams, the Southern Star offers up the best kind of comfort food. Menu items are all house-made, and taste like someone’s grandmother is doing the cooking. One of the things that is special about the Southern Star is the carry-out convenience they offer. You can purchase a fully-cooked entree and side items to take home and reheat, in sizes that vary from a single portion to a family-sized serving.

The Broad Street location is a full-service restaurant, with a smaller carry-out section, while the Signal Mountain location is more of a carry-out shop, where you can have items heated if you want to eat in. Both locations offer special orders and catering, whether you want to buy a whole cake, or have a black-tie event catered.

Whichever location you visit, do yourself a favor and have dessert! Cakes, pies, and perfect banana pudding keep customers coming back for more. But, it’s not all sweets and fried foods — the deli cases have plenty of fresh, healthy options. The kale salad, and the quinoa salad are both low in calories but extremely flavorful.

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal, the 'NOOGA eats Tagged With: 'Nooga, CHA, chattanooga, eats, family friendly, food, lovingthelocal

Farmers Markets in ‘Nooga

June 3, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

In Chattanooga there are lots of options and ways to purchase fresh, locally grown food.

Local food is better for several reasons:

It’s fresher. A tomato grown in Chattanooga is going to be picked more recently than one grown in California and shipped to Tennessee.

It doesn’t have to travel as far. Shipping isn’t great for produce. It has to be picked sooner, packed and often bruised, and then there is the cost of moving it.

You are helping the local economy. When you buy food grown in the area, your money directly supports the farmer.

You’ll discover new varieties. Have you ever tried to buy fresh figs? If so, you probably had to go to a specialty store. Figs don’t travel well, and they have to be eaten soon after being picked. Local food vendors have items you usually don’t find in most grocery stores.

It just tastes better. Produce picked and eaten at the height of ripeness has a brighter, more vibrant flavor.

Chattanooga is rich in local food! No matter where you are, there is probably a farmers market nearby, and it seems like more of them pop up every year. Even if you can’t afford to buy all of your food at a farmers market, just buying an item or two can transform your meals.

Besides simply making food available at markets, many local farms operate Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. When you participate in a CSA, you basically invest in a farm for a season and get your return in the form of a share of the farm’s harvest. Each week, you get a box or basket of produce, or eggs, or meat, or herbs, or some of each depending on the type of CSA you join. The best way to find a CSA is to visit a farmers market and ask around.

Here are some of the farmers markets in Chattanooga:

The Chattanooga Market — Held at the First Tennessee Pavilion, this is probably the most well-known market in the area. You can find produce, meat, eggs, hand-crafted items, and much more every Sunday from 11-4, April-November. Market organizers have also added a Wednesday market this year — Wednesday evenings from 4-7 pm, May through October.
Main Street Market — From 4-6pm every Wednesday, a special group of farmers and shoppers can be found at 325 East Main Street. Herbs, meat, cheese, coffee, produce, and lots of smiles!
The River Market — This Saturday morning market offers more arts and crafts than produce, you will still find some delicious, fresh, local food. Things get started with free yoga at 10 am at the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, and the market is open until 5pm.

In addition to these three big, well-known farmers markets, there are several community markets around town:

Signal Mountain Market — Held at the Bachman Community Center each Thursday from 4-6pm.
Lookout Mountain Market — Three times/days/locations: Tuesdays from 4-7pm at Audubon Acres, Thursdays from 3-7pm at City Hall on Lula Lake Road on Lookout Mountain, and Fridays from 4-7pm at the Incline Railway in St. Elmo.
Brainerd Farmers Market — Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm in the parking lot at Grace Episcopal Church.
St. Alban’s Farmers Market — In Hixson, on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.
Northside Farmers Market — on the Northshore at Northside Presbyterian Church on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.

Did we miss any? Do you regularly shop at a farmers market? What’s your favorite thing about buying food directly from the farmers who raise it?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

#LovingtheLocal with Push Hard Lumber Company

May 30, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

Rudd and Becky Montgomery operate Push Hard Lumber Company from their home. The shop is just steps away from their beautiful, rustic cabin, and their lush flower gardens make the view outstanding. Push Hard is locally owned and operated, and uses local lumber to the extent possible. The vast majority of the furniture built at Push Hard is from reclaimed lumber, though they will also sawmill trees that have fallen or been taken down by someone else. Rudd says, “We never sentence trees to death.”

Push Hard creations are unique pieces of art and are of heirloom quality. Whether you need a chair, bench, table, stool, or mantel, if you purchase it from Rudd, you will be getting something that will last for generations. You are welcome to visit the shop — it’s best to call 423-517-0089 first to make sure Rudd will be there to talk with you and give you directions — or, you can see Push Hard work at the gallery Area 61 on Main Street.

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal Tagged With: 'Nooga, Business, chattanooga, lovingthelocal

Swimming in the ‘Nooga

May 29, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

Now that school is done, ‘Nooga parents are probably looking for things for kids to do. Watching movies and playing video games is good for a few days, but then you need something else.

Greenway Farms

Luckily, Chattanooga is packed with parks, places to swim, and fun summer activities.

Pretty much everyone goes to Coolidge Park in the summer. You have the nice breezes from the river, it’s perfect for picnics, and of course, there’s the fountain to cool off.

Warner Park Pool and Splash Park is another popular destination — because it is awesome! Swim, get sprayed, or have water dumped over you, whatever happens you’re going to be wetter and cooler than when you arrived. There is a minimal charge — between $2 and $5 depending on age and the time of day — but it’s definitely worth it.

You may also want to take a hike in the shade and enjoy some natural creeks. The North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy maintains several trails that are great for an afternoon outside.

If the lake is more your speed, a trip to Chesterfrost Park makes for a relaxing way to spend a summer day. With the sand, sun, water, a cooler of drinks, and a packed lunch, you’ll be set for the day! There are even picnic spots with grills if you want a fancier meal.

What did we leave out? Where’s your favorite spot to swim in ‘Nooga?

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings Tagged With: 'Nooga, chattanooga, cool, entertainment, family, fun, kids, summer, swimming

#LovingtheLocal with Green Thumbs Galore

May 23, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

It’s spring time and that has many ‘Noogans out in their gardens, stalking the aisles at local nurseries, and generally enjoying the beauty and bounty of the great

The Green Thumbs Galore greenhouse.

outdoors. This week our #lovingthelocal featured business can help you make your garden more colorful, whimsical, welcoming to wildlife, varied — or whatever else you’d like your yard to be!

Green Thumbs Galore is a local nursery operated by Jeff and Belle Jarret. The couple runs the business from their home on Missionary Ridge, where they transformed the property from a kudzu-covered hill into a beautiful and colorful garden.

Belle says she loves helping her customers be successful in their gardens with interesting plants, and showing them that something really nice doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to care for. It doesn’t hurt that she always has an excuse for having dirty fingernails, either!

“I love when customers send me pictures of their gardens,” Belle says. She is dedicated to answering questions, and solving gardening mysteries when she can. Even if you don’t consider yourself a gardener, you should check out Green Thumbs Galore. You may also want to connect with them on Facebook: They also host driveway sales twice a year, so you can visit with Belle and Jeff, and see their beautiful gardens, and probably find a plant or two that would fit in perfectly at your house!

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal Tagged With: 'Nooga, Business, chattanooga, lovingthelocal, spring

It’s Spring. Are You Cleaning?

May 15, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

This post was written by local freelance writer Dava Stewart. She’s a better writer than she is housekeeper.

I wish I could tell you that my house gets two thorough cleanings per year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The best I can do is say I intend to wash my blinds twice a year. I’m easily distracted in the spring — by the garden, books, movies, my dogs, and almost anything else that will keep me from wiping down baseboards. There are just as many fun things to do in the fall. So, every year, I make lists of big housekeeping projects but rarely actually do them.

With Pinterest around, it’s easier than ever to find helpful hints and tricks when it comes to cleaning and organizing. Chattanooga offers a few great resources as well. Local professional organizer Julie Bestry, who has been profiled on thenoogalife before, writes a great blog called The Paper Doll, where she offers lots of organizational advice for those of us who…ahem…struggle in that arena.

On Facebook, I follow a company located in Copper Hill, TN called The MountainClean Team . They offer tons of ideas for nontoxic cleaning. Things like “use half a lemon and some salt to scrub the sink” are right up my alley. If I can remember to buy lemons.

Recently, the team at Pearl & Associates Real Estate have been sharing some excellent tips for staging that could easily double as spring cleaning tips.

What about you? Do you do any extra spring cleaning? Do you paint your porch rails every spring or wash the drapes on May Day?

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings Tagged With: 'Nooga, chattanooga, cleaning, family, spring

#LovingtheLocal with HooNew

May 9, 2014 by 'Nooga Life Leave a Comment

This week’s #lovingthelocal business is HooNew, owned and operated by Evelyn Johnston. Evelyn’s booth is located in Redbriar Antiques in East Ridge, which has been open just over one week. She sells whimsical, funky, fun home decor and furnishings. Some of her items are repurposed, and some are just cool.

Evelyn created her first commissioned art piece at the age of 12. That is to say, she has always enjoyed crafting, creating art, and finding beauty in surprising places. When her daughter got married, she relied on Evelyn’s talents to get the vintage look and feel she wanted for the wedding. Evelyn says they visited thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales looking for the perfect pieces.

The whole experience gave Evelyn the desire to do more. She first opened a booth in the shop The Green Door, which was located on Georgia Avenue and later moved to the North Shore. Evelyn enjoyed being part of the shop and knew after the store closed she wanted to continue. She feels she has found her place at Red Briar.

Evelyn says that she “loves to do something unconventional” with her work. She likes bold, unusual color combinations, such as aqua and red. “I want my work to be

The HooNew booth at Red Briar

inspiring and different — but not different in a weird way,” she jokes.

You can see some of Evelyn’s pieces on her Facebook page, and also on Instagram. Redbriar Antiques is having a huge Mother’s Day celebration on Saturday, May 10, and if you mention seeing this post, Evelyn will offer you 10% off at her booth.

Filed Under: #LovingtheLocal Tagged With: home decor, local business, lovingthelocal, shopping