Things to do this weekend in Knoxville this Saturday

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Looking for things to do this weekend? Here’s a little round up! Have a great long weekend and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Saturday May 26
Build an Ice Cream Truck at Lowes Build and Grow Workshop Saturday May 26 from 10-11 a.m. Ice Cream Truck  We strongly recommend you register in advance online here http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/Home.aspx to avoid disappointment and turn up on time – they only hold kits for the first 15-30mins for registered participants. The event is free and is great for kids ages 4 and up. A parent must be present.

Shark vs Train Storytime at Barnes and Noble from 11 a.m. Find out who will win!

 

 

 

 

FREE Summer Kickoff Event May 26-27 hosted by Brass Pro Shops in Kodak. Here’s the schedule:
Family Fun begins Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-27.
11 am-4 pm FREE Photo Download. Get a Camping Trip/Scene Photo Taken
12-4 pm  FREE Crafts
Saturday, May 26 Create a sand art sun
Sunday, May 27 Paint a wooden insect
11 am- 4 pm daily FREE Summer Kickoff Challenge including: Sleeping Bag Race, Tent Set-up and Metal Detector Treasure Hunt.

Bike Safety Blast at Toys R Us from 2-4 p.m. Stop by and receive a free coloring poster and Bike Safety Plege.

A Pinterest-ing we will go: Memorial Day

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I may be a foreigner but I love the Patriotic holidays here. Memorial Day weekend is exciting because it means that summer really is here. The kids are out of school and the options of things to do are endless. Of course I just had to browse Pinterest for some inspiration. Does anyone else host a party or decorate for this holiday? What do you do?

A long weekend is the perfect excuse to decorate your home and tackle some quick and easy craft projects with the kids!

Clockwise from top left:
I could reuse the items in this tablescape for summer backyard parties again and again. Love the ice cream cones and Ice cream tub as well as the red, white and blue pennant banner. More details at All You.
Scraps of fabric and spray starch are all you need for these easy star medallions from Martha Stewart.
Kids love to collect rocks and paint things so this activity does double duty as a craft and tablecloth weights. Find the instructions at Amazing Moms.
Have the kids make these inexpensive holiday decorations from Easy Preschool Crafts for you.

Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s about the food too!

Clockwise from top left:

These delish looking popsicles are easy to make thanks to a ‘how to’ video on  The Idea Room.
Hand out bags of chips for parade watching or print out free printable tags from Sweet Metel Moments and decorate other snack items/table decorations.
These custom hot dog wrappers from Magnolia Creative are from a collection of Free Patriotic printable templates.
These sweet treats from Giggles Galore are just too tempting! See her other beautiful ideas here, she reuses items each year and adds a new touch here and there each holiday.

Free Play Day

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One of my readers shared this cool event with me this week. With the long summer days just around the corner the timing is perfect! It’s a free community event hosted by some brownie and daisy girl scouts called The Powell Pledge 2 Play Day. And it’s happening this Saturday May 19th from 2-4 pm at the Beavercreek Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 7225 Old Clinton Pike, Knoxville, 37921.

The Troop is encouraging kids of all ages (but geared toward 4-12) to turn off the TV this summer and Pledge to get outside and Play. There will be multiple Play Stations set up where kids can learn about croquet, ladderball, hula hoops, Disc Golf, home made obstacle course, Bubbles,Sack Races, Foam Airplanes, and more.  The event is free and there are a few give away trinkets but the main goal is to learn new games and ways to get outside and play.

Any questions can be sent to powellgirlscouts@gmail.com

Books and Blooms and the Farmer’s Market are back for 2012

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Photos courtesy of www.photographybymartina.com

The Books & Blooms Summer Reading Program starts again tomorrow (Thursday, May 17) and runs every Thursday until October 25 from 10.30-11.30 a.m (excluding July 5).  Enjoy stories, songs, and crafts for the younger set. And it’s free! The theme for this first week is ‘Veggie Delight’. Get ready to sing a few veggie songs, read about yum veggies and plant a carrot top!

The set up will be the same as last year with a new session beginning every 15 minutes at each station to keep things moving smoothly. And of course the sprinklers will start in June when the weather is meant to be warmer!

If you haven’t been before, Parking Passes will be available at the Garden entrance beginning at 10:00am. You must park in the lot beside the Garden.

And, in case you missed it this afternoon the Farmer’s Market kicked off today and will run every Wednesday afternoon between 4-7 p.m. through October 24. Check out my datebook for further details!

The UT Gardens are located at Department of Plant Sciences, 252 Ellington Plant Sciences Bldg, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996 (That’s just off Neyland Drive south of Kingston Pike).

Update: Sign up for a Summer Reading Program and Win Prizes

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A couple of weeks ago, when I was visiting my friends at Knox County Public Library they gave me the scoop on this year’s program and the super cute rewards the kids can earn.

We have a bunch of books ready to read and my boys can’t wait to get started. Signing up is easy. Register as a Reader or a Listener online or at any library location. Readers read for 15 hours. Listeners (for those not quite reading yet) listen to 30 books being read to them. You can pick up a reading log at any Library location, or download one (for Readers or for Listeners). Then get started reading. Once you’ve completed your log (s) return them to the library and pick up your prize.(The program runs through the end of July).

The youngest readers (4 and under) win a great age-appropriate prize pack -a Dream Big watercolor painting kit provided by the Children’s Reading Foundation and the Rewards Book!

Older readers (5 and up) win a super spectacular finger-light beam ring, and the awesome Rewards Book full of free stuff to do and tasty summer snacks. The Rewards book is worth over $100 and rewards include admission to: Knoxville Zoo, East Tennessee Discovery Center, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Tennessee Valley Fair, East Tennessee History Center, UT Lady Vols Soccer Game, UT Lady Vols Softball Game, YMCA Swimming Pool, Blount Mansion. Food and goodies from: Rita’s Italian Ice, Bruster’s, Denton’s, Magpies Bakery, Ijams Nature Center, Adventure and Activities, Lessons at South Knoxville TaeKwonDo, Bowling at Strike & Spare Family Fun Center.

ALSO: You may win an eReader!
Everyone who completes either a listener or reader log will automatically be entered to win eReader!

Coupon Katie has a fantastic roundup of more reading programs here and I’m waiting to hear if Barnes and Noble are running their regular program again this year. Has anyone else heard?

Update:
The lovely people from Barnes & Noble got back to me today and they said that they will be running their Summer Reading program again this year. It kicks off 5/22 and runs until 9/4. They’re still offering students the chance to receive a free book once they read 8 titles and tell B&N about it in their Summer Reading journal. More information about this year’s program can be found on their website, www.bn.com, on 5/22, the day the program launches.

See a musical adaption of the popular book “Otis”

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Each summer Dollywood’s Imagination Playhouse featuring the Penguin Players kick off a summer of reading with a musical adaptation of a popular Dollywood’s Imagination Library book. This year it’s the adorable Otis by Loren Long. The show is free and open to the public and the actors keep the kids thoroughly enthralled throughout the show! Here’s the touring schedule:

  • Saturday, May 19, 10:00 a.m. at Children’s Festival of Reading on World’s Fair Park
  • Monday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. at Powell and 3:00 p.m. at Howard Pinkston
  • Tuesday, May 22, 10:00 a.m. at Murphy and 1:00 p.m. at North Knoxville
  • Wednesday, May 23, 11:00 a.m. at South Knoxville Branch Library and 3:00 p.m. at Cedar Bluff
  • Thursday, May 24, 10:30 a.m.at Burlington and 3:00 p.m. at Bearden
  • Friday, May 25 10:30 a.m. at Fountain City Branch Library and 3:30 p.m. at Farragut Branch Library

 

Mother’s Day Fun with the Kids

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Believe it or not, the gifts my kids make for me at school have been by far the best I’ve ever recieved. I still display the beautiful paper flowers, paper bowls and watch the Kindergarten DVD I have been spoiled with in recent years (thanks to their wonderful teachers of course). Anyway, if you would like to drop some hints to Dad, here are some fun activities they can take the kids to do while you take a moment for yourself this weekend or you can enjoy together as a family…

Make a Mother’s Day Card at Smart Toys and Books on Saturday May 12 between  10 a.m.-3 p.m. Ribbons, glitter, stickers, glue and all the materials needed to make a wonderful card for Mom, Grandma, or a special person will be provided to use free of charge. 10am-3pm.

Michael’s hosts a week of free and low cost Mother’s Day events they conclude this weekend with the following: Friday May 11: 6 to 8 p.m., Mother’s Day flower clip; Saturday May 12: 10 a.m. to noon, Mother’s Day apron and T-shirt; noon to 2 p.m., Mother’s Day button.

Book your seats for the Three Rivers Rambler Mother’s Day Train Ride on Saturday May 12. Trains depart at 10 a.m., 1 & 4 p.m. Book your seat at http://www.threeriversrambler.com or call 865-524-9411.

Celebrate Mother’s Day at UT Gardens’ Blooms Days Festival and Marketplace on Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13, 2012, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
This two day event will feature specialty plants, unique garden goods, live musical performances, garden workshops, children’s activities and more. Plus, in honor of Mother’s Day, moms will receive a ‘Tender Love’ daylily on Sunday, May 13, while supplies last. Oakes Daylillies of Corryton, Tenn., is one of the 2012 Blooms Days sponsors. More than 20 workshops (included in the cost of admission), led by regional gardening experts, will be offered for everyone from novice to advanced gardeners.

Kids of all ages can visit the Kids Corner to create make-and-take projects and make a special gift for mom.
The festival will also include a garden marketplace in which visitors can shop for plants, arts, crafts, garden goods and specialty plants from more than 20 vendors. Snacks will be available on site for purchase.

Tickets at the gate will be $6 for one day and $10 for two days. Friends of the UT Gardens receive discount tickets of $5 for one day and $8 for two days. Children 12 and under are free.
All proceeds will benefit the UT Gardens.  For more information and a complete schedule of the weekend’s activities, please visit:  http://utgardens.tennessee.edu .

Bring mom the Mother’s Day Tea at Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm on Saturday May 12 between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to sample tea and treats made with fresh herbs from the gardens! Make a real outing of it and explore the greenhouses, tour the herb gardens, and enjoy the beauty and fragrance of herbs… together! Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm, 132 England Lane, Clinton, TN 37716

Make a cupcake for Mom on Saturday May 12 between 10 a.m. and noon at William Sonoma. Kids and dads are welcome to this hands-on cupcake decorating event just for mom! Present mom with a delicious cupcake decorated by her very own children for Mother’s day tomorrow; while dad shops for the perfect gift! Reservations recommended, contact the West Town Mall store, 7600 Kingston Pike, Knoxville tel: 865-539-1070

Decorate a Mother’s Day Apron and T-shirt at Michael’s on Saturday May 12 between 10 a.m. and noon. Materials are free to use with the purchase of a t-shirt or apron. While Supplies last. And between noon and 2 p.m. craft a fun keepsake for mom with a Mother’s Day Button. This event is free of charge.

Build a picture frame planter at Lowes Free Build & Grow Workshop this Saturday May 12  between 10-11 a.m. Be sure to sign up to avoid disappointment here. http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/default.aspx

Make Mom a Free Cupcake Magnet out of Crayola Model Magic at Jo-Ann this Saturday morning between 11 a.m.-noon.

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Big day for little people at Knox County Library’s Children’s Festival of Reading

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In our family Summer doesn’t really start until we’ve been to the Knox County Public Library’s Children’s Festival of Reading. Year after year the sun shines and children’s literary stars turn out to kick off the Knox County Public Library’s annual summer reading program. This totally free event, to be held on Saturday May 19 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at World’s Fair Park, has got to be the biggest annual children’s event in Knoxville. It’s jam packed with kids’ activities, entertainment, yummy food and lots and lots of goodies.

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A Pinterest-ing we will go: Mother’s Day

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I’ve been lacking inspiration when it comes to Mother’s Day and to save some money and hopefully create some meaningful gifts I’ve turned to Pinterest once again. All of the ideas are pretty easy to make and have a boutique flair to them. You can customize the colors/designs to suit your mom/mom-in-law prettily easily too!

Noodlehead’s blog has the tutorial for this pretty clutch online . If your mom is anything like mine she doesn’t have to carry nearly as much stuff as I do, so a clutch is perfect for everyday use.

I copied this hand painted linen pillow from ABC Home  for my mum this year. I chose to dip dye mine and used loops of leather thong to fasten them on the back.

How pretty are these braided bracelets from Handmadera ? See the tutorial here . I’m sure you could find pieces of jewelry to use at a thrift store or of course stop by the Bead Box to see what they have there.

I’ve made a bunch of these clay jewelry dishes  by Lisa Storms. I used the regular colored Fimo to skip a couple of steps and they turned out so great I sent an aqua one to my mum this year. And they’re inexpensive to make and you can use your regular oven to bake them.

It’s hard to believe that this flower vine from Once Wed  is made out of paper, they look so real I can almost smell their scent. Plus they will last longer than a bunch from Interflora. You could even use them to decorate your Mother’s day lunch/brunch.

Repurpose what you already have. Decorate mason jars or plain vases to hold just about anything. I would use mine to corral hair accessories, pens and more. I spray painted old cans and added gold heart stencils for Valentine’s Day, but these look even easier. See the full tutorial for the organization station at The Beauty Department blog

I always thought of doilies as dust catchers, but you can reuse them to give your lamp shade a more homey, but still contemporary, feel. See the tutorial here on Dos Family’s blog.

And these custom purses  are decorated using freezer paper they look like an expensive linen print! Twigg Studios used a silhouette machine to cut hers out, but I’m sure you could do a simpler design by hand without any trouble. Perhaps customize a throw pillow cover or a simple canvas tote?

 

A Pinterest-ing we will go Cinco de Mayo style

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I’ve been busy making my mum’s mother’s day gifts, which has meant less time on Pinterest, I know, sad! But I’m looking forward to a Cinco de Mayo party at a friend’s house this weekend and decided I needed some inspiration. Does anyone else celebrate? Do you decorate or prepare your favorite dish? What is it? Just browsing Pinterest has gotten me in the mood to whip up some treats for the party.

This rainbow themed scheme is ideal for a Fiesta party. See how Design Dazzle Contributor Gywnn Wasson put it together here.

Michaela at Bliss posted this clever lamp shade tutorial  over at Urban Scarlet, you could easily adapt it to suit any room scheme and use it again after May 5th! Instructions are here.

Easter Egg Maracas are a great way to use up all of those plastic eggs and keep the kids busy! Love this idea from Made, see her instructions here.

Sombreros do double duty as plates for your shindig. The kids will love making these creations from Celebrations.

Portable Spicy Lime Corn in reusable glasses make serving up a cinch! Love this idea and the other recipes on Scarletta Bakes.

Individual 7 Layer Dips from The Girl Who Ate Everything look delicious AND super easy to make!

And Churros drizzled with chocolate and covered in colored sprinkles… need I say more? This and more colorful party ideas can be found at The Party Dress. I’m wondering how hard it would be to make the churros, anyone else tried?

And finish off the meal with these adorable Margarita Cupcakes from Brown Eyed Baker. (not pictured here, but I just had to include a link!