Showing posts with label Knoxville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knoxville. Show all posts

July 26, 2017

Dog Days of Summer - Cool Stuff for Your Pampered Pooch

We're right in the thick of the Dog Days of Summer and this is a great time to celebrate our furry friends with some dog-friendly products.

Whether your dog is young or old, active or not, there's sure to be something here he or she might enjoy! I'm sharing some great products for dog lovers who want to show their canine companions some love while the temps are hot.


Thanks to my friends at CitiFid-O for these great recommendations. You can find these and many more items for your pets at CitiFid-O, located in the heart of downtown Knoxville.


An awesome local shop, CitiFid-O takes great pride in offering as many local products as possible for the urban pet owner. From the moment you step in the store, you’ll feel their passion for cats and dogs. From the moment your pet steps in the store, they’ll feel like they’re home.

Fun Stuff for Dogs that Love the Water: 


A collar that doesn't get stinky and nasty when wet! This is perfect for dogs who have lots of style and want to express it. 


Stylish, 100% waterproof and forever odor-free, Muck Dog Collars are the perfect solution for dogs who love to explore. The special flexible coating allows your dog to swim, roll and romp through the great outdoors, but doesn't allow any of that outdoor dirt to get inside the collar and stink it up. When you're done for the day, just run water over the collar and it comes clean in seconds. 

Strap on a Muck Collar to deny dirt, beat bacteria, and play dirty!
  • 100% waterproof
  • Soft but strong webbing
  • Forever odor-free
  • Will never absorb moisture, dirt, or bacteria
  • Cleans in seconds
  • PVC free

Fun floating toys perfect for a day at the lake or the quarry! 


Clockwise from top - 
  • West Paw Frisbee - it floats and flies! 
  • Ruffwear HydroPlane - not only does it float, but it's made of abrasion resistant materials
  • Kurgo Doggie Dart & Backyard Birdie - fun colors and also floats
  • West Paw Boz - colorful squishy balls that float and bounce
  • Ruffwear Lunker - a fun toy that floats -- plus it's made of recycled materials 

And since safety is also important, how about a life vest for your dog? The K-9 Float Coat has a cool handle right on top that allows you to easily lift your pup out of the water. 



Keep Your Canine Companions Cool with these Products: 


Some say cool is a state of mind, but when temps reach the 90s and above in Tennessee, it's something we're all trying to achieve...especially our furry friends. Dogs can overheat easily and these products are highly recommended to help them stay cool when weather is hot. 

Chill Seeker Cooling Vest | Canada Pooch 


Turn summer's heat from grueling into cooling with this cool product! It uses evaporative technology to keep your pup cool on hot days. 

Simply soak the vest in water and wring it out. As the water evaporates, it absorbs heat and cools your pooch for ultimate summer comfort. 

PetSafe Drinkwell® Everflow Indoor/Outdoor Fountain


No more refilling the water bowl! Now pets always have access to fresh, filtered water with the Everflow Pet Fountain. When used outdoors, the fountain connects to a standard garden hose and automatically refills to the desired water level you've chosen. When used indoors, the Everflow can hold 1.5 gallons of water. The fountain continuously circulates and filters the water, keeping it cleaner and fresher than a normal water bowl.

Dexas Snack-DuO™ Bottle and Collapsible Companion Cup




This great product is a dual water bottle and snack container that offers both cool water and a crunchy snack for your dog when you are both on the go. Watertight cap top on liquid side, widemouth snap lid on snack side. Flip open the lid to dispense treats or kibble, then pop open the cap top to pour a cool drink of water in the attached collapsible companion cup. BPA free and dishwasher safe.

Coolin' Pet Cot 


Help your dog stay cool in the heat with the K&H Coolin' Pet Cot™. This product combines the innovative design of the Original Pet Cot™ with the addition of a cooling center for added comfort. 

It's truly a unique cooling dog bed!

Musher's Secret 


Musher's Secret is a dense, barrier wax that forms a breathable bond with your dog's paws. Developed in Canada for use with sledding dogs, it provides tenacious protection even in the most extreme conditions. 

 Mushers Wax available in three sizes. Safe and Natural, it's made from a blend of several food-grade
waxes, then refined according to special formulations. Musher's Secret is the safe, non-toxic
way to protect your dog's paws. The semi-permeable shield is absorbed into the paws, allowing perspiration to escape through the toes.

Check out these products to keep your furry friends fluffy and free of fleas & ticks: 


FURminator® Long Hair deShedding Dog Tool


By reducing shedding up to 90%, the FURminator Deshedding Tool enables you to share your home with your dog, without surrendering it to his hair. Used and recommended by veterinarians, groomers and pet professionals, this tool is guaranteed to reduce shedding better than any brush, rake or comb!

Natural Chemistry Flea and Tick Shampoo



Natural Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs kills fleas and ticks by contact. It is fully effective for up to 7 days. The shampoo is also effective on blackflies and mosquitoes. It contains oatmeal proteins that moisture, nourish and revitalize dry coat, also leaving the coat soft and smooth.

Dog Gone Smart Dirty Dog Shammy Towel

Dog Gone Smart Dirty Dog Shammy Towel can help you get your wet dog dry after a bath. It’s an absorbent microfiber towel that soaks up 20 times the amount of water and mud than the average shammy towel can. And it dries eight times faster than cotton towels or a blow dryer. This quick-dry towel also features dual hand pockets with elastic to allow for a better grip when drying off your pooch. Added bonus: your dog will enjoy the feel of the ultra-soft fabric as it massages him while it dries.

Help your dog feel calm during fireworks and summer thunderstorms with ThunderShirt! 


The patented ThunderShirt design applies gentle, constant pressure to calm anxiety, fear, and over excitement. Calms during fireworks, thunder, separation, travel, vet visits, and much more with no training and no medication so your dog stays drug-free. Great for rescue dogs.

This is just a sampling of the great products available at CitiFid-O in Downtown Knoxville. There are so many cool gadgets and gizmos available for dogs and since our furry friends are such an important part of our lives, why not pamper them this summer and beyond? 

July 3, 2017

A Knoxville Stay-Cation with East TN Tours


Sometimes a big, extravagant summer vacation just isn't possible. Whether because of scheduling conflicts, budget or both, big trips may not be in your future this summer. I feel your pain. After a spring that was jam-packed with travel, I have no trips on the horizon.

But what if I told you there were all sorts of incredible things to enjoy right under your nose? Maybe you should consider a "Stay-cation" this summer! I recently had the opportunity to take a walking tour in Knoxville and become a tourist in my own town. It was a blast and I really enjoyed the experience.


The walking tour I participated in is called the "Chef’s Table Tour with East TN Tours." For a flat fee, you get to do the tour and enjoy yummy food to taste at each stop along the way. My tour experience was complimentary as part of an agreement to write about it on the blog, but you all know I don't recommend anything unless I really mean it!

East TN Tours is owned and operated by Lauren Quinn who was also our tour guide for the event. I met up with Lauren at the Knoxville Visitor’s Center at the corner of Summit Hill and Gay Street on a Saturday afternoon for our tour.

One thing that is great about Knoxville is free parking in all the downtown garages on the weekends. Plus, the Visitor’s Center offers free parking for tours. Maybe your city has a bustling downtown area that you've been meaning to explore. There are probably all sorts of restaurants and places you haven't visited. Even after living in Knoxville for nearly 20 years, there are plenty of spots I haven't tried yet.

Lauren was a great guide, offering us portable mister fans to beat the heat. She is obviously passionate about local culture and history and gave our group lots of fun facts along the way.

We walked from location to location, spending a bit of time at each for the food portion. By partnering with local restaurants, East TN Tours is able to pre-arrange each experience along the tour.

Another fun part of the tour was getting to talk with other folks in the group.


Our first stop was Clancy’s Tavern and Whiskey House, on Gay Street just next to the historic Tennessee Theatre. In fact, this is usually where we go right before seeing a show at the Tennessee. When my brother and his girlfriend were visiting, we took them there to grab a bite before seeing Rent and it was delicious.

An Irish pub with a large drink menu, Clancy's offers something for everyone. Plus their food is tasty and they have vegetarian options.

For the tour, everyone else had Shepherd's Pie and I had a veggie burger. So good!


Next we walked over to Market Square and enjoyed some treats at Tomato Head. I had the tomato soup, which might seem like a strange choice on a hot summer day, but theirs is so good I couldn't pass it up.


From there, we walked down Gay Street to Jackson and our next stop, Balter Beerworks.


Balter is a new-ish brewery located in an old service station on South Broadway. This wasn't my first time there, but it was my first time enjoying some of their yummy food.

Balter serves their own craft beers and food made from scratch. My husband likes to go for the $1.50 tacos, which are pretty darn great.


For the food tour, we sampled Balter’s burrito bowl, a layered dish with rice and beans, topped with blackened chicken, lettuce, charred salsa, pico de gallo, crema, cilantro, cotija cheese, and house made chips. Mine was meat-free but it was still so hearty and delicious.

And believe it or not, this is only a half-sized portion.


Next, our tour continued down into the Old City for a stop at a spot I've been meaning to try, Old City Wine Bar. Located on West Jackson Avenue, it is nestled in the midst of an area having a real resurgence.


Old City Wine Bar is a nice little spot, with more than 48 wine offerings on tap by the glass and three times as many by the bottle.

There's also a limited tapas-style food menu. For our tour, we were treated to a light summer salad with baby Swiss chard, dried cranberries, cucumber, and creamy crumbled goat cheese. It was great.



Our final stop on the East TN Food Tour was at Sugar Mama’s, a bakery/bar in the 100 Block of Gay Street. This is a cute local spot I've been meaning to try. With craft beer, homemade baked goods and other yummy food options, what's not to love?

I didn't get a good photo of the front of Sugar Mama's so I'm stealing this one from another member of the tour. Visit her awesome blog here. 


Our dessert options at Sugar Mama’s included a basket of pastry samples. We tried things like a cherry danish made from a 100 year old recipe, chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, curry shortbread, and fudge cream. 

It was all very tasty and I even bought some extra items to bring home for my husband. 

We all left Sugar Mama’s with full stomachs and smiles on our faces. Everybody walked back to the Visitor's Center where we went our separate ways. This was a great experience and one that I'd highly recommend to anyone looking to explore Knoxville.


There were several other bloggers on the food tour, and we got a group photo. Check out their blogs below from left to right: 
Whether your town has options like this or not, there are all sorts of ways you can find adventure without getting on a plane or a train. Look for ways to take a stay-cation this summer and get creative. I'm sure you'll find all sorts of fun to be had!

May 7, 2015

Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day is almost here and while some people might think this is a holiday created by the greeting card companies to increase sales, I'm not buying it. According to my sources, Mother's Day got its start around the turn of the 20th century when a young lady from West Virginia wanted to honor her mother and it took her three years to get the holiday made official...leave it to a southern girl to do right by mama and set a good example for the rest of us! 

Do we really need a reason to celebrate mom? I think not. We should celebrate the women in our lives daily, but often things get busy and we fail to make note of just what they mean to us. So Mother's Day rolls around and gives us a chance to make up for it! 

I'm sharing some incredible Mother's Day gift ideas and I hope they inspire you to put some heart and soul into making Mom feel special whether its Mother's Day or all through the year. And Mother's Day isn't just for moms....special grandmas, aunts, sisters, step-moms, godmothers and mentors all need to be told they are loved and appreciated too! 

Gifts for New Moms (and Moms who Love Pink) 


These great tote bags from Dash & Albert would make a perfect gift for a new mom who might be celebrating (or getting ready to celebrate) her first Mother's Day. They are stylish and chic, but functional too. Who says diaper bags can't be fashion forward? 

Plus, there's the fun zipper pouch from Sugarboo Designs with the great quote from Audrey Hepburn. Help mom corral those miscellaneous items in her purse or tote with one of these cute organizational tools. 

Gifts for the Mom Who Loves to Feather Her Nest 


Most moms are always on the go and much-needed quiet time at home can be a real treat. The popular Ibiza throw by Pine Cone Hill is a great gift for mom to enjoy during a cozy night at home or a Sunday afternoon nap. 


Some great-smelling candles, such as these from Simpatico would be a great complement to this too. They are clean burning and after all the wax is gone, they double as a beautiful hobnail vase...it's like two gifts in one! 

You could even take it a step further and create a whole day of relaxation for mom, maybe to include a special breakfast and lots of quiet time for her to do what she enjoys most. It might be just what she needs! 

Gifts for the Glamour Gal Mom 


If your mom likes all things that glitter, jewelry is a safe bet. Lenny & Eva holds a special place in my heart because it was started by a lovely lady in my hometown of Cookeville, TN. My southern beau has gifted me with a few different pieces from the Lenny & Eva Trousseau collection and I love mixing and matching them. 

Some of the pieces have sentiments and quotes, while others are made up of beads and charms, but all have a whimsy that is unique. 


Another great line of southern-made jewelry is Louisiana-based Grandmother's Buttons. This line is made up of pieces that are hand crafted with vintage buttons, 100 years old or more! 


Gifts for the DIY Crafty Mom


If your mom is a DIY type, you might want to give her an experience she'll always remember. One idea for a great gift is to treat her to a class or workshop. 

You might remember that I took a class a few years ago where I learned all about the wonders of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. 

I highly recommend this experience and if you're in Knoxville, the Back Porch Mercantile is the place! Plus, there's even a special deal going on now for a discounted class session. This is even something you and your mom could do together! Who doesn't love some quality time with their momma? I know I do! 


All these great Mother's Day gift options are available at the Back Porch Mercantile in Knoxville. This is a fabulous local gift shop with lots of charm and personality. Every time I visit, it's impossible to leave empty-handed...plus it's the place I send my southern beau when he needs inspiration for birthday gifts, Valentine's Day, etc. 

Stop by and tell them I sent you! Or you can call today and reserve a spot for you and your mom to take a workshop in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! 

The Back Porch Mercantile 
865-247-4532
5052 KINGSTON PIKE
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
37919