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Posted on April 15, 2021 by betsyhibbett

According to EarthDay.org, more than 1 billion people come together each April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. For my family, it’s a fun reason to get outside and do something for the environment and the community we live in.  

  1. Pick up trash while on a walk around your neighborhood. I don’t know about y’all, but I can hardly walk my dog when all he wants to do is eat the plastic containers that litter the streets. Plus, man is it ever unsightly.
  2. Plant a tree…or a pot of herbs…or try to regrow an avocado from the pit. (I’ve tried this a million times and get tired of how unattractive it looks sitting there in water on my counter. If y’all have tips, I’d love to hear them). We planted a “salsa pot” for our porch–cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro.
  3. Read a book to your child about our planet. These are my kid’s current favorites.
  4. Go hiking. Or biking. Or climbing. Or just on a walk around your office parking lot. Trust me, I know from experience you can get a lot of steps in this way.
  5. Join the Earth Day Virtual Challenge and join a community of others taking steps to see how many times they can run the equator—24,901 miles!
  6. Donate to your local thrift shop. Any excuse to go through my closet (and husband’s) and purge—yes, please!
  7. Eat dinner al fresco. Who doesn’t like an excuse to grill and eat outside? Better yet, make it vegetarian!
  8. Repurpose something. I have drawers full of grubby kid clothes– bring on the tie-dye!
  9. Find out what’s going on in your community to celebrate Earth Day. * Chattanooga Audubon Acres is asking for volunteers to help with trail maintenance. *Join Green Steps Chatt in picking up trash for their Earth Week Litter Challenge!

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Posted on April 11, 2021 by betsyhibbett

This state park is the former mining site of the Georgia Marble Company, and it has it all. Two stocked lakes to fish, and ducks to feed. Kayaks and pedal boats to rent.  Enough to make it impossible to get two boys to head toward the trail entrance. There are five miles of trails to hike, including the entrance to the Pinhoti Trail.

Our crew—the pregnant lady, two boys, husband, and grandparents— headed up Marble Mine Trail to see the old abandoned mine entrance.

The almost 4-year-old, John, was unimpressed with the 35-foot waterfall at the end of the trail (everyone else was), and hoped continuing would be “more interesting”.  

We finished the hike on The Loop Trail, and he was rewarded with the playground. And I was rewarded for the 3.5-mile trek by being covered in vomit by Franklin.

For the car ride home, Franklin got into his third and final change of clothes. I was stuck in mine, covered in throw-up. John took his shoes off in the car. Never in my life did I think someone so young could have such smelly feet. He thought it was hilarious.

The car ride home was a long and smelly one.

Wanna Go:

Toddler Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Parents Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Grandparents Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by betsyhibbett

We spend many summer afternoons at Chester Frost Park on Chickamauga Lake or “Chicka-mama” as the 3.5-year-old calls it. It’s like going to the beach for the boys–not so much for me.

Regardless, it’s a beautiful spot to spend a sunny day and keep the kids entertained well into the evening. (You may even get lucky with exhausted kids who crash in the car on the way home).

There’s a wide beach and a huge shallow end of the Chickamauga Lake for wadding and throwing rocks.

If swimming isn’t your thing, bring your boat or your fishing pole and explore–or just sit and enjoy one of Tennessee’s biggest lakes.

Wanna Go:

Toddler Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Mom Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by betsyhibbett

My first trip into the wilderness was to a little preserve in North Georgia called the Shirley Miller Wildlife Preserve. Calling it the wilderness is generous, but it was a great reentry back into the outdoors with two toddlers in tow. It was gorgeous in early April with all the wildflowers in full bloom. Most of the path was on an excellently maintained boardwalk. By the time we got to the end of the boardwalk, where we’d have to do some actual hiking grandma was there to watch the baby. The three-year-old and I ventured forward. We made it to a rewarding and unexpected waterfall. The best part. The husband said I looked like an outdoorswoman from the photos.

Best I could get, but I’ll take it!

Wanna Go?

  • You will need a Georgia Land Pass to be on the property. If you are a Georgia resident it is $30/year. If you are a non-resident it is $60/year. You can get a daily fishing or hunting license if you’re not interested in the yearly pass.
  • You will find yourself driving down a dirt road, don’t stop. You’re almost there.
  • The Wildflower Trail is a 0.9-mile loop.
  • There are almost 50 types of wildflowers along the trail. Download your wildflower identifying app beforehand.
  • The entire thing is on a well-maintained boardwalk—unless you want to take a five-minute hike to the waterfall.
  • My three-year-old could walk to the waterfall, no problem. The one-year-old hung back.
  • The Pocket – Walker County, GA – Official Government Site

Toddler Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Grandma Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Who’s ready for an overnight camping trip now?

Flower Dissecting Project:

Being surrounded by so many pretty wildflowers got the boys and myself thinking about pollination. How were all these gorgeous flowers covering the hills here, when the ones in our garden were struggling?

When we got home we got out the book From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. It has an excellent section about the parts of the flower and how pollination works. We used a big lily so it would be easy to see all the parts without a magnifying glass. They had fun taking the flower apart and identifying the parts.

There are several wildflower books that my boys love to read.

**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by betsyhibbett

There are 63 National Parks in America, as of now, in 2021. But being in the southeast, with the limited budget and fear of driving 20 plus hours in the car with toddlers, setting a goal of camping or hiking in all the parks seemed overly ambitious. I needed something smaller, something a little more doable.

There are 48 state parks in Georgia and 56 state parks in Tennessee. Picking one of those states seemed like a more realistic goal. Plus, the last time we tried camping with just one nursing baby, I am positive I cried over my coffee the next morning because no one slept. That was more than a year, and one child ago.  

The second time we tried camping, we were a family of four with a different nursing baby. That trip had all the potential to be perfect. An idyllic spot, an afternoon of peaceful canoeing—but no—we packed up at 2 a.m. and drove home.

So, what’s a gal to do when she’s desperate to get out of town with her family. She tries again. Third times a charm.  

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by betsyhibbett

This one has all the potential to be a fantastic day. The views are gorgeous. If you were wanting a trip to Acadia National Park but got North Georgia instead, don’t be discouraged. This is one of the largest state parks in Georgia and it does not disappoint—at least, not the adults in the group.

The boys spent the whole time lying in the path of the Overlook Trail playing with dirt, their hands the excavator bucket. While I got to enjoy the view of the Cumberland Plateau.

Will have to wait for a babysitter to hike the two-mile strenuous Waterfalls Trail.

Wanna check it out?

Toddler Approval Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Mom Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by betsyhibbett

The boys and I set out in the morning to throw rocks in some water. Since I set the family goal to see as many state parks as possible. We drove twenty minutes down the road to Booker T. Washington.

Of course, the second we drove into the parking lot they both spotted a playground. And then a second. And then a third. We spend several hours testing out the different playground setups (some much nicer and newer than others, but no less entertaining).

Thirty minutes were spent throwing rocks into Chickamauga Lake.

Wanna Go?

Toddler Approval Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Mom Approval Rating

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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