Earlier today I recounted my and Raymond’s visit to Chattanooga, Tennessee where we enjoyed taking in the sights, especially the delightful view of the evening skyline. There’s something almost magical about the city lights reflecting on the rippling water of the Tennessee River. These Christmas cards featuring Chattanooga’s skyline evoked fond memories of our visit. Available flat or folded, these cards can be personalized with your family name, year, the color of the watercolor sky, and the holiday wording.
As you know, during the off-season Raymond likes to take advantage of our downtime at the North Pole to travel around the world. You may recall some of the other places he’s been, including China, Atlanta, and Italy. This year Raymond and I had the opportunity to go to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and while there we knew two places that we absolutely had to visit: the Chattanooga Choo Choo and the Moon Pie General Store.
The Chattanooga Choo Choo is a historic hotel in the heart of the city. Long ago, it was an operational railway station known as Terminal Station. In the 1970s it was destined for demolition, but was saved and renovated as a hotel. Again in 2014, the Choo Choo’s property was renovated, and now the area also contains restaurants and music venues.
Outside the Chattanooga Choo Choo
As we walked inside the Choo Choo, we were immediately taken with the architecture and other sights in the atrium, such as the oculus, the old train switchboard, and miniature trains.
Raymond amazed that trains used to be routed by hand
Raymond liked that this train was his size!
When we were done walking around the atrium, we headed outside to where the train is located. The train cars are the hotel rooms, so we had to walk a little bit to find our car.
Standing in front of the Choo Choo
Walking between rows of train cars
As we walked down the corridor, we noticed that some train cars were actually shops! We passed by a diner and stopped in a quaint gift shop where we looked around for a bit. We admired all the Tennessee and Chattanooga themed gifts we saw there.
After some shut-eye and a yummy breakfast the next day, we headed out to explore some more. Since we knew that Chattanooga is the home of Moon Pies, we ventured out to find the famous cookies.
As we wandered through the city, we stopped in various shops, including a cupcake bakery, a glass blowing studio, and a peculiar store with a very unusual assortment of old books, yarn, and spinning wheels. When we stepped out of the bookstore, we spied our destination across the street—the Moon Pie General Store.
Time for some Moon Pies!
As we went into the Moon Pie General Store, our senses were overwhelmed with the scent of sugar and candy and every sweet thing. At last we saw our hearts’ desire—Moon Pies, large and small, in lots of different flavors! Raymond and I had no idea these cookies were available in flavors such as banana, strawberry, and coconut. We filled our bag with a few of each flavor. As soon as we left, we eagerly reached into the bag and ate a couple pies. (We were so busy tasting our new treats that we forgot to take a picture.)
Before we knew it, the time had come for us to head home. We wished that we had had time to visit some of Chattanooga’s other local attractions, such as Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain, so we hope we can go back again soon.
Earlier today, I shared some Christmas themed origami tutorials inspired by the Holiday Origami Tree in New York City. Since I had paper decorations on my mind, it seemed fitting to feature this fun origami star garland kit. The stars are already folded and arrive packaged in a mason jar with twine and a needle. Simply string the stars together, and you’ll have a lovely strand of garland to hang in your home!
A few years ago, I discovered the Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. That towering Christmas tree stands 13 feet tall and is covered with more than 800 paper models, hand-folded by origami artists from all over the globe! If you live in New York City or are traveling to the Big Apple this winter, stop by the museum to see this magnificent tree. (Click here for hours and directions.) Even if you won’t be in NYC to take a gander at this amazing display, you can make your own origami models at home. I’ve rounded up some videos of various holiday origami projects you can hang on your Christmas tree or display around the house.
Which one will you make first? Let us know in the comments below!
Poverty doesn’t take a holiday. And neither does Upper Valley Haven.
The outstanding folks at Upper Valley Haven have been showing compassion in their Vermont community for more than 35 years. They understand the grief and emotional toil people endure when hard times strike. That’s why they are open 365 days and serve 14,500+ people every year. Watch one family’s story of how the Haven impacted their lives.
As you saw in the video, Upper Valley Haven is so much more than a food shelf. The Haven is also a shelter for those experiencing homelessness, and they provide services that help families get back on their feet. Want to know something else? They never charge for their services! How is this possible? The Haven is sustained entirely by private donations given by generous people like you.
If you’re wondering how you can help, keep reading. There are several ways you can support Upper Valley Haven.
Virtual Food Drive
Donate food online through the Haven’s virtual food drive. You can select the item(s) you want to give, be it cereal, milk, eggs, produce, baby formula, or other items. You can even donate larger gifts, such as food for an entire day in the Food Shelf. And, if you wish to remain anonymous, know that any gift given through the Virtual Food Drive can be given anonymously. Simply click the check box that says “I would like this gift to remain anonymous.”
Custom Holiday Cards
When you purchase holiday cards via Picaboo with code CARDS4CAUSES, you will receive 50% off your cards AND Picaboo will donate 50% of the proceeds to Upper Valley Haven. Sounds great, right? But that’s not all. On the back of your custom cards, there is information about Upper Valley Haven, so whether you’re sending cards to friends, family, or colleagues, you can spread the word about this organization.
Tribute Gifts
Making a donation in someone’s honor is a great way to give a Christmas present to someone who has everything. When you donate to Upper Valley Haven’s virtual food drive or support services, you can elect to give in someone’s honor, memory, or in support of an individual. This holiday season you can gift something that gives twice—once to honored individual and once to the person receiving help from the Haven.
Purchase a Limited Edition Print
If you or someone you know likes to collect art, then you may be interested in this limited edition print by Vermonth artist Sabra Field. The painting displays the warmth of the Haven and has become the company’s logo. You can acquire this art by making a donation to the Haven here.
More Ways to Get Involved
If you live near the Haven and are eager to roll up your sleeves, there are many more ways to help. Here are just a few ideas: organize a food drive, volunteer at a service day (yard work at the Haven), or lead a workshop (teach on a variety of topics such as interviewing, parenting, and more). You could even volunteer at the Vermont Food Bank and “earn” food bank money for Upper Valley Haven. Learn more about volunteering at the Haven here.
