Kate, Author at A Thought and a Half - Southern Lifestyle Blog

Your Guide to Chattanooga Restaurant Week

July 21, 2017 By Kate Leave a Comment

As a food blogger (yes, I’ve finally embraced it), there is nothing I love more than a celebration of my city’s food scene. Chattanooga has an incredible and diverse food scene and I welcome any reason to explore it more.

That’s why I’m super excited for Chattanooga Restaurant Week to kick off.

Restaurant Week (July 24-30), hosted by Chattanooga Magazine, is a celebration of Chattanooga’s best cuisine and the chefs who make it happen. It’s a reason (or excuse, however you choose to look at it) to go out and check out that restaurant or bar you’ve always wondered about. It’s a chance to broaden your culinary horizons and taste something outside your comfort zone.

Best of all, it’s an opportunity to let our best local chefs treat you to something special.

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13 Awesome Coffee Shops in Chattanooga

July 10, 2017 By Kate Leave a Comment

I love a good latte or mocha in a cute coffee shop. Bonus points if the latte has an extra shot of espresso, and more bonus points if said coffee shop is locally owned. I like a good Starbucks drink as much as the next basic white girl, but when given the option, I’ll pick a local spot over a chain almost every time.

Chattanooga has plenty of options when it comes to local coffee shops and cafes.

As much as I love taking coffee breaks in the afternoon, I’m also a fan of getting downtown early and treating myself to a nice coffee before work. Especially on Mondays, it’s a nice, quiet way to get my mind set and start the week on a good note.

Not only is Chattanooga home to many great coffee spots; we’ve also got great spots for tea and hot chocolate. No matter your taste, Chattanooga has a cafe or shop that has what you’re looking for.

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Honest Advice from an Honest Girl

June 26, 2017 By Kate 1 Comment

Sometimes, you just need to be really honest. With yourself, with your family, with those around you.

I’ve had this post brewing in the back of my mind for several weeks, and now feels like as good a time as any to finally write and share it.

Sometimes, you just need to hear some good, honest advice from an honest girl.

It’s not meant to come across bitterly. But the best advice is often given with honesty at its core. I like to think that I’m good at listening to my own advice, but I’m not. And part of the reason I’m writing and posting this is to force myself to be better about that.

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Weekly Sip: Seasons

June 20, 2017 By Kate Leave a Comment

I know it’s been a while. I needed to step back and take a break for a little bit. But hey, it’s okay to take a break from blogging for a little bit.

But I’m back with a new Weekly Sip and lots to share about what I’ve learned in the last couple of weeks. Catch up on my previous Weekly Sip posts here, and check out my vision for the series here.

This Weekly Sip is all about seasons.

And I don’t mean spring, summer, winter and fall.

This week, I broke the pattern of coffee shops and opted to check out a place called Matilda Midnight. It’s a swanky cocktail bar attached to the Dwell Hotel that opened last spring. I’d been wanting to check it out for a while, so I’m glad I finally stopped by.

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Summer Bucket List 2017

May 31, 2017 By Kate 2 Comments

The calendar says summer begins on June 22, but I’m treating Memorial Day Weekend as the “unofficial” start of summer. That’s how this works, right?

Summer in Chattanooga is an exciting time. There’s so much going on almost every week that there’s always something to do, something new to try, something to check off a summer bucket list.

Last year, I wrote about my summer goals for 2016. While I made some of them happen, others got missed, and I’m determined to make them happen this year. And starting a bit earlier never hurt anyone, right?

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Weekly Sip: Spontaneous Decisions

May 23, 2017 By Kate 2 Comments

Welcome back to the Weekly Sip, y’all. It’s been a few weeks but I’m back with a fresh mind and lots of sips of new wisdom to share. Well, maybe “wisdom” is a stretch. But I’ve got things to say this week, so let’s get to it.

If you’re new to the series, you can catch up on my past Weekly Sip posts here and read about my vision for it here.

Anyway, I’m doing things a bit differently this week, because it’s good to mix it up sometimes. On this week’s Weekly Sip, I’m talking about a new adventure.

A couple weekends ago, I traveled to New Orleans with some friends from the Chattanooga FC supporter group. I’d never been to New Orleans, and I’d never traveled for a soccer match, let alone a match for a semiprofessional, 4th-division club. A group of 10 had gotten an AirBnB about 15 minutes from the French Quarter, and someone mentioned they had a spot open up. I gave it some brief thought, and within 20 minutes I was planning a weekend trip to the Big Easy.

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