You can share some love and make Valentine’s Day memorable for Children’s of Alabama patients.

Now through Feb. 14, you can send free greeting cards to patients at the hospital. The process is simple. Visit give.childrensal.org/valentinesday and select one of four Valentine’s Day card designs. Hospital staff will print and distribute the cards to patients on Valentine’s Day.

“Being in the hospital can be hard for a child, especially during a fun holiday like Valentine’s Day,” said Mindy Wald, community development manager at Children’s of Alabama. “These cards, which are coming from community members, bring a smile to their faces.”

The card drive is sponsored by Spire, a proud sponsor of Children’s since 2017. Spire will also match donations made by donors during this card drive up to $5,000.

“I’ve seen firsthand the joy the medical play program brings to the patients and families at Children’s of Alabama,” Joe Hampton, president of Spire Alabama, Mississippi and Gulf Coast, said. “That’s why all of us at Spire are excited to once again support this special Valentine’s Day campaign.”

Children’s can’t accept any in-person gift donations, handmade cards, food or candy, stuffed animals, toys depicting violence, religious items, crotched/knit items and gently used homemade items due to infection control protocols.

For more information about donating to Children’s of Alabama patients, visit childrensal.org/foundation.

Creativity is a superpower, and your child can find theirs with classes at Red Mountain Theatre.

Dip a toe into the world of the theatre and learn new fun – and useful – new skills! It’s not just about singing and dancing. Theatre arts teach focus, discipline, collaboration, and confidence. Spring classes are just $10 each for the 8-week session. Registration is open now! Financial aid is available. Classes start January 22, so don’t hesitate!
www.redmountaintheatre.org
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Is your superpower ACTING? Learn to tell incredible stories using your body, voice and imagination! This is an excellent option for beginner to intermediate level students and will focus on characters and skills for reading scripts. Ages 8-10 and 11-14.

Mondays, 6:00pm-6:50pm | January 22-March 11 | $80/8 classes
Acting: Ages 8-10
Acting: Ages 11-14

Is your superpower MOVING TO MUSIC? Try Musical Theatre Dance classes. Learn basic Broadway-style steps and put them together for showstopping dance numbers. You’ll learn to connect with the audience and tell a story using your whole body. Ages 8-14.

Thursdays, 6:00pm-6:50pm | January 25-March 14 | $80/ 8 classes
Youth Musical Theatre Dance

Is your superpower LOVING BROADWAY MUSICALS? Join us during the day to learn fundamentals of musical theatre: acting, singing, and dancing. Students will hone their creativity, and collaborate with creative peers! Ages 8-13.

Mondays, 11am-12pm | January 22-March 11 |  $80/ 8 classes
Intro to Musical Theatre Daytime Session

OR COME TRY A PLAY DAY!
Play Days are one-day experiences designed to let imaginations run wild. Spend the day exploring the world as a character from one of your favorite stories! On Monday, January 15, we’re headed out for A Winter’s Day in Hogsmeade, to take in the sights at Honeydukes,Zonko’s Joke Shop … and the Shrieking Shack! Ages 7-12.

Monday, January 15, 2024 | 9am-4pm | $70/1 day
PLAY DAY: Winter in Hogsmeade

Aside from gifts and family gatherings, the holiday season can also mean family vacations. In our post titled Holiday Travel Ideas for 2019  we discussed family holiday ideas like park rides and shows at The Park at OWA and festive music and dazzling lights at Stone Mountain Christmas. These local attractions are a great way to keep the young ones engaged in holiday festivities. However, holidays can also be a great opportunity for international travel. If planes and flights seem overwhelming, you may consider cruises.

A study by the Cruise Lines International Association showed that traveling by cruise is becoming one of the fastest- growing tourism sectors. Likewise, data from Condé Nast Traveler revealed that 47% of people said they would be interested in setting sail on a ship.

One thing distinguishing cruise ships from air travel is that your children won’t be expected to sit around throughout the trip. Instead, cruise ships have many facilities and onboard activities to entertain families and little ones. If you’re planning to take your children on a family cruise for the holidays, there are certain things to remember. Below, we’ll look at what Birmingham moms need to know before going on a family cruise:

Onboard child-friendly activities

As mentioned above, most cruise lines today offer a variety of onboard facilities and activities to keep families entertained — some more child-friendly than others. Explora Cruises is a great choice for its offering of authentic cuisines and high-quality service, along with fitness and well-being programs.

However, the cruise line also offers Nautilus Club for kids aged 6-17. Open from nine in the morning to midnight, the Nautilus Club offers a huge choice of games, sports, adventures, and activities to support young energies. This includes a dedicated Sports Court and a host of next-generation consoles like PlayStation 5 and Oculus Pro fororganized tech tournaments. By ensuring your kids get plenty of onboard play, you’ll also be able to have some time for yourself.

Explore themed cruises

Another way to guarantee family-friendly fun for the kids is to seek out special-themed cruises. Recently, Japanese cruise company Tokai Kisen announced that its Salvia Maru cruise ship will showcase decorations inspired by the highly popular anime, Spy x Family. This includes a novelty ticket, participation token, and Spy x Family character stamp.

Going on themed cruises is a great way to ensure that onboard activities and facilities will match up with your kids interests. Aside from onboard activities like games and guided tours, you can also find collaboration merchandise for souvenirs. Of course, this isn’t the only themed family-friendly cruise available. Another popular option is Disney’s cruise line, known for its many  themed ships and cruise experiences.

Consider onboard cuisine

Finally, aside from onboard activities and facilities, you’ll want to make sure that your preferred cruise line offers menus that fit the little ones tastebuds. Kids can be particularly picky eaters, and being unable to enjoy their food may lead to tantrums or a miserable experience.

Fortunately, many cruise lines consider this and will often offer onboard snacks, meals, and food vendors catering to children. Disney Cruise Line announced its all-new onboard meal offerings earlier this year to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. This includes sweet treats like the Mickey chocolate sphere and a Captain Minnie Mouse vanilla crispy rice treat. Of course, adults won’t be left out of the fun. A signature Jubilee by the Sea cocktail is also offered as a celebratory drink.

For more tips and guides on holiday fun, travel, and events with the family, you can check out other posts on our Birmingham Mommy website.

The magical Coca‑Cola® Holiday Caravan is bringing a taste of the holidays to multiple stops around Birmingham. Loaded with holiday gifts, delicious Coca‑Cola products and even Santa himself, you’re invited to join the fun. Holiday magic and joy awaits.

Here’s where you can find the fun!

Wednesday, December 13th

Adamsville Walmart | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
2473 Hackworth Road

Marino’s | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
195 Bessemer Road

Thursday, December 14th

Birmingham Walmart | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
9248 Parkway East

Cost Plus | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
2096 Springdale Lane

Friday, December 15th

Piggly Wiggly Birmingham | 12pm – 3pm
2500 29th avenue North

Gardendale Walmart | 6pm – 8pm
890 Odum Road

Saturday, December 16th

Piggly Wiggly McCalla | 12pm – 3pm
4750 Eastern Valley Road

Fresh Value | 6pm – 9pm
528 4th Avenue North

Sunday, December 17th

Zaxby’s | 12pm – 3pm
282 Palisades Blvd

The Birmingham Zoo | 6pm – 8pm
2630 Cahaba Rd

*Caravan times and locations are subject to change.
For more information visit the Coca-Coal Caravan website

Experience the enchantment of Christmas at OWA as Santa and his sleigh arrive with the North Pole in tow! Enjoy the holidays this season as OWA is transformed into a winter wonderland with the North Pole Experience, featuring all your favorite holiday events and activities including Breakfast with Santa, the Elf Academy and more! Stop by Downtown OWA for some holiday shopping and great entertainment, with something for everyone. Be sure to check out all the new musical events at the OWA Theater this season, including the new holiday show Elf Venture – A Race to Save Christmas, and Ella and Louis Sing Christmas, as well as Brandon Styles new Christmas Murder Mystery Dinner Show, Ho Ho Homicide.

This holiday season OWA is bringing the spirit of giving to the heart of our community as the official headquarters for Toys for Tots in South Baldwin County. Downtown OWA will serve as the location for local business to collect new, unwrapped toys, ensuring that the generosity of those in our community directly impact the children in need this Christmas. In its 70-year history, Toys for Tots has become the country’s premiere children’s Christmas time charitable cause. The success of the program in the number of children supported year after year can be directly attributed to the generosity of the those in our communities across the country. “We are thrilled to bring back our wonderful Christmas traditions that are loved and shared by those throughout our community, as well as some new additions like the Elf Academy and the newest holiday production at the OWA Theater, Elf Venture – A Race to Save Christmas,” said Cathy Pavloski, Director of Marketing and Public Relations. “We are also excited to be working with the South Baldwin community and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s charitable Toys for Tots program as the distribution center for our area.”

Join us for some holiday fun and check out these great Christmas events that are sure to put you in the holiday spirit!

Breakfast with Santa
Sat. & Sun. December 2-17 and every day December 19-22 9 a.m.
Enjoy a special Breakfast with Santa experience and create a magical Christmas craft with friends this Christmas season. Select dates this holiday season at The Bohemian in Downtown OWA.  Guests can dine with Santa and enjoy a delectable breakfast spread. Reservations can be made online at VisitOWA.com.
$25.99 per ticket. Tropic Falls Season Passholders can enjoy Breakfast with Santa for just $20.99

Elf Academy
December 9 – 10
Noon – 6 p.m.
Join us at a special school for kids who want to help Santa by becoming an Elf!  The fun begins at noon with Christmas Carols ringing throughout the streets of Downtown OWA, with a local choir group spreading cheer with Christmas carols. The Elf Academy kicks off at noon when would-be Elves travel from station to station perfecting their Elf skills, including cookie decorating, reindeer food making, relay races, toy building, hot coco making and caroling, until you finish elf school and gain your elf hat!  Follow that with some fun pictures with the Elf cutout!

Elf Ride and Reindeer Run
December 9
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Reindeer Run at 4:00 p.m., Elf Ride at 5:30p.m.
Come out for a family-friendly evening, in collaboration with the YMCA of South Alabama, and enjoy a jolly array of activities. Navigate an inflatable obstacle course, or join in the Reindeer Run or the infamous Elf Ride, where individuals dressed as elves take to the streets on bicycles. Amidst the merry commotion, families can also capture the magic of the season with photos with Santa himself!
 Children 2 years and under are free
 Youth ticket (3-12 years) $10 for one event or $25 for both
 Individual ticket (13 years and up) $15 for one event or $25 for both
 ALL TICKETS INCLUDE ONE T-SHIRT

Sugarplum Festival
December 16 – 17
12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
This delightful holiday extravaganza is a celebration of all things sweet, showcasing a myriad of arts and crafts vendors and an array of delectable sugary treats. With everything from cookie decorating, a Gumdrop Scavenger Hunt and live music, to a family Gingerbread House competition, there’s something for everyone. Immerse yourself in the festive spirit while exploring the magical world of Sugarplum delights.

The North Pole Experience
Sat & Sun Dec. 2-17 and Dec 18-23
1-4 p.m & 5-7 p.m.
Join in on the free North Pole Experience that takes guests into Santa’s workshop. Come warm up with some of Santa’s favorite hot chocolate and cookies and take photos with Santa himself. Santa will be in the North Pole for a meet and greet with guests, and Santa’s Elves will help you create Christmas-themed crafts. (The North Pole Experience is free, but there is a fee for photos with Santa)

OWA Theater Presents

Elf Venture – A Race to Save Christmas
December 16-17 and 22-23
Times Vary; Tickets may be purchased online
“Elf-Venture: A Race to Save Christmas” is a heartwarming tale that follows four lovable elves, Pixie, Trixie, Dixie, and Fixie, as they embark on a thrilling adventure to rescue Christmas from an unexpected villain. When a mischievous trickster manipulates the elves into believing they must travel to New York City to save the holiday, they set out on a journey filled with humor, excitement, and challenges. Along the way, these endearing characters must work together, using their unique skills and personalities, to thwart the villain’s plans and ensure that Christmas is celebrated with joy and magic. This enchanting story is a delightful blend of holiday spirit and friendship, making it a must-see for the entire family.

Ella and Louis Sing Christmas
December 9
7 p.m. (Tickets may be purchased online)
Experience the magic of the holiday season like never before as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong come to life in “Ella & Louis Sing Christmas: A Christmas Tribute to Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald” at OWA Theater on December 9 at 7 p.m.

Hours and dates for all activities are subject to change. Detailed information, reservations, and a full list of
holiday events can be found online at VisitOWA.com/Christmas.