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Pinspired Recipe: Sausage, Potatoes and Peppers

Posted on by Angie

We came across this recipe while perusing the almighty Pinterest. It was a HUGE hit with the family and made a ton, which is a big bonus now with school and sports going on. We love leftovers!

What You’ll Need:

1 Package of your favorite sausage links. (4 pack)
4-5 Potatoes
1 Small jar of banana peppers, sliced
3 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
3 tbsp of creole seasoning. If you’re kids don’t like spicy you may want to scale this back or leave out completely. It’s optional.

What You’ll Do:

1. Spray a large baking pan with non stick spray. Avoid using a flat pan if possible. One with a lip around the edges is best.

2. Slice Sausages into thin rounds.

3. Cut potatoes into 1/2″ chunks

4. Slice Onion and Peppers into strips

5. Place all ingredients onto baking sheet, drizzle with oil and use your hands to mix everything together and make sure it’s all coated.  (I actually dumped everything into a bowl with the oil and, salt pepper and seasoning to mix before transferring over to the pan, either way works.)

6. Top with sliced banana peppers.

7. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Follow us on Pinterest for more of our fun finds!

 

(This is not a BirminghamMommy original recipe. We found this on Pinterest along with the picture but could not get a link back to a website)

 

Better Sleep with a Consistent Sleeping Place

Posted on by Angie

Whether you have an infant who has just started smiling, a baby who has trouble falling asleep, or a toddler who still wakes up a few times a night, they will all benefit from napping or sleeping in a consistent sleeping place. So what exactly is a consistent sleeping place? It could be their crib or bed in their room, a bassinet in your room, or a playpen at naptime. Regardless of where they sleep, the key is to keep it consistent. Jenn Kelner, a Family Sleep Institute Certified Child Sleep Consultant and owner of BabyZzz, helps tired families with infants, babies and toddlers become well rested families through customized sleep solutions and support.

1. It becomes a positive sleep cue
If you use their crib or playpen as their consistent sleeping place, your child will begin to associate that location with sleep. As they get used to sleeping there all the time, falling asleep will become easier and require less assistance from you. If you’ve been used to rocking, swinging or driving your child around to help them fall asleep, using a consistent sleeping place like their crib will eliminate the need to provide those sleep props. Think about all the extra time you’ll have!

2. It will have consistent conditions
Having a consistent sleeping place means that you can control the sleeping environment. The more consistent your child’s sleeping environment is, the easier it will be for them to fall asleep and stay asleep longer. It’s best to keep the room as dark as possible, a cool temperature around 20 degrees, quiet, comfortable and of course safe to prevent SIDS. Ensuring all those conditions are present when your child falls asleep in the swing in the kitchen is very difficult! Your child is more likely to wake sooner than they should.

3. It will be easier for them to go back to sleep between sleep cycles
I had a client say to me, “After my daughter falls asleep in the living room in her bouncy chair, we gently carry her to her crib for the night. Could this be the reason she wakes up at night?” My response was “absolutely!”

Think about it — how often have you suddenly woken up while sleeping at a hotel or a friend’s house and wondered “where the heck am I?” You wake yourself up more just to figure out how you got there! The same is for children. When the child wakes briefly between sleep cycles (as we all do), they do a quick check to make sure everything is as it was when they fell asleep. If things have changed, like where they are sleeping, they will likely wake up fully and call for you. If they are in their consistent sleeping place, they will likely roll over and go back to sleep peacefully.

About Jenn Kelner:

Jenn Kelner is a Family Sleep Institute Certified Child Sleep Consultant and owner of BabyZzz. She helps tired families with infants, babies and toddlers become well rested families through customized sleep solutions and support.

About Family Sleep Institute

The Family Sleep Institute is the very first comprehensive yet affordable child sleep consultant certification program based on 15 years of experience by the leading Child Sleep Expert, Deborah Pedrick. The Family Sleep Institute lives up to its name as it is truly a “family” to all graduates who go through the program.

Birmingham Events Calendar: August 25th – September 1st

Posted on by Angie

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Dino Exhibit at the Birmingham Zoo, you better hurry! It’s only here through Labor Day, as is the “Race, are we so different” Exhibit at the McWane Science Center.

Sidewalk Film Festival wraps up today and the Birmingham Barons will be back home on Thursday, taking on the Montgomery Biscuits.

Lots of storytimes and of course, a long Labor Day Weekend!

Enjoy your week!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday August 25th

Family Film Festival – McWane Science Center
A celebration of Independent films. It is a FREE festival for screening shorts and features appropriate for children as young as 5 years old.

The free family films will be screened in the McWane Science Center’s Rushton Theatre.
11:00 am: Kids Shorts 2
1:30 pm: The Peanut Butter Solution
4:00 pm: Made By Teens 2

You can see the full Schedule and film synopsis on the Sidewalk Family Film Festival Website.

Shake Rattle and Roll for a Cure – Avondale Library
The entire back area of Avondale Brewery has been reserved for us to Shake, Rattle & Roll for a Cure! This family friendly event will feature four of the top local bands; BnB, 2 Da Maxx, The Undergrounders & Bonus Round, activities for kids, food trucks, Steel City Pops and a silent auction. PLUS we will be raffling off a Harley Davidson Fat Boy!!! Raffle tickets are $20 each and available NOW on our website.
$15 a ticket
$40 VIP
Children 12 and under FREE

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
1pm – 4pm and 7:00pm

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Monday August 26th:

Tot Time with Ms Eve – Avondale Library
Storytime for 2-4-year-olds with a caregiver. Includes stories, songs, and craft. 24-hour advance registration required.
10:30am

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Tuesday August 27th:

Family Tours with Art – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us for an in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore our collection, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art.

No reservations required. Family Tours are also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more children aged 3 – 8. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 205.254.2964.
10:30am

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Wednesday August 28th:

Stories and Crafts with Ms Karen – Clay Library
Join Ms. Karen for Stories and Crafts. After Ms. Karen reads a few monkey-themed stories, participants will make a related craft. These programs are geared toward toddlers through second graders, but all ages are welcome. Programs last approximately 30 minutes
10am

Around the World: England– Kids A Million (Colonial Brookwood Village)
Keep calm and read on! Come across the pond with us to explore all things British! Royal storytime and activities begin at 11am

Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Come find out what more important ABC or 123!
11am

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Thursday August 29th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Montgomery Biscuits 7:05pm

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Friday August 30th:

See the Dinosaurs before they go extinct – Birmingham Zoo
Spend your holiday weekend at the Zoo! Don’t miss the last chance to wander the prehistoric trails of Dino Discovery before it goes extinct after September 2nd! Visit the Zoo animals, take a ride on the train and carousel, feed the giraffes at the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter* and cool off in the Splash Pads at the Children’s Zoo. Make sure to stop by the butterflies in Granny’s Butterfly Garden before the exhibit closes for the season.
*Additional cost

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Montgomery Biscuits 7:05pm

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Saturday August 31st:

Fantastic Medieval Adventure – Kids A Million (Colonial Brookwood Village)
Here ye! Hear ye! Let it be know throughout the land that we are calling all brave Knights and beautiful Princesses for a fantastical adventure.
11am

See the Dinosaurs before they go extinct – Birmingham Zoo
Spend your holiday weekend at the Zoo! Don’t miss the last chance to wander the prehistoric trails of Dino Discovery before it goes extinct after September 2nd! Visit the Zoo animals, take a ride on the train and carousel, feed the giraffes at the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter* and cool off in the Splash Pads at the Children’s Zoo. Make sure to stop by the butterflies in Granny’s Butterfly Garden before the exhibit closes for the season.
*Additional cost

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Montgomery Biscuits 6:30pm

Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different theme from our galleries and art activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Bountiful Boxes // Inspired by summer’s natural beauty? Make your own miniature garden with Bart!
11am

Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.

Storytime Barnes and Noble Summit
Join Pete as he rides on the bus to school with his friends and hears all the different sounds a bus makes as it drives
11am

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Sunday September 1st:

See the Dinosaurs before they go extinct – Birmingham Zoo
Spend your holiday weekend at the Zoo! Don’t miss the last chance to wander the prehistoric trails of Dino Discovery before it goes extinct after September 2nd! Visit the Zoo animals, take a ride on the train and carousel, feed the giraffes at the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter* and cool off in the Splash Pads at the Children’s Zoo. Make sure to stop by the butterflies in Granny’s Butterfly Garden before the exhibit closes for the season.
*Additional cost

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Montgomery Biscuits 3:00pm

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Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Flight of the Butterflies, Titians of the Ice Age

Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age – through December 31st, 2013
McWane Science Center is home to Alabama’s second largest natural history collection. Made up of over 500,000 specimens and objects pertaining to the natural history of the state, this important collection focuses on the preservation, education, and research of Alabama’s rich biodiversity and paleobiodiversity. One of the more significant subsets of the collection is Alabama’s largest collection of Late Pleistocene faunal remains – or Ice Age fossils.

Made up of nearly 10,000 cataloged specimens, the McWSC Pleistocene collection contains a unique diversity of fauna that not only includes those native to North America, but migrants to the state from both South America and the Old World. This collection includes mammals, both extant and extinct, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and botanical remains collected from both cave and stream localities in the state. Extinct mammals represented in the McWSC collection include mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers, saber-toothed cats, giant armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, and giant ground sloths.

This spring, visitors will have an opportunity to view some of the fossils in the collection with a new exhibit titled — “Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age.” This exhibit will not only highlight many of the Ice Age animals from the McWane Science Center Collection, but will highlight and dispel many of the common misconceptions surrounding the Ice Age in the state. The goal is for visitors to have a better understanding and appreciation for this time in Alabama. For example, guests might learn that Alabama was on average only five degrees colder than today, glaciers did not reach farther south than southern Illinois or that all the Ice Age animals did not go extinct at the end of the Ice Age. While the largest animals, such as mastodons, giant ground sloths, and saber-tooth cats died out, nearly all the animals that are living in Alabama today were also around in the Ice Age.

The Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age Alabama display is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum. It is included in the cost of admission to the museum and free to members.

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

15th Annual Sidewalk Film Festival

Posted on by Angie

Another year, another chance for Birmingham to shine with it’s Sidewalk Film Festival! A weekend of fun and movies for the entire family!

With nine venues located within Birmingham’s historic Theatre District (featuring the newly restored Alabama Theatre, a 2,200 seat movie palace built by Paramount in 1927), spontaneity rules the schedule of Sidewalk attendees. Low-priced weekend passes provide easy access to Sidewalk venues, encouraging attendees to seek out new films and sample programming they may not otherwise see. The result is a crowd rich in diversity and united in a hunger for new film.

This year there will be a shuttle available to take you to your favorite restaurant between films! A perfect partnership with Birmingham Restaurant Week!

Pricing Breakdown:

Film+Party Pass: Access to all Festival Films and attend two of the Festival’s most talked-about parties: the Opening NIght After-Party at B&A Warehouse and the Saturday Night Bash!
Price: $90.00 | Conv. Fee: $2.00 | Total: $92.00
Sidewalk Weekend Pass: Catch the Opening Night Film & After-Party and All Saturday and Sunday Films!
Price: $65.00 | Conv. Fee: $2.00 | Total: $67.00
Opening Night Film + Party: Admission to the Opening Night Film and Opening Night After-Party.
Price: $25.00 | Conv. Fee: $2.00 | Total: $27.00
Day Pass: Admission to all films.
Price: $25.00 | Conv. Fee: $2.00 | Total: $27.00
Single Film Pass: Admission to one specific film
Price: $15.00
NOTE: Many Festival Events are FREE!

Included in the free events are the family films that will be screened in the McWane Science Center’s Rushton Theatre.

Saturday:

11:00 am: Civil Rights Shorts For Kids 1
1:00 pm: Kids Shorts 1
3:00 pm: Made By Teens 1
5:00 pm: Education Shorts

Sunday:

11:00 am: Kids Shorts 2
1:30 pm: The Peanut Butter Solution
4:00 pm: Made By Teens 2

You can see the full Schedule and film synopsis on the Sidewalk Family Film Festival Website.

Bacon Bourbon Blondies

Posted on by Angie

We love bacon. We love bourbon and we love blondies (or any form of brownie, really) So what happens when you combine all of these things? Delicious Goodness, that’s what!

What You’ll Need:

3 cups All Purpose Flour
3 cups Dark Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
4 Eggs
3 tsp Vanilla
3 sticks melted Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Topping
2 packages of Bacon
Course Sea Salt
1/2 cup good quality Bourbon (We like Bulleit)

What you’ll do:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar in a bowl or stand up mixer until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, or on slow speed, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture~ just until combined. Don’t over mix.

Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using and turn the batter into the prepared 13 by 9 pan, smoothing out the top with the spatula. Set aside.

4. Fry bacon until crispy and chop into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle the bacon on top of the batter and use the palm of your hand to gently press the bacon into the batter.

5. Sprinkle with course sea salt.

6. Bake until the top is cracked and the middle is no longer wet (35-40 minutes).

7. Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the top of the blondies with the bourbon, using the entire 1/2 cup. (You may think you’re over doing it with that 1/2 cup, but trust us, you aren’t. Feel free to use more if you want a stronger bourbon flavor.)

8. Cool completely on a wire rack. I like to then chill them but you could eat them without that step.

*When we tried this recipe the first time we made a couple of mistakes. 1. not using the full amount of bourbon because we thought it would be too strong. We also over mixed which made it very thick and almost break like. Watch for those 2 things and you’ll have a delicious pan of blondies on your first try!

Enjoy!

Original recipe can be found here.

 

Juicebox Jukebox – Back to School Tunes

Posted on by Angie

We’re revisiting our Juicebox Jukebox to get you movin’ this week. Here are a  few fun tunes that will help make carpool time silly and maybe ease some of those back to school butterflies..These songs definitely lean more towards “kids music” but hopefully these songs and the versions of these songs will be something all of you parents will be able to tolerate, and who knows, maybe you’ll even find yourself doing a little toe tap of your own!

Good Morning Blues – Randy Kaplan – Whether you’re getting them up to catch the bus or getting them up and out the door as their personal chauffeur, there are bound to be some slow movers

The Disappointing Pancake – Lisa Loeb – This will be good for a few giggles, just try not to send your kiddos off with their own disappointing breakfast!

Sack Lunch – Recess Monkey – What’s cuter than your sack lunch telling the story of his (or her) day?

Raisins – The Barenaked Ladies – Speaking of lunch, who likes raisins?

The Crayon Song – Andre 3000 (Class of 3000) – It’s not like you can really listen to your Outkast album with the kids in the car so here’s a little something from Andre 3000 that you won’t have to edit!

Recess Time – Asheba – You know the ants in the pants will kick in sooner rather than later and luckily that is now the teachers problem, not yours! Here’s a little song that can help them get even more excited about hitting the playground. Maybe this Bob Marley-esque tune will even help you feel more Caribbean and less car pool line.

Jungle Gym – Jack Johnson – This is a personal favorite of mine from Jack Johnson, kind of goes right along with Recess Time.

1234 -Fiest – Why not practice a little counting? (just use the 5, 6, 9 and 10 part as an example of incorrect counting practices, you know, just to make sure they’re paying attention) *I apologize there is no link to this song, it just wouldn’t work… :o(

The Animal Cliche’ Song – Dano –  Do birds of a feather really flock together? I can’t find this song on itunes but it’s cute cute cute. You may want to check out the whole cd, with songs about Ugly Toes and Groovy Spacemen, it’s kids music you might actually catch yourself singing to.

Alphabet of Nations – They Might Be Giants – Why not learn something more than just the ABC’s with this fun song that will take you around the world.

Birmingham Events Calendar: August 18th – August 25th

Posted on by Angie

Just because school is back in does not mean things are slowing down around Birmingham! The Barons are back, UniverSoul Circus arrives in town this week and Sidewalk Film Festival kicks off on Friday night with some great kid/family programming happening Saturday and Sunday at the McWane Science Center!

Story times at Kids a Million and Barnes and Noble will keep the little ones busy while the older siblings are at school.

Have a great week!!

 

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday August 18th

$5 Fun Days at the Birmingham Zoo
Enjoy $5 Admission and $1 Hotdogs. Face Painting, watch the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, check out Predator Zone and the Wildlife Shows and enjoy a Get Rhythm!® Drum Circle. Watch African Wild Dogs use their hunting instincts to tear into piñatas and see spider monkeys search for hidden food during the Zoo’s exciting animal enrichment activities. Additional attractions include a chance to get up-close and personal with the animals at the daily Boma and Rhino Encounters or partake in animal-themed bingo games. Don’t miss all the Zoo has to offer during $5 Fun Days!
*Admission only. Daily fees still apply for rides, feedings and other seasonal exhibits.
For more Info on the Fun Days Schedule – visit out post here.

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 4pm

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Monday August 19th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 7:05pm

Tot Time with Ms Eve – Avondale Library
Storytime for 2-4-year-olds with a caregiver. Includes stories, songs, and craft. 24-hour advance registration required.
10:30am

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Tuesday August 20th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 7:05pm

Family Tours with Art – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us for an in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore our collection, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art.

No reservations required. Family Tours are also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more children aged 3 – 8. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 205.254.2964.
10:30am

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Wednesday August 21st:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 7:05pm

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
7:30pm

Attack of the Robots! – Kids A Million (Colonial Brookwood Village)
Attention all fun loving humans!Get geared up as we go nuts about Robots! Storytime and Activities!
11am

Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Llama Llama is sad when he has to go to preschool without his mama. Will mama come back? Of course she will. But before she does, join Llama to find out how much fun school can be!
11am

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Thursday August 22nd:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 7:05pm

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
7:30

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Friday August 23rd:

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
10:30 and 7:30pm

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Saturday August 24th:

Family Film Festival – McWane Science Center
A celebration of Independent films. It is a FREE festival for screening shorts and features appropriate for children as young as 5 years old.

The free family films will be screened in the McWane Science Center’s Rushton Theatre.
11:00 am: Civil Rights Shorts For Kids 1
1:00 pm: Kids Shorts 1
3:00 pm: Made By Teens 1
5:00 pm: Education Shorts

You can see the full Schedule and film synopsis on the Sidewalk Family Film Festival Website.

Back to School Bash – Homewood Park
The event will kick off the new school year with an array of rides, inflatables, live DJ and entertainment throughout the night. Proceeds from this year’s Back to School Bash will benefit the Homewood High School Band as they prepare to represent our city and state at the 2014 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
3pm – 7pm

Fultondale Founders Days – Black Creek Park
Celebrate Founder’s Day in Fultondale with children’s activities, music and vendors.
10am – 9pm

The Bell Center Tailgate Challenge – Summit Shopping Center
A fun way for football fans to celebrate and anticipate the upcoming football season while supporting The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.  Event goers will enjoy tastes of tailgating food at various team tents during an afternoon of music, kid friendly events and team rivalry.  Celebrity judges will be on hand to judge each of the teams on most team spirit, best tasting food, and best all around.

Tickets: $15
Children 4-10: $5
Children 3 and younger: free
11am – 3pm

The Wild West! – Kids A Million (Colonial Brookwood Village)
We’re rounding everyone up for a galloping good time!
11am

Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different theme from our galleries and art activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Bountiful Boxes // Inspired by summer’s natural beauty? Make your own miniature garden with Bart!
11am

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
Noon, 4pm and 7:30pm

Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.

Storytime Barnes and Noble Summit
A Hands-On Learning Summer Reading event for children ages 3 to 7. Explore the new LeapFrog LeapReader. Reading, writing and dinosaurs!
11am

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Sunday August 25th:

Family Film Festival – McWane Science Center
A celebration of Independent films. It is a FREE festival for screening shorts and features appropriate for children as young as 5 years old.

The free family films will be screened in the McWane Science Center’s Rushton Theatre.
11:00 am: Kids Shorts 2
1:30 pm: The Peanut Butter Solution
4:00 pm: Made By Teens 2

You can see the full Schedule and film synopsis on the Sidewalk Family Film Festival Website.

Shake Rattle and Roll for a Cure – Avondale Library
The entire back area of Avondale Brewery has been reserved for us to Shake, Rattle & Roll for a Cure! This family friendly event will feature four of the top local bands; BnB, 2 Da Maxx, The Undergrounders & Bonus Round, activities for kids, food trucks, Steel City Pops and a silent auction. PLUS we will be raffling off a Harley Davidson Fat Boy!!! Raffle tickets are $20 each and available NOW on our website.
$15 a ticket
$40 VIP
Children 12 and under FREE

UniverSoul Circus – Legion Field Stadium
COME SEE THE MOST INTERACTIVE CIRCUS IN THE WORLD! Our show is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul Circus is rated as one of the top three circuses in America.

Our fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has earned us a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. We hope you gather friends, family and relatives, and come out to our show. Purchase your tickets today!

www.universoulcircus.com/
$19.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $25.85
$23.00 Ticket + $6.85 Fees = $29.85
$28.00 Ticket + $7.35 Fees = $35.35
1pm – 4pm and 7:00pm

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Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Flight of the Butterflies, Titians of the Ice Age

Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age – through December 31st, 2013
McWane Science Center is home to Alabama’s second largest natural history collection. Made up of over 500,000 specimens and objects pertaining to the natural history of the state, this important collection focuses on the preservation, education, and research of Alabama’s rich biodiversity and paleobiodiversity. One of the more significant subsets of the collection is Alabama’s largest collection of Late Pleistocene faunal remains – or Ice Age fossils.

Made up of nearly 10,000 cataloged specimens, the McWSC Pleistocene collection contains a unique diversity of fauna that not only includes those native to North America, but migrants to the state from both South America and the Old World. This collection includes mammals, both extant and extinct, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and botanical remains collected from both cave and stream localities in the state. Extinct mammals represented in the McWSC collection include mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers, saber-toothed cats, giant armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, and giant ground sloths.

This spring, visitors will have an opportunity to view some of the fossils in the collection with a new exhibit titled — “Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age.” This exhibit will not only highlight many of the Ice Age animals from the McWane Science Center Collection, but will highlight and dispel many of the common misconceptions surrounding the Ice Age in the state. The goal is for visitors to have a better understanding and appreciation for this time in Alabama. For example, guests might learn that Alabama was on average only five degrees colder than today, glaciers did not reach farther south than southern Illinois or that all the Ice Age animals did not go extinct at the end of the Ice Age. While the largest animals, such as mastodons, giant ground sloths, and saber-tooth cats died out, nearly all the animals that are living in Alabama today were also around in the Ice Age.

The Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age Alabama display is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum. It is included in the cost of admission to the museum and free to members.

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

Back to School doesn't have to mean Back to Broke

Posted on by Angie

“Back to School” displays are up everywhere. But if back to school means back to budget woes, one University of Alabama at Birmingham(UAB) personal finance expert has tips to help stretch a dollar.

Adding up all the costs – supplies, clothes, shoes and electronics – highlights how expensive it can be to go to school. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2013 Back-to-School Survey, families with school-age children will spend an average $634.78. Total spending on back-to-school is expected to reach $26.7 billion.

While the NRF said that spending is slightly down from last year, UAB School of Business Instructor Elizabeth Turnbull, M.B.A., explained that planning and preparation can help further reduce money spent.

“When the list of required supplies comes in from teachers, try calling a parent whose child recently graduated that grade,” Turnbull suggested. “Often they will be able to share if their child used all items from day one of the school year, or if some can be purchased later on.”

Other ways to not strain the budget include getting the kids involved with the shopping and savings.

“Set your budget amount and have kids who are old enough gather weekly sales fliers or go online and see if they can find all items under budget,” Turnbull said. “If they can, let them keep the difference or receive a treat – this gives them incentive to find it cheap and it teaches them budgeting.”

Another frugal game can include reusing items that may not need replaced each year, like a backpack or lunch bag.

“Offer kids an incentive to reuse old items to get more use out of pricier items,” Turnbull said.

Other tips include:

  • Use promotional products like pens and stationary that are already lying around the house
  • Buy in bulk with other families and split the cost; if you have multiple kids, keep a school supply basket or closet to save bulk items
  • Instead of buying new art supplies, go through crayons and markers the kids already use at home
  • Do not forget stores where everything costs a dollar; they often will have school supplies
  • Purchase supplies that do not have famous cartoon characters; plain is often cheaper

“The website Pinterest can help offer tips on jazzing up plain items purchased,” Turnbull added. “It can be fun to get together with other parents and their kids to personalize supplies.”

Turnbull said the more the kids are involved with purchasing, the better off they are for the future.

“The earlier you can figure out how to get them to budget, the better they’ll be in the long run when it comes to their own personal finances,” she said.

About UAB

Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center and the state of Alabama’s largest employer with some 23,000 employees and an economic impact exceeding $5 billion annually on the state. The five pillars of UAB’s mission deliver knowledge that will change your world: the education of students, who are exposed to multidisciplinary learning and a new world of diversity; research, the creation of new knowledge; patient care, the outcome of ‘bench-to-bedside’ translational knowledge; service to the community at home and around the globe, from free clinics in local neighborhoods to the transformational experience of the arts; and the economic development of Birmingham and Alabama. Learn more at www.uab.edu.

Birmingham Events Calendar: August 11th – August 18th

Posted on by Angie

Last Week Of Summer!! Whether you’re super excited, kind of sad or a little bit of both, make sure to make the most with your kiddos this week!

Check out a free yoga class at Villager Yoga, Bart’s Books at the Birmingham Museum of Art, or Kids In Nature at Ruffner Mountain Nature Center.

If you still have a few things left on your summer fun list, now’s the time to get busy! Bake those cookies, hit up the park, or take the kids on a surprise road trip!

Moms, if you’re a Downton Abbey Fan check out the after hours party on the plaza at the Hoover Public Library.

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday August 11th

The Great Water Balloon Jollification – Crestwood Park
Fun with water balloons to beat the summer heat.  We will have some pre-filled balloons ready to go, but make sure to bring some of your own as well.
2pm – 6pm

$5 Fun Days at the Birmingham Zoo
Enjoy $5 Admission and $1 Hotdogs. Face Painting, watch the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, check out Predator Zone and the Wildlife Shows and enjoy a Get Rhythm!® Drum Circle. Watch African Wild Dogs use their hunting instincts to tear into piñatas and see spider monkeys search for hidden food during the Zoo’s exciting animal enrichment activities. Additional attractions include a chance to get up-close and personal with the animals at the daily Boma and Rhino Encounters or partake in animal-themed bingo games. Don’t miss all the Zoo has to offer during $5 Fun Days!
*Admission only. Daily fees still apply for rides, feedings and other seasonal exhibits.
For more Info on the Fun Days Schedule – visit out post here.

Lowes Build and Grow Clinic
Bring your kids to Lowe’s for some high flying fun this weekend! Your child will love building Dusty from Disney’s Planes-In Theaters in 3D August 9th. Register Here
2pm

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Monday August 12th:

Free Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our Fall Kids 8-Week Series. Free class for kids ages 3-5
1:30 – 2:15

Tot Time with Ms Eve – Avondale Library
Storytime for 2-4-year-olds with a caregiver. Includes stories, songs, and craft. 24-hour advance registration required.
10:30am

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Tuesday August 13th:

Family Tours with Art – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us for an in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore our collection, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art.

No reservations required. Family Tours are also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more children aged 3 – 8. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 205.254.2964.
10:30am

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Wednesday August 14th:

Free Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our Fall Kids 8-Week Series. Free class for kids ages 5-8
4:00-4:45

Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as Rocket masters the alphabet, sounds out words, and finally learns to read all on his own.
11am

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Thursday August 15th:

Free Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our Fall Kids 8-Week Series. Free class for kids ages 5-8 and 9-12
3:30 – 4:15: ages 5-8
4:30 – 5:15: ages 9-12

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Friday August 16th:

Downton Abbey Party – Hoover Public Library
After Hours on the Plaza: Can’t get enough of Downton Abbey? Then join us for an evening of Downton Abbey inspired food and fun. 2013 Southern Voices author Wendy Wax will lead a trivia game and sign her new book, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey. Dress in your best Downton-era attire and enter our costume contest! Bring your own libations to the party.
7pm – 9pm

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Saturday August 17th:

Kids In Nature – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Let’s go outside and explore! KIN Club focuses on a different topic each month and includes a naturalist-led hike and a craft. KIN Club is suited for 3rd – 5th graders and their family.
1pm

$5 Fun Days at the Birmingham Zoo
Enjoy $5 Admission and $1 Hotdogs. Face Painting, watch the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, check out Predator Zone and the Wildlife Shows and enjoy a Get Rhythm!® Drum Circle. Watch African Wild Dogs use their hunting instincts to tear into piñatas and see spider monkeys search for hidden food during the Zoo’s exciting animal enrichment activities. Additional attractions include a chance to get up-close and personal with the animals at the daily Boma and Rhino Encounters or partake in animal-themed bingo games. Don’t miss all the Zoo has to offer during $5 Fun Days!
*Admission only. Daily fees still apply for rides, feedings and other seasonal exhibits.
For more Info on the Fun Days Schedule – visit out post here.

Bart’s Book – Birmingham Museum of Art
American Gallery: Bart’s Books is a storytelling program for children ages 4-7. Bart selects a new book and related work of art each month that he thinks kids will enjoy. This month, Bart has chosen In the Garden with Dr. Carver, by Susan Grigsby.
11am

Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different theme from our galleries and art activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Bountiful Boxes // Inspired by summer’s natural beauty? Make your own miniature garden with Bart!
11am

Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.

Storytime Barnes and Noble Summit
Llama Llama is sad when he has to go to preschool without his mama. Will mama come back? Of course she will. But before she does, join Llama to find out how much fun school can be!
11am

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Sunday August 18th:

$5 Fun Days at the Birmingham Zoo
Enjoy $5 Admission and $1 Hotdogs. Face Painting, watch the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, check out Predator Zone and the Wildlife Shows and enjoy a Get Rhythm!® Drum Circle. Watch African Wild Dogs use their hunting instincts to tear into piñatas and see spider monkeys search for hidden food during the Zoo’s exciting animal enrichment activities. Additional attractions include a chance to get up-close and personal with the animals at the daily Boma and Rhino Encounters or partake in animal-themed bingo games. Don’t miss all the Zoo has to offer during $5 Fun Days!
*Admission only. Daily fees still apply for rides, feedings and other seasonal exhibits.
For more Info on the Fun Days Schedule – visit out post here.

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Tennessee Smokies. 3pm

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Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Flight of the Butterflies, Titians of the Ice Age

Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age – through December 31st, 2013
McWane Science Center is home to Alabama’s second largest natural history collection. Made up of over 500,000 specimens and objects pertaining to the natural history of the state, this important collection focuses on the preservation, education, and research of Alabama’s rich biodiversity and paleobiodiversity. One of the more significant subsets of the collection is Alabama’s largest collection of Late Pleistocene faunal remains – or Ice Age fossils.

Made up of nearly 10,000 cataloged specimens, the McWSC Pleistocene collection contains a unique diversity of fauna that not only includes those native to North America, but migrants to the state from both South America and the Old World. This collection includes mammals, both extant and extinct, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and botanical remains collected from both cave and stream localities in the state. Extinct mammals represented in the McWSC collection include mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers, saber-toothed cats, giant armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, and giant ground sloths.

This spring, visitors will have an opportunity to view some of the fossils in the collection with a new exhibit titled — “Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age.” This exhibit will not only highlight many of the Ice Age animals from the McWane Science Center Collection, but will highlight and dispel many of the common misconceptions surrounding the Ice Age in the state. The goal is for visitors to have a better understanding and appreciation for this time in Alabama. For example, guests might learn that Alabama was on average only five degrees colder than today, glaciers did not reach farther south than southern Illinois or that all the Ice Age animals did not go extinct at the end of the Ice Age. While the largest animals, such as mastodons, giant ground sloths, and saber-tooth cats died out, nearly all the animals that are living in Alabama today were also around in the Ice Age.

The Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age Alabama display is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum. It is included in the cost of admission to the museum and free to members.

Birmingham Zoo:

Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.

RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm

GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am  & 2pm – 3pm

Vulcan Park and Museum:

Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!

Railroad Park:

Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.

Southern Museum of Flight:

Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm

Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!

** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call,  especially when weather can impact the event.

5 Things Meals on Wheels taught my kids

Posted on by Angie

We, like everyone else, love the summer fun list. This year we added to ours- instead of just being a list of things they want to indulge in, we told them to make a list of things they want to do AND ways to do good in the world. My kids are getting older (6 & 8 yrs) so I wanted to incorporate responsibility and compassion into every day. So often, it takes a tragedy to make people chip in and help. I don’t want my kids to think that we only help people after a disaster. I want them to understand the everyday struggles that people face, and to learn how to help. The other positive outcome is that my kids felt like they deserved the fun things on our summer list because they were working hard and doing good things.

A friend had told me that she and her daughter did Meals on Wheels together and loved it, so we started this summer. We’ve delivered around 200 meals to elderly people in Birmingham so far this summer. Usually it’s women who live alone and have mobility issues. Here’s what my kids have taken from it, in mostly their own words:

1. We’re not lazy and we’re not selfish. Hearing my kids say this made me really proud. There are times when they moan in the morning when I say we’re delivering, but it’s quickly followed by them realizing that staying home to play video games, swimming, shopping, etc are all things that don’t help anyone. We’ve had some amazing conversations about what kind of people we want to be, and how our actions (not intentions) determine that for us.

2. It doesn’t take much to make a difference. It takes us one hour to deliver the day’s meals, but we see around 12 people who smile and appreciate us.

3. It’s not about the food, it’s about the people. The elderly appreciate the food, but they LOVE seeing children. One of the most poignant conversations I’ve ever had with my son was because of a man on one of our routes. He wistfully looked at the kids and said, “To go back… to be that young… the things I would change…” It struck me. After we got back in the car, I discovered that my son understood what he meant and it had affected him as well. We had an amazing talk about regrets and how you only get one chance. We talked about making decisions, being thoughtful of choices, and so much more. I have no doubt: That day changed myson’s life, just a little bit, or maybe a huge amount.

Best delivery crew ever!

4. Self-esteem!! Want to help kids build self-esteem? Let them be proud of making a difference. Mine carry food to the door- it isn’t hard. But at the end of each day, they count all of the people they helped. And I encourage them by telling them how proud I am that they are doing something.

5. Family is forever. One of our favorite stops is an elderly lady who always has the kids a piece of candy ready. We usually visit her last so we can stay for a few minutes and talk. Her stories are amazing and funny, and she is a delight to be around. The kids love her and she loves them. She keeps us updated on her many grandchildren and great grandchildren- how they are, what they’ve been doing, etc. My kids once told me that she is their favorite because she loves her family so much. Seeing her love for her family, her kindness… these are things we won’t find in a movie theater.

I can’t recommend it enough. Kids love it. It takes very little time and it is safe. It is so easy and flexible. You pick the days you want to help. You can do 1 hour per month or just pick up shifts here and there. For more information, click here.

 

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