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Birmingham Events Calendar: May 26th – June 2nd

Posted on by Angie

School’s Out For the Summer! Reading programs are heating up and Summer Movies are kicking off this week!

We hope you’re enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend! When you’re finished eating your BBQ, sit down and plan out your first full week of Summer with some of these fun events we found happening around the Magic City!

Happy Summer! Have a great week!

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

Sunday May 26th:

Alabama Phoenix Festival – Cahaba Grand Conference Center
Second annual festival for creative minds. A  Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Comic Book, and Costume Convention

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block. Tracks include: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media, Comics, Paranormal, Alternate History, Costuming, Star Trek, Star Wars, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature, Science and Engineering, Anime and Manga, and Horror, as well as an Art Show, Exhibit, Comics Corner, Gaming Activities, and LEGO® Expo. Members are also encouraged to participate in the Masquerade and Costume Contest.

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block.
day and weekend memberships will be available at the door.
Children under 8 get in free with an adult membership purchase.
$50 for ages 15+
$30 for ages 8 to 14
1pm – 10pm

Memorial Weekend – Birmingham Zoo
Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend at the Zoo! Experience the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, which features an even closer look at this aquatic species and showcases new behaviors from the Zoo’s California sea lions like back flips, high jumps and a balancing act. Take a prehistoric journey through time at the Zoo’s new Dino Discovery exhibit*, cool off in the Splash Pads, take a ride on the train*, enjoy the Wildlife Show and experience all the Zoo has to offer.

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, all active, disabled and retired military personnel and their dependents can enjoy FREE admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D.

*Additional cost applies.

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Monday May 27th:

Happy Memorial Day!

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Tuesday May 28th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on the Smokies
50 Cent Hotdog Night
7:05pm

Hippo Adventures – Birmingham Museum of Art
Meet at the Information Desk outside Bart’s ArtVenture! Join us for a new in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore Hip, Hippo, Hooray!, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art and hippos.

No reservations required. Hippo Adventures 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

Summer Reading Kickoff – Clay Library
Join us for our 4th annual summer library program! This year’s theme is “Dig into Reading,” and we have lots of fun events planned for the whole family, whether you are participating in the reading portion of the program or not! Everyone is invited; we want the whole community to get involved, so help us spread the word! Prizes will be awarded to children, teens, and adults who are checking out library books and reading! Summer events will be held on various days and times in order to give everyone a chance to participate. A schedule of events is available on our facebook page and our web site.

Sign-up BEGINS Tuesday, May 28th, and continues throughout the summer. Feel free to call or e-mail us with questions.
9am – 7pm

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Wednesday May 29th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on the Smokies
12:30pm

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read Chick ‘n’ Pug. What will happen when chick tries to get pug to be his friend. We will make something fun and have something delicious to drink from the Cafe.
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

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Thursday May 30th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on the Smokies
7:05

Brookwood Live! Colonial Brookwood Village
Live Music On the Street – Featured Band:  Fountain City Players
5pm – 9pm

Relax By the Tracks – Railroad Park
Make plans to join us at the next Relax By The Tracks. Free music from Sanyasi and Terry Ohms and food and drinks available for purchase at George’s Boxcar Cafe.

Sponsored by the Railroad Park Foundation Junior Board, American Society of Landscape Architects, B-Metro, Birmingham Mountain Radio, Five Points South Neighborhood Association, and Glen Iris Neighborhood Association.
5pm – 8pm

Summer Reading Kickoff – Irondale Public Library
Read Along with Irondale Public Library this Summer! Registration is underway. Join us for our kick off party.

You can register (if you haven’t already) for summer reading, enjoy crafts, snacks and a short film.
5pm

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Friday May 31st:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on the Smokies
Friday Fireworks
7:05

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Saturday June 1st:

Bob Sykes Blues and BBQ – DeBardeleben Park located in downtown historic Bessemer
The entire family can enjoy a variety of blues musicians from local to national talent. Free giveaways, children’s corner, activities for kids and adults, delicious food, drinks and desserts will be available. Bring a chair or blanket and set up your spot for the day.
1pm – 9pm
Admission Info – $8 before event, $12 at the gate, 12 and under are free

Ross Bridge Spring Market
Come out to the Ross Bridge Village Green and enjoy the day shoping with the Craft, Art, Produce, Handmade, Retail Item, and Pet Vendors! Live Music all day. Kid’s Activities. Leashed, Friendly Pets are welcome.
9am – 2pm

SliceFest – Slice Pizza Lakeview
SliceFest offers non-stop family fun from noon to 4:00 pm and a jammin’ party on through the night. Kids can have their own fun by playing on the moon bounce, getting their faces painted and choosing a balloon animal, while the adults enjoy beer samplings paired with Slice’s unique pizzas at ‘The Beer Experience.’ The aroma of fresh stone pizzas will be floatin’ around and the beer will be flowin’ all day as guests can purchase Slice’s mouth-watering pies, paired perfectly with local brews.

This Slice-tastic celebration will feature a full line up of musical entertainment from 1:00 pm – midnight, including Ponderosa, Rollin’ in the Hay, Kristy Lee, Banditos, Bad Brad & the Sipsey Slims, Wildflowers, Ophelia Festival, Expressions and the ‘impassioned singing, riff-based Southern rock’ of JJ Grey & Mofro as headliner.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to SliceFest’s partnering charities, Alabama Forever and Suki Foundation.
Noon – Midnight

Hippo Adventures – Birmingham Museum of Art
Meet at the Information Desk outside Bart’s ArtVenture! Join us for a new in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore Hip, Hippo, Hooray!, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art and hippos.

No reservations required. Hippo Adventures 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

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! June is for Animals // Hippo mania is still going on at the BMA!
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 us as we read Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae. Come have fun! It’s never too late to learn something new!
11am

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Sunday June 2nd:

Vulcan’s Birthday Bash
Make plans to attend the BIGGEST birthday bash in Birmingham! Vulcan may be the world’s largest cast iron statue, but he still needs help blowing out his birthday candles! On Sunday, June 2, Vulcan Park and Museum will host a festive outdoor community celebration offering fun activities for the whole family! Admission will be charged and includes admission to the party, Vulcan’s Observation Tower, Museum and a special exhibition in the Linn-Henley Gallery. Log on to www.visitvulcan.com for additional party details.
$3 all ages 5+.
4 and under and Vulcan Members are FREE!
noon – 4pm

Summer Reading Kickoff – Vestavia Library
The “Dig Into Reading” program in the Children’s Department at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest will begin with a huge Kick-off party at the library. There will be face painting, ice cream, an Egyptian Mummy Tomb Mystery, digging for gold and gemstones, and Dr. Magical Balloons, a zany storyteller who uses balloon sculptures – and willing audience members – as his story props. Everyone who signs up for the summer reading program that day will get a special goodie bag filled with coupons and treats courtesy of the generous merchants in the area.
2pm – 4pm

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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.

Book Review: The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation

Posted on by Angie

Just in time for Summer this is the perfect book to add to your library!

Doesn’t a wolf deserve a vacation, too? Bernard, the clever, cookie-munching hero of Delphine Perret’s award-winning book, certainly thinks so. So when he learns that his pal Louis is vacationing by the sea with his grandpa, Bernard wants to go too. Soon they’re off on a wacky road trip that ends with the perfect day on the beach. This much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning The Big Bad Wolf and Me is every bit as delightful as the first…and well worth the wait.

This was such a cute, silly and funny book it left me and my girls (ages 7 and 5) giggling at the light hearted tale of a Big Bad Wolf that just wants a vacation. It’s easy to read, perfectly illustrated and it’s sarcastic clever tone was easy for us to relate to.

It’s perfect for bedtime and has become quite a favorite in our house and is has been requested every night since we got it in the mail.

 

 

 

You can find The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation, by Delphine Perret at Barnes and Noble and AmazonChildren’s Book Review: The Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation, by Delphine Perret

BirminghamMommy.com received a copy of the Big Bad Wolf Goes on Vacation for free for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this review are our own.

How to Help Oklahoma

Posted on by Angie

Seeing the devastation left behind from the tornado in Oklahoma, reminds us so much of the outpouring of support we received from everyone when we were gathering supplies for Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas. We have learned of a few different ways to get supplies to Oklahoma if you’re looking for a way to help. Sending some diapers and wipes may not seem like much, but trust us when we say, it adds up quickly. If you’re looking for a way to pitch in, here are a few options:

H20 for OKC – Magic 96.5 along with WBRC Fox 6 and The Salvation Army will be collecting donated water bottles that will be sent to the Oklahoma City Salvation Army for distribution. Drop off at Colonial Brookwood Village, Macy’s side Located along Lakeshore Drive. Joe Piper Trucking has donated an 18 wheel truck and trailer and provided for it to be transported to Oklahoma City.
Wednesday 6am until the truck is full

Via LIV Birmingham:
Mayor Bell announced that the City of Birmingham will collect items for Oklahoma on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (23rd – 25th) of this week in front of Boutwell at 1930 8th Avenue North. The City will also collect next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The hours of collection during the week will be 7:30am until 5:00pm and 10:00am until 4:00pm this Saturday. All items will be transported to the First Baptist Church of Moore, Oklahoma. The City’s partner, Christian Service Mission, will transport. Items needed are : Band aids, gloves, nylon rope, rakes, shovels, rubbing alcohol, personal care items, tarps, air mattresses, wheelbarrows, etc.

For anyone outside of OKLAHOMA wishing to send items to victims of the tornados, KFOR news station is accepting plastic tubs w lids, baby necessities, trash bags, work gloves, shovels, dog/cat food, individually wrapped snacks, Gatorade, and sunscreen. Mail to:

KFOR
444 East Britton rd
Oklahoma City, OK
73114-7515

Salvation Army:
Monetary donations are encouraged by The Salvation Army to help the people affected by tornadoes in Oklahoma. The money will be used to purchase specific needs for the areas rather than items or supplies that may not work at this particular disaster.

Go to www.BirminghamSalvationArmy.org or visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). You may also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through a mobile phone; to confirm the gift, respond with the word “YES.”

Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa and 95.3 The Bear in Tuscaloosa will collect gift cards and much needed items at the Wal-Mart and Chick Fil A in Northport.

Other areas in the area will also have drop spots set up for Oklahoma survivors.

BIRMINGHAM- Jefferson State Junior College on Carson Road in the George Layton Building Room 123.

NORTH SHELBY COUNTY:  Cahaba Mini Storage will be a drop off location for the N. Shelby County area. 5300 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham.  Gates will be open M-F 8-6. Place all items in plastic containers or plastic garbage bags.

The items needed are:  tarps, flashlights, batteries, toiletries, manual can openers, etc.. Place items in the trailer marked T4T.

MOODY- Fine Pools 2713 Moody Parkway, Moody Phone: 205-640-1840

Target and Walmart Gift Cards are always needed. You can donate directly to the Moore, OK Crowd Rise Fund here: http://www.crowdrise.com/mooreoklahomatornadorelief.

American Red Cross –

Make out your check to “American Red Cross – Neighbors in Need“, and mail it to:

American Red Cross – Neighbors in Need
300 Chase Park South
Hoover Alabama 35244

If you prefer to make a donation on-line, please click here to visit alredcross.org

 

If you know of a drop spot or additional ways to help out, we’re happy to add to our list. Shoot us an email: contact@birminghammommy.com

The Gray Area: Behind Closed Doors

Posted on by Angie

By: Misty Smith, Ph.D

What DO you do behind closed doors??? Are you playing songs like Rhianna’s “S & M,” or Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On?”  Or is it more like The Righteous Brothers “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”?

Are you putting on your granny PJs, brushing your teeth, and rolling over without even so much as a peck on the lips? OR… are you putting the kids to bed early, lighting some candles, and trying a different piece of lingerie out every other night? Do you even sleep behind the same door? Do you go to bed at separate times? One of you fall asleep reading while the other falls asleep on the couch watching something you don’t like?

I have noticed a trend in relationships that tend to go “south” after some years. People stop making romance and intimacy a priority. They are too tired. Work is exhausting. Traffic was a B*#ch. The kids take it all out of them. Believe me when I say that I have been guilty of using these excuses on many occasions. It takes effort… LOTS of effort, to keep the “fires” burning! I am always amazed when women (let’s be honest, it’s usually not the men) withhold ‘relations’ in an effort to get something they want or need. Isn’t that punishing yourself? Don’t you need that too? Even when we go into the event just to please our partner, don’t we get something out of it? Why do we do this to ourselves? If you really don’t get anything out of that, please see a doctor. It is supposed to be a mutually satisfying experience; not just another chore or item to check off on your “to-do” list.

My assumption is that we have gotten ourselves into a rut, don’t know exactly how to improve the situation, or we just don’t feel sexy anymore. I have found that leaving my home helps. Get out of the “family” space. Sometimes it is difficult to think about romance and intimacy in the bed that your kids snuggle in, your dogs sleep in, and where laundry abounds every other day. It is amazing at how quickly your mood can get a little frisky in a sexy hotel room or a nice B&B after a nice relaxing dinner and a little time away from hearing “I WANT CHOCOLATE MILK,” “CAN I GO OUTSIDE,” and “SHE HIT ME.” If you don’t have the money to take yourself away, send the kids away!!! Almost everyone can find a grandparent, aunt, or friend who is willing to let the kids sleepover for one night. If you can manage that, I am going to give you some tips on making your “family” space more romantic, intimate, and inviting. Clean the room! I have trouble doing paperwork at my house because I see everything that needs to be done IN MY HOUSE. The same thing goes for trying to have intimacy in a cluttered bedroom. If your eyes catch the pile of laundry in the corner or the dust-bunnies on the bedpost, you stop thinking about the pleasure and begin thinking about cleaning. That is just not sexy! Once the room is clean, light some candles, buy some fresh flowers to put on the nightstand, and change the sheets. This last one might seem a bit strange, but what is one of the most enticing things in a hotel room? For me it is the fresh clean sheets and blankets that are nothing like those in my bedroom! Have sheets and a blanket that make you feel sexy, and use it on those special nights with your significant other. It takes 10 minutes to change them, but could make for hours of excitement later that night. Start your intimate night with a candle lit bubble bath…men like them when they are the beginning of a happy ending. Follow that (or begin your night) with a massage. Take turns doing this. Buy some sensual scented massage lotion, and have it ready when he gets home. Incorporate other things into your bedroom activities, as well. These tips may need to be prefaced by me saying “don’t knock it til you try it.” Role-playing and toys can be exciting and sexy additions to your intimacy, and provide that much needed kick-start.

Since we are talking about feeling sexy, this is such an important aspect of intimacy for a woman! It is for me anyway! If I eat that second helping of dinner or that extra dessert, I feel overly full and not at all sexy. When you are feeling less than sexy, do something to change that! Feeling sexy and confident make the intimate experience soooo much more exciting and intense! Buy some lingerie that you feel sexy wearing. If you need some trouble spots covered, then find that piece that does the trick.Wear those stilettos or sexy boots that give you that extra boost of confidence! If you need even more of a boost, take a pole dancing class. I have never felt as sexy and confident as I did after a few lessons in a pole dancing class. Some places even offer lap dancing classes for couples. Talk about an awesome sexy date night!!!

The way I see it is like this. One half of a couple usually has “physical touch” as their language of love. If that need doesn’t get met with the other half of the couple, the relationship will suffer. They will get that need met in other ways, and that just might mean that it gets met by someone outside of the relationship. Couples fight less when they are getting their needs met. I would encourage every couple to take one of the Love Languages quizzes that are available. Then do some research on their significant others language of love. For some it might be difficult because their language of love is not at all the same. This is what relationships are all about….GIVE AND TAKE. One doesn’t work without the other.

About this column: Please be aware that this column potentially addresses sensitive issues that might, at times, be considered offensive. Feel free to send your relationship-related questions to my email: mistysmithphd@convenienttherapy.com. Be aware that email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information so it’s best to keep your questions general. If your question is featured in the column, your name and email will not be published. Submitting a question does not constitute a professional relationship in any way, and this column is not meant to substitute for face-to-face therapy. If you feel you’re doing the best you can and still need help, it may be time to seek counseling services from a professional. You may also join in on the conversations over on her Facebook page.

Misty Smith, Ph.D. is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She owns a private practice, Smith Counseling Services, Inc. She obtained her Master’s degree in Counseling from Jacksonville State University, an Educational Specialist degree from The University of Alabama, and her Doctorate in Counselor Education from Mississippi State University. She provides counseling services in the following areas: couples/marriage, family, stress management, employee assistance services, time management, divorce, and other major life changes. She generally focuses on solution-focused brief therapy, as well as, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral techniques, but feels a flexible approach to therapy is necessary because all people are different. She is a wife of 10 years and a mom to a 5 year-old daughter, a 3 year-old son, a 19 year-old step-son, a 16 year-old step-daughter, and a 20 year-old Russian exchange daughter.

Birmingham Events Calendar: May 19th – May 26th

Posted on by Angie

Schools are letting out – are you ready for Summer? Have you complied your summer fun lists yet? Now’s the time!

Check out the Neighborhood Block Party at Railroad Park, or the Summer Reading Kick off at Emmet O’ Neal Library.

Memorial Day is coming and the Birmingham Zoo is offering special admission over the weekend and the Alabama Phoenix Festival is back for it’s second year.

Have a great week!

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

Sunday May 19th:

Neighborhood Block Party – Railroad Park
From your block to ours, join us at Railroad Park for our Neighborhood Block Party, with delicious food truck fare, lawn games and outstanding musical talent.  Food trucks: Shindigs, Melt, Off The Hook, Dreamcakes, Steel City Pops, Taqueria Guzman Taco Truck, Spoonfed Grill, Avalanche Delights.

Activities:  Sanspointe Dance Company, face painting, cornhole, zumba, kite flying. Special thanks to  Coca-Cola, Good People Brewing, Pinnacle Imports.
Noon – 5pm

Summer Reading Kickoff – Emmet O’ Neal Library
It’s the annual Summer Reading Kickoff Carnival, with the Thomas Hughes Brinkley Memorial Fun Run at 2:30, and the carnival is from 3:00 – 5:00. You can enjoy game booths and concessions, and you’ll have your first chance to register for the summer reading program. Teens and adults can also sign up for their own summer reading programs at the carnival.

Registration for summer programs will begin the day of the kickoff carnival.

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Monday May 20th:

Toddler Tales – North Shelby Library
A story program for children and a caregiver. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively program designed especially for short attention spans. Best suited for ages 19 months to 3 years. Must Register
9:30am and 10:30am

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Tuesday May 21st:

Hippo Adventures – Birmingham Museum of Art
Meet at the Information Desk outside Bart’s ArtVenture! Join us for a new in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore Hip, Hippo, Hooray!, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art and hippos.

No reservations required. Hippo Adventures 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 May 22nd:

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read I Want My Mommy! Find out what happens when Arthur has to stay with his grandma for the day. We will have a fun craft and have a treat from the Cafe.
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

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Thursday May 23rd:

Brookwood Live! Colonial Brookwood Village
Live Music On the Street – Featured Band:  The Bicho Bros
5pm – 9pm

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Friday May 24th:

School’s Out Bash – Alabama Adventure
Splash Adventure Waterpark will host the Schools Out Bash. School-aged kids will receive admission to the park for a discounted price of $14.99 each, where they can enjoy the slides, attractions, watch the new Sea Lion Splash Show, and kick off the summer with their friends and family members in a family-friendly water park.
10am – 7pm

Alabama Phoenix Festival – Cahaba Grand Conference Center
Second annual festival for creative minds. A  Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Comic Book, and Costume Convention

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block. Tracks include: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media, Comics, Paranormal, Alternate History, Costuming, Star Trek, Star Wars, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature, Science and Engineering, Anime and Manga, and Horror, as well as an Art Show, Exhibit, Comics Corner, Gaming Activities, and LEGO® Expo. Members are also encouraged to participate in the Masquerade and Costume Contest.

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block.
day and weekend memberships will be available at the door.
Children under 8 get in free with an adult membership purchase.
$50 for ages 15+
$30 for ages 8 to 14
1pm – 10pm

Memorial Weekend – Birmingham Zoo
Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend at the Zoo! Experience the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, which features an even closer look at this aquatic species and showcases new behaviors from the Zoo’s California sea lions like back flips, high jumps and a balancing act. Take a prehistoric journey through time at the Zoo’s new Dino Discovery exhibit*, cool off in the Splash Pads, take a ride on the train*, enjoy the Wildlife Show and experience all the Zoo has to offer.

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, all active, disabled and retired military personnel and their dependents can enjoy FREE admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D.

*Additional cost applies.

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Saturday May 25th:

Salsa Showdown – Pepper Place
24 Frames Per Second, the Sidewalk Film Festival Young Professionals Organization, is hosting Birmingham’s 3rd Annual Salsa Showdown presented by Alagasco.  The Showdown is a fundraising competition between local restaurants & catering companies to determine who offers the best salsa, guacamole, queso and specialty dip.  Admission will include sampling privileges at each competitor’s station, a ballot for casting an “Audience Choice” vote, Piñata Smash with prizes, kids activities, access to live entertainment, cooking demos, salsa dance & Zumba demos, beverage vending, and the Hot Pepper Eating Contest. A panel of jury members consisting of local personalities will also determine which salsa-maker will get the award for best salsa, guac, queso and specialty dip.
2pm – 6pm

Alabama Phoenix Festival – Cahaba Grand Conference Center
Second annual festival for creative minds. A  Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Comic Book, and Costume Convention

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block. Tracks include: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media, Comics, Paranormal, Alternate History, Costuming, Star Trek, Star Wars, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature, Science and Engineering, Anime and Manga, and Horror, as well as an Art Show, Exhibit, Comics Corner, Gaming Activities, and LEGO® Expo. Members are also encouraged to participate in the Masquerade and Costume Contest.

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block.
day and weekend memberships will be available at the door.
Children under 8 get in free with an adult membership purchase.
$50 for ages 15+
$30 for ages 8 to 14
1pm – 10pm

Memorial Weekend – Birmingham Zoo
Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend at the Zoo! Experience the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, which features an even closer look at this aquatic species and showcases new behaviors from the Zoo’s California sea lions like back flips, high jumps and a balancing act. Take a prehistoric journey through time at the Zoo’s new Dino Discovery exhibit*, cool off in the Splash Pads, take a ride on the train*, enjoy the Wildlife Show and experience all the Zoo has to offer.

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, all active, disabled and retired military personnel and their dependents can enjoy FREE admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D.

*Additional cost applies.

Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
Spring into May! This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different gallery activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Be inspired by the weather and craft your own three-dimensional flower still life!
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 us as we read Grow Caterpillar Grow! and you can build a character from the story using Legos. There is limited space, so please call or ask any bookseller about reservations. There will also be a treat from the Cafe.
11am

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Sunday May 26th:

Alabama Phoenix Festival – Cahaba Grand Conference Center
Second annual festival for creative minds. A  Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Comic Book, and Costume Convention

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block. Tracks include: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Media, Comics, Paranormal, Alternate History, Costuming, Star Trek, Star Wars, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature, Science and Engineering, Anime and Manga, and Horror, as well as an Art Show, Exhibit, Comics Corner, Gaming Activities, and LEGO® Expo. Members are also encouraged to participate in the Masquerade and Costume Contest.

Primary programming will take place in 1 hour, 15 minute long blocks with 15 minute breaks between each block.
day and weekend memberships will be available at the door.
Children under 8 get in free with an adult membership purchase.
$50 for ages 15+
$30 for ages 8 to 14
1pm – 10pm

Memorial Weekend – Birmingham Zoo
Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend at the Zoo! Experience the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show, which features an even closer look at this aquatic species and showcases new behaviors from the Zoo’s California sea lions like back flips, high jumps and a balancing act. Take a prehistoric journey through time at the Zoo’s new Dino Discovery exhibit*, cool off in the Splash Pads, take a ride on the train*, enjoy the Wildlife Show and experience all the Zoo has to offer.

In honor of Memorial Day weekend, all active, disabled and retired military personnel and their dependents can enjoy FREE admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D.

*Additional cost applies.

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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.

Homemade Bubbles!

Posted on by Angie

Summer is coming and for my kids that means a lot of playing in the yard and gallons upon gallons of bubble mix. I’ve tried homemade mixes before and haven’t had too much luck finding one that worked well.

In a desperate attempt to keep the kids happy at a playdate after realizing we were out of the store bought kind, we mixed up this concoction and it worked like a charm. Best part was… I didn’t have to buy a thing!

2 Cups of Water
1/2 Cup of Dish Detergent (Dawn or Joy works best, but all I had was an off brand and it worked great)
2 Teaspoons of Sugar

Stir and refill those bottles! Easy Peasy!

Do you have a no fail solution for bubble making? Leave us a comment letting us know your recipe!

Teacher Picks: Summer Workbooks

Posted on by Angie

As excited as we all are for summer, don’t let your little one be a victim of “summer slide.” Some of the skills they’ve worked so hard on can be forgotten while they’re relaxin’ in the sun. Here are some Teacher Picks for Workbooks that also fall in line with the new Common Core standards:

1. Daily Series, entering grades 1-6- Daily Language Review, Daily Reading Comprehension, and Daily Word Prolems all offer kids a very short, daily practice. Buy the grade your child will enter in the fall unless they’re advanced, and then buy a grade up. These books are very basic and they don’t teach, they reinforce. Each lesson is 5-15 minutes long.

2. Guiness World Record Reading Books–

These books have been leveled for grades 3-5 to use for comprehension and vocabulary practice. The stories are enthralling- from the world’s tallest snowman to the dog that pops the most balloons, kids will love the content. This is great for readers who bore of generic stories that are too standardized.

3. Didax, Math Problem Solving Skills–

This is a new series that builds confidence in kids’ ability to solve problems by teaching them to uncover what needs to be done rather than simply looking to apply a specific strategy. Each book has over 50 activities involving spatial visualization; logical reasoning; interpreting, organizing and using information; strategic thinking; using patterns; proportional reasoning; and more.

Birmingham Events Calendar: May 12th – May 19th

Posted on by Angie

Another busy week in Birmingham, with lots of events to choose from! Do Dah Day, Railroad Park Block Party, a new exhibit at McWane and a home stretch for our Birmingham Barons!

Make sure to check out the Made in the South Trunk Show happening on Tuesday at Aldridge Gardens. A one day only show featuring some great artists from the south!

If you’re looking forward to Summer Reading, there are a couple of kick off parties happening as well as weekly storytime at Barnes and Noble Summt.

We hope you all have a wonderful week that kicks off with an AMAZING Mother’s Day!

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

Sunday May 12th:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Homestead Hollow Festival
Homestead Hollow festivals feature fine arts, unique – one of a kind – hand made crafts, pioneer demonstrations of the old time days. See wood carving, ironwork, blacksmithing, smoke house cooking, gardening, quilting, whiskey making at our original working still, and tour original cabins as they were built by the early settlers. Relax by one of our many streams and listen to live local entertainment all day. Enjoy our great food that makes your mouth scream for more.

Children’s activities: ride the ponies, circle in our wagon ride or jump in the moon walk. Visit and talk with our Herbalist and find out more about grandma’s remedies or those nature produces naturally.

Homestead Hollow’s General store is open for you to visit and shop for those home-made fried pies and other great items all day during show dates.

Directions: Homestead Hollow is located in Springville, Alabama, just 2 miles off I-59, exit 154. 27 acres of parking and our trams make it easy to park, get to the entrance and start having fun immediately.

Admission Info:

Adults – $7 ~ Children (ages 3 to 12) – $3
Children (ages 2 and under) – Free.
Groups of 20 or more-$6 each. Free Parking. NO PETS ALLOWED.
9am – 5pm

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Against Montgomery 3pm

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Monday May 13th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Against the Montgomery Biscuits
Business Person Special, YP Monday
11:30am

Toddler Tales – North Shelby Library
A story program for children and a caregiver. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively program designed especially for short attention spans. Best suited for ages 19 months to 3 years. Must Register
9:30am and 10:30am

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Tuesday May 14th:

Made in the South Trunk Show – Aldridge Gardens
Highlighted as our Event of the Week!!

Preview new products. including Sushi Furniture, Vintage Chanel bracelets, “Mad Men” inspired hats, whistle jewelry, vanilla/blackberry jam and more!

The Made in the South Traveling trunk show will make a stop in Birmingham on Tuesday, May 14 at Aldridge Gardens from 10:30 am – 6:30 pm.  For one-day-only!

The show is open to the public and free to attend, guests can shop for great deals on must-have summer items, meet the designers in person and enter the chance to win giveaways throughout the day.
For more information visit this post.

Birmingham Barons – Region Park
Against the Montgomery Biscuits
50 Cent Hot Dog Night, Social Media Night
7:05pm

Hippo Adventures – Birmingham Museum of Art
Meet at the Information Desk outside Bart’s ArtVenture! Join us for a new in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore Hip, Hippo, Hooray!, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art and hippos.

No reservations required. Hippo Adventures 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 May 15th:

New Exhibit! Race: Are We So Different – McWane Science Center
The exhibition RACE: Are We So Different? brings together the everyday experience of living with race, its history as an idea, the role of science in that history, and the findings of contemporary science that are challenging its foundations.

Interactive exhibit components, historical artifacts, iconic objects, compelling photographs, multimedia presentations, and attractive graphic displays offer visitors to RACE an eye-opening look at its important subject matter.
Runs Through September 2nd, 2013

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Against the Montgomery Biscuits
School Day
11am

Summer Reading Kick Off – Springville Road Library
To celebrate the beginning of Summer Reading registration, kids from birth to 11 are invited to come enjoy snacks and games in the Children’s Department.
4pm

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Join us as we read about the different journeys life can take you on. We will make something fun and have a treat from the Cafe.
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

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Thursday May 16th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Against the Montgomery Biscuits
Thirsty Thursday, YP Night
7:05pm

Brookwood Live! Colonial Brookwood Village
Live Music On the Street – Featured Band:  Groove Daddy
5pm – 9pm

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Friday May 17th:

Booklandia – Hoover Public Library
We’re celebrating Children’s Book Week and the start of Summer Reading in the Emerald City, Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Narnia, the City of Bones and more book realms.  Also early bird registration for Summer Reading 2013.
7pm – 9pm

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Saturday May 18th:

Do Dah Day – Caldwell Park
The South’s craziest parade kicks off at 11:01 a.m. on the streets of Highland Avenue in Birmingham’s Southside. Then, spend the day in Caldwell and Rhodes Parks with friends, pets, arts & crafts, kid’s activities, and a lineup of great bands. Oh yes, we have plenty of food and beverages, and collectible Do Dah Day t-shirts.

All proceeds benefit local animal charities.

Alabama BBQ Sauce Off – Pepper Place
The Alabama Tourism Department has been traveling the state to find Alabama’s best BBQ sauce. A panel of local judges selected the winning BBQ sauce from each region of the state and the winners will compete at the finals in Birmingham on May 18 during the Pepper Place Saturday Market.
The market is open 7am-noon. The competition will take place during market hours.

Audubon Teaches Nature: Soil Critters-It’s a Tiny World under the Microscope! – Oak Mountain
Refreshments are offered at 1:30pm at the Alabama Wildlife Center followed by the program at 2:00pm at the Oak Mountain Interpretive Center. Weather permitting, an informal nature walk follows the program. Ellen McLaughlin is the guest speaker. Hidden below the leaf litter there is a part of the natural world that is composed of living things so small that they cannot be seen with the unaided eye. The beauty of these organisms will be revealed to you in this program as Ellen takes us on a guided tour of the underworld! Microscopes showcasing live specimens will supplement Ellen’s photographs. Join us for this final program of the season, and sneak a peek at the world beneath your feet!
Free after paid admission to Oak Mountain State Park: $1 per child 6-11 & Seniors 62+; $3 Adults
1:30pm

Kids First Fossil Hunt – Walmart – Sumiton
Join Fresh Air Family in a world-class site near Jasper where you can find rare fossils that predate the dinosaurs. Unless it is a museum quality piece, you keep what you find! A couple of years ago, one of our moms found six rare footprints each the size of a hand, a dimetrodon, the sailback creatre that looks like it has a fin on its back. It made the Birmingham News front page! Truly the opportunity of a lifetime! Paleontologists will be on hand to guide you and your family to your own special finds.

There will be two admission times: 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. This site is not open to the public. You must make a reservation.

Wear long pants and good shoes. Bring a box and paper or rags to carry home fossils. Bring water, sunscreen, a small hammer, and a screw driver.
Phone: 205-540-6642

Dixie Reptile Show – BKCC Exhibition Hall
Dixie Reptile Show was started in 1996 by Terry Heuring to fill the void in the mid-south reptile market. Terry’s life long passion for reptiles lead to a first in the herpoculture world. It is a little known act that he was the first to produce an albino Lampropeltis ruthveni and has since gone on to breeding many other successful projects. Come visit the show. You never know what you might see. No venomous or endangered reptiles allowed.
The show will be held in East Meeting Rooms A & B.
Adults – $4
Children under 12 – $1
9am – 3pm

Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
Spring into May!This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different gallery activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Be inspired by the weather and craft your own three-dimensional flower still life!
11am

Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
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 selected Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House.
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 us as we read Lost and Found. We will find out what happens when a little boy finds a penguin and tries to bring him back home. There will be something fun to make and we will have a tasty treat from the Cafe.
11am

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Sunday May 19th:

Neighborhood Block Party – Railroad Park
From your block to ours, join us at Railroad Park for our Neighborhood Block Party, with delicious food truck fare, lawn games and outstanding musical talent.  Food trucks: Shindigs, Melt, Off The Hook, Dreamcakes, Steel City Pops, Taqueria Guzman Taco Truck, Spoonfed Grill, Avalanche Delights.

Activities:  Sanspointe Dance Company, face painting, cornhole, zumba, kite flying. Special thanks to  Coca-Cola, Good People Brewing, Pinnacle Imports.
Noon – 5pm

Summer Reading Kickoff – Emmet O’ Neal Library
It’s the annual Summer Reading Kickoff Carnival, with the Thomas Hughes Brinkley Memorial Fun Run at 2:30, and the carnival is from 3:00 – 5:00. You can enjoy game booths and concessions, and you’ll have your first chance to register for the summer reading program. Teens and adults can also sign up for their own summer reading programs at the carnival.

Registration for summer programs will begin the day of the kickoff carnival.

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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.

Event of the Week: "Made in the South" Trunk Show, Aldridge Gardens

Posted on by Angie

Arriving in Birmingham next week, you are going to want to check out this traveling trunk show, where 15 southern based, home décor and cuisine companies will be showcasing their summer collections.

Preview new products. including Sushi Furniture, Vintage Chanel bracelets, “Mad Men” inspired hats, whistle jewelry, vanilla/blackberry jam and more!

The Made in the South Traveling trunk show will make a stop in Birmingham on Tuesday, May 14 at Aldridge Gardens from 10:30 am – 6:30 pm.  For one-day-only!

The show is open to the public and free to attend, guests can shop for great deals on must-have summer items, meet the designers in person and enter the chance to win giveaways throughout the day.

Highlights include:

  • Lissa Mar – Hamptons style clothing made in the south!
  • Sushi Ottomans – ottomans for your bedroom or living room that look like real California Roll and Cucumber sushi complete with salmon roe
  • Moo Moo Designs – new earrings, necklaces and bracelets made out of horn and bone
  • Emily G’s – new “curry” ketchup, pepper vinegar, apple pie jam and more!
  • Hot to Trot – horse show handbags, vintage Versace/Chanel button jewelry created in a newly renovated 1964 airstream trailer!
  •  Susan Morehead Hats – new twisted sea grass hats created with custom-made wooden blocks – inspired from the television show “Mad Men”

So mark your calendars now and save some of your Mother’s Day Money and check out this great trunk show next Tuesday, May 15th at Aldridge Gardens.

Weeknight Cooking: Weeknight Pizza Dough

Posted on by Angie

Pizza is an ideal meal for most families on a busy night, but why waste money ordering out? You can customize it to everyone’s taste and you can even hide a few veggies in there! One of my favorite places to find recipes is PlainChicken.com. This is her easy and yummy recipe for weeknight pizza dough.

Weeknight Pizza Dough

2 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water (120-130°)
1 Tbsp. Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 475°.

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add hot water and olive oil. Mix for five minutes and then let the dough rest 10 minutes. Roll out dough onto a piece of parchment paper (I trace my pizza stone onto parchment before placing it in the oven as a guide). Prick dough with fork and add sauce, cheese and toppings. Transfer pizza to hot pizza stone. (I use a flat cookie sheet)  Bake at 475° for 12-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

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