Birmingham Events Calendar: August 12th – 19th

Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2012 by Angie

Well, we’ve got about 1 more week left of summer vacation for most families. Lots of meet the teachers and back to school shopping going on, but how will you spend your last week of summer fun?

Libraries are taking a break on storytimes but we still came up with several things to keep you busy this week, we’ve even thrown in a couple of things that would be great ideas for a date night or a night out with your best Mommy friends.

Have a great week!

Sunday August 12th

CDF – Community Fest
Get out of the heat and join us in our Community Arts Center for CDF Community Fest! – a free event with creative activities and performances for the entire family to enjoy, including an interactive drum circle led by John Scalici, kids’ craft zone, face-painting, outdoor moonwalk, dancing and dance performances, food and drinks and a silent auction full of family fun.
2pm – 5pm

Saturday Studio: Design a Miniature Museum – Birmingham Museum of Art
What would your dream museum look like? Would it be modern or more traditional? What art would you put in it and where? Imagine and build your own miniature museum in a box. During the first day, we will brainstorm ideas and design the look of your museum. You will create miniature art for your museum, add final touches on the second day and install it in your very own miniature museum. Ages 7-11.
1pm – 3pm

Bart’s Art Cart, Warhol Inspired Sports Car – Birmingham Museum of Art
Stop by in August to design your own sports car inspired by Andy Warhol and the Warhol and Cars: American Icons exhibit!

Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
1pm

$5 Fun Day at the Birmingham Zoo
Guests will enjoy $5 admission!
Have you ever seen a tiger tear open a piñata? Or a sea lion solve a water jug feeder puzzle? AZA-accredited zoos use exciting enrichment activities like these to provide a stimulating and challenging environment for the animals and help keep them mentally and physically fit. Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy enrichment demonstrations, keeper talks, activities for kids and much more throughout the event. You won’t want to miss the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter, Sea Lion Splash Show and Wildlife Show, as well as exciting activities such as the Boma Encounter and Predator Zone. Come feed the giraffes and lorikeets, watch keepers feed the alligator and pelicans, and much more. Come enjoy all the Zoo has to offer until 7pm each day.
Make sure to also take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café!
For a detailed $5 Fun Days schedule, please visit www.birminghamzoo.com

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Monday August 13th:

Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the ‘Ham today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.

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Tuesday August 14th:

Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the ‘Ham today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.

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Wednesday August 15th:

Birmingham Restaurant Week Kickoff Party – Vulcan Park and Museum
The third annual Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) presented by Regions Bank will celebrate its launch at the BRW 2012 Preview Party sponsored by Alagasco and the City of Birmingham. Chefs from more than 10 participating restaurants will serve samples of their most popular menu items at the event, which will benefit Vulcan Park and Museum/Vulcan…
Individual – $25 in advance/$30 at the door
Couple – $35 in advance/$40 at the door
5:30pm – 8:30pm

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read Baby Bear Sees Blue. We will see what a baby bear will find when he goes outside. We will make a 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 August 16th:

Back to School Bash – Adamsville Library
Come join us at the library as we help get ready for back to school with our “Back to School Bash”
We will have games, prizes, and light refreshments. Win school supplies and more.
2pm – 4pm

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Friday August 17th:

Outer Space – Kliutz Style – Barnes and Noble Summit
Parents and children ages 4 and up are invited to the Klutz Explore the Galaxy Hands-On Learning event. Kids will have fun designing and coloring stickers for decorating the night sky and space-themed scenes.
10:30am

Art of the Rocks – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us this summer as we continue the popular summer series of Art on The Rocks. This summer it’s all about Warhol. Participate in gallery led tours, art activities, scavenger hunts, and listen to music in the Garden.

Members of the Junior Patrons are invited to enjoy an exclusive VIP tent in the middle of all of the action at Art on The Rocks! JP members get prime seating near the band on the upper plaza, complimentary food, and two complimentary drinks inside the tent. If non-members join the Junior Patrons beginning on June 1st, they will receive complimentary ticket(s) to Art on The Rocks and admission into the VIP tent!
$10 for members and $20 for non-members.
5pm – 10pm

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Saturday August 18th:

Stokin’ The Fire BBQ Competition – Sloss Furnace
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark will host the 8th annual Stokin’ the Fire BBQ Festival at the historic Sloss Furnaces. At the cornerstone of the event is a world class BBQ competition. The competition will consist of all amateur teams, allowing for over 80 local BBQ teams to compete for the braggin’ rights to the best Q in Birmingham. Grill masters compete in two divisions: backyard grillers (graded by Volunteer & KCBS judges), and the People’s Choice competition (judged by the bellies of the public). In addition to the BBQ battles, the festival includes art demonstrations by Sloss Furnaces metal arts staff, popular musicians, Cajun dancing demonstrations, barbecue sampling and a kid’s zone.
11am – 8pm

Things that Go Bump in the Night – Oak Mountain State Park
Have you ever wondered about what the animals do after we go to sleep? Here’s your chance to find out. Come take a look & listen to what the animals are doing at night. You can learn what type of animal it is by the color of its eyes or by the sounds it makes. The animal world comes alive at night. Hike to find some of these guys. Meet at 7:30p.m. at the Campground Pavilion (B-side). Bring a flashlight for the hike. Free after admission to Oak Mountain State Park.
7:30pm

Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
Bart selects one book each month about art that he thinks 4–7 year olds will enjoy. This month’s selection is Uncle Andy’s: A Faabbuulous Visit with Andy Warhol by James Warhola.
11am

Free Kids Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our Fall yoga series. Free classes for kids ages 3-5, 5-8, 9-12 and teens, plus a free Family Yoga class.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM (Familty Yoga 2yrs+)

Back to School Saturday Bash – Shops of Grand River
Join The Outlet Shops of Grand River and TEEN VOGUE for the biggest Back to School event in Alabama!

Valleydale Art Festival – Faith Presbyterian Church
Join us for the first annual Valleydale Art Festival, hosted by Valleydale Farmers’ Market. View and purchase works by local artists and craftsmen, participate in the silent auction benefiting Faith Presbyterian Church’s Adoption Fund, and vote for your favorite for the People’s Choice Award! Artists and craftsmen will receive cash and gift prizes!
8am – 4pm

Cars by the Creek – Orr Park, Montevallo
Bring the family and enjoy food, music and more. Prizes awarded for top 20 cars and top 10 trucks.

Free admission
Car Registration 8am-11am
Presentations at 2pm

Saturday Market – Pepper Place
Re-open again for the season! Pepper Place Saturday Market brings the best local growers, food producers and artisans to you each Saturday morning. Rain or shine!
7am – Noon

Yard Sale and Market –
Yard Sale, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Baked Goods, Local Arts and Fun Children’s Activities. For more information please contact the Norwood Resource Center at 205.322.7361.
Norwood Community @ 15th Avenue and 32nd Street North on Norwood Community Blvd.
10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

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 for Storytime as we read Dragons Love Tacos. Find out what happens when you give dragons tacos and why it’s not a good idea to give them anything spicy. We will make something fun and have a delicious treat from the Cafe.
11am

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Sunday August 19th:

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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: Born to Be Wild, & Flying Monsters.

The Tornadoes of April 27th – Looking Back — Moving Forward, a new exhibit at McWane Science Center, reflects on the experiences of the April 27th, 2011 storms. The exhibit shares personal stories from those who experienced the devastation of the storms firsthand, while emphasizing the importance of tornado preparedness and explaining the science behind tornadoes.

Photos and stories from The Birmingham News help tell the story of the storms and the affect they had on survivors, volunteers, and the community as a whole. Students from Daniel Payne Middle School also help tell the story of their school and community through photos and artifacts from the storm for the exhibit. UAB students worked with the children from Daniel Payne Middle School to create short documentaries that can be seen in the exhibit as well.

In addition to sharing the personal stories from that day, the goal of this exhibit is to inform the community about how to prepare for extreme weather conditions, explaining the science of tornadoes and stressing awareness.

With vivid displays, the exhibit allows visitors the opportunity to learn about the scientific side of tornadoes. Graphics within the exhibit illustrate tornado formation and anatomy, educating visitors on how such extreme weather conditions develop. Additionally, the exhibit displays statistics and disputes common myths concerning the destructive storms.

Guests can watch live video from the storms that rolled across our state on April 27th, 2011, including the
weather forecasts from that day and actual images of the tornado as it made its way through our area provided by FOX6 WBRC. The exhibit is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum this summer.

Be Ready Alabama Exhibit Presented by:
The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
www.readyalabama.org

Dora and Diego, Let’s Explore Exhibit
Get ready for adventure with Dora and Diego at McWane Science Center in the new exhibit Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore! The exhibit features beloved characters Dora and Diego from Nickelodeon’s hit preschool series Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!, along with their friends Boots, Map, Backpack, Isa, Tico, and of course Swiper, now in their own exhibit for children to explore as they learn and play along.

This new, interactive traveling exhibit, was created by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in partnership with Nickelodeon, and presented by the WellPoint Foundation.

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 Tips for the Working Mom

Posted on Friday, August 10, 2012 by Angie

Getting to the office on time is even harder when the kids don’t cooperate, and kids frequently don’t cooperate. 🙂

Some “efficiency rules” that keep us on target are:

1. Be organized. Have lunches packed and backpacks ready the night before. Include your lunch and work items in the process. For us, one of us loads the dishwasher while the other preps for the following day.

2. Have a designated spot for ALL items. Your kids won’t have to search for their shoes or backpack if they know where it is. The first 2 weeks are the hardest- you have to stay on them. You could even put a picture of a backpack in the backpack spot.

3. Invest in a good planner and/or family calendar. Keep on top of dates by starting off on the right foot.

4. Designate some quality time- for us it is when I get home from work. I will not clean or do anything except play for about an hour. Now that my kids are getting older and are getting homework, we’ll have to tweak that.

5. Request a schedule from your child’s teacher- find out when field trips and class parties are ahead of time.

Are you a working Mom? How do you get everyone ready and out of the house on time?

Bedtime Book Club: The Secrets of Droon

Posted on Thursday, August 9, 2012 by Angie

The Secrets of Droon is a series of 40+ books that have been a hit at our house. Because I have a son and daughter, I have to find books that keep both of them engaged. This series has magic, adventure, royalty, and is creative. It has been described as Harry Potter for the younger crowd. The reading is simple- a 7 year old could probably handle reading it themself. Mine have both enjoyed me reading it, and can follow the story very well.

BirminghamMommy.com’s Bedtime Book Club gives The Secrets of Droon 2 sticky thumbs up!

The Secrets of Droon is a fantasy book series by Tony Abbott aimed at elementary school-age children. The series was named by the American Booksellers Association.

If your mom is your best friend, then who is your mom?

Posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 by Angie

I read an interesting article by Belinda Goldsmith on reuters.com the other day about moms who are their child’s best friend. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Do you know a mom who tries to be her child’s friend instead of authority figure? Read this excerpt and let us know what you think:

There’s perfectionist mothers, unpredictable mothers, “me first” mothers and “complete” mothers but family experts say the fastest growing group of mothers is the “best-friend mother” — and it can only end badly.

Clinical psychologist Stephan Poulter, who works with family relationships, has come up with five categories that he finds fit most mothers. He finds the group that is on the rise is mothers who want to be best friends with their children.

But he said going partying with your children, wearing the same clothes as them, trying to keep up with their youth with breast implants and surgery, erodes all boundaries — and leaves the children without a mother who can guide them.

“You see this all over the media with a lot of the actresses in Hollywood — their mothers are their friends,” said Los Angeles-based Poulter in a telephone interview.

“One tragic one is Lindsay Lohan. Her mother is out drinking with her. Now she’s been in and out of rehab and arrested twice. What kind of role model is she getting? Look at Paris Hilton too. Same story.”

He said Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy model, was another prime example. She died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in Florida in February 2007 — just five months after her 20-year-old son Daniel died of a drug overdose.

Poulter, who has just released a book called “The Mother Factor,” said this style of mothering had been on the rise for about 15 years but now accounted for 30-40 percent of mothers.

“EPIDEMIC”

“This really is an epidemic. Because of unresolved issues with their parents, some parents today don’t want to be so hard and just want their children to like them. At the end of a long working day they don’t want conflict,” he said.

“But kids need a parent, not another friend, and this leaves them motherless. This can create a lot of rage in boys, and daughters who are drug-orientated and out of control tend to be motherless daughters of this type.”

Rose Rock, the mother of U.S. comedian Chris Rock, who has raised 10 children of her own and looked after 17 foster children, has also warned about this shift in parenting.

She has laid down the 10 commandments of parenting in a new book, “Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Houseful of Successful Children,” and No. 1 is to be a child’s mama, not their friend — and to have rules in your house.

“At no time should you let your children think they can disrespect you or treat you like a buddy,” Rock told Reuters.

She attributed the rise in the number of mothers wanting to be their children’s best friend to a lack of time and to parents finding it is easier to let children lay down their own rules.

“It is a new thing that everyone wants their children to like them but parenting is not a popularity contest,” she said.

“I don’t need to be a 12-year-old’s friend but I do need to be their protector, guide and warden. This is just a cop out.”

Poulter says he tries to make families realize that they need to take back the traditional roles.

“I need the parents to recognize that they are not their child’s friend and get their kids’ respect and then the kids can separate from their mother and move forward in their life and not feel they are responsible for their mother,” he said.

“For the kids this can work. But I think it is very hard for the mother to shift and to become the parent.”

What do you think Mommies, being your child’s best friend, good idea or bad idea?

Mother Of All Consignment Sale Lists – Fall 2012

Posted on Monday, August 6, 2012 by Angie

It’s consignment time Birmingham!! Plan your selling and shopping with our list of sales that will be happening around town!

Make sure to check back often as we will update with any sales we learn about in the coming weeks. If you know of a sale in Birmingham that you would like to have listed, please contact us and we’ll get it added!

Happy Consigning!

Alabaster:

Renewed Threads Fall Consignment Sale
Alabaster First United Methodist Church
10903 Highway 119, Alabaster
Restore Building
Friday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sale Info

Gardendale:

Kingdom Kids Consignment
Gardendale Mt.Vernon United Methodist

August 19th – August 25th
Open to the Public 21st – 25th
Sale Info

Helena:

New 2 You Consignment Sale
Church of Cahaba Bend –

Friday, Sept 28th – 9am-7pm
Saturday, Sept 29th – 9am-1pm
Sale Info

Homewood:

Lil Lambs Consignment
Trinity United Methodist –

Open to the Public: September 7th and 8th
Friday – 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday – 9:00 AM – 12 Noon
Sale Info

Kids Market and Mom
Old Academy Sports location at Wildwood Shopping Center

Receiving (by Appt)
Tue, Sept. 4th, 9am – 7pm
Wed, Sept. 5th, 9am – 7pm

Regular Receiving:

Sat, Sept. 8th, 7a – 6p
Mon, Sept. 10th, 9a – 6p
Tues, Sept. 11th, 9a – 6p
Wed, Sept. 12th, 9a – 3p
(Clothing items only on the 12th)

Public Sale:

Tue, Oct. 2nd, 9a – 8p
Wed-Fri. Oct. 3rd – 5th 9a – 6p
Sat. Oct. 6th, 9a – 4p

CLOSED Sun. Oct. 7th

Mon-Wed. Oct. 8th – 10th 9a-3p

Site Info

Hoover:

Kids Wear Plus
Hoover Gallery Shopping Center

Open to the Public: September 17th – September 22nd
Visit Site for new hours
Sale Info

Bargains on the Bluff
Bluff Park United Methodist –

Open to the Public:
Friday, September 14th, 9am – 6pm
Saturday, September 15th, 9am – 2pm

Kids Corner Children’s Consignment
Mountain Chapel UMC

Wednesday, September 19th – 4pm-8pm
Thursday, Thursday September 20th – 9am-12pm ( half price sale from 4pm-7pm)
Sale Info

TNT Sale
Riverchase United Methodist –

Open to to the Public:

Friday, September 21st 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Saturday, September 22nd 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Sale Info

Hueytown:

Twice Blessed Sale
Garywood Assembly of God –

Public Sale:
TBA
Sale Info

Irondale:

Twice as Nice Sale
BAMOM – Birmingham Area Mothers of Multiples –

Private/Invitation Only Sale:
Friday August 24th
5pm – 9pm
$2 Cover Charge

Open to the public:

Saturday, August 25th
7:30am – 1:00pm
11:00am – 1/2 price sale begins
Sale Info

Mountain Brook:

Sweet Repeats Children’s Consignment
Mountain Brook Community Church

Friday, September 14th
Saturday, September 15th

Sale Info

Oak Mountain:

Giggles and Grace
Asbury United Methodist

Registration begins August 1st
Receiving: September 5th and 6th

Open to the public:
September 8th 8am – 7pm
September 9th – 8am – 1pm
Sale Info

Odenville:

Valley Kids Consignment
900 Woodland Circle, Odenville, AL 35120

Friday, September 14th 9am-7pm
Saturday, September 15th 8am-1pm (50% off day)
Sale Info

Pelham

Kids Exchange Consignment
August 8th – 12th
Next to Golds Gym in Pelham
Sale Info

Trussville

Growing Kids
Trussville Methodist Church –

Friday, October 5th 8:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday, October 6th 8:00am – 2:00pm
(Saturday is 50% off many items in sale)

Registration for Consignors begins August 27th for volunteers. August 28th for all others.

Vestavia

Whale of a Sale
Vestavia Hills Untied Methodist Church
Friday, September 14th 9am – 6pm
Most items 1/2 off 4pm – 6pm
Sale Info

Market on the Mountain
Family Life Center, Mountaintop Community Church –

Friday, September 7, 2012 (9am-5pm)

Saturday, September 8, 2012 (9am-1pm/ 25% off selected items)
Sale Info

** Please remember that all dates and times are subject to change without notice to BirminghamMommy. Please make sure to double check the sales website for the most current and up to date information.

Birmingham Events Calendar: August 5th – August 12th

Posted on Sunday, August 5, 2012 by Angie

We are officially on Bonus Summer Vacation Time! We’re kind of thankful for the extra 2 weeks to hang with the tiny humans, but what to do, what to do?

Summer Movies are wrapping up this week so if you were planning on getting one of those in, you better hurry!

LEGO DUPLO is in town for 2 special events happening, you can catch them at the McWane Science Center or the Birmingham Museum of Art.

$5 Fun Days will be back at the zoo again this weekend, a great time to see the next Giraffe Encounter!

If you’re looking to take a little Road Trip, we’ve got a great article on what to do in Huntsville!

Have a GREAT Week!

Sunday August 5th

Sound of Music – Alabama Theatre
Tickets will be available at the door one hour before showtime.
Admission $8.00
2pm

Bart’s Art Cart, Artistic Flags – Birmingham Museum of Art
Come by in July to show your patriotism by creating an artistic flag!

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Monday August 6th:

Kids Flix – Adamsville Library
Join us for a movie and popcorn at the community center. This week’s movie is an inspiring story of the bond between animals and humans. A boy, a dolphin, and a second chance at life.
3pm

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Tuesday August 7th:

Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the ‘Ham today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.

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Wednesday August 8th:

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read Pirate Princess. What happens when a princess decides she would rather be a pirate? We will make a craft and have a treat from the Cafe.
11am

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Thursday August 9th:

LEGO DUPLO: Read! Build! Play! – Birmingham Museum of Art
Fun, free event for the entire family. Join LEGO DUPLO play leaders for a day of creative building fun filled with guided activities, inspirational songs and time for free build to create whatever inspires you. Tailored for children under five, the experience demonstrates how reading coupled with construction play can engage, excite and encourage early literacy development, and spark exploration. Families are introduced to new ideas to encourage play and learning at home. Kids will be inspired by the larger-than-life LEGO DUPLO book at the event!
10am – 2pm

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Friday August 10th:

I Love Summer Day Celebration- Vestavia Hills Civic Center and Wald Park
Come out to Wald Park for a day of free family fun! Enjoy the following activities and events:
Free Swimming 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Children’s Activities by First Baptist Church of Birmingham from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Music by the Odd Quad 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM and 7:10 PM – 8:00 PM
VHHS Band 6:50 PM – 7:10 PM
*Movie-The Muppets will begin at dusk, approximately 8 PM

The event will also include a business Expo. Concessions will be available for purchase.
***Please Note: No Pets will be allowed on the field

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Saturday August 11th:

Saturday Studio: Design a Miniature Museum – Birmingham Museum of Art
What would your dream museum look like? Would it be modern or more traditional? What art would you put in it and where? Imagine and buildyour own miniature museum in a box. During the first day, we will brainstorm ideas and design the look of your museum. You will create miniature art for your museum, add final touches on the second day and install it in your very own miniature museum. Ages 7-11.
1pm – 3pm

Back to School Saturday Bash – Shops of Grand River
Join The Outlet Shops of Grand River and TEEN VOGUE for the biggest Back to School event in Alabama!

Brierfield Craft Festival – Breifield Historic Ironworks
Located on the site of the historic Bibb Naval Furnace – the only ironworks owned by the Confederacy – Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park combines the feeling of history long past with the excitement of a modern park setting. Visitors can view the furnace ruins, hike, swim, camp and enjoy the Alabama outdoors in one of the most peaceful and tranquil settings in Central Alabama.
Park admission: Adults (12+) $2
Children (6-12) and Seniors (62+): $1
8am – 4pm

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 for Storytime as we read Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit. See how a boy who loves science and baseball ends up saving the world. We will make something fun and have something cool from the Cafe.
11am

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Sunday August 12th:

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Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

Be Ready Alabama Exhibit Presented by:
The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
www.readyalabama.org

This new, interactive traveling exhibit, was created by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in partnership with Nickelodeon, and presented by the WellPoint Foundation.

Birmingham Zoo:

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

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:

Railroad Park:

Southern Museum of Flight:

Have Fun In Hunstville: By Rocket City Mom

Posted on Friday, August 3, 2012 by Angie

Huntsville is Birmingham’s neighbor to the north and there is no shortage of fun things to do with the family when you visit. So grab the kids, gas up the car, and hit I-65 for a quick trip from The Ham you won’t forget anytime soon.

We’ve featured the family attractions best known for their exclusive Huntsville-esque flair, and even have a special giveaway below just for our friends “down south”. Click on the titles for each feature’s hours and admission rates.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center
There’s no other place like it. Home of Space Camp and Marshall Space Flight Center, even if you’ve visited before, there are new exhibits coming through constantly. In addition to the space museum and the real Saturn V moon rocket on display (named Best Roadside Attraction with Kid-Friendly Appeal by Family Vacation Critic, currently there’s the Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age exhibit for fans of the new movie. Older kids will love the thrilling simulators like the Space Shot, G-Force Accelerator, and Apollo Cockpit Trainer; the little ones will adore the Kids Cosmos Energy Depletion Zone and Mars Climbing Wall. The IMAX movie theater is currently featuring The Dark Knight Rises, as well as more kid-friendly flicks.
PHOTO link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryce_edwards/2088079870/

Earlyworks Museum Complex
Really three separate children’s museums, this complex includes Earlyworks Children’s History Museum, Huntsville Historic Depot and Museum, and Alabama Constitution Village. There’s no way you can do all three in one day so plan accordingly.
Earlyworks is indoors and a great choice for the youngest kids; it features a storytelling tree, Biscuits Backyard play area, KidStruction building room, and interactive history of Huntsville throughout. My six and seven year-old boys LOVE the Huntsville Depot antique fire trucks you can play in and on, as well as real train engines & whistles, caboose, and trolley that rides around the roundhouse and the grounds. The Depot itself has been renovated and still bears graffiti from Union soldiers during the Huntsville’s Civil War occupation. Earlyworks Alabama Constitution Village is a destination American Girl fans will enjoy – they can interact with the grounds and villagers in the year 1819 Alabama.

Huntsville Botanical Gardens… for Kids
Most every major city has a botanical garden, but Huntsville’s is made a Children’s Garden especially for kids and families. Giant treehouses to explore throughout, a model train in a miniature country village, water play in the splash ponds, a dinosaur dig, storytime garden, and lush butterfly house are only a few features your kids will delight in. Lunch at Clementine’s cafe make it easy to plan a whole day, just bring your swimsuit, towels, and sunscreen because you WILL get wet!

Where to Shop:
Bridge Street Town Centre is one of THE best places to shop while in Huntsville. Home of the only H&M south of Nashville, Bridge Street also has Anthropologie, LOFT, Juicy Couture, White House Black Market, BlueMED Spa, and J.Crew amongst others. It’s also pretty kid-friendly with the antique carousel, nightly street entertainers, and pop jet water fountains where kids can cool off.

Where to Eat & Other Attractions:
There are a variety of kid-friendly restaurants in town and we’ve reviewed some of them for you HERE.

Been there, done that? Other Huntsville attractions include:
Sci-Quest Hands-On Science Center
Burritt On the Mountain
Huntsville Museum of Art’s interactive ART LAB
Point Mallard Water Park

A huge thank you to Rocket City Mom for giving us ideas on ways to spend a day away from the Ham. To help you out even more they have helped facilitate this Giveaway to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum and “Mammoths & Mastadons” exhibit – Head over to the giveaway post for more details and to enter!

Giveaway: U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum and "Mammoths & Mastadons" exhibit

Posted on Friday, August 3, 2012 by Angie

What are you doing with your extra 2 weeks of summer? How about loading up for a little road trip? Thanks to Rocket City Mom and the U.S. Space a Rocket Center, 2 lucky BirminghamMommy readers will win family 4 packs to see the Mammoths and Mastadons exhibit at the Space and Rocket center!

Journey back through the Ice Age to view some of Earth’s largest and most awe-inspiring mammals in The Field Museum exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Monumental video installations, hands-on interactive displays, life-sized models, fossil tusks and skulls—and even touchable teeth— bring these ancient giants back to life. You’ll discover the difference between mammoths—furry beasts weighing as much as eight tons, bearing tusks up to 16 feet long—and mastodons, their shorter, stockier cousins. Masters of the Ice Age, mammoths and mastodons survived for millions of years, living in climates ranging from the temperate woodlands of North America and Europe to the wind-swept steppes of Asia.

To Enter:

1. Leave a comment here on this post telling us how happy you are about the 2 extra weeks of summer!

For extra entries you can:

2. Head over to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Facebook Page and thank them for the chance to win

3. Thank Rocket City Mom for the tips on Having Fun in Huntsville

Giveaway will end Monday, August 6th at 6pm. We will randomly select 2 winners and they will be contacted via email with instructions on collecting their tickets.

Good Luck!

$5 Fun Day, Birmingham Zoo

Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 by Angie

For 2 Weekends in a row, the Birmingham Zoo will offer $5 Admission! The entire community is invited to come to the Zoo for $5 Fun Days during the first two weekends of August! Guests will enjoy $5 admission August 3rd – 5th and 10th – 12th.

Chefs from the Culinary Institute of Virginia College will showcase the techniques of blowing sugar and carving ice into the shapes of animals. Following the demonstrations, the elephants will enjoy the ice sculpture as it melts. Guests can also take part in a GetRhythm!® African Drum Circle in the Children’s Zoo and enjoy $1 hotdogs at the Kudzoo Café and Safari Café. Kids can create their own animal masks, join a parade and have their faces painted.

Have you ever seen a tiger tear open a piñata? Or a sea lion solve a water jug feeder puzzle? AZA-accredited zoos use exciting enrichment activities like these to provide a stimulating and challenging environment for the animals and help keep them mentally and physically fit. Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy enrichment demonstrations, keeper talks, activities for kids and much more throughout the event. You won’t want to miss the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter, Sea Lion Splash Show and Wildlife Show, as well as exciting activities such as the Boma Encounter and Predator Zone. Come feed the giraffes and lorikeets, watch keepers feed the alligator and pelicans, and much more. Come enjoy all the Zoo has to offer until 7pm each day.

Here is a schedule of events you will be able to enjoy during the Fun Days:

Schedule of enrichment activities:
Friday, August 3rd:
10am – Animal Mask Parade
11am – Boma Encounter
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting

Saturday, August 4th:
9:30am – Puzzles for Orangutans
10am – Animal Ice Carving and Sugar Blowing
11am – Boma Encounter
11am to 1pm – Get Rhythm!® Drum Circle
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting
2:30pm – Puzzles for Gorillas

Sunday, August 5th:
10am – Preying with Tigers
11am – Predator Piñatas with African Wild Dogs
11am – Boma Encounter
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting
2:30pm – Puzzles for Sea Lions
3:30pm – Popsicles and Playtime with African Lions

Friday, August 10th:
10am – Crafts for Kids
11am – Boma Encounter
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting

Saturday, August 11th:
9:30am – Puzzles for Orangutans
11am – Boma Encounter
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting
2:30pm – Puzzles for Gorillas

Sunday, August 12th:
10am – Predator Piñatas with the Malayan Tiger
11am – Ice Treats for African Wild Dogs
11am – Boma Encounter
12pm – Watermelon Toss for Elephants
1pm to 3pm – Face Painting
2:30pm – Ice Treats for Sea Lions
3:30pm – Predator Piñatas with African Lions

BabbaBox To the Rescue: Review and Giveaway

Posted on Monday, July 30, 2012 by Angie

You know those moms who are always posting pictures on Facebook of their smiling children making adorable crafts that they will later give to their teachers/ neighbors/coaches/mail carriers who will be oh-so-pleased to receive them because they’re functional and look professionally produced? Yeh, I am not one of those moms. I do love to craft (yes, that’s a verb) with my kids but we’re more on the tape-things-together-and-throw-them-away-after-a-week plan right now. Oh, I can Pinterest with the best of them but when it comes to the actual doing…

Fortunately, now there are craft kit subscription services that help moms like me with just enough brain power left at the end of the day to follow a few simple directions. The way these services work is, you sign up to pay a regular fee and receive a different craft box in the mail each month. Each box has a different theme with several artsy-craftsy-sciency activities and clear instructions for each. The monthly service can be stopped and restarted at any time. Sample themes include: outer space, gardening, pirates, color, wind, and bugs. BabbaBox is one such subscription service and they were nice enough to send us a box to review. This month’s theme was Rainbows, which are scientifically proven to be irresistible to small children.

The box was stuffed full of the following: materials to make a rainbow sunhat (more about that later), a prism, a giant bubble wand (because bubbles have “rainbows” inside them. Get it?), several straight, untwisted pipe cleaners (who knew they came that way?) for creating your own bubble wands, and a cute book about a little boy looking for rainbows. We started with the prism. I read aloud about light refraction and spectrums while my daughter laughed maniacally yelling, “There’s a rainbow on your head, Mommy!” Science lesson – CHECK. After she calmed down, she copied the colors she saw in the rainbow on to the sheet provided. She chose black instead of violet but whatever. Next, we got busy making our own bubble wands. We gave little brother the included plastic bubble wand to keep him busy while his sister and I twisted and shaped the pipe cleaners. Square bubble wands, triangular bubble wands, duck-shaped bubble wands (??) – we tried them all. I had my daughter predict what shape the bubbles would turn out (They all come out spherical. Shhh! Don’t tell!). The rainbow hat was next and required a little prep to keep from making a mess (Who am I kidding? I mean a further mess). We put the simple white sunhat on a plastic bag and my daughter used the included spray bottle (FYI – Spray bottles make the best toys EVER) to wet the hat. We then tore pieces of the colored tissue provided into squares and strips (Fine Motor activity!) and covered the hat with them in random patterns. More spraying ensued – mostly, but not entirely, on the hat. We allowed the hat to dry overnight and completed the other side the next day. What we ended up with was a cool, tie-dyed style hat. At bedtime, we read the sweet story book about rainbows, written by the author of Corduroy. A great end to our crafting weekend! A nice little bonus for mom – especially with the weather this week: a retractable umbrella so the fam can enjoy rainbows without getting drenched. And, it was green – score!

Many craft kits offer additional craft and activity ideas, discussion questions, websites, or smart phone apps. For example, in this box, I received instructions for downloading the game Rainbow Blocks on my iPhone. After I checked it out (repeatedly), I let my daughter try it. It’ll take a while for her to get it but I’ll gladly play it in the meantime.

We had a fantastic time with our BabbaBox and it was really nice to have fun, structured craft time with my girl that I didn’t have to spend hours planning. I especially liked that this box provided learning opportunities she can continue to use whenever she wants like the prism (she can put rainbows on other people’s heads, too!), the story book, and the iPhone app (OK, she can’t use that whenever she likes – I’ve got stuff to do). Also, she learned the concept of color transfer through the hat activity, which can be applied to new activities. Like, apparently, piling scraps of construction paper on the white table and seeing what happens when she pours water on top. We’ve had to set some guidelines…

Want to try a BabbaBox with your 3- to 6-year-old? BabbaCo has generously offered to give a box to one lucky BirminghamMommy!

To enter the giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling us why, at this point in the summer, you NEED a BabbaBox to occupy your kids.

To earn additional entries, you can do each of the following once. Leave a comment here for each additional entry:

2. Visit the BabbaCo Facebook page and thank them for the giveaway
3. Tweet about this Giveaway “@BirminghamMommy is giving away a BabbaBox from @BabbaCo http://ow.ly/cAX35”
4. Share this giveaway on your Facebook

Giveaway will end Thursday August 2nd at Noon. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, August 3rd and will receive a BabbaCo Box by mail within a couple of weeks. Good luck and Happy Crafting!

Thanks to BirminghamMommy Contributor Kristen Berthiaume for trying this out and sharing her findings!