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!

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

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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

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 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

$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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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

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!

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 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:

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

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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.

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!

Birmingham Events Calendar: July 29th – August 5th

Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2012 by Angie

Lots of Harry Potter on the calendar this week since it’s his Birthday! Happy Birthday Harry!

$5 Fun Days will kick off at the Birmingham Zoo and Barts Art Cart will start a new exhibit where you can create a Warhol Inspired Sports Car!

Dog days of summer will take place at Ruffner Mountain and you can catch some Music and Fireworks at the Morgan Creek Winery!

Lots of fun things to choose from this week! Make it Great!

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

Sunday July 29th:

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 July 30th:

Harry Potter Film Festival – Birmingham Public Library, Central Branch
In celebration of Harry’s birthday, come to our Harry Potter film festival in the Story Castle. Refreshments will be provided.
10am – 4pm

Monday at the Movies – Hoover Public Library
Join us for Monday at the Movies in The Library Theatre at the Hoover Public Library! Free admission and refreshments.

Feature Film: Archeologist Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), a respected college professor who wears a leather jacket and brown fedora and carries a whip, in his action-loaded, thrilling film set in the 1936, during the rise of the Third Reich. Jones battles snakes, Nazis, and supernatural forces from Nepal to Cairo to rescue the Ark of the Covenant, a sacred box that contains the original Ten Commandments.

Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
Paramount Pictures; Directed by Steven Spielberg
Rated PG; 115 minutes; 1981
2:00pm and 6:30pm

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Tuesday July 31st:

Summer Science Studio – McWane Science Center
Join us for a summer of fun and learning in the new Summer Science Studio for early childhood education programs. Junior League of Birmingham volunteers will be guiding activities for children ages two to six in the studio that are designed to help children learn while they play. The Studio will offer a fun, hands-on educational environment that inspires creativity and exploration. Little ones are sure to have a blast using their imaginations to paint, make music, dress up in costumes, and more.
10am – 1pm

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Wednesday August 1st:

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for a special Getting Ready for School Storytime! This event is for all ages, but especially those about to start school for the first time. School is the great adventure and reading is the key! Good books, fun crafts — see you there!
11am

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Thursday August 2nd:

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Friday August 3rd:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – Alabama Theatre
Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.

We’re showing all of the Harry Potter movies this summer! Enjoy Butter Beer from the concession stand.
Doors open at 6, come dressed up and enter the costume contest for some fun prizes! Movie starts at 7pm
Tickets will be $8 at the door.

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Saturday August 4th:

Music and Fireworks in the Vineyard – Morgan Creek Winery
Enjoy entertainment featuing music by Big Tasties. Tours and wine tasting will be available, but the event is family-friendly. The celebration will end with fireworks starting at 9:30 PM. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the bands in the vineyard.
6pm – 9:30pm

Dog Days of Summer – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Ruffner has gone to the dogs! Join us for dog-friendly naturalist-led hikes throughout the day. Booths will be set up under the pavilion from with local dog organizations, businesses and groups. Throughout the day there will be raffles, contest, prizes, artist drawings, snow cones for dogs, and human food for sale.
9am – 12:30pm

Shelby County Family Day – McWane Science Center
Shelby County residents receive half-off admission to McWane Science Center’s four floors of interactive exhibits.
Shelby County residents must Present This Downloadable Invitation and a copy of a current driver’s license showing proof of residency.
Discount not valid with any other promotions or discounts.

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 My Name Is Not Alexander. A young boy imagines that he becomes famous men throughout history. We will make a craft and have something yummy from the Cafe.
11am

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Sunday August 5th:

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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:

Naptime Confessions: Road Trippin'

Posted on Friday, July 27, 2012 by Angie

I used to be a stickler for naptime being at home, mostly because I valued that down time around the house, but now? I’ll take it any way I can get it! How about you?

Couponing 101: A few tips

Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2012 by Angie

There’s been so much hype about couponing in the news recently. The “extreme couponing” craze is in full swing, but not all of us can or want to invest the time in to be extreme. If you’re looking to save some money in a reasonable amount of time, we caught up with local Coupon Expert Holly Syx from igobogo to get some tis on fitting coupons into our lifestyle. Read On!

Get to know your store’s coupon policy, and follow it closely. Some stores double, some stores allow competitor’s coupons, some stores don’t even accept coupons. Be aware of correct coupon usage at your store to avoid hassle at the register.

Couponing is a great way to save, but saving money at the grocery store actually begins with the store’s weekly ad. Familiarize yourself with your store’s ad each week, and stock up on the things you buy when they are on sale. Focus on Buy 1, Get 1 Free sales, $10 for $10 deals, in season produce, etc. Download this free Printable Grocery Price Chart to find out if the sale is really a deal.

Once you have looked at the ad THEN you want to add coupons. Matching coupons with sale prices is the trick to getting the best deals on groceries. Find a coupon blog that covers your stores and does the coupon matchups for you. This will save you tons of time.

Plan your trip before you leave the house. That includes having your list ready and coupons clipped. There is not much that is more stressful than trying to get your coupons and list together while you are in the store especially with the kids along. If you are organized with your list and coupons before you head inside you can get in and out with no trouble at all.

Do not clip all your coupons unless you want them to rule your life. Seriously…You will never use them all, and you will only end up wasting your time for the most part. Some folks clip all the coupons & sort them in a binder by category. That’s cool if you have time to do that. However, I’ve found that the easiest way to organize is to just place the coupons by insert date in a file box. Yes, you may miss a few deals by not having a binder with you at the store, but you will save tons of time. Time is also worth money.

Make couponing fit your lifestyle, and not the other way around. We all want to save a little (or alot), but we all have different ways to do it. Some may eat only organic, others may grow all their own food, still others may like to snack on junk food, others may not. There are plenty of coupons to go around no matter what you buy (yes, even on organic foods).

Make sure to see what Holly is up to on iGoBOGO.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@iGoBOGO) for current deals.

LEGO DUPLO to Read, Build, Play & Support Early Literacy around Birmingham

Posted on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 by Angie

Each summer, libraries, parks, museums and various other family attractions work to entertain, excite and inspire children all summer long in educational and fun ways. For communities across the country, these venues are pillars of summer excitement and continued learning. To celebrate exploration, learning and play from a young age and support cities in their efforts to spice up summer, LEGO DUPLO has launched the Read! Build! Play! national tour and is coming to Birmingham to ignite exploration in toddlers and introduce new ways to play and learn to parents.

Designed for children under five, the Read! Build! Play! experience brings together reading, building, singing and storytelling in a fun, educational way. As story tellers read, children will be encouraged to build, sing, play and explore through original games and creative activities.

If for some reason you can’t join in-person, you will be able to take the experience home with you by visiting www.readbuildplay.com and downloading the Parent Activity Guide, full of suggestions and ideas on how to keep playtime fresh, energetic and educational.

Mark your calendar for 2 events happening here in Birmingham!

Birmingham Museum of Art:
Thursday, August 9th 10am – 2pm
Admission is FREE

McWane Science Center:
Friday, August 10th 10am – 2pm
Price included in the cost of admission. Free to members.

Pinspired Dinner: Pork Tenderloin and Yummy Potatoes

Posted on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 by Angie

We tried these 2 new recipes out a few nights ago and LOVED them both. Both recipes are simple. You use Ziploc bags to marinate, then voila, you’re done! The pork was great and the sauce that you can make to go with it was so good. The potatoes were thin and delicious. This meal will definitely become a part of our dinner rotation.

Pork Tenderloin:

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin: http://pinterest.com/pin/97812623127627471/

Yummy Potatoes:

slice potatoes (2lg) into very thin slices (1/4 inch).
Toss potatoes in (3Tbsp) olive oil, Italian seasoning (1tbsp) and salt (1tsp) in a ziplock bag to coat.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 450 for 15 -20 minutes, until lightly brown. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Yummy potatoes: http://pinterest.com/pin/97812623127620051/

Follow our boards on Pinterest for more yummy recipes and fun finds!