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Medical Minute: Infertility, Truths and Myths.

Posted on by Angie

 

Infertility is a very sensitive and complex issue and because of that, can be a very misunderstood issue among women, their partners and even family members.

Here some facts to dispel any myths you may have heard:

It’s the Women’s fault:

While women are quick to point the finger at themselves when they are having difficulty conceiving, it’s just as likely to be an issue with her male partner. A man needs to have enough sperm, those sperm need to be able to swim and have a normal shape in order to be fertile. About 35 percent of all infertility cases treated in the United States are due to a female problem. But an equal number can be traced back to a male problem as well, 20 percent to a problem in both partners, and 10 percent to unknown causes.

It’s all in Your Head:

Wrong! Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. I’m sure many women have been told by well meaning friends or family, to just “relax and stop stressing it will happen.” Upwards of 90% of all infertility cases are caused by physical problems.  In the female partner, the major causes of infertility are absent or irregular ovulation, blocked fallopian tubes, abnormalities in the uterus, and endometriosis (a chronic painful condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus migrates into the pelvis and attaches to the reproductive organs).

While taking a vacation and lying on a beach somewhere sounds great and relaxing for your overall well being, it will not solve any problems you are having trying to conceive.

You’re Too Old, Overwight, Underweight, Smoke too much…

If having children is something you want as a part of your life, looking at your overall health prior to conceiving is not a bad idea. You may have some health habits that could interfere with your fertility and getting those corrected such as stopping smoking, won’t hurt. Many people who have stopped smoking, conceive within a few months, an extreme in weight, either way is a known rick for increased fertility, but gaining or losing weight to get you back in a healthy zone for your body type can correct this issue fairly quickly.

For more information on infertility visit the National Infertility Association Website: RESOLVE

We still have spots open for our event this Thursday evening with Brookwood Medical Center.

Join our infertility specialist and moms who have been in your shoes, in an open conversation about the struggles of conceiving, issues along the way and finding hope. They’ll share their knowledge and experience about questions to ask, where to seek help and steps to move toward the goal of having children. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversations with our expert panel. Refreshments will be served.

To Register: Visit GenBump.com

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

Posted on by Angie

The long awaited movie adaptation of the first book in the Hunger Games series has finally hit theaters and we couldn’t be more excited.

When people ask us to describe the books, the only thing we can say is, it’s like nothing you’ve ever read before. It’s a futuristic, reality television death match, that pits children against each other in a giant man-made arena. They will fight to the death while their home districts and the people living in the Capitol watch on large televisions. Demented and wrong, no?

We saw the movie over the weekend and the general consensus among the movie goers that we spoke with is, that it was awesome. Very well done, very well acted.

I have to say that the backdrops, the costumes, and the settings were exactly like I imagined it when I read the books, the despair of the districts and the flamboyant nature of the capitol. They did a great job translating it all on to the big screen, with no major book to movie discrepancies. For book fans, this movie does not disappoint.

Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen, portrays the characters determination and demeanor perfectly. Watching her relationship develop with Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) made us want a Cinna (and some awesome gold eyeliner!)

While most preferred the hunkiness of Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, they still walked away Team Peeta. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is cute, in a baby face way, and that role just worked for him. One comparison we heard was that “he’ll probably beef up between movies, like Taylor Lautner did in the Twilight series.”

The rest of the supporting cast includes, Woody Harrelson as the grumpy, rebellious, liquored up Haymitch. Former Hunger Games winner, turned mentor (Love!) and Donald Sutherland as President Snow (also, Love!)

The violence is there, it had to be, but it wasn’t overly graphic. The building of relationships felt a bit rushed but given that the movie is already over 2 hours long, some things just have to be sped up in relation to the book.

The ending is very tense and leaves you wanting more! It’s a good thing we’ve got at least 2 more to look forward to!

My only negative thoughts are that they didn’t incorporate the soundtrack into the movie. The soundtrack is amazing, and I feel that the right soundtrack can make or break a movie, in this case it was just MIA. Maybe because of the intense nature of this film it didn’t work, but it was a bit lost on me that they didn’t use at least some of the songs in the movie. Credits don’t count.

All in all, we were pleased and will probably see it again, just to be sure!

What were your thoughts on the movie, did you enjoy it as much as the book, did you miss the absence of the soundtrack?

Mommy Madness: The Romance Problem

Posted on by Angie

I am a big fan of Bethenny Frankel, creator of the Skinnygirl margarita, star of the show Bethenny Ever After. Recently she commented on the challenge of juggling her work, her child, and her marriage and made a reference to how her husband’s “penis has cobwebs on it.”

When I heard that, I spewed my drink ALLLLLLLL over the place. I mean, it’s both sad and funny that I totally understood what she meant. It’s just really difficult to be romantic when you have small children. Sometimes it just seems easier to not even try, but that is just plain depressing if you allow yourself to think about it. I mean really. My husband and I used to s-m-o-l-d-e-r. I pine for those days. I continue to hold onto the hope that we can smolder again, despite the two tiny people who reside with us.

How do marriages survive children? And not only survive, but remain HAPPY?

I have read countless articles, blogs, books and tidbits on this subject for the past few years and I still don’t know the answer. Date nights, blah blah blah, make time for each other, blah blah blah. It all sounds fabulous until you shut the book or magazine that you’re reading these ideas out of and pick up your phone to text your husband “WE NEED A DATE NIGHT  – ASAP” … or, “WE NEED TO HAVE SEX BEFORE YOUR PENIS GROWS COBWEBS ON IT.”

But before you can type out the words, you hear screaming from the other room. Someone bit someone else’s finger. And then someone has a poop diaper and the other one needs help in the bathroom and OMG, I forgot tomorrow is my mother’s birthday, I need to order flowers and OMG, I need to make dinner. And so on and so forth. The text never gets sent. Date night never happens.

The cobwebs arrive.

Since I am in the throes of adjusting to life as a stay-at-home-mom as well as suffering from a case of postpartum depression, it’s hard for me to see the other side. I know that we’ll make it, but how long will it take and how many cobwebs are going to to be present once we finally emerge from this dark season? Is this what happens to so many marriages who claim that they “fell out of love” with each other?

Lucky for me and my cobwebbed partner, I know that love isn’t just about sex. I mean, a lot of it is, at least in our house, but not ALL. Thank goodness we have other facets to our relationship that we can fall on when life continuously gets in the way of romance.

Well … really we only have one thing we can fall back on: humor. Because when your three-year-old walks in on you doing the dirty, and then proceeds to ask you over and over again why you were wrestling, the only way to cope with it is to laugh. And then never have sex again.

About Harmony:

Harmony blew into Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and recently quit her job to stay at home with her two boys. Her sanity is in question. Visit her blog at Modern Mommy Madness.

Birmingham Area Easter Egg Hunts, 2012

Posted on by Angie

Dust off those Easter Baskets, it’s time to hunt! Here is a list of upcoming Easter Egg Hunts going on around town. If you know of one we missed or would like to have one added, please let us know! Happy Hunting!

Alabaster

Albert Scott Library – Alabaster
Bring your basket & camera to hunt eggs and meet the Easter Bunny!
Wednesday, April 4th 10:30am

Avondale

Avondale UMC is hosting a great hunt Sunday, April 1st at 1:15pm. Picnic lunch at 12:15. All events happening at the newly renovated Avondale Park.

Calera

Cottontail Express – Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Welcome spring with a train ride to Peter Cottontail’s meadow. Join in the fun as we hunt for Easter eggs – you might win a prize! Bring your camera to take photos with the Easter Bunny! This fun-filled family excursion lasts approximately ninety minutes.

Children (ages 2 through 11) $10, Adults $15

Info Phone: 205-757-8383

Buy Tickets

Chelsea

Treetop Adventure
Egg hunt Saturday, April 7th at 11 am and 3 pm. There is no cost for the egg hunt. The Easter Bunny will also be visiting.

Chelsea Community Church – CMS Football Field
Sunday, April 8th 10am
Egg-Stravaganza – at 12pm a helicopter will fly in the Easter bunny & let him out on the football field with eggs on his back.  After the helicopter departs, the eggs will be strewn over the field.  This will take place 3 different times for 3 different age groups.
It is open to the public.

Clay

Clay Public Library
Join us for the 2nd annual Clay Public Library Easter Egg Hunt! There will be prize eggs to find and snacks to enjoy afterwards. “Joey the Balloon Artist” will also be on hand, and we’ll enjoy a visit from the Easter Bunny! Please arrive a few minutes early as the hunt begins promptly at 10:00, and the eggs will go quickly! Call the library at 680-3812 for more information.

Gardendale

East Gardendale Baptist
Saturday April 7th – 10am

Gardendale Nighttime Easter Egg Hunt – Kenneth A. Clemons Athletic Complex
Night Hunt! Bring your flashlights!
Saturday March 31st 7:30pm

Helena

Helena Amphitheater
8:30am – 11:ooam
Saturday March  31st

Homewood

Dawson Memorial Baptist
Saturday March 31st
11:00a – 1:00p
4 separate egg hunts: 2 and younger, 3-4 year olds, 5 year olds-Kindergarten., 1st and 2nd grade at no cost
Families will enjoy pony rides, inflatables, rides, egg hunts, crafts, puppet, and ponies!

Homewood Park
The Homewood Easter Egg Hunt is for toddlers up to twelve years of age. Children will hunt for eggs with children of their on age group. There is also a section for children with special needs.
Time: Hunt begins at 11am sharp. It does not take to long for all of the eggs to disappear! Moon Walk, Train Ride and Merry Go Round will be available prior to and just after the event. Live music on the stage beginning at Noon.
Date: Saturday March 31st

Hoover

Aldridge Gardens
2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Egg and I. Gates open at 9am for a morning full of fun in the Gardens. Inflatables, Face Painting, Crafts, Photos with the Easter Bunny, over 2000 eggs and more!
Saturday March 31st, 8-10am
Ages 2-5 year olds – 9:30am
6-10 year olds – 10:00am
Pick up a free pass from the “Egg and I” – On HWY 31, Riverchase. Rain or Shine!

Green Valley Baptist Church
Saturday April 7th
10am at the Fellowship Hall

Leeds

Bass Pro Shops
Here comes Peter Cottontail! Come out and get in the spirit of Easter with FREE photos of you and your family with the Easter Bunny. FREE Crafts for the kids to enjoy (while supplies last). Free East Egg Hunt!

March 31  & April 1st 11am-3pm
April 2nd – April 6th 6-8pm
April 7th & -April 8th 11am- 3pm

Pelham

Oak Mountain State Park
Come out and enjoy the festivities of the 5th Annual Easter Egg Hunt from 10a.m. to 2p.m. on Saturday April 7th. Egg hunts are at 11a.m. & 1p.m.
Park admission is $3 adults, $1 children (6 to 11), 5 & under are free.
Activities (except egg hunt & sack races) require 1 ticket, which can be bought for $1 a piece under the Dogwood Pavilion.

Pinson

Pinson United Methodist
Saturday April 7th 11:00am
Bring the kids to Pinson UMC’s Easter egg hunt! We will meet at the church and walk over to the preacher’s house for the hunt! Come join the fun in the sun and maybe see our special guest you don’t want to miss!

Vestavia Hills

Wald Park
Come out to Wald Park for an Easter Egg Hunt and other fun children’s activities!
Saturday March 31st –
9:00am – 12:00pm

Liberty Crossings
April 7th 11am – 1pm

Other Special Events:

Edgars Bakery – All Locations
Easter Bunny at the Bakery
The event is free and open to everyone, and pictures with the Easter Bunny are free as well!
Kid’s coloring stations will be set up, and there will be random prize drawings for parents! While you’re there, check out our beautiful Easter sweets and gifts!
March 31st – All Day

McWane Science Center – The Great Egg Drop
Join us for an eggciting, eggstreme, hands-on fun eggstravaganza. Scramble over to the Science Center before Noon the Saturday before Easter. Take your egg to the flight prep area where Science Center staffers have lots of items and eggspertise to help you construct a vehicle that may or may not allow your egg to survive a two story fall!
DATE: Saturday, April 7
TIMES: Building from 10 AM – 11:45 AM, Egg drop at Noon
COST: Included in cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members

Crestwood Spring Festival –
Girls Inc., 5130 8th Court South, 35212
Come join us for our second annual Crestwood Spring Festival! Horse rides, bouncy castles, face painting, and many more activities – including live music by local musicians. We’ll provide FREE hotdogs, funnel cakes, and drinks. You feel free to bring a tasty side dish to share. Come hang out with neighbors and share some good food and good times.

Saturday March 31st – Noon

 

Birmingham Event's Calendar: March 25th – April 1st

Posted on by Angie

Back into the swing of things this week, we hope you all had a great Spring Break Week. If you aren’t completely exhausted and are still looking for some fun, we have a pretty packed calendar, especially next Saturday!

Don’t forget to check out our next GenBump Event this Thursday evening, our topic will be infertility. Join our infertility specialist and moms who have been in your shoes, in an open conversation about the struggles of conceiving, issues along the way and finding hope.

Easter Egg Hunts are heating up, for our BIG list of area hunts, see our post here!

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

Sunday March 25h:

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
In March, Bart will take a cue from an ancient African proverb to construct gold linguist staffs.

Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features 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 March 26th:

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 March 27th

Critter Tales, Farm Animals – Birmingham Zoo
In this class, students will explore different animal topics, enjoy story time, make a craft and go on a train ride and a carousel ride!

A parent/caregiver may not stay with the child.

During this adventure, children will explore their “wild” side as they are introduced to exciting animal topics. Children activities include creating a cool craft, experiencing up-close animal encounters, riding the train and carousel and enjoying other fun activities.

Advanced Registration Prices: $12.00/student/class for members or $18.00/student/class for non-members

Same Day Registration: Registrations for a class that are completed on the same day that the class was scheduled will be subject to a $2 charge in addition to the standard class price.

Info Phone: (205) 397-3877

Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Join us for the fun of it! All ages welcome.
10:30am

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Wednesday March 28th:

Critter Tales, Farm Animals – Birmingham Zoo
In this class, students will explore different animal topics, enjoy story time, make a craft and go on a train ride and a carousel ride!

A parent/caregiver may not stay with the child.

During this adventure, children will explore their “wild” side as they are introduced to exciting animal topics. Children activities include creating a cool craft, experiencing up-close animal encounters, riding the train and carousel and enjoying other fun activities.

Advanced Registration Prices: $12.00/student/class for members or $18.00/student/class for non-members

Same Day Registration: Registrations for a class that are completed on the same day that the class was scheduled will be subject to a $2 charge in addition to the standard class price.

Info Phone: (205) 397-3877

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read Extra Yarn. See what happens when a girl finds a box of yarn. We will make a craft and have a treat from our 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 March 29th:

GenBump, Waiting for Baby – Hart and Soul Coffee Shop
Join our infertility specialist and moms who have been in your shoes, in an open conversation about the struggles of conceiving, issues along the way and finding hope. They’ll share their knowledge and experience about questions to ask, where to seek help and steps to move toward the goal of having children. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversations with our expert panel. Refreshments will be served.

To Register: Visit GenBump.com

Location:
Hart and Soul
1014 Oxmoor Road – Homewood
(next to New York Pizza and Dream Cakes)
6pm – 8pm

Storytime Live – Hoover Public Library
Stories, songs, poetry, puppetry and more for ages 3 and up. Groups must register.
10:30am

PJ Storytime – Hoover Public Library
Wear your pajamas to this storytime! Kids of all ages can enjoy stories, finger plays, songs, and a bedtime snack.
6:30pm

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Friday March 30th:

Shelby County’s Best BBQ Cookoff
Event Activities- Great BBQ, Live Music, Fences on Parade Exhibit, Car Show, Space Bounce, Face painting, Popcorn machine

Trophy Awards Presentation:

• Best Overall Ribs and Sauce
• Best Ribs 1st, 2nd, 3rd places
• Best Sauce 1st, 2nd, 3rd places
• Chef’s Specialty (your favorite creation on the grill- up to 3 entries/team)
• People’s Choice Award presented at 6:30pm

Tasting tickets $10 each, kids 10 and under free with a paid adult.

Phone: 205 669 0044  Buy Tickets | Official Website | Email Contact

Story Day with NeNe – Whole Foods
Stories, songs, and snacks as Mrs. Renee Schmidt leads the fun.
10am

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Saturday March 31st:

Pinson City Fest – Solid Rock Church
Family and friends, come celebrate the City of Pinson’s 8th birthday with free rides, cupcakes and entertainment. There will be food and vendor merchandise available for purchase.
Free Event
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Easter Bunny at the Bakery – ALL Edgars Bakery Locations
The event is free and open to everyone, and pictures with the Easter Bunny are free as well!
Kid’s coloring stations will be set up, and there will be random prize drawings for parents! While you’re there, check out our beautiful Easter sweets and gifts!
All Day

Clovercrawl Green Home and Garden Expo – Vulcan Park and Museum
Kick off spring with the 2012 Clover Crawl Green Home and Garden Expo at Vulcan Park and Museum. This free event, presented by the Green Resource Center for Alabama, will show you the latest trends in green products and services for your home, office and garden. Come enjoy music, food, activities for the kids and beautiful views of the city from the park. Start spring cleaning by bringing electronics for recycling and documents for shredding. Learn how to be more energy efficient and create healthier homes, offices and landscapes to reduce your impact on the environment. Little changes can make a big difference. For more information, log on to www.greenalabama.org.

*Admission to expo is free. Regular admission rates apply to Vulcan Park and Museum.
10am – 4pm

2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Aldridge Gardens
Bring the kids and their baskets to Aldridge Gardens to search for more than 2,000 eggs! Then, join the fun activities, including inflatables, face painting, garden walks, photos with the Easter Bunny, crafts, prizes and giveaways, food and refreshments.

Presented by the Aldridge Gardens Junior Board in partnership with The Egg and I.
Free Admission – but be sure to stop by The Egg and I for your admittance ticket.

Gates open at 9:00.  Two different egg hunts start promptly at times listed below based on age:9:30 a.m. – 2-5 year olds10:00 a.m. – 6-10 year olds

Easter Egg Hunt – Clay Public Library
Join us for the 2nd annual Clay Public Library Easter Egg Hunt! There will be prize eggs to find and snacks to enjoy afterwards. “Joey the Balloon Artist” will also be on hand, and we’ll enjoy a visit from the Easter Bunny! Please arrive a few minutes early as the hunt begins promptly at 10:00, and the eggs will go quickly! Call the library at 680-3812 for more information.

Cottontail Express – Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Welcome spring with a train ride to Peter Cottontail’s meadow. Join in the fun as we hunt for Easter eggs – you might win a prize! Bring your camera to take photos with the Easter Bunny! This fun-filled family excursion lasts approximately ninety minutes.

Children (ages 2 through 11) $10, Adults $15

Info Phone: 205-757-8383

Buy Tickets

Farm Day – Birmingham Zoo
Come experience life on a farm in rural Alabama. Farm Day will have activities and demonstrations through out the day featuring how to raise farm animals, planting and harvesting crops, egg collecting and rural crafts. You can also watch horseshoe making and hoof trimming. This fun event will be held in the Children’s Zoo and Alabama Wilds.

Free Family Day – Birmingham Museum of Art
Did you know that one of the biggest Hindu holidays—Holi—is celebrated in March? Bart takes the whole month to celebrate!

Join Bart on an adventure through the Museum’s Southeast Asian and Indian galleries. Music, dance, art activities and more fill up the day.

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
Please join us as we read Pete the Cat and we will follow him as he makes his way around school. We will also have a craft and enjoy something from our Cafe.
11am

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Sunday April 1st:

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
 Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some art of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month highlights a different gallery and features a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!

April Activity:
April showers bring may flowers! Craft a “glass” flower inspired by artist Dale Chihuly.
1pm

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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.

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.

Naptime Confessions: Spring Break Exhaustion

Posted on by Angie

 

Welcome to our new series, sponsored by our friends over at Royal Cup EspresShip! We hope you will take a little afternoon break and share some of your secrets with us!!

 

GenBump: Waiting for Baby!

Posted on by Angie

Waiting for Baby – Whether you’re just beginning the journey to conceive or you’ve been trying with no luck, questions about your fertility and getting pregnant have probably crossed your mind.

Join our infertility specialist and moms who have been in your shoes, in an open conversation about the struggles of conceiving, issues along the way and finding hope. They’ll share their knowledge and experience about questions to ask, where to seek help and steps to move toward the goal of having children. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversations with our expert panel. Refreshments will be served.

To Register: Visit GenBump.com

Location:
Hart and Soul
1014 Oxmoor Road – Homewood
(next to New York Pizza and Dream Cakes)

 

Patience! Count to 10

Posted on by Angie

Patience has to be one of the toughest challenges of motherhood. It’s so hard to repeat yourself time after time, to not show the frustration that you’re feeling, and to remember the bigger picture. If the togetherness of Spring Break is starting to wear you down some, try this.

There’s one tip we keep coming across in all of our Patient reading: COUNT TO TEN.

It’s pretty self-explanatory. Typically, we react because our emotions and adrenaline are high. If we can just pause for 10 seconds, our reaction is so much different. One of the articles we read said that if you count out loud, at least your kids will learn to RUN before you get to 10.

Mamarazzi: Snooki. Pregnant.

Posted on by Angie

Snooki, New Jersey’s favorite drunken meatball, is pregnant.

This is no longer breaking news, although I must admit I was holding out on writing something about it, hoping that it was all a ruse. Or maybe she read the pregnancy test wrong. Got herself a really bad, long-lasting hangover that she mistook for morning sickness. But … no. Looks like we aren’t that lucky.

Apparently, Snooki really IS going to be a mommy. The thought of this seriously misguided, trainwreck of a person raising a child scares me. Her comments about the matter aren’t helping – she commented on Jersey Shore After Hours that she is excited to be a young mom because “now I can be a MILF.” Because that certainly is the most important aspect of having a child.

Maybe motherhood will be just the dose of reality she needs to get her life together. Frankly, I fear for her and her kid, but I’m trying to look on the bright side: at least her liver will get a much-needed break during the next few months.

About Harmony:

Harmony blew into Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and recently quit her job to stay at home with her two boys. Her sanity is in question. Visit her blog at www.modernmommymadness.com.

Event of the Week: Harlem Globetrotters

Posted on by Angie

On the heels of signing one of the most remarkable rookie classes in team history, the Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2012 World Tour to the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday, March 20th at 7:00pm.  Just in time to fill up some space in your Spring Break Calendar!

The outstanding rookies include Paul “Tiny” Sturgess, the world’s tallest pro basketball player at 7-8, Jonte “Too Tall” Hall, the shortest Globetrotter ever at 5-2, and Fatima “TNT” Maddox of Temple University, the team’s first female player since 1993 and ninth female in team history.

The new Globetrotters also feature the top three finishers from the 2011 College Slam Dunk Contest, including the reigning champ Jacob “Hops” Tucker. At 5-10, Tucker sports a 50-inch vertical leap and his YouTube videos have garnered well over four million views.  Tucker joins slam dunk runner-up John “Jet” Williams of UNC-Ashville and semifinalist Darnell “Spider” Wilks of the University of Cincinnati.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three seven-footers including 7-4 Jermaine “Stretch” Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony “Biggie” McClain.  At 7-8, Sturgess becomes the tallest Globetrotter ever after playing center at Mountain State University (W.Va.). He is the 19th internationally born player in team history, hailing from Loughborough, England.

“The Globetrotters are excited to welcome a new generation of stars to carry on the storied tradition of the world’s most entertaining basketball team,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. “This year’s rookie class features some of the most talented and promising players from across the world.”

Current Globetrotters stars Special K Daley, Big Easy Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Dizzy Grant, Scooter Christensen, and many others will team up with the world class rookies for nearly 270 games on the North American portion of the World Tour, bringing the Globetrotter magic to over 230 cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces.

It’s not too late to get your tickets!

Discounted tickets are available by contacting Paul Marranca at the Harlem Globetrotters for all Birminghammommy.com readers and their families!

Tickets start at $17 but if you mention “BirminghamMommy” when you call, you’ll receive $7 off!

Paul can be contacted at 602-707-7030 or marranca@harlemglobetrotters.com

Bonus points if you made it through this entire post without whistling the Harlem Globetrotters theme song!

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