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Busy Mommy Bonding: Christmas Fun! Don't Forget to Feed the Reindeer

Posted on by Angie

We all know that Santa loves his cookies and milk but have you been forgetting that the reindeer really do all of the work? It must take a lot of energy to pull a fat man around the world with a sled loaded down with toys!

This year, use this simple recipe to make some food for Rudolf and the gang.

You can even print this cute little tag for free and take them to your gatherings for your cousins and friends. This is a great activity for the little ones to do.

What you’ll need:

  • Uncooked Oat
  • Sugar
  • Sprinkles or glitter (any color you want or have on hand)
  • Bowls
  • Something to scoop with

What you’ll do:

  • Mix up a scoop of each ingredient above for every bag of food you want to make.
  • Put it in a little zip lock bag and staple the poem on the front.

Done!

We poured all of the ingredients in to separate bowls, gave each child a bowl of their own to mix in, a scoop and let them “mix” their own food.

Sprinkle on your lawn before bedtime on Christmas Eve and make sure the reindeer have plenty of energy to finish their job!

Medical Minute: 2 Things to Know Before you Get Pregnant

Posted on by Angie

There are a few things every woman should know when it comes to getting pregnant. A healthy pregnancy starts well before you start showing your adorable baby bump. The 2 most common rules of thumb are Don’t drink or smoke. Here’s why:

Don’t smoke! Smoking can damage the fetus in several ways and may cause low birthweight, stillbirths, preterm births, and/or birth defects. Babies born to smokers may also have problems like poor lung development, increased risk of SIDS, growth or development deficiencies, asthma, or behavioral problems.

Babies of mothers who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have reduced fetal growth and low birthweight. However, according to the FDA, if a woman quits smoking early in her pregnancy, she increases her chance of delivering a healthy baby.

Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol consumption by the mother is a leading cause of preventable birth defects in the fetus and is the only known cause of mental retardation that is completely preventable. Everything a mother drinks goes to the fetus and is broken down more slowly in the immature body of the fetus. This can cause the alcohol levels to remain high and stay in the baby’s body longer. Even light or moderate drinking can affect the developing fetus. Because no amount of alcohol is safe, the US Surgeon General recommends that pregnant women avoid alcohol during pregnancy. An infant born to a mother who drinks alcohol during pregnancy can have problems included in a group of disorders called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). FASDs include the following:

  • Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): these are the most severe effects that can occur when a woman drinks during pregnancy,and include fetal death. Infants born with FAS have abnormal facial features and growth and central nervous system (CNS) problems, including mental retardation.
  • Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND): children with ARND may not have full FAS but have learning and behavioral problems due to prenatal exposure to alcohol. These problems may include mathematical difficulties, impaired memory or attention, impulse control and/or judgment problems, and poor school performance.
  • Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD): birth defects related to prenatal alcohol exposure can include abnormalities in the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing

Time to Celebrate Hanukkah: Great Books for Kids!

Posted on by Angie

Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah or teaching your children the beliefs of others, here are some fun books for you to read with your little ones..

1. The Hanukkah Hop! Rachel and her parents prepare the house for their family to visit for Hanukkah. They’ll light candles, play dreidel, eat latkes, and dance the Hanukkah Hop! By Erica Silverman, illustrated by Steven D’Amico

2. The Hannukkah Mice: It’s the first night of Hanukkah, and the mouse family secretly looks on as Mr. Silman lights the first Hanukkah candle. Then they watch Rachel Silman open a gift from her family, a beautiful dollhouse with a wraparound porch and tiny lace curtains. Just the right size for the Hannukkah Mice! By Steven Kroll, illustrated by Micehlle Shapiro

3. It’s a Miracle! A Hannukkah Storybook: Every night of Hanukkah, after Owen — the Official Candle Lighter — lights the menorah, Grandma Karen kicks off her cowboy boots and tells him a bedtime story. Stories of a girl who dreams of becoming a rabbi, an amazing story of the alien who gets lost in a little girl’s backyard, a silly story about a boy who wants to be a baby…and whose parents let him! By Stephanie Spinner, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

4. Light the Candles: Hanukkah is here! There are so many fun things to do-light candles in the menorah, open presents, eat latkes and chocolate coins, play the dreidel game, and more. With the turn of each page, another candle is added to the menorah and another fun element of Hanukkah is depicted. Children can lift the flaps and see all the special ways there are to celebrate this joyful holiday. By Joan Holub, illustrated by Lynne Avril Cravath

5. D is for Dreidel: Children will love learning about Hanukkah in this dreidel-shaped alphabet book! Every page contains a letter of the alphabet along with sweet, rhyming text and words that correspond with that letter. And as an added bonus, at the end of the book is the complete story of Hanukkah! This is a fantastic introduction to the holiday! By Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Dawn Apperley

Mamarazzi: Jessica Simpson, Watching Her Baby Weight

Posted on by Angie
Photo Courtesy of igossip

Well, well, well. Look who is making the most of her muffintop!

Jessica Simpson just signed a deal with Weight Watchers for $3 million to lose the weight after her baby is born. I don’t know about you, but if I had that kind of money on the line, I’d  happily have my mouth wired shut.

It might be the smartest thing she’s done since she gave up her music career.

 

 

 

About Harmony:

Harmony blew into Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and is a self-proclaimed “never home maker” striving for a balance between her career and family life. Visit her blog Working Mommy Madness to read more!

Alabama Theatre Holiday Film Series

Posted on by Angie

A seasonal must for all Birmingham Families is the Annual Holiday Film Festival at the Historic Alabama Theatre.

We think the Alabama Theatre is a pretty magical place year round, but when you add in the Christmas Decorations it’s a sight and feeling that you just can’t get anywhere else in the city. Hands down.

The film line up for 2011 is as follows:

Sunday, December 11th 2pm
“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947)

Monday, December 12th 7pm
“Home Alone”

Tuesday, December 13th 7pm
“A Christmas Carol” (1951)

Wednesday, December 14th 7pm 
“It’s a Wonderful Life”

Thursday, December 15th 7pm
“Elf”

Friday, December 16th 7pm
“Christmas Vacation”

Saturday, December 17th 2pm 
“The Polar Express”

Saturday, December 17th 7pm
“White Christmas”

Sunday, December 18th 2pm
“White Christmas”

Sunday, December 18th 7pm
“A Christmas Story”

Monday, December 19th 7pm
“Christmas Vacation”

Tuesday, December 20th 7pm
“Holiday Inn”

Wednesday, December 21st 7pm
“Elf”

Thursday, December 22nd 7pm
“It’s a Wonderful Life”

Most movies start at 7 p.m., but there are a few that start at 2 p.m. So check that time carefully!

Don’t forget about Santa at the Alabama! He’ll be there December 11th, 17th and 18th to coincide with their 2pm matinees. See our post here for more information.

All screenings will kick off with a 15-minute Christmas carol sing along, accompanied by the organ.

Tickets are $7, $6 for senior citizens and children and can be purchased online or at the door.

We hope to see you there!

 

 

 

Working Mommy Madness: Going From One to Two

Posted on by Angie

By Harmony Hobbs:

HOLY CRAP.

If you are a parent of just one child, you may want to stop reading here, lest you be frightened out of having any more.

Going from one child to two is hard, like really hard, like the OMG-I-may-not-survive kind of crazy hard that really cannot be explained. In order to understand, you just have to live it. I have entered into an elite club of women who mother more than one child, and now I understand what they were all telling me before – when they shook their heads at my pregnant belly and warned, it will be an “adjustment.”

Now I know that was their very mild way of saying, “It’s going to SUCK. It’s a major transition. A rough ride for the entire family. There will be days when you feel you can’t possibly go on or listen to any more crying or whining and you’ll just want to throw all of them out the window. It won’t be like when you had your first one. You won’t be able to sleep when the baby sleeps or relax at all, really. You might not have time to eat or drink enough water and your infant may go a great many days between baths. You will be a complete wreck for months. And you’ll most likely hate your husband at least 4 days out of the week.”

Had anyone been truly honest with me and told me that, I probably would have been offended. You just don’t know until you KNOW. It’s probably better that way, because otherwise no one in their right mind would continue to have more children.

I am an only child, and I feel like the greatest gift we could give my older son was a sibling. And so we did. A brother. And this morning alone, I dealt with my three-year-old whacking the baby on the stomach, squishing him in various places, trying to show him his penis, spitting on his face, yelling “RAWR!!” into his crib to see if he would cry (he did) … etc. Not to be mean. Just to see what will happen. He’s in that stage now. I’m not a fan of it.

My husband and I stupidly thought it would be fine to start a family even though we live six hours from our parents. After we had the first one, it was difficult but we managed. I don’t know WHAT we thought would happen after the second, but we had another and have found it almost impossible to handle on our own. Duh. What did we think would happen?! Oh well … you live, you learn.

I looked forward to Thanksgiving with great delight this year, not because of the food, but because I knew I’d have HELP. Someone else could hold the baby while I stuffed my face. Someone else could watch the three-year-old and make sure he didn’t run out into the street or smother his brother with a pillow.

It was fantastic.

Motherhood has some really tough times. I’m in the midst of the toughest I’ve known. I’m not depressed – I don’t have postpartum anything. I’m just fatigued and hanging on by a teeny tiny thread … wait … is that the definition of postpartum?! Oh dear.

Thank God there are moments when it is all worth it, the exhaustion, the under eye circles, the never-ending cycle of dirty laundry and baby bottles … because when one of my children smiles a big sunbeam smile at me I know that something I am doing is right. It gives me hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There HAS to be. And if there isn’t … there is always medication.

I say all of this not to whine, but to share with you that through this ridiculously challenging experience I have been truly blessed. This is by far the craziest and most exhausting task I have undertaken, and yet, it is giving me the most reward. Every day.

Raising two boys takes strength I didn’t know existed, determination I had to dig deep to find, and a toughness that I’ve had no choice but to develop. Lately when I run my household I feel like I’m channeling Caroline Manzo. For anyone not familiar, she’s a tough Italian mama from The Real Housewives of New Jersey with a heart of gold and one tough attitude. Her kids LISTEN. But they LOVE her.

I want to be like that.

Ladies, you are all tough cookies whether you are aware of it or not. It’s one of the gifts we have been given — along with the ability to bear children, we have the strength to raise them. That’s no easy task. I’ve tapped into my toughness and it’s very empowering … have you? If not, I highly recommend you do.

I also recommend Smoking Loon pinot noir, it’s less than $10 a bottle and can be found at almost any grocery store … I’m just saying.

About Harmony:

Harmony blew into Birmingham after Hurricane Katrina and is a self-proclaimed “never home maker” striving for a balance between her career and family life. Visit her blog Working Mommy Madness to read more!

Giveaways to Giftaway: Zoe's Giftcard

Posted on by Angie

Next item up in our giveaways to giftaway is a gift card to Zoe’s Kitchen! Have you checked out their cool new location in Vestaiva? Been meaning too? Well, now you can….. or you can gift this away to someone on your Christmas list, whatever you do it’s up to you, we won’t tell. Promise.

Here’s how you enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post letting us know your favorite item from the Zoe’s menu. (1 per person)

2. Tweet the giveaway “@BirminghamMommy is giving away a @ZoesKitchen giftcard http://ow.ly/7Xap1 ”
(1 per person, come back here to let us know you tweeted)

3. Go like them on Facebook (1 per person, come back here and let us know you liked them)

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, December 14th at 6pm. Winner will be announced by email.

Good Luck!

Jingle

Posted on by Angie

By: LK Whitney

Jingle, jingle. Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry Christmas, y’all.

I don’t know about you, but our household is six-feet-deep in a tinsel-tinged, yuletide coma: the tree glimmers and glows; the gifts, they keep piling up under the tree; our cheerful little children are giddy and bright with visions of ribbon-wrapped boxes full of goodies just for them. We read stories of Saint Nick. We make ornaments out of cotton balls and toilet paper tubes and popsicle sticks. We delight in all the merriment and blinking lights found throughout the city. We’ve been eating a few more sweets than usual. We’ve been licking and sticking the envelopes that hold our holiday greetings sent far and wide to those we so love and cherish.

And, I’m afraid, we’re stuffing our stockings with everything but the true meaning of the holiday season. The concept of getting is getting in the way of our giving.

It’s an easy thing to do, after all. And we, my husband and I, are full of fault. We are to blame.

As parents, we get so caught up in the Act of Getting all those bells and whistles and baby dolls and matchbox cars our little ones have set their hearts to desire. You know as well as I do how easy it is to slip in to the rabbit hole that is Toys R’ Us. We can’t help but want to give to our children. It’s our parental nature. It’s tradition. Considering that our parents made a fuss for us, we’ll carry the peppermint-striped baton and we’ll deck our halls with an abundance of presents. And we’ll delight in watching our rosy-cheeked babes giggle with glee as they realize they’ve been given the very thing they’ve wished so hard for. It makes US feel good.

We busy ourselves with a month-long preparation that involves activities like visiting Santa and writing letters to Santa and baking cookies for Santa. All this effort we put in to teaching our kids the art of wooing and wishing for a jolly stranger to make a miraculous midnight ride right to our rooftop seems just a tad bit futile. Especially since we, the parents, are completely aware that all this “magic” depends solely on our own deceitful plotting. What we’re really doing is building them up to want. We’re giving them Grace of Getting when what we really, truly long for in our children is altruistic behavior.

Now, I’m not getting all Scrooge on you here. And for fear that I might start to sound too preachy-preachy, I sought out the wisdom from other seasoned Santas, your peers and fellow Magic City mommies. Here’s what they had to say:

Nanci Neighbors Scarpulla’s family revisits the story of St. Nicholas of Myra each year. Then they discuss ways St. Nick helped those in his community. “Little things like visiting a nursing home and delivering candy canes or surprising the fire station with home baked goodies goes a long way in reversing the “give me” trend,” says Nanci. “Children love the positive attention and knowing they make a difference. That’s been our experience.”

<Love that, Nanci! Any excuse to lick a bowl of batter for cookies intended for someone else is a good one in my book! Fire Station #21, here we come!>

Katie Hopper says, “Our kids only get three toys each (three wise men mentioned in the Bible), and we give to a charity. We make a Happy Birthday Cake. We don’t make a big deal about it.”

<Another bowl-licking opportunity in the name of goodwill and God’s love…I’ll take it. Great thoughts, Katie!>

Mother of two, Kate Wiegand Agliata, makes Advent cards for the kids to read each day with a surprise of some sort written on it. Most of them are things like “drive around and look at holiday lights”, “decorate cookies”, “enjoy $1 to spend at the dollar store”, etc. Kate notes that, “We spend most of the month focusing on fun, meaningful family experiences, and their fun factor still gets fulfilled.”

<Those are all wonderful ideas, Kate, and I know I’ll be incorporating some of each in to our own holiday experience this year.>

Finally, for the expert’s advice, jump here for BirminghamMommy.com contributor Kristen Berthiaume’s “Parenting with a PhD” column where she specifically outlines ways in which you can yield some gracious behavior from your kids during the gift-giving season. It’s a must-read!

At the end of the day, we know we’re going to give gifts. Let’s just try to keep it all in perspective, shall we? Wouldn’t the best present of all be a stocking full of gratitude from your precious offspring? That’s what I’m wishing for this holiday season.

How about you?

About LK:

Magic City maven Laura Kate Whitney is a full-blooded Southerner who’s found herself planting roots in Sweet Home Alabama. Life circumstances have brought her to Birmingham, along with husband, two young sons, and grumpy old cat. In her “free time” she enjoys long walks, long showers, lots of yoga, Birmingham history, culinary programming, and date night. You can follow Laura Kate’s adventures on Magic City Manifesto and also on Twitter.

Birmingham Events Calendar: December 11th – December 18th

Posted on by Angie

It’s hard to believe we’ve only got about 2 weeks left until Christmas. As we all prepare for the upcoming holidays and years end, this will be our last full calendar of events for 2011!

There are still plenty of activities going on this week including visits with Santa and the holiday film festival that kicked off at the Alabama Theatre.

There are a few festive storytimes happening and of course Zoolight Safari at the Birmingham Zoo. We’ll continue to update you on any events we come across between now and the end of the year so check our facebook page and twitter for the most current events.

We hope you all have a very happy holiday season!!

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

Sunday December 11th:

Zoolight Safari – Birmingham Zoo
The only place in Birmingham where it snows every night!

  • Visit with Santa until Dec. 23
  • Enjoy synchronized lights as they blink to your favorite holiday tunes
  • Experience the holiday train ride, the carousel, story time, animal demos and more
  • Take a hayride
  • Watch the Santa Rollers
  • Children’s Zoo barn will be open every night
  • And so much more!

The Zoo will close at 4pm every night of ZooLight Safari and reopen at 5pm.

Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari.

Admission $8, Free to Members.

Ride Tickets $3.50. Unlimited Attraction Wristband $10

5pm – 9pm

Barts Art Cart – Holiday Cards, Birmingham Museum of Art
Tis the season! Design and create custom holiday cards for your friends and family with Bart the Art Bat!

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!
11am

——-——————————————————————————

Monday December 12th:

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 December 13th:

Santa’s Gingerbread Man – Hoover Public Library
Our talented staff presents a tasty Christmas tale in the Library Theatre. After the show, we’ll decorate and eat gingerbread cookies. And you’ll have a chance to meet Santa!
6:30pm

Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Join us for the fun of it! All ages welcome. For larger groups, a call is nice but not necessary.
10:30am

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Wednesday December 14th:

Barnes and Noble Storytime – Summit
Join us as we read The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, the latest book by the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We’ll “color outside the lines” when we create some Eric Carle style crafts. Of course, we’ll have snacks too!
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 December 15th:

Storytime Fun – Vestavia Hills Library
join Ms. Amanda for Storytime Fun. Adventures of all kinds for kids ages 3 years through 5 years.
10:30am

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Friday December 16th:

Holiday Cookie Fun – North Avondale Library
Come join us as we make holiday cookies and funny stories!
3:00 – 4:30

Zoolight Safari – Birmingham Zoo
The only place in Birmingham where it snows every night!

  • Visit with Santa until Dec. 23
  • Enjoy synchronized lights as they blink to your favorite holiday tunes
  • Experience the holiday train ride, the carousel, story time, animal demos and more
  • Take a hayride
  • Watch the Santa Rollers
  • Children’s Zoo barn will be open every night
  • And so much more!

The Zoo will close at 4pm every night of ZooLight Safari and reopen at 5pm.

Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari.

Admission $8, Free to Members.

Ride Tickets $3.50. Unlimited Attraction Wristband $10

5pm – 9pm

—-———————————————————————————

Saturday December 17th:

Zoolight Safari – Birmingham Zoo
The only place in Birmingham where it snows every night!

  • Visit with Santa until Dec. 23
  • Enjoy synchronized lights as they blink to your favorite holiday tunes
  • Experience the holiday train ride, the carousel, story time, animal demos and more
  • Take a hayride
  • Watch the Santa Rollers
  • Children’s Zoo barn will be open every night
  • And so much more!

The Zoo will close at 4pm every night of ZooLight Safari and reopen at 5pm.

Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari.

Admission $8, Free to Members.

Ride Tickets $3.50. Unlimited Attraction Wristband $10
5pm – 9pm

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – Columbiana Library
e’s making a list and checking it twice. Make sure to come to let the big guy know you have been good this year. The lovely Mrs. Claus will share stories from around the world, and everyone will have the chance to sit on Santa’s lap. Santa’s guest will also have the chance to experience new Christmas treats from different countries of the world.
10am – 12:00pm

Barts Books Snow Music – Birmingham Museum of Art
Dive into a winter wonderland and explore the sounds and feeling of snow.
11am

Barts Art Cart – Holiday Cards – Birmingham Museum of Art
Tis the season! Design and create custom holiday cards for your friends and family with Bart the Art Bat!

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!
11am

Saturday Market – Pepper Place

Visit our region’s farming families at the Pepper Place Saturday Market. They grow vegetables and flowers, bake breads and cookies, cakes and pies, tend the bees, and drive into the Lakeview District of Birmingham to sell the fruits of their labors.

In addition to farmers, bakers and beekeepers you can enjoy local musicians on two stages while sipping a fresh cup of coffee or enjoying a light breakfast. There is a cooking demonstration at 9:00 a.m. every Saturday morning by Birmingham’s finest chefs.
7am – Noon

Christmas Storytime– Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon. Will Santa bring David presents or a lump of coal? Find out at today’s Storytime. We’ll also make our own Christmas crafts and have some holiday snacks!
11am

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Sunday December 18th:

Zoolight Safari – Birmingham Zoo
The only place in Birmingham where it snows every night!

  • Visit with Santa until Dec. 23
  • Enjoy synchronized lights as they blink to your favorite holiday tunes
  • Experience the holiday train ride, the carousel, story time, animal demos and more
  • Take a hayride
  • Watch the Santa Rollers
  • Children’s Zoo barn will be open every night
  • And so much more!

The Zoo will close at 4pm every night of ZooLight Safari and reopen at 5pm.

Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari.

Admission $8, Free to Members.

Ride Tickets $3.50. Unlimited Attraction Wristband $10

5pm – 9pm

Barts Art Cart – Holiday Cards, Birmingham Museum of Art
Tis the season! Design and create custom holiday cards for your friends and family with Bart the Art Bat!

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!
11am

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Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

Winter Wonderland:
This magical holiday experience gives families a chance to learn about the science of the season together as they play in the snow, go ice fishing, and watch toy trains zip around the tracks.

Winter Wonderland offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy together. Inside the snow room, children can make snow angels, build snow castles and more. Children can catch fish through the ice in the ice fishing area.

Guests can even sled down the giant slide between the third and second floors in the museum or try the zip line.

Families also have a chance to see toy trains of every shape and size zipping around the tracks in the Magic of Model Trains area. This year children will be able to become conductors at one of the new stations and also see several new additions to the train sets.
Through January 8th 2012

Magic of Model Trains Exhibit:
The Magic of Model Trains exhibit offers families a chance to see toy trains of every shape and size zipping around the tracks. This year children will enjoy the chance to become a conductor at one of the new stations and also see several new additions to the train sets. Through January 8th 2012

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 and Santa vs The Snowman

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.

Handmade Holiday Cards and Thank You Notes

Posted on by Angie

Christmas cards don’t have to be expensive to be special or admired. In fact some might say that a card made from some teeny tiny fingerprints might bring a bigger smile to the Grandparents face when they open their mail.

Here are a few ideas on making some cute hand made cards for the holidays.

The base for your cards can be easily made from plain cardstock that you might have on hand, you can also purchase blank cards pretty inexpensively at your local craft store.

You’ll need some paint for fingerpainting and/or cookie cutters or something to use as a guide for cutting out shapes (holidays or otherwise)

For the shapes, if you take old scribbled on scrap paper that your kids have done, it adds yet another personal touch. I don’t know about your household but in mine, there is never a shortage of scribbled on papers. Cut those into Christmas Trees, or stars and glue them on.

Little fingerprints can make all kinds of designs for your cards, try a wreath, reindeer, or a string of lights. Hands are great for Christmas trees.

If you’re looking to make handmade thank you notes, try flowers from fingerprints, butterflies and bees are cute too. Then use other non holiday shapes if you want to use up those scraps of paper, just make sure to trace on the backside, cut them out and glue them on, add your thank you on the inside and you’re done!

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