BigBham Deal: Camp Cosby

Posted on Friday, April 1, 2011 by Angie

Pay $50 for a $100 credit towards the YMCA’s Camp Cosby. Send your kids to Alabama’s best Summer Camp

About This Deal

With 137 acres nestled in east Alabama, Camp Cosby provides the perfect summer camp atmosphere to over 2,000 campers each summer. Camp Cosby’s facilities and activities include:

* 22 air-conditioned cabins
* Air-conditioned dining hall
* Waterpark
* Swimming Pool
* Over 10 miles of trails for BMX, mini-bikes, horses, and hiking
* Open air gym
* 22-stall horse barn
* 55-foot Alpine Tower
* Cosby Zoom (Cosby’s own zipline)
* Media Center
* Ski Nautique Boats

Along with the finest facilities, Camp Cosby staff members are among the best! Camp Cosby searches all over the world to find our wonderful camp counselors. Counselors are selected on their ability to relate to campers using their individual skills and talents. Summer camp staff attend intensive leadership training before summer begins to be equipped to meet every child’s needs.

Camp Cosby’s “I Am Third” motto helps set the tone of our camp environment. The “I Am Third” motto places God first, others second, and yourself third. In addition, our staff’s “No Bully Zone” approach provides a feeling of safety for our campers. The “No Bully Zone” concept allows for more open communication between campers and staff about bullying situations. All campers learn more about the “I Am Third” motto and the “No Bully Zone” approach on the Sunday Evening Camp-Wide Meeting. With our caring staff and our camping values combined, your camper is guaranteed to have a wonderful camp experience!

The Fine Print:

Promotional value expires August 31, 2011
Limit 1 per child, may buy additional as gifts

Top Potty Training Books for the Wee Ones

Posted on Thursday, March 31, 2011 by Angie

If you’re in the middle of a potty training war with your little ones or have that in your not so distant future, here are some books that are fun to read when your spending hours on end sitting on the floor, coaxing your child to just pee already!

Everyone Poops – By Taro Gomi – Now, this book may not be up everyone’s alley, but we like it, Maybe my kids are gross but we find this book charming in an odd way. There are pictures of animals and humans taking “poops” of all shapes, sizes, and colors. A great lesson in learning that poop is just a part of our daily lives.

Once Upon a Potty – By Alana Frankel – We like this book because there is a boy option and a girl option. It labels body parts as a part of the explanation, which really pulls it together for a small child. Full of bright, friendly illustrations.

Potty – By Lauren Patricelli – We originally picked this book out because we are such fans of “Yummy Yucky.” It’s humorous and engaging without too many words. My girls love the “Tinkle Tinkle Toot”

When You’ve got to go – By Mitchell Kriegman – Bear provides the reassuring answers and guidance that they — and readers — need to hear. Pip and Pop also have a great idea that will delight Bear fans who are just starting to use the potty!

A Potty for Me – By Karen Katz – If we have read this once we’ve read it a thousand times! My girls love following along and lifting the flaps to see the child play, sit on the potty, eat, sit on the potty, sleep, and then sit on the potty…until finally there is success. It’s written from a child’s point of view, this potty-training book will help children join in the final refrain, “I’m so proud of me!”

What books got you through this seemingly grueling process? What did your kids respond to the most?

Children's Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services take on Bullying

Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Angie

We’ve all read the articles, and we’ve seen the videos on youtube and other various media outlets, bullying is a huge issue among our school aged children. Approximately 160,000 students are absent from school each day nationwide due to fears of being bullied. The impact can be devastating on a child’s self esteem, academic performance and overall health.

Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services (CHIPS) is offering a free education and support group for children ages 12-15 that have been a victim of bullying. This 9 week series will meet weekly from 3:45pm to 5:15pm at the CHIPS center located at 1600 5th Avenue South, beginning on April 13th.

Sessions will be held by Registered Play Therapist Amy Ray, LPC, NCC and child and adolescent Psychiatry Fellow Theodore M Morgan II, MD.

While this service will be available free of charge, anyone wanting to participate must complete an application process.

Applications are available at www.chsys.org by clicking on “CHIPS CENTER” under “FEATURED SERVICES.” Once you have completed your application fax to: 205.558.2750 or mailed to: 1600 5th Ave South, Ste 100, Birmingham AL, 35233

Birmingham Area Easter Egg Hunts

Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by Angie

Easter Egg hunts are always popular with the kiddos! Here’s a list of the ones going on around town, mark your calendars now for the hunting fun!

We’ll be happy to add your hunt to our list, just email us at angie@birminghammommy.com

Alabaster

Albert Scott Library – Alabaster
Bring your basket & camera to hunt and meet the Easter Bunny! Program is in the mobile unit and on library grounds. Wednesday, April 20th 10:30am

Atalla

Tigers for Tomorrow
Untamed Mountain Egg Hunt
Hunt begins at 2 pm. and is included with admission to park. Admission is $5.00 for children ages 3-11, $12.50 for ages 12 and above. Sunday April 24th 2:00 – 5:00
Location: 710 County Road 345, Attalla, AL 35954
Contact: Call (256) 524-4150

Chelsea

Chelsea Community Church
Egg-Stravaganza
Ages 0-12yrs old Broken into 4 age groups
Fun, Games, Food and Prizes
Special Guest will be available for Pictures
Saturday April 23rd 10am – 12pm

TreeTop Family Adventure
An Easter egg hunt for all ages plus the Easter bunny will be visiting
Saturday April 16th

Gardendale

East Gardendale Baptist
Saturday April 23rd

Moncreif Road
Night Hunt! Bring your flashlights!
Saturday April 16th 7:30pm

Hayden

Great Pumpkin Patch
Easter egg hunt on the Farm. April 9-23. Bring your kids, grandkids, Sunday school, school group or have your neighborhood hunt with us. $10 per child include wagon ride to the field, 10 surprise eggs, inflatable park, pony ride and train ride. Fun for all ages!!! Call or email: info@greatpumpkinpatch.com 205-616-6431 (Day) or 205-647-7002 (Night) or fax us at 205-647-2308.

Helena

Helena Amphitheater
1st hunt starts promptly at 9:30am
Saturday April 9th

Homewood

Dawson Memorial Baptist
Saturday April 16th
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 April 16

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 April 16, 8-10am
Ages 2-5 year olds – 9:30am
6-10 year olds – 10:00am
Free but you are strongly encouraged to pick up a free pass from the “Egg and I” – On HWY 31, Riverchase. Rain or Shine!

Green Valley Baptist Church
Saturday April 23rd
10am at the Fellowship Hall

Leeds

Leeds Memorial Park|
Community Easter Egg Hunt Sponsored by Overton Church
Inflatables, face painting, balloons, egg hunt, prizes and lots of fun!! We will be hiding over 2000 eggs
Saturday April 23rd – 3pm – 5pm

Bass Pro Shops
No Easter Egg hunt is planned at this time. They will have plenty of Easter Activities including pictures with the Easter Bunny. We’ll keep an eye out for more specific details.

Montevallo

Orr Park
The Easter Bunny appears for photos with children. Hundreds of eggs are hidden in the park with area divided for age groups.
Saturday April 23rd, 10am

Moody

First Baptist Church of Moody
Easter Egg Hunt, Inflatables, Face Painting, and Pizza
April 23rd, 10:30-Noon

Mountain Brook

Crestline
Crestline Village at Country Club Park field across from the Emmet O’Neal Library. Children through age 10 are invited to come and bring their Easter baskets to hunt for colorful eggs filled with treats. A special visit from the EASTER BUNNY is planned.
Saturday April 23rd, 10am

Pelham –

Oak Mountain State Park
3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt. 10,000 eggs hidden, as well as other activities such as face painting, hayride, moonwalk, cake hop, sack races, and more. Some activities have an additional charge after admission into the park. There will be a separate area for the younger kids to hunt.
Saturday April 23rd – 10am

Pinson

Solid Rock Church
Saturday April 23rd.
Gates open at 10am. Hunt starts at 11am
Ages 0-12 may

First Baptist Church of Pinson
Sunday April 17th 10:30am
1st-5th grade

Pinson United Methodist
Saturday April 16th 10:30am
Preschool-5th grade

Trussville

Trussville Parks and Recreation
Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday April 16th 6:30pm Ages 2-8
Trussville Youth Football Field
Don’t forget your flashlight AND Basket!

Vestavia Hills

Wald Park
The Dogwood Fun Day is part of the 2011 Dogwood Festival. Come out to Wald Park for an Easter Egg Hunt and other fun children’s activities!
Saturday April 16th –
Easter Egg Hunt begins at 9:30 am.
Fun Day Activities 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Liberty Crossings
Face painting, Inflatables, Art Area and Horseshoes as well. Hamburgers and Hotdogs will also be served.
April 23rd 11am – 1pm

A Mother's Shade of Green – The Great Outdoors

Posted on Monday, March 28, 2011 by Angie

By Kate Agliata:

“You’re so lucky to live in the South,” a Northern dwelling friend of mine recently said to me. “You don’t have to worry about piles of snow and freezing temperatures, your kids can open the door and run outside to play whenever they want.” Well not exactly, I thought to myself, after all, summers in Birmingham can get ridiculously hot. In fact, Birmingham can get so hot that by the end of our fist summer here I felt as though I would go stark raving mad if I had to spend one more afternoon trapped inside. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we kept busy with library events, museum memberships, and plenty of good old fashioned play dates, yet, something was still missing. I missed spending time outside. Simply put, I had begun to feel disconnected from nature, and worse, I feared my children were also suffering from the disconnection as well.

Extreme heat aside, the year-round typical warmer weather of the South does afford us the luxury to spend more time outside, and therefore more time enjoying nature. Yet, do we really take advantage of it? Sadly, for many of us, the answer is probably a resounding no. You might say, “it’s nothing against nature, I’m just busy,” or, “I just can’t trust my child to be outside by themselves.” The simple truth revolves around a growing list of obstacles that continue to merit the great concern over a tremendous lack of nature in our lives.

We live in a world that is becoming more and more centered around technological advances, and less and less focused on real outdoor experiences. As a society we are increasingly dependent upon computers, TV, and cell phones in order to entertain, learn, and even communicate with one another. Although there are incredible benefits to such advances, negative factors exist as well, such as the now proven association between an abundance of screen time and disturbing childhood trends like obesity, attention disorders, and poor academic performance. Scary to think about, isn’t it? Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, explores the idea that our children are so plugged in, and so out of touch with nature that their most crucial functions—their health and emotional well being—are being compromised. “Direct exposure to nature is essential for the physical and emotional health of children and adults,” says Louv. “Our kids are actually doing what we told them to do when they sit in front of that TV all day or in front of that computer game all day. The society is telling kids unconsciously that nature’s in the past. It really doesn’t count anymore, that the future is in electronics, and besides, the bogeyman is in the woods.”

Right now, you might be thinking something like this: “my kid spends plenty of time outdoors, he’s on a soccer team, and we go to the beach three times a year.” Yet, there are other factors associated with a nature-deficit existence, including the less dominant, yet still crucial components. Take into consideration the lack of imaginary play, or freedom from routine and structure? Having spent most of my childhood living in a small coastal town in Southern Maine, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had both the beach and the forest within walking distance of my backyard. I can’t recall a weekend where my sisters and I weren’t outside exploring, playing, and imagining with our friends, or even by ourselves. We collected acorns for the squirrels, built forts, and spent hours pushing one another on our tire swing. But times are different now you might say. Yes, I suppose in many ways they are, but have the fundamentals really changed all that much? Are the necessities for human development all that different? I don’t believe they are. I believe that bringing our children closer to nature—plants, grass, trees, gardens—and yes, even bugs—means making it a tangible experience for them. Once nature is in their sight—or better yet in their hands—our children are able to appreciate it far better than by simply “experiencing” it via TV or computer. And when they appreciate it, they also really understand it, helping them to become better environmental stewards in the future.

So if you’re windows are still closed, open them up, let the fresh air in. If you’ve been meaning to stop by that beautiful new park but just haven’t made the time, do it now—and bring along a magnifying glass, or even a kite. Turn off the TV, make the most of this pleasant spring weather, and while you’re encouraging your children to get outdoors to play, take a moment to remind yourself that it’s good for you to head outdoors as well.

About Kate:

Kate, a freelance writer and mother of two, most often finds creative inspiration in writing, but occasionally at the bottom of an empty wine glass. She has hijacked her family’s former lifestyle and is in the midst of creating a simpler and greener approach to life. To follow her family’s challenges and successes in this endeavor, visit her blog, at Kate’s Musings. She and her family have lived in Birmingham since 2009.

Birmingham Events Calendar: March 27th – April 3rd

Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2011 by Angie

April showers bring may flowers! It also brings us Green Month and Earth Day celebrations around town. We are gearing up for some great information and fun activities all centered around being green!

We are so excited to be participating in the MOMS Market Springpalooza Sunday April 3rd. We’ll be there with goodies and a few prizes for you to win, so come out and support local Moms with businesses and stop by our table to say hi!

Have a great week everyone!

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

Sunday March 27th:

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
Make a Monkey Mask
Make a mask a king would be proud of! Using inspiration from Indian King Hamuran, you can fashion a monkey mask for yourself. FREE!
1:00pm – 3:00pm

Scholastic Chess Club at Books-A-Million Brookwood Village
In our upstairs Kids Nook. Beginners are welcome, lessons
available, K-12, other mind sport activities are available such as
checkers and GO. Free to attend!
2PM – 5PM

—————————————————————————————

Monday March 28th:

Holy Inappropriateness – We couldn’t find any special events happening in the Ham’ today! Check out something going on daily on our list below

—————————————————————————————

Tuesday March 29th:

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

Together Time– Emmet O’Neal Library
The Letter”X”
All Ages Welcome
9:30 or 10:30

—————————————————————————————

Wednesday March 30th:

Storytime Science – McWane
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity for your early learner to experience science through literature. Enjoy an enriching story coupled with an intriguing science concept that is sure to spark the curiosity of your child.
COST: Included in cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members
10:30am

Wonderful Wednesday Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Come laugh along with us as we read Dinosaurs Love Underpants by Claire Freedman. When T-rex and the gang wrestle for a pair of prehistoric underpants, it becomes a battle for the briefs! Continue the fun in our Toys and Games Department, and enjoy treats
11:oo am

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

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

—————————————————————————————

Thursday March 31st:

Storytime Live – Hoover Public Library
Creepy Crawlies
10:30am

PJ Storytime – Hoover Public Library
Farm Fun
6:30pm

—————————————————————————————

Friday April 1st:

Day out with Thomas – Heart of Dixie RR Museum
All little engineers are invited to take a train ride with Thomas! The fun-filled family experience includes photos with Sir Topham Hatt, putt-putt golf, jumpstation, petting zoo, bubble station, temporary tattoos, storytelling, videos, live music and hands-on fun in the Imagination Station! You’ll find commemorative activities, merchandise and give-aways available ONLY at this Day Out With Thomas event.The 25-minute train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine will depart every 45 minutes, rain or shine, with departure times at 9:45 am through 3:45 pm daily. Tickets for the Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 are $18 for ages two and up.

Storyday with Ms NeNe – Whole Foods
Come meet Mrs. Renee Schmidt “NeNe” as we bring you our beloved storytime. Enjoy storyboards, songs and snacks!
10am

—————————————————————————————

Saturday April 2nd:

Get Wild! – Alabama Wildlife Center, Oak Mtn
A free, monthly family-oriented program promoting bird conservation and stewardship. Each program is hosted by wild bird educators and will feature a different topic. The program always includes our monthly conservation tip and may include an introduction to one of AWC’s resident glove-trained Education Birds, a visit inside the workings of our unique rehabilitation clinic, or maybe even a hands-on service project for our wild bird patients. Come get wild and have a learning adventure! Lasts 20-60 minutes.
Free after paid admission to Oak Mountain State Park: $1 per child 6-11 & Seniors 62+; $3
1:00pm

Kids Workshop – Home Depot
This week they will be building a planter/basket. Designed for ages 5-12.

The Home Depot’s Kids Workshops offer useful projects including the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit.

The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children.

In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates’ aprons, and an achievement pin.

Super Saturday Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Please join us as we read Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin. Pete loves his white shoes — can you guess how many different colors they will change? Find out as we explore our new Educational Toys & Games Department and have a tasty treat from our Cafe.
11:00am

—————————————————————————————

Sunday April 3rd:

MOMS Market Springpalooza – Pelham Civic Complex
Come out and join us for a great day of shopping fun, supporting local Moms with businesses as well as PADS (Parent Advocates – Down Syndrome) BirminghamMommy.com will be there, so stop by our table to say hi, we’ll have goodies and a chance to win a prize or two!
1pm – 5pm

—————————————————————————————

Local Attractions Open Daily!

McWane Science Center:

Itty Bitty Magic City –
The mini-sized Magic City – complete with buildings and factories – encourages young learners to explore new skills as they join the cities’ workforce. By dressing up in a favorite career costume and becoming a steel worker, doctor, pilot scientist or train conductor, preschoolers take one small step into the world around them. While operating cranes, turning gears, pulling pulleys, and building structures – to name just a few of the hands-on activities – children expand their understanding of themselves as they experience how objects behave and how their own actions affect the objects around them. Little explorers are free to navigate this active learning area at their own pace, allowing creativity, fun and discovery to flourish in the Itty Bitty Magic City!

NatureScope – Explore the great outdoors from inside the museum. McWane Science Center and the Birmingham Audubon Society are partnering to create a new exhibit called NatureScope. Explore the science of the birds and the bugs in this new area! Get up close and personal with some resident creepy crawlies! Learn what role insects play in our ecosystem with the decomposition chamber. Meet large bugs including emperor scorpions, a tarantula, and even a giant African millipede!

Animalopolis at the IMAX – ANIMALOPOLIS will take you on a voyage into the magical world of animals. A bit fanciful, a bit “Seussian” perhaps, a place of good natured humor, beauty and just plain fun for kids and their parents.

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!

Medical Minute: Get Your Pre Baby Body Back

Posted on Friday, March 25, 2011 by Angie

For many Moms getting back into a workout routine after their baby is born is very difficult. We are working under a brand new set of circumstances that have thrown our previous schedules for doing just about anything down the drain. We are running on fumes from sleepless nights, we’re leaking from odd places, and sometimes just getting dressed for the day is a fete in itself.

But if you are among the multitude of Moms that are longing for their pre baby body and are ready to get busy, we’ve got some tips for you!

Losing that baby weight is like losing any weight that is stubborn and just doesn’t want to come off. Do a combination of cardio work and strength training to achieve maximum results, you’ll tone up while dropping those lbs.

The best way to do this is through interval training. Running for hours on the treadmill is not exciting and the motivation to do it will most likely not come. Punch it up with intervals of running combined with strengthening exercises. A few examples of this would be set a distance ( 2 miles) and do run/walk combo. Run 1 mintue, walk 1 minute. If this seems too challenging just shorten the intervals to 30 seconds running and 1 minute walking. You can also set a time limit, for example do the run/walk combo for 20 minutes. When finished with that do 3 to 5 rounds of all of these exercises, 10 to 20 repetitions depending on your fitness level.

For strength-training, start with push-ups, squats, lunges, crunches or sit ups and lying back extensions. Planks are great at developing your core, it’s there somewhere! Do 10 planks from your elbows at 8 seconds each, resting only 2-5 seconds in between each plank.

Kegals. You must do them! This may be one of the areas that you don’t necessarily think about when getting back into shape but it’s still just as important, and their easy to do! Do them while driving, sitting in car pool, standing in line at the grocery store or just anytime you think of it. If you’re coordinated, do them while you exercise too.

Just remember to start out slow, and make sure to get the green light from your Dr before starting back on any type of exercise program. Getting on a plan now might just get you back in that swimsuit before summer, not to mention all of the added energy you will have to deal with your little bundle of joy!

Giveaway: Personalized Sign, from Signs by Andrea

Posted on Friday, March 25, 2011 by Angie

Signs by Andrea has a wonderful giveaway that would be a great addition to any home. Painted on weathered wood, each knot, imperfection and blemish enhances the vintage look ensuring no two signs are alike. These signs look fabulous hung above doorways and archways or even set on a fireplace mantel. All signs include attached hardware for hanging.

These one-of-a-kind personalized signs are the perfect gift for:

weddings (every bride gets a new last name)
housewarmings
birthdays
holidays
kid’s bedrooms & playrooms
and more!

GIVEAWAY: 1 free personalized hand-painted sign valued at up to $45

To enter:
1. Comment here, 1 entry total
2. Visit Andrea on Facebook, comment here that you “like” her! 1 entry total
3. Our Facebook buds get an entry too, comment here if you “like” us! 1 entry total

Bonus discount!! $5 off per sign, expires April 5th – BHM5OFF

Giveaway will end on Tuesday, March 29th at noon. We will contact the winner by Facebook and via Email

Car Seat Safety, New Guidelines.

Posted on Thursday, March 24, 2011 by Angie

We mentioned earlier this week on our Facebook page that the AAP had amended their guidelines on children in forward facing carseats. They now recommend that children stay rear facing until at least the age of 2, or until they meet the height and weight limits for their car seat. What does this mean?

Remember these are guidelines, not a law, yet. We all want to keep our snuggle bugs as safe as possible for well, forever. Here are the facts that led to these new recommendations. “A 2007 study found that children under age two are 75 percent less likely to die or to be severely injured in a crash if they are rear-facing. Another study found riding rear-facing to be five times safer than forward-facing.”

Many Moms we heard from said absolutely without a doubt this makes sense. Some stating that their children over the age of 2 are still rear facing and they have no plans to make the switch any time soon. Others are more skeptical and concerned about their children’s comfort level and even cited political motivation behind the decision by the AAP, turning this into a bit of a hot topic for Moms everywhere.

While we are certain that the guidelines will continue to evolve over the years, making some adjustments to your car travel may be necessary sooner rather than later if the guidelines eventually become law.

So, if you’re planning to leave your child rear facing even after he/she grows out of those infant seats, here are a few seats available to accommodate those older kiddos.

Sunshine Kids Radian XT SL – Rear-facing children 5 – 45 lbs and forward-facing children 20-80 lbs in a 5-point harness. Its steel alloy frame is NCaP crash tested making it the strongest car seat in the world. Our SuperLATCH system ensures the easiest installation possible using the vehicle’s lower anchors up to 80 lbs – no seat belt required. a height adjustable, aluminum-reinforced head support and protective ePS foam surround the child’s head and body to provide the most complete side impact protection of any car seat, and the SafeStop energy absorbing harness system. Radian’s low profile offers easy child boarding and its unique design provides more shoulder room yet still fits 3-across in a car. Memory foam padding and infant support pillows provide additional comfort. all this and RadianXTsl can fold flat for convenient travel and storage.

Safety 1st Complete Convertible Car Seat – 1 in 3 fatal child car accidents are due to a side-impact collision — almost all of which involve head trauma. Besides the side-impact protection, one of the best features of the Safety 1st Complete Air is its longevity, as it can be used rear-facing from 5-40 lbs. and then forward-facing from 22-65 lbs. Plus, the head-restraint pads adjust easily up and down to accommodate taller babies, making it one of the longest lasting car seats you’ll find.

Graco My Ride – An innovative convertible car seat. My Ride 65 stays rear-facing up to 40 lbs. – longer than most other car seats in the US. Then, it secures your forward-facing child in a 5-point harness until he is 65 lbs. (the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends your child stay harnessed as long as possible). Other features like EPS, energy absorbing foam, side-impact testing*, removable infant insert and toddler headrest help keep your child snug and secure on all his journeys.

If you need a refresher on some Car Seat Safety tips, check out this article that we ran a while back after speaking with the founder of SitTight.

Do It Yourself Dress Up Closet

Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 by Angie

I’m a Mom to 3 girls. Girls that love to play dress up. We recently did some purging of the playroom and narrowed down the princess dresses to everything that was in good condition and still fit them, but this still left us with more than our one storage box could handle.

I was looking for a way to house these play clothes in a way that was easy for them to get to, wasn’t stuffed in a box and wasn’t an eye sore. I didn’t have a lot of extra cash laying around for this “on a whim” project but what I did have was one white IKEA bookcase sitting unused.

I took a quick trip to Target for a tension rod – $6… Came home, removed the shelves from the bookcase, put the tension rod in and viola’ – A brand new dress up closet that can easily go back to a bookcase when/if needed.

I was pretty proud of my creation and the fact that it cost next to nothing. We added a bin on the bottom shelf for all of their jewelry and accessories, again, easy for them to reach. If you wanted to and the size of your bookcase allowed it, you could always add a mirror on the side or some hooks for hats or just extra hanging space.