Birmingham's Railroad Park: A Little Piece of Urban Heaven

Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 by Angie

Nestled downtown near the central rail lines is our city’s newest and quite possibly coolest park.

It’s a green space taking up about 4 blocks, running down 1st Avenue South between 14th street and 18th street. It’s complete with a skate park, playgrounds, ponds, dining cart and wide open spaces that are sure to attract the attention of any child that likes to run free.

To say that we love this park is an understatement. While the buildings of downtown Birmingham and train tracks may seem like a foreign idea as back drop for a park, it’s downright cool. And if you like to take awesome pictures of your kids, don’t forget your camera, there are photo ops galore within this 19 acre area.

The landscaping is punctuated with masses of annual, biennial and perennial flowers, making this oasis not only lovely, but a cool escape in the center of a bustling urban environment.

If you want to get some exercise, a Rail Trail extends the length of the park, and is perfect for runners and walkers. If you want something a little more Muscle Beach, California style – Outdoor gym equipment offers additional opportunities for working out throughout the park. They also offer a “Get Healthy on the Railroad” program where you can take classes like Zumba and Bootcamp.

We just can’t tell you enough how impressed we are with this park and our city for putting this project in play. We can’t wait to see the how the remaining parts of this 3 park initiative which includes a new Red Mountain Park and expanding the existing Ruffner Mountain Park will develop.

For more information on Railroad Park and it’s amenities, check out their site

Photos By Larry O. Gay

Type A Mom: Carseat Safety

Posted on Monday, November 29, 2010 by Angie

By Alison Noble

Remember that nerve-filled ride home from the hospital with your firstborn? If you were like me, you nervously buckled in your new bundle of joy, then proceeded at snail’s pace to your destination. A deep sigh of relief ensued, and your blood pressure slowly returned to normal.

Safety was at the front of my mind as a paranoid new parent. Then my newborn boy turned into baby boy, then again into toddler boy. Before I know it, he’ll be a teenager, behind the wheel himself (shutter). Safely transporting my son now is no less important than it was when he was tiny, so I try to make a conscious effort to be as careful as I was that very first ride and to be a role model for safety in the car. After all, kiddie cargo is precious. Since I am no expert, I consulted someone with far more knowledge on car seat safety, a woman who is as passionate as she is informed about keeping young passengers safe.

Allana Pinkerton, a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) technician and founder of locally based non-profit organization, Sit Tight, offers some helpful advice for parents of all age groups, especially those in car seats. This safety-minded mom began a crusade to promote car seat safety and awareness after she was not allowed to install her child’s car seat on a school bus in 2000. The incident motivated Allana to obtain her CPS certification and volunteer her time at Children’s Hospital as a car seat technician and instructor. Although this time was fulfilling, Allana grew frustrated over budget cuts that could potentially lead to the demise of Alabama’s CPS program. To avoid being at the mercy of government funding, she formed Sit Tight, a donations-based organization with the mission “to educate people in the communities throughout Alabama about the issues related to Child Passenger Safety concerns in order to reduce deaths and injuries to children and teenagers caused by motor vehicle crashes.” In a conversation about the importance of car seat safety, Allana stressed the following key points.

Parents can purchase a safe seat at any price-point. A seat that costs $80 and a seat that retails for $200 should all meet the same federal crash test standards. Allana explained that since manufacturers want to be competitive, they all stay relatively on top of the latest safety innovations. Regardless of your car seat budget, there is a seat that meets your child’s basic needs. The seat itself is not as important as the way it is used, as explained below.

Proper installation and buckling is crucial. Even the poshest, priciest car seat cannot be effective if it is not installed correctly. The most common installation mistakes that Allana encounters are that the seat is not secured tightly enough or the seatbelt is secured through the incorrect path in the seat. “If I see one thing wrong, I usually see a second, third, etc.” Allana stated. Mistakes are often made because the manuals may be confusing to parents and contain an overwhelming amount of information. For this very reason, it is wise to have your seat checked by a certified car seat technician. Don’t simply let the technician install it for you; it is his or her job to teach you how to do it properly yourself so when you need to reinstall it in another vehicle, you can be prepared and confident. In addition to a proper install, it is important to buckle your child properly. One common mistake parents make is positioning the retainer clip too low, which should be buckled at armpit level. Also, the seatbelt should be tight enough and be locked, with the shoulder belts threaded through the appropriate paths.

Make sure your child is in the correct type of seat or seat position for his or her age. Although some pediatricians give the green light to switch the child from rear facing to forward facing at the one-year check up appointment, the American Society of Pediatrics’ stance is that “it is best for children to ride rear-facing as long as possible to the highest weight and height allowed by the manufacturer of their convertible seat.” While this is their recommendation, it will likely be the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy in the near future. Some pediatricians are slow to promote the extended rear facing movement, but as Allana simply phrased, “Pediatricians are not your car seat experts.” Allana sees an increasing number of parents keeping their children rear facing for longer, which she predicts to only grow as more people look at the mounting research.

A common safety mishap Allana frequently notices is premature seat “promotion” – parents move a child out of a five-point harness or booster seat too soon. Ideally, a child should remain in a five-point harness until he or she has met the maximum height and weight requirements for that particular seat. After that stage, a child should ride in a booster seat until the adult belts properly fit, which occurs roughly when the child reaches about 4’9” in height. To avoid injuries caused by air bag deployment, a child is safest riding in the back seat until age thirteen.

Parents of older children need to start conversations about car safety long before they take the wheel. After seeing at least thirty-six unbuckled teenagers in moving vehicles in a single day around Vestavia Hills High School, Allana was stunned at how many older children disregard the most basic vehicle safety measure. Whether driving or riding with others, teenagers need to know a seatbelt can mean the difference between life or death in an accident. Parents need to first and foremost be role models in safe driving and habits, but they also need to have frank conversations with their kids about the ramifications of reckless driving. “Explain to them that whatever they do in the car directly affects the entire family… that a car can be a deadly weapon on wheels,” Allana suggested. A written contract, outlining the rules you wish your child to follow, can be helpful in promoting responsibility and encouraging dialogue. Since today’s teens are visual learners, find videos about occupant safety and watch them together. To counteract the invincible feeling that teenagers often possess, adults must arm kids with facts and stress the tremendous responsibility that accompanies driving.

Seek out resources to help ensure your family’s safety. It may seem obvious, but don’t underestimate the information you can get from your specific car seat manufacturer. Register your car seat so that the company can directly inform you of any recalls. Many car seat websites feature videos about the seats and their installation, which can be much more helpful than a two-dimensional drawing in your paper manual. Also, the customer-service hotline for your seat is a great avenue to direct your specific questions.

If you need help installing your child’s car seat or need it checked, make an appointment with a technician holding a current certification. Ask to see his or her National Highway and Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) card and make sure the date is not expired. Sometimes individuals get certified, then never update it or continue their education, which can lead to costly oversights. A person with current certification should be able to teach you the installation process if you are having difficulty or check a previously installed seat. In addition to installations, certified car seat technicians can also help you educate your older children about safety. If you sense that your teenager is tuning you out during discussions about driving, a certified expert can help. To avoid sounding like a lecturer, Allana gives interactive, lively presentations for teenagers to hammer home the importance of vehicle safety. Sometimes having a third party involved can be more effective or at least reinforce the parents’ points about safety, and a car seat technician is a valuable ally to utilize for this purpose.

For additional information involving car seat and vehicle safety, visit the following links:

www.sittight.org

www.cpsalabama.org

www.nhtsa.gov

www.carseat.org

www.carseatdata.org

www.aap.org

www.parentingteendrivers.com

www.noys.org

Birmingham Events Calendar – November 28th – December 5th

Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 by Angie

Moving into December already! We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend spending time with your families! Time is not slowing down, if you haven’t already tackled those Christmas decorations, what are you waiting for? Lots of holiday activities will be starting up this week including a Chanukah storytime at Emmet O Neal. There is no shortage of opportunities to see Santa or do some holiday shopping! Have a great week!!

Be sure to check this page often throughout the week as it’s constantly updated!

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

Sunday November 28th

Santa Special Train Rides – Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Santa rides the train with you! Tell him what you would like for Christmas as he greets passengers, poses for photos, and gives a special treat to each child. Bring your camera!
Trains depart at 11am and 2pm. Advance purchase recommended.
All coach seats $15 (2 years of age and older), Caboose $20, Locomotive $30, plus processing fee for each ticket. Admission to museum is Free. | Buy Tickets

Santas Lane – Summit
Capture the holiday magic with a free professional photo with Santa (in his sleigh in front of Belk). Every child will receive yummy cookies compliments of Bud’s Best Cookies.
10-11 am
Noon-4 pm

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
The Museum is offering a new, fun, and free drop-in art program for kids and families. Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!

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

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Monday November 29th

Toddler Tales- Emmet O’ Neal Library
Lapsit storytime with Ms. Traci.
Ages 24-36 months and a caregiver.
Registration required – call 879-0497 to register.
9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

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Tuesday November 30th

MOPS Meeting – Riverchase United Methodist
“Game Night” at Mothers Of Preschoolers (MOPS) for Expecting Mothers
thru to Mothers with preschoolers
6:30-8:30 pm
RSVP child care with Lynn 664-4531. http://riverchase.cc/mops.php

Together Time – Emmet O’Neal Library
Action-packed storytime with Ms. NayNay.
All ages. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

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

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
11:ooam

Education Celebration – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for a fun-filled hour of hands-on learning featuring our brand-new Barnes & Noble @ School section with educational toys and games.
11:30am

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Wednesday December 1st

Every Little Bottom – Diaper Drive Kickoff
Stay tuned for details on how you can help!

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

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Thursday December 2nd

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

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Friday December 3rd

Holiday Craft Bazaar – South Avondale and Forest Park
The 5th Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar is back & it is bigger & better than ever. December 3rd, 4th and 5th, crafters and artists will be setup in current businesses and empty retail spaces on 41st Street in Avondale as well as in Forest Park. Offering holiday gift items for the holiday and Christmas season shopper.
5pm – 9pm

Storytime Special: Chanukah Tales – Emmet O’Neal Library
All ages are welcome
9:30 a.m.

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Saturday December 4th

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic
You don’t want to miss this clinic! This is part one of a three part Train kit! Come back each weekend in December to build a new piece of the Train!
10am

Breakfast with Santa – North Shelby Library
Breakfast Buffet 9:00am-9:30am
Craft & Pictures with Santa: 9:30am-10:30am
Registration Required: $5.00 Fee per child due at time of registration

Breakfast with Santa – Village Tavern
Join us from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. for an event for the entire family.
Enjoy a delicious, hot breakfast, as well as art activities. Visit with Santa to
tell him what’s on your wish list, and let us capture the magic in a photo taken by
the fireplace. There’s also a special goody bag for the kids. The $15 ticket
benefits the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs
Kids 2 and under are free. Call 967-0111 for more details.

Christmas Extravaganza – New Covenant Fellowship, Pinson
Visit vendor booths for crafts, unique gifts, home baked goods, custom monogramming, Alabama/Auburn paintings, family Christmas portraits, free entertainment and refreshments and much more!
Come shop in a “Winter Wonderland” while enjoying free entertainment and refreshments. Vendors will offer on site purchases while others will have custom ordering available also. Children 10 and under are admitted FREE – General Admission of $5.00 to benefit “Helping Hands Ministry”.
9am – 5pm

Holiday Faire – Alabama Waldorf School – Crestwood Neighborhood
Join us for HOLIDAY FAIRE!. Bring in the season with games, an international buffet and bake sale, live music, and vendors, featuring local artists, crafts, and handmade goods. Fun for the whole family!!
10am – 3pm

Barts Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
A new, fun, and free drop-in art program for kids and families. Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
11am – 1pm

Helena Market Days/Farmers Market – Helena Amphitheater
8:00am – 12:00pm

Harvest and Holiday Market at Pepper Place
Autumn in Alabama means fresh-grown apples, pumpkins and squash for your fall meals. November markets will also bring hand-made gifts just in time for the Holiday Season!
7:00am – Noon

Saturday Storytime at Barnes and Noble Summit
2:00pm

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Sunday December 5th

Holiday Iron Pour – Sloss Furnace
Create that unique gift this holiday season: cast iron art!
Are you looking for a unique Christmas gift this year? Make a cast iron tile or a cast iron bowl.
Santa will also be at Sloss! Come have your picture made with the Jolly Old Saint! Each picture costs $10.
1pm – 4pm
Visit their site for more information on what you can make or to purchase tickets

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Birmingham Children’s Theatre
What happens when the notoriously nasty Herdman kids show up at church group and volunteer to be the starring roles in the church’s annual Christmas Pageant? Only the BEST Christmas Pageant Ever! Experience the joy of the season with your family and begin a new Christmas tradition by attending BCT’s “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, every member of the family will walk away with a good feeling and a wonderful lesson learned. Don’t miss this modern Christmas Classic as only BCT can tell it!
Recommended ages: 2nd to 8th Grades
2pm – 3pm – Child $8.00 Adult $10.00 | Buy Tickets

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Open Daily

McWane Science Center

Winter Wonderland Exhibit
Brrrr! When the weather outside is frightful, McWane is so delightful! Come inside the museum this holiday season and let your imagination be your guide through the new Winter Wonderland exhibits where snowflakes glisten above your head and toy trains zip around the tracks. Inside this new holiday exhibit, wonder is in the air as children explore the snow room where everyday they can touch the “almost” snow! Kids’ laughter can be heard as they try to catch fish through the ice. Brave winter wonder seekers can even sled down a giant snow hill between the third and second floors in the museum. Then, skate around the ice pond in your slippery socks.
November 26th – January 2nd

MAGIC OF MODEL TRAINS EXHIBIT
November 6, 2010 – January 2, 2011
The holidays are picking up steam at McWane Science Center with the return of the Magic of Model Trains exhibit. Discover trains of every shape and size inside this popular exhibit which features over a dozen different train displays. Sets include several tiny trains that are built to scale with surrounding cities and scenes including the LG&W that depicts central Alabama in the 1950’s. Every set in the exhibit is designed to scale with the size of the trains. The meticulous detail of the scenery including covered bridges, downtown storefronts and of course, several train stations will keep your family entertained for hours!

Itty Bitty Magic City –
The Itty Bitty Magic City will be on display this summer in addition to The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head exhibit. The Itty Bitty City is a little bit smaller than usual, but favorite areas including the grocery store, Tot Spot area, crane, and factory are still in the city. The Itty Bitty Golf Course and a few other items were removed temporarily to make room for the new exhibit “The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head” that is also designed for an early childhood audience and they will return in the Fall.

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

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!

Turkey Day Craft

Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 by Angie

You’re busy cleaning, cooking and stressing out over all of the people that will be filling your home in less than 24 hours. You have a million things to do and Oh Yeah, the kids are home. Unless you want to plop them down in front of the tube for a large portion of the day (Not that there’s anything wrong with that) they need something to keep them busy even if it’s only for a little while.

Here’s something that is easy to do and I was literally able to pull together from the ingredients we had in the house. We’ve done different versions of these over the years but if you get creative and have some left over Halloween candy, dump it in some bowls and let the kids go to town making their very own turkey.

Warning: If you are doing this with 2 year olds, they need lots of assistance and this can actually backfire on you getting other things done while they craft. Just so you know.

What you’ll need:

Toothpicks
Apple
Misc snacks and candies

What you’ll do:

Use your snacks and candies to make feathers. For example we used raisins, cherrios, marshmallows and mini chocolate chips. Spear them onto your toothpicks and push them into your apple to make “Feathers”

We used a marshmallow and raisin for the eyes.

Popcorn for the feet. If you do this activity around snack time you can feel good about your ability to multi-task.

The finished product is a cute little Turkey that we will actually be using as a centerpiece on our table for our family gathering.

Happy Thanksgiving – Gobble Gobble!

52 New Things – Week 46

Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 by Angie

Angie –

I attended a Harry Potter Party. I’m a fan, not a “Fan” “Fan” but I’ve read the books and I’ve seen the movies. McWane was hosting a Weasley Wedding and we were helping out. I knew the dress code was costumes or wedding attire but I had no idea how serious these Potter fans are. We saw some of the most creative and awesome costumes. Many of the people that were dressed up were actually in character for a portion of the evening which made speaking with them a little awkward at times but all in all we had a great time and it was neat to see the die hard fans come out and enjoy an evening devoted to something they love.

Trish –

My new thing this week was generic shave cream. I was at Dollar Tree getting random junk, and decided to try shaving cream. It was a huge failure- weird fumes came out of it when I tried to use it, then when it finally came out it the smell nearly knocked me over. TERRIBLE! Go name brand!

For more New Things or if you’d like to participate in 52 new things along with BirminghamMommy and many others – please join in by posting your new thing to your blog, facebook or on twitter (use #52newthings) – Also, you can head over to www.willblogforshoes.com to link up every Thursday!

Iron Bowl Playdate: War Eagle! & Roll Tide!

Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 by Angie

You might think that Thanksgiving is the most important thing happening this week, and I hate to inform you that you are incorrect. It’s Iron Bowl Week Baby!! Forget the turkey it’s time to sport your orange and blue or crimson and white…. Bragging rights are on the line!

Many of us host Iron Bowl parties for our adult friends leaving the kids to make themselves scarce and hope no one comes down with a Lego up their nose until at least halftime…. BirminghamMommy.com put together a few ideas to help keep the little ones occupied and get them involved in the festivities.

First up, Gear – your guests really need to come dressed to support their team, in case they don’t want to play along (how dare they?) you can have a few of these adorable little tulle skirts available for the girls. All you need to whip these up are elastic headbands and strips of tulle in team colors. Cut the tulle into strips, double and tie in double knots around the elastic band, alternating colors. Any little girl that likes to dress up will love being and Auburn or Alabama Princess for the day!

For the boys, pick up a little pack of Logo Tattoos and let them be a part of the dressing up!

Decorations can be simple, if you’re a big fan you mostly likely have some themed platters or shakers around. Getting plates in team colors is another way to add some fun to the festivities. We love these adorable ice buckets and platters from Stuck on you Wall Decor.

Next you need activities – We created a very simple pin the football on the field game, using a large grass looking table cloth and some white duct tape. Simply mark of your yardage with the tape and add the number and hash marks if you want. We bought some inexpensive football cut outs from the party store and put a little tape on the back, blind fold your guest, spin them around and the closest football to the end zone wins! Total cost for the game was less than $7, but I did have the tape on hand.

You can also set up a football toss by using a hoola hoop and some string. Tie it up to a branch and let the kids try their arm at throwing a football through the hoop.

Combining food and activities is a good idea. Make a batch of sugar cookies and have some icing and sprinkles on hand. To keep with the theme, use football shaped cookie cutters and let the kids decorate in their team colors. While you have the cookie cutters out, make up some sandwiches and cut them into footballs and helmets too. Some chips, goldfish, a cooler full of juiceboxes and you’ll have one heck of an Iron Bowl party that adults and kids can enjoy!

If you’re headed to the game, remember these fun ways to make tailgating easier with kids in tow!

War Eagle and Roll Tide Everyone!

Thanksgiving 101: Table Manners

Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 by Angie

Yesterday we talked a bit about manners for when you are a host or a guest this Thanksgiving. Today we’re going to talk a little about table manners. It’s information we can all stand to brush up on,. and something we can start teaching the children so they can eventually move up from the kiddie card table in the living room!

Courtesy, The Etiquette School of Birmingham

Table Manners

Just in case you could use a refresher course in table manners, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Sit where your host indicates and don’t sit until the host sits. A gentleman seats the lady on his right, then the lady on his left. The lady sits when she feels the chair touch the back of her leg, and then helps scoot the chair forward. Ladies enter a chair from the right.

A napkin begins the meal. When your host picks up the napkin, follow suit and place in your lap. (No tucking under your chin or in your belt.) The napkin stays in your lap (unless you’re dabbing at the corners of your mouth with it) until you leave the table. Then it’s placed on the table to the left of your plate.

Which utensils should you use? Working your way from the outside of the place setting in. If you’re right handed, your left hand should be in your lap when not engaged with a utensil. Lefties: Just the opposite.

Pass to the right. The handle of any serving utensils on the plate should be aimed at the person receiving the pass.

Eat only when everyone has been served. Again, follow the prompt of your host.

Salt and pepper are passed together, not separately. Never season your food without first tasting it.

Meat should be cut one piece at a time. All your veggies can be cut at one time, if you like.

The correct way to eat bread: break a single, bite-sized piece of bread off a roll, butter that piece, and eat. Repeat as necessary.

Remember what Mama said – chew with your mouth closed, and, although good conversation makes for a delightful meal, don’t speak with a full mouth..

If you cannot eat something on your plate due to allergies or another problem, keep quiet about it. No one wants to hear about what eating those nut-laden green beans will do to your gastric system. If you simply don’t like carrots…or Brusselssprouts, tough. Eat at least one bite of everything that won’t kill you and then push it around your plate until the end of the meal.

If you spill, don’t make it a big issue. Your host knew the risk when he/she decided to serve cranberry sauce and red wine. That said, do your best to remove the offending item from the crisp white tablecloth and/or wipe up what you can. If it’s an overturned glass that’s flooded your neighbor’s plate, offer to do whatever is necessary to quickly deal with the spill. After the meal, discreetly offer to have the tablecloth cleaned or pay to have it cleaned or, if necessary, offer to replace the tablecloth.

If you must leave the table for any reason during the meal, say “excuse me,” and place your napkin on the table to the left of your plate or on the seat of your chair.

By the way, there’s nothing crude about polishing off every last morsel on your plate. There’s no better way to complement the chef.

If seconds are offered, feel free to take advantage. If they are not, consider stopping by Burger King on your way back home.

The meal has ended when your host places his/her napkin on the left side of his/her plate and rises. If you think you haven’t finished eating, you’re mistaken.

Kathie Martin is founder and president of The Etiquette School of Birmingham. A communications professional with more than 30 years in the corporate and non-profit world, she holds etiquette certification from the American School of Protocol. Martin provides etiquette training for children, business etiquette training for corporations and adults and speaks to college groups and community organizations on a variety of etiquette-related subjects. For more information, visit www.etiquettebham.com, e-mail her at etiquetteschool@bellsouth.net, or call 205-222-0932.

Thanksgiving 101: An Etiquette Primer

Posted on Monday, November 22, 2010 by Angie

Courtesy, The Etiquette School of Birmingham

It’s that time of year again. Time for families to gather, time for turkeys to give their all for the country that almost made it their national bird, and—most importantly—time for each of us to count our blessings. Unfortunately, stress can be just as much of a part of this national holiday as overeating. For the cook, Thanksgiving dinner can be a labor of love or a major hassle, struggling with a bird too large for the oven, juggling multiple dishes that all must be piping hot and ready to eat at the same time and, without fail, the one dish that just didn’t work out.

There another set of worries for the guests. Should they offer to bring a dish and/or help out in the kitchen? What should they wear? What if they spill on the host’s clean tablecloth? What if they can’t eat what’s served?

This year, let’s count our blessings without the stress. Let’s gather around the dinner table for a feast with the reassurance that we have the etiquette know-how to handle whatever comes our way with grace.

If you’re the host:

Plan your menu early, paying attention to avoiding dishes that may cause allergic reactions in your guests. Make a shopping list that’s been checked and re-checked against your pantry supplies and when you shop, use a pen to check off each item as you put it in the cart. (If you’re preparing a dish you’ve never made before, prepare a test dish to ensure it’s as delightful as you think it will be.) Time out what needs to go in the oven when and write it down in a schedule that you follow on the big day.

Prepare what you can a day or two in advance and store safely in the refrigerator.

Set your table a day or two in advance, and then cover with a clean sheet to keep dust (and critters) off the clean dishes and cutlery.

Flower arrangements for the table should be no higher than 6” to ensure uninterrupted sight lines across the table.

If you’re the guest:

Verify the time you are to arrive and if your host needs you to bring a dish, ice or anything else. If you are asked to bring a dish, coordinate with the host/hostess what kind of dish is needed and if there are any allergies among the diners.

Ask your host how you should dress. No one wants you to be uncomfortable.

Pick up an inexpensive gift to present as a thank you for your host. Make it something that’s not labor-intensive and that won’t fit with the decorations (such as flowers). A bottle of wine brought as a gift is just that—a gift for later use by your host. It should not be expected to be served at dinner. Instead opt for something your host might enjoy later, such as a box of chocolates or another culinary treat he/she enjoys, a calendar for the upcoming year, a picture frame, a

unique kitchen gadget (if the host enjoys cooking), a decorative bottle cork, a bottle of scented hand cream, etc. Just be sure it’s inexpensive and not too personal.

Arrive ON TIME. There’s no such thing as being “fashionably late.” If you’re bringing food, be sure it is ready to serve (unless you are coming a long distance).

It’s rude to eat and run, so stay a short while before you leave.

Should you offer to help with the dishes? If it’s a large party, no. If it’s family and just you, it wouldn’t hurt. If the host tells you not to worry about it, do as he/she asks. When you do leave, be sure to thank your host for his/her hospitality.

Follow up dinner with a hand-written thank you note sent through the mail. An e-mail s not appropriate for either an invitation or a proper thank you.