Comment for a Cause – Children's Hospital of Alabama Blog Fundraiser

Posted on Monday, December 14, 2009 by Angie

We’re very pleased to welcome a new contributor to the BirminghamMommy team – Amanda from The Mom Job. You’ll be able to read more from her here very soon. In the meantime, we want to share something really terrific that she’s doing over at her blog.

On Monday, December 14, 2009, The Mom Job will be hosting a very special benefit post for Children’s Hospital of Alabama. You see, Children’s Hospital of Alabama holds a special place in Amanda’s heart.

Her son Chase was born in Montgomery, Alabama, with a grade 3-4 brain bleed (which is normally defined as a “fatal bleed”). The medical unit in Montgomery were nice and accommodating, but lacked the overall expertise for how to treat his condition seeing as full-term babies without trauma DO NOT form brain bleeds of this magnitude.

Children’s Hospital of Alabama quickly offered to accept Chase and medevaced him to their downtown facilities. During the course of his 8 day stay, Chase, with the help of an amazing team of nurse’s, surgeons, doctors and staff, fought for his life. Miraciously and without further explanation, Chase was released, never shunted and will have his VERY LAST follow-up appointment this month. He is developing “normally” (aside from wanting to eat pennies and crayons…?!), an amazing child and truly a miracle for her and husband Michael.

She and Michael will be donating 10 cents for each comment made on Monday’s post and 10 cents for each “retweet” on Twitter. In addition, there will be a special paypal button set up for those who wish to make their own donation to Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Please visit her Monday to support this awesome cause!

To follow her on twitter: @themomjob

To read her blog: http://www.themomjob.net

**Please note – you don’t comment here (not that we don’t love your comments) but for the fundraiser, please visit The Mom Job on Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 for you comments to count in the fundraiser.**

Birmingham Kids Calendar! Dec. 13-19

Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009 by Angie

Hey, Hey! Birmingham Moms! It’s time to map out your week on the calendar. Let us lend you a hand! We’ve got storytime at Pottery Barn Kids, the North Shelby Library, Zoolight Safari, The Nutcraker and more!

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

Pottery Barn Kids Book club at the Summit –

Children and a caregiver are invited to share in this weekly story time. Make sure to get your Book Club Passport on your initial visit and receive a free gift at your 5th story time.

Tuesday, the 15th,10am Free!

North Shelby Library

Mr Mac’s Christmas Party

Wednesday, the 16th, 10:45am Free!

Ride The Train Around McWane

Visitors will be able to take a ride around the plaza in this brand new choo-choo! Then, continue your journey in the museum with the Magic of Model Trains exhibit.

TRAIN STATION SCHEDULE:

Sunday, December 13 from 12:00 – 4:00

Saturday, December 19 – Thursday, December 31 from 11:00 – 4:00

Tickets $1 for members and $2 for non-members

Zoolight Safari at the Birmingham Zoo

Two trains for the Holiday Train Ride, see the Zoo illuminated with over half-a-million lights, festive carousel, get the best deal and enjoy all holiday rides with the new All-You-Can-Ride wristband, enjoy story time, animal demos and much more! Be sure to stop at the Barn in the Children’s Zoo for photo opportunities, animals and holiday crafts for all to enjoy. The Zoo will close at 4 pm every night of ZooLight Safari. Animal exhibits will be closed during ZooLight Safari. *Additional cost for all rides.

December 18th-20th – 5-9pm

Chelsea Christmas Parade –

Saturday December 19th – 10am

Begins at Chelsea Intermediate School and ends at Winn Dixie.

**George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™**

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

10:00 am – 12:15 pm

Samford Wright Center

Each year, the Alabama Ballet produces two special school performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. The school performances bring children from schools throughout the metropolitan area to Samford Wright Center. Underwritten by Regions and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, these productions give elementary, junior high and high school students the opportunity to experience the excitement of a live performance and learn more about the art of ballet.

The Wright Center is filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so order early for best seating. For more information, call the Ballet office at 205-322-9095

Alabama Theatre Holiday Film Series

Tickets $7.00 adults, $6.00 sr. citizens and children under 12. Available at the box office 10am-4pm Monday-Friday beginning December 7th or 1 hour before show time. Free parking.

Monday December 14th – A Christmas Story, 7pm

Tuesday & Wednesday December 15th & 16th – It’s a Wonderful Life, 7pm

Thursday and Friday December 17th and 18th – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 7pm

Barnes and Noble at the Summit

Enjoy family story time while wrapping up that last bit of shopping.

Saturday, December 19
11am

“A Wish to be a Christmas Tree” By: Colleen Monroe

Saks Fifth Avenue at the Summit

Free Stress Buster Massage

Saturday, December 19
2:00pm – 5:00pm

Breakfast with Santa at the Village Tavern

It’s the last week to enjoy breakfast with Santa.

Village Tavern, located on Hwy 280 at the Summit Saturday, December 19th

The $15 ticket benefits the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.
Kids 2 and under are free. Call 967-0111 for details

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic

Head on into to Lowe’s this Saturday, the 19th and build a Pet Treat Keeper.

10am – 11am Ages 5-12

Win 2 Pairs of Babylegs!

Posted on Sunday, December 13, 2009 by Angie

Contest is closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! Winner announced shortly

Oh so sweet. Oh so soft. Oh such a great way to cover those legs and change those diapers with ease!

We’re giving away two sets of “My 1st babylegs” to a lucky BirminghamMommy reader! One set in “Blush” and one set in “Spring”. Ador.a.ble.

These will make darling additions to your little one’s legs or great gifts for that next shower!

To enter:

Comment below – tell us what you like about our new site (one entry per day/person)
Tweet about our giveaway – be sure to include @birminghammommy so we’ll see it. Come back and comment separately that you tweeted (one tweet per day/person)

The contest will run through Tuesday at 5 pm! Good luck!

Good luck!

Natural ways to prevent and prepare for the swine flu

Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009 by Angie

by Trisha Gilbert

There are many things you can do to help prevent illnesses, such as H1N1 (Swine Flu), in your family. Most of these do not cost anything and are things you can do everyday.

Before all else, if you are sick, please stay home! Yes, times are tough for many, but please think of the greater good and stay home to get well.
Frequently wash hands with plain soap and water (there is no evidence that anti-bacterial products are anymore effective than plain soap and water). (See how to make your own non-toxic foaming hand wash.) BabyGanics has a great non-toxic foam hand soap as well and is available at Babies R Us.
Use kid-safe, non-alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water is not available. I love CleanWell Hand Sanitizer. It’s available at GNC and Whole Foods. (See my CleanWell product review.)
Degerm. When you get home each day, encourage everyone to do the following:a. Remove your shoes to keep germs from getting on the floors where children playb. Change into clean clothesc. Take a shower if at all possible, or at minimum, thoroughly wash hands
d. Wash any toys with soap and water or vinegar and water that your child may have brought with them
Do not touch your face, bite your nails, put your hands in your mouth, etc. Teach your children to do the same.
Keep babies from sharing and mouthing toys if and when possible. Wash them frequently with soap and water, or vinegar and water to sanitize.
Take care of yourself: Get enough sleep, exercise, eat a balanced diet, drink lots of water (as opposed to sugary drinks).
Take a vitamin supplement, especially Vitamin D. Some studies suggest illnesses such as the flu are brought on by lack of Vitamin D. I love Carlson’s Baby Vitamin D drops. They are actually cheaper than the traditionally recommended infant multi-vitamin, minus all the extra “junk” ingredients. They also have kids’ and adult versions. One drop a day is all you need – too easy!
Take a daily probiotic. A recent study showed a significant decrease in the report of illnesses among a group who took a daily probiotic than those who did not. It’s also a good idea to mix up the brand and strains for maximum benefit. Children’s Rhino probiotic comes in a chewable and powder form and is all natural.
Cough and sneeze into a tissue. If one is not available, use your sleeve (your hands will come in contact with more people and surfaces than your sleeve).
Do not share utensils, drinks, etc. even with your children or spouse.

What should you do to prepare for a H1N1 outbreak?

Wear a face mask. It may offer additional protection during an outbreak.
Avoid public places as much as possible during an outbreak.
Stock up. Stock the freezer with veggies and meat, the pantry full of non-perishables, and anything else you would need to survive in your house for days or weeks at a time, so in the event of a major outbreak, you will not need to venture out of the house. Think toilet paper, laundry detergent, toiletries, pet food, etc.
Have treatment supplies on hand such as fever reducing products, thermometers, tissues, hand sanitizer, etc.
Refill any reoccurring prescriptions ahead of time
Prepare for childcare. Have someone lined up to care for your kids in the event schools or daycares close, or you yourself become sick.
Discuss telecommuting options with your boss.

Visit the CDC’s website and understand the symptoms of H1N1. If you or your child becomes sick, contact your doctor or pediatrician immediately to understand any warning signs so you can get prompt attention when it is needed.

More info:

CDC’s H1N1 Flu Center

WHO – World Health Organization H1N1 Coverage

Prevent and Prepare for Swine Flu

Swine Flu on Wikipedia

Mercola on Probiotic benefits

Author’s note: The author is not a medical doctor and is not giving out medical advice. Many parents are looking for natural ways to prevent the swine flu, whether it’s in addition to, or lieu of the H1N1 vaccine; and healthy adults currently are not eligible for the vaccine. The fact of the matter is a little less than 50% of the US population will receive a H1N1 vaccine, whether by choice, ineligibility or lack of availability. Additionally, the vaccine is not 100% effective (so far it’s proved to be effective about 90% of the time), thus it’s nice to have a little back up. The author is not advocating against the vaccine in anyway and this is not meant to spark any type of debate on vaccines.

Trisha Gilbert has been married for five years and has two children. She is dedicated to greener and frugal living, including breastfeeding, organic foods, and cloth diapering. She maintains an Examiner page focusing on Green Parenting in Birmingham http://www.examiner.com/x-14809-Birmingham-Green-Parenting-Examiner and is the author of A Moms Blog www.amomsblog.wordpress.com focusing on general greener parenting, health and safety issues. Email Trisha at bhamgreenparent@gmail.com.

Personalized Santa Video

Posted on Thursday, December 10, 2009 by Angie

We ran this a week or two ago on the old site and on Facebook, but it’s so neat, we had to put it up again in case any of you missed it!

This is just two shades of awesome. Birmingham Mommy reader Kerry posted this and it is just to die for! Santa talks to your little darling on his “PNP” or “Portable North Pole” transmitter.

Go here : www.portablenorthpole.tv fill in the information and upload your child’s picture. Then, watch your child as he or she watches the video. Maybe you should even video him or her watching it.

So cool!

Welcome to the new BirminghamMommy.com!

Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 by Angie

We’re so happy you found us! Please take a moment to say hi! We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to launch our new site. You’ll still be able to find your favorite items like what to do, where to go, etc. But you’ll also find so much more! We’re going to bring the best of Birmingham to all you Moms and Dads out there!

We’ve decided that “mommy” is a verb, as well as a noun (someone notify Webster). So you’ll be able to navigate through the site using the verbs you see on the navigation bar. Beneath some of those are more detailed categories.

We’re also proud to welcome many new contributors who’ll have featured columns of their own – just wait until you meet some of Alabama’s most talented writers. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee and stay a while. We’re glad to have you!

Droolicious Cuisine at BirminghamMommy: MommaDrool Meatloaf

Posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 by Angie

Who doesn’t love a good meatloaf? Well, leave it to our favorite recipe maven Mommadrool to make a knock-your-socks-off version of the family favorite for all of you Birmingham moms.

MommaDrool Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 and 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Texas Pete hot sauce

1/2 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can tomato sauce

2 bacon slices

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ground beef and next nine ingredients (through diced tomatoes) until combined.

2) Shape mixture into one loaf (9 x 4 inches) and place in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

3) Pour tomato sauce over loaf and arrange two bacon slices on top.

4) Bake for one hour and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

You can find many more droolicious recipes over at Mommadrools blog “Close Encounters of the Drool Kind”

That's What Holiday Memories are Made Of…

Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009 by Angie

We asked Birmingham Moms for their traditions (new and old) that required little money but produced cherished holiday memories. Here’s a sampling of what a few of our readers had to say.

Kerry said “Put peanut butter on pinecones, sprinkle with birdseed, hang from the trees and give the birds a Happy Holiday present!” and also “Simple salt dough ornaments. Let the kids hang them from their own kiddo tree!”

SavingforEight said “sitting around the tree drinking hot chocolate has become tradition round here! My boys asked to do it again this year:)”

Britt said “tempura paint feet and handprints ornaments for the Grandparents”

Julie said “It is killing my waistline but I am letting my boys help me cook treats. They are having so much fun in the kitchen.”

Selena said “My kids LOVE their chocolate Advent calendars!”

Birmingham Kids Calendar! Dec. 5-12

Posted on Monday, December 7, 2009 by Angie

Please note, this page is constantly updated, so check it often for our most up-to-date information

Trussville Christmas Parade.

December 12th at 3pm through downtown Trussville.

Elf on a Shelf book signing

Saturday, Dec. 12th

4-6pm

Learning Express Cahaba Heights

Elf on a Shelf signing with the illustrator and creator of the Elf, Coe Steinwart. You can purchase the book that day for $29.99 or bring in your own copy and she will sign it too!

Also, Santa will be at Cahaba Heights that same day from 6 to 7:30 pm. He will be happy to give your child their new Elf! Bring your own camera for pics with Santa!

Family Sing-A-Long

Emmett O’Neal Library will be hosting a Family Sing a Long. Special appearance by Mrs. Claus!

December 8th

5:30 p.m. dinner and 6:00 p.m. show

Ride a train around McWane!

Visitors will be able to take a ride around the plaza in this brand new choo-choo! Then, continue your journey in the museum with the Magic of Model Trains exhibit.

TRAIN STATION SCHEDULE:

Sunday, December 6 from 12:00 – 4:00
Saturday, December 12 from 11:00 – 4:00

Tickets $1 for members and $2 for non-members

December 5, 12 & 19

Breakfast with Santa at the Village Tavern!

December 12th

It’s an event the entire family will enjoy, featuring food, holiday art activities with Abrakadoodle, photos with Santa, a goody bag for kids and much more. The $15 ticket benefits the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs. Kids 2 and under are free. Call 967-0111 for details.

Zoolight Safari

December 4-6, 11-13 – 5-9pm

Hueytown Christmas Parade

12/12/09 – 10 am

Starting at the stadium, will travel by the library, high school, “heart of Hueytown” and ending back up at the stadium.

George Balanchine’s
The Nutcracker™

At the Samford Wright Center

Friday, December 11, 2009 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 12, 2009 – 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 13, 2009 – 2:30pm

Tinsel and Toddies – an event full of holiday cheer

Everyone in attendance will have the opportunity to win 1 of 10 gifts from Bromberg’s Jewelers and giftcards from Zoe’s Kitchen. Beer, wine and food from Zoe’s Kitchen will be included in ticket price. Tickets are $20 online, $25 at the door and $15 for YP Retail and Event Cardholders. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Shelby Humane Society.

Free Letter From Santa

Posted on Saturday, December 5, 2009 by Angie

There is still time to get a request in for a free letter from Santa. Just follow the instructions below.

To receive a written letter from Santa Claus, a letter with a legible return address must be mailed to:

Santa Claus
PO Box 1
Santa Claus, IN 47579

Every letter mailed to Santa Claus before December 21st, will receive a letter back from Santa Claus himself! The earlier you can send in your letter the better.

You can also print a letter from home by following this link