Just a 2 hour drive can buy you a fun weekend in Atlanta. There is so much to do… the Georgia Aquarium, the Coca Cola Museum, Lenox Mall, and also going to a dance club with your kids!! The next one is February 7th, start planning now!
BABY LOVES DISCO Baby Loves Disco is slowly but surely transforming the hippest night clubs into child proof discos as toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents looking for a break from the routine playground circuit let loose for some post naptime, pre-dinner fun. Make no mistake, this is NOT the Mickey Mouse club, and Barney is Banned. Baby loves disco is an afternoon dance party featuring real music spun and mixed by real djs blending classic disco tunes From the 70s, & 80s guaranteed to get those little booties moving and grooving.
The fun spills out from all corners of the club: bubble machines, baskets of scarves and egg-shakers, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing. But at it’s core, Baby loves disco is a community event that brings kids together with kids and parents together with parents.
I can’t believe we’ve never mentioned this before…
Becoming a mom is a life-altering experience, and there’s nothing more needed than other moms to help support you. This can be especially hard to find if you’re always stuck at home! Meetup.com is a great way to meet people.
The Moms League of Birmingham is for all Moms of babies, toddlers, and Pre-k! Come share your mommy experiences…the good and the bad!! We are looking for Rookies, Pros and even Mom’s to be. Join us for trips to the zoo, local parks, storytime, playdates, and much more. We might even throw in a Mom’s Night Out every now and then. We look forward to meeting you!
Skip Hop may have invented the perfect diaper bag for moms of multiples. If you have multiples or even children close enough in age to need a bag for both, you should really consider investing in this gem of a bag. It’s the Duo Double Deluxe, it’s the only bag we know of designed specifically to fit “conveniently and neatly over the handlebars” of a side by side, double stroller. In addition to fitting the double stroller, it has 16 pockets, and can be carried by the tote straps or messenger strap. It features magnetic closures throughout and a comfy shoulder strap. 6 colors/designs to choose from, so it’s fashionable too! Depending on where you purchase the price can range from around $40.oo (TJMaxx) up to as much as $80.00 (direct from Skip Hop site.) We’ve also seen them listed on ebay so if you don’t mind previously owned, that’s a great place to start.
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and LOVED the food? So much that you wanted to make it yourself? Well now you can! This website is fantastic for lost recipes. It’s arranged by the date it’s put in, but you can search for your specific food. I personally L-O-V-E the Brazilian cheese bread that is served at Fogo de Chao. I would literally go there and spend $45 on an all you can eat meat meal just so I can get the bread!! So give it a shot, and if you’re in the mood, try my favorite rolls:
Fogo de Chão Cheese Bread Recipe
“Pao de Queijo”
4 eggs ¾ cup corn oil 1 ½ cups whole milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups sour tapioca flour (azedo) 1 cup sweet tapioca flour (doce) ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until batter is smooth. Lightly grease a 12- or 24-cup mini-muffin pan or small dariole molds. Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Breads should be crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside, like a popover. Serve Warm. Makes 48-60 Puffs.
Sweet and sour tapioca flour can be found at Brazilian food stores.
Starting February 10th (yes, February) the world of handmade and secondhand items could change forever (or until the new act gets modified). According to Cool Mom Picks, “congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust.”
The act, which requires mandatory testing on children’s products could also adversly affect my beloved purchases on Etsy. I make handmade and I appreciate handmade. I buy so much handmade. I’m anxiously watching the story unfold.
So, what about consignment? Obviously we as consumers cannot afford to pay for toxin-testing. Well, good news! Baby Cheapskate (one of our favorites!) is reporting that consignment and yard sales will have some kind of exception. Read more about that here.
In addition, I just found out today that Kid’s Wear Plus is moving their sale up this year to beat the deadline. The sale will be a “Sale for All Seasons” so bring your summer, spring, fall and winter. No bedding, Halloween costumes, Christmas clothing or winter coats) this year in order to accomodate the most product possible. They’re waiting on final word from their landlord for the space but are urging people to go ahead and begin tagging items now. You can remain updated on the status of Kids Wear Plus and Kid’s Market on their sites (clickable).
This act was undoubtedly created for our protection. We as consumers cried out for government protection from lead and other toxin containing children’s items. However, it should be practical – there has to be consideration for items that have already earned our trust. So, please take the time to contact your congressman, our local information is below:
You can contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at www.cpsc.gov.
***Update – the CPSC released a clarification today stating “The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.” So, it looks as if consignment, Craigslist and Ebay are safe for now!
More fun Spring activities at McWane: Here’s a schedule for the Spring classes, Little Labs:
These special classes are designed for children 3 years old to kindergarten age. Children will discover different topics in each Little Lab through hands-on experiments and activities. In order to attend a Little Lab, child must be potty trained and pre-registered.
The Alabama Theatre is hosting the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker on Sunday, December 28 at 7:30 pm. So, here’s your chance to make up for it! Click here!
