Product Review: TrueNorth Snacks

Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 by Angie

At BirminghamMommy.com, it’s no secret that we love healthy, natural foods. We prefer foods which we can pronounce all the ingredients and we’ve found another winner! TrueNorth Snacks from Frito Lay is a new contender in the world of natural snacking – and they are yummy! With no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, they proved to be a winner for us and a picky toddler.

We tried the Peanut Clusters and the Honey Wheat Peanut Crunchies. They were both great. With only a hint of natural sweetness, they were just right in curbing my toddlers afternoon snacking without jacking her up on unnecessary sugar. With ingredients like whole wheat flour, whole oat flour, honey and sugar we are sure that you’ll feel good about throwing these in the back of the minivan. Oh wait, we don’t drive minivans.

New IMAX Films Coming to McWane this Fall!

Posted on Friday, August 1, 2008 by Angie

There are exciting new films coming to IMAX this fall. Some features you can look forward to seeing are Fly Me to the Moon IMAX, opening August 18 and running until November 26.

Also, Blue Planet IMAX, opening September 6 and running until March 13. For a full description and to order advance tickets, visit Mcwane.org

Get Ready for Emergencies!

Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 by Angie

Tornadoes scare the crap out of me. I’ve lived in this state all my life and it doesn’t get easier. You may have seen the billboards around town. Sponsored by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), they read “Get 10 – Get Ready for Emergencies.” The signs correlate to a website to help Alabama residents prepare for emergencies ahead of time. In addition to explaining the items that we should all have at our disposal in case of emergency, they also give hints about storage advice. For more information, check out www.adph.org

Kids Corner at Whole Foods

Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 by Angie

We here are BirminghamMommy.com love the word FREE! We are constantly searching the city for things to fill our time, and when we come across something that is easy on the wallet, it just makes our day.

This one is great for the multi-taskers. If you have some shopping to do, head on over to Whole Foods, check out their free story time with Miss Mary, and mark some things off that grocery list while you’re there.

Every Friday
10:00am in the cafe
Story time, craft and snack.

Product Review: Cleanwell

Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2008 by Angie

There’s a new kid on the block. And he’s here to help keep your kid clean and germ-free. Cleanwell, a new line of sanitizers and hand cleaners was recently introduced to the market. In direct competition with the usual suspects of sanitizers, this one sets itself apart with an appeal to almost any Mom.

What’s different about Cleanwell? Well, apart from its smart packaging, so much more. First of all, it’s made from all-natural products. That’s right, no schmarmy, toxic chemicals packed into that bottle. They call it Ingenium, I call it genius. What does that mean for you? Well, you no longer have to worry about accidental ingestion as it’s not alcohol based and doesn’t contain harmful toxins like triclosan. It also kills 99.9% of harmful of harmful bacteria on contact, including MRSA.

The only downside BirminghamMommy has found has been the scent. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not offensive in any way, just really “herbally” smelling. It just takes getting used to. We tried the pocket spray and find it very convenient and also very well priced. While ounce for ounce you can find cheaper, the pocket spray boasts 4x more uses per ounce than alcohol gels. You can find Cleanwell at Target, Whole Foods and Amazon.

Another benefit, we’re willing to bet it won’t eat a hole in your hardwood floor as happened to one friend of BirminghamMommy. Thumbs Up!

City-wide Member Day is July 19th!

Posted on Monday, July 7, 2008 by Angie

Join area members of various cultural and arts organizations for a tour of the finest cultural locations the city has to offer. A valid member card admits 2 adults and 4 children into every participating venue all day long! Take this opportunity to tour the sites of our magic city and maybe find your new favorite place. In addition, if you’re not currently a member or season ticket holder in a participating venue, you can join that day, get in free everywhere else and register to win a Birmingham Arts & Culture Prize Pack full of memberships & tickets worth over $1,800. For a list of participating venues, click here

Cow Appreciation Day, July 11

Posted on Sunday, July 6, 2008 by Angie

Want a little taste of Halloween in July? Well dust off the old cow costume (you know you have one) and head on down to any participating Chic-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day, July 11.

Dress like a cow from head to hoof and get a complimentary combo meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner.)

Not for supporting the full cow look? Partial cow attire will still get you a complimentary entree.

Get together with some friends and take in a herd, and it’s Chick-fil-A for everyone!

Project: Memory Bear

Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 by Angie

We all have baby clothes that we can’t seem to part with… maybe we’re saving them for future babies, or someone special gave them to us, or we think our grandkids might wear them one day, or junior looked so cute in it! I am personally tired of seeing a big plastic bin full of beautiful clothes just sitting in the closet. So I decided to put them to better use… and make patchwork bears for my kiddos!

There is no real rhyme or reason to this project… just wing it! Because you made it with love, out of loved clothes, for you loved baby… it shouldn’t be perfect. It should show that imperfections are actually a part of perfection.

1. I traced the outline of a teddy bear onto a paper bag and cut it out. You’ll need a front and back, so cut out 2 bears.
2. I cut 3 inch squares (depending on the size of the bear, mine is about 18″) out of the clothes and laid them out on the outline to make sure there were enough, and that there were never two of the same right next to one another.
3. With a needle and some thick thread, I started sewing the squares together. Don’t try to be a perfectionist… it’s impossible. (Sewing by hand means EXTRA love, and blisters!)
4. When you have 2 sheets of patchwork done, put them together inside out and pin in the outline of the bear. If there are any gaps or holes, just sew an extra square in.

I really think my kids will cherish this one day. And if they don’t, there’s always grandkids to shower with my homemade affections!

Go Green! (& Cheap too!)

Posted on Monday, June 23, 2008 by Angie

Expensive, harmful, chemical cleaners are just not necessary… although I think the folks at Lysol and Windex would poop their pants if they knew the secret was out! You can clean most of your house with plain old super-cheap white vinegar. It cleans windows, vinyl, tile floors, wood floors, counters… the list goes on and on. The only downside is the vinegar-y smell. Problem solved!! Make your own cleaner with this simple recipe. Using the orange, lemon, and/or mint leaves will make it smell wonderful and fresh.

NATURAL AND SAFE CLEANER

1/2 c. fresh lemon peel
1/2 c. orange rind
1 c. fresh mint leaves
2 c. white vinegar

Combine peels and mint leaves. Steep in white vinegar for two weeks, or until vinegar has leached the color and fragrance out of the botanicals. Strain the vinegar. To use as a cleaner, always dilute with water. There’s no rigid rule on how much… usually about 1 gallon of water to 1/4 cup vinegar, or less depending on how strong it smells.

Happy Cleaning!!

Thomas and Friends at Toys-R-Us

Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 by Angie

Join Thomas and friends for a playdate at Toys-R-Us June 28th from 11-1 pm. The day will feature storytime every half hour, a free pack of trading cards (we’re guessing first come, first serve) and a train table for play! So, for luring you and your kids into the store, we’re sure you won’t leave without yet another Thomas collectible, so they’re offering special in-store savings! For more information, click here