Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure is the premiere family fun park in Alabama and now there’s even more to love! On December 25th, Christmas Day, Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure announced the largest expansion since the park’s beginning by introducing the Rocket Racer! Rocket Racer is a massive new slide structure with six separate lanes to race your family and friends, head first, to the bottom. This incredible new addition is not only over 50 feet tall, but also over 400 feet long! This makes Rocket Racer the biggest water slide in Alabama, and also makes Splash Adventure the biggest Water Park in the state!

See it for yourself —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t15OFwGiYk

Along with this giant attraction comes an expansion to the park area itself. The Rocket Racer will be installed in a new area of the park that will be renovated and cultivated to create an opportunity for growth in the future, plus additional space for guests to spread out and enjoy their day at the park. In addition to the park’s expansion, 2021 will also see the return of Free Soft Drinks, Free Parking, Free Tubes, and Free Shows including the Aquabatic Stunt Show and the Wild West Dive Show!

Who’s looking forward to Summer, now?

Much like everything since March, New Year’s Eve is going to feel a lot different this year, the ball drop in Times Square without the massive crowd of spectators, lots of families opting to stay in rather than celebrate in large crowds as the clock counts down to 2021, but just because things will be more subdued doesn’t mean we can’t still have a Rockin’ New Year’s Eve… Here are some ideas for celebrating at home!

Have your own fireworks show:

Most public New Year’s Eve fireworks events are canceled due to Covid-19, but you can still have your own, even it’s just the kids waving around some sparklers.

Create a Countdown Party:

At each hour, have a special surprise activity planned for the family to do together. Play games, make crafts, eat snacks, go on a scavenger hunt, read a new book… Write the activity on a balloon, blow it up and right the hour on the outside of the balloon. At the start of each hour pop the corresponding balloon to find out your new activity.

Host a virtual Celebration:

Just because your kiddos can’t celebrate with all of their friends in person doesn’t mean they can’t all get together via Facetime or Zoom. Let them dress up in silly outfits or New Year’s gear and chat with their friends as 2020 comes to a close. For parents with kids already in bed, grab your favorite adult beverage and zoom it up with your besties.

Dance it out:

As if we need an excuse to have a dance party. Create a playlist of all of your favorite songs from 2020 and have a dance off or let your kids teach you some of the most popular TikTok dances from this year.

Celebrate NOON Year’s Eve:

Go all out with a sparkling grape juice toast, turn on a pre-recorded Netflix countdown and make a lot of noise!

Movie Marathon:

Pop popcorn, pass out the movie candy and host an all-night movie marathon! Pick a series you’ve been wanting to see (Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Percy Jackson… ) and start at the beginning, or let everyone pick their favorite.

Have a Game Night:

Get out all of your board games and cards and spend the night playing all of your family favorites!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to urge people to celebrate the holidays at home with others who live with them, but whatever you choose to do, all of us here at BirminghamMommy wish you a Happy New Year!!

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Whether you’re planning to buy or sell this year, there are some real estate resolutions that buyers and sellers can, and should make. Here are a few to consider:

Buyers: Clean your Financial House and get it in order. Planning to buy a home takes time and effort. Plan to meet with a Mortgage Broker early in the new year. Know your credit score, and any potential credit issues that might make getting a loan difficult. Knowing in advance will give you time to correct any problems or to know what you’re facing. Your Real Estate Agent should be able to recommend a local Mortgage Professional.

Sellers: Your home is a product. Start now clearing out the clutter by donating or getting rid of the things you no longer need. Consult with your Real Estate Agent and come up with a list of improvements that need to be made. Start getting bids now to help spread out the cost of the repairs or upgrades.

Buyers: Start Early. A buyer needs a couple of months to learn and research the market and understand home values in the area they are interested in. Your Agent will most likely show you a number of houses before you make your first offer, and you may make several offers before getting a contract on your dream home. Being an informed buyer by doing research prior to starting your search will help this process move more quickly and help you to make a decision faster, which could be very important if inventory is low and houses aren’t staying on the market long.

Sellers: Know your exit strategy. Planning to purchase while trying to sell at the same time can be tricky and stressful for any seller. A few things you need to be able to answer- Can you afford to close on the new home before selling? And if so, for how long? Do you need to sell the property first? If so, will the potential sale price support a home purchase in the neighborhood you want to be in? If not, what other areas should you be looking in? Is short term housing an option? Can you afford to purchase, then sell? What can you be doing in your current home to insure a quick sell once you close on your new home. Lots of questions and having a plan in place ahead of time will help make the process less stressful for you and your family.

Buyer and Sellers: Hire an Agent now. Hiring a real estate agent early in the process will allow you to have an expert on hand as you start to putting your plan together. A good real estate agent doesn’t just show and sell homes: They can be your strategic adviser, even well in advance of any actual transaction. Thanks to their years of experience and market knowledge, a Realtor’s opinions, thoughts and ideas can save you a lot of time and money.

Thank you to our site sponsors, Sophia Leece and Scott Boudreaux with LAH Real Estate. For more information on what’s happening in the Birmingham Housing Market, or to schedule a free home buyer/seller consultation, you can reach them:

Sophia Leece, 205.895.9120 | sleece@lahrealestate.com
Scott Boudreaux, 205.835.9787 | sboudreaux@lahrealestate.com

• serious injury
• persistent vomiting
• trouble breathing
• not drinking enough, not urinating enough
• unusual sleepiness or confusion
• a head injury with vomiting
• eye injury
• serious burns
• ingested poison or unknown substance

• isn’t breathing or is turning blue
• is unconscious after a fall
• is having a seizure
• has a serious allergic reaction
• has broken a bone that sticks out through the skin
• is choking
• has a large cut that is bleeding uncontrollably

It seems like each year there is an Elf on the Shelf Creativity, my facebook feed is constantly filled with all of these crazy creative things that my Mommy peers are doing with their Elf, all while ours pretty much just sits on his shelf forgetting to even move most nights. So, if you’re like me, not super creative but would like to step it up a notch, here are 31 things you can do with your Elf that will make you feel like a Elf parent rock star.

* Please note that we are strongly opposed to Elves making messes that you will have to clean up, these are quick, easy and take very little effort.

1. Zip Line. This does not have to include an obstacle course or anything resembling Mission Impossible. Some fishing line across the room will suffice.

2. “Snowball” fight using marshmallows and various other characters that might be out of their storage boxes for the holidays. Snowmen, Santa, bring out some Smurfs, Barbies and Action Figures if you need to.

3. Build a fort or igloo with big marshmallows and hide your elf there. Have little marshmallows located around as “snowballs” Or just use a Picture frame to hide behind.

4. Have him/her eating a bowl of cereal

5. Sporty Elf. Dress him up and have him rooting for your favorite sports team.

6. Horseback riding. Easily done with American Girl Doll Horses..

7. Play a board game with stuffed animal friends or action figures

8. Write an amazing letter of all the wonderful qualities your Elf has witnessed in your child.

9. Use your exercise equipment for an Elf Workout. Run on treadmill, sit on bike..

10.  Make a super hero out of your elf. Give him a cape or cut out a superELF logo and pin on him. Have him swinging from a ceiling fan or chandelier.

11. Re-create a scene from one of your child’s favorite movies using your current toys and stuffed lovies. Think Toy Story, Lion King..

12. Elf Planks. (Remember when that was all the rage? )

13. Cruisin’ in the Barbie Car (Dumptruck, racecar…. )

14. Poker Night. Have your Elf sitting playing cards with Barbie or your Action Figures. Throw out some poker chips if you have them

15. If your Elf isn’t much of a gambler have him set up with a game of solitaire.

16. Gamer Elf. Let Elf fire up the Playstation.

17. Locked Out Elf. Have your Elf positioned outside of one of your windows or glass door looking in. Note: It might be helpful to leave a little trail of cheerios or maybe even take the time to cut out a few tiny elf foot prints and have them leading to the door. Otherwise you littles might spend all morning looking for him. (which might not be a bad thing?)

18. Playing dress up in Moms Jewelry.

19. Find an extra Toothbrush and have your Elf brushing his teeth sitting on the bathroom counter

20. Put your Elf in the cookie jar and have some half eaten cookies around. (I don’t consider this a mess, just a chance to eat some cookies)

21. Have your Elf make your childs lunch and/or send a note.

22. Emailing Santa from your computer

23. Drive in movie with Barbie or other similar sized toy. Have them in your RC or Barbie car watching your flatscreen

24. Coloring in your Child’s favorite coloring book.

25. A “Bubble” bath in a bathroom sink with mini marshmallows

26. Riding your Christmas Train

27. Texting or Talking on an old cellphone. If you have 2 old/play phones, have another character somewhere else in your house on the other end of the “conversation.”

28.Hiding in a plant

29. Reading a book

30. Use tiny instruments to make your Elf a rock star. Have him performing a concert for his adoring friends.

31. Fishing.

Have a cute idea to share? We would love to hear about it.

Many homeowners are surprised when they suddenly realize that the “perfect” home they’ve had for just a few years no longer suits their needs. From an expanding family to an empty nest, it’s common for a home to no longer be the right fit. If you’re unsure if you’ve reached the point where a move is warranted, here are a few signs you’ve outgrown your home.

•More Kids than Rooms or More Rooms than Kids – Life changes and our homes must change also. Whether your family is growing or you’ve become and empty nester the number of people in your home is a big determining factor on whether your home still suits your needs.

•Clutter or Lack of Storage – Do you need more closet or storage space?

•Home Office – More and more companies are opting for telecommuting or home office workers, if your kitchen is your office, it might be time to look for a new home with extra room for a home office.

•Outdoor Entertaining – Home design trends over the last couple of decades has seen a rise in outdoor living and entertaining areas. Can your current yard/outdoor area accommodate making changes to give you more space for outdoor living?

•Lifestyle – The square footage might be fine, but you would prefer a different floor plan; more open, single story, more windows to allow for natural light, etc.

Your reasons for moving will be as unique as you are, but these are just a few considerations which indicate that your current home might no longer meet your needs or wants. It’s always a great idea to sit down with your agent to discuss your options and see what’s on the market that might better suit your needs.

Thank you to our site sponsors, Sophia Leece and Scott Boudreaux with LAH Real Estate. For more information on what’s happening in the Birmingham Housing Market, or to schedule a free home buyer/seller consultation, you can reach them:

Sophia Leece, 205.895.9120 | sleece@lahrealestate.com
Scott Boudreaux, 205.835.9787 | sboudreaux@lahrealestate.com