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Red, White, and Blue Snack Cups for the 4th of July

Posted on by Angie

If you’re looking for a fun little craft to do with the tiny human this 4th of July, try these cute (and functional) snack cups. If you’re headed out to watch the fireworks, these will be great for everyone to have their own personal snack of choice.

They’re super simple to make and you might just have everything you need already! The only thing we needed were the cups and you can grab those at your dollar store!

What you’ll need:

  • Styrofoam cup(s)
  • Red and blue felt (we didn’t have blue felt so we used blue construction paper)
  • Red paint, paint pens or markers..
  • Paintbrush
  • White or silver paint pen, or marker if you’re using blue construction paper, silver glitter for blue felt
  • Scissors
  • White craft glue
  • Black marker or pen
  • Silver Glitter

What You’ll Do:

Place cup, open end down, on top of the red felt and trace with a marker.

Cut around the traced circle leaving about a ¾” border around it.

Fold the circle and cut a slit in the center of the circle to allow your scissors to get in. Cut out the inside circle, leaving about a ¼” border around the inside of the trace line. Set felt circle aside.

Paint/draw red stripes all the way around the outside of the cup, stripes should run up and down. Let dry completely.

Cut a strip of blue felt or construction paper about 1.5” wide. Long enough to wrap around the brim of the cup.

For blue felt use glue to draw star shapes then sprinkle with silver glitter, for blue construction paper draw stars with your white or silver paint pen or marker.

Glue felt strip/Construction paper strip around the outside of the top of the cup.

Lay red felt circle on to work surface, black trace line facing up.

Line the lip of the cup with white glue and press down onto black trace line. Let dry.

Turn cup over and place on work surface.

When everything is dry, fill with treats and enjoy!

Looking for a place to watch the fireworks? Make sure to check our list of all of the 4th of July celebrations going on around Birmingham!

Independence Day at Desoto Caverns

Posted on by Angie

Celebrate the 4th of July at Desoto Caverns!

The Independence Day celebration on July 4, 2020 will feature live entertainment throughout the day including shows by an internationally acclaimed professional fire dancer, giant bubble shows, Streetmosphere Shows, Craft Artisan Demonstrations, and more!

You will also be able to enjoy  daily tours of the Majestic Caverns and over a dozen attractions open to the public! Safety precautions are in place and there will be a limit the park’s capacity to 25%, so make sure to  reserve your tickets ahead of time by visiting https://www.desotocavernspark.com/independence-day

Fireworks Safety from Children’s of Alabama

Posted on by Angie

We all love fireworks, kids and adults a like, and they’re certainly synonymous with the 4th of July holiday. With some communities across the country canceling their professional displays this year because of social distancing concerns, there could be an increase in the personal use of fireworks, along with a potential for increased injuries.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continues to urge families not to buy fireworks for their own or their children’s use, as thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured each year while using consumer fireworks.

Sue Rowe, a charge nurse in the Burn Center at Children’s of Alabama, has advice for those who choose to use their own fireworks this 4th of July.

Her number one fireworks safety rule? “Never leave children unattended around fireworks.”

If you are using fireworks on your own, only use them with adult supervision. Keep children at a safe distance from lit fireworks. She also suggests keeping a bucket of water nearby. Store fireworks in a safe place, outside the main living area, such as in a garage or storage area, out of a child’s sight and reach.

And while sparklers may seem like a safe alternative to large, showy displays, they can be just as dangerous. “The tip of a sparkler produces a significant amount of intense heat,” Rowe said. The AAP reports that sparklers can reach above 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to melt some metals.

However, accidents do happen, and Rowe offers tips if your child is burned with a firework. “The first thing is to immediately apply cool water to the burn site.” She cautions against ice packs, though. For home care, “apply a topical antibiotic ointment to the affected area.” If the burn is significant, a trip to the closest emergency department is advised.

Each year, more than 300 children are admitted to the Burn Center at Children’s of Alabama, the only designated pediatric burn center in the state and one of the largest in the southeast. A specially trained team of pediatric surgeons, registered nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, child life therapists, teachers, pastoral care staff, nutritionists and burn technicians work together to form a cohesive team of professionals dedicated to treating children with burn injuries. The Children’s of Alabama Burn Center is a six-bed specialty unit designed to care for the needs of burn patients ages birth to teenagers. On an outpatient basis, the Burn Clinic treats more than 900 patients every year. For more information, visit www.childrensal.org/BurnCenter.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 45 other states and six foreign countries last year, representing more than 677,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 2 million square feet, Children’s is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. More information is available at childrensal.org.

Alabama Sunflower Field

Posted on by Angie

Sunflowers = Happiness and if you want some happy in your life, you’re going to want to check out this Sunflower Field in Autaugaville, Ala. Located at 3301 Hwy 14 West, Autaugaville, AL 36003 the field will be opening Wednesday July 1st, from daylight until dark.

There is no charge to enter the field and there is no charge to take photos of your own children with your phone or camera, however there is a $20 photography fee per client/session for photographers doing sessions in the field.

There are two plantings this year, so flowers will be blooming for about 20 days. They only bloom for about ten days per field and there will be a few days between fields.

Buckets are available for purchasing flowers and each bucket will hold about 14 flowers for $10. You keep the bucket. You can also buy the flowers for $1 each if you chose. Cash and check only!

Cutters are available but it may be a better strategy against COVID-19 for you to bring your own cutters. If you do, any cheap pair will do. Just make sure they will open wide enough to get around the stalk. Stalks can be 1 – 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Speaking of COVID 19, please remember to maintain a 6 ft distance from other people around you and your family. The field is very large so social distancing should not be a problem. Feel free to wear a mask if you would like.

You can also buy the flowers for $1 each if you chose to do that.

Independence Day Celebrations Happening at OWA

Posted on by Angie

Independence Day is nearly here, and OWA has just what you need to celebrate with the entire family. This year, OWA is hosting not one, but two identical firework shows for guests to enjoy. A second show was added this year to encourage responsible social distancing and accommodate enhanced health & safety protocols during this holiday celebration. Come out on Friday, July 3rd or Saturday, July 4th at 8:45pm to marvel in a spectacular show synced to patriotic music.

The July 3rd firework show was added for guests to encourage responsible social distancing during this holiday celebration. With OWA’s beautiful firework shows drawing large crowds, adding a second show gives guests the ability to pick which evening they would like to enjoy the magical display. If your family doesn’t want to leave that delicious BBQ on the 4th, now you don’t have to! Head out to OWA on Friday, July 3rd to still enjoy the magic of the holiday, while also keeping your plans for July 4th.

The fun doesn’t start or end there, though! On Saturday, July 4th only there will also be a variety of family-friendly events and activities throughout OWA and its amusement park. Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter will be making special appearances for free photos from noon-2pm. The amusement park will also have T-shirt hand painting for kids from noon-2pm, while supplies last.

If you are looking for some live entertainment, OWA has you covered. Starting at 2pm in Downtown OWA, the Boogie Woogie Trio will be singing classic tunes for guests to enjoy, such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and more. As day turns to night and the Trio wraps up, country favorite Tobacco Rd Band hits the island amphitheater stage at 7:30pm. Having opened for artists such as Josh Turner, Jake Owen, Justin Moore and Jason Aldean, this is one band you don’t want to miss! They’ll be rocking out all night, only to take a quick break for the firework show at 8:45pm.

With so much to do this 4th of July, be sure to go to www.VisitOWA.com/July4 to view their full schedule of events, including performance times and locations.

In accordance with current state health recommendations, OWA is prepared to implement enhanced health & safety protocols for special events. These prepared protocols include but are not limited to health screening checkpoints at all entrances to OWA (both Downtown and the amusement park). Anyone with a temperature of 100.0 F or higher will not be permitted into the property. To accommodate overflow, Team Members will be on-site to direct guests to firework viewing areas in OWA’s parking lots. Additional protocols include limiting capacity to allow for social distancing inside Downtown OWA and the amusement park. Due to these enhanced health & safety protocols, guests are encouraged to plan ahead and arrive early to enjoy their festivities to the fullest. These protocols are subject to change and can be found in detail on OWA’s website at VisitOWA.com.

Summer Home Maintenance Tips

Posted on by Angie

Summer is here! That means more time with the kids home and more outdoor activities, here are some tips on keeping your family safe and your home in tip top shape!

Update your first aid kit:

More time is spent outdoors in the summer months.  We spend time in lawn and garden maintenance and athletic activities. More accidents happen and you want to be prepared.

Preparing meals for BBQing is popular. This means a lot of slicing, dicing delicious meats and vegetables and firing up the grill.  Consequently, fingers and hands get cut (and burns happen).

Be prepared and update your first aid kit.  Consider having a smaller one with you for outdoor outings and those family weekend getaways.

Change smoke alarm batteries:

Experts state you should change your smoke alarm batteries every 6 months.  If you haven’t changed your batteries in a while now is a good time to replace them.

They also recommend you replace the smoke alarms every 10 years.

Inspect and repair outdoor play equipment:

Everyone is looking forward to fresh air and getting outdoors. Make sure your little ones are safe playing out the outside equipment.

Give your outdoor equipment some attention and ensure they’re safe and secure.

Check the surrounding areas for safety hazards too.

Reorganize your kitchen:

Think about how your kitchen is used during the various seasons.  With the change in seasons and activities now is a good time to adjust and organize your kitchen accordingly.

Are there appliances you use more in the summer than the winter and vice versa?  Move your appliances accordingly.

Also, creating stations can be a great idea.  Create easy to grab snacks and lunch items for the kids.

Create an iced coffee or smoothie station for an easy to make summer treat.

Keep a basket with summer essentials:

Keep a basket filled with sunscreen, insect spray, shades, hats and caps near your front door.

Rather than run around your home looking for these items make it easy for everyone and make these items easy to grab and use as everyone’s heading outside.

What other summer tips can you share?

Stanley Steemer of North Central Alabama services the greater Birmingham Metro Area and surrounding counties, spanning from Cullman to Clanton and from the Mississippi state line to the Georgia state line.

All Stanley Steemer water restoration specialists have Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the most widely recognized and accepted certification program in the industry. These individuals are highly trained and prepared for any emergency water removal task they encounter. In addition to certification, our technicians attend IICRC-accredited continuing education and training programs throughout the year. We provide the time and money to train our people, and we supply them with the best equipment available.
For more information on their 24/7 Emergency Water Resmoval visit their site

Stanley Steemer provides trained technicians and state-of-the-art equipment you can’t get anywhere else. When flooding occurs, why muddy the waters? Call Stanley Steemer.

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4th of July Fireworks in Birmingham

Posted on by Angie

Street festivals might be canceled or scaled back this year, but the Fireworks will go on!! Here’s a list of where to celebrate the 4th of July in Birmingham!

4th of July fireworks over the statue vulcan
Photo: Vulcan Park and Museum

ChelseaFest and The Big Kaboom

Chelsea Corners Way
June 27th beginning at 5pm
The City of Chelsea is once again hosting this annual event. Food Trucks, arts & crafts, sponsor vendor booths, Kid Zone with inflatables and back by popular demand
Live Music: 6:30pm
Fireworks: 9:00pm

Tannehill Independence Celebration

Tannehill State Park
Independence Day Celebration
June 27th fireworks at dark

Alabaster Fireworks Show

July 2nd 9pm

All spectators must adhere to Social Distancing Guidelines. Please watch from your vehicle if possible. Included in the current COVID-19 Guidelines: “All non-work related gatherings of any size, including drive-in gatherings, that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons from different households are prohibited”.

Fireworks begin at 9pm and last approximately 15 minutes. APH Radio will broadcast patriotic music during the show at 99.9 FM. Viewing sites Plaza Circle & Plaza Drive, Alabaster YMCA sports fields, the area surrounding Publix, Elliotsville Plaza, Municipal Park, Larry Simmons Stadium and its surrounding areas.

Birmingham Barons at Regions Field

July 3rd
Movie and Fireworks show. Movie starts at 7:15pm, fireworks to follow.

City of Helena

July 3rd
The free event will take place around Old Town Helena and at the Helena Amphitheater, kicking off at 5:30 p.m. and featuring a wide variety of entertainment options for guests to enjoy. There will be an assortment of family friendly activities as well as vendors. Old Town’s merchants will be open, while there will be food trucks and music provided by Old Town Music to entertain attendees of the event. social distancing guidelines would be in place among the vendors to help protect guests and follow health guidelines.

Trussville Freedom Celebration

On the Mall in historic downtown Trussville
July 4th 7pm – 9pm

In past years there has been a free children’s play area for the evening, however, due to the present COVID-19 situation, this isn’t possible this year. The good news is, the extra space will provide more room to spread out to accommodate social distancing guidelines. There will still be food vendors available.
Fireworks at 9pm

Thunder on the Mountain at Vulcan

July 4th 9pm – 10pm

For decades, 4th of July celebrations in the greater Birmingham area have culminated with friends and family gathering to watch fireworks, hear great music and celebrate the nation’s independence. In fact, Birmingham’s annual fireworks display is the biggest in the state of Alabama. Free to the public, the show features a variety of firework shells that will illuminate the sky with beautiful colors and patterns.

This Fourth of July will have a different meaning as we gather on the rooftops, back yards, and in parks to watch our beacon, Vulcan as he unfolds this year’s show atop Red Mountain.

Thank you to our site sponsors, Sophia Leece and Scott Boudreaux with LAH Real Estate for sponsoring this guide. 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 | Website
Scott Boudreaux, 205.835.9787 |sboudreaux@lahrealestate.com | Website

Summer Camp Spotlight 2020, Afilm Camp

Posted on by Angie

Afilm Camp offers summer day camps that gives students the opportunity to participate in making a short film.  Their curriculum is designed so that any experience level can participate and have a great week learning about film.

Your student will make a film in a week written by “Big Fish” author Daniel Wallace. With no experience necessary learn the art of producing a movie while having fun in a team building focused environment. Activities around the day are so enjoyable for students that they don’t even realize how much they learn. Whether you are an aspiring actor/actress or you just want to have a fun, unique experience this summer, capture it on film with us. If you are camera shy or don’t care to just learn acting there are plenty of other production spots to enjoy.

Afilm Camp will be located at Alabama’s premiere venue for Film Production, Workplay.  Located in beautiful downtown Birmingham, workplay has a 10,000 square foot soundstage that was built with Afilm Camps mission in mind.  “We are excited about this space getting used for what it was designed to do,” says Tom Williams owner of Workplay.

For Registration and more information please visit www.afilmcamp.com TODAY!

Students Age: 6-17
July 20th -24th
8:30-5:30pm

Babe Ruff’s Saturday Cinema: Aladdin

Posted on by Angie

Pack your blankets and join the Birmingham Barons on Saturday June 27th for the first Babe Ruff’s Saturday Cinema Night at Regions Field featuring Disney’s Aladdin starring Will Smith. Relax and view the movie from the field or in the stands.

VIP and Reserved Ticket Packages are available to watch the movie on the field in marked 10’x10′ socially distanced squares. (Limited to five people per square, please.)
Limited VIP and Reserved Tickets are available, so reserve your space NOW!

Included in the VIP Package: Reserved 10’x10′ space on the field, Five (5) Tickets, One (1) VIP Parking Pass in the VIP Lot located on 3rd Ave S between 15th and 14th Street, Voucher for Two (2) Coca-Cola Products and Two (2) 16oz Domestic Beers, Access to on-field bar, bottomless popcorn, and a $30 Sports Depot Gift Card!

Included in the Reserved Ticket Package: Reserved 10’x10′ space, Five (5) Tickets, and Voucher for Two (2) Coca-Cola Products and Two (2) 16oz Domestic Beers.

General Admission tickets are available to watch the movie in the stadium seating sections of Regions Field behind the First Base Dugout. Movie goers will be socially distanced.
Limited Availability, so get your orders in now! We can’t wait to see you!

If you have any questions call us at 205-988-3200 or email barons@barons.com.

VIP Package $75
VIP Package Includes: Reserved 10’x10′ space on the field, Five (5) Tickets, One (1) VIP Parking Pass to park in the VIP Lot located on 3rd Ave S between 15th and 14th Street, Voucher for Two (2) Coca-Cola Products and Two (2) 16oz Domestic Beers, Access to on-field bar, Bottomless Popcorn, and a $30 Sports Depot Gift Card.

Reserved Package $40
Reserved Ticket Package Includes: Reserved 10’x10′ space, Five (5) Tickets, and Voucher for Two (2) Coca-Cola Products and Two (2) 16oz Domestic Beers.

Follow this link to reserve your spot and see additional options available for concessions and food

Movies in the Park, Veterans Park in Alabaster

Posted on by Angie

To say we’re a wee bit sad about not being able to go to the movies right now would be a huge understatement. It’s one of our favorite past times all year long, not just during the summer. We were excited to see that Veterans Park in Alabaster will be hosting a few movies in the park, here’s the line up:

 

  • June 19 – “Disney Frozen II (2019)” – 103 min. – rated PG
  • July 10 – “Disney Aladdin (2019)” – 128 min. – rated PG
  • July 24 – “Playing With Fire” – 96 min. – rated PG

The movies are free so it makes for a fun, yet economical evening of entertainment for family and friends. All you’ll need to bring is a blanket or chair to sit on, and some snacks and drinks. The movies will begin showing around dusk (usually 8).

IMPORTANT:  Please practice social distancing while attending one of the movies!

Included in the current COVID-19 Guidelines: “All non-work related gatherings of any size, including drive-in gatherings, that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons from different households are prohibited”.

Veterans Park is located at 7305 Highway 119, Alabaster.

 

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