It’s time once again for our Bad Santa Photo Contest! We’re teaming up with the AH-Mazing Hillary Gamble, with Jevois Photography to make sure our winner has a fun prize!

We want to see the funniest, scariest, most over the top entertaining or downright awkward photo of your child with Santa for a chance to win a mini-session. ($200 value,) includes 30 mins and your favorite 5 images on DVD with print rights. (Expires one year from issue date)

Email your pictures to angie@birminghammommy.com or message it to us through Facebook, no later than December 20th, 2018. We will narrow down to the 5 best entries, then open to reader voting.

Our Sponsor:

HUGE thank you to our sponsor, Je Vois Photography. To see some of her amazing work, check her out on Facebook and Instagram @jevois_photography.

If you’re looking for some great Lifestyle photos of yourself or your  family, give her a call to book a session!

(Fine Print: photo submission gives BirminghamMommy.com and Je Vois Photography permission to use your photo for this contest, and for promotion of this contest on our sites, and social media outlets. We will not use photos in any other way except for this promotion.)

Dave & Buster’s will open to the public on Monday, November 19th at the Riverchase Galleria, bringing an all-new reason to visit the popular retail destination. The restaurant and entertainment hub will feature more than 33,000 square-feet of arcade games, premium sports viewing and delicious food and drink offerings. It will be the first Dave & Buster’s to open in Alabama and the 120th overall.

In addition to bringing more than 240 new jobs to the Greater-Birmingham area, Dave & Buster’s will be an essential addition to the Riverchase Galleria. From game-lovers and sports enthusiasts, to foodies and event planners, Dave & Buster’s will be the new go-to spot for all ages.

Guests will enjoy more than 175 of the latest and greatest arcade games, a chef-crafted menu and the state-of-the-art D&B Sports Bar filled with dozens of massive HDTV screens. Guests can play games like the brand new multiplayer virtual reality attraction platform featuring Jurassic World, an interactive experience that is the brand’s first foray into VR. Hard-earned tickets can be redeemed with a trip to WIN! for a variety of prizes including Apple products Xbox games, sports memorabilia and more.

The mouth-watering menu will combine fun and flavor in American fare with items including legendary burgers like the Buffalo Wing Burger and BBBacon Burger (featuring three types of bacon!), and all new dishes like Philly Cheesesteak Sliders & Goldfingers (hand-breaded chicken fingers), Cheese Crusted Street Tacos, Avocado Toast with Mexican Street Corn and the 100% plant-based Impossible Burger.

Dave & Buster’s will also offer one-of-a-kind cocktails like you’ve never seen before! The extensive beverage menu includes favorites like Adult Snow Cones; CoronaRitas; Luxe LITs; a Strawberry Watermelon Margarita made with strawberry flavored ice cubes; Glow Kones® featuring a blinking, flashing glow cube; and fan-favorite Dangerous Waters Island Punch.

Not-to-be-missed specials will include Happy Hour (Mon – Fri 3:45 – 7pm) which includes $3/$4/$5 cocktails, $2.50 Domestic Pints, $1 off 22 oz. drafts, $1 off glasses of wine and $3 off bottles of wine, 2 for Tuesday ($2 beers until 9pm, $2 tacos and 2 Free Game Plays with $10 Power Card purchase) and Half Price Games Wednesday (All games half off, all day). Dave & Buster’s also celebrates members of the military every day with 20% off Food & Game Play with valid Military I.D.

Guests will be able to catch every game in the “better than the stadium” D&B Sports Bar with TVs so big, you’ll feel like you’re actually at the game. Thursday/Sunday/Monday Fall Football Game Day specials include $5 Bar Bites, draft beer specials and the All-You-Can-Eat-Wings deal that includes unlimited wings, Unlimited Video Game Play & a $10 Power Card all for $19.99*!

Dave & Buster’s will feature private event spaces to provide the perfect atmosphere for every occasion. From corporate events and meetings to birthday parties and team building activities, the Dave & Buster’s team will work with every size event and budget to make planning easy, so you can focus on the FUN!

Dave & Buster’s is located in the Riverchase Galleria at 2700 Riverchase Galleria, Birmingham, AL 35244. Hours of operation will be Sunday – Thursday (11am – 12am) and Friday – Saturday (11am – 2am). For more information on Dave & Buster’s, please visit www.daveandbusters.com

PHOTO CREDIT:
Scott Butler, LAH Real Estate

The holidays are a magical time of year—friends, family, extravagant decorations, delicious food and all of your favorite family traditions. Hosting is exciting too, but it’s easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself to make your home impeccable.

Here are eight things you should do before your guests come over for the holidays.

Prep your home for the holidays:

Clean your closet

Know that when you have guests over, you need to have a place to put their jackets and boots. Clean your closet and make sure you have extra room and hangers for guests’ coats and shoes. Putting their shoes away will help keep dirt out of your home.

Deodorize everything

You can create DIY deodorizer out of essential oils and baking soda. You can sprinkle this mixture on carpet, mattresses, rugs and furniture and vacuum away 15 minutes later for a clean, fresh scent.

Color seal grout

Instead of incessantly spending hours scrubbing your grout lines to make them look new again, you can color seal the grout line and change the color back to the original, or change it to something new. Color seal also protects your grout from future spills and stains. Learn more about our color seal and tile cleaning services.

Clean upholstery

When preparing for the family to stay at your house, it’s possible a relative or two may end up sleeping on a couch. To make sure they are sleeping on a clean surface with no allergens or odors, get your upholstery cleaned by a professional furniture cleaning service.

Add baskets

Adding a basket to bathrooms and guest rooms is an easy way to give your guests what they need before they need it. Fill baskets with towels, hand towels, washcloths, toilet paper and extra toothbrushes for the bathroom. In the guest rooms and living rooms, fill with blankets and clean house socks. Baskets also work well in a room to quickly declutter.

Clean your carpet

Deep cleaning your carpet is a must do before your home is filled with guests during the holidays. Removing allergens and deodorizing the odors stuck in the fibers is the job for a professional cleaning company. Learn how to choose a professional cleaning company to clean your home for the holidays.

Declutter and donate

Making sure that your home is free of extra messes is essential for a smooth holiday get together. This includes cleaning countertops in your kitchen, making sure you’ve decluttered your bathroom storage and making sure guest’s rooms are free of extra “stuff”. Anything you’d like to remove put in a box for donations during the holidays.

Add rugs

To keep your home clean before, during and after the holidays, add rugs to your home to protect your floor and loose dirt from getting into your carpet or scratching your hardwood. Encourage guests to take their shoes off when they enter your home. Find more helpful ways to prevent wear and tear on floors.

Our Sponsor:

Stanley Steemer removes an average of 94% of common household allergens like pet dander from carpet, upholstery, tile and hardwood floors. They’re also certified “asthma and allergy friendly” by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

Stanley Steemer provides professional deep cleaning services including carpet, tile & grout, upholstery, hardwood and air ducts. We also provide water restoration services.

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.

Stanley Steemer is the first carpet cleaning service certified asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, removing an average of 94% of common household allergens from carpet. 24/7 scheduling available!

Use Code: Mom30 for $30 off any service. (Minimum charges apply)

For a limited time only use code C23K8 for carpet cleaning.  Clean 2 rooms, get the 3rd for free. Offer expires 11/30/18

Hosting Thanksgiving this year? I hate to break it to you, but no matter how much you plan, if your household is anything like most, you will have half naked tiny humans running around refusing to wear their designated “Thanksgiving Attire,” as your guests arrive 45 minutes early, to a hectic kitchen, a burned casserole (or two) and a husband rushing around the yard trying to finish blowing the leaves so Uncle Fred can find the driveway.

Here are a few tips to help make your Thanksgiving Morning run a little more smoothly.

1. Prep the day before.  Anything from clothes for the tiny humans to food. Make sure outfits are clean and laid out. Let the kiddos know before they go to bed that their clothes are laid out and to get up and get dressed just like they would on a school day. For food: Items such as potatoes, vegetables, and casseroles, as well as some desserts, can be made the day before. If you leave it all to the day of your big feast you’re setting yourself up for a very stressful morning.

Speaking of stress…

2. Don’t stress your kids out. You stressing out, will stress them out, leading to epic meltdowns and puddles of children on your kitchen floor. Remember to keep your expectations of them in check. You’ve dressed them up, you’re asking them to interact with adults, a lot of them they see only a couple of times a year, and you’re expecting them to eat foods they probably never see except at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table. Assign the most laid back family member you have to them and let them play until dinner is served. Have a couple of board games, crafts and snacks set out to keep them entertained and most of all out of your kitchen.

3. Don’t be a Hero. Don’t be afraid of the word “Potluck.” Potluck is your friend. Keeping your kids alive and cleaning your house is chore enough without the added pressure of doing all of the cooking yourself. In our family everyone has a signature dish and that’s what they bring. It’s almost a requirement.

4. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Remember Thanksgiving is about being Thankful for what we have, and for spending time with our family. If you didn’t have time to iron the table cloth (or even find it.) No biggie, chances are no one is going to notice anyway.

5. Know your Boundaries. Don’t be afraid to say no to taking on any extra tasks, on or around Thanksgiving and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Keep Aunt Sally busy with setting the table, the kids with decorations and if cleaning is stressing you out, spend the extra bucks to have someone come clean for you. It will be well worth the money to keep your sanity in check.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if you forgot the pecan pie, or if the dishes all matched. It’s about spending the day with family and friends and being thankful for them.

What tips do you have for keeping your day on track and as stress free as possible?

When magician extraordinaire Justin visits Sesame Street to put on a magic show for the whole
neighborhood, Elmo wants to be part of the big event. But there’s one problem…Elmo doesn’t know
how to do magic!

That’s when Elmo teams up with Abby and Justin, embarking on an amazing journey where Elmo will
discover the “power of yet” —the lesson that with perseverance and practice, nothing can stand
between you and your dream. Along the way, Elmo and Abby, joined by their friends Cookie Monster,
Big Bird, Grover, Rosita, Count von Count, and Gonger, discover the many magical moments in everyday
life.

In the end, Elmo learns that you can do anything you set your mind to if you just keep trying! Join your
favorite Sesame Street friends on this magical adventure when Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic
comes to your neighborhood.

Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or in person at the BJCC Concert Hall
Box Office.

GIVEAWAY!

Each day this week BirminghamMommy will be hosting a Trivia Giveaway on our Facebook page, so get ready to test your Sesame Street knowledge and win some tickets and other great Prizes!