Friday Five: Top Picks for Weekend Fun April 6th – April 8th

Another weekend full of fun activities happening in the ‘Ham, several benefiting some great local charities! Whatever you choose, we hope you have a fantastic weekend full of family fun!

  • Fido Fest at the Summit

Fido Fest benefits Hand in Paw and Greater Birmingham Humane Society! This free event will take place in the parking lot area near Swoozies and Orvis. All animal lovers and four legged friends are welcome!!

Saturday, 11am – 3pm

  • Girls Inc. Cajun Cook Off at Railroad Park

Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy live zydeco music by the Swamp Poppas, a performance by Girls Inc. program participants, a silent auction, children’s activities and taste-testing of an array of Cajun favorites including gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, po’boys, shrimp and grits and more. Tickets are $25 for adults and FREE for kids 12 and under! Tickets can be purchased now at www.bhamcajuncookoff.com.

Saturday, 11am – 2pm

  • Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at Homewood Public Library

Have you ever heard of a “snozzberry” or seen an Oompa Loompa? If you have, you have earned yourself a Golden Ticket for scrumdiddlyumptious fun. With an everlasting option of treats and activities, you’re in for a gloriumptious time!

Saturday, 10:30am – Noon

  • Birmingham Bulls Hockey

As You Walk Through the Door, Your Hearts Starts Pumping! The irresistible lure of HOCKEY and the buzz of a packed house causes your ADRENALIN to surge. The music is PUMPING, the lights fade and the smoke swirls – and that’s just the beginning. Monster hits, UNBELIEVABLE GOALS and in-your-face hockey keeps you on the edge of your seat. The action is NON-STOP! With heart pounding music, contests, and the prospect of catching a fantastic FREE SOUVENIR, what are you waiting for? Build your team’s SPIRIT by sharing in ours. It’s an EXPERIENCE to remember.

Saturday, 7pm

  • Disney Junior Dance Party at BJCC Concert Hall

Are you ready to DANCE?!? Disney Junior Dance Party On Tour is an ALL NEW interactive live concert experience. Sing along to Disney Junior’s greatest hits with your favorite characters: Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Sofia The First, Puppy Dog Pals, Elena of Avalor, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, The Lion Guard and more! Kids of all ages and their families are invited to get up and dance, play games and join the biggest dance party around!

Sunday, 4pm

Our Sponsor:

Scott Butler specializes in over the Mountain Home Sales with a high number of listings and past sells in the Homewood area. He has a great love of the community and volunteers his time and talents as a Photographer to the Homewood Athletic teams, Homewood Schools, and many other local Organizations and Charities.

Gumbo Gala at Sloss Furnances

Join Birmingham’s best Professional and Backyard Gumbo chef’s as they compete for the bragging rights to the title of Birmingham’s Best Gumbo. Enjoy great music, a kids zone, incredible gumbo and a great time all for a great cause.

Episcopal Place provides seniors and disabled adults with restricted income a safe and affordable housing option and access to related services in a home-like environment.

Gumbo Gala is a family friendly event that raises funds and awareness for Episcopal Place and the wonderful community of seniors and adults who live there.  It has become the South’s largest gumbo event that draws 4,000 people annually!

Saturday, April 21st at Sloss Furnaces, 11am – 2pm

Visit gumbogala.com for information about tickets and team registrations.

2018 Moms Rock Nominations

Nominations are officially open for Moms Rock 2018!!

Do you know a mom who manages to make “mommy” look like a verb?  We’re not looking for the “perfect” moms, we’re looking for the ones who love their families and make mommying fun.  We want the women who manage to keep their life balanced, all while putting their kiddos first.  Face it, the moms who rock are everywhere… they’re at the grocery store in sweats, they’re at work in a business suit, they are donating their time to local charities, driving carpool and rockin’ the PTA with baked goods, they’re all around you!

We want you to nominate your friends or loved ones who are a “Birmingham Mom who ROCKS!”  5 finalists will be chosen by panel for the chance to win some fabulous prizes including a trip to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and other great swag!

This will be an exciting and fun night out Emceed by Brooke Smith from NBC 13, live music by Justin Gannon, food, prizes, swag bags, and of course some Rockin’ Cocktails! It’s sure to be a great night of fun for you and your Mommy Friends! Make plans to join us that night and find out who will be Birmingham’s Most Rockin’ Mom.

Thursday, April 19th
Bar Taco in Homewood
6:00pm – 9:00pm
RSVP HERE

Use the form below to nominate and tell us about your Rockin’ Mom! We will accept nominations until April 13th. 5 finalists will be chosen from the nominees and the winner will be selected via reader voting.  A grand prize will be awarded to the winning Mommy at the event on April 19th.

2018 Moms Rock Nominations

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

*Nominees from last years event are eligible for nomination again this year, the winner from last year’s event is not. Nominees must be able to attend the event on the 19th in order to be considered as a finalist.

 

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Spring Food Truck Rally at Avondale Brewery

Spring time and Food Trucks, does it getting much better than that?

More than 20 of Birmingham’s finest mobile eating and business establishments will gather at the 3rd annual Spring Food Truck Rally.

Participating Food Trucks:

Eugene’s Hot Chicken,
Bendy’s Cookies and Cream,
Big Spoon Creamery,
Cantina on Wheels, Dreamcakes,
Fetch – A Treat Truck for Dogs, Lazy Boy BBQ,
MELT, NOLA Ice, Off the Hook,
Repicci’s Italian Ice & Gelato,
Saw’s Street Kitchen, Shindigs, Slice,   Rooskies,
Southern Wanderer – A Fashion Truck,
Taco Morro Loco, The Heavenly Donut Company,
Rickard Mobile Catering,
Encore Rouge, Urban Pops, and City Bowls!

Pets Allowed on a leash, Mark AD will be keeping us jamming, and kiddies will have activities. Let’s hang and relax, you deserve it!

The When and Where:

Avondale Brewery
Sunday, April 15th 1pm – 6pm

Friday Five: Top Picks for Weekend Fun March 29th – April 1st

Easter and April Fool’s Day this weekend, here are our picks for fun if you’re around the Magic City! Don’t forget… if you’re looking to pull some Easter Fool’s Day pranks on your kids, we have some ideas!

  • Get Healthy on the Railroad at Railroad Park

Get the entire family on track to better health with this fun hour of low to high impact activity designed to promote exercise for all ages. Families are invited to enjoy team activities like kickball, soccer or wiffle ball. Each class will begin with a warm up and light stretching, followed by the game of the week. In addition to providing physical benefits, Family Fun Friday also provides mental health benefits and social interaction for the entire family.

Friday, 6pm – 7pm

  • Cottontail Express at Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

Hop aboard the Cottontail Express for a ride to Peter Cottontail’s meadow! Join in the fun at the meadow as we hunt for Easter eggs. A bounce house, temporary tattoos, coloring station, and a sandbox provide lots of family fun. Bring your camera to take photos with Peter Cottontail!

Saturday 31, 2018 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM

  • Breakfast with the Bunny at the Birmingham Zoo

The Easter Bunny is coming to the Birmingham Zoo for breakfast at 7:30am and 9am on Saturday, March 31! Enjoy a scrumptious scrambled egg and sausage breakfast with orange juice and coffee at the Kudzoo Café followed by a visit from the Easter Bunny! All children receive a special treat upon arrival and can enjoy making a craft. Event price covers Zoo admission for the day, Unlimited Ride Wristband, breakfast, activities and a visit with the Easter Bunny. Following breakfast be sure to join us for the Eggstravaganza Hunt!

Pricing:
Non-Members- $30.00-Adults, $25.00-Kids
Members- $25.00-Adults, $20.00-Kids
*Tax included

  • Eggstra-Special at CHOM

Fun Easter games and crafts! All included in admission!

Saturday, 10am – 4pm

  • Easter Egg Hunts

Make sure to check out all the Easter Egg Hunts and activities in our full Birmingham Area Guide

 

Our Sponsor:

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)

Girls Inc. Cajun Cook Off

Saturday April 7th! Enjoy live music, a kid zone, and Cajun favorites such as gumbo, jambalaya and shrimp and grits prepared by more than 20 cook-off competitors. Event benefits Girls Inc. of Central Alabama, which inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold!

Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy live zydeco music by the Swamp Poppas, a performance by Girls Inc. program participants, a silent auction, children’s activities and taste-testing of an array of Cajun favorites including gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding, po’boys, shrimp and grits and more. Tickets are $25 for adults and FREE for kids 12 and under! Tickets can be purchased now at www.bhamcajuncookoff.com.

Over 20 teams of amateur cooks will prepare an array of delicious Cajun-inspired dishes in the taste-testing contest. The teams will compete to take home trophies in Gumbo, Jambalaya, Open Cajun and Dessert categories as well as vying for the coveted Team Spirit and People’s Choice awards. Team and Sponsorship opportunities are still available and registration information is available at bhamcajuncookoff.com. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Girls Inc. here in Birmingham to fund programs that inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold.

Spring is in the Air: Cleaning and Decluttering, Here We Come!

 

Spring is in full bloom. That means birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and your house is crying out for some much needed attention! Cleaning and de-cluttering, here we come!

Here’s a great guide on how to keep a simple home. By simplifying life, you can eliminate a lot of the problems before they actually become a problem. Life with kids is chaotic and will always involve stepping on a toy here and there.

Tips to simplify:

1. Identify what’s really important and get rid of the rest. Go through each room, put everything in the floor and start deciding… keep? donate? trash? sale? When you put your keep items back in their spot, don’t overfill it. Keep drawers 50-75% full.

2. Basket system. One of the biggest complaints from moms is that everyone leaves their stuff in the family room. Keep a laundry basket or decorative basket in the family room. Throughout the day, place those items in it. At the end of the day, all items need to be back where they go. Otherwise, they risk being donated. Kids will listen when they hear that part!

3. Designate areas and which items go there. Have a designated “get ready for school” area where shoes, backpacks, lunches go. If your children know where to put their things, there’s a much greater chance that they’ll put it there.

4. Chore charts. Make the kids contribute to the family by doing small appropriate chores. Feeding the pet, unloading the dishwasher, making their beds… these are all things that toddlers and up can help with. Teach them early that they are part of a unit and their contribution is important.

5. Clean in small bursts. No one wants to spend a whole weekend making the house spotless, only to see it in ruins by Monday night. We LIVE in houses, and living in something means it will get messy and dirty. Clean a little bit each day.

Our Sponsor:

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)

Operation Kidsafe Grand Opening Event at Adamson Ford

Recently, Adamson Ford as part of their 100 Year celebration brought Operation Kidsafe to Birmingham.  It was a huge hit with local parents.  Each child received an Amber Alert Ready Safety Document.  As a gift to the community for their 100 years in business, the Adamson Ford Team has arranged to have a year-round Operation Kidsafe system installed in their showroom.  Every day, parents can visit the Adamson Ford Showroom and get this vital Safety Form.  The form also contains safety tips to start a family safety action plan, something Operation Kidsafe has been doing for 17 years.

Operation Kidsafe is Free and private for families.  Parents take home the only record of the visit….(a Bio Document) that is ready to hand to law enforcement in an emergency.  Safety tips to start a family safety action plan are also included.

Join Adamson Ford for the official Ribbon Cutting for the first year round safety center in Alabama, on Wednesday, April 11th at 1pm. Refreshments will be served.

Adamson Ford is location at 1922 2nd Avenue South, 35233

 

Friday Five: Top Picks for Weekend Fun March 23rd – March 25

Spring Break kicks off for many today, here are some fun events happening to start your break off on the right foot!

  • Pajama Storytime at North Shelby Library

Come in your PJs, have milk and cookies, and hear some wonderful bedtime tales. All AgesNo Registration Required.

Friday, 6:30pm

  • Easter Egg Hunts!

Lots of hunts happening this weekend, make sure to check our FULL LIST to see where to hunt!

Saturday and Sunday Various times, dates and locations.

  • Cottontail Express at Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum

Hop aboard the Cottontail Express for a ride to Peter Cottontail’s meadow! Join in the fun at the meadow as we hunt for Easter eggs. A bounce house, temporary tattoos, coloring station, and a sandbox provide lots of family fun. Bring your camera to take photos with Peter Cottontail!

For more information on time and ticket prices click here

Saturday and Sunday, multiple times available

  • 3-2-1 Blastoff at CHOM

Test your engineering and astronaut skills
Experiment with gravity
Launch a Rocket

Saturday 10am – 4pm

  • Red Carpet Rendezvous at Workplay

Presented by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama’s Junior Board! Join in the fun at Workplay to party with the chosen Stars of Birmingham, as they compete to raise the most for RMHCA!

Enjoy food provided by Zoe’s, drinks, and live music! All proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

Click for more information

Saturday, 7pm

 

Our Sponsor:

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)

Easter Egg Brownies

Brownies are my absolute favorite dessert so I look for excuses to make them a part of my life as often as possible. Here’s a cute way to serve them up as a dessert for your Easter Gatherings.

What You’ll Need:

Brownie Mix (I’m not picky and just use whatever box mix I happen to have stocked in my pantry.)
Egg shaped cookie cutter
Variety of icing

What you’ll do:

Bake brownies according to recipe directions
Once they have cooled completely, cut into Easter Egg shapes
Decorate with icing. Strips, dots… whatever goes!