If you elect to receive a cash voucher, the machine keeps almost nine cents of every dollar, but it just doesn't seem right to clip coupons and then turn around and leave what amounts to a tithe in the Coinstar till. The Coinstar machine at Bruno's in Hoover (across from the Galleria) gives you the full value of your coins as long as you accept the amount in a gift certificate to Overstock.com or Lowe's.
Just dump your change into the collection chamber and it spins and clinks like it's manufacturing something wonderful. (This is great fun, by the way, for a kid who is old enough to scoop the coins into the tray and watch as the Chuck E. Cheese tokens are rejected into another pile - a real jackpot as far as he's concerned.) Once the counting is done, you have a choice of whether to accept a cash voucher less the processing fee, donate to charity (which just souned too vague for me), or accept the full amount as a gift certificate.
I choose the last option, a Lowe's gift card, and received a printout that explained to the Lowe's cashier exactly how to process the certificate, which we all know is the key to properly executing a program like this.
As enjoyable as it was to reclaim the spending power of $160, it was even more thrilling to imagine all the things I could buy from Lowe's when the time was right. A pull-out ironing board? A closet storage system? Maybe a few new planters for the back patio?
Sadly, during the time I spent savoring the possibilities, something broke. I wound up having to spend the gift card replacing a door handle that suddenly quit working (a door handle! how does that happen?) and this put an end to my found-money joy. On the bright side, I was able to upgrade without any impact to the household budget. Even brighter was the fact that the Lowe's associate was able to walk right through the instructions so I had an uneventful checkout.
As you start your spring cleaning, collect all your coins and turn them into a useful gift card via a Coinstar or similar machine. Then immediately spend your booty - that's in the pirate sense of the word - on something to spruce up your house before you are cursed with a repair or replacement.
Unlike some of you BirminghamMoms from long lines of Greek and Italian families, I don't really have a singular distinctive heritage to celebrate with food and festivals. Maybe that's why I'm grateful to the Irish for inviting all of us to join in like an O'Neil or a McDonald for one day every year.
This year, Birmingham gets to double dip in a sense. St. Patrick's Day is on Wednesday (wear your green or risk a pinch) but on Saturday, March 20th, festivities will be going full bore downtown.
A St. Patrick's Day Parade , sponsored by the Alabama Celtic Association, will run along 20th street from Powell to Five Points South starting at 11:30. Then at 2 p.m. a celebration (designed to be family friendly) will ensue at Matthew's Bar & Grill on Morris Avenue, complete with a Pipe Band, Irish dancers, and traditional Irish music. Tickets are $10 for adults and kids under 13 are free; proceeds will benefit The Ark, a pediatric cancer research foundation.
This is the second year for the event, and word is kids and parents had a great time last year. The Birmingham International Center has chosen to spotlight Ireland this year, so it's fitting that the city has a mini cultural fair that you and the kids can enjoy.
Note: Yeah, it does seem funny to think of a family-friendly event at a bar & grill, but even that seems authentically pub-like and Irish. Obviously, the early afternoon/evening is the best time for families.
I'm so darn excited that we are finally taking dominion of this house and wrestling it into submission. At last I will take a visitor upstairs without my usual tour guide routine, "We want to make this into a such-and-so one day." For years I've felt like I needed one of those built-to-scale models under a glass case to prove that we really do have plans. I won't have to explain anymore that what you're seeing doesn't reflect my real tastes (you never thought so, did you?) and that, yes, I realize there is a lot of wasted space up here. All that potential will be manifest!
The project is not that grand, just reconfiguring a series of small choppy rooms into an office, a media room (essential for the husband's buy-in) and a little wet bar that can be Baptist or Episcopalian, depending on whether the wine bottles are in view. We've waited so long to do this - starting back when contractors were too busy to call back, let alone schedule the project - to now, when their best subs are available for work.
So I don't even care that I've blown my sofa budget on a tile backsplash and a fabulous wall-mount faucet (a steal at Mazer's).
Please overlook the sling lawn chairs you are sitting in, as they don't reflect my real tastes. One day I want to furnish this room with a linen-covered sofa and a big leather ottoman...
You know how it is when you try to get with your girlfriends to catch up. Evenings during the school year are out because of various activities all over town, and breakfast would be a punishment given the morning schedule already. Lunch is hardly leisurely when there are errands, carpool, or the office awaiting. No working woman wants to split a precious day off with a lunch break that will make the morning and afternoon too short to accomplish anything substantial, whether it's catching up or just relaxing.
I've found the best solution is weekday brunch. This allows for the usual morning rush, perhaps even a workout, and a relaxing meal with plenty of daytime left to finish a to-do list. Childcare isn't a problem because brunch coincides with Mother's Day Out, daycare and school. Unlike an evening out, there's no need to leave directives about dinner and you'll miss no feedings, tuck-ins or homework reviews. If you're enjoying a day off work, you'll be able to have a low-key morning and still have the better part of the day to yourself.
Of course, there are wonderful weekend brunches all around town, but weekends are even harder to give up/coordinate for a girls' get-together.
We have lots of choices other than the classic IHOP and Denny's. In fact, you can have a brunch with food that is almost as memorable as an evening out at a nicer restaurant.
Another Broken Egg, Mountain Brook Village - This is breakfast refined, with items like crab cakes (behold the Southern Crab Stack above), fluffy omelettes, and potato sides that would suffice as a meal. The menu is New Orleans inspired, and the provincial-style interior feels almost as warm as dining in someone's home. There is a patio for al fresco dining. What could feel more decadent than sitting outside on a spring day eating a beautifully presented meal? Pity the people driving by, too busy to stop for brunch or hear the funny stories you're swapping...
The Egg and I, Hoover - All the breakfast classics as well as some south-of-the-border specialties. Lunchtime parking can get a little crowded but well worth the effort (if parking's crowded, it's a short stroll from a neighboring lot, so look there for a space). They also have lunch foods like sandwiches, soups and salads incase one in your party isn't a "breakfast person."
The Original Pancake House, Southside - Smack in the middle of Five Points South, the people watching doesn't get any better than this. This restaurant is actually a franchise, but it's been a consistent presence here long enough to feel like a hometown spot. Have you seen the Dutch Baby or Apple Pancake? Better plan to split one of these and agree to not discuss dieting or related subjects.
One more advantage to brunch is that you're ready to roll by the time everyone else is headed out for lunch. A small snack in the afternoon is all you'll need to tide you over until dinner and your usual family routine.
Roly Poly at Patton Creek in Hoover has kids eat free night on Tuesdays, and while I was there recently I noticed an unusual addition to the menu: Roly Poly Dessert Sandwiches. The concept of "dessert" + "sandwiches" caught me by surprise, so I asked the manager about them. She said the staff had been experimenting with different ingredients back in the kitchen and they decided these concoctions were so good that they would add them to the menu.
Looking at the descriptions, these seem like great ideas for snacks to make at home with the few leftover tortillas you have after making an enchilada casserole (I can never seem to make them all come out even). You sprinkle the ingredients on a tortilla and grill until golden brown:
- Peaches n' Cream - Cream cheese spread, fruity peach spread
- Roly Poly S'more - Marshmallow spread, graham cracker crumbles, chocolate syrup
- Hawaiian Bend - cream cheese spread, peanut butter spread, pineapple, cinnamon sprinkles
- Peanut Butter Twister - Peanut butter spread, peanut butter cookie crumbles, apple butter, cinnamon sprinkles
- Chocolate Brownie Surprise - Chocolate syrup, fudge brownie bits, cashews
These unconventional Roly Poly-ists also offer Scrambled Egg Rolys for breakfast, which has me thinking these would be easy on the run (a self-contained sandwich with as much substance as an omelette, only easier to eat).
Like other Roly Poly locations they cater and you can order online. My hat's off to the staff at the Patton Creek location for thinking up new things to put on a tortilla.
I'm always amazed at how the daffodils never fail us, emerging when it seems premature but proving themselves perfectly on cue for warmer weather. I have learned that you can never take these daffodil days for granted, as this span of time between the Alabama seasons of "cold" and "hot as farr" (to borrow the name of Jack's latest hamburger) is mighty slim. Spring is a wonderful time in
Rediscover your State Parks (www.alapark.com) and your local library (cheap! close! fun!). There were too many activities to list them all, but here are a few in addition to events at our favorite spots like McWane and the
March 16 at
March 17th at
March 20th at 10am – The Weather
March 20th-21st – Trade Days at
March13th – The IMAX film Bugs and the NatureScope Exhibit open. This is sure to be an exhilarating, creepy crawly experience for your budding scientist.
March 14th from
March 15th – 18th - Meet Dora the Explorer. Picture times are at 10, 12, 2 & 4.
March 13th – March 19th (except March 15th) from
March 15th – 19th from
Saturday, March 27th at
Sunday, March 28th at
March 13th (and every Saturday morning) at
March 15th from
March 16th at
March 16th at
March 17th at
March 18th at
March 19th at
March 16th – Teen Game Tournament at
March 17th at 10am – Wear Pig Out Pink as you fill your tummy with tasty treats from your favorite books
March 185th at 10am – Book Arts – Wear Well-Read Red as your favorite books inspire you to create a masterpiece
March 18th at
March 19th at
April 10th at
The Tilty Cup is a sippy cup with a new angle on cup design. A chamber inside the cup forces liquids to flow toward the mouth piece so that the cup does the tilting, not your child's head.
I know what some people are thinking: A kid's gotta learn how to drink out of a cup sometime. But I see this as a bonus for mom as much as the child. Admit it, you've held up a cup plenty of times for your frustrated child who didn't yet understand that water runs downhill. We adults have straws for this. ($5.99 for two 7 -oz cups)
There are several diap & wipe bags out there to carry a few diapers and the essential wipes. But this one by My Royal Heinie is the best I've seen because of the built-in Smart Wipes dispenser that allows one-handed operation. Obviously a mom who wrangled a fidgety kid realized there had to be a better way to pull a wipe, and she's found it.
You know times are tough when the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar on couponing. It just goes to show that we're all trying to get the best value for our buck, no matter what part of Birmingham we call home.
The March 24th seminar, Go & Grow: Meet Your Local Grocers, will feature the grocers and pharmacies of Mountain Brook as well as expert couponing instruction from Holly Syx, a homeschooling BirminghamMom with a family of eight. The grocers and pharmacies will be discussing how to maximize their own in-store deals and services, while Syx' couponing guidance will apply to shopping with any retailer.
The Mountain Brook Chamber has made a concerted effort to encourage residents to shop local, and it shows in the care and connection between the residents and their retail stores. The Chamber wisely points out that dollars residents spent within the community ultimately benefit them again as they help support their services and the overall quality of life in the area.
Registration is required and there is a fee; all materials will be provided. Visit the Chamber's website to learn more.
Essentially you are offering yourself as a human mannequin for the student's practice in return for deeply discounted services. On the down side, you aren't going to be able to develop a long-term client relationship since the student will be moving on once his/her education is complete. However, an instructor is always at hand and actively checking in to oversee the student's work.
Of course a student won't yet have developed the speed and skill of a professional stylist, so you will need to allow for a little extra time. Your services will cost a fraction of what they would elsewhere and, honestly, isn't the salon the only place you get to really dig into an issue of People magazine?
The Aveda Institute (pictured left) just opened in Hoover, and it must certainly be the Taj Mahal of cosmetology schools in Alabama. The interior is every bit as impressive as any day spa and it's full of product displays as in any Aveda retail store. The emphasis on natural ingredients in the products is carried out in the sleek interior as well. This former movie theater offers several light-filled styling galleries that feel like a department store sales floor.
A 30 minute manicure at Aveeda Institue is $12, a haircut & style is $15, and a 30 minute facial s $20. The Institute is closed on Sundays and Mondays. If you're looking to walk in, Friday and Saturday are not recommended, as these are the busiest days, but earlier in the week your chances are good.
The Xcell Academy, a Paul Mitchell partner school, is also in Hoover just north of I459 on higway 31.
At Xcell, a basic manicure is $8, a haircut & style starts at $10, and a basic facial is $20.
(One important note is that children must be five years or older for services. For safety reasons, they are not allowed on the floor unless they are receiving services, and they can't wait on you in the lobby. So in other words, this isn't the place to bring the kids unless you're bringing them for their own hair cuts.)
Virginia College in Homewood has trained many a local stylist and has been offering bargain prices on grooming for years. Perms start at $30, haircuts are $8 and a plain manicure is just $5. I recently learned that they have monthly specials on top of their already affordable prices. For example, through April 16th, Virginia College's Student Cosmetology Services is offering a "bring a friend" buy one, get one free promotion on services priced at $10 and above. Appointments book quickly and can be made at 205-943-2139.
Although students are not paid, they do gratefully accept tips. Who knows, you may discover an up-and-coming stylist you can follow to his or her next salon.
Looks like visiting a beauty school has gotten more attractive.
Imagine if we hadn't had mentors with reliable advice. Navigating on our own would have been much more difficult. The Young Women's Empowerment Conference was created so that promising young women between 14 and 19 could receive instruction on topics like preparing for college, financial awareness, and business etiquette in a one-day program that is of no cost to them.
The event is invitation only so that attendees who are intentional about their goals and objectives are able to get the most from the experience. This year's conference is scheduled for March 27th from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Birmingham YWCA. Candidates can apply online and the deadline is March 15th.
If you know a girl who would benefit from networking with other teens and receiving valuable advice in preparing for her future, let her know about the conference application. Then be sure to offer your continued insight and support as she enters adulthood.
