BirminghamMom.com: December 2007 Archives

Low Hassle Night Out: New Years' Eve Eve

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When BirminghamMom Aimee George had her first child, she reassessed the traditional New Years' Eve celebration she usually hosted for friends and neighbors. New Years' Eve was a difficult night to find a sitter; restaurants and catering services were booked; and most guests wanted to avoid being on the road late in the evening.

Rather than have guests miss festivities for all these reasons, Aimee and husband David adapted their tradition by moving the celebration up one day to New Years' Eve Eve. For years now, Aimee and David have coordinated a gathering that takes place on December 30th and leaves the 31st to the comforts of home and preparation for New Years' Day ballgames.

Borrow some of Aimee's tips for coordinating a fun evening out:

1. Rather than host the entire event, meet for dinner at a restaurant and serve dessert and beverages at your place afterward. Most busy couples are just appreciative of having an effortless evening with friends and are happy to dine out.

2. Select a restaurant with ample seating and book ahead if possible. Except for weekend nights, restaurants are generally not crowded on December 30 and are certainly not as busy as they will be on December 31.

3. Enclose a "NYEE" invitation with your Christmas card. Ask guests to RSVP by December 28, ample time to adjust your total number with the restaurant.

4. Set up a basic dessert buffet so that you can enjoy time with your guests upon arrival at your house. Aimee has selections ready to plate and starts coffee as soon as she hits the door. She also includes chocolate chip cookies for the guys who prefer a hand-held sweet as they retreat to the basement for a game of billiards or to view husband David's latest electronic acquisition.

BirminghamMom.com Find- Primavera Coffee Roasters

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latte Primavera sized.jpg Coffee itself may not have changed over the years, but the average consumer certainly has a new appreciation of what goes into the production, preparation, and enjoyment of this beverage. We have Starbucks to thank for much of this awareness, but if you would like to try a local shop with a bit of coffee education thrown in, visit Primavera Coffee Roasters in Cahaba Heights.

Primavera receives its coffee beans in burlap bags directly from the producer and roasts them on site. The roaster sits in a corner of the shop so you can watch (and smell!) the roasting process. You can also learn finer points of coffee, from its cultivation to the distinctive coffee-growing regions and corresponding flavors. A tour of Primavera's packaged coffees is a geographic tour around the equator, and the roasting process is an amusement in itself. Organic chocolate products and a selection of bakery goods are also available.

In contrast to the typical dim and clubby coffee shop, Primavera is bright, open and modern, with more room to adjust tables and seating (read: book club or PTO committee meeting spot). Find Primavera in the commercial development behind Miss Myra's Pit Bar B Q, a landmark establishment on Cahaba Heights Road.

Sterling Tradition

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Every year Jennifer Bolongaro sports an unusual piece of jewelry during the holidays.

What looks like a beautiful silver medallion is actually an heirloom sterling ornament. Her mother began purchasing ornaments from the Reed & Barton Cross Series (now in its 37^th year) when Jennifer was a young girl. This year Jennifer wore the 1976 edition that had also been worn by her mother.

Jennifer’s mom was onto something. Not only does Jennifer now enjoy double duty with the ornament as holiday jewelry and then adorning her tree, she also has a sentimental heirloom to treasure. These ornaments are versatile enough to be worn short (on a chain or sterling collar) or long on a silk cord or beautiful fabric ribbon.

This is a lovely tradition to begin with your daughter or niece. Each year the ornament manufacturer introduces a new edition, and unlike most manufactured ornaments, a sterling ornament will last more than a lifetime and retain its beauty if stored properly. Order online through a variety of vendors or at Argent silver shop in Homewood (the ornaments are also available at Macy’s). After a few years, you’ll have a wonderful collection to commemorate your holidays together, and your little girl will one day have a beautiful tree full of ornaments all her own.

Other collections to consider:

Gorham Snowflake

Lunt Snowflake

Wallace Angel

Gorham Cross

Sterling ornaments are generally $55 - $65 each. You may find previous editions online for less.

Annual ornament too much of an investment? Buy one to commemorate a special memory and wear it as your signature item year after year.

Gift Cards to the Rescue, 24/7

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There are two schools of thought on gift cards. One: Givers of gift cards take the easy way out of shopping for a truly thoughtful present. Two: Gift cards are more desirable to receivers because of the freedom they allow.

Why not have it both ways? Now there is a gift card for any merchant, so gift cards can be the perfect blend of both thoughtful and non-restrictive. If you need to expedite your shopping this year or have a moment of panic as you realize you've left someone off your list, Walmart and Walgreens are here to help, and most locations are open 24/7. WalMart generally has gift cards for these merchants (most are restaurants):

Applebee's Macaroni Grill/Magianno's I Tunes

Chili's/On the Border Subway Visa Gift Card

Friday's Burger King AMC/Regal Cinemas

Olive Garden/Red Lobster Pizza Hut

Papa John's

Walgreens offers these (list may not include all available gift cards):

Gap Shell

Lady Foot Locker Olive Garden/Red Lobster

KB Toys Papa John's

I Tunes Friday's

Borders Applebee's

Bass Pro Shops Starbucks

Odds are you'll be able to find a WalMart or Walgreens even if you are traveling or visiting relatives in an unfamiliar town during the holidays. As a word of caution, just be sure that before you purchase a card for a theater, for example, the theater is indeed available to your recipient. An AMC gift card isn't useful to a recipient in Birmingham, even though the cards are sold in many of the local gift card kiosks.