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If you like the idea of sending a hand made card (not necessarily made by YOUR hands), check out these cute cards from Red Rain in Homewood. You can see there are versions suitable for winter or holiday greetings, as well as a plain old hometown hello.

If you're sending cards to far-flung friends, particularly to anyone who has a soft spot for Birmingham, you can bet your recipients will enjoy receiving a shout-out from the Magic City. A simple, graphic card like one of these will show up among all the other greetings and will feel like a big handshake from friends back in the 'ham. If you miss the neighbors who relocated to another state, have friends deployed overseas, or have family who are connecting flights apart from you, odds are they would light up to hear from you and your hometown. Just be sure to enclose a photo.

A box of 10 cards is $7 and is available in the Red Rain store on 18th street in Homewood.   

If you entertain kids during your holiday gatherings, you've probably discovered that the kids' table is as fun to decorate as the grown-ups'.  These ornament balls are crazy cheap and will make a cheerful place setting in an instant. 

These are only $1 at Dollar General. They are hollow, so they are perfect for tucking a little surprise or two inside.  In our family, a pack of gum or a dollar bill are still small thrills, but stickers, wrapped candy or rub-on tatoos would also be fun. The ornaments pop against a bright green plate, as shown here, and this color green is commonly available in paper products.

Besides brightening a place setting, these ornaments would make great little gifts for the kids in your scout troop or classroom.  Tuck an encouraging note or a favorite easy recipe inside for an extra-personal touch. 

 

The holiday card season is fast approaching and before you start to print return address labels, consider this lovely stamp created by Birmingham artist Katherine Tucker. 

There's something that arrests your attention at the sight of hand lettering, which is rare these days.  Katherine's stamps offer a practical way to address envelopes and still retain a beautiful, personal touch.  She has many designs to choose from, and all are completely customizable. Besides a stamp for your own use, imagine what a thoughtful and useful gift one of these stamps would make for a Chirstmas, housewarming or wedding gift.

The stamps are two inches wide. If you would like to see examples of available fonts and sizes in person, visit The Nesting Place in Cahaba Heights or Grassroots in the Lee Branch shopping center on Hwy 280.  You may also order a stamp on line at www.katmadeit.com; the $65 charge includes shipping.  You receive two proofs to review and the stamp can generally be produced, boxed and shipped to you within a week of your final approval.    

 

Martha started the practice, followed by Emeril, Rachel, Wolfgang and now Paula: designer cookware. Before these guys, All-Clad cookware was the cook's ultimate choice, but then the celebrity chefs decided they could have their own name stamped on the bottom of the pans they flashed on screen.

If you're less interested in the name than you are the attributes of the product itself, take a look at this surprisingly high-quality cookware sold at WalMart.

This cookware has the same features as brands that cost two times the price:

• 18/10 Stainless Steel
• Tri-ply with aluminum core on all sides (not just the bottom), a feature of the most expensive brands - this distributes heat throughout the pan
• Lifetime Warranty
• NSF Certified
• Riveted handles designed to stay cool
• Dishwasher Safe 

The stainless steel set manufactured by Tramontina is $144.97 for 8 pieces at WalMart, but some pieces, like the deep pasta pot shown above, are sold individually.  Although there are other cookware sets by Tramontina, the stainless steel set is the finest.

If you are trying to cook at home more often to save money or just to have more family time around your table, this cookware is a great investment.  It will last for years and probably doesn't cost much more than your weekly grocery bill.  Find this set at WalMart Supercenters on John Hawkins Parkway (Hoover) or off Montevallo Road (Irondale).  The set is also available online with the option to ship to a store.  

It's a sad fact that I won't be traveling to the Mediterranean anytime soon. Even if I were, I doubt I would care to spend time hauling around or even shipping the great things I would find on my trip - especially knowing so many of them are already in town at Tsitalia Imports.

This giant warehouse of a store is full of pieces with the interesting textures and uniqueness that handmade items offer.  I spotted the olive jars right away and thought of the imitation jar I purchased from a home store catalog that arrived with "made in China" stamped across the box.  I could have had the real thing here, and in my choice of sizes.  The smallest jars start at less than $15, and a single piece or a small collection would beat the usual mass-produced accessories hands-down.

Colorful hand-loomed rugs come in all sizes; it was explained to me that they do not come in the precise standard sizes, since the final dimensions depend on the size of the artisan's loom.  Many sell for $225.

I've admired these large glass jars when I've seen them as accessories, particularly when used as lamps (a lamp shop can french-wire them, meaning no holes are bored into the base).  These are quite large, so it would take a home of massive scale to do them justice, but any one of them would add character. If you're splurging on a kitchen or bathroom makeover, you should check out the hand-hammered copper sinks that line the the shelves at Tsitalia. 

Finally, anyone can enjoy the imported olives, olive oil, sea salts, and other products here.  Tsitailia is owned by the same family that owns Birmingham's Southside Fish Market, so the food products are a natural fit. 

Don't let the rows of massive clay pots outside fool you; there are plenty of smaller, accessory-sized items indoors.  It's worth your time to peek inside for inspiration and some interesting earthenware you won't find at the mall. 

BirminghamMom tip:  Give in to the craving and head to Fish Market for lunch.  The cypress trees outside and lemon tree inside will feel like a micro-vacation, and the grilled chicken salad is just as good as the shrimp salad if you're not a seafood fan. 

You can play chicken with retail and wait until after Thanksgiving for discounts on the best new merchanise, or you can get first pick of everything and get a discount through the Shop, Save and Share Card offered through the Junior League of Birmingham.

Purchase a Shop, Save and Share Card for a $40 donation and you'll receive a 20% discount at some of the most popular shopping destinations in and around Birmingham from October 24th to November 2nd. Over 350 retailers and restaurants are participating, from well-known department stores to specialty boutiques.  While some stores have exclusions, much of the merchandise will be newly stocked for the holidays and will not have been discounted otherwise. 

Besides saving money on your purchases, you also help benefit the Junior League's 37 community projects that support women and children here in Birmingham.  With the large number and variety of participating retailers, you can easily spend $200 and recoup your purchase price over the course of this 10-day shopping event.  This card can apply to so many purchases:  Gifts, party clothes, home accessories, and lunch or dinner after shopping or any day during the event.

Purchase the card online from the Junior League of Birmingham now or at selected participating retailers (denoted by an asterisk on the list) after October 28th.     

If you have ever wound up in charge of the elementary school festival, rec league party, or PTO open house, then maybe you already know about a BirminghamMom's secret weapon for goody bags, candy and party favors: World Products.

The company is a toy, candy and gift distributor, but their warehouse-type store is open to the public and is chock full of trinkets and all things Party.  Walk in here and you will believe you stumbled into the supply closet for the midway strip at a state fair. Stuffed animals, jewelry, key chains; you name it and it is probably here in bulk.  

When you see all the inexpensively priced trinkets, you'll feel bad that your kid has held tightly to hard-won tickets at the arcade in order to make the conflicted and difficult decision between a small rubber ball and chinese finger cuffs.  He could have bought scores of these at World Products for the price of a single pizza. (And to think, you worked with him at that ticket redemption counter for an hour thinking there was a math lesson in it somewhere.)

When you're in charge of goody bags or in quick need of a theme party, skip ordering from a catalog and go directly to World Products to buy just what you need.  You can purchase most things individually and some by the gross for greater savings.  (A gross is 12 packs of 12.)  There are also pinatas, hats, Alabama/Auburn gifts, beach balls and sand pails.  Several shelves are devoted to biblically themed objects, like the classic Ten Commandments charm bracelets - remember those! - and other giveaways suitable for VBS-type occasions.

World Products is at 1631 First Avenue South in an older, nondescript building; look closely or you may miss it.  They will be moving shortly, so look for an update here once they are in their new location.  Hours are M-F, 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. 

 

Ulta is to cosmetics, hair care and skin care what Home Depot is to appliances, hardware, and garden tools.  

This comsmetics superstore has everything from common national brands (Revlon, Pantene) to those usually sold in department stores and salons (Smashbox, Urban Decay, Fekkai).  Ulta frequently distributes coupons in the Sunday paper or in fashion magazines, and it's not unusual to find an offer of $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more. There are few exclusions (usually on premium cosmetics) and most other sale merchandise is included.  You may not realize that most of these Ulta coupons can be used along with manufacturer's coupons as long as the total purchase meets the required minimum.

Given that coupons are already plentiful for national brand haircare, skincare, and beauty products, you can stretch ten bucks pretty far at Ulta.  If you buy your family's regular brands of shampoo, lotion and sunscreen here, you are bound to reach a minimum purchase of $10 or even $20 quickly.  Add an Ulta coupon on top of manufacturer's coupons and you can score some great deals. 

On a recent visit I bought lotion, shampoo, and mascara with $1 off coupons for each; after coupons, my total was almost $12, and then the Ulta coupon brought my total to less than $10 before taxes.  I've previously used an Ulta coupon to purchase professional shears (already on sale) for $6, perfect to snip bangs in between appointments.

Of course, the temptation is to use your savings for a splurge on the upscale products like a luminizing foundation primer or luxurious make up brush.  Well, what would be wrong with that?  This is a guilt-free way to parlay the savings from boring body wash into a new shade of nail polish. 

Birmingham's Ulta location is in Hoover at the Patton Creek shopping center behind the Riverchase Galleria.

BirminghamMom tip:  Beauty junkies know the most universally flattering shade of blush is by NARS.  Just the name of this shade is blush-worthy; you'll recognize it as well as its coordinating lip color.  

You know you're giving gift cards, now how to package them for maximum impact?  These gift card holders have a card-sized pocket on the back and are cute enough on their own, but the loop attached to them gives them double-duty as Christmas ornaments.

Sport-themed gift card holders would be a great way to package the cards you'll give your fall ball coaches, and they're only $5 each at Christmas and Company in the Vestavia City Center.  Take a colorful Sharpie pen or paint stick and write "Thanks, Coach" with the team name and year and see if it doesn't wind up as a favorite reminder of the season.  Get a jump on the holidays and pick up one for your sports-minded kid or husband to include a gift card for their favorite sporting goods store - these will fit nicely in a stocking, dress up a wrapped gift, or be a fun surprise on the tree.

Christmas and Company also has gift card holders shaped like purses, flip-flops, and maryjane style shoes, so cute for girly girls.

Just think, you can gather several of these ornaments and be sitting pretty by Christmas, when you can buy the appropriate gift cards at a grocery store kiosk.  Wouldn't visiting neices and nephews love to search your tree for their ornament/gift card?  Again, just personalize with a permanent marker and they'll be thrilled.       

The average BirminghamMom is carrying around enough stuff in her trunk or back seat to fill a grocery cart. Chances are high that she has cleared out every single item only to be defeated again when the next soccer season rolls around.  At a certain point, it becomes easier to just give in and house the stuff in the car than to remember to pack it every time.

Such it is that this tote offers a way to camouflage the flotsam and jetsam that rolls around in the back of the vehicle.  This thing is roomy, made of nylon with a breathable mesh top that cinches closed.  It will easily hold a stadium blanket, soccer or football(s), and snacks, but could also serve as a laundry bag for dry cleaning that wouldn't look as unkempt (read: nagging) as those made completely of mesh fabric. 

If you drive an SUV, this is a stylish form for tucking away the things that would normally go in a car's trunk but won't fit in your console, such as the first aid kit, DVDs and audio equipment. The bag even has an interior pocket with a velcro closure that will keep smaller things from rolling out.  Just shove everything into this bag and you can skip the profuse apologies usually required for those guests who dare to ride with you and your necessary clutter.

This bag is $16.99 at The Nesting Place at 3118 Heights Village on Cahaba Heights Road.