SUMMER FUN FAIR

Care With Flair, LLC is hosting a Summer Fun Fair for tornado relief.  We are seeking sponsors who are willing to take part in this effort to assist other Alabamians who were affected by the devastating storms on April 27, 2011.  In participating, you will receive advertising and show that your business or organization is concerned about the community. We are targeting families in Alabama who have children, as well as shelters and churches, but anyone is welcome! Your donation will be tax deductible.  It will be a great opportunity to offer families a fun day together and also raise money to help tornado victims.  Who wouldn’t feel great about participating in an event like this?

What is it: We will get together, enjoy fun activities, food, Live entertainment, and show our support for our community.  A few of the fun events we have planned include face painting, clowns, Crafts, games, and shopping for a Great Cause.

We are seeking: Sponsors, Vendors, Volunteers, and Items to be donated for the silent auction and door prizes.  If you are unable to attend, we are accepting donations for the event and will be glad to put your business cards/brochures out at the Fun Fair. Some of the other groups that we hope to include are: Life South, Red Cross, Greater Birmingham Humane Society, Small Business’s, Restaurants, and Local Personalities and entertainers. All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit relief efforts, in addition to a percentage of total profit from the event.

Dates and times Summer Fun Fair will take place at Homewood Central Park on July 23, 2011 10am -5pm. The deadline to commit to participate is June 10th. Please feel free to contact Mallory Sandlin via email or phone at M.Sandlin@carewithflair.org or (205)478-5221 to answer any questions you may have. We will keep you informed and look forward to doing all we can to assist those in need while having a blast at the Summer Fun Fair!

With Gratitude,

Care With Flair, LLC – Caring for Children and Their Community

www.carewithflair.org

In the May and June issues of the Kids’ Directory, we have teamed up with some moms (and maybe even dads) from the Moms’ Market events.  There is a special listing of only “MomPrenuer”s…

Here are the participants in our first EVER MomPrenuer section…check them out and support local moms!

2 Cute Creations www.facebook.com/2cutecreations

4 Messy Monkeys  www.facebook.com/4messiemonkies

Bama Balloons www.bamaballoons.com

Ceramic Caboose www.ceramiccaboose.com

Discovery Toys www.discoverytoys.com/Patriciastoys

Dream Come True Vacations www.facebook.com/sonya.douglas.vacation.planner

Cuties for Cuties www.facebook.com/cutiesforcuties

Funkyness www.mofunkyness.com

Love Captured Photography www.jenniferbranhamphotography.com

Premier Designs www.facebook.com/polkadotsandflipflops

Rendi Independent Stylist www.kellygraber.rendistyle.com

Sew Adorable www.facebook.com/mysewadorable

Thirty One Gifts www.mythirtyone.com/amanda

Whimsical Paper www.whimsicalpaper.com

Wimbley Designs www.princewimbleyproductions.com

On the other hand, our babies are miracles!!  It is so easy to trade the poopy diapers and exhaustion for the cooing and peacefulness of a sweet newborn!  Local photographers have found the sweet little ones great enough to capture in an entire newborn photography session.  This session can last up to TWO hours!!  TWO HOURS!! 

I took my sweet two week old baby boy to visit one wonderful photographer.  She had her studio temperature set at about 90 degrees to keep him happy even though he was naked.  She had the “patience of Job” as she posed him and crawled around on the floor to get just the right picture.  And, of course, the end result and the photos are absoulutely perfect!! 

Now, as he grows and changes, I have the sweetness of his newborn days forever in these pictures.  I encourage you to find a local photographer (we have many listed here on the website and in our book…PLENTY to find the right one for you and your family!) to capture the many moments in your life….especially if you have a newborn miracle.  These photographers are so creative and do such a great job.  You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to savor the memories!

We are so excited to be able to offer YOU a chance to go!!

Now…what we need to know is…who is your child’s favorite Disney character??  Tell us the character and why you know this is your child’s favorite!  My little girl LOVES Cinderella…she has to have EVERYTHING she can with Cinderella on it…she explains that Cinderella is like her because she has blonde hair too!  (and that Cinderella loves makeup and dresses like her!)…

So, tell us your child’s favorite and why…good luck…we’ll use random.org to pick our winner but can’t wait to read all of your comments!  We plan to pick the winner this afternoon around 5:00…what a great way to start a beautiful spring-weather weekend!!

Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic Show

MAR. 25 – 26

BJCC Concert Hall

Abracadabra! It’s Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic Show! Mickey, Minnie and a host of Disney friends come together with world-class magicians to perform magic from legendary Disney films right before your eyes.  See the Fairy Godmother transform Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown in a split second; the spectacular levitation of Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine; and the enchanted dancing brooms of Fantasia.  Join Donald and Goofy, Alice and the Mad Hatter, and many more for a one-of-a-kind stage show you’ll never forget.  Mickey’s Magic Show is a whole new way to experience Disney Magic with your family!

Get Tickets while great seats remain!  CLICK HERE…

Scan this with your mobile device to purchase tickets:

MOMS Market is your one stop shop for great products created or sold by working moms!

When: Sunday. April 3, 2011 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Where: Pelham Civic  Complex in the Arena

What is MOMS Market?

It is an event that is held twice a year with a Spring and Holiday market.  It is a great opportunity for Moms who own their business or product to showcase their talents and offer their products.

We are excited about the MOMS Market Spring 2011 Event, Springpalooza.  MOMS has grown every year from our first event, and we would love for you to be a  part of everything as either a vendor or shopper.

It may be acting, Ice Skating, equestrian, or sports, but we have a little something for everyone to get involved in this summer. Now is the time to start exploring what each camp has to offer. Day camps, overnight camps, dates, times, costs and the fun details that makes camp great. The planning process is a great way for you and your child to spend time discussing the options that exist. Plus, you can get them involved in researching the camps and the details. Spending quality time with your child in a fun and learning opportunity, I would say that is a win-win.

Let us know of some fun other activities, and we will add those this growing list.

Have a blast planning and experiencing much of what makes the summer great.

Wow…if that little quote from Ringling Bros. doesn’t make you excited about the circus…well, I just don’t know what will!  I started thinking about my memories of the circus…anyone else remember the year they brought the unicorn?  Or the year they introduced “King Tusk” the elephant?  I just love how Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey “do” the circus.  They have two different shows that run for two years.  That way, you get a different show each year.  This year, the BJCC is hosting the Red Unit…it is titled “Fully Charged”.  They advertise a “Fully Charged” animal trainer, a strongman duo, athletic brothers, a rocket-man, and of course, the CLOWNS!!!  I know my family is going to love the entertainment!

Don’t miss out on getting your tickets…and now, of course, the circus is interactive…so, you don’t need to miss out on the “all access preshow” where you can dress as a clown and see animals and circus celebrities up close!

And, while we’re at it…why don’t we give you a chance to WIN four tickets to the circus??  Just tell us your favorite circus memory…when you were a child, or through the eyes of your own children.  We can’t wait to read your comments!

Winner will be drawn Wednesday, January 19, 2011 around 2pm!

Ah, family picture day once again.  Idealist that I am, I often look past all the planning and enjoy visualizing the final product; you know, the perfect family picture where everyone is not only looking at the camera but also smiling at the same time? Well, with four children, reality quickly reminds me to just be happy with what I get! Fortunately, experience has taught me by now to just relax and have fun, no matter how much I need to plan ahead. After all, Jay and I are blessed by God with such beautiful and healthy children. A perfect family picture day is not necessarily the “perfect picture.” As long as we can allow the photographer to capture the spirit of each child as we enjoy them, well, I would say is a successful day.

Our last photography session was over two years ago, when we were a new family of five. Now that baby Joy is 7 months old, the time was right to formally capture on film our sweet (and growing) family. We were certainly blessed to have Amanda Traywick take our pictures this year!

Let’s be honest, no matter how well we plan, most of us Moms find “picture day” to be just a little bit stressful. Will our outfits coordinate? Will everyone’s hair look good? Who will have the tantrum today? Did I remember to brush my teeth?   Below are some tips to help you plan your best so your family can look their best.  Working with a professional like Amanda helped me enjoy my husband and children which, as a result, made her job easier.  No matter the details you forget, the child that cries, or the schedule that goes awry, you can never err if you love them through it all. Besides, that’s what you do best as a Mom, right? And, yes, there is always Photoshop.

1. Coordinate clothes so that colors and patterns “flow” well. You do not have to match.

2. Carry with you favorite (and non-staining) drinks and treats. Though bribery is not encouraged in normal parenting, it certainly works here.

3. Bring the “boogie” wipes!

4. To plan your preparation time, add thirty minutes to the normal amount of time it takes to get the whole family to church.

5. Keep yourself calm and upbeat. Everyone will feed off of your energy. Have fun!

I am not a professional videographer by any stretch of the definition. But, I thought it would be fun to share with you our day with Amanda at Tannehill State Park; I hope you enjoy the video!

So, it is Seven Can Soup…ever heard of it? 

You need:  2 cans of chilli, 1 can tomato soup, 1 can veggie soup, 1 can diced tomoatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can Rotel

Pour it all together…simmer to your liking…and serve over Fritos!  So easy and warm for all this cold weather!

I did scoop out helpings for my children BEFORE adding the Rotel as it does make it a little spicey.  Please, try this recipe….it is GREAT!