August/September 2011
southernchildmagazine.com
of Central Alabama
6th Annual Golf for Kids Tournament
August 15, 2011 FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION VISIT AGAPEFORCHILDREN.ORG
At Agape, we are about one thing: SERVICE. We serve mothers-to-be who are questioning their next step; neglected and abused children who need someone to protect them; and families who want to share their love with a child. We offer these services - adoption, foster care and unplanned pregnancy assistance – with the unconditional love that our namesake promises. Thank you for helping us serve the women, children and families that need us. For more information about how you can contribute to Agape please contact: Jimmy Dobbs - Phone: 334-272-9466 | Fax: 334-272-0378 | Email: jdobbsagape@gmail.com
helping find christian homes for foster children and orphans
agapeforchildren.org
features Operation Love Reunited 38 Southern Style 43 photo by Blue Pistachio Photography
Back to School Stationery 59 Young Entrepreneurs 73
departments Mom Time 11 My Adoption Story, Mommy Magic, Sufficient Grace, Moment-by-Moment, Stuff We Love, Playdate Success, Amazing Southern Mom
Dixie Land Design 33 A Nursery You’ll Adore
Family Travel Guide 75 Myrtle Beach SC, Huntsville Botanical Gardens Treehouse Splash!
Reading and Learning 85 Home + Work, Smart Mom, Media Reviews
Cover photo: Dorean Pope Photography, Oh Fiddlesticks! clothing pictured For advertising info, contact advertising@southernchildmagazine.com. www.southernchildmagazine.com 3
From the Publisher
Recently a reader brought to my attention how nice it would be to feature foster children on our cover, why didn’t I think of that?? If this is your first time visiting, we look forward to you meeting our “Children In Waiting.” When someone told me there are 125,000 plus children in America waiting for their forever family, I asked my husband if we could build a new home with 125,000 bedrooms. Then I remembered we would probably need a room and our boys could probably share so I asked the plans be changed to 125,002. Then I found out only 2 out of 10 children who age out of the foster system at 18 actually make it, the remaining 80 percent end up on the street, in jail, or dead. Then I knew it was time to stop being funny and do something. Hence was the beginning of Melamy Publishing and the opportunity to introduce these children to the world in pretty magazines. God blessed me with an amazing team of talented moms who share my passion and thus far we have been instrumental in numerous adoptions! We are currently looking for professional photographers who can help us get our “Children In Waiting” front and center. We are looking for photographers who can get to know foster children in their area via family service organizations and to go even further to find hair stylists who may want to donate their time, fashion designers who want to donate an outfit or two and then you will take some photojournalistic shots of these children to feature on our future covers! If you are interested don’t email me, call me today! I know it isn’t common for a magazine publisher to list their personal cell phone number, but this is a huge mission for me and if you want to help I want to talk to you TODAY!! Call me, 850-960-4543! If you are not a professional photographer and want to help, please send a link to our magazine to five of your friends today and ask them to sign up for a free subscription and ask them to share with five of their friends. I can’t do this alone, but together, we CAN help these children! Love, hugs and thank you!!
Amy
melamypublishing@aol.com 5
Editor’s Letter Dear Friends, It has been said “There really is no place like home”. As we get ready for those days of packing lunches again, buying new school supplies and cheering on the football team our homes surge with a new energy and promise of a great year ahead. My pastor posed the question recently to the congregation - Where will you be in one year in your walk with Christ? My prayer is that I will be one step closer to finding more foster children their true “home” through Southern Child magazine. A home can make such a difference in a child’s life. Not the actual structure but the love of their forever family. This issue, like every issue, furthers our mission to move more children closer to a real family and home. We continue to thank you so much for your support in making it happen! We are excited to celebrate the true spirit of the southern child with our fall issue. We will be getting ya’ll ready for the back to school days, football games, and of course a little something for mom too. We love hearing from you. Please write us anytime. Hugs and Southern Love,
Melissa
editor@southernchildmagazine.com
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Children in Waiting
Tanisha, LaDerrick & Quindericka Photographed by Cookwire Photography Tanisha, born January 1997, is the oldest of the sibling group and is a responsible young lady. She is very helpful in the home, and completes her chores without complaint. She loves playing basketball and likes to cheer. She plans of trying out for the squad. She attends church and enjoys church activities with her foster family. Quindericka, born August 1999, loves to go shopping and play dress up. She is very fashion forwards and matches from her head to her toe, which she mentions is an everyday thing for her. She enjoys traveling as well as attending church and playing with her friends. LaDerrick, born 1998 is a very sweet boy who loves his sisters and is very protective of them. He loves playing sports, especially football and he loves to swim. Contact HeartGalleryAlabama.com to inquiry about these siblings.
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Children in Waiting
Looking for someone to chat with about sports? Gilbert may be the boy of your dreams. Playing basketball is his favorite activity. Learning football is next on this young athlete’s to-do list. This friendly boy loves playing outside! In the fifth grade, Gilbert enjoys reading and interacting with his peers. Friendly and talkative are two personality traits this fellow has. Gilbert is currently benefitting from counseling, which may need to continue after placement. Gilbert has family members he would like to stay in contact with after placement. His caseworker prefers a twoparent family for him; however, all family types will be considered. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. For New Mexico children, both homestudied and nonhomestudied New Mexico families are encouraged to inquire; only homestudied families from other states should do so. Child ID 9474. To learn more about Gilbert or other waiting children like him, please contact The Adoption Exchange at 800-451-5246 or visit www.adoptex.org.
Brian’s biggest wish is to find a forever family who will love him unconditionally. This bright teen is considerate and loves being active. His perfect day would include outdoor sports like fishing and riding his bike. In seventh grade, Brian benefits from an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). He participates in counseling, which may need to continue after placement. The caseworker prefers a two-parent home where Brian can be an only child; however, all family types will be considered. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. To learn more about Brian or other waiting children like him, please contact The Adoption Exchange at 800-451-5246 or visit www.adoptex.org.
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Introducing Davon, Donsha, and Donesha, a terrific teen trio desiring to grow up together in the same home! Older brother Davon, age 18, is a polite young man. This athletic teen plays basketball and football and enjoys spending time with his friends. When he's not on the court or with his pals, you might find him challenging the latest video games, playing with action figures, swimming or going to the boys and girls club. Davon is in twelfth grade and his favorite subject is science since it allows him to create and explore. He participates in speech therapy at school. It is expected that Davon may need some assistance as an adult.
Donsha, age 15, the middle child, is an outgoing young woman who loves to show off her
beautiful smile. She is full of life and energy and enjoys talking with almost anyone; she is often found laughing out loud at something! Donsha enjoys playing computer games involving dressing up, nails and hairstyles; she reads books about reptiles and is a fan of jumping rope, reading mystery books and playing with her sister. Donsha is shy at first until she feels comfortable, and then will begin to open up and share things. She's a very bright girl and has a funny personality. She is polite and respectful of her elders and peers, and follows directions well. Donsha is in ninth grade where she gets fine grades and maintains good relationships with adults and peers.
The youngest of this trio is Donesha, age 13, a talkative, outgoing and friendly preteen. She is always smiling and laughing. Fun-loving and polite, Donesha will be the one singing along with every song that comes on to the car radio, knowing every single word! Donesha's favorite radio station is the Disney channel. She also enjoys watching Disney shows on TV, especially when Hannah Montana is on. She prides herself on her collection of Hannah Montana shirts, shoes and watches. Donesha says that she is a girlie girl and her favorite color is pink. She is in the eighth grade and benefits from an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). She maintains good relationships with adults and peers. Their caseworker prefers a two-parent or single-father home; however, all family types will be considered. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. This is a LEGAL RISK ADOPTIVE PLACEMENT. In a legal risk placement, it is expected that the family will eventually adopt the children, even though the birth parents' rights have not been fully terminated at the time of placement. For Missouri children, both homestudied and nonhomestudied families from all states are encouraged to inquire. We only accept inquiries on the entire sibling group, who will be placed together.
Child ID 7233
1-800-451-5246 ~ www.adoptex.org
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MOM TIME 9 11
MY ADOPTION STORY
Our Story of You by Samantha Dalton
It is often said that angels are all around us. One of KVC’s foster and adoptive families was recently honored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute as one of its Angels in Adoption. Although their wings are not visible, Kathy and Lon Ostrom are truly guardian angels to many of KVC’s foster children. They have fostered more than 20 children since 2006, providing a safe home for KVC kids, including trauma and abuse victims and children with high medical needs. In 2007, 3-year-old Eli and his sister, 20-month-old Annie, came to KVC after the death of their biological mother. During this difficult time, the Ostroms fostered Eli and Annie and provided the love and support necessary for them to heal emotionally. Then in October 2007, the Ostroms began fostering 3-month-old Skylar, who needed care to heal physically after he was severely abused. When they took him in he had bruises and broken bones, and they wondered if he would ever recover. 12
Hope came after a few weeks of nurturing and caring for Skylar. “I remember holding him one afternoon while giving him his bottle,” Kathy said, “when he looked at me and sighed as if to say, Finally, I’m safe; I’m home.” Skylar really was home. Kathy, Lon and their two biological sons, 19-year-old Brandan and 17-yearold Brooks, became Eli, Annie and Skylar’s Forever Family in 2010. The Ostroms continue to foster KVC kids, even though they will soon have six children of their own. They have been fostering 12-year-old Jay’La since January 2010, and they can’t wait to adopt her as the newest member of their family. KVC Health Systems, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation providing medical and behavioral healthcare, social services and education to children and families. Each day KVC touches the lives of more than 25,000 children and families.
MY ADOPTION STORY
Our Treasure
Our journey began a year after we were married. We wanted to start a family, but were not prepared for what would lie ahead.
We both worked secular jobs but we helped our youth pastors and then later stepped into that position when they resigned. We became youth pastors with much joy and expectation. We developed close relationships with the teenagers, but still had a longing to have our own children. We prayed, we cried, we pleaded with God for children, but all we got was “WAIT”! I became concerned after a few years that something may be wrong, but was too afraid that if I did see a doctor about my problems, that I would receive a disappointing diagnosis. By the time I got the nerve to see a doctor, about 14
by Madonna Medley
five years had already passed since we had began our journey. My family doctor diagnosed me with the worst case of hypothyroidism, Hashimoto Thyroiditis. I had been so “busy” in my life that I didn’t realize my fatigue and weight gain wasn’t just from hanging out with teenagers all the time. It was approximately a year or two later that we decided to see an endocrinologist about my disease and infertility issue. At my first appointment, I received more disturbing news when the doctor informed me that I also had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. So with the new diagnosis and having thyroid disease, it would be almost impossible to conceive children. They told us that we could try fertility treatment or procedures if we decided that would be right for us. We decided to try the basic fertility treatment for lack of income for the more expensive procedures. After
MY ADOPTION STORY several months of fertility “scheduling”, traveling to and from Birmingham and Montgomery on a weekly and monthly basis and many negative pregnancy tests, we decided to stop the treatments for a while. With everything that fertility treatments involved, I was physically, mentally, emotionally, financially and spiritually drained. We made the decision to wait upon the Lord! Our thought was that we had waited for seven years, at that point, so what was a couple more?! Our best friends adopted their oldest daughter from India at the same time we were doing fertility treatments. When our God-daughter arrived, she was the inspiration we needed to pursue our dream of children. We began to discuss, research and pray about adoption. We first thought about China, but we were both too young to adopt from that country. Then we decided to adopt from our home state by going through DHR. It was then that we heard of Agape! After contacting Agape, we had our first meeting with them on July 3, 2008. The original plan was to adopt from the Philippines since they had just began a new program with a Tennessee agency. Unfortunately, that fell through due to state laws and we were back where we had started. Little did we know that this change was all part of God’s great plan. Although Agape had twelve families on their waiting list, they chose to add us since we had already begun our paperwork. We went through every piece of red tape and jumped through every hoop fairly quickly because we were told the entire process would take approximately one to two years. To be quite honest, we were tired of “waiting”! We had already waited almost 10 years, at this point, to begin a family. Our lives continued as usual and by this time, Trey and I had just begun new jobs at our new church. He was full time youth pastor and I was full time music minister. We were enjoying the newest adventure on our journey, nervously, seeing how we had just taken the biggest leap of faith on our journey. We had left our home church and both quit our secular jobs to be in full time ministry positions. Our lives took a huge, exciting turn when we received a phone call from our social worker on November 4, 2008, only four months after our first meeting. We were told to be in her office the next day at 11 am. When we arrived the next morning, our lives were forever changed when we saw the picture of our son
for the first time. We were more surprised when we were told that we would be meeting him and taking him home at 10 am THE NEXT DAY! We were in complete shock and still, almost three years later, I haven’t cried over that moment. Why? I’m still in shock! Every emotion possible flooded my heart at one moment that day. Every dream, every tear and every prayer would all be fulfilled in less than 24 hours. As you can imagine, the next 23 hours were filled with bank visits, furniture store visits, baby items shopping and calling every person we had stored in our phones. Our best friends and family packed our diaper bags and put together baby furniture until late that night. And I don’t believe either of us slept that night! So, on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 we made a trip to Montgomery, Al and held our treasure for the very first time. That moment was indescribable! We arrived to do paperwork before we got to see him. The walk through this huge church felt even longer as were about to meet this tiny miracle that we would call our son, Isaiah Blaze Medley! He was beautiful and perfect! He changed our lives forever in every way! I call him our “treasure” because he’s a priceless, valuable gem that was created by God just for us. He was kept safe by a birth mother who could have made different choices, but chose to give birth to him and place him in our care. Out of respect for him and his birth mother, I will end his story here, but I will say this: because we waited on God, were obedient to HIS will and received Blaze without condition, we now have a new addition, Tresan Josiah, who was never suppose to be born. Blaze is life to us! Not just by being our son, our treasure, but also by making a way for his brother’s miracle birth! They are both miracle testimonies of God’s amazing love!
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MOMMY MAGIC
Unplugged by Mary Susan Buhner, Life Coach for Moms | www.mommy-magic.com
I recently returned home from my oldest daughter’s class trip to Williamsburg. As I was packing for our trip, I realized that I had never been away with my oldest daughter by herself for five days. I was excited for that opportunity to enjoy her, her friends and get to know the other moms (and dads on the trip). It was a 14 hour bus ride there and back to Virginia. We all met at the school parking lot at 5:30 AM ready to pull out on the open road. The kids were excited, the parents exhausted already, but nonetheless, we were on our way. After the excitement simmered down on the bus, I realized that I felt weird. I was doing nothing. Just sitting there on a bus staring out the window. Nothing to do, but sit. As a mom, you know how rare it is to sit in silence and do nothing. I felt weird doing it. There was an unspoken courtesy that the adults did not talk on their cell phones (after all, we could hear everything someone was saying) and we had all literally “unplugged” for the road trip. I was surprised how fast time passed doing nothing. I also started to admit to myself that I liked it. For the first several hours I had an internal struggle with myself. I should be reading, I should be working, I should be doing something, but the subtle hum of the bus seem to keep me in a relaxed catatonic state. It was peaceful, it was quiet, it was wonderful. Ahhhh, the art of doing nothing. I think I was starting to like it. By mid morning, parents started to chat and kids started to wiggle. We played games, talked, and I had the time to really be interested in those around me. I discovered I was not only more relaxed, by more curious about others. For several years I had passed these moms in the school hallways saying, “Hi” or “Nice to see you.” Now I was getting to actually know them, their families, their lives. 16
By the afternoon, I felt liberated to be “unplugged” and truly enjoying the opportunity to connect with others. Granted, being away from home and sitting on a bus, gave me the chance to actually do nothing, but it also made me realize how important it is to embrace it in my daily life as well. As I am writing my column, I am back to reality. My dogs are barking at the mailman pulling up, my youngest wants a popsicle and my older two are bickering over a hairbrush. As I sit here in the midst of the chaos, I recall the feeling of sitting on that bus looking out the window just doing nothing. As a mom, there are always 100 things to do and the list never gets in shorter. There will always be laundry to do, errands to run, rooms to clean up, dinner to make. It is an important job we do to keep our families moving forward and on track. It can however, run you down. Consider taking some time each week to “unplug” and make a deliberate attempt to connect with your neighbors, friends, family. Sit and chat, have an ice cold lemonade and actually taste it when you drink it. Enjoy a few moments of doing nothing. It is a foreign art for most moms, but I do believe an important one for us to sustain ourselves in today’s busy world. Mary Susan Buhner is the author of “Mommy Magic: Tricks for Staying Sane in the Midst of Insanity”.
SUFFICIENT GRACE
Unconditional Love by Stephanie Warren
Loving your child seems like an easy thing to do. It is something that comes to me as natural as breathing, at least in terms of “conditional love.” However, to love your child unconditionally is something completely different. Unconditional love is a love that bears all, hopes all and believes all. It is a love that cannot be shaken when tested and a love that meets and accepts a person for who they are and where they are at in life. It is a love that encourages. As a parent, I wish that I could say unconditional love comes naturally, but it does not. Unconditional love is something that requires us to live selflessly, and wholeheartedly seeking out ways to pour out love to another person.
I will quickly address the negative behavior but will also be quick to move on once it has been addressed. I desire to eliminate my preconceived notions and begin to fully grasp the power of a mother’s unconditional love. I encourage all who read this to do the same and to focus on your child’s strengths rather than weaknesses and to meet your children right where they are at and encourage them simply by loving them, unconditionally.
Before having children you may have thoughts about what your child will become. Perhaps your child will become football player, an accomplished pianist, a Miss America pageant winner, a doctor or perhaps a lawyer. What happens though, when your child lacks the interest or the physical attributes to become what you dreamed they may become? What happens when you realize your child is created and “wired” to do something else? I have participated in a few online groups, hoping to gain support. What I have observed instead, are forums where parents talk negatively about their children and how they are trying to change or train their children to become “normal.” I then realized this type of thinking is not limited to parents of children with special or higher needs. This type of thinking has infiltrated our society. For this reason, I have challenged myself to speak only life words when talking about or to my children. I challenge myself to love my children where they are at and not where I want them to be and to encourage and affirm positive behavior when they display it.
Stephanie lives in Washington State with her husband and two small boys. She is also the owner of Munchkin N’ Ruu, an online baby boutique.
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MOMENT BY MOMENT
Oh My... GOD, What Do I Do? by Monika Hawkins | MonicaHawkins.com Her body lay lifeless in the right hand lane just over the top of the hill. Cars tagged from Georgia, Indiana and Alabama all swerved to miss her. Dazed and wondering what we had stumbled upon our hearts began to cry out “Lord, what do you want us to do?” Pulling over and jumping from our means of transportation we all began to scramble. Some ran to the body, some stopped traffic, Matt ran to the closest road marker and called 911. I began to spout out firm, but loving instructions for my children to remain in the car no matter what. What now? Do I run, do I fall to my knees, do I approach this life wondering if breath and heart beat still exist? What could I possibly do? Pray! That is all I knew to do. I began to quickly walk down the median praying aloud, asking the Lord to spare lives, bring peace, offer wisdom and give comfort and then my gaze was fixed. I saw her on the side of the road, shaking, crying, scared and in shock. I knew where my heart was. I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her. All I could do was hold her and pray. She was traveling from home to a neighboring town to visit some friends. A road she had traveled many times before. It was familiar, it was comfortable and it would soon change her life forever. As she topped the hill there in her lane was a figure, a person, standing in the middle of the road. She jerked the wheel as hard as she could. That sudden reflex was all she could do and yet not enough. Though the instinctive reflex is possibly what saved this person’s life, it forever changed the lives of all those present. Mirror gone, car dented and neither seemed important as hearts and lives were dented deeper than surface alone. As I held this new friend and prayed aloud I trusted that God would provide the words because nothing I could say or do would bring comfort. As I prayed I felt the trembling lessen and I began to hear other voices.
Oblivious to sirens and screeching tires all I heard was a chorus of prayer being offered up. As I opened my eyes I realized there were others gathered around, hands out-stretched or touching and praying, pleading, asking God to intervene. Those medically trained came and attended to the lady who was suffering in the road. She was stable, she would be fine, she was quickly transported away from the scene. Questions remained...who was she? Where had she come from? Where was she going? Rumors surfaced as each police officer had his own thought and theory. She might be the lady who was missing from the nursing home? Did she have dementia? Was she mentally disturbed? Was she on drugs? Was alcohol involved? Was it an intentional act to try and leave this world? What did they mean by (questionable) items in her purse? So many unanswered questions and so much pain that accompanied them all. And then there was the driver, who had my heart and attention from the start. She was scared, she was shaken, she was worried. Her life had just been forever changed and there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. Through the sobs I heard her heart, “If she’s ok, then I will be ok.” “If I know she can breathe, then I can breathe again.” There was no way I could walk away and leave her in the care of 5 officers exchanging theories and stories. She needed assurance. She needed comfort. She needed a friend. When spotting an accident I have always thought “What could I possibly do?” as I continued to drive thinking I had nothing to offer. But on this day I understood. I knew what I could do. There was only one thing I could do. Stop and pray. It reminded me of a parable. On the road from Jerusalem to Jericho there laid a man who was passed by. Were they just too busy, too important? Could they not be bothered? Some walked on the
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Oh My... GOD, What Do I Do? far side as far away as they could, why? “If I don’t see it, then it doesn’t exist.” So many passed us by on 231 that day. Shaking their heads in disbelief, maybe some in sorrow, but never stopping to help, never caring enough to be bothered. Something else was more important. I have been that person. But, on this day I knew I had to stop. No, I’m not the Good Samaritan, but how often do we pass by those in need wondering “what could I possibly do?” I’m not qualified. I have nothing to offer. Someone else could do more than I could. How many people had to pass before the Good Samaritan stopped? Imagine if on that day, he just couldn’t be bothered. Would the man have lived? Jesus instructs us to “go and do likewise.” Go and have mercy on others. Help! Minister! When we realize that it is not about us, but about HIM it will change our possibilities. I have nothing to offer, but Christ in me does. Praying and interceding on the behalf of others is the greatest gift you can give. The 2 ladies that I asked the Lord to shower His peace, His mercy and His comfort over are both alive and well. There are still unanswered questions. There are still fears that must be conquered and healing that must take place, but only through the power of prayer. Maybe it is not the next car accident or a tragic scene, but we are to be His hands of mercy. Where can we serve? Where can we give? Who can we love because he first loved us and them? I was asked to step out of my comfort zone. I wish I had run full force and though my body moved, my heart was reserved until I saw her face. Nothing I did or could have done changed the day or the event, but hopefully ...it is my prayer, that these women felt the love of God through the touch of a stranger.
Monica Hawkins is available for inspirational speaking engagements
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Playdate Success! by Kerrie McLoughlin | kerriemcloughlin.blogspot.com
A playdate can teach important skills like sharing, taking turns and navigating arguments … or it can quickly turn into an episode of “The Bad Girls Club.” So how do you go about finding decent playdate pals for your little one? “In larger cities, you can often look in the newspaper and find play groups, but in smaller towns it may take a bit of work” says Alyssa Ast of TheWMParentingConnection. com. “You can … search local social networking sites for people in your area. Cafemom.com is a good place to start.” You can also check out this magazine or our website for like-minded groups. Because kids can only handle so much stimulation and seem to be able to get along for a limited amount of time, choose a start and end time. Tresa Cope, a mom of two preschoolers, suggests, “Just like you might only have coffee on a first date, keep a first-time playdate short … no longer than 2 hours.” Most school-age kids can probably handle an all-day playdate after a trial.
Your child should take any extra special toys and put them up unless they are willing to share. You’d be amazed at how many arguments this cuts out. If things go south at your house, switch gears. Julie Dorset, a mom of one, says, “If the kids aren’t getting along – for whatever reason – I pull out art supplies and have them sit at the dining room table to do something quiet.” If the kids are routinely not getting along, you might want to make yourself unavailable for a few weeks. When playtime is over, have your child help pick up (and don’t be shy about having the other kid pick up at your house). Learning to clean up after himself is going to come in very handy when you start teaching your child about the fine art of … chores. Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com), mom of 5, loves a playdate as long as coffee is involved.
Take turns hosting playdates, and don’t forget another option to change things up: meeting at a neutral location like a park, the pool or an indoor play area at a fast food restaurant, community center or church. Don’t be afraid to talk to parents in advance if your child has any issues or if you have concerns (e.g., Are there guns in the house? Do they have an extra booster seat if they plan to go somewhere?). Eva Gavin, a mom of four boys, shares, “My boys have a friend who goes into fullon freak-out mode when any dog (even a Chihuahua!) comes near him, so his mom reminds me ahead of time to please put up our dogs.” Serve or bring snacks and drinks, but first check for kid food allergies or no-sugar moms. Snacks like cheese crackers, pretzels, cut-up fruit or string cheese are usually a hit. Lay down the law. Kids need to know the rules (e.g., no hitting, no throwing the hamster, no cussing, no Internet usage, etc.) at either house as soon as they are dropped off.
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AMAZING SOUTHERN MOM
Holding An Angel
by Michelle Byers Densmore | www.SouthernSomedays.com Motherhood ~ the word evokes many thoughts, some joyful and sometimes tearful. Either way you cut it, Motherhood is hard, but on occasion you catch a glimpse of a sweet soul that embodies everything you want to be and everything that word means in one package. That is the case with this month’s Amazing Southern Mom, Ashley Bray. Ashley is wife to Shane Bray and together they have shared the ups and downs of parenting far more rocky than most. Ashley and Shane have 3 sons. Hunter and Mason live with them, but the youngest, Aiden earned his angel wings on December 8th, 2009 at only 31 days old. Ashley’s story of motherhood is one of hope, inspiration and a deep abiding faith. After having two healthy and happy boys, Ashley was expecting baby number three and in June of 2009 she and Shane were scheduled for an ultrasound to determine the gender of this new little one. Unfortunately, there were indicators in the ultrasound that led to another ultrasound and many tests. Ashley found out she was expecting another precious little boy, only to discover that this precious little life was also had Trisomy 18. Trisomy 18 is a chromosomal defect that occurs in about 1 out of 3000 births. Although both Trisomy 18 and Downs Syndrome are both chromosomal defects, Trisomy has many more potentially life threatening medical complications. Many babies with Trisomy 18 are still born and less than 10% of those born reach their 1st birthday due to severe medical issues. It is not caused by anything a parent does or does not do; it is a rare chromosomal anomaly. Of course, Ashley and her family were devastated by this news and as they learned about this condition. Through this incredibly difficult time Ashley stated grounded in her faith and leaned on friends and family to stay grounded. She focused on being a wife to Shane and mother to her older boys. Her faith remained strong and she continually prayed for her little Aiden and encouraged other to do so as well. On November 6, 2009 Aiden Matthew Bray was born via Caesarian Section. He was taken to NICU but miraculously
Ashley and Shane were able to bring little Aiden home and he was able to meet his brothers and spend time at home. While at home he received a continual stream of love from friends and family and on December 8th, 2009 he went to be with the Lord. Although his time was short on the earth Aiden touched everyone who knew him. A friend of Ashley’s, Carey Tomlinson, shared, “Aiden was a miracle baby. We held him in our hands and knew we were holding an angel.” She continued on to share what an impact that little Aiden and Ashley had on the greater community, “We even had a community prayer service for them. It was an incredible sight to see many members from our community, from all different denominations gather around Ashley & Shane to pray for their sweet boy! Baby Aiden brought all kinds of people together and healed lots of relationships. We had a close group of friends that walked with the Brays through the entire experience and now those memories bind us together in a way that could never be broken. On November 6, 2009 Aiden was delivered by c-section and went straight to the NICU. He lived 31 miraculous days. Ashley & Shane were even able to bring him home to the room that Ashley had worked so hard to make perfect for him. She was always hopeful that he would get to sleep in his bed and wear the cute little preemie clothes she bought him! He did wear those clothes. However, I think someone held him almost every minute that he was home. We took shifts sitting in the rocker in his room & singing lullabies to him! It was a sobering and yet awe inspiring time. Ashley’s amazing spirit has remained strong and has touched so many lives. When you hear people speak of Ashley the continual theme is one of hope, positive spirit and a deep abiding joy. When asked about Ashley, Jessica Maher said, “She is an incredible woman…Through all of this Ashley remains so upbeat, positive and such a light to her family and friends.” Ashley Bray is not just an Amazing Southern Mom but also a beautiful woman inside and out! More about Ashley at: http://shanebrayfamily.blogspot.com.
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www.joovy.com
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Do you believe in Second Chances? Meet Ruth. Found in a trashcan protecting her two puppies, Ruth is just one of the thousands of abused, homeless or neglected animals that have found a second chance at life at Alaqua Animal Refuge. Located down a winding road, lined by mosscovered trees, Alaqua Animal Refuge is nestled on the banks of a tranquil Northwest Florida bayou. This peaceful location in Freeport is actually just minutes from the nationally known beach haven of Destin, but it is figuratively far removed from the concept of a traditional shelter. It is a true refuge. Founded in 2007 due to the lack of a no-kill shelter/adoption organization in the area, Alaqua Animal Refuge has helped find homes
for more than 7,000 animals - from dogs to cats to rabbits to horses, to pigs, and even a monitor lizard and a sugar glider. Up to 100 animals are adopted each month from this unique refuge, which serves as a shelter for more than 250 animals at any given time. To continue to save the lives of animals like Ruth, Alaqua Animal Refuge needs your help. Please join us in our mission by adopting a rescued pet or making a tax-deductible donation, today. If you believe in second chances, visit our refuge or go to AARFlorida.com to learn how you can support Alaqua Animal Refuge or to find out about the hundreds of animals that are looking for a forever home.
914 Whit)ield Road | Freeport, Fla. 32439 | (850) 880-‐6399 | AARFlorida.com Photo by www.JoyJill.com.
DIXIE LAND DESIGN
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DIXIE LAND DESIGN
You Put the Lime in the Coconut A fresh, modern twist on a classic southern nursery using a lime and navy mix of preppy, southern style. by Shelli Knoch | a la mode Did you know whether you were having a girl when you started decorating Kendall’s nursery room? This is actually the second version
of Kendall’s nursery, a more grown up version. A pre-big girl room if you will. Her original nursery was the existing lime green mixed with blush and pops of hot pink. It was very sweet, but seemed a little baby to me, so I wanted her to have a room that worked for her as a toddler. It’s so amazing and bursting with detail, what inspired you for its design? I found a pair of awesome Kelly green lamps at Tuesday Morning. I love the shape and the texture of the straw shade. I knew I could use one on the changing table and add the second lamp in her room down the road. I love how the Kelly green mixes in beautifully with the lime green. I think it gives the color palette some dimension and depth. The color combination of the navy with the lime and the browns is so pretty, how did you pick those colors? It is a favorite color combination of mine. Classic, preppy and fresh. The dark baskets were
added to create a pop against the white furnishings. A hot trend is decorating baby’s nursery in similar style of your baby shower. What was your baby shower like? Did it have those colors as well? My baby showers were more like cocktail parties. They
were for my husband AND myself with great food, drinks (for them!) and baby gifts. No themes or games for us, we like to keep it simple, classic and chic.
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DIXIE LAND DESIGN
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DIXIE LAND DESIGN It looks so professional! Did a decorator help you or did you do this all yourself? I guess I have
always been my own decorator and designer, I would never dream of it being done by anyone but myself. I love the process too much! If you don’t mind us asking, what was your budget for your nursery? I didn’t have a budget, but I
naturally am cost conscious, I like to mix high and low price points. What was your nursery decorating timeline? Did you start when you found out gender or finish before you gave birth? What items did you get first? Last? The crib and changing table were bought
first as I knew I wanted white furnishings for a clean crisp look. The glider, bumper and lime linen for the curtain panels came next. The lime green mixed with white was born, all before we knew the gender…the rest of the details fell into place after that 20 week appointment and gender reveal. If you can remember, where did you purchase some of the furniture and decor? The crib and changing table are from Georgia Baby and New Baby Products in Atlanta. The book tower is from Ikea. The glider, lime green fabrics and crib bumper are from Serena and Lily. The animal rug is from Garnet Hill and the navy bedding and pillows are from Hush Baby and Co on Etsy. Other details in the room are from HomeGoods and Tuesday Morning. All sources are also listed at the bottom of my nursery post on my home tour (on the blog). The wall color is beautiful. What paint color did you use? This wall color is china doll from Sherwin
Williams, it is one of my favorites. Walk us through some of the details of the room. Here is a nursery post that gives you the details of the
room. Tell us about that rug! It’s incredible! I saw the rug on Garnet Hill’s website and almost ordered it in hot
pink piped in the lime green. I thought it felt too expected and I wanted a departure from the pink. I thought, who says a navy and lime green can’t be girly? It’s a classic color combination and one of my favorites. The floral pattern on the navy crib sheet adds some femininity back into the space. I love Lily Pulitzer, so classic and fresh. They have recently launched a line of furniture. While googling to find a source for their new line, I ran across this fun animal rug - Lily Pulitzer for Garnet Hill. No question, I bought it right then and there. Love the framed baby clothes on the wall. Whose are they? The baby bubbles are my husbands from
when he was a tiny baby. His mother preserved them and they are in pristine condition. I love adding some history to a room to ground the space. Your walls should have a story to tell. Though there is not enough room to display, we even have his original pram stroller in mint condition. Incredible. How many DIY elements were involved in this nursery? Tell us about your DIY projects. My husband
would say I am more DIFM (do it for me) than DIY, ha ha. Although the design and vision are my own, I hired a seamstress and upholstery company to create my vision. They did a fabulous job. Storage is always an issue with nursery space. How did you solve this? Well, this particular room has
an abundance of closet space, but in our bungalow in Atlanta (Kendall’s first nursery), was short on space. This storage tower helps with essentials and a changing table with drawers was a must. We actually have another book tower identical to the one in the space, but there was no room and no need for it in our new Nashville home. What’s your overall favorite detail of the nursery? Other than the sweet toddler that lives there, I would
say the rug. 35
DIXIE LAND DESIGN What was your biggest indulgence? The Serena and Lily glider and linens are an indulgence for they are certainly not inexpensive. I waited for the sale when I was pregnant, and struck while the iron was hot. Her bedding was bought on clearance and her glider was a gift from her Mimi and Pop pop. What was the biggest challenge of creating your nursery? Deciding which design to run with, I could create a million nurseries in my head. I am fickle and love many different design styles and color palettes. To what extent did you factor in how much you would need to change in order to transition this room from nursery to Kendall’s big girl room? Considering this is a transition already from her baby
nursery, some of that thought process has already taken place. At this point, when the crib goes, I have a white toddler bed bought used from a friend and also an AMAZING lime green and white polka dot tufted headboard for a twin bed. She’s set! What do your friends think of Kendall’s nursery? I think they really like the clean lines and the bright
colors. It is a calm space but has a fun energy to it as well, I think they would say it is a good balance. What’s your advice to other parents out there attempting to decorate their own nurseries? Forget all stereotypes. For example, blue is not just for boys. You don’t necessarily have to have a ‘traditional’ changing table. It is a misnomer that all baby décor needs to come from a baby boutique. You can use traditional ‘non’ baby fabrics and still make them look amazing in a nursery. Same goes for wall color. You may not need to paint your nursery! One of my favorite nursery looks is one that matches the décor of the rest of the home. Small details for visual interest and stimulation for baby can occur within a beautiful ‘non baby’ décor. Take a departure from the traditional nursery décor. The end result is worth the journey and the effort!
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Operation Love Reunited by Michelle Byers Densmore | www.oplove.org
In the 10 years since the 9-11 attacks on America, many of us have seen our sense of patriotism grow. We have found a renewed desire to herald the Red, White and Blue! It isn’t that we weren’t patriotic before 9-11, but that day brought it to the surface and reminded us of how blessed we are to have such brave servicemen and women defending our freedoms. It is in that spirit that over 1000 photographers around the country have found a way show their patriotism by becoming involved with a special project called Operation Love Reunited. Operation Love Reunited (http://www.oplove.org/ ) was founded by Tonee Lawrence, a military wife who she realized, after her husband returned from deployment, that she had no photographs to commemorate the happy event. From that grew Operation Love Reunited, which is a non-profit, volunteer organization that offers professional photography sessions to military families and members who are getting ready to deploy, who are currently deployed, or those who are coming home. Each photographer provides 2 photography sessions per year. Families may choose Pre-Deployment (with the service member), Saying Goodbye (documentary style at the farewell location), Already Deployed (service member has already deployed), and Homecoming (documentary style at the homecoming location.) Along with the waived session fees, Operation Love Reunited photographers also provide complimentary prints or digital images on disks. Michelle Byers Densmore is a freelance writer/book reviewer and blogger at www.SouthernSomedays.com. She lives in Florence, South Carolina with her husband and 3 children.
Natasha Chalker Photography
www.natashachalker.com
Natasha Chalker, a photographer from Enterprise Alabama, has been involved with Operation Love Reunited for about 5 years and has worked with 18 military families to capture their life memories. She says about her work with OLR, “What better way to honor our troops than to provide something they can see and feel and a moment they can treasure through family photographs. Both of my grandfathers, my dad, my sister, my father in law, my best friend’s husband, and countless other friends and family members have bravely served, and are still serving, in our Armed Forces. Naturally I want to give back to these families who sacrifice so much with their service to our country. Working with Operation Love Reunited has blessed me in countless ways. I get to meet fantastic families who are always so appreciative of OpLove. These families are made up of moms, dads, and the best kids ever! I’m a children’s portrait photographer so being able to work with kids is a highlight for me. OpLove also blesses me by providing me an opportunity to give back to our military community, which I was once a part of. Knowing I am able to make a deployment a little easier for a family is incredibly rewarding. Lastly, working with Operation Love Reunited provides an outlet for me to use the gift of art and photography that God has so richly blessed me with and in return, sharing that gift with others. Of all the photography sessions I complete, Operation Love Reunited is by far the one that blesses me the most, every time.” For more information on Operation Love Reunited, become involved or to find a photographer in your area at www.oplove.org.
All Images by Natasha Chalker Photography
Hey Parents and Teachers!
Want a free way to help the environ ment, while earning money for charity and teaching your kids about recycling?
TerraCycle is looking for schools, individuals and community groups across the United States to help us collect drink pouches, cookie wrappers and other non-recyclable packaging and products!
We'll award two points to the school, community group, or non-profit of your choice for every piece of packaging you collect.
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For every piece of packaging you colle ct. We make affordable, eco-friendly products from your waste!
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Capri Sun and the Capri Sun pouch are a trademark of the Deutsche Si-Si-Werke GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG Trademarks of Frito-Lay North America, Inc used under license. (c) 2011. TerraCycle速, the TerraCycle Logo速 and Brigade速 are all property of TerraCycle, Inc. used under license. 息2011. www.terracycle.com
Oh Fiddlesticks! Original Bow Tie and ‘Stache tee. A fabric bow tie on the front of the tee with a secret mustache on the sleeve, the perfect tee for those who want a fashionable disguise on the go! This tee can be customized by the customer with color choice for the long sleeve t shirt, bow tie and mustache with a variety of different fabrics.
SOUTHERN STYLE
SOUTHERN STYLE
Oh Fiddlesticks! By Melissa Abdine | www.oh-fiddlesticks.com
Cow+Girl our most popular compound word shirt! Jen’s original drawings of cow+girl screen printed on designer fabric then stitched on to an organic tshirt with a decorative stitch. The answer is on the back in an adorable ‘western’ font!
1 first grade teacher + 1 self taught artist = Oh fiddlesticks! I was a first grade teacher with a background in clothing in textiles. I had dreamed about having my own business since I was 18. I started brainstorming about Oh Fiddlesticks! one school year, the year I was having difficulty conceiving. I used my creativity to help me through my sadness...I came up with the concept of Oh Fiddlesticks! after I taught a lesson on compound words. The idea was born and this became my ‘baby’, my little idea that I prayed would become reality someday along with a real babybiologically or adopted. A year later I became pregnant, and decided to stay at home to raise my daughter. While at home, my idea became a reality when I asked one of my dear friends, Jen, to partner with me and become the artist behind my vision...we were very slow to start but it was just what we needed as we were both caring for small children. Our first big project was to create two different tees for our friends who were introducing their children’s book company at a Pre Golden Globe gifting suite. We provided them with our Rock+Star and Book+Worm tees as ‘swag’ for this event. This got us going creatively to take our idea and run with it. About a year later we had our tees in a few local boutiques {in Austin} and Sandra Bullock purchased our cow+boy tee. This was the press we needed to take our little handmade business to the next level! We created an Etsy store, a Facebook fan page, a blog, and began networking and making connections in the industry that have helped us grow our business in the past year.
Lime+Light Tee...Jen’s original drawings of lime+light screen printed on designer fabric then stitched on to a tshirt with a decorative stitch. The answer to this compound word picture puzzle is on the back!
Our vintage silhouette tee... Jen hand cut the frame and silhouette art which was inspired by a vintage frame and a classic girls silhouette. The tee is offered with a turquoise, hot pink or light pink vintage frame with black silhouette and any color handmade rosette.
left: Belle Tank with a hand drawn Eiffel Tower, screen printed on black tank with eco-friendly, water based inks. right: Vintage rosette corsage tank can be customized with any colors, fabric button and a fabric name flag, too!
The Cash ‘Stache Pocket tee. The perfect play time tee for any lil’ guy to store his cash or any treasure! Cash+’Stache= groovy!
Proudly Introduces
ALEX MARSHALL STUDIOS
7 3 3 7 E A S T C H A S E P A R K W A Y | M O N T G O M E R Y, A L 3 6 1 1 7 | ( 3 3 4 ) 2 7 2 - 7 8 0 0
w w w. k l e i n a n d s o n j e w e l e r s . c o m
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JK Photography Morgan Tee, la de dah frame, sizes 6-12m-12, $32 Whitney Pant, Punk Paisley, sizes 3-10, $33-36
SOUTHERN STYLE
Sweet Funky Vintage Put on your Travelin’ Shoes www.sweetfunkyvintage.com
Kimberly V Photography
Molly bib tee, Morrocan Dot, sizes 6-12m-12, $32 Camille skirt, Liberty London Paisley, sizes 2-12, $32-36 Lane legging, pink, sizes 2-12, $21-25
Ali Wood Photography
Avery Reversible Tunic, ebony dot and garden tile, sizes 12-18m -6, $52 Britton Knit Pant, ebony clown stripe, sizes 2-10, $36-40
Victoria, chocolate paisley, sizes 6-12m - 10, $56-75
JK Photography
Monika McSweeney Photography
Pearl Kimono Top, Pinwheel Blooms, sizes 2-7, $46-50 Sadie Pant, Lilac Dot, sizes 6-12m-12, $32-40
Brianne Brose Photography
Morgan Monogram Tee, sizes 6-12m-12, $32 Lily 5-tier Peasant Skirt, sizes 3-12, $38-42
Pedia-Lax® Fiber Gummies are a great-tasting way to help promote regularity.* Three gummies a day provide fiber, which kids need to help with healthy digestion.* Fiber has never been so much fun.
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BECAUSE 90% OF KIDS AREN’T GETTING ENOUGH DAILY FIBER.
photography by Tammy Hayes
zutano.com
CRAFT
Crayon Box Invitation By Chica and Jo | www.chicaandjo.com
First you will want to download the crayon box invitation template here. When you have the template customized just the way you want it, print it onto white cardstock. You’re also going to need 8 crayons for the box (we suggest buying a 64 pack and splitting it up). You might want to dress them up with custom crayon labels or you can leave them as they are. First cut the box out along the black lines. Be sure to cut in on the notches at the top and bottom of the box, but only cut as far as the black lines go. After you cut the box out, fold it along all the thin white lines (a bone folder makes this easier). There’s only one place on this box that needs adhesive, and that’s the long flap attached to the back of the box. You can use any double-sided tape or adhesive you like, but for stuff like this, I like to use a strip of the double-sided tape we sell in our store. After sticking it in place, you just peel away the red liner to expose the adhesive on the other side. The easiest way to line up the flap to form the box is to start by folding the back of the box over so that it does NOT cover the flap, then fold the flap over top and press down. This should line it up perfectly. Now you can just fold in the bottom flap and your box is ready to fill with crayons. Isn’t this one of the cutest invitations you’ve ever seen? It’s perfect for an crayon-themed party for the kids or for any art-themed event.
The Preppy Ladybug
Back to School Stationery www.thepreppyladybug.blogspot.com
Anna and Blue Paperie
Back to School Stationery www.annaandblue.com
love + play + smile
C
lassical onversations
®
You taught him to talk and walk. You’ll teach him what’s right and what’s wrong, and many other things about life (like where the big fish lurk). Why not teach him how to learn?
We believe that each child is uniquely and wonderfully made, and the people who know and love a child best (the parents) are the ones most motivated to help that child succeed. We connect families with other families who homeschool using the classical model. They become communities who share the journey. We also connect families with experienced and
trained mentors—parents who have homeschooled their children—who offer leadership. Communities meet weekly to review, encourage, and take the next step together, from K4 all the way through high school. For more information, or to find a community near you, please visit our website.
ClassicalConversations.com
Kate Landers Events, LLC
Extraordinary Parties For Children
www.katelandersevents.blogspot.com
P IS FOR PARTY
Wizard of Oz
Party
by Kate Landers katelandersevents.blogspot.com
A Wizard of Oz themed birthday party is an enchanting theme sure to stir up the imaginations of the birthday girl and all of her guests! For this party, we focused on the character of Dorothy specifically, making it far less overwhelming than if we tried to recreate the entire book beginning to end!
1 Purchase light periwinkle blue gingham fabric from your local fabric shop.
This can be used for table linens, a dessert table backdrop, fabric party hats, table runner, mini fabric bunting and little aprons, of course! We love how the gingham is young, sweet, and really screams “Dorothy” throughout the many details of the party. 2 Ruby Red Slippers make the perfect party favor.
If your budget allows (typically a smaller guest list helps here), purchasing a sweet pair of magical sparkling ruby red slippers for the birthday girl and her guests will create a truly memorable experience. Request the child’s shoe size when you receive RSVPs to the party. Parents often appreciate a party favor that will be used again and again--and these shoes certainly will find their way to the dress up chest! In addition, September and October are the PERFECT time to buy them, as stores are stocking up their shelves with Halloween costumes. The slippers seen in this party were purchased at Target. 66
3 Use Mini Bales of Hay As Decorations.
Found at your local craft store, mini bales of hay (often displayed front and center starting in September) make the perfect decoration for your party. Whether you stack them to add height to your dessert table as we did, or use them for a centerpiece, they add loads of character for minimal cost. You can also purchase larger bales of hay to be used as seating at the party! 4 Let Your Favorite Elements from the Story Inspire Your Sweets!
You will see fondant “toto” cupcakes, Hostess Ding Dongs (as in “Ding, Dong, the Wicked Witch Is Dead!”), yellow brick road and hot air balloon cookies as wonderful examples. There are also red poppy cupcakes, ruby red cake pops, and of course a birthday cake. 5 Allow your child to help select activities for the party based on their favorite parts of the story.
Whether they are picking or bobbing for apples, pinning a badge of courage on a cowardly lion or tossing red fabric heart bean bags into tin cans, let the tales from the Wizard of Oz inspire you! Credits: Two Sugar Babies did the toto cupcake toppers. The DARLING printables were all created exclusively for the event by talented designer & party stylist Kim Stoegbauer of The TomKat Studio and are now available for sale in her shop. The dorothy silhouette was designed by the lovely Jessica of Pen N’ Paper Flowers.
All photos courtesy of Open Shade Studios
Some helpful hints to re-create the look of this charming party:
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All photos courtesy of Open Shade Studios
Gingham
katelandersevents.blogspot.com
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Rendi means “you make” in Italian... Rendi offers customizable frames and plaques and is Your source for CUSTOM gifts and home décor. You can make the perfect gift for someone or decorate your own home with Rendi’s diverse product choices! Rendi's products are made right here in the U.S.A. Every Rendi piece is also planet friendly and made with 100% post-consumer recycled wood and waterbased finishes. Become a Stylist and help us share the "gift of hand and heart"! Host a party and reap the hostess rewards! Buy a Rendi product and make it personal! With 7 different product lines to choose from and virtual gift cards available, gift giving is simplified. Prices start at $14.95*. Online parties are available. *Stylist cost. Retail prices are $19.95 - $39.95
Rendi was founded by Annie & Mark Danielson in their home in Trinidad, Colorado. With the belief that we should all Celebrate, Affirm, Remember and Encourage the ones we hold dear, the Danielson’s have created a company that is changing lives. Every creation helps moms and kids around the world. We’re also committed to the mission of drilling fresh water wells in Africa in partnership with charity: water. To date, we’ve drilled over twenty. Together, we’ll drill many more.
you make relationships you make a gift of hand & heart you make people happy Contact me today and learn more about Rendi
Kelly Keefe, Rendi Independent Stylist 850-541-3645 | kkeefe78@gmail.com http://BeautifullySaid.RendiStyle.com 71
Custom designed cards & invitations birthday
holiday
announcements stationery
name cards
wedding invitations business cards
334.462.5089 www.poppy-seed-design.com
FOOD
Tailgating, Southern Style by Jessica Maher | www.belleiciouskids.com
As the fall approaches there is perhaps nothing more quintessentially Southern than a delicious spread of food lining tables under tents with families and friends gathered around. Come September, every weekend, campuses across the region erupt with cheering fans and all-day tailgating parties. Food is what game day is all about and at the end of the day a true southern belle can relax as long as she knows the “game” (food) went as planned. Traditional, easy, and simple food is the key to a successful game day celebration. So without further ado, let me introduce to a wonderful and easy spread of delicious food with a few Belleicious twist here and there. 74
My husband and I visit our old Alma Mata LSU every fall eager to get our first taste of the football season. My favorite part of the tailgating experience is watching the little kids run up and down the paths, archways and Indian Mounds full of excitement for a team they are destined to love! Zesty and spicy flavors combined with our favorite meats and seafood’s is what gives the South its tailgating pride in cooking some of the most delicious and creative dishes. Here you will find a fun and exciting menu not only the kids will enjoy but food that will have your tailgating neighbors filled with envy! The more the merrier with this fantastic southern game day menu.
FOOD A unique twist on your traditional jambalaya with my jambalaya pockets, complete with or without the seafood. An amazing batch of the ultimate tailgating veggie dip that might keep your crowd of hungry fans quiet for just a few minutes and to top it all off Bananas Foster Cookie Bars! My own rendition of my favorite southern dessert- Bananas Foster. Jambalaya Pockets Ingredients: • 2 packages of pita bread • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded • 1 pound of andouille sausage, cooked and diced • 1 small onion, chopped • 1 green bell pepper, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 ribs of celery, chopped • 1 bay leaf • 1 tsp salt and pepper each • ½ tsp cayenne • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning • ½ tsp thyme • 1 cup chicken stock • 1 can of tomato paste • 1 can diced tomatoes Directions: In a heavy saucepan, sauté the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in oil until onions begin to turn transparent. Add the tomato paste let it brown a bit, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the stock, tomatoes and remaining seasonings. Stir in the shredded chicken,1/2 cup rice and cooked andouille sausage. Cook over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.
Ultimate Veggie Dip Ingredients: • 8 ounces of Monterrey pepper jack cheese • 1 cup pitted and finely diced Kalamata olives • 2 ounces of diced green chiles • 5-6 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped • 1 bunch of green onions, chopped • 1 can rotel, slightly drained • 1 tsp Italian dressing • ½ tsp fresh lime juice • Pinch of salt and pepper • ½ tsp fresh chives, finely chopped Directions: In a large bowl combine all ingredients including the hot sauce. Serve immediately or refrigerate until game time.
Brush the pita breads with olive oil and grill over an open fire or in a large sauté pan on high heat until the bread is nice and crispy. Spoon in the jambalaya filling and enjoy! If not serving immediately, place in alumni foil containers and cover. Reheat in oven at 250 for 10 minutes.
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FOOD Bananas Foster Cookie Bar (make ahead) Ingredients: Crumb Layer: • 1 stick of butter, softened • 1 cup brown sugar • 1 egg, slightly beaten • 1 tsp rum extract • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup flour • ¼ tsp baking soda • ½ tsp baking powder • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/4 tsp salt Banana Layer: • 3 very ripe bananas • 2 tsp vanilla • ½ tsp cinnamon • ¾ cup brown sugar • 4 TBSP butter Directions: In a large bowl mix together the butter and sugar and add the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour all but ¼ of the batter evenly into a greased 9 inch square pan, bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile let’s make the banana layer for the bars. Over low heat, melt butter, sugar and cinnamon stirring until almost dissolved. Add in the bananas and sauté for another 3-5 minutes until all the sugar has been dissolved. Mash the bananas with a potato masher and spread evenly over the cooled cookie bars. Top with the remaining dough by crumbling it over the banana filling. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day before cutting into 2 inch squares.
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READING & LEARNING 105 113
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SUPER SOUTHERN CHILD
Home + Work: Raising Young Entrepreneurs by Sarah Rees and Alan Moore
Last year, Lindsay Binegar bought a four-bedroom, two-bath house with a two-car garage. The 18-year-old paid for it in cash. Since age 4, Lindsay had saved all the prize money she earned from showing hogs in 4-H, and when her parents offered to cover local college tuition and suggested she invest in real estate, she bought the house at an estate sale. After doing some cosmetic work, the teen rented the house to relatives and is saving the rental income to purchase her first home after she and her 22-year-old fiancé get married. Yes, yes, I know. This does set the bar kind of high for the rest of us. Our families are probably not the stuff of headlines, but seeing your child thriving in business and money management doesn’t have to be so far-fetched. Meet three entrepreneurs from Florida - an artist dad raising young gardeners, a single college grad baking up a storm, and a homemaker selling handmade items online. Passion for their craft, love for God and their communities, and a “family affair” approach are the threads that tie their stories together. Alan Moore and daughters, Isabella & Emma Businesses: Lil Sisters’ Folk Art and Veggies
(www.lilsistersfolkartandveggies.com) and Folk Art (www.themoorefamilyfolkart.com) First job and at what age: Isabella and Emma opened their first online art shop at ages 9 and 7, respectively. Best thing your parents did for you: “Helping us pay for the initial supplies to get the business going, like art supplies and veggies for the garden.” - Isabella Laying the Foundation
I already had the passion for art and for gardening before I helped my daughters Isabella and Emma turn it into a business. Seeing the kids from an early age get creative with craft materials got me thinking, and it wasn’t too long before they joined me in painting on salvaged wood and scrap metal, which we use to create our artwork.
In September of 2010 we started their online gallery and they started attending art festivals with me. Now we do all the art festivals together and work as a family unit with different gallery exhibits as well. This spring was our fourth year gardening in our back yard. Over the years our garden has expanded, and the family involvement has expanded too. Now we plant together, water together, fertilize together, and harvest together as a family. In the spring the girls take a few Saturdays in June and July to set up a mini Farmer’s Market in our driveway and sell to neighbors and friends. Building Up
I have several goals for the kids in having them start their own business. First, to learn the value of money. When the kids ask for toys or to go out to eat, Lori and I try to help them understand how much it takes to feed a family of seven or how long it would take them to earn the money for that toy. These con-
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versations don’t happen to get them to stop asking us for stuff; they happen to help the kids understand the value of a dollar. Also, we want them to become wise money managers. As the kids’ at-home math teacher, I’ve noticed that as they earn money, the subject of math becomes easier and much more natural. If the kids have money from birthday gifts, chores, or from their business, the math becomes more of a reality and less of a mere “school subject.” Our goal for the girls is to have them save 10 percent, give 10 percent, and use the other 80 percent of their earnings. These numbers are based on seeking to develop healthy adult money habits. Savings for us (as adults) is necessary for emergencies and retirement. As parents, we want to teach the children that God has been generous in giving them every good gift, and they need to reflect His character in their generosity to others. And the 80 percent is a good general number that pays for most bills, mortgages, and food for grown-ups. The kids may buy ice cream and toys now, but soon they will be paying for going out with friends, gas, car insurance, and college. 80
Opening the Door
There is a story of a rich man who had several young sons. This rich man owned a farm and had his sons work alongside the hired help to harvest the crops. When the townsmen asked the rich man why his sons were working in the field when they didn’t need to, he answered: “I am not growing corn. I am growing men.” Really, we as parents can do the household chores faster and better than the kids. The kids don’t need to sell veggies or art in order to put food on the table. But if they are given everything, everyone misses the point. Hard work creates strong character and gives us all an appreciation for what we have. It’s beautiful to watch the kids develop a passion for art and environmental stewardship. They’re all very creative, and it’s vital to have an outlet for their creativity. For right now, art is more of a family hobby, but we are more than open to the idea of expanding it in the future. If the girls go on to become organic farmers, manage a local farmer’s market, own an art gallery, or just create art in a home studio, that would be great.
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Stephen Gordon Business: Bicycle Bread Company
(www.bicyclebread.com) First job and at what age: Selling Crybabies, a sour
candy, on the street when I was 8 years old. I bought a large container of Crybabies at the store and would sell them to kids as they walked home from school for ten cents. Not long after, my brother Andrew started buying 12-packs of Coke when it went on sale at the supermarket. He set up a table next to mine and sold Coke cans for 50 cents. We both got rich. Best thing your parents did for you: My parents taught us to not be afraid of trying something new and to not be afraid of approaching people. My dad was always thinking of business ideas and encouraging us in ours. One time when I was about 12 years old, my brothers and I brainstormed with my dad about the idea of detailing cars. So my dad set up a meeting with a car-detailing supply salesman at a local ice cream shop, and we bought $120 of car-detailing supplies. We also found old bicycle parts and went to a welder to make a mobile car-detailing cart. At first no one seemed to trust four kids to detail their cars, so we decided to detail cars for free and accept tips. We ended up detailing six cars, and each of the owners tipped us exactly $20. Having recouped our initial expenses, we closed the proverbial doors on the business and looked for new horizons elsewhere. Laying the Foundation
The story of Bicycle Bread begins back in Florida, where I grew up in a family with eleven kids. The pantry was always full of wheat, oats, and honey, which Mom used daily to make bread for our family. As it turns out, being frugal had health benefits as well! We started baking bread when we were really little, and our parents encouraged us to start new ventures and handed down the mindset that’s the heart behind our business: a desire to share God’s love with those around us. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2008, I’ve been on an adventure, baking Mom’s bread recipes in south Los Angeles. I thought it’d be fun to experiment with. There’s definitely a need for it here: lots of diabetes, heart conditions, and tons of fast food! We are excited about the opportunity to be lights in this neighborhood.
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My brother Ben and I started out in January of 2009. We were given access to a church kitchen for our bread making. We would mill our wheat and bake the bread, and then we would catch a bus and haul the bread in milk crates to a couple of locations near
the university. There we’d set up a table and chairs and would hand out sample slices, asking for donations for the loaves of bread. Soon we decided we needed wheels of our own, so we traded ten loaves of bread for a bicycle we could use for deliveries. Thus the Bicycle Bread Company was born, a bakery motivated by a passion to share God’s love and serve our neighborhood by baking healthy bread, providing opportunities for our community to share life together authentically and supporting local youth organizations with the proceeds. Building Up
Everyone said: “Don’t start a business during the recession. Don’t start without capital.” But I really wanted to do something with the community, and so far, it’s turning out okay. I think relationships rise to the top, when people realize that money isn’t everything. Starting a business like this is very relationally based. There’s almost no better time to do it. Now we have our own bakery, complete with a garden for growing herbs to use in our baking. The team has grown too! Our faithful friends come in on weekdays, volunteering to bake and distribute the bread at community events. So in the mornings, I do web development and marketing for a nonprofit I work for, and then I go to the bakery in the afternoons. It’s been a great experience. Opening the Door
We’ve been able to work with a lot of local youth organizations and schools, educating about a healthier take on eating through our bread. By distributing the bread on the street corner, we got to interact with the community a lot—and watch others interact with each other in a way I didn’t see too much of when I was in college. The idea to open up internships to local high schoolers grew out of this. Our heart is to see them grow as individuals, to where they can establish goals and go after them wholeheartedly. We’re hoping to have our first high school interns in the next few weeks—a few have expressed interest, and we’ve interviewed one individual. Mainly, though, we’re seeing our role as coming alongside other organizations that are working with youth in the neighborhood and finding ways to support them. It isn’t always easy. We’ve had about five or six bikes stolen in the last year, and our store sign got graffitied for the first time last week by a local gang. That’s the adventure of living in LA! God has provided lots of opportunities and it’s definitely because of Him that we’re still doing this.
Sarah Rees Businesses: Unwhite Art (unwhiteart.etsy.com) and
The Ring and the Lion (araneldesigns.etsy.com) First job: As a 7-year-old, my first job was catching crickets for a neighbor’s pet tarantula. I earned a nickel per cricket. Best thing your parents did for you: My parents didn’t give me an allowance. Instead, they bought supplies for any home businesses my sisters and I wanted to start. Laying the Foundation
My parents taught me the values of creativity and responsibility. As the oldest of ten children, I didn’t get paid for doing chores, but I did get lots of experience
in childcare and cleaning, which opened the door for my sisters and me to start house cleaning and sitter services while in our early teens. Mom took us to our Safe Sitters certification classes, and Dad paid for any cleaning supplies and advertising costs we had. As a high schooler, I worked together with my dad grading college-prep English papers. He handled the logistics and correspondence and I graded the papers. Dad set us up with my first bank account and debit card when I turned 10. He encouraged me to follow a 10/20/70 approach to finances: 10% as a tithe for the Lord’s work, 20% to savings, and 70% to give and spend. Mom also encouraged us to serve generously
as we gained experience. As babysitters we didn’t charge a set rate but instead simply asked for whatever compensation the parents wanted to give. As a result, our client base grew quickly. Building Up
I started learning porcelain painting when I was 15 and took lessons off and on for years with two different teachers. When I got married, my husband encouraged me to buy a small kiln and invest $500 in supplies and porcelain—and Unwhite Art was born. I specialize in penwork—that is, stamping or writing on the porcelain and then firing it in my kiln. Initially I sold only custom porcelain art through a website I designed. But having seen how well Etsy.com promotes their clients, I switched to Etsy and now carry porcelain that has been stamped or hand-drawn, in addition to custom orders. I started selling because I’d be creating anyway and giving away or keeping what I whip up. In fact, I’m still not great at the business side of things. My husband is a lifesaver when it comes to my taxes! One of my greatest delights as an artist has been to observe customers’ happy responses to the things I sell. For my second Etsy shop, “The Ring and the Lion,” I make decor, housewares, and jewelry using porcelain painting, decoupage, and wood burning
techniques. My materials are almost exclusively rooted out of thrift stores, clearance bins, and library sales. The theme of the whole shop is Lord of the Rings and Narnia, and as a fan there’s nothing more fun than doing what you love, with materials you love, and finding out that other people love it too. It’s a win-win situation. Opening the Door
Not a parent? Not a problem. Right now, I’m a mom-to-be, and during the “before children” era, it’s been a wonderfully rewarding experience to teach porcelain art to young girls from church. Seeing their design ideas, their concentrated efforts as they learn a new skill, and overhearing their girl talk as they move their brushes across the porcelain is something really special. Fostering creativity in the next generation is as easy as setting up a folding table and sending out some invitations. Artists, gardeners, and bakers—individuals and families who are passionate about using their gifts and serving others through those gifts. Developing skills as an entrepreneur simply starts by getting excited about the God-given gifts you have to share with the world. What are you passionate about? How could you use your gifts and interests to develop a business that could bless others and provide for your needs in the process? Get busy! The world needs you too!
Smart Mom Amy Maurer Creel, Director of Sales & Marketing | Smart Mom, LLC www.smartmomjewelry.com Most people don’t realize that I’m a successful entrepreneur with my own international company. They see me volunteering at school several times a week, walking my dog during the day, eating lunch on my deck, playing with my kids after school. But the fact is, I work at least 40 hours a week. I just do it in my own way, on my own schedule. My company, Smart Mom LLC, is one of a growing number of “results oriented work environments.” It’s a business model that is turning the traditional 40-hour work week on its head. ROWE is a human resource management strategy co-created by Jody Thompson and Cali Ressler and originally piloted at Best Buy. Mobile devices, home offices, and an innovative crop of new entrepreneurs, not tied to ‘old school thinking’, are changing how and when many Americans do their jobs. What makes Smart Mom even more unique is that everyone on the staff is a Mom. A lot of companies say they are ‘family friendly.” We are actually walking the walk. We give our team members their assignments and let them go. Work whenever and wherever you want. Your family can always come first. Smart Mom employees control their own calendars, and are not required to be in the office if they can complete their tasks elsewhere. Hours are totally flexible and the emphasis is on the bottom line results. It’s not for everyone. You need to have enough discipline to hold yourself accountable. No one will tell you
not to watch soap operas all day. But we’ve found that Moms are especially good for this type of work environment. Moms know how to multi-task, are used to being leaders and when not forced to choose between family and work, can be incredibly productive and happy. Both stay-at-home Moms, Kendra and I first met when our daughters were about a year old and taking a class together. We thought we might make a good business team someday; Kendra had the ideas, I had the marketing experience. We were also interested in creating a company that would provide meaningful work opportunities for other Moms while also making charitable giving a top priority. We both suffered personal tragedies that further brought us together. One of Kendra’s children was born with cancer and I lost her sister-in-law to an undiagnosed heart defect. These life-changing events gave us the courage to finally start our company. Despite never having done something like this before, we believed that our unique idea for “teethable’ jewelry combined with a strong commitment to safety, customer service and giving back to our communities would help us succeed. We are always looking for ways to help other Moms and are happy to donate to worthy causes. We post our personal contact information on our website so customers always have a way to reach us. Stories, photos, comments, questions or concerns – we welcome it all!
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MEDIA REVIEWS
Baby Blanket Music Baby Blanket Music presents a soothing lullaby arrangements of songs made famous by Michael Jackson.
Diego Saves the World Join Diego, his sister Alicia, and their friends all over the world as they race to the rescue of animals in trouble! Help them reach Antarctica to help some penguins! Save a Bengal Tiger in India and thirsty camels in Egypt! Dive under the sea to save a Humpback Whale, and swing through the Latin American rainforest to help a deer, a hawk, and even those silly Bobo Brothers (and their spider monkeys sisters too)! ยกAl rescate!
Making Music Fit For Kids Miss Amy is Making Music Fit For Kids and Families - helping to imprint young children with their athletic identities.
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National Gymnastics Day & handstand world record attempt 2011 is the Year of the Handstand, and USA Gymnastics hopes gymnastics clubs across the country will join forces to break the world record for most handstands done at one time! This is a fun and easy way to build interest in gymnastics in your community, generate excitement with your gymnasts, and be a part of breaking a record! Here’s a quick snapshot of this year’s plan. Who: Gymnasts, families, friends and enthusiasts from gymnastics clubs across the country. Why: To celebrate National Gymnastics Day and build awareness of gymnastics by attempting to break a world record. The handstand initiative is also a fun way to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network, which benefits children battling illnesses in each club’s local community. What: As part of your National Gymnastics Day celebration at your gym, organize all interested students, families and friends to perform a handstand at the designated time to break the record for the most simultaneous handstands. It also provides a fun way to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Where: Gym clubs may host their activities at the gym, a local park, the local Children’s Miracle Network hospital, or as part of a community event. This is a great chance to be creative and take advantage of what could be successful in your community. When: Saturday, September 17, at 1 p.m. ET. It is important that all handstand participants have “feet up” at the same time across the country. Activities can be planned leading up to and after the attempt, but the actual handstands must be done on the dot.
How: Spread the news to your club’s students and families, share the information with the local media, schools and children’s groups. Don’t worry about how to organize it. Member Club Services will have sample action plans that may be used as a template. It really can be as simple as having your students show up 30 minutes before the event; practice the simultaneous inversion of the handstand a few times; and right before the attempt, have cameras ready, start the countdown and have them perform the handstands for the world record attempt. You will need to count how many gymnasts successfully do a handstand so we can let everyone know if we broke the record. We need your club to email the number of successful handstands, the name of your club and your city and state by 2:00 p.m. ET on September 17 to worldrecordattempt@usagym.org. Also be sure to submit any photos and video clips! Success: We will announce if we broke the world record on our website at usagym.org and we’ll send participating clubs an email with the news!
Right now, you only need to decide to participate and spread the word. Send an email to worldrecordattempt@usagym.org, and we will send you more detailed information, including the template for the timeline and activities. Please join together and help USA Gymnastics celebrate the Year of the Handstand and National Gymnastics Day by breaking the world record!
Photo by PaulBates.com
FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE
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SEEING THE SOUTH
Myrtle Beach South Carolina
When you think of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, plentiful golf courses might come to mind. There are plenty of award winning golf courses, but Myrtle Beach is also a great family vacation destination. With its boardwalks, shopping, and attractions, there are activities for children (and adults!) of all ages. Huntington State Park Just a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the water front hotels of Myrtle Beach is Huntington Beach State Park. At the park, visitors can camp, fish, hike, ride bikes or relax on the beach. Tour Atalaya, the Spanish-style castle that was the winter home and studio of American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. From March to November, visitors can participate in programs that include alligator viewing and trail exploration. There is a fee per person to enter the park and an additional fee to tour Atalaya. Information: 848.237.4440 huntingtonbeachsc.org Myrtle Beach Family Golf Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is known for its award winning golf courses but did you know that there are also a number of miniature golf courses located throughout the city? Myrtle Beach Family Golf offers five different themed miniature golf courses throughout the city. The miniature golf courses include themes like a jungle safari, dragons, dinosaurs, an island marina and a trip to Never-Never Land with Captain Hook. Choose one course or play them all. Our favorite course was Jurassic Golf with its fog, water and scary dinosaurs! www.myrtlebeachfamilygolf.com
Brookgreen Gardens Is it a garden? Is it a zoo? Is it an art museum? It is a little bit of each all rolled into one. There are sculptures scattered throughout the acres of colorful Brookgreen Gardens. After wandering through the gardens, visitors can explore the zoo to learn more about animals that are native to the area like river otters, alligators, and owls. For an additional fee, wander through the butterfly house. Stop by the Visitor Center to pick
up the Children’s Activity Book that will keep the kids occupied as they try to spot the items listed in the book and answer questions. Information: 843.235.6000 | www.brookgreen.org Broadway at the Beach Broadway at the Beach is not just a center with shops and restaurants. There are a number of attractions that make Broadway at the Beach a good family destination. It is home to the Ripley’s Aquarium, Wonderworks, NASCAR Speedpark, miniature golf, and more. As if that isn’t enough, children will want to spend hours riding the rides, which include a carousel, a balloon ferris wheel and more, at Carousel Park. There are seasonal fireworks, concerts and other family friendly events. Information: 1.800.386.4662 www.broadwayatthebeach.com Children’s Museum of South Carolina If you want to spend a few hours inside but the kids still have some energy, visit the Children’s Museum of South Carolina. Children can visit the different interactive hands-on exhibits to learn more about art, plant life and seashells. Children can learn about recycling, gems and fossils, hurricanes, and so much more. There are free admission days, projects and special events so be sure to check the calendar of events before you go. Information: 843.946.9469 | www.cmsckids.org Barefoot Landing Parents will love the shopping choices and the children will love to make their way across the water on the boardwalks. Entertainment options include Alabama Theatre, Ghosts and Legends Theatre, and a riverboat dinner cruise. There is a carousel and a mirror maze. Children can spot alligators, crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and more at Alligator Adventure, one of the largest reptile zoos in the world. Information: 843.272.8349 | www.bflanding.com Pensacola with Kids - Explore Pensacola!
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SEEING THE SOUTH
Treehouses With A Splash! Huntsville, Alabama
In 2010, Huntsville Botanical Garden brought you 12 fun, interactive, hand-crafted tree houses for kids of all ages. Due to the overwhelming demand, Treehouses is back for 2011. And these aren’t just your regular, run-of-the-mill backyard tree houses. We’re proud to be adding four brand new treehouses specially designed by local architects. We have also renovated four of our existing treehouses to add even more opportunities for kids’ imaginations to run free. In addition, five brand new water features have been added to the Garden to create 2011’s Treehouses with a Splash! Back by popular demand, Tremendous Treehouses offers interactive fun! Take for instance “Not in Kansas Anymore” submitted by Jill Andrews of Parker Architecture and Jay Gautney of The Rock Fan in Florence, AL. This tree house adventure begins at the Yellow Brick Road Plaza in Munchkinland where you can follow the Yellow Brick Road past Dorothy’s house (where the Wicked Witch of the East has met her demise), stop by the Monkey Mister or Witch’s Fog misting rocks to cool off and catch your breath and then romp through the Haunted Forest. But go with caution . . . the Talking Trees may throw apples at you!
The third water feature is a beach shower that is located at our new treehouse “Beachy Keen!” The shower is on a timer so that water is not wasted when no one is using the feature. It is great for getting the sand off your feet, cooling down, or adding a little water to the sand castle that you’re building. The Gem Dandy Treasure Trough allows you to pan for hidden treasures! It is located near the “Trading Post” treehouse. And our fifth and most exciting feature, is a new (permanent) wading pool located in the Children’s Garden called “Pollywog Bog.” Pollywog Bog will allow younger children the ability to wade in, cool off and splash around in a very shallow splash zone that is sure to be a crowd favorite. Treehouses with a Splash runs through the end of September. This summer, you can climb, swing, splash and play your way through the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Where there’s always something growing on!
Two additional tree houses, The Pine Cone Zone and Treehouse Overlook were pre-existing in the Garden, making a total of 12 treehouses for the 2011 exhibit. And this year, Huntsville Botanical Garden added a few more ways to splash around in conjunction with its 2011 Spring/ Summer exhibit “Treehouses with a Splash!” In addition to the twelve treehouses in the Garden, there are five new water features! Two of them go with the Not In Kansas Anymore Treehouse. One is a Monkey Mister and the other is Witch’s Fog! Both are fun to run through and sure to cool you off on a hot summer’s day!
www.hsvbg.org
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It’s Like
Summer Camp for the Entire Family!
Bring the family and pack your vacation with fun. The kids are thrilled with RedBeard the Pirate, sharktooth necklaces and their very own supervised programs. For you, sway in a beachside hammock … soar on a parasail … enjoy fresh seafood and tropical coolers. For everyone, discover the new Splash Island Water Park. We’ve got what you need to “just let go” for your best family vacation ever.
JustLetGo.com | Call: 866.JustLetGo Summer Special: 5TH NIGHT FREE 102
Relive some of America’s most patriotic steps in space exploration. Live out your dream with family and friends.
For more information on flying to the moon and other super cool experiences visit us online or call 800.843.0468.
Huntsville/Madison County Alabama Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Call to Reserve 850-872-1714 I swam with the Dolphins from a ScottyBoat in Panama City Beach!
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