You put off waxing all spring. Now it’s June, the pool is open, the beach is calling,  yet you’re no where near bikini-ready.

Fortunately, being a SouthernMamas reader has its advantages.

Including a discount on waxing at the posh new Park West Salon, 106 W. Gwinnett St.  Mention SouthernMamas at Park West and you’ll receive 10 percent off the already reasonably priced waxing services listed to the right.

Talk about a welcome-summer treat.

Park West is located in the former location of ROBS on Forsyth. It’s @ the corner of Whitaker and Gwinnett  facing Forsyth Park. Parking in this area isn’t the headache that it is in much of downtown Savannah. There are plenty of side streets with FREE parking.

So take advantage of your savvy SouthernMamas status and get swimsuit ready, while keeping your rep as a thrifty mama intact.

Call 912.349.4856.  Become a fan of Park West Salon on Facebook by clicking here.

The Aquarium on Skidaway Island is a good destination for a summer picnic.

Inside the Aquarium, kids can see seahorses, turtles, loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, lionfish, catfish and more in tanks. There’s also a little touch tank where kids can pick up conchs and touch a live horseshoe crab.

Behind the Aquarium is a shady spot, just off the nature trail, with plenty of picnic tables overlooking the water and a patient heron who seems to be a regular.

Click here for directions and hours. 912.598.3474 or email fish@uga.edu.

Island Child loves Lemon Loves Lime and you will too.

You can now pre-order Lemon Loves Lime for Fall 2009. Be sure to get the merchandise you want. FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders over $100. Orders will ship mid-July.

Pre-orders are purchases of merchandise scheduled to ship at a future date. You can order the merchandise for a coming season and be sure to get exactly what you want.

Island Child understands that ordering in advance can be difficult for sizing and are more than happy to exchange sizing or styles for you that do not work out.

Click here for more info or call 888-705-5437 or 843-686-5437.

Island Child, an upscale Hilton Head Island children’s boutique with shopping available online as well, is a sponsor of SouthernMamas

OK, so the annual free summer concerts in Savannah’s city squares don’t actually include children’s music.
But the live concerts are a fun way to expose your kids to some of Savannah’s finest musicians.

Sixteen concerts are planned from this Wed. June 3 through July 31. Concerts are @ 11:30 AM on Wednesdays and Fridays and will alternate between Johnson and Wright Squares.

The concert series is being produced by the New Arts Ensembles (NAE), a Savannah-based group that showcases some of the region’s finest musicians.

The series kicks off on this Wed. June 3 with modern jazz group Silver Lining in Johnson Square.

Concerts are free and open to the public.
For more, 912-651-6417 or click here.

2009 Summer Concerts in the Squares Schedule

June 3, 2009: Silver Lining in Johnson Square (Modern jazz)
June 5, 2009: Roger Moss with Eric Jones in Johnson Square (Mercer standards)
June 10, 2009: The Jimmy Wolling Band in Wright Square (bluegrass)
June 12, 2009: Gina René Quartet in Wright Square (Jazz)
June 17, 2009: Claire Frazier in Johnson Square (Jazz)
June 19, 2009: Doug Carn and Marielouise in Johnson Square (Jazz)
June 24, 2009: Claire Frazier in Wright Square (Jazz)
June 26, 2009 Bottles ‘n Cans in Wright Square (Blues)
July 8, 2009: Silver Lining in Johnson Square (modern jazz)
July 10, 2009: The Jimmy Wolling Band in Johnson Square (bluegrass)
July 15, 2009: Lolintar Trio in Wright Square (Latin Jazz)
July 17, 2009: Bottles ‘n Cans in Wright Square (Blues)
July 22, 2009: Roger Moss with Eric Jones in Johnson Square (Mercer standards)
July 24, 2009: Gina René Quartet in Johnson Square (Jazz)
July 29, 2009: Lolintar Trio in Wright Square (Latin Jazz)
July 31, 2009: Doug Carn and Marielouise in Wright Square (Jazz)

You can shop The Market @ Trustees Garden in downtown Savannah while the kids watch the BEE Movie for free.

The movie will be shown @ 5:30 PM inside the Charles H Morris Center during Market Hours. The Market will be located in the Brown Tent from 4-7 PM.   Seated dining area to watch movie.

The Market @ Trustees Garden includes artists, organic farmers, live music and local fare. It’s held Wednesdays (4-7 pm) and Saturdays, (9 am-3 pm).

There’s a special storytime 10-11 AM Wed. June 3 @ the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, 601 W. Harris St

For ages 2-5. The theme: Fun in the Sun. Children will make ocean bottles & hear stories about summertime fun. Register at 912.651.6823 (note a different number than what was included in our weekly newsletter) or email childrensevents@chsgeorgia.org.

The Roundhouse Railroad Museum has a special once-a-month story and craft time in the Kidz Zone in the museum’s baggage car.

For more storytimes happening in the local area this summer, visit our new storytime page which lists a variety of storytime locations. .

Savannah’s “MusicAlive!” string quintet will have FREE music programs for children starting next week (June 8)  @ branches of the Live Oak Public Libraries. Children will learn about the musical genius of Johnny Mercer and his music.

The musicians will also present a segment on songwriting.

My toddler’s attended a coupleMusicAlive! performances and afterwards there’s often a string instrument “petting zoo” when children are allowed to touch the instruments.

The FREE performances are recommended for children of all ages. Here’s the schedule for the MusicAlive! events:

11 AM Mon, June 8 @ W.W. Law Branch Library
4 PM Mon., June 8 @ Oglethorpe Mall Branch Library
6 PM Mon,, June 8 @ Islands Branch Library
10:30 AM Tues., June 9 @ Port City Branch Library
1 PM Tues. June 9 @ South Effingham Branch Library
4 PM Tues. June 9 @ Kayton Branch Library
10:30 AM Wed. June 10 @ West Chatham Branch Library
2:30 PM Wed. June 10 @ Tybee Branch Library
4 PM Wed. June 10 @ Ogeechee Branch Library
10: 30 AM Thurs. June 11 @ Bull Street Branch Library
3 PM Thurs. June 11 @ Midway Branch Library
6 PM Thurs., June 11 @ Liberty Branch Library
10:30 AM Fri., June 12 @ Effingham Branch Library
3 PM Fri. June 12 @ Hitch Branch Library
5 PM Fri. June 12 @ West Chatham Branch Library

Contact your local branch for more information

Even children as young as 2 can take part in Savannah Celtic‘s Early Goals program June 16-July 28.

The six-week soccer session is @ a new location – the fields @ the corner of Bee Rd and Washington, 3000 Bee Road across from Grayson Stadium. Practices are approx. 30-45 minutes. Session cost: $50. Fee includes the 6 week program, practice t-shirt, end of the season finale with a medal and certificate

Select from one of these days:
Tuesday 5:15 pm for 2 & 3 year olds
Tuesday 9:30 am mixture of 2 – 4
Thursday 5:15 pm for 4 year olds

Sign up for the Savannah Celtic summer session by calling 912.495.9996 or click here.

Warning: If you haven’t had enough quality professional photos taken of your children, the on-location, editorial-style portraits on the Azelle Photography Web site and included in this very post will make you reach for the phone.

You will feel immediately compelled to book a portrait session with the husband-and-wife team behind Azelle Photography.

Not Olin Mills-type portraits. But modern, genuine photos that illustrate a story or idea. That’s what Azelle Photography excels at – a documentary style of photography.

Azelle Photography photo sessions are seen as mini progressions of a movie set – a story is happening and it must be told in a fun way. By establishing a solid rapport with their clients, the photographers are able to see and capture the true side of your relationships, moods, personalities.

With Azelle Photography, you get two photographers, two sets of eyes. They work twice as hard to satisfy you.

Cost of a standard session is $150 and a minimum purchase of $275 is required.

Azelle Photography is currently offering $50 off the session fee for portraits booked before the end of March. As an Easter promo, customers will receive a free 8×10 print, in addition to the purchase they will satisfy with their $275 minimum.

The session fee and the minimum purchase amount of $275 must be paid in full. Session fees are non-refundable.

The name Azelle is a derivative of a Biblical Azel, which from the Hebrew origins means “noble or distinguished”. That is how Azelle Photography wants their clients to feel.

See more examples of Azelle Photography portraits by visiting their site

To book a session, call 912.704.1616 or visit their site and click on contact. Azelle Photography serves the Lowcountry area including Savannah, Brunswick, Hilton Head, and Statesboro.

We’re often too busy to savor the beauty of being a mom and spending time with our kids. A Waldorf-inspired parent-tot program on Tybee Island helps moms slow down for a few hours each week and appreciate our role while our children enjoy creative play, meaningful imitation and oral learning.

The parent-tot program for toddlers, ages 1 to 4, is in the home of Bridget Lawson, who is Waldorf-schooled and trained. Tots and moms bake bread; watch puppet shows in Bridget’s sun-dappled playroom, equipped with Waldorf wooden toys (and pictured here); engage in crafts, morning circle time, story, outdoor play; and enjoy an organic morning snack.

Tots even grind the wheat to make the bread, as pictured below.

My son and I are relishing Bridget’s first session, which has two more classes, 9:30-11:30 Fri. March 6 & March 13. We drive away from each program feeling happy and renewed, with our bag of fresh wheat rolls we made together.  The next session starts Fri. March 27 and will run for eight weeks ending on Fri. May 15.

Beginning the week of March 9 is a separate four-week Waldorf-inspired parent-infant program for infants ages 6 weeks to 10 months.  The Nurtured Newborns Class at Bridget’s home will include observation and discussion of infant behavior, simple circle games and lullabies, snack for the parents and a sharing of insights from recommended study books.

For registration and cost info. on either program, call 413.575.5338.

The aim of Waldorf is to produce lifelong learners and teach through movement and example.

In the past 20 years, Waldorf has become the largest private-school movement in the world, according to Mothering magazine. Waldorf methods are now being taken up by a growing number of homeschooling families and public charter and magnet schools nationally.

Read more about the Waldorf educational philosophy here.

Are you cutting out perks like car washes, hair appointments and Starbucks during this economic crisis?

In my Savannah Morning News column this Sunday, I write about budget steps I and others are taking  – including giving up hoity-toity salons for cheaper, albeit riskier, cosmetology schools and going on a latte fast.  Read the column here.

Attention Obama Mamas.
Your little ones love to yell “Obama!” whenever they see our 44th president on TV or magazine covers.
Now they can play with the President’s Air Force One for $18 from Craftsbury Kids.

This President Obama Air Force One Wood Plane is a limited edition Pennsylvanian hardwood toy made in the USA. The collectible is constructed to last a lifetime.

You said you’d have a will done before the baby arrived.

But now that baby is already in school and you and your man still don’t have a will, a trust or any estate plan at all.

Check out a free, educational seminar offered by local law firm of Smith Barid, LLC on basic estate planning. It will be @ 10 am Thurs., March 12 @ the Law Offices of Smith Barid, LLC (315 Commercial Drive, Suite C-1, Savannah, GA 31406).
Learn more about protecting your families and your assets by calling 912.352.3999 (24/7) or by clicking here, then click on the “Estate Planning Seminars” link.

“Our firm is dedicated to helping people in Savannah and the surrounding areas do what’s necessary to protect and provide for themselves and their families,” said Richard Barid, a founding member of the firm.

For more info about the seminars, call 912.352.3999 or visit the Web site here

Good luck.

Few local doctors will do VBACs (vaginal birth after a c-section). An article in this week’s Time magazine, “The Trouble With Repeat Cesareans,” shows how the choice to give birth vaginally isn’t even there for an increasingly number of women. C-section is the only apparent option. Read the article here.

From Time:

…the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), a grass-roots group, recently called 2,850 hospitals that have labor and delivery wards and found that 28% of them don’t allow VBACs, up from 10% in its previous survey, in 2004. ICAN’s latest findings note that another 21% of hospitals have what it calls “de facto bans,” i.e., the hospitals have no official policies against VBAC, but no obstetricians will perform them.

I recently wrote about repeat c-sections vs.  VBACs in my Savannah Morning News Column here.

If you’re looking for a VBAC-friendly obstetrician in the Savannah/Hilton Head Island-Bluffton area, check with The Midwife Group and Birth Center, 1692 Chatham Parkway, Savannah.

While the practice doesn’t do VBACs, because they must be done in a hospital, they can refer you to a doctor who does.

The goal @ the Birth Center is to prevent c-sections in the first place. The center has a very low c-section rate.

“The Birth Center” offers an open house every month for prospective families or just the curious. You can also visit “The Birth Center” on Facebook. Tracey Adams has developed a group called “The Friends of The Midwife Group and Birth Center”. It is fun and it is informative. Click here.

To register for an upcoming open house @ The Birth Center, call 912.629.6262. It is free and open to the public.

Losing your cool trying to teach your child how to hit a killer serve?

Leave the tennis teaching to the pros.

An upcoming professional tennis tournament on Skidaway Island lets kids learn from world-ranked professional players.

The Tail USTA $50,000 Savannah Challenger, which is May 2-10 @ the Franklin Creek Tennis Center at The Landings, will feature a Kids’ Day Clinic on May 2. The tournament is free and open to the public.

The Kids’ Day Clinic will give area children an opportunity to interact with the tournament’s tennis professionals. It’s open to the first 50 children between the ages of 7 and 18 to register and costs $10 per child.

To register for the Kid’s Day Clinic, click here or contact Jamie Strahm @ the Landings Club at 912-598-2570.

And pretty soon, your child will be the one telling your to keep your eye on the ball.

Registration is under way for the annual Savannah Children’s Choir 2009 Summer Choral Camp.

Registration materials are available online here. The camp, which is July 20-31, is designed for musically-interested rising 2nd – 8th graders and is held on the campus of Savannah Country Day School

During the two-week camp, days are filled with classes, rehearsals, playtime and afternoon enrichment (recitals provided by professional musicians). The theme of this year’s camp is rhythm.

The two-week session culminates in a free end-of-camp concert on Fri. July 31 at 7 p.m. @ Savannah Country Day School’s Jelks Auditorium, where the children present what they’ve learned to the public.

The camp is staffed by local professional educators as well as music education interns from top music colleges such as the University of Georgia, Louisiana State and Florida State. The camp serves as the primary audition into the Savannah Children’s Choir.

The SCC also offers a Mini-Choral Camp experience for 4 to 7 year olds. Each one-week session offers daily morning instruction through fun and play, and mini-campers participate in the end-of-camp concert on July 31.

Discounted early-bird registration is available and space is limited. Click here or call 912.228.4758.