8 AM-Noon Sat. April 14, 2012
Welcome spring to Savannah with a day of bird watching at Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens.
Local birding enthusiast and expert iris grower, Stan Gray will lead a bird walk in the gardens followed by a seminar on the beautiful iris he has planted and grown here at the Bamboo Farm. We have over 400 iris and many species of birds for you to enjoy. We’ve ordered perfect weather for the day. The iris will be blooming and the birds will be singing so put on your sneakers and come to the Gardens!
The bird watching will be followed by a seminar on the tall bearded iris, which may be appropriate for 15 years old and older
$20 per person
Please call to register (912) 921-5460

Statesboro’s Georgia Southern Planetarium, which recently underwent renovations to a Digistar 4 full dome digital planetarium system, will host a free public, new full dome digital show, WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE, 4-5 PM April 14, 2012.

This will be the first new full dome digital show in the redone planetarium! You’re invited to attend this FREE educational and exciting event that’s for all ages.

Telescopic viewing following /during the event weather permitting.

The planetarium is located in the Math/Physics Bldg (#203) on the campus of Georgia Southern University Campus map at: http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/map/

Parking directions for planetarium public events: Turn on to Herty Drive from Fair Road (GA Hwy 67) and follow all the way to the end. Turn left through the open parking gate then right into the large faculty/staff parking lot. Walk back down toward the gates and the planetarium is across on the other side in the Math/Physics Building between the small Eidson Building – Honors (old Alumni House) and the Biology Building.

WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE (New full dome digital show!)
4-5 PM Sat. April 14, 2012

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion you’ll witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you’ll fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system. From Evans and Sutherland Digital Theater Productions.

Running time: 20 minutes

Trailer: http://www.es.com/Products/Shows/Wonders/WondersOfTheUniverse.html

A live star show of the current night sky will also be included with each presentation. Free sky maps, telescopic observing, activities, and more! Free event for all ages to enjoy sponsored by the Department of Physics of the College of Science and Technology at Georgia Southern University. The planetarium will be collecting canned and non-perishable foods to donate to our local food bank for those in need in our community.
For more information, visit GSU planetarium here. Questions? E-mail planetarium@georgiasouthern.edu, or call the Department of Physics at 912-478-5292.

Statesboro’s Georgia Southern Planetarium, which recently underwent renovations to a Digistar 4 full dome digital planetarium system, will host a free public, new full dome digital show, WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE, 4-5 PM April 14, 2012.  

This will be the first new full dome digital show in the redone planetarium! You’re invited to attend this FREE educational and exciting event that’s for all ages.

Telescopic viewing following /during the event weather permitting.

The planetarium is located in the Math/Physics Bldg (#203) on the campus of Georgia Southern University Campus map at: http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/map/

Parking directions for planetarium public events: Turn on to Herty Drive from Fair Road (GA Hwy 67) and follow all the way to the end. Turn left through the open parking gate then right into the large faculty/staff parking lot. Walk back down toward the gates and the planetarium is across on the other side in the Math/Physics Building between the small Eidson Building – Honors (old Alumni House) and the Biology Building.

WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE (New full dome digital show!)
4-5 PM Sat. April 14, 2012

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion you’ll witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you’ll fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system. From Evans and Sutherland Digital Theater Productions.

Running time: 20 minutes

Trailer: http://www.es.com/Products/Shows/Wonders/WondersOfTheUniverse.html

A live star show of the current night sky will also be included with each presentation. Free sky maps, telescopic observing, activities, and more! Free event for all ages to enjoy sponsored by the Department of Physics of the College of Science and Technology at Georgia Southern University. The planetarium will be collecting canned and non-perishable foods to donate to our local food bank for those in need in our community.
For more information, visit GSU planetarium here. Questions? E-mail planetarium@georgiasouthern.edu, or call the Department of Physics at 912-478-5292.

March 31 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Visit the Refuge and see how birds are banded (even band yourself!), learn about wildland fire using real fire equipment, test your archery skills using a bow and arrow, and take the Animal Olympics challenge. Free and open to the public; rain or shine.
http://www.fws.gov/savannah
843-784-2468
Savannah NWR Visitor Center
U.S. Hwy 17/Jasper County, SC, 6 miles N of Savannah
Jasper County, SC

You’re invited to the Red Shoes Run / Pop Tab Pandemonium 2012/Blood Alliance Blood Drive benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s a 5K Run/Walk & Pop Tab Collection Event at the Ronald McDonald House, Savannah, 9AM-Noon on Sat. April 14.

During the event, please stop by The Blood Alliance & donate blood! The blood drive will be 9 AM-Noon. The Blood Alliance will make a donation ot the Ronald McDonald House Charities for every unit of blood collected at the RMHC blood drive! The Blood Alliance is the sole provider of blood to Memorial University Medical Center, the only Level 1 trauma center and dedicated children’s hospital in SE Georgia.

Red Shoes Run & Pop Tab Pandemonium is a family friendly fundraiser that will feature free activities including fun with Ronald McDonald, a 1/4 mile kiddie run, live music, games, prizes and refreshments!
There is a wonderful bridge that participants will traverse twice for which this 5K is nicknamed the “mini-bridge run!” It’s perfect training for those aiming for the big one at the end of the year!

Strollers are welcome.

To Register: Red Shoes Run: Download registration form here or register online: www.active.com
key words red shoes run.

We are so jazzed to learn that Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah will host a FREE screening of the documentary film “The Business of Being Born”, 6 to 8 PM Wed. April 4, 2012.

The award-winning film will be followed by a discussion with local health professionals. (Fingers-crossed that among the childbirth issues discussed will be the lack of local OBs who will do VBACs)

The screening will be at University Hall, Room 156, Armstrong Campus, 11935 Abercorn St., Savannah.

“The Business of Being Born”  is about the implications of the medicalization of childbirth and the ways in which many women are turning away from invasive medical models of delivery. It examines modern models of child delivery in America and what some women are doing to take back their rights to birth.

This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Center for Public Health Media and Research , the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health & the Armstrong Master of Public Health program. Contact Leigh Rich at leigh.rich@armstrong.edu  for more information.

Our favorite annual kids’ event – the Savannah Children’s Book Festival – will be Nov. 10, 2012 in Forsyth Park. A fun way for kids to get excited about the festival is to have them partake in the festival poster contest. This would also be a great art project for school art classes.

Deadline to design a poster for the 2012 Savannah Children’s Book Festival is Wed. April 25, 2012. For contest details see the image above this post! More details here.

April is Autism Awareness Month.
April 2 is Light it up Blue for Autism! If you purchase a blue light bulb from Home Depot, they will donate $1 for Autism Awareness.
Click here to donate to the local Autism Speaks Team Bray & J, or join their team or get more info.
There has been a 600 percent increase of children diagnosed with autism. The increase is partly explained by improved diagnosis, but other factors have also contributed. The Light It Up Blue movement by Autism Speaks encourages businesses and individuals to get involved by “lighting up” blue on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day, to help bring attention to the disorder. Will you light it up blue, too?

Concerned about dye in your child’s foods?

Then consider dying your Easter Eggs naturally this year with foods. That’s right, move over PAAS Easter Egg dye. Cabbage, blackberries, beets and more can be used to dye egg shells.

The helpful (and healthful) Website The Whole Tulip offers instructions on how you can color your eggs additive-free using real food. Check it out here. Happy Dye-Free Egg Hunting.

FOR INFO ON LOCAL EASTER EGG HUNTS & EASTER EVENTS, CLICK HERE.

We’re so excited to tell you about the new, oh-so-cute handmade toy stitched with love and attention right here in Savannah.

Meet Little Lady Belles, unique, handmade soft form dolls designed as a treasured toy, family heirloom & long-lasting keepsake for display. Each belle has a unique personality and story to tell. Some represent the grand styles and fashions of the past, while others the sweet city and country girls of today.

The belles are handmade with high-quality vintage fabrics and buttons. Their bodies are all new, 100 percent cotton; their hair is wool felt, polyester fleece, or cotton chenille fabric. Clothing is made from pre-washed repurposed materials. The belles have embroidered facial details.

Due to the use of buttons and small pieces, the dolls are best suited for ages 3 and older The belles measure from 26 to 31 inches tall, with an arm span of 22 inches. Each belle comes with one accessory and a small portrait.

Customized handmade dolls also can be commissioned for birthdays and other special events. Prices for the belles featured on  the Little Lady Belles Facebook page here range from $50 to $75. (Customized orders are priced based on design and materials.)

The belles design and fabrication were developed by Abigail Kokai and Carrie Christian, graduates of the Savannah College of Art and Design.

View members of the Little Lady Belles family on Facebook here. For more information, custom orders, or to purchase a doll you “like” on the Little Lady Belles Facebook page, please e-mail Joyce McDonald at: JoyceAMcDonald@yahoo.com.

Five winners this week: Chevy Truck Month (March) is almost over. For the big finale final week, the Southern Charm Chevy Girls’ giveaway this week is the biggest & best yet: FIVE $200 Oglethorpe Mall gift cards! 

To celebrate Chevy Truck month this March, your local Chevy dealers are offering terrific truck deals at local dealerships & hosting giveaways such as this one on Southern Charm Chevy Girls.

To enter to win, visit Southern Charm Chevy Girls on Facebook here, like the page & click on the Chevy Truck Month! tab to enter to win one of FIVE $200 gift cards to Oglethorpe Mall.

Winners will be announced Mon. April 2 2012. Good luck.

Skirt! Savannah will spotlight SouthernMamas.com in the upcoming April issue! We so thrilled! You are invited to attend the April Skirt! release party to celebrate! All are welcome!

Be sure to “like” Skirt Savannah on Facebook here.

Below is a guest post by Nicole Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Maid Service, a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

 . .that is the question! Several days ago I was speaking with a client, who will go unnamed, who was returning full time to the professional work force. She was trying to budget in-maid service for her home because, with her new work schedule, house work was going to be very difficult for her to get to. As I was explaining different price options to her, and she was listening intently, I stopped in mid sentence.

Now, I don’t ever like to turn business away, but to me, good business is always thinking about what is best for the client as opposed to oneself. I could tell in her voice the uncertainty she was feeling about going back into the work force full time and the regret she was feeling about having to do so. It is unfortunate that for so many of us, we need dual incomes to support our families. There is an intangible value to a parent pursuing a career in the home, as opposed to the professional world, that is often not recognized or appreciated. Pursuing a career in the home often requires the same hard work, self- sacrifice, and dedication that professional occupations such as the Military and Highway Patrol require.

Anyway, I stopped in mid-sentence during my conversation with the client because she was going to increase her maid service budget with me because she was going back to work. However, was going back to work really in her best interest?

To read the entire guest post, click here.

Hubbard’s Maid Service, 912.961.9131, www.hubbardsmaidservice.com Hubbard’s Maid Service is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

You’re invited to the Spring Book Fair which begins Wed. March 28 and runs through Wed. April 4. The Book Fair is open 8:30 AM-4:30 PM. Family Night is Thurs. March 29 when the fair will be open until 7:30 PM.

The public is invited to come enjoy a wide selection of books for your student while helping to support the Charles Ellis Montessori Academy library. For every dollar spent, the library receives .25 cents to put toward the purchase of library books, Accelerated Reader quizzes and other items for the school. You also help purchase free books for students who make their reading goals.

Red Shoes Run / Pop Tab Pandemonium 2012/Blood Alliance Blood Drive
benefiting
Ronald McDonald House Charities
What: A 5K Run/Walk & Pop Tab Collection Event
During the event, please stop by The Blood Alliance & donate blood! The blood drive will be 9 AM-Noon. The Blood Alliance will make a donation ot the Ronald McDonald House Charities for every unit of blood collected at the RMHC blood drive!

Red Shoes Run & Pop Tab Pandemonium is a family friendly fundraiser that will feature free activities including fun with Ronald McDonald, a 1/4 mile kiddie run, live music, games, prizes and refreshments!
There is a wonderful bridge that participants will traverse twice for which this 5K is nicknamed the “mini-bridge run!” It’s perfect training for those aiming for the big one at the end of the year!

Strollers are welcome.

To Register: Red Shoes Run: Download registration form here
or register online: www.active.com
key words red shoes run

Pop Tab Art Contest
RMHC is now accepting entries for the Pop Tab Art Contest.
All entries must be turned in to the House by March 31st.
For more information, contact Alex Wysocki – contact info below.
Download application here.

To Fundraise: http://www.firstgiving.com/rmhccoastal

5K Fees: $25 January 1 – February 29
$30 March 1 – April 13
$35 Race Day

Event Schedule at Ronald McDonald House:
Race Day: Saturday, April 14, 2012

•7:00am 5K Walk Up Registration & Pre-Registration Packet Pick Up
• 7:00am -Noon Pop Tab Weigh In
•8:45am Free Kiddie Run (1/4 mile dash)
•9:00am 5K begins
•
•After Party Goes until Noon
Contact Information: Alex Wysocki
alex@rmhccoastalempire.org  912.350.7641

Have you been to Lake Mayer playground lately?

If not, you’ll be as surprised as we were to find the once dismal equipment gone & replaced with three new climbing structures complete with climbing walls, tunnels; plus new swing sets, new baby swing sets, new mulch, new swivel seat, new twirling toy & oh-so-modern sleek see-saw! We love it. When we visited on a sunny weekday afternoon, the spot was teeming with moms and kids. Such a switch from how the playground used to be. No longer do you need to try to talk your kids out of a playground visit while you’re doing Lake Mayer laps. It is finally a fun, clean spot for playing! Thank you, Savannah, for the much needed facelift to the Lake Mayer playground!

Lake Mayer Community Park, 1850 E. Montgomery Crossroads Savannah, GA 31406

FREE Spanish Storytime for Kids to Learn Spanish @ Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
Wednesday, May 23, 11:00-11:45.
Your children will have lots of fun learning Spanish through story and song! Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday through May at Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
For more information, call Lorena Luna-Bradfield M.S. CCC/SLP at 912.335.8486 or visit www.bilingualspeechtherapy.net  . For Ages 3 and up. RSVP requested. Free.

The free Spanish storytime is canceled for this wk. No storytime on Wed May 9. The next story time will be as scheduled May 23 (details via the link below), which will be the last story time for this spring season. But there will more in the fall!

FREE Spanish Storytime for Kids to Learn Spanish @ Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
Wednesday, May 9, 11:00-11:45.
Your children will have lots of fun learning Spanish through story and song! Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday through May at Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
For more information, call Lorena Luna-Bradfield M.S. CCC/SLP at 912.335.8486 or visit www.bilingualspeechtherapy.net  . For Ages 3 and up. RSVP requested. Free.

FREE Spanish Storytime for Kids to Learn Spanish @ Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
Wednesday, April 25, 11:00-11:45.
Your children will have lots of fun learning Spanish through story and song! Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday through May at Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center
For more information, call Lorena Luna-Bradfield M.S. CCC/SLP at 912.335.8486 or visit www.bilingualspeechtherapy.net . For Ages 3 and up. RSVP requested. Free.