The Beach is Calling

Take the Stress Out of the Holiday Season

“As the shoppers rush home with their treasures” rings true today more than when Silver Bells was first written. Overscheduled families often hustle through the holidays in such as stressful blur that they end up spending the holidays nursing colds or fighting off bronchitis. Make sure your visit is relaxing and restoring by keeping a few simple rules in mind:

1. Take time to enjoy doing nothing. Just sitting with your family by a roaring fire drinking hot chocolate has value. Your body, mind and spirit need time to unwind and declutter and quality time with the kids is much needed in these days of DSi’s and Kinects.

2. Take care of yourself. Be sure to take in plenty of fluids, especially fresh juice, take vitamins and maintain a healthy diet. Sweets and overindulgence are hallmarks of the holiday season but highly processed starchy and fatty foods can take a toll on your immune system. Keep them in balance with fresh fruit and vegetables.

3. Take a time out. Indulge in a spa bath with special salts and essential oils. Not only is the hot water relaxing and pleasing, the water and salts help detoxify your system and ease stressed muscles.

4. Take a short cut. Reduce the time you spend rushing around for the holidays by having a plan. Order online, have a specific list of stores you want to visit personally, be strategic about trips to the post office. The more organized you are approaching the season of giving the less likely you are to exceed your spending limit or struggle for parking.

5. Take notice. Do something special to commemorate the season. Go to the Nutcracker, take in a holiday show, work in a homeless shelter or even just go caroling. If you feel you are authentically experiencing the holiday, the season will be more naturally joyful and less stressful.

6. Take the pressure off. The holidays – like everything else in life – aren’t perfect. Don’t hold yourself and your family to an unattainable standard. A good gift is just as heartfelt as the perfect gift. If your son’s hair isn’t just so in the Christmas portrait, so be it. Your family and friends don’t expect perfection from you – don’t put that on yourself.

Another Great Gift Idea – Donate To The Alabama Coastal Foundation In A Loved One’s Name.

The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) provides a number of options for helping preserve the local ecosystem now and into the future. For the holiday gift-giving season, consider making a one-time donation for the ACF Gulf Oil Release Response or purchase an ACF membership for a student, individual, family or friend . Funds are used to help ensure the protection of sensitive habitats, support educational programs for kids and adults, and to provide safe meaningful Volunteer Programs.

The ACF is currently building Osprey Platforms to provide safe nesting spots for these amazing members of the raptor family. Other ACF programs include organizing tree plantings with native species like Tulip Poplar, Southern Magnolia, Longleaf Pine and Live Oak. Donations and memberships help assure this good work and all future programs continue in the wake of the BP disaster. It’s a great gift idea that will continue to make a difference in the years to come. You can make a donation to ACF online at www.joinacf.org or call 251-990-6002. For information about other environmental events, check www.gulfshores.com.

Mark Your Calendar: 23rd Annual Coastal Cleanup, Saturday, September 18th.

Help get the trash out of the splash! Lend a hand and join volunteers for the 23rd Annual Coastal Cleanup. For over 20 years, residents and visitors have joined together to help remove marine debris from the beaches, waterways, and ecosystems along the Alabama Gulf Coast. The annual cleanup encompasses several sites throughout Baldwin and Mobile counties.

The event is held in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), which is the world’s largest single-day volunteer event for the marine environment. Since Alabama joined the ICC in 1987, 55,000 volunteers have removed a total of 1,034,000 pounds of debris along 3,000 miles of Alabama coastline. While supplies last, volunteers will receive a tee-shirt and decal keepsake for helping to keep the beaches beautiful.

This year’s cleanup will take place on Saturday, September 18, from 8:00 a.m. until noon. For more information, call Alabama People Against a Littered State, 800-ALA-PALS (252-7257), or the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 251-621-1216. You can also visit www.alcoastalcleanup.org for Baldwin County contact information, tips and more.

Photo from www.alcoastalcleanup.org website.

Gulf Shores/Orange Beach Video Update, July 24, 2010.

Today's video update starts at the Alabama Gulf State Park Pier then moves to Tanger Outlet and Gulf Bowl in Foley. We are having technical difficulties with the video link on YouTube. You can view the video on our Facebook page GulfShoresOrangeBeach. http://www.facebook.com/GulfShoresOrangeBeach?ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=1555082760003&ref=mf

Like everyone along the Gulf Coast, the CVB is monitoring the clean-up of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and relying on official updates from the Unified Command response team and local emergency management officials for information. We will continue to post confirmed updates on this page as they become available.

Where The River Meets The Sea – Explore The Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Imagine exploring a living classroom where you can learn about estuaries -- the point where where a river meets the sea. Encompassing over 6,000 forested acres, Weeks Bay offers boardwalk trails (all are wheelchair accessible) and hiking trails through miles of protected estuarine habitats. One of the boardwalk trails leads through an awesome Native Pitcher Plant Bog. At the Interpretive Center, you can explore ecological, historical and archeological exhibits unique to the area, plus live and preserved native animal displays.

The Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is located at 11300 Hwy 98, Fairhope, AL, and admission is free. The Interpretive Center is open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.gulfshores.com or visit www.weeksbay.org.

Photo from Weeks Bay website.

July 7th Kids Gulf Discovery Day At Bellingrath Gardens.

Local environmental organizations have put together a great program to help teach kids how the Gulf oil spill is impacting our coastal ecology. Fun and educational, kids will learn about clean-up methods and ways to protect our waterways, while enjoying “get your hands dirty” activities, demonstrations and displays. Kids Gulf Discovery Day has been created to replace the annual Kid’s Kruise because the Southern Belle River Cruiser is assisting with clean-up activities on Dauphin Island through September.

Scheduled for Wednesday, July 7th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open to all visitors with paid garden admission: $11 for adults, $6 for children 5-12, and free for children 4 and under (additional charges will apply to tour the Bellingrath Museum Home). Pre-ordered box lunches are also available upon registration or upon arrival. To make a reservation call 251-973-2217, extension 111. Or, go to www.bellingrath.org to download a registration form.

Image from Bellingrath website.