Father’s Day Gift Guide
Father’s Day is Sunday, June 17. So, The Retreat at Mountain Brook idea specialists have been hard at work scouting for the perfect gift for your dad and ours! Don’t stress about finding a gift—take our lead and shop our list of ideas! Just a short cruise from the Retreat at Mountain Brook is a little store with a lot of great things for dad. Little Hardware in English Village, has been serving folks in Mountain Brook and Birmingham for decades. Anyone can go into the big box DIY store, but Little Hardware has experts to help with any choices you may have. Because outdoor cooking is something most dads enjoy year-round, Little Hardware strives to always have a great selection of grills and accessories. The feature a large selection of Weber grills, both gas and charcoal, and for the true grill enthusiasts, they carry Kamado Joe. Check this out: http://little-hardware.com/the-grill-shop/ If you’re planning on staying home near the pool on Dad’s Day, remember we have awesome grilling stations at the Retreat at Mountain Brook, perfect for a *prime* opportunity to cookout for dad! Nothing beats a prime steak from Western Supermarket in Mountain Brook. Is your dad a beer aficionado? Birmingham has so many choices for boutique beer. If your dad is an aficionado of great brew, Cahaba Brewing Company is one of our favorite places! You’ll find gifts like branded t-shirts, hats, tasting trays, pint glasses, koozies and tap handles. However, if you think dad would like to choose for himself, how about an eGift Card as an excellent alternative. Now let’s talk Man Crates. We discovered Man Crates last year and frankly fell in love with the name and concept! So if your dad-o wants to brew his own — this is the place to go. Here you’ll find all the wonders of a Home Brewed Kit (5 gallons of goodness) for only $169! For the clean-cut dad a special barber gift certificate! The Art of Shaving, located at the Summit, offers special shaving treatments and quality hair care products. Don’t think we forgot about the hunting/fishing enthusiast dads. Here are the top ten gift ideas, from Marks Outdoors for the outdoorsy dads! We wish all the dad’s out there a Happy Father’s Day and hope the suggestions from our idea specialists at The Retreat at Mountain Brook help you make the day a treat for all the dad’s in your life!
Dog Days of Summer
A dog is a man and woman’s best friend, and here at the Retreat at Mountain Brook we strongly agree. This weekend is Do Dah Day, an annual event in Birmingham’s Historic Highland Park. Your idea specialists have complied Birmingham’s finest doggie services in honor of all charities benefiting animals in the Birmingham and Jefferson County area. There’s no denying your fur baby a summer cut in this inevitable heat! We have you covered with plenty of grooming and service options. Generation Dog’s Rub-a-Dub-Dog Bathhouse and Spa, is located in Homewood and offers a variety of full-service and a la carte options to assure your dog’s comfort comes first! Book appointments online today and don’t forget about specialty spa services, such as, pawdicures, doggie massages and facial treatments. Fancy Fur Pet Grooming offers a wide range of products and services that even the pickiest of pups will love. From premium pet foods, including wheat, soy, and corn free dog treats, to designer pet cushions, and even custom-created Austrian crystal pet collars, Fancy Fur has all the items you need to spoil your precious pet. The Pawms Pet Resort in Vestavia Hills and Avondale has an array of services including: boarding, dog day care, grooming, training, and bathing. However, The Pawms is well-known for their immaculate boarding services. They offer something unique to other kennels, which is the spacious runs that are 4 ft. x 12 ft. so your pets have plenty of room to play and exercise. At this size, the runs are large enough to accommodate family dogs to stay together! My Spoiled Pet Resort and Spa says, “we’ll spoil your pet while you spoil yourself!” Spoiled Pet Resort and Spa offers professional pet boarding, daycare and grooming. They have been in business since 2013 and have been working with the #2 groomer in the nation! You can call today for a free consultation. We hope your fur baby is well-pampered at Do Dah Eve, Friday, May 18 and Do Dah Day Saturday, May 19. Do Dah Eve is at Cantina Trotilla Grill and includes the swarthy collection of candidates who will be campaigning to become this year’s King and Queen – enter your squeaky-clean pup! Do Dah Day parade starts at 11:01am along Highland Avenue and festivities begin at 12:01pm in the Caldwell and Rhodes Parks in Southside. Stay tuned for our dog contest on Facebook! Win a dog friendly basket of treat and toys to celebrate National Pet Month!
Magic City Wine Fest with Birmingham Jaguar Land Rover
The Retreat at Mountain Brook partners with Jaguar Land Rover presents Magic City Wine Fest on Saturday, May 12 – benefiting the Birmingham Zoo. Take The World Tour, as the Magic City Wine Fest travels through a variety of regions across the globe. Attendees will be able to drink wine and beer specific to particular regions hosted at the Birmingham Zoo. Check out this cool video to see what’s in store: Magic City Winefest from Clint Brown on Vimeo. A portion of every ticket will benefit the Birmingham Zoo. Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend and treat your mom to a relaxing Zoo tour while supporting endangered animals! At any given time, approximately 950 animals of 230 species call the 122-acre Birmingham Zoo home, including sea lions, rhinos and more endangered species from six continents. Your ticket to the Magic City Wine fest could aid in supporting North America’s Biggest Cat, which is back at the Zoo! Jaguar, Khan, is unique to most cats because he loves water, and his new exhibit features scenic waterfalls and pools. You can help support animals like Khan and his new exhibit by attending the 2nd annual Magic City Wine Fest. Tickets are on sale now! General Admission ($49) includes admission into the event, a free souvenir wine glass, a passport brochure and a donation to the Birmingham Zoo. VIP tickets ($69) includes 30-minute early admission into the event, a special souvenir glass and access to a designated area with seating. Designated Driver ticket ($20) includes admission into the event. Come eat, drink and adventure the world around you on May 12, 5:30 PM-8:30 PM CDT.
Coffee Fest Round-Up
Coffee lovers around the Birmingham area gathered to celebrate their first true love – espresso. Alabama Coffee Festival was hosted by Alabama Multicultural Organization and held at Cahaba Brewing Company in Birmingham’s Avondale neighborhood. Participating coffee shops and roasters: Revelator Coffee Company, Honest Coffee Roasters, Domestique Coffee, Beyond Bama, Athens Roasting Co., Mason Dixon Bakery, Tropicaleo, The Abbey Coffee Shop, Red Bike Coffee, Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co., Known Coffee Co. So basically, if you missed this awesome opportunity of unlimited coffee tastings it’s in your best interest to hand the reigns over to our idea specialist at The Retreat at Mountain Brook. We have narrowed down Birmingham’s best brews closest to our community! Revelator Coffee Company, “Revelator celebrates relationships formed over fresh food, good drink, relaxed conversation, and an inviting cup of coffee or tea. We value quality and simplicity, and let our products and experiences speak for themselves.” Pick of the month: Gatare brew – bright notes of stone fruit and hibisicus. Candied tones of orange marmalade, sweet golden raisin, and blackberry preserves. Syrupy body, with layers of brown sugar and spice. The best part – It’s only 4 miles away from the Retreat! If Nitro coffee is your go-to you MUST visit Domestique Coffee. Nitro is an extension of their original cold-brew recipe. Domestique uses Fairtrade, shade grown, Haitian green coffee. To create this cold-brew they air roast utilizing their proprietary brewing method, and then finally off to the lab where a little magic happens. Domestique is BOLD and RICH. It has the body that truly compliments the NITRO infusion process! Stop by on your morning commute or lunch break. It’s a short 16 minute drive for a fast pick-me-up on your way to the office. We’ll take a brief moment to shy away from coffee and talk about coffee’s best friend, baked goods. Mason Dixon Bakery has now opened in Homewood, and the bakery has been awarded Alabama’s first gluten free bakery and bistro – one of the top 15 bakeries in the nation. This bakery and bistro was founded by a health inspired and locally driven couple, Dr. Ashley and Taylor Ramirez. We encourage you to watch this TED Talk in Huntsville, which depicts the captivating story of how Mason Dixon Bakery came to life. Feel free to drool over this bakery and bistro menu! The Abbey… What is The Abbey? It’s a community coffee shop in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham. It is a nonprofit project of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Their mission is to offer a place of hospitality and conversation to the community. The Abbey prides themselves on serving local goods. The coffee is roasted by Red Bike Coffee in Irondale, Alabama. The tea comes from Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co. of Huntsville, Alabama. As for their baked goods…made in-house at The Abbey. Swing by for an array of choices from hot/iced coffee, fabulous tea or savory treats from Crestline Bagel Co. Don’t forget about The Retreat’s signature cup of java in both resident lounges. We serve high-quality blends of coffee, tea and cocoa. What else could make your morning better? Oh yeah, it’s free. We hope to see you in the coffee lounge soon!
Living Large is easy at The Retreat at Mountain Brook in Birmingham, Alabama
Are you searching for a luxurious apartment community in the Birmingham area, but struggling to find the maximum value in a floorplan? We’re glad you found us! The Retreat at Mountain Brook is a compilation of your aspirations in a community where residents come first, followed by luxurious living for less. The Retreat is nestled against Mountain Brook, Alabama; and is known for its location, legendary square footage, walk in closets, salt-water pools and fitness centers. However, our greatest attribute is our valued, spacious floor plans! Seriously – you’ll often hear us talk about large, luxury living because we stand by what we say. Our idea specialists at The Retreat have crunched the numbers and statistically proven we offer the best value when it comes to a community in Birmingham, Alabama. Let’s talk LARGE. Our community is made up of 3 villages; Canterbury, Highland and Greenbriar, which include 3 bedroom apartments and townhomes. Are you ready to hear more about these substantial Birmingham spaces? We’ll begin with Canterbury, which hosts the largest floorplan of all the villages. Say hello to, The Augustine, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment home with nearly 2,000 sq. ft. of fabulous living space. (that’s 445 sq. ft. more than our closest competitors). Highland Village welcomes you with an array of 3 bedroom floor plans. Keep in mind we currently have availability in this village – come Experience the Difference with us! The Winsford, a generous 1,450 sq. ft. 3 bedroom 2 bath apartment home, ranges from $1305-$1345. This apartment, like all at The Retreat at Mountain Brook, offers storage galore and a large balcony for outdoor living. The Beaumont, one of many townhomes in Highland, is nearly 1,700 sq. ft. for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. All that space for just $1650. The Brookshire townhome, a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath is 1,900 sq. ft. This is the largest option in the Highland village and is priced at $1699. Use the extra space to entertain, the third bedroom as your yoga studio, or a lovely guest room for when company comes to visit! The Prescott townhome, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment home with 1,732 sq. ft. ranges from $1440 – $1480. Lastly, Greenbriar Village, which offers one 3 bedroom floor plan, The Stoneridge, also with 2 full bathrooms, is 1,800 sq. ft., ranges from $1340 – $1370. And our large, luxurious floor plans include; stainless and black appliances, washer and dryers, sunrooms, porches and legendary closets. Don’t forget about our amazing location! We have easy access to interstates, surrounded by hip neighborhoods and trendy local events. Visit us and let us make your living experience large and luxurious for an affordable price right here in Birmingham, Alabama.
Springify Your Space
It’s that time of the year again… Flowers are blooming and days are getting longer – hello there, spring! It’s also time to lighten up – put away winter-wear, take stock, and get a plan to lighten up; refresh, renew and reinvent our day-to-day surroundings. The idea specialists, at The Retreat at Mountain Brook, sought this season’s freshest indoor and outdoor home décor trends, to bring you ideas to incorporate a pop of color with fresh-finds to springify your space. Are you ready to hippity-hop into a new spring style? Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing: Bright Rug Brighten your balcony by adding a small, colorful outdoor rug! We suggest looking at the wide selection Wayfair has to offer. These rugs are affordable and sustainable. Planters Rail planters not only look fabulous, but they are easy to assemble. Fill your planter with your favorite flowers and bask in the joys of spring! No green thumb? Don’t fret, we know the ultimate place for all your flower needs. Visit Oak Street Garden Shop, in Crestline Village – they can create and customize any arrangement. However, the best news is that it’s ONLY 3 miles from our community! Pastel Pillows Pastels sing to the tune of spring joy! Coordinate your outdoor color scheme by adding a pop of pastel with your furniture. Shop vibrant, outdoor pillows under $20 at Target. Bench Seating A hot trend this spring is, earth-toned furniture. We are obsessed with this trend because it balances out any color scheme. Did you know outdoor benches can serve in a multi-purpose way? Transform your bench into a couch by placing it against a wall with comfy cushions – or remove pillows and use it as seating at the dining table. We suggest investing in a bench from Arhaus, located 7 miles away from home at the Summit. String Lights Outdoor lighting adds the perfect touch to your space! We hope this trend NEVER fades. This detail accentuates your twist on spring style. There are several different ways to string your lights; railing, ceiling or in a tree. Now the balcony is draped in fabulousness, but what about the interior of your apartment? Glad you thought to ask. We have ideas for the inside of your home too! Aren’t you glad you kept reading – how adorable are these apothecary jars filled with lemon and limes? This concepts brings the natural colors of spring inside! You can find a beautiful variety of apothecary jars at Pottery Barn in The Summit. Springify your kitchen by adding greenery in a neutral container. This cooking tray encapsulates simplistic decor with a pop of color. Visit Leaf n Petal, with all three locations close by The Retreat at Mountain Brool for indoor flowers and plants. Another trend we cannot live without this spring is, terrariums. This earthy decor can be a head-turner in your apartment, especially if Oak Street Garden Shop is the creator! We hope your apartment and you, are now revived of the winter blues!
De-stress Address
Under stress, because you’ve started a new job? Perhaps you’re getting married, and you are negotiating wedding activities while looking for a place to live? Or like thousands across the US, you’re a medical student, waiting for Match Day, March 16, 2018, when you’ll learn where you will spend the next several years as a resident, which medical school you’ll attend, and what state you’ll live in to complete your medical residency. It’s an extremely exciting time…and very stressful. The good news? Well, there’s lots of good news, especially if you are moving to Birmingham, Alabama, to attend the University of Alabama School of Medicine. There are plenty of services to help make your life easier – and there is one apartment community where you can live just 6.5 miles from UAB’s campus. Where you’ll pay about half of what you would pay at comparable places, with at least twice the square footage. And that is The Retreat at Mountain Brook luxury apartment community, nestled against one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the country, with manicured grounds with a naturally forested backdrop, gated and secure. Our apartment homes’ large size is legendary. We offer home to curb valet trash service, chef-inspired kitchens, granite countertops, stainless appliances, wood plank flooring, electric fireplaces, sunrooms, balconies, fenced backyards, double vanity sinks and walk-in closets, and AT&T U-verse for a strong internet connection – to name just a few of our remarkable features. But, back to the stress. We know that medical school and residency is extraordinarily stressful. Since we are a different sort of community, we are serious about assisting our community members and striving to make their time at home as positive an experience as possible. As a medical resident, you are about to undergo years of both physical and mental challenges. What tools can you use to successfully cope with these challenges? While a little unorthodox from the perspective of marketing a luxury apartment community, we think these are differentials we should bring to your attention — like our 24-hour state of the art fitness center, tennis courts, 3 resort-style saltwater pools and nearby hiking trails. Why do we want you to know how easy it is to stay active at The Retreat at Mountain Brook? We ran across a TED talk we wanted to share about the scientific neuroscience behind stress and the brain changing benefits of exercise, by Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. And the final reason you should consider The Retreat at Mountain Brook luxury apartment community for your place of abode during your residency? Our staff, who we hope you will consider as your on-site home team, will strive to take care of your living details in whatever ways they can while you are busy at work. We are prepared to assist first with a personalized tour of our beautiful community, and then to make your time here with us as carefree as possible. We can be reached 7-days a week at 205-956-9722 or at info@retreatatmountainbrook.net. Now, congratulations and welcome to UAB, in the Magic City, Birmingham, Alabama, where you can call the Retreat at Mountain Brook your home.
Magic City Mixology
Have you ever wondered what it would take to become a great bartender? Do you secretly have the desire to be the guy on the other side of the bar, making fabulous libations and concoctions for people – showing off your prowess of mixology? Or perhaps you’d just like to polish your entertaining style and become that envied host or hostess who throws the best parties? With spring just around the corner and outdoor entertaining on the rise; and if mixology has always intrigued you, we suggest starting out with 3 things: 1. Education, whether formal or self-taught 2. The right barware 3. A well-stocked bar There are all sorts of books on the subject, in bookstores and online, but did you know that we have a school for bartenders right here in Birmingham, Alabama? In just two weeks you can learn the ins-and-outs of mixing drinks. Whether you go the professional-hobby route or opt for the self-taught version, here are some resources we recommend to get you groovin’ and shakin’ in no time at all. If you want to spend a relatively small amount of money for a cool new hobby, or even – a whole new profession, check out ABC Bartending School, with locations throughout the South. Classes start soon and are repeated every two weeks for $295 – talk about a fun gift to give someone! Here’s the schedule: Night Class: Tuesdays & Thursdays 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. for 2 weeks Weekend class: Saturdays 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. for 4 weeks Night class starts: February 27, 2018 Weekend class starts: March 3, 2018 As for stocking the bar and barware, here’s an informative post from our favorite Blog, StyleBlueprint featuring top mixologists advice about the essentials you will need in the way of bar tools. As far as where to buy barware nearby The Retreat at Mountain Brook, here are some of our favorite places: The Cook Store – Mountain Brook Village – Here you will find Moscow Mules Copper Cups, Whisky Wedge Glasses, Corkcicles to keep your wine the perfect temperature , Corkcicle canteens that keep your drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours, Rabbit Wine Openers & a variety of wine stoppers. Table Matters – We absolutely LOVE the VIVE at Table Matters and think you will too. You’ll be able to stock up on essentials like martini shakers, decanters. Wales Bar Spoons, Ice buckets and more! Target.com – Literally, everything you could possibly want for a well stocked bar. To create a well stock bar, you need to learn the lingo and about the products you’re using – you need answers to questions like, “What is vermouth? What makes a drink dirty? Shaken or stirred? On the Rocks or meat? What does all of this mean?” We suggest reading: The Joy of Mixology. It is the quintessential bar guide complete with history and how liquor is made. And here is a great article from The Spruce that provides a quick guide to distilled spirits. Just follow these easy steps and in no time you’ll be a mixologist aficionado and be the hit of entertaining at home! P.S. Do you remember any of these guys? The greatest TV bartenders of all times.
Frontier Airlines – A Whole Different Animal
A new option for travel for Retreat at Mountain Brook residents We love a good story, especially when it is tied to something that makes life easier for our residents at The Retreat at Mountain Brook. So when we heard from Bham Now, the modern, mobile Birmingham, about Frontier Airlines coming to Birmingham, we had to investigate, and here’s what we discovered… Great news! Traveling to Disney, Denver, or Philly from Birmingham just got a lot easier and less expensive as the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport announced that Frontier has landed a slot as the airport’s newest commercial carrier. It’s perfect timing, because spring break is around the corner and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth is, too, with an easy drive from The Retreat at Mountain Brook; logging in at just under 15 minutes via 1-20, ideal for people who travel a lot or work at the airport. And who doesn’t want to fly on a large aircraft with cute critters painted on the tail? Several years ago, when the airline wanted to differentiate its brand, it looked back to a concept begun years before that featured larger than life-sized animals painted on its planes. In 2014, spokesanimals’ roles increased and a new marketing campaign was launched, hence the tagline, A Whole Different Animal. [huge_it_gallery id=”4″] We also learned that each aircraft features the name of the animal featured on its tail near the nose of the aircraft for easier identification. Each animal has a name: Jack the rabbit, Grizwald the bear, Foxy the fox (for whom Jack has a crush), Flip the dolphin (who always gets stuck going to Chicago rather than the warmer climates the others are going to), Larry the lynx, Hector the sea otter, and Sal the cougar. The newest spokesanimal additions are Penguins Jim, Joe, Jay, and Gary, a barbershop-style quartet, singing the praises of EarlyReturns to an audience of Frontier’s well-known characters from the A Whole Different Animal campaign, Hector the otter, advertising Frontier’s expanding service to Mexico, and Polly the Parrot, who won the new animal audition in 2012. We love this concept. So, welcome to Birmingham, Frontier Airlines! If Jack, Grizwald, Foxy, Flip, Larry, Hector, Sal, Jim, Joe, Jay, Gary, or Polly need a place to call home, The Retreat at Mountain Brook is a nearby destination and stands ready to accommodate!
Let Them Eat Cake!
There are all sorts of weird, and sometimes wacky, national and international observances. In February alone there’s everything from Lame Duck Day, Tuesday, Feb. 6, to World Sword Swallower’s Day, Feb 24. But today, as we prepare to leave January behind, we can do so with a smile on our face and chocolate in our tummies, as we celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day. My resolution this year: If I’m going to treat myself to sweets – it won’t be your ordinary run of the mill Reese’s Cup (although we do LOVE our Reese’s Cups). No, if I was going to occasionally indulge, it was going to be something homemade or baked by an artisanal baker. After all, I deserve the very best! (That’s why I live at the Retreat at Mountain Brook – smile:) So, my friend and I set out in search of the very best chocolate cake in the Birmingham area. First stop, Nothing Bundt Cakes, located at the Summit. The first thing you notice when you walk through the door is the aroma — ahhh, just like visiting grandma’s kitchen — on steroids. The mélange of aromas greets you as you enter the cheerful bakery, causing us to remind ourselves of our mission — chocolate. After pondering our choices, we caved and purchased a dozen Bundtinis. Yum. Off to our next destination – a Birmingham classic – Edgar’s Bakery at The Shops of the Colonnade – here we opted for breakfast because we knew we would need lots of energy for our task of the day — finding chocolate cake. I had the Croque Madame ($6.49) and my friend had Crabcake Benedict ($9.49), both lovely breakfast dishes. Although, I must say that we had to keep reminding ourselves that we were not there for Edgar’s famous Strawberry Cake (OMG) or the King Cake, which we could come back for in time for our Mardi Gras party. We left with a whole Chocolate Decadence cake. ($55) Onward and Upward. Back towards Homewood, to make a stop at Dreamcakes – their motto: We BAKE the world a better place. Love that. Almond Joy, Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate High, Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Truffle, Chocolate Sundae, Dolly Madison (gasp), Foreign Affair (ooh la la), Mint Chocolate Chip, Mississippi Mud, Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, Smores and Turtle Dreamcakes. Two of each, please. Now it’s a party. We get our phones out and start texting – there’s clearly a chocolate party in our future — so we start to invite friends over, knowing we can’t do this on our own. With just two more stops before we end up back home, Olexa’s in Mountain Brook and Zoe’s Kitchen in Crestline – we are in full-fledged party planning mode, and decide to pick up some other party foods while on our mission! We get to Olexa’s, order Chicken Salad ($12.99 lb.), Seafood Louie Salad ($15.99 lb.), and their signature Corn and Black Bean Salad ($6.99 lb.) and two pieces of chocolate fudge buttercream cake, just in case we get hungry on our way back home. Our final stop before meeting all of our friends back home at The Retreat at Mountain Brook is Zoe’s Kitchen in Crestline Village. Perhaps we could have gone there first and satisfied our chocolate cravings with a piece of their chocolate cake. Zoe’s Kitchen was founded by Mrs. Zoe Cassimus in 1995. Everything Mrs. Cassimus, aka Yaya, created for her family and followers, was amazing, but her chocolate cake… (moment of silence)…was, and is, to die for. Located at 225 Country Club Park in Crestline Village, Zoe’s Kitchen is a 7 min. drive from home, The Retreat at Mountain Brook. It’s now 4 pm. The party’s gotten so large, we’re taking over the clubhouse, to share our bounty of the day with friends and family. Cheers, and here’s to National Chocolate Cake Day!
