Colorado Livin’

7 Best Christmas tree farms in Denver

Updated 2022 Sure, you can run down to your local hardware or grocery store to buy an artificial or real Christmas tree…but why not make your experience more memorable? The Denver area has a great selection of Christmas tree farms, a few with darling gift shops, holiday goodies, photo opps and Santa himself! And if you’re looking for something memorable to decorate that tree, check out these darling Colorado ornaments which make perfect gifts for yourself and someone else. We especially love this darling hand-painted glass Christmas ormanent of a distressed Colorado flag or if you like to keep it simple, this Colorado Flag Snowflake Metal Christmas Ornament. MORE HOLIDAY FUN IN DENVER! Don’t miss your Ultimate Guide to the Holidays in Denver. If you’re lucky, we...

Win a birthday party at the incredible new Airhouse Adventure Park (a $300 value!)

If you’ve visited the Aurora Town Center mall recently, I’m sure you’ve seen Fieldhouse, the enormous indoor sports complex on the Northside of the mall. Inside FieldhouseUSA, the sprawling indoor hard court sports complex is Airhouse Adventure Park, an indoor play space featuring a high ropes course, 4-person gyro sphere, zipline roller coaster, interactive trampoline attractions, arcade and extreme dodge ball court. And Mile High Mamas is giving YOU the chance to win a birthday party for 10 people!!   About Airhouse Adventure Park in Aurora You will be utterly blown away by how clean, well-lit, and spacious Airhouse Adventure Park is – along with the myriad of activities and things to do. This would be a dream location for any active child or teen’s birthday party! Airhous...

Denver Fashion Week: The hottest fashions + learn to be a runway model

New York Fashion Week may be world-famous but Denverites also have a style to celebrate. Since 2018, Denver Fashion Week has been Colorado’s largest fashion event.  During the week-long show, emerging and established designers and boutiques from both Denver and around the country will showcase their collections’ key seasonal styles, enhanced by the work of talented hairstylists, makeup artists and models. Denver Fashion Week’s five-day event at McNichols Civic Center Building kicks off with industry workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 16 and 17, followed by three days of shows, November 18, 20 and 21. November 16 Workshop: Runway Model Workshop Led by agency directors Nikki Strickler and Kiana Johnson of Southwest Model and Talent Agency, this workshop is aimed at both n...

Colorado kids can now get 3 free therapy sessions and how to help them NOW!

Our Colorado kids’ mental health matters. That’s why Colorado’s new I Matter program matters now more than ever. The new program offers three free mental health counseling sessions each year for Coloradans ages 18 and younger. It’s offering the same counseling options for those 21 and younger who are receiving special education services. The visits will be with a licensed behavioral health clinician, primarily via telehealth.  Lawmakers approved $9 million dollars to start the I Matter program, in response to what researchers call a youth mental health crisis. Governor Jared Polis signed a bipartisan bill to create the program, with one-time money, that’s part of the administration’s Colorado Comeback roadmap. I Matter is funded and administ...

Check out Colorado’s newest state park at Sweetwater Lake!

Colorado has an abundance of reactional treasures and a new one has been added to that list.  Governor Polis announced that Sweetwater Lake will be Colorado’s 43rd State Park  in a continuing commitment to expanding outdoor recreation and meeting the needs of those who love to play on Colorado Public Lands. This will be the second state park of Polis’ administration that has been created since taking office, with Fishers Peak opening last year in Trinidad. Where is Sweetwater Lake? Sweetwater Lake is located near the border of Garfield County and Eagle County, only about 15 miles off Highway 70.  What is there to do at Sweetwater Lake? Sweetwater Lake boasts nearly 500 stunning acres of rugged park land with even more land adjacent to US Forest Service trails. In...

This Denver accountant mom wrote the most darling children’s book on National Parks

How does an accountant for over 30 years decide to write a book?  Sometimes change can come more suddenly than you think… On an extended road trip in 2015, my family traveled to Glacier National Park.  We love to visit the Parks, and feel fortunate living in Denver that we are within a 20-hour drive of over half the National Parks in the US!  Stopping at the visitor center, I fell in love with a stuffed mountain goat – I had always been a sucker for stuffed animals.  My kids were 18 and 16 at the time, so I bought him for myself and called him Jemaine.  For the rest of our trip to Seattle, Vancouver, and back to Denver, Jemaine entertained us and kept us company. A few years later and the company I was working for was sold – it was a great time to leave Accounting ...

Increase Your Child’s Confidence – With Music Lessons in Denver!

These days, it seems harder and harder for parents to find ways to increase their children’s confidence.  Kids nowadays tend to come across many more challenges to growing up confident and secure than they find reasons to grow in confidence. But confidence is one of the most important attributes we parents can help our kids develop. The successful leaders in our society are people who developed self-assurance, and/or found ways to overcome obstacles and beat their early lack of confidence. What doesn’t seem to work is the recent trend toward “praise for participation.”  Don’t get me wrong: Praising your kids is always important.  But for the praise to build your child’s confidence, it needs to come on the heels of achievement, not just participation. More and more parents ar...

Top 15 places for Denver families to stargaze in Colorado

Did you know Colorado has so many awesome places to stargaze with your family in Colorado? Whether you lie under the heavens of the San Luis Valley, or get a little closer to the stars on the peak of a stately mountain, there is nothing like seeing constellations speckled across a clear Colorado sky. Colorado.com shares these 15 places to stargaze in Colorado.  DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT One of the newest addition to the International Dark-Sky Association’s list of Dark Sky Parks for its “exceptional natural darkness,” this gem in the far northwest corner of the state hosts ranger programs and night hikes to get visitors deep into the dark. There are also many prime places to view the night sky with either the naked eye or telescopes and binoculars. Until now, the mo...

Fun new play fort in Littleton + ways to get Denver kids outside

What would spending Just 20 Minutes Outside every day do for our kids’ physical and mental health? Generation Wild, a movement created by Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), has set up a fort in Littleton for children to play in as part of their “Just 20 Minutes Outside” campaign. The free-standing fort is 22′ long, 13′ wide and over 18′ tall. The Generation Wild Fort inspires kids to spend time outside by traveling to different parks in the state of Colorado – and Littleton is the second stop on the tour! Kids can use their imagination with the fort playing games and playing with the ribbons.   Generation Wild’s campaign is geared towards improving children’s mental health. This downloadable, printable and trackable list provides paren...

12 Fun Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Denver

What is Hispanic Heritage Month? Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The celebration begins each year on Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico, Chile and Belize also observe their independence days during this period. Visit Denver shares how you can celebrate this rich tradition, history and culture in Denver. (Versión en español aquí). Be sure to scroll to the bottom to learn where to learn bachata or salsa dancing in Denver Biennial of the Americas (Sept. 3–25,...

Check out a sewing machine, Colorado State Park pass, Go-Pro and more from the Denver Public Library

We recently shared that Denver’s only toy library–where you can check out a whole array of items including educational toys, games, puzzles and costume–has reopened. But did you know you can check out so much more from the Denver Public Library, including Chrome Books, a sewing machine, a Colorado State Park Pass, Go-Pro and more. Bicycle Repair Kits Bike Repair Kits provide the tools you need to fix a flat or make an adjustment to your bike. Checkout period: 2 hours. On-site at the library only. Check Out State Parks: Colorado Library Pass Enjoy the natural beauty of Colorado at one of our 42 State Parks. Pass admits one carload of people. Checkout period: 1 week. For National Parks, see the Every Kid Outdoors program to learn about FRE...

Colorado’s Best Fall Colors: Best drives, hikes, ghost towns and farms

Where do I find Colorado’s best fall colors? Look no further than our leaf-peeping guide for Denver families.  Learn about 5 scenic byways with glorious fall colors, where to find the best hikes, the top 20 places to see fall foliage in Colorado divided up by time of year and elevation and five Colorado towns that glow gold!  While it’s true Colorado boasts amazing adventures and scenery in the summer, the four-cornered state’s golden season is fall. Mountaintops and scenic byways are lined with fiery autumn trees, and the state’s cities and towns enjoy a slower pace with more than 135,000 acres of wide-open spaces to explore. From remote ranch and farm experiences to ghost towns and haunted experiences and winding autumn road trips, Colorado provides spacious outdoor, soci...