Month: October 2010

Sweet Tomatoes Offers Mile High Mamas a 25% Catering Discount (just $6.75 per person!)

Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes’ Chicken Won Ton Happiness Salad makes me happy. That’s why taking the restaurant up on their 25% off discount for catering was a no-brainer. My neighbor Kristen (already a mother of three kids and two stepchildren) is pregnant with twins. Unexpectedly. If that doesn’t deserve an all-out celebration, I don’t know what does. And Sweet Tomatoes delivered. I invited several friends to my house for a baby shower last week and we were delighted with a huge spread of food: Chicken Wonton Happiness Salad (of course), Bartlett Pear Tossed Salad, Whole Grain Couscous, Joan’s Broccoli Madness (best I’ve ever had), Roasted Eggplant Hot Pasta, Creamy Tomato Soup, muffins, cookies, beverages and a potato bar with all the fixings. Y...

Mama Drama: Monkey See, Monkey Do

Dear Mama Drama: I have a question about my granddaughter who just turned five.  She literally copies every thing that every one of her friends or cousins does (Monkey See, Monkey Do).  She even copies things that other kids do even when she knows it is wrong!  We wonder that if one of her friends jumped off a bridge if she would do it too.  We all keep asking her why she does this and reminding her that she is a unique person with a terrific personality all by herself and doesn’t need to copy any one else.  We are very concerned and are wondering if you have any tips and advice that you can offer. Thank you, ~Concerned Grandma (photo credit) Dear Concerned: Imitation is the primary form of learning young children use to acquire new skills and understandings. They imitate adults, pee...

The scariest thing about Halloween decorations is that they exist at all

‘Tis the season when decapitated mummies and axe-wielding ghouls haunt the aisles of grocery stores and the lawns of our neighbors. It’s ugly out there. My kids like to visit the Halloween slivers of stores, where orange and black reign supreme and candy buckets have moving claws. Rows of plastic skeletons hang limply from hooks, fugitives from plastic graves where plastic worms fed on plastic flesh. Or maybe they were born in a Chinese factory and assembled by baffled people who must think Americans are pretty weird to want these things. Which scenario is scarier? We visit. We do not buy. It is strange to want to bring death to our doorsteps when the other eleven months of the year we pretend it doesn’t exist. In October, it’s cool to have your brains eaten by a zo...

Event Round-up: Trick or Treat Street, Boo at the Zoo, Free Halloween Concert & More!

Friday-Sunday. It’s a three-day Halloween extravaganza at the Children’s Museum of Denver’s Trick or Treat Street. There’s plenty of candy, of course, but also a full day of spooky activities. See live performances — like storytelling, magic and a visit from Ronald McDonald — or take a course in “Pumpkinology.” Vern’s Mini Train will be tooling around, giving rides for $2, and everyone’s invited to try some “Dirty Desserts.” Costumes, naturally, are encouraged. Check the event schedule online before heading out — it changes from day to day. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. Activities are included with museum admission: $8 for guests ages 2 to 59, $6 for 1-year-olds and ...

Denver Zombie Crawl 2010 – Yes! A *Family* Event!

OK. Maybe not for *every* family. But there sure were *a lot* of families there this year. If you have never even *heard* of the Denver Zombie Crawl, let me enlighten you. Started 5 years ago by Denver native Danny Newman, the event has grown exponentially every year until this year’s event, held last Saturday in Skyline Park, was attended by over 7,000 of the walking dead. SEVEN THOUSAND! That broke a Guinness World Record, people! I was there. It certainly was a TON of zombies. Everyone gathers mid-afternoon, in the park, and OF COURSE, Michael Jackson’s Thriller is played, danced to, consumed, whatever – before the zombies are released on the 16th Street Mall. Then the Crawl begins in earnest.

Denver Deal: Halloween Fun, Qdoba and Art by Craft Market

Happy Halloween!  I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday.  I hope all the mamas check their kids’ Halloween haul to ensure their favorite candy is safe!  My kids abhor when I remind them I must “check” the candy – and somehow most of the Snickers and every 100 Grand bar does not pass muster – at least for THEM to eat. (Feel free to send me any of the ones you feel a little “suspect” about.) Qdoba Kids Eat Free Weekend Qdoba Mexican Grill  is is getting your Halloween celebration started right with a “Kids Eat Free” this weekend (Oct. 29-31). The weekend offer includes one free Kids Meal for children ages 12 or under with the purchase of one regular entrée and is available at all metro Denver Qdoba restaurants. Children’s Museum Trick or T...

Jeffco school becomes model for teaching kids with autism

Several years ago when Sarah Handy began teaching students with autism at Mortensen Elementary in Littleton, she found her students were rarely allowed to mix with other pupils in the Jefferson County school. That has changed. Now most of the 18 students with autism are integrated, and the work of the staff has caught the eye of the Colorado Department of Education. Mortensen last week was named to be a model site for the Denver metro area in how to teach students with autism — providing the school with a $1,000 grant, training for teachers and an on-site coach. The school has good inclusion practices, an anti-bullying program and an effective “Response to Intervention” model to give early assistance to children having difficulty learning. “The goal is to provide the

Are tween girls’ costume options a soft-porn horror show?

“What should I be?” I overheard one girl asking another in a costume store recently. I’m an eavesdropper, and this conversation was well worth following. So, in all my middle-aged invisibility, I lingered as the pair of middle-schoolers contemplated their choices for Halloween. These were tweens with braces and eyeliner — young enough to fit into kids’ sizes but determined to shop the women’s section. “How’s this?” asked one holding a French maid costume over her skinny jeans and Juicy Couture T-shirt. The feather duster was sold separately. “Sweet. Try it on,” urged the other as she pulled two costumes off the rack. One was a “Sexy Thumper Bunny.” The other, a “Deluxe Pirate Wench.” The problem with eavesd...

Sweet! Colorado is candy country you and your kids will love

This Halloween, instead of trying to pass yourself off as a costume- clad grade-schooler or rifling through your kid’s goody bag to claim the Halloween Parent Tax, visit one of Colorado’s prized candymakers to stockpile your own booty before the big night. Moms and dads will hardly notice that pile of jawbreakers and lollipops once they’ve reserved a private, hidden stash of locally made, Grand Marnier-flavored truffles. Colorado is home to a smorgasbord of independent confectioners and candy boutiques. Some sell their wares worldwide on the Internet, and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchise stores serve as Colorado’s chocolaty ambassadors to places including Canada and the Virgin Islands. Many locals fondly remember the red-and-white barn in Wheat Ridge that ...

Less Tricks, More Treats and Playing it Safe This Halloween

From costumes to candy, Halloween can get tricky. You want your child to have fun, but as a parent, it’s also your job to keep him safe and healthy. Read some tips from The Children’s Hospital on how to make the most of October 31st. Trick-or-treating: How young is too young? Young children (under age 10) should always be accompanied by a parent or trusted adult when trick-or-treating. Make sure kids know their home phone number, the cell phone numbers of parents, and how to call 9-1-1 in case they get lost. What about older kids? For older kids who go trick-or-treating on their own, make sure you approve of the route they’ll be taking and set a specific curfew for coming home. Also make sure that they: o Carry a cell phone and a flashlight (with new batteries) o Go in a group, stay ...

Colorado programs target fastest-growing criminal segment: teen girls

Guadalupe Herrera was an eighth-grader at Skyview Middle School, a tough girl with attitude and a gang wardrobe, when she learned another girl was spreading rumors about her. One day, she walked by the girl, who pointed at her and began whispering. “I said, ‘If you’ve got something to say to me, say it to my face,’ ” said Guadalupe, who turned and walked away. “I wasn’t even 5 feet away from her when she said, ‘That psycho border-hopper.’ “It was like a spit in the face,” Guadalupe said. “I was born and raised here. I’m just as American as she is. My blood zoomed up. I started shaking.” Guadalupe’s violent reaction, which ended with her arrest after pummeling her tormenter on a field outside the part ...

Halloween Treat Alternatives

And now we come to the controversial topic of Halloween candy.  Dun, duh, duh.  Also titled, Why I like to give out candy alternatives on Halloween. First, Halloween candy is dangerous to certain people whose name I will not mention. I hear tell, that some times a person might buy some yummy candy a month in advance.  Sadly, the so-called sale doesn’t save that person any money because that person EATS all the candy before Halloween and then that person, who is now slightly fatter, must go back to the store and buy more stinkin’ Halloween candy.  Evil candy. Second, Halloween candy, if not consumed at the event of Halloween, might also be consumed by aforementioned adult after Halloween, furthering depression, sugar addiction and self-loathing.  Dratted candy. Third, of course, this ...

  • 1
  • 2
  • 4