Month: September 2011

Is Proposition 103 Good Enough for Your Kids? (And Why You Should Care)

This November, Colorado voters will have the chance to stop additional cuts to Colorado’s schools and to start reinvesting in our kids. Proposition 103 is a simple proposal that offers a five-year time out from school cuts by going back to the sales and income tax rates that Colorado had throughout the 1990s. All new revenue – about $536 million a year – would be directed to preschool, K-12 education and higher education. And, after five years, the tax rates would return to current levels. Asking families to increase their taxes during a recession seems like a bad idea. I know most of my friends and neighbors are already struggling to make ends meet as it is. However, allowing drastic education cuts to continue and asking kids to bear the burden of our current budget problems i...

Denver’s Live Theater and Music Performances Your Family Will Love

Fall has arrived and Halloween is right around the corner. But did you know that this time of year is also prime time for children’s theater and music? My husband and I fell in love with live theater the year we lived in New York, and we feel so fortunate to have an abundance of opportunities to share this with our children. One of our favorite venues is Heritage Square Music Hall in Golden. Heritage Square Music Hall has been entertaining audiences for more than 20 years. Children’s productions are geared toward kids as young as 3 years old. The shows are performed by professional adult actors and generally last about an hour. Each production is highly interactive with lots of audience participation, and children are often invited onstage to play certain roles. From now through November 5...

Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest Happenings (and win tickets for your family!)

CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER LISA WEBER! As Denver’s largest Halloween event, Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest is both family-friendly by day and terrifying at night. October 1-31, Elitch Gardens transforms from theme park to “scream” park. New this year are haunted residences that are unlikely to appear on Denver’s Parade of Homes. Unless it’s the haunted kind. For the little boos, “Family by Day”

Event round-up: Cider Days, Ringling Bros. & More!

Saturday-Sunday. Guzzle down some fall fun at the 36th annual Lakewood Cider Days at Lakewood’s Heritage Center. Apples and apple cider are the stars of the day, of course: Apple presses will be everywhere to convert apples into sweet cider—bring your own or purchase apples onsite. The fest is full of autumn amusements, too, like hayrides, a vintage tractor pull, an apple bake-off and arts and crafts booths. Take a tour of the Heritage Center’s historic buildings, too, and jam out to live music. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Lakewood’s Heritage Center, 801 S. Yarrow St., Lakewood. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for children. lakewood.org/hca Through Sunday. This weekend’s the last chance to get dirty at the Denver Art Museum—the museum’s family friendly Mud Studio closes after Sun...

Bubbling, Burping Halloween Science – Win an Ultimate Dry Ice Kit

It’s almost October and my favorite time of year is just around the corner…Halloween. I can do without the gore, the tombstones, the skeletons, but I love making bubbling, smoky concoctions. That makes me the most popular room mom in the school. If you are looking for the perfect Halloween kit to share with your kids’ teachers and bring into the classroom, the new Ultimate Dry Ice Kit is for you. This kit will teach the different phases of water, carbon dioxide, chemistry and a little bit about sublimation. Zzzz. Are you bored? This kit will get the kids excited and begging to get up close. I’ve experienced shouts of, “Me too! do it to me!” and “Can I do it again and again?”

How Do You Teach Your Child About Disabilities?

I have had a rough year. Health-wise. I was in danger of losing my eyesight in January. I broke my finger in July. But, most of all, this year has been eclipsed by a strain of bacteria that invaded my ear during SXSW Interactive in March. Invasive Group A Streptococcus to be specific. The bacteria that killed Jim Henson, and without sounding too dramatic about it, almost killed me. I spent 5 days in the hospital in Austin, had surgery there to avoid my ear from exploding into my brain. (I am not joking about this. I wish I were.) Feel behind your ear. There is a bone there that is a honeycomb called the mastoid process, which ventilates the ear and is very fragile. A strong infection like Strep A can bust though that like paper. Lucky for me,

Denver Deal: Kids Ski Deals, Halloween Happenings & Refuge Day

Do you have some great suggestions on where to get a Halloween costume and not pay a ton for it? We are already seeing some fun events for Halloween. If you know of any please send them our direction. And if you are looking for something fun to do for the next few weeks – keep reading! Denver Art Museum Free Day The Denver Art Museum is offer a free day on October 1, 2011 as part of the Scientific Cultural and Facilities District. Colorado Ski Country 5th and 6th Grade Passport Every child who lives in Colorado has the opportunity to learn how to ski or snowboard with the  Colorado Ski Country USA 5th & 6th Grade Passport program! The 5th Grade Passport is FREE! It includes 3 days of skiing/boarding at each of the 21 member resorts (INCLUDING Echo Mountain, Winter Park, Steamboat...

Could delaying kindergarten be a detriment to your child?

Last year, I wrote about the kindergarten dilemma. Mainly, whether I should enroll my son on time or hold him back a year so he would be one of the oldest vs. youngest in class. It was one of our most highly-debated posts ever. In the end, I enrolled him. I have not regretted my decision. While it is still early in the school year, I am thrilled with how well he has adapted. He enjoys his peers, is reading at an advanced level and his writing/fine motor skills are growing leaps and bounds every day (which was my main concern). Much to my relief, I feel confident I made the correct decision for him because he is thriving. I always felt unsettled about holding him back because his preschool teachers confirmed what I already knew: he was socially, emotionally and academically ready. While I u...

Boo-tiful places to buy Halloween costumes in Denver

Does last year’s Halloween costume in your child’s closet seem wasted? Finding the right costume is crucial to your child’s trick-or-treating experience. Most of us would love to buy new but why not help the environment and go green this Halloween (and save some green!) Here are several different options to buy gently-used or new Halloween costumes in the Denver area. Used Don’t be scared by the high price of costumes. Be sure to take part in the 1st Annual Costume Swap in Broomfield October 5-7. Go to their Web site for drop-off and sale details. Whether you’re

Car seat 101: Everything you should know from birth to age 12

According to NHTSA, three out of four car seats aren’t installed and used correctly. As a Child Child Passenger Safety Technician at Stan’s Automotive in Lafayette, I work with parents every day helping them choose the right seat for their child, and install it properly. So how DO you know which car seat to choose? The answer is simple: the very best car seat for your child is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and is easy to use correctly every single time. Getting to that particular seat can be a little more challenging, though! From birth until about age 12, kids go through these four stages in the vehicle:

How Target is Helping Denver-area Schools (and how you can be involved)

I’ve always been a big fan of Target so when a Super Target was built 2 minutes from our house, my husband braced himself for the repercussions. My bank account will confirm there were many. But my Target spending is being put to good use. The corporation donates five percent of its income (that’s more than $3 million every week) to the community where they do business. Last week, I had a chat with Target’s President of Community Relations, Laysha Ward about what Target is doing locally that includes renovating a school library in the Denver area next month. Go to target.com/hereforgood to find out how schools are chosen to be a part of the school library makeovers and how you can get involved in local volunteerism and service.

Secondhand but first-rate furnishings at area consignment stores

Whether you are on the buying or selling end of the furniture life cycle, consignment is a hot option. Design tastemakers — stagers, designers, set artists and brand-conscious consumers — have long reaped the benefits of home consignment stores. Why? As our society becomes more waste-conscious, consignment stores thrive. Immediate gratification is a welcome byproduct of shopping consignment stores, as there’s no waiting eight to 12 weeks for delivery. And consumers can find such high-end furniture lines as Stickley, Hendredon and Maitland Smith at a fraction of the retail cost and generally in good condition, as consignment store owners tend to be persnickety about accepting merchandise. Here’s how it works:

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