Month: January 2012

Olympic Skier Picabo Street On the Product That Will Revolutionize Learning to Ski

Last weekend I was invited to the SIA(Ski Industry Association) show at the Denver Convention Center. I am always a little giddy over the idea of getting to see great new products and telling you about them – but this time, I was invited to speak with Picabo Street! Yes, the iconic, amazing three-time Olympic Skier that even Lindsey Vonn looks up to. What I was excited to learn is that like us, she is a mom. She has four–count them–F-O-U-R boys! The lady is busy! But, she took the time to talk to me about a couple really cool new products from LaunchPad, called Hookease and Wedgease. I asked her about the product she’s endorsing,

Like-minded fiber and clothing merchants team up in Baker neighborhood’s “anti-mall” retail area

Fancy Tiger Crafts has been a go-to destination in the Baker neighborhood for clever crafters for the past five years. Its spin-off, Fancy Tiger Clothing, draws a young boutique crowd for men’s and women’s apparel and accessories. Now proprietors of those businesses have moved, chess-like, around the block, and were joined by veteran retailer Buffalo Exchange to give shoppers yet another reason to spend some time browsing on Broadway. The three recently opened their separate shops under the same roof in a former mercantile space at 51-59 Broadway. At Fancy Tiger Crafts, owners Jaime Jennings and Amber Corcoran have created an open, airy shop featuring shelves bursting with yarn from more than 30 vendors. Many of the vendors are small, local companies like Lonesome Stone of Gran...

Denver Deal: FREE DAYS, Winter Festival, Score Big & more

I was super excited to get to go to the SIA show last weekend at the Colorado Convention Center. Be sure to check out our latest blog about new apparel, equipment, and more. Plus, I got to talk to Olympic skier Picabo Street about a product she’s super excited about – Hookease – that she says will revolutionize learning to ski. FREE DAYS Woo Hoo to FREE DAYS! We have several coming up this week.  February 3rd at Denver Botanic Gardens (Chatfield) AND First Friday Art Walk on Santa Fe.  February 4th– Denver Art Museum is FREE and February 5th & 6th– Denver Zoo! Now that is an exciting weekend full of freebies. Evergreen Winter Festival Evergreen is celebrating Winter at the first annual Winter Festival at Lake Evergreen February 4, 2011.  The event starts w...

Event round-up: Chocolate Affair, Free Concert & More!

Saturday. Chocolate is lovable in all its forms—try out its many delicious permutations at Arvada’s 11th annual Chocolate Affair. Events will pop up all over Olde Town Arvada, from tastings to treasure hunts. Stop by “A Taste of Chocolate” at the DNote and sample decadent treats from local bakeries, chocolatiers and restaurants. Team up with choco-pals to roam Olde Town on a free Chocolate Treasure Hunt, or go solo with your chocolate skills and enter the Chocolate Cookie Contest. Face-painters, storytellers and horse-drawn carriages will add to the foodie fun. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The DNote, 7519 Grandview Ave., Arvada; cookie contest at Di Cicco’s, 5660 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada. Admission is free; sampling tickets are six for $5. arvadafestivals.com Friday. Catch up with a “ki...

How To: Start exercising after childbirth

Women often are eager to shed extra weight after pregnancy, but the first workouts should be gentle and follow medical advice, doctors say. “It’s important that the focus of the first two weeks be taking care of the new baby and getting sufficient rest,” says Dr. Jeffrey Henke, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Newport News, Va. Some tips: Know the benefits. Exercising soon after childbirth is primarily good for mental health—possibly guarding against post-partum depression—not for shedding baby weight. So do what feels good, not anything exhausting. Note: Walking after a caesarian also reduces the risk of rare but dangerous blood clots in the legs. Listen to your body. If you’re

SolVista Basin’s Screaming Deals & Family Activities

SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch has a special place in my heart: it is where my 3-year-old daughter learned to ski. Or rather, first attempted to ski (see photographic evidence here). Four years later, my daughter and SolVista Basin are still going strong. Touted as one of Colorado’s most family-friendly resorts, this mountain offers some fantastic terrain, an expanding base area with new facilities and a knowledgeable staff. You may be asking: Colorado has many world-class ski areas so why bother with a small resort two hours from Denver? This season, we’ll tell you why these GEM resorts (smaller, inexpensive) are worth a second look. Not only are they more affordable but they’re free of crowds, paid parking and over-the-top prices.

Policy violations in Colorado social-services system found amid deaths of 43 children

In the past five years, 43 Colorado children died from abuse or neglect after entering the child welfare program. Every one of those deaths was marked by a policy violation or sparked concern in the way the case was handled by county social workers. Investigations completed by the Colorado Department of Human Services since 2007 indicate that social workers in 18 counties repeatedly failed to complete basic functions — such as interviews or follow-ups on assessments — in 43 cases where a child later died from abuse or neglect. In 40 percent of those deaths — 17 children — county social workers failed to start or did not accept an assessment after a referral warranted an investigation for abuse or neglect.

The Year of the Ultrabook and Intel AppUp

A few short months ago I met with Mark Miller of Intel (Director of Communication – Netbook and Tablet Group). We spent time discussing tablets and netbooks that would soon be hitting the market and we also spoke about Intel AppUp. In short, AppUp is the newest app store on the block – it runs on Windows computers (similar to what the Mac App Store does) and many smart phones (Android and Windows phones).

February Family Volunteer Opportunity: Throw a Valentine’s Party!

Did you know: “Over 66% of nursing care residents receive an average of ONE visit per year. 50% of us will spend some portion of our lives in long-term care.” -Rainbow Bridge 2010 Join Volunteers of America at their February Family Volunteer Event as they throw a Valentine’s Day party for low-income seniors and make their day special!! When: Saturday, February 11, 2012;

What parents should know about the conflicting news on school food

The very same week we learned about the push to ban trans fats from Colorado school food, both at lunch and in before- and after-school snacks, another study asserted that junk food in school vending machines has no impact on students’ weight or obesity levels. It’s confusing. Kind like all the conflicting studies about coffee – or red wine. (I know how I choose to interpret them…) Does healthy school food make a difference? Or doesn’t it?

Under the Girl Scouts’ big tent: As the organization turns 100, its founder’s original mission is as relevant as ever

If the very first Girl Scouts of 100 years ago could compare their badges with the Girl Scouts of today, they might be dumbfounded by current categories — Stress Less? Business Owner? — but relieved to see some familiar, if rebranded, emblems. Cycling, interpreter, naturalist, swimming and hiking survive, even if other skills — milking a cow, curing meat, hog-tying a burglar with an 8-inch cord — did not. Isabella Ozuna, a seasoned Girl Scout at age 11, is thankful for that. “I know how to ride a horse,” she said, finding one thing that she would have in common with a 1912 Girl Scout. And she knows how to sell cookies, that venerable fundraising method that’s paid for

How to Make a Winter Wonderland Playhouse Out of Newspaper

Recently, we made our first geodesic dome playhouse out of newspaper, and we loved it so much, I decided to make a “winter wonderland” playhouse for my little one! This is a fun and frugal craft project that is great for toddlers and pre-schoolers. You will definitely want to create one of your own! You will need newspaper, a stapler, tape, and a dowel rod.

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