Month: February 2012

Leap Year offers a select group age-defying powers

Joan Cloutier cried on leap day when she turned 4 only to be told that it was her first birthday; Kay Baker, now in her 50s, still gets ribbed about not being old enough to drive; Chris Curtis had to get a governor’s decree to receive his driver’s license. People with leap day as a birthday are called “leapers” or “leaplings,” and there are an estimated 200,000 of them around the country, according to the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies. “I like it because it gives me lots of openings for jokes,”

KIND Healthy Grains–Snackable Clusters Kids Love (Win a Large Basket!)

CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO SARAH CORNELSEN! Is it just me or does most children’s snack food require some preparation on the part of the parent? Sometimes moms just need to grab and go. That’s why Mile High Mamas is pleased to offer a giveaway for a delicious and nutritious new line of snackable clusters, KIND Healthy Grains. Made from healthful whole grains, these superfoods deliver more fiber, protein and higher overall nutritional density than typical cereals and granola. I put KIND Healthy Grains to the kid test and you know what? They liked every single flavor we sampled (Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds was the favorite). We had them for breakfast with milk, as after-school snacks,

Events: Globetrotters & Bao Bao Festival!

Saturday-Sunday. Get ready for hoops and hijinks when the Harlem Globetrotters come to town. This year’s tour features a strong group of rookies, including the first female Globetrotter in nearly 20 years, Colorado’s own Fatima “TNT” Maddox. The rookie class also stars the tallest Globetrotter ever, 7-foot-8-inch Paul “Tiny” Sturgess, and the shortest: Jonte “Too Tall” Hall, standing 5 feet, 2 inches. As always, expect the ‘Trotters to deliver a flurry of fancy footwork, nimble near-misses and high-flying slam dunks. 2 p.m. Saturday. 1stBank Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield; 303-410-0700. Tickets are $20-$97, available at tickethorse.com or 866-461-6556. 2 p.m. Sunday. Magness Arena at the Ritchie Center, 2240 E. Buchtel Blvd. Tickets are $18-$130; call 303-871-2336. harlemglobetr...

Jefferson County School Board Keeps Cuts Out of the Classrooms for 2012/2013 School Year

I have a fourth and a first grader who attend a Jefferson County School. It shouldn’t be a news flash to anyone that our school districts across the state have faced deep cuts to their budgets for the past several years. These cuts have been felt across the board as the economy has waned and the state budget crisis has intensified. I have realized that although I follow the surface information of these cuts and crisis, I haven’t dug deeper to really understand what is affecting our schools and the reasons behind them. This past year I have devoted time to really understanding what is happening with our schools. Jeffco Schools is the largest district in Colorado with almost 86,000 students and 154 schools. It is also the largest employer in Jefferson County with over 12,000 full...

Jeffco Parents: Don’t Miss the Important Mill Levy Meeting at the School Board on Thursday

I am on the Accountability committee at my children’s elementary school. Basically, this just means I sit in our meetings drowning in numbers as we discuss the nuts and bolts of Jeffco Public Schools. But one digit I understand is a very large one: $111.3 million. That is Jeffco’s total anticipated reductions from 2010-2016. As a parent, addressing such a number is a daunting task that no amount of cookie dough sales will ever tackle. It’s a good thing, too because that would wreak havoc on my waistline. At our last meeting, we were given the task to find real, tangible ways concerned parents, teachers, staff and community can get involved. And thanks to Michele Patterson, we have one. As the 4th Vice President of Communications for Jeffco PTA with children at Moore Middl...

Denver Deal: Free Day, GameHouse, IHOP, Swim Classes & More

One of our favorite things to do is to have a Friday night dance party at our house, which was a brainchild of doing something that doesn’t involve TV. We take turns picking songs (so as far as any kind of real flow goes – forget it!) But then my daughter gets so into it she is not ready to stop. I recently was able to try out the Arial7 Arcade Children’s Headphones. These are awesome. They have great clear sound but with an automatic volume reduction keeping it at just 85 decibels. Loud enough for them to feel like they are at their own dance party. Quiet enough to not ruin their hearing! FREE DAY The Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield has a FREE day scheduled on March 2 and Denver Art Museum has a FREE day on March 3. McDonald’s FREE Breakfast for kids Colorado M...

My big lottery win (let the winfall begin!)

I won the lottery last week! Before you start hitting me up for a loan, I’m remiss to say it wasn’t that kind of winfall but rather it involved my daughter being selected via a lottery to enter a new school in the fall. I’ve watched the public vs. charter vs. private school debate with passing interest thinking it didn’t apply to me. I have been very happy with our neighborhood public school, which has high assessment scores and a capable staff. But then the bottom fell out in the form of my daughter’s day-long anti-homework meltdown last month. (Insert collective nod from homework-wary parents everywhere). On the surface, I recognize a lot of kids hate homework

Believe in The Colorado Ballet’s ‘Peter Pan’

There was a moment so magical in the second act of The Colorado Ballet’s Peter Pan, I had shivers. Neverland wasn’t just on stage. It extended into the audience, weaving around chairs and up into the balconies. Everyone is familiar with the J.M. Barrie masterpiece (and the Disney movie.) Peter Pan is the beloved tale of a boy who would not grow up, a girl who would be mother to lost boys, a Captain, a crocodile, and a spirited fairy named Tinkerbell. Recently, Peter Pan was freshly adapted for the ballet. It had its world premiere in Milwaukee in 2010 and now the spritely boy is flying high over Denver. The art of ballet seems like a natural step to take in sharing the classic. When mixing professional dance, music, and artistry, the storytelling possibilities are endless. My d...

Joneen Mackenzie of Denver builds career on advocating abstinence for young people

Tina and Darin Good sponsored a “Tupperware party” — of sorts — in their Englewood home. But instead of plastic bowls and tumblers, the fare included such concepts as self-esteem and self-determination, with a dollop of sex thrown in for good measure. And rather than suburban housewives, those who attended the day-long workshop included the Goods’ teenage daughter, Taylor, 10 of her friends and their parents. The gathering was the brainchild of Joneen Mackenzie. Since that day 15 years ago when one of her children came home from school with a permission slip to study the human body, Mackenzie has been consumed by one thing — teaching young people about relationships and sex.

Great Gadgets for a Healthier 2012

By now, most of us have completely forgotten what our new year’s resolutions were. Most likely they had something to do with getting healthier and spending more time with family. Well, this year one of my new year’s resolutions is to run the Taste of Louisville Half Marathon and to do so I’ve got to stay on track with eating and running – not to mention I need to shed a few pounds to get to the achieve an ideally steady pace. I’m always on the lookout for health and fitness gadgets and resources for the kitchen to promote healthy eating. I’d love to share with you some of my recent favorites. Dust off those resolutions and get back on track with me with the help of these great tools.

Selena Gomez: Is 19 Too Young for the Cover of Cosmo?

Is it appropriate for Cosmopolitan Magazine to have Selena Gomez on the cover of their March 2012 issue? I realize that she is not the wide-eyed girl she once was. And that’s okay. But when her target audience is comprised mainly of young girls who will see this magazine at every grocery store...is it right to have her picture surrounded by headlines for sex tips?

More than ever, yarn hobbyists are hooking up in real and virtual worlds

A few years ago, it seemed knitters everywhere were working on the same scarf pattern, with endless waves emerging from needles wielded by hipsters, new mothers, young men and women of a certain age. Was there a memo? Sort of. The word spread partly through Ravelry.com and KnittingDaily.com, which together draw nearly 2 million knitters and crocheters in the digital equivalent of a ladies’ sewing circle.

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