At high noon, while legions of strollers are rattling along Denver Zoo pathways, patrons might wish they had heeded the experts’ advice on how to cope with the record visitation predicted for the Toyota Elephant Passage — opening Friday. The anticipated popularity of the innovative Asian-tropics-themed exhibit requires a whole new set of logistics, said Amber Christopher, vice president of guest services. In the zoo’s high season — Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend — visitor numbers average 7,400 a day, Christopher said. Her teams expect it to jump to 8,800 to 10,000 if elephant fever takes hold.
I saw a report that said the average child sits in front of a monitor for over seven hours a day. No one wants to spend the summer with the kids in front of the television. Get out, enjoy the sunshine and do a little science. Here are some science activities to do outdoors this summer. Water Conservation in the Garden Backyard and container gardens are popular activities for families who want to save a little money and grow their own food. Garden centers now sell polymers called Water Jelly Crystals. The crystals start out as a small pebble and when soaked in water, absorb the water and grow. Place a handful of Water Jelly Crystals in the dirt under the roots of your plant in gardens or containers. To make a raised garden, we placed cinder blocks over turned up dirt in the garden. Mix a ha...
**CONTEST CLOSED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE HEART-FELT, WONDERFUL ENTRIES. WE WISH WE COULD HAVE CHOSEN EVERYONE BUT ULTIMATELY CHOSE THE FOLLOWING THREE WINNERS: KATE FELDMAN, CONNIE DACHTLER AND CARLOS SANTISTEVAN JR. CONGRATULATIONS!** As a lover of all-things outdoors, I am over-the-moon excited about Coleman’s Great American Backyard Campout, an exclusive camping opportunity for YOU! I mean, who wouldn’t like to attend an overnight, family-friendly campout with a celebrity chef cooking your meals, live entertainment, fun outdoor activities and all the Coleman gear you need that you get to keep? What is it? The Coleman Company, Inc. is hosting a private camping event for several families on June 23, 2012 and Mile High Mamas will be choosing THREE families as winners. Wh...
On of the great things about living in Denver is it is home to the corporate headquarters of so many great restaurants. Restaurants that use our great city as test markets for their tasty products. So, here’s the scoop. Whether you have an office party, graduation or summer bash, the Qdoba Fajita Bar is being tested in Denver metro and Boulder locations through June. The Qdoba Fajita Bar is approximately
Saturday-Sunday. Bust out the sunscreen: The 41st annual People’s Fair puts down stakes for the weekend. Presented by the Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods organization, the Fair is a showcase for Denver’s city-center communities. Local artists and crafters set up shop in a huge vendor market while six stages of music and performance run all day long. Grownups can relax with a beverage in the Wine Pavilion or grab a beer; the Kids’ Carnival keeps youngsters busy with craft activities, bounce houses and other energy-expenders. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Civic Center Park, Broadway and Colfax Avenue. Admission is free. chundenver.org Sunday. Kids stage a dance floor takeover when “Baby Loves Disco” visits Boulder. The family-friendly dance party features a real DJ ...
Have you ever really been fitted for a bra? I can’t say that I ever have. For me it has always been about trying on a few and whatever “felt right” was good enough. I can’t say that it is something that I have ever thought about. I was recently invited to a bra fitting from Wacoal. My daughter (who is 10) wanted a teen bra – but didn’t really need it as a Christmas present in December, came with me. I was a little uncertain how they were going to do a “wine and fitting” event at the Ritz Carlton in Denver. I certain was not going to lift up my shirt in public so I can try on bras among strangers. But it was not like that at all. It was well done in a suite on the 14th floor. It was so well done that rather than being somewhat embarrassed I w...
Bringing home a new baby is one of the most special moments in a new mother’s life, but it can also be overwhelming and even a bit scary. Babies certainly don’t come with an instruction manual and the new mom learning curve is a doozy; feeding them, changing them, comforting them, it’s a full-time job. There are plenty of friends, family members and professionals to offer advice when your new baby throws you a curve ball, but having a few natural, go-to remedies up your sleeve could be a great comfort to both baby and mom if and when a hiccup should occur. – Diaper Rash: During their first months, babies can go through
When Greg Sumlin looks at the incoming kindergarten class at East Elementary School in Littleton, he sees a group of English learners who need immediate, intensive instruction — in small classes where teachers can give them individual attention. Then he looks at this year’s first-graders, calculates his staffing and crunches the numbers: although these kids also have high needs, three classrooms of 16 or 17 will have to be shoe-horned into two second-grade classes of 23. It’s a vexing academic sudoku that principals tackle — and teachers must adapt to — as schools try to line up budgets, staff and attendance projections in pursuit of an elusive educational sweet spot: effective class size.
Summer in Colorado can be a season of sweet savings — especially for those who think ahead. Free and affordable activities abound, in the cities and in the high country. But the clock is ticking. With about a month left until the official summer solstice (June 20), the time is now to plan to spend the season enjoying music, art, sports and this state’s splendid outdoors — without breaking the bank. Here are several budget-minded tips to help round out your warm-weather calendar. Free outdoor films Denver Parks and Recreation has teamed up with
Hard to believe it’s almost done. My daughter is headed to fifth grade. But there’s no time for nostalgia – I’m too caught up in the whirlwind that is the end of a school year. Then there’s the long, looming summer – a vast expanse that sounds great in theory – until it’s here and your kids are bored and they’re on the way to losing a good chunk of what they’ve learned this year. To help you keep the learning going over the summer months, I’ve collected some great ideas and resources from the awesome cast of experts at EdNews Parent.
Every lap around the sun is different. By now, just about everyone recognizes the night-and-day contrast between spring 2011 and spring 2012. From last year’s summer that nearly never happened to this spring’s incomprehensibly early thaw, Memorial Day weekend is about to rediscover its reputation as the unofficial kickoff to the Colorado summer. Especially in the high country. Booking a Memorial Day weekend getaway in the mountains has always been a bit of a gamble. More often than not, the so-called summer kickoff celebration morphs into a mud-season homecoming complete with rain, snow and generally grizzly conditions. The rivers are running cold and fast, most mountain trails are closed to hiking and biking, and the campfire sizzle is due to seasonal drizzle. But not this tim...
**CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER KIM ROBERTSON!** Are you an American Idol fan? Well, July 14, 2012 will be your lucky day because the AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! Tour 2012 will be at the 1stBANK Center in Broomfield, CO at 7 p.m. The AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! tour will showcase this season’s talented top 10 finalists. AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! gives fans the unique opportunity to be up close and personal with Idol finalists Colton Dixon, DeAndre Brackensick, Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, Heejun Han, Hollie Cavanagh, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Skylar Laine. The AMERICAN IDOL season finale will air on FOX May 23rd, but the fan-favorites will continue on with the 2012 live tour. Tickets are currently on sale at www.AmericanIdol.com, www.ticketmaster.com and www.aeglive.com. ...