Eagle Scout, 15, hit rank with help from troop for special-needs kids

A legion of supporters and a troop for special-needs boys allowed 15-year-old Ricky Newell to beat the odds and earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Newell had dropped out of Scouts twice before, but in 2006 he joined Troop 5280, then a brand-new troop for kids with disabilities.

After six months, he joined the more traditional Troop 870 and hasn’t looked back.

This month, he was presented his Eagle Scout medal, placing him among fewer than 5 percent of Scouts who earn the highest honor of the Boy Scouts of America.

“It’s very hard to explain —

Review: History Colorado Center’s Time Traveler’s Birthday Party Package!

For those families looking for an alternative to the token games and dancing-mascot birthday parties, the History Colorado Center may have the unique solution for you.

I had the chance to check out downtown Denver’s History Colorado Center’s Time Traveler’s Birthday Party package (specifically designed for party-goers ages 6-12). Party rooms can be rented for 2-hour blocks on weekend mornings and afternoons and each party includes:

Mix it up–How (and what) to pack in your kids’ school lunches

With the school year well underway, I am once again falling into my robotic daily lunch packing routine.

Just like the year my daughter ate only salami sandwiches, she now only eats a half bagel with cream cheese, a cheese stick, a bag of pretzels or Gold Fish crackers, some grapes or apple slices, and a fruit leather or cookie.

And let me just say that “eat” is actually just a fantasy on my part because in truth, the fruit and some other things usually come home. My fifth grade daughter says it’s because she doesn’t have time for lunch because there is so much social pressure to get outside for recess – but this is the topic for another blog post.

Mayim Bialik Goes Beyond “Blossom” To Attachment Parent In “Beyond the Sling”

Mayim Bialik, who played the younger Bette Midler in Beaches back in 1988 and was Blossom from 1990-1994, is adding author to her resume with her natural parenting book Beyond the Sling.

Teacher from Jeffco got $40,000 settlement in breast-feeding case

A Jefferson County charter school settled an out-of-court claim for $40,000 with a teacher who says she was fired for pumping breast milk at work.

Former K-8 technology instructor Heather Burgbacher filed an intent to sue Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen after she was informed in spring 2011 that her contract would not be renewed at the end of the term.

The ACLU of Colorado assisted filing the claim under the Colorado Nursing Mothers Act, a 2008 law protecting a woman’s right to continue breast-feeding after returning to work.

According to the terms of the settlement reached Sept. 14, RMAE must pay

Wednesday Wellness with Leslie: 5 Minute Happiness Boost for Moms

The next time you need a natural mood booster, look to the environment. There have been countless studies showing that nature boosts your mood and self-esteem. In fact, people saw the greatest self-esteem and mood changes after only five minutes of light-intensity outdoor activity.

Over the years, there has been a large disconnect in our society from nature. We are more industrialized and we don’t spend nearly as much time outside. I know firsthand how much better I feel when I take a midday walk. Just getting away from the office, getting some fresh air, getting some sunlight and allowing my mind to take a break does wonders.

If you can carve out as little as five minutes a day to reconnect with nature, I can almost guarantee a shift in your mood. And now that Fall is upon us, it’s the best time to get outside and enjoy the cooler weather. My husband and I have started playing tennis together and even if we walk down to the courts and hit for only twenty minutes, it clears my mind and makes me feel rejuvenated. Of course it always helps when I beat him. 🙂

Here are some other ideas to get you started:

Events: Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off, Barnum & Bailey’s DRAGONS & more!

Jared’s 7th Annual Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Festival. On Saturday, September 29 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. children of all ages are invited to see the largest pumpkins in Colorado, where it is rumored there will be a record-breaking 1,400-pound pumpkin. In addition to the weigh-off, Jared’s Nursery has many free activities including a Galleria of Ghouls, straw maze, obstacle course, a dog costume contest and a chili cook-off between noon and 4 p.m. Other fun (for a nominal fee) includes face painting, a bouncy castle, petting zoo and pumpkin carving with Master Carver Barry Brown from 1-2 p.m. Jared’s Nursery is in Littleton, 10500 W. Bowles Avenue, starting at 10 a.m. with the junior division, followed by the giant pumpkins at 11 a.m. coloradopumpkins.com

The National Wildlife Federations’s Hike & Seek Event. A cross between a nature hike and scavenger hunt, this outdoor adventures brings kids and their families together in the great outdoors for fresh air and fun on Saturday, September 29. The event will take approximately 2-3 hours and participants must arrive between 9-10 a.m. Interactive nature stations provide an entertaining learning experience for kids 2-10 years. Registration is required. Car on Nature Center 3000 W Carson Drive, Littleton. 9 a.m.-noon. hikeandseek.org

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s new show DRAGONS is coming to the Denver Coliseum September 27 – October 7, 2012. This visual spectacle honors The Year of the Dragon and circus performers from the farthest reaches of the earth have assembled to showcase their astounding acts of bravery and astonishing athleticism. Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson presides over this fantastical celebratory tournament of circus champions that brings together mystic dragon lore with authentic circus feats. DRAGONS is a never-before-seen blend of renowned spiritual and real-life legends. Children and adult discounts are available. http://www.ringling.com/

Crawl-A-See-Em-Exhibit. The Butterfly Pavilion is celebrating the grand reopening of this fun exhibit on Saturday, September 29 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Explore three natural habitats and learn about native includes including Rosie (the famous tarantula). http://www.butterflies.org/

Kids Adventure Night. Want a break from the kids but want to be sure they’ll have a blast? The Family Sport Center’s adventure night on September 28 from 6-9 p.m. offers supervised play that includes laser tag, rock wall, bumper cars, and techno and video games in the eXwerGameZone. For kids ages 6-9 and cost is $12 for non-resident, $10 for residents. 6901 S. Peoria Street, Centennial. Register at sspr.org.

Autumn Heritage Day at the Walker Ranch Homestead. Take a step into the past on Sunday, September 30–the 19th-century to be exact. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., role play with costumed volunteers as they churn butter, cook a meal in the log house’s woodstove and see a blacksmith at work. At 1 p.m., there will also be a vintage baseball game. Cost is FREE, 7701 Flagstaff Mountain Road, Boulder. http://www.bouldercounty.org

Denver Deal: Art Museum Free Day, Coffee Week, Seasonal Fun & more

I have one kids in elementary school and the other in Junior High. This presents one problem for me. I drive my kids to school. It’s not a super long distance – but enough that it doesn’t make much sense to drive back and forth. Drop one child off. Go back home to pick up the other. Then take her to school. So…we look for things to do for an hour in the morning. I have discovered one of the best things recently at IHOP! We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – but now IHOP has a Simple & Fit menu with items that are under 600 calories and sooo darn tasty. I look forward to eating as much as I like spending the one on one time with my kiddo.

Consignment Sales

Heading into the new school year meas heading back to the mall or even better…heading to a great consignment sale. Visit our consignment sale page to find out great sales.

Free Day at The Art Museum

Denver Art Museum is hosting a free day thanks to SCFD (Scientific Cultural and Facilities District) on October 6. It is a “Free First Saturday!” Make your plans now.

KWAL Paint Sale

Planning a large painting project? Kwal Paint holds an Overstock Sale that could have you taking home that perfect shade for as low as $1 a gallon. The three day event runs Thursday to Saturday, September 27 to 29 at the Kwal Paint Aurora Warehouse. Thousands of paints (one-gallon, five-gallon and spray), as well as brushes, rollers, tape and more will be on sale at rock-bottom prices. Hours are Thursday & Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The warehouse is at 21301 E. 33rd Dr., Aurora. Follow the signs.

Fall Festivals and Pumpkin Patches

Are you looking for something fun to do with the whole family? A Corn Maze? Pumpkin patch? There are many in the Denver area. Anderson Farms, Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, Dia de los Muertos, Children’s Museum and more. For more detailed information click here.

Coffee Week

Einstein Bros. Bagels is celebrating Coffee week this week with coffee specials each day: Tuesday 50% off White Chocolate Mocha, Wednesday50% off Cafe Latte, Thursday 50% off Carmel Macchiato, Friday 50% off Vanilla Hazelnut Latte & Saturday Buy One Get One Free Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Little B Bake Shoppe

Cupcake shops are all the rage. I have to admit that on more than one occasion, I have dragged my kids to one of those chain cupcake stores under the guise of doing something nice for THEM. But I also love when a store is locally owned and each cake is made with the hard work of a local shop owner (plus I’m rooting for the girls on that TV show, 2 Broke Girls). That is why I was so excited when I found out that my friend Jaimyn has opened up her own place, Little B Bake Shop.

SkiDeals

Monday the snow-dance paid off with snow in the mountains. With the flakes comes the celebrating! Celebrate with great deals and score some great early season specials. Our post about Ski Area Deals you can snag now includes links to Vail’s School of Shred (Vail, Keystone, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin), the 5th (and 6th) Grade Passport, the Jr. Trade in program and more! Get your deals now! Also, don’t miss Colorado Ski Country’s 5th Grade Passport Program, which provides participants with three free days of skiing or snowboarding at each of their 20 member resorts. Ski all 60 days or just a few…what a fantastic deal. Got a 6th grader? They can get four days of skiing or snowboarding at each of their 20 member resorts for a mere $99.

Email me if you know of any great Denver deals!

Don’t want to miss any of Mile High Mamas’ contests and events? Be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter so you can forward these great deals to your friends.

You can also follow me on Twitter (GeeWhy93). If I find a great deal during the week, I’ll tweet it out.

Colorado families will love these frugal fall favorites

Fall weekends are all about foliage, festivals and fun — much of it free.

Family events this time of year may include live entertainment, face painting, hayrides, hands-on crafts and more. However, when it comes to beer gardens, fancy food and vendors, expect to pull out your wallet.

Here is a roundup of some of the season’s top low-cost destinations.

Sesame Street’s next chapter: Elmo talks back

Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the “Sesame Street” crew have always talked to kids. Now, they’ll try to have a two-way conversation with their pint-sized audience using Kinect, the motion and voice-sensing controller created by Microsoft.

“Kinect Sesame Street TV,” out Tuesday, is not exactly a video game, though it runs on the Xbox 360 video game system. There are no winners and losers, no real rules to follow and no points to score. If you don’t want to play, that’s fine. Just sit back and watch “Sesame Street,” as kids have for the past 43 years. But if you do play, Grover will count coconuts you’ve thrown, the Count will praise you for standing still and Elmo will catch a talking ball if you throw it to him.

The episodes presage the next step in the evolution of television, adding an interactive element to what’s still a passive,