Month: January 2013

Denver’s kid-friendly, sophisticated activities for the whole family

Grumpy, bored children rank right up there with obnoxious in-laws and ex-lovers as the worst companions with whom to grab a drink or slice of pizza. And in the case of kids, they don’t even have to be yours to ruin a potentially fun evening on the town. We take our kids with us everywhere in Colorado, but engineering kids’ activities is about more than just giving them something to grab onto and pummel into submission. The best casual family outings are the ones you want to repeat, and the secret lies in keeping parents just as happy as the little ones. It’s why few parents will jump at the chance to revisit Chuck E. Cheese or the Children’s Museum, “Disney on Ice” or the latest Pixar cash cow, a few weeks after their last visit. So, in the spirit of ...

Parenting and pot: Colorado divorce lawyers’ perspective on marijuana legalization

Jake and Emily Smith have three children: Kristin, age 9, Austin, age 7, and Olivia, age 4. The Smiths (a hypothetical family for the sake of this commentary) appear to be the perfect family — happily married for 12 years, a stay-at-home mom, a lovely suburban home, two shiny new cars, and cute kids. There’s only one problem: Three to four nights a week, Jake quietly steps into the backyard or the basement to smoke a joint. Emily has never approved of his marijuana use, and as the children get older, she has increasing concerns about their exposure to Jake. Jake says: “What’s the big deal, honey? It’s legal in Colorado now. You don’t hear me complaining when you have a few glasses of wine after dinner.” The final straw comes when Jake decides to make som...

Craftsy.com growing by tapping community of crafters

The Craftsy studios on the outskirts of Denver were hopping. Beth Ferrier had flown in from Saginaw, Mich., to shoot a class on appliqués, and Amy Herzog of Somerville, Mass., was in another studio laying down some insights on knitting. In a third studio, Gwen Bortner of Le Grande, Calif., was ready to tape a class on turning your craft into a living. And that, in essence, is precisely what Sympoz Inc. is doing. The 3-year-old Denver startup has turned crafts — such as quilting and breadmaking — into a multimillion-dollar cash stream through its Craftsy website.

It’s Not too Late to Stick to Your Resolutions–Here’s How!

We are quickly approaching the end of January. Does that mean that your resolutions have already taken a nose-dive? Statistics say something like 80 percent of people who make resolutions have already dropped them by the end of January. But those same odds makers tell us that if you consistently do something for just 21 days it becomes habit. I was recently given an opportunity to ask a few questions of LiveWell Colorado’s Rally Man, Jamie Atlas who knows a thing (or ten) about tips to help you keep those resolutions alive. The questions I asked him were real mom issues. Me: I made this resolution but I don’t know what to do to get started. Rally Man(Jamie): Think about three small changes you can make in order to create momentum that will eventually turn your resolution into a reali...

Denver Ski Deals for February

SIA (Ski Industry Association) tradeshow rolls into Denver this weekend. We will get a first peek at the newest ski and snowboard gear!! In the mean time, I will see you on the slopes showing off my NILS coat (which I love – and learned about at last year’s event)! I will be taking advantage of some of these great deals: Ski and Trade Colorado Ski & Golf Stores (including Colorado Ski & Sports at Park Meadows and Boulder Ski Deals) still offers the Junior Trade In Program – which allows you to rent equipment for your kids for the entire season at one low price and keep them all season long (unless the kids grow out of them in which place, Colorado Ski & Golf will replace with the right size). Even better… you get 1/2 the money back when you return the eq...

Denver Deal: Yogurtland, Garbanzo’s, & Aeropostale

I have recently discovered EMeals.com. The site gives me a full week’s menu (along with side dishes) and the shopping list. I love the fact that I don’t have to think so hard about what do make for dinner – and my kids are getting more to eat than the four things that I was rotating regularly. Plus, it helps to create meals on a budget. You can use the discount code BUDGET for $3 off any eMeals dinner meal plan subscription. Yogurtland On Monday, February 4, Yogurtland is celebrating National Frozen Yogurt Day and thanking loyal fans with FREE yogurt and toppings from 4 – 7 p.m. They are also promoting literacy. In conjunction with Books First they are looking for funds to provide more than 8,000 new, high quality books for kids in need. Happy Birthday Garbanzo̵...

Events: Kids Bowl at Wildlife Experience, Snowdown & more!

Kids Bowl at The Wildlife Experience. On Saturday, Feb. 2 (the day before the Super Bowl), your kids will score a goal at this fun and exciting event featuring sports-themed interactive games and, new for 2013, outdoor adventure sports activities inside the museum including snowboarding, indoor snowshoeing, a BB Gun range, a spin casting challenge, a museum wide scavenger hunt and more. Kids can participate in the fun and games as well as crafts and a few new exciting surprises. Price included with the cost of admission and it goes from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; the film will be at 7 p.m. http://thewildlifeexperience.org/kids-bowl/ Snowdown, Durango (January 30 – February 3). Celebrate snow at Durango’s annual quirky winter festival, where this year’s theme is “Get Your Geek On” iSnowdown 2.0.13. Gue...

Win 2 Tickets to See Bon Jovi in Denver!

**CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER EILEEN CONROY!** What could be a better Valentine’s Day present for Denver moms than to see Bon Jovi in concert April 16 at the Pepsi Center?! As Bon Jovi gears up for a monumental year, the all-American rock icons have announced the first set of U.S. dates, taking them from coast to coast on their “BON JOVI Because We Can – The Tour.”  The tour will kick off in Uncasville, CT on February 9, treating fans to one-night-only performances in U.S. arenas nationwide, plus multiple stadium shows including a two-night stand at MetLife Stadium in the band’s home state of New Jersey. Bon Jovi is offering a wide range of ticket options, starting at $19.50 (plus service charges). The details: Bon Jovi’s Because We Can – The Tour April 16, ...

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge offers free wildlife drive

Downtown Denver’s skyscrapers are only minutes behind me as I take a right at a car parts shop in Commerce City, followed quickly by a left just before the 18,000-seat stadium that is home to the Colorado Rapids soccer team. Suddenly, I’m in the prairie, braking for cottontail rabbits and taking photos of white-tailed deer in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, where a nine-mile do-it-yourself Wildlife Drive recently opened, augmenting hiking trails and occasional bus and guided bike tours. This 15,000-acre site where the U.S. Army made mustard gas during World War II was once on the Superfund list of high-priority hazardous-waste sites. Its transformation, completed in 2010, was no easy journey. But Tom Dougherty, a former regional director of the National Wil...

In the Heart of the City, the New Downtown Denver Expeditionary School

When my husband and I attended an open house for the “new downtown elementary school” a little over a year ago, I turned to him and said, “Do not raise your hand to volunteer, we are over extended.”  Sure enough, I was the one raising my hand to help out with community outreach for the “proposed” school. I am happy to report that a tremendous community effort will culminate in the Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES) opening at 1860 Lincoln St in August 2013. DDES will open as a K-2 public charter school, adding a grade each year for full build-out at K-5. I became invested in the school for several reasons:

Want to Swim in Winter? Here’s Where!

When the pools around town close for the summer, and the lifeguard whistles stop tweeting across the warm air, most of us in Colorado put thoughts of swimming to rest. Our eyes and hearts shift quickly from the pool to the slow build-up of snow on the mountains to our west. We hit the ski sales and re-outfit our growing kids in new gear, while bathing suits sink forgotten to the bottom of dresser drawers. I am a summer girl, however, who counts the days until Memorial Day as soon as the sun sets on Labor Day. And I have a child who loves being in the water. It’s not necessarily about swimming for him. It’s just the calm, the ease of movement. So this winter, for the first time, I looked to our local indoor pools and was more than pleasantly surprised about the options. An entire family can...

Nearly half of U.S. children are undervaccinated, a new study shows

Nearly half of U.S. children are undervaccinated because of delays or refusals by their parents, according to a massive Kaiser study showing widening immunization gaps even in families with primary doctors and coordinated health care. The study of more than 320,000 children up to age 2 in seven states also showed a steady increase in the percentage of families delaying or refusing vaccines between 2004 and 2008. Some parents deviate from the recommended vaccine schedule because

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