Do you have kids heading to camp this summer? Well, why should they have all the fun? When I heard about Camp Via, Colorado’s all-inclusive, five-star summer day camp just for women, I was hooked! With exciting and fun outings like Standup Paddleboard & Yoga, Whitewater Rafting & Wine Tasting, Horseback Riding & Spa Party, you can love your summer again. Camp Vela Denver runs from Tues., June 17 to Fri., June 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Camp Vela Boulder runs from Tues., July 15 to Fri., July 18. You can select to join the entire four-day week or join them for just one day. Don’t let this summer be just about the kids. Enjoy some time for yourself, embrace your inner child and make this a summer to remember. For more information go to Camp Vela.
The History Colorado Center is pulling back the tablecloth this summer on a topic close to most everyone’s heart. And stomach. “You can’t talk about human history without talking about food,” said environmental educator Liz Cook. ” Food: Our Global Kitchen” opens May 31 and runs through Sept. 1, coming to Colorado from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The exhibit, the Denver museum’s first major traveling show, is a full-sensory experience, tracing food’s journey from seed to market, kitchen to table, from early man to even Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. And, yes, that means you get to eat in a museum, courtesy of daily food samplings from Whole Foods Market, the exhibit’s local presenting sponsor. Not having food wa...
Summer should be a fun and enriching time for all Colorado kids, but for many it represents a time when children are at the greatest risk of experiencing hunger, losing access to school meals. Hunger Free Colorado and many partners will address child hunger through a statewide summer food program. During the summer months, more than 450 sites across the state will provide meals to children between the ages of one and 18 years olds at no cost. The Summer Food Service Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers “food that’s in when school is out.” The program was established to fill the nutritional gap throughout the summer months and serve as a safeguard for children eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, particularly those in households who may n...
Dear Mama Drama: My kids are getting out for the summer and I’m dreading the constant running them here and there and that I’m never able to get anything done. If I don’t schlep them to play dates or other activities they complain that they’re bored. I feel exhausted after these crazy days and then end up staying up late to get the things I need done completed. (photo credit) I’d like a different summer experience this year. Any help you can offer would be great! ~Dreading Mama Dear Dreading: A change of pace sounds like it is definitely in order for your family this summer. Finding a balance between activities and down time is critical to create an enjoyable experience for all – including you! Are you doing too much? Start by looking at the activities you have the kids signed up for. Is i...
With all of its plant life, the Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield is a natural attraction for butterflies, but the facility is taking it one step further this summer. A new butterfly pavilion is now open at the gardens and will house 100-150 butterflies at a time. All butterflies will be native to Colorado as will plant life. “Colorado is a hotspot for diversity of butterflies because of different habitats from the plains to the foothills to the mountains. It’s a great addition to all our other offerings here,” Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield director Larry Vickerman said. The Botanic Gardens partnered with the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster to make this new locale happen. It’s the Butterfly Pavilion’s first-ever venture outside of Westminster. The st...
A badly divided Jefferson County Schools board on Tuesday night hired Daniel McMinimee as the next superintendent of the state’s second-largest school district, as audience members howled in protest and hurled catcalls toward the dais. The 3-2 vote to hire McMinimee, who serves as an assistant superintendent with the Douglas County School District, was preceded by loud interruptions from a crowd of several hundred. At one point, a large portion of the room stood up and began chanting “stand up for kids” and a woman was led out of the room by security workers after she spoke out of turn. Final terms of McMinimee’s contract — including how many years it will last, his annual pay and performance goals — need to be hammered out during the next few weeks. Things got off ...
Maybe it’s too soon to say the tide has shifted definitively. But it’s certainly been a unique time for fairy-tale villains. After hundreds of years of moral clarity, suddenly we’re getting a new look at these evil creatures, who are actually turning out to be complex beings, and not that bad at all. Really, they’ve just been misunderstood. (And, by the way, those charming princes? Highly overrated.) The most obvious recent example is “Frozen,” the animated Disney blockbuster that showed us how the Snow Queen, long portrayed as an icy-hearted villain, was actually a tragic victim of circumstance, with a pure and loving heart. And now we have “Maleficent,” which tells us that one of the most evil characters in all of pop culture is equally vul...
For most of my adult life, I have been searching for ways to contribute to society in a meaningful way. I have this wish for my children: that they will grow into compassionate adults who know everything and everyone is connected and we should all be doing our best to take care of each other and the world in which we live. As my children were growing before my eyes, I was all too aware of the fact I wasn’t doing anything tangible to help make this wish come true. I was waiting to have more time, more money and more energy. Then one day I realized I didn’t want to be teaching my kids that being generous is something you do when it’s convenient. What if we never felt financially secure? I decided to stop waiting and asked some friends if they felt the same way. ...
Reading rewards Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading Program rewards kids with a free book, after they’ve taken eight literary adventures. With help from their parents, kids keep track of the books they’ve read in an “Imagination’s Destination Reading Journal.” Once the list is completed, readers in grade one through six can take it to any participating location and pick out their well-deserved reward from a limited selection of children’s books through Sept. 2. tinyurl.com/noblekids Drink up art The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (1485 Delgany St., 303-298-7554) hopes to entice more visitors with its just-launched “Museum-Quality Drinking,” a mix of discounted admission, premium cocktails and live music in the rooftop garden. Through...
When 100,000 people swarm downtown during this weekend’s free Denver Day of Rock, they’ll see 25 national and local acts playing rock, pop, R&B, folk, indie and country music across five stages. But they won’t see Pitbull. “My friend who’s an agent says you can get anybody to do anything for you as long as you pay them,” said Christie Isenberg, president and co-founder of Concerts for Kids, the nonprofit that puts on Denver Day of Rock. “But unless you have a personal relationship with them, they’re not going to cut you a break. And we’re very strict about keeping within our budget for entertainment.” That’s why Isenberg’s fifth annual multistage festival, which kicks off with a concert from the Congress and the Wa...
Don’t look now, but lawn-mowing/yard-chore season is here. And if it’s time to mow, then it has to be time to grill — if there’s any justice in the universe. The people at Weber believe the time is right and have put together “Weber’s Big Book of Burgers.” In addition to recipes for 84 burgers (including a shrimp burger and a chicken slider); 29 sausages, brats and hot dogs; and 37 sides and seasonings, the book offers these five tips for grilling the perfect beef burger. 1. Buy the right beef. Prepackaged ground beef from “no particular cut” gets you a burger that’s not bad, Weber says — but adds that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask a butcher to grind some chuck just for you, “maybe mixing in some sirloin for extra flavor....
If you have children in school, there is no escape. You will eventually find yourself in a brightly-lit gym or dimly lit auditorium waiting for your little superstars to perform. It might be a play, band concert, choir concert, or one of those musical spectaculars with a theme. For example, a Musical Salute to Colorado! When they inevitably sing “Rocky Mountain High” and get to the part about getting high around the campfire, tell yourself the campfire is at 11,569 feet. Yes, that’s why everyone is high around a campfire. During the end of the school year, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the projects, activities, field trips, and concerts they pack into the calendar. Being mindful of performance niceties helps everyone enjoy these frantic days and nights. H...