Month: July 2014

Kids: You Say You Want a Revolution?

I’m beginning to understand why ideas and education are the first things to be controlled in oppressive regimes. Education leads to…thoughts. Ideas. Connections. Expression. Discussion. And yes, Revolution. I, being the Head Mama around here, am in a position of Exalted and Sovereignly Great Dictator. Especially when the playroom and bedrooms look like they’ve been ransacked by a bunch of gremlins with a penchant for making cardboard box civilizations and scattering the contents of every toy container to the four corners. Today is particularly oppressive for the kids, as I am leaving to take care of some business for a few days, and Head Daddy is large and in charge when I’m gone. He needs a clean and tidy house like I need Dove Chocolate and Cherry Coke. I have them on a...

Free admission to eight Denver museums for Colorado’s 138th birthday

Colorado’s 138th birthday is Aug. 1, and the state’s eight regional museums as well as the History Colorado Center are celebrating by offering free admission and special activities Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at 1200 Broadway, visitors can help build an adobe wall, cook a cobbler in a Dutch oven and see a sluice mining demonstration. Performances include square dancing, American Indian dances, music and cowboy rope tricks. The demonstrations and activities are tied to Colorado traditions and history, said Bill Convery, a state historian. “If you were a settler in southern Colorado, chances are good you made your house out of adobe brick,” Convery said. The free two-day Denver event Aug. 1 and 2 is a partnership between the History Colorado Center and Colorado Proud ...

10 of the best places to camp with kids in Colorado

Updated April 2022 A few months when I was researching a new place to go camping this summer, I was stressed out. I have lived in Colorado for 12 years and the possibilities for outdoor explorations are limitless, making the process overwhelming. So, I put it out there to the experts (you!) and received some fantastic recommendations of where to camp. My criteria is it needed to be approximately two hours from Denver, in the mountains, preferably near water and gorgeous. That isn’t too much to ask in a fabulous state like Colorado, right? Also, don’t miss Camping Colorado: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of Campgrounds.  Colorado’s Best Camping for Families Turquoise Lake. With a name like Turquoise Lake you know this recreational area near Leadville has got to be ...

Viral video: Sadie doesn’t want her brother to grow up

Do you ever feel like this parenting gig is flying by waaaaaay too fast? This hilarious video is of 5-year-old Sadie who is devastated by the realization her baby brother Carson will grow up. As she kisses him, she cries and professes: “He is just so cute, I love his little smiles.” Don’t we all know the feeling. Watch the video of brotherly love here.

Maternity fashion: 4 must-have looks for new moms!

The journey to motherhood is sweet and memorable for some and for others it’s a slog through morning sickness, swelling feet, and body dysmorphia. There are probably women sitting proudly in both camps. I myself was never one to talk about how much I loved being pregnant. It was an uncomfortable experience with many weird side effects. But, the blessed thing is, it only last 9 months and when you’re done your life is changed forever by the sweetest baby you’ll ever hold in your arms. One of the more obvious changes your body makes is your ever expanding tummy. It’s adorable to see on other women, but it’s sometimes difficult to manage when it’s you experiencing it. I think every mother would love to feel great about their body even when there are some days you feel like a walrus sunning on...

Denver Deal: Colorado Day, WaterWorld’s Birthday, Free Days and More

I remember back-to-school shopping with my mom as a kid. It would usually involve a drive down to the city (we lived in Steamboat – so Denver was the BIG City). We would place clothes on layaway and be trying on jeans in the middle of summer. My mom would always tell us that she didn’t want to spend her whole “wad” on clothes – what happens if the ones we pick out are not the popular styles? Then she wouldn’t have any more money to spend on a new sweater (or whatever). So she would buy us some basics and then we would drive back down in September or October to “fill in the gaps.” I think of it now – and realize what she was doing was spreading her spend out a bit – but allowing us to have a new outfit for the first day. Do you sen...

School gardens’ produce increasingly ends up in school cafeterias

This year, another Colorado school district will join the growing national movement to bring fresh vegetables from school gardens  into  school cafeterias, directly onto the plates of the  students  who grew them. Just four years ago, only a few schools in the country were doing this.  But after Denver Public Schools worked with  Slow Food Denver to create food-safety guidelines,  the garden-to-cafeteria movement  is spreading  across the country,   and the DPS food safety protocol is now a national model.  By May 2013, four states and the District of Columbia had laws to ensure that  produce from school gardens could be served in school cafeterias, according to the nonprofit ChangeLab Solutions. “The kids are really ex...

Family Travel: 11 Colorado Scenic Roadtrips

Spending a long amount of time in the car for a road trip can sometimes be uneventful, but not a road trip through Colorado. The state is home to 25 Scenic and Historic Byways (11 of which are also America’s Byways) celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2014 along with other roads and passes that offer amazing views. Summer through fall is the perfect time of year to travel the byways, roads and passes of Colorado. Following is a sampling of Colorado’s scenic drives with the best views and activities provided courtesy of the Colorado Tourism Office.   Cache la Poudre – North Park Scenic & Historic Byway (Fort Collins). This drive, which means “the powder’s hiding place” in French, is 101 miles (three hours) following the Poudre River up to Cameron Pass. The route was once use...

Foodie Friday: Chocolate Chip Coconut Banana Bread Recipe

I’ve had a longtime banana bread recipe that is a staple at our house. It’s a good, solid recipe. Nothing fancy but the bread turns out good 100% of the time. So, why rock the boat? Because I recently saw a recipe for banana bread with coconut in it, which is one of my great loves. So, after doubling and tweaking the recipe, we now have a NEW favorite banana bread. Just call me fickle but it is so, so worth it. [yumprint-recipe id=’22’]

Confessions of a Former Mean Girl

Her name was Jackie and we were cruel to her. She lived in a small, weather-worn house across the street from our school. She wore the same out-of-style clothes every day. They were stained and frayed. Her hair was never combed, and her homework was rarely done. For these crimes, a court of spoiled and selfish fifth-grade girls sentenced her to a year of hard time as the target of jokes, disdain, and teasing. I was on the jury. Decades later, I look back on those playground moments with a great deal of shame and embarrassment. I think the worst thing we did to Jackie was the plot to make her think we were going to let her in our group (dubbed “The Magnificent Seven” by a teacher) all the time knowing we were going to ostracize her a few days later. The plan was to tell her how ...

Parenting question: You Want to Read What?!

Dear Mama Drama: I have three daughters ages 13, 11, and 8. They are all avid readers and generally read well above their age level. My eight-year-old wants to read whatever her sisters are reading, but as they get into their teens I am not always comfortable with the content. When there is sexual content or violence, my eight-year-old is often confused, scared, and has had nightmares, especially after reading some of the vampire books. The girls think it isn’t a big deal, but I do.  I am not sure how to handle this with them. ~ Raising Readers Dear Raising: Your concerns about your youngest daughter’s reading material are valid. The themes in books for teens and tweens focus on different experiences and thinking processes than books for younger children. It can be difficult to find e...

Colorado Kids Revel in Fine Art and Flowers at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chihuly Exhibit

There is something magical about mixing fine art glass in beds of lush flowers. It’s not a combination most people think about, but the pairing creates a whimsical world of beauty and light. Colorado families are lucky to get to explore a fantasy world of fine art and flora at The Denver Botanic Gardens. Internationally-respected glass artist Dale Chihuly has dotted dozens of his stunning sculptures throughout the Garden’s 24 acres of already-amazing beauty. Around every corner, down every path, there is something for your kids to discover. We took a teenager, a third-grader, and a toddler. Each had tons of fun in their own way. Our teen noticed the beauty and artistry and how Chihuly’s work is inspired by swirls, spirals, and spikes found in the natural world. She snappe...

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