In Honor of Halloween: What Movies Scared You as a Child?

My family was recently chuckling about an overnight stay at The Curtis-a DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Denver a few years ago where each of their 16 floors is dedicated to a different theme. Their 13th floor is “horror” and for Halloween they converted in into a veritable haunted house with a haunted elevator ride, hallways dripping with cobwebs, staffers dressed up in creepy costumes like a clown and Freddie Krueger, and redrum “murder” scrawled across our bathroom mirror with spiders and bugs all over the sink. One of the rooms had a bar with a creepy lady serving up treats and shots…in the head.

Sounds scary? It might have been for young kids but we had so much fun interacting with the playful characters that we spent our entire evening laughing!

I’m pretty careful about the shows our kids watch and they had never heard of any of the creepers we encountered in those hallways but I must confess we unintentionally traumatized our daughter a few years ago.

Halloween SNL Parody | Cheering for Dishes

The Holderness family couldn’t resist making a parody of their favorite SNL skit of all time, complete with Spartons cheerleader costumes.

Apologies to Ferrell and O’Teri, the original masters, but this is a pretty great attempt.

See the original Spartans cheerleader sketches here.

Don’t be spooked, let your little goblins eat the candy corn

Across the nation, parents like me are bracing for the annual sugar rush known as Halloween. I’ve got pounds of mini-treats to pass out to neighborhood goblins and ghouls. But many parents struggle to balance our kids’ mania for sweets with a nagging feeling that all that candy can’t be a good thing.

Everybody knows: Candy rots kids’ teeth. Candy ruins kids’ dinner. Candy makes kids fat. Any and all sugars will pitch the fragile child into a lifelong battle with diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

But a lot of this worry about children and candy isn’t about candy at all. It is about whether children have a right to their own pleasure.

Consider the lollipop, the ultimate symbol of children’s innocence. The sweet lollipop is a few licks from the illicit, and Lolita with her bright-red candy on a stick is just the beginning. Search online for an “all-day sucker,” and you may find a kid in a candy store — or accessories for an X-rated bachelorette party. Children’s candy pleasure is unabashedly sensual, and that is part of adults’ problem with it.

7 Easy and Creative Ways to Display Your Photos at Home

Are all of your photos just gathering figurative digital dust in your phone? Or are they hiding out in the annals of your social media pages? Sadly, such is the fate of every cute selfie, obligatory vacation group shot, and random family photo you’ve ever taken in the last few years—they remain stored and forgotten in our phones, external hard drives, computers, or floating around somewhere in the mystical Cloud.

It’s a real shame because those photos represent some of life’s fondest, precious memories. It’s about time you let them see the light of day by displaying them in your home, where you can see and enjoy them every single day!

Now, most people go the DIY route when it comes to these types of projects, but if you’re the kind of gal (or guy) who has very little time for DIY, here are some easy and creative ways to display your photos that won’t require much effort:

Turn them into refrigerator magnets.

Combine design and functionality by having your photos printed as refrigerator magnets! This way, you get to see them every time you’re in the kitchen, and you get to use them to stick grocery lists, recipes, and everyday reminders on your fridge.

Go the DIY route by printing your photos on plain photo paper, gluing them onto a piece of cardboard, and sticking adhesive magnetic strips on the back. Or just save yourself the trouble by having them printed as metal photo prints for less than $15 apiece. Unlike regular prints, metal photo prints are highly durable, are water resistant, and can be fitted with a magnetic mount.

Hang them up with with clothespins.

Install a clothesline (or several) in your home, preferably at eye level. Then simply use some clothespins to hang your photos up. It’s adorable, inexpensive, and super easy to do!

Display them inside mason jars.

Ever since mason jars became fashionable, people have been using them for all sorts of creative purposes—from soap dispensers to cool, hipsteresque lamps.

If you have a large enough jar, you can also use them to display your pictures as well!

This photo display idea is as effortless as sticking a printed photo inside a mason jar. Or, if you want to get a little bit fancy, you can use some binder clips to display the photos on top of the jar.

4. Print them onto coasters.

How is this possible without ruining the photos? By having them printed on metal, of course. Like making fridge magnets, all you have to do is get small, coaster-sized metal prints of your favorite photos (minus the magnetic mount). And just like that, you’ve got some awesome photo coasters that you’ll want to use as often as you can! Photos printed on metal are water resistant and durable, which means they won’t get ruined by spilled drinks or by those beads of moisture running down your glass.

Create a tetris collage gallery.

Gallery walls are a popular way to display photos at home, but sometimes it can be confusing to figure out how to arrange and organize them. Make it fun and interesting by creating a “tetris” collage on your wall. Just take a couple of photos mounted on canvas and arrange them together like blocks in a tetris game!

This is also something you can DIY (there are plenty of DIY photo canvas tutorials online) if you want to. But for moms who simply don’t have the time for cutting up pictures and slathering layers of Mod Podge on everything, just get them done professionally!

Glue them onto an old window.

A window is pretty much a ready-made frame—all you have to do is glue your photos onto the glass panes, and you’re all set! Now, you can use one of the windows in your own home, but if you want a prettier display, you can also take a detached old window (you can find them at local salvage yards, thrift stores, flea markets, or maybe ask your neighbors if they have any old ones lying around) and use that.

You don’t even have to decorate the window frame, particularly if it’s an old, dilapidated window. The broken-down look will give it that nice, vintage feel. However, if you do want to put in a bit of effort into painting it or making it prettier, you certainly can!

7. Stick everything in one large frame.

The easiest way to display a photo is by simply sticking it in a picture frame. But what’s creative about that? If you have a larger photo frame, why not stick a whole bunch of photos in there for better production value? A collection of pictures that are all similar in size, like polaroids, will look particularly cute and decorative when displayed together in a frame.

If your pictures aren’t in polaroid form, you can turn them into polaroids using any free downloadable app on your smartphone or computer, then have them printed on high-quality photo paper. After that, it’s all a matter of picking the right frame, gluing your pictures onto a piece of cardboard, and placing them in your chosen frame.

20 fun events in Denver this week

Halloween is almost upon us and that means this week is cram-packed with screaming good fun that includes Trick-or-Treat Street, a Munchkin Masquerade, Fall Fest and much more. Go to our events calendar for additional details. Be sure to also check-out our extensive guide to Denver’s pumpkin patches, corn mazes and fall festivals.

Wicked Wednesday Halloween Party at the Outlets at Castle Rock
Oct 26, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Join Outlets at Castle Rock for our first Wicked Wednesday Halloween Party! We’ll have a magic show, face painting, and a costume contest for the kids (12 and under) for a chance to win prizes from the Outlets at Castle Rock! Don’t forget to dress the kids up and trick or treat at participating stores that night.

A Very Adventurous Halloween at Colorado Adventure Point
Oct 26– 28
Colorado Adventure Point Presents: A Very Adventurous Halloween! Come enjoy free games and trick or treating in a fun seasonal carnival environment! Friendly age appropriate games and halloween candy are provided at no cost.

Trick or Treat Street at Denver South High School
Oct 26, 5:00 – 7:00 pm
South High School Staff and Students provide a safe, warm and age-appropriate environment for young children to enjoy

Fall Break: Family Activity Cart and Create-n-Takes, Denver Art Museum
Oct 27 – Oct 30
The Denver Art Museum hosts kid-friendly activities for Fall Break from Thursday, October 27 to Sunday, October 30. The Family Activity Cart and Create-n-Take stations will be available throughout the museum complex all four days.

Kids Halloween Parade & Party at Denver Union Station
Oct 27, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
All of Denver’s little creepy crawlies are invited to take part Denver Union Station’s 3rd annual Kids Halloween Parade & Party on Thursday, Oct. 27th. The Halloween celebration will feature trick-or-treating in the merchant shops, a costume parade and a costume contest with prizes for best overall and best group/family costumes.

Rock the Presidents at Parker Arts, Culture & Events (PACE) Center
Oct 27, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
This musical extravaganza spans 223 years of the American presidency in a fun, non-partisan way. The 44 men who rose to the highest office in the land are brought to life through rock, pop and folk music.

Trick or Treat Street at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Oct 28 – 30

For three days, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus will host all sorts of costumed kids and adults for a spooktacular wonderland of fun! Families can march from one Treat House to the next and collect goodies, create Halloween crafts, play carnival games and much more. It’s the ultimate safe Halloween adventure, bursting with excitement for everyone.

YMCA Trunk-Or-Treat Halloween Party at Schlessman Family YMCA
Oct 28, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join the Schlessman Family YMCA for a family friendly Halloween celebration! The Trunk-Or-Treat Halloween Party includes Trunk-Or-Treat, Carnival Games, Haunted Maze (12+ Only), Fire Pit and Cider.

YMCA Halloween Spooktacular at Southwest Family YMCA
Oct 28, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Join the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver Southwest Family Branch for their Halloween Spooktacular! This spooky event includes: Trick-or-treating, games, face-painting, bounce houses and our haunted maze will get all your little ghosts and ghouls in the Halloween spirit! Wear your Halloween costume and enjoy some great family fun! Families are encouraged to bring one canned food item for admission.

Boo After Dark, Denver Zoo
Oct 28 – 29
For those who love Boo At The Zoo but prefer to trick-or-treat in the evening at Denver Zoo, this is the event for you. Boo After Dark, presented by Your Hometown Toyota Stores, offers 20 trick-or-treat stations, themed animal demonstrations and fun family-friendly entertainment.

5th Annual Howlin’ Halloween Pet Costume Party, Woof in Boots
Oct 28, 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Woof in Boots is proud to host the 5th Annual Howlin’ Halloween Pet Costume Party benefiting Maxfund Animal Shelter! Bring your pets, spirits and children to gather ’round the cauldron of drool within the shadowy halls of Woof in Boots for our 5th Annual Howlin’ Halloween Pet Costume Party.

Historic Halloween, History Colorado Center
Oct 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Trick or treat at the History Colorado Center and meet some fun characters from the past, including Molly Brown, William Green Russell and a Buffalo Soldier.

Reptifest Reptile Show at The Ranch Events Complex
Oct 29, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
An expo all about reptiles! An event for all ages with educational presentations, vendors, and family activities. Hosted by the Northern Colorado Herpetological Society.

Trek or Treat Off the Street at CU South Denver
Oct 29, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Trek or Treat off the Street and Family Fun Day are coming together to create a Halloween celebration with plenty of spooky surprises for children of all ages!

2016 Emma Crawford Coffin Race & Parade
Oct 29, 12:00 – 3:00 pm
2016 Emma Crawford Coffin Race & Parade will be held on Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 12:00pm – 3:00pm in downtown Manitou Springs. Parade begins at 12:00 pm followed by 70 teams racing coffins down Manitou Avenue for the ultimate victory! Teams consists of one Emma and four runners dressed in costume. The fastest times earn trophies as well as a chance to win Best Emma, Best Entourage, and Best Coffin.

Hauntings at the Hangar, Wings Over the Rockies
Oct 29, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
This Halloween, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum will transform into a fun, spooky haunted hangar filled with Star Wars™ and other sci-fi characters, space treats, science experiments, a magic show and much more!

Halloween Spookacular at Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex
Oct 29, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
A family tradition of the not-too-scary-sort, this concert features music from some of your favorite children’s films, as well as a few surprises! Be sure to dress up for the Halloween festivities and witness the zany costumes the Colorado Symphony musicians create. Some of our young concertgoers will be invited on stage to show their costumes as well!

Jack O Lantern Contest at the Founders Green
Oct 30, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Enjoy a fun evening for all ages at the Kids’ Compassion Project Jack O Lantern contest! Free to participate with great prizes including an Apple Watch, gift certificates and more. Bring your completed Jack O Lantern, or just come to enjoy a fun event. If you plan to bring a Jack O Lantern, please register in advance.

Munchkin Masquerade, Pearl Sreet
Oct 31, 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Each Halloween, Downtown Boulder is invaded by tiny ghosts & goblins, dinosaurs & dragons, fairies & princes, super heroes and animals of every size trick-or-treating along Pearl Street.

Lakewood Fall Funfest – Halloween 2016
Oct 31, 4:00 – 8:00 pm
FREE! Lakewood Fall Funfest is on Halloween night, Oct. 31st from 4-8pm. A great, family-friendly, fun event with carnival games, bounce houses, trunk-or-treat, candy and prizes, pet costume contest, and live music.

Trunk or Treat, Faith Mountain
Oct 31, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
This second annual Trunk or Treat is a free, fun family event.

8 Fun and Easy Ideas for Your Broncos Party

Broncos season is underway and do you know what that means? We have the full license to Party On, Mom!

Mile High Mamas is excited to be one of the Party On, Moms for the P&G at Walmart campaign that is inspiring moms to bring the party – whether homegate, tailgate or even date night at the stadium. We’re gearing up to bring the party for the Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers game on Sunday, October 30 at Sports Authority Field.

Gretchen is appearing on Colorado and Company this Thursday at 10 a.m. to share her fun, inexpensive and most importantly, easy ideas for throwing your own party at home. The best part? She’s got great time saving tips for getting your house party ready and all her goodies only have a few ingredients. Our party plan is so simple your kids can help!

Here are eight fabulous steps to throwing your own Broncos party.

1) Shop.

Huddle, make a list and head to Walmart to get all your party essentials in one stop. Food and decorations aside, the house has to be ready for hosting and Swiffer, Bounty and Febreze are products we depend upon. Be sure to enter to win our Party On, Mom pack filled with trusted P&G brands and a $25 Walmart gift card.

2) Get creative.

Ditch the unimaginative tablecloth. Buy a green rug, turf or green felt, grab some athletic or electrical tape for the stripes and and get numbers from the mailbox section in Walmart to create your very own football field.

3) Decorate.

Go crazy with Broncos colors, foam footballs, pompoms and any fun football-themed decor (can you believe Walmart even sells a Broncos-themed slow cooker?) And don’t forget the food. Lots and lots of great food. Here are a few of our ideas.

4) Eat: Bacon

Gretchen’s fast and tasty edibles include Bacon cheese bites.

Bacon cheese bites

Ingredients:
Loaf of white bread
Cream cheese spread chives and onions
Bacon

Instructions: Cut the crusts off several slices of bread. Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on each slice. Roll, wrap with bacon and cut in half. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

5) Eat: More bacon

You will fall in love with Pioneer Woman’s famous Bacon Appetizers. The Cast of Characters: Club Crackers, Thin-Sliced Bacon, Grated Parmesan Cheese. That’s it. Yes, we’re serious and these are seriously delicious.

6) Eat:Buffalo Hot Wings Rolls

Ingredients:

1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken (or use canned chicken for quick prep)

1/2 block (4 ounces) of cream cheese

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce

2 Tbsp sour cream
Tortillas

Instructions: Mix ingredients together, spread on tortillas, roll, cut and eat. It’s that easy and delicious!

7) Eat: Stuffed Mushrooms

We have two different variations to these, both of which require just three ingredients and are mouthwatering.

Cheddar-stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 oz bag cheddar cheese

1 tube (32 oz) pork sausage

15-25 mushrooms

Instructions: Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems and lightly hollow out the mushrooms. Mix uncooked sausage and cheese together, add the mushroom tops (if desired). Stuff with mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cream cheese-stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 medium-sized onion, diced

1 tube (32 oz) pork sausage (we like Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Hot Sausage for an extra kick)

15-25 mushrooms

Instructions: Preheat broiler. Prepare mushrooms like above. Place sausage and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until evenly brown. Blend cream cheese with sausage mixture, stuff mushroom caps with a generous amount and arrange on a medium baking. Broil for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned.

8) Party On, Mom!

Long after your food is gone, keep the party going. Tack your football field tablecover on the wall and use it as a background for a selfie booth. Stack your cups and use a small foam football to do a “knock-down” carnival game for kids.

And remember, above all else: Don’t stress, just Party On, Mom!

This post is sponsored by P&G at Walmart.

Be sure to enter our giveaway and find all the products you need for your own Broncos tailgate or home gate by visiting Walmart.com/partyonmom and then watch this video for even more Party on Mom fun:

Win a P&G Prize Pack and Walmart Gift Card

In order to throw a memorable Broncos party, you need food, decorations and fun. But don’t forget the essentials for whipping your house into shape before the party and the post-game clean-up.

Make a stop at Walmart a part of your game plan to get all your party supplies in one stop. Swiffer, Bounty and Febreze are products that will get your house looking and smelling great!

Contest

A real party needs more than food. Two readers will win this Party on, Mom pack filled with trusted P&G brands AND a $25 Walmart gift card. You may enter as many as five times!

In partnership with Mile High Mamas.

5 of Denver’s Most Haunted Hotels (prepare to be spooked!)

Denver has always had its share of haunted locations, from a singing woman, vanishing children and formless shadows wandering Cheesman Park to the countless reports of voices, footsteps and moving tables at Denver’s oldest restaurant, The Buckhorn Exchange. But it’s the haunted hotels that attract ghost hunters, paranormal experts and visitors to The Mile High City all in hopes to catch a glimpse of the unexplained apparitions. Don’t miss this spooky stroll through history from Visit Denver and we hope you’re not afraid of the dark.

THE OXFORD HOTEL

1600 17th St.
Denver’s oldest boutique hotel, The Oxford, offers top-notch amenities, a luxurious spa and is located in the trendy LoDo neighborhood. This 123-year-old hotel is also known for its haunted past, from tales of locked bathroom stalls to sinks that turn on and off during the night. But the real mystery lies behind the door of Room 320. In 1898, a woman named Florence Montague shot and killed her lover before taking her own life in that room. Since then, single male guests who stay in Room 320 have reported sheets being ripped off the bed and their arms being pulled by an unseen force. But the unexplained terror doesn’t end in Room 320.

The hotel’s Cruise Room bar is known for its martinis, Art Deco style and a mysterious postal worker. Bartenders routinely report a man walking into the bar wearing an old post office uniform. He always orders a beer before muttering “the children, I have to get the gifts to the children.” He appears to drink his beer and leave – but when the bartender picks up his bottle, it’s always full. Research has revealed a story of a postal worker from the 1930s who was on his way to deliver Christmas presents to nearby Central City, but the gifts were never delivered. That spring, his decomposed body was found on the way to Central City with all of the Christmas gifts still with him. That single beer at the Cruise Room may have been his last.

THE LUMBER BARON MYSTERY MANSION

2555 West 37th Ave
Shortly after the current owner of the Lumber Baron first purchased the rundown mansion, he described it as a “haunted house on a movie set.” Known around the neighborhood as the “haunted castle,” the Queen Anne Victorian style mansion was the site of a 1970 murder of two young women. Paranormal activity is a weekly occurrence at the Lumber Baron, with reports of strange voices, furniture moved in rooms, windows closing and cold spots throughout the property. Visions have been reported of a woman in a flapper style dress holding champagne followed by a rush of cold air. The pyramid-shaped roof atop the third floor was supposedly built as a portal to another dimension. Throughout October, the mansion offers a Haunted House Hunt mystery dinner for those who crave an evening of fright.

THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL AND SPA

321 17th St.
Downtown Denver’s Brown Palace opened its doors on August 12, 1892 – and hasn’t closed them for a single moment since. For more than a century the luxurious hotel and spa has stood as an anchor to the bustling financial and cultural district, playing host to presidents, prime ministers and celebrities.

The Brown Palace Club, occupying a 45-degree angle of the right-triangular hotel, is the source of more spooky stories than any other part of the building. Examples include reports of lights that turn on and off by themselves, and of carpet that crawls underfoot like something alive. Often spotted in the Club entryway or just outside of it is a man in a dark suit or uniform and a cap, which witnesses have described as looking like an old-fashioned railroad conductor’s cap. When encountered and approached by the living, this specter silently retreats to the ground floor and into the wall of the 90-degree corner of the hotel. When the hotel first opened, the ground floor was encircled by retail shops and businesses – including the Rock Island Railroad ticket office in that same corner.

THE STANLEY HOTEL

333 Wonderview Avenue, Estes Park
Well known as inspiration for the Stephen King’s novel “The Shining,” this Colorado hotel has regularly been featured as one of America’s most haunted hotels. In 1911, chief housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was involved in an explosion that blasted her through the floor into a room one story below. The location of the explosion was repaired and converted into Room 217, the same room King visited when writing “The Shining.” Guests staying in Room 217 often report unwanted housekeeping services, including having items put away or unpacked.

Most of the rooms in the hotel have had haunted experiences, including items moved, as well as lights turning on and off. In fact, the entire fourth floor of The Stanley Hotel (formerly the servant quarters) is quite active. Often, the sound of children playing in the halls of the Stanley can be heard, even when no children are present.

PATTERSON HISTORIC INN (FORMERLY CROKE PATTERSON MANSION)

420 E 11th Ave
“The Castle Project” is a documentary about the haunted history of the Croke Patterson Mansion in Capitol Hill. Filmmaker Brian Higgins documents his work as crewmembers work to transform the 124-year-old mansion into a modern bed & breakfast hotel. Most of the crew is skeptical of ghosts, but after sightings of apparitions, whispering voices and peculiar odors, they quickly realize they may not be alone in the house.

Built in 1890 by Thomas B. Croke, the red sandstone mansion is 14,000 square feet of elegant beauty. It is also said to be one of the most haunted buildings in Denver. Croke only owned the mansion for two years after selling it to Thomas M. Patterson. It wasn’t until the 1970s that people began to experience strange occurrences. During renovations to the property, construction crews began to notice the work they had done the day prior was always in disarray when they returned. Thinking this the work of vandals, they left a pair of guard dogs to monitor the property overnight. When the workers returned the following day, both dogs were found dead on the sidewalk, having jumped from the third-floor window. It is said that the spirit that haunts the old mansion is that of a little girl who is buried deep in the basement floor.

Today the mansion has been transformed into the Patterson Historic Inn, an exquisite bed & breakfast hotel with modern luxuries and amenities. But the presence of paranormal activity may still remain within the walls of the old mansion and guests should think twice before taking a tour of the cellar. Sleep tight!

-Visit Denver

Deals: Chipotle’s $3 Boorito, Halloween, Uniqlo and More

On Sunday morning, I attended an event from Honest Tea. They had the most amazing brunch at The Kitchen restaurant downtown. Among other mom bloggers – we had a frank and open discussion with Trista Sutter (of Bachlorette fame). The open communication was part of the Honest Tea #RefreshinglyHonest campaign – reminding all women to just be authentic with each other. Is there something you hide from friends? Do you have friends you can also be refreshingly honest with – even if it is the time when you admit that your life is not as perfect as your Facebook page or Instagram posts make it look?

Chipotle. Enjoy a “boo”rito for just $3 at Chipotle on Halloween night (Oct 31) when you wear your costume into the store from 3 p.m. to close. Plus, all the proceeds will benefit the Chipotle Foundation.

Shoptoberfest at Outlets of Castle Rock. Shoptoberfest Scratch & Win is Back! Spend $150 in same day receipts to earn your scratch ticket and earn prizes from Outlets at Castle Rock! Every ticket is a winner, so gets yours while supplies last! Through October 31st. See Customer Service for details.

Halloween Party at Castle Rock. Wicked Wednesday Halloween Party. Wednesday, October 26th 5-7pm. Join Outlets at Castle Rock for our first Wicked Wednesday Halloween Party! They’ll have a magic show, face painting, and a costume contest for the kids (12 and under) for a chance to win prizes from the Outlets at Castle Rock! Don’t forget to dress the kids up and trick or treat at participating stores that night. 5050 Factory Shops Blvd, Suite 437 Castle Rock, CO 0108. http://www.outletsatcastlerock.com/event/Wicked-Wednesday-Halloween-Party/2145479397/

Halloween at Avanti. Celebrate Halloween at Avanti Food & Beverage on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 11am till close. 3200 Pecos St. (complementary valet). Some of the fun includes: All day happy hour pricing (for drinks); Complementary photo booth from 3-7pm to capture Halloween memories with family and friends; Party at the Wolf Bar featuring Dogfish Head specials all day and Avanti’s fall apple whisky sour, Rain or shine trick-or-treating for the kiddos from 3-7pm; Enjoy food from 7 restaurant concepts all under one roof

Minecraft. BE THE COOLEST MOM EVER: Take Your Kids to Play MINECRAFT in a Movie Theatre! Join Super League’s fun and educational 4-week Minecraft league from Oct. 18 – Nov. 9 at Century Boulder and Century 16 Bel Mar and XD in Lakewood! Game on the Big Screen; Educational & Social Fun; Scholarship Awarded to Winning Team; Free League T-Shirt for Gamers; Parents can Attend for Free. Get tickets at https://superleague.com/slg/ milehigh. Save $20 with Promo Code: MILEHIGH.

Old Navy. Old Navy is having their big fall sale. There are a ton of fall and summer clothes all at least ½ off.

Starbucks. Starbucks if offering the “treat receipt” again. When you purchase a coffee drink the morning bring it back the same day after 2 p.m .and get a bakery item for just $1. This promo will go through October 31.

Uniqlo. My fashionista teenage daughter is super excited about Denver getting our first Uniqlo store this Friday, October 28 at the Pavilions downtown. The store is known to make affordable staples. The first 100 people in line on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 28 to 30, get a gift card valued up to $100 (no purchase required). The first 3,000 shoppers to spend $50, receive a FREE piece of HeatTech. Plus, if you spend $100 you will get a FREE limited-edition F tote bag. I’m sure there will be other opening weekend deals. You can also join in the fun of the Block Party on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 16th Street & Glenarm. where you can win prizes.

Pumpkin Goodies on sale. Einstein Bros. bagels are offering 50% off pumpkin treats – pumpkin latte, pumpkin bagel, pumpkin shmear, or a pumpkin muffin. Try any of it for half price.

Clyford Still Museum. The Clyfford Still Museum is offering free admission for adults visiting with children (and teachers!) until October 30. Admission for youth under 18 is already free every day. And admission is free for everyone on the last Friday of every month ongoing. Find more information about the promotion and fun for families here.

Keystone. Make plans to visit Keystone when they present the inaugural Colorado Family Ski Month this December, a family-friendly celebration of the winter activities that define living in the Centennial State. Whether a lifelong resident or recent transplant, the first-ever event is the perfect showcase of all things Keystone for Coloradans. Beginning with free skiing and riding for all kids 12 and younger on Thursday, Dec. 1, the family-sized adventures continue with the grand opening of the Snow Fort, month-long signature family activities, and the new Kidtopia Mountaintop Spectacular weekend. Carve out some serious family bonding time this December in honor of Colorado Family Ski Month and take advantage of the many events and activities. More details at KeystoneResort.com

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Dead Men Don’t Talk…Or Do They?

The weather is getting cooler. Bare branches make eerie shadows in the moonlight.

There’s never been a better time to go look at some dead stuff.

I’m sure there’s a historian out there who just cringed a little.

But really, when you’re talking about kids and history at this time of year…what better way to entice them?

It was on a cool, fall evening such as I described that my kids and I headed out for an adventure. And here’s what we discovered.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is temporarily hosting a remarkable exhibit called Mummies: New Secrets from the Tombs. By combining historical facts with new scientific discoveries, this event is sure to please everyone in the family – from the mom who enjoys looking at the beautifully intricate ancient art…to the kid who can use a CT scanner to investigate a replica mummy.

As an added bonus, the museum is showing Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, the perfect complement to the exhibit. This IMAX film shows not only how archeologists discovered valuable ancient tombs, but also how current scientists are using DNA from the mummies they’ve uncovered (no pun intended) to help find cures for diseases humans still suffer from today.

Did you know that the Egyptians were meticulous in detailing almost everything they did…except the mummification process, which is still a mystery? Neither did I until I saw that movie.

The IMAX film was the perfect introduction to the exhibit; it gave us some background on new and old breakthroughs that really enhanced our experience as we walked through the mummies and other pieces on display. My kids loved listening to the experts scattered around, speaking about ancient techniques and rituals. And I enjoyed learning more about both the Egyptian and Peruvian cultures.

So as the weather gets colder and you’re looking for something to do while you stay warm…go check out the mummies at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Usually mummies don’t go anywhere, but these will only be there until February 5, 2017.