Month: October 2020

Fall Back: How to ease your kids into the time change + how much sleep they really need

Winter is coming! If you’re anything like me you may not be thrilled about the chilly months that lie ahead, but those cold short days do have a few advantages – especially longer nights! We are about to change the clock back an hour and while some of us are a little saddened by the thought of eating dinner at 5:30 in the dark, this can be a great opportunity to help our kids start getting the kind of sleep they really need! Studies show that the amount of sleep children get has a profound effect on their learning, attention, risk of obesity, and risk of depression. Most children in our country do not come close to getting the amount of sleep they need to process all of the information they are learning every day. When the clocks fall back we have an opportunity to bump their bedtimes up a...

Halloween Yoga for when you feel dead inside

Are you overwhelmed and dispirited by the sheer demands of Halloween? As moms, we give a lot of ourselves in October. It’s hard work to put up a huge Halloween yard display and make creative family costumes during a pandemic. Do yourselves a favor and carve out a few minutes for yourself today to do this lovely adaptable and gentle flow with Adriene that will make you feel a little lighter today.  Check out their full playlist of Halloween themed Yoga practices here.

10 ways to use all that leftover Halloween candy

OK, so apparently some people actually have this problem because I was asked to write a little something on this delicious Halloween dilemma of what to do with all your soon-to-be-leftover candy. When I did a little research on the topic (yep, I researched it too) I realized it’s a rather common occurrence…one of life’s sweetest mysteries. Now, I’m not sure what the problem is at our house – maybe my children neglect to collect an adequate amount of sucrose, fructose and glucose in arrays of shapes, colors and flavors – but I don’t think that’s it because we seem to have loot-a-plenty. Maybe a leaky Halloween bucket or Bermuda Triangle looming near the candy dish, but we have a way of making our stash disappear quickly.

Candy taxes: Is it stealing or entitlement?

I have some bad news for parents who claim a “candy tax” by taking a portion of their kids’ Halloween candy: THEY ARE ONTO US. A few years ago, we went to our church’s Halloween party and my kids came home with bucket loads of treats. For the most part, I let them have at it but started putting on the brakes the next day. After all, they have to save their gluttony for The Main Event on Wednesday. I made a healthy dinner with the one thing my 8-year-old daughter abhors most: eggs. She usually chokes them down but we are entering the tween moody stage (hurray!) and she suddenly thinks she should have a say. I don’t know when she started thinking this was a democracy, not a dictatorship.

‘I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos’ — Chrissy Teigen speaks out

Pregnancy loss takes a huge emotional and financial toll — which many people still don’t talk about. Chrissy Teigen is breaking that silence.  Chrissy Teigen and John Legend received an outpouring of support on social media earlier this month after revealing that they lost their third child following pregnancy complications. They also caught a ton of flak for sharing a series of intimate, black-and-white photographs documenting their family tragedy. But in a raw, personal essay posted to Medium on Tuesday, Teigen said that she doesn’t regret posting the pictures. “I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos. How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done,” she wrote. “I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyon...

Deals: Melting Pot, Halloween and Black Friday

I don’ think this is just a Covid question, should I buy more candy or less this year? Do I buy what I like so I can eat the leftovers or do I buy something I don’t like so I don’t eat all the leftovers? Chipotle Boorito. Chipotle still loves Halloween and we still love their deal! This year instead of showing up at a Chipotle location in costume, burrito lovers in Denver will be able to virtually trick-or-treat for 500,000 BUY-ONE-GET-ONE entrée codes via text. Codes will be dropped via Chipotle’s TikTok, Instagram and Twitter every day and fans can text the codes to 888-222 to claim them. The BOGOs are only redeemable via the Chipotle app or Chipotle.com on Halloween.  Halloween Car Wash. Brighton Car Wash USA will have a Haunted Car Wash this weekend. Bring...

13 Awesome Halloween and Día de los Muertos Celebrations in Denver

Halloween is upon us! Don’t miss these fun Halloween and Día de los Muertos Celebrations in Denver. See our event calendar for full listings.  Bug-A-Boo,  Butterfly Pavilion  Oct 18 – 29  Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion announced today the return of Bug-A-Boo, it’s safe, indoor trick-or-treating event, from Oct. 18 through Oct. 31. Halloween revelers can put on a costume and enjoy a trick-or-treating experience that is educational and fun, while adhering to state and local safety guidance. Hours for trick or treating will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with the last entry at 4 p.m.) daily from Oct. 18 through Oct. 29. On Oct. 30 and 31, Butterfly Pavilion will extend its hours and be open until 8:20 p.m. (with the last entry at 7:00 p.m.). Boo at the Zoo Storybook Safari, Den...

Denver Arts Week(end) with museums, theaters and galleries

Denver Arts Week, is a celebration of all things art in The Mile High City, featuring events at a wide variety of art galleries, museums, theaters and concert halls.  Due to COVID-19, Denver Arts Week 2020 will pivot to a weekend focus, November 6-8, 2020. Check back for more details soon! First Friday Art Walks Explore Denver’s creative neighborhoods, meet local artists and find original artwork on sale starting at $52.80 at many participating galleries. Family-Friendly Denver Arts Week Denver Arts Week(end) is filled with imaginative activities and events that will stimulate young minds and create a lifelong love of the arts. Find family-friendly activities to keep your family busy throughout the weekend. Must-see Art Exhibitions Discover why The Mile High City is the place to ...

Are we teaching our kids that winning is all that matters?

There was a time in our country when children were taught about fairness, and that integrity mattered.  I remember hearing phrases as a child such as, “It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.”  This type of thinking led to growing up with a sense of ethics and ideals that were consistent whether they were to your benefit of not.  This was the type of thinking that had people admit when they made a mistake, and care about fixing it, even if it were only because it “was the right thing to do.”  Children were taught about right and wrong, and how we are a society that values thought and innovation.  The goals were about finding the best way forward, regardless of who came up with the idea.  School children learned in elementary ...

This Maternal Health Campaign Empowers Pregnant Women and New Moms

The United States is facing a maternal health crisis: Approximately 700 women die during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery each year. More than 60 percent of those pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is launching Hear Her, a national campaign to address maternal mortality issues. Supported through a partnership with the CDC Foundation and funded by Merck for Mothers, the program will provide education for health care providers, new and expecting mothers, and the friends and family that make up their support systems. id you know some problems due to pregnancy can happen up to a year after delivery? Be aware of urgent maternal warning signs and symptoms during pregnancy and ...

Therapy can be a gift: Here’s how to spoil it (or have it spoiled for you)

When I see new clients in my psychotherapy practice, I explain that to protect their confidentiality, if I see them out in public I will not approach them. If they choose to say hello, that is their choice and I’m happy to see them. The response to this is varied. There is no incorrect response to this situation, it is a client’s decision to make and I respect their choice. I have also had many clients who were very comfortable to engage in therapy, but tell me that they can’t share it with others. Whatever the reason, some clients just want to keep this part of their lives private.  I have noticed over the years, however, that more and more clients have either started therapy because their friends or family shared how helpful it was for them, or that clients are more willing to discl...

An unexpectedly spooky night in the Stanley Hotel

As a single mother of three children, every time I take my kids on what I call a “mini-vacation” (because I’m not brave enough to go on a full-size one) I’m always worried that one of us won’t make it back.  This could be for several reasons:  I’ll lose one.  I’ll try to lose one.  I’ll run away screaming and never return after one of them tells me they need to go to the bathroom even though we’ve just stopped for the other two. But a mini-vacation that took place a few years ago over my kids’ fall break added an extra element of fear – because I took them to the charming, but haunted, Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. Now, I don’t know why I thought this was such a brilliant idea because I am afraid of my own shadow.  My kids, who are thirteen, ten, and eight-years-old...