Month: April 2021

My husband’s affair: How I’m doing seven years later

In 2018, I turned 40. For my birthday, I hiked myself to the top of Courthouse Peak. I paddled Silver Jack Reservoir. I took myself out to dinner and then I camped in my truck near Yankee Boy Basin. The next day, I joined several friends for an adventurous hike to the Opus Hut. We ended up lost, scrambled down a scree slope and collapsed at the hut with wine and birthday celebrations. I just knew that 40 was going to be freaking fantastic. I am now on the cusp of turning 43. I can attest that every year of my 40s, not just the first one, has been freaking fantastic. My 40s have been full of adventure and career changes and leaps of faith. Mostly though, as cheesy as this sounds, my 40s have been full of gratitude. From 2014, when I discovered my husband’s affair until 2017, when I finally ...

Mother’s Day in Denver: The Best Gifts and Events for Denver Moms

Mother’s Day in Denver is almost here! While Mother’s Day events have not yet returned to normal, we certainly have more options than last year and Mom is a reason to celebrate. Kick off the day with a fragrant bouquet of freshly cut, elegantly arranged flowers. Colorado’s largest flower business, Lehrer’s Flowers, can help you find the perfect combination for your mom. Or order from Bouquets in Lower Downtown — they were named one of America’s top 10 florists by Bon Appetit Magazine. If it takes a village to raise a child, why do we shame each other when we get help? I have been mulling over this question for a while. In the age of social media, Colorado moms are expected to project a perfect facade or being able to do it all and thes...

Free kindergarten prep for Colorado kids (and how to apply!)

The COVID-19 pandemic left many families without an early education option in the crucial months before they begin kindergarten. In order to ensure Colorado children are prepared for that first day of school this fall, Waterford.org is providing the Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path at no cost to families to keep kids on track over the summer. This program seeks to support the students and families who have been affected by COVID-19 either through personal economic hardship or due to the indefinite closure of many PreK and Head Start options.  With the Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path, parents receive weekly calls from a personal coach. Additionally, notifications through Waterford’s app let them know what their child is learning and suggest ways to engage together offline....

Our kids are not all right: What we should be doing EVERY DAY ‘to get in their way’

This is so so so important and I’ve had several devastating conversations with friends THIS week about how our kids are NOT OK. Now is not that time to check out and let them run rampant on their phones, video games and social media. Set limits. Turn in phones every night. CHECK THEIR PHONES. Don’t allow technology in their bedrooms. Know their passwords.   We do all these things and guess what? We still run into a lot of problems. One of my children has had their phone taken away for several weeks now. Kids need boundaries and limits…and consequences and love when they mess up. Because they will. We all do.   If we start checking out of their lives, someone else will check in…and guaranteed, they don’t have your child’s best interest. And if y...

Deals: Dance camp discount, Royal Gorge local’s deal and more

I am excited about weekends that are getting full of fun and social things. Last weekend, I had fun-filled weekend lunch with my sister, dinner with another friend, and hikes. This coming weekend I have a cousin’s wedding shower and a half-day excursion on a Jeep Tour at the Royal Gorge! I’ll tell you more about it after I go – but, I’m really looking forward to more of these great fun-filled weekends! Yay to summer. Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is offering half-price General Admission Annual Passes to residents of Colorado, April 1-30. The passes are good for one year from the date of purchase with unlimited visits and can be purchased online or at the park using Promo Code HFCOSP21. At these discounted prices, a family and child pass pays for itself in just one visit and an adult p...

Denver Hikes the Whole Family Will Love

My guidebook, Hiking with Kids Colorado, comes out next month, featuring 52 of the state’s best hikes for families. That’s one hike for every week of the year, and yes, I completed all of the hikes with my own children over the course of a year. (Scroll down to enter to win a copy!) I’d like to say we enjoyed every moment of every hike, but the truth is, there were plenty of times I wished I’d pitched a series on hiking alone with a six-pack of Raspberry Sours! My kids complain about everything, including hiking. Despite the complaints, we trekked on, and the real payoff came just a few weeks ago, on a lazy Saturday morning, when my oldest son crept out of bed, found me at my “standing desk” in the kitchen, and asked, “Hey, Mom? Can we go hiking today?” Here’s the beautiful thing: The more...

Finding Family in a Far Away Land: An Adoption Story

One night at dinner my daughter looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said “Mommy, can you tell me how I was adopted again? You got on an airplane and flew all the way to India and then what happened?” For adoptive parents, this conversation is all too familiar. I am a Denver mom of four, and much like all moms, I love retelling my adopted daughters about the day we met or my older children about the day they were born. The little details mean the most. My daughter Ari clung to my ponytail, smushed her little face against my cheek and wouldn’t let go. As mothers, those memories are fixated in our brain and we hold tight to them, but kids often forget those details. To preserve those precious moments, “Finding Family in a Far-Away Land” was born. We adopted siblings, Priya and Ari fro...

Are you pregnant? Participate in this PAID pregnancy study!

Are you pregnant?  Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder are studying the pre-partum and post-partum employment experiences of women. Participants will receive $70 for completing 7 confidential, brief online surveys ($10 per survey) about their experiences at work over the course of their pregnancy, maternity leave, and return to work.  Participants must be fewer than 12 weeks pregnant and employed in the United States. If you choose to participate, you will be invited to complete 7 online surveys over a period of approximately 18 months. The exact duration of your participation will depend on the length of your maternity leave, with the 7th and final survey completed 12 weeks after your anticipated return to work date. Each survey will take...

Denver Dance Camp: How it all began at Camp Telaphiba (get 40% off!)

Hi! I’m Lisa Pevateaux, the founder of Camp Telaphiba. I grew up raised by a single father who didn’t know what extracurricular activities were so I found dancing very late in my childhood at age 15. BUT, when I found it…… I discovered I LOVED it and began dancing 4-5 hours every weekday and all day on Saturdays. Very quickly I got into the competitive scene and performances. Did I mention that I LOVE dance? When I turned 17, I decided to go to an overnight dance camp. I was really excited about it and LOVED my experience but on Day 2, I received a phone call from my Dad telling me that I had to come home because my Grandfather had passed away. I was devastated.  I was very close to him.  After all of those years of incredible dance experiences, the one that continues to st...

Win a Deluxe Birthday Party from Urban Air Denver East (a $299 value!)

**CONTEST CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO ANGIE W.!** Mile High Mamas is giving away an Urban Air Denver East Deluxe Birthday Party Package (a $299 value) for one lucky kid!   Urban Air Denver East is not a trampoline park. It’s the perfect indoor destination for active family fun. Ideal for all ages, the 37,000 square foot full-service adventure park features next-level award-winning attractions, including the Spin Zone Bumper Cars, the fan-favorite high-tech Virtual Reality, and their signature Sky Rider, which gives you a birds-eye view of the theme park. Equipped with 25 fun-filled attractions to explore, Urban Air Denver East even has a toddler-only area that caters to little ones. Plus, there are eight birthday party/special event rooms with wide-screen TVs, super relaxing massage ch...

Deals: Earth Day in Denver, Half-off Royal Gorge and More

This Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day 2021. Earth day is meant to serve as a conscious reminder of how we can protect and take care of our Earth. Do you talk with your kids about it – or in my case, my kids talk to me? Maybe this year you can plan to recycle more or use refillable bottles and containers like the awesome Colorado companies EcoVessel which has the most adorable kids collection and U-Konserve. Check out our family-friendly things to do in Denver and beyond for Earth Day.  Royal Gorge Bridge & Park is offering half-price General Admission Annual Passes to residents of Colorado, April 1-30. The passes are good for one year from the date of purchase with unlimited visits and can be purchased online or at the park using Promo Code HFCOSP21. At these discounted prices...

Depression hurts: Quick tips and helps for when you’re feeling depressed

Denver moms: Are you or someone you love suffering from depression? My friend has long struggled with depression and in addition to regular therapy and an ever-changing cocktail of anti-depressants, she recently shared this post that is circulating about how to navigate depression. Sometimes even the most basic tasks seem overwhelming but baby steps can help, even if you only do one of these per day.  Self-care if you’re struggling with depression Shower. Not a bath, a shower. Use water as hot or cold as you like. You don’t even need to wash. Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. Sit on the floor if you gotta. Moisturize everything. Use whatever lotion you like. Unscented? Dollar store lotion? Fancy 48-hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of w...