Month: June 2023

Etlich Gardens: Twister III Storm Chaser NOW OPEN!

The beloved Twister II wooden roller coaster is storming back this Friday, June 30! Elitch Gardens has refurbished and reimagined the park’s iconic coaster to Twister III: Storm Chaser. The highly anticipated opening promises an adrenaline-pumping experience full of new dramatic, adventurous and fun quirky twists! The family-favorite wooden roller coaster guarantees thrills for all ages. Riders will experience a rush of both nostalgia and excitement as they approach this massive ride. Their journey through the queue line will showcase a story that compels people to chase tornados. As they near the 10-story superstructure, riders will be invited to join the elite Twister III: Storm Chaser team. Once coined as official members of the Storm Chaser team, riders will race along the t...

Happy Canada Day: Fun Facts About Our Northern Neighbor!

Canada Day is July 1st and since Mile High Mamas’ founder Amber is Canadian, we thought it would be fun to share some fun facts about the Motherland.  Did you know: Canada became a country on July 1, 1867 when the British Parliament passed the British North America Act but only officially became indepdnent from Britain in 1982.  Canada is the world’s second-larges country: 9.98 million square miles and has the largest coastline in the world.  The name Canada comes from the indigenous wordkanata, which meants “settlement” or “village” in the language of St. Lawrence Iroquoians.  Little-known facs, the Brits and the French werne’t hte first to colonize Cnaada, it was the Vikings around 1000 AD. The longest highway in the world is ...

Free Family-friendly Activities and Events in Denver

Summer doesn’t have to break the bank! Be sure to check out our free days in Denver 2023, Hundreds of Ideas for Daytrips with the Kids, plus these great recommendations from Visit Denver for free family fun.  1. THE GREAT OUTDOORS Enjoying Colorado’s natural beauty is the most obvious budget-friendly option. Just-right temperatures year-round draw outdoor enthusiasts to our open lands and thousands of miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, wildlife watching, fishing and much more. Check out Denver Summer Fun Guide with 200+ ideas,  Cool Off This Summer at Colorado’s Best Beaches,  Guide to Denver’s Splash Pads and Spray Fountains and Best Hikes for Kids in the Denver area. 2. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES Colorado is home to...

Hosting an Exchange Student Q&A: Saying good-bye to our bonus kids

We recently wrapped up two years of hosting two incredible exchange students: The truly lovely Maelle from Switzerland and the always-entertaining Pablo from Spain. I’m frequently asked how we came to host exchange students so here is a Q&A on what you need to know to host exchange students.  Q: How did you become a host family? A: I served an LDS mission in Geneva Switzerland and I was contacted about five years ago on a mission alumni Facebook page about hosting a young man from Switzerland. It was never something I had ever thought about but we had very positive interactions with our neighbor who hosted a young woman from Thailand. But at the time, we just didn’t have the space. Fast-forward to December 2019 and we were in the process of refinancing our house to finish our base...

Denver’s Sipp Soda Bar: Near-death experiences + a viral social media success!

We love a good soda…and a good story of overcoming the odds and bringing goodness to the world. The story of Sipp Soda Bar has both. Co-owners Tim Kellogg and Wendy McFarland, who are also husband and wife, opened Sipp Soda Bar in the midst of the pandemic, with Kellogg nearly dying three times when he contracted COVID-19. With the pandemic threatening the success of their small business, and Kellogg recovering from lingering health complications, he and McFarland created a TikTok account for their small business, which catapulted to a following of more than 200,000 and received over 1.4M likes. “Good Morning America” continued its “Up in Your Business” segment, which spotlights small businesses across the U.S. to give them a boost ahead of the busy summer months. McFarland shared ho...

Explore Colorado’s High Plains: Family attractions, recreation and history

Just an hour from Denver, Morgan County feels like a world away with its rural charm and wide-open spaces. An integral part of the High Plains region, this area is characterized by blue skies, expansive prairies and friendly people in towns like Fort Morgan and Brush. Colorado.com shares some highlights that you and your family are sure to enjoy. BRUSH RODEO Every 4th of July, Brush is home to one of the most exciting rodeos you’ll find anywhere. The Brush Rodeo offers three days full of all the cowboy and cowgirl action you could hope for, including bronc riding, barrel racing, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, Mutton Bustin’, a free BBQ, Little Princess rides, a 4th of July parade, and fireworks to close it all out. MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE SITES PROVIDE A P...

Who has Denver’s best burger? Find out at the Denver Burger Battle!

Who has Denver’s best burger? (Note: Dad doesn’t count!) One of Denver’s most anticipated all-you-can-eat (and drink) festivals – Denver Burger Battle – will return on Thursday, August 3, pitting more than 18 area restaurants against each other to crown the best burger in Denver. Five new restaurants will enter the ring this year, including The Original and Next Door Street Bar. Denver Burger Battle, produced by Team Player Productions, will be held at the Auraria Campus – Tivoli Quad (1000 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80204) at 5:30 p.m.    Established in 2010, this tasting event includes unlimited samplings of burgers, sides, desserts, beer, wine and cocktails. Attendees will crown a People’s Choice award, while a panel of judges, made up of local med...

FREE Pollinator Palooza Festival at the Butterfly Pavilion

It’s a party for the pollinators!   On June 25, the Butterfly Pavilion is holding its first Pollinator Palooza Festival with activities for the whole family, a free outdoor concert, artisan pollinator market and more!   What: Pollinator Palooza Festival featuring a free live outdoor concert with John King, Nashville artist on the west lawn, farmer’s market with booths connected to pollinators, food trucks, free pollinator face painting and character profile art, guided garden tours and more! 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Concert is from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.   Why: Pollinators, such as bees, beetles, butterflies, and flies are critical for our economy, environment, and agriculture. Pollinators help sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources...

Deals: Free Movie Preview, Merrell Hiking Event & More

Research says that you remember experiences more than things. That is why I always try to create a fun experience for my kids each summer. It may not be an extravagant trip (I usually can’t afford that anyway), but a special picnic, a free concert, a hike to the mountains (check out the Merrell event), paddleboarding at Chatfield, or even stopping at the Tiny Home Festival and talking about what it might be like to live in a tiny home! There are so many great ways you can create an experience for the summer for your kids all at little to no cost. Free Movie Preview Nimona! Enter to win seats for you and your family to the advance screening of Netflix’s upcoming animated movie, NIMONA, on Saturday, June 24th at 11am in Lakewood! Email [email protected] with the s...

Family Concert ‘Peter and the Wolf + Goodnight Moon’ at the Colorao Music Festival!

If you want to do a better job of introducing your kids to music and culture, this is the perfect opportunity!   Colorado Music Festival (CMF) presents its annual family concert “Peter and the Wolf + Goodnight Moon,” on Sunday, July 2, at 10:30 a.m., at Chautauqua Auditorium (900 Baseline Rd., Boulder, Colo.). This year’s concert, conducted by Kalena Bovell, features Prokofiev’s beloved fairytale “Peter and the Wolf,” which introduces young listeners to the instruments of the orchestra, with narration by Denver-based actor and comedian Janae Burris. The concert also includes an upbeat suite from Bizet’s “Carmen,” featuring local soprano Jennifer Bird-Arvidsson, Eric Whitacre’s musical setting of the children’s classic “Goodnight Moon,” and ...

Happy Father’s Day to Denver Dads!

Happy Father’s Day to our Denver Dads! Don’t miss our Guide to Father’s Day in Denver with 50+ ways to celebrate Dad. This is the price you pay for having a great father. You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments – and you get the tears at the end, too. -Harlan Coben I was raised in the greatest of homes… just a really great dad, and I miss him so much… he was a good man, a real simple man… Very faithful, always loved my mom, always provided for the kids, and just a lot of fun. -Max Lucado In our house, Mother’s Day is every day. Father’s Day, too. In our house, parents count. They do important work and that work matters. One day just doesn’t cut for us. -Margaret Heffernan Happy Father’s Day today (and every day)!

Selecting the Right Coverage for Your Belongings When Moving

If you are preparing to make a move, the anxiety that sets in over someone else overseeing your belongings is genuine. Everything in your household will be packed up and loaded onto a moving truck for transport. During this time, you will likely wonder how your items are being handled or treated in your absence if accidents happen and how to deal with the possibility of damage.  Providing yourself with a safety net in case of human error or accidents is essential to defending your household goods. When you book your relocation process with a professional Broomfield moving company, you are in the hands of a crew with extensive experience and some serious skills. While having a team of moving experts on your side throughout the relocation procedures will provide peace of mind, you must ...