Why is it somehow more difficult to spend $100 when you have it - than when you don't? I was lucky enough to receive $100 gift card to Amazon.com. I'm super excited about it and go rounds in my head about what I should do with it. I agonize between spending it totally frivolously on myself (in case you don't know....I'm proud of the fact that I seek and get great deals) or if I should so something uber responsible with it.
I dream. I shop. I even posted pictures. I have it narrowed down to a Kindle - my sister has one and says such great things about it, BUT I'm thinking I want to get an iPad. But, I can't afford an iPad right now and certainly can't justify spending that kind of money as a single mom when I really COULD spend the money it costs for that iPad on winter clothes for my kids or another pair of shoes for them. I have a pair of Dansko shoes that I love, love, love - I've even swayed several friends to buy their own pair (and my mom has bought several pair) but the ones I have are almost 11 years old. YES! I have shoes that are almost as old as my son. So proof positive that they last (which I really need when I only buy something for myself every 11 years). Pair of UGG boots. In my view the boots are the most frivolous of them all. I really want a pair -but once again there are several other brands that LOOK like UGGs but they just are not the same. I have gone to the store for several years now and tried them on each year.
OR
I could do the totally responsible thing buy some Christmas gifts for my kids. Stock them up. Have nothing to buy in a matter of months. Spread out the wealth....
What to do?
Yes, when I don't have $100 I have no problem spending it in the Grocery Store!
Friday, September 30, 2011
MHM Denver Deal: Free Day, Ski Passport & more
Do you have some great suggestions on where to get a Halloween costume and not pay a ton for it? We are already seeing some fun events for Halloween. If you know of any please send them our direction. And if you are looking for something fun to do for the next few weeks – keep reading!
Denver Art Museum Free Day
The Denver Art Museum is offer a free day on October 1, 2011 as part of the Scientific Cultural and Facilities District.
Colorado Ski Country 5th and 6th Grade Passport
Every child who lives in Colorado has the opportunity to learn how to ski or snowboard with the Colorado Ski Country USA 5th & 6th Grade Passport program! The 5th Grade Passport is FREE! It includes 3 days of skiing/boarding at each of the 21 member resorts (INCLUDING Echo Mountain, Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte, Araphahoe Basin, Aspen, Eldora more!) The 6th Grade Passport is just $99 (they get an extra day at each resort)! Plus, many of the resorts include great deals for parents and other family who might be interested in joining their child on the slopes.
School of Shred
Vail Resorts offers their own version of the 5th grade passport with the School of Shred. The 11/12 School of Shred program provides 4 FREE days of skiing or riding at each of the state’s top-ranked resorts Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin for all Colorado fifth and sixth grade students who register by November 6, 2011. Returning this year, the School of Shred pass included one complimentary first-timer ski lesson and rental equipment for pass holders (Arapahoe Basin excluded). Lessons and rentals were provided from 11/28/11-12/18/11, as well as during the entire month of January as a part of “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month”.
Halloween Activities
I am all for the kids getting full use of the costumes I pay so much for – so it is great when we can find Halloween Happenings that go on all month long! The annual fun at the Corn Maze at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (8500 Deer Creek Road) is always a fun place to get lost. (And yes, it took me what felt like a whole day to get out last year!) Set your “ghost-radar app” on your iPhone for fun at the Brown Palace Ghost Tour. Take the kids on a historical adventure that talks about the storied guests (including the Stock Show Steer that takes up residence in the lobby). Reinke Bros Haunted Mansion opens on Oct 3 with the Annual Zombie Crawl through downtown Littleton. The Four Mile Historic Park hosts the Pumpkin Harvest Festival on October 1 & 2 with county fair, pumpkin patch, old time music and more. For other great Halloween events visit doingdenverforless.com.
IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is celebrating Halloween all month with Pumpkin pancakes, Funny Face Pancake turns scary with “design-your-own” Scary Face Pancake for kids 12 and under (Count Spatula) and then on October 28 kids will be treated to a FREE Scary Face pancake!
Lesson Up
We have all seen the Groupons and Living Social deals. But here is perhaps one of the best ones I have seen for parents. It’s called Lesson Up. Where all those enrichment and lessons for kids are at a discounted rate!
Mindbloom
Kids are not the only one who need a bit of “enrichment”. I have discovered a fantastic new website that will help me grow as a parent, professional and as a person as a whole! Mindbloom.com allows you to help define and develop the parts of your life that are most important to you – and it all feels like a game! Check it out and let me know what you think!
Refuge Day
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge at its free, annual Refuge Day celebration on October 15, 2011, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The day will feature activities, tours and exhibits, scavenger hunt, as well as arts and crafts. The Refuge is is located at 6550 Gateway Road.
PARENT DEALS
Are you looking for a fun date night deal or information about clinics and information sessions just for parents? We are happy to share a couple great things going on in the next few weeks!
As part of a “tweet up” I was lucky enought to try chicken hearts, wild boar, yak and rattlesnake! You can try them too at the Rodizio Grill for a limited time!
Email me if you know of any great Denver deals!
Don’t want to miss any of Mile High Mamas’ contests and events? Be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter so you can forward these great deals to your friends.
You can also follow me on Twitter (GeeWhy93). If I find a great deal during the week, I’ll tweet it out.
More from Mile High Mamas
Positive Attitude
It is who I am. I to have a tendency to look at life in a positive way. I'm not certain why or how I got the I am. I think I would one day try to figure out if it is something that is born, inherited or if it is something that can be learned.
I have been lucky enough to be able to do the things I want to do in life. To understand limitations. I try never to be jealous of others but rather view my life in a happy way for the things I have worked toward and achieved. To always find something new to learn or to try to understand - even if that thing is less a thing but more of a person.
I do believe that people are put into our lives for different reasons at different times. The relationships we get to have with them are exactly as they are meant to be. Don't try to hang on to a relationship that is wrong - it is just meant to teach you something. If a relationship is great, never ever let it go. Take the time to nurture it.
I have heard it said that people will always disappoint you. But the way I think of it is this. Expect nothing from anyone other than yourself. Hold the best attitude toward others and try to be cognizant that they may have issues and things that you are are not aware of.
So, even if being positive is not something that is inherited, I hope that I am able to show my two children how having a positive attitude will have a profound effect in their life.
I have been lucky enough to be able to do the things I want to do in life. To understand limitations. I try never to be jealous of others but rather view my life in a happy way for the things I have worked toward and achieved. To always find something new to learn or to try to understand - even if that thing is less a thing but more of a person.
I do believe that people are put into our lives for different reasons at different times. The relationships we get to have with them are exactly as they are meant to be. Don't try to hang on to a relationship that is wrong - it is just meant to teach you something. If a relationship is great, never ever let it go. Take the time to nurture it.
I have heard it said that people will always disappoint you. But the way I think of it is this. Expect nothing from anyone other than yourself. Hold the best attitude toward others and try to be cognizant that they may have issues and things that you are are not aware of.
So, even if being positive is not something that is inherited, I hope that I am able to show my two children how having a positive attitude will have a profound effect in their life.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Snowboard Lessons
So, as I am telling stories of skiing and snowboarding last year, I would be remiss to mention the fact that it was the FIRST time ever for me to be on a snowboard. I had heard that it could be a bit difficult to learn, to take things slow, to be patient and not to plan on really knowing how to snowboard on the first try.
So my friend talked me into joining her at a ski resort not far from Denver. I had borrowed equipment from another friend. I had studied YouTube videos the night before "Beginning Snowboarding," "Learn to Snowboard" and "Snowboarding 101". Perhaps there was even one called, "Snowboarding for Dummies." But what they each should have said is, "There is absolutely, positively NO WAY you will learn how to snowboard using our videos." I honestly don't recommend teaching yourself to snowboard using YouTube videos.
I crashed and burned on the kiddie slope all day long. My friend was trying to be patient, but when mid-afternoon rolled around and I honestly could not figure out how to steer or stop the board. She got a bit concerned and called ski patrol to take me to the bottom of the mountain. For those of you who have never skied (or boarded), being taken to the bottom of the mountain by patrol is a pretty embarrassing proposition or means you got hurt. I will say I have still not been able to silence her on her advice to get a helmet. (I thought I was good with my matching beanie - it looked good).
I hate it when people say I can't do something (even if in this case the "people" I'm talking about were the muscles I didn't know I had). It drives me even more to do what some might think impossible. And at that point, I did kinda think that the possibility of me snowboarding was mission impossible but, I was not about to give up. I figured that I had heard that it takes a couple times to "get it" so this was just the first time. And then miraculously, went back for more!
This time I was smart enough to get lessons (for those of you who know how to ski - snowboarding is sooooo NOT the same thing). After my second day on the slopes, I was beginning to see improvement. I could actually stand up and go more than a few feet. I could stop it and to some extent steer.
I even go so enthused about the sport, I can't wait to get back. Keep following my blog to find out more about my adventures on the slopes, my son continuing to learn and then this year - I get to add my daughter who will likely 'board' circles around me by the first day.
So my friend talked me into joining her at a ski resort not far from Denver. I had borrowed equipment from another friend. I had studied YouTube videos the night before "Beginning Snowboarding," "Learn to Snowboard" and "Snowboarding 101". Perhaps there was even one called, "Snowboarding for Dummies." But what they each should have said is, "There is absolutely, positively NO WAY you will learn how to snowboard using our videos." I honestly don't recommend teaching yourself to snowboard using YouTube videos.
I crashed and burned on the kiddie slope all day long. My friend was trying to be patient, but when mid-afternoon rolled around and I honestly could not figure out how to steer or stop the board. She got a bit concerned and called ski patrol to take me to the bottom of the mountain. For those of you who have never skied (or boarded), being taken to the bottom of the mountain by patrol is a pretty embarrassing proposition or means you got hurt. I will say I have still not been able to silence her on her advice to get a helmet. (I thought I was good with my matching beanie - it looked good).
I hate it when people say I can't do something (even if in this case the "people" I'm talking about were the muscles I didn't know I had). It drives me even more to do what some might think impossible. And at that point, I did kinda think that the possibility of me snowboarding was mission impossible but, I was not about to give up. I figured that I had heard that it takes a couple times to "get it" so this was just the first time. And then miraculously, went back for more!
This time I was smart enough to get lessons (for those of you who know how to ski - snowboarding is sooooo NOT the same thing). After my second day on the slopes, I was beginning to see improvement. I could actually stand up and go more than a few feet. I could stop it and to some extent steer.
I even go so enthused about the sport, I can't wait to get back. Keep following my blog to find out more about my adventures on the slopes, my son continuing to learn and then this year - I get to add my daughter who will likely 'board' circles around me by the first day.
To Ski or Not to Ski
My son was in 5th grade last year. He was eligible for the 5th Grade Passport. A program offered by Colorado Ski Country where kids around the state are offered the opportunity to ski and/or snowboard.
I think I was more excited than he was about the opportunity. Growing up in Steamboat Springs, skiing was pretty natural to me (it was part of our gym class in elementary school). He had never been skiing or snowboarding in his whole life. Even though we live in Colorado - either money or his dad - we never did end up taking him skiing.
He chose Echo Mountain to learn to ski. It was the closest resort to Denver. And we talked his friend, Ryan into coming along as well. He was nervous. I was nervous for him. But once they got on the rental gear - there was no reason for fear or trepidation.
Not only were they in good hands with a great instructor, but as a mom, I could see exactly what he was doing from the lodge. I could look right across the balcony and see the "magic carpet." They came away from the day confident to try to do it again.
The only thing I was sad about was that we had waited until so late in the season to try it - I will get a earlier start on the season this next year.
It has also given me an opportunity to do something really different from what I know he will be getting from his dad. We can spend some great family time in the car and ski in a close friendly location. We will definately do more of it this year!
I think I was more excited than he was about the opportunity. Growing up in Steamboat Springs, skiing was pretty natural to me (it was part of our gym class in elementary school). He had never been skiing or snowboarding in his whole life. Even though we live in Colorado - either money or his dad - we never did end up taking him skiing.
He chose Echo Mountain to learn to ski. It was the closest resort to Denver. And we talked his friend, Ryan into coming along as well. He was nervous. I was nervous for him. But once they got on the rental gear - there was no reason for fear or trepidation.
Not only were they in good hands with a great instructor, but as a mom, I could see exactly what he was doing from the lodge. I could look right across the balcony and see the "magic carpet." They came away from the day confident to try to do it again.
The only thing I was sad about was that we had waited until so late in the season to try it - I will get a earlier start on the season this next year.
It has also given me an opportunity to do something really different from what I know he will be getting from his dad. We can spend some great family time in the car and ski in a close friendly location. We will definately do more of it this year!
Eat and Greet
I also write a blog for MileHighMamas.com. I am the deals editor there. It came as a very clandestine thing, I think. I had been writing several different "deals" that I would hear about and posting them to my facebook page. I had only recently been divorced and was trying to find ways to entertain myself and my kids on a SUPER limited budget (It's still limited).
Anyway, for that I do not get paid, I just do it because it is fun. I like to share great finds. Some women are happy when they find a great pair of shoes on sale. Me? I like to find a free Icee at AMC theaters on Friday nights. Every once in a while I get a "bone" thrown my way. Some little perk for writing about something. Giving an honest take.
I was SUPER excited when I was invited to the Zac Brown Band Eat and Greet when they came to Red Rocks Ampitheater. I used to work at a radio station, so I had seen a meet and greet before. You know, the kind where you shake hands with the band, pose for a silly photo you don't quite know what to do with and then you go on your merry little way. This was such a different experience I think I will be talking about it for YEARS to come!
Granted, I was already a fan of the band before I was invited (yes, I live in Colorado and listen to country music - I listen to pop too). But this was the coolest thing EVER. We (my friend came with me) were greeted by the band as we arrived at the Trading Post with warm and genuine smiles and handshakes. They then invited us to partake in a drink. Once the intimate group of 50 or so, were inside the picnic area.
Zac Brown himself and Chef Rusty said a quick hello to everyone (addressed us as a group) and told us how it would work. Chef Rusty explained the meal (a la those really cool shows that I pretend not to watch on the Food Network), complete with as much from local area that he could get (who knew that we grow white eggplant in Colorado?). Once he was done telling us what was on the food line - the band literally served us! They stood behind the serving line and put the food on our plates. Like we were really at a family picnic.
The family feel didn't end there. We quickly realized when we sat down that we really were among friends and family. The gentleman next to me was Clay's (the guitarist - among other instruments) dad. Jimmy, the fiddle player, sat next to us on the other side and across from us was the neighbors from home for Jimmy! Zac stopped by and told us about his four daughters and introduced us to his wife.
They asked us not to take any photos - because then the band would not feel comfortable like a real family picnic. So I don't have a cheesy photo to prove it. You'll just have to trust me.
Anyway, for that I do not get paid, I just do it because it is fun. I like to share great finds. Some women are happy when they find a great pair of shoes on sale. Me? I like to find a free Icee at AMC theaters on Friday nights. Every once in a while I get a "bone" thrown my way. Some little perk for writing about something. Giving an honest take.
I was SUPER excited when I was invited to the Zac Brown Band Eat and Greet when they came to Red Rocks Ampitheater. I used to work at a radio station, so I had seen a meet and greet before. You know, the kind where you shake hands with the band, pose for a silly photo you don't quite know what to do with and then you go on your merry little way. This was such a different experience I think I will be talking about it for YEARS to come!
Granted, I was already a fan of the band before I was invited (yes, I live in Colorado and listen to country music - I listen to pop too). But this was the coolest thing EVER. We (my friend came with me) were greeted by the band as we arrived at the Trading Post with warm and genuine smiles and handshakes. They then invited us to partake in a drink. Once the intimate group of 50 or so, were inside the picnic area.
Zac Brown himself and Chef Rusty said a quick hello to everyone (addressed us as a group) and told us how it would work. Chef Rusty explained the meal (a la those really cool shows that I pretend not to watch on the Food Network), complete with as much from local area that he could get (who knew that we grow white eggplant in Colorado?). Once he was done telling us what was on the food line - the band literally served us! They stood behind the serving line and put the food on our plates. Like we were really at a family picnic.
The family feel didn't end there. We quickly realized when we sat down that we really were among friends and family. The gentleman next to me was Clay's (the guitarist - among other instruments) dad. Jimmy, the fiddle player, sat next to us on the other side and across from us was the neighbors from home for Jimmy! Zac stopped by and told us about his four daughters and introduced us to his wife.
They asked us not to take any photos - because then the band would not feel comfortable like a real family picnic. So I don't have a cheesy photo to prove it. You'll just have to trust me.
Trying it another way
I have been divorced now for just over 2 years. I must say that for the most part this has been a good move for me and (hopefully) I have not scarred my children for life. I find that I am seeking all kinds of different things to do and to fill my time when the kids are not with me (I have a really messed up schedule with them, me and the ex). I also look for fun and exciting things to do with them when they are here.
I live in the greatest state (I think) for fun stuff to do. I am a proud native of Colorado! There are so many things to do here - many of which do not cost a lot. We can hike - or when I am tricking the kids into going along - it is just a "nature walk" or go sledding down at hill (in some parts of the country they might call them mountains).
I am finally settling into the single life with the kids with me every other weekend. I get to go out with friends and fill my time with part time jobs, volunteer opportunities (Ok, so I am volunteering at the beer festival - it doesn't sounds so impressive when I tell you the truth!) I am trying life another way. I am trying to take advantage of every moment I have!
I live in the greatest state (I think) for fun stuff to do. I am a proud native of Colorado! There are so many things to do here - many of which do not cost a lot. We can hike - or when I am tricking the kids into going along - it is just a "nature walk" or go sledding down at hill (in some parts of the country they might call them mountains).
I am finally settling into the single life with the kids with me every other weekend. I get to go out with friends and fill my time with part time jobs, volunteer opportunities (Ok, so I am volunteering at the beer festival - it doesn't sounds so impressive when I tell you the truth!) I am trying life another way. I am trying to take advantage of every moment I have!
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