Give Your Kitchen a New Look

Some recommendations on spicing up your kitchen from Apartment Therapy: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-repurposed-kitchen-uses-for-the-versatile-glass-jar-169758

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Check out Rusted Root tomorrow at the Gothic Theatre!

Rusted Root along with Skinny Lister, Mr. Right and Malea will be performing tomorrow, April 14th at the Gothic Theatre. Doors open at 8 pm and the show starts at 9. Tickets are between $18 and $22. For more information please visit: http://www.gothictheatre.com/event/89451

 

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Non-traditional Easter decor

Looking for a different look for this year's Easter? Check out these super cool ideas from Apartment Therapy!


We enjoy some of the traditions that go along with Easter: hunting eggs, decorating with spring flowers, eating Peeps. But unfortunately, like many holidays, Easter has become commercially cutesy-fied, to the point where we groan and roll our eyes when we see the first plastic baskets and cellophane grass hit the shelves (on February 15th). In minor rebellion, we went in search of some interesting, handmade and non-cutesy Easter décor ideas to share with you. Here's what we found...

• 1 We're big fans of Elizabeth Soule's photographs at any time of year, but her little lambs seem especially appropriate for Easter, cute without being cutesy. She's also got a very nice rabbit. Available at Poppytalk's wonderful spring-themed Green Pop marketplace.

• 2 Emilyn from Supercozy made these great DIY egg carton flowers. They would be pretty hanging as a garland, or used as shades on a string of lights.

• 3 There's something so beautiful in the simplicity of these plain wooden eggs from TheCraftyDragonfly on Etsy. They're intended for craft projects, but we like them just the way they are.

• 4 An egg-shaped terrarium seems perfect for celebrating spring and the holiday at once. This vintage glass version comes from Etsy seller Greenbriar.

• 5 Another selection from Poppy's Green Pop marketplace, this rabbit lamp from Non Fiction Design is weird and wonderful. Surround him with moss or flowers for a wacky centerpiece.

• 6 There are a lot of felted eggs on Etsy, but we like these because they're not done in pastels and they look very well-made. From Astash.

• 7 Soy candles in egg-shaped porcelain votives would cast a lovely glow year-round. From Revisions.

• 8 Hang this flowering garland by Royal Buffet over your Easter table (for purchase on Poppytalk Handmade).


Read more: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/roundup-nonannoying-easter-dec-80988

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Martha Stewart Tutorial: Lace Easter Eggs

This Easter, try making some totally different looking eggs! Check out this Martha Stewart tutorial for lace eggs.

This Easter, take hard-boiled eggs to new heights by embellishing them with lacy patterns. Once the eggs are dyed and dry, pile them in a large bowl to use them as a centerpiece.



Tools and Materials
Eggs
Standard egg dye
Rubber bands
Inexpensive lace trimmings or scraps from a worn tablecloth or curtains
Scissors
Foam board fitted with flathead pins


Lace Egg How-To
1. Cut lace into strips long enough to wrap around eggs and still have extra to form a sash for holding.


2. Wrap eggs, securing lace with rubber bands. Dye eggs according to dye package instructions. Lift out, cut off rubber bands, and unwrap lace. Let dry on foam board fitted with flathead pins.


Resources
Inexpensive lace trimmings can be found in fabric stores.



Check out more Easter crafts at MarthaStewart.com.

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Sick of making the same things for dinner? Get a little help from your friends.

So many good ideas in this article!

We all get in a cooking rut. We find a few meals that are relatively easy to make and that the majority of the family will eat without a lot of complaining. And so we fall back on it until we start hearing “that, again?!”  Instead of saying what you’re really thinking, which is usually something like, “Look people, I’m busy all day and do my best to come up with something tasty and healthy for you night after night so don’t give me any of your guff!” try bringing some variety into your kitchen, with a little help from your friends.

Remember, your tired, old, stand-by meals are new and exciting to someone else and vice versa. So consider getting together with a group of neighbors, co-workers or friends to create a cooking co-op. This can take many forms:

1.     Conduct a cooking class: Get a group of people together and rotate cooking at a different person’s house. Have everyone bring an ingredient toward the meal you are going to jointly prepare as well as containers to take them home in (or buy 8 x 8″ foil pans at the dollar store to keep all portions even). Have copies of the recipe available for all and then conduct an informal cooking class. Everyone leaves with a meal ready to cook or just heat up. You could also have participants pitch in money toward the ingredients the host already bought but agree on a per-person budget everyone is comfortable with. Also, set guidelines if needed such as, no peanuts,  low fat or vegetarian. With all of these ideas, provide the recipe so everyone can make it on their own (and thereby add it to their repertoire).

2.  Create an office dinner club: Keep it to a manageable number of co-workers, like four. Every week, prepare a meal to share that people can heat when they get home from a hard day at work. Casseroles, soups, stews or even pasta sauces would work well. Take the food in a cooler if there won’t be room in the company fridge. Bring the food in disposable containers with each person’s name on it.

3.  Host a family dinner for friends or neighbors:  Take turns doing the cooking at your home and invite a small group. Add some wine, a movie for the kids and you have a great evening for everyone. You’ll know that once a week, you’ll get together with friends, get a break from cooking and come away with a new recipe to try. Keep it simple like pizza, tacos, chili or pasta with a few topping choices.

4. Learn how to cook a new cuisine: Ask around the office or in your neighborhood for people who specialize in cooking a certain cuisine. See if they would be willing to come to your house and show you (or others) how to cook one of their specialties. This is a great way to broaden your cooking repertoire and encourage the family to step out of their comfort-food-zone. Then return the favor. That person might be thrilled to learn how to make some American standbys like the roast chicken and potatoes or mac and cheese you take for granted.

5.  Trade recipes: If the idea of involving multiple people is too much, keep it simple. Get together with one friend (who you know can cook) and share favorite recipes with each other.

6. Equal opportunity kitchen time: Cooking isn’t just for women, of course, so get the men involved. All of these tips can include men. In fact, I’m getting visions right now of a group of men gathered in the kitchen, cooking away, while the ladies enjoy a cocktail. Ahhh.

Now, to come up with a way to share in the clean-up!

Read more at EatParentBlog.

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Family Friendly St. Patty’s Day Events In Denver

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just for the 21+ crowd. Check out this great list of family friendly events from CBS Local!

Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Begins and ends at Coors Field
2001 Blake St
Denver, CO 80205
www.denverstpatricksdayparade.com

Price: Free
Date: March 17, 2012
Time: 10 a.m.

The 50th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the perfect activity to celebrate the day with your family. The parade starts at Coors Field, will travel down Blake Street to 17th, then up to Wynkoop and back to Coors Field. Get there a bit early to find a good spot, then get ready to enjoy marching bands, pipe bands, parade floats and plenty of Irish fun.

Runnin’ Of The Green
1700 Wazee St
Denver, CO 80216
www.rotg.org

Price: $45 on race day
Date: March 11, 2012
Time: 10:15 a.m.

The annual Runnin’ Of the Green is a great family friendly race/walk that is centered around St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish traditions. With both a long and a short course option, plus a huge post-race party, this is a great way to enjoy St. Patrick’s day a bit early. The post-race party features Irish music from the Potcheen Band, Reed Irish Dancers, The Colorado Youth Pipe Band and of course there will be plenty of Corned Beef.

Little Ireland Music Festival
2200 Blake St
Denver, CO 80205
www.littleirelandmusicfestival.com

Price: Free
Date: March 17, 2012
Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

After you and the family have enjoyed all of the fun viewing the annual parade, head back over near Coors Field to enjoy the Little Ireland Music Festival. There will be free food, beverages, and spirits plus a kids’ play area with baseball cages. The stage will light up with lots of great live Irish music and you can peruse the Irish Village with other entertainment, arts and crafts, local charities and more

Photo Credit: ThinkStock

Irish Snug
1201 E Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80218
(303) 839-1394
www.irishsnug.com

Price: Free
Date: March 17, 2012
Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Irish Snug may be one of the busiest places in Denver on Saturday, March 17th, but if you get there earlier in the day it will be featuring Irish bands, Irish step-dancers, pipe bands and so much more. So dress the kids up in their best green outfits and head down after the parade. However, it is still a good idea to head to the Snug early to enjoy the festivities, because once evening hits it is certainly no place for children.

Fado Irish Pub
1735 19th St
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 297-0066
www.fadoirishpub.com

Price: Free for families before 4:00 P.M.
Hours: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Fado Irish Pub hosts an annual week-long tribute to all things Irish, and this year will be no exception. On Saturday, March 17th, head there early for a traditional Irish breakfast, and enjoy a full day of entertainment. Fado welcomes families with children before 4:00 p.m., but once that time hits, it is strictly 21 and over. Be sure to check its website to view all of the fun activities that Fado will be offering during the week.

Read more at Denver.CBSLocal.com.

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Saving Money on Kids Clothes @ Colorado Parent Magazine

We need more articles like these…clear, simple, and packed full with great money-saving tips!

The marketing world may convince us that clothing must be replaced and updated each season, even kids clothes. But personally I’d rather put more money into a college account than try to keep up with the Joneses. That doesn’t mean kids shouldn’t look nice. But there are lots of ways to extend the life of kids clothes without sending them out the door looking sloppy or unkempt.

Buy Classic and Neutral

The basic tenant of any wardrobe is to invest in classic and neutral. You hear it all the time in reference to a woman’s wardrobe. If you want to have more options, buy classic pieces that will stand the test of time and then add a couple of trendy pieces for fun. Kids clothes are no different, especially if you have your eyes set on handing down the clothes or reselling them. While it’s true that kids clothes rarely trend as quickly as woman’s fashions, there ARE colors, characters and girls’ dress styles that can become dated. So to maximize your budget, populate the kids wardrobe with classic pants, skirts and tops that can be mixed and matched, then add two or three fun pieces each season.

Consider the Uniform

Before you say, ‘I would never stifle my child’s creativity and individuality like that,’ consider this: a uniform doesn’t have to be khaki pants and a white button-down shirt every day.

As a nanny, I cared for an athletic little boy who wore sweatpants each day (please note that these were well-fitting, clean, and free of holes) with a tidy t-shirt (in the winter we added on a sweatshirt). His mom discovered a style that her son loved to wear and was comfortable in and turned that into his “uniform.” At the beginning of each school year, she purchased 5 pairs of the sweatpants with matching sweatshirts, a stack of t-shirts and one or two “nice” outfits. We would just rotate the sweats+t-shirt combos during the week. There was no morning battle over what to wear and she maintained a conservative clothing budget. Let me also just add that it made laundry a breeze. He was even able to easily put his clothes away on his own because his dresser was not stuffed full with too many clothing options.

Maybe your child’s uniform would be jeans and a t-shirt or button-down, or a skirt and top. Use their favorite daily style to simplify dressing and reduce costs.

Layer for the Seasons

Instead of running out at the beginning of each season to replace warm-weather clothes with cold-weather ones, try extending the life of warm weather clothes with layering techniques. Here are some ideas:

• Layer a long-sleeved t-shirt under a short-sleeved shirt
• Put a t-shirt under a light-weight button-down shirt
• Add leggings under a summery dress or skirt
• Pull a sweater over a light dress or add a t-shirt under a sleeveless dress

Cut ‘Em Off or Patch ‘Em Up

When I was little most of our school clothes evolved into summer grubbies (this was my mom’s term for clothes we could make a mess in). Jeans that were too short got cut off about mid-thigh for summer shorts. Stretched out, faded t-shirts became bathing suit cover-ups or more often, the softest pajamas you could dream in. We were run-around, get-messy, play-hard kids so my parents got every dime out of our clothes. We were also on a tight budget so my mother would mend or patch anything that still had some good life in it.

Remember the little boy for whom I was a nanny? In the spring his mother would cut off those sweatpants and put a tidy (and very simple) hem around the bottom to make them into shorts. Then he was able to wear them just about anywhere without looking grungy.

End of the Line

At the end of their wearable lives, most of our clothes ended up cut into rags. But I have seem some beautiful crafts made with clothing scraps as well, such as memory quilts and rag rugs. What ideas do you have for clothes at the end of their wearability? We’d love to hear your ideas!

How do you extend the life of your kids clothes?

Read more at ColoradoParent.wordpress.com.

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