Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in denver, CO

The Most Germy & Least Germy Places To Take Your Kids In Denver!

May 08, 2009

It's been kind of crazy watching the news lately huh? Fear of swine flu has made us wash our hands at an alarming rate. And while maybe the immediacy and access of news reports has driven the hysteria around H1N1 out of proportion compared to say, the REGULAR flu... it's still a good lesson for us all.

And something to think about when we take our kids out, especially kids who have compromised immune systems. For example, my neighbor is from Ireland - and his family was just visiting with kids in tow. I warned them! But they really wanted to visit the otherwise wonderful Children's Museum and expose themselves to all those American germs! Three days later they were in the emergency room with the worst cold of their lives and severe trouble breathing.

Now, don't get me wrong. Of course the Children's Museum makes every effort to keep the place clean and sanitized. They even ask that you place any toy that's ventured into a mouth in their convenient basket to be cleaned by staff before returning to play. But with that many kids in confined space, coming together from all over Denver, to share germs from every sector? It's unavoidable.

The other places it's unavoidable? The over-sized food at Cherry Creek mall. And especially, especially, any indoor playground at a fast food restaurant. BALL PITS! Oh my word.

So what can you do? As I mentioned, don't go when your child is sick or has a compromised immune system. And when you do go, bring your own cleaning supplies. These places really do try to supply you with wipes or hand santizer, but it's often gone in 3 seconds flat.

So where can you go that has LESS germs? Think big and outdoors. The Denver Zoo, outdoor parks like City Park and Washington Park, The Denver Botanic Gardens ... and afterward, STILL give a quick rundown with the wet wipes.

And speaking of, Wet Ones would like to help you out in that regard. Go here and get a $1.00 coupon for their Antibacterial Wipes. Awesome! Every bit helps, right?

More School Support - Montclair Plant Sale!

May 06, 2009

As we all know, Mother's Day is THE time to get planting in Denver. Officially "frost day" is May 7th this year - so we are free and clear to get shoveling by this weekend.

And I have a great place to send you to stock up on those plants, flowers, etc - AND help out a local public school in Denver.

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The 5th Annual Montclair Plant Sale
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
9 am to 2 pm, rain or shine
1151 Newport St.
Denver, CO 80220

Make your gardening dollars do good!

Your purchases:
    * Benefit the great kids at Montclair School
    * Supports a family-owned Denver nursery
    * Reduces your carbon footprint by buying plants that are grown in North Denver, not North Carolina!

They will have an expanded selection of perennials - plants that live for more than one year - AND proven performers for local gardens. If your gardening budget is tight this spring, consider investing in plants that will grace your garden for years to come. 

Get there early for best selection!

Getting Started With Organics

April 13, 2009

Before I get to organics, I have some housekeeping to do! Like giving away a free family 4-pack to Sesame Street Live "Elmo's Green Thumb!" Below is the proof of the randomness of our winner, Earon! Congrats! We'll be getting those tickets to you asap, and feel free to email me at aimee [at] greeblemonkey [dot] com if you have any questions.

NOW. Speaking of green thumbs the earth and stuff, I have a guest poster today. It's my friend Amy Peck (@fruitlady on Twitter - notice a theme?), who is much more knowledgeable on the subject of organics that I am. So I asked her to come over to Savvy Source today and talk to us about the in's and out's of a topic that can be really confusing, especially when trying to balance your budget and your life.

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Getting Started With Organics
by Amy Peck

Talking about organics can sometimes stir up as much controversy in a conversation as bringing up religion or politics. It's a topic with fervent followers and stoic skeptics, and after my children were born, I started leaning more toward the fervent follower side of things. Over the past few years my interest in organics has grown to the point where not only do I try to feed my family organics as much as possible, but I've started a business delivering organic fruits and vegetables to people's homes and offices, plus I write a regular organic gardening column for the Denver Examiner.

The decision of "going organic" is understandably not an easy one to make. There are so many choices about organics out there that it can seem overwhelming. And what does it mean to be organic anyway? The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as follows:

"Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards."

What Does That Mean For Us?
Does the benefit to the animals, plants and their caretakers translate to the consumer and our children in some sort of measurable context other than making a bigger dent in our wallets? In the April 2008 issue of Organic Gardening magazine a study from the University of Newcastle on Tyne was reported to have found that, "Organic fruits and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants than non-organic produce." Project coordinator Carol Leifert told the BBC News that the ongoing study found that, "there are more of certain nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don't."

In the organic vs. conventional buying decision then there is always the "list" that people talk about when choosing which produce to buy. According to the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit research group, the top ten foods that retain the most pesticides are strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, Mexican cantaloupe, celery, apples, apricots, and green beans. While a good starting point for sure when talking about the best organics to buy based on our own consumption, I like to think of the bigger picture. For me it's important to teach my children how buying organics is not only good for us, but for the farmers that grew our food and the environment.

Buying organic has broadened for our family. In addition to the organic certification, we consider the small farmers who practice organics but don't have the capital to get the certification necessary to label their food as such. We consider where our food is grown and like to make choices that are as local to where we live as possible. I consider this thinking "beyond organic."

Getting Started
When people ask me about organics or how to get started, I recommend starting wherever they can. In Denver, shopping for your produce at Vitamin Cottage, which carries only organic produce, is a good place to start in the winter months. Visiting farmers' markets in the spring through fall months gives you the opportunity to meet the farmers themselves. Not all farmers' markets participants are organic growers so be sure to ask if it's not clearly posted. Growing our own organic food is by far the least expensive way to bring organics into our homes, and a highly rewarding experience that the whole family can take part in. I don't think there are any hard and fast answers to this question.

The Bottom Line
As with anything that is good for us and the environment, making any organic choice, however small, will make an impact. We need look no further than our own children to know how small successes lead to big milestones. Perhaps someday, our children won't have to make this decision, because all of their options will be safe for them and the environment.

Kids Will Eat What They Grow (Or At Least Try It!)

March 16, 2009

Full disclosure here. I co-own a company that does health education research, graphic design and multimedia development. Which means we build and test interventions to help people live healthy lives. So, when the topic of getting kids to eat more veggies through gardening came up around the Savvy Source water cooler, I knew exactly who, what, when, where, why I was going to write about it, because my company has a gardening curriculum for schools to promote just that. But this isn't about the curriculum, this is about getting kids to be enamored with healthy food! ~ Aimee

Kids Will Eat What They Grow (Or At Least Try It!)
guest post by Erika Edwards
Grow, Eat, Thrive - Growing Gardens of Health Curriculum
Project Coordinator, Klein Buendel, Inc.

If you're always looking for creative ways to get your kids to eat more greens, you're not alone. The answer may be to get in the dirt and plant your own garden. What child doesn't love digging in the dirt? And, what parent doesn't want their children to eat a variety of healthy foods? When children have a hand in growing the veggies, they're more likely to try, enjoy and appreciate these healthy foods.

If your yard is large enough for an in ground garden, that's perfect. But, even if your yard is smaller than you'd like, consider planting in containers - indoors or outdoors. Container gardening can be simple and takes far less space than an in-ground garden. In an indoor container, herbs like basil, mint and cilantro can be easily grown. In larger outdoor pots, try growing a mix of spring greens, tomato plants or winter squash. Ask your kids to help you pick out what you'll grow. They'll enjoy being a part of the process. (Or maybe they will just enjoy looking at, sorting, trading and playing with the pretty seed packets!)

With spring right around the corner, it's prime time to think about planting warm season vegetables like tomatoes, squash, peppers and cucumbers. Ask for a few pointers from your local gardening center and start planting.

Support for gardening education in schools is growing as well. With gardening and nutrition educations, students have the opportunity to grow their own food as they're learning the essentials of a healthy diet. School gardening programs have shown very promising results. Children who've participated in garden enhanced nutrition education have been shown to have a greater appreciation of healthy foods and are more likely to try new foods and to ask their parents to purchase healthy foods.

Imagine your children diving into a fresh, delicious salad that they've grown in part themselves. It's not out of the question!

Top 10 Things To Do Before Kindergarten

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

January 27, 2009

Time flies so fast doesn't it? Believe me, I know. Declan is 6 and a half now, and halfway through 1st grade. The changes over the past few years have been astounding. And I know many of you are not even thinking about preschool, much less Kindergarten or 1st grade. So NOW is the time to get all those activities in. The ones you can't find the time for later when school and other friends and  Read more...

Time To Get Low Cost Street Trees In Denver!

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

January 21, 2009

Are you looking for trees to plant along your house at the edge of the street? The Park People's Denver Digs Trees program is here to help you. Every spring, this wonderful program makes trees available for the amazing price of $25 each to help beautify Denver. Their trees are available to all Denver residents, but target neighborhoods include: Baker, Barnum, West Barnum, Chaffee Park, Clayton,  Read more...

My Top Ten for 2008

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

December 30, 2008

I can't believe this year is drawing to a close already. And it's been really fun talking about all the great things to do in Denver. And just like everyone does at the end of the year - let's take a look back! Here are my ten favorite posts from 2008. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! Local Pride: 5 Awesome Reasons To raise Kids In Denver Top 99 Things We Must Do With Our Kids In  Read more...

Quick & Easy Green Tips

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

July 30, 2008

"Green," as in the environment, that is. I'm here to tell you, since my kid is heading into 1st Grade, that environmentalism is now being woven into classroom curriculum almost as much as reading and writing. It's very exciting to see! But that doesn't mean green can't start way earlier than that. Here are some great ways to introduce eco-friendliness to your young ones at a young age. -  Read more...

Five Great Day Trips

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

May 22, 2008

So, you and your preschooler have cabin fever, now what? The good news is, Denver is close to a million spectacular things! I've chosen five to highlight, but we'll definitely come back to this topic a lot, seeing as Denver is smack dab in the middle of some of the prettiest country on earth. 5. Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve Yes, i.e. Buffalo Bill's grave! There are great  Read more...

How to Cultivate the Tiniest Green Thumb

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

May 16, 2008

What comes to mind when you think of flowers, plants, and green thumbs in Denver? The Denver Botanic Gardens , of course. We'll explore the topic again and again, because I LOVE gardening but, truly. There is no place more appropriate to plant the seeds for a life-long love of the green than the DBG. Declan and I started a tradition two years ago, when he was barely even able to hold a camera  Read more...