Tag Archives: Families

Podcasts Are Rocking My World!

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Podcasts App

Podcasts App

Podcasts are rocking my world! I know they have been around for years, but recently I finally figured them out. I love them for these five reasons that may appeal to other parents:

  • Learn something new. Honestly, if I want to learn about history – cue up the podcast. If I want to get some parenting wisdom – cue up the podcast. If I want to relax – cue up the podcast. They are sort of miraculous!
  • Put me to [back to] sleep. I have a few podcasts I use to help me go to sleep – or go back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night. I leave my phone by the bedside with my earbuds attached. If I wake up, I pop on one of my cued up podcasts, and I’m back off to sleep. I don’t remember a word of the podcast, but they work without fail to get me off to sleep.
  • Get exercise. I often cue up a podcast and go out on a run. I’m learning so much!
  • Get things done. I get into listening to my podcasts and find myself folding the laundry. It’s one of my least favorite tasks and yet I find [more] time for it when I’m listening to a podcast.
  • Family Time. Driving up to the mountains each weekend skiing we try to listen to a podcast together. Yup, the kids are interested and learning some really interesting things!

How to get your hands on some cool podcasts? Here you go…

  1. Download the podcast app for your smart phone. Just search “podcast” and it will come up in the iTunes or Android stores. It’s a free download.
  2. Do some research on podcasts you may like – try Google searching “podcast” and anything else [parenting, exercise, mindfulness, love, etc…]
  3. Some fun podcast ideas:
    1. Modern Love
    2. Mom and Dad Are Fighting – by Slate 
    3. Smart People
    4. NPR: Parenting
    5. TED Talks – Ideas worth sharing
    6. This American Life

What podcasts do you enjoy? 

Family-Friendly Boulder Area Tours [that are FREE too!]

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celestial seasoning

Looking for something a bit different to do with your family during the week or on the weekend? Check out these free local tours…

Celestial Seasonings Tour: Learn how tea is harvested, blended, packaged and makes its way to market. This is a 45 minute tour that leaves on the hour every day of the week. The tour is free and includes samples. Kids of all ages enjoy this tour!

NCAR Self-Guided Tour & Weather Hike: NCAR provides a building full of things to discover for kids and adults alike. Kids can explore many things related to weather in this hands on setting. There is also a short weather hike right above the building. Bring a picnic lunch and eat outside or plan to eat in their cafeteria. The tour is free and exhibits are open when the building is. Our family loves visiting NCAR!

Leanin’ Tree Museum of Western Art & Sculpture Garden: Explore paintings and statues of Western life and art. This is a relatively extensive collection of art and it is always free to visit.

CU Museum of Natural History: The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Colorado main campus. The Museum offers a wide range of special events and educational programs throughout the year. Permanent exhibition galleries feature paleontology, zoology, anthropology and the children’s Discovery Corner. Three galleries offer changing exhibits on a variety of topics. The museum is very family-friendly and admission is free. Open 7 days a week.

Interested in other FREE opportunities happening around town? See the Denver Free Days List for museums and attractions along the Front Range.

Want To Get Out Of Town? How To Find “Last Minute” Spring Break Flight Options

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If you just realized that in a bit over a month your kids will be off school for a whole week [Spring Break] and you are dreaming of getting out of town with your crew, then this post is for you! If you are considering a beach vacation or visiting family and you need to find a flight I suggest trying Google Flights – http://www.gooogle.com/flights.

Google Flights is one of my favorite ways to find good flight deals. You cannot purchase flights at this site – but this powerful search engine finds you great flight options you can compare from many, many, many airlines. Then you just head over to the airline site and book your tickets out of town.

My city of origin is Denver and I used the search to look at North American flight options for my kids’ Spring Break which is the week of March 21. This is what I found when I searched in a very general way. It gets my creative travel ideas going…

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When I added the option of searching by the same dates and origin, but saying I want to go to a beach in North America this is what comes up. Again it gives me some great options and gets me thinking…

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Here is how you search for flights on Google Flights:

  1. Go to www.google.com/flights
  2. Enter your city of origin
  3. Fixed Dates and Travel Destination: If you know where you want to go enter your destination city and your dates of travel
  4. Fixed Dates but Open to Many Destinations: If you do not know where you want to go enter your dates of travel and scroll down to the map feature. Click on the map feature and you can see what your cost for travel will be. This is my favorite as it gives you lots of options.
  5. You can get more specific by listing general “Places” you want to go and/or your “Interests” for travel. You can also not if you want to travel for a specific duration.
  6. Try it out! It’s really cool. And it gets you thinking about your options for travel where ever you want to go…
  7. Have any questions about using Google Flights or searching for reasonable family travel options? Give me a shout at info@boulderfamilies.com

Happy Family Traveling! 

BIFF Youth Pavilion = Awesome Film/Arts Programming For Kids and Teens!

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The Boulder International Film Festival brings world class film and events to Boulder for a short time each year. In 2016 their Youth Pavilion is offering kid and teen focused films as well as workshops such as how to creating zombie makeup. All programs are free on a first come, first served basis. BIFF is March 4-6, 2016 so make your plans now!

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And more for teens…

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More detailed information on the #BIFF2016 Youth Pavilion happenings can be found here:

 BIFF 2016 Youth Pavilion Schedule

#BIFF2016 #Film #Boulder #Colorado #Families #Kids #Education

Get A Free Shutterfly Photo Book!

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You know you’ve been meaning to create a photo book to document your family’s travels and experiences! The kids grow up so quickly!  Here is how to get a photo book:

  1. Sign-up for a free Similac account. Once you do this they will send you a coupon code to purchase a free book to your email.

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2. Then load up this code to Shutterfly so you have it ready when you are. Load your code on here.

3. Make your book! It is not hard to do. Just create an account and upload photos. Then use their easy to use photo book tools to make an awesome book.

Thanks to DansDeals for pointing out this great Shutterfly opportunity!

Kid Friendly Vail, Colorado

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Awesome playground in Vail at Lionshead

Awesome playground in Vail at Lionshead

“What Is There To Do With Kids In Vail?” Is Vail, Colorado family-friendly?

Vail doesn’t always conjure up the image of happy families skipping through Vail Village. If your kids are not old enough to ski or you are looking for options when they are not skiing these suggestions will help you get dialed in to the family-friendly Vail scene. Most weekends there is something going on in Vail. During the winter season they offer free live music with big name acts, fireworks, tree lighting, and lots more. Check the Vail Events Calendar for details of what’s coming up.

Vail is our family’s favorite ski mountain. Sure there are tons of mountains to ski in the mountains of Colorado, but Vail gives us lots of diverse terrain, a great park and pipe area, back bowls, trees, groomers and lots more to entertain everyone in the family! The food is expensive and buying a ticket at the counter is very expensive indeed. Last weekend it was $165 for the day for adults which is not so family-friendly, but if you think ahead and get a pass it’s a great spot for the family.

Skiing is the obvious option for families in Vail, but I want to point out the other fun things to do in Vail with your family as a day off or after skiing.

Playgrounds:

  • Our favorite is the pirate ship playground in Vail Village. This is located just to the left of the Gondola, right at the base of the slope, through Vail Village. This ship is great year around and you will always see kids playing on it rain, snow or sun.
  • Another option is the funky playground at Lions Head, located just above the ice skating rink.

Other Things To Do:

  • Ice Skate at Solaris. Kids and adults can have fun skating all day and into the night at this cool skate rink close to Vail Village.
  • Ice Skate at Lions Head. Located in Lions Head Village at Vail, this is another fun ice rink for the whole family.
  • Adventure Ridge. This is family fun on the mountain where you can choose snow mobile riding, serious sledding, bungee jumping, and XXX. Expensive, but a blast for the kids!
  • Bol. This is high tech, over the top, bowling at its best. Kids and adults have a blast here. Reserve a lane ahead of time. You can order pizza, drinks, lane side. Expensive, but very entertaining.
  • Fuzzywigs candy store. This is always a fun place to take the kids. This is just in Vail Village.
  • The Vail Library. This is an under utilized resource for families. With programs like Toddler and Preschooler Story Time, Après-Ski Puppetry, games, art projects, and wifi, the Vail Library is a chill and fun place for all kinds of kids. Free.
  • Colorado Ski Museum. If your kids are old enough to appreciate the history of skiing and snowboarding the museum has some great displays and videos showing the 10th Mountain Division and the progression of the sports of skiing and snowboarding. Free.
  • Cinnebistro. Dine and watch at the Cinnebistro at Solaris just outside of Vail Village. Kids love it! It’s not cheap, but the memories last of being served right at your seat in a movie theater. Moderate to Expensive.
  • Take a Walk Along The River. Take a walk along the river in Vail Village. There are beautiful statues, ice carvings, and lots to look at. Free.
  • Vail Events Calendar. This calendar from Vail.com gives you the scoop on upcoming events and activities on and around the mountain. Most events are free. http://www.vail.com/events/event-calendar.aspx

Vail is a super fun family destination. Ski. Skate. Play. Watch a Movie. Learn. Bowl. Sled. Have fun!

#Vail #Colorado #Family #Vacation #Kids #Children

How To Find A Hotel Room For Half The Amex Membership Rewards Points!

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Photo courtesy of SPG Hotels and the Aloft Hotel Phoenix

Book a hotel for half the Amex Membership Rewards points! If you have an American Express card then you earn valuable Membership Reward points [MR]. These can help with purchasing from Amazon, Home Depot, as well as traveling. I am focused on travel!

When you use Amex points you have a few different ways to book your travel. The first is to use the Amex travel portal. The second is to transfer points between Amex and one of their travel partners [e.g., SPG,  Delta, etc…]. These are both good options depending on what your travel plans call for. Mine call for a hotel in Phoenix, AZ since my son will be competing in a soccer tournament there in February and we are staying an extra night to check out Phoenix!

Even though I am going to use American Express MR points to secure a hotel for us the cost in points is very different. The take home is that you need to compare options to maximize your valuable points. In this scenario I saved half my points for the same room.

My son loves the Aloft hotels. They happen to be an SPG property. I know I can book these through Amex. Time to do some research! Here is what I found:

Option 1: Use Travel Portal at Amex. Here I can purchase the night I need through the travel portal at a cost $159 [same as I could buy directly on the Aloft website] or 22,714 Amex Membership Rewards points. Aloft Room = 22,714 MR points

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Option 2: Transfer Amex Points To SPG. The SPG site says the number of points needed for a room at the Aloft for the night I need is 3,000. On the Amex site MR points transfer at a rate of 1,000 MRs to 333 SPG points. It turns out I need 10,000 MRs to get 3,333 SPG points for the room [Now I will have a few extra SPG points, but that’s just how it works]. Aloft Room = 10,000 MR points

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I am going for Option 2! I get the same room for less than half the MR points! For the same room I could pay 10,000 Membership Rewards points or 22,714 Membership Rewards points. My choice is clear! I will transfer points to my SPG account and only be out 10k MR points. I’m headed off to book my room now…

 

Free Money! Thanks, American Express!

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globe

Want to travel for free or cheap? Want to save your family cash on a regular basis? I have the points and miles bug and I hope that sharing this info will help others save money & open up travel opportunities you never knew existed. My family has been doing it. Your family can too! Today I will start by looking at what you may have in your wallet already – An American Express Cards

Save today on things you already spend money on!

If you have an American Express card you can be saving money by simply Tweeting codes they send out. Seriously – Amex sends out codes, you use them, then you purchase items where you normally would and you get cash back. Here is how it works!

Step 1: You have sync your American Express card with your Twitter account. You can simply create a Twitter account just for this purpose. How to sync your Amex account with Twitter. It is really easy to do – don’t get intimidated! Once you sync your card and Tweet, then when you spend on your Amex you get a statement credit.

Step 2: Figure out what you already spend money on that they promote. Here are some current deals which are outlined in a Dan’s Deals post here. Tweet these codes before you spend money.

Whole Foods: Tweet #AmexWFM, spend $75 at Whole Foods on your Amex and get $10 back

Sam’s Club: Tweet #AmexSamsClub, spend $20 and get a $20 statement credit. I went online and ordered a $50 gift card for a teacher gift and got $20 on my statement immediately. I think of it as free money.

Pharmaca: Tweet #AmexPharmaca, spend $40 and get $10 back. I just purchased a gift card for $40 and immediately got the notice that I would earn a statement credit.

Home Depot: Tweet #AmexHomeDepot, spend $75 and get $15 back. I love supporting McGuckins, but sometimes there are things I can only get at Home Depot.

Other shopping options you may like:

  • The Container Store: #AmexTCS $15 off $100
  • Sur la Table: #AmexSurLaTable – $10 off $50

Step 3: Spend at these locations with your synced Amex card and you will get an almost immediate email from Amex acknowledging that you spend on a synced card. Next you will see a statement credit for the amount mentioned. I don’t advocate spending just to save money! Make sure you are particular about what you spend on.

Sync Many Amex Cards

Don’t forget you have to sync your Amex card before you spend. A trick is that you can sync as many Amex cards as you have. So if you and your spouse both have a card you can sync, tweet and spend with both cards. I did that at Pharmaca and got $20 back on a total of $80 spent because I used 2 Amex cards.

I find this a fun game! I have saved hundreds of dollars this way. It is just a small part of cracking the miles and points game that I am playing. But every bit counts!

Do you use points and miles? Do you engage in saving small amounts in other creative ways with credit cards? I would love to hear about how your family is cracking the points and miles game! 

 

 

 

Kids Deserve The Good Stuff Too! A Review of Zeal Goggles

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Wearing his Zeal Dominator goggles!

 

Zeal Optics is a local Boulder company making quality goggles and glasses. I love their products! They are innovative and eco-conscious including some really forward thinking options in their lineups [learn more]. My favorite sunglasses ever came from Zeal – but they are long gone at this point!. I wondered if a company like Zeal would make sunglasses or goggles suitable for kids.

My questions about Zeal products for kids:

Would they fit kids?  Would they be comfortable on a smaller face?  Would they hold up to tough kid behavior?  Would quality make a difference?

Screen Shot 2015-04-01 at 3.51.00 PMWe reviewed a pair of Zeal Dominator goggles. They are great looking, so both of my kids immediately wanted to wear them. Good start! The issue was that they both like to wear their goggle under the helmet. Not a good thing for this particular pair. The plastic part on the side is too long to fit comfortably under the helmet. This issue didn’t dissuade my younger son from trying them over his helmet. The fit was perfect! They were extremely comfortable. And the best part is that the lenses on these goggles make a big difference! He loves them in all light – flat, bright, fog, etc… He likes to sing their praises a lot! He will say things like, “If I had my old goggles I wouldn’t be able to see here.”

Answers to my questions about Zeal products for kids above:

Will Zeal products fit kids? YES!

Will they be comfortable on a smaller face? YES, they love them!

Will they hold up to tough kid behavior? YES & NO, the lenses did pop out once, but they were easy to put back in and they have not scratched after a half dozen uses [that’s great for my hard living kids]. The goggle strap stays in place all the time too because there is some sticky stuff on the band in just the right place, so no more goggles sliding over the helmet when it’s off and dropping to the ground or being endlessly frustrating.

Will quality make a difference for my child? YES, he loves that they adjust well to light changes and fit really comfortably.

Kids’ Revew [1-5]

Overall: 4

Liked: “The way they made it easier to see when I ski!”

Didn’t Like: “I cannot put them under my helmet.”

Parents’ Review [1-5]

Overall: 4

Liked: They seem sturdy, flexible and good quality. The lenses make a big difference for kids skiing. My child felt more confident than when they wore their old goggles.

Didn’t Like: I think it’s important that goggles fit over or under a helmet – especially for kids since under the helmet is the style now. I also am conscious that these goggles can be expensive and a big investment – especially for families – so I know the price tag of over $100 could be unaffordable for some families.

Thanks to Zeal Optics for allowing Boulder Families to review your products! We really enjoyed testing and reviewing these goggles!

#Skiing #Kids #Families #Gear #GearReview #Getoutside

ALL Colorado K-5th Grade Kids Get An Epic Kids Pack [4 days of FREE Skiing at 4 Colorado Vail Resorts]

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Elementary kids in Colorado – It’s your lucky day! Colorado elementary school kids don’t have to wait until they are in 5th/6th grade to get their own ski pass – now Vail Resorts is offering their new Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack – and it offers FREE skiing to ALL elementary school children. Vail Resorts just announced that they will be offering Colorado K-5th grade kids a FREE pass as part of their newly launched Epic School Kids Colorado Pack program. That means 4 days of FREE Sking at Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge. Vail Resorts is saying that this is a limited time opportunity, so I say get over to Boulder Ski Deals – see below for what you will need to provide them as proof of eligibility.

Current School of Shred [this is the old 5th/6th grade FREE ski program] participants can get the same deal for their child who is going into 6th grade next year – 4 FREE days at Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Breckenridge.

Q: WHAT IS THE EPIC SCHOOLKIDS COLORADO PACK?

The Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack is a FREE program for Kindergarten through 5th graders that provides skiing and riding at each of the state’s top-ranked resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone (restricted: 11/27/15-11/28/15, 12/26/15-12/31/15, 1/16/16 and 2/13/16-2/14/16.)  It includes one FREE first-timer ski or ride lesson with equipment rental during the month of January. (The first-timer lesson is only available from 1/5/16-1/31/16 as a part of “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month” and is not available 1/1-1/4/16 or 1/15/16-1/17/16.)  Additionally, Epic SchoolKids Colorado Pack provides unlimited summer 2015 scenic chair lift rides at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, and Keystone.

Q. HOW CAN PARENTS ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN IN EPIC SCHOOLKIDS?

Parents can take their children to a participating Front Range Colorado Ski & Golf, or Boulder Ski Deals location to register their child in person. In Boulder – just head to Boulder Ski Deals. Take a look at what you need to bring below.

Q. WHAT DO PARENTS NEED TO BRING TO REGISTER THEIR CHILD FOR EPIC SCHOOLKIDS?

The parent must bring

  • The child must be present at the time of registration
  • A physical copy of the student report card/transcript/school ID or birth certificate
  • A physical photo of the student (no sunglasses, hats or others in the photo)

 

Want more details? Epic School Kids Colorado Pack