Friday, January 28, 2011

Chinese New Year


2011 is the year of the Rabbit!  The Highlands Ranch Cultural Affairs Association and The Great Wall Chinese Academy are celebrating the Chinese New Year this weekend at Southridge.  On Saturday and Sunday (January 29 & 30) the traditional Chinese stage performance is 4:30pm - 5:30pm.  It features dragon and lion dances, Kung Fu, and music.  The Cultural Fair and Taste of China will be held each day 3pm - 6pm.  Tickets are $10 per person (children under two are free on their parent's lap).  Happy Chinese New Year!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Storytime


We love going to Storytime at the Library.  We first went when Jack was about seven months old.  At the time I wasn't sure if he was too young, but there were actually a lot of other babies there.  Now that Jack wants to walk around all the time, I remember how easy it was taking him when he just sat on my lap and listened.  Storytime is a half hour long.  Besides stories, there are songs, dancing, puppets, and some other educational activities.  The librarians do an amazing job at keeping all of the children (infants to five years old) interested.  Jack loves books and whenever he hears music he starts to dance, which I think is partly because of all the singing and dancing that we do at Storytime.  Here's the schedule for the Highlands Ranch Library: Storytime

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Free Fitness Classes


If getting in shape was one of your new year's resolutions.....I have some information that can help!  The Highlands Ranch rec centers are offering free fitness classes.  It's a great opportunity to try out a class that you've been thinking about going to, but haven't gotten enough motivation to make it there.  It's also nice to be in a class with other newbies, so you're not the only one.  The fitness classes are free all day.  With so many classes to choose from it will be a great time to find a new favorite.  For a complete list check out hrcaonline.org/fitsched.  Whichever class you choose, be sure to get there early as the classes will fill up fast and the instructors will be enforcing the maximum capacity.  Ages 8-12 must be accompanied by an adult.  The dates are: January 20, February 25, March 12, and April 13.  Mark your calendars!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Yoga in the Ranch

I was so excited to find out that there's a Mom and Tot Yoga class on Friday mornings at the Southridge Rec Center.  We went today and it was a blast!  The teacher did an amazing job getting all the little ones interested in yoga.  A lot of the basic poses were done using animal names (instead of Sanskrit) which the children all loved.  It was a perfect class for little ones.  During organized activities it's easy to waste your time worrying that your child will misbehave, but the teacher made it very clear that all sounds were welcome and it was a time for fun - and breathing :)  This allowed all of the moms to enjoy the class and get a workout.  Even though it wasn't a typical yoga class, it was surprisingly very relaxing and a great way to start the weekend.

If you prefer to do your yoga practice alone, I love Core Power Yoga!  For my birthday, one of my friends got me a one month unlimited pass to CPY.  They have a studio right next to the Super Target in Town Center North.  I really enjoyed going to the classes because they were relaxing and it was nice to have "mommy time".  Some people don't think of Yoga as a workout, but after going to their Yoga Sculpt class, I no longer think that spin class is the best workout :)  They offer a free Beginner Yoga class on Sundays from 6pm - 7pm.  I don't think that class is heated but bring a water bottle and a towel because you'll need it!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Gold Card


Dan finally got his Starbucks Gold Card!  I feel like there are a lot of people out there who don't know about it so I thought I would share.  If you're addicted to Starbucks like me then you should have a Gold Card in no time.  First you need to get a Starbucks gift card and register it online.  You need to start paying for drinks strictly with your card.  It is also a great way to budget.....those drinks can add up fast :)  Each transaction will earn you a star.  After you have 30 stars you will be mailed a personalized gold card - you reload that and use it as a gift card.  Once you reach gold card status: for every 15 stars you earn, Starbucks will mail you a coupon for a free drink. You also receive a free drink on your birthday, 10% off most purchases, free refills on coffee and tea, no additional cost for syrup, and some other perks.  For all the details check out their website: https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards.  It's free and easy to do and if you're going to Starbucks anyway, you might as well start earning some rewards!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Weekend Roundup - NYE

Happy New year!  My goal was to get our home organized and clean this weekend and I can officially say that we did.  We took down our Christmas decorations and ended up cleaning / organizing the entire house.  I took Jack's clothes that no longer fit out of his closet.  It's so crazy how fast they grow out of these cute little outfits.  When I look at the clothing he was wearing just a few months ago, I'm amazed that he fit into them.  They look so tiny!  Most of the cleaning was boring so I don't want to relive that, but some of the important safety things we did I thought I would mention.  Our neighbor had an oven fire and it ended up ruining their entire kitchen because they didn't have a fire extinguisher - which gave us the idea to do a safety check of our home.  These are the things we did and I recommend doing them as well.  It's so easy to hear stories about other people and think, That would never happen to us :)

~ replace batteries of smoke detectors
~ replace backup batteries of carbon monoxide detectors
~ check fire extinguisher expiration dates
~ take pictures of the house for home insurance purposes
~ check 2nd floor safety ladder

We had a super busy weekend, and a great start to the new year!