Family
Travel & Vacation: Casa Bonita in Denver, CO
Casa Bonita in Denver, CO
While the girls and I were visited family in Colorado we took the kids to Casa Bonita’s in Denver. Renelle, Eric, the girls, and I met up with our other family members at Casa Bonita (my parents, Uncle Rick, Aunt Mary Ann, Laurel, and Erik). I remember going to Casa Bonita’s when I was in Junior High, but our girls have never been to the restaurant. It is about what I remembered! It is a unique adventure if you have kids. You don’t necessarily go for the fine dining, but the entertainment is fun for the kids. The girls thought it was AWESOME!
Casa Bonita is Mexican food with a lot of fun kid activities:
- 30 Foot Waterfall
- Cliff Divers go off the waterfall every few minutes
- Stage Shows – rescuing the princess
- Musicians
- Arcade
- Black Bart’s Hideout
- Stalagmite Caves
- Jail
- Pinata
- Pinata fun for the kids
- And more activities!
If you are looking for a fun place to check out in Denver with the kids this may be a good spot. The food is okay, but you really go for the atmosphere as much as the meal.
Water fountain outside of Casa Bonita!
Pirates and princess show!
Cliff diver landed in the pool below!
Black Bart’s Hideout was NOT a favorite of the girls. I have one that really doesn’t like being scared nor does she like skeletons so this was one area she was not a fan of in Casa Bonita.
They won the pinata donkey body, ha! They thought it was great!!!
Uncle Eric and Aunt Renelle bought some arcade tokens. The girls really don’t go to the arcade so this was an extra special treat. They had a grand time on this game stomping on the “spiders”!
Playing Skeet ball with Uncle Eric!
Brina and Karlie playing skeet ball in the arcade!
How about a game of Popcorn!!!
Renelle is having a good laugh at the girls driving skills. A great reminder why we don’t let 9 years drive cars, ha! They had a blast though playing the games!
Going through the caves, looking at stalagmites, and pools of water!
View behind the waterfall!
The girls are with Renelle watching behind the waterfall and watching the next diver.
Karlie waving to the diver!
Hanging out behind the waterfall!
Uncle Eric and the girls by the waterfall!
Uncle Eric and the three of us outside Casa Bonita’s restaurant!
Travel & Vacation: Dinosaur Ridge
Karlie and Brina ready to go explore at Dinosaur Ridge!
My cousin Renelle and her husband Eric took the girls on an adventure to Dinosaur Ridge in Morrison, Colorado. The girls were really excited to check out all the neat dinosaur prints, bones, and learn more about the dinosaurs in this area. We took a tour bus up Dinosaur Ridge and the guide stopped a few different places to let us get out and explore more. It was really neat! The girls had a grand time! Thanks Eric and Renelle for taking us up to Dinosaur Ridge!
Uncle Eric and the girls looking at the dinosaurs outside the visitor center!
The gray prints are dinosaur tracks!
If you look closely there is big track right next to a smaller set (a Mom dinosaur with a baby) and right behind the two tracks is another one that is chasing them. Pretty neat seeing the different tracks and how they can determine what they were and a lot of other cool details!
Up close picture of one of the big tracks.
They let you climb up part of the rock area to check out the tracks. The kids loved climbing up and putting their hands in the tracks!
A lot of different dinosaur tracks on this section.
Karlie all smiles as she comes up to the observation tower.
Karlie and Brina at Dinosaur Ridge.
All smiles! You can see the dinosaurs tracks in the picture behind them.
Looking at the tracks and listening to the guide talk about all the different ones.
Touching dinosaur bones in the rock.
Large dinosaur bone!
The guide told us how to locate them since not all were marked with signs. Karlie found one!
Brina found one too!
Another one has been found!
Karlie having a grand time at Dinosaur Ridge!
Listening to the guide describe and show all the interesting pieces in this area.
Karlie touching the dinosaur footprint. If you look closer the rocky area dips down where the dinosaur footprint is outlined.
Hanging out at Dinosaur Ridge. Fun times in Colorado!
Travel & Vacation: Red Rocks Overlook Trail & Amphitheater
My cousin Renelle and her husband Eric took the girls and I to see the Red Rocks!
While we were in Colorado a few weeks ago we got to go for a hike up the Red Rocks Overlook and check out their Amphitheater! The red rocks were huge, beautiful boulders on the side of the mountain. It would have been neat to see them right after a rain storm, they probably look gorgeous! In the Red Rocks Amphitheater they hold many concerts. The Red Rocks are on over 800 acres of land and at about 6,500 feet above sea level.
The Red Rocks Amphitheater was formed naturally. The way the rocks line up provides an amazing acoustic setting for concerts. There is a museum at the Red Rocks Amphitheater were you can see all the musicians who have performed. The had all kinds of artists and groups including Bon Jovi, The Beatles, Sting, Opera Singers, and many more!
The red rock boulders were huge!
Brina hiking up to the top of the Red Rocks Overlook Trail.
Cool Red Rock boulders lined the hiking trail!
Brina taking a moment to sit down while Karlie thinks about how cool it would be to have one of those big rocks at her house (no I wouldn’t let her take one home on the plane, ha)!
Uncle Eric, Brina, and Karlie hiking up the trail!
Looking at the Red Rocks Amphitheater and parking lot below!
Just as long as they piece on top doesn’t roll my direction….
A view of the Red Rocks Amphitheater from the top of the Red Rocks Overlook Trail! They were getting ready for a concert that evening!
Karlie and Brina enjoying their time exploring the Red Rocks!
What goes up….must come down! Walking back down the trail with Aunt Renelle!
Brina pausing to let me take a quick picture!
A view of the Red Rocks Amphitheater from the top railing. It seats about 10,000 people. I bet it looks amazing at night during a concert!
The girls had to run down all the stairs of the amphitheater! At least they were able to get in a little extra exercise!
Inside the Red Rocks Museum they had a wall listing all the years, dates, and musicians that have performed in the amphitheater. They also had several other cool rooms to go through and explore. It was a pretty neat adventure for the kids. My cousin Renelle had been at a concert there a few years ago and said it was awesome!!!
Travel & Vacation: Picnic and Hike Around Lily Lake
Karlie and Brina hanging out at Lake Lily
We head up to Lake Lily to have a picnic, walk around the Lily Lake Loop, and enjoy the scenery. It was a beautiful day. A little colder than we are used to in South Carolina. We had a wonderful day with family!
Dad trying one of Renelle’s Wasabi Seaweed Strips! Spicy, crispy, and delicious!
Fun at Lake Lily!
Renelle brought these super cool hippo treats. The outside was a crunchy cookie dipped in white chocolate and chips of chocolate. The inside was a creamy chocolate.
Pausing for a picture with Grandma Penny and Aunt Mary Ann on our hike around Lake Lily.
Karlie wanted a picture with these cool fallen tree by the lake!
The Rocky Mountains scenery is beautiful!
Having fun in the Rocky Mountains!
Grandpa Russell by Lake Lily!
Gorgeous mountains around Lake Lily!
Soaking in the scenery around the lake.
Karlie all smiles on the hike around the lake.
Grandpa Russell on a stroll at Lake Lily!
Love spending time with my girls exploring.
Karlie loves being outside!
Travel & Vacation: Colorado Wildlife
Yes, there are bears near Estes Park! We were driving and saw this guy across the river from us.
We went on a road trip through the Rocky Mountains. On our adventures we saw several animals. The girls were thrilled to see so many neat animals that we don’t see everyday in South Carolina. We went up through Estes Park, Colorado and made several stops throughout the day. Thankful for some fun with family.
Caught a quick picture of these critters as we were driving past. Love that they are munching right off the road and hanging out near a patch of beautiful wild sunflowers.
We drove past a field full of goats. The girls were fascinated and excited! They thought it was so cool that someone had so many goats.
The brown speckled goat in the picture is not eating, she is checking out her newly born twin baby goats. We could see glimpses of the baby goats, but I couldn’t get a close picture of the twin baby goats because their was an electric fence and the grass was too high. They were tiny and adorable trying to stand up on their own. The really cool part is that while we were there with our twin girls there was another set of twins watching twin goats being born on National Twin Day. What is the likelihood that would happen, ha!
Brina really wanted to take this little chipmunk home with her. It may look cute….
Ducks swimming around on the lake!
The girls thought the ducks with the blue feathers were super cute!
This little guy can up to say “hi” to me. I think he was hoping for a treat!
Hummingbirds are always fascinating to watch!
This one about landed on my Dad’s finger. So cool seeing their wings fluttering so quickly.
Our wild bear! The girls were super excited to see the bear!
Munching on berries and relaxing on the rock.
Travel & Vacation: Rocky Mountains, Glen Haven General Store, & Baldpate Inn
Hanging out in Colorado for a few days!
The girls and I had the opportunity to travel out to Colorado recently to visit family. My parents drove out with us and my cousin graciously let the three of us crash at her house and my parents stayed with my Aunt and Uncle. Thankful for some time to catch up with family and explore the area! We had a blast in Colorado.
We drove up by Estes Park, it was completely changed since our trip in July 2012 due to the massive flooding they had back in September 2013. The river, rocks, and roads were totally different. It was quite sad to see some of the damage as well as many homes and businesses that were destroyed. We stopped at one point to get out and stretch our legs. The girls took an opportunity to check out some cool Colorado rocks near the river. They were still cleaning up the area, repairing the roads, homes, businesses, and bridges.
Showing Aunt Renelle some cool stones they found.
Looking at some stones they discovered with Grandma and Grandpa.
When we stopped at Glen Haven two years ago and there was a strip of stores next to the Glen Haven General Store (now it is the only one left on that side of the road). We ate their delicious and huge homemade cinnamon rolls! Thanks Renelle for sharing!
Renelle showing the Brina a cool goodie she got up for them!
Anyone want to eat a bag of rocks?! How about chocolate rocks? Funky, but yummy!
We made a stop at The Baldpate Inn for some coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. The girls relaxing on the Baldpate Inn’s cool porch swing!
Karlie checking out all the keys! Inside the Baldpate Inn they had a room full of keys hanging on the walls and ceiling from all over the world. They even had a key from Hilter’s house, one from a bank Jesse and Frank James robbed, and many other really neat ones!
We finally found the stash of South Carolina keys. They had so many keys you could look them up by name, location, or a number of other details.
Another favorite spot Karlie found…..they had a library, music, and game room at Baldpate Inn. She was content to sit and read!
Relaxing on the porch at the Baldpate Inn!
Enjoying the beautiful view as we sip our hot coffee and chocolate!
Brina mesmerized by the hummingbirds!
The girls and I shared a cup of hot chocolate at Baldpate Inn, delicious!
If you are near Estes Park the Baldpate Inn is a fun place to stop by for a treat, meal, or you can stay overnight too!
Back at Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary Ann’s sharing stories and laughs!
On the Farm: Sand Pile Creations, Games, Hay Bale Climbing, and More!
Four kids and a pile of sand results in multiple interesting creations including a huge sand jacuzzi!
While staying at Grandpa and Grandma’s house this summer the girl’s cousins came over to spend a couple days with us. The kids had a blast coming up with a lot of fun activities to do together. It is amazing how long a big pile of sand can keep them occupied. All the kids played well together and had a grand time at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!
Grandma played several games with the kids. We have a lively game of Skippo going on this time around.
Oh my….they found a praying mantas in the yard.
Who knows what cool bugs you will find in Kansas!
Karlie, Midnight, and Nathan hanging out on top of the hay bale.
Brandon and Brina trying to the dog to look at the camera, ha!
Fun times at Grandpa and Grandma’s house!
Thankful that the girls had some time to hang out with their cousins!
Brina loves carrying around the dog!
The kids running around the yard for 3 minutes to vent off some extra energy. They were good sports and the dogs joined in on all the running around fun too!
Pampers Gifts to Grow – 10 Free Points
You can receive another 10 free points from Pampers with a new Gifts to Grow code!
This code is different from the previous codes I have given.
- Use Code: FBCAT989C09EA14
(Expires 9/26/14 at midnight CST)
You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts! For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!
Introducing Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection – #FebrezeFall
The Fall Season is just around the corner! Even though Fall officially starts on September 22, 2014 it is already starting to cool down in our area. The leaves are falling, apples are ripening, and animals are scurrying around to finish stocking up for the cooler months. Recently we received a package and this adorable barn was inside from Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks! Let’s just say the kids were as excited about seeing the barn box as I was about getting all the amazing fall Febreze scents and goodies!
One of my favorite parts about Fall is all the amazing Fall smells from toasted nuts, pumpkins, fall harvest, apple picking, pears baking, and more amazing scents of the season. What are your favorite Fall Scents? Febreze has come out with their Fall Home Harvest Collection! Have you already tried the Febreze Home Harvest Collection? If not it is a great way to get you ready for the upcoming Fall season! They have some perfect Fall scents to get your house and car ready! Some of the scents you might want to check out this Fall season are Vanilla Latte, Autumn Harvest, Spiced Pear, Toasted Almond, Sugared Cranberry, and more.
We opened up our Febreze Fall Home Home Collection barn box and were pleasantly surprised with all the cool scents, goodies, and activities included. What a great way to get excited and prepared for the Fall Season! Febreze truly eliminates odors so your guests will only notice the freshness of fall when they enter your home.
We received a Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with two NOTICEables NOTABLES. One was the Autumn Harvest which is a blend of sandalwood and chai – smells amazing! The other NOTICEables NOTABLES was the Vanilla Latte which is a blend of vanilla and sugar – absolutely love the smell of this one! Reminds me of a fresh hot cup of coffee on a cool Fall day! Febreze even took care of bringing Fall to our car! They sent us a Febreze Car Toasted Almond vent clip which lasts up to 30 days and smells delicious! Even the teachers have commented that they really like the scent when I pick the kids up in car line at school.
The barn yard is complete with the awesome Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection, activity cards in the scentspiration box, a gift card from Walmart, and cute decorative picket fence, wagon wheels, and hay bales!
They thought of everything! Included are some delicious Fall Recipes, fun Fall Activities to do with your family, and Fall Home Decor to get your home ready for the Fall Season! We will share a few of the ones we have done so far below.
We are already enjoying the Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with NOTICEables NOTABLES Vanilla Latte!!! Makes the house smell amazing! Do you like having a different fall scent in each room or one scent filling the whole home?
One of the recipes that Febreze included that will make your house smell like Fall – Oven Baked Smores:
What you need: A graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar per Smore and an appropriate baking sheet to fit all the Smores you are making.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers on a baking sheet.
3. Press marshmallows between your fingers to make them a little flat, then place them on the graham crackers.
4. Bake until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges turn a light, caramel brown color.
5. Remove tray from oven, and firmly press a piece of chocolate down into the marshmallow. You want the warmth of the marshmallow to melt the chocolate. Enjoy!
Delicious Oven Baked Smores! You can put another graham cracker on top if you want as well. You can probably use a little less chocolate too, but we enjoy the extra sweetness!
Febreze Fall Activities – Whistle with an Acorn Top
What you need: An acorn top. I recommend washing your acorns with water first to make sure they are clean and bug free.
Directions (once your acorn is washed):
1. Make a fist with your hands, then place your hands together with your fingers touching.
2. Place the acorn top on the top of your index finger.
3. Put your thumbs on top of the acorn top, angling them so that the tips of your thumbs make a “V” shape.
4. Blow over the top of your thumbs, and you’ll hear a whistle!
Our whole family tried the various acorn tops for whistles. Jake won the contest for the the loudest and most shrill whistle! These were a little more difficult than we expected, but if you got your fingers and acorn top just right you can get a really loud whistle which brings smiles to the kids faces. Do you have any of the great scentspiration activities you would like to share?
Febreze Fall Home Decor – Acorn Centerpiece
What you need: Acorns, leaves or flowers or ribbons, a vase, Febreze Air Effects
Directions:
1. Gather lots of acorns.
2. Take the vase of any shape and size and fill it to the top with acorns.
3. Add colorful leaves or flowers if you want to cover the top of vase.
4. Lightly spray the top of the arrangement with your favorite scent from the Febreze Fall Harvest Collection for a unique final touch, and then put it on display.
Do you decorate your tables with seasonal decor? Have you ever used Febreze to add an extra festive touch to your home or used Febreze scents to enhance your home décor?
I would love to hear how your family prepares for the Fall Season:
• Have you ever tried making toasted almonds?
• Have you ever tasted sugared cranberries?
• What is your most popular pears dessert recipe?
• Do you have another version of one of the recipes, decorations, or activities that I shared today?
• I would love for you to share any pictures of the Fall scentspiration activities you have tried.
• Are there any scents or designs that help inspire the ideas for you?
• What new ideas do you have to get your home fall-ready?More information about Febreze:
- Like Febreze’s Facebook Page
- Follow Febreze’s Twitter Feed
- Pick up your favorite Febreze Fall Home Harvest Scent at your local Walmart
A special thanks to SheSpeaks, Febreze, and Walmart for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary products for sharing information and our family’s experience.
First Day of School Notes & Teacher Gifts
First day of School Notes!How is that time again – the first day of school?! The summer break went by way too fast! Thankful for the fun adventures we had while they were out for the summer. Not sure how it is possible that they are now in 4th grade. Ready or not it’s here and we are looking forward to another great year of learning.
Brina’s lollipop note!
Karlie’s lollipop note!
Happy First Day of 4th Grade Brina!
Happy First Day of 4th Grade Karlie!
Note are on their bar stools and their special breakfast plates were laid out!
All four teacher gifts are packed and ready to go! Complete with items requested by the teachers!
