Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Water Conservation Program Tour Review

Colorado Springs Utilities offers several tours that are easy to set up. There are age minimums for most of them, however, so we went down to the Water Conservation Center and did the Xeriscape Garden- Youth Plant Adaptations & Water Conservation Program Tour. There are several activities to do on this tour- we started outside in the garden.
When you get there, go ahead and check in at the office. They will give you booklets to use throughout your visit, pencils, clipboards, laminated information cards, and even magnifying glasses. Then head out to the garden and read the first clue on your scavenger hunt. The laminated card will help you figure out which plant to find. Some of plants were a little tricky but I think we got them all right in the end. I liked how it explained how each different plant conserved water. This tour is perfect on a nice day. You can walk around for a while, take lots of pictures, and just have fun. There is even a mini waterfall feature. Its not a huge space but its nice.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Library 21c Review

My family is in love with Library 21c! It is amazing mostly because it will change your definition of library. We went over for a sneak peak this week and are counting down the minutes to the Grand Opening this Saturday, June 21 at 9:30 am. Its going to be great!
Library 21c in Colorado Springs- makes you rethink how you define a library

What's so amazing you ask? First just the space! The kids section is about the same size of the old library. There are two floors, a cafe, copy center, and so much more. Let me take you on a photo tour:

Depending on where you park will determine which level you enter on. For our photo tour today, we're parking on the lower level to enter on the main floor.

Holds at Library 21c
First thing you will see when you walk in are these fast check out scanners and the Holds Pick Up area. Perfect for an easy in easy out. I love holds at the library. It is not uncommon for me to put a ton of books on hold during the summer so I can help my kids learn all summer long. Since the books are at several different locations, I love the convenience of putting them on hold and picking them up at one place. This is also where you will return your books. Past this area behind the Pick Up area is a Teen Zone which includes computers, books, comfy seats, and two break out rooms if you need to have a study session or something. Its neat. 


Friday Favorite June 20

Happy Friday everyone! Who is looking forward to the weekend? Tomorrow marks the official first day of summer! (Am I the only one that can't say summer without thinking about Olaf?)

Thank you so much for all those who came by to link up last week. You all are awesome! An even bigger thanks to those who are coming back to link up this week. I love seeing the engagement between everyone so keep up the great work. This week it is our honor to featured Jen from Jenerally Informed. If you don't know her yet, she shares great blogging info, recipes, Pinterest fun, and my favorite right now is her Mommy Reality Challenges. Jen has teamed up with some of her blogging friends to bring these challenges every week. It is highly amusing and comforting to see all the pictures each week! Here's a snapshot from last week. Are you ready for this week?


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

At Home Ice Cream Truck!

I love the idea of the Ice Cream Truck. Its fun to get those extra special ice cream treats like the baseball glove with the gum (remember those?). However, the ice cream truck always comes to our neighborhood right at bed time. Seriously- Why not the middle of the day? Then there is the cost- its not cheap to buy from the ice cream truck anymore. You can buy a whole summer's worth of ice cream for the same price you would spend on 7 treats at the ice cream truck.
So I went out and bought a ton of popsicles and ice cream and cut out all the fronts of the boxes. I taped each box front together so it would make one big sign. Then I attached the sign to a rolled down window in our car, turned some music on, and yelled, "Ice Cream Truck" to my kids. They LOVED it! We do Ice Cream Truck once a week now.  Its a blast. 

Friday, June 13, 2014

Friday Favorite June 13

Welcome to our Friday Favorite Link up. Thanks for stopping by! This is a super simple link up for all Family Friendly Posts. Please help us spread the word by sharing this post or grabbing our button below. You're the best!

This week's Friday Favorite award goes to Tammy from My Life Abundant! Tammy is always sharing something great including recipes like her Creamy Alfredo Bake and her Southern Coleslaw. Be sure to pop over and say Hi! Tammy is great to have for a friend. Tammy, grab our button and display it proudly- you earned it!
This week I'm really looking forward to do any travel posts, summer time activity ideas, and other fun surprises you will be sharing. 

Behind the Scenes at News Channel 13

When I was a kid I thought it was so cool that I got to go to the news station and see how it really works. I still remember being amazed by it all- I mean you are this close to being on TV! How funny that it makes us all excited when you could be on TV. On our recent tour to KRDO News Channel 13 I was amazed at how much has changed through the years. I know I shouldn't be- we have come a long way; I just never thought about it in those terms. There are no camera men, no directors/producers on the floor. In fact you really only need 1 person on the floor for the weather update. How crazy is that? All in all for a 2 1/2 hour morning show it only takes 10 people.
Behind the Scenes at KRDO News Channel 13

We started the tour examining the set then watching a brief live segment. Meteorologist, Marty Venticinque, was our tour guide.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

5 Tours to do with Dad for Father's Day

Father's Day is week! I have very good memories of my Dad and love helping my kids celebrate theirs. One way we like to show him we care is by doing something that he likes so we can create a memory together (I mean that is why we are celebrating Father's Day right?). Here are 5 tours you can take Dad on for Father's Day:



  1. El Pomar Carriage Museum- Don't let the name fool you; it has tons of race cars from the Pikes Peak Hill Climb too. Its a fun place to check out cars, carriages, and history. Their new addition should be opening soon too. Afterwords go for a walk together around the lake at the Broadmoor or go for lunch.