Denver's Dairy Block

If you've been here for a while you'll know by now that I'm a city girl at heart. While I enjoy exploring the great outdoors, there's nothing I love more than exploring a new city. Or even my own city!

One of my favorite things to do is to get out and explore a "new to me" neighborhood. Last weekend the kids and I did just this with a few hours spent exploring Denver's Dairy Block.

Now this area isn't so much as a neighborhood, but rather, one block. You maybe guessed that from the name! Located just a few blocks from Denver's Union Station, Dairy Block can be found on Wazee Street. Dairy Block is home to Denver Milk Market, a culinary destination featuring a large range of cuisines, and my favorite part, The Alleyway. The Alleyway is, you guessed it, an alleyway! This small alleyway that runs between buildings has been converted into an outdoor dining and pedestrian area with plenty of seating, street art and heating for chilly days. While it was quite cold when we visited, the combination of the heat lamps and the warm lighting strung across the alleyway gave the area a warm and cozy feel. Part of The Alleyway is undercover and features a mirrored ceiling that reflects the color and fun below. Mathilde quite enjoyed looking up at her upside down self above. 

Street art lines The Alleyway culminating in a large milk splash sculpture at the far end. This sculpture adds a touch of whimsy and fun to the area and makes for a great spot for silly photos. Look up above the milk splash and you'll spot it's source right at the top of the building. A large vintage milk can pours the milk down the side of the building making the large splash.

Dotted along the length of The Alleyway you'll find interactive musical churns. Turn the handle on these vintage-meets-digital artworks and they'll light up and play music. Such a delight for kids and adults alike. 

If you're feeling peckish, Denver Milk Market is your best bet for something tasty to eat. Step inside the entrance on The Alleyway or on Wazee Street and you'll find yourself in an upscale food court reminiscent of a marketplace. There's something here for everyone with pizza, gelato, crepes, baked goods, southern style comfort food, salads, sandwiches, burgers, brunch, and even a cocktail bar. We went with crepes from Cornicello (the gelato store) and they were divine. 

The art continues throughout Denver Milk Market with murals, hanging artworks, vintage items including toys and pinball machine, and much more. Each food destination is a work of art in itself. 

Dairy Block is such a great little spot for an afternoon out with family or friends. We'll definitely be back, hopefully on a Sunday for Drag Bingo Brunch! 

If you're concerned about dining out right now, rest assured that Denver Milk Market has plenty of protocols in place to keep staff and patrons safe. Obviously masks are required apart from when eating/drinking, and I was pleased to see temperatures being taken at the door. To reduce contact, patrons can order food through an app and have it brought directly to their table. 

I look forward to getting out and about exploring the Denver and its quirky neighborhoods and districts more! 

Snorkeling with Stingrays at SeaQuest Littleton

Have you ever snorkeled with stingrays before? It sounds a little terrifying doesn't it?  

As scary as it sounds, this is actually how Lola, Mathilde and I spent an afternoon last week, and it was any thing but terrifying. In fact, it wasn't at all scary in the slightest. It was such a magical experience being in the water with these beautiful creatures and we never wanted it to end

Ok, I know what you're thinking... we live in landlocked Colorado. There's no ocean. Where are the stingrays? They're at SeaQuest in Littleton!

SeaQuest Littleton is an interactive aquarium with over 300 species of animals on display. It's not all just sea creatures though, with reptiles, birds, and some furry friends on display too. While most of the animals are just on display for visitors to view, as they would be in any other aquarium or zoo, there are some critter friends that visitors are able to interact with. Visitors can purchase tokens to exchange for food for certain animals including the stingrays, ducks, chickens, rainbow lorikeets and a friendly tortoise. There are also add on activities available such as private tours, going behind the scenes to prepare food for certain animals, and of course, snorkeling with the stingrays.

Worm Hugs for Valentine's Day

 Are your kids celebrating Valentine's Day with their classes this year? 

I know it's all a little different this year with so many kids doing home learning. We're lucky that our schools have opened back up again and the kids have been back in person part time since January. With the kids back in school that means we were able to hand out valentines to classmates just like every other year. There were no class parties and no yummy treats to share, but I'm so happy the kids got to take part in something they look forward to every year.

Usually we'd give out some sort of home made treat, but with the pandemic I wanted to avoid giving out food. So this year we went with worms on a string. Not sure what worms on a string are? They're neon colored fluffy "worms" attached to a piece of clear string. Sometimes sold as party favors; sometimes sold as cat toys! They look absolutely nothing like a worm (as you'll see in the pics), but they are pretty cute. I'm not generally a fan of giving out little plasticky, throw away toys, but I figured they were a safe bet plus the kids had been asking for some for themselves to play with at home. Lola and Mathilde had their class parties on Thursday and apparently the worms were a hit.

With the worms ready made, there wasn't an awful lot of DIY for these valentines, but I did design a cute label for the packaging, complete with a cheesy saying. Actually, we came up with two cheesy sayings for our worm valentines, so Lola went with one and Mathilde with the other. I know you're dying to hear what the sayings were, so here they are. Lola went with "You've wormed your way into my heart", which some of the kids found a little creepy! Creepy's good, right? Mathilde went with "worm hugs", which no one found creepy, because it's not creepy. That said, if a giant worm gave me a hug I probably would be a little creeped out!

Ok, enough talk, let's see those valentines...

Here's what you'll need to package up the worms the way we did:
Worms on a string
Cello bags 3" x 4"
Sticker paper/Shipping Labels
Rotary circle cutter
Label template:
"Worm Hugs"
"You've wormed your way into my heart"
 

There aren't really too many steps for this one. Download the label template from the links above and print the number you need onto sticker/label paper. There are 6 labels per page. Use a rotary circle cutter or a pair of curved scissors to cut out the labels and write the names on each one. Curl up the worms and place each one into a cello bag. Fold the cello bag over and seal with a label. Voila! 

If you don't have any sticker paper you can always print onto regular paper instead and attached the label to the cello bag with a glue stick. If you go down this route you'll want to tape the cello bag closed first to make sure it stays in place while the glue dries. 

Now all that's left to do is hand those wiggly little suckers out to classmates or friends!

Don't they look cute?

Stay tuned for a DIY for our Minecraft and mail box themed Valentine boxes above!

LOVE CORN

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) and compensation was provided. All images and opinions are my own. 

Snacks, snack, snacks...

They're one of the most important thing in a kid's day, right? Whether we're out exploring, playing in the backyard, watching tv, heading home from swim class, or doing school work, snacks are always a must. A good snack can turn a grumpy, hungry kid into a happy kid in a matter of moments. Who am I kidding, a good snack can do that for us grown ups too!

We've always got lots of snacks in the pantry at home. I keep a snack bag filled with goodies in the car for when we're out an about, and I'm always guaranteed to find at least one granola bar in the bottom of my handbag at any given time. I'm a snack master! But even with my snack providing prowess, it can be easy to fall into a snack rut. Granola bars and crackers can start to get a little boring, so I'm always on the look out for new and tasty snacks to throw in the mix.

My favorite types of snacks are ones that appeal to both kids and adults, so when I came across LOVE CORN premium crunchy corn snacks I knew that I was onto a winner! These tasty little morsels are packed full of flavor and crunch, and with their resealable bags they're the perfect snack for adventures - even if our adventures are just in the backyard!

LOVE CORN comes in four delicious flavors including Sea Salt, BBQ, Salt & Vinegar, and Habanero. That last one is a little spicy for my younger kids, but a hit with those of us in the family who like a little heat. The crunch and flavor appeals to the kids, and I love that they're made from simple plant based ingredients. They're gluten and sugar free, vegan friendly, kosher, and non-GMO. Tasty and a healthy alternative to a lot of other snacks on the market! Plus, the packaging is pretty cute!

Whether you're looking for the perfect lunch box snack or something to eat while hanging out in a hammock on a chilly day, make sure to give LOVE CORN a try. You can purchase LOVE CORN online or in store at Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Wegmans, ShopRite and more. To find a retailer near you visit lovecorn.com/pages/find-store. 

Little Hiccups readers can save 25% on all LOVE CORN products with the promo code MOMSLOVE at lovecorn.com/kids. Offer is valid until 10/31/21.

Have you tried LOVE CORN snacks yet? I'd love to hear what you think!