by Jessica Hughes | Nov 16, 2023 | General Featured
by Jessica Hughes
Labeling your bins takes the guesswork out of where things go.
Oftentimes, the holiday season can feel overwhelming with the in-laws in town, additional obligations, finding the perfect gift, and then wrapping it. With so much going on, being organized can make a world of difference and ease the stress of “what box did I put the Christmas lights in last year.” Decluttering and organizing can help you focus on life’s other obligations this time of year. But where does one start?
Christina DesAuguste, founder of The Organizing Company — a professional organizing company that helps people organize their “stuff” in a functional, good-looking way, says to start with a method. “For those starting the process of organizing, it is best to start with a method, rather than “tips and tricks.”
During the holiday season, one of the biggest mistakes DesAuguste says she sees often is people frantically throwing things in their hamper or some other “catch all” and stick it in the closet somewhere right before friends and family arrive. “It’s best to try and not hide your mess before company comes over,” says DesAuguste. “Instead, try to come up with a method or process that sets you up for success.”
One method DesAuguste suggests when bringing out decorations for the season, is to place your non-holiday items in the holiday bins you pulled out from storage. This way, when the holidays are over, you can easily make the swap.
Christina DesAuguste gets organized with one of her Hilltop clients in Denver.
Organization not only reduces stress, but it looks good too.
“Make a decision about how you store your holiday decorations,” says DesAuguste. “You can do it by room or by category. But try not to do a “free for all storage” and take the time to be methodical.”
While DesAuguste emphasizes there is no one size fits all for organization items everyone must have, she does mention a few things she thinks everyone can benefit from. “A label-maker is huge help in getting things back where they belong. It helps eliminate the “where does this go?” question.”
Another item she strongly suggests might be one that surprises you. “A three-step stool is great to have handy,” says DesAuguste. “It sets you up for success by having easy access to things, so you put items back in their right place.”
In terms of decluttering your space to make room for all your holiday demands, DesAuguste says she is a big fan of having children go through their toys before gift-giving season. “Choose things they are ready to part with and donate. That way when new gifts come there is room for them.”
But taking away your kid’s toys might prove challenging, so starting with big bulky items that don’t have any meaning is another option. Think of items like excess small appliances, comforters you no longer use, or cleaning supplies you don’t use anymore. One other item that is less obvious but easy to discard is old paint cans.
Often forgotten about, paint cans clutter basements, garages, and crawl spaces,” says Kevin Lynch, the Program Manager for PaintCare Colorado. “Free up some of that space by taking cans of paint to one of our local drop-off sites or using the PaintCare Door-to-Door service to make room to store presents in advance of the holidays.”
PaintCare is the paint recycling program in Colorado for consumers and businesses to drop off their unwanted paint, no matter the brand, for free reuse or recycling. With more than 160 participating drop-off locations, most locations are at paint and hardware stores.
So, why worry about getting rid of your old paint cans, aside from decluttering your space? “The older that paint gets the less usable it is,” says Lynch. “Unused cans of paint can become rusty and leaky from moisture, especially in our fluctuating Colorado climate.”
Drop-off is available year-round during the retail location’s regular business hours. And if you don’t have the ability to visit one of the drop off locations, the Denver area is fortunate to have a PaintCare home paint pickup program, called Door-to-Door Service, for households with more than 10 gallons of leftover paint, stain, and varnish. There is no charge for the pickup service; the cost is included on the sale of all new paint purchased, which is how the PaintCare program is funded.
If you’re not ready for a full-blow
n organization method, DesAuguste offers a few organizing “hacks” to help get you started. “Build a “10-minute tidy up” into your daily routine. Having this time to make sure things get back to their proper homes is a great way to prevent the overwhelm that comes with huge piles of mail/laundry/dishes, or a wild playroom.” She recommends doing this after dinner and before sitting down to relax. “But whatever time of day you and your family can be consistent is great,” says DesAuguste.
Another trick she mentions is to assign tasks to a certain day of the week. “For example, Mom’s laundry day is Monday, Tommy’s is Tuesday, and Suzie’s is Wednesday,” says DesAuguste. “Have a day of the week you open your mail rather than trying to open and deal with it while you’re carrying in groceries and unpacking kids’ backpacks- it just ends up in a pile somewhere never dealt with.”
She also suggests that until you are ready to get your house fully organized you can designate a day of the week that you organize. “Build time into your routine for things like this so they are more likely to get done.”
If you’re having a hard time starting the process of organizing and decluttering, Des Auguste says to simply start with your why in mind. “It helps to know why and deciding that it’s worth it is important to getting started.” Learn to organize anything in less than 10 minutes with Morton’s free video and guide at theorganizingco.com.
by Charles Bonniwell | Nov 16, 2023 | Editorials
At one time not so long ago, everyone loved bicyclists. What is there not to love? The vast majority of people have ridden a bike some time in their lives. Bicycling is great for your health, it lessens automobile traffic, and is helpful to the environment as a whole. But as Eric Hoffer surmised, every cause starts as a movement, becomes a business, and finally a racket. Even many bicyclists intensely dislike the bicycle lobby in Denver, as evidenced by the many communications this publication received on last month’s lead story: “7th and Williams Fiasco.”
Developers use the bicycle lobby to argue that they should not have to provide adequate parking for their high-density apartment buildings. Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) has been captured by the bicyclist lobby and is busily screwing up streets across the city with ridiculous and ugly plastic bollards, roundabouts, and striping all in the name of “bicycle safety.”
Whether it’s at Williams and 7th, Broadway, or Marion Parkway, DOTI’s work is reviled by residents, businesses, pedestrians, and bicyclists, and just about everyone else with the exception of the bicycle lobby and tone-deaf politicians like District 5 Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer. Moreover, this is just the beginning. DOTI has many other so-called “bicycle safety” projects on its books throughout the city.
The worst part of it is, as letters to this paper demonstrate, that DOTI’s monstrosities do not provide bike safety, but just the opposite for everyone involved, including bicyclists. Accidents are piling up along the streets that DOTI has jerry-rigged, and in particular, where it has installed roundabouts on streets not designed for them, with trucks, buses, delivery vans, and other larger vehicles having to careen around them.
The intersection of 7th and Williams alone has seen four accidents between September 25 and October 6, bringing the total amount of accidents since the installation of these roundabouts to nine, as reported to the Chronicle by Kitty Koch, Denver resident.
But the baleful influence of the bicycle lobby is not limited to the actual streets of Denver. Last fall, Ordinance 307 was pushed by the bicycle lobby and was narrowly passed. This ordinance imposes fees on Denver homeowners from $110 to $1,000 per year for sidewalk repairs (see “Bicycle Lobby Peddles Tax That Forces Property Owners To Fix City Sidewalks”, January 2023 edition of the Chronicle). Voters who live in apartment buildings are not directly affected, but homeowners are. They have taken their outrage to Denver’s City Council, which has been delaying the implementation of the now highly unpopular fees, but the day of reckoning is coming.
Undoubtedly, the bicycle lobby is searching for other opportunities to make the lives of Denverites worse and more costly as that lobby is a monster that must be fed. What can you do about it? Well, supporting the expected recall effort of Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, who is a pitchwoman for the bicycle lobby, would be a positive step. Electing someone who returns calls and cares about his/her constituents and not just pressure groups is never a bad idea.
— Editorial Board
by Glendale Sports Center | Nov 16, 2023 | Glendale City News
Try These 3 Tips And Give Yourself Grace!
By Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN, Director of Nutrition Initiatives, YMCA of Metro Denver
Are thoughts of all the holiday sweets and treats causing you stress?
Do you feel like you can’t enjoy your favorite holiday foods when you’re working on your health?
Are you worried that what you eat during the holidays will throw off progress toward your goals?
You’re not alone!
The holiday season is a time of celebration that usually comes with lots of sweets, treats, and traditional dishes that feel indulgent. It can be difficult to find balance during the holidays — wanting to enjoy all the foods you love while being mindful of your health.
You might hear that word balance and feel frustrated by it. What does it even mean? Balance means enjoying nutritious foods most of the time, while giving yourself grace (and space) to enjoy those sweets and treats.
So, how can you find that balance during the holidays and enjoy your favorite foods without the side order of guilt? Here are some tips:
- Balance your plate and practice portion control
You can enjoy a bit of everything with some balance and portion control. Plus, you’ll feel better after the meal, too! The basics of a balanced plate include protein, veggies, and a starch or grain. Try filling half of your plate with veggie dishes and then take a smaller portion of the others you want to try. Holiday dishes tend to be heavy, starchy foods, so don’t forget to add some protein like turkey or chicken to your plate to create that balance. Then, enjoy every bite!
- Move your body
Move your body, not because you think you should make up for eating those holiday treats, but because movement makes you feel good both physically and mentally. Movement can set a positive mindset for the day and the after affect is the feeling of doing something good for your body. Movement also helps with digestion. If you’re feeling super stuffed after a holiday meal, some exercise can help you feel better. Remember, it’s important to find exercise that you enjoy and that truly feels good for you. Exercise is often looked at as punishment for eating “badly,” but it’s really part of a healthy lifestyle that contributes to your overall well-being.
- Remember that every day is a new day
A healthy lifestyle should be sustainable. This means having flexibility and leaving space for the foods you enjoy. You don’t need to “compensate” for what you eat at the holidays. You don’t need to work out for three hours the next day to make up for last night’s meal. Instead, make the intentional choice to enjoy what you want and to be present in the holiday season. Each day is an opportunity to get back on track with your regular eating habits and routine.
Do you want to take the guesswork out of nutrition and work to set realistic healthy lifestyle goals? The nutrition team at the YMCA of Metro Denver can help. Try our Mindful Eating Series starting in January 2024. Reach out at nutrition@denverymca.org or visit us at denverymca.org/nutrition.
by Mark Smiley | Oct 20, 2023 | General Featured
Colorado Breweries Win 40 Medals
by Mark Smiley
Full House: The 42nd Annual Great American Beer Festival was held from September 21-23, 2023 at the Colorado Convention Center.
The 41st anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) returned to the Colorado Convention Center September 21-23, 2023. GABF has grown exponentially since 1982, where just 24 breweries and 47 beers were present; 41 years later, GABF featured more than 2,000 different beers from nearly 500 of the nation’s finest breweries.
The 2023 GABF competition awarded 303 medals to 263 of the best commercial breweries in the United States. Presented by the Brewers Association (BA), GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition.
Top-tier brews spanning 99 beer categories across 175 beer styles (including all subcategories) received prestigious gold, silver, and bronze medals. In addition, three GABF Collaboration medals for beers created by a team of two or more professional breweries, and three GABF Pro-Am medals for beers developed by teams of professional brewers and amateur homebrewers, were announced.
The competition took place in three phases over nine days and was judged by 250 beer experts from 10 countries, including the U.S. In addition to evaluating 9,298 commercial brewery entries from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, the judging panel assessed 95 Collaboration and 50 Pro-Am entries. The competition was made possible with the help of more than 300 volunteers.
Colorado breweries showed very well, bringing in 40 medals during the festival, the most since 2017 and up from 26 the year before.
Avery Brewing Company was one of those breweries as they took home two awards. Avery’s White Rascal won Gold in the Belgian-Style. “These awards are a testament to the great work of the Avery Brewing team,” said Elton Andres Knight, CEO of Mahou USA and Avery Brewing Company. “They have a longstanding commitment to their craft, and these awards confirm what we’ve all known — that Avery and Mahou USA make some of the best beers in the country.”
An annual event tied in with GABF is the Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head Great American Beer Festival Beer & Brunch event. This year’s event was held on Friday, September 22, at West of Surrender on 16th Street Mall.
Winners: Left to right: Sam Calagione, Founder of Dogfish Head Brewery; Rich Bloomfield, Funkytown Brewing; Jim Koch, Founder and Brewer of Samuel Adams; Zack Day, Funkytown Brewing; Greg Williams, Funkytown Brewing. Funkytown Brewing won the 12th Brewing & Business Experienceship from Samuel Adams.
The event featured Funkytown Brewing from Chicago, winners of the 12th Brewing & Business Experienceship. Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, the revolutionary philanthropic program aimed at providing mentorship and access to capital for food and beverage entrepreneurs nationwide, was on full display at the brunch. Chicago’s Funkytown Brewery was welcomed to the coveted class of emerging craft brewers to receive support and unique experiences on behalf of Samuel Adams.
The Brewing & Business Experienceship is an annual program that invites craft brewers nationwide to apply for the chance to win unparalleled access to brewing and business resources from experts at Samuel Adams, including founder and brewer Jim Koch. One lucky craft brewer is selected to come to the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, work side-by-side with a team of mentors, and collaborate on a specialty beer with Samuel Adams.
Twin Peaks: Twin Peaks added some spice to the 42nd Annual Great American Beer Festival. Twin Peaks has three convenient locations in Colorado.
Black-owned, Funkytown Brewery was founded by childhood and lifelong friends Rich Bloomfield, Zack Day, and Greg Williams, who share a passion for their hometown of Chicago and home brewing. Largely influenced by the Chicago craft scene and ’90s Hip Hop and R&B, Funkytown Brewery started home-brewing in a family garage. The brewery later launched in 2021 with a mission to introduce craft beer to underserved communities and provide a deeper understanding of different beer styles, tasting notes, aromas, and colors. Today, Funkytown Brewery aims to serve craft beer deserts and add diversity and representation to the shelves of established retailers.
“The Great American Beer Festival competition serves as a platform for the finest beers from across the nation to undergo rigorous scrutiny and vie for the title of ‘Best in Class,’” remarked Chris Williams, competition director for the Great American Beer Festival. “The beer community’s unwavering commitment to pushing the frontiers of innovation and quality is truly commendable. The Brewers Association takes great pride in recognizing the achievements of this year’s winners.”
For more information on GABF and to see the list of all the winners, visit www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com. For more information on the Colorado Brewers Guild, visit www.coloradobeer.org. The 42nd Great American Beer Festival is set for October 10-12, 2024.
by Glendale Sports Center | Oct 20, 2023 | Glendale City News
Denver Woman Shares Diabetes Prevention Month Success Story
YMCA Programs Provide The Toolkit To Set And Meet Health Goals
Healthy living is more than just exercising or just eating right. It is a lifestyle commitment that requires knowing the best ways to meet personal goals — something that is especially front-of-mind for those who are at risk of diabetes. And while Colorado has one of the lowest rates of diabetes in the nation, rates continue to climb as noted in this USA Today story.
Leticia Lozano joined the Diabetes Prevention Program this year at the Downtown Denver YMCA at the suggestion of her doctor. While not technically pre-diabetic, she knew that some things needed to change, but didn’t know how.
“Before I had no vision, no plans,” Lozano shared. “I knew that I wanted to be healthy and change but I didn’t know where to go or how to start. I thought that I was very smart… could do it myself. I realized that was not the case. I needed help.”
Now she has completed 20 diabetes prevention sessions that provide practical insights for healthy habits and specific goals for each participant.
Now “I have a goal,” Lozano explained. “It’s just different — very different, and I can see results.”
This didn’t mean it was easy from the start — the courses are content-rich and can take time to digest and integrate into daily living. Since different methods work better for some people than for others, certified YMCA instructors provide different recommendations to track diet and exercise. For instance, one method includes looking at food labels and keeping count of carbs, protein, fat, and general calories over the course of a day. Another involves using smaller plate sizes and paying attention to how much and what kinds of food are put onto each one.
“At first the class was very boring, and I didn’t like the tracking,” Lozano shared. “It was overwhelming and required a lot of detail to read all the food labels… but later when [my trainer] shared the plating method, I could relate — I am very visual. I could see the portions and that approach, and then it started working for me.”
In addition to the Diabetes Prevention Program, Lozano also more recently started the Y’s Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program, which provided helpful perspective on the importance of monitoring blood pressure levels and direction on how to make nutritional and other adjustments as needed.
“I knew beforehand that sometimes your blood pressure can go up because you’re overwhelmed or just finished exercising, and I’m happy I took that class because it made me aware how serious it can be and how easily it can go out of hand. Something like a stroke can happen,” Lozano said. “I reduced my salt intake, and I’m working to be more at ease and not react suddenly to anything. Now I am much more calm.”
As November is National Diabetes Month, Lozano is particularly aware of how the YMCA of Metro Denver programs have helped her identify and meet her own specific health goals.
“I needed to take more control of my lifestyle. Even when this is over with, I think I am going to join the Y, because I see that they have a lot of things that are the best for my health,” she shared. “This is a lifetime commitment — to be healthy.”
The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program is offered year-round in seven counties in metro Denver, including the five YMCA Wellness Centers and over 20 community sites. Virtual sessions are also offered. Learn more about the cost including Medicare eligibility and scholarships at our website.
The YMCA of Metro Denver has been building strong, thriving and equitable communities since 1875 and provides a wide variety of programs and resources for Denverites. Learn more about the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program, Blood Pressure Monitoring Program and other opportunities at denverymca.org.
by Charles Bonniwell | Oct 20, 2023 | Editorials
The election to replace Auon’tai Anderson as the at-large Board member for Denver Public Schools (“DPS”) will occur on November 7, 2023. Fortunately, almost anyone in the world would be better than Tay Anderson, who became best known for harassing underage girls and setting up grifting GoFundMe get rich schemes. He was the one leading the charge to get rid of police resource officers that got a teacher killed, not that he cared.
It is amazing that anyone would want to run for the thankless non-paying position. Moreover, the Denver School Board is itself a morass of petty, bickering, backstabbing individuals that spend most of their time fighting about the black/brown divide and little about the scandalous performance of Denver Public School students after the closure of the schools because of COVID-19. Those closures were prolonged by the teachers’ unions across the country. The one silver lining to those closures was parents got to see what the schools were in fact teaching and many didn’t like what they saw.
Less than half of DPS students can now read, write, add, and subtract at grade school level and it is getting worse. The longer your child spends at DPS the worse it gets. At one time the business community actually cared about DPS board races, but have abandoned the schools, leaving the field to the teachers’ union (the Denver Classroom Teachers Association) with expected disastrous results.
For this election you actually have a choice. The teachers’ union has endorsed former mayoral candidate and ex-CEO of the now bankrupt Tattered Cover Bookstores Kwame Spear. The teachers’ union has endorsed and gotten elected far worse individuals (see present DPS Board).
Spear is a graduate of DPS, undergrad degree from Columbia, law degree from Yale, and business degree from Harvard. He is probably way overqualified to be on a board of misfits and malcontents. He wants to up teacher pay, paid by a tax hike through a citywide ballot measure. He also wants to boost teachers’ healthcare and parental leave benefits. Moreover, he is for subsidized teacher housing with a down payment support program, and 2,000 units of subsidized housing built on city-owned land. He declares that “the best way to support our students is to support our educators.” No wonder the teachers’ union loves the guy.
But we don’t agree that simply pouring money and benefits to teachers is the best way to help students. He doesn’t demand any increased accountability or increased standards from those same teachers. In the end he will likely simply enrich teachers while the students will continue getting the same deficient education.
John Youngquist
The other major candidate is John Youngquist. He is the former principal of East High School and parent of two East High students. He also served as the area superintendent of
36 schools in Northwest Denver, and has been the president of a consulting firm for school principals.
He decided to run after watching the present board and the superintendent fail to address safety threats and concerns on campuses across the city. He has been endorsed by Denver Family Action, a charter school supporter. Notwithstanding that teachers’ unions believe that schools are there to provide a living for teachers and bureaucrats, education is really about the students and their education. The best way to provide a great education is giving students and their parents choices for schools and letting them determine what is best for them. It creates automatic accountability. Luckily Denver has begun a strong charter and Magnet school program that needs to be expanded and grown upon, and it’s clear Youngquist will do that as well as provide a safe learning environment in all public schools. He has the background to know what works in Denver schools and what does not.
The third candidate is Brittni Johnson, a licensed massage therapist who is now unemployed due to a car accident. She has raised little money and has done little campaigning for the job. She has been endorsed by a plethora of progressive groups. She is the one that would probably fit in well with the other present Board members.
If you’re a teacher and want to vote your pocketbook, then you would want to go with Kwame Spear, but for everyone else, John Youngquist appears the strongest candidate, and we strongly endorse him.
— Editorial Board
