Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

Last year over the kids' Christmas break we took a trip to Denver from California. It was kind of a scouting trip to see if we'd like living here and also to experience a snowy Christmas. 

While we missed the big day itself (our flight was late Christmas night) there was still plenty of Christmas fun to take part in over our week and a half in Colorado. Unlike other cities where the Christmas light displays and holiday activities end as soon as Christmas rolls around, in Colorado it seems to be pretty standard for the Christmas fun to extend well into January. This was great for us arriving after Christmas as we didn't have to miss out on any of the fun!

One of my favorite Christmas events that we attended last year was Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens. You may remember seeing my recent visit to Glow at the Gardens over Halloween. These two events are favorites with locals and visitors alike in Denver and draw huge crowds. Who doesn't love walking through millions of twinkling lights while sipping hot chocolate?

We can't wait to go see Blossoms of Light again this Winter, but in the meantime, here's a look at last years spectacular light show.

Like the Glow in the Garden event, Blossoms of Light sees the Denver Botanic Gardens transformed into a colorful glowing and twinkling wonderland. Trees that were once bare bloom with tiny lights. Glowing orbs float (or appear to float) on frozen ponds. The smell of hot chocolate fills the chilly Winter air. Colorful lights flash and sparkle in time to holiday music. It's simply a magical experience. 

Relax, Regroup and Recharge with cbdMD

Disclaimer: I was provided with free product from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) in exchange for my honest review. 

The holidays are such a wonderful time filled festivities, fun with family, and the magic that only Christmas time brings.

But, as any parent knows, the holidays can also be a pretty stressful time for many of us. Planning celebrations, Christmas shopping, financial stress, preparing meals, organizing travel, sending out cards and gifts, organizing camps and activities for the kids' time off school, decorating the house, and let's be honest, the stress that can sometimes come with spending time with extended family. It can be be a lot, especially when it comes all at once.

Add in the fact that it's peak cold and flu season at this time of year, and all that stress can start to take a toll on us physically.

And for me, with our recent move to Colorado, leaving behind the mild California weather has brought new challenges that cause stress both mentally and physically. I mean, just check out all that snow I had to shovel just to get out of the house during our recent snow storm! You can bet my body was feeling pretty worn out after that - even if I did have little helpers!

It's time for us parents to practice a little much needed (and likely much neglected) self care. Time to relax, regroup and recharge!

I hear you... finding time for self care is often easier said than done. I mean, with all the other things keeping us busy, how can we possibly fit in something else. I'm the worst at putting my needs first (or even on my to do list at all), and just thinking about self care can, frankly, be quite stressful. Kind of ironic, right? Ha! But, I've found a simple way to add a little self care and relaxation to my day without having to go out of my way - or even out of the house!

I'm sure that by now you've probably heard about CBD oil. It's popping up everywhere, right? Read any health or fitness magazine, or do a quick search on the internet and you'll see all sorts of articles that will lead you to believe that CBD oil is a new wonder drug that will cure everything. While it certainly isn't a cure all wonder drug, and it definitely isn't new (people have been using hemp for health purposes since ancient times), CBD oil can be a great addition to your wellness routine. I've been adding CBD oil to my morning routine (aka: sculling my morning coffee before I rush out) and I've found that it helps me clear my head and feel less stressed throughout the day. Anything that can do that, gets a thumbs up in my book. I simply place a dropper (1ml) of CBD oil under my tongue for 20 seconds before swallowing and I'm done. Super simple!

Now, you're probably wondering... "But isn't CBD marijuana, and isn't marijuana bad?". This is a pretty common concern for a lot of people when looking into CBD oil. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural compound derived from industrial hemp. While this comes from the same plant as marijuana, the THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol for those who like technical words) levels are not the same. THC is the component that makes you high. While the THC levels in marijuana can be quite high (no pun intended), the levels of THC found in industrial grown hemp must legally be below 0.3%, which is not enough for an intoxicating effect.

Since the Farm Bill of 2018 which legalized the production, sale and consumption of hemp and hemp derived products across the US, there have been a ton of CBD companies popping up. This can make it pretty tricky to find the right CBD product for you. I'm a big fan of cbdMD. Their CBD oil is derived only from USA grown industrial hemp, is non-GMO and vegan, and tested by third party labs to ensure the highest quality. I've been taking their CBD oil tincture, which comes in levels from 300mg to 7500mg, in the 300mg which is a good level to start out with. It comes in a variety of flavors including berry, orange and mint, as well as the flavorless natural. I take it directly by placing it under my tongue as mentioned above, but it can also be mixed in with drinks.

Along with the CBD oil tinctures, cbdMD make a great range of products including gummies, capsules, topical ointments, and my favorite, bath bombs!

The bath bombs are so good! A nice hot bath goes a long way when it comes to relaxation (and soothing sore muscles from shoveling snow!), and with 100mg of CBD per bath bomb, these fizzy little balls of wonder do an awesome job of leaving me feel relaxed and restored. Plus, they smell divine! One of the things that I love about the CBD bath bombs is that even if you're a little worried about taking CBD oil as a supplement, you can still benefit from its goodness by popping it in your bath tub.

The bath bombs are great after a day of sledding with the kids too - especially if you're prone to crashing into fences like me! That snow covered leg was pretty sore after I hit the fence but a nice bath with a cbdMD bath bomb did the trick.

If you're interested in adding CBD to to your wellness routine (even if it means starting a wellness routine!) make sure to check out cbdMD. Their products are great, and Little Hiccups readers can save 15% at cbdmd.com with the promo code MOMSMEET now through March 31, 2020. Free shipping too!

For more information and to shop, head over to cbdmd.com.

Elf on the Shelf: Week 1

He's baaaack!

Whether you love him or hate him, it's that time of year again when the Elf on the Shelf starts making mischief in homes around the world - including ours!

I've seen a lot of discussion lately about the Elf on the Shelf, and the negative impacts of him being portrayed as Santa's spy; there to encourage good behaviour for the month of December. While I'm a big fan of this fun tradition, our elf, Elfie Pokie Nokie, has never been there to spy on the kids. I personally think that's a little creepy, and also my kids have never really thought he was real. I mean, he's obviously made of plastic and fabric, right? Still, they enjoy finding him every day and seeing the antics that he gets up to. He's more of a Christmas treasure hunt in our home - as well as something to keep my creative juices flowing!

Anyway, whatever you're thoughts on the Elf on the Shelf are, I love sharing what Elfie Pokie Nokie gets up to here on the blog. I know that a lot of us need inspiration for fun elf exploits, so I hope my posts inspire some of you.

Here's a look at what our elf has been up to this past week since he arrived in our home...

Day 1
As usual, Elfie Pokie Nokie arrived in our home along with our advent calendar (which you can read all about here) on December 1st. He made no attempt to hide, although admittedly, he does camouflage nicely with the red and white of the advent calendar!

Day 2
Elfie had the kids stumped for a little while at first, but then they spotted him hanging off the side of the fridge among the fridge magnets. Doesn't that mountain lion on the Grand Canyon magnet look like it's eyeing off the Voodoo Doughnut as a tasty snack? Or maybe he's looking at Elfie. Do mountain lions eat elves? I'm not sure I want to find out!

Day 3
Rainbows and elves go together like magic, so it was no surprise when we found Elfie sitting among the books on our rainbow bookshelf. What was a surprise, however, was the teeny tiny books that we found Elfie reading. These elf sized books are Tiny Books from Social Print Studio. I had them printed with pics from Elfie's past antics in our home. They're magnetic so I usually keep them on our fridge but I guess it was tricky to read while hanging there the day before, so Elfie took them somewhere a little comfier. P.S. Don't books like pretty displayed by color?

Day 4
The kids couldn't find Elfie anywhere on day 4 until it was time to put on jackets and boots to head out to the bus stop. That's when they spotted his legs poking out of Ava's snow boots by the front door. What a smelly place to hide! And also proof that he's not spying on the kids, because I don't think he can see much from in there!

Day 5
All elves need a break every now and then, and it seems that Elfie needed one quite early in the season. We found him relaxing on day 5 in a flamingo pool float in the bathroom sink! He really needs a mini cocktail in his hand, right? Isn't this mini pool float cute? The kids use it (along with unicorn and palm tree floats) in the hot tub to hold their drinks, but they're just the right size for an elf!

Day 6
My morning coffee plans were thwarted when a little someone decided that they needed an espresso too - and plonked themselves right in the way! Lucky for Elfie I didn't have time for my morning latte before taking the kids to school so I hit up Starbucks instead - and he got to stay put for the rest of the day.

Day 7
Elfie in the jungle! Well, it's not quite a jungle, but we had very few potted plants in Berkeley so the small collection of plants in my office is the most jungle-like place Elfie has ever found himself. He's not very well camouflaged, but it did take the kids a little while to spot him. He will be camouflaged here a little better once Mathilde's red amaryllis flower in the foreground blooms. It's almost there. P.S. I've learned not to use the Australian term "pot plant" here in the US as everyone thinks I mean marijuana when I tell them about my pot plants! Potted plant. Plant in a pot. Plant potted in a pot.

And that's our first week of Elfie Pokie Nokie's adventures this year. I'll be sharing again at the end of each week until Christmas, so stay tuned for more elf fun.

If you need inspiration for your own Elf on the Shelf, make sure to use the search field above or check out these two posts by clicking the pics for a round up...

A Christmas Activity Advent Calendar: Colorado

Does your family have an advent calendar?

I grew up with the classic cardboard advent calendar with little pieces of chocolate hidden behind each panel. It was something I always looked forward to as December approached - even though the chocolate was never very good!

Our annual advent calendar is still something that I get very excited about each year, but it's rather different from the ones I grew up with. Each year our advent calendar is filled with vouchers holiday themed activities and events rather than chocolate. Well, it does have chocolate too, but the vouchers are the main thing.

I've shared our advent calendar here on Little Hiccups many times in the past, including a round up of the featured activities (which you can see here), but as many of the activities that I include are based in the Bay Area, it's time for me to add some new Colorado based activities.

While I'm sad that I won't be taking the kids to the Giant Gingerbread House at the Fairmont in San Francisco, watching the parade of lighted boats at Berkeley Marina, or checking our the light displays on Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda, I've learned that December in Colorado is packed full of holiday fun. In fact, there are so many parades, markets, lighting displays and Santa visits in our area that I'm a little overwhelmed narrowing it down!

I've been making lists of activities and events in the Boulder and Denver area that I think my kids will love and today I'm sharing them with you. We visited Colorado last year over the kids' Christmas break, so while we're still relatively new to the area, some of the activities that I'm including are not entirely new to our family. They tried and tested - and kid approved!

Welcome to Golden

Playing on a frozen creek in Estes Park

Checking out the Holiday Lights in Golden

Warming up with a hot chocolate at Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Garden

Denver City Hall

Here are the new activities I'll be adding to our advent calendar this year (click the links for more details):

Check out the colorful lights on the Mile High Tree in Denver

Ice skate outdoors in Downtown Denver or Louisville 

Visit Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens 

Check out the illuminations and ice carving at Zoo Lights at Denver Zoo

Walk through the Ice Castles in Dillon

Fill up on German treats at the Christkindl Market in Denver

Watch the Parade of Lights in Louisville 

Take a dog cart ride in Golden

Visit Santa's Village at Chatfield Farms

Ride the Holiday Carousel in Downtown Denver

Take a walk through the Holiday Lights in Golden

Watch the Lights of December Parade in Boulder

Drive through the lights of Christmas in Color 

Take a horse and carriage ride through Downtown Louisville
Watch the holiday parade in Downtown Golden
Play on a frozen creek (we did this is Estes Park last year and the kids LOVED it)
Check out the Christmas displays at Union Station in Denver
Watch the light display at City Hall in Denver
Find a Snowman at Freezie Fest in Boulder

Ice skating in Downtown Denver

Ice Castles in Dillon during the day

Ice Castles in Dillon in the evening

Blossoms of Light at Denver Botanic Gardens

Union Station in Denver

Driving through Christmas In Color

If you live in Colorado (or have visited over the holidays) and have other suggestions, I'd love to hear!

Natura Obscura

If you've been following along for a while you'll know that I'm a big fan of interactive and immersive art exhibitions. The kids and I visited quite a few of these sorts of interactive exhibitions and pop ups while living in the Bay Area, and we always thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Art is always more fun when you can be a part of it, right? So when I came across Natura Obscura, an immersive art exhibition in Denver, I knew we had to go check it out.

Natura Obscura, on display at the Museum of Outdoor Arts, is a self guided experience where visitors will find themselves immersed in six rooms of art, all with a link to nature. When you step through the doors, you're taken to a dream world, where forest spirits light up under black light, messages on the floor and walls lead the way, fairy tales comes to life, and soft music creates a calm atmosphere.

Holiday Pajamas for the Kids

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Can you believe that the holiday season is almost here? Just over a month until Christmas. Eek!

With the holidays fast approaching I've been thinking about all of our annual traditions and how some of these will be changing due to our move to Colorado. No more visiting the giant gingerbread house at the Fairmont, no more checking out the lights on Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda, no more riding the Carousel at Tilden Park... But for everything tradition that is changing, there's another that will stay the same, no matter where we live.

One such tradition, is giving the kids' a new pair Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve. Admittedly, my kids grow so slowly that they still fit into their Christmas pajamas and nightgowns from years ago, but I love seeing them in a new pair of pajamas (and scruffy hair) when they open their presents on Christmas morning.

I know that this is a tradition that a lot of families embrace, so today I'm sharing some of my favorite holiday pajamas for this year. Most of these are available in matching pajamas for siblings or even the whole family if that's your thing.

First up here's a look at my favorite pajamas, nightgowns and accessories for toddlers through big kids. You can click the links below to shop.

🎄 Primary Striped Nightie
🎄 Hanna Andersson Gnome Sweet Gnome Moccasins
🎄 Hanna Andersson Go Green Moccasins
🎄 Gap Buffalo Plaid PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Soft Knit Socks
🎄 Hanna Andersson Hanukkah PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Dear Deer Nightgown
🎄 Gap Marvel PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Union Suit Pajamas
🎄 Gap Holiday Dino PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Snowy Cottages PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Peanuts Scandinavian Holiday PJ Set
🎄 Hanna Andersson Classic Stripes PJ Set

Pretty much everything I shared above is available in baby sizes too, but I just had to share the following baby pajamas and accessories too as they're so cute.

⛄ Hanna Andersson Gnome Hat
⛄ Hanna Andersson Dear Deer Sweater Knit Booties
⛄ Whistle & Flute Snowflake Pajamas
⛄ Hanna Andersson Hanna Red Moccasins
⛄ Hanna Andersson Classic Stripe PJ Set
⛄ Hanna Andersson Gnome Sweet Gnome Sleeper
⛄ Hanna Andersson Get Baking Sleeper
⛄ Hanna Andersson Hanukkah Sleeper
⛄ Gap Buffalo Plaid Footed Pajamas
⛄ Mini Boden Cosy Applique Sleepsuit
⛄ Tea Collection Forest Fest Footed Pajamas
⛄ Primary Striped Baby Pajamas

Aren't they all just adorable?

Hanna Andersson is generally my go to brand for holiday pajamas for the girls, and perfect for family matching. Their most popular designs are repeated year after year which makes buying matching pajamas in bigger sizes or for new family members easy peasy. In recent years my girls have favored the nightgowns rather than the full length pajamas, but they're both super comfy and snuggly warm, and they last forever, which makes them great for hand me downs.

This year I'm thinking of going with the new striped nightgowns from Primary.com. My girls have a lot of Primary.com pajamas as I use them as the base for costumes, but the nightgowns are a new addition to their range, and I love the simplicity of the striped design.

Do you buy holiday pajamas for your kids? Do you go with matching for the whole family or chose a different design for each family member?