“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina The holidays have come and gone, and what a wonderful season it was. I am, however, grateful that our weather predicting groundhog did not see his shadow earlier this month. Even though there is only about a 50% chance that this prediction is accurate, I do hope you’re right Phil! In these weeks to come we will focus on the practical. With the holiday “buzz” finally wearing off, work actually feels like work again. I am seemingly already looking forward to my summer trip. My weekend might lend itself to an activity... Read More

What if you had a penny for every time you lost one? (Oh the places we could go!) No, but seriously, even by guesstimation this figure is pretty surprising! People, (including me) drop or purposely throw pennies away all the time… Let’s just say every adult in the country “lost” a meager 3 cents this year (this is obviously a modest amount). Multiply that by the number of adults in America and you get something like $743,441,730 lost pennies a year! And…it gets even stranger. Did you know National Lost Penny Day is actually a thing? It was introduced by eventologist Adrienne... Read More

“With each passing moment, let us embrace the New Year with a brighter, more colorful, and more joyous future. Happy New Year! ”  Celebrating New Year’s Day poetically encourages a 360 degree view of reality. Its presence naturally creates an added dimension to the typical holiday reflections. Instead of only remembering the past, we also realize what currently is and what could potentially be. In America, the New Year is like a 4th of July-Thanksgiving-Halloween-Birthday—a firework laced celebration for ourselves in which we are grateful to have lived and also, we dress up. Aside from... Read More

Rainbow Falls Manitou Springs    Short hike (0.3 m) Easily accessible Scenic Dog Friendly Usually closed off during the winter months, the beautiful and extremely popular Rainbow Falls trail, located near Manitou Springs will reopen for a special moment next month. El Paso County Parks and Rec has arranged a must-see opportunity for the public to view the waterfall from a very different perspective. This event is scheduled to take place (weather permitting!) on Saturday, February 23rd, from 11 am to 3 pm.   February 23rd, 2019  11am – 3pm Rainbow Falls Winter Viewing by El Paso... Read More

Next Sunday, January 20th, 2019, the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth will cross paths for the last time this decade. With such a unique nickname it’s no wonder this particular event is receiving so much attention. Below are a few explanations to help better understand the excitement around the Super Blood Wolf Moon eclipse. A total lunar eclipse officially called a syzygy [ siz-eh-gee], is an almost perfect alignment of 3 celestial bodies and is only possible during a full moon. It is literally a Sun, Moon, Earth Sandwich. Earth is in the middle. A “Wolf” moon,“Old” moon: names given... Read More

Beginning a new year marks the start of future plans and in many ways is a representation of rebirth. Money, scheduling, and motivation are common factors among the most popular “NYR.” Unfortunately, it so happens that almost 90% of Americans are not successful in maintaining these goals. Sounds to me that we can use all the help we can get.   You may need to invest in equipment or supplies to satisfy a resolution. Mint – Is a money management tool that tracks finances and helps you budget by connecting to your online financial institutions. Compatible with Android and IOS. Ranked... Read More

The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents.” – O. Henry, short story writer Below are a few scenarios:   “Do you think I’m being cheap?” Or… “Is this too much?” Actually, there IS such a thing as over gifting, and vice versa. However, gifting is not measured by price tag alone. Focus on your person, that is what’s important here.   “You got her a what!?” My guys, this is pretty self-explanatory DON’T … I repeat DO NOT get your significant... Read More

    AHHH DECEMBER … “Once you’ve seen one Christmas parade, you’ve kind of seen them all” I thought to myself as I replied to a friend’s invitation via text. Fast forward 2018 — Although I still get the occasional “let’s go snowboarding” text, I often spend my winters participating in the human representation of hibernation. I don’t recall the exact chain of events that led me to this point but, in retrospect, with the exception of my first couple tourist-y years, I can see exactly how this became second nature. Factor 0 familial influences expecting me to be at the next... Read More