Everyday is better with a good cup of Joe

A wise person once said, ‘everything gets better with coffee’. I will openly admit, I am a coffee person. Starting my day with a warm latte or grabbing a cappuccino in the afternoon before a meeting are always things I look forward to. What I like even more though is finding great coffee shops around Denver to try out, meeting new coffee shop owners/employees and making new relationships along the way. 

Below are a few Denver coffee shops I have frequented and made some great connections at, make sure to stop in to each and try their amazing coffee.

Hooked on Colfax – My friends own this place so I may be biased but Hooked is a great place to escape the busy that is your day and enjoy some quality coffee. They carry a range of Colorado roasters and local companies who are committed to sourcing the best beans, ethically and sustainably. They also serve breakfast, have a stellar bakery and if you need something stronger they also offer a range of alcohol. Open from 7am-10pm daily, check them out at 3213 E. Colfax Avenue. 

Huckleberry on Larimer – This great coffee place was started inside a garage between an alley and a backyard chicken coop by two gentlemen named Mark and Koan. Today, they source coffee from the world’s best producers and honoring it through careful roasting to bring out the best taste. They have three core values, enjoy slowly, cultivate community and appreciate quality. If you find yourself near the RiNo Art District and baseball field, make sure to stop in and enjoy something delicious.

Bellwether – This newly opened establishment is already making waves down on Colfax. Carrying coffee from Boxcar Roasters on tap, as well as Bulleit whiskey, this shop is a great addition to the neighborhood. Also feel like a little shopping? Make sure to check out their great brands from Ruckus to For Love and Lemons. Expect a lot of great things from this place, go check them out from 7am-7pm daily at 5126 E. Colfax Avenue.  

Black Eye Coffee – For those of you in the Highlands, my guess is you already know about this gem. Black Eye features single origin coffees that are rotated every month to give you a high standard of coffee from around the world. With a roll-up garage door to allow in the sunshine and breeze on nice days, this coffee shop also offers delicious baked goods and food throughout the day. Located at 3408 Navajo St., and opening one in Capitol Hill soon, make sure to swing in and enjoy a cup of coffee. 

Wash Perk – You guess it, this quant coffee shop is located right down the street from Washington Park. A very cozy spot with couches, eclectic décor and outside seating, this coffee shop is a favorite to many locals. Offering a wide variety of delicious drinks, it is a great spot to post up after a walk around Wash pop in at 853 E Ohio Ave.

Aviano Coffee Cherry Creek – A very trendy café with an open and modern design, expect some gourmet espresso drinks, pastries and more from this great spot in the heart of Cherry Creek. Located at 244 Detroit St, you can expect to pay a little more here but it is worth it to get an amazing cup of coffee.

If you ever want to grab a cup of coffee while in Denver and discuss real estate, feel free to give me a call or contact me via email and we can set something up. Always looking to try out new spots or introduce others to some of my favorite places around town. 

Photo By @NoahBergPhotography

A Little Meditation each Day Keeps the Stress Away

Everyone has his or her morning routines. Some people get up and head to the gym for a quick workout before heading into the office. Some people get up and sit down at their computers to answer emails and write for a few hours. Others meet up with friends for coffee and discussion before tackling their busy day.

My daily routine starts each day at 4am, yes that includes the weekends. I know, sounds a bit early for some people and that’s ok, for me, this is a time I can have to myself before getting my day going. I have found over the years that meditation works wonders for my mind and my spirit. By getting up each morning and focusing my mind and readying my person for the day ahead, I am able to tackle each day with a calm and ready demeanor. I grab a large glass of water and I do yoga or PiYo in the morning and then I always read something inspirational to help me get going for my day and then I may post something on my social media to help others feel inspired as well.  Nothing too elaborate but I make sure to stick with the same routine as it now is a habit and I look forward to it every day. I also follow a group on Facebook called Miracle Morning that is a group who takes everything based off a book by Hal Elrod. 

I know meditation can be a hard thing to start doing, we all have those racing minds especially right when we wake up in the morning. Below are some suggestions I have if you think this is something you think you would like to try out. For me, I know it has helped me to be a better wife, mother, friend and businesswoman. Starting each day by centering myself helps me center the other parts of my life.

1.    Start small, 3-5 minutes: It can be hard to sit still and let your mind rest, and trust me, 3 minutes will seem like a lot at first! But work on concentrating on your breathing and focusing your thoughts. Eventually, you will be able to meditate 20+ minutes if you so choose.

2.    Understand meditation can help with stress, irritability, anxiety and overthinking: I think every one of us suffers from one of these attributes and mediation is a healthy way to help work on controlling those.

3.    Find your own method that works for you: We are all individuals and as such we probably will have a method of mediation that feels right to us. I personally like yoga even though I know that isn’t for everyone. Try a few methods out, research different techniques and eventually with a few trials and error you will find one that works best for your mind and soul.

4.    Make sure you are comfortable: If your kids are running around, the dog is barking, and you are sitting on a hard wood floor, it will be almost impossible to meditate. Make sure to choose a quiet place as well as a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed and let everyone else in the house know that your meditation time is quiet time.

 If you are not a morning person, but rather a night person, I know many people who also find time to meditate each night to let their mind quiet for the night. Regardless if you are a morning or evening person, mediation has changed my life for the better and I would recommend it to anyone who is trying to find peace and tranquility in their personal life and professional life. 

Photo by anyaberkut/iStock / Getty Images

Vroom Vroom, Car Shows for the July 4th Weekend

Hard to believe it is already July, where has the summer gone? I’m sure you are all getting ready to do fun activities this July 4th weekend from a backyard bbq to heading downtown to watch the great fireworks or maybe packing up the kids and heading on a little mountain road trip. There is so much to do this weekend and I know my husband and my daughter and I are excited for some particular events that have to do with old cars, a love all of us share. My husband and I have been avid car show attendees for years now, as admirers of other people’s automobiles and as displayers of some of our own antique car models. I know we are not the only people who enjoy these car shows, young and old alike take to these events and so I have prepared a list of some great shows to check out over this holiday weekend:

Cruise Loveland – every Friday night in Loveland from May through September, come cruise the streets in your beautiful car!

 Red, White and Vroom Car Show – 8:00am – 3:00pm - showcasing classic and exotic cars from all over the world on July 4th.

Cars & Coffee (Weather Permitting) – 8:00am – 10:00am - if you are one who likes a wide range of cars from Ferraris to Corvettes to Classic muscle cars, this is the event for you. If the weather is nice come out and enjoy the line-up of exotic cars sure to put a smile on any car lovers face.

Very Fine Wheels Car Show – 8:00am – 1:00pm – held at VFW Post 4171, all the proceeds from this show go to help local veterans and with limited space available, pre-registration is recommended.

18th Annual ‘Coolest Car Show’ – 10:00am – 4:00pm – this is an event for the whole family so bring everyone! Check-in time is from 8am-9:30am with an entry fee of $30, all registrants receive goodie bags and dash plaques. With an option to display your car indoors or outdoors, admission is only $5 per adult and $2 per child or $10 for the whole family. Live music, children’s activities, a raffle and silent auction accommodate this fun show!

Take the family and your favorite classic car and make sure to catch one of these great shows this weekend! And if it is time to find a new place to park your car, maybe a new three-car-garage, shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. I know it is important to have a place to park your baby and would love to help you start searching for that next spot for you!

Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!

Things to do in Denver this Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, which means one of two things; either you are staying in the city to have a bbq or you are heading out of the city to do on a short vacation. If you are staying in Denver this weekend, I poked around to find some great activities to do for you and your family because it is a long weekend and you should go out and enjoy!

Downtown Denver Arts Festival – May 22nd – 24th

This is all weekend long and features the best of Colorado visual artists. More than 125 artists from all over the state will be there exhibiting and selling their art. A fun way to meet local and Colorado artists and see what talent can be found in our great state!

Denver Day of Rock – May 23rd

Downtown Denver will be transformed into a massive free rock concert for all of Denver to enjoy one day and one day only. With 20+ bands taking to five different stages, you are sure to find something to get down to. The performances will take place all down 16th Street Mall, making it easy to get from performance to performance. Bring the whole family to enjoy food, beverages, and of course, the music.

Take a Colorado State Capitol tour –

Modeled after the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., the Colorado State Capitol building is a stunning structure with beautiful stained glass depicting people and events essential to Colorado, combined with elegant Colorado white granite, rose onyx, and Yule marble. Even if you have been a Colorado native your whole life, this is a great building to go see inside and take a guided tour. There’s also a 99-step spiral staircase to an open-air deck offering spectacular views of the city skyline and Rocky Mountains just be sure you wear a good pair of shoes!

Coors Brewery Tour –

For those of you 21+, heading up to Golden and going on the free, self-guided Coors tour is kind of a must. What better weekend to do it then this holiday weekend? Coors Brewery is the world’s largest brewing site and they continue to use the same Rocky Mountain spring water their found Adolph Coors discovered in 1873, sounds tasty to me.

Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants – May 22nd – May 24th

What is better than a day spent with the Rockies eating hotdogs and spending time with your family? Catch a game this weekend and make sure to cheer loudly for our boys!

Denver Comic Con – May 23rd – May 25th

For all the comic and science fiction fans out there, this is the event for you. Held at the Colorado Convention Center, this fun event brings out the fans young and old. Make sure to go dressed as your favorite character and enjoy meeting some of the Comic Con greats.

Red Rocks Amphitheater –

The first Film on the Rocks is this Saturday May 23rd with the showing of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. If you are an early morning person, head out Saturday morning for the Fitness Challenge and enjoy a heck of a workout while you take in the beautiful scenery.

Whether you are staying in town this weekend or heading off to a vacation, I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday. I also want to take a quick minute and say thank you to all the men and women who have served our country and those who are serving today, thank you for all that you do. 

Photo by kwasny221/iStock / Getty Images

Sprucing up your home for the big sale

Spring and summer here in Colorado are the biggest seasons for selling and buying houses. Sellers know when the weather changes, buyers are out and about looking for their next purchase. These sellers also know that putting in some money to the appearance of their house after the winter will attract more buyers, add value, and potentially give them more offers at the end of the day. One of the biggest recommendations I have for homeowners is to keep your house up-to-date with inspections, presentation and overall wellbeing. If you keep your house functioning but don't give it updates when needed or replace appliances when they falter, you will have a much bigger job on your hands when it comes time to sell your home. To be able to put your house on the market with little work will keep your selling experience less stressful and will keep buyers more interested in what your beautiful house has to offer.

I have compiled two lists; one is for things to do during the years to keep your house up-to-date and the other is what to do when it is time to put your house on the market, how to get your house selling ready!

List 1 - What to do yearly to keep your house in good condition:

• Have your appliances checked - There are professionals out there who would be happy to stop in and check on your appliances from your water-heater to your stove. Keeping your appliances up-to-date and working properly will keep you from having expensive replacements if the new buyers find issues with the appliances before moving in.
• Maintain your yard - Your yard really is the first things buyers will see when they pull up to your house so keeping a good curb appeal is like putting the finishing jewelry or shoes with a great outfit, the wrong shoes could wreck the whole outfit just as a yard unappealing to the eye could turn buyers off immediately. Mow, prune trees, cut bushes, pull weeds, and plant flowers yearly to keep your yard looking extra beautiful.
• Paint, it's cheap and makes things look fresh - If you notice the paint on your house or inside your house is starting to look a bit drab, maybe it is time to add a fresh coat. Giving your house this extra love is a sure way to show potential buyers that you care about this house and care about who the house is sold to. 

List 2 - Preparing to put your house on the market:

• First impressions are everything - This is more true then you would expect but you want every buyer to pull up to your house, enter your house and think to themselves, I could definitely live here. Curb appeal as well as entrance appeal are a must to make a potential buyer see what your wonderful house has to offer.
• Paint, paint, paint! - Again, paint is cheap and can really add character to a room. While many of the rooms in your house should be neutral to let buyers put there own vision in each room, adding a bit of color throughout will give the house a unique appearance. Maybe even having a room or two have a theme when staging them, from a beach room to your backwoods room, giving your home that homey feel and character can really help buyers imagine what can be done in those spaces.
• Keep it light and keep it bright - Don't over clutter your home with a bunch of furniture and decorations, you want buyers to see the amount of space in each room so arrange your furniture in each room to show off the whole area. Also, let the sunshine into each room, make sure shades are open and drapes are pulled back to let all the light into each room.
• Focus on the heart of the home - As many people will tell you, the heart of the home can be found in the kitchen. If you are going to put money into redecorating or refurbishing rooms in your house, the kitchen is a great place to start. Update appliances and make sure to give the kitchen a real warm feeling so buyers can envision family dinners and friends coming over for potluck in that space.
• Don't forget the garage - Yes, buyers will go look at this space!  First, make sure it is clean and then try to put up shelves and organize the area to show how that space can be used in many ways not just as a place to park cars. 
• Hire a realtor - I cannot stress enough how much work goes into selling a house and to help you with that, make sure to really consider having a real estate agent help you. If you are looking to sell your house this summer, give me a call and I would be happy to sit down with you and go over recommendations I would have to spruce up your place to get it market ready. 

Photo By: Victor Fossen