http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest blog posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5It rather goes without saying that you have to plan ahead for Christmas if you want to give homemade gifts. Because although it's "the thought that counts," it really helps your cause if it's also well-made, tasty, beautiful, and/or useful. Over the years I have been both the giver and recei...http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~688656.aspx11/18/2009 10:12:29 AMJenna Hallock We could all use a better day sometimes. Today, a Littleton teacher's day was made better thanks to Office Max and MomItForward . The "A Day Made Better" program is wrapping up this week as it has spanned the country, surprising teachers with huge boxes of classroom supplies and some wi...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~660714.aspx9/29/2009 1:00:11 PMJenna Hallock We had a mediocre dinner at a chain restaurant that will remain un-named. Frankly, you could fill in the blank with most chain restaurants and get the same result: mediocre. Now there is something to be said for chains: you know what you are going to get almost anywhere in the country. But, if...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Dining/Blog~657346.aspx9/18/2009 9:02:48 AMJenna Hallock Easily one of my top ten favorite days of the year is just around the corner! Hosted by Jared's Garden Center in Littleton, the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off and Festival is Saturday, September 26 from 10am until 2pm. It sounds kind of silly... watching giant pumpkins being hauled up onto scales and we...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~655862.aspx9/13/2009 10:04:59 PMJenna Hallock Have you heard of the Warwick Hotel in Denver? I hadn't either. This beautiful and elegant hotel is tucked away on the corner of 18th and Grant (two one-way streets) in Denver. The staff was accommodating. The service was spectacular... second to none. In fact, in a world where many establish...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~655257.aspx9/10/2009 11:50:18 PMJenna Hallock Redbox is spreading like wildfire, and many are using it without understanding a few general rules of etiquette. If you are not familiar with Redbox, well, frankly, that's unbelievable. But I'll humor you and give you the gist of it. These stand-alone machines are housed in many McDonald's and o...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Film/Blog~648583.aspx8/20/2009 4:54:48 PMJenna Hallock You've heard by now the newest fad in vacations: "staycations." It's a wonder we didn't have a name for it sooner, really. It's the ultimate in vacationing on the cheap. In the past we might have called them "one tank trips." But the idea has now broadened. You can make these staycations anyt...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~637779.aspx7/19/2009 4:10:01 PMJenna Hallock If you have been looking for more to do around Littleton this summer, look no farther than Bemis Public Library (6014 S. Datura St.). June offered great programs for all ages and July looks to do the same. The reading program runs through the end of the month with great prizes for kids who comple...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~636079.aspx7/14/2009 9:48:26 AMJenna Hallock I was so excited to get home so that I could write this blog. I spent the better part of the afternoon today at Chatfield State Park in Littleton. There is much to do at the state parks our beautiful state has to offer, but I was surprised and delighted to find a "beach" at Chatfield. Now...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Recreation/Blog~633559.aspx7/6/2009 2:50:49 PMJenna Hallock Don't let the traffic and construction deter you! The new Whole Foods on University and Arapahoe Road is worth the trip. I am a foodie myself, so it's a wonder I hadn't made the trip already. The newest local store in the chain, it is also bigger (and better, say the staff) than the others. Wh...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~632208.aspx7/1/2009 12:49:20 PMJenna Hallock We survived another family vacation last week! Our trip to South Dakota was full of joy and pain as I suppose most family vacations are. This was a road trip and I would probably rate myself "average" on how well I planned for it. So perhaps I have no one to blame but myself... Really, I am th...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Travel/Blog~629388.aspx6/23/2009 1:32:01 PMJenna Hallock Growing up on the east coast of the United States, places like California, Oregon, and Washington were practically another country. My family never did much traveling out of the state unless it was by car up and down the coast. Those were wonderful times and I have vivid memories of places like M...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Travel/Blog~625444.aspx6/10/2009 8:24:39 PMJenna Hallock Summer is here, even if not officially, and it's time to start planning your getaway! We have recently returned from our first major vacation of 2009 and it reminded me of all the reasons why vacations are so healthy for individuals and families. When done right, vacations can satisfy many of ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~622525.aspx6/2/2009 4:59:44 PMJenna Hallock It's that time of the year when students are finishing up their studies and parents are inundated with a variety of end-of-the-school-year activities. There is an excitement in heading into the summer and maybe even a chance to look back over the year - I *heart* yearbooks! As you look back o...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~618460.aspx5/22/2009 9:47:01 AMJenna Hallock If you've been feeling like your femininity has taken a hit lately, or if you just love being a woman and relish any chance to laugh at what we do, I have the perfect night out for you! "Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women" is playing at the Galleria Theater in the Denver Center for the Perfor...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Theatre/Blog~616394.aspx5/17/2009 9:07:05 PMJenna Hallock Well you can't very well have a "theme" unless you've made more than two blogs about it. And since I am ready to move on to other things (you'll see quickly what they are), here is my final ode to lyrical wonders. This particular set of lyrics has me thinking, "Eh, what the...?!?" Sorry Killer...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~615603.aspx5/14/2009 10:51:48 PMJenna Hallock Easily in my top five favorite artists of all time is Bebo Norman . I've seen him in concert as often as possible in a wide array of venues. My favorite was probably at some coffee shop near Johnson's Corner. That was the better part of nine years ago, but lyrically, I just can't find an artis...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~614787.aspx5/12/2009 9:22:19 PMJenna Hallock I've been considering themed blogging. In general, my theme is motherhood. It would be difficult to get any more general than that though. So, if you are a regular reader and you would like to chime in on some topics you would be interested in hearing about, now's your chance! I'm thinking...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~612105.aspx5/6/2009 2:52:34 PMJenna Hallock Yeah, dinner called. He wants to know what you're making tonight. What? What's that? You have no idea?!?! I hear you. I know how hard it is to put something on the table after a long day. I know the kicked in the gut feeling when one of the kids starts to complain that they don't like it. I al...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Local-Business/Blog~611546.aspx5/5/2009 12:27:24 PMJenna Hallock There are few words that have become so tied to one particular meaning as this one: passion. We tend to relegate this beautiful sentiment to an experience tied very closely to lust... or some feeling that is rarely tasted by mere mortals. We see "passion" only in glimpses on the flickering screen...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~608339.aspx4/27/2009 10:56:04 AMJenna Hallock I'm sure everyone will rest a little easier knowing that my house is vacuumed! The dreaded task has been completed until it is necessary again in exactly one week. Well, that may be a stretch. It may actually need to be vacuumed at some interval prior to said one week mark, but we will all ha...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~606318.aspx4/21/2009 1:31:08 PMJenna Hallock I can't be sure where it started, or even why such a terrible word would be incorporated into our vocabulary. I hesitate to even call it a word. Maybe it's more of an expression, or sound, or thought that should have never actually been said out loud. I'm talking about "duh." Many of my gener...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~605671.aspx4/20/2009 9:24:31 AMJenna Hallock It is hard to describe the awe I feel as I look outside my kitchen window. It's not the beauty in general of a world moving from the bleak winter to the radiant spring, but one tiny occurrence that would have gone unnoticed if it had happened almost anywhere else. About three weeks ago a pair...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~605405.aspx4/19/2009 7:42:55 AMJenna Hallock My apologies to those who have become regular readers! My extended absence is a good reminder of why I don't try to hold down a "real" job while being a mom. I love that each day is a new opportunity! We can move forward, even if a glance behind makes our heart ache or flutter. We can make pla...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~603158.aspx4/14/2009 9:54:10 AMJenna Hallock Like so many other things that I have written in recent months, I find myself sitting behind the computer screen thinking something like, "This is just silly. No one wants to know this... or worse, they are going to be bored to death reading about something they've already figured out for themsel...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~600344.aspx4/6/2009 9:49:10 PMJenna Hallock Just look at your own reflection on your monitor - I can tell you don't believe me. You're thinking: today is just like every other day. And you're right. Most days, we just race along, each one looking just like the last and a holding onto a suspicion that all our tomorrows will look much the sa...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~599693.aspx4/4/2009 7:56:03 PMJenna Hallock I've heard a lot of people say, "That's just the way I am." Sometimes it's an excuse. Sometimes it's an apology. Mostly, people who say this want you to know that they have some degree of remorse for the way they behave, or are embarassed by their own shortcomings, but are too complacent or apath...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~598784.aspx4/1/2009 9:59:50 PMJenna Hallock I've been recently reconnecting with friends from high school, just in time to start a collective lament over turning 30. The date now looms less than two weeks away from me. But if I'm really honest, I feel more like rejoicing over the past decade than I feel like lamenting the loss of my tw...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~597586.aspx3/30/2009 11:35:30 AMJenna Hallock We just returned from a delightful trip towindy Wyoming. It was normal in every way, including the occassional roadkill. I was doing most of the driving since I don't travel well. (Actually, I've gotten motion sick on every trip I've ever been on since I was 2 years old. Pity me, please.) Therefo...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~597354.aspx3/29/2009 8:16:49 PMJenna Hallock I'm taking a moment to reflect on some of the simple pleasures of motherhood. The days fly by, but some pretty great things happen along the way. * Snuggling in bed - all 4 of us - on a cold morning with nowhere to go. * Watching the kids play with daddy - he is so much cooler than I am. ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Blog~596997.aspx3/27/2009 4:14:15 PMJenna Hallock