It's not business as usual.

Lounging around in sweats, FaceTime/Zoom work meetings, online happy hours, and toilet paper scarcities are the new normal these days. By now your dog is probably wondering why you keep taking them on walks and you’re running out of wine. It’s definitely not business as usual for many of us.. So what are some things you can do to help the time pass and stay sane?

1. Keep a routine. Start with one or two things and build from there. For me that’s setting the alarm at the same time, making my bed, and making coffee first thing in the morning.

2. Clean up your house. Tackle a new space that needs cleaning. Put on some music, have a glass of wine or tea and get to it. Here’s a link to a list of pro cleaning tips.

3. Garden. Spring is coming!

   1. Mid April:

      • Plant chard, collards, kohlrabi, kale, beets, carrots, turnips, shallots, onion sets and potatoes.

      • Start seeds indoors of cucumber or squash.

      By the end of April:

      • Start herb seeds indoors of basil, cilantro, fennel and other warm-season herbs.

      • Pop in a second sowing of lettuce, spinach and peas.

      Planting Calendar Link

4. Read a new book. At the beginning of the year I joined the Book of the Month club. Each month they send you a list of books they recommend for you to read. Keeps me accountable since I know I’ll have a new one coming next month.

5. Work out. For me that’s walks and yoga. I’ve been enjoying social distancing walks around Sloan Lake and yoga from the Peloton app.

6. Eat. Order take out from your favorite local restaurants to help your community. There are plenty of restaurants making it easy for you to dine out or deliver. The Denver Westwood has the details here.

7. Reach out to friends & family. We’re all in this together so why not use technology to our advantage and make it fun to stay connected. I’ve used the HouseParty App to hang out and play games.

8. Maintenance on your house. Here’s a list of items to prep your house for the coming heat from Live Urban.

If doing nothing feels right, do that. These are just a few things that I’ve been doing to keep myself busy. Feel free to share in the comments things that you’ve been doing to stay busy. This opportunity we have for down time is unique. Enjoy it! This too shall pass.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So thankful for family, friends, my career, my dog, having a house to come home to every day and so much more! Also thankful for those of you to take the time to read this blog post :)

This year I have been making a solid effort to write down thoughts in a gratitude journal. I must admit, it’s less of a journal and more like chicken scratch on anything I can write on. It’s given me a chance to be more appreciative and aware of the things around me. Sometimes it takes only a moment to find things that I’m grateful for. Other times its more of a struggle, but I always feel better putting it down on paper.

Find time today to give thanks! There is so much to be thankful for! 

Here are a couple fun facts for you to know about houses and Thanksgiving that you might not know.

1.     Holiday season is no time to slow down your search. If you’ve been looking to buy a house, don’t take this time to stop the prowl! While others have the holidays on their mind (family/friends/loved ones or in my case turkey), now is the perfect time to take that leap and make an offer! As a buyer, this is one of your biggest opportunities to get under contract. Waiting may cost you! Last month, the average days on the market for a house was 22 days. As a buyer, this allows you more time to decide on a house and a greater chance of having a more eager seller. According to 2017 statistics in (SMDRA Q2 Statistics), the average days on the market in Spring/Summer was a bind blowing 5 days. With fewer offers being made during the holidays, you may be able to make an offer under asking or an offer with more favorable terms. If you’ve been frustrated by the Summer time market or have been looking for a while, now is your opportunity! Go ahead, make an offer! 

2.     Be careful in the kitchen this Thanksgiving! Did you know the number of house fires triple on Thanksgiving! Here are some tips for you while you are working on the Thanksgiving turkey. Please don’t burn your house down! If you do, call me.. But call the fire department FIRST!

Finding your neighborhood

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to get stuck in your ways. Why would you change? I already know I have two Whole Foods that I can get to in under seven minutes. The gas station is 1 minute away and the liquor store is down the street. Sometimes change comes to you when you’re least expecting it and for others consistent change is mandatory. Regardless, change allows us to grow up, adapt, and get out of our comfort zone.

It wasn’t until I unwillingly drove across town with a friend to walk around Sloans Lake that I knew it was where I wanted to live. I had lived in Denver for almost two and a half years and had never taken the time to drive across town to see the beauty of Sloans Lake. Why? Because it was too far.. I was stuck in my ways.. I thought Wash Park and Cherry Creek was enough for me and the best. 

When I started exploring Sloans Lake and West Colfax, I was surprised to find everything that it had to offer. I must say, the fact that an Alamo Drafthouse was going in on the south side of the lake was almost enough to move alone! (Alamo Drafthouse began in my hometown of Austin, TX and serves delicious food and drinks during a movie). 

It’s been a year and a half since moving West of town to Sloans Lake. The neighborhood is developing at a rapid pace and I’m always searching for new things popping up. For me, it’s been the perfect neighborhood! Morning walks around the lake, Alamo Drafthouse, Sloans Tap and Burger, Brew Culture, Coda, Joyride Brewery, US Thai, and High Ride Cycling are a few of my usual hangouts.

It’s become home and my neighborhood. I can walk in for coffee and the baristas know I want a large Americano. I know it will take me 45 minutes to walk the lake and pushing an hour if my dog comes along (Nilla likes to take her leisurely time). High Ride will take me two minutes to get to and I can snooze twice before I give myself 5 minutes to hurry out of the house.

My point is, you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and explore more than what is in your bubble. Each of us have a radius around us that allows us to make a decision on if we are going to go visit a friend or try out a new restaurant. Try going a few miles further. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you find. You might find what feels like your new home waiting down the street. Or just a good coffee shop. Regardless, go explore! Denver has a lot of wonderful neighborhoods worth visiting!

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Click here to see more on Sloans Lake and its development.

Let me know if there is a particular neighborhood you would like to see highlighted. I’ll be featuring them throughout the blog.