One of the "disadvantages" of living in a state with so much outdoor recreation & a year-round climate that makes it conducive to exploring all types of recreation (almost on a year-round basis) are the aches & pains that come from exercise ~ or shall we say, "playing outside". Whether it is snow skiing in the winter (although Arapahoe Basin is always the challenge with skiing on July 4th in the Basin), bike riding (mountain or road), running, rock climbing, mountain climbing, hiking, water skiing in the summer, golf, tennis, soccer, baseball/softball, swimming and all the water sports that go with that. I am sure I am forgetting a few but you get the drift.
What do we do the next day after playing with any of the above? One answer is a great little find in Manitou Springs called Salus. Salus is a boutique store offering natural and organic bath and body care products. Their real find, in my opinion, is their muscle relaxing cream. I have to admit I snubbed this more than once after running for a couple of weeks (and not stretching) gave me a lower back spasm that took me out. I could not bend over to pick up a paper clip much less anything else. After physical therapy, multiple massage (they did help but did not cure it), and someone actually leaving me a tube of this muscle relaxing gel I finally tried it out of desperation. To my complete shock it worked beautifully, no weird smell and no unusual texture. Ask my family and they will tell that I am now a spokesperson for this little gem and the all look for it in their stockings every Christmas.

Salus can be found in Manitou Springs at 906 Manitou Avenue. Heres to a happy healthy holiday weekend & the successfully elimination of aches & pains.
I have been musing over how often I hear, "Hi Kelly, I want to buy a ranch in Colorado. Can you help me?" On a quick trip up to Steamboat to look at properties I was thinking about this and the thought a series about areas of the state would be helpful.
Today's focus is Steamboat Springs - located in the North/central area of Colorado and popular because of air traffic (commercial and private jets) into the Steamboat airport. You are about a 3 hour drive from Denver.

Steamboat is unique as a ski resort because when you drive into town the "Welcome to Steamboat sign" says the altitude is 6900 feet. For a ski resort this is is pretty low and for someone who prefers a lower altitude this can be very attractive. However, this does not affect the snow or amount of snow received.
Steamboat also has a ridiculous amount of water (rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and ponds). Where Colorado in general is known for being more of a high desert state and water being hard to come by on properties Steamboat seems to be the contradiction to that.
The town of Steamboat has a wide variety of restaurants, shops, galleries and huge amounts of "things to do". They also have, in my opinion, one of the prettiest natural hot springs I have ever seen. Costa Rica had one that was a rival but that is in a rain forest climate and this is actually in my own state.
Ranches for sale here come in all shapes and sizes with every amenity available (trophy homes, hunting, fishing, rivers, ponds, private airstrips and of course views). If a working ranch is more to your liking these are available as well.
If a second home or getaway is more appealing Catamount Ranch is a beautiful place to go and look at second homes. With the lake, golf course, club house & setting, it is quintessential Colorado.
Whether the trip is to shop for a ranch or just check out the area you will not be disappointed. For specific questions about ranch properties available or how to find ranches for sale call or email Kelly.
All right you Cowboys and Cowgirls, head on down to the Norris-Penrose Event Center for the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Days July 13-16! Celebrate Colorado Spring’s rich Western heritage with a summer rodeo. A fun family outting for all, this PRCA Tour Rodeo boasts a unique combination of traditional rodeo events, along with a variety of other acts sure to entertain. For the little ones feeling adventurous, mutton busting will return! The rodeo starts at 7:15pm July 13-15, and a Saturday matinee at 12:45pm. Tickets go on sale June 1st at Tickets West, or stop by the Norris-Penrose Event Center anytime after June 6th. Tickets may be purchased that evening.
When you come, bring your smile; because curmudgeons are not allowed at Squeak. They prefer not to have to whip grumpy customers into shape with their delicious licorice ropes. The workers will tell you as much should you look grumpy upon arrival. Open every day at 11:30 until 8:30pm (Sunday-Thursday) 9:30pm (Friday and Saturday). Squeak Soda Shop Website & Menu
Everything about Squeak Soda Shop is designed to encourage a youthful state of mind – from the playful artwork and décor, to the free Wii & board games, to the more than 70 flavors of custom, hand-made sodas, yummy sandwiches, home-made ice creams, and wide selection of hard-to-find candies & sweets. Squeak is truly an oasis of youthful spirit and wonderment in an otherwise serious and increasingly stressful world. The perfect place for adults and children alike.
There is a movement that is growing with speed. It’s the Put It Up movement, in which people are heading back to the fields to pick produce directly from the plant, take it home, and lovingly can it for a later date. Sure, this is old-school, but it’s becoming a chic thing to do. Why? Could it really be the end of the world? Did our grandparents, and great-grandparents know something that we’ve forgotten? Or is our food system that bad that we’ve decided to take measures back into our own hands?

The answer is obviously not that simple. Many people, especially in the 30-50-something age range are rediscovering the art of canning. For some people it is really about the economics. I recently made some blueberry jam to see how cost effective it really was. What I found was for a large box of blueberries from King Soopers (I did buy the organic), at $5.99 a box, plus a bag of sugar (I was low), and a set of 4 new canning jars $3.90 on sale right now at the same grocery store, I was able to make a batch for $11.06. I did have some spill over so my patch only yielded 3 jars, but at 4 jars it costs $3.67, compared to Smucker’s $4.79, a savings of $1.44 per jar. If you love breakfast half as much as I do, you see these savings racking up pretty fast! Undoubtedly our grandparents who lived through the Great Depression knew a bargain when they saw it, and wanted to save the same bargain for as long as possible.
What’s interesting about doing it yourself is the amount of control you have over the end product. If you are trying to cut back on sugar, there are sugar alternatives you can use in your jam. If you want to cut back on salt, you can do so with your pickles, salsas, tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato anything really.
Here’s another fun idea, this one’s free. Around the thankful time of year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas) everyone starts going shopping crazy. Why not put together some nice baskets for neighbors, co-workers, people you want to say “Thanks for all you do for me” with some of your jams, salsas or other speciality items along with a mix for biscuits, teas or whatever else the receiver may like. Not only is that thinking way ahead, but by doing this now, you are SAVING TIME at that chaotic time of year. Go ahead, make that Thank You list today!

And just in case the world as we know it is going to end, as is a common discussion right now, it sure would be nice to have some food reserves for those “just-in-case” moments. Our great-grandparents made it through the Great Depression with these techniques, surely we can make it through the rough times too.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2013 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved