Blog Posts

Boulder County Art Exhibits to Check Out This Fall

Whether you fancy yourself a connoisseur or simply looking for more cultural experiences, several exhibits in Boulder County and nearby offer a chance to explore your love of all types of art. From hands-on to visually appealing works, consider stopping by one of the following: Google Garage Google Garage at the Museum of Boulder offers an inventive, active space for children to explore, experiment, and get curious. A perfect outlet for the high-energy child who loves to tinker with their toys, this creative exhibit invites children to make a mess while making memories. It’s an ongoing exhibit and ideal to visit during the holiday break. Complementary Visions Complementary Visions is on exhibit at the Museum of Boulder until February 10th. It brings together artwork that explores color, tension, and harmony. This showcase features the creative genius of Serge Goldberg and Jean Pless and their unique interpretations of the world. They explore how opposing ideas complement each other and make artistry more vibrant. Smoke and Mirrors Smoke & Mirrors is a group show by eight artists that highlights optical illusions' magic. Using various reflective materials and novel methods, this exhibit celebrates distortion and a welcoming break from reality. It is at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art until January 12th. Faces of Food Access and Community Resiliency The Arapahoe Ramp of the Boulder Public Library features Faces of Food Access and Community Resiliency until November 24th. This photojournalism project shares the stories and faces of individuals in the community facing food insecurity. The goal is to educate the public about residents' hunger issues while highlighting resilience. Build: Design and Create with Lego Build: Design and Create with Lego is an exhibit at the Longmont Museum that piggybacks on an uber-popular exhibit from the past. While great for children, it caters to all ages, inviting builders to channel their dexterity, inventiveness, and architectural originality. From a spacecraft to an aircraft carrier to a high-rise apartment on the moon, the sky and your imagination are the limit. If you want to fill your autumn with art, consider stopping by one of the above exhibits. With a vast array to choose from, you’re sure to find something that inspires folks of all ages. The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel, providing convenient shopping access to downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.

Baking With Fall Flavors: 5 Awesomely Autumn Recipes

From cranberry to apple to sage, autumn abounds with festive fall flavors. Whether you’re craving something sweet or savory, plenty of recipes go well beyond pumpkin bread. Brighten up the season one delicious bite at a time with the following baked delights: Butter Pecan Cheesecake Cheesecake is a decadent and filling dessert that’s known for its creaminess. This butter pecan cheesecake recipe taps into this dessert’s natural talents while adding something extra. Infused with crunchy pecans and drizzled with a caramel sauce, it takes cheesecake to more decadent, texturally appealing levels. Glazed Apple Bundt Cake This glazed apple bundt cake is a favorite of apple lovers (after all, an apple bundt cake a day keeps the doctor away!). This cake is flavorful, tender, and an excellent addition to any holiday party or self-care indulgence session, made with nutmeg, cinnamon, yogurt, apples, and a brown sugar glaze. Brown Butter Sage Rolls Brown butter sage rolls up the dinner roll game, relying on fall-friendly flavors to create a worthy sidekick to suppertime. Made with nine ingredients, these rolls are quick and easy to throw together. Pair them with a creamy soup, a chicken dish, or your Thanksgiving spread. Homemade Churros A beloved Spanish dessert, churros are a staple of amusement parks and street fairs everywhere. They’re also an easy-to-make after-dinner delight. While churros can be made in various ways, this recipe infuses dark chocolate, adding a balance of bittersweet tones for a more satisfying finish. Cranberry Bread Pudding Cranberry bread pudding is ideal for berry lovers craving the complementary sweet and sour combo. Offering a terrific tang, this recipe includes challah or brioche bread, brown sugar, naval oranges, almond extract, ground cloves, nutmeg, heavy cream, and cranberries. It’s a rare dessert that can be eaten after dinner or as a breakfast treat. From the fruity to the rich to sugary bliss, tons of fall-focused recipes are sure to thrill your taste buds. Try one of the above and bring some autumn to your appetite. The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel, providing convenient shopping access in downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.

Veggies that Thrive in Cooler Weather

Growing vegetables in a community garden might seem like a summer activity, but it’s a healthy hobby that can be done all year. The key is knowing what vegetables to plant and which ones to avoid. Overall, several crops do well in cool and crisp Colorado weather, including the following: Kale Kale is a hardy vegetable known for being easy to grow. It thrives in cool weather and is tolerant of frost and snow. However, it tends to do better in the fall than in winter. Therefore, a cover of some sort is recommended if growing kale during winter months. Spinach Spinach is a vitamin-rich veggie known for its health benefits (and ability to give Popeye superpowers!). It grows best in cool weather, ideally in fall or spring, and tends to prosper in temperatures between 40 and 65 degrees. While it can tolerate some freezing, frail plants don’t do well if it gets too chilly. Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts have become all the rage ever since they’ve been paired with ingredients such as oil, bacon, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Not only are they tastier than you might think, but they’re easier to grow, too! Brussels sprouts grow best in cool weather and are known for tolerating light frost; they should thrive as long as you space them out correctly. Radishes Radishes are among the easiest root vegetables to grow, making them a good starter crop for the younger generation looking to explore their green thumbs. They do well in cool weather, and crisp conditions produce the most flavorful bulbs. Radishes should be planted in succession because they mature quickly. Cabbage You can grow your own cabbage patch even as the weather turns; cabbage does well in autumn months and into icier conditions. While not a sought-after vegetable often eaten on its own, cabbage is an extremely versatile crop that works in all sorts of fall recipes, including stews and soups. Your community garden doesn’t need to grow idle just because Old Man Winter is gearing up to arrive. The above vegetables can reach new heights even as temperatures drop. The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel, providing convenient shopping access in downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.

5 Books to Read This Fall

Nudge Netflix along. Give Hulu the heave-ho. Tell Peacock to fly the coop...because there’s no more rewarding activity on a fantastic fall night than diving nose-first into a page-turning novel. Whatever your go-to genre, from historical fiction to thrillers to books that make you think, there are several tales worthy of your must-devour list, including the following: Unmissing: A Thriller by Minka Kent Unmissing: A Thriller is an edge-of-your-seat read that tells the tale of Merritt and Luca Coletto, a married couple who’ve built their dream lives. Their marital bliss and familial utopia are threatened when Lydia, Lucas’s first wife, appears on their doorstep. Missing for a decade and long presumed dead, Lydia tells a tale of kidnapping, torture, and escape. But, as Merritt and Luca work to help Lydia get back on her feet, cracks in Lydia’s story start to appear, and secrets, Lydia’s and everyone else’s, reveal themselves. The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah The Women is a wartime story about Vietnam. It features a 20-year-old nursing student named Frances “Frankie” McGrath, who joins the Army Nurse Corps after hearing, “Women can be heroes.” Following her brother to Vietnam, she is quickly overwhelmed by the ruin and chaos of war. But the war proves to be only the beginning when Frankie and her fellow servicemembers return to the States, coming home to an America divided and a country that wants to forget that the war ever happened. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore The God of the Woods takes place at a sleepaway camp in August 1975 and tells the story of Barbara Van Laar, a teenage camper who’s gone missing. Barbara isn’t the first of the Van Laar children to mysteriously vanish; her brother met the same fate 14 years earlier, only to never be found. As the panicked search for Barabara begins, the secrets of the Van Laar family and their blue-collar community emerge, ultimately telling a tale of deception and second chances. Dreaming in Cuban by Cristiana Garcia Dreaming in Cuban tells the story of three generations of Cuban women and their varied reactions to the Cuban Revolution. Spanning political views and geography, the novel takes place from the mid-1930s to 1980. With a focus on the duality of nations, their beauty and poverty, their idealism, and their corruption, this tale is a tapestry of unique visions and wonderment at what could have been. An older novel, this book was first published in 1993 and was a finalist for the National Book Award. It was re-released with a new introduction to celebrate its 25th anniversary. All the Broken Places: A Novel by John Boyne All the Broken Places tells the tale of 91-year-old Gretel Fernsby, a quiet and content woman living in her well-to-do London mansion. She never talks about her escape from Nazi Germany at age 12, the terrible post-war years she spent with her mother, and especially not her father, who was in command at one of the most notorious concentration camps. But when a young family moves into the apartment below her, she can’t help but feel affection for the little boy, and a friendship ensues. After witnessing a violent episode between the boy’s parents, Greta’s memories come back to haunt her, and her past demands a confrontation. Whether you read every chance you get or’re making good on that New Year’s Resolution nine months earlier, many books are worthy of your bedside table. Try one of the above and enjoy a literary escape one page at a time. The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel with convenient access to shopping in downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.

Wicked Wanderings: What You Need to Know About This Spooky Event

The season of ghosts and ghouls features many spirited activities for excitement seekers. Wicked Wanderings by Patti Murtha, a hiking meets open arts series that takes place in Chautauqua and falls into autumn spookiness, is among the most unique offerings in the area. Read on to learn more about how to reach your apparition aspirations, get in a hike, and enjoy time in the beautiful Colorado sunshine. What is Wicked Wanderings? Wicked Wanderings is an adventure in the woods that explores how dark and mystical the forest can be. With all sorts of scary things lurking between the trees, from witches to werewolves, participants are invited to lace up their hiking boots and tap into their imagination. You’ve heard of dinner and a show; this is hiking and a show (several shows). These moderate-paced hikes last approximately two hours. A hiking guide leads participants down a trail to different scene locations. Participants watch each scene before moving down the trail to the next scene. When is Wicked Wanderings? Wicked Wanderings occurs every Saturday and Sunday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM beginning September 21st and running through October 27th. Check-in starts at 2:00 PM, and participants are encouraged to arrive early as the hikes tend to start right on schedule. Where is Wicked Wanderings? Wicked Wanderings is located at 900 Baseline Road in Chautauqua Park, with a starting point at the picnic shelter. Participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing, proper hiking shoes, and sunscreen, and bring water, snacks, hats, blankets, and lightweight camping chairs (if desired). Due to the potentially scary nature of this event, Wicked Wanderings is reserved for those ten and over. Participation is limited, so buy your tickets early! The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel, providing convenient shopping access in downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.

What You Need to Know About the Firefly Handmade Fall Market in Boulder, Colorado

Whether you’re looking for artisanal coffee, clothes, decor, ceramics, jewelry, accessories, wine, outdoor gear, or something else, the Firefly Handmade Fall Market offers a one-stop shopping extravaganza. It takes place September 13th to 15th on Pearl Street in Boulder as part of a three-day festival that welcomes autumn with a celebration full of food booths, a wine and cocktail garden, family-centric activities, live music, creative demonstrations, and, of course, plenty of shop-til-you-drop chances. An annual tradition with free admission, this event honors local and far-away artistry and features over 100 arts and craft vendors from across the region, country, and globe. This year, many vendors are new to the market, giving attendees fresh goods and wares. 2024 Featured Artisans The featured artisans sell eclectic products from a wide range of areas. A few of those featured include the following: Accessories/Apparel from Lyman & Brown Leather Goods, Stitchback Stories, Pop of Neutral, LPL, Designs by Elle, Foxlilie Studio, Yat Cat Print Co., and more Alcohol Samples and Bottle Sales from Boulder Spirits, Branch and Barrel Distilling, and Uncle Tim’s Cocktails Artisanal Food and Beverages from Rich Brownies, Bjorn’s Colorado Honey, and Peak State Coffee Ceramics from EJ Studio, Premadasa, Cedar Sun Ceramics, Pazful Designs, Friend Assembly, Animal & Mineral, and House Americana Home Goods and Decor from Renegade Lamps, Glow Candle Co., Concrete Poppy Design, Cat Schmitz Art, Mindful Works, Wax Crescent, Colorado Smell Goods, and HAPPY WARPS Jewelry from Fox & Lupine, Brianna Hoyt Jewelry, KarenEdgeStudio, Clockwork Traveler, Westry, Dante Perozzi Jewelry, Desert Moon Jewelry Co., Slices of Citrus, and more Kid and Baby Toys, Apparel, and Accessories from Urpibaby Outdoor Gear from Adventurist Backpack Co. and Topskirt Pet Goods from Buddy Scrub Puzzles from Goodfit Skincare & Wellness from Mera Wellness, Oakwell Cosmetics, Butter & Me, Merigold, Verde Collection, FoCo Organics + Grass Paws, Wit & West Perfumes, ROOTFOOT, and Adventurist Soap Co. Whether you stop by for an hour or plan a three-day outing, the Firefly Handmade Fall Market is handmade for a community-focused, productive, and creative time. The Habitat Apartments is located in Gunbarrel, providing convenient shopping access in downtown Boulder and beyond. We offer apartments and townhomes with private patios, a heated pool, outdoor kitchens, pet-friendly perks, and multiple floor plans. Contact us today to learn why we’re the perfect place to set down roots.