For holiday visitors to Glenwood Springs, as well as those who just want to get out of the house (and avoid the hassle of cooking) on Turkey Day, we’ve created a list of Thanksgiving events throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. Make it a special day — and give thanks — in whatever way suits you (and your family) best!

Thanksgiving Dinner Out

Many restaurants up and down the Roaring Fork Valley are open on Thanksgiving Day, even if they don’t offer a specific Thanksgiving Meal. Be sure to call and make reservations before you show up or you may not have a seat!

Here are a few restaurants who offer Thanksgiving-specific experiences:

• The Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs (at 526 Pine Street) is again offering its annual Thanksgiving Day Buffet: $49 for adults and $21 for children 10 or younger. Be sure to make your reservations early to get preferred seating; seatings are available from 11:00am to 5:30pm. Call 970-945-6511. 
• If you want to experience Thanksgiving more than once, the Redstone Community is hosting a Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner on Sunday, November 17 from 6-7:30pm at the church. Everyone is welcome, and they suggest bringing a dish or two to share!
• The Redstone Inn south of Carbondale is preparing for its Annual Thanksgiving Grand Buffet. From 11am to 6pm and for $44.75 per person, you can enjoy the elements of a traditional Thanksgiving meal in an historic and cozy environment.
• Party with Pie in Basalt: Heather’s Savory Pies in Basalt offers handcrafted holiday pies for a very special ending to your holiday meal. Heather’s 9-inch, deep-dish pies are available in over 20 flavors, including pumpkin, pecan, apple, blueberry, and key lime, plus cream pies and cheesecake. Make sure to order with 48 hours’ notice. Savory pies are on the menu, too!

Get a Thanksgiving Move On

While a large Thanksgiving meal of traditional favorites tends to be the highlight of Thanksgiving Day, you’ll also find a number of events throughout the Roaring Fork Valley that’ll get you (and your metabolism) moving while sharing the day with fellow community members. Here are a few of the offerings for Thanksgiving 2019:

• Catch the Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run in Glenwood at 10am and conquer “The Hill.” This benefit for local nonprofits both begins and ends at the Glenwood Springs Golf Course clubhouse. There were 525 participants in 2018, so you’ll be in good company! 
• True Nature Healing Arts in Carbondale is hosting a free “Cultivating Gratitude” Community Yoga Class on Thanksgiving Day from 10:00-11:30am. Deva Shantay “will create a class that focuses on releasing blocks to our happiness that keep us stuck in the past.” While it’s a free community event, registration is highly recommended.
• Get some fresh air in Carbondale Thanksgiving morning from 8am to noon and join the annual Huffin’ for Stuffin’ Turkey Trot & Turkey Cross. At North Face Bike Park, Carbondale Recreation and Aloha Mountain Cyclery will set up a cyclocross course specifically designed for for walkers, runners, and bikers of all levels. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be offered!
• Basalt is also hosting a run/walk starting at Basalt Elementary at 9:30am. The Basalt Gobble Wobble 5K run (or 1K walk) is offering race entry gifts to the first 200 sign ups, and giving all proceeds to the elementary school. 

However you choose to spend Thanksgiving Day in Glenwood Springs or beyond, make sure it’s memorable! 

Interested in learning more about our Glenwood Springs community? Call The Property Shop today and let us help you FALL in love with your new HOME!

Fall is here and winter is around the corner — which means it’s time to enjoy the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado to the fullest. This is the time of year for pumpkin-spiced everything, crisp apples, harvest parties, and warm sweaters. Take a look at these 14 great things to do as winter approaches that’ll have you feeling toasty warm all season long.

1. The Hot Springs at Avalanche Ranch

Three natural hot springs cascade down the hill at Avalanche Ranch, inviting you to relax and unwind — or find a spot under one of the pools’ waterfalls to feel yourself rejuvenating. Day guests can make reservations to visit the pools during daytime hours, and overnight guests have 24/7 access to the hot springs.

2. Family Day at Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

Glenwood Springs is home to the world’s largest natural hot springs pool, so there’s plenty of room for your whole family. Head to the Therapy Pool to soak in the healing waters, or enjoy the warm water of the huge main pool. The Shoshone Chutes are open weekends through October weather permitting.

3. Rock Bottom Ranch Harvest Party

All the fun of fall awaits you at Rock Bottom Ranch’s annual Harvest Party which is held on October 12, 2019. Press your own apple cider or carve a special pumpkin at the party. Hayrides let you enjoy the fun from the past, and face painting encourages the kids to express themselves. Enjoy live music, great food, arts and crafts, games, and a pie baking contest to top off your day.

4. Celtic Fest and Oktoberfest in Carbondale

As if Oktoberfest wasn’t enough traditional fun for the fall, Carbondale adds its Celtic Fest to the celebration to push the excitement over the top. Day 1 on October 11, 2019, brings authentic Irish dancing, Celtic music, and brews — not to mention the best-legs-in-a-kilt contest. On Day 2 (October 12), enjoy the German beers of Oktoberfest, all with plenty of events for the kids.

5. Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Fall seems to bring out pumpkin patches in every community, and the Roaring Fork Valley has some of the best. Head to Studt’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze to enjoy a hay mountain to slide down, hayrides, pony rides, and the Fairytale Trail. At the New Castle Gardens Pumpkin Patch, you can enjoy food trucks, a petting zoo, pumpkin bowling, and plenty of games. Or, spend the afternoon at the Osage Garden Pumpkin Patch in New Castle, Colorado. It is open from 10 am to 5:30 pm on weekends and from 11 am to 6:30 pm on weekdays. Shop at their store for local produce and more.

6. Leaf Peeping at Every Elevation

You don’t have to be a runner to enjoy the fall colors in Roaring Fork Valley. Each hillside of aspen is actually one biological organism, which means all the leaves turn at the same time. Start higher on the mountain to see the earliest fall colors, with more leaves changing at lower elevations as the fall progresses.

7. Aspen FilmFest

Film lovers flock to Aspen each fall to be enlightened and stimulated by the unique screenings at the Aspen FilmFest. Guest artists visit every year to enjoy the festival with locals, creating a memorable experience that changes each fall.

8. John Denver Celebration

No one made the world more aware of the beauty of Colorado than the late John Denver, so it’s only right that Aspen should pay tribute to him in a festival that combines singalongs, jam sessions, a grand musical tribute at the Wheeler Opera House, and gourmet dining at the noted Pine Creek Cookhouse. Enjoy the festivities October 9-14, 2019.

9. Explore the Beauty of the Roaring Fork Valley

Fall is an ideal time to lace up your hiking boots or hop on your mountain bike to explore the breathtaking beauty of this region. Crowds are down, the weather is perfect, and we don’t even have to mention the fall colors. Here are a couple of more unusual ways to explore – Book a hot air balloon journey, try paragliding from the top of Aspen Mountain or Red Mountain in Glenwood Springs, or raft down the Roaring Fork River for a unique experience.

10. Aspen Snowmass Opening Day

While mountains in other parts of the country are still hoping for snow, Aspen Snowmass moves smoothly from fall into winter in late November. Skiers and boarders wait impatiently for the excitement of the opening day to see what’s new on the mountains and get their first taste of winter.

11. Ski Sunlight Opening Day

Sunlight Mountain Resort opens on December 13, 2019. Sunlight has expanded — the East Ridge expansion project is underway and will bring new terrain and a new lift. Don’t miss opening day!

Interested in learning more about our Glenwood Springs community? Call The Property Shop today and let us help you FALL in love with your new HOME!

With fall arriving in the Roaring Fork Valley, winter’s just around the corner. It’s time to prepare for the coming snowy mountain days and cold nights by prioritizing necessary chores, both inside and outside your home. Check out our list of the most important tasks to complete, and stock up on the supplies you’ll need before winter arrives. Whether you’re listing your house or settling further in, you’ll find the following list helpful.

Take Care of Your Home’s Exterior

Start taking care of some of the most important items on your outdoor to-do list before winter (and the holidays) arrives in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, New Castle, Silt, and Rifle including:

• Trim trees. They’re beautiful to look at and offer some much-needed shade during the summer, but ice-laden trees can become very heavy and post a threat to your home. Trim tree branches back away from your home and driveway to guarantee they won’t collapse under the weight of ice and snow.
  Seal wood and hard surfaces. Cracks and holes in hard surfaces become pooling areas for water that will freeze once our Colorado winter sets in. This can compromise the structure and stability of hard surfaces and lead to costly repairs. Instead of risking the expense, take the time to seal the wood and hard surfaces found outside your home.
• Protect outdoor furniture. If you have a patio, deck or porch from which you’ve enjoyed the mountain views this summer, keep your furniture intact by protecting it during the Colorado winter months. Consider bringing inside any items that are sensitive to extreme temperature changes and cover up larger items to prevent damage from snow and wind. If Glenwood Springs gets another winter like last year’s, you’ll be glad you did this in advance!
• Clean gutters and check drainage. Remove fallen leaves from gutters and check drainage areas to ensure water is moving away from your home. The last thing you want is for water to accumulate and freeze near your home’s exterior, which can lead to issues with your Glenwood Springs home’s foundation.
• Check your snowblower. You haven’t used it in at least a few months, so check your snowblower to make sure it’s operational. Perform any needed maintenance this fall instead of waiting for this winter’s heavy snow to arrive.

What to Do Inside Your Home

Ideally, you want to get your home as ready as possible for a Colorado winter (and holiday guests) before things get hectic. This might mean decluttering living spaces, organizing your kitchen and bathrooms, and washing all your linens. At the very least, cross off these list items to ensure the interior of your home is ready for winter temperatures and snow:

• Check your insulation. One of the greatest contributors to high energy costs during Colorado winters is a loss of heat through cracks in windows and doors. Weatherproof your home by caulking, repairing or clogging cracks that would let cold air in and warm air out.
• Get the furnace inspected. During a harsh Glenwood Springs winter is the worst time for a furnace to break. Make sure yours is in tip-top shape by conducting a thorough inspection and replacing any worn or inoperable parts.
• Inspect the attic. As the temperatures drop, all sorts of Colorado wildlife look for warm places to wait out the winter. Don’t let your Glenwood Springs attic become a critter’s new home. Make you seal your attic properly or install screens to keep larger animals out.
• Clean chimneys and flues. If you supplement your home’s heating system with the warmth of a crackling fire, you need to have your chimneys and flues inspected and possibly cleaned. This will keep your fire burning safely throughout the Colorado winter.
• Stock up on furnace filters and softening salt. You don’t want to run out of salt or filters in the middle of a snowstorm, stock up on supplies this fall, while demand is low and the weather’s still nice.

Get Your Home Ready for a Colorado Winter

Want to continue getting the most out of your home without worrying about unexpected repairs or cleaning in the wintertime? Complete all the items on the list above (or see last year’s concise checklist) to reduce stress and maximize your winter enjoyment in any of the lovely communities in our Valleys. Call The Property Shop today and let us help you FALL in love with you new HOME!

We’re enjoying the final weeks of summer in Glenwood Springs and the Roaring Fork and Colorado River Valleys. It’s been a fun-filled and super nice summer here in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Several of our real estate agents are also Moms of school aged kids and are readying their families for the start of school. We asked them to share some tips for organizing your home for optimal efficiency and helping kids concentrate on their new to-do lists. Using these tips have been helpful for our Property Shop Moms.

Choose a Paper Drop-Off Space

Forms, forms, forms. From permission slips to homework sign-off sheets and everything in between, back to school means paper clutter can develop before you know it. Select a central location (often the kitchen or near your home’s entryway) for kids to drop anything that needs review. Affix a removable hook to the wall and hang color-coded folders. How you choose to code them is up to you, but you can have one color for each child or simply two total colors: one for items that need review and one for completed items.

Create or Reorganize Your Mudroom

Having a space near the door to put shoes, hang coats and tuck away backpacks is an easy way to keep the rest of your home clean and tidy (and also keep kids from asking the age-old question “Mom, where are my _____?”). Use cube storage and hooks to create a landing space for items as they come in and leave your home to keep everyone organized. Tuck accessories like hats, scarves, and gloves away in labeled bins so kids automatically know where their items are (and don’t fight over which one is “mine!”).

Establish a System for Snacks & Meals

Busy mornings and starving after-school kids mean you’ll need to be prepared with wholesome breakfast ideas and snacks that don’t require a lot of fuss. Create a space in your kitchen or pantry designated for snacks to store things like fruit cups, snack bars, crackers, raisins and plastic bags with pre-made serving sizes of popcorn or pretzels. For breakfast, use small airtight containers within a drawer or on a shelf to sort cereals, granola and other dry goods for easy access.

Ace School Lunches in Zero Time

Remember last year when making school lunches felt like a chore? Resolve to breeze through lunch prep this year with a little bit of planning. Use plastic containers in your refrigerator to store items like fruit, string cheese and baggies of vegetables to quickly drop into your child’s lunch. If you run out of items and haven’t had time to refill the container, you can always borrow from the pantry’s snack stash. When leftovers are on the menu, add portions to airtight containers immediately after dinner to make packing lunch a breeze.

Carve Out a Homework Nook

Kids are tempted to come home, grab a snack and plop themselves in front of their favorite screen. But staying on task means the few hours immediately after coming home need to be structured. For you, mom and dad, that means a dedicated homework space is key.

Depending on the size of your space, you have a few options. One is to use a section of your kitchen counter and a drawer or cabinet where kids can write, use their computer and keep needed items, like pencils, pens, and paper. Another option is to put a small desk or table and chair combo in your child’s room or home office area specifically for homework.

Make the best use of this area by using wall space or corkboard to attach things like pencil holders, office-sized organizer baskets and other containers that can keep school supplies organized and accessible.

Are You Ready for School?

Everyone is asking your kids if they’re ready, but are you ready? As much as you may enjoy having your days kid-free, you may feel overwhelmed with the coming school year and all it will bring. Use these tips to keep your home running smoothly and set your kids up for success.

The Property Shop real estate agents/Moms are juggling end of summer activities, managing busy real estate businesses, and, along with you, hurrying to get those school clothes, school supplies, sports equipment and more purchased and ready for the first day of school. Then getting that new schedule planned and doable after the “lazy hazy days of summer” is a triumph itself! Having organization in place for that day will bring less stress and more excitement for beginning the new school year. The Property Shop Moms say leave the “real estate” to us as we balance all this with practice and professionalism. Call us soon!

Every year, major paint manufacturers, including Pantone, Sherwin-Williams, and Behr, select a color of the year. The decision is based in part on current trends in home design as well as predictions for the future. In addition to the main color, the brands also create full-color palettes with complementary colors to make it easy for you to incorporate the color of the year in your own home. Here’s a look at the colors of the year for 2019.

Pantone: Living Coral

Pantone’s color of the year is arguably the most publicized of the three, so you may have already seen or heard about Living Coral. This delicious hue is a vibrant combination of pink and orange that looks like it came straight out of a tropical reef. Double down on the tropical theme by adding rich blues, greens and yellows from the Under the Sea color palette, or create a warm, soft glow with other shades of pink and orange, as in the Sympatico theme. The Shimmering Sunset palette is similar, evoking the changing sky as the sun goes down. It brings in a bit of purple, in addition to the pink and orange hues.

If you want Living Coral to really stand out, keep the other colors in your palette soft and simple, like those in the Focal Point group. Shades of gray and taupe are great for creating a neutral background so that the coral tone can truly shine. If neutral isn’t really your style, go bold with the Trippy color palette. This fun color combination is bright and vibrant, and the hues included in it are sure to bring a smile to your face throughout the day.

Sherwin-Williams: Cavern Clay

For 2019, Sherwin-Williams selected Cavern Clay as its color of the year. It is a rich adobe tone that gives a nod to the beautiful desert landscapes of the American Southwest. Because it is a natural color, it creates the effect of bringing the outdoors into your home. Be sure to add plants (real or artificial) and other natural elements to enhance the outdoorsy feel.

Rather than creating full-color palettes, Sherwin-Williams offers color pairings for its color of the year. Try matching it with Origami White for a fresh, simple look that makes the color pop, or pair it with Moth Wing or Dark Clove for an understated, yet sophisticated, aesthetic. If natural colors give you 70s vibes, try adding Distance, a dusty blue, or Haven, an avocado green, to capture the mood of that era while still keeping the overall look fresh and modern.

Behr: Blueprint

The Behr brand chose Blueprint as its color of the year. As you might have already guessed from the name, this tone is reminiscent of architectural blueprints. Although it is a deep, moody shade on its own, you can brighten it up with lighter hues around it. You can also keep the look rich and sumptuous with other bold shades.

The Monochromatic color palette brings in lighter and darker shades of blue, creating a cohesive look. If you prefer to keep the look a bit lighter, try the Pastels palette. The other colors in the group are pale and delicate, making this a versatile option for just about any room in your home. The Earth Tones set brings in shades of gray and rust to balance the blue and make it pop. Finally, the Jewel Tones palette gives a rich, sophisticated appearance that is bold and powerful.

Choosing Your Colors

Any one of these color palettes can transform your home, and you can adjust and modify any of them to suit your personal style and taste. Of course, you shouldn’t feel locked into a particular color palette simply because a paint brand recommended it. When it comes to home design, the final decision is always up to you. After all, you are the one who will be living in the home, so you want to ensure you are completely happy with the results.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different color combinations to find something that speaks to your preferences. Trust your instincts, and you should have no trouble incorporating one of these colors of the year in your home. Fresh paint is a great way to freshen your home before putting it on the market.

We’re here to help! Contact The Property Shop and we’d be delighted to talk more real estate in Glenwood Springs and beyond.

Spring has officially arrived in Glenwood Springs and the surrounding Roaring Fork Valley! The days are longer and we are starting to see the first flowers bloom. It was a great ski season for Aspen Snowmass and Sunlight Mountain and celebrations abound with annual closing day events throughout April. As you continue to enjoy the last turns of the ski and snowboard season, it is also time to start getting your home ready for the summer season.

Here is The Property Shop’s spring home checklist for outside:

• Inspect Your Roof – It was a big winter in Colorado with more snow than average. As the snow melts, take the time to inspect your roof. Your roof is the first line of defense for your home. Ensure you don’t have roof damage and go into the summer season with peace of mind.
• Irrigation Systems – Fire up your irrigation system. First, turn on the water. Then, verify the settings for each zone and check each station of the zones. Learn more about spring startup of your irrigation system.
• Flowers – Prepare your garden for summer. Getting your garden ready is a project in and off itself. Check out these tips for an extensive guide to spring garden preparations. In the short term, enjoy spring color by getting your planters in order for immediate joy.
• Clean Your Gutters – Direct spring rains away from your home with clean gutters. We recommend this project twice a year. It is especially important if you didn’t clean your gutters before winter as fall leaves likely have accumulated.
• Repair & Clean Window Screens – Inside/outside living is upon us! Enjoy the fresh spring air while opening the doors and windows to your home. Take the time to repair and clean your window screens. This will ensure you keep the pesky mosquitoes out when summer arrives. Don’t forget to wash the windows inside and out too.
• Pressure Wash Decks, Driveways & Fences – Clean these surfaces and enjoy the aesthetics of a sparkling exterior while also maintaining their longevity. If you don’t have a pressure washer, consider renting one.
• Prepare Your Lawn Mower – It’s time to dust off your lawn mower and make it more accessible in your garage. Change the oil and sharpen the blade.
• Local Spring Clean – Check out the Glenwood Springs community page for the schedule and map for your pick-up zone.

Our team is enjoying the change of season and looking forward to summer. Please contact us if you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Glenwood Springs or the surrounding area. We’d welcome the opportunity to share our local knowledge.