After a frenzied summer of activities, vacations, and sports, the first day of school can feel like a welcome reprieve. Suddenly the day has come; you’ve made sure everyone had breakfast, snapped a first-day photo, and guided them to their new classrooms, and now you’re back in the car. Instead of heading out to the grocery store or right to the office, take a morning off just for you. Celebrate making it through another hectic summer with these adult activities to refresh your spirit.
Join the Brunch Bunch
Meet other parents at one of these locales for a boozy and delicious brunch after the first few crazy school mornings. Denver Biscuit Co. (four locations), Jelly Café (two locations), Morning Collective, Snooze (seven locations), and Syrup (three locations) all offer morning cocktails with a side of pancakes. Just don’t overdo it if you have to pick the kids up at the end of the day.
Get Pampered
Take a shower without anyone banging on the door, or worrying someone is coloring on the walls. While you’re enjoying the hot shower, try out a face or hair mask from Vert Beauty, a local boutique that sells all-natural and organic beauty products.
Get a style that will last through the first couple back-to-school mornings with a blowout from Dry Bar’s Cherry Creek or Park Meadows location. Wash is included, and there are many blowout styles to choose from—like The Old Fashioned with old Hollywood waves, Cosmo with loose waves, or the Mai Tai with effortlessly beachy hair. Available for $45.
Get Outside
When the kids go back to school, get your health back on track by taking advantage of Colorado’s sunny weather well into fall with Denver’s extensive trail system. Walk, run, or bike the South Platte River Trail, which runs the entire length of Denver and through connecting trailheads north to Thornton and south into Littleton. Go the east/west route on the Clear Creek Trail, which connects Golden to Commerce City, or hit the Cherry Creek Trail which runs southeast from Denver to the countryside of Franktown. Cherry Creek also links with the High Line Canal Trail that runs into Aurora. With these and many more trails around the metro area, we can get outside while the kids are in class.
Slow Down
Drink a full cup of coffee without having to nuke it in the microwave six times. Stop at your favorite coffee shop on the way to the office or sink into an armchair at Tattered Cover with a cup of coffee in one hand, a book in the other, and relish in the quiet that the end of summer brings.
Celebrate with other parents by going out to a group lunch. Catch up on all the summer antics, vacations, and funny moments. Enjoy sandwiches and salads at Olive and Finch, Modern Market, or True Food Kitchen while catching up with your best mom friends.
Laugh Out Loud
One of the best ways to let off steam is with laughter and your squad will find plenty of that at both Comedy Works locations in Denver and Greenwood Village. Shows featuring a range of comedy from ruckus to ribald are available every night of the week at a variety of price points. Laugh yourself silly with big-name headliners or yuck it up with up-and-coming comics. Think you have some comedic chops? Call Comedy Works to find how to sign up for New Talent Tuesdays.
Play Your Way
Not everyone plays golf, but anyone can play Top Golf in Centennial. After the kids go to school take the mom squad to Top Golf because rental rates are best from 9 a.m. to noon, only $25 per bay per hour for up to six people. That’s only $4.17 per person. Top Golf also serves food and drinks in a fun, comfortable setting and you don’t have to be a pro to play the game. From noon to 5 p.m. rates are $35 per bay per hour.
Have Some Grown-Up Time
Enjoy a grown-up movie in the middle of the day. Catch a flick at Alamo Drafthouse with a glass of wine and a plate of fries, all for you.
Listen to a podcast you otherwise can’t stream while kids are in the car. Try out an episode or two of Anna Faris is Unqualified for unqualified relationship advice, One Bad Mother for stories on the weirdest parts of motherhood, or How Did This Get Made to listen to comedians June Diane Raphael, Paul Scheer, and Jason Mantzoukas dissect some of the film industry’s worst-best movies.
Zen Out
After the chaos of those first few back-to-school mornings, take yourself and a friend or two to any of Kindness Yoga’s nine metro area locations for alignment, inner peace, and relaxation. Founded by Patrick Harrington, Kindness Yoga is Denver’s largest independently-owned yoga studio and is famous for its pay-what-you-can-afford policy for those in financial difficulty. There are classes all day long for any ability in any location. Find teacher profiles and schedules on the website and get your Vinyasa flowing before the kids return home. The collective is currently offering 30 days of unlimited classes for $30 to new members.
