One of our regular backyard neighbors making its appearance.

Beli saw the squirrel and said, "Mami, you need to catch the squirrel." I asked "porque?" and she replied, "so it doesn't get on your head!" I just love having conversations with her, she is so imaginative and says the cutest things.

Having fun in the rain!

garbanzos with fresh lemon juice and olive oil with fresh parsley

As a result of rainy days, we have been inside most of the week, so it gave it me a reason to spend more time in the kitchen.

crunchy salad

Baked salmon with potatoes and rosemary

 no-knead bread, you can watch a DIY video of a fellow blogger here for the recipe 

It's a castle!
( Beli and Daddy built the tower when I was away for a second job interview: I feel so grateful, I now have two jobs offers!)

We visited a couple of learning centers (daycare) for Beli. She was shy at first, but she quickly made a friend with one of the students. When we arrived at the second daycare she said, "this is not school, this is a fun place!" This was in reference to the fish pond at the entrance.

photos via

 We are still undecided as to which center to choose, both are excellent. Decisions, decisions!

In the rain

Reflection on the sidewalk

Beli drew a birthday card for her cousin David who turned 4 years old last week.

So that was our week: visiting preschools, job interviews, baking, coloring, dancing in the rain. How was your week? What plans do you have for the weekend? We may go see some alpacas, and maybe, finally have some warm and dry weather so we can attend the ballet performance, Cinderella.  It's part of the series, Culture on the Green, "......Set outdoors at Civic Green Park, this series will pair cultural performances with a beautiful outdoor setting for an experience that is sure to delight all ages. Bring a blanket and a picnic dinner for an evening under the stars. Admission is FREE."

photo via

Enjoy your weekend!

A pretty pink house~Casa bonita

All the reviews I came across for Casa Bonita, Colorado's version of a Mexican Disneyland, said the same thing, "It's a must see, but food is horrible, with the exception of sopapillas." So we went and ate the food, we survived.

 I found a video that showcased all the main attractions of casa bonita: the cliff divers, puppet show, strolling musicians, amusement arcade and much more. See for yourself. here. 

I love the wooden chandelier, located at the entrance.

Beli was a bit scared of the 'gorilla' running around the restaurant.

The waterfall was designed to resemble the cliffs of Acapulco. 

gift shop inside the restaurant

this rock came to life only for a brief moment to tell the kids the puppet show was about to begin and to please listen during the show.

the 30 foot waterfall. cool hu!

The inside of the restaurant is divided into different courtyards, grand ballrooms, and lots of palm trees!

Would I recommend this place? Definitely! Don't go for the food but for the ambiance and great entertainment for kids. 

(Can't wait for my family to visit to I can take them to Casa Bonita!)

Puppet Theater~No Frogs Here

Czech marionette

This weekend we brainstormed for ideas. We needed to find options to entertain our 3 year old. It was raining and we were growing restless inside the house. We read every kid's book in the house, and played many games.  

 Hubby and I  came up with a few options.

Me:  "An afternoon at the downtown aquarium?"

Hubby:  "A bit out of our budget for the moment."

Hubby: "How about the zoo?"

Me: "Too cold."

Then I finally remembered the magazine I  brought home from the library, Colorado Parent.  It's filled with great ideas and it's budget friendly. For example, this Friday is the National Alpaca show, free admission. Also, every Saturday morning, a free movie is sponsored for kids and parents at one of the Downtown movie theaters. And this Saturday evening, The International Youth Ballet will present Cinderella, for free!  That's an advantage of living in a bigger city, there is always something to do.

We decided to visit the Denver Puppet Theater. The first time we took Beli to a puppet show was when she was 21 months old. She was fascinated by the puppets( marionettes). The performance was about the frog prince. At the end of the show Beli wanted to know what happened to the frog. We explained he turned into a prince. She insisted but where is the frog! Too young to understand the story.

 After the show, we stayed to decorate our own little puppet, which was given to us when we purchased our entrance tickets.

We also admired all the marionettes in the room.

Visited the gift shop.

And admired the beautiful courtyard.

After the puppet show we had a very interesting lunch experience at a Mexican restaurant, Casa bonita!  I know, we are suppose to be on a budget, but with the job offer, we thought we could make an exception. What do you think, puppets or marionettes? Personally, I think marionettes require more skilled manipulation in comparison to finger puppetry.

Denver Puppet Theater 3156 West 38th Avenue
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 458-6446
Thurs,Fri 10am
Sat,Sun 1pm.