Katie Ortman Doble's Blog

New Zealand Itinerary

In October of 2021, while at the First Descents‘ annual gala, I soberly (I was in the middle of regrowing my liver and not allowed to drink) bid on a package for six to New Zealand. I knew very little about New Zealand except that they speak English, are close-ish to Australia, and a very long flight from the U.S. It wasn’t on my radar (or my husband’s) as a place to visit. We woke up the next morning and Nick asked, “What did you do?”

To be honest, planning the vacation ended up being a bit stressful. We were coming off of the pandemic and the place we purchased the package from closed permanently so it was a scramble to find an alternative. We were offered spots all over the world, but by that point, after researching New Zealand more, we were very excited to explore there. Thankfully, we were able to work something out with Platinum Queenstown Luxury Villas. They (the accommodations and staff) were delightful. Two couples were joining us and one couple had to back out at the last minute.

Nick did a ton of research and after a planning session with the other couple (Tops and Katniss), we determined a loose itinerary with most of the items below. We were relieved to learn we had a similar vacation style to Tops and Katniss which included both relaxing and adventurous plans but not too packed of a schedule. Thankfully, they did their homework on restaurants which Nick and I don’t typically do. We were pleasantly surprised with the cuisine there and ate out of our comfort zones at times, which would not have happened with the two of us.

I was devastated to check the weather before leaving and see that it was expected to rain every single day we were there. I hoped it was like Colorado meteorology, which is actually a joke and impossible to really predict. It was! We ended up having great weather. It rained two of the days we were in Queenstown. I don’t really remember it raining our second week except when we were in Auckland.

Because of weather, we ended up playing Tetris a bit. For example, we were set to go to Milford Sound (fly/cruise/fly) on Monday, Oct 31, but they cancelled our flight due to weather there. However, the weather in Queenstown was gorgeous, so we moved our Thursday hike to Monday. Thursday ended up being rainy in Queenstown, so we were so glad we’d been flexible. Nick and I then went to Milford Sound during Week 2 via Wanaka.

In the end, it was an unforgettable experience with our friends. New Zealand is magical and there’s no other word to describe it. The people, the food, the adventure, the landscape. Every single day we were blown away by the scenery and activities. It was the perfect blend of adventure and recharging. The only thing we’d change would be to stay way longer, but that is not always possible. We had two full weeks leaving the U.S. on October 26, 2022 and arriving in New Zealand on October 28. We left New Zealand on November 11 and arrived in the U.S. on November 11.

Here is our full itinerary:

Week 1

Friday, Oct 28

Itinerary:
Arrival – 11:15am
Checked in to Platinum Queenstown Luxury Villas in Queenstown (this was about a 15 minute walk into town and felt safe even in the dark, the views were ridiculous, and the front desk was extremely helpful)
Walked into town for lunch at Fergburger and a wander to get acclimated to town
Drinks at Beech Tree Craft Beer: sat outside under a tin roof while it rained, loved it
Dinner at Bombay Palace

Notes:
We had very low expectations of our first day, and we ended up having great energy and packing a lot in! It’s definitely worth having a lowkey day in Queenstown as there is so much to explore. The town is adorable and the Gardens Trail is beautiful. We were excited to have more time here to be able to hit up Fergburger again. We were blown away the whole week by the cuisine!


Pictures: view from our villa

Saturday, Oct 29

Itinerary:
Queenstown Market in the morning: it was super cute and lots of great things to shop for
Queenstown Gardens Trail: trail starts right next to the market
Drove to Arrowtown: very cute town with great shops
Lunch at The Dishery: OMG it was sooo good – try the Wild Rice salad
Drove to Gibbston Valley Winery for a flight of wine
Stopped by the grocery store on our way home to stock up on dinner for the night and lunches for the week

Notes:
The market only runs on Saturday morning! I got a beautiful mug from Esper (check out her booth). The rest of our day was not our original itinerary, but it was a pretty dreary, rainy day, so we shifted things around.


Picture: taken from Queenstown Gardens Trail

Sunday, Oct 30

Itinerary:
Nevis Swing @ 8:40a (pre-booked): ~$285 USD for two
Lunch at Yonder: ordered the Bubble & Squeak and added grilled halloumi – super yum
Hiked Queenstown Hill: 3 mi hike, 2-3 hours RT, ridiculous views
Happy hour at Pig & Whistle Pub
Dinner at Paddy Gaddy: an Asian fusion restaurant with yummy drinks and the best calamari I’ve ever eaten

Notes:
Holy shit. This was an incredible experience. We purchased tickets ahead of time for the swing. I paid for pictures and video for myself. Nick and I jumped together, so it worked out well because all of the pictures/video would have been the same. Here is the actual video.
The hike was stunning. It was challenging but doable. Incredible views. If you only have time for one hike and aren’t an advanced hiker, I’d recommend this over Ben Lomond.

 
Pictures: Nevis Swing and view from Queenstown Hill

Monday, Oct 31

Itinerary:
Ben Lomond Hike: we took the gondola up (highly recommended because you’re about to get your steps in), 8.7 mi hike, 6-8 hours RT (it took us 6; 3-4 hours RT if you go to the saddle), the most incredible views I’ve ever seen (says the girl from CO), we ate a packed lunch right before the hike to the summit
Queenstown Luge: this was our reward for after our hike, we purchased our gondola lift + 3 luge runs each (which was just enough for me)
Blue Kanu: great food and drinks, food was great for sharing

Notes:
I have a torn ACL and could not have done this hike without my knee brace or hiking poles. It’s a tough hike, but 100% worth the panoramic views.


Pictures: summit views from Ben Lomond hike

Tuesday, Nov 1

Itinerary:
Shotover Jet @ 10a (pre-booked): ~$160 USD for two
Picnic lunch by a beautiful lake
Glenorchy: wandered about town, walked to the boatshed near the wharf, did the Glenorchy Lagoon Scenic Walk
Drove to Paradise: nothing particular to drive to, just took in beautiful views and endless sheep
Dinner at Fogo Brazilian BBQ: very good!

Notes:
The Shotover Jet paralleled the Nevis Swing in terms adventure. As my husband said, “It’s a fucking speed boat down the river, mate.” Legendary. We also splurged on the video and don’t regret it. Our friend’s mom is from Brazil, otherwise we would have never tried Fogo if it was just us. I’m not a big meat eater but this was amazing. I ordered off the menu and the others got the full experience. I was quite pleased with the food and so glad we tried it. The owner, John Aiden, was a sweet Irish man who spent a lot of time telling us stories about life and the food.

 
Pictures: Shotover Jet and the Glenorchy boatshed

Wednesday, Nov 2

Itinerary:
Lunch at Sandfly: delightful
Te Anau Glowworm Caves @ 2-4:15pm (pre-booked): ~$115 USD for two
Te Anau Bird Sanctuary: not necessarily something I’d seek out, but it was free and right there so worth stopping in
Winnies Gourmet Pizza for dinner: the best gluten free pizza I’ve ever eaten

Notes:
The caves were very cool. We took a ferry to get there and spent about an hour in the caves – unlike anything I’d ever seen before!

Thursday, Nov 3

Itinerary:
Breakfast at Balls & Bangles: not great for gluten free but everyone else was quite satisfied
Shopped in Queenstown: if you’re a crystal lover, go to Hettie’s Rock & Crystal Shop
Onsen Cedar-lined Hot Tubs (pre-booked the day before): this was the perfect way to end our week in Queenstown, tubs are private, reservation includes a drink and snack, and it overlooks the Shotover River
Takeout at Thai Cuisine

Notes:
This was an ideal last day. We got to explore Queenstown one last time and the hot tubs were a nice reward after all of our adventures. We ordered takeout so we could spend the evening packing up for the next week’s adventures!


Picture: Onsen Hot Tub Time Machine

Week Two
We split from our friends for the second week. They rented a camper van and toured the south island.

Friday, Nov 4

Itinerary:
Drove from Queenstown to Franz Joseph and gawked at Lake Hawea on the way
Checked in to Rainforest in Franz Josef
Dinner at the Rainforest restaurant
Hot Tub (our hotel had a private hot tub)

Notes:
While we would have loved another night at the Rainforest because it was a cool hotel, one night was enough. We were only there to hike the Franz Josef glacier. Thankfully, the day we hiked was the first day it was safe to go in two weeks, so we really lucked out. It was a long way to drive for one activity, but it was absolutely worth it (says the girl who didn’t drive).


Picture: Lake Hawea

Saturday, Nov 5

Itinerary:
Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike (pre-booked): ~$325 USD for two
Drove to Wanaka and checked in to Lakeside Apartments
Dinner at Big Fig: great healthy food, and I ordered a lunch for the next day

Notes:
Franz Josef Glavier was unreal. It was amazing going from a rainforest into a glacier in the same morning. We really lucked out with weather. Our tour guide was great, and we will never forget the day! I have a torn ACL so I wore a brace just to be safe, but the hike was not very strenuous. Our views from the Lakeside Apartments were stunning. We’d drink wine on the patio overlooking the lake with the mountains in the background while the sunset behind them. Did not get old.


Pictures: hiking Franz Josef Glacier (first two) and the sunset view from our Wanaka lodging

Sunday, Nov 6

Itinerary:
Milford Sound – Fly/Cruise/Fly – Southern Alps Air (pre-booked): ~$700 USD for two, we brought lunch in a backpack
Wanaka Lavender Farm: we spent about two hours here wandering the grounds and enjoying some tea. Very darling and worth the visit!
Dinner at Francesca’s Italian Kitchen: we had our own little pod outdoor and it was so yummy

Notes:
We were supposed to do Milford Sound from Queenstown the week prior but couldn’t due to weather. We decided to see if we could go from Wanaka, and we are SO GLAD we did. This was the #1 thing on every list we researched of cannot miss. We had perfect weather, and even the pilot was taking pictures and he’d flown the route hundreds of times. We saw dolphins, penguins, and a baby seal. It was just incredible. This was easily one of the greatest weekends of our lives, probably second behind our wedding.


Pictures: Flying to Milford Sound and cruising Milford Sound

Monday, Nov 7

Itinerary:
Walked to see That Wanaka Tree: beautiful walk and tree
Lunch with our friends! We bumped into them and were able to grab a bite with them.
Drove to Lake Tekapo (gawked at Lake Pukaki on the way) and checked in to Ultimate View
Dinner at TLV Restaurant & Bar: super good
Dark Sky Project Summit Experience at 11:30p (pre-booked): ~$130 USD for two

Notes:
Lake Tekapo is a dark sky reserve town, meaning the town has restrictions with lights. At sundown, if your lights are on indoors, you’re required to shut the blinds/curtains. It was really cool as we got to go to the observatory on Mt John and look through some gigantic telescopes to see the moon, Mars, Jupiter, star clusters and some galaxies far far way.


Pictures: That Wanaka Tree and Lake Pukaki

Tuesday, Nov 8

Itinerary:
Breakfast at The Greedy Cow Cafe: delicious
Walked around Lake Tekapo and to the Church of the Good Shepherd
Hiked Tasman Glacier View & Blue Lakes in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and visited the visitor centre: easy hike with (shocking) beautiful views and the visitor centre was really neat
Dinner at Mackenzies Cafe Bar & Grill: it was good and I enjoyed the wine!
Lunar Eclipse: we happened to be in the dark sky reserve town where all the homes have gigantic windows the night of a lunar eclipse

Notes:
Lake Tekapo is a very small town so there is not much to see in the town, but it is darling. The church is a beautiful photo op set near the lake (visited in the evening and during the day)! We stayed there two evenings and took a drive to see the Tasman Glacier and Blue Lakes in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park during our full day there. Try to time your visit around a lunar eclipse ;).


Pictures: Church of the Good Shepherd (close up and from our lodging) and Tasman Glacier View hike

Wednesday, Nov 9

Itinerary:
Drove back to Queenstown for flight to Auckland
Had time to grab lunch again at Fergburger (yum)
3p flight to Auckland
Checked in to M Social Hotel
Dinner with Nick’s cousins at the Conservatory

Notes:
Auckland was pretty but also another big city, so it you’re limited on time, it can be missed. Nick has a cousin there and since we were flying in and out of Auckland, it was perfect for us to end our trip here for two nights.


Pictures: Fergburger YUM and Auckland at night

Thursday, Nov 10

Itinerary:
Took ferry to Waiheke Island and walked into town (~20 mins)
Lunch at Sol Bar & Cafe (beautiful views)
Rented ebikes and visited the Mudbrick Vineyard, Cable Bay Vineyard, and Big Oneroa Beach
Dinner at Odettes Eatery with Nick’s cousin + fiancé: it was delicious!

Notes:
I ended up getting a weird, brief bug so we had a super delayed start to this day and were only able to stop at two wineries. It was a beautiful island!


Pictures: Big Oneroa Beach and Auckland from the ferry

Friday, Nov 11

Itinerary:
Walked around Auckland to shops and Albert Park
Ubered to airport around 2:00p for evening flight back to the U.S.

Notes:
When I crawled into our own bed, I had done 25 hours of standing in that day according to my Apple watch.


Pictures: Albert Park and my overachievement

All Lodging
With the exception of our stay in Queenstown, all lodging was booked through Booking.com (.yeah).

Platinum Queenstown Luxury Villas in Queenstown
Rainforest in Franz Josef
Lakeside Apartments in Wanaka
Ultimate View in Lake Tekapo
M Social Hotel in Auckland

My Packing List
I was quite pleased with my packing skills :)! We had laundry in Queenstown and Wanaka, which helped. I also used packing cubes from Eddie Bauer which were perfect for my hiking boots, underwear, and electronics.

3 jackets: light rain, puffy (packs into little ball), wind/rainproof shell
3 leggings: one pair that can double for evening wear, one pair that is thicker
3 pants: including wind/rainproof pair, zip offs (this was my only pair of shorts and came in handy on the Ben Lomond hike), they can all layer over leggings
8 pairs of socks
10 pairs of undies
2 t-shirts
2 activewear tanks
2 activewear t-shirts
4 long sleeve tops
3 fleece/zip up layers
4 sports bras
1 brimmed hat
1 baseball cap
PJs: including a sweatshirt for lounging
1 pair of jeans
1 evening wear top: a very casual sweater
3 shoes: flip-flops, hiking boots, tennis shoes
1 swimsuit
Beanie, scarf, gloves

The Boxer’s Corner | Book Review

My husband went to bed early recently and left me alone downstairs to finish The Boxer’s Corner. I was apparently wailing because he came downstairs to make sure I was okay. I’d woken him up. So much of Miguel Barron’s powerful memoir hit close to home – in my own journey with cancer and in remembering my mom’s. Miguel so poignantly shares the intimate moments of his relationships with his wife, sons, and friends as his wife battled metastatic breast cancer. The stories of how he and his wife handled her disease resonated as I reflected on discussions I’ve had with my husband throughout my years of facing metastatic cancer. We each want a different amount of information. We each handle scans and doctor’s visits differently. We are each allowed our own opinions, yet so often, it’s mine that is listened to.

This book is a must read for the caregiver, patient and medical community. If you are a caregiver, this book will leave you feeling validated. If you know a caregiver and are struggling to understand or support them, this book will help you do that. As a patient, it reminded me of the sacrifices and struggles my husband faces as he embraces cancer with me. For the medical community, this will give you insight on what’s often missed in the clinic.

You can purchase The Boxer’s Corner here.  It is not available on audible, but it is a very quick read!

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story, Miguel.

How to Get the Personal Assistant You Always Wanted

If you’ve ever had a personal assistant or admin at work, you know how amazing it is to hand off tasks that free up your day to do other things. And you’ve likely thought, “I need one of these at home.”

Enter As You Wish, Colorado’s customized personal assistance, event planning and concierge services that enhance the lifestyles of individuals and families throughout Denver, Boulder and the Rocky Mountains.

I met Allison Farrar Welch at a networking event back in 2009. We’d both recently moved to Denver, and I was immediately impressed with her business and its mission. After hitting it off, we decided we should get wine and learn more about each other. Since then, I consider her a Denver staple. In the past decade, she’s someone I’ve consistently run into at the grocery store, in Capitol Hill, and at any hot event in town.

Before moving to Denver, Allison worked as a personal assistant for a high net worth family in New York and Aspen managing their households and personal events. When she moved to Denver, she had this concept of an “as needed” concierge service because sometimes people need a personal assistant once a week or month or seasonally, not full time. She wanted to fill this need without requiring a contract or heavy obligation to her clients.

Her business has been booming ever since and has two sides: personal assistance and event planning. It’s split 50/50 between the two, and they often go hand-in-hand. Client relationships typically start on the personal assistance side and once the client gets used to the ease of Allison and her team, they’ll entrust As You Wish to plan their kid’s birthday party, anniversary dinner or daughter’s wedding.

On the personal assistance side, she and her team do everything from organizing, move management, car vehicle services (imagine someone picking up your car at work to get the oil changed!), household management, domestic services (As You Wish will hire vendors to clean your home or open up the sprinkler system, for example), and shopping/errand running.

Allison’s ideal client is anyone who is busy and needs more time in their life. Check out these amazing testimonials from her clients. If you’re shopping for that person who has it all, she has gift certificate’s available.

“It is my greatest satisfaction to get people in a better place to be with their family or kids or go hiking or biking instead of being at Costco on the weekend,” Allison told me.

Just imagine downloading your to-do list for someone else to handle?! Whatever will you do with that extra time?

Contact Allison at 303.517.7315 or Allison [at] asyouwishcolorado.com and tell her I sent you!

My Energy-Healer Acupuncturist

Several years ago, I worked with a girl named Kim. To say our personalities didn’t mesh is an understatement. Hers was loud and in-your-face, mine stubborn and self-righteous. Then a massive turn of events in both of our lives gave us an opportunity to grow up and show each other some grace. Right around the time of my diagnosis, Kim met a great guy, fell in love, married and moved to Montana. We were both transforming into better versions of ourselves, and through our transitions, discovered a hidden friendship beneath the surface of the women we used to be. I now call Kim a dear friend.

A year after she moved, she was in Denver for a wedding and reached out to see if I was available for lunch. We met in Cherry Creek to catch up over a glass of wine and deviled eggs in the Colorado sun.

“Diane!” she exclaimed, to the red head walking our way. Screams were exchanged, and before I knew it, Kim’s friend Diane, who lived in the neighborhood and happened to be walking by, was ordering a Chardonnay and joining our conversation. Diane was lovely, and full of great ideas as I told her my story. She told me about a woman she sees named Joanna, who does energy healing.

“Joanna is hands down the most gifted healer and brightest light I’ve ever met. I literally share her contact info with someone new every day, and everyone just loves her. She’s magical and addictive, in the very best way. Everyone needs a Joanna in their life!”

That was enough to convince me to give her a go. I’m so excited to share with you today about my experiences Joanna with Gentle Heart Acupuncture. And I love the story above that brought me to her.

I didn’t quite know what to expect the first time I saw Joanna a couple years ago. All I knew was she combined massage, reiki, acupuncture, cupping and meditation.

The first time I lay on her table, she said to me, after tapping muscles in my arm, “I’m sensing a lot of sadness and anger from you.”

“Well,” I told her, “if you were to survey 100 people I know, zero of them would likely describe me as sad or angry.”

She went on to explain it was deep rooted. Then she asked what happened to me in my teens.

“Oh. Well my mom died when I was 15,” I explained.

“Yeah, we need to release 15-year-old Katie. Like right now.”

She started with acupuncture. I was lying face up, and as she started to stick the needles in my arms and legs, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of sadness. Hot tears started forming in my eyes. I looked at Joanna and asked her what was happening.

“Just let it out,” she assured me.

I was sobbing.

“I’m going to leave the room for a bit. I want you to talk to her. Talk to 15-year-old Katie and tell her it’s time to go,” she instructed before leaving me alone in the room.

Holy. Shit.

Have you ever been convulsing with tears while having fifteen needles sticking out of you? I have! I was trying not to move, but my body was overtaken. I was in hysterics. The tears were rolling into my ears. I couldn’t move my arms to brush them away.

“15-year-old, Katie?” I said aloud, “It’s time to go.”

My wailing slowed. Joanna re-entered the room. She had me turn to face down and finished the hour with massage, cupping, and the Jeanie Rub, which wakes up the cells and stimulates the lymph system.

I texted Diane after I left and thanked her for the recommendation. I literally felt a ton lighter.

Joanna got her bachelor’s degree in psychology. When exploring master’s programs, she realized she is very much an action-oriented person and that therapy, in the traditional sense, wasn’t quite what she wanted to do. She started to look at different modalities, and when she found acupuncture, it just clicked. She pursued a master’s degree in that.

She defines acupuncture as taking care of the energetic, electrical system. She combines acupuncture with reiki, cupping, massage, and mind/body work to make sure everything is reset and that all lines of communication between mind, body, spirit and the electrical system are working properly. Joanna specifically sets certain intentions when anyone walks through her door. The intention is to let go of anything that doesn’t serve that person and to align with their highest potential. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual, but she puts it out there that this is the space where they can do that.

Her clients come to her for an array of reasons – grief, depression, allergies, pain, trauma, PTSD, and fertility, to name a few. She works with a lot of fertility patients and women who have been assaulted and are working with Joanna in conjunction with therapy. Some clients come in for specific ailments and others don’t know what exactly they are looking for.

Joanna’s most heart opening experiences have been around women who have had specific traumas, around their parents or around childhood, and to watch them have unexplained fertility. “When they breakthrough emotionally on certain things and feel as though they deserve to be a parent and to then watch them conceive after that has been mind-blowing. It is the most beautiful blessing to be able to see that journey,” Joanna told me.

Joanna refers patients back and forth with a friend who focuses more on the medical side of fertility through acupuncture. Joanna tends to work well with people who have unexplained, more emotional/spiritual-based fertility issues where the doctors are saying everything is fine.

When asked about her process, Joanna explained she works 100% intuitively every single treatment. She might start with needles or cupping if she cannot get into the person’s energy. Her clients’ energy dictates the order of how she treats someone. She can sense when people are opened or closed.

She does work with kids but won’t do acupuncture if they are 10 or under – she does acupressure, body talk and energy work. Body talk is using kinesiology to ask the body yes or no questions. It is muscle testing and depending on the question, the body will answer in a certain way. Joanna worked with a toddler who adored his dog but was allergic. The family was gutted as they did not want to get rid of their dog. Joanna did a bunch of energy work/body talk, in conjunction with a western approach that the parents were exploring. Through body talk, Joanna could access what line of communication was off. She discovered the child’s immune system was thinking he was in danger every time the dog was around. Something frightening must have happened while the toddler had the dog’s saliva on him. Now whenever the dog’s saliva would get around him, he would react. Essentially, Joanna accessed the endocrine system and tapped and stimulated it to reset the line of communication. In the end, the boy was able to be around his dog again.

“My favorite part of my job is being able to come every single day and hold a space so that people can choose to help themselves. I see people who have been through the worst of the worst and who want to be better and who want to improve. I get to witness how resilient and amazing the human spirit is,” Joanna told me.

I’ve been seeing Joanna for a while now. Do I have a crazy, emotional breakthrough every single time I see her? No, thank goodness. I don’t think I could handle that! It’s usually when I least expect it now, that the tears start rolling as the needles enter my body. I am, however, always left feeling lighter and happier and clearer on the steps I need to take to serve my higher purpose.

I have referred countless people to Joanna. My friend Nicole, another cancer survivor, sees her regularly now and says, “Joanna has helped me in ways I could never imagine, a true compassionate soul who will help you when in need.”

We always draw cards at the end. During our last session, Joanna drew the Manifestation Power card, that read, “Use your spiritual gifts and natural abilities to attract your desired outcome.” At the time, I was anticipating a big transition in my life. Two days later, my desired outcome came to fruition.

If you have any interest in seeing Joanna, she is located in Cap Hill in Denver. Her rates are extremely reasonable. Please tell her I sent you!

Gentle Heart Acupuncture
Joanna Resnick
899 Logan Street, Suite 310
Denver, CO 80203
303.505.9060

I Am a Badass – So Are You (Book Review)

It’s True. I AM a badass. We are all a bunch of badasses.

I picked up the book You Are a Badass for a girlfriend last spring. I thought I might enjoy it myself, so I added another copy to my pile while at the register. Then, like most books I purchase, it sat on my nightstand for several months.

Nick and I went to Cabo last fall, so I packed the book in the hopes I would finally read it.

I flew through it.

It is absolutely a self-help book, but not the cheesy, embarrassing-to-read-in-public kind. It’s the kind of book that you want to shout from the rooftops and force your best girlfriends, sisters, aunts, cousins, and colleagues to read. Guys, too! Men’s Journal ranks Jen Sincero‘s book in their “Self-Help Books That Don’t Suck.”

It’s a book that will make you question everything about what makes you truly happy, what your crazy dreams actually are, and how you might go about achieving those dreams. It reminds us that we are not alone in the Universe, and we can accomplish so much more when we connect with Source Energy/God/Universe – whatever you choose to call it. It explains negative cycles that come from our parents who learned from their parents and so on, and how we can break those cycles and turn situations into positive opportunities.

It reminded me how lucky I am to be me and that I am the only one who gets that job. It’s reminiscent of a pep talk my sister Julie gave me when I was on the sidelines at 10-years-old and heard girls on my soccer team talking trash about my poor goalie skills (okay, they weren’t too off on my lack of skills, but weren’t too kind to say it as I sat right behind them). ­­Julie wrote me a note that day saying that I’m the only one who gets to be me, so I better own it and not worry about what other people think. A friend said to me last week, “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

If you know anyone trying to find their way in this world or struggling with self-confidence, this book makes a great gift (for a friend or for yourself)!

Some of my favorite quotes from the author:

  • Become one of your own die-hard fans, look at yourself from the outside, where all your self doubts can’t crawl all over you, and behold what shines through.
  • Comparison is the fastest way to take all the fun out of life.
  • Love yourself because it’s the Holy Grail of happiness.
  • What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.
  • Every single person is born with unique and valuable gifts to share with the world.
  • The moment you have the audacity to start believing in the not-yet seen, your reality will begin to shift.
  • We only get to be in our bodies for a limited time, why not celebrate the journey instead of merely riding it out until it’s over?
  • Faith is your best buddy when you’re scared shitless.
  • Being in gratitude for the not-yet manifested informs the Universe that you know that what you desire already exists, and puts you at the right frequency to receive it.
  • If you focus on the negative aspects of the more challenging things in your life, it will just lower your frequency, keep you in pain and resentment, attract more negativity to you, very possibly make you sick, and very definitely make you crabby. If instead, you look for ways to be grateful for everything in your life, it not only raises your frequency, but it allows you to grow by opening you up to the lesson.
  • Obstacles and challenges are the agents of growth.

Have you read it yet? Did you like it?

If you haven’t read it, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy on Amazon. Grab a highlighter and allow yourself to get reacquainted with your dreams and your badass self.

Thanks, Jen!

Bubu Restaurant | A Healthy, Fast Lunch Alternative in Denver

B.C. (Before Cancer), I ate processed deli meat, quite possibly the worst form of meat, daily. Turkey sandwiches were my jam. I’d top it off with a bag of chips if I was going to Jimmy John’s, Heidi’s or Erberts & Gerberts. I quit soda several years prior, so I had water going for me.

After meeting with Dr. Carriere, who truly opened my eyes to how diet affects my health, I was at a loss for lunch options. Honestly, of all the meals, it’s still the one I struggle with the most. Now that I’m gluten free (GF), sandwiches in general, even if I’m just adding veggies, are no longer an option. There are some half decent GF breads out there, but if I’m trying to stick to whole foods, that shouldn’t be the go-to.

Salads never quite seemed to satisfy me. But I’ve learned, if I add quinoa or lentil beans and lots of veggies, they can actually be filling.

But where do I go when I’m unprepared? When I didn’t have time to pack my lunch the night before?

Let me tell you about a little place called Bubu. Bubu is the brainchild of Troy Guard, a local chef legend responsible for TAG, TAG Burger Bar, HashTAG, Los Chingones, Mister Tuna and the amazing Guard & Grace. If you’ve never tried his restaurants, put them all on your list. They never disappoint. Bubu has two locations downtown – one in Larimer Square and the other in the Republic Plaza building.

The difference between Bubu and Mr. Guard’s other restaurants is that Bubu is in the fast category. You order at the counter and your food is often delivered before you find a seat. That is why Bubu is the new Jimmy John’s for this girl.

Here’s how it works:

Choose from the options in #1 below or build your own bowl. I started with the OG Colorado and can say the dozens of times I’ve eaten it with or without Sushi-Grade Tuna, it has never disappointed. The only issue is it’s so good that I’ve never tried anything else. But colleagues have raved about the others. Bubu uses locally-sourced, seasonal vegetables. And their pricing will not break the bank.

  1. Pick a Bowl: Choose from OG Colorado, Thai, Mexican, Southern California, Indian, Paleo (Caveman), Aloha Poke, Chinese, Zen
  2. Pick a Base: Brown Rice, White Rice, Chilled Rice Noodles, Bubu Salad Mix
  3. Pick a Protein: Sushi-Grade Tuna, Sushi-Grade Salmon, Tiger Shrimp, Grilled Steak, Grilled Chicken, Organic Tofu
  4. Pick a Dressing: Carrot Mustard, House, Thai, Chia Seed Lime, Mexican, Yellow Curry Yogurt, Chinese, Soy Onion, Green Apple Wasabi

I’ve even attempted to replicate the OG Colorado at home.

Ingredients:

  • Brown Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Diced Green Chiles (I buy canned)
  • Roasted Carrots
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Avocados
  • House Dressing
  • Bubu special seasoning, which you buy at Bubu

Prep the rice, quinoa, roasted carrots and dressing. Please in a bowl to serve (based on desired serving size), mix equal portions of rice and quinoa. Add green chiles (a couple tablespoons), carrots (handful), pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup +/-), and 1/2 avocado. Add house dressing, sprinkle seasoning and eat. Also great with chicken, shrimp or raw tuna.

But if you want the real deal, please take my advice and add this to your list of spots to try time and time again. If you’re looking to be the office hero, order this next time you need to cater. As they say at Bubu, when you start with better ingredients, you end up with a better lunch.

LARIMER SQUARE
At the Historic Larimer Square District Downstairs Walkway
1423 Larimer Street
Denver, CO, 80202
(303) 996-2685

REPUBLIC PLAZA
Located in the Concourse Level of the Republic Plaza Building
303 16th Street, Ste. 3
Denver, CO, 80202
(303) 573-4919

Monday – Friday
11am – 5pm

Saturday & Sunday
Closed

The List | A Guide to Denver Doctors, Alternative Healers, Self Care Providers and More!

Nobody likes starting over. It was the only downside of moving to CO, that and saying good-bye to friends and my hair stylist. I worked hard to rebuild my network here, and as a stage 5 woo’er, I decided to save friends and strangers from the agony of having to do it alone. I’ve emailed this list to probably hundreds of people and realized it would be a lot easier to share a link! My sister calls it “comprehensive.” If you’re new to Denver, bookmark this. 

This is mostly Denver-based, but the therapist and medium do phone sessions. 

Housing

Apartment Finder: Moving in or relocating to Denver and looking for a rental? my cousin Beth Barmettler is a licensed real estate agent working with Smart City Apartment Locating. She’ll act as your personal ambassador to help you find a new home (no fee for the renter). The best way to get in touch is to reach out to her directly at bbarmettler [at] smartcitylocating.com.

Realtor: Brian is a family friend and was great to work with when we bought our home!Read More

NutriBullet® | The Gateway Appliance (of Healthy Eating)

When I used to offer to “make” dinner for anyone – a family member, a friend, a date, I was genuinely impressed with my ability to go to King Soopers, purchase a FRESHCHETTA® Pizza, turn on the oven and bake it for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees. I offered condiments like ranch for dipping the pizza and honey for dipping the crust. When Nick entered the picture, I had to be sure I always had ketchup on hand because the dude dips everything in ketchup. Says the girl with a ranch fetish.

This was the baseline of my diet. I also bought RED BARON® Deep Dish Minis in bulk and frequently scarfed those down before running out the door to Gaelic Football practice, happy hour with friends or another awkward first date. What did I eat for breakfast you ask? Nothing. Unless you count 4 cups of black coffee as breakfast. Lunches consisted of peanut butter and honey (there’s the honey again, I’m the granddaughter of a beekeeper) on wheat bread – wasn’t I healthy? And Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Flavored Potato Chips. Maybe once every three months, I’d buy baby carrots and eat 2-4 of those along with my child-like lunches. And red peppers. I’d eat one of those every couple weeks.

It was bad.

I equated eating healthy with dieting. And I equated dieting with weight issues. I’ve never really had issues with my weight (I may have that going for me, but don’t be mad, remember I have cancer) so I gave little thought to what I put in my body. I was playing Gaelic Football, Ultimate Frisbee, and going to the gym. I justified my diet with my level of fitness. This is a horrible idea.

Five years ago, after my initial cancer diagnosis, I started to realize I should probably consume some level of fruits and vegetables that didn’t come pre-processed on a frozen pizza in the form of tomato sauce.

So I went to Bed Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon and purchased a NutriBullet®.

It’s like the training wheels of healthy eating.

It eases you right in. I started juicing every day. And I noticed on days I didn’t, my body was craving it. I’d put kale, cucumber, carrot, ginger, chia and flax seeds in the bottom and mask those flavors with berries, then fill with water or almond milk. I must admit, the first time I used ginger, I had no idea of its potency and put in a giant root. Needless to say, that was disgusting. But I refused to waste my juice that day, so I powered through it. I made the same mistake the first time I tried turmeric, which is even more potent that ginger. You learn.

It’s not really “juicing” in the technical term, now that I do that, too. The drink has more of a smoothie consistency. Nick made fun of me at first because he was one of those humans who actually ate his fruits and vegetables. But he was quickly on board and in line at Bed Bath & Beyond (probably not with a 20% off coupon) buying his own NutriBullet. I remember questioning why he was doing this because one day we’d be married and then have two NutriBullets. Which is now the case.

Beyond smoothie juices, I created a recipe for what I call “Smoothie Bowls.” You should know, this is the only recipe I’ve ever created on my own. It was inspired by Etai’s Acai Smoothie Bowl, so maybe it’s not fair for me to take all the credit. Here is that recipe, roughly, because I’ve never measured it out and it typically depends on what we have on hand.

Smoothie Bowl (makes 2 servings)

Ingredients – blended
1-2 leaves of kale
2 carrots
3″ of cucumber
Top with berries or any fruit* you desire
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 tablespoon of flax seeds
2 tablespoons of almond milk

Ingredients – toppings
1/2 cup of gluten free granola
Handful of mint leaves
Honey (remove if vegan)
Cinnamon
Pomegranate seeds
Banana

Optional Ingredients
1 teaspoon of cranberry powder
1/4 teaspoon of amla powder
Shredded coconut (sprinkle on top)

Directions
In NutriBullet, put kale in first, followed by carrots, cucumbers, fruit (to fill line), chia/flax seeds and almond milk (+/- if you prefer runnier or thicker consistency). Blend thoroughly. Once blended, put into a bowl. Top with granola, mint leaves, drizzle with honey, add a shake of cinnamon, a handful of pomegranate seeds and sliced banana.

*if frozen, prep the night before and put in fridge (without almond milk), it will blend easier or nuke the fruit on defrost setting in microwave.

Obviously, there’s lots of room to get creative. Enjoy!

I’ve since made massive strides in my diet. But I credit the NutriBullet for giving me my start. To date, it is still the most used appliance by far in our kitchen. Some days, we even use it more than once. Now that I have a juicer, too, I still make a smoothie to compliment my breakfast (no more coffee!) or dinner. We aim to eat our fruits and veggies, the smoothie is just a bonus.

If you decide to order a NutriBullet online, don’t forget about Ebates! It gets you 6% back at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

What is your favorite kitchen appliance to help you in eating healthy?