Shopping & Services

Traditional Mexican sweets, music and decorations for a quinceañera party are available at lots of locations on Denver’s west side. But how many places also offer an impressive array of piñatas — from SpongeBob to Spider-Man to Hello Kitty — as well as phone cards and the services of a notario público? This job is somewhat weightier than the Anglo notary public, since it involves handling a range of paperwork, from immigration and taxes to translation and divorce. The idea of picking up a piñata with your divorce papers sounds, well, smashing.

The market was ripe for a non-chain coffee shop along the sprawl-tastic landscape between Denver and Boulder. But only on this stretch of road off Highway 36 in old Broomfield could the traditional cafe concept be married to a tattoo parlor and housed in a former auto shop. Or maybe it’s not so unlikely, since Smokey Banana Tattoo and Bananelope Coffee were conjoined by husband-wife team Tom and Deb Cross, who moved into the space last fall after many years tattooing down the street. The atmosphere of psychedelic totem poles, Mexican wrestling art and smoothies makes it a spot that bikers, body modifiers and bored housewives should all find inviting. And when permanent ink is involved, it’s better that artists and patrons alike be as caffeinated as possible.

Stoners do stupid stuff. And for the most hard-core smokers — those who toke up before weddings, funerals and job interviews — the Gift Shop could be a lifesaver. Say your bong breaks at the last minute and you spill bong water all over your only good jacket. Or maybe you’re a procrastinator-on-the-go who needs a pipe and an outfit. The Gift Shop is one-stop shopping for dudes like you. Just duck behind the Scarface poster on the front door: It’s like a head shop and the men’s department all rolled into one. Puff, puff, pass.

Bass Pro Shops put the great in the great outdoors with the 1.2 million square-foot sports, lifestyle, entertainment and retail shop they plunked down just north of I-70 in Stapleton. This place is a hunter’s palace — and we’re not just talking the sort of hunters who like to buy guns and bait and boats. No, we’re talking the kind of woman who likes to hunt guys who like to buy guns and baits and boats. And when you’ve managed to track down just the sort of guy you were looking for by the furniture, or the clothing, or the jerky displays, you can reel him in over drinks and dinner, since Bass Pro boasts a bar/restaurant, too. Useful tip for hunting: Bring your dog, since pooches are allowed in the store, and man’s best friend can come in handy when you’re trying to hook a he-man. Happy hunting!

What are all those respectable-looking businesspeople doing heading into a downtown alley? Normally when you sneak off into an alley to make a purchase, you’re up to no good. But it’s hard to deny the goodness of the cookies you’ll find at the Santa Fe Cookie Co., a hole-in-the wall just off the 16th Street Mall. And the deal offered there is unbeatable: three big, fresh cookies for a buck. Get ’em while they’re hot!

Cupcakes are the trendiest treat in town. Suddenly, bakeries all over are churning out the loveliest mini-cakes you’ve ever seen, decorated with sprinkles, dragées and pearlescent dust. In downtown Denver, YumYums Delights rules. Conveniently open until eight every night of the week except Sunday, this is the perfect place to grab something wicked to eat after dinner or before the theater. The cupcakes come in a chorus line of delicious flavors, from pure vanilla, inside and out, to more exotic fluff, including mango tango spice, pink lady, mimosa cream and brown cow. Yum yum!

Northwest Denver’s premier cupcake bakery will boggle both your imagination and your tastebuds with its daily specials. On Tuesdays, Peanut Butter Cup and Apple Cinnamon cupcakes are featured, along with the staple variations on vanilla, chocolate and red-velvet cake; on Wednesdays, it’s Carrot Cake and Cookies & Cream. The daily deals continue through Saturday, offering such unique flavors as a maple-infused French Toast, Orange Creamsicle, Jack & Coke (cola cake with bourbon frosting), Strawberry Pretzel and Root Beer Float. And you just never know what Thursday’s Mystery Flavor will turn out to be! Live dangerously, cupcake.

The Shoppe’s master cupcake baker, Emma Lee Bettina Rose Skala (better known as Emma Rose), earned her BFA from Alfred University and has a background in ceramic art — both of which surely come in handy when she’s artfully sculpting her delicious little cakelets. She starts with flavors as scandalously rich as Double Chocolate Kahlua or as hip as Mojito or Strawberry Champagne, then tops that with every custom theme imaginable, from a dinosaur to a lifelike mound of violets. Consider this recent special order: Skala created a dozen Totoro cupcakes, each capped with a paper-thin, bunny-shaped chocolate slab decorated in contrasting white chocolate to resemble Hayao Miyazaki’s animated character. Pure genius. And the Shoppe even delivers your custom order, via Cheetah Couriers bike messengers.

Lovely Confections is an elegant cupcakery, filled with comfy couches, serving Novo coffee and featuring a bare-bones but scrumptious selection of five basic yet expertly executed cake flavors on weekdays: lemon, carrot, coconut, chocolate and vanilla (the latter two come with chocolate or vanilla frosting). On weekends, owner and head baker Porche Lovely whips up additional flavors, always keeping in mind the green practices of her place, incorporating natural and organic ingredients and using local suppliers. This bakery takes the cake.

Goat’s milk has been widely touted as a more digestible alternative to the bovine version, but finding a source can be a problem. Destiny’s Dairy not only hawks a fresh, pasteurized product via Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and similar organic-food outlets, but it runs a clean, humane operation — one of the co-owners is also the on-site veterinarian — and offers free tours for the (human) kids. Next time you’re in the Greeley area, check it out, and pick up some goat cheese, goat yogurt and chocolate goat milk while you’re there.

Okay, this team isn’t exactly new. Because just as older men have long frequented the bars of Cherry Creek, hoping to grab hold of some sweet young thing to comfort them in even older age, older women have used those same watering holes as their own happy hunting grounds. But never before has the hot-flashing set been so hot. And so Chez Jose, the longtime Mexican joint in the heart of the Creek, decided to honor this prowling pack by naming its flag-football team the Cherry Creek North Cougars, selling T-shirts bearing the team name for twenty bucks each.

Most criminals won’t act if they think there’s a chance that they could be caught or killed. Armed with this knowledge of basic human instinct, Freaky’s Tattoo and Body Piercing has developed a cheap and inexpensive security system: a handgun and brass knuckles sitting out on the counter. If you ask whoever’s working there who left their piece out, they’ll tell you it’s for security. And would-be robbers should think twice about trying to grab the gun: There’s probably another one under the counter.

Goodwill glitz? Who’da thunk it? This SoBo Goodwill outlet is the closest thing we’ve ever seen to Rodeo Drive in a thrift store. Okay — we jest. But the shiny, new, extra-large, two-floor budget boutique has plenty of racks ripe for the picking, with overflowing shelves of knick-knacks, a coffee nook, a book shop and a basement full of sports gear and furniture finds, as well as a hardworking staff with an out-of-the-ordinary Baker vibe. Our favorite section, though, is the “Trends” rack, where some of the store’s best hand-me-downs hang. Anyone with a good imagination will know exactly what to do with these.

Shopping at Virgin Records for your music needs is, like, so mainstream. Take a hint from the folks at Suburban Home Records and the Vinyl Collective: Attend their Punk Rock Flea Market, which takes place on the second Saturday of each month from noon to 5 p.m. at the uber-hip 3 Kings Tavern, and browse the vinyl, used CDs and overstock T-shirts — not to mention the tables set up for bands, clothing shops, artists, fashion designers and more. While you shop, local musicians will add to the ambience with acoustic sets. And beer will be available, too. Oh, and there’s no cover charge. How punk-rock is that?

Chocoholics will eat anything that masquerades as the stuff: Hershey bars, M&M’s, the dust at the bottom of the Cocoa Puffs box. But connoisseurs pick and choose on a whole different level, a sublime level where only chocolateries like Wen Chocolates make the A-list. Here’s why it does: Artisan chocolatier William Poole starts his small-batch truffles with a base of fine, additive-free Guittard chocolate and cream. Then he fearlessly tosses in a pinch of paprika or chili powder, an infusion of black tea or a wicked dollop of bourbon, a hint of rosemary or chamomile, floral scents, whatever, rolls his old black magic into a mouthful and dusts the final product in an iridescent cloak of violet pearl dust or diaphanous edible gold. You won’t say “when” at Wen.

J.C. Penney might not be the first stop for fashionistas looking for the latest clothing trends, but the new Sephora inside the Northfield J.C. Penney is a great spot to pick up designer cosmetics and fragrances. While the selection is more limited than what you’ll find in Sephora’s stand-alone stores at FlatIron Crossing and Park Meadows, this location is the only one with a Denver address, and it’s just as generous with free samples as the other outlets. Bare Escentuals, Philosophy, Juicy Couture — all can be had in the handy little spot, along with the good quality and affordably priced Sephora brand.

When Robert Redford expanded the face of his Sundance catalogue phenomenon, where do you suppose he decided to open the flagship store? That’s right: Sundance fits our so-called Colorado lifestyle like a well-worn blue suede glove. Now we can shop for the rustic hand-crafted items, inspirational Jes MaHarry jewelry, earthy artisan shoes and laid-back clothing, vintage-look and recycled furniture, iron bedsteads and more at Park Meadows Shopping Center. Pack up yer saddlebags and mosey on in.

Whether it’s “Danny Boy” ye be needin’ or simply “Taps,” the Michael Collins Pipes and Drums ensemble (named for the father of the Irish Republic) can deliver, and their slogan says it all. Hire them on, whether you need cheerful, morose, danceable or mournful bagpipe music, with or without the rhythm section. As someone once said (we think it was “anon”): “Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter. Lullabies, dreams and love ever after. Poems and songs with pipes and drums. A thousand welcomes when anyone comes…that’s the Irish for you!”

Safari Seconds Thrift Store is filled with the usual array of second-hand bric-a-brac, from clothing and household items to dog-eared paperbacks and kitschy records just waiting to be swooped up by eagle-eyed collectors. Yet the proceeds from all sales benefit a population of people who find themselves displaced, much like the wares that line the shelves. The store backs the African Community Center, a lively, multicultural agency that supports refugees who have recently arrived in Denver from war-torn countries across the world, from Sudan and Somalia to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Shopping at Safari Seconds won’t stop the genocide in Darfur, but it will help provide basic services such as job training and housing assistance to a global host of individuals and families who now call Denver home.

In fashion as in life, you’ve got to look like money to make money. But how to address the catch-22 of clothing when you’re too broke to browse at a halfway decent store? At the Banana Republic Factory Store, a wallet-friendly wardrobe awaits even the lowliest corporate climber. The racks are lined with seasonal staples that bear a reasonable resemblance to the clothes at the “real” Banana, for about a third of the price. The clearance rack is an absolute treasure trove of cheap duds that will pass muster at any board meeting or job interview. It’s a quick fix for a closet crisis.

A committed bargain hunter — someone with more time than money — can turn up some real steals and deals at the Ross Dress for Less at Colorado Boulevard and Mexico Avenue. Although the deals are often hard-won — all the good stuff is hidden in with the junk — when you walk out with a new outfit, complete with accessories, for under $50, your time will have been well spent. This particular Ross store has a designated designer section and a great selection of name-brand clothing, shoes and purses. Yes, a $10 cashmere sweater can be found — if you’re willing to dig deep.

The brainchild of Denver’s self-appointed “thriftymamas” TaRosa Jacobs and Rebekah Adams, Thriftonista is an online clearinghouse for hard-to-find vintage apparel that the pair seeks out at estate sales and thrift stores. Jacobs and Adams, both new moms who met at a home-birthing class, clean up the clothing and post it online for a negotiable asking price. Each shipment comes wrapped with Thriftonista’s special brand of love — typically a package of kettle corn or a bunch of brownies.

When Lawrence Argent’s giant blue bear — the piece of public artwork officially known as “I See What You Mean” — first appeared outside the Colorado Convention Center, it inspired all sorts of brainstorms among local boosters. Dressing the people who were pushing the extension of the arts tax in blue bear costumes, for example. Draping the sculpture itself in a giant orange scarf to hype the Broncos’ season. There was just one snafu in all these schemes: The city owned the art, but not the rights to Argent’s image. Some better-late-than-never legal work took care of that, and so Denver is now able to sell, through city outlets, authorized 12″ and 16″ high versions of the big blue bear, already Denver’s most beloved icon (excluding John Elway). What? Were you expecting miniature models of “The Dancers”?

Forget your Cherry Creek cougar bars and your Whole Foods markets. They’ll work in a pinch, sure, but to get your pure, unadulterated MILF-gawk on, head to Glendale, because gathered at the SuperTarget, as though sucked there via MILF-specific wormholes, are throngs of the city’s choicest mamas, clad in their best pre/post-Pilates gear. At the Starbucks in the corner, perusing affordable picture frames or merely taking advantage of the store’s ability to peddle booze (unlike other area supermarkets), the MILFs here are as hot as they are consistent, proving that there really is something for everyone at SuperTarget.

When the Container Store announced that it would open a branch in Cherry Creek, we swear we heard a gigantic thud as thousands of urban neat freaks hit the floor and kowtowed to the gods in unison. For anyone who loves plastic storage boxes in dozens of sizes, kitchen gadgets galore, gift wrap and all its accoutrements, tiny compartments filled with even tinier compartments, sortable laundry bags and rainbow-colored plastic clothes hangers, there’s no better place to while away a Sunday afternoon, walking softly and pushing a big cart. Spring cleaning, anyone?

The pet project of Japanophiles Janene Hurst and Andrew Novick, Gimme Gimme Pillow Toast is no doubt the region’s premier purveyor of kawaii, which is short for “weird Japanese pop-culture cute stuff,” and caters to anyone entranced by that punked-out mix-and-mismatch Harajuku/gothic Lolita fashion sense. A hard-to-find cubbyhole on the artsy backside of Lakewood’s Belmar Center, GGPT is your go-to source for OH! Mikey mannequin dramas, half-and-half stuffed panda/rabbit dolls, totally tweenish Brace Face T-shirts, Gloomy Bear keychains, manga comics, chocolate-tipped Pocky treats and Hello Panda cream-filled cookies, devil monkey buttons and kung fu-fightin’ Bruce Lee candles (among other things). If you want it, come and get it.

Like the keystone of a bustling bridge, the corner spot of any neighborhood shopping district is the most important piece, and Mondo Vino has held up well at the intersection of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Boulevard since 1999, when sommelier Duey Kratzer opened for business. The elegant liquor store was one of the first of a new wave of shops and restaurants to revitalize Highland Square, and it has attracted throngs of customers with an upscale but accessible selection of beer, wine and spirits, and a staff that recognizes faces and is quick with a suggestion. Stop in for a bottle of something; you’ll leave with two.

Boulder’s Common Era store is a veritable gold mine of low-priced hipster threads, from technicolor jeans to frilly sequined tops to wide pleather belts and dangerously tall boots. Owner Debra Mazur’s vision is of a cheap, ever-changing inventory that you can’t find anywhere else in Colorado, so she buys exclusively from small East and West Coast manufacturers that specialize in limited clothing runs, which means that the unbelievable turquoise pants you came across this week probably won’t be there next week. Best of all, Mazur and her sales staff make all their jewelry by hand, giving Common Era the feel of a “fashion think tank.” And last summer, Mazur opened a second store at 1543 Platte Street in Denver, which means that shoppers here have an outpost nearby.

A perennial favorite among neighborhood shoppers seeking the unusual, 5 Green Boxes forged its reputation on a true sense of fancy. Handmade, imaginative, drenched in color, the wares at both the big and the little store (just a block apart) will speak to your different drummer, with merchandise ranging from a gossamer scarf to a boiled-wool patchwork chair. Give in to your daydreams.

Tennyson Hardware is the kind of folksy business every great community needs: Be-muraled on the north wall and stacked high inside with nails and such in floor-to-ceiling bins, it’s owned by the Kort family in a location that’s been dealing hardware for decades. Neighborhoods rule, and businesses like Tennyson Hardware are what keep them vital.

The personable partners of Bixa — Charles Pitchford and Darrel Dewitt — returned to Denver after a long stint in Aspen to open their tiny new storefront on Colfax. It’s named for Bixa Orellana (an Amazonian plant identified by its red-orange stones, better known as Annatto seeds), and for their so-monikered cat. But the front is painted purple, and that paradox is just one of the many rare delights this retail anomaly brings to the street. What’s in Bixa? It’s a biodynamic/recycled paradise, the future of the corner drugstore, where every item on every shelf is sustainable in some way, from the high-end (and beautiful) South African telephone-wire baskets to cheaper pleasures, including all-organic fruit-flavored hot-chocolate mixes and cinnamon cotton candy. But the core product of the store — which is divinely littered with bracelets made from linked lapel buttons, necklaces of rolled-paper beads, pop-top wallets, bottle cap lamps and aromatic rose syrup — comes from Intelligent Nutrients, offering organic and healthy “nutraceutical” foods and supplements, infused flower waters and more.

How convenient that, as it approached its 25th anniversary, the 16th Street Mall was extended! Ostensibly, it was to open up the area around Union Station, which will soon be a major development and transportation center. But as far as we’re concerned, the move was made so that the mall would lead directly to the Tattered Cover. With the giant Cherry Creek store now just a memory, the Tattered Cover LoDo is the oldest in the three-store Tattered chain, and we think it’s always been the best. First, there’s the setting, smack in the city’s hopping warehouse district, and the renovation of the Morey Mercantile into this bookstore kept the bones of the old building intact. Inside, the space is filled with a comfortable coffee shop and reading room, as well as two floors filled with books — and eager employees who’ll help you find what isn’t out on the shelves. And finally, there’s the second-floor lecture hall, where Tattered regularly hosts authors reading from their work and other noteworthy speakers. With such dedication to the private delights of reading and the value of public discourse, the Tattered Cover remains the heart and soul of not just downtown, but Denver.

For such a lively pedestrian strip, the 16th Street Mall has a paucity of shopping opportunities. This mile-long stretch is just one bad souvenir store after another, with the black-velvet monotony broken only by a couple of empty storefronts and chain discount operations. Still, you can’t return home empty-handed — so your best bet for a quick Colorado gift is Where the Buffalo Roam. This store carries all the usual T-shirts and shot glasses and gilded aspen-leaf keychains, but it also boasts a worthy selection of University of Colorado paraphernalia. And who wouldn’t appreciate a bright-orange hat courtesy of the Denver County Jail?

Tradition runs deep at Ed and Maro Dimmer’s Olde Town bakery, which has been an Arvada mainstay since their folks, Jakob and Katharina, opened it more than forty years ago. Along with the everyday, though hardly mundane, fare of butter-laden Bienenstich layered cookie pastries, iced linzer tarts, sticky buns, coffeecakes and rough-hewn homemade strudels stuffed with fruit and cheese, Rheinlander offers hot cross buns in spring and really shines during the holidays, when the siblings trot out a full arsenal of marzipan-laced stollens, nut-filled Polish potica rolls, springerle and pfeffernusse cookies and spiced lebkuchen gingerbread. Guten appetit!

No wonder it’s a winner for the second year in a row: Kate Feinsod of Pome has one of the most discerning eyes for vintage/shabby chic in town, and she’s constantly fine-tuning her little shop’s changing stock of old-fashioned ribbon, tin toys, art wrap and stationery, soaps, knitted cupcakes and gourmet olive oil with one-of-a-kind, well-crafted fashions and whimsies created, more often than not, by local designers and artisans. We’re simply in love with her Jil Cappuccio and Pearl clothing, Queen Bee appliquéd bags and the whole kit and kaboodle from Golden Pear, including hand-stitched vintage aprons for adults, little girls’ pinafores and kids’ apron kits for boys or girls, all packed up with a tiny hot pad and mitt in pink cake boxes. And look for Feinsod to revive the Side Street Shopping List (a promotional collaboration with other independent retailers) sometime this year. Way to go, Kate!

You may lose your luggage at Denver International Airport, but you’ll never lose your car. DIA’s public-parking-lot elves do their utmost to ensure that you’ll remember not only which of the eight overnight lots you parked in, but what row and spot, by handing you a reminder note as you embark on the airport shuttle. But should you lose that slip of paper and find yourself wandering among the Siberian SUV wilderness of the Mount Elbert lot, never fear. The elves log every car, by its license plate, into a database at night. Just call the lot’s emergency number to get your vehicle’s exact location. You really auto try it.

The Grand Hyatt Downtown is always looking for hotel packages that will make guests feel good, so when the hotel’s Maryann Yuthas came up with the idea for a self-guided Microbrew Walking Tour Package more than five years ago, it was a natural. And over the years, the tour has worked out well enough to keep the buzz going. The weekend package includes overnight accommodations, two pints each at the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery and the Wynkoop Brewing Company; one pint at Breckenridge Brewery; and one flight of beer and a 20 percent discount on beer and gear at Great Divide Brewing Company. “This really delivers Denver,” Yuthas says. Indeed it does.

A robot greets you in the lobby, the help encourages decision-making by way of rock-paper-scissors, you can buy vintage candy in the 5&Dime lobby shop, aural comedy snippets accompany you during your elevator ride (downside: slow elevators; upside: they’re funny once you hop aboard), and the themed levels — each floor is a paean to Big Hair, Sci-Fi, Chick Flick or some other pop category — are a laugh-out-loud cultural experience, though we dare ya to book a room on the thirteenth floor, where posters of horror heavies stare at you in the hallways. Dinner or a late-night bite is handy at the funky Corner Office, and you can even schedule a wake-up call from Mr. T. Kudos to Sage Hospitality Resources for bringing something different to the heart of downtown, in a handy location facing the Denver Performing Arts Complex. We pity the fool who doesn’t stay here.

Close enough to the urban core to be a short walk or free shuttle ride to downtown amenities, but far enough away to provide free parking, the Burnsley is a class act. The all-suite rooms are spacious, many with great views of the skyline — yet they’re half the cost of what you’d pay for a marble-lined broom closet just a few blocks away. The staff is friendly, the neighborhood calm, and the restaurant serves a killer Reuben, which makes this the perfect place to stash visiting relatives or tightwad business associates looking to live large but not too large.

Hotel Monaco pushes its pet-friendliness — a “goldfish companion” is available if you’re not traveling with your own furry pal. But it’s the treatment of the human clientele that really stands out, from the solicitous concierge to the evening wine hour to the on-premises Renaissance Aveda Spa & Salon to the top-flight meals at Panzano. It’s the kind of rose-petal-turndown place that builds a loyal following even among hardened business travelers and makes locals plan exotic weekend getaways in the heart of the city, of all places.

Getting a cab in this town is becoming harder by the week. If you want to get home from downtown at let-out on a weekend, you’d better be ready to walk — or wait. While you wait, you might as well walk to a place where taxis congregate. At the Grand Hyatt, cabs line up looking for fares. Even after a few company Christmas parties released hundreds of drunk employees armed with cab vouchers onto the streets on a Saturday night in December, it still took only minutes to claim a cab from the waiting line. A concierge was eagerly matching people who wandered into the hotel with their rides and letting others wait in the warm, plush chairs by the fireplace of the hotel’s cozy lobby. Even on a night when hotel staff is not feeling as festive and helpful, you’ve got a much better shot of catching a ride here than you do fending for yourself as part of the street crowd.

What’s a responsible, DUI-averting drunkard to do at 2 a.m., when repeat calls to Metro Taxi and Yellow Cab yield nothing but busy signals? Rather than join the drunken masses attempting to hail a cab from the sidewalk, try Freedom Cab. Freedom’s understated lavender taxis aren’t as fast or as flashy as those that boast the 3s and 7s. But the dispatchers usually answer on the first or second ring, and drivers tend to show up within ten minutes, even on busy Saturday nights. It’s the best call at last call.

Taxpayers spent millions building the Colorado Convention Center and floated millions more in bonds to pay for the Hyatt Regency Denver across the street. Now we know why: Their bathrooms are easily accessible and stay open late for anyone who’s been kicked out of a nearby bar, doesn’t want to use the alley, or needs a toilet quick. The first-floor loo at the convention center is usually open until 9 p.m. on weekend nights when something’s going on there. After that, use the always-clean privy (the concierge insists on calling it a “restroom” rather than a “bathroom”) in the Hyatt, which is in a spot where no one will notice that you’re not a guest. Talk about tax relief!

The Fabric Lab was getting so many requests for modified or custom-made clothing that it just made sense to open Made: A Custom Boutique, where customers can get the designs they want, in the size they want, on the item of clothing of their choice (T-shirt, men’s polo or suit jacket? That’s the question). The jewelry designers featured at the Lab were getting similar requests for weddings, other special events or just because, so they’re in on the boutique, too. The custom clothing and jewelry take about two weeks to create, start to finish, and are available at prices ranging from $20 to $150. Quite reasonable, considering no one but you will have the specific article of clothing or jewelry; it’s truly one-of-a-kind.

Leave it to Queen of Collectibles Dana Cain. When her boyfriend, artist Peter Illig, was scouring estate sales for vintage stereos, she was inspired to create the Vintage Voltage Expo. “It’s sort of like a cross between a vintage guitar show, a record show, an electronics flea market, an old audio store and a radio swap meet,” Cain explained last year. The first Expo was a complete success, featuring approximately 75 vendors and a contest area where collectors could show off pieces to win “voltage bucks.” Turntable demos and talks on subjects such as Nikola Tesla were also part of the mix. This year’s Vintage Voltage Expo is scheduled for Sunday, March 30, at the Ramada Plaza Convention Center in Northglenn.

BaggyShirts entrepreneurs Jan Ramos and Dana Miller will take the shirt right off your back to do their part for the environment, but in this case, that’s a good thing. Inspired by An Inconvenient Truth and producer Laurie David’s public challenge to pick just one thing to help the environment, they began recycling old men’s shirts into reusable shoulder totes that work equally well for groceries, gym togs, picnics or whatever. In this age of the rapidly disappearing plastic grocery bag, the dutiful duo picked a great place to start.

For parents with small children, there’s nothing as precious as a good babysitter. A commodity rarer than diamonds, they are coveted, fought over tooth and nail and meted out as special favors; if the kids actually like them, they’re locked away like a Fort Knox treasure. But if your best gal pals are hoarding theirs and the perfect au pair doesn’t conveniently live next door, what’s an R&R-deprived parent to do? Log on to MommyMixer and sign up for the next local event, that’s what. The national phenomenon, which debuted last year in Denver, is a speed-matching mixer, usually offered at a boutique (with discounted shopping on the side), where moms and dads and potential night-out nannies can meet, greet and strike up a working relationship.

We all need a good shopping bag these days, one that’s durable and pretty and won’t lose its cool when stuffed full of fresh produce. For one thing, it’s good for the environment, but where Mission Wear is concerned, it’s also good for the community: The nonprofit not only produces a pleasing selection of said bags from natural, organic and recycled fabrics, but it does so while providing jobs for former women convicts now trying to find their footing in the mainstream world.

A candy-colored beacon on Federal’s most run-down row, Canland Recycling Center is nothing short of magical. Wooden cutouts of blue cans with smiley faces flank the entrance to the family-owned center, while two kiddie rides from the old Elitch Gardens serve as flowerpots. Started by longtime recycler Ed Pearman thirty years ago, Canland accepts aluminum cans, copper, brass, magnesium and more, and pays you based on the weight of your goods. It’s like a real-life board game for the environmentally aware.

The best thing about the Cluttered Corner is that it’s just plain fun to go there. As co-owner Patrick Vigil likes to say, “We have everything, from antiques to Pier 1,” and that, along with the reasonable prices and the cheery personalities of Vigil and business partner Dorothy Bowie, is the real joy of perusing the shop’s ever-changing inventory of sumptuous sofas, bureaus, lamps, art and bric-a-brac. It’s all serendipity: You go in never knowing what to expect, and you come out, more often than not, with something you fell in love with at first sight. So maybe you didn’t need a beaded lamp shade or a set of green-bowled, red-stemmed champagne glasses, and you weren’t planning to leave wearing an Indiana Jones chapeau. What the heck? This stuff all has nine lives, but you only live once.

Willow’s recent move from a side street to bigger, more accessible digs on Littleton’s main drag couldn’t have made us happier. It means that there’s more of everything we already loved about the fine crafts palace: Nina Sampsel’s richly colored boiled-wool creations, tie-dyed kids’ T-shirts with decorative stitching, Sean Brown’s cartoony-cute ceramic animal pins, reclaimed and hand-painted handbags, belts and shoes, and lace- and bead-embellished evening bags made from molded bra cups. Not to mention an omnibus of jewelry by a handpicked stable of artisans, including Englewood bead genius Jane Albright’s delicate woven bracelets and hair sticks, Kim Bonsall’s pick-and-choose fused glass beads, expandable cha-cha bracelets hung with beads and charms, and the indescribable works of Leslie Gaines, who weaves together bits of fringe and trim, chunky glass beads, orbs of wool and odd ornaments. Fun and funky!

No one in her right mind would ever describe a routine mammogram as fun, but the folks at Porter Adventist’s Breast Care Center do their very best to make it as pleasant — and easy — as possible. From the close-in free parking to the pamper-y dressing room, Porter strikes the perfect balance of workmanlike efficiency and gentle care. The procedure itself takes all of fifteen minutes, administered by skilled technicians using state-of-the-art digital equipment. Porter sends the results to both you and your doctor, and you’re off the hook until next year — when you’ll get a convenient reminder in the mail.

Brewing coffee smells so good in the morning; the scent alone can take the edge off your sleepiness. And now there’s another reason to perk up: Brothers David and Michael Hartkop have created Solar Roast Coffee, which uses patent-pending solar roasters, organic beans and is 100 percent carbon-neutral in its roasting. When the sun isn’t shining, Solar Roast uses a standard shop roaster but purchases carbon-offset credits from solar-energy providers around the country. You can purchase the coffee online in sample packs, specially crafted blends, or single-origin organics. Go ahead, have another cup.

Cute, reusable coffee-cup sleeves may seem like the next obvious step in our eco-minded, coffee-fueled world, but it took a woman like Marilyn Wells to make it happen. A seamstress with a degree in home economics, Wells worked for years making costumes for Denver-based films like Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead. But a couple of years ago, this thrifty single mom was looking for a new project and noticed how much paper she wasted every time she bought a coffee to go. Using a few scraps of fabric and two strips of Velcro, she created a miniature quilt to wrap around her cup, and her company, Cup Cozee, was born. Wells now distributes the sleeves to five Denver shops, including Cafe Europa, Devil’s Food and the Tattered Cover. The intricately stitched cozies go for $12 apiece or $20 for two. Sugar, cream and a cozee, please.

CU math instructor Delsie Khadem-Ghaeini noticed that most women, including herself, seemed to prefer a stretched-out T-shirt and shorts to most of the overpriced, body-squishing fitness wear out on the market. So she put two and two together and came up with VivaDiva, a comfortable, wearable women’s sportswear line that she “re-engineered,” as the scientific Khadem-Ghaeni likes to say, rather than designed. Fashioned from moisture-wicking and anti-microbial yarns, the resulting tops and bottoms are ultra simple, functional and roomy without being frumpy, and they come in solid colors that anyone can live with.

Everybody’s got a gimmick, it seems, and you might just dismiss this as another one. But Clean Air Lawn Care really does seem to care, in all-electric spades: The Fort Collins-based company, which boasts franchises in Denver, Boulder and across the nation, sticks to the plan by using low-emission equipment, including electric mowers and gardening gadgets, as well as biodiesel trucks fitted with mobile solar panels for recharging equipment in the field. And to compensate for emissions it can’t help, the service goes the extra mile by purchasing carbon offsets from partner company Juice Energy. What goes around comes around.

Patricia Branstead, the master printer, papermaker, book artist and teacher of all paper-related skills under the sun, opened Kozo Fine Art Materials just so those of you who can spend an entire day in a paper shop would have something to do. The swinging poster frames in Kozo display an amazing array of handmade papers, from delicate, translucent white-on-white patterned Japanese Hakusen papers and semi-transparent Thai mulberry sheets to bark-pulp Nepali Lokta papers that come crinkled, tie-dyed, or embedded with leaves and flowers. Branstead offers $10-a-packet scrap assortments if you’re having trouble confining yourself to just one pattern; the general art-supply section of the store also offers Charbonnel inks, printing plates, papermaking kits, gifts and much more. Set aside a day — or a week — to leaf through Kozo’s stock.

Hip, urban kids need hip, urban clothes if they’re going to walk the chi-chi streets of Cherry Creek with their heads held high. To that end, Stylelicious, which opened late last spring, is on top of its style, carrying a variety of modern looks for wee tykes. For girls, there are bright geometrics and prints from Flowers by Zoe; fancy dresses by Sister Sam; gossamer girly dresses bedecked with ribbons and lace and sportswear in fantastic fabrics by Little Mass; and tie-dye ensembles by Out of Control. For boys, there are graphic tees, board shorts and hoodies by Charlie Rocket or Wes & Willy and tees with vintage-look graphics by JB Original. And everyone with a sense of humor will go head over heels for Paul Frank’s Small Paul line, featuring the iconic monkey Julius and other Frank fabrications. Hey, kid, look sharp!

If you’re a vegan facing a footwear dilemma, there’s no longer any need to sacrifice your sense of style in deference to your pro-animal scruples: At Ahimsa Footwear, every shoe is vegan from heel to toe and surprisingly easy on the eyes (as well as the budget). Opened last year by wayward epidemiologist Lisa Young and her husband, Phil, Ahimsa (named for the Buddhist tenet of non-violence) stocks footwear and other leather-like goods for every occasion, all fashioned from natural and/or recycled materials. Our favorites on the floor include Blackspot “unswoosher” high-tops by Adbusters (Bohemian sport shoes made of hemp with a recycled tire sole), woven flax macramé boots by Earth, demure vegan ballerinas with decorative stitching by Rina Shah and delicious faux-suede Medusa artisan pumps by Ragazzi, as well as funky bags from Matt and Nat and messengers by Splaff Flopps, all of which leave the store in recycled-paper shopping bags.

Cheap and chic, that’s how we like our shoes, and that’s how we get them at Sous le Lit, where the latest thing in fine footwear fits every budget. Offering such young, trendy brands as Restricted, Report, Chinese Laundry and Blowfish, as well as classics like Nina, Sous le Lit (which means “under the bed” in French) proffers the style of a California girl, with lots of peep-toed, strappy pumps in bright colors, sling-backs, vegan shoes and dainty skimmers. To finish the look, there are lots of big bags and bling belts, too. Stroll on in — the shoe fits.

Favorite shoes are too important to toss away at the first sign of trouble, and the pros at Cobbler’s Corner have managed to rebuild plenty of seemingly exhausted footwear. Plus, the prices are reasonable and the repair work is friendly and speedy; in many cases, new heels can be put on while you wait. And although Cobbler’s Corner can also be found in Greenwood Village and the Cherry Knolls Shopping Center, we’re partial to the one on 17th Street. Downtown used to be full of hardworking small businesses; it’s good for the sole to know this one is still around.

“Free toys.” There might not be a better combination of words in the English language (and that includes “open bar”). Just the thought of such an extravagance sends children — and their parents — into paroxysms of delight. Amazingly, such a thing actually exists, courtesy of the Denver Toy Library at the Denver Public Library’s Smiley branch. Three times a week, the volunteer operation in the library’s basement unlocks its stash of hundreds of toys, games and puzzles geared to ages zero to eight, as it’s done for more than two decades, and the place turns into a romper room. Thankfully, you can check out three toys and take them home with you. Now, about that open bar…

Walking into DisRespectacles is a little like entering the Twilight Zone. Spooky glass eyeballs and vintage optometry equipment dot the room; you half-expect a depraved old doctor to appear holding a pair of bloody tongs. In reality, though, the staff is friendly and eager to help you navigate the wide selection, which includes everything from rhinestone-studded Elton John peepers to your ubiquitous black square specs. The store, which boasts two New York locations, has been featured in a number of national magazines, outfitting celebrities such as Lauren Bush and Chris Kattan. Best of all, DisRespectacles’ retro appeal goes beyond the decor, with dozens of vintage glasses culled from collectors. It’s a vision to behold.

There are flowers and then there are flowers — the sort that transport you to another time and place with their alluring placement or hint of exotic scent. Jil Schlisner of Moss Pink deals in the latter, designing elegant bouquets with an eye for both the unusual and the delicate, which might mean a prickly thorn apple will be juxtaposed with a fragrant rose, or a gentle fall of jasmine peeks from between artichoke-like protea blossoms. Right now, you’re as likely as not to walk into Moss Pink and find beautiful golden and pink ranunculus, waxen hyacinths and striped tulips befitting an Old Master still life — but that varies, as Schlisner hand-picks every blossom daily. Walk in and vase the consequences.

Cowtown-ish downtown Golden became a lot more exotic with the unveiling of Paprika. A belly-dance studio and a boutique, the place is one continuous magic carpet ride of slinky, jingly stuff, including reversible sari silk wrap skirts, voluminous harem pants, Gypsy gear and sparkly Rajasthani mirror belts, as well as a thousand and one nights’ worth of djembes, doumbeks and sexy shakers, bells and gongs for keeping the beat.

Something about searching through the Denver Public Library’s online database of 120,000 digitized historic images is like wielding a jerry-rigged fusion of Google and Mr. Peabody’s trusty Waybac Machine. Whether it’s photos of bombed-out gangster cars from the 1920s, close-ups of decorations on Mattie Silk’s famous brothel, vistas of the curious pre-World War II swastikas that once graced business signs downtown, or a glimpse of your Capitol Hill neighborhood a hundred years ago, the web-based catalogue allows anyone easy access to intriguing nuggets of historical trivia.

First dates can be tricky: Bars are loud, dinner leaves time for awkward silences, and movies aren’t conducive to getting to know someone. But a cooking class is the perfect mix of talk and action. At Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, you can bond over the hands-on task of preparing food while mingling with the rest of the class. At the end, you enjoy the gourmet meal you created — classic French or Italian cuisine are among numerous choices — with a relaxing glass of wine. And with forty classes teaching technique as well as recipes, you can come back for a second, or even a third, date.

Yes, we know that Rockmount Ranchwear has been making serious clothes for decades. Cowboys didn’t just snap up those Western shirts with the snap buttons invented by founder Jack A. Weil because they wanted to look good (although they did); the shirts were comfortable, too. And for more than fifty years, the wholesale business kept Rockmount hopping. But a half-dozen years ago, this longtime family business decided to let everyone in on the secret, opening their LoDo building to retail trade and remodeling the ground-floor space into the coolest-looking store in town. In the process, Rockmount created Denver’s single must-stop shop for souvenirs. Japanese tourists, British rock stars and conventioneers from Omaha alike all flock to Rockmount to pick up a tie or scarf with real Western art, a pair of cowboy boots, a hat, a shirt — or all of them, several times over. But you don’t need to be a visitor to like Rockmount; this is how the West was worn.

“There’s a lot of magic involved with time travel,” says Valerie Griffin, who first became entranced with costumery at the age of six, when her grandmother made an opulent southern-belle gown for her cat. As she grew up, Griffin did theater costumes for school plays; later, she worked the Halloween season in a shop in Arvada. Today she dances to her own piper when it comes to costume-making, and her creations usually start with reconstituted thrift-store finds that, with a little of the aforementioned magic and some guidance from antique patterns, she transforms into the Civil War-era, Cleopatra or Sergeant Pepper’s garb she sees in her head. Give Griffin some time and space and she’ll come up with whatever it is you need — or rent something from her private collection. It’s dress-up at its best.

With the cliff-diving and flame-throwing, the gorilla and the caves, the venerable Mexican restaurant Casa Bonita is all about the experience. So why not get a group of friends together to pose for a souvenir to remember it — like an Old West photo? It sounds like a great idea…until you realize what you’ve signed up for. If you’re a lady, the photographer hands you a skirt and a corset and sends you behind a curtain. With maybe two feet between the curtain and the wall and even less room between you and your friends, you have to change. It’s hot, and you’re full from that last sopaipilla you shouldn’t have eaten, and now you have to squeeze into a corset. For the full effect, you have to take off what you’re wearing, which makes you wonder how often they wash this corset you’re about to put against your bare skin. And while you’re complaining, a crowd of children gathers to be entertained by your plight. “Is this part of the show?” they ask, laughing as you step out from behind the curtain. Luckily, the photographer wants serious faces, because you can no longer muster a smile. Now, say cheese.

Every dog trainer this side of Cesar Millan knows that most of the job is about training the owners; even so, some mutts need a lot more whispering than others. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley offers a wide range of programs for different needs, from introductory workshops on “dog learning styles” to courses on puppy socialization and how to acclimate Shep to the arrival of a new baby. Most impressive, though, are the “Grumpy Growler” classes for those struggling with aggressive canines. Run by two instructors, limited to six dogs per session and costing $150 for a six-week course, this is no walk in the park. But it’s cheaper than a lawsuit, and graduates swear by the results.

When Fancy Tiger’s divergent Bohemian personalities — Matthew Brown’s hipster boutique and Jaime Jennings’s DIY craft center — spread to a second location across the street from the original one, a good thing got better. It means more funky clothing, trendy graphic T-shirts, messenger bags and smart jeans in the new space, and an expanded selection of yarns, hip kits and fabulous, modish print fabrics for blooming do-it-yourselfers at the original. This tiger now has room to show its stripes.

Not only can artsy types Tran and Josh Wills turn out a mighty fine screenprint, but they can sure run a business. The Fabric Lab, an eclectic shop featuring locally designed clothing, accessories and handbags, is going strong at 3105 East Colfax, has sparked a couture renaissance along this once-stagnant strip. There’s the Big Hairy Monster hair salon; the Willses’ new cupcake and design emporium, the Shoppe; Jen Garner’s Neopolitan gallery; and the urban vinyl store Plastic Chapel. And just up the street, at 2907 East Colfax, is Newspeak, a tattoo, apparel and art-supply business dreamed up by the folks at Indy Ink clothing store and Brave New World tattoo parlor; next door, Bad Kitty Salon proffers killer hairstyles and local art. Recently, the proprietors of these like-minded businesses have started throwing art-based block parties on the second Saturday of each month. Here comes the neighborhood.

Divine Feline is a true labor of love: Begun in 2003 with a donated van by veterinarians Susanna Russo and Erica Rambus, the mobile cat clinic delivers spay/neuter services and vaccinations to those living in the disenfranchised feral colonies of urban catdom, the lowly alley cats who are often so untouchable that it would be impossible to trap them and get them into a regular clinic. In cahoots with the Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance, the gallant pro bono professionals also seek out and work to socialize and find homes for feral kittens, sometimes with assistance from at-risk youth from the Bridge Project. And as for the incorrigible, they can now live long and prosper with help from Divine Feline — without reproducing. A spay a day keeps the kittens away.

Let’s be honest about the reason we hate grocery shopping: It’s people. They’re blocking the soup, cutting in line at the deli and shouting into cell phones while their kids come dangerously close to flipping carts over on themselves. Anyone who has ever shopped at the Glendale SuperTarget on a weekend knows this scenario well. But there’s another, lesser-known SuperTarget that’s a near-replica of its Glendale counterpart — except it’s totally deserted. Once you get over that initial shock, you realize that in the SuperTarget at Northfield Stapleton, you’ve stumbled into your own personal grocery store. No one in line at the deli, almost no sound except for the buzzing of the freezer cases and a handful of other shoppers wearing wide smiles of amazement.

What a bright idea: An ER for dentistry. The brainchild of founding owner Dr. Kate Hakala, who was inspired after a visit with her injured dog to an emergency vet hospital, 911 is a walk-in clinic that’s open precisely when other dentists aren’t: All day on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and — omigod! — holidays, as well as weeknights from 5 to 9 p.m., right in tune with your inopportune chipped teeth, lost crown or nagging toothache that can’t wait for an appointment. Dental 911 will also follow up with your regular dentist to make certain any job started is finished; if you don’t have one, the office will schedule an appointment there for any ensuing treatment you might need. And, like any hospital worth its salt, they’ll take credit cards, bill your insurance or open a line of credit for you if you qualify. Stop your moaning: Relief is on the way.

It’s easy to put on airs at most open-studio art classes. Think classical music, a perfectly still model and a slew of pretentious artists poised behind their easels. Not at Rene Farkass’s class. Denver’s longest-running figure-drawing course is held in a slumped brick building that doubles as Farkass’s art storage space and features a number of his large, colorful “naked lady” paintings. There you’ll doodle to indie tunes or ambient rock while the models strike five-, ten- and twenty-minute poses. The artists — amateurs, retired art teachers and a few Denver greats — sit on small wooden chairs, rising during the breaks for a cookie, a cup of milk or a quick chat with Farkass, who is as flamboyant as his paintings. The classes run from 7 to 10 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and cost just $8 a pop, plus a tip for the model, which means that even starving artists can afford to attend.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes were present at the Mass Dog Wedding at Aspen Grove last May. In fact, the event — a benefit for the Denver Dumb Friends League — was a real howler. Participating pooches had to be at least six months old (no teen pregnancies here!), current with all vaccinations and on a leash. Prior to the ceremony, dogs without partners had the opportunity to speed-date to find that special furry someone. Comedian Ben Kronberg officiated at the wedding itself, which was followed by the cutting of a massive cake. Vendors and booths with displays on pet adoption and pet care riddled the parking lot, and all brides and grooms received veils and bow ties. It was certainly a sight to see, doggone it.

This little imports store has trekked through town more times than a Himalayan sherpa, from lower Highland to the Lincoln-Broadway corridor, up to Estes Park and back to Broadway, where it recently reopened. But a vagabond nature is part of the charm at Nepali Bazaar, where the wares — incense, embroidered wall hangings and printed curtains, Buddhist thangkas, comfy wrap skirts, hand-painted tie-dyed patchwork tees and huge, pretty Indian fabric sling bags — seem to have leapt straight out of a market in Kathmandu, casting a colorful aura over a typical Midwestern day. Namaste!

Just a few years ago, the most romantic thing going on East Colfax was the Kitty’s on Clarkson Street. That changed when the Tattered Cover and Twist & Shout moved into the former Lowenstein Theater complex. Recent additions have transformed the once-abandoned block into a stimulating spot — and an ideal place to break the ice on a first date. The Tattered Cover’s coffee and comfortable chairs provide the setting for a get-to-know-you chat, while Encore Restaurant, with its low lighting and extensive wine list, is a nice noshing option. If things go well, take in a movie on one of Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Cafe’s canoodle-friendly couches. And if things don’t go well, you can always ease the pain with a little browsing at the record store. The place is much more telling — and a lot more fun — than an eHarmony compatibility profile.

The sign in the window at On a Lark says it all: “Loiter,” it invites, and there are lots of reasons to do so when you walk into Janice McClure’s homey, way-off-Broadway handmades haven. Formerly home to a laundromat, the hideaway is now draped with knit gossamer web shawls with metallic accents, old-fashioned quilts and throws, yellow knit double-breasted baby hoodie sweaters, a library of vintage children’s books, as well as coffee cozies, quilted pincushions, Kewpie pillows, and cross-stitched aprons from another era, some old and some made by local artisans. Now that Wash Perk has reopened next door, On a Lark is the perfect destination for a lazy afternoon of lattes and shopping.

Women flock to downtown Littleton for this recurring event, where a $10 wristband entitles participants to a bagful of free samples, snacks and drinks, coupon books and a chance to check out all that the area’s lively retail merchants have to offer. An open house, neighborhood stroll and gentle evening out all rolled up into one big night, the original Sample Tours have been such a success that this May the concept will spread to Littleton’s sister historic shopping districts, including Old South Pearl and Gaylord streets, Olde Town Arvada and downtown Golden, for a mass metro-area spree. Choose your poison, ladies.

San Francisco’s loss is Denver’s gain: When Jil Cappuccio packed up her vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machine to move here, she brought a whole new flavor to the fashion scene. We especially like Jil’s easy-going menswear — untucked, swingin’ Neal Cassady shirts for guys and tiki prints for little boys (Jil has two boys of her own) — but she clearly understands the needs of the common woman. Her arsenal of real-women’s apparel includes loose, boxy, impeccably lined and tailored jackets in fun prints; equally well-stitched, lined market bags; trademark shifts that can be worn jumper style over jeans in the winter and by themselves in the summer; A-line skirts with patch packets; and singular coats like you wouldn’t believe, sewn in fake fur, wool houndstooth and other off-the-wall fabrics. She also carries clothes by a shortlist of other local designers (Lele Knitwear’s folkloric separates, modern originals by Garden Girl, and sweetly restructured sweaters and blouses by Kirsten Coplans, embellished with huge buttons and contrasting rickrack), all of which fits together in a pretty patchwork in Jil’s tiny nook off Colfax.

Here’s where you’ll find sexy, swingy, swanky modern clothes for the skinny in you: slinky graphic tees, contemporary artisan looks, fabulous hippie bags, recycled masterpieces and even menswear and ultra-cute urban baby gear, all neatly hung around this little neighborhood shop in a house. But behind the pretty prêt-à-porter, there’s another angle to the place, which is lit by energy-efficient bulbs and strives to carry lines that give back to the community by donating to charities or by using sustainable materials. Every purchase leaves the store in recycled wrappings, and that’s an idea we can really dig: Unity is one clean, green machine.

Given the popularity of such Internet resources as Freecycle and Craigslist, it was only a matter of time until someone created something like Zwaggle. It just so happens that the mastermind behind the site is a Denver resident. Here’s how it works: When you sign up for Zwaggle, you receive Zwaggle points (known as “Zoints”) by offering your kids’ gently used items — clothes, cribs, toys, whatever — to other families. You can then use your Zoints to fill up all the space you cleared out in your closet. Does the kid who outgrew his old cleats need a new pair? Find some on Zwaggle; they’ll be shipped to you via FedEx, or, if the person donating the item is local, you can arrange a time to meet. You can even donate your Zoints to charity. Now, that’s Zantastic!

Think of it as a gossip circle — one that’s several hundred strong. Highlands Mommies is far from the only neighborhood association around, but it stands out from the pack due to its size — at last count it included at least 500 northwest Denver mothers, most with pre-kindergarten-age children — and its keen use of the Internet. On their website, members have access to pages upon pages of recommended businesses (date-night venues, schools, day camps, child care, home contractors and health-care options are just a handful of the topics), and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you can fire off an e-mail to the HM mailing list — “Quick! I need to find the best mimosa in the neighborhood, RIGHT NOW!” — and within hours you’ll have a friendly suggestion or twelve. If only the gals on Wisteria Lane had such a resource.

Did you ever stop to ponder what causes that icky dry-cleaning smell? The main chemical culprit is perchloroethylene, a central-nervous-system depressant and carcinogen known to cause skin irritation, dizziness, headache, confusion, nausea, liver and kidney damage, unconsciousness and death. Now, that’s something we all want next to our skin, right? Revolution Cleaners wants to change the way we dry-clean our clothes: In place of the perilous perc, Revolution uses reclaimed, toxin-free liquid CO2, a chemical that’s easier on the environment, your body, your nose and even your clothes. The cleaner also uses hemp laundry bags and wind energy in its stores and fills up its delivery vans with biodiesel. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” The shoe fits, and so will your sweaters.

It’s springtime again, which means it’s time for everybody’s least-favorite activity: spring cleaning. As if scouring the house from top to bottom weren’t daunting and un-fun enough, the cleaning products available in the supermarket tend to not be so great for the environment — or you, for that matter. And if you’ve got babies crawling around on the floor, using chemical-laden liquids might even be dangerous. That’s where the Natural Cleaning Products class at MoonDance Botanicals comes in. For $20, learn to make your own herbal products that will clear your home of just as much dust and dirt as the hard-core grocery-store stuff but will keep you and your family much healthier. The class includes the main ingredients you need to tackle the most difficult cleaning issues, plus you’ll create an all-purpose aromatherapeutic cleanser and a softly abrasive scrub. Clean is in.