GOOD TO KNOW

HELPFUL NEWS, IDEAS, AND TIPS FOR COLORADO PARENTS

The Penguins Have a New Home!

A new and improved penguin habitat opened at the Denver Zoo on September 30. Although endangered in their native range, 18 African penguins now have a safe (and quite posh) place to call home. The Pinnacol African Penguin Point habitat features a 10,000-gallon pool for swimming, wave machine, multiple burrows and nest boxes, and surfaces that mimic the birds’ Cape of Good Hope origins. Zoo guests have access to 40 feet of underwater viewing space. denverzoo.org —Kara Thompson

Submit Creative Works to the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Does your kid dream of making a name for themselves in the arts? Students enrolled in seventh through 12th grade (and at least 13 years old) are invited to enter their work in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national competition dating back to 1923 with famed alumni including Andy Warhol, Ken Burns, and Amanda Gorman.

Works with themes in current events, grief, human-caused climate change, and political or social issues are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. Tuition to summer programs and higher education are also available. Selections from each year's national medalists are featured in exhibitions throughout the country.

Grace Abboud, a Boulder-based artist, won a national Silver Medal award and a $200 scholarship to the CU Denver LYNX National Arts and Media Camp for her fashion entry last year. Then an eighth grader, Abboud repurposed hot tub covers to create a jacket, top, and skirt outfit called “Hand-Me-Down Hot Tubs.” Using a sewing machine and weaving small cut strips into the jacket, she created an intricate patterned look.

“I take pride in the fine details because it makes a piece that is much more interesting to me as a designer and to others viewing my work,” Abboud says. “I understand that this approach is much more difficult, but to me it's always worth it to take the harder path and get better results.”

Interested students can enter through the Scholastic website. The deadline for writing works is December 6, and art works is January 6. Regional winners will be announced in late January, 2022. artandwriting.org

—Anna Sutterer

Boulder teen Grace Abboud won a national Silver Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing awards fashion category for her garment skillfully crafted from recycled hot tub covers. Business owner and mother of 5, Cheriece Peterson, creates natural products for hair and skin.

Moisturizer for the Whole Body and Whole Family

Seven years ago, shortly after transitioning her hair from relaxed to coily, Denver-based mother of five Cheriece Peterson found that many commercial products, besides being expensive, also had potentially harmful ingredients. She researched how to make her own, and launched Natural Urbanity. Peterson’s hair and body products never contain petroleum, paraben, phthalates, or mineral oil. They do include lavender, rosemary, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powders.

“[Consumers] should feel confident that the natural product they are using has all of the good stuff and none of the bad,” Peterson says.

Because the winter can be particularly harsh on the skin and scalp, Peterson recommends using the Butter Creme, Butter Love, and Triple Butter Lip Balm this season, which are safe for all ages to use. While her hair products were designed mainly for the coily and curly community, the Herbal Hair Tea helps bring all hair back to normal pH levels, and the Herbal Hair Oil helps soften and seal in moisture.

Gift sets and custom products are available for the holidays. Customers can add personalized wording on the labels and choose from a variety of natural scents on certain products. naturalurbanity.com/shop —Anna Sutterer

This fall’s Service Saturday in Metro Denver is on November 6, and includes a morning meetup for doughnuts and a celebratory lunch to finish the day. Families interested in volunteering should reach out to A Little Help. alittlehelp.org/ServiceSaturdays

Give a Little Help This Fall

Falling leaves are piling up and seasonal plants are toppling over…and many older adults in the Denver metro area are struggling to tackle their autumn yard work. That’s where the volunteers from the Denver-based nonprofit, A Little Help, step in to lend a hand. Like a team of service superheroes, families and groups don their work gloves to support their older neighbors with chores like raking, decluttering, window washing, trimming bushes, and gutter cleanup. These Service Saturdays, held twice a year, are open to anyone who would like to volunteer, including teens and kids (those under 13 must be accompanied by an adult). Service Saturday volunteers help older adults with home and yard chores.