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denverselflove · 4 years

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My baby Clover does a lot for me, so I try to treat her when I can! 🐶 Or to be more specific...@threedogbakerydenver did, with a LOT of awesome goodies! . . I can not believe I had never heard of this place before. It’s like a dog food utopia, but instead of being filled with unhealthy junk snacks, it’s filled with yummy, fresh baked treats with all of the healthy ingredients right in front of yo face! AND they have homemade frozen/cold treats, which I love getting Clove because it’s something really different for her! . . Next time I go in, I’m going to take her so I can see what she wants to pick out for herself. ❤️ . . They even made her a customized dog treat! (Which she gobbled up)- go check them out!! I know where she’s getting her birthday cake from this year 🧁🍰🎂 . . #denver #denvercolorado #den #denverdog #denverbakery #threedogbakery #threedogbakerydenver #treatyoself #treatyopet #treatyodog #mansbestfriend #homemadedogtreats #homemadedogfood #freshbaked #frozentreats #denverfrozentreats #coloradobusiness #denverbusiness #supportlocal #supportdenver #supportdenverlocal #smallbusiness #denversmallbusiness #dogfun #pupfun #denverdoglovers #denverdogtrainer #denverfood #denverfoodie #denverfoodscene (at Denver, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBY95BRl4AG/?igshid=1ls9aoau27xug

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denverselflove · 4 years

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It’s a beautiful day for a beautiful sight ❤️ . . If you decide to go on this adventure today, check out my quick tips for where to park, what to bring, and how to find it 🌷 . . Denverselflove.com Link in my bio . . #coloradosights #coloradosightseer #boulder #bouldercolorado #boulderco #lookout #303 #denveroutdoors #boulderoutdoors #mountains #mountainscape #highaltitude #beautiful #beautifulsights #beautifulsight #enjoytheoutdoors #enjoythemoment #enjoythemoments #sightseeing #getoutside #getoutsideandplay #getoutsidemore #getoutanddrive #getoutdoors #quarantineactivities #quarantine #daytrip #boulderdaytrip #coloradotrip #denvertrip (at Lost Gulch Lookout) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0b0IcFBoR/?igshid=k2bfpolodxlz

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denverselflove · 4 years

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I am beyond impressed with @littlemanicecreamfactory 🙏🏽🙏🏽 they have adapted to the situation and are putting their customers’ and employee’s safety first! . It looked as though they were washing their hands in between EVERY person served, they wore gloves and masks, they had stickers out to show you exactly where to stand (and you could definitely tell it was 6 feet!), signs everywhere to explain their new policies, and they are requiring masks in order to be served. . Thanks Little Man Ice Cream for having delish flavors AND making me feel comfortable to travel out for a yummy shake 🥰 . I got a milkshake with vanilla and salted PB cup mixed together and then a large cup of cookie dough and salted Oreo for later 🤤😜 . #denvericecream #littlemanicecream #coloradoicecream #safetyfirst #proud #thankyou #coloradostrong #denverstrong #icecream #milkshake #bombassicecream #denverfoodie #denverfood #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #supportsmallbusinesses #denverdesserts #masks #wegotthisdenver #sloanslake #quarantinedessert #quarantinelife #staysafe #1000todoindenver #denveractivity #denversweets #yummy #nocalories #coloradosweets #protectingmyfamily (at Denver, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyzAo0FZX_/?igshid=1wup4y2xzwffh

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denverselflove · 4 years

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I think it looks pretty nifty 😊 . . NEW LOOK! . . More content coming soon ❤️ . . #denver #denverblog #denverblogger #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #denvercolorado #denverco #denverlove #denverstrong #wegotthisdenver #colorado #coloradomentalhealth #denvermentalhealth #coloradolove #denveractivities #denverfoodie #denverfood #303 #303eats #303fun #303adventures #denveradventures #mystory #mentalhealthjourney #fightthestigma #suicideprevention #anxiety #anxietyrelief #depressionrelief (at Denver, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAejcKSJpcG/?igshid=u0ox8c6msezb

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denverselflove · 4 years

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CINCO DE MAYO Calls For… A Pomegranate Margarita Smith Island Cake!

I’ve always been a food lover, to a fault, but it makes me feel better when I’m down. I’m currently working on trying to eat healthier alternatives to the sweets I require to boost my mood, but for holidays, I love creating cakes!

Cinco de Mayo is looking very different this year. Instead of getting drunk with all of your friends out at the bars (my friends and I used to call this holiday Cinco de ShitShow, for good reasons), now everyone will be getting drunk by themselves or with their roommates/animals/lovers/family/whoever the heck else is in your home.

What better idea for a cake than a delicious drink that is popular on this holiday?

Introducing…. the Pomegranate Margarita Smith Island Cake!

Mmmmm… look at dem layers. Julien was quick to point out that I def put more pomegranate filling in the top two layers, but hey, I had extra leftover and didn’t want to waste any! And it tastes good, so who cares! He did love the cake though, and he normally doesn’t like pomegranate anything.

Also, peep my background and props! I’m still learning how to make food look super pretty.

Baking is something that I often do to help myself feel better. There’s something about creating a recipe that ends up tasting delicious and your family loves. I show my love my doing things for those I care about, so I love to provide Jules with yummy food! Sometimes, if the recipe is difficult, cooking and baking can have the adverse effect and make me super irritable and anxious. But that’s more likely with cooking than with baking.

To me, self care is allowing yourself to enjoy certain activities that may seem trivial and making the most of the time you spend doing those activities. Self care is giving yourself the opportunities to feel good about yourself and do something nurturing, whether for yourself or for others.

If you want to feel like your outside on a beautiful beach, drinking a pomegranate cocktail, you may want to try this!

The base for the cake layers I use in my Smith Island Cakes is from Sally’s Baking Addiction, just changed a little bit! Due to everyone buying a thousand of everything possible at the store, there was/is a major shortage of all purpose flour. I used cake flour instead and added 6 extra tablespoons (I looked online and it said to add more cake flour if subbing for all purpose).

I like using this recipe because it calls for buttermilk, an ingredient that definitely helps counterbalance the overall sweetness from the cake and ganache! Then, depending on the kind of cake I’m trying to make, I doctor up the base a bit. For this cake in particular, I added Topo Chico Carbonated Mineral Water with a Twist of Lime. This gave the cake a slight lime flavor and the carbonation made the cake lighter and airier. The slight bitterness of the mineral water gave the cake the taste that there was some tequila in there =D

For the filling, I used a pomegranate topping recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen as my base and then doctored this up too. I made about 2.5x what the recipe called for since there are so many layers!

First off, I didn’t use actual pomegranate seeds in the filling because I didn’t want people to have to crunch through my cake. But, then again, I’ve never cooked the seeds down, so maybe they soften and you don’t even notice- who knows. Anywho, I used POM wonderful juice, which I tried on its own and surprisingly liked it a lot. I then added some lemon juice and lime juice for a sour factor and some salt to mimic the salt rim of a margarita!

Yummm. The POM Wonderful juice gives it a beautiful color. If you do try to make this and you don’t know how much salt, lime & lemon juice to add, just add a little and then taste it! You want it to legit taste like a virgin margarita.

I’m a huge fan of the fruit and chocolate combo, so I finished this cake off with a classic chocolate ganache. The recipe, another one from Natasha’s Kitchen, is SUPER easy to make. Like incredibly easy and it tastes bomb AF.

Just look at that silky shininess. Nomnomnom.

This cake was an awesome way for me to get creative at home on Cinco de Mayo. The flavors also curbed my craving for a margarita! Although I may have also had a real marg on the side with my cake…

IT’S A HOLIDAY. DON’T JUDGE.

Useful Tips:

Best Mood(s) For This Activity: Hungry yet patient

Duration of Activity: A freaking long time. Honestly, it takes me like 3 hours or more to make one cake. BUT it’s fun!

Best For What Kind of Day? A holiday, rainy day, or any day really!

Dogs Allowed? Of course, but know that they will be right next to you drooling because the cake smells delish

What You’ll Need:

Ingredients from the recipes linked above (cake layer base, cake filling, ganache)

The extra ingredients I mentioned that I add for this specific cake

8 layer pans, silicone cake rounds (or 8 inch round cut parchment paper)

cake strips (these are a pain, but necessary)

a cake stand

flat cake thing

a whisk

a big appetite

*I linked the ones I have!

Cost Money? Yes, it costs about $30 to make this cake because it’s made from scratch

Does this activity require you to talk to others? Absolutely not! Talking is not encouraged while eating :)

Let me know if you have any questions and if anyone tries to make this cake, share it with me so I can see how it went!!

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denverselflove · 4 years

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Sloan’s Lake

Ah… my dear friend, Sloan’s Lake. This absolutely beautiful area has been my safe haven recently. When everything happened with my job and my routine, I kind of went into a dark hole for a little bit. I’ve found that although sleeping and chillin in the dark feels comforting to me at the time, I feel so much better if I get any amount of sunshine and fresh air in a day. Walking around Sloan’s Lake has been my one activity a day that if I do, I feel accomplished for the day, no matter what else happens.

This is a calming place for me when I’m struggling because it doesn’t require any talking, any thinking, and when I’m done, I feel great. And, during your entire walk, you can look at all of the puppies, geese (sometimes hissing- it’s okay, just run away, you’ll make it), and rollerbladers you can imagine for entertainment.

Easing myself into this daily routing wasn’t easy, but after doing a lot of research about natural ways I could feel better in my day-to-day life, I found that vitamin D and fresh air can be the trick to at least starting your day off right. It’s funny- when I was younger and would tell my dad that I was feeling sad, he would tell me to try taking a walk. In my head, I just thought, you don’t understand. I literally can’t get out of bed, let alone get dressed and face the outside world. LET ALONE perform any sort of physical activity (I’m not a fit person at all. I’m working on it).

Alas, now I take that advice to heart. As I just mentioned, when I’m feeling down, getting out of bed is a struggle. I like to stay in my bed, turn on The Office, shut every blind, curl up with my pup, and just lay there. So going out to the lake was a process. But, I had endless amounts of time, what, with Coronavirus and everything, so I had no excuses.I started first by putting down the windows and sunroof when I drove to go get gas or get groceries. This was just a way for me to make myself get some sun and be reminded of what it felt like to be outside and feel the breeze. After a while, it didn’t seem so scary.

I started first by putting down the windows and sunroof when I drove to go get gas or get groceries. This was just a way for me to make myself get some sun and be reminded of what it felt like to be outside and feel the breeze. After a while, it didn’t seem so scary.

My next step involved driving to the lake and getting out of the car. I brought my dog Clover with me as a security blanket. Which is funny because she is literally my anxious self in dog form- she was a rescue from a bad situation and HATES being outside. She also hates loud noises, people, and anything outside of our house. If someone else walks by us or she hears a car door, she usually starts spinning around in a circle pooping herself. Now, I don’t do that, but I definitely get how she’s feeling.

So, she’s not the greatest emotional support animal, but she’s pretty cool anyway. So, back to my first time going to the lake after everything happened.

I got in the car with Clover, drove to Sloan’s Lake (luckily it’s only about a 5 minute drive from my house), and found a great parking spot. Everything was going great. I had a water with me too, so I felt super prepared. I then proceeded to get out of the car, get Clover situated, walk through the field to get to the walking trail, and walk about 5 steps on actual said trail before I looked at Clover’s butt and noticed she was pooing herself, and it was really gross poo. Not like normal dog poo, which, while gross, isn’t AS gross as her poo when she gets anxious.Also, I wasn’t wearing a bra (that was a whole other step), so I turned around and decided that it wasn’t the day.

The next day, I tried again. I took clover out to go potty before we left for the lake. I also packed a backpack with doggie butt wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels, bags, and my dignity. I decided that even though it may be gross to wipe her butt in public and have others totally judge me and wonder what is wrong with my dog, it was worth it to start this routine.

This time, although Clover did, in fact, shit herself, I only lasted about 5 minutes walking because I was SO out of shape.

Clover was pretty pumped we were going home.

Eventually, on my third try, I walked the whole way around Sloan’s lake. There were many a stop to clean up someone’s butt (not mine) and to untangle her leash, but once I got started, it was surprisingly easy to keep going. I brought my headphones so I could just focus on the music and not how hard I was panting and sweating. And, once I had walked it all, I felt amazing.

To many, this will seem like an extremely long process to go do something that can be considered easy. Some may think “great, you got up and walked… big whoop”, but to me, it was a big freakin whoop. It was the start of my routine that not only is helping me get in shape, but is also increasing my vitamin D and my brownness.

If you’re someone who is feeling trapped inside but scared to venture out, whether due to the epidemic or anxiety/any feelings caused by the epidemic, try baby steps. And know that it’s okay to try and not succeed as long as you keep trying. Eventually, you’ll get it, and it’ll be so worth it.

Useful Tips:

This information is so that you have all of the details you need to feel comfortable doing this activity and you know exactly what’s going to happen!

Address: 1700 N Sheridan Boulevard, Denver

Best Mood For This Activity: Relaxed and Slightly Adventurous

Categories: Outside, Relaxed, Expense Free

Duration/Length of Activity: 3 miles around/ 1 hour (if you’re a slow walker like me).

Best Whether for This Activity: A sunny or overcast day. You can go when it’s windy because it’s pretty to see the waves form in the lake, but sometimes it can be a little much on your eyeballs

Dogs Allowed? Yes! Just make sure they are on a leash Also, check the concrete to make sure it’s not too hot for their little paws OR there is a gravel trail next to the concrete trail that you can walk on for a cooler feel!

What You’ll Need: Water, Headphones (if you want- sometimes it’s nice to just listen to the water), FitBit/Apple Watch if you have it to count your steps and other info

How Far From Downtown Denver: 12 minutes driving, 1 hour 15 minutes walking, and 24 minutes on bike!

Best Time to Go: Early Morning (7-9am) or Afternoon (1-3pm)

$? Nope! It’s free!

Does this activity require you to talk to others? Not at all! I walk on the gravel trail over the concrete one because it has less people and you aren’t as close to others

Best Parking: Right now, their main parking lots are closed, but there is plenty of street parking around the lake! I’ll put street parking in purple below.

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denverselflove · 4 years

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My Very First Denver Self Love “Blog”

I still feel weird calling this a “blog”. I’m not sure why- I think it’s because I don’t see myself as a professional writer at all, but just someone who wants to share my thoughts and self love journey in the hopes that someone else is feeling the same way and can benefit from anything I write.

Anywho, I’m Rosie!

That’s me (on the right, with lipstick on my teeth). Whoops!

Some fun facts about me:

I had to bribe my boyfriend with pizza and gaming time to do a photo shoot with me (pictured above), but our photographer Kelsey made it easy for him and he ended up having a blast

I was adopted from Peru when I was a wee little baby

I moved to Denver a few years ago in the hopes that it would change my life (it did!)

I am someone who has struggled with self love for probably my entire life

That being said, I am trying to figure out my passion in life and what I want to put my heart into. I’ve done everything that you are “supposed” to do to land a successful career and live a productive life, but I’ve come to realize that I spent so much time going through the motions that I neglected to find out what I truly care about. What do I even like? What do I want from my life? Was there another reason I was following these expected steps besides feeling like I had to?

When I didn’t know the answers to these questions, I decided to change things up. Well, actually, Coronavirus did that for me.

Before the COVID-19 epidemic, I thought I had finally figured out a balance that made me happy. I had been at my job for over a year and absolutely loved it. I felt like I had a family here even through my “real” family is still back in Maryland. I had even started exercising every day after work by walking 3 miles around Sloan’s Lake.

This may not sound like a typically successful life to some, but I was at peace with the routine I had created.

I had this balance for probably a week and a half before everything went to poo. I lost my job and my work family because of the company’s financial struggles due to the COVID epidemic. I completely understand why it had to happen, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t crush me. I felt and probably looked like this:

So, after a few days weeks of moping around, eating everything in sight and feeling inadequate, I decided to get the f*** up and fight to feel better. I know that everything happens for a reason, even if you feel like you had finally figured it out.

Since then, I’ve had lots of ideas that I rushed to get up and running all at once. I tried starting a Smith Island cake business, only to realize that while I love creating delicious cake and layer combinations, I do not enjoy having to crank them out in huge quantities and stressing about whether or not people were going to buy them.

I also quickly realized that my kitchen can only handle a calm person who does not get flustered with a thousand things going on at once, so, needless to say, it was not going to work.

I’ve also tried getting into the THC and CBD edibles game, and while what I made was tasty, it wasn’t my passion.

THEN, I thought, well… I really like planning events and would like to become more involved in Denver, so why don’t I start an account that lets people know about activities and events going on in the city?

Oh, right, because Rona kind of kicked that idea in the behind.

I was getting frustrated, coming up with ideas that sounded great in the beginning but soon showed to be something that I could not feel passionate about.

Everything sucked until I embraced the time Rona gave me with boredom fueled curiosity to search for any inspiration I could online, including on Instagram. This is where I learned more about Erin Lives Whole.

I have seen probably thousands of Instagram lives from Instagram Influencers (for a lack of a better word to call them), but hers struck me differently. She spoke openly and honestly about why she started a blog and how it has had a positive impact on her life. She was also very transparent with how she got started and made me feel excited about the fact that maybe I could turn my passion for wanting to raise awareness about mental health, self love, and self care into something meaningful. Her page gave me the tools and inspiration I needed. Maybe what I could do with this time of uncertainty is share my experience and find a creative outlet through my search for my “purpose”.

Thus, Denver Self Love was born.

I need to be kind to myself and figure out what I want. What ROSIE wants. Not what everyone else wants me to do. Not what society is telling me are the “correct” things to do.

I need to enhance my self love in order to create a better future for myself. Through sharing ways that I am finding self love as well as my struggles to do so, hopefully I can help someone else struggling too.

I want to make a difference in the world, even if it’s small. I am hoping that this blog can reach someone who is maybe feeling lost and confused in life and let you know that you aren’t alone. I want to hold myself accountable for getting back out into the world and figuring out how to re-emerge from this epidemic with the same, if not more, peace and determination than I had before.

So, follow me in my journey to finding self love, and maybe you’ll learn ways to enhance your self love too.

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