Branden (Brandy) Murray branden.murray@citylifestyle.com
Investment by definition is the act of devoting time, effort, energy or finances to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result. We can invest in a lot of things such as our community, our relationships, our finances and our health with the hope that the effort will have a positive impact. We can invest in our community by supporting our local businesses, schools and local organizations, or we can participate in pub lic surveys and stay educated and involved in our city's interests. Investing in our finances helps create wealth, meets long-term financial goals and secures our future. On a personal level, we can invest in our families and enrich relationships by giving time and effort to the people in our lives that mean the most to us.
It is sometimes challenging for me to ensure I am giving balanced energy to everything and everyone I am invested in. Some investments are well worth it, while others result in more contribution than return and need to be reassessed from time to time.
Investing in ourselves, our relationships, our community and our finances can look very different from person to person, but the effort we put into these investments is generally for the common goal of having a positive impact that yields results. In this issue, we wanted to share some of the ways that we can invest in our community, our finances, with those that we love and ourselves.
BRANDEN (BRANDY) MURRAY, PUBLISHER @DURANGOCITYLIFESTYLERosenthal
Morgan Murray morgan.murray@citylifestyle.com
Juarez
Mason
Cherish the unique personality and charm of your pet with one of a kind artwork and celebrate the joy they bring to your life.
Browse my online art portfolio, and decide if an art piece speaks to you. We can also collaborate on a commissioned piece that reflects your style and preferences.
PERSONALISED PET PORTRAITS www.ArtByBecca.com
We are a full service garden center, with everything you need to start a perennial, vegetable, herb, annual or indoor garden. We carry the highest quality tools, soils, mulches, amendments, and live bugs. Beautiful pots, yard lights, arbors, trellises, rainchains, and yard art abound this year. We do things in the most natural, sustainable, xeric and native way possible. We are happy to share our knowledge and experience to help with your gardening needs. It is important to us that you have a good experience gardening and sequester the most carbon possible.
970.946.4580
www.botanicalconceptsdgo.com
For those privileged to grow up in Southwest Colorado, childhood memories are punctuated with outdoor adventures draped in breathtaking beauty—sunburns earned while splashing in a crisp mountain stream, scrapes and bruises acquired hunting for wild berries and morels, and the lingering scent of campfire smoke permeating every article of clothing,
For Richie Samora, these childhood memories could only be made more meaningful by sharing them with his own children. “I still reminisce about how cute they looked with all their miniature gear on,” Richie reflects. “We hiked to a mountain lake and camped out for three days – catching fish, exploring, and spending time together as a family is a memory I’ll hold dear to my heart.” Eventually, his children grew bigger, along with their gear, and a new dream evolved.
Richie and his son Andrew first devised the idea for Wild Durango because of their mutual passion for the outdoors. Their desire to share that with others led the
father-son team to develop a business that provided unforgettable backcountry experiences for guests of all ability levels. However, tragedy struck in June of 2022 when Andrew passed away at the age of eighteen. “This was the catalyst for what was to come,” says Richie. “I spent the next year finding myself, looking for answers, and spending time in the wilderness as a means to cope with his loss.”
The solace Richie found through his time spent in the wilderness breathed new life into him, and he knew he must carry on with the dreams he and Andrew shared. With the help of his friend, Matt Wilkinson, Richie was able to pick up where he and Andrew left off. Richie and Matt, with a deeper understanding of the healing power of the natural environment, are working to help others experience healing in the same way.
Wild Durango helps clients find inner peace away from the modern world. From yoga and meditation to learning wilderness etiquette and backpacking skills, the team strives to give people a new sense of balance and self-confidence within a pristine outdoor setting.
What guests of Wild Durango may not realize is how they inspire Richie. Witnessing the transformation people experience through being in nature has also been a catalyst of change for him. “To see how they find themselves struggling at first and then emerge a new strong and confident person is what keeps me going,” says Richie. “Giving them a skill-set they can use to cope with whatever they are going through, and knowing that we are helping each other is the most inspiring part of this journey.”
Whether you want to enjoy your first backpacking trip or your 100th, there is something Wild Durango has to offer. Each group is paired with therapists and life coaches who provide professional services to assist in the process of healing and improving your mental health. Through these services and the natural world, Wild Durango has the unique ability to make a difference in the lives of so many. They also provide all the necessary gear for these retreats, making it as simple as showing up for the adventure of a lifetime.
If you want to learn more about what Wild Durango offers, you can visit their website at www.staywilddurango.com
PAIN-FREE TIPS TO EDUCATE YOUR TEEN
ABOUT CREDIT HEALTH
““For most teenagers, the thought of owning a house or having a credit card is too far removed. But when we shared with them that you need good credit for something as simple as the newest smartphone from your service provider, it hit closer to home.”
Nothing elicits more eye rolls than a parent trying to engage their teen in a financial discussion, but if you play your cards right, you may be able to make a lasting impression on your kid’s perception of credit health.
When Erik Beres, Banking Center Manager at Community Banks of Colorado in Bayfield, and his team had the opportunity to share their knowledge with students from Spruce Academy, they tried to make it as relevant as possible. “For most teenagers, the thought of owning a house or having a credit card is too far removed,” says Erik. “But when we shared with them that you need good credit for something as simple as the newest smartphone from your service provider, it hit closer to home.”
While there is no prescribed way to educate our kids about good credit health, transparency and honesty are a fantastic starting point. When your kid asks you about credit, be open and stick to real-life situations. “No kid is going to care about vague terms they don’t understand,” explains Erik. “However, if you can tell them exactly what your family’s car payment or mortgage is and explain to them what you personally had to go through to make it all work out, they will be more engaged in the conversation.”
Need help breaking the ice? Community Bank of Colorado can host classes or groups in their banking centers in Bayfield or Durango. Let’s invest in them together.
ARTICLE BY JENNY MASON
For many people, owning a home or a business is a shrewd investment. Money spent now produces more money later. At present, installing solar panels is a powerful way to maximize the returns on your home or business investment. Dan Diehl, owner of Flatrock Solar, rounds up how you can use solar to make a power play.
With solar panels converting sunlight into electricity, your home or business is an independent “power plant” with a shrinking monthly electric bill. Producing more
power than you use spins the meter backwards. Accrued credits on your account can be cashed out during dark winter months. Over time, solar energy shaves your electricity bill down to the minimum meter fee, making you the owner—not the renter—of your electrical power.
Investing in solar not only saves money, it makes money. According to The Appraisal Journal (the largest U.S. association of real estate appraisers), every $1 shaved off annual utility expenses adds $20 in additional value to a home. If the average monthly electric bill is $100, then that’s $1200 in annual costs that solar can wipe out, thereby adding $24,000 to the home’s appraised value.
Solar curbs your use of fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. That means you are not contributing pollutants to Earth’s atmosphere that contribute to catastrophic global heating. In fact, the average solar panel system offsets the emissions of up to 10 cars per year! Solar is not just about saving money; it’s about saving the one home all humans share.
Solar energy is the cheapest source of clean, renewable electricity on Earth. The typical home in Durango sees returns on the initial investment after 8-10 years and that figure continually shrinks as better technologies produce cheaper, more powerful panels. There’s never been a better time to make a power play.
FOUR CORNERS OFFICE FOR RESOURCE EFFICIENCY (4CORE)
REVEALS THE TOP MONEY-SAVING, COMMUNITY-BOOSTING
GREEN HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Help yourself before you help others. This advice resonates in today’s Mach-speed, max-stress world. It is equally good guidance for investing intelligently in a healthier community. Check out 4CORE’s top tips for eco-friendly home improvements with maximum positive ripple-effects (and cost-cutting rebates).
Get an Energy Smart Colorado energy assessment. Identify where your home loses energy (and money). Calculate the best bang-for-your-buck investments when it comes to solar or heat pump systems.
Install programmable thermostats. These smart devices raise the heat when you wake up and turn it down when you leave for work. Take the chore of regulating your home’s temperature off your to-do list!
TWO THREE
Install rain barrels. Most homes in La Plata County divert 40% of their faucet water to outdoor plants. Thirsty shrubs account for almost half of your water bill! Rainfall is free. Capture it with rain barrels and quench your flowerbeds and gardens.
These actions benefit your neighbors, too. More efficient, greener homes put less strain on public utility infrastructures, dropping maintenance costs. Cleaner, greener appliances and products help safeguard our cherished outdoor spaces.
We go beyond your expectations to provide a range of treatments, wellness and spa packages to revitalize, restore and renew the body, mind and spirit so you can surrender to a state of pure bliss. Featuring innovative timehonored therapies-Hyrdreaux, Cryeaux and facial massage while incorporating native, holistic botanicals and indigenous plants unique to Durango Colorado. Theresa at Glow Durango Day Spa continues to seek out and will provide customized, personalized spa experiences, with continued knowledge, and wellness enhancing in mind.
970-946-4888
mobilefacialsglowtogodurango.com 777 Main Avenue, Durango, CO
V @glow_to_go_durango
B Glow To Go Durango
APRIL 2024
A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
EVERY WEDNESDAY
Wagon Wheel Liquors | 4:00 PM
Come and join us for a tasting of Wine, Liquor, or Beer every Wednesday during happy hour. Come taste our crew’s favorite products! Wine 15% off, Spirits 10% off, and Beer 5% off during happy hour.
APRIL 12TH
The Powerhouse | 6:00 PM
Come join Durango’s Dark Sky Celebration, a free event at the Powerhouse full of astronomy activities, workshops, and the opening of the “Sun, Earth, Universe” exhibit. All stargazers welcome!
APRIL 19TH - 21ST
Various Locations
The Meltdown celebrates its 28th year on April 19, 20, & 21, 2024. Attendees will enjoy a variety of musical performances at local venues around Durango and even have a chance to jam in public spaces. For information and tickets, visit www.durangomeltdown.com/
APRIL 20TH
Buckley Park
Join the Earth Day celebration in Durango, Colorado. Come enjoy the “Parade of the Species” from 10-11 and more fun, food, art, and family activities celebrating our planet.
Investing in indoor plants can not only spruce up your living space, but also bring numerous health and well-being benefits
The Snake Plant is for anyone from a green thumb to a black thumb because anyone can grow it. These hardy plants can adapt to any environment and can live in both high light and low light.
The Hope Peperomia likes medium to bright direct sunlight. It does well as a tabletop plant or a hanging plant. Watering is only needed one time a month regardless of plant size.
Bringing the outdoors in with the use of house plants is a great way to add color and dimension to your space. We sat down with Jesse Nelson at Family Tree Nursery, based in Kansas, and discussed the benefits of incorporating plant life into your home. “There are plenty of studies on the health benefits of plants, and the evidence suggests that being around plants and caring for plant life increases overall wellness,” explains Nelson. “Anytime you bring a plant into a home or work environment, it’s going to make you feel better. It is going to beautify the space in a way that art cannot, and they also have the added benefit of purifying the air.” There are a wide variety of indoor plants that work for any space and light situation that you may have. Regardless if you have a green thumb or a black thumb, there are plant varieties that fit your lifestyle. Here are a few of our favorite indoor plants to incorporate into your home.
The ZZ plant, which its formal name is Zamioculas Zamiifolia, is a very easy plant to care for. They like anything from low light to bright light. These plants are hard to kill and can go a long time without being watered.
