Who’s ready for 2018?!

Alright. We’re two days into the new year, how does that make you feel? Personally, I spent all of the first day in bed, cuddling with my lovely and eating a bunch of junk food. We both told ourselves that we would get our shit together at the beginning of the year but we needed one day of doing absolutely nothing together so we chose January 1st. We both have really busy lives and that usually means we eat dinner really late, equating to pretty unhealthy options, drinking more and sleeping in way longer than we should.

So we did the “smart” thing and started the year off by not leaving the bed, shoving cheez-its and Chinese food in our faces and attempting to watch an entire season of Breaking Bad. I’m not upset at all and today I feel refreshed and ready for the year.

I’ve had a lot of new ideas for Good Sugar Baking. The problem is trying to weed out the ones that won’t work and keeping the ones that will work in my mind. I have A LOT to learn and now that Good Sugar Baking is my sole form of income it’s time to do the learnin’ and growin’!

Side note, look at these real cool buttons! Feel free to ask me for one.

What’s up with January, then? Some sweet, new photographs of delicious cookies and whatnots. With professional photography I will be adding a REAL online store so all of you can purchase cookies at your leisure, making it so easy for you! I will also be upgrading my packaging to something extremely cool for all of my accounts. Which takes me to accounts. The beginning of the year is going to be a lot of cookie samples going around town to get the name out there more.

Of course the thing that keeps me really excited about this opportunity is still giving back to nonprofits. Starting January I switch to a new nonprofit, one that a good friend of mine chose and it’s one that I’m very excited to be partnering with. The National Park Foundation has been going through some changes and could use some help! So every pairing, every cookie, everything that Good Sugar Baking sells will give a percentage back to The National Park Foundation. 

Check out the schedule for upcoming pairings:

January 11th: Joyride beer and cookie pairing

January 17th: Zuni Street beer and cookie pairing

January 18th: Great Divide beer and cookie pairing

January 24th: Westfax beer and cookie pairing

February 2nd: De Steeg’s 5 year anniversary beer and cookie pairing

Seedstock Beer and Cookie Pairing!

This week!!! Don’t have anything to do on Wednesday?! Then you have to come to the beer and cookie pairing at Seedstock Brewery. This brewery has been open for a short period of time, but they’re pumping out the beers and making a good name for themselves.

Which is why I’m super excited to have a beer and cookie pairing there!

I’m also SUPER EXCITED that Mile High Brass Band is going to be playing during the pairing too. These guys are fantastic musicians and include two of my favorite Denver people.

(Photo Credit: Kelly Maxwell)

Come check it out from 6-8pm. Make sure to hit “going” on the Facebook event page to secure your pairing!

Here’s the link: Hump Day Beer and Cookie Pairing

Celebrating five years in Colorado

I made it! Five of my most glorious years have been spent in this beautiful state. I have always said it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and that’s still true to this day. There’s nothing I regret about moving to Colorado. Sure, if I would have known Boulder is not the town for me I would not have started there, but that only lasted a few months anyways and I sure did learn from that experience.

It’s really a challenge to do something completely new. It’s hard to get me into a raft, but once you do I’m having a blast. I’m definitely someone who is hesitant about new things and I try really hard to think of every possible thing that could happen, good or bad, and determine whether I think it’s worth it or not.

So five years ago, on June 1st, I packed up my tiny Kia Rio with my parents in tow and my cat meowing nonstop on my lap and drove from Coon Rapids, Minnesota to Boulder, Colorado. It was not easy. I planned on moving right after I graduated college and settled on Colorado for the beer, outstanding climate and the many opportunities I could pursue with my career. I found a roommate on Craigslist, a guy who needed a roommate (no lease, SUPER CHEAP rent) and searched for jobs. That guy turned out to be a Bud Light drinking weirdo who sat at home every night watching his high school basketball videos. I decided that not only was he not the roommate I was looking for, but I couldn’t tolerate how hard it was to find a job in Boulder or how pretentious the people were. So I got a job and moved to Golden.

The rest is history. I’ve had multiple jobs, too many relationship failures, eight different addresses and even more amazing memories. I’ve made best friends. I’ve started an amazing small business. I’ve raised an amazing dog, gone to unforgettable concerts, ate amazing food, had plenty of rooftop cocktails, swam in rivers, hiked mountains, camped with wildlife. I know what festivals are worthy of your time, where to get the best views of Denver and where to avoid rattlesnakes.

Five years doesn’t seem like a long time until you think of everything you have accomplished. I’m so proud of myself. Take a moment to think of your life and what you have accomplished. Be proud of yourself.