The 7 Coziest Heated Throw Blankets to Keep You Toasty All Winter Long

This article has been taken from Better Homes & Gardens and written by Jessica Bennett, our reliable source for all things Home, Gardens, and everything in between. If you’d like more information about your ideal Heated Throw Blankets, then please visit the linked website.

Most of us spend a lot of time cozied up indoors this time of year, but sometimes our go-to throw blankets aren't quite warm enough to ward off winter's chill. Though electric blankets, also known as heated blankets, have been available for years, today's crop is decidedly more beautiful and functional than ever. Warmed by heating elements sewn into the fabric panels, electric blankets are ideal for snuggling up on the couch, layering atop a bedspread, or adding an extra warm touch to the car while you're on the road. Simply plug your throw into an outlet, wait a few minutes for it to heat up, and wrap yourself in whole-body warmth. Here are seven of our favorite electric throw options for every budget and aesthetic (just be sure to use them safely!).

Best Heated Blanket with Multiple Temperature Settings

This heated throw is a top choice on Amazon for its affordability and convenient features. Available in seven colors, the blanket is equipped with 10 heat settings so you can easily adjust the warmth to your desired level of toastiness. The heating technology, which is spread evenly throughout the quilted fleece design, automatically adjusts as needed to deliver consistent heat. Bonus: It's machine-washable and safe for the dryer!

Buy It: Sunbeam Heated Blanket, $39.99, Amazon

Best Patterned Heated Blanket

You shouldn't have to sacrifice style for warmth. This electric blanket comes in a variety of pretty patterns, including this black-and-white buffalo check, so you can coordinate with the existing decor in your living area or bedroom. An extra-long cord makes it easy to bring the warmth wherever you need it, and an automatic 10-hour shutoff provides an additional level of safety.

Buy It: Biddeford MicroPlush Heated Throw, $39.99 (originally $80), JCPenney

Best Faux Fur Heated Blanket

Plush faux fur and a super-soft texture make this blanket a must-have for cold winter nights—even if you don't turn it on! According to one reviewer, "just the throw by itself is extremely warm and cozy." At over 4 feet wide and nearly 7 feet long, this oversized heated blanket is perfect for sharing.

Buy It: Zuri Oversized Heated Faux Fur Throw, $59.49 (originally $69.99), Wayfair

Best Heated Blanket for Travel

The solution to freezing-cold car rides is here: This 12-volt electric blanket plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter to provide cozy warmth on the go. It only takes about three minutes to heat up, and the 6.5-foot cord is long enough to reach the backseat. Great for road trips and tailgating, this cold-weather accessory also makes a practical addition to your vehicle emergency kit.

Buy It: Sojoy 12V Heated Electric Car Blanket, $24.99, Amazon

Best Heated Blanket for Couples

You and your bed partner may not always agree on what temperature to set the thermostat, but this heated throw blanket can help you both sleep comfortably. The queen- and king-sized versions include two controllers (one for each side of the bed), so each person can choose their desired level of warmth from the 10 heat settings. The machine-washable design comes in five colors, so you can pick the hue that best coordinates with your bedroom decorating scheme.

Buy It: Biddeford Blankets Comfort Knit Heated Blanket, $60.00, Amazon

Best Plush Heated Blanket

The plush, faux-fur fabric makes this heated throw blanket the ultimate cozy addition to your couch, reading nook, or bed. Made of 100% polyester, it's silky smooth to the touch and features a honeycomb design on one side that reminds of our favorite chunky-knit throws. Five heat settings let you dial the heat up to your liking.

Buy It: Serta Heated Electric Honeycomb Faux Fur Throw, $71.99, Amazon

Best Heated Blanket for People with Cold Feet

If your feet are always freezing, this blanket was made for you. The throw is over 6 feet long and features a foot pocket at the end to keep toes toasty. With plush fleece fabric and three heat settings, it'll keep you warm and snug during movie nights on the couch or chilly afternoons spent with a good book.

Buy It: Beautyrest Foot Pocket Soft Microlight Plush Electric Blanket, $51.99, Amazon

If you’re interested in getting cozy this winter in a new home, contact your nearest Denver Flat Fee Realtor to get more information about our current Denver market.

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12 Flower Garden Design Tips That Will Help You Plan a Stunning Landscape

The following article has been taken from Better Homes & Gardens, a reliable source for all things home, gardens, and everything in between. If you’d like more information on How To Plan a Stunning Landscape, then please visit the linked website. Please enjoy the 12 Tips Better Homes and Gardens has for creating your most beautiful flower garden.

Flowers make any landscape more beautiful. But don’t be intimidated by the idea of planting a flowerbed. Use these tips to help you learn how to design a flower garden, and use them as inspiration for creating your own colorful spring landscape.

Research Flower Characteristics

The best flower garden designs incorporate several types of flowering plants, including long-living perennials, short-term (but long-blooming) annuals, seasonal bulbs, ornamental grasses, and vines. Before you officially get started on your flower garden design, do a little research on what types of plants will grow best in your area, what colors and textures they offer, and any limitations or special care they might need.

Choose Your Flower Garden Design Style

Your personal preferences (or your home's architectural style) can help dictate your garden design and set parameters for its size. Different flower garden design ideas and styles lend themselves to different types of plants. For example, a contemporary-leaning landscape might take a minimalist approach and clearly define flower beds with hard lines; a cottage-style garden encourages a mix-and-match approach and whimsical paths and flower beds. If you enjoy bringing flowers indoors, consider a perennial cutting garden.

Determine the Garden's Shape and Size

Flowering plants can be arranged in beds of almost any shape and size, from expansive rectangles to petite corner beds. To get an idea of how your flower garden will fit into the rest of your landscape, use a garden hose to outline the edges before you start digging. Walk around the bed; look at the proposed garden bed from every viewpoint. Test if you'll be able to access plants in the middle or if you'll need to include a path. If you're specifically looking for flower garden ideas for beginners, start small: You can always expand your plan if you want, or go bigger next year.

Select Flowering Plants

Once you've decided on your flower garden's design, shape, and size, it's time to put your plant research into action. Consider show-stopper plants you want to use as a focal point, flower sizes, year-round interest, bloom time, and color combinations.

Supply a Focal Point

Every garden bed, no matter how big or small, needs a focal point that gives the eye a place to start before moving on to the rest of the flowerbed. That could mean anchoring a large bed with boxwood shrubs in the corners and a flowering shrub in the middle or planting a mass of a single flower type in the center of a skinny border. You can also add an interesting piece of garden art.

Evaluate Plant Height

You'll also have to consider a plant’s height when making your selections. For example, if your garden is a border along the house, the tallest plants will need to go in the back but shouldn't be so tall that they block windows or doors. If your flower garden design is an island, the tallest plants should go in the center. Some short plants suffer when shaded by tall plants, so take individual flowers' needs into consideration.

Review Bloom Times

Well-designed flower gardens have plants with year-round interest and staggered bloom times. Evaluate both factors before selecting plants. You don't want to create a garden that's full of color in the summertime but bare in autumn. That's another reason it's important to combine different types of plants—shrubs that provide spring bloom and winter structure, fall-blooming bulbs, and summertime perennials, for example—in your flower garden design.

Select Complementary Flowers and Foliage

Creating the best color combinations in your flower garden design can be tricky. A good place to start is the color wheel. For example, gardens planted in shades of the same hue, like pink, are pleasing to the eye. Colors next to each other on the color wheel, like purple and red, look good together, as do colors across from each other—purple and yellow. Foliage can also provide much-needed texture and color for visual interest when blooms have wilted away.

Rely on Odd Numbers

When laying out your flower garden design, plant at least three (or any odd number) of the same kind of plant, either together or spaced apart. It's a visual design trick that creates cohesiveness so flowerbeds feel less jumbled than a one-of-each-kind collection of plants.

Incorporate Hardscape

Hardscape elements, like pergolas, trellises, and arbors are beautiful complements to flower garden design. If you're crafting a bed that flows from front yard to backyard, for example, an arbor with a climbing rose can help mark the transition from public to private spaces.

Once your research is done and you've decided on all the elements and the garden size, it's time to prep the bed by removing any old plant material (including grass). You may also want to add edging, such as pavers or another material.

Now, it’s time to go get your plants! Shop early in the morning to avoid crowds so you have plenty of time to make your purchase. If you’re shopping in a greenhouse on a sunny day, wear layers because it can get hot (and bring a bottle of water, too). Do your best to stick to your list—it’s easy to get carried away when you're face-to-face with all the beautiful plant options.

Prep, Edge, Purchase, and Plant

Once your research is done and you've decided on all the elements and the garden size, it's time to prep the bed by removing any old plant material (including grass). You may also want to add edging, such as pavers or another material.

Now, it’s time to go get your plants! Shop early in the morning to avoid crowds so you have plenty of time to make your purchase. If you’re shopping in a greenhouse on a sunny day, wear layers because it can get hot (and bring a bottle of water, too). Do your best to stick to your list—it’s easy to get carried away when you're face-to-face with all the beautiful plant options.

Mulch, Water, and Enjoy the Show

Any newly planted flowers should be well-mulched then watered regularly until the plants are established. Monitor your rainfall and water as needed, ensuring that your plants receive about an inch of water a week.

Once your new garden is in the ground, place a chair or two close enough to admire it. Enjoy watching the plants grow and bloom, and take in the view.

In the fall, you’ll want to assess your garden. What did you like? What grew well? Think about what you’d change next spring. Consider whether you want to build a no-dig flowerbed. And do what gardeners do in the off-season: Dream of the next garden.

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10 Lessons on Leadership from Robert Iger

If you’re going to hear any form of leadership advice, it might as well be from the one and only CEO, Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. He’s been the CEO of a company for the last fifteen years that “held assets worth a total of over 193.98 billion U.S dollars”in 2019, according to statista.com. With Robert Iger’s new book release, “The Ride of A Lifetime”, came ten principles that strike him as being necessary for true leadership. If you’ve yet to pick up his book, then we encourage you to do so. It not only describes his past and rode to becoming CEO of The Walt Disney Company, but you get insights of the company that you otherwise would never believe are true, or would believe would happen at the happiest place on earth. Below we have outlined Robert Igers 10 principles to being a true leader. Take them as you please, incorporate them as you feel, but do carefully read these if you’re looking to grow your impact of leadership within your business, team, company, or simply for yourself. 

Optimism: ‘Even in the face of difficult choices and less than ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism.”

Courage: “The foundation of risk-taking is courage.”

Focus: “Allocating time, energy, and resources, to the strategies, problems, and projects that are of highest and value is extremely important…”

Decisiveness: “All decisions, no matter how difficult, can and should be made in a timely manner.”

Curiosity: “The path to innovation begins with curiosity.” 

Fairness: “Empathy is essential, as is accessibility.” 

Thoughtfulness: “Thoughtfulness is one of the most underrated elements of good leadership.”

Authenticity: “Be genuine. Be honest. Don’t fake anything.”

The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection: “If you believe that something can be made better, put in the effort to do it.”

Integrity: “A company’s success depends on setting high ethical standards for all things, big and small.”

The ability to lead ourselves and others is a quality we all pose if we choose to unlock it and allow ourselves to explore it. If you’re looking to move to Denver to expand your business or grow your self-development, contact your local Flat Fee Realtor to take you around the best Denver and surrounding neighborhoods to get an idea of where you’d like to transition.

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Best Vegan Restaurants in Denver

Are you looking to venture into the realm of veganism? Well lucky for you Denver has become a hub for vegan and vegetarian based restaurants. It’s still important to scout out these restaurants a bit since they’re fairly scattered across the city, but once you’ve tried a vegan/vegetarian based restaurant, you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried one before. Listed below are five popular vegan/vegetarian restaurants that most Denverites have heard of and are on their list of go-to restaurants for a healthy, and locally sourced meal. 

City, O’ City

This definite local favorite is a must-try in Denver. Located on E. 13th Ave in Capitol Hill, nearly next door to the Denver Capitol Building and Denver Public Library, this trendy and vibrant neighborhood brings along all kinds of crowds to indulge in the many layers of delicious plates of food at City, O’ City. With menu items like Pumpkin Curry Pasta, Cauliflower Chorizo Tacos, and Seitan Wings, and open doors from 7 am to 2am, it’s a happy place for all to come and share in the joy of delightful food with an eclectic ambience. One thing to note is that reservations are only available on weekdays for parties of five or more. Other than that, it’s a first come first serve nature, and you’ll want to get their at an appropriate time to get seated quickly.  

True Food Kitchen 

A true restaurant based on the philosophy that food should make you feel better, not worse is True Food, located in Cherry Creek North only blocks away from Cherry Creek Mall. Dr. Andrew Weil is a renowned physician, doctor of integrative medicine, and the founder of True Food Kitchen. The menu is based on the science of encouraging changes in eating habits to avoid and counteract chronic inflammation, and they do so based on the anti-inflammatory pyramid. With each season brings a new menu that highlights that particular season’s benefit-rich ingredients. Some of the most popular items on their menu include, but are not limited to: Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Unbeetable Burger, and the Kale Guacamole (a personal favorite).   

Watercourse Foods

As one of Denver’s original vegetarian restaurants, Watercourse Foods opened in 1998 in Capitol Hill on 13th Avenue. This scratch kitchen focuses on utilizing local vendors, cultivates an environment of inclusivity, and prides themselves on keeping their menu free of artificial colors, preservatives, flavors, and hydrogenated fats. The name “Watercourse” comes from the philosophy of the “water course way”, essentially meaning to take the path of least harm. Not only is their environment friendly, warm, and inviting, but their food speaks for itself with lovely menu items such as: Wings, Za’atar Eggplant, and White Cheddar Mac.   

Vital Root

“99% vegan by request and 100% gluten free”, Vital Root is on top for being a fantastic destination to fascinate yourself with all the possible vegetable inspired plates on their menu. Located on Tennyson in the Old District of the Highlands, Vital Root ambitiously and perfectly curates a vegetarian based menu that not only brings you joy, but keeps your body feeling at peace and nourished. Whether you’re looking to have a sit down meal and try their Cashew “Queso” Dip, Pad Thai, or even their Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes, or maybe you’re only in the mood for a light drink like their Moon Milk, Glacier Water, or Green Ginger Smoothie, you will enjoy what you are served at Vital Root.   

Root Down: Edible Beats

Root Down is the spunky and quirky sister restaurant of Vital Root, with a total of five restaurants all together under one umbrella of owners and creatives. With being 100% wind-powered, all animal protein as certified humane, and a 6,000 sf organic garden that supplies 20% of their restaurants seasonal herbs and vegetables, what other reason would you need to chow-down on Root Down’s Edible Beats menu? Although this restaurant is not 100% vegan and vegetarian, the menu is still vegetarian focused, with the supplemental choices of protein menu items. With two locations in Colorado-W. 33rd Ave and DIA, this is among one of the most popular restaurants in the chain, and more upscale. A few menu favorites that are a must-try are: Dungeness Crab & Avocado Tacos, Carrot Gnocchi,  and Colombian Arepas.

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