Mountain Mom Finds

Category: Local Finds & Travel Tips

  • How I Threw a DIY Amazing Race Party (The “Samazing Race”)

    How I Threw a DIY Amazing Race Party (The “Samazing Race”)

    I channeled my inner Phil Keoghan and hosted an Amazing Race for my bestie, Sam, to celebrate her birthday! We called it the Samazing Race 🌎—and it was a total hit. Check out my blog post and full race video!

    We had five teams (kids tagging along as the “camera crew”) race around Fort Collins to solve clues, complete tasks, and sprint to the finish line. It took about an hour and a half, and everyone had so much fun!

    To pull this off, I created several props and decorations to make the game feel authentic:

    • A custom logo
    • Classic yellow clue envelopes
    • Clue boxes at each stop
    • Contestant bags
    • Tasks for every location
    • Signs to mark the route
    • Detour, Route Info, and Roadblock folders
    • And of course—the Pit Stop finish line mat!

    Creating the Amazing Race Props

    Custom Logo

    I used ChatGPT to help brainstorm names and landed on Samazing Race.

    To design the logo, I used fonts similar to the show: Open Sans for the subtitle and Orbitron for the word “Race.” It gave everything a polished, on-theme look.

    Clues & Yellow Envelopes

    The Amazing Race is famous for its bright yellow clue envelopes. I wanted mine to feature our custom logo, so I ordered yellow envelopes and printable sticker sheets on Amazon.

    AmazingRace clue envelopes

    I designed the logo 3-up on a page, printed it with my laserjet, cut them down with a paper cutter, and centered them on each envelope. A little tip: don’t seal the envelopes until the very end—it makes organizing the clues much easier.

    Clue Boxes

    On the show, clues are presented in sleek black boxes, but I improvised with small styrofoam coolers my dad gets from medication deliveries.

    Homemade clue boxes

    With leftover red cardstock and yellow duct tape (from the Pit Stop mat), I decorated them to look official and stand out at each location.

    Contestant Bags

    Each team got a contestant bag at the start, which included:

    • A copy of the race rules
    • Color-coded notebooks (one per team)
    • Pens
    • Water bottles
    Race bags

    I used my Cricut to cut vinyl labels for the bags with team names, but I didn’t use the right kind of vinyl—so some of the letters peeled off during the day. Lesson learned: make sure to use permanent vinyl if you want your labels to last! Even so, the bags were a fun and functional touch that made each team feel official.

    Tasks & Stops

    I came up with 7 race tasks using a mix of ChatGPT brainstorming and my knowledge of Sam’s favorite things:

    1. Old Town art scavenger hunt
    2. Slyce Pizza delivery 🍕
    3. Library Park Detour – trivia vs. coloring one of Sam’s Etsy coloring sheets
    4. Torchy’s Tacos queso challenge 🌮
    5. CSU Library book hunt 📚
    6. City Park pickleball rally
    7. Final Pit Stop at Odell’s Brewery 🍷🍻

    Signs

    On the real Amazing Race, Phil often says “look for the marked route.” Since we didn’t have a full TV crew to guide racers, signs were key. I made simple signs with red cardstock, yellow duct tape, and yellow yard flags for outdoor spaces.

    Yellow and red signs

    Folders (Detour, Route Info & Roadblock)

    I designed printable folders to hold each clue and task. To save on color ink, I printed black text on colored paper—red, yellow, and blue. (I had extra yellow from a Pokémon Go party, so that worked perfectly!)

    Each folder was trimmed down to 9”x4” to fit the envelopes. I’ll share my printable files soon so you can use them for your own race!

    Amazing Race printables

    The Pit Stop Finish Line

    The Pit Stop finish line mat deserved its own post—it really made the ending feel like the real show! Check out my step-by-step guide here.

    Supplies I Used

    Final Thoughts

    The Samazing Race was such a success! Racers laughed, competed, and got really into the challenges. Best of all, Sam felt celebrated in a way that was totally her.

    If you’re planning a DIY Amazing Race party, I can’t recommend these little details enough—they really brought the whole experience to life.

    Packing envelopes
    #AmazingRace #DIYPartyIdeas #FortCollins #BirthdayPartyDIY #PartyPlanning #Pickleball #TorchysTacos #SlycePizzaCo #OdellsBrewery #AmazonFinds , , , , , , , , , ,
  • A Unique, Fun Family Escape Room Alternative — Immersive Gamebox Denver

    A Unique, Fun Family Escape Room Alternative — Immersive Gamebox Denver

    We were looking for a fun family activity where we could work together as a team—something along the lines of an escape room—and we found the Immersive Gamebox in Denver. Located just off Colorado Blvd near an AMC theater and lots of restaurants, the spot was easy to find, with lots of street parking and a garage less than a block away.

    The space itself is simple, a small lobby with restrooms and lockers, and some drinks to purchase at the front desk, beyond that there’s a single hallway lined with doors, each leading to a small square room. Inside each room, projectors cast interactive images on the walls, and everyone wears a visor that tracks your movements so you can interact with the visuals. It was a cool mix of physical and digital gameplay.

    They offer a great variety of games including Angry Birds, Batman, Ghostbusters, Squid Game, Escape AI, Floor is Lava, James Bunny, and even kid-friendly titles like Paw Patrol and Temple of Coins.

    We played Floor is Lava and Squid Game. Floor is Lava was a perfect intro game—fun and active. You get to customize little characters with outfits and hats, which was a cute touch.

    I assumed there’d be projections on the floor, but all the action happens on the walls. At first, it felt a bit strange, but once you get the hang of moving your character left and right, and using your position toward or away from the wall to move up and down, it becomes intuitive.

    The gameplay is exactly what you’d expect—lots of movement, balancing on narrow paths, and actually jumping between “platforms” with increasing difficulty. It’s designed for two players at a time, which was a little awkward with our group of five, as some of us had to wait a bit longer for turns. Still, four out of five of us made it to the top of the volcano, which felt like a big win!

    Squid Game felt similar in movement but brought fresh challenges inspired by the show. We played classic games like Red Light Green Light, Tug of War, Glass Bridge, and more. Some rounds added mental challenges or required timing your moves to a beat, which kept things interesting.

    The experience was a bit pricey for all five of us, and the room did feel a little tight at times. I’d say a group of up to five would be ideal to keep things flowing smoothly without too much downtime.

    Overall, I’d definitely recommend Immersive Gamebox as a unique game night idea. It’s fun, interactive, and great for families or friends looking to try something new. I’m not sure it’s something you’d want to do over and over, but it’s definitely worth trying once!

    #ImmersiveGamebox #EscapeRoomAlternative #FamilyFun #InteractiveGames #DenverActivities #SquidGame #FloorIsLava #GameNightIdeas #FamilyAdventure #TechGames #VirtualRealityGames #KidFriendlyGames, , , ,
  • A Chill Father’s Day Adventure at the Bonsai Bar 🌿

    A Chill Father’s Day Adventure at the Bonsai Bar 🌿

    This Father’s Day, we wanted to do something a little different—something fun, hands-on, and a bit unexpected. We found the perfect way to celebrate: a Bonsai Bar Workshop at Loveland Aleworks, and it was such a cool experience!

    The workshop was all about learning the art of bonsai—pruning, potting, and designing your very own miniature tree. It was super relaxing but also a neat chance to get creative together. The instructors were great, guiding us step-by-step through the process and sharing tips to help us shape and care for our trees.

    One of the best parts was just hanging out in the cozy, welcoming space of Loveland Aleworks. We even got to order food and drinks to enjoy while we worked on our bonsai projects, which made it feel like a chill little party with a nature twist.

    If you’re looking for a unique activity (or just want a fun afternoon trying something new), I highly recommend checking out a Bonsai Bar workshop like this one. It’s hands-on, memorable, and you get to take home a beautiful, living keepsake.

    FathersDay #BonsaiWorkshop #LovelandAleworks #UniqueGiftIdeas #DIYBonsai #FatherDaughterTime #CraftingWithDad #NatureLovers #LovelandEvents #LocalWorkshops #PlantLovers , , , , , ,

  • Sushi-Fi in Fort Collins – Worth It for the All You Can Eat Experience!

    Sushi-Fi in Fort Collins – Worth It for the All You Can Eat Experience!

    We finally checked out Sushi-Fi in Fort Collins a couple of weeks ago, and honestly, it totally lived up to the hype.

    My 15-year-old was especially excited about the “All You Can Eat” sushi concept (teenage boy + bottomless sushi = dream come true), and he went all in with the premium option. He absolutely got his money’s worth.

    My 12-year-old and I both opted for the basic tier, which was still plenty! We kicked things off with some apps—miso soup, cucumber salad, and veggie tempura—then dove into a few different rolls. I definitely ate more than I needed (story of my life at AYCE places), but it was fun to try so many things. And since kids ages 9–12 are half price, it felt like a great opportunity for my daughter to branch out and try sushi she wouldn’t normally order.

    We sat at the sushi counter, which I totally recommend. You get to see all the rolls as they go out—each one looked gorgeous and gave us ideas for what to try next. Olivia was our server and she was fantastic—super friendly, helpful with suggestions, and made sure we understood how the ordering worked.

    Yes, it was a bit of a splurge, but honestly, the price was right in line with what you’d spend at any quality sushi spot. We left full, happy, and already talking about what we’ll order next time. 🥢

    See my Google Review


    #FortCollinsEats #SushiFi #AYCESushi #FamilyDining #FoodieMom #ColoradoRestaurants #AllYouCanEatSushi #SushiLovers #WhereToEatInFortCollins #MountainMomEats    , , , , , ,