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As the Marketing company for Partner's No DUI Larimer Initiative, we are working hard to provide our Colorado Community with education and helpful, healthy tips. You may have heard the term “Dry January” before. Healthier drinking habits are a common New Year’s resolution – but cutting back is easier said than done when alcohol has become part of your daily or weekly lifestyle or is something you use to cope with life’s challenges.  Maybe you’ve experienced negative health effects because of your drinking, or it’s interfering with your interpersonal relationships and ability to function in everyday life. Maybe you just want to start the New Year off with a more focused, healthier you. Either way, here are some tips for cutting back gradually. 1. Set a goal Start by writing down some current stats: How many days per week you drink, how many drinks you have, and – if some of those drinks are extra large – how many servings of alcohol you have in that time frame. Set an easy goal to start with. One less drink per week or day is a great place to start. You can even offer yourself a non-alcoholic reward for each day or week you meet your goal. 2. Measure drinks You may think to yourself, “I only have one drink at the end of each day,” but consider the size of your drink. One serving of alcohol is: one can of beer; 9 fluid ounces of malt liquor (a stronger lager or ale), 5 ounces of wine, or a 1.5-fluid-ounce shot of hard liquor like gin, vodka, or tequila. If cutting down your number of drinks sounds too difficult at the start, first make sure that each drink is truly just one drink by measuring your alcohol.
 7. Count your drinks Sometimes, simply realizing the number of drinks you’re having regularly can be a wake-up call. Start keeping a tally as you drink. When you’re impaired, you may not realize how quickly you’re getting to three, or five, or more drinks. If you’re shocked by your number, try reducing it by one at a time. Before you start drinking, measure out your goal number of drinks, and then hide the rest of the alcohol. When you’ve finished what you set out, you’re done drinking. 8. Drink-free day(s) Another solution if frequency is your issue is to start with a drink-free day each week. Maintain that for a month (longer if you’re really struggling), then reduce your weekly drinking days by one more the following month.  9. Avoid triggers Often, the situations in which you typically drink become triggers to drink. Start eliminating these situations from your life. If you often drink with a certain group of people, start seeing them individually, in a different setting, or not at all. If it’s a place that’s your trigger, it’s best to avoid it altogether. If it’s a certain time of day, try eating a meal and/or planning a fun activity for that time of day as a distraction. 10. Be able to say “no” You probably won’t be able to altogether avoid situations where others are drinking. Whether it’s friends, coworkers, or a server at a restaurant or party, be able to say “no, thank you.” If you’re worried about the social pressure to drink, practice what you’ll say before heading into a situation where others are likely to be drinking. Be confident in your decision; your health is most important. Benefits of cutting back on alcohol consumption You can start to feel the benefits of cutting back immediately. Here are some short term effects you can look forward to:
If you find that you can’t cut down, you may need help to quit drinking. If you have developed an alcohol use disorder, drinking may no longer feel like a choice. Never try to stop drinking cold turkey if you drink large quantities regularly; the effects of alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. If you find yourself at this point, it’s best to seek professional help. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol use, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 to get support and local resources. Make the Call.  Christmas is too sparkly…….said no one ever! Our team has scoured the corners of Northern Colorado to find all the best and brightest holiday light displays! Grab a thermos of hot cocoa (or something stronger), some blankets, your favorite Christmas playlist (come back tomorrow for our favorite holiday songs!), and your sweetie, and go out for a festive drive! Here are our favorite spots: 1. Winter Wonderlights - Loveland Winter Wonderlights™ is part of the Loveland Light Trail. Be sure to visit the Loveland Light Trail page for your self-guided tour, including info for the popular Gnome Scavenger Hunt taking place through Dec. 31!  2. Greeley Grizwolds - Greeley 354 50th Avenue, Greeley - This awesome home light display even syncs to music! 3. NoCo Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru - Colorado Youth Outdoors- This family friendly display is sponsored and hosted by Colorado Youth Outdoors. This one mile drive-thru of holiday lights includes twinkling lights, jingle bells, Christmas music, animated outdoor themed features and a fly fishing Santa. 4. Old Town Fort Collins - Always a favorite, you can make an entire evening out of these holiday lights! Plan to pick up some dinner from one of the Old Town restaurants, or finish up some of your holiday shopping under all of the twinkling lights!  5. Eagle Ranch Estates - Loveland This subdivision will surely get you in the holiday spirit with all of their festive displays! 6. The Garden of Lights at The Gardens at Spring Creek - Fort Collins A favorite Fort Collins tradition, you can stroll through vignettes and displays - all twinkling with color and magic! Make sure you plan ahead, however - you will need tickets to attend. $10 per person over 12 years old. Money well spent if you ask us!  7. Realities For Children Big Blue NightLights Tree - Fort Collins This iconic symbol in downtown Fort Collins is a holiday favorite! Representing a beacon of light within the darkness of abuse, this 50 foot tree is a reminder to at-risk children everywhere that they are not alone. This year, the tree has a wonderful show designed by Blazen Illuminations, and set to music that you can listen to from your car - 97.1FM, all provided by local musicians. This show runs every half an hour, 5-10PM through the end of December. www.giveanightlight.com for more information.  Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken   Wow! 2020 - what a year?! There aren’t quite enough words to describe all of the feelings, emotions, and happenings of this past year. We have a few new words and meanings to add to our vocabularies and vernacular - pandemic (not really new, but used more this past year than probably ever before), virtual, socially distanced, hybrid, and Zoom. As event planners, New Year’s Eve is typically the perfect excuse to throw an awesome party! This year we won’t be throwing any huge gatherings or celebrations. 2020 was quite a ride of ups and downs. But - we’ve survived and made it, and that is something worth celebrating! We’ve come up with an extensive list of ways to say good-bye to this dumpster-fire of a year, and welcome in 2021 - what we hope will be a year full of healing, health, and goodness!
However you choose to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021, we at My Big Day Marketing & Events wish you all the best - health, happiness, and fortune in the New Year!  Contact MBD Marketing & Events
Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken If you’re out drinking or using drugs and need to Make the Call for a safe ride home, we’ve got you covered. No DUI Larimer has compiled a list of ride services throughout our county. Just scroll down to your city for name, description, and contact information for each service.  Fort Collins zTrip: Ride services for northern Colorado with flat rate pricing. Runs 24 hours. Download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play. To get $10 off a zTrip EVERY month, text #NoDUI to 970-224-2222. Contact: Use the app or call 855-MY-zTrip Lyft: Pricing based on demand. Runs 24 hours as long as drivers are available. Download the Lyft app on the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can also sign up or get an estimate here [https://www.lyft.com/rider/cities/fort-collins-co]. Contact: Get help through the app or online. NOCO Party Bus: Perfect if you’re planning an outing with a big group. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night rides. Pricing is hourly and based on number of passengers; view options and pricing here [https://www.nocopartybus.com/pricing/]. Contact: 970-235-0690 Genesis Executive Transportation: Luxury limousine and car service. Rates are charged per mile, hourly, or customized. View pricing online [https://www.genesis-executive.com/rates]. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night pickup. Contact: 970-599-9519 Ram Ride x Lyft: A taxi service for Colorado State University students that runs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Ram Ride now pairs with Lyft to provide discounted rates (up to 50% off, up to $10 off per ride) to current CSU students. Download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Contact: 970-491-2248 until 5 p.m. or through the app Transfort (currently FREE due to COVID-19): Fort Collins’ bus service. Does not run late at night. Check the schedule at www.ridetransfort.com. Contact: 970-221-6620 Uber: Similar to Lyft, pricing based on demand. Runs 25 hours. Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Contact: Get help online or through the app FLEX: City bus system with routes between Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Boulder. Fare is $1.25 per ride per adult – exact change required. Does not operate on certain holidays or very late at night. See the current schedule here [http://www.ridetransfort.com/routes/flex]. Contact: 970.221.6620 Loveland zTrip: Ride services for northern Colorado with flat rate pricing. Runs 24 hours. Download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play. To get $10 off a zTrip EVERY month, text #NoDUI to 970-224-2222. Contact: Use the app or call 855-MY-zTrip Lyft: Pricing based on demand. Runs 24 hours as long as drivers are available. Download the Lyft app on the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can also sign up or get an estimate here [https://www.lyft.com/rider/cities/fort-collins-co]. Contact: Get help through the app or online. Uber: Similar to Lyft, pricing based on demand. Runs 25 hours. Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Contact: Get help online or through the app COLT (City of Loveland Transit): Loveland’s city bus service. Adults 18-59 ride for $1.25. Check the schedule and routes at https://www.cityofloveland.org/services/public-works/bus-service. Does not run late at night. Contact: (970) 962-2700 FLEX: City bus system with routes between Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and Boulder. Fare is $1.25 per ride per adult – exact change required. Does not operate on certain holidays or very late at night. See the current schedule here [http://www.ridetransfort.com/routes/flex]. Contact: 970.221.6620 NOCO Party Bus: Perfect if you’re planning an outing with a big group. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night rides. Pricing is hourly and based on number of passengers; view options and pricing here [https://www.nocopartybus.com/pricing/]. Contact: 970-235-0690 Genesis Executive Transportation: Luxury limousine and car service. Rates are charged per mile, hourly, or customized. View pricing online [https://www.genesis-executive.com/rates]. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night pickup. Contact: 970-599-9519 Estes Park NOCO Party Bus: Perfect if you’re planning an outing with a big group. Pricing is hourly and based on number of passengers; view options and pricing here [https://www.nocopartybus.com/pricing/]. Contact: 970-235-0690 Genesis Executive Transportation: Luxury limousine and car service. Rates are charged per mile, hourly, or customized. View pricing online [https://www.genesis-executive.com/rates]. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night pickup. Contact: 970-599-9519 Estes Park Shuttle Service (FREE): Offers limited hours during the winter. Park at the town’s free parking structure (near the Estes Park Visitor Center) to pick your car up later. Currently operates on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Runs continuously, no reservations required. View the current schedule here [https://www.visitestespark.com/plan/getting-around/free-shuttle-buses/]. Contact: 970-577-3957 if you have questions Eddie Limo: Offers luxury transportation for special events. Must book ahead of time. Services mountain cities, even in winter. Contact: 303-803-7363 Colorado Canyon Connection: Offers one-way trips in town for $10 and round-trip for $15. Operates 24 hours; pickups requested between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. cost an extra $5. Out-of-town trips are available for a different fee. Contact: 970-614-8669 or book in advance online [https://www.coloradoshuttleservice.com] Windsor NOCO Party Bus: Perfect if you’re planning an outing with a big group. Pricing is hourly and based on number of passengers; view options and pricing here [https://www.nocopartybus.com/pricing/]. Contact: 970-235-0690 Genesis Executive Transportation: Luxury limousine and car service. Rates are charged per mile, hourly, or customized. View pricing online [https://www.genesis-executive.com/rates]. Must book ahead of time. Offers late-night pickup. Contact: 970-599-9519 Uber: Similar to Lyft, pricing based on demand. Runs 25 hours. Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Contact: Get help online or through the app Sapphire Car Service: Luxury taxi service, happy to accommodate short rides for individuals. Does not require advance booking. Contact Sapphire Car Service for more information. Contact: 979-545-0919 Next time you’re out in Larimer County, Make the Call for a safe ride home!  The No DUI Larimer coalition and campaign was born out of the need to address the problem of impaired driving in our community. The goal is to prevent driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances by increasing community responsibility for safe and responsible driving.
Our campaign is encouraging the public to “Make the Call” to end impaired driving in our community. Make the Call to get a safe ride home. Make the Call about whether you should get behind the wheel, and Make the Call to report suspected impaired drivers. Driving under the influence IS an emergency–please call 911 if you see someone you suspect is driving impaired. Ending impaired driving is a joint effort between law enforcement, government agencies, alcohol and cannabis retailers, local nonprofits, and the community. We need your help to stop impaired driving before it happens, and when it’s happening. Thanks for doing your part. -Partners, RAR, MBD Marketing & Events My Big Day was proud to be asked to help pull together a new way to pull off a historic event in Old Town Fort Collins, the Realities for Children NightLights Tree Lighting. A 23 year old tradition embraced by the community, we knew that COVID was going to make re-inventing this loved event quite a challenge.  With the help of many community partners, we were able to pull of a spectacular Live Stream of the NightLights tree lighting, with thousands of live viewers and impressive donations to this deserving charity serving Northern Colorado. If you aren't familiar with Realities for Children, you should be. Realities For Children provides for the unmet needs of northern Colorado children who have been abused, neglected or are at-risk. We do this by providing emergency funding, youth activities, critical distributions and collaboration resources for our Partner Youth Agencies. Realities For Children was incorporated in 1995 and has been funding the unmet needs of Larimer County children who have been abused, neglected or are at-risk since 1996. Currently, Realities For Children supports the services of 39 Partner Youth Agencies and represents nearly 250 Business Members invested in making it their business to make a difference.
The many amazing businesses and talented folks who made this fundraiser possible include:
Below are some photos captured by Craig Vollmer of the Live Stream event. You can continue to support Realities and their NightLights fundraiser all December long HERE: https://www.realitiesforchildren.com/events/night-lights/ Contact MBD Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken We are approaching the end of 2020, and that means it’s almost time to launch The Family Center’s annual Play it Forward year-end campaign. My Big Day has been proud to support this amazing non-profit and help lead their fundraising efforts! If you’re familiar with The Family Center/La Familia, you know our goal in an average year is to raise at least $50,000 for families. This year has not been an average year. The needs of our community are greater than ever. Larimer County’s childcare assistance program has now been closed for three years due to lack of funding. And, if you received our Play it Forward 2020 letter, you know the pandemic has not slowed us down - in fact, it has only increased the needs of families in our community.  Here are some of TFC’s 2020 achievements so far, by the numbers:
 Our goal for this year’s Play it Forward event is to raise $80,000. Here are some examples of how far your donation can go:
 Did you know that your donations to TFC/La Familia also qualify for Colorado’s Child Care Contribution Tax Credit? This means that 50% of your income comes right off your taxable income. If you donate $100 to our Play it Forward campaign, your net out-of-pocket cost is just $50 - for a $200 donation after donor matching. You can donate to Play it Forward easily online HERE. Thank you to our vibrant community for another year of support. We couldn’t operate The Family Center/La Familia without you.  My Big Day has been privileged to be working on a DUI campaign funded by a Colorado state grant, through Partners and their incredible efforts in the area of prevention education. The initiative is called No DUI Larimer.  Our primary goal at No DUI Larimer is to reduce the number of driving-under-the-influence crashes in our county by encouraging everyone to “Make the Call” to report drunk drivers. Did you know that it is not only acceptable to call 911 if you suspect a drunk driver, but that it is the best way to get an officer to the area quickly? Driving under the influence is an emergency. Each day in the United States, people drive drunk more than 300,000 times, but only 2,800 are arrested. Calling to report drunk drivers increases the chances that they will be caught, making our roads safer. Follow this easy 3-step guide to report a drunk driver:
It’s that easy! So, Make the Call – for yourself, for your friends, for your family, and for your fellow NoCo residents.  Contact MBD Marketing & Events
Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken This has been a crazy year. Many holidays and birthdays have had to be celebrated in non-traditional ways. The same is true for this year’s Halloween festivities. Celebrating Halloween During a Pandemic? Door-to-door trick or treating will not be happening in most neighborhoods. There is a long list of rules and restrictions for candy-givers, parents, children to follow. Christine Forester, President of My Big Day Marketing & Events, along with The Thompson Education Foundation, have come up with a way for families in Northern Colorado to celebrate Halloween safely. They saw the need and came up with a solution - NoCo’s Greatest DriveThru TrickorTreat Experience!  I have asked Christine to answer a series of questions to help give some insight on this creative way to have a safe but fun event. 1. How did you come up with this idea? I actually heard tons of rumbling in the news about 'what if Halloween is cancelled this year?" As a parent I started thinking of ways we could make Halloween even safer. I came up with this very different version of a 'trunk or treak' and pitched it. It was a winner! 2. How will the event work exactly? To ensure all county and city regulations for COVID-19, we are limiting the number of people onsite at a time, so our event has staggered times that cars can arrive. Cars will drive through very slowly as trick-or-treaters can take in the fun displays, and trick or treat out of their windows! 3. This is a fundraiser for The Thompson Education Foundation, what will the proceeds be going towards exactly? Funds raised for events that support Thompson Education Foundation go toward the many programs they offer, grants and scholarships for students in the Thompson School District. 4. I see the event has been sold out for quite some time, how quickly did the tickets sell and were you expecting such a good turn out? YES it has! We did expect that the community would embrace this event. We did NOT expect for it to sell out in 5 minutes. We have been receiving hate mail nearly daily from parents who didn't get a ticket. During a global pandemic and working with small businesses and a staff of 50 volunteers- we can truly only do so much. We expect this all day event will bring in 3,000 people over the course of the event. We simply cannot allow any more without breaking county rules and jeopardizing safety. 5. Shout-out to Sponsors? We are grateful for the support of The Group, Foothills Credit Union, Kaiser Permanente, AIMS, Comcast, and iHeart to name just a few!
 Defining company values is an important part of any company’s business or branding strategy. Company values are often integrated into a company’s mission statement, a formal summary of the aims and values of a company or organization. Visible mission statements benefit a business in multiple ways: They give companies a solid foundation that guides future business activities, and they resonate with customers who share the company’s values. My Big Day has always valued community, creativity, and making memories for our clients. In recent years, My Big Day has expanded our services to include full-service marketing options and year-long event management contracts for other companies and nonprofits. Our company is now in the process of expanding and refining our mission statement with input from all members of our team. We’d like to share with our readers the process of creating a mission statement and the importance of values, as well as some specifics from our journey through this process.  Defining your company’s core values is one of the most effective first steps in developing a mission statement. As an employer, you can ask yourself why your business exists and what you believe it provides to others. It’s important to also reach out to employees for input. Ask employees what they like about working for your company, what they think is most important about the company, and what difference it makes in your community. Some examples of the statements our company received from employees are: “My Big Day is contributing to the positive environment we have created for ourselves as employees, and in turn for all of our clients,” and, “I think there is a mentality [in the company] that melds professionalism with play in a unique way that allows all of the work we do for fun.”
For a company with high employee engagement and morale, values should line up naturally. My Big Day collected keywords and employee statements with a series of emailed questions from our company coach, Katie Beaubian, who sums up the importance of company values: “Core values of a business are the values that are incorporated into everything we do – from how we show up to events, to what clients we work with to how we interact with each other as a team.” My Big Day is proud of our company values and the way they translate into not just the professional execution of our work, but into community outreach and employee and client satisfaction.  Contact My Big Day Marketing & Events
Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken It’s the perfect weekend to plan a trip to one of the many awesome NoCo farms and pumpkin patches in search of the great pumpkin! Here’s a list of some of the most festive spots we have found: 1. The Bartels Farm, Fort Collins. Famous for their beautiful pumpkin patch, this is one of the most popular spots on our list. With plenty of activities and attractions, there will be something for everyone in the family to enjoy! Be prepared for large crowds (they have plenty of parking - we're talking an overflow parking lot with hundreds of vehicles) - so make sure to pack your mask for safety purposes! (Their website is under construction)
Contact My Big Day Marketing & Events Small Business. Big Impact. Phone: 970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 Email Us We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken |
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970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 EMAIL US
We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken
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