One of my favorite things about my job at Sterling Ranch is creating events for you all to connect with your neighbors and to create life-long memories!

As I plan the weekly, monthly, and yearly Lifestyle Calendar I carefully consider the annual budget and how to schedule events accordingly. Making arrangements for events can sometimes be a guessing game, especially in the world of COVID-19! Items taken into consideration include available vendors, capacity limits, safety guidelines, and potential weather events. With strict gathering regulations with COVID-19, it is always my goal to allow the maximum number of residents to participate in events within those guidelines and budget. This sometimes means offering multiple offerings of the same event, providing a virtual and in-person option to attend, or simply limiting the event capacity.

Your RSVPs for paid and free events are EXTREMELY important! RSVP's help me to plan the appropriate amount of event supplies, vendor services, and location for events.

Here's to a year filled with happy memories and most importantly, FUN!

The Springtime brings a lot of awesome opportunities to gather indoors and outdoors. With two upcoming National holidays and nicer weather ahead, check out all that we have planned in the month of March and beyond!

According to the housing market research firm Zonda, 393 new families made the decision to call Sterling Ranch home in 2020, making it the top-selling master-planned community in the Denver area!

This new year promises to be even better with home sales in Ascent Village already going strong and Prospect Village opening soon! 2021 will also be bringing a new builder to the community. Pulte Homes will be returning to Colorado with a variety of new products from smaller homes starting in the low $500,000s and larger homes starting in the low-to-mid $600,000s and up.

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If you’re like me, the news of a pandemic sent me into a bit of a tailspin and created challenges I wasn’t prepared to handle. Specifically, my health and fitness routine. I have been an avid Orange Theory Fitness kool-aid drinker for over six years. With over 1,200 classes under my belt, I was COMMITTED to my almost daily workouts and becoming faster, stronger, and healthier as I aged.

Then came March 2020. Gyms were closed and we were now forced to find the inner motivation to get off the couch, put down the food, and move. I know I’m not alone when I say it became easier and easier to skirt that responsibility and lose my passion for being active without someone coaching me along the way. By December I was sick of myself and my excuses. So, I decided to plan and facilitate a fitness challenge for Sterling Ranch to get back into the groove and hopefully meet some new people along the way!

We launched the 2021 Sterling Ranch Fitness Challenge at the beginning of January with 26 participants all eager to put the last year behind them. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it would be worthwhile. We had a list of activities for points, a point tracker, and weekly zoom meetings to discuss challenges we faced during the week, goals we wanted to accomplish, and to hold each other accountable. Through these meetings, participants started sharing recipes, workout tips, commitments to meet at the Overlook Clubhouse for a sweat session or even joining one of the yoga or HIIT classes offered at the clubhouse. Members became friends and cheerleaders for their teammates!

After six weeks of focusing on health and wellness, many of us feel inspired to continue the momentum and make this year about being healthier than ever.

If you see these winners out and about in the community, give them an air high five (remember, six feet away!) for their hard work.

We hope you get a chance to work out at the fitness center or enjoy one of the many fitness classes and wellness opportunities available at the Overlook!

Now more than ever, men and women are embracing their 40-year-old milestone birthdays. Here are a few great things to remind you why it's fabulous to be 40!

Wait—colonoscopies? Most women know that turning 40 means beginning their regular breast cancer screening routine through annual mammograms; but did you know that women at an elevated risk for colon cancer should begin getting colonoscopies at age 40 and those at average risk at age 45?

“The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently published a guideline that explains colorectal cancer among people younger than 50 is on the rise,” explains Daine Bennett, a colorectal surgeon at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center. “Because of this, the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventative Task Force both recommend colon cancer screening start at age 45 for normal risk individuals. People with a family history of colon polyps or cancer may need to start at an earlier age.”

Those at a heightened risk for colorectal cancer should discuss their risk with a health care provider. Your doctor can help you find ways to reduce risk and begin a screening schedule most appropriate for your specific needs.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer include older age, personal history of polyps or colon cancer, inflammatory intestinal conditions (such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease); family history of colorectal cancer (family history doubles your risk); rare inherited conditions; physical inactivity; obesity; smoking; low-fiber, high-fat diet; diabetes.

“While many of these risk factors are not within your control, there are some that you can change! If you are generally sedentary, start by taking a walk around the block every day. If you are smoking, quit – the Colorado Quit Line can help. Try incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet. And as I continue to stress, talk to your doctor about regular colon cancer screening,” Dr. Bennett encourages. “It can be daunting to change your lifestyle, but start by just making small steps, each one counts.”

Learn more about colorectal cancer care and screening or to find a doctor near you.

With over 1,300 acres of dedicated open space, Sterling Ranch is home to many types of wildlife species. Many of these species live in and around the community without you even knowing!

Most of us have seen the large elk herd travel through Sterling Gulch or caught a deer family meandering in the Taylor River median. With Sterling Ranch nestled in between 2 state parks, Douglas County open space, and right at the base of the foothills, there is potential to experience wildlife right at your back door!

March 3 is World Wildlife Day! Submit your photos of wildlife you've encountered in Sterling Ranch between March 1-5 to Lifestyle Director, Kate Kunzie at katek@sterlingranchcab.com. Submissions will be entered into a raffle to win a $50 gift card!

Keeping our families and pets safe, as well as protecting the natural wildlife patterns is important while living in Sterling Ranch! Check out the articles published by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife about training your pets to adapt to indoor living, and additional information about living close to wildlife.