Ashley Arigoni

Sundays in the Arigoni house are intentionally designed to be as easy and relaxed as we can keep them ahead of our whirlwind weeks. The kids are usually the first ones up, turning the basement into a maze of blankets and pillows for their latest fort or building elaborate Lego structures, each with its own intricate backstory. While they invent new worlds downstairs, I get the coffee brewing and map out the day with my husband Johnny. Most weekends, we order from Call Your Mother, our go-to for everything bagels and schmear—stocking up enough to last the week, though the bagels never seem to make it that far.

GEARING UP
After breakfast, I lace up for a few laps around Wash Park—my favorite way to dive into the week and a sure way to run into some friendly faces. While I’m running, Johnny is usually knee-deep in some kind of house project. With a home that’s more than 100 years old, there’s always something to fix—sometimes by choice (he’s happiest tinkering with old cars), and sometimes because an ancient pipe or creaky door demands it.

Late morning, we hop on our bikes and head to Steele Elementary. Between the three playgrounds and the big open field, it’s the perfect place for the kids to burn off energy and for us to catch up with neighbors. A quick pop into Starbucks across the street nets the kids a highly anticipated hot chocolate before we head home.

We’re lucky that both sets of grandparents live nearby, so Sundays often include a visit to one of their houses—sometimes for lunch, sometimes just to play in the yard or sneak a few cookies before dinner. The kids love the routine, and the grandparents don’t seem to mind the weekly chaos one bit.

If the Broncos are playing, we might wander over to Campus Lounge to catch the game and give the kids some time on old arcade machines (though Johnny confidently continues to outscore them!). Other weekends, it’s Tap & Dough for pizza and lemonade, or something simple at home with friends.

Before dinner, we’ll stop at Bonnie Brae Liquor, our neighborhood standby, for a bottle of wine or a Colorado craft beer. Evenings are spent cooking together and squeezing in just a little more weekend before bedtime.

By the time the dishes are done and the house is quiet, it’s lights out for everyone. Sundays are our exhale—a reminder that life here in Wash Park is built on simple routines, good neighbors and family close enough to pedal to.