June 2012

There's a lot to love about Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, especially for a Disney fanatic like myself. The 4,000-passenger ship captures not only the latest in technology, but also the magical spirit that makes Disney one of the most loved and recognized brands in the world.…

Sometime during the preschool years and elementary school, many parents and their children enter the world of organized sports. For us, it started with four-year-old soccer, a sport that consists mainly of parents watching several children move in a single clump up and down the field. From there, we moved…

Want a great mini-vacation that ends tranquilly with your head on your own pillow? Lucky us! We live in Richmond where the James River and its parks offer a myriad of family vacation pleasures - wildlife viewing, history lessons, exhilarating activities, and relaxing locales with beautiful vistas for just plain…

Four-year- old Eli woke up bright and early every morning that week. "Are we going to see the owls today, Mommy?" My little nature lover was completely obsessed with the thought of seeing a real live owl. Turns out, the daily countdown we started that first morning was worth it.…

  My mother will turn eighty this summer and whenever we're together, I try to tell stories about what it was like growing up. It's good for my mom and it's important for the girls to hear that it was alternately tough and terrific being a kid – even some forty years…

A little while ago, the younger of my two children, an eleven-year-old girl, let me know it was time to remove her booster seat from the back seat of my car. Though she is a small kid, so small that I can always pick her out from her peers on…

I feel like we were just preparing for the first day of kindergarten, and somehow, June has already arrived. It looks as though our household will survive its inaugural year of school, and Will thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It took a while to get into the groove of those early…

You were just a trembling pup all those years ago, only eight weeks old when we picked you from the litter. We brought you home in a box filled with blankets and put you to bed that first night surrounded by bones and treats and toys. Yes, I guess you…

The release of The Hunger Games earlier this year electrified local teens and tweens. With its young cast and strong visuals, the fictitious story of a teenage protagonist fighting to survive in a strange future-world was an ideal novel to become a Hollywood movie. But if you think childhood hunger…

The medical community has long upheld the notion that low back pain is mysterious and can’t be diagnosed. This belief can be traced to a 1966 paper published by two British general practitioners. The source of chronic low back pain can be identified, however, in 90 percent of those affected.…

Q: My daughter is nervous about summer as many of the neighborhood kids go to a different school than the one she attends. She is worried about how she will fit in with the children on our street and what her summer will look like. How can I help her?…

About two weeks ago, I pulled up to an ATM in Carytown, left my car running, hopped out to withdraw cash, and jumped back into the air conditioned vehicle. And yes, my daughter was in the backseat the whole time. Buckled into her gold-star-for-safety car seat, eating an organic banana,…

In life there are few things that remain the same. My daughter probably gets tired of me reminding her that how she feels at this moment is only temporary, it will pass and things will change. Often my clients need to be reminded of the very same thing. When you…

  Inspired by a collection that explores the amazingly rich visual culture of India’s last royal families, transform an everyday item into a splendid object, symbolic of power and untold wealth.   What you need: Serving-size forks and spoons (buy these at a thrift store or dollar store if you…

Peach & blackberry salsa  Whisk in a large bowl: 1 Tbsp each of lime zest, honey, extra virgin olive oil, plus 6 Tbsp fresh lime juice, and a dash of pepper. Add 1 pint fresh blackberries, washed and hulled, 2 cups diced peaches, 1 cup diced red onions, 1 large…