December 2014

‘Twas the night before Love Boat, when Miami, Florida, staked its claim to the title Cruise Capital of the World. Coastal cities around the U.S., like Baltimore, took note and threw open their sashes to the ships, giving Richmond-folk like us an easy three-hour drive to a cruise (versus a…

  It’s amazing how quickly Can’t wait to be home for the holidays! can turn into What’s there to do? Even when family and guests want to spend lots of together time catching up, homes shrink when the weather outside turns frightful – or when everyone starts to become activity-challenged.…

    Richmond Ballet company dancer Valerie Tellmann remembers checking the casting list five times before it really sank in that she was going to dance the coveted role of Clara in The Nutcracker. “My mom told me before the audition not to get my hopes up because I had…

Society is changing, in some cases with head-spinning rapidity. Marijuana is legal in some states and making strides towards legalization in others. Same-sex marriage is now legal in a majority of states. Everywhere we look, it seems that groups who have traditionally been forced to live in society’s shadowy margins…

Christmas is a lot of work. This is news to absolutely no one. Especially moms out there reading. And single parents. And dads who split holiday-making and child-rearing duties fifty-fifty with their partners. (Which means it’s only half as much work for you couples, so congratulations!) For many of us,…

…and flip through this issue of RFM: The Christmas season is here! From Joan Tupponce’s whimsical behind-the-scenes look at Richmond Ballet and The Nutcracker on page 12 (they go through how many pairs of pointe shoes?!) to our fabulous holiday giveaways on page 9, we’ll have you humming your favorite…

It starts as soon as the Halloween decorations are cleared out. Sometimes, it’s even earlier. The clock starts ticking and the pressure is on to create the perfect holiday season for your family. As a mom of two children, of course I want to build traditions and help my children…

Studies show that positive emotion and well-being can increase during the holidays, especially with regard to holiday rituals. Regardless of how stressed or frustrated you might feel during this time of year, you can improve your positive emotion by changing your reality. While you can’t control the stock market, the weather, or…

Traditional gifts of the season tend to get broken, forgotten, or discarded far too quickly. Why not give a gift with long-term impact and long-term value? Here are three ideas that will transcend the season: Roth IRAs, Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA), and cash value-based life insurance. A Roth…

Kids love making ornaments and grownups enjoy receiving pictures  during the holidays! Factor in the use of recycled materials, and you get a can’t-miss Kids Can-Do idea for all ages. (It’s a perfect gift topper, too – especially for out-of-town family and friends.)   What you need: • Styrofoam egg…

We’ve all had to deal with those neighbors at one point or another. You know, the ones whose high schooler is the lead singer for a death metal band that practices on Tuesday nights until eleven-thirty at night. In their garage, which is twelve feet from your toddler’s bedroom window.…

Q: We’ll be around my very large family this holiday with a brand new baby. He’ll be about six weeks old when we visit. I’m already feeling antsy about passing him around from family member to family member. Should I try to get over it or is there any parenting…

Can I have a pet that is just mine?  Is your child ready for a pet of his own – perhaps a small pet that he can care for all by himself? One that might live in his room? Gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, and rats are often called pocket…

By age seven, Luke had lost both parents to acts of violence. He and his siblings were split up among relatives; he no longer had a place to call home. By the time he started first grade at his public school, he had begun to self-destruct. He tried to jump…

As we head into the winter season, when coughs and colds abound, some women will dread catching the common cold more than others. For women who suffer from pelvic organ prolapse, the coughing that comes with a cold can make them feel like everything down there is going to fall…

Peppermint Bark Prep time: 15 minutes, plus time to chill Put 10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate morsels (not quite one bag) in a bowl, and place in the microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Stir with a rubber spatula. Put the bowl back in the microwave for another 30…

In 1929, a fantastic Richmond holiday tradition was born: the Christmas Toy Parade. Every year, just after Thanksgiving, crowds gathered on Broad Street to watch floats, bands, clowns, and drill teams herald the arrival of the holiday season. The highlight of the parade? Giant gas-filled balloons depicting different characters each year: Snow…