July 2010

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank   In recent years, I’ve had the privilege of watching my mother return to volunteering. Once busy with schools and other organizations, she grew less active after we were out of the…

If you think fireworks are only for the Fourth of July, think again. Fireworks light up the sky throughout the year. You’ll see them on major holidays, at high-end weddings and after Flying Squirrels Thursday home games. This year the baseball team will have a minimum of 14 fireworks shows at…

Oh, the indignities teenagers have to suffer. Think mood swings and the obsessive need to shower for an hour at a time. But it’s all just part of the gig right? So is acne. When the dreaded teenage scourge visited my now 14-year-old daughter last year I responded with the…

About a month ago, I made a list. Empty waste cans. Sort whites. Scrub toilets. Clean bedrooms. Unload dishwasher. Dismantle the stockpile of shoes in the utility room that had recently begun to rival the pile of laundry. There were about ten chores total. Next to each of the items, I drew a…

Take a moment to think back to last summer. Did your pool bag seem to double in size over the course of the summer? As the mother of two young girls and admittedly a packaholic, I know mine did. I live by the motto be prepared, with a tendency to…

Wouldn’t you like to know? Every once in a while, I’ll find a local Richmonder we’d all like to know a bit more about. Same questions each time, from the Prying Publisher (that’s me!) And the answers are just for you. This month, I talked to CBS 6 News co-anchor…

Ben, my oldest son, is thirteen. Sometimes he wanders into the room with a thousand-yard stare, which can only mean one thing. Girls. For the past year or so, he has been growing into an awareness that girls might merit special attention. More recently, they have emerged as full-bore forces…

1. Watermelon and Arugula Salad  Whisk together 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Slowly add 2 tbsp olive oil and whisk. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place 3 cups cubed watermelon, 5 oz arugula, 2 oz toasted pine nuts and 2 oz crumbled feta…

Volunteering has many benefits for people of all ages, from meeting interesting people, to acquiring new skill sets, to building self-confidence and self-esteem. But did you know that youth who volunteer just one or more hours a week are 50 percent less likely to abuse alcohol, cigarettes or engage in…

Why is it important to reach out to our global neighbors? We asked that question in our Words Work Essay Contest, and gave parents a chance to get their kids talking about the importance of humanitarian aid. Whether it’s at home or abroad, when disaster strikes, we see neighbors unite…

What you need: Recycled cardboard Crayons Scissors Brown construction paper or brown paper bag Glue Yarn or string Aluminum foil   What you do: Frame: 1. Cut two 9 x12 inch cardboard rectangles. Draw a border one inch inside on one rectangle. Cut along the line to make a window…

Q: My 2½-year-old just moved to a big kid bed. He was a great sleeper in the crib, but now he wakes up several times at night and wanders in his room and through the house in the middle of the night. I am worried that he is not getting…

There are 4.7 million dog bites annually in the United States, and the majority of the victims are children. Education is the key to reducing the number of dog bites. Just as parents model behaviors for socializing with people, we should teach our kids how to interact with dogs. Don’t…