June 2016

Dads stand by us, protect us, and guide us. We look up to them. And even though we might not realize it now, a lot of that sage advice they are dishing out is sinking in. This month, as we celebrate Father’s Day, we thought it would be enlightening to…

When author and parenting expert Michele Borba spoke in Richmond earlier this spring, her message was clear: Parents need to focus on building empathy, resilience, and confidence in children. Borba, a former teacher and mom of three who has her doctorate and has written thirty books on children’s issues, shared…

Richmond is contentment itself. She teems in treasure – gorgeous parks, great eating and theater galore, an incredible library system, fabulous history right underneath our mailboxes, and so forth. So why an article on Georgia’s islands? Lucky us. One more characteristic that makes RVA such a gem is the adventure…

Summer reading. Two words that virtually guarantee eye-rolling from my two stubborn boys. When that final bell rings on the last day of school this month, all Brady and Eli want to think about is pool time, hanging out with friends, sleeping in, and basketball camp. Reading a book is…

  Over the years, a lot of people have asked me how I came up with the strange and wonderful things I’ve said. Colorful, connective images, jokes, and metaphors that usually bring an equal fraction of laughter and furrowed brows. I usually say it’s too many Bogart movies or Raymond…

Our time is generally split between commitments, like soccer games and church, fun things with the magazine, like festivals around town, trips to the circus or a theme park, or spending time with friends and families. Facebook friends sometimes comment, “You’re a great mom – you’re always doing fun things…

I feel like my whole day at home with my 2-year-old revolves around food. What’s a good snacking strategy? Should I wait until he acts hungry, or schedule a time for a healthy snack? For a 2-year-old, food is a big deal! Using utensils, sipping through straws, pouring juice into…

After years of difficulty trying to start a family, Karl and Stefanie Smith were overjoyed to hear that Stefanie was pregnant with twins. From the beginning, Stefanie’s pregnancy was followed carefully, with many visits to the perinatologist for ultrasounds and other tests. “We were doing everything right,” said Karl, “and…

Today is Jennifer’s fortieth birthday. The gang has spent a month planning a celebration. At the last minute, you get a text from the guest of honor. Sorry. Can’t go. Migraine.  If you’ve never had a migraine, you’re annoyed. Blowing off your own birthday party just because of a headache?…

You picked up a bunch of greens at the farmers’ market last weekend. Now what? To make weeknight dinners a little simpler, I like to have my greens ready to go. This can include any hearty-stem green such as kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, or mustard greens. To get them…

Her name was Molly Phyllis, and she was solely responsible for getting our family over our bigotry. My husband and I fostered dogs and with two small children, we steadfastly refused to allow pit bulls in our home. But when we met Molly Phyllis, all that changed. She was a…

Are there sounds that drive you up the wall? Does pen-clicking, gum-smacking, or knuckle-cracking send you into a tizzy? Depending on the severity of your irritation, you may have misophonia, but most likely you merely have low frustration tolerance (LFT). Misophonia was first identified about twenty years ago as selective…

The first African American governor in United States history, L. Douglas Wilder was born in Richmond’s Church Hill district in 1931. There, he was raised with five sisters and a brother at 28th and P Streets, amidst a backdrop he characterized as “gentle poverty.” The grandson of slaves, Wilder grew up…

Clean, safe water is an important part of every family’s life, and something we’ve come to take for granted in our homes and throughout our community. With the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, concerned Richmonders may wonder what is being done to address questions about lead in the local drinking…

How many stars do you see when you look up at the sky at night? Did you know there are over 300 billion stars in our galaxy? In our solar system alone, we have eight planets and five dwarf planets, but only one star that we know of. That star…

When singer, songwriter, and music icon Prince died at age fifty-seven, people were shocked to discover that he apparently had never made a will. To the surprise of many, unless Prince had created a trust or some other estate planning tool which no one knows about, the performer who friends…