May-June 2022

Driving is riskier than ever, but why? Exploring what's happening on the roadways, and what's being done to improve safety for drivers, cyclists, & pedestrians. If you think being on the road is more dangerous than ever, you’re right. Since 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, road fatalities have increased…

What makes RVA Coffee Stain Doug Orleski tick? And why is his Richmond-themed art so popular? Father, husband, social media creator, and ultimate Philly sports fan Doug Orleski has created a distinctive voice for himself as Richmond’s resident illustrator during the past ten years. His art has run the gamut…

Witness transformative and inclusive history in action at VMHC! The newly renovated Virginia history museum on Arthur Ashe Boulevard is not to be missed. As a transplant to Richmond, my first introduction to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) took place in 2018 at the Fresh Paint exhibition,…

Driving is riskier than ever, but why? Exploring what's happening on the roadways, and what's being done to improve safety for drivers, cyclists, & pedestrians. If you think being on the road is more dangerous than ever, you’re right. Since 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, road fatalities have increased…

Witness transformative and inclusive history in action at VMHC! The newly renovated Virginia history museum on Arthur Ashe Boulevard is not to be missed. As a transplant to Richmond, my first introduction to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) took place in 2018 at the Fresh Paint exhibition,…

It was love at first sight for me. The confident energy. The sleek build. The way his hind legs looked like he was wearing furry chaps – yes, the cowboy pants – when you caught a glimpse of him from just the right angle. The first time I saw Auggie,…

I can proudly say I’ve been a Virginian for, let’s just say, a very long time. Yet, it wasn’t until the pandemic began that I started to explore much more of the Commonwealth.  Of course, I’d been to Richmond before – on school field trips and the like. I’d been…

It was the summer of 2020, the pandemic was in full swing, and once again I found myself in our downstairs bathroom, plunger in hand. While thankfully the quarantine had spared my family from getting sick, our 70-year-old plumbing just couldn’t keep up with the four of us being home…

As I mentioned in my last note, RFM has switched to printing every other month, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s been an adjustment! This issue in particular has my mind all over the map – is it spring? Is it summer? And of course, the answer is, it’s both!…

A feel-good and relatable romantic buddy story. Having enjoyed Emily Henry’s 2020 New York Times best-selling novel Beach Read, I decided to stay on the Henry train and read her 2021 bestseller, People We Meet on Vacation. The choice was timely for me since Henry is a headliner at the…

Kids can craft a one-of-a-kind gift for Moms, Dads, grads, and others using just a few supplies and (maybe!) a bit of help from a grown-up. Fun to make and customize, it’s a little purse/bank combination. What you need: • Toilet paper tube • Duct tape • Scissors • Exacto…

Many young families delay their estate planning. Common refrains include: We don’t have a lot of assets. It’s too expensive. We don’t know where to start.  As the last two years have taught us, even otherwise healthy young adults are not immune from accident or illness. Parents with minor children…

Our 4-year-old son is in a wheelchair and has several disabilities. His older siblings (eight and ten) carry a lot of stress and anxiety related to our situation, whether they admit it or not. We are often out as a family, and I need strategies for my older kids to…

Sleeping alone in the back of a U-Haul truck. Hiding in fear during regular visits from law enforcement officers. Tiptoeing over drug paraphernalia, trying not to wake anyone. Nursing broken bones and abrasions.  These are heartbreaking scenarios that Henrico CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) has seen play out behind closed…

What intuitive eating is and is not and how to know if it's right for your family. Conversation sparked around intuitive eating in 2021 and has grown in the past year. As a dietitian who incorporates intuitive eating principles into my practice, it has been exciting to see momentum build…

Skinny Coconut Daiquiri 1½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk ½ cup canned coconut cream 1 medium frozen banana (chop in chunks before freezing) 2 teaspoons lime juice ½ teaspoon lime zest ¼ cup fresh coconut chunks  (shredded unsweetened    coconut also works) ½ cup and 4 oz coconut rum Place…

Twenty years ago, the Richmond SPCA transitioned to a no-kill operating model. That shift marked not only a change in philosophy, but also a change in the types of programs that were offered – spaying and neutering being chief among them. When the nonprofit completed its move in the fall…

Everybody loves a good deal! Hop over to the local mall and you’ll see signs boasting fantastic sales. Turn on the TV and you’ll find yourself swimming in the gooey cheeses of a thousand Papa John’s commercials. Whether you’re negotiating for a new car, couponing for groceries, or looking for…

In 1886, the Shriners – also known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine – established a Richmond chapter called Acca Temple. A secret society not unlike the Masons, the Shriners embraced Orientalism, an aesthetic and scholarly fad at the time, as an identity. Now…

Are the spices in your pantry tasting dull? Why settle for lackluster herbs when you can grow your own and have them fresh at hand when you need them?  It’s not complicated to cultivate your own supply of herbs, just follow a few simple steps, whether you’re growing herbs in…

Little ones will finally get their shot at COVID-19 protection, literally. Nearly a year and a half after the first COVID vaccine was administered in the United States, both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are nearing submission for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA for a vaccine for children as young…

Warm weather is here and most people are chomping at the bit to get out and enjoy music concerts, theatre productions, sporting events, and other entertainment.  Since the pandemic, many venues have gone to only accepting digital tickets, making the possibilities for scams all the more likely. Before you plunk…