My oldest Sam was born during the same year as the first issue of RFM (happy 15th!), and by the time my second son Charlie joined us a few years later, the magazine had given me countless pointers, inspiring stories, and routine laughs. Special thanks to Childhood Development Center at…

Enter to Win a One-Night Stay and Hand-picked Bottle of Wine at STAY NAMU STAY NAMU is a serene woodland wellness retreat in King William, located 45 minutes outside of Richmond. Nestled on five acres of private land, this refined country home blends natural solitude with modern comfort. Relax in…

A heartwarming tale of friendship, family, and unexpected connections.  I was thrilled when it was announced at my book club’s monthly meeting that our next read would be Remarkably Bright Creatures. Despite reading mostly non-fiction, I’d heard such positive reviews of the novel that I was eager to experience it…

Creating Montessori-Inspired Spaces that Foster Independence  As a parent, finding the framework for your parenting philosophy can be challenging. I was given the gift of Montessori when I was (very) pregnant with my first child. A client I was working with commented that when I started to look for education…

“Oh my gosh! I’m going to get straight A’s!”  That was 11-year-old Aisha Ismail’s first reaction during her training session with the OrCam MyEye 3 Pro, a device that reads text and handwriting aloud and recognizes faces among other features – all things Aisha cannot do because she is blind. …

Celebrating Winter, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day  Angela’s Glacier  By Jordan Scott  Illustrated by Diana Sudyka  Ages 4-8  A luminously-illustrated love story of a girl growing up in the shadow of a glacier that’s always there to listen.  Groundhug Day  By Anne Marie Pace  Illustrated by Christopher Denise  Ages…

Make a Wintry Woodland Friend  Materials  • Pine cone  • Scissors  • Cotton balls  • Pipe cleaners  • Glue dots (or school glue – you’ll just have to be gentle with your owl for several minutes while the glue dries)  • Googly eyes   Instructions  1. Pull apart the cotton balls,…

7 Plumbing Tips to Maximize Your Home’s Efficiency  As the new year arrives, it’s a great time to think about how to make your home more efficient – and plumbing plays a big role in that. From energy savings to protecting your home’s water systems, simple plumbing adjustments can make…

Dealing with Unexpected Charges for Prenatal Care and Labor and Delivery  You have built your registry, dreamed up a beautiful nursery, and maybe even set up a college fund for your little bundle of joy, but chances are you haven’t been thinking about what to do if you receive an…

“Does it matter that I’m not a parent?” This was the question that reverberated in my mind during the early conversations about me assuming the role of managing editor of RFM.  Despite having the professional qualifications, I was worried that not being a mother meant I couldn’t or shouldn’t take…

Enter to Win Sherah Annual Membership The personal assistant for Moms (or Dads!) by Moms. Sherah jumps in and tackles your full to-do list, last-minute tasks, and the things you hate doing, from scheduling healthcare appointments and planning birthday parties to meal planning, travel research, running errands, and registering for…

The Standard American Diet’s Effect on Mental Health  Do you sometimes feel sad after the holiday season? Is it just you? Or is it the long, dark days? Perhaps, but maybe the Standard American Diet (SAD) is partially to blame. Many research studies have shown that the food and drink…

4 Recipes to Support Cardiovascular Health  White Bean Soup  Serves 4  Ingredients  1 tablespoon olive oil  1 yellow onion minced  2-3 large carrots diced, about 1 cup  2 celery ribs diced, about ½ cup  4 cloves garlic minced  1 ½ teaspoon sea salt  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper  ½ teaspoon…

Just like that, the holidays – and 2024 – are behind us, and a fresh new year brimming with possibilities has arrived.   My family closed out the year with some quiet time on the home front, enjoying our oldest son’s time back home after his successful first semester in college,…

I was watching a cute video this morning of dogs playing together. While the focus of the video was on two dogs in the center of the screen, off to the side I watched as another dog – let’s call him Fido – purposely pushed a playmate off the dog…

Their Story of Resilience, Recovery, and Heart Health Advocacy Desiree Tunnell and Brad Bakken are practically newlyweds, having just married a little over a year ago. But this Valentine’s Day, they’ll have a lot more to celebrate than romance. By the time they said “I do” last year they’d already…

Candice Smith Balances Her Career and Motherhood  While most people are in deep sleep at 3 a.m., Candice Smith, 32, is at the television station scanning dozens of Virginia Department of Transportation cameras throughout Central Virginia, checking for updates every 10 minutes.  “We have all sorts of reports that come in, from…

Loneliness is a feeling that doesn’t feel good.  We can feel lonely at a party where the only person we know is the host. Or we can feel lonely when we’re not immediately invited to join a lunch table in the cafeteria. It’s especially easy to feel lonely when we…

How to Let Baby Take Charge of Their Eating  If you’re wondering how and when to introduce solid foods into your baby’s diet, you may be considering the baby-led weaning approach.  What is baby-led weaning and how does it work?  One definition of weaning is the process of transitioning from…