Before I could get started on my 2023 reading list, I had to see what all the fuss was about for Amazon and Good Reads’ 2022 Book of the Year, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Reading the summary, I wasn’t convinced that I was going to like…

“Dad, film this. I’m gonna crush my record.” Levon was stacking cups in his room one night. It was the 3-3-3, which I learned is a specific formation. In fact, in cup-stacking lingo, this means cups are “up stacked” and “down stacked” from left to right or right to left…

My husband once accused me of lying in bed and dreaming up ways to injure our children. “What do you think about a zipline?” I suggested to Scott one morning over coffee. That very afternoon our medium-sized daughter hopped off the bus and told us how a good friend had…

How local nonprofits – Read to Them, Lit Limo, Reach Out and Read, CMoR, Little Free Library – are helping connect kids with books in in under-invested regions. A re-purposed school bus driving around Richmond. An intersection in Church Hill. A doctor’s office off Patterson Avenue. The Children’s Museum of…

Toward the end of summer in Central Virginia, little orange fluttering travelers will make their appearance. Monarch butterflies are on an annual journey and reproducing wherever they can, so they can make it to Mexico for the winter. A few years ago, my younger daughter and I embarked on a…

Spring is in the air, friends! It’s sprinkled throughout this issue, too, with everything from spring cleaning tips to Earth Day-themed crafts and books. We have Easter events on the calendar, plus spring break camps, and yay! – baseball is back! (Be sure to check out the next column over…

Remember the annual required run at school that was part of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program for generations? Lots of students dreaded it, and some kids absolutely hated it – even if it meant bringing home that nifty Presidential Physical Fitness Award certificate.  Not Keira D’Amato.  “I loved it,” she…

When you ask people what they love about the theatre, their responses are likely to include the word magic. By their very nature – using lighting, costumes and makeup, music, and acting – theatrical performances are designed to transport audience members to new places and times. With its October 2022…

Let’s face it, when it comes to communicating with your kids, you’d probably rather talk about sex than suicide. But as a mom who lost a son to suicide in 2015, it’s a conversation you need to have with a young person – even if everything looks okay on the…

When, how, where, and why to introduce baby's first foods! The ins and outs of starting baby on something other than breast milk or formula. As a registered dietitian who works with families, I love asking parents, “What is your baby’s favorite food?” There’s usually an excited response. “Suddenly she…

Are you financially fit? What does that even mean? Just like physical fitness, financial fitness is different for everyone. A workout and nutrition plan for one person doesn’t always work for another. The same is true with your finances. However, financial fitness is achieved the same way physical fitness is…

Looking to clear your mind and your home? Follow these decluttering steps from local organizer Lynda Reider with Cut the Clutter RVA. We all have spaces in our homes that cause us to feel anxious. Maybe you’re frustrated because you can’t find what you need when you need it. Perhaps…

Q: How do I keep my 5-year-old in her own bed at night? She used to wake me up and ask, but lately she has been sliding in while my husband and I sleep. Any advice? Kids and sleep – what a roller coaster we can be on with them! We…

When high school student Bea first came to Camp Spokes, a bicycle mechanics and adventure camp for girls and gender non-conforming youth, she had never repaired a bike. That changed – and fast! – when Bea got a flat during her first group ride during the Groundwork RVA camp.  Counselors…

Your child just took a nasty spill, and now you’re wondering if they have a broken bone or just a bruise that’ll fade in a few days. It’s not always easy to tell, but there are some clues that medical attention might be required. When to seek care for a…

Power your family’s day with these protein-packed recipes from Brittany Mullins at Eating Bird Food. Protein-Rich Quinoa Vegetable Soup 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped ½ cup mixed mushrooms, chopped…

Confederate spy, Poe’s friend, hearing impaired – a complicated figure in southern history, see why Susan Archer Talley’s life is the stuff of novels. In 1830, Thomas Talley moved his family from his Hanover County plantation to live in Richmond. The reason for the move was remarkable for that era:…