Julie has volunteered with Shalom Farms for two years. As a lead volunteer, she has committed to volunteering for at least one shift per week across the entire growing season.  “I believe the mission to get healthy food and education about healthier cooking and eating to those who don’t have access…

In the Victorian era, before the widespread establishment of city parks, the concept of the rural cemetery arose as a solution to urban congestion. Designed with the living in mind, rural cemeteries were planned to mimic the countryside near urban centers. They were meant for picnics, strolling, and inspirational views. In…

Relatable, funny, and easy to read – Kristin van Ogtrop’s essay collections should be on every mom’s bookshelf (and/or Kindle). Kristin van Ogtrop has raised three sons in the suburbs while working high-powered jobs in publishing over the past twenty years. She calls the youngest her mid-life crisis baby –…

In the beginning, there was Jelly. Before the kids, before a mortgage, before choosing Richmond as our adoptive home, there was a black and white tuxedo cat with a Charlie Chaplin mustache splotch on her nose who loved laying in warm laps, devouring pieces of salmon, and hunting pieces of…

Back in the day, if someone had given me a dollar every time I heard a child tell one of my kids, “I can’t play today, I have to do my chores,” I would have been able to hire a cleaning service. Of course, these little friends with all the…

Virginia’s Medicaid and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) programs are crucial to the health and well-being of our families, neighbors, and communities. Yet up to 420,000 Virginians could lose this critical health coverage in the next year following the end of federal COVID-19 pandemic protections. Coverage losses of…

Do you dream of sending your kids to a traditional four-year university? Is there a chance they might want to pursue a trade? What about a degree at a local community college? Many parents wonder, How can I help set up my child for success? And furthermore, How can I…

Q. My son is a junior in high school and refuses to discuss college. I don’t want to be one of those parents who does everything for their kid, but I can’t just blow this off. Help! A. I am wondering what may be driving your son’s refusal to talk.…

While warmer weather usually conjures up images of enjoying the great outdoors with your human and canine family, summertime in Virginia means heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and thunderstorms. If you’re a pet owner, here are some strategies to help you and your dog manage these challenges and start the season on…

I say it every year – these are my favorite months of the year. You just can’t beat May and June in RVA. The April pollen is gone, and it’s not too hot and humid yet – the perfect recipe for lots of outdoor family time. As always, the RFM…

Something almost magical takes place when kids are transferred from their natural habitat indoors to nature’s habitat outdoors. Perhaps you begin to see signs that they are in their element in this wilderness environment. After all, kids have been known to act like wild animals occasionally, despite your best taming…

Osteoporosis is often called the silent disease because it’s impossible to feel your bones weakening. That is, until you end up fracturing or breaking one. Unfortunately, this happens to one out of two women over age fifty.The good news is, there are several lifestyle changes you can make at any…

Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole 1 20-oz bag frozen shredded hash browns, about 4 to 5 cups 3 teaspoons olive or avocado oil, divided 1 cup yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 8-oz package mushrooms, chopped 1 5-oz bag of baby spinach 1 teaspoon…

Millions of families struggle every day with putting food on their tables. While the number of people living with hunger has hovered at 10 percent of the U.S. population for decades, the past three years have brought a roller coaster of challenges. “We’ve had back-to-back situations that have caused a…

It’s one of the loveliest of problems to have – the relatively easy access we have (yes, everything’s relative!) to an incredible menu of beaches. With one to our east, some to the north, many to the south, and a handful right in RVA’s backyard, the challenging part of such…

Retired NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin felt a connection to science early in life, but he never imagined he would be part of America’s space legacy. “We are always looking up and wondering what’s up there,” says Melvin – who, to a certain extent, actually knows! – having logged more…