When it’s Time to Downsize
Suggestions for transitioning to a new living community
The decision to trade the comfort of home where you’ve lived for years and transition to retirement can evoke a range of emotions.
Helping Children Improve Their Writing
Practical suggestions for boosting skills
When Stacie Dougherty read an essay that her seventh grade son wrote for a Language Arts writing assignment, she became concerned.
HomeLifeStyle: Kitchen Trends for 2021
Local designers say bold colors and durable materials are popular.
As the command station for many households, kitchens are for more than just cooking.
Creating Healthy Mother-Daughter Relationships
Local authors and therapists offer thoughts and guidance.
As a middle school student, Sofie Jacobs was at times mocked by other girls for her fastidious study habits and the good grades she received as a result.
Wellbeing: A Schedule Can Anchor Your Day
How creating a daily routine can ease anxiety during times of uncertainty
Her days were overwhelmingly stressful.
The Value of Intergenerational Relationships
The lives of both youth and seniors are enhanced by meaningful connections.
Bringing seniors and youth together for meaningful relationships can be mutually beneficial.
Leveling the Playing Field in School
Advocating for children with special needs or learning disabilities
When Lisa Lightner's son Kevin was two years old, she discovered that he would need special learning support in school.
New Community with Park-Like Environment in McLean
Park Grove neighborhood inspired by former National Parks Director George Hartzog
A former public servant’s creative vision and dedication to preserving parklands was the inspiration behind a new residential area in Northern Virginia.
Wellbeing: When a Loved One Is Hospitalized with Covid-19
Coping with separation and uncertainty
For years, being able to talk with his mother, Carole Isaacs, nearly every day was a gift that Marc Stern treasured, so when he was unable to reach her for several days, he became concerned.
Sorority Sisters Celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris
Joy, tears and hope about this historic moment in history
Wearing their sorority’s signature strand of pearls and clothing in shades of pink and green, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority members Martha Coleman and Shirley Dickerson Taylor were filled with awe and jubilation as they watched their sorority sister and fellow Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alum Kamala Harris, sworn in as Vice President of the United States.
Helping Children Navigate Anxiety
Sharing feelings, listening without judgement during current political turmoil
As communities cope with the shock of daunting images of the recent riot at the U.S. Capitol, the mental health toll on children and teens can be significant but go unnoticed, say local therapists.
Master Bath Gets Minor Overhaul with Major Impact
Simple changes add storage and light.
When the owners of a condominium in a high-rise building in Alexandria decided to give their master bathroom an update, they knew that the basic footprint of the space could not be altered.
Gentle and Subtle Resolutions for 2021
Try small, simple and achievable goals
For 2021, local mental health professionals advise being gentle with yourself when creating the daily schedules and resolutions that often come with the beginning of the New Year.
Surviving Christmas Day in Solitude
Ideas for coping with being alone on the holiday
While Christmas Day will be different and difficult for many this year, it will be especially difficult for seniors who live alone and will be in solitude because of COVID-19 risks.
A Holiday Season Reimagined
The pandemic leads to altered and new traditions.
When schools adjourn for winter break, the anticipation of a COVID-19 pandemic holiday season will become a reality.
Have Yourself a Sober Little Christmas
Batting addictions during the holidays
With the holidays come an increase in imbibing.
Seniors and the Flu
Getting vaccinated can reduce hospital visits and admissions during anticipated shortage due to COVID-19
While shopping for dinner on a recent Wednesday afternoon, Roger Whitehead spotted a sign near the pharmacy of a grocery store near his home in Alexandria.
Holiday Celebrations COVID-Style
Dealing with separation from family and friends
The decision to spend holidays away from loved ones can be a necessity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Addressing the Demands of Virtual University Classrooms
Marymount psychology professor offers solution to distance learning obstacles
For some students and professors, the loss of in-person contact has disrupted higher education and the experiences that often accompany it.
Thanksgiving Decor in the Era of Covid-19
Creating dining elegance at a distance
Naomi Patterson’s Thanksgiving table is usually set with linen dinner napkins, cleaned and starched, and her wedding china, ecru with a platinum border.
Decompressing after a Divisive Election
Limit time on social media or watching post-election coverage
The moments that stretched her to her professional limits came immediately after the 2016 presidential election.
Preventing Falls
Physical exercise and home safety reduce risk
One of the leading causes of fatal injuries in older adults is falling.
National Book Month
Month-long celebration focuses on engaging families in reading, writing and literature
It’s a line from the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, that is at the heart of the literary philosophy of Anne Briggs, web services and communications librarian at Montgomery College Library.
Home Library Design
Designers offer ideas for spaces with style and comfort.
Once thought of as space for academics to smoke cigars and sip whiskey, the era of covid-19 has transformed home libraries into now cozy places of refuge.
Creating a Spooky and Safe Halloween in the Age of COVID-19
Ideas for frightful revelry abound even amid coronavirus concerns.
Cartoon character Marshall from Paw Patrol will be searching for chocolate while a tiny pop star tracks down toys as Arlington mother and teacher Becky Beach and her family celebrate the spookiest day of the year.
Getting in Shape at 60, 70 and 80
Starting where you are and staying consistent among suggestions from healthy and fit seniors.
Whether starting a fitness program after the age of 70 or restarting one after raising children and midlife career building, local seniors share inspiring stories of how achieving and maintaining fitness, health and wellness allows them to lead fulfilling, happy and active lives.
Safe Spaces for Productive Racial Discussions
Components that should be included in effective forums.
As symbols of racial tension and injustice seemed ubiquitous this summer, a group of parishioners at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria began meeting virtually to engage in dialogues about the thorny issue of race.
Last Chance to See the ASPIRE HOUSE in McLean
Design showhouse closes on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Designing a dream home can be likened to assembling a haute couture wardrobe.
Impact of Extended Social Isolation on Teens and Tweens
Psychiatrists and psychologists say that missing opportunities to connect with peers can cause long-term damage.
After a summer of postponed vacations, closed pools and limited summer camps, all a byproduct of COVID-19, parents are concerned about the wellbeing of their children.
For Seniors, Love Is Not Cancelled
This region is a prime location for meeting and dating other single seniors.
A 67-year-old widower, who lives in Old Town, met a woman who is divorced and 65 on eHarmony.
Distance Learning for Children with ADHD
Decreasing stress and increasing success in a virtual classroom
Voncia Hartley and her 10-year old son Kelvin are dreading the first day of school this year.
Black Interior Designers on Industry’s Lack of Inclusion and Diversity
Local tastemakers speak honestly about racial barriers within the profession.
As recent racial injustice protests have brought issues of diversity and inclusion to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness, local interior designers of color are voicing concerns about equity and underrepresentation within the industry.
Back-to-School Vaccinations Required, Even with Distance Learning
Free vaccine clinics are designed to help ensure that all children are vaccinated.
While there’s a cloud of uncertainty over what the back-to school season will look like this year, one thing is certain: children still need to be vaccinated.
Discarded Electronic Equipment Helps Seniors in Need
Handheld devices keep the elderly in contact with healthcare providers, family and friends.
On a recent summer morning, a group of college students gathered in Chantilly to sort and sanitize handheld devices ranging from smartphones to tablets.
A COVID-19 Summer Gives Time for Reading
From current events to mysteries, books can fill time and lead to lively family conversations.
During a recent 12-hour car ride to their summer home in Michigan, the Leland family finished two books, “Bridge To Terabithia” by Katherine Paterson and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
A Summer Oasis
Pool house evolved into a space that incorporates the beauty of the outdoors into the interior design.
Transforming the expansive backyard into a summer oasis by designing a pool and adjacent pool house.
Using Holistic Practices
How Yoga and Meditation can help ease anxiety over racial injustice.
Before the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders, Kesha Davis’s weekday evening routine included picking up her fifteen-year-old son at a bus stop in Old Town Alexandria.
Seniors Join Protests for Racial Injustice
Remembering the past to inform the future.
Long before there was a Black Lives Matter movement and smart phones that captured police brutality on video, and long before throngs of people filled streets around the world to protest racial injustice, there were smaller crowds of pioneers fighting to tear down barriers imposed by Jim Crow laws.
Discussing Racial Injustice with Children
Books and visual art can help begin difficult conversations.
As horrific scenes of police brutality and images of passionate protesters fighting for racial justice are ubiquitous in a smartphone and social media obsessed society, parental control over information that children receive can be limited. Framing and discussing such issues can be equally as challenging.
Summer Blooms
Heat tolerant flowers that add bursts of color to gardens and landscapes.
As spring flowers begin to wither under the heat and humidity of summer, the vibrant blooms that once graced yards and gardens begin to fade. It’s during this time that landscapers and gardeners rely on a bevy of color-rich flowering plants that are hearty enough to stand up to the relentless summer sun.
An Arlington Kitchen Gets a Facelift
From dark and dated to light and modern.
When an Arlington family grew tired of their home’s cramped, dark kitchen, they turned to interior designer Elena Eskandari to modernize and expand it, while creating a space for entertaining.
When One Drink is No Longer Enough
Increase in alcohol consumption during COVID-19 worries some.
Just three months ago, her evening routine was simple. She made dinner for her 10- and 12-year old children, and after they’d taken showers and gone to bed, she settled onto the sofa in her family room with a book and a glass of wine.
Organizing Boxes of Old Photos
The daunting project can be broken down into smaller tasks.
Stacks of boxes containing thousands of photographs line the walls of the basement in Alice Denson’s Fairfax home. For the past five years, the 73-year old mother and grandmother has promised herself and her family that she would begin the monumental task of sorting and organizing the photos.
Parental Burnout on Distance Learning During COVID-19
How to survive until the end of the school year.
Whether deciphering algebraic equations and trying to teach them to a disinterested child or helping with a science experiment during a Zoom conference call, for parents who are trying to homeschool their children during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the struggle is real. Last fall, some parents developed a plan to deal with the academic burnout that occurs as the school year neared an end. Little did they know that the plan they created would be themselves.
Island Vacation Inspires Kitchen Remodel in Alexandria
A dark and cramped kitchen gets sunny makeover.
During a vacation to the Maldives, Lesli and Daniel Creedon found inspiration for the design concept behind their newly remodeled kitchen. The family, which includes two 15-year-old children, wanted to capture the aesthetic of the powder-white sand and glass-blue lagoons that characterize the strand of islands.
Staying Active in Social Isolation
A variety of local offerings allows for days filled with activity.
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