All results / Stories / Marilyn Campbell
Making the Most of Summer
Advice for planning warm weather activities for children.
"I’m bored, there’s nothing to do," is a phrase often uttered by children during the summer. The end of the school year leaves many parents scrambling for activities to keep their young ones active and stimulated. Experts say it is important to plan activities to keep children safe and out of trouble.
Home Remodeling 101
Experts offer suggestions for a timely and efficient renovation.
Whether expanding a home or just remodeling an existing interior space, building projects can be daunting, especially if the goal is to be finished by a certain date. "If you wanted to get going on a project and your goal was to be done by Thanksgiving, the planning process and permit process is probably as long as the building process, but you don’t want to rush through those aspects of it and then wish you’d done something differently," said David Vogt of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.
Wellbeing: Cybercycling for Better Health
Exergaming — exercise combined with video games — might offer a greater cognitive benefit than traditional exercise alone.
The same staccato beeps and flashing graphics that keep some youth glued to video games might also boost cognitive function in senior citizens.
During Black History Month: A Look at African American Art in Arlington
Promoting and preserving a part of history.
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Scenes from the Heritage Festival
Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival
Find Spooky Inspiration Everywhere
Local artists suggest Halloween crafts to make with your kids.
Local artists say one of the best things about the month of October is the opportunity to find inspiration in nature and create spooky crafts that stretch from now through Halloween and beyond. Samantha Marques-Mordkofsky, of the Arlington Art Center, suggests finding inspiration in nature, such as the abundance of falling leaves in vibrant colors like red, orange and yellow. “We’re collecting leaves and other natural materials. You can take paper plates [and] decorate them with leaves and feathers, which is a cheap and easy thing to make,” she said. Kathryn Horn Coneway, of Art at the Center in Mount Vernon, believes in getting out into nature while temperatures are still mild. “Fall is a great time for taking art outside,” she said. “Let kids paint outside. If you use washable paint, it doesn’t take a lot of parental supervision.”
Teaching Health and Holiday Culinary Traditions
Nutrition experts say moderation, not deprivation, is the key
The holidays start with a saucepan of mushrooms — usually portabella, crimini or oyster — sautéing in olive oil. Next, sliced onions sizzle in a bath of bubbling butter and wine until they’re caramelized.
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.
Swimming Lessons: Choosing a School and Instructor
There are several things that parents can do if their child is truly afraid of the water.
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Cleaning Up One’s Plate
Local nutrition experts encourage healthy eating during National Nutrition Month and always.
When it comes to healthy eating, Alexandria wellness educator Cheryl Mirabella encourages her clients to load up during meals, but she offers a caveat.
Art Educator Releases Two Books
Stories offer children and parents innovative ways to explore art.
Elizabeth Augenblick Smith, 10, spent a recent Saturday afternoon gluing strips of brightly hued tissue paper to create a collage. There were no rules or guides to follow.
Home for the Holidays: Surviving a Long Trip
Keeping children entertained on lengthy airplane rides.
Liz Henry is nervous about her upcoming flight to San Francisco. It’s not TSA regulations or long lines that are causing her anxiety, however. It is traveling alone with her three children — all of whom are under the age of 6.
Trending in the Garden
Local landscape architects offer suggestions for updating.
As summer gets underway, so does time spent outside. The American Society of Landscape Architects recently released the results of its 2015 Residential Landscape Architecture Survey, a list of trends in outdoor design that yields a bounty of backyard design ideas. From adding a pond to planting a garden, local landscape gurus explain how these trends can be used to transform an outdoor space into a favorite escape.
Organized for School Year
Local organizers offer suggestions on dealing with the summer mess.
When summer comes to a grinding halt in a few weeks, a new school year will begin. From alarm clocks and school bells to piles of homework assignments and sports schedules, maintaining a coordinated household can be difficult, however. Local organizers are offering simple suggestions to help make the transition from summer to the start of the school year seamless.
Avoiding Awkward Conversations with New Graduates
Suggestions for conversation starters for talking to new graduates.
Lisa and Erik Brown beamed with pride after their oldest son graduated from high school in Northern Virginia. They hosted a post-ceremony soiree and invited a host of family and friends. The celebration was dampened somewhat, however, when a family member made an innocent, but still critical remark about the college their son had chosen.