family friendly

family friendly

Release Your Inner Ninja at the Northern Virginia Ninja Warrior Course

Contributor Kate Schwarz reviews her family’s experience traversing NoVa’s very first Ninja Warrior Course. Let’s just say they had a super-fun time — from the biggest to the smallest among them. Read on to find out more. There is no escaping American Ninja Warrior in our house. Without my knowledge and consent, my husband let…

April 8, 2016

Fun, Family & Self Defense at First Defense Krav Maga Reston/Herndon

To continue our We Tried it! series, guest contributor Charlie Schoening subjected himself to a month of classes at First Defense Krav Maga in Herndon. Maybe he can tell us what the heck Krav Maga actually is! (See our previous articles on CrossFit Reston and Pure Barre Reston.) Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art primarily used…

February 9, 2016

You’ve Picked a Peck of Peaches, Now What? (Recipes Included)

Late summer peaches are one of life’s sweetest joys. We are lucky to live near a bunch of farms that grow peaches AND allow you to spend an afternoon picking them. My family and I recently trekked to Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA to take advantage of their bounty.  

August 17, 2015

A Perfectly Relaxed Summer Night at a Great Falls Concert on the Green

There’s something sublime about a picnic blanket in a grassy field with live music. Reston has some excellent summer concerts at Reston Town Center and Lake Anne Plaza, but those two bustling, paved locations are lacking in a certain coziness. If you want to stretch out in the grass with some wine and music, you don’t have to head all the…

July 15, 2015

May Events in the Reston Area

May is here, and that means festival season is beginning. This month Reston welcomes back thousands of annual visitors to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. The farmers markets are opening, boat rentals are returning, and summer is just around the corner.

May 1, 2015

Fields of Flowers You Can Pick at Burnside Farms in Haymarket

If you’ve ever wanted to surround yourself with spring colors, and then fill your home with them, too, we’ve got a quick day trip suggestion for you. Just about 30 minutes west of Reston is Burnside Farms, one of the world’s largest pick-your-own flower farms. They have five acres of flowers that are a springtime spectacle that…

April 28, 2015

Celebrate Peak Bloom with a Traditional Japanese Hanami

Before moving to the DC area I was ignorant to the all-consuming magic of cherry blossom season. In fact, we had been living in our house for almost a year before I realized that the majority of our yard was taken up by a giant Kwanzan cherry tree. This breed is different from the Yoshino…

April 10, 2015

Easter Events in the Reston Area

This article is from 2015. Please refer to this year’s guide: Easter 2016 Events in the Reston Area of Northern Virginia. Are you looking for a great Easter brunch or egg hunt? Here are some of the best Easter festivals, restaurant specials, and egg hunts in Reston and the surrounding areas of Northern Virginia. FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015…

March 25, 2015

The Ultimate Guide to Kids’ Indoor Fun in the Reston Area

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s the perfect time to relax under a cozy blanket with a book. Unless you’re a kid, that is. For kids, it’s the perfect time to bounce off the walls. If you’re looking for ideas for indoor activities for your kids, we have lots of suggestions for you. Here is a…

January 27, 2015

Two DC Area Botanic Gardens, Two VERY Different Holiday Displays

It’s the first day of winter break and already you are at a loss for what to do with the kids. Well you’re in luck, we spent the weekend exploring two of the DC Area’s best botanic garden holiday displays — The U.S. Botanic Garden in DC and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. Both were…

December 22, 2014