There’s a new children’s book called Reston A to Z, and local preschoolers and early readers are going to love it. My own kids adore this book about their town. There are a lot of reasons Reston A to Z appeals to young children, including a charming squirrel narrator and entertaining rhymes. But what makes this book particularly special is…

Recently I chatted over Lake Anne Brew House brews with Eric MacDicken and Kristina Alcorn about their hilarious new book, Myths & Monsters of Reston, Virginia. These two kept me laughing so hard that I didn’t notice two hours going by. As I reluctantly packed up at the end of a fun evening, I realized that I still had…

From what I’d heard about it, I expected that this show would be interesting, but I had no idea that the Chinese Lantern Festival was going to be the most amazing holiday lights display in the area. This new event is currently taking place at Roer’s Zoofari in Vienna, and it’s one that I highly recommend. I loved it….

I had no idea anything this close to the Beltway could be so beautifully serene. This waterfall along the Potomac River is located at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean, which is a Fairfax County Park located 25 minutes from Reston Town Center. It’s a gorgeous park, especially as the leaves are changing. The trail is short and…

When three young mothers decided to open a children’s consignment shop at Lake Anne, their lawyer and accountant were skeptical. “Adorable,” they said. They didn’t think the business would last a year. Thirty-five years later, Small Change Consignment continues to prove them wrong. There’s a ton of reasons why Small Change has lasted so long in this constantly…

This is well known in Southern Maryland, but I had no idea until recently: some of the beaches there have tons of fossils! The Calvert Cliffs, located south of Chesapeake Beach in Calvert County, Maryland, contain sedimentary deposits from the Miocene age (6 to 20 million years old), and those fossils wash up on the beaches. The…

It will be a waterfront dance party when the Lake Anne Jazz and Blues Festival returns to Reston this Saturday, September 3, 2016. Even if you don’t typically listen to jazz music, I highly recommend this festival. The music and atmosphere are fantastic, and it’s one of my favorite events of the year. The Jazz and…

Flying — you know you’ve dreamed of it. If you’ve ever envied a seagull soaring over a cliff, or imagined yourself leaping like Ironman, here’s the chance you’ve been waiting for. An indoor skydiving center called iFLY Loudoun opened earlier this year in Ashburn, and we’ve been eager to try it. This facility offers the sensation of…

Over the last few years, more than half of my extended family has had to give up gluten for medical reasons. They are dropping like flies around here. Chances are, you know someone who has had to give up gluten, too. At first, that transition was hard for me, a devoted cookie/cake/brownie lover. But gluten-free baked goods…