The Chocolate Lovers Festival, an annual two-day festival held on the first full weekend of March, features activities for all to enjoy.

In 2013, the festival will be held March 2-3. Stop by for the Taste of Chocolate, the Chocolate Challenge, the ever-popular Kiwanis Chocolate Chip Pancake Breakfast, open houses at historic buildings and much more!

Some events require a fee, and other events are free to all visitors.
For more info, please visit: http://www.chocolatefestival.net/

Every two years, the Friends of Falls Church Homeless Shelter hold a FUNdraiser and AUCTION in the community to raise awareness of the Friends’ work and to help defray the cost of operating the Falls Church Homeless Shelter and Case Management services. Enjoy live music by Blue Pop & the Plucker and Suden M band! Featuring vocalist Andre Jackson!

Saturday, March 2, 2013 @ 6:30pm
National Rural Electric Cooperative Building
4301 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA

Pre-Sale Tickets $35/person or $60 for two.  Pre-sale tickets can be purchased either online by clicking the link below or by mail.  If purchasing by mail, make your check payable to: Falls Church Shelter & mail your check to: C/O Sophie Darling, 305 Kent St. Falls Church, VA. 22046.

guest post by Thanh Buswell
Life just seems more grand in the Springtime and it gives all of us a little jolt of Martha Stewart-like prowess.  (And we are less than a month away!) You want to get up earlier, you’re motivated to clean out your closet and even deep clean the baseboards. You’re ready to cook delicious, healthy meals, put fresh flowers on the patio table and invite friends over to enjoy a glass of wine, while dining al fresco in your lovely outdoor space.

While mulling over the perfect recipe, drinks, table décor and music to use, go take a quick look at your deck or patio – could it use some TLC? Now is the perfect time to think about getting your deck ready for Spring & Summer entertaining.    

The best way to prep your deck for the upcoming season:

1.       Power wash the surface area to clean it of any mildew stains, dirt, debris or contaminates. I recommend hiring a pro to avoid this.

2.       Allow enough time for the deck to fully dry.

3.       Choose a seal/stain product that is best for YOUR deck to protect the wood and give it a professional finish.  (If you’re unsure of what the best product is, keep reading.)

“So, what is the best sealing or staining product for my deck?”  This is one of the most common questions customers ask Randy, my husband and owner of Cascade Services, when calling for help with maintaining their home.  And it’s a great question – there are so many options available to use including toners, semi-transparent, semi-solids, or solids. How do you know which one is right for you?

Here is a quick cheat sheet listing the various types of sealing/staining options available. In general, the more opaque the product, the longer the life span of the product lasting due to blocking more UV rays. 

Sealant: Clear, protects wood and preserves its natural color;  sealants will last about 1 year (recommended)
Toner: Slightly pigmented, limited colors available, mainly natural colors; toners will last 2 – 3 years (recommended)
Semi-Transparent: Lightly pigmented, allows the wood grain to show through; lasts 2 – 3 years
Semi-Solid: More pigmented and almost completely hides natural wood grain and color; lasts 3 – 4 years.
Solid: Fully opaque and will cover older stains, many colors available; can last up to 4 or 5 years (recommended) 

Unfortunately, there is not one type of product that takes the cake. The best product for your deck will depend on a number of factors specific to your deck.

• How old is your deck? What is the condition it is in?
• How much sunlight does your deck receive? How much shade does your deck receive?
• Does the deck have color on it from a previous stain or paint application?
• How natural of a look are you trying to achieve on your wood?
• How long do you want the product to last (i.e. what is more important to you - external appearance or lasting performance)?

When working with a deck cleaning professional, you should be asked a series of questions similar to what I mentioned above, and then some.  He/she should take their time going through the options with you, answering your questions and provide an in-person walk-through and free estimate for you.

Now are you thinking about getting your deck ready for Spring and need some professional advice? Get in touch with us. We’re happy to answer any of your questions and love helping other NOVA residents beautify their home! 

(P.S. Real Housewives of NOVA will be hosting a Cascade Services Spring Giveaway in March – be sure to keep up to date and "Like" us on Facebook so you don’t miss out!)

 In 2005, CPT Jaspen Boothe was a single mom in the Army Reserves living in New Orleans. In July 2005, she learned that she would soon be deploying to Iraq. Shortly after, her life was torn apart by two significant events.

In August, she lost everything she owned due to Hurricane Katrina. Not letting material loss get her down, she tried to shift her focus to her platoon that was counting on her for leadership through the upcoming deployment. A few weeks later in September, Jaspen received a diagnosis of an aggressive head, neck, and throat cancer that would prevent her from deploying.

Jaspen’s options were limited, but because of the illness, the military was willing to discharge her. However, she needed medical care, a job, and a place to live with her child.

When searching for what assistance might be available, Jaspen found welfare and food stamps were the only options presented. Jaspen found these options unacceptable for a woman who had honorably served her country.  After six months at Brooke Army Medical Center, she was found fit for duty and immediately began looking for employment and a place for her and her son to live.

Four years later, CPT Jaspen Boothe founded non-profit organization Final Salute so that women who have honorably served their country could seek assistance with dignity and respect -- and not be subject to the process of humiliation that welfare provides.

Jaspen’s motivation lives in knowing that she has made a difference in the lives of women veterans and their children.

Describe yourself in three words:
Proud. Faithful. Resilient.

What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
Opening 3 homes in less than 3 years for homeless female Veterans and their children. We are the only organization in the DC Metro Area that provides this service.            

What are your professional goals for the next six months?        
To open another home for women Veterans and their children, the need is great. I also plan to finally start to write a book about my life.   

How does your company stay connected through social media?
Social Media has been the backbone of gaining support and spreading the word about our organization. It works!

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Talk show host!

How do you maintain a work/life balance?        
The work life balance is a myth. I am A Soldier, Mother, Wife and Non-Profit Leader. I don’t wake up and 25% is magically sprinkled across the balance. The balance is to keep your life organized so that you can give 100% to what you are doing in the moment. When I am with my kids, they receive 100%. When I am with my husband, he received 100% of a wife.

What websites do you visit every day?                
Among the many other things I have started, I created the Miss USA equivalent for women who have served our country.  Who doesn't love a women who can strut her stuff and kick your a$$!
Ms. Veteran America 2013 will be held at the National Conference Center on October 13th. http://www.msveteranamerica.org/

What is your favorite drink – and where can you find it in Northern Virginia?   
Wine! I prefer moscato hands done, but live just a hop, skip and a jump from LaGrange Winery in Haymarket.

What are your favorite people/places/things in Northern Virginia?       
1.       La Grange Winery
2.       My family
3.       Networking with women through social media and sites like Real Housewives of Northern Virginia

What is your goal for retirement?          
I will retire when every homeless female Veteran and their children have a home. My work isn't done until then.

Do you have any advice for women who would like to start their own company?            
People do not look at a non-profit as a business; it is! It takes a unique entrepreneurial spirit to start, run and maintain a non-profit organization. How do you get someone to write a check and what he or she receives in return is knowing they helped someone? You have to sell your cause!

Enterprising moms and local writers, Claudine Kurp, Amy Suski, and Micaela Williamson have combined their talents to create a new must-have book for area parents, Kid Trips Northern Virginia Edition.

This local guide is a wealth of information featuring museums and historic sites, parks and playgrounds, skating, water parks, nature centers, arts, birthday parties, restaurants, and so much more. Families will also love the insider tips, “Kid Trips Top Picks,” ample seasonal guide, and final chapter, “Family Fun Across the Potomac,” highlighting many key attractions in Maryland and Washington DC. Kid Trips Northern Virginia Edition is the most inclusive and thorough book for Northern Virginia families ever published.

“It is our hope that this book becomes an indispensable resource that area families come back to again and again throughout their parenting years,” says author Micaela Williamson. She adds, “I have lived in Northern Virginia for a decade and didn’t even know some of the places in this book existed. It was fun to learn and discover as we researched the book too.”

The authors collectively boast impressive credentials and writing experience. After spending fifteen years in corporate America, Claudine Kurp founded the website DC Metro Mom which includes over 700 blogs and a list of over 4,000 vendors. Previously working as an attorney, Amy Suski switched over to blogging and professional editing and is the co-founder of DC Metro Mom. Micaela Williamson created the award winning blog, Super NoVA Mommy and writes family feature articles for Northern Virginia Magazine.

Kid Trips Northern Virginia Edition is now available for purchase in paperback and ebook format at Amazon.com and Smashwords.

Visit www.GoKidTrips.com for more information. Follow on Facebook facebook.com/GoKidTrips and Twitter twitter.com/GoKidTrips!

I often find myself in a dilemma: I'm hungry and I don't feel like cooking...  but I don't want to go out to eat because Lord knows how many calories are coming out of a restaurant's serving window. A few months ago, I solved that problem by finding one of my new favorite spots to nosh: Zoes Kitchen. The food is healthy and delicious - literally just an extension of my own kitchen. It's easy and  guilt-free eating out when you know there is no fryer or microwave in the kitchen!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to host a tasting event at the new Zoes Kitchen In Reston. Zoes Kitchen is a Mediterranean-inspired fast food restaurant with signature dishes that the whole family can enjoy. Along with local bloggers, foodies, and friends - we tried just about everything on the menu!

Jason, the GM, brought out a selection of the most popular menu items: grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp kabobs, salads, chicken rollups, hummus, and even gluten-free options. Zoes Kitchen touts the freshness and quality of their food - and the product delivered on that promise (all the way down to the warm, fresh chocolate chip cookies!).

We are always looking for laid back (aka kid-friendly) restaurants with outdoor seating, so we'll definitely head back when the weather is nicer to enjoy the patio.  Check out the pics below of yesterday's tasting event... (my stomach is growling just looking at these!) 

Thanks to everyone who came out to the event! If you missed it, you can follow the tweets & pics: #ZoesKitchenReston.

The 3D animated family comedy catapults moviegoers to planet Baab where admired astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser) is a national hero to the blue alien population.  A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his nerdy, by-the-rules brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA.  When BASA’s no-nonsense chief Lena (Jessica Alba) informs the brothers of an SOS from a notoriously dangerous planet, Scorch rejects Gary’s warnings and bounds off for yet another exciting mission.  But when Scorch finds himself caught in a fiendish trap set by the evil Shanker (William Shatner) it’s up to scrawny, risk-averse Gary to do the real rescuing.  As the interplanetary stakes rise to new heights, Gary is left to save his brother, his planet, his beloved wife Kira (Sarah Jessica Parker) and their adventure-hungry son Kip (Jonathan Morgan Heit).

GIVEAWAY! Movie-Goers goodie bag which includes popcorn, candy and all movie watching snacks + a $25 Visa gift card to use towards a movie night to see the movie once it’s released nationwide on Feb. 15th.

Twenty years ago, Brenda Hyde was in the midst of raising four kids. After being unable to find a local children’s store, she realized that she wanted to create a resource for busy moms in the Washington DC area. Today, she is the Editor of one of the largest publications in the Washington DC region - FAMILY Magazine. 

 Describe yourself in three words:
Innovative, Energetic, and involved

What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?
Developing our print magazine into something more than just a magazine – an online community, where moms can find great events and resources for their families. We just want to help make mom’s life easier…we aim to provide something of value that helps the families in our community.

What are your professional goals for the next six months?
To keep innovating and pull together more and better resources for parents…and we want to continue growing.

How does your company stay connected through social media?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FAMILYMagazine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyMagDC
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/familymagazine
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/familymagazine

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
I would love to be an adventure traveler. I have been scuba diving with sharks (no cages) and went on a photo safari in Africa. I’d love to have a program on adventurous travel for moms!

How do you maintain a work/life balance?

I’m very lucky – what I do at work blends nicely with being a mother and wife. We have a company policy that your family comes first and I model that for my employees. My husband and I have date night every Friday, and if my kids need me at any time, I’m there. I’m getting ready to take my granddaughter on a college tour – family means everything to me.

What websites do you visit every day?
I love the Huffington Post online, the Wall Street Journal, and of course, FAMILY Magazine’s! When I get a chance, I love checking out the local mom bloggers, like Real Housewives of Northern Virginia too! J

What is your favorite drink – and where can you find it in Northern Virginia?
Grey Goose Martini, dry, shaken, not stirred, 3 olives. We love to go to the top of the W Hotel in Washington DC…At sunset, as you sip, you can watch the American flags light up around Washington. It’s just beautiful.

What are your top 3 favorite people/places/things in Northern Virginia?
We LOVE the wine tours in Northern Virginia. There are so many great new wineries in the area - we love Bluemont, Sunset Hills and Barrel Oak Wineries. My favorite way to tour is to go with a bunch of friends and rent a limo!

I also love the Reston Ice Skating Pavilion. My husband and I love to sit and watch as people whiz by us on skates!

If you love art, the Lorton Workhouse is great! One of our graphic artists who has worked with FAMILY Magazine for over 10 years exhibits there! We love supporting local businesses and artists – this place is truly a treasure!

What is your goal for retirement?
Retirement? You mean when we don’t work? Never! I love what I do and working with the magazine. Although, I’d love to take more time to photograph sunsets and relax on the beach!

Do you have any advice for women who would like to start their own company?
Just do it! If you have a passion and you have the skillsets needed, just go for it! You’ll love it and you’ll never “work” another day in your life.

Birthday Parties at Sport Bounce of Loudoun are the perfect way to give your child an amazing experience that will have them JUMPING FOR JOY!  Your group gets access to all of the GIANT inflatables and you get the peace of mind knowing your guests will have an awesome time.  Enjoy more peace of mind knowing you won't have to worry about it raining or being too hot or cold outside when the big day finally arrives!  Sport Bounce is 10,000 square feet of climate-controlled fun!

Sport Bounce was recently voted "Best Place to Have a Birthday Party!" by local parents.  That's a huge vote of confidence and also an inspiration for Sport Bounce to continue to work hard for you!

After a full hour of high-energy fun, the birthday guest of honor will be crowned King or Queen (with their very own crown or tiara to keep) right before hopping up on a BIG RED INFLATABLE CHAIR for a group photo with all of the party children.  Each child in the photo gets their own 4x6 copy to make it an even more memorable event!  Your child also receives a FREE open bounce pass to come back and play during any of Sport Bounce's Monday-Friday open bounce times: LISTED HERE

Rest assured the cleanliness of the inflatables is a top priority at Sport Bounce.  For this reason, all parties use the inflatables first and then eat after all the bouncing is done (bouncing and full tummies don't go well together).  Sport Bounce's inflatables are 100% made in the USA and are 18.5 oz Commercial Grade Lead Free Vinyl.

Be sure to book early, as party times fill up fast!  Send an E-mail to sportbounceva@aol.com with the dates and times you're interested in and you'll receive a timely response. Or call 703-729-9522 during the Open Bounce times, or on the weekends.  Weekends, by the way, are reserved exclusively for Parties.

Sport Bounce parties are also perfect for team celebrations or any occasion your group wants to get together and have TONS of FUN bouncing around!  Come see why Sport Bounce is this area's PREMIER PARTY PLACE!