The Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) is excited to present the 3rd Annual ReelAbilities: Disabilities Film Festival from February 6-13, 2014. The festival is the largest national film festival dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. This year, due to strong support by the community, the festival has expanded to include 18 films screened at 19 venues throughout the Greater DC area.  

The JCCNV will kick-off the festival with an opening night screening and reception at the Spectrum Theatre in Arlington on February 6. The evening will feature the film Come As You Are,  a quirky road trip movie about three young men with disabilities on a quest to lose their virginity.  Executive Producer, Asta Philpot,whose true story was the inspiration for the film, will be present at the screening. 

Tickets:  Opening and closing night tickets are $15; all other films $10 general admission, $7 senior (age 60+) and students with ID.  Several movies have complimentary seating available. $5 raffle tickets at opening night film. Visit www.reelabilities.org/greaterdc for details. 

Website:  Complete descriptions of the films, schedules, movie trailers, speakers, special programs, and tickets are available at www.reelabilities.org/greaterdc.

 Find out more from the festival director:     

The Washington Harbour Ice Rink is DC’s largest outdoor ice skating venue---it’s even larger than NYC’s Rockefeller Center rink!  This seasonal rink opens mid-November after a transformation from its interchangeable use as a picturesque fountain. The Washington Harbour Ice Rink will be open annually from November until March for recreational skating every day, including all holidays, and also offers ice skating lessons, birthday parties, and more!


Regular Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday: 12:00pm-9:00pm*
Friday: 12:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-10:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am-7:00pm

Prices:
Adults: $10.00
Children/Seniors/Military: $8.00
Skate Rental: $5.00

*Private events are available from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, Sunday through Wednesday. Please call ahead to make sure we are open if you plan to skate during these times. Visit http://thewashingtonharbour.com/skating/ to learn more.

See below to read more and enter our contest for free passes:

The Junior League of Northern Virginia proudly presents the Inaugural American Girl Fashion Show®. The American Girl Fashion Show® is a fun-filled event for girls and their families, friends, and favorite dolls! Celebrate the experience of being a girl, whether yesterday or today, through a colorful presentation of historical and contemporary fashions. Enjoy refreshments, enter to win door prizes, and learn how clothing has changed over the years to reflect history, culture, and girls’ individual style.

Show Times:
Saturday, March 22, 2014, 9:00 a.m. (tea and pastries)
Saturday, March 22, 2014, 12:00 noon (tea and finger sandwiches)
Saturday, March 22, 2014, 3:00 p.m. (tea and cookies)
Sunday, March 23, 2014, 11:00 a.m. (tea and pastries)
Sunday, March 23, 2014, 2:00 p.m. (tea and finger sandwiches)

The event will be hosted at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel  and will provide an opportunity for children ages 5-12 to celebrate under the lights and onstage!  Tickets are required for all audience members including parents of the models in the show. A children’s rate applies to girls and boys under the age of 12. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Buy tickets here.


PLUS OPEN CASTING CALL FOR Model Opportunities.
Come to an open model call at the Mosaic District on Saturday, February 1st from 11am to 2pm to participate in the fashion show.  More details here and read below for information.

During this cold winter (and many homebound snow days,) it's fun to dream of springtime and summer.  We are long fans of quick weekend family trips to Williamsburg and love that
Busch Gardens® and Water Country USA® are celebrating childhood with this limited time, online only pass offer for children ages 3-5 to receive FREE admission all spring and summer.

Things to know:

•  Visit www.buschgardens.com/bgwpreschoolpass before May 31, 2014 to register for a Free 2-Park Preschool Pass

• You must visit the park before May 31, 2014 to validate the pass.  When you do proof of the child's age is required via birth certificate. Then the child will continue to receive free admission with the pass all spring and summer at Busch Gardens® and Water Country USA®

• Children ages 2 and younger receive always complimentary admission and do not need to register.

•  Visit http://www.buschgardens.com/bgwpreschoolpass for complete details.

  
Busch Gardens offers more than 50 KIDsiderate® attractions, including Sesame Street® Forest of Fun™ and Land of the Dragons®, which are celebrating big anniversaries this spring. Kid-sized roller coasters like Grover’s Alpine Express at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA’s Kritter Korral™ are among the can’t miss kid-friendly attractions waiting for families to enjoy this spring.  To see all the KIDsiderate® attractions, please visit this LINK.

The start of 2014 is the perfect time to get your family's affairs in order, and we asked attorney Rebecca Geller of The Geller Law Group to share her expertise about creating a legal will. Besides doing legal work for local families. Rebecca is passionate about working with women-owned businesses and serves as general counsel for many small, local businesses. 

1)  Why is it so important for families to have a legal will in place?

No parent likes to think about what would happen to their kids if something were to happen to them.  We are supermom and dad, we are invincible, right?  But that kind of thinking does our kids a disservice. Most parents don’t realize that in failing to make a will or select a guardian, they are actually making a decision. For example, families who don’t have a will are taking an unnecessary risk that their children could end up in the foster system or the court could appoint a guardian who does not share the parents’ values. It’s just like life insurance — plan for the unexpected and you will have the peace of mind of knowing that your children and your spouse will be taken care of if the unimaginable were to happen.  


2)  What are some things to consider when making a will?

Choosing a guardian or guardians for your children is one of the hardest decisions you will have to make.  Sometimes spouses do not agree on who they want to be the guardian — or they worry that they will offend a relative by not selecting them as guardian.  We work with many couples who cannot agree and we help them work through this decision.  However, this is not the proper time to worry about who will take offense to your choice — your job is select someone who shares your parenting philosophies and will provide the best care for your children.

A guardian doesn’t have to be a relative; many of our clients choose a close friend or godparent, for example. But you should not delay having your will written simply because you can’t decide this issue.  Without proper legal documents, your kids could potentially end up in foster care.  We can help you and your spouse with this very difficult decision so that you have a plan in place and peace of mind.


3) Approximately how much does it cost to create a legal will?
Each family's situation can vary drastically, so the fees will be different depending on each family's circumstances.  For example, do you own a house? More than one real estate property? Do you have life insurance? Do you have children from a previous marriage? Are either of the parents non-U.S. citizens? Do you have a pre-nuptial agreement? Do you own a business? Because each person's documents are personally customized to their specific needs, the fees can vary widely.  We offer a free initial phone consult to best determine your family's needs and can quote you a fee based on that conversation. 


4)  What are  the most frequently asked questions from clients about estate planning?

I am asked these 3 questions most frequently:


***“We want to save money. Can I create my own will through a ‘do it yourself’ legal website, such as LegalZoom, rather than hiring a lawyer?”  I use this analogy when clients ask me this question: imagine diagnosing and treating a major, life-altering disease through a medical website, without actually visiting your doctor. What would happen? The answer is the same with both situations: you generally end  up doing much more harm than good, and ultimately, you could end up paying a lot more money than if you had simply used in-person, professional help from the beginning. In September 2012, Consumer Reports released a scathing report about the inadequacy of legal “do it yourself” websites for writing wills and encouraged consumers to hire attorneys.  Many of the online tools create documents that do not actually accomplish what you hope they will accomplish.  Some people say “why does it matter, who would ever challenge my will?”  You’d be amazed how frequently wills are challenged unexpectedly. If you wouldn’t take such a risk with your own health, why do so when it’s your children’s future at stake?

***“Only rich people have ‘estates.’ We aren’t rich and we have very few assets, so why do we need a will or trust?” For starters, most families have more assets than they realize.  Do you have life insurance policies? Do you have retirement accounts? What about real estate? All of these assets are considered part of your “estate.”  Don’t you want to ensure that your teenager would use the proceeds from a $250,000 life insurance policy to pay for college, rather than using the funds for designer clothes and a fancy car?  These legal documents are essential to make sure that your estate is used in the manner you want.  We draft documents to ensure you flexibility and security, so that you know that, if the worst ever happens, that you have adequately provided for your family.

***“I have never worked with an attorney before and am not comfortable with the legal system. How do I know which attorney to use?  Choosing an attorney is a very personal decision, and I understand how tough it can be to find the right one.  First of all, you need to look for a person who you trust and connect with.  Find out it they offer a free consultation, so you can talk to them about your family’s personal and financial information, and use this as an opportunity to see if you feel comfortable with them.  Ask the tough questions, and see how they answer, and whether their discussion with you is direct and frank.  Also consider how quickly they respond to your emails and phone calls—that could indicate their future responsiveness.  Find an attorney who can relate to your life – perhaps a fellow mom!

MOMS Club Burke-North is hosting a free preschool fair open to the public on Friday, January 24th from 10 AM-12:30 PM at the Audrey Moore Rec Center at 8100 Braddock Road, Annandale, VA. There will be a RECORD number of over 36 Preschools in attendance.

The fair includes goody bags for the first 250 attendees, an amazing silent auction including gift certificates, $100 visa card, Gift baskets filled with goodies and products, freebies and much more.

All proceeds to benefit Comfort Cases which benefits children who enter the foster care system in our area.  Each year, thousands of children in the Washington Metropolitan Region enter the foster-care system. Most carry little more than the clothes on their backs. Comfort Cases provides a suitcase and a few personal items for these children. This small suitcase gives them something of their very own to begin their foster care journey.

For a list of some of the preschools and sponsors, click here

“We can’t have anything too fancy because of the kids”, or “We’re going to wait until the kids are older”. Too many times have I heard these comments from clients. Thankfully, with today’s options you don’t need to sacrifice style for durability.

A lot of my clients are choosing to live in an open floor plan, whether its new construction or removing walls in an old home to make it so. The Living Room of today is actually “lived in”, not the room I knew growing up where no one ever seemed to live. So why not make that space comfortable for everyone.

Here are a few ideas that will help bridge the style and durability gap:

Get ready to join the festivities when Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic arrives at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., February 12-17!  This captivating production has entertained more than 135 million guests worldwide to date and is personal a favorite of the Kid Trips Northern VA authors! 

Join the celebration as 65 of Disney's most unforgettable characters from eighteen beloved stories come to life in this commemorative celebration, produced by Feld Entertainment. Guests of all ages will be captivated by the one and only Mickey Mouse, the irresistible Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, the beloved Disney Princesses, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and many more! 

Enjoy beautifully choreographed skating, breathtaking production numbers, stunning costumes and toe-tapping songs that will inspire fond Disney memories. Families will see the most lovable and popular Disney characters that span multiple generations as the Disney On Ice lineup returns to Washington, D.C.

Show Details:

Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, February 12 – Monday, February 17, 2014

Performance Times:

·       Wednesday, February 12 @ 7:30 p.m.
·       Thursday, February 13 @ 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
·       Friday, February 14 @ 7:30 p.m.
·       Saturday, February 15 @ 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
·       Sunday, February 16 @ 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
·       Monday, February 17 (President’s Day) @ 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Verizon Center Ticket Prices: $80.00 (Front Row)/ $55.00 (VIP)/ $30.00 / $20.00


Venue/Ticket Information: Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets via charge, by phone at 800-745 -3000; via www.ticketmaster.com; and at the Verizon Center box office.

Enter to win a family 4 pack of tickets to opening night, February 12 at 7:30 PM below.     

Are you looking to remove unwanted facial or body hair? Consider laser hair removal. I personally started doing laser on my bikini area two years ago.  When you commit to the process, you have to attend appointments typically every 6 to 8 weeks.  I saw results within 3 treatments.  Most people need to have at least 6 appointments to see full results.  While I considered the process painful (no one else seems to), an ice pack became my best friend.  After my first appointment I learned a lesson. I started driving to my appointments with an ice pack on me (yes in my car).  By the time I got to the spa, I truly felt very little pain during the procedure.  Now mind you, I am a big wimp so ice was a must for me.

If you are interested laser hair removal, I would recommend starting the process as soon as possible.  You will be well on your way by the summer!

As you may know from my previous articles, I am a huge fan of Lifetime Fitness LifeSpa in Loudoun County (Did I mention the free childcare?), however, there are obviously a host of local medi-spas to choose from in the DC Metro area.  When selecting a medi-spa, I would caution you to make sure that you are working with a reputable spa and get a full consultation in person or over the phone to find out EXACTLY what you need to do in advance of the appointment.  For more information about laser treatments, please see the attached from Lifetime Fitness LifeSpa below.