So now what? What’s next? Is this still the first wave or the second? Does it matter? Why do people refuse to wear a mask? Will there be school in the Fall? If there is, how can it be safe? Will our dog understand why we’re leaving the house when we can again, or totally freak out? These are the array of banners in my head. Am I alone? Who else is operating in total limbo right now?
The days blend into the next. School has been officially over but with camp and activities understandably canceled, every day is a question mark. The only worthwhile outings are to attend protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement (no limbo in that regard). We spend open time standing with black lives. Making signs, and learning. My son is almost five… will he remember this? I hope he does remember this part of 2020.
Overall though, it’s as if there is no map for parents right now. Not that there ever was, but the start of the pandemic was direct and we behaved accordingly. Since forever, parents have shared a hidden compass, a special parental power that circumvented any limbo and led our days in detail and variant normalcy. Now we have masks and underlying fear. There’s anxiety and I can’t be the only one. I know others are stuck in this place too. Right?
How do we move forward? I know we keep marching. That one is a certainty. How do we face the days ahead, this summer? We personally live in a surging state so for us, for our concern, life is still paused in the social sense. Frankly, we had a single playdate recently, the two boys wore masks and they scooted for miles… until snack time. Then even their six feet distance felt uneasy. It was hard. The kids loved revisiting their normal, and my son didn’t even argue the mask. He gets it and I’m grateful, but will we do it again? If school resumes in-person, will it carry the same relief it always had as parents? The free time for our work, our needs. Can we find the faith to not worry every time they leave or come home? Is it too soon to worry about this?
We’re collectively caught between two stages. That’s what LIMBO is. Something occurred to me while putting these thoughts into the keyboard. Together we know it’s unclear what will happen next. Together we can submit to limbo. So we reach out, sometimes vent, open virtual arms, spread love, share posts, make signs, send mail, wash hands, and wear our masks. We’ll be miles from here soon enough. Parents know how time flies, and maybe for once we’d all prefer not to “stop the clock.”
Jenni Dawn lives just outside of Los Angeles with her husband, newly rescued dog, and four year old son. She has a background in everything Entertainment, so it makes perfect sense to cover how to entertain family at home. Jenni's also a Cancer survivor with a passion for spreading hope and prevention advocacy.
Let’s go camping, San Diego! After sheltering in place for so long, it’s time to plan a family camping trip your whole clan will love! We’ve found several of the best camping grounds near and in San Diego that are open for business during this time of social distancing. Getting out of the house and into nature will certainly make for happy campers all around. From cabins and tent sites to s’mores and healthy hikes read on for the scoop on eight San Diego campsites you can book now.
El Capitan Head up the coast. Right now, El Capitan has curbside check-in without leaving your car. There are less reservations available (to maintain social distancing) and only cabins are available, so everyone has their own restroom. Even more, you can order take-out orders from the market and they’ve expanded outdoor seating to make more room for everyone.
Campland on the Bay Overlooking Fiesta Bay is a perfect spot for camping with the crew. Right now, they are open for RV or tent camping. Campland has increased its daily cleaning, the market and coffee is open, and the cantina food is available for takeout. Please remember to bring face masks for everyone and practice social distancing with those not in your group. A few things are closed like the playground, pool, spa and sports court until further notice.
2211 Pacific Beach Dr. San Diego, CA 92109 Online: campland.com
Check out our story on the best glamping sites in SoCal, here.
Family Yurt Camping
Skyfarm
Skyfarm Yurt Experience this down-to-earth family yurt in Paradise Hill near Las Angeles. It’s sparkling clean, with self check-in, and you get the whole place to yourself. Located on an urban farm with goats, chickens and a pig next door. You'll find a full outdoor kitchen, claw foot garden (solar) bathtub with hot running water. There are steps, so for toddlers, this yurt may be a challenge. Yurt starts at $149 plus per night.
Paradise Hills Neighborhood Los Angeles, CA 92139 Online: airbnb.com
Treebones Resort Glamp it up in a Big Sur yurt. Note that only kids six and older are allowed here. Re-opening June 1, 2020, there will be reduced seating in the restaurant, face coverings on employees, enhanced room cleaning, and a room service dining option. Experience the beauty of the coast, from nature walks, a spa, pool and organic garden, you and your family will feel close to the earth. Cost starts at $320 per night. There are two family yurts and one with a view!
Guajome Regional Park Part of the San Diego Parks, this local Oceanside spot is open for tent camping. Two lakes and easier hiking trails make for fun family times. Recent social distancing rules have the campground operating at half the capacity and all campers must wear face masks when close to others not in their group. Restrooms are open too. However, amenities like picnic tables and playgrounds are closed for now.
William Heise Park Close to Julian, you could make a pitstop for apple pie, then head to the campsite. This county park has tent, partial hookup, and no hookup sites available. Recent social distancing rules have the campground operating at half the capacity which allows for more room to move around. In addition, all campers must wear face masks when close to others not in their group. Restrooms are open too. Some amenities like picnic tables and playgrounds are closed for now.
Check out our story about the best campsites for families near San Diego, here.
Luxury Camping
Amber E. via Yelp
Santee Lakes With cabin, tent, trailer and motorhome campsites available, Santee Lakes is open for camping. A few things are different in this time of social distancing. Only members of your household are allowed to campsites and the swimming pool and market are closed. On the other hand, you can use the paddle boat that is assigned to your campsite, the laundry is open and cleaned daily. Head out and enjoy Mother Nature!
9310 Fanita Pkwy. Santee, CA 92117 619-596-3141 Online: santeelakes.com
Crystal Pier Cottages If you want to take a few day glamping vacay (minimum 3 night stay), then give the Crystal Pier Cottages a try. Built in the 1930s, they include kitchenettes, bedroom and living room and a private deck with an unbeatable view of the ocean. Another perk: cottages have gated key entry and night security. Open for business, give them a call.
4500 Ocean Blvd. San Diego, CA 92109 800-748-5894 Online: crystalpier.com
Check-out our story on SoCal luxury camping suggestions, here.
Editor’s note: Due to the ever-changing nature of rules and regulations surrounding Covid-19, the information in this story may change. When planning your trip, please check the website of the campsite you will be visiting, and/or call them directly to obtain details on their most current camping offerings.
If you feel like you want to kill your business/life partner sometimes, you’re not alone. This article will help.
Any entrepreneur will tell you there’s a special form of pressure on your shoulders when your business is responsible for your family’s well-being. That pressure only grows as you add more employees who need to provide for their families, too. In the age of COVID-19, the weight of that responsibility is almost suffocating…and when work-life and home-life are one and the same, that feeling can bubble over on your partner, your team, and your kids, all at once.
Hey, buddy, I know this is hard. We’re all finding ways to hide from our families a few times a week, at least. But you’re the boss of your business and your family for a reason, and it’s because you’ve got mad skills in leadership, conflict resolution, grace under fire, diplomacy, and more. So take a beat, take a breath, acknowledge those big feelings, and let the challenge fuel you like it always has. I can’t promise you a light at the end of the tunnel, but I promise if you follow these steps, you’ll at least get through tomorrow.
1. Deliver fast sorries. We’re all gonna snap, so let’s just accept that piece of humanity now, rather than beating ourselves up over it. In the book, Option B, Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant talk about how having empathy for others in your family and immediately recognizing when you’ve crossed a line, can help us all move on. We’ve instituted this practice in our house—so when one of us blows up, we can say, “Whew….fast sorries?” and do our best to let it go and move on.
2. Believe in your partner. By simply believing the best in your partner, you’ll fight at least 50-percent less. Seriously. Our relationship, our family, our business…none of it’s a zero-sum game. When you’re in a family business you have to remember you’re doing all of this for each other. Try writing down one thing about your partner you’re grateful for in business and in your household—when you wake up and before you go to bed. And if you think it sounds impossible, try it right now. I guarantee there’s something.
3. Over-communicate. Right now, the current environment changes so much day to day, in business and in life. If you’ve instituted a daily standup meeting at work to combat this, it only makes sense to have one for the family, too. Who has a Zoom meeting the kids can’t join? Who’s making lunches today? How many episodes of StoryBots is too many? Run down the list and make sure you’re on the same page about who’s leading what.
4. Be aware of your own feelings. Ok here’s the touchy-feely one. When I’m already stressed and one of the kids loses it, I’m more likely to lose it, too. Sometimes, I really need to tag in my partner for help. But 9 times out of ten, if I can force myself to take a breath, I realize that I’m not reacting to them, I’m reacting to my own stress which can diffuse the situation. And just like your cranky toddler, sometimes simply acknowledging the feeling calms me down.
5. Acknowledge your success. Is your business still in business? Amazing! Are your kids relatively well-adjusted? You’re the best parents ever! Chances are, you’re operating at about 50-percent of your usual octane at work and home, so you’ve got to adjust your expectations for greatness. Maybe you’re not growing at that 300-percent you’ve planned for, but if you’re managing to stay afloat at work and home right now, you’ve got to high five yourself—and your partner. Remember, you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t in this together.
My partner and I have been operating our family-run business together for over five years. In that time, our family has grown right alongside the biz. We’ve added two hilarious, adventurous kids to our brood, and (over 70) employees, to our team. Our business is the center of it all, and the lifeblood of our family. Right now, the business is (thankfully) booming but massively challenging, and as a family, we hit our bumps in the road, as everyone does. But ya know what? We’re gonna make it through this.
So keep doing your best—I promise, it’s enough. And in the meantime, just savor that five minutes of alone time you get around 11 p.m. every night like a fine wine. It’s frickin’ gold.
My partner-in-life and business, Mike, and I own and operate No Evil Foods, a vegan meat company. Just as our business has grown, so has our family, with two hilarious, adventurous (and exhausting) kids added to the mix — enter our four-year-old son, Elan, and 18-month-old daughter, Artemis.
Sam’s Club just announced the nationwide launch of curbside pickup. The service, which provides a contact-free, order online and delivery to car shopping experience, will be free for Plus-level members and is expected to be available in all clubs by the end of June. Curbside pickup is part of a list of Plus membership benefits, which also includes early shopping hours, free shipping on most online items, 2% cash back on qualifying in-club and pickup purchases and more.
Sam’s Club has been piloting curbside pickup at 16 clubs with positive results from busy families and business owners. The company is expediting the roll out, taking it to all 597 clubs, to appeal to customer shopping preferences and growing desires for convenient options that fit into consumer’s lives.
“Sam’s Club members have been integrating technology into their shopping habits for a while with Scan & Go, samsclub.com and in-club pickup,” said Lance de la Rosa, Chief Operating Officer, Sam’s Club. “As we continue to innovate to make the shopping experience better and faster for our members, we’re proud to be able to quickly implement and offer curbside pickup across the country, particularly during a time when they are searching for alternative ways to shop.”
After setting up an account, members place orders via the Sam’s Club app or at samsclub.com. Products marked ‘Pick up in Club’ are eligible. Members will then complete an online shopping list, select a pickup time and checkout. Same-day pickup is available. Upon arrival to the club, members will use one of the designated pickup spots, and a Sam’s Club associate will load items into their cars.
Plus members will be able to schedule curbside pickup orders between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., Mon. to Sat., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sun. Non-Plus members will be able to use this new Plus benefit at no cost for a limited time, however, pickup times will be limited and only available 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.., Mon. to Sat., and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sun. Members who are interested in adding this free service can upgrade to a Plus membership at any time.
“While free Curbside Pickup is a new Plus member benefit, we recognize all of our members are looking for contact-free shopping options as part of the current environment,” said de la Rosa. “Because of that, we are going to temporarily make the service available for every member and do what we can to help them get the products they need, when and how they want them.”
Sam’s Club will also continue to offer its Concierge Service for seniors and high risk members every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and Hero Hours every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., until further notice. You can view a full list of member benefits on SamsClub.com.
While we’ve been social distancing, Brookfield Zoo has welcomed some pretty exciting arrivals—two handsome 4-year-old African lions. While Chicago hasn’t been able to welcome these beauties in person just yet, read on to learn how you can be a part of their virtual welcoming committee.
The 4-year-old brothers, Brutus and Titus, were transferred to Brookfield Zoo from Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, UT, on March 17. With the zoo being temporarily closed, they introduced the new arrivals via a Bringing the Zoo to You Facebook Live chat.
After seeing the brothers, kids began sending drawings of the lions and welcome messages to the zoo’s Facebook page. Staff decided to line the windows of the lion’s outdoor habitat with these well-wishes, which caught the eye of Titus.
Brookfield Zoo would like to fill the entire window with artwork and is inviting kids to submit their original masterpieces to the zoo’s Facebook page. They will be printed and added to the window for the lions to enjoy.
Brookfield Zoo’s Bringing the Zoo to You Facebook Live Chats are held on weekdays at 11 a.m. Be sure to join in to visit with your zoo favorites. If you miss one, no worries, you can go back and watch on Facebook or YouTube.
Note: As a non-profit, Brookfield Zoo relies on ticket sales, memberships, education program fees, meeting revenue and donations to operate. These temporary Covid-19-related closures have had a significant impact on the operating budget of all non-profits. Please consider making a donation, purchasing a membership or visiting the zoo in person when restrictions are lifted.
Scavenger Hunts and I Spy games are things we like to play with our kids, not with our local grocery store. If hunting for flour has you feeling frustrated, we found a great new source for pantry goods: your favorite restaurant (and indoor playground!). Local businesses are sharing their resources in an effort to take the guess work out of dinner (and, yes, you can order that pre-made, too). Here are our favorite pantry pick-ups along with other options beyond the grocery store (like farmers markets and CSAs). Read on for ways to support local businesses while getting your baking on—and leave hunting for “flower” for those scavenger walks!
Badlands
Support one of the area’s most beloved indoor playgrounds by purchasing your pandemic comforts at this pull-in pantry. To help keep the lights on (and pay dedicated employees), Rockville’s Badlands is offering contactless grocery pick ups; 50% of proceeds go to support Badlands staff. You can grab staples like butter, milk and cheese here along with kid-favorites like Goldfish, Pringles and Lay’s potato chips. Badlands also offers wine, beer and liquor to go. Don’t forget to pick up a prepackaged STEAM kit.
The Neighborhood Restaurant Group
In healthier times, The Neighborhood Restaurant Group manages some of our favorite good eats, like Birch and Barley and Hazel in DC and Columbia Firehouse and Vermillion in Old Town Alexandria. During these uncertain times, the Group is operating Neighborhood Provisions with three pick up locations (Alexandria, Arlington and DC). Order yeast, flour, toilet paper and locally-made, handcrafted hand sanitizer with your favorite apps and mains. Bonus: they also deliver!
Bluejacket, 300 Tingey Street, SE DC 20003
202-524-4862
Rustico Alexandria, 827 Slaters Lane, Alexandria VA 22314
703-224-5051
Rustico Arlington, 4075 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203
571-384-1820
Sweet Water Tavern
Craving those sweet and savory Ozzie Rolls? You can get them to go (with a side of honey butter) along with growlers, grocery essentials (including TP and paper towel), kids meals for kids 12 & under and your favorite Sweetwater staples, like firecracker shrimp. All American Restaurant Group locations are offering carry-out, but only Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling is operating a Tavern & Grocery (aka groceries to-go).
Founding Farmers
You can order your favorite menu options at all of Found Farmers restaurants, but in Tysons and Reston Station you can pick up groceries at Market & Grocery. Order family portioned meals, bottled craft cocktails, groceries like eggs, cheese, bottled craft sauces and more. Don’t forget pantry staples like Mrs. Meyers cleaning products, dish detergent, toilet paper and microfiber towels.
Old Town Farmer’s Market Old Town Farmer’s Market is the oldest continuous market in the good ol’ U S of A used by the first President himself. It’s still open during the pandemic, but you do need to pre order your goods.
King St., Alexandria, VA Open: Saturday, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Online: alexandriava.gov
Bethesda Central Farm Market Bethesda Central Farm Market is one of the largest markets in the area with over 100 vendors and is still operating as a traditional, walk-up. Your children will pine for pastries at Patisseries Poupon and wish for waffles at Les Caprices de Joelle, while grownups will appreciate lobster rolls and Zeke’s coffee. Parking is free.
City of Falls Church Farmers’ Market Quite possibly the best market in the area—the American Farmland Trust puts it in its top five medium-sized markets in the country—this market now offers a to-go format. Featuring over 50 vendors, be sure to check out Kate’s Crepes and Pops ‘n Chill, an artisanal handmade popsicle stand with fruity flavors like roasted peaches and cantaloupe.
300 Park Ave., Falls Church, VA
Open: Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon
Online: fallschurchva.gov
Farm to Family This veteran-owned, Richmond based CSA offers fruit, meat, eggs, soy products, pasta, bread, and pantry items delivered straight to your door. Our favorite add-on: locally sourced, ready to heat meals.
From the Farmer
This CSA offers curated boxes from MD and VA farms delivered right to doorsteps in the greater DMV area. It’s a farmer’s market that comes to you! Choose from: six different plans offering fruits and vegetables, with optional add-ons like bread and pantry items. You can customize boxes or skip one entirely.
Online: fromthefarmerdc.com
Lancaster Fresh Farm Cooperative This Lancaster-based CSA has pick up locations throughout the DMV, including Shaw, Petworth, Capitol Hill, Brookland, Arlington, Silver Spring, Herndon and more. Choose from: vegetable boxes in three different sizes, with option to add fruit, cheese, eggs, meats, fresh flowers, or herbal medicine.
Groundworks Farm This Pittsville, MD CSA is making pick ups safe by asking members to stand over 12 feet a part, offering hand sanitizer after pick up and making sure all hand offs include masked and gloved employees. Choose from: produce, egg, meat, chicken, and cheese for pick up in Arlington, Alexandria and Annapolis.
Little Farm Stand (Virginia) Delivered fresh to your home, this CSA offers organic, pesticide-free produce from VA farm. Choose from: fruits and vegetables, with the option to add on eggs, grass-fed beef, preserves, pies, honey, and maple syrup. Each box can be customized!
Elmo is on Zoom! On Apr. 14, your favorite red monster is inviting viewers to join him for Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate. This half-hour special will feature guests Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne Hathaway and Tracee Ellis Ross as part of Sesame Street‘s new Caring for Each Other initiative.
The “virtual play date” special follows Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and a few famous friends as they find new ways to learn together online and discover fun things to do at home with their families like baking cookies. They will also celebrate EMTs, doctors, and other everyday heroes who are helping families through the health crisis. The special is taped to look like a video conference, which is becoming more common for kids these days due to virtual classrooms and parents working from home.
“We hope Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate will entertain and inspire families at a moment when so many are feeling isolated and overwhelmed by current events,” said Steve Youngwood, Sesame Workshop’s President, Media & Education and Chief Operating Officer. “With help from our distribution partners around the world, this special will encourage parents and kids to gather and relax as a family, in a way that only the Sesame Street Muppets can.”
Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate will air Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. ET, and will be available on all WarnerMedia Networks: HBO, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TBS, TNT, truTV and PBS KIDS.
Many companies are having to either temporarily close or adjust their hours. Starbucks announced in a letter to their US partners that they would be making changes to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Starting now, they will strictly provide their menu options to-go in all company-owned stores in the US and Canada for at least the next two weeks.
“As we all know, the situation with COVID-19 is extremely dynamic and we will continue to review the facts and science and make the proactive decisions necessary to protect our partners, customers and communities,” wrote Rossann Williams, executive vice president and president, U.S. company-operated business and Canada.
Customers can still walk up and order at the counter, use the “order ahead” feature in the Starbucks app or utilize the drive thru. There will be a modified condiment bar in all stores. There will be temporary closures for company-owned stores in high-social gathering locations, such as malls and university campuses. There will also be temporary store closures or reduced operating hours in communities with high clusters of COVID-19 cases.
Williams said, “Every community’s needs are incredibly different. We want to make sure we play a constructive role by taking responsible actions, in partnership with the CDC and local public health authorities, so we can continue to do what’s right for our partners and customers.
Your mother may have had four girls and no boys, but does that mean you are destined to only have daughters? A recent study says no. Researchers have found that whether a family is strictly made up of boys or girls or has an equal mix is simply a matter of chance.
“If you have a lot of boys in your family, or a lot of girls, it’s just a lucky coincidence,” said Dr Brendan Zietsch, co-author of the research from the University of Queensland.
These new finding debunk the long held theory that the sex ratio of siblings is not random, rather it is based on genetics.
“In some other animals, such as wasps, sex ratio is clearly not random, and scientists thought human offspring sex ratio may be subject to similar evolutionary forces,” said Zietsch. But, he added, the idea had problems. “Most theories were about the type of sperm men make, but no one had a good idea of a biological mechanism that would create tendencies for having more boys or girls,” he said.
An international team of researchers reported in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, how they looked into records for all people born in Sweden in 1932 or later and had at least one child before 2014. The study included more than 6.7 million individuals.
The team then carried out an analysis to explore whether first cousins tended to be of the same sex. The findings revealed that there was no link, even when researchers only based their evidence on firstborn children.
“Siblings are genetically similar. Therefore, if offspring sex ratio is heritable – ie influenced by genetic differences– siblings should have similar offspring sex ratios,” said Zietsch.
The team found that within a family unit, families with only two children tended to have a boy and a girl. This split occurred more often than could be attributed to chance. Families who had more than two children did tend to have more of one sex than the other.
The researchers deduced that this occurred due to the parents choosing to add onto their families in an attempt to achieve the balance they desired by continuing to have children until they reached their goal.
The team says that the sex ratio of offspring is completly random and not inheritable.
“To be honest it is a bit surprising,” said Ralf Kuja-Halkola, a co-author of the research from the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden, noting that almost all other complex traits in humans show some degree of heritability.
The researchers found that the findings overturn a number of theories. Fisher’s principle, suggests the approximately 1:1 sex ratio in a population is maintained by an equilibrium effect operating through natural selection. If the sex ratio skews one way, children of individuals with a predisposition to have offspring of the rarer sex will be more in demand, and hence have more children themselves, such that the imbalance becomes redressed.
Kuja-Halkola recognizes there may be environmental factors that influence whether an individual will tend to have offspring of one sex, but feels it is improbable based on links to other inheritable traits.
Although not involved in the research, Professor Stuart West of the University of Oxford, said, “It is interesting that offspring and parent sex ratio don’t correlate, but that could be because nothing is going on with the sex ratio – as the [authors] suggest– or because something is going on, such as sex ratio being adjusted in response to any of the things not measured.”
Professor Ben Sheldon, also of the University of Oxford, was not involved in the study but welcomed the results. He said, “The authors show here that there is really no hint of heritable variation in the sex ratio in their dataset, and this seems a really robust finding. We know that there is very good evidence for heritable variation in the sex ratio in some animals – though these are typically living in quite different situations from humans.”
When you enter the lobby at the new Cartoon Network Hotel in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania you’ll be greeted by the Cartoon Crew who will check you in. Each guest room is decked out in one of six Cartoon Network series themes, including The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe and We Bare Bears.
The 165-room resort will also feature an indoor resort pool, an outdoor waterpark, a game room, a Cartoon Network Store and character-themed dining, like the Bearista Cafe and the Cartoon Kitchen where you’ll see your favorite characters whipping up your meals.
“The Cartoon Network Hotel will be unlike any other property in the region,” Rolf Paegert, chief operating officer of Palace Entertainment said in a statement. “Cartoon Network characters and theming will bring the property to life and offer magical, interactive experiences around every turn. This hotel is going to set the standard for guest-focused, themed lodging immersion.”
The Cartoon Network Hotel is set to open in June 2020, but the resort is already taking reservations now. Rooms start at $289 per night. Guests can book online here.
