5 Tips for a Successful Nature Walk with Kids {#3 Choose the Right Spot}

10/09/2014 By Kathleen 2 Comments

Hopefully you’ve already read my first two tips for a successful nature walk with kids. If not, you can do that here:

5 Tips for a Successful Nature Walk with Kids

#1 Find a Buddy
#2 Make it a Habit

Once you’ve got a nature buddy and you’ve settled on some sort of schedule for your nature walks, it’s time to pick a destination. Better yet, you’ll want to start a whole list of family-friendly nature spots in your area.

Check out my top tips for choosing the right spot for your nature explorations…Read More

Kathleen

Kathleen Henderson is the Yankee behind the Homestead, where she keeps up with Mr. Native Texan, three busy boys, a large dog, an assortment of chickens and an organic garden on three beautiful acres in Northern Virginia. Yankee Homestead is where she organizes her tips, tricks and resources for a healthy life. Favorite topics include real food recipes, gluten-free living, essential oils and home remedies, all things natural and nontoxic, plus mommy musings and homeschooling resources. Find out more on the About page

It’s Back: The Sunday Evening Nature Walk {Tuscarora Creek Park in Leesburg}

04/21/2014 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

Hooray for spring! Our crew celebrated last week’s newly arrived beautiful weather with our first family nature walk of the season. We picked a new spot, packed a picnic dinner and our nature gear and set off for some explorations.

Kathleen

Exploring Nature with Kids: Discovering our National Parks

12/19/2013 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

Have you seen Handbook of Nature Study’s December 2013 Newsletter about National Parks?

Once again, I was honored to serve as a contributing writer. And this month I was excited to see that Debi Huang–one of my favorite nature bloggers–contributed an article as well.

Kathleen

Sunday Evening Nature Walk: Edwards Landing Park {Leesburg, VA}

09/13/2013 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

The Sunday Evening Nature Walk

Most Sunday nights when the weather permits, our family can be found exploring a nearby trail or nature spot.

It’s one of our favorite things to do together! We usually pack a picnic dinner, our DEET-free bug spray and some favorite nature guides and gear–like these magnifying glasses–and head off for adventure.

Kathleen

2 Favorite Folk Singers and 1 Fantastic Venue {Part Two}

08/23/2013 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

Did you catch this post: 2 Favorite Folk Singers and 1 Fantastic Venue {Part One}?
If there are any children in your life, I highly recommend the two musicians–and their CD’s–discussed in that post.

This part is for the locals, or for visitors to our nation’s capital…

Do you live in or near Northern Virginia (outside Washington, D.C.)?

If so, you’ve got to check out Wolf Trap. It’s a National Park, amphitheater (two! plus an indoor center) and Performing Arts Foundation, all rolled into one.

Kathleen

PassionFish Restaurant in Reston, VA: gluten-free friendly

06/07/2013 By Kathleen 2 Comments

As I mentioned in the post about the Daily Grill in Georgetown, Mr. Native Texan and I strive for a weekly Date Night. It’s not always possible, but I’d say we do hit about three out of every four weeks.

Frankly, I don’t know how marriages survive without some sort of regularly scheduled dates, even if they don’t occur every week. Our weekly date nights are one of the things that keep me going. Some weeks, they are the only thing that keeps me going!

But I digress.

One of our first and most important questions upon embarking on this Gluten-Free (and other “free’s”) Journey was “Where will we do Date Night?” We’d already had a hard time time adjusting from the overabundance of restaurant options in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to the less-than-abundant selections in our current locale. Adding in dietary restrictions would only serve to narrow down the already slim pickings.

Kathleen

Gluten-Free at Panera Bread: the Hidden Menu

05/22/2013 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

While we strive to eat at home as much as possible, and to pack our own healthy food when we’re on-the-go, sometimes this just isn’t possible. Sometimes even a Real Foodie has to make some compromises. Like eating “fast food.” {Gasp!}

It’s true. Sometimes we eat at Chick-fil-A.

And sometimes, when I’m all alone and I need a meal, I stop at Panera Bread.

Did you know Panera Bread has a Hidden Menu? Read More

Kathleen

Sunday Evening Nature Walk: Morven Park in Leesburg (and favorite nature resources for kids)

05/17/2013 By Kathleen Leave a Comment

Our most recent Sunday Evening Nature Walk found us exploring the beautiful grounds of Morven Park in Leesburg.

I can’t believe it took us almost four years to discover this local treasure! The boys and I participated in a recent field trip to the Carriage Museum on the grounds at Morven Park, located just outside of historic downtown Leesburg, adjacent to Ida Lee Park. The entrance is on Old Waterford Road, just past the entrance to Rust Library.

It was raining on the day of our field trip, but we decided to bring Daddy back for explorations of the grounds. Last Sunday (Mother’s Day) was a tad chilly, but we bundled up and set out to hunt for walking trails at Morven Park….

Resting on a log at Morven Park — Resting on a log during our hike on the Orienteering Course at Morven Park. (Blurry photo courtesy of my iphone.)

We’re no experts on Morven Park (yet), but here’s what we love so far:Read More

Kathleen

Gluten Free Pizza

04/08/2013 By Kathleen 3 Comments

In this post I will review our recent gluten-free experience at a local pizza joint (in Leesburg/Loudoun County, VA), as well as provide instructions for ordering an awesome GF crust online at a reasonable price.

Kathleen