We made it to Friday...​spring break is here!!  Many families and children are excited about spring break next week in Woodbridge, VA and the surrounding area.  Living so close to Washington DC offers a lot of different activities and places for our children to visit during this break from school.  If you decide to avoid the beaches next week and looking for things close to home to keep your children entertained this is the blog for you.  For this week’s Friday Fives, here is a list of five possibilities for spring break destinations for families in NOVA and how to keep your family entertained.
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For this week’s Friday Fives, I want to tell you about this ice cream treasure in Northern Virginia.  A few weeks ago, I was in Fredericksburg, Virginia for an event.  While I was there, I walked past Goolrick’s – an old-timey ice cream parlor.  Yes, I said ice cream.  However, I didn’t have time at that moment to visit, so I decided I needed to come back.  I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed a few weeks ago, so eating ice cream would definitely be diet approved.   
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​This historic ice cream parlor is also a pharmacy and is tied in with the culture of this community.  The parlor has been serving handmade ice cream for nearly 150 years.  Goolrick’s is known to be the oldest continuously operated soda fountain in the entire United States.  Who knew we had an ice cream shop near us with so much history? ​
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Who's gets excited about the upcoming summer movie lineup?  There are so many great movies to be released this summer and I’m thrilled about so many of them.  For today’s Friday Fives, I’m sharing a list of the top five movies I will viewing at my local Northern Virginia movie theater with my family.  In addition how I will see them for $5 each (that's a $20 family date night).
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​Earlier this week the National Park Service and The Cherry Blossom Festival released the peak bloom date for the blossoms in Washington D.C.  April 3-6, 2019 are the projected peak bloom dates for this year.  I can see spring in our near future, can you?  During this week’s Friday Fives, I want to share with you the top five tips and most important things to do and visit during the festivals. 
 
1.  Plan
Plan as much of your visit as possible.   Although the blossoms are projected to peak April 3-6, 2019, the weather makes it difficult to plan the exact date until 10 days out.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20 – April 14) is schedule from mid-March through mid-April every year with a full calendar of activities.  If you’re wanting to see the Cherry Blossoms with less crowds, I highly recommend visiting during the weekday.  The weekends are filled with locals as well as out of towners who have traveled to the area for a day trip.  The Tidal Basin has a lot more wiggle room during the weekday because many people are at work and children are at school. 

​If you decide to visit the Tidal Basin during the weekend, it’s better to plan visit early in the morning or later in the day.  No matter what day of the week you visit the earlier in the morning the better.  Wandering around the Tidal Basin at 7am can be delightful, even on the weekends.  However, as the morning progresses, the crowds will significantly increase; especially after 9 a.m.  If you’re wanting to take pictures of the monuments with the blossoms the light for pictures shortly after sunrise is stunning.

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​With the shutdown in full swing, many military members had their promotion or retirement ceremonies schedule to take place in the National Archives Museum in Washington D.C.  Now many are wondering what other locations can be used for their military ceremony.  This week’s Friday Fives list is a helpful list to give you some ideas and possibilities. 
 
Being in Washington D.C. there are so many wonderful locations to have as a military ceremony.  This is a quick list of five different possibilities if you are not able to schedule your promotion or retirement ceremony at the National Archives Museum.
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​The first of the year is a time when many people (myself included) reflect on their lives and establish goals for themselves and for their families; in addition, business owners work on their goals for their respective companies.  This past week, I’ve been thinking about what goals I want to establish for my photography business.  

It's amazing to see how fast this year seems to be going...it's Thanksgiving next week.  What are your plans?  Will you cook an extravagant meal with a Turkey and all the fixins for your family? If you're a military family, will you be traveling back home to spend time with your extended family? 

I'm thrilled we'll get an opportunity to experience the new F.A.O. Schwarz during this holiday season in New York City (see video below); as well as all the other things/places New York City has to offer for the holidays. 

​For today's Friday Fives, I wanted to share five reasons why I'm thankful.  Just a quick glimpse of the news and it's a quick reminder to be grateful and thankful.  Here are my top five reasons I'm thankful.  

In this week's Friday Fives, I'll discuss five reasons why having your family pictures taken in Washington D.C. is a wonderful idea.  Living this close to Washington D.C. has its privileges; especially when it comes to taking family pictures.   

​Washington D.C. is such a beautiful place regardless of the time of year.  When it's spring the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom and make for a beautiful background for your family's spring portraits; and during Autumn, the foliage on the trees are amazing.  If you're a part of the military community, having your family's portrait taken in Washington D.C. will also be a great way to remember you were stationed in the Washington D.C. area.