The Game Plan
From The Green Room With: Mandisa
Posted by Lorin Drinkard / Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Mandisa = American Idol
alumna + 3 Grammy noms
+ 4 albums + a nationwide tour
For Christian singer/songwriter Mandisa, this short list just begins to describe her musical accomplishments in the recent years. We chatted with the bubbly, Zumba-loving artist about faith, fitness and what she has up her vocal sleeves (the Girls Night Live tour, also featuring Laura Story, stops in Woodbridge this Saturday!).
We’re excited about your upcoming tour coming to Woodbridge, right here in Northern Virginia. What led you to be a part of the Girls Night Live events?
52nd Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Monday, April 9th, 2012
The Japanese Society of Washington DC
It’s the centennial celebration of Japan’s gift of the cherry blossom trees to America, and Washington will be a “city in bloom,” filled with Japanese cultural happenings. But heading it all is the Sakura Matsuri, the largest Japanese festival in the United States. Sakura Matsuri will fill six square blocks on Pennsylvania Avenue with Japanese culture, vendors, performers, and food. There will be something for everyone, as this sprawling event grows every year.
This year Sakura Matsuri will feature over 20 hours of live music and dance performances on three stages, and over 200 martial artists will be on display. Basically, this event is a really big deal, it will be worth experiencing, and it will probably be a lot of fun.
Saturday April 14, 11 am. Adults $5; Children, Free. More here.
Posted by Matt Basheda / Monday, April 9th, 2012
Tommy Stinson is the co-founder and former bass player of The Replacements.
If you don’t know who The Replacements are, they began as a Minneapolis punk band in the ’80s. As the decade wore on, they helped invent the genre now known as alternative rock and influenced scores of current indie groups.
Stinson is playing at Jammin Java this Friday, April 13. He recently released a new album, “One Man Mutiny,” and it’s great. You can’t mess up straightforward rock ‘n’ roll, especially if you play it with as much attitude as Stinson. But he tosses in country influences, too, with slide guitar on several tracks.
I spoke with Stinson over the phone to talk about his new album, the Replacements and music in general. He also works with Haiti charity Timkatec. Timkatec is a school that teaches young Haitians trades like masonry and plumbing to give them employment, hope and the power to rebuild their own community.
What was your writing process like for your new album?
Pretty haphazard, like it always is for me. The way I make records is I compile songs over the course of time when I’m able to spend time on my own to write stuff … and when I have a record’s worth of material, then I just decide what to do with it after that. Usually, it takes longer for me than other people because I kinda spread myself a little thin with Guns [N’ Roses] or Soul Asylum or the other things that I end up doing in the course of my life.
Do you usually write on guitar, or on bass?
You know, I don’t even have a method. It just kinda comes out of me, whatever it is I happen to have in my hands. And there was actually one point where I had sort of a favorite chair that I used to write lyrics in, but that chair has since died. And now I write on whatever chair I happen to find available.
Is there a common source you usually draw inspiration from?
Not really. I’m a bit voyeuristic, I guess in that regard. I take my life and things that are going on in my life and I kinda funnel it through what I see in others … and I make my own composites of things to keep it interesting. I’m not really down with songs just totally in the first person. I think it’s … to blather on completely about themselves, which is not interesting to me [laughs]. So I like to switch it up and blather on about whatever I feel like [laughs].
You’ve been making music for years, so how do you stay motivated and keep finding inspiration?
I’m starting to find that I’m inspired to use my music to help others. … I think I’ve somehow fallen into this life of service … I didn’t find it, it found me, and I think after spending so much of my life in The Replacements or in Guns even, it’s a pretty narcissistic world. That’s the life of a musician in a lot of ways. You’re doing it because you want people to pay attention to you, and you want people to pay you money and you want people to come out and adore you and that sort of thing. I’ve gotten past that, and what intrigues me now is ‘What can I do with this, to help this situation in the world, or that, or these people?’ And … now that I’m starting to get into that mindset, it’s freeing me up to let whatever music is coming out of me to just come out of me without trying to harness it or turn it into something that it ain’t.
Yeah I read about your work with Haiti. Are you still doing that?
Oh yeah. We’re actually doing a show up here in Hudson, N.Y. on the 10th of April which is a benefit for Timkatec schools in Haiti. We’re trying to do a fundraiser to raise 70 to 80 toolkits for the graduating class this year. They’re graduating masons, electricians, plumbers, beauticians and seamstresses. We’re trying to get them the tools to take into their communities and help the rebuilding process, because they need all the help they can possibly get there. They’ve basically been forgotten by the rest of the world since the earthquake and it’s still an absolute mess down there.
Do you listen to current music at all?
I do.
Who do you like?
Always been a fan of The Walkmen. They’re one of my favorites; they’re one of my favorite favorites. There’s a band that I’ve heard recently up here called Railbird that I got to see live once before. We’re lookin’ to try to go see them again when they come into town.
All time favorite punk band?
If you’re talking just straight-up punk bands, I think The Clash were probably my favorite, but I like Stiff Little Fingers in there. I was huge into Black Flag for a while. The Damned were a pretty big staple in my stuff, in my record collection.
When was the last time you met with Paul Westerberg?
I haven’t actually physically seen him in probably a little over a year or something, but we talked the other day. … We’re gonna try and do something for our guitar player Slim [Dunlap, who] had a stroke recently and he’s in pretty bad shape. We’re trying to find some way to raise some money for him.
So you think a show, maybe?
No, I think more of like a tribute record kind of thing. There’s already something kind of, kind of in the works I can’t really go into yet, because it’s not fully in the works. But we’re trying to figure out what we can do.
How does it make you feel when people say—when kids—come up to you and say, ‘Your music’s been a huge influence on my life.’?
It’s a good thing. As an art form, [music] has this very healing effect on people. … A lot of music means that to me, so as a fan of music, when I get that it’s killer, I’m glad, that’s awesome. Because I can relate to that.
New Lego Structures at National Building Museum
Posted by Matt Basheda / Friday, April 6th, 2012
The National Building Museum houses a Northern Virginian.
The Lego Burj Khalifa. Photo: National Building Museum staff.
The NBM’s popular Lego exhibit just added three new structures. One of those is the Winthrop house model, as designed by the Gulick Group. The Winthrop is one of the most popular luxury homes in the region. So popular that it’s now being honored with its own museum shrine.
The real-life Winthrop is exclusively NoVA-based. Most examples sit in Reston and Great Falls. But it will join, in Lego form, 15 of the world’s most legendary buildings.
Two other brand new Lego models join the 15. One is a series of Metro stations from D.C., decked-out in a famous Halloween theme. The other is 15 Central Park West, an apartment building in New York City.
The exhibit runs through Sept. 3, 2012. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission runs $8 for adults, and $5 for kids.
–Matt Basheda
Spring Break Guide: Family Easter Crafts
Posted by Lindsey Leake / Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Fun, inexpensive holiday crafts for the whole family to enjoy.
Photo courtesy Shutterstock/oliveromg
If you’re looking to do more than just dye hardboiled eggs with the kids this year, try out these vernal-themed crafts and activities!
Eggs Gone Postal
In this technology-driven age of texts, tweets and emails, it’s a pleasant rarity to receive a thoughtful, personalized letter or package in the mail. This Easter, in the same vein as mailing homemade Valentines, try sending little goodies to your loved ones inside plastic, colored eggs.
Photo courtesy of www.giverslog.com
For this project you’ll want to purchase jumbo-sized plastic eggs—not the smaller ones most often used in Easter egg hunts—which are available at many dollar, drug and grocery stores this time of year. Then, simply fill up the egg with whatever holiday novelties suit your fancy. This may include Easter grass, jelly beans, a mini deck of cards, bubble gum, a small notepad and pencil, stickers, ribbon, goodie bag novelties, etc.
Photo courtesy of www.giverslog.com
Stuffing and mailing jumbo Easter eggs certainly qualifies as a family-friendly activity; they’re not only easily made for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, but also simple for kids to make themselves to send to their friends, classmates and family members.
Photo courtesy of www.giverslog.com
However, that’s not to say that these packaged eggs are only for kids. Adults of all ages will enjoy sending and receiving these springtime parcels. As long as the contents of the egg aren’t considered hazardous, restricted or perishable by U.S. Postal Service guidelines, you can pretty much fill it with whatever your spouse, best friend or neighbor will love. A few ideas for adult egg package fillings are gift cards, jewelry, lipstick or nail polish, invitations, tickets to a concert or sporting event, candy or gum, an iPod Nano or Shuffle, etc. Of course you’ll want to insure the package if you’re sending expensive items, but the point is that the egg’s contents can be as informal or as lavish as you’d like.
Seal the egg with packing tape, attach both a mailing and return address with stick-on labels and you’re ready to head to the post office. Generally, items weighing less than 13 ounces qualify for First Class postage and can just be dropped in a blue mailbox, but if you have any doubts about the weight of your package, it’s advisable to wait in line at the post office and have your egg weighed and given correct postage there.
Special thanks to giverslog blogger AmberLee Fawson for this festive packaging idea. For other fun “happy mail” ideas for all seasons, visit giverslog.
Yarn Eggs for the Yard
The kids have got another eight months to wait before they get to hang ornaments on the Christmas tree, but in the meantime why not let them hang large, brightly-colored egg ornaments from the trees in your yard?
Photo courtesy of www.familyfun.go.com
For this project you’ll need thin cotton yarn, balloons, craft glue, newspaper and/or wax paper (to cover your workspace), a clothesline and clothespins. Mix a half-glue/half-water paste in a shallow, disposable container and, for each egg you want to make, cut 20 pieces of yarn that are each about 3 feet long.
Photo courtesy www.familyfun.go.com
Holding one end of a strand of yarn, dip it into the paste and wrap it around the balloon. Repeat this step with each of the other strands, weaving them around the balloon in any pattern you wish. Hang up the finished eggs to dry overnight on a clothesline. The next day, carefully poke a hole in the balloon and remove it from the yarn shell. Use spare yarn to hang up the eggs on a tree outside, or anywhere inside your house to add springtime flare!
Photo courtesy www.familyfun.go.com
To read tips and testimonials from crafty families who’ve already taken a stab at making yarn eggs, visit Disney Family Fun.
Jelly Bean Carrot
Here’s a tempting bribe to use at the table on Sunday: if the kids eat all of their vegetables during Easter dinner, they’ll each be rewarded with one of these sugary, seasonal carrots!
Photo courtesy www.marthastewart.com
These treats couldn’t be simpler to make; all you’ll need are orange jelly beans, plastic pastry/frosting bags and green rickrack or ribbon. The orange candies and green ties are obviously reminiscent of carrots, but feel free to mix it up by using a variety of colors (and flavors) of jelly beans and ribbons.
Just fill each pastry bag about ¾ of the way with jelly beans, tie the bag tightly closed with ribbon and you’ve got a makeshift vegetable any kid will love.
Bejeweled Cross
Commercially, it may be the season of egg hunts, jelly beans, pastels, bunnies, baskets and candy, but here’s a simple craft that will help you and your kids remember what Easter is really all about. Plus, it’s a nifty decoration great for any Christian household year round.
Craft by Amanda Formaro | Photo courtesy of www.kaboose.com
You can craft a cross out of any material you choose, but cardboard, heavy cardstock or poster board is recommended. Using heavy-duty scissors or a box cutter, cut a cross any size you like out from the cardboard and poke a hole near the top using a pen or hole puncher.
The cross can then be painted or decorated any color you choose. If painting isn’t your forte, try purchasing cardstock that’s already the desired color. Next, simply glue buttons, beads or faux jewels onto the cross in any pattern or arrangement you’d like. Once the glue has dried completely, thread yarn or ribbon through the hole at the top for hanging.
For more tips on this project, and to learn how to give your cross a glossy finish with an acrylic sealer, visit Kaboose.
Handprint Lamb
This is a quick, fun project that even the littlest craftsman (or craftswoman) in your family can complete with minimal assistance. You’ll need black or gray construction paper, glue, a white crayon, cotton balls and glue-on wiggly eyes.
Photo courtesy of www.dltk-kids.com
Place your hand on the paper, spreading your thumb out as far as possible, and trace your handprint. Glue cotton balls all over your print, but be sure to leave the lamb’s head (your thumb) and legs (your fingers) blank. Then, draw eyes and a smile on your lamb’s face (or glue on the wiggly eyes and add a smile). Finally, you can either cut out the lamb as a stand-alone craft or use gel pens or brightly-colored crayons to draw a creative background for the lamb.
Photo courtesy www.dltk-kids.com
Photo courtesy www.dltk-kids.com
Photo courtesy www.dltk-kids.com
If you enjoyed these craft ideas, be sure to check out yesterday’s DIY Easter Project Ideas on our S.W.A.G. blog and last week’s Kid-Friendly DIY Projects on The Game Plan blog. For a complete NoVA Mag guide on dining, entertainment, recreation, crafts and activities this season, don’t forget to refer to our 2012 Spring Break Guide.
- Lindsey Leake
Spring Break Guide: Easter Eggs Abound!
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
marmon/Shutterstock
The Easter season is upon us, and what better way to enjoy the spring time festivities and warm weather than to take your kids out to a fun, traditional Easter egg hunt? Below are some of the local egg hunts, which are mostly free of charge. Don’t forget your Easter egg basket!
Hunt for Eggs and Meet the Easter Bunny at South Run REC
April 7, 10 a.m. The Easter bunny is hopping into the field house at South Run RECenter on Saturday for an hour of springtime fun. Children ages one to eight can scramble for goodie-filled eggs, make arts and crafts, get their face painted, and have their photo taken with the bunny. This event is held rain or shine. The cost is $10 per child; kids under one are admitted at no cost. To make a reservation, call 703-866-0566. South Run RECenter is located at 7550 Reservation Dr. in Springfield, Va. Information about the RECenter can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov. Don’t forget to bring a basket and camera!
Easter Egg-Stravaganza!
April 7, 10:30 a.m. Bring your Easter Baskets for an action packed zoo day! Meet our baby bunnies, bottle feed little lambs and enjoy Easter egg hunts, face painting and special visits from the Easter Bunny. Egg hunts take place on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30, 12:30pm, 2:30pm. Special egg hunts for children ages four and under take place in the picnic area at 10am and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Egg hunts are free with admission to the zoo. /Reston Zoo, Vienna, VA; Phone: 703-757-6222.
Rippon Lodge Annual Easter Egg Hunt
April 7, 11 a.m. The Prince William County Department of Public Works hosts the annual Rippon Lodge Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 7 at 15520 Blackburn Road, Wood-bridge. The cost are $7 per child; children age 2 and younger are free. Admission includes activities and a house tour, which is offered throughout the day. Visitors receive $1 off admission with a donation of canned good, which benefits ACTS. Call 703-499-9812; located at Rippon Lodge Historic Site, Woodbridge, VA.
Easter Egg Hunt at Dodona Manor
April 7, 1:30 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt at Dodona Manor on Saturday, 4/7, 1:30-3:30PM. Schedule: 1:30 pm – Meet the Easter Bunny; bag decorating; face painting; scavenger hunts & raffles. 2:30 pm – Easter Egg Hunts begin. For more info visit their website or email events@georgecmarshall.org. Admission is free, $5 donation per child is appreciated. Registration not required. NOTE: Parking at 310-312 E. Market Street or Loudoun County Parking Garage garage located on Loudoun Street between Harrison & Church streets. Located at Dodona Manor, Leesburg, VA; Price: Free; $5 donation per child appreciated.
Town of Dumfries Easter Egg Hunt!
April 7, 11 a.m. The Town of Dumfries will be hosting it’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 7, 2012! Bring your children out to find Easter Eggs, meet the Easter Bunny, and enjoy Face Painting at Merchant Park! Located at Merchant Park, Dumfries, VA; Price: Free.
Spring Break Guide: Movie Madness
Posted by Matt Basheda / Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
Spring break giving you too much time on your hands? Has spending your days outdoors left you tapped out and bored at night?
Catch up on some movies.
The theaters currently offer a wealth of fun flicks. Surely you’ve seen the previews–”The Hunger Games,” “21 Jump Street” and “Mirror Mirror.” But there are more movies on the way, even just this week, none bigger than “Titanic’s” 3D re-release on April 6.
The ultimate fantasy romance for many a 1990s teenager can now be your go-to date movie. There’s no reason to believe this won’t be at least half as monstrously successful as the first iteration, so join in the frenzy once again–this time with an actual date, rather than a middle school crush.
Springtime always gives me a hankering for “Star Wars,” probably because each of the movies came out in the spring. You really can’t go wrong with these most classic of sci-fi movies, especially since they are truly films for every member of the family.
The “Rush Hour” trilogy provides comic mastery. If you want to laugh from your gut, you can’t beat Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan as an outrageous detective duo.
Of course, the kids need their own alone-time, too. If you need a couple hours to keep the kids in one spot, try “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.” This watery tale fits spring break’s theme, and provides enough of a summery preview to ease the return to school.
On the theatrical side of things, “The Lorax” is still going strong in theaters. Rainy days cancel parks and other fresh-air shenanigans, but a day at the movies is a perfect distraction.
Oh, and did you hear the joyous news? A “Dumb and Dumber” sequel, directed by the Farrelly brothers and starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, is on its way!
–Matt Basheda
Snapshot Puzzle: Do you know what this landmark is?
Posted by Geoff Nelowet / Monday, April 2nd, 2012
Photo by Matt Basheda
How well do you know Northern Virginia? Decipher the puzzled pic above. Go ahead, give it a shot.
Pizza, cupcakes, games & giveaways with NVM tomorrow!
Posted by Rebekah Lowe / Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Calling all NoVA Wars fans! It’s your turn to be the judge!
The Slice Is Right has been a tough battle so far! NoVA’s top 32 pizzerias have been duking it out, and now we are down to our top eight: Ciro’s, Anthony’s, Paisano’s, Fireworks, The Don’s, Cafe Pizzaiolo, Giovanni’s and Villa Bella. Next week we will start voting to see who will move on to the Final Four! You’ll be able to vote here.
But before we get to that, we’re having another The Slice Is Right Food Fight tomorrow, and you’re invited! We want you to taste test the top eight pizzas! All you have to do is RSVP here before 8 p.m. tonight.
Join NVM & Specialicious.com this Sunday at The Encore Club House in Alexandria for a free afternoon of cupcakes, games, gift card giveaways, and best of all, a chance to sample pizzas from the leading pizzerias in NVM’s The Slice Is Right contest! / April 1 from 1-3 p.m. The Encore Luxury Apartments Club House (Upper Level) 4619 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304; Parking is available in front of the Club House/Leasing Office.
If you attended our last Food Fight on St. Patrick’s Day in Lorton, then you know what a delicious day one of these events is! Check out this video of the Dough Show that Pizza Olympian Juliana from The Don’s Wood Fired Pizza put on for us in Lorton:
Hope you all can join us tomorrow! Don’t forget to RSVP tonight!
Spring Break Guide: Stay Outside
Posted by Matt Basheda / Friday, March 30th, 2012
Don’t rot indoors.
Resist the temptation to use spring break to catch up on movies and TV shows. With weather this sublime, stay afloat in the fine spring air. Of course, you can’t help it if it’s raining–but I’ll have more on that next week.
First tip: Use two wheels instead of four whenever possible. Most of NoVA’s sprawl includes interwoven trails. Within neighborhoods, sidewalks often serve both bikes and pedestrians. So next time you hit your local Starbucks, try riding there instead of driving.
Courtesy Shutterstock.com / Lisa S.
If you want something a little more rigorous, try mountain biking. Unless you have a bicycle specifically designed for road use–you would know if you had one–your bike most likely has all-terrain tires. You’ll have quite a bit of fun on light off-road trails like the unpaved byways on the W&OD.
For large stretches of the W&OD, particularly in Loudoun County, unpaved horse and multi-use trails run alongside the paved trail. Try cycling in the dirt for added workout and added fun.
Wakefield Park in Fairfax also has a laid back multipurpose trail perfect for mountain bikes. It’s part paved, part dirt, part gravel. Slightly more arduous paths branch off from the main trail. If you really want to get a beginner’s feel for what mountain biking is all about, stray off the beaten path and have fun.
In fact, the trail is not only for biking. So if two wheels isn’t your thing, take a walk or a jog at Wakefield–it’s quite scenic.
If you have kids on your hands for spring break, you absolutely must have a different activity every day. One of NoVA’s overlooked highlights is its petting zoos.
Courtesy Shutterstock.com / Smileus
Reston Zoo features exotic animals for observation and farm animals for petting. The place is pretty huge–about 30 acres nestled right off Route 7. With so much land, they have a wide variety of animals, from wildebeest to ostrich, and even prairie dogs. Animals for petting include sheep, goats and rabbits.
The Leesburg Animal Park is a little-known treasure. Their animal list differs from Reston’s, so each is unique. Leesburg has lemurs, parrots, tortoises and other uncommon creatures, like the Patagonian Cavy.
There are tons of other options. We’ve mentioned a bunch, and we have even more coming.
And don’t forget to check out our guide to traveling with kids. It will ease the burden of entertaining however many schoolkids invade your house each spring break.
Stay tuned for Easter ideas and lots more.
–Matt Basheda