Blog

The Top 3 Readers’ Choice Articles of 2013

December 27 by Marina Brito

Where did the year go?

It’s the end of 2013 and we’re excited to share with you the top 3 articles that were of most interest to you, our readers.

Here are the top 3 “most read” articles (by number of page views). You’ll want to enjoy them again, so here they are:

Fairfax County High Schools: The Ultimate Ranking ©

This article contains a table with the compilation of 3 different rankings, and an overall ranking assigned to each high school (The Ultimate Ranking ©)

From this table, it is clear that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is a superb school, which is why perhaps another popular article is this: Continue Reading…

How to create lifelong memories for your kids

December 20 by Marina Brito

Christmas is a magical time for many kids. Certainly for me, it was a time to enjoy playing with my out-of-town cousins, and to eat special treats that were only prepared at this time of year.

Traditional Mexican Christmas Apple Salad

Now it’s our turn to create lifelong memories for our kids

Now that we’re a little older, it’s time for us to create pleasant memories for the kids (and adults) who come to celebrate the holidays at our homes. And what better way to create lifelong memories than with food!

This year, I turned to my childhood for inspiration to prepare a beautiful, yummy, and kid-friendly treat: the traditional Mexican Christmas Salad.

And I thought to share it here in case you want to feel adventurous, cosmopolitan, or just willing to make something easy for that holiday party in which you have no clue what to bring: Continue Reading…

The 13 Most Resilient High Schools in Fairfax County

December 12 by Marina Brito

Each year for the past 3 years, the Virginia Department of Education has updated their standardized tests known as the Standards of Learning (SOLs).

How resilient to tougher standardized tests is a school?

The SOLs are administered toward the end of the year to all students starting in grade 3. These tests are one way to try to objectively measure the performance of a school.

The intention of the SOLs is to measure how well the school districts are educating the students, so each year, they challenge the kids a little more, and they make the tests a little bit harder.

For example, the overall SOL passing rate* for all of Virginia has gone down the last three years due to the tests getting tougher:

Virginia SOL Passing Rates (last 3 years) Continue Reading…

Why unappetizing home photos represent a great opportunity

December 6 by Marina Brito

For Thanksgiving, Patty made a delicious casserole dish and brought it to her in-laws. But during the car ride, there was a big bump and the casserole turned over on its side.

The only good looking piece of the delicious casserole

The only decent-looking piece of the Patty’s delicious casserole

When Patty opened it up, the casserole looked like a mess. It still tasted delicious, but now it looked very unappetizing.

Like the casserole, photos of homes for sale must look “appetizing” to entice buyers to schedule a visit.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some), many pictures of homes for sale aren’t very good.

Here are some examples of unappetizing home photos

Exterior shots: Crooked, cut-off, or with a dark, grey, ominous sky
Dark, shady, and grainy interior
Pictures of wall corners in small rooms (where it’s impossible to see the room itself)
Photos of toilets (really?)

The good news is that these unappetizing home photos can be a very good thing for a smart buyer.

As a buyer, unappetizing photos represent an opportunity Continue Reading…

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers

November 27 by Marina Brito

There are always tons of food stored in the fridge after Thanksgiving dinner: turkey (of course), stuffing, sweet potatoes, green veggies, apple sauce, cranberry chutney, etc.

And, I love to have leftovers the next day. But after one meal, I’m not so sure about eating any more of the same flavors for several more days…