Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

I’ve begun daydreaming again about a night away from home — four new walls to look at, no little humans yelling about Google Meets or being hungry… again.

So here are my suggestions for the best places for a night away. Keep in mind some options are more active with spas, pools, golf courses, fitness options and more while others are just a quiet, tucked-away space to rest and rejuvenate. The recommendations just depend on what type of experience you’re looking for!

Listed in no particular order:

1. Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia — Here you’ll find a spa, restaurants, wineries, an infinity pool, hiking trails, zip lining and, for golf fans, access to the club at Creighton Farms.
2. The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Virginia — Find a top-rated restaurant at The Inn, and the quaint town of Washington is perfect for exploring.
3. Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland — On the beautiful Chesapeake, Inn at Perry Cabin has a spa, restaurants, pool, fitness center, golf and tennis.
4. The Inn at Vaucluse Spring, Stephens City, Virginia — This is a romantic bed and breakfast perched along the Shenandoah Valley.
5. Nemacolin Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania — Nemacolin has many types of lodging, a spa, golf, ax throwing, zip lining and tons of restaurant choices.
6. The Omni Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia — Filled with historic charm, this huge spa features hot springs, a water park, golf and lots of other family-friendly activities.
7. The Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia — Find a spa, wine trail, sailing school, golf and newly redesigned rooms that open today!
8. The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia — This resort contains a spa, a casino, pool, arcade, bowling and so many other activities to keep you busy!
9. Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, Virginia — Located in historic Leesburg, Lansdowne Resort has a spa, golf course and more.
10. Tidewater Inn, Easton, Maryland — Explore the spa, luxury accommodations, historic Easton and Hunters’ Tavern.

If you try one of these places or are familiar with them, please leave a tip for our readers in the comments below!

According to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Programs rankings, Virginia Tech’s 100% online Master’s in Information Technology is the nation’s fourth best and is ranked No. 1 for veterans.

The VT-MIT program, a joint venture offered through the College of Engineering and the Pamplin College of Business, maintains a top five ranking for the eighth consecutive year. The top placement attests to the program’s enduring commitment to supplying professionals in the field of information technology with the interdisciplinary and emerging skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

“The VT-MIT program appeals to individuals interested in the intersection of the more technical information technology capabilities and the people skills needed to manage today’s complex workplace,” said Parviz Ghandforoush, the program’s executive director and an associate dean for graduate programs.

The program combines a variety of disciplines within the College of Engineering and the Pamplin College of Business, including computer science, electrical and computer engineering, accounting and information systems, business information technology, and management.

“The VT-MIT program’s top rankings and the appreciative testimonials of our students and graduates underscore the superior quality of our program and its critical relevance for anyone seeking to move ahead professionally,” said Pamplin College of Business Dean Robert Sumichrast. “In today’s innovation-centered workplace, business knowledge and technology expertise have become critical dual strengths for career advancement.”

This year, U.S. News & World Report also ranked the master of information technology program as the No. 1 Best Online Master’s in Information Technology Program for Veterans.

“For veterans looking to enter the corporate job market, the VT-MIT program offers courses and certificates to mitigate the shortage of professionals in such IT fields as cybersecurity, data analytics, big data, health information technology and software development,” Ghandforoush said.

According to U.S. News & World Report methodology, veterans and active-duty service members gain the most from distance education that is affordable, accessible and reputable. The 2021 Best Online Programs for Veterans rankings measure these factors in consideration of financial benefits available specifically to people with military experience.

Learn more about Virginia Tech’s 100% online Master of Information Technology degree and 10 graduate certificate options at vtmit.vt.edu.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

The weather is turning, the COVID numbers are going down, and we’re all yearning for more social interaction. So whether you’re looking to catch up with an old coworker, meet your mom friends or grab a coffee after a run, there are a lot of options around town for a coffee date.

• Simply Social and Crepes & Karak Cafe: Take your pick from indoor seating, outdoor seating or the parking lot, which is never full. You can sit in your car with the windows down, or bring a folding chair and sit six feet apart.
• Caffe Amouri: Once you order your coffee, settle in on one of the nearby park benches, or  stroll over to the Town Green, which has ample space to spread out.
• StarNut Gourmet: This international cafe has plenty of indoor seating, and some space outdoors to sit in your car. Or you can park in the large Total Wine lot across the street with your folding chairs.
• Greenberry’s Coffee: Here, you’ll find a large patio with tables to sit outdoors.
• Northside Social Falls Church: This area favorite has a large patio or covered outdoor patio for seating. You can also walk over to Cherry Hill Park.
• Rare Bird Coffee Roasters: Although there’s no real outdoor seating, you could walk over to Cherry Hill Park.

General Counsel, P.C. is pleased to announce we have convinced Joanna M. Foard to relocate from sunny and warm Florida to join our legal team to build and lead a family law practice.

As recently awarded by the Orlando Family Magazine (from where she relocated), she is an awesome attorney in the family law category. Her 120 (and growing) incredible client reviews within Avvo testify to her legal skills and devotion to her clients.

“She fought for me and was very responsive,” one review read. “Joanna was superb,” and “Joanna Foard has been my family law attorney for the past several months, and I have felt so supported and attended to,” other clients wrote. “Best lawyer ever!” concluded another client.

If you want to read more reviews, I highly recommend you visit Avvo.

Joanna has several other awards and accolades, including, just within this past year: AV Distinguished Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell; Orlando Magazine Women of the Year, 2020; 2020 Rising Star from Super Lawyers Magazine; 2020 Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine.

“We are excited for Joanna to join General Counsel, P.C.,” said Merritt Green, the firm’s founder and managing partner. “Joanna is not only a tremendous family law attorney, but she is a great person and community leader. We have looked to add a family law practice to the firm for a few years but could not find the right person. We feel fortunate to have Joanna joining General Counsel, P.C.”

And Joanna already has connections to the D.C. area.

“With family here in the D.C. metro area and having attended college at Catholic University, I’m happy to have relocated to the D.C. area and finding General Counsel, P.C. was a perfect fit,” she said. “General Counsel, P.C. is a great firm with a 16-year history of serving clients in the D.C. metro area. They work as a team, and I have been welcomed as family. I am excited to start serving clients and to build General Counsel, P.C.’s family law practice.”

Joanna provides full-service family law representation, including divorce, equitable distribution of property agreements, child support, alimony, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, custody, parenting plans/timesharing schedules, modification of child support orders and/or alimony, enforcement actions, relocation actions, and paternity actions. Initially, Joanna will solely be representing clients in Virginia (not D.C. or Maryland).

Information on General Counsel, P.C.’s Family Law practice can be found at Family Law Practice. As a resource, she has created a Guide to Divorce that is available for free download.

Joanna’s biography can also be found on our website.

If you would like to contact Joanna, she can be reached at [email protected] or via telephone at 703-556-0411.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

Today marks the opening day for Town of Vienna residents to register for summer camp through the town. Starting at 8 a.m. today, residents can log into Webtrac to reserve a spot. Non-resident openings become available on March 8 at 8 a.m.

A catalog was mailed to all homes, but you can find a copy online. You can also find summer camps through Fairfax County.

There are many independent camps throughout the area as well. Additionally, many of the private schools offer summer camps, such as Congo Camp (Congressional School), Green Hedges or Summer on the Hill (Flint Hill School). There are sports camps offered by our local teams, like Nats Baseball Camp, D.C. United Summer Camp and Jr. Wizards Summer Basketball Camp.

Also remember to look for small, local providers who offer specific offerings, like karate schools, STEM camps, etc. There are a lot of options for summer camps around town.

To all my fellow parents: Summer camp means a few hours where they’re happy, seeing other kids and out of the house. How many days are there to go?

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

I have a kindergartener who returns to hybrid school this week, and it’s a toss-up who is more excited about this actually happening this time. We did the usual trip to stores for snacks, and I have never been more grateful to fight over chocolate-dipped Oreos with a tiny human than I was yesterday.

I am so, so thankful they get to return to school this week (finally). With that said, I’ve been thinking of ways to celebrate the milestone because they’ve missed out on so many of the traditional events.

Here are some suggestions on ways to celebrate the return to school:

• Card My Yard: Whether it’s at your home or at the school (looking at you, PTA), it’s a fun little thing to make a great photo opp or fun walking destination.
• Sweet Treats: What kid doesn’t love an afternoon treat?
  • Crumbl Cookies
  • Nothing Bundt Cake
  • Kiln & Co. custard
  • Ben and Jerry’s
  • Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard (opens this Friday!)
  • Milkshakes at Social Burger or Elevation Burger
  • Pie Gourmet
  • Magnolia Dessert Bar

Also, don’t forget about the teachers. They’ve been working so hard to keep the kids engaged, learning and thriving during this chaotic mess, and supporting them may just be the extra boost they need to keep going!

We’ve asked a lot of them, just like we’ve asked a lot of the kids. While homemade treats may not be the way to go during COVID, don’t forget about Karin’s Florist or gift cards. Teachers love gift cards!

Many Virginia employers are unaware that new COVID-19 workplace standards were released and require immediate compliance. Local Virginia businesses created COVID Compliance Plans to easily and inexpensively help employers create the documents they need to comply with these new standards.

On Jan. 27, 2021, Virginia’s Gov. Ralph Northam released Virginia’s permanent COVID-19 workplace safety and health rules.

Gov. Northam stated: “While the end of this pandemic is finally in sight, the virus is still spreading, including several highly contagious variants, and now is not the time to let up on preventative measures … These standards will reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and protect the health and safety of Virginia workers, consumers and communities as we move our Commonwealth forward together.”

The new rules mandate appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), sanitation, social distancing, infectious disease preparedness and response plans, record keeping, training, and hazard communications in workplaces across Virginia. The Permanent Standard replaces the Emergency Temporary Standard, which has been in place since July 2020. The Permanent Standard keeps many provisions from the Temporary Standard, but it has a few notable changes. The rules took effect on Jan. 27, 2021, and will remain in effect throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The Permanent Standard makes a few revisions to the Temporary Standard that employers should be aware of so they can comply with the new regulations, including: relaxing employer’s reporting obligations, only requiring an employer to report to the Virginia Department of Health when two or more employees test positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period rather than reporting each positive case; modifying return to work requirements; explaining that face shields do not qualify as face coverings; and requiring employers in the very high-, high- and medium-risk categories to implement enhanced ventilation controls for air-handling systems.

The Permanent Standard continues the Temporary Standard’s “exposure risk level” categorization requirement. The specific standard that applies to a workplace depends on the exposure risk, hazards present and tasks undertaken by employees. A workplace’s risk level will be categorized as either lower, medium, high or very high.

Read More

The biggest question a homeowner faces when taking on a $15K+ bathroom renovation is, “Will I be happy with my new bathroom?”

The answer will be based primarily on the bathroom’s design. Finding a reputable contractor who can do the work takes effort — but it is doable. The real challenge of creating a beautiful space is aligning design concepts with personal taste. Enter a professional designer. However, even for a small bathroom that service typically costs thousands.

Until now.

Local bathroom renovation startup Remodelmate has introduced a tech-based service allowing homeowners to pair with a professional designer for $650 — a fraction of the traditional cost.

It starts with a link sent to the homeowner’s smartphone allowing them to quickly scan their existing bathroom. The app takes thousands of photos and measurements, creating a 3D model of the space.

The designer references homeowner inspiration images and uses photorealistic rendering technology to apply an initial design to the 3D model, which is then refined until the final image matches the homeowner’s vision.

The homeowner ends up with a magazine-worthy design that matches their personal style, including virtual photographs of the finished bathroom — all before any materials are ordered or construction begins.

Learn more at remodelmate.com.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

You may not know there is a Vienna Business Association, which is basically a chamber of commerce. The group has monthly meetings, speaker series, weekly e-blasts, monthly mixers and helps sponsor local events, like ViVa Vienna and Oktoberfest. They are currently a discount of 20% of your first year, which includes lots of free advertising opportunities for members.

One of the things the VBA does that I absolutely adore is they mail (or, pre-COVID, drop off) a “welcome bag” to new town residents once a month. This program started about two years ago, and the CBA includes offers on discounted items like coffee, ice cream, bundt cakes, accounting services, massages, hair salons, dental services, oil changes, home improvement and design services, and more. It’s a great way for new residents to learn about the Vienna businesses.

If you’re thinking of joining the VBA, you can find them online or by phone at 571-550-2483. The woman who runs the VBA, Peggy James, is delightful, and you can always find her around town supporting local restaurants and shops. It’s a true “shop small, support local” group.

Virginia Tech is launching its newest MBA program option, the Online MBA, in response to the changing needs of students and the workplace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The new format allowed us to combine some of the tried and true features of our established in-person MBA formats and online master of information technology to craft the best possible educational experience for students who value consistent interaction with their classmates and also want the flexibility of an online program,” said Parviz Ghandforoush, associate dean for graduate programs.

“We’ve sought to include the best aspects of our top-ranked Evening MBA, experiential-focused Executive MBA and hybrid Professional MBA, both in curriculum development and online delivery,” said Dana Hansson, director of MBA programs. “We’ve integrated feedback from students in all formats to determine how we can offer the best educational experience online.”

It’s this feedback that informed some of the unique features of the 22-month Online MBA that distinguish it from other online MBA offerings in the marketplace.

While fully online, delivery of the new program will be evenly split between synchronous and asynchronous experiences. “While students appreciate the flexibility of asynchronous learning, many shared with us that meeting synchronously best mirrors an on-campus experience. It allows students to participate actively in class discussions and study teams, develop working relationships with their peers and engage with Virginia Tech’s top-notch faculty,” Hansson said.

The program is cohort-based, which means that students complete their studies in lockstep and have the opportunity to build meaningful professional relationships with their classmates.

Students can choose to specialize their MBA in areas where Virginia Tech has significant expertise, such as cybersecurity, entrepreneurism, health information technology and business data analytics. The program also includes an option to study abroad through the international business specialization.

Online MBA students will also share the support and resources available to all Virginia Tech MBA students. Hansson said this includes access to an established MBA alumni mentoring program, personalized academic advising and membership in Virginia Tech’s vast alumni network.

“We’re excited to provide this new opportunity to professionals across the globe who want to further their careers and join our talented group of students and alumni who are proud to call themselves Hokies.”

Applications for the inaugural cohort are due May 1, with classes starting in July and graduation expected in May 2023.

Learn more at mba.vt.edu/online.