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8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2014 letter to readers PRODUCTION PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR-AT-LARGE Chris Jones Jordan, Quincy & Hayden's dad OPERATIONS & MARKETING Heidi DiEugenio, President, HD Solutions Duke & Dane's mom OFFICE MANAGER Nancy Massanat Emily & Kyle's Mom ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Sheila Giscard; Jack's mom Jodi Urquhart; Noah & Carly's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom CALENDAR EDITOR Leigha Pecher Jake & Luke's mom CIRCULATION Krista Starosta Nick, Andrew, Kaylin & Kensington's mom COMMUNITY BLOGS Mary Becelia Katherine Laura & Robert Joseph's mom FACEBOOK COMMUNITY Pamela Quinones: Corinn, Michael, Isabella & Dalton TWITTER & PINTEREST COMMUNITY MANAGER Brenda Sapanghila: Archer & Maddox's mom EVENT PLANNING & SCIENCE SATURDAYS Stephanie Maldonado; Julia, Tyler & Aiden's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540/374-1495 E-MAIL adsales@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & RESOURCE REQUESTS E-MAIL calendar@fredericksburgparent.net E-MAIL resources@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540/374-1495 • FAX 540/374-1672 E-MAIL editor@fredericksburgparent.net publisher@fredericksburgparent.net SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, Fred'bg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and condi- tions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2014 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. The Season of Caring and Giving I feel lucky that I get to write the Letter to the Readers for my favorite issue of the year. The weeks leading up to the holidays have been so much fun, beginning with Fred Parent's children's art contest for the city of Fredericksburg's gift card program (Congratulations, Jonah!) and continuing on to the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony last week. I can't wait to see this year's Christmas parade during our annual office Christmas party. This issue is filled with cool things to do during the holidays with your family, including holiday book recommendations from the library, ways to eat healthily and deliciously during the holiday season and the most complete calendar of events in the region. However, I think my favorite article in this holiday issue is Nikki Ducas' piece on helping children research and choose which charities they want to support. Nothing gives a child a feeling of power like being able to help other people despite their small size. Both of my daughters have found that one of the best ways to live with a progressive, incurable disease is to focus on what one CAN do, rather than what one can't. There are so many things that CAN be done. It turns out getting the to-do list done will crowd out feelings of loss and powerlessness. I am so proud of their efforts to send children to MDA camp, raise awareness of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, and to support service dog training programs. Give your children the same chance to impact their world. You won't regret it. Happy Holidays Leigh Anne Van Doren Publisher BY LEIGH ANNE VAN DOREN