Blog Posts by Jill

Welcome to Shirlington! A quaint little area of Arlington, Virginia. Shirlington is located just off of the 395 Beltway. Shirlington is 5 miles from The Pentagon! This makes it an ideal commute to working at The Pentagon, Crystal City, Fort Meyer, or Washington DC. (see map below) The Village at Shirlington is a place you can eat indoors or dine outdoors, walk the lovely little streets, shop at a boutique, and have a cup of coffee. You can catch a movie at the movie theater that shows second run films. Shop at the grocery store, fill a prescription at the drug store, or borrow a book from the... read more

House Hunting near Mayport or Jacksonville, Florida Have you received orders to Naval Station Mayport, Florida ? We did, twice. We lived in Jacksonville, Florida for 7 years total over 2 different tours. I graduated from college in Jacksonville, worked part time at a Hallmark store, taught first grade for 2 years, and then spent 3 years as a stay at home mom there. I experienced a lot around the area of NS Mayport. I truly did love being stationed there. In my blog titled “ Basic Boundaries: Where to Live if You Are Stationed at Naval Station Mayport, Florida ” I talk about the basic boundari... read more

Kayaking is my new favorite activity to do with our family! Kayaking??? Until recently I thought you had to be a super sporty, outdoorsman to kayak. It turns out you do not have to be the great outdoorsman to rent a kayak, strap on a life jacket, and paddle out onto the water with your kids! Kayak at 3 Different Washington DC Areas on the Potomac River 1. National Harbor Rent single or double kayaks, stand up paddle boards, pedal boats, a giant yellow duck pedal boat, or a giant white swan pedal boat. Giant duck/swan are great for little kids to ride in the back seat! National Harbor location... read more

Come out of the heat and cool off at one of 6 Washington DC waterparks! 6 Washington DC Waterparks #1 The Water Mine Family Swimming Hole The Water Mine Family Swimming Hole is our family favorite! Enjoy water slides for all ages. Toddlers can have fun in the zero entry water play areas and mini slides while big kids (up to about age 12) can have a blast cruising the lazy river and shooting down big kid water slides. I LOVE that I can take my 6, 9, and almost 12 year old children to The Water Mine and everyone has fun! I also love that I can station myself in multiple areas around the water p... read more

Whether you are stationed in the Washington DC area, here on house hunting leave, or just visiting, the U.S. Capitol is a great place to tour. It's free and it's easy! Tours of The United States Capitol are Free & Easy! Free tours are approximately one hour long. They begin with a 13 minute movie about the Capitol's history titled Out of Many, One. This is a family friendly movie. You can relax in comfortable stadium seating in a beautiful theater during the movie. The rest of the tour is a guided walking tour. Capitol guides wear a microphone; visitors wear a headset that broadcasts what the... read more