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Marilyn Campbell

Stories by Marilyn

Small Lifestyle Changes Can Have Big Impact

Researchers found that moderate weight loss improves health.

Dropping as little as five percent of one’s body weight can lead to significant health improvements, according to a new study published in the Cell Metabolism journal.

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Managing Medication Can Be Challenging

“Let’s Talk about RxSM” helps seniors avoid prescription drug mishaps.

It was around 2 a.m. on a frigid winter night when Janet Russell was awakened from her sleep by the sound of woman calling for help.

Arlington: Protecting Pets Helps Their Owners Too

Local animal shelters offer help to families in distress.

When her husband locked the family cat in a cage, submerged it in a bathtub filled with water and tried to drown it, a Fairfax County mother jumped in to save her beloved feline.

Uncovering the Roots of Slavery

Local student creates slave index to help descendants trace family history.

A local college student is spending much of her senior year scouring the last wills and testaments of residents of Northern Virginia.

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‘Star Wars’ Fans Flock to Local Classes

Movie's popularity leaves fans wanting to feel "The Force."

Beams of neon light flash around a dark room. Young Star Wars fans from a galaxy not so far away wield light sabers and move with carefully choreographed steps.

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Time To Plan for Kids’ Summer Camp Adventures

Local camp fair offers sampling of summer programs.

Under a blanket of February frost, summer might seem light years away, but it’s closer than one might think.

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Stylish Valentine’s Day Table Settings

Flowers and candles create romantic designs.

Fresh flowers and candles are an easy way to add elegance and romance to a Valentine’s Day table. From dramatic to understated, local tastemakers offer suggestions for setting the mood for a memorable dinner.

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Bringing Order to Household Chaos

Clever design solutions for hiding clutter.

Wires, cable boxes, soccer cleats, pet bowls and other items are life’s necessities, but they can be unsightly and disrupt the aesthetic of an elegant living space.

Marking American Heart Month

Month-long observance raises awareness about cardiovascular disease and the role of aerobic exercise in preventing it.

Music is thumping, sweat is dripping and hearts are pounding. In a packed aerobic dance studio, students move in the name of health.

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High Rent Among Challenges for Potomac Businesses

New government regulations could also have an impact.

Local businesses in Potomac will remain relatively stable, but could face new hurdles in 2016, predicts Potomac Chamber of Commerce President Adam Greenberg.

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Potomac Snapshot: Contest Helps the Needy

Tree decorating designs donated to local charities.

A snowman and the Grinch helped brighten this past holiday season for some community members in need.

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Design Trends for 2016

Local style gurus predict the elements that will be popular this year.

The start of the year offers an opportunity to ring in new trends, particularly when it comes to a home’s interior.

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Color of the Year

Pantone honor bestowed on two colors for 2016

Two colors, Serenity (light blue) and Rose Quartz (pale pink), were recently named the Pantone Color of the Year selection for 2016.

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Mason, Inova to Collaborate on Personalized Medicine Research

Partnership expected to develop treatments, grow economy.

Researchers and doctors from George Mason University and Inova Health System will collaborate on a series of personalized medicine research projects under a new partnership between the two institutions.

Local Student Honored for Scientific Research

Daniel Chae and his teammates won a $30,000 scholarship in Siemens Competition.

A high school senior from Oakton received a national honor recently for a scientific research project on 3-D tissue printing. Daniel Chae, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, was named a national finalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology.

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Lessons in Charitable Giving

Conversations, modeling behavior and hands-on actions can help teach children about benevolence and compassion.

Matthew Mamalian’s holiday shopping list included some items that might seem atypical for a 12-year-old middle school student: shampoo, socks, soap and a few snacks.

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Ideas for Decking the Halls

Local designers create opulent holiday designs.

From traditional to glamorous, fresh to faux and high-end to old school, local tastemakers tell how they create dazzling holiday design extravaganzas.

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Alexandria Snapshot: Holiday Gifts Set in Stone

Those looking for holiday gifts that make a bold statement might be in luck this weekend. Ivy Lane Living in Old Town Alexandria will host a trunk show featuring Northern Virginia-based jewelry and home accessories line Addison Weeks.

Merry and Fit

Support groups help members maintain fitness during season of indulgence.

Just after 7:30 on a recent Sunday morning, the steady beat of Cold Play’s "Viva la Vida" pulsed through the warm, sleepy air.

Potomac: Coat Drive for Those in Need

Potomac community asked to donate gently used coats through Dec. 15.

Some members of the community are working to help local families stay warm this winter. The owners of RE/MAX Success in Potomac Village are organizing a coat drive that will run through Dec. 15.

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Alexandria Teenager Awarded Scholarship for Sonar Research.

Local student receives national science honor.

When Michael You was 3 years old, he would flip through the pages of science picture books. He was particularly drawn to those with illustrations or photographs of ocean animals.

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Potomac: Study Correlates Happiness and Good Grades

St. Andrew’s students participate in pioneering study.

Some local school children are helping adjust the way educators view school environments. In fact, they received national recognition for their efforts.

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Potomac: SNAP Week at Wayside Elementary School

Event designed to foster acceptance.

Students at Wayside Elementary School got a lesson in acceptance recently during the fifth annual Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) Week, which was held earlier this month.

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Potomac: Interfaith Works Prepares for 'Empty Bowls'

Students bake bread to donate to charity event in Potomac.

Interfaith Works, a nonprofit organization with a mission to address homelessness and poverty in Montgomery County, will host an “Empty Bowls” fundraiser at the Julia Bindeman Center in Potomac on Thursday, Oct. 22.

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Potomac: Food Drive To Benefit Children's Inn

Bethesda-based Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., recently held a food drive to benefit The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, also in Bethesda.

Buying Real Estate Abroad

Local Realtor to appear on “House Hunters International.”

An Arlington-based real estate agent is getting a brush with fame. While recently in Roatan, Honduras, for scuba diving lessons, Stacy Hennessey of McEnearney Associates, Inc. made a quick decision buy a house that she can rent to vacationers.

A Place To Cook

Local designers transform outdated kitchens into timeless, elegant spaces.

Local designers recently took three Virginia kitchens in need of an overhaul and reimagined them to create spaces that are both spacious and elegant.

Potomac: Haunted House Created to Entertain

Each October Haynes Davis turns the parking lot of American Plant in Bethesda into a wonderland of fear.

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Potomac: A Taste of Serbian Culture

Serbian food and entertainment among the offerings at SerbFest DC.

Saint Luke Serbian Orthodox Church offered the community a bit of Serbian hospitality last weekend when parishioners hosted the First Annual SerbFest DC.

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A Perfect Fit

Potomac resident celebrates 40 years in the upscale lingerie business.

Dressed in a baggy t-shirt and jeans, a middle-aged woman opens the door of a lingerie boutique in Chevy Chase and take a few steps inside before come to an abrupt halt.

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It Takes a Village

Local groups help seniors socialize, manage everyday tasks.

When Penelope Roberts, 73, of Alexandria, Virginia, had knee replacement surgery last month, she knew she would be out of commission for several weeks.

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Hats for Ellie

Local organization collects hats for children with cancer.

When the school year began in 2013, Jay Coakley, a physical education teacher at Woodburn Elementary School in Falls Church noticed that one of his kindergarten students had an affinity for brightly colored hats.

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Serbian Festival Coming to Potomac

This weekend, visitors can sample Serbian food and drinks and enjoy traditional performances.

The event will include Serbian food, drinks, traditional Serbian dance and music performances, and boutiques selling traditional Orthodox religious items and Serbian gifts.

Ending Bullying

Back to School: Local educators offer advice for parents on how to deal with bullying as school resumes.

When Carol Baker cried, no one heard her. She and a classmate were alone in the girls locker room, and as Baker, then an eighth grade student, tried to leave, her classmate grabbed her gym shirt and pushed her into a locker. They weren’t fighting over anything in particular and Baker didn’t sustain any physical injuries.

Help for Long-Term Caregivers

AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor event next week.

Those embarking on a long-term caregiving journey will have an opportunity to receive support and learn about the services available to them in Northern Virginia. AARP Virginia and the Organization of Chinese American Women will sponsor an event called, “Caregiving Wisdom from an Ancient Sage,” on Sept. 22, 7 p.m., at the Shirlington Library in Arlington and again on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 7.p.m., at the George Mason Regional Library in Annandale.

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Thinking of Downsizing?

Free seminar will focus on moving to a smaller place without sacrificing style.

Homeowners considering a move from a large home to a smaller dwelling will have an opportunity to receive expert advice on their transition later this month.

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Potomac Mansions on Tour

Event will benefit local charities.

Four Potomac mansions will open their doors to the public next month for the 59th Potomac Country House Tour.

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Smith | Schnider Real Estate Firm Opens in Arlington

Office located in Liberty Center.

A new real estate firm specializing in urban development and custom single-family homes has opened in Arlington.

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Workplace Fitness

Employer-based health and wellness programs are good for business.

It’s Wednesday afternoon and a cohort of George Mason University staff, students and faculty hit the pavement. Clad in attire ranging from running shorts and brightly colored sneakers to neutral walking shoes and business suits, the group takes part in “Who’s Walking Wednesdays,” part of an initiative to get moving for health and wellness.

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Potomac Event Brought in Supplies for the New School Year

More than 1,000 Montgomery County school children began the school year with new backpacks and school supplies thanks to the generosity of some Potomac residents.

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Potomac: Animals Can Help Patients with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Animals can help patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders heal.

Wearing her long dark hair in pigtails and a backwards baseball cap, Leah Schuman peered curiously over a low fence into a pen of miniature llamas.

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Checking the Back-to-School Healthcare Blocks

Local governments, clinics offer free immunizations for all and physical exams for the uninsured.

As the lazy days of summer wind down, beach trips, lemonade stands and lax bedtimes give way to alarm clocks, textbooks and backpacks. Public health officials say that a back-to-school list should include more than pencils and paper. For many, the first order of business is a well-child physical, a dental exam and required immunizations.

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Potomac: Local Mansion Opening to Public for House Tour

Tour will raise money for local charities.

A French provincial home, often used for elegant entertaining, will be open to the public for a few days this fall.

Potomac: Backpack Drive To Benefit Needy Children

Couple hosts ice cream social to get all children ready to start school.

When Margo Fonoroff worked as a teacher, media specialist and principal in Montgomery County Public Schools, she recalls the first days of school as being filled with excited children clad in new clothes and shoes and carrying new backpacks. They had pencils and notebooks and calculators and were ready to begin a new school year. For some students however, the start of the school year brought shame.

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Function Meets Beauty

Wheelchair accessible bathroom doesn’t have to be utilitarian.

After Curtis Brand was diagnosed with amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) and he could no longer climb stairs, he and his wife, Judith, had to make the difficult decision to sell their home in northwest Washington, D.C. They then purchased a two-bedroom, two-bathroom property on the 18th floor of Turnberry Tower in Arlington.

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Helping Aging Parents

Event will highlight resources available for long-term care planning.

Antonio M. Taguba says his life changed forever during a family reunion in 2006, starting with an announcement from his mother.

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Teams in Training

Getting in shape while raising money for charity.

Rain poured from a gray March sky. Drenched racers wound their way through Washington, D.C. before spilling across the finish line at R.F.K. Stadium, their running shoes heavy and soaking wet.

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Unscheduling Summer Play

Experts praise the benefits of free play for children.

What was once a time for catching fireflies, swimming and exploring has evolved into a period of elite day camps, academic enrichment classes and top-dollar sports clinics.

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A House by the Sea

Design ideas for beach homes.

As the sweaty days of summer slog on, many are dreaming about a home by the sea, a wistful retreat where cares flow as freely as an ocean breeze.

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July 4th Safety

From swimming to fireworks, safety precautions for a festive Independence Day.

It was a near accident at camp last summer that sparked action by one parent. Elementary school-aged campers splashed in the pool. Everyone was having fun. Then tragedy almost struck.