Style Magazine - April 2021
Before becoming a parent, I never truly valued or took full advantage of our region’s public parks. Sure, I visited them for the occasional picnic, jog, or game of tennis, and knew they brought natural beauty into neighborhoods, but never realized just how crucial they are to a community. Now, as the mom to a tantrum-prone toddler, parks—playgrounds, in particular—are a daily destination for us. Give my daughter a sandbox, swing set, and an open field to frolic in, and her attitude instantly improves. In addition to providing hours of free, fresh-air amusement, they’ve also proven to be a primo place to meet fellow mom friends. (If you’ve never watched “Dear Cool-Looking Mom in the Park” on YouTube and feel like laughing, check it out. It pretty much sums up my attempt at having a social life these days.) Lucky for us, our region is overflowing with parks (hundreds, in fact, with even more in the works) waiting to be explored. Turn to “Walk in the Park” on page 22 for 10 of our favorites—picked for their abundance of amenities, environmental components, stunning scenery, or all the above. Next time you find yourself in a funk, the solution might be as simple as going for a stroll in one of these gorgeous green spaces. Readers looking for other outdoor diversions are in luck. There’s plenty more ideas in the pages that follow—from our feature, “Choose Your Own Adventure” (page 59) that’s jam-packed with alfresco activities like chasing waterfalls, nerding out on birds, and discovering local downtown districts; to “Nurture Nature” (page 26), where we talk about the importance of Earth Day and easy ways to lessen your environmental impact today, and every day; and “Home Grown” (page 44) featuring nine secrets to garden success this spring. If you’ve never considered yourself “green” or “outdoorsy,” I hope this issue inspires you to think differently, act accordingly, and play outside whenever, however you can. Because, if you’re anything like me, even 10 minutes of fresh air will make a monumental difference in your day. Cheers! —Megan megan@stylemg.com @meggoeggowaffle
Before becoming a parent, I never truly valued or took full advantage of our region’s public parks. Sure, I visited them for the occasional picnic, jog, or game of tennis, and knew they brought natural beauty into neighborhoods, but never realized just how crucial they are to a community.
Now, as the mom to a tantrum-prone toddler, parks—playgrounds, in particular—are a daily destination for us. Give my daughter a sandbox, swing set, and an open field to frolic in, and her attitude instantly improves. In addition to providing hours of free, fresh-air amusement, they’ve also proven to be a primo place to meet fellow mom friends. (If you’ve never watched “Dear Cool-Looking Mom in the Park” on YouTube and feel like laughing, check it out. It pretty much sums up my attempt at having a social life these days.)
Lucky for us, our region is overflowing with parks (hundreds, in fact, with even more in the works) waiting to be explored. Turn to “Walk in the Park” on page 22 for 10 of our favorites—picked for their abundance of amenities, environmental components, stunning scenery, or all the above. Next time you find yourself in a funk, the solution might be as simple as going for a stroll in one of these gorgeous green spaces.
Readers looking for other outdoor diversions are in luck. There’s plenty more ideas in the pages that follow—from our feature, “Choose Your Own Adventure” (page 59) that’s jam-packed with alfresco activities like chasing waterfalls, nerding out on birds, and discovering local downtown districts; to “Nurture Nature” (page 26), where we talk about the importance of Earth Day and easy ways to lessen your environmental impact today, and every day; and “Home Grown” (page 44) featuring nine secrets to garden success this spring.
If you’ve never considered yourself “green” or “outdoorsy,” I hope this issue inspires you to think differently, act accordingly, and play outside whenever, however you can. Because, if you’re anything like me, even 10 minutes of fresh air will make a monumental difference in your day. Cheers!
—Megan
megan@stylemg.com
@meggoeggowaffle
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| editor’s letter |<br />
Before becoming a parent,<br />
I never truly valued or<br />
took full advantage of<br />
our region’s public parks.<br />
Sure, I visited them for<br />
the occasional picnic,<br />
jog, or game of tennis,<br />
and knew they brought natural beauty into<br />
neighborhoods, but never realized just how<br />
crucial they are to a community.<br />
Now, as the mom to a tantrum-prone toddler,<br />
parks—playgrounds, in particular—are a daily<br />
destination for us. Give my daughter a sandbox,<br />
swing set, and an open field to frolic in, and<br />
her attitude instantly improves. In addition to<br />
providing hours of free, fresh-air amusement,<br />
they’ve also proven to be a primo place to meet<br />
fellow mom friends. (If you’ve never watched<br />
“Dear Cool-Looking Mom in the Park” on<br />
YouTube and feel like laughing, check it out. It<br />
pretty much sums up my attempt at having a<br />
social life these days.)<br />
Lucky for us, our region is overflowing with parks (hundreds, in fact, with even more<br />
in the works) waiting to be explored. Turn to “Walk in the Park” on page 22 for 10 of our<br />
favorites—picked for their abundance of amenities, environmental components, stunning<br />
scenery, or all the above. Next time you find yourself in a funk, the solution might be as<br />
simple as going for a stroll in one of these gorgeous green spaces. A recent study published<br />
in People and Nature found that spending time at parks boosts your mood as much as<br />
Christmas morning. Talk about an easy, inexpensive way to feel merry and bright!<br />
Readers looking for other outdoor diversions are in luck. There’s plenty more ideas<br />
in the pages that follow—from our feature, “Choose Your Own Adventure” (page 59)<br />
that’s jam-packed with alfresco activities like chasing waterfalls, nerding out on birds,<br />
and discovering local downtown districts; to “Nurture Nature” (page 26), where we talk<br />
about the importance of Earth Day and easy ways to lessen your<br />
environmental impact today, and every day; and “Home Grown”<br />
“Parks and<br />
playgrounds<br />
are the soul<br />
of a city.”<br />
—Marty Rubin<br />
Shop Local...<br />
Where it Matters.<br />
(page 44) featuring nine secrets to garden success this spring.<br />
Speaking of spring, turn to Editor’s Picks (page 38) for 14 musthaves<br />
to welcome the season in style, including floral-print<br />
apparel, locally made honey, and a wine country tote that holds<br />
all the necessities for a perfect picnic (i.e., not one but two bottles<br />
of vino). After purchasing the items at local mom-and-pop shops,<br />
you’ll be ready to soak up all the fun and sun this month.<br />
If you’ve never considered yourself “green” or “outdoorsy,” I<br />
hope this issue inspires you to think differently, act accordingly,<br />
and play outside whenever, however you can. Because, if you’re<br />
anything like me, even 10 minutes of fresh air will make a monumental difference in your<br />
day. Cheers!<br />
—Megan<br />
megan@stylemg.com<br />
@meggoeggowaffle<br />
#ShopLocal #SupportLocalBusiness #CommunitySupportingCommunity<br />
6 stylemg.com | APRIL <strong>2021</strong>
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