With the popular TV show “The Queen’s Gambit,” many families are newly interested in the ancient game of chess. Recently, I brought my own chess set to a local party where it was a smash hit with the half dozen children in attendance, who were all clamoring for a turn at the board. Parents watched […]
Bend Nest
Bend Nest is a place to discuss, consider and laugh about all that parenting brings. A quarterly magazine produced by some of the finest writers, editors and photographers in Central Oregon, Bend Nest is smart and informed.
Posted inOutdoors
Labyrinths & Bats
Discover Central Oregon’s magnificent caves and their ecosystems
Beneath our feet, Oregon is riddled with a labyrinth of natural tunnels, lava tubes and underground chambers, all shaped by fire and time and home to several species of bats. Central Oregon’s dramatic landscape was sculpted by ancient lava flows and millennia of geologic upheaval. Situated on the eastern edge of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, […]
Posted inBend Nest
Editor’s Note, Spring 2026
Spring into fun activities!
There comes a moment in every parenting journey when we pause and realize the end of a very important chapter is in sight. Graduation looms, and then comes college, a gap year or a child living on their own for the first time. For me, I remember it well as a humbling, bittersweet time.In this […]
Posted inExpert Q&A
Expert Q&A with Dr. Jocelyn Cooper
Integrative Family Medicine of Bend
Q: My eight-year-old seems to be sick all the time. She’s had several ear infections and colds this school year. How can we help her stay healthy? A: Frequent childhood illnesses are actually the immune system’s “workout”—it is the normal process of building long-term immunity. However, constant cycles of illness are exhausting for both the […]
Posted inNest News
Central Library on Target to Open This May
The new central library is in its final phase of construction
Located at the junction of 27th Street and Wilderness Way in east Bend, the new central library is in its final phase of construction and scheduled to open this May. To prepare for the move, the downtown branch will close in April and remain closed for one year while renovations are completed. Featuring three floors, […]
Posted inBend Nest
Expert Q&A with Holly M. Milligan
MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC
Founder, Heartfelt Pediatrics
Q: A friend’s toddler recently had a severe case of RSV with wheezing and difficulty breathing. Naturally, I’m concerned about my own children. Do you have any strategies for prevention? A: Yes, there are great ways to protect your family during respiratory syncytial virus season from October to March. RSV can simply present a nasty […]
Posted inBend Nest
Walking Together
Finding Balance in the Middle Years
There was a time when I dreaded raising a middle-schooler—the eye-rolling, sarcasm and moodiness is like the “terrible twos,” but in a taller, more hormonal body. As a former elementary school teacher, I used to wonder why anyone would ever choose to become a middle school teacher, but now I understand. This is a special […]
Posted inBend Nest
Kitchen Hacks
Lifesaving, Make-Ahead Recipes for the Holidays
The house is full of guests, and you’ve still got about a hundred things to do before getting the holiday meal on the table. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, we’ve got a solution. With a little planning, you can spend a peaceful day in the kitchen, then, when that special day arrives, pop […]
Posted inBend Nest
Unplug Together
Tips for a family digital detox during the holidays
Most parents can picture this scene: it’s dinner time, but instead of talking about the day, everyone is glued to a device. One child is watching videos, another insists on finishing a game, and your partner is scrolling through a social media feed. The constant buzz of screens has become the soundtrack of modern family […]
Posted inBend Nest
Styling and Saving
A Quick Guide to Thrifting
As a kid I always wanted to wear the name brand stuff—Ralph Lauren, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger—you get the gist. Perhaps I was a bit vain, but I had various jobs as a teen that helped pay for most of my own clothing. I never even considered shopping at secondhand stores. College came and my perspective […]