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Welcome to the first post in our UF Health Wildlight series! Throughout this series, we’ll be interviewing various UF Health professionals about services and wellness practices that can help our residents live their healthiest lives.

Today, we’re excited to introduce Jessie Walczak, a pediatric physical therapist at UF Health Rehabilitation–Wildlight. See how she and her team are working alongside Wildlight families to help their children move around with more confidence.

Could Your Child Benefit from Physical Therapy?

Children need to feel comfortable and confident moving about their homes, at school and in social settings. Physical therapy techniques help children with gross motor skill challenges gain more independence through movement.

Pediatric physical therapy can help families and children with a variety of concerns, such as delays in development, muscle weakness, poor coordination or balance, genetic disorders and other conditions such as cerebral palsy. In physical therapy, children are engaged with fun and age-appropriate activities to keep them motivated, while assisting them with reaching their goals.

Signs that indicate physical therapy could be beneficial:

    • 2 months: holding their head up during tummy time
    • 4 months: holding their head up in supported sitting, bringing hands to mouth and pushing up on elbows when in tummy time
    • 6 months: rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy consistently, sitting up without support and reaching for toys/items and bringing them to their mouth
    • 8–10 months: crawling on all fours—any variation in crawling or pulling up to stand at support surfaces are reasons to seek physical therapy intervention
    • 12–15 months: taking independent steps

To learn more about pediatric physical therapy services at UF Health Rehabilitation–Wildlight, please visit their website at wildlight.ufhealthjax.org or call 904.427.8300.

Jonathan and Crystal Boswell knew just where to find the perfect neighborhood to raise their two daughters and enjoy being part of a close-knit community: Floco!

“Floco, to us, means Lowcountry living. More front porch living, community involvement, and the style of homes also represents that same feel,” Jonathan said.

Between the convenient commute to work, the short walk to Wildlight Elementary School and the miles of nature trails, the couple felt that Wildlight’s location couldn’t be beat. But there’s one thing that really stood out to them the most.

“Front porch living is one of the biggest differences within this community that we’ve seen,” Crystal said.

“Growing up, I had grandparents that always had [a front porch] but we never did,” Jonathan said. “Now on Sunday mornings, we’ll get our cup of coffee, go out on the front porch and enjoy the sunrise or in the evenings we’ll enjoy the sunset.”

Coming from a neighborhood where Jonathan described the community space as “non-existent,” the Boswells couldn’t be happier with their decision to move to Wildlight.

“The community feel is just bar none better than any place we’ve been before.’

These two simple words are the driving force behind what makes Wildlight the unique Florida Lowcountry community we love to call home. But what does it mean to be thoughtfully designed and how does it set Wildlight apart from other master-planned communities?

One of the most common things we hear from prospective homeowners about what drew them to Wildlight is its connection to nature. With over a thousand acres of conserved forest land, miles of hiking and biking trails and plenty of open green space, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors without having to leave the neighborhood.

This deep bond with the natural Northeast Florida environment is intentional and one of the main facets of Wildlight’s design. And it doesn’t stop at the doorstep of our homes. Each single-family home and townhome is built with a variety of green features including sustainable materials and landscapes, energy-saving natural gas and more.

Wildlight’s walkability furthers this connection with nature by reducing carbon emissions and also promotes healthy living, another key component of the community’s thoughtful design. Interconnected pathways join nature, neighborhoods, amenities, Wildlight Elementary School, local businesses and health facilities.

Our strategic collaboration with the University of Florida and UF Health gives residents convenient access to health services at UF Health’s Medical Office Complex, Urgent Care and Rehabilitation facilities. The new First Coast YMCA, scheduled to open in October, will offer residents even more ways to stay healthy with fitness equipment, group exercise classes, sports programs and health education.

Such a physically interconnected community naturally fosters yet another important connection—the human one.

Even with social distancing guidelines in effect, you’ll find neighbors chatting from their front porches, small groups of friends enjoying socially-distanced backyard barbecues and joggers waving as they pass by. And once life goes back to normal, residents will once again enjoy neighborhood potlucks, community events in the heart of town and fun nights out in nearby Fernandina Beach and Jacksonville.

All of this—interconnectedness between people, places, nature and health—is part of the thoughtful design that makes Wildlight a wonderful place to live, work and play.

These days, getting outdoors is a rare retreat, and hiking is a great way to enjoy the best of nature while getting some exercise in as well. You can take in the sights, discover local plants and animals, and soak up the sun. Plus, you’ll knock out your daily steps goal and get a healthy dose of cardio in for the day.

Wildlight is proud to announce its first set of hiking trails has opened, part of a larger plan for more than 10 miles of hiking throughout its community. With a variety of options including paved and natural paths, with routes of varying lengths, anyone can find the perfect route for an outdoor excursion. It’s one more way nature meets the neighborhood in this Floco community.

But wherever you hike, it’s important to be prepared to make sure you have a fun and safe experience on the trails. Here are a few tips for a healthy, happy hike:

  1. Think feet first. Get a comfortable pair of hiking boots or walking shoes. After a few miles, a little cushioning will make a world of difference.
  2. Stick to the trail. Unless you’re a seasoned outdoorsman or experienced with a map and compass, you don’t want to get lost. Maintained trails are the best way to know where you’re going.
  3. Consider a hiking backpack for small children. Young ones love to get outdoors, but may need to rest sooner than you’d like. A hiking backpack with a child seat avoids the issues of a stroller on the rough terrain, and protects your back by distributing the weight appropriately.
  4. Stay hydrated. Even a leisurely hike can use up your body’s water, so be sure to bring a bottle of water or other hydrating beverage to avoid cramps and heat afflictions.
  5. Plan to eat. In addition to hydrating, refueling is critical to finishing that hike without feeling miserable. If it’s an all-day hike, be sure to have a lunch that will provide some protein and carbohydrates to keep you going. For shorter hikes, snacks like nuts, trail mix or cereal bars will keep you going.
  6. Be a good trail neighbor. When you come upon other hikers, be courteous and make room for others to pass; it only takes a few seconds and makes everyone’s day easier.

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Home is where the heart is but after spending so much time there, it may be feeling a little less sweet. Even though things are starting to transition back to normal here in floco, it’s more important than ever that your home is a space you love. Here are a few tips to make at-home spaces more accommodating.

  1. Keep up with cleaning. Taking a few minutes to tidy up each day can go a long way toward improving your mood. Knowing where things are, seeing everything in order, and a sense of accomplishment will help your mood and your space. And it will save you from having to spend hours or days on a deep clean later.
  2. Make WFH work better for you. If you’re still working from home, it’s important to maintain consistency. It helps to have a place where you know you can get work done. Even if you don’t have a home office or desk, you can pick out a counter, table or even a spot on the couch, and know that when you’re there, you’re on the job. It’s a small decision that can keep you extra productive at home.
  3. Clear things out. Believe it or not, now is a better time than ever to get rid of excess stuff around the house. If there’s an item you haven’t been using while you’ve been home every day, chances are you aren’t going to be using it. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and go room by room to find furniture, appliances, décor and more that you can live without. You’ll open up more space in your house and as an added benefit, it can be the perfect opportunity to do some rearranging, too!
  4. Rearrange and redecorate. Whether you do #3 or not, consider taking some time to rearrange the layout of a room or your whole house. Is your current setup conducive to your normal everyday lifestyle? If something’s getting in the way, or there’s something you don’t need immediate access to (sorry, ironing board!), take this opportunity to change things up. It could be just the refresher you need to give your house a new feel, and make the everyday feel less ho-hum.

So, you’re home for a while. Spending your days under a roof and in a handful of rooms you know very well – in fact, you know them even better now. But if home sweet home is feeling a little less sweet or you feel like you or your loved ones are climbing the walls, here are some ways to pass the time and even have some fun doing it.

Learn to cook a new dish. Now’s a great time to build up your cooking skills. Find a simple recipe that fits the ingredients you have on hand or check which of your local farms are offering delivery service for fresh produce so you can make your favorite lowcountry dish. Right now, cooking celebrities like Alton Brown are sharing great tips, too. Not feeling up to cooking? Support your favorite local restaurant by ordering takeout!

Catch up on chores. Okay, okay, this just sounds like adding insult to injury. But those projects you’ve been putting off, like spring cleaning, doing your taxes or fixing things up around the house are a great way to burn a few hours of the day. And when you’re done, you can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.

Perform an experiment. If you’ve got kids, even they might be getting tired of toys or excess screen time. The good news is you can dazzle and delight with at-home experiments using household items. Make a canola oil lava lamp or mix food coloring with baking soda and vinegar for a colorful twist on the classic science project volcano.

Throw a party online. Getting together via video conference has become a major trend, and here’s a fun twist: Pick some songs, a play or a favorite book; do some rehearsing; then invite friends and family for a special performance. It’s another great way to get kids involved, or you could have everyone on the invite list prepare and put on a teleconferenced talent show!

The Floco Festival is coming soon — and we’re thrilled to welcome Florida’s own Sister Hazel to headline the musical festivities. Florida has a rich history with music — relaxing, getting in the groove, and lowcountry living is the perfect inspiration for great music. Here are five bands you may not realize are from Florida.

Sister Hazel
This one’s a bit of a giveaway, since we just mentioned they’re headlining our Floco Festival this year. The band blends southern rock (more on that shortly), folk rock, classic rock and a time-honored but maybe little-known treble guitar style called jangle pop*. In doing so, they captured the sound of the 90s with Billboard hit “All For You.”

Tom Petty
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Tom Petty also hails from Gainesville, Florida, where he was born and raised before he became the front man for Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers. Petty actually started his musical career in Gainesville in a band called the Epics with several future Heartbreakers. They didn’t break the Top 40 until their second album, but hit platinum with their third, Damn the Torpedoes, which featured three of their most popular singles: “Don’t Do Me Like That”, “Here Comes My Girl” and “Refugee”.

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Synonymous with southern rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd was actually one of a few bands to emerge from the Jacksonville area’s lively music scene. Famous for hits like “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama”, the band came up in the same region as the Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet, bringing a country sensibility to rock ‘n’ roll culture.

*NSYNC/Backstreet Boys
It may be a hot take to group these two together, but it was also impossible to list one without the other. At the height of the teen pop craze, the only true rivals in the boy band music scene were *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, with a crowd of imitators in their wake. Mixing R&B, dance pop and hip hop, both bands topped the charts with hits like “I Want It That Way” and “Bye Bye Bye.”

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jangle

“Is this farm-to-table?” “Are the ingredients locally sourced?” “Are these artisan-made accessories?” These days knowing where an item comes from — or how it’s made — is a big part of your purchase decision. And buying a home shouldn’t be any different. Partnerships with the most trusted builders in Northeast Florida, boasting more than a century of combined home-building experience, mean you get a quality home you can feel good about.

D.S. Ware Homes
The team at D.S. Ware Homes has been building homes and making customers for life for more than three decades. With repeated recognition from J.D. Power and Associates for their customer satisfaction and warranties, D.S. Ware’s commitment to a home goes far beyond when the last nail is hammered. Founder Donnie Ware sums it up best: “A home is the single most important purchase people will make in their lifetime and it has to be right, every time.” And that’s a philosophy they build every home with.

Dream Finders Homes
Within three years of opening, Dream Finders Homes was recognized as the “#1 Fastest Growing Private Company in Jacksonville” by The Jacksonville Business Journal, and with good reason. With an eye to the future of homebuilding, Dream Finders Homes is designing eye-catching and inviting homes. Their unique designs and commitment to superior quality materials have earned them more than 20 Parade of Home Awards from the Northeast Florida Builders Association.

Dostie Homes
With six decades and three generations of homebuilders, you might expect Dostie Homes to take it easy. But they’re still exceeding expectations, receiving the “2018 Northeast Florida Builder of the Year” award from the Northeast Florida Builders Association. Brothers Rick and Chris Dostie carry on the family’s legacy of quality homebuilding, leading a team of innovative professionals to deliver timeless luxury homes.

A Foundation for Healthy Living

Living in Florida Lowcountry just feels like it’s good for you. The sun shining in the sky, ideal weather for outdoor exercising and a low-stress environment are all perfect for adopting a healthy lifestyle. Jump on the wellness trend with these easy steps toward a better you.

Eating right.
Your body’s well-being starts with what you put into it. Eating right doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or bland; it just takes some planning ahead and you can treat your family to healthy and delicious meals. Federal dietary guidelines recommend a mix of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy, protein foods like meat, eggs or soy, and oils, while limiting saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugar and sodium.

Playing smart.
All work isn’t just dull, it can have detrimental effects to your body, especially if you’re sitting behind a desk for 8+ hours a day. Getting out, getting active and even getting a little silly can be incredibly helpful to break your body out of its routine and keep your lungs, heart and the rest of you in top shape. Whether you prefer biking on trails, walking tree-lined sidewalks or throwing a ball in local green spaces, you can always find somewhere to play.

Focusing on your mind.
It’s not just about physical wellness: your mental well-being is equally important, which is why Wildlight has been built with your mind, well, in mind. Reducing stress through play, exercise and relaxation can help keep your mind at ease. Likewise, attending cultural activities at nearby museums, concerts and festivals can be refreshing and engaging for your brain.

Keeping it all in balance.
Follow these tips for the best health results. Any lifestyle change can help, but a mix of all three will deliver holistic benefits you’ll appreciate for years to come.

Check out the video to see how Wildlight incorporates healthy living into its community.

A seafood boil isn’t unique to the Florida Lowcountry or even to the south. Folks from Maine to Louisiana have been celebrating family, friends and good food for decades, and even the west coast has its own spin on the tradition. But there is something about being outside on a sunny day in Florida, enjoying a dish of fresh shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and onions with family and neighbors around that truly feels like it belongs right here in the Lowcountry.

The tradition of getting together, sharing food and time and memories is as true to this region as sitting on your front porch at sunset, waving to and chatting with your neighbors. If you have the opportunity to attend a Lowcountry boil or want to try to capture the experience wherever you are, here are a few tips to make the most of this grand get-together.

•  Fresh is best. A good boil is all about the ingredients, especially the seafood. Down here, a boil will use shrimp caught that day (or that hour!). If you have a local seafood market, we recommend stopping by and getting a heaping portion of shrimp or your shellfish of choice there.
•  Be ready to get dirty. Digging into a plate of shrimp and sausage and veggies can get messy, but that’s what makes a boil so much fun. You’re around friends and family, so don’t stress and just embrace the experience. Everything tastes even better that way.
•  All are welcome. A Lowcountry boil isn’t just a recipe, it’s an event best shared with others. Whether it’s family, friends, neighbors or whoever’s around (that delicious smell might just attract some new friends), it’s best to make plenty of food and enjoy the time you spend together.

If you’re throwing your own boil, we wish you luck, good food and good company. And if it seems intimidating to host, just come on down to the Florida Lowcountry for the real thing. It’s an experience you won’t regret, and you’ll make memories to savor for years to come.