Fall in Love Roses

Valentines Day is Sunday, February 14th.  So take advantage of Saturday and wrap the entire weekend around enjoying time with your special someone.  If you plan to go out on the town, we have some great ideas for romance in our local DC Metro area. 

Washington, DC Romantic Restaurants
The Washington, DC area has many romantic restaurants. They do get busy for Valentine’s Day, so you should make your reservations as early as possible. Here are some restaurants with Valentine’s Day Specials from About.com.

Dinner Cruises on the Potomac River
Take a romantic cruise and enjoy a night of dining, dancing and live entertainment, while cruising past the beautiful views of Washington, DC. Make a reservation on the Odyssey or the Spirit of Washington.

See “Grease” at the National Theatre
American Idol Taylor Hicks stars as Teen Idol in this Broadway version of the 50s themed musical production. February 9-21, 2010. Enjoy your favorite songs: “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together” Tickets are on sale now through TicketsNow.com.

Woo at the Zoo
February 12, 2010. The National Zoo is hosting a fun-filled FREE event for Valentine’s Day. Learn about animal mating, dating and reproductive habits in an honest and humorous forum. The event includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and a special Valentine “treat” for all attendees. Reservations are required.

Outdoor Ice Skating
What’s more romantic than ice skating under the stars at one of Washington, DC’s outdoor ice skating rinks? After a nice dinner, get some fresh air and enjoy the ambiance of the city.  Here are some great locations.

Chocolate in Washington, DC
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to give the gift of chocolate. Find the best chocolate, truffles, fudge and brownies in the Washington, DC area.  Here is a great list of places to shop for chocolate.  Just want to celebrate chocolate?  Check out the Chocolate Lovers Festival in Old Town Fairfax, February 6-7, 2010.  Enjoy a festival of everything chocolate! See the Chocolate Challenge, an arts contest featuring breathtaking art made completely of chocolate, sample chocolates, historic re-enactments, children’s activities, craft show and more.

Best Florist in the Washington DC Area
MyFlorist, of course!  And we are delivering on Sunday.  And we recommend ordering early.

Washington, DC Area Jewelry Stores
Is this a special Valentine’s Day event?  If you need to shop for jewelry, do it now.  Here’s a list of local jewelers to help you get started. 

Terrapin Adventures - Valentine’s Day with an Adventurous Twist!
February 14, 2010, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 8600 Foundry Street Savage, Maryland. Special adventure package for couples: $59.95/couple includes two hours on the zip line, giant swing, high ropes course, and climbing tower with free hot chocolate, Hershey kisses and gifts from the merchants at Savage Mill. For more information, call (301) 725-1313 or click here.

Watson Adventures Scavenger Hunts
Celebrate Valentine’s Day enjoying an usual task - searching for nudity in art one of DC’s top art museums. Participants in teams search for answers to tricky and humorous questions. Cost: $22.50. Advanced reservations are required. Call (877)-9-GO HUNT.  To visit their website, click here.

All Stars Comedy Club
Valentine’s Day Show. Enjoy a night of laughter with stand-up comedy featuring three professional comedians from HBO. Special packages are available to add dinner and a hotel room. Located in Arlington, Virginia. Reservations are required. (410) 212-3568 OR (703) 739-7377.

All You Need is Love at Jammin’ Java
February 14, 2010 at 7 p.m. 227 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA. Celebrate the holiday with a Tribute to the Beatles and Love Songs featuring Anthony Fiacco, Shane Hines, Todd Wright and Luke Brindley. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door.  Website

From: About.com

Yep, it’s approaching. Valentines Day! And guys, you KNOW that your lady is all set on romance on this day. But what if you’re not the “romantic type”? Not to worry. I’ll show you how to show your lady just how much you love her on that special day.

One Dozen Red Roses

Show Her How Much You Love Her

Many guys are at a loss on what to do for Valentines Day. I think the amount of men who are the romantic type is likely less than 40%. Women know this and over the years, she may not really expect much more than a nice card and a dinner date. But you can do so much more and you don’t have to break the bank doing it.

Here are a few pointers.

Flowers: Now it’s pretty common to come home with a dozen roses but you can do that and have even a bigger effect on her. Instead of bringing the flowers home to her when you get home, have them sent to her at work. Her friends will all see it. Women LOVE to know that they are thought of and they love even more to show that off to their friends and co-workers. If you work and she stays at home, have them sent to her at home.

The Card: Now if you’re capable of writing well and putting your feelings on paper, I recommend writing a little something romantic and sweet to her in the card but if you’re not, you’re in luck. These days you can get a greeting card to say just about ANYTHING. Up to and including something like, “I know I’m not very good at expressing my feelings, but I want you to know that….”. Take your time when searching for a card. Big and pretty don’t mean NEARLY as much as just what it says inside. Your lady will be able to tell if you just grab one.

Plan ahead: Don’t run around like a maniac on February 13th trying to get everything set. You can’t take your time if you have to rush. Make reservations and pick out any gifts ahead of time. Don’t forget to buy candles. You’ll need them. Make it a goal to have everything all set one week BEFORE the 14th.

The dinner: This should be common sense but you’d be surprised how many guys think a place like a chain restaurant is class. Make sure it’s a nice place. A quiet place with candlelight and violins with chilled wine is what you’re after. Your lady has no desire to look up at one of the many televisions located all over the casual dining restaurant.

Get a baby sitter: Valentines Day is for lovers. If you have children, this is essential. And if you can, get someone to take them overnight. This is a night for you and your lady. No children allowed.

P.S. I Love You - Roses & Tulips

Make it a night: If you can both manage it in your schedules and budget, take the 15th off and get a nice hotel room that night after dinner.  Or you can take it easy on the wine at dinner and decline desert. Have a nice bottle of wine waiting at home with a nice cheesecake or strawberries dipped in chocolate. Sit at your table with nothing but candlelight and soft mood music playing.

The end of the night:  Now if it’s simple date, it will end with a sweet kiss at her doorstep, but if this is your wife or live-in girlfriend, the night is far from over. Go into the bedroom before she does and light the candles that you should have already set out. It’s all about taking your time.  Look into her eyes and tell her how much you love her. Take some extra time making her feel good. Give her at least an hour of adult attention.

Afterwards, blow out the candles (you don’t want to burn your house down) and hold her in your arms or wrap your arms around her while she falls asleep.

Happy Valentines Day!

By Karl Withakay

More Ideas:

Cupidr - An iPhone App for Romantic Ideas
Romantic Valentine’s Dinner - DIY
A Valentine’s Guide for Guys 

Fall in Love Roses

Finding romance seems like a complex puzzle with odds similar to Lotto.  Finding The One involves a little strategy and a lot of socializing!

Washington Post staff writer, Lavanya Ramanathan followed Washingtonians searching for love or who recently found it. She asked them what they’re trying, what works and what doesn’t, and where they meet people.

Then she asked love gurus and authors to weigh in, but not before asking them what makes them such experts.

What follows is the lowdown on what it means to be looking for love in Washington in your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. We’ve compiled great ways to meet others and fabulous ideas for first dates. And we’ve got only one rule: Stop looking at dating as a game or chore, and approach it with optimism and confidence. It’s supposed to be fun.

Dating in Your 20s

What we’re about to say may infuriate you. It may prompt you to send us angry missives about ageism. But here goes:

The rest of us could learn a thing or two from the dating habits of 20-somethings.

Our dating experts all suggest the same approach to dating at any age: Relax (or at least appear to be unaware of the incessant, pounding tick-tock of your internal clocks) and your charms will shine through.

No one does this better than people in their 20s. (The first dates that can make the rest of us so nervous? A 25-year-old will casually call them “hanging out.”)

Of course, 20-somethings have good reason to be relaxed about love. Their dating pool is a virtual ocean, still teeming with cute, smart, upwardly mobile types. And they often have the opportunity to dive right in: There are bars, work outings, social groups and even strange, retro sports leagues that can all serve as venues to meet that special someone.

“Meeting through an interest is 10 times better than meeting in a bar,” says Matt Simonson, 24, who attended a recent gathering of 6th in the City’s new running club. “In a bar, everyone is trying to be someone, everyone is trying to prove who they are, whereas if you meet through an activity, you’re actually showing who you are.” (Sorry, folks, he’s off the market; he met his current at a climate-change rally.)

Twenty-somethings get out there. If a relationship doesn’t work out, they keep optimistically forging ahead — a strategy everyone should try.

Washington does pose some major challenges for 20-something daters, not the least of which is trying to go out in the city on a ramen-noodle budget.

Meet the challenge with innovation. There was a time when every date Toblin went on involved dinner. But her now-boyfriend wooed her with a fabulous fall day that took the pair to Rock Creek Park Day (free) and the National Book Festival on the Mall (also free). The date “was epic,” she says.

At any age, first and second dates should feel organic and low-pressure. Hit the zoo, a festival or an art event. Check out a jazz club. Walk there if you can.

“A fancy dinner is not a good date,” says Michael Karlan, president of Professionals in the City, which organizes speed-dating and other social events in several cities. “It sends the wrong message. You want the person to associate you with fun. You don’t want them to associate you with taking them places they’re going to feel this pressure.”

Best places to meet people in this age group: Adult sports leagues such as the World Adult Kickball Association (www.kickball.com) or No, Adult Kickball Isn’t Dumb (www.playnakid.com); synagogue, temple or church groups, such as 6th in the City (www.sixthandi.org); volunteer outings (www.dc-cares.org); or a Meetup group that matches your interests (such as dance groups and outing-focused Meetup groups such as Young and Loving DC and GoGayDC (www.meetup.com.)

Dating in Your 30s

It’s a Saturday night in Reston, and the bar at McCormick & Schmick’s is packed, filled with members of Meetup’s Singles in the Suburbs. As its title suggests, the group is aimed at unmarried folks living in Reston, Herndon, Fairfax, as well as Maryland.

The 30-to-50-somethings who are its members are a friendly, chatty bunch that like to go out; they organize trips to a bar-centric take on “Jeopardy,” to see the holiday lights at Bull Run, or to a Santa Bar Crawl. On this night, they’re out on a bar crawl for Feed the FISH, an event to raise money for the charity Herndon-Reston FISH, which offers emergency assistance to the needy. The culmination of this night of revelry? A date auction.

But Singles in the Suburbs isn’t actually about dating. It’s about getting out and making friends — and that’s why it has a pretty good number of dating success stories.

“Here’s why my group works,” says Rita K. Colbert, 33, the founder of the 1,000-member-strong meet-up. “My group does it all. We have a book club in the group, we have a movie club in the group, we go on hikes, we go on trips, we have happy hours. When people go to that group that attracts them, they’re meeting other people who are attracted to that same thing, so already, you have a common interest.”

She should know. She met her boyfriend of three years, Scott Langbauer, through Singles in the Suburbs, when Colbert was hosting a Texas Hold ‘Em night at her house.

Langbauer, 34, recalls that it was a Saturday night when all his friends had plans with their significant others, so he decided to check it out by himself. “Through that, we just sort of clicked. I think it was probably after I took all of her money, but I did use that to buy her dinner, like, two nights later.”

Dating in your 30s may mean it’s time you wean yourself off the bar scene and break old habits. Try going to events alone instead of with your 20 closest friends.

It’s also time to open your mind; you’re going to meet people who have a different set of issues than daters in their 20s: Many are coming back on the market after the end of long relationships.

Which brings us to our next suggestion for 30-something daters (and we know this one is going to hurt for the average Type A Washingtonian): Stop requiring the people you meet to live up to the impossible standards you’ve managed to create by your 30s.

“Most of us look for clones,” says L.A.-based dating coach Marc Evan Katz, co-author of the book “Why You’re Still Single: Things Your Friends Would Tell You if You Promised Not to Get Mad.” “We want someone who’s just like us, but the opposite sex, without our flaws.”

You know you’ve done it: Anyone less than an attractive fellow federal worker/MBA/triathlete/cat-lover contacts you on Match.com, and you hit the delete button.

But the truth is, if you say it aloud — “The person I really want to date is me” — it sounds more like you need therapy than a life partner. So try something different: Check your expectations along with your coat, for a couple of dates, anyway. It’s an ancient practice we like to call “getting to know each other.”

Best places to meet people in this age group: Singles in the Suburbs (www.singlesinthesuburbs.com); swing dancing at Glen Echo Park (www.glenechopark.org/dancing.htm); volunteer outings (www.dc-cares.org). Art fan? Check out the all-things-D.C. Web site www.pinklineproject.com for listings of art salons and parties, or join an arts group targeted at young professionals, such as the Corcoran’s 1869 Society.

Planning a date? Being in your 30s may mean you have a little more expendable income than you once did. Try: Room 11 in Columbia Heights (www.room11dc.com) or the reservations-only cocktail bar Gibson near U Street (http://www.thegibsondc.com). Share a cheese plate and wine at Proof after work in Chinatown (www.proofdc.com). Try an art museum such as the National Gallery of Art (www.nga.gov). If you enjoy the outdoors, hike the Potomac Heritage Trail, which in winter offers views of the Potomac and the waterfalls (http://www.nps.gov/pohe).

Dating in your 40s and 50s

If 20-somethings’ best advantage is that vast dating pool, 40-somethings have the boon of increased self-awareness and seriousness about finding lasting love.

“The amount of single people you meet at age 26 is astronomically higher than at age 46,” Katz says. “The single people who are ready to get married at 26 is astronomically lower than when you’re 46.”

Don Cooper, who would reveal his age only as “40s,” was among the singles at Professionals in the City’s “35-plus” wine tasting and speed-dating event at BlackFinn Restaurant and Saloon in Bethesda last month. He says that priorities also change.

“When you get older, you say, ‘I just want to go out and enjoy myself.’ You want someone you can hang out with first, rather than the superficialities of how someone looks or what they do for a living,” he says. “It’s not like when we’re young, trying to act like we’re really something we’re not. It’s much more personal when we get older.”

Mary Beth Jalickee, 42, is giving dating a second shot after a recent divorce, and for now, her strategy is “just getting out there and showing my face,” she says.

Like Jalickee, many of those dating in their 40s and 50s may come from broken marriages, have lost spouses or have children.

“Somebody who’s 50 and coming back into the singles scene has probably been married 25 years. There’s been a lot of social change in that 25 years,” says Carol Randolph, executive director of New Beginnings, an Olney-based support group for divorced and separated people. Randolph recommends finding hobbies and engaging in group activities, which can offer a chance not just to get out, but to make friends with members of the opposite sex. “That’s a whole genre of experience that many people don’t experience till they’re separated,” she says, and it can help people test the waters.

While online dating may seem appealing, she cautions that it isn’t a way to get around the real issues: “You still have to meet this person. You still have to carry on a conversation. You still have to talk about something besides the demise of your marriage.”

Getting out there is exactly what relationship coach Amy Schoen tried when a divorce left her single again her late 30s.

She joined a bowling league, hit a few speed-dating events (”I was the worst speed dater,” she confesses.), tried outdoor clubs and even went on organized group vacations. It didn’t take her long before she met the man she ultimately married; they connected through a cycling group.

The approach, she concedes, isn’t for everyone. She has clients who are introverted or don’t do well in group events, preferring one-on-one interactions or online dating instead.

By your early 40s in particular, online dating can make sense “because you’re not going out to bars and picking up strangers to hook up with,” says Katz. “That’s why online dating is valuable. It creates opportunity where there is none.”

Best places to meet people in this age group: Support groups such as New Beginnings (www.newbeginningsusa.org); social groups and activities clubs including www.capitalhikingclub.org or find one through www.meetup.com. There are Web sites and e-mail discussion groups available, too; Schoen lists singles events on DCdatinginfo.com, and a popular e-mail group for those in their late 40s and older is Paul’s List (e-mail paulsslist@aol.com). Tommy the Matchmaker hosts a New Year’s event at the Georgetown Holiday Inn (call 301-656-2545 for tickets). And don’t be afraid to use the Internet; many of the people we met have used it with success. Popular sites include www.eharmony.com, www.chemistry.com, www.match.com or www.plentyoffish.com.

Planning a date? Try Black’s Bar & Kitchen (www.blacksbarandkitchen.com) or the D.C. landmark Old Ebbitt Grill (www.ebbitt.com); embark on a full-moon hike at the U.S. National Arboretum (beginning in February; www.usna.usda.gov); go swing, salsa or ballroom dancing at the Hollywood Ballroom (www.hollywoodballroom.com); or try posh cocktails at Quill at the Jefferson Hotel (http://www.jeffersondc.com).

From: The Washington Post

Tukips are Back!

For those of us who love flowers and nature so much that we like getting our hands dirty, we have the following to-do lists for you to enjoy in your home gardens.  To find your zone, visit the National Gardening Association.

Zone 1

• Order fruit and vegetable seeds, roses, bare-root trees and shrubs
• Check potted or container-planted bulbs for signs of growth
• Bring in pots of crocus and bulbous iris if leaves have formed
• Cut branches of pussy willow, flowering quince, forsythia to force indoors if buds are beginning to swell
• Freshen house plants with sprays or shower bath
• Sow seeds of cool-weather vegetables indoors
• Sow seeds of hardy perennials indoors

Zone 2

• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Water cymbidiums weekly until they bloom
• Sow seeds indoors for tender perennials

Zone 3

• Order seeds
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Water cymbidiums weekly until they bloom
• Sow seeds for tender perennials

Zone 4

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds indoors for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors
   

Zone 5

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors

Zone 6

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming plants
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Sow seeds for cool-weather vegetables
• Sow frost-tolerant perennials indoors
   

Zone 7

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals indoors
• Plant ornamental trees
• Prune flowering fruit trees while in bloom
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs and vines after bloom
• Sow seeds of warm-season vegetables indoors
• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming annuals
• Plant or transplant cool-season vegetable seedlings

Zone 8

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals indoors
• Set out cool-season annuals
• Plant fruit trees
• Apply dormant spray to fruit trees
• Spray for peach leaf curl, peach leaf blight, and canker
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Plant or repair warm-season lawns
• Plant ornamental grasses
• Plant or transplant frost-tolerant perennials
• Sow seeds for tender perennials indoors
• Plant bare-root roses
• Apply dormant spray to roses
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and vines
• Prune winter-blooming shrubs and vines just after bloom
• Apply dormant spray to shrubs and vines
• Plant bare-root perennial vegetables
• Plant seedlings of cool-season vegetables
• Sow seeds for cool- and warm-season vegetables
• Protect tender plants from frost

Zone 9

• Sow seeds for hardy spring-blooming annuals
• Sow seeds of warm-season annuals indoors
• Plant summer-flowering bulbs
• Repot cacti and succulents, if essential, once they have finished blooming
• Plant bare-root fruit trees
• Apply dormant spray to fruit trees
• Spray for peach leaf curl, peach leaf blight, and canker
• Plant citrus
• Repair or plant lawns
• Plant or transplant frost-tolerant perennials outdoors
• Sow seeds for tender perennials indoors
• Plant bare-root roses
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, and vines
• Prune deciduous trees
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs and vines just after bloom
• Plant bare-root perennial vegetalbes
• Plant seedlings of cool-season or winter vegetables
• Sow seeds for cool-season or winter vegetables
• Sow seeds for warm-season vegetables indoors

Zone 10

• Order seeds
• Sow seeds for warm-season annuals
• Set out seedlings of warm-season annuals
• Set out summer-flowering bulbs
• Repot cacti and succulents, if essential, once they have finished blooming
• Plant bare-root fruit trees
• Prune flowering fruit trees while in bloom
• Spray for peach leaf curl, peach leaf blight, and canker
• Plant citrus
• Protect citrus from frost damage
• Feed houseplants that are growing or blooming
• Plant bare-root roses
• Plant bare-root shrubs and vines
• Prune evergreen shrubs
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs and vines after bloom
• Plant bare-root trees
• Plant or transplant cool-season vegetable seedlings
• Sow warm-season vegetable seeds
• Transplant warm-season vegetable seedlings

Zone 11

• Sow seed of summer annuals indoors
• Sow seeds of hardy vegetables indoors
• Improve soil by spading in humus
• Plant bare-root trees, shrubs, vines, roses
• Be ready to shelter tender plants against frost
• Finish dormant spraying

From BackyardGardener.com

Winter Weather & Having Fun Indoors!

There are times when you just don’t want to be outdoors - whether that’s because of inclement weather or just wanting to stay home. So how can you enjoy life indoors?  Here are some great ideas so you don’t get cabin fever!

Indoor Activities at Home

Turn off the TV and have fun together:

• Play board games. Board games and card games keep you interacting with one another. Find a variety of different games from trivia to strategy to the childhood games of your past to enjoy.
• Cook together. Go online and find recipes for new things that you’ve never tried to make at home before. Shop for groceries and cook in the kitchen without distractions. Cooking and eating together is a timeless activity.
• Video games. It’s a lot more enjoyable if you play together. Choose games where you can team up against other couples or battle each other. It’s all about having fun.
• Indoor exercise. Find exercises that you can do together - such as passing the medicine ball back and forth. You’ll get your heart rate going and feel the endorphins waking up.
• Make art or make music. Being creative together is a great way to really enhance the relationship. Find something that you both like to do whether it’s picking at a guitar or making collages out of old magazine images.
• Home improvements. Couples that live together can come together by finding ways to improve the home they share. Create a list of projects that you would like to work on and start checking things off of the list one by one. Working together to create a home is a great way to spend time with someone else.
• Throw brunches, dinner parties and movie nights. If you want to be social together as a couple but don’t want to leave the house then make your house the setting of all of the fun. Do these weekly or monthly to get a routine going that’s all about fun instead of boring habits.
• Make bucket lists. A bucket list is when you sit down and brainstorm all of the things that you’ve never done that you’d like to do before you die. Things on the list can be as mundane as “make a cake from scratch” or as wild as “visit every national park in the country”. Make your life lists separately and then share them; you’ll be amazed how much you find out about each other.
• Surf the web. The Internet doesn’t have to be something in your home that alienates you from one another. Sit down in front of the computer together and watch funny videos, read interesting articles and share ideas about what you read. It’s far more interactive than just watching TV and keeps both of you from being bored together.
• Picnic indoors. If you’re both feeling like just laying down and watching a movie together, do it with some romance. Put together a wine and cheese picnic basket, spread a blanket out on the floor together and get ready to have a better-than-normal evening of watching the tube.

Indoor Activities Away from Home

When you really want out of the house, you can go to other indoor locations with your partner. Here are some ideas:

• Dress up and go to a movie. Dressing up is important because it makes it more of a real date than when you normally just head out to a movie together.
• Go gaming. If there’s a casino in your local area then you can have some indoor fun together there.  (Take a predermined amount of cash and leave your checkbook and ATM card at home!)
• Go to a spa or local hot tubs. Get away together into relaxation and get that chill of the icky weather out of your bones.
• Check out a local museum or art gallery. You can learn something together and share an experience that you don’t take the time to enjoy nearly often enough.
• Visit friends or family. Sometimes hanging out with others is the best way to be together. Ask someone in the family to host a spontaneous potluck on a rainy afternoon.
• Take a class together. An art class, an improv comedy class or a cooking class can bring the two of you closer together even as you meet others and learn something new.
• Go to an event that you’ve never been to before. Seeing something new together can brighten up even the dreariest of days. If you’ve never been to a poetry slam, the local ballet or a Broadway musical then get some tickets and go.

The real goal to keep in mind when trying to find things to do with your significant other is just spending time together relaxing.  The activity can be simple, as long as it’s outside the norm for you.  Think outside your rut!

by Kathryn Vercillo
Hub Pages

Happy New Year!

Family-Oriented Events

Want to ring in the New Year at a family-oriented, non-alcohol event? Several communities near Washington, DC in Maryland and Virginia host First Night events and other family friendly events to welcome the New Year!

New Year’s Annapolis
This event is based on the “First Night” concept and brings this Maryland community together for a New Year’s Eve celebration with dozens of performances of music, dance, theater, comedy and more. The event showcases the history of the City of Annapolis by including performances in unusual venues throughout the downtown Annapolis area. Welcome the New Year with fireworks at the City Dock.

First Night Alexandria
Ring in the New Year with a celebration with entertainment for all ages. Musical performances will be held inside Old Town Alexandria’s historic buildings and many events will be held at the Masonic Temple on Callahan Drive. At Midnight, celebrate the New Year while watching the beautiful fireworks display at the George Washington National Masonic Memorial on Callahan Drive between King and Duke Streets.

First Night Leesburg
The event brings families together from all around Northern Virginia to celebrate the New Year with more than 100 performances at 20 indoor locations in downtown Leesburg. Enjoy jazz, bluegrass, folk music, magicians, puppet shows, and much more! At midnight, First Night concludes with a traditional Grand Illumination gathering on the courthouse lawn.

Fairfax Four Miler
The City of Fairfax hosts a family friendly end of the year running event to bring the community together for an evening of healthy fun. This event will support the Fairfax Police Youth Club. The post race party will include food and entertainment.

Watch Night - Falls Church
The family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration features a variety of entertainment, performances and interactive activities. The evening concludes with a New Year’s countdown and lowering of the historic star that first lit the Falls Church sky in 1948 – the year Falls Church became an independent city.

From:  DC.About.com

Affordable Events - With Alcohol

Having a good time on New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. At these parties, you can ring in 2010 without dropping a lot of money on cover charges or table minimums.

A Special New Year’s Eve Block Party at 14th and U Streets
Washington, DC  | 12/31 A joint party at Marvin and its yet-to-open sister bar Patty Boom Boom features a DJ set by Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation. $20.

Brightest Young Things Presents 2010: A Space Fantasy
Washington, DC  | 12/31 Remember BYT’s popular summer pool parties? The group returns to the Capitol Skyline hotel with DJs, indoor Laser Tag, moonbounces and an open bar. $45.

Daredevil New Year’s Eve
Washington, DC  | 12/31 Welcome 2010 with burlesque dancers, fire-breathers, sword swallowers and death-defying stunts. $20.

New Year’s Eve at Buffalo Billiards
Washington, DC  | 12/31 It’s business as usual at the spacious subterranean pool hall: no cover charge and the usual table rates apply for billiards, shuffleboard and darts. Free.

New Year’s Eve at Cafe Saint-Ex
Washington, DC  | 12/31 The 14th Street bar features DJ DK spinning hip-hop and party jams from 9 p.m. on without a cover. Free.

New Year’s Eve at Chi-Cha Lounge
Washington, DC  | 12/31 The recently renovated lounge throws a party with a buffet of South American appetizers, a DJ and dancing and a midnight champagne toast. $40.

New Year’s Eve at Eighteenth Street Lounge
Washington, DC  | 12/31 It’s a Brazilian-themed party with the Brazilian Brooklyn Beat DJs spinning dance music and Donvonte McCoy Sextet playing bossa nova and samba. $30.

New Year’s Eve at Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar
Washington, DC  | 12/31 A party at the hot new bar features DJ Will Eastman of Bliss and an optional all-night open bar. $15. ($65 with open bar.)

New Year’s Eve at Nellie’s
Washington, DC  | 12/31 It’s a budget night at the gay sports bar, which features drink specials until midnight and a champagne toast to welcome the new year. DJs will spin, party favors will be handed out and the rooftop deck will be open. Free.

New Year’s Eve at Social
Washington, DC  | 12/31 Three countdowns, three “midnight” toasts and no cover charge.

New Year’s Eve at Town
Washington, DC  | 12/31 Town looks back at the 2000s with a countdown of the decade’s top 10 songs, which will end, conveniently enough, at midnight. $20.

New Year’s Eve at Wonderland
Washington, DC  | 12/31 DJ Meistro, who covers the spectrum from hip-hop to Afrobeat, spins music for dancing upstairs. Midnight brings the traditional “champagne of beers toast” with Miller High Life. $10, or $15 per couple.

New Year’s Eve at the Quarry House Tavern
Silver Spring, MD  | 12/31 The cozy dive has a DJ spinning dance music from 9:30 p.m. on and a toast with Miller High Life — the champagne of beers — at midnight. Free.

New Year’s Eve at the Salsa Room
Arlington, VA  | 12/31 Is learning to dance on your list of resolutions? Get an early start at the Salsa Room’s New Years Eve party, which kicks off with lessons taught by house instructor Orlando Machuca before DJs Hercules and Renzo take the club into the new year. $30.

Vicars and Tarts Fancy Dress New Year’s Eve Party
Washington, DC  | 12/31 A British tradition, this party asks you to dress as a man of the cloth or a lady of the night. Free.

From: The Washington Post

Thinking back on our favorite holidays, the memories that are most precious to us may just be those family traditions that were the most simple.  Even though our cherished routines seem mundane, we did them with our families, and everyone was on their best holiday behavior.  Doing things with our family was that part of the holidays that spoke to our hearts and helped us feel that wonderful spirit of Christmas.

We’ve scoured the Internet and our own memories and come up with a short list of timeless traditions that many of us still follow today. 

Decorating the Tree
Whether we traipsed through the woods or a lot to find the perfect tree, or took it out of a box, setting the tree in place was a key first step in the process of decorating.  Remember unpacking each precious ornament that we made at school out of pieces of construction paper and glitter?  One of my favorite ornaments is one made into a reindeer out of a bone-shaped dog treat and plastic googly eyes!  Stringing lights, strategically placing each ornament for the maximum effect, balancing the look according to Mom’s instructions, and adding the tree topper was definitely a family project.   The tree topper was the official signal that we’d accomplished our task.  While some tree toppers were traditional stars and angels, some were unique to our own family.  And the best part?  Turning out the lights and turning on the tree lights.  And if we were very lucky, our tree was large and right in front of a picture window so everyone could see it as they drove by the house.

Listening to Christmas Carols
No holiday is complete without the sounds of Christmas.  Whether we listen in our car, at work or at home, nothing gets us in the mood better than the old songs we grew up hearing.  Some of our most favorite Christmas tunes:

• The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
• Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives
• Let it Snow - Dean Martin
• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
• White Christmas - Bing Crosby
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra
• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry

Watching Christmas Shows on TV
Let’s admit it now, watching It’s a Wonderful Life is the official Christmas starter.   My favorites are the claymation specials from the 60s, Rudolph and Drummer Boy.  Good or bad, old or new, we all love our favorites:

• Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Shrek the Halls
• Miracle on 34th Street
• The Polar Express
• A Christmas Carol
• The Santa Clause
• Little Drummer Boy

Driving Around Looking at Christmas Lights
Nothing says Christmas like a perfectly garish Christmas light display in some nameless stranger’s front lawn.  Let’s face it, we look for the best ones every year and we offer up our critiques like Christmas connoisseurs.  If we are lucky enough to have young children along for the ride as we troll the neighborhoods and Christmas light display extravaganzas, we enjoy it even more.  One of my childhood friend’s family polished their ritual like a precious gem.  They’d all put on their pajamas, make a thermos of hot chocolate, load the car with pillows and blankets and head out for a few hours, seeking out the perfect display.  The best ones included a nativity, reindeer, snowmen and Santa on the roof!  Today, great inflatable snow globes and Santa Homer Simpsons may make us groan, but we honor the freedom we have to choose our own symbols of Christmas in front of our homes.

Christmas Stockings
Whether hung on the chimney with care, hung in the tree or placed strategically under the tree, the Christmas stocking is a treasure.  Especially once they are filled with goodies and tiny gifts!  Our family had to have larger stockings because they would be magically filled with unshelled nuts, candy canes, chocolate, an orange and an apple and at least one tiny gift.  We enjoyed our treats well into the New Year!

Whatever your traditions, we wish you a very Merry Christmas this year! 

Copyright 2009.  MyFlorist.

Christmas in DC

There is a wide selection of Christmas events and activities to choose from in Washington, DC and the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. While you are busy shopping, decorating, cooking and preparing for the holiday, be sure to take some time out to make some special Christmas memories.

The Nutcracker
The Washington, DC area has a wide range of theaters to enjoy the Christmas classic ballet - the Nutcracker. Take the whole family to marvel over Clara’s Christmas fantasy when the wooden toy soldier comes alive and takes her on a magical tour of wonderful holiday adventures. For the younger crowd, check out the Nutcracker Puppet Show at the Puppet Co.

National Christmas Tree and the Pageant of Peace
The Christmas Tree in front of the White House has a special allure to us all, but to kids it’s even more magical. Be sure to get up close and watch the toy train go around the track!

ZooLights at the National Zoo
Rock Creek Park. Dec. 4, 2009-Jan. 2, 2010, 6-8:30 p.m. Open every night except Dec. 24, 25, and 31. The National Zoo presents a display of thousands of sparkling animated Christmas lights, winter-themed crafts, ice sculpting demonstrations, choral groups, and storytellers.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens
Nov. 27-Dec. 27, 2009. The Williamsburg, Virginia amusement park is transformed into a Christmas wonderland, combining an immersive holiday experience with one-of-a-kind shopping and dining opportunities, all-new holiday shows and a spectacular light-dancing Christmas tree.

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies
Various communities around the Washington, DC area light a Christmas tree, provide entertainment and invite children to visit with Santa.

Trains and Planes
Dec. 19-26, 2009, Miniature trains, villages, tunnels and depots spark the imagination while bringing history to life.

The Water-skiing Santa
Dec. 24, 2009, 1 p.m. New Location this Year! This unusual annual event features a water-skiing Santa, flying elves, the Jet-skiing Grinch, and Frosty the Snowman performing on the Potomac River.

Christmas Light Displays
Christmas light displays are beautiful and a great way to share the magic and joy of a winter wonderland. Kids will especially like the animated characters.

Discovery Theater’s Seasons of Light
Dec. 1-22, 2009. This seasonal favorite at the Smithsonian’s children’s theater celebrates the warmth of many holidays filled with light. Learn the history and customs of Devali, Ramadan, Sankta Lucia, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, Christmas, and the First Nations tradition of the Winter Solstice.

Reston Town Center’s Holiday Events
This shopping center in Reston, Virginia celebrates the holidays with a holiday parade, visits with Santa, carriage rides, a Christmas tree lighting and sing-along and more.

The Best Places to See Santa in the Washington, DC Area

Flowers Are Perfect Christmas Gifts

Enjoying Flowers

Flowers are meaningful to us in that each fragrant petal is alive with positive energy.  Each flower signifies peace, love and prosperity.  We instantly feel a connection to the person who gives us the gift of flowers, from deep love to kind regards.  Flowers are a gift from nature - arranged by a human designer to give us an instant spiritual lift. 

Research from Rutgers University shows that flowers make us happy.

Specifically, the study found:

* Across all age groups, the reaction to receiving flowers was delight and gratitude.

* Study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.

* The presence of flowers led to increased contact with family and friends.

“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” says Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study. “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.”

Giving Flowers

Sending flowers is usually very quick and easy.  Find your favorite local florist’s website and surf, click, fill out some quick forms and hit “Submit”.  It literally takes just a few minutes after you’ve chosen the  Christmas flower arrangement gift basket, or blooming plant that you want to give.  Or, just find the local number of your florist (Ours is 703.442.8203!) and give them a call.  Usually their floral experts can help you not only choose the perfect arrangement, but they can advise you on ways to personalize it so it’s a one-of-a-kind gift.

Choosing Flowers for Christmas

Poinsettias are a longstanding favorite Christmas flower, with between 70 million and 80 million typically sold for the holidays.  Poinsettias instantly evoke Christmas spirit and its bright red leaves add cheer to any hearth or table!  While the standard three - to six - bloom red poinsettia is the most popular, there are several other sizes, shapes and colors available. Colors can range from creamy white to the traditional red.  Poinsettias can be purchased in miniature sizes,  double baskets and even as fresh cut flowers. Ask us about more options.

Red roses are also a wonderful holiday flower, especially if you are familiar with the story of The Christmas Rose.   With their deep red blooms, roses are perfect in any red and green traditional Christmas arrangement. The versatility in design options make them great in holiday centerpieces, short vase arrangements, or even taller, more dramatic Christmas flower arrangements. 

Centerpieces are also a fabulous Christmas gift.  If you want to celebrate with flowers on the table on Christmas Day, you can arrange to have them delivered on the 23rd or 24th and still have beautiful, fresh flowers on the table.  Imagine the delight of your friends and family when you step up the atmosphere!  They’ll enjoy gorgeous flowers while they try to remember how to use their best dinner table etiquette.  Many Christmas centerpieces have candles, from tapers to pillars.  You can also choose from a simple arrangement to a more elegant arrangement, depending on the size of your table and the level of dining formality you prefer during the holidays.

Excerpts from:
Teleflora Flower Blog
About.com

The Hanukkah Menorah

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days and nights. It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev and begins on December 11 this year.

In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship of the god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people, but many were afraid to fight back for fear of reprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E. the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jews to worship Greek gods.

Jewish resistance began in the village of Modiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and told them to bow down to an idol, then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews. A Greek officer ordered Mattathias, a High Priest, to acquiesce to their demands, but Mattathias refused. When another villager stepped forward and offered to cooperate on Mattathias’ behalf, the High Priest became outraged. He drew his sword and killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them.

Mattathias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking Palestine from the Greeks. These rebels became known as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans.

Once the Maccabees had regained control they returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled by being used for the worship of foreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificing swine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to their dismay, they discovered that there was only one day’s worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to their surprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days.

This is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews light a special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the first night of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.

Significance of Hanukkah
According to Jewish law, Hanukkah is one of the less important Jewish holidays. However, Hanukkah has become much more popular in modern practice because of its proximity to Christmas. Over time Hanukkah has become much more festive. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday.

Hanukkah Traditions
Every community has its unique Hanukkah traditions, but there are some traditions that are almost universally practiced. They are: lighting the hanukkiyah, spinning the dreidel and eating fried foods.

• Lighting the hanukkiyah: Every year it is customary to commemorate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil by lighting candles on a hanukkiyah. The hanukkiyah is lit every night for eight nights.
• Spinning the dreidel: A popular Hanukkah game is spinning the dreidel, which is a four-sided top with Hebrew letters written on each side. Read The Hanukkah Dreidel to learn more about the dreidel, the meaning of the letters and how to play the game. Gelt, which are chocolate coins covered with tin foil, are part of this game.
• Eating fried foods: Because Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil, it is traditional to eat fried foods such as latkes and sufganiyot during the holiday. Latkes are pancakes made out of potatoes and onions, which are fried in oil and then served with applesauce. Sufganiyot (singular: sufganiyah) are jelly-filled donuts that are fried and sometimes dusted with confectioners’ sugar before eating.

The National Hanukkah Menorah
A National Hanukkah Menorah is lit on the White House grounds, at the Ellipse during the eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the Jewish Maccabees’ military victory over Syrian oppression more than 2,000 years ago. During Hanukkah, Jews across the world celebrate the miracle of light that burnt for eight days out of a single-days-worth of oil found in the Temple. One Hanukkah candle is lit the first night, and an additional candle is lit each successive night. The holiday is a celebration of religious freedom and hope.

National Hanukkah Menorah Lighting Ceremony
Festivities at the lighting ceremony include musical performances and hot latkes and donuts. This year’s celebration will feature the US Air Force Band. The menorah will be lit each night of Hanukkah.

Date and Time
December 13, 2009, 4 p.m.

Location
The Ellipse, near the White House (at the NW end, near Constitution Avenue), Washington, DC.

Parking
Parking is extremely limited near the White House. The best way to get to the area is by metro. The closest stops are Metro Center, Federal Triangle, and McPherson Square. Read more about parking near the National Mall

Admission
Free tickets are required for reserved seats. Standing room is available to all. (202) 332-5600. 

From: About.com