DC December To-Do List!

How is it already December in DC? With Thanksgiving behind us, it is officially Christmas season and I have never been more ready. It would be so easy to sit around and drink hot cider and watch Love Actually on repeat, but there is just so much I want to do around the city in the next month, I don’t even think I’ll even have time to sleep!

My main priorities are mostly low-budget (see: free) activities in order to allow me to save up my money for buying awesome gifts this season. Here’s my list of the top few things I can’t wait to do this month:

1. Ice-skating in the Sculpture Garden

Seriously how cute is it that they make the Sculpture Garden into an ice rink in the winter? I went last year with my friend Julie and it was so much fun! It was also a lot cheaper than I expected – only a couple bucks to skate and rent! It’s the perfect weekend afternoon activity if you’re downtown. Just make sure to bundle up 🙂

2. Holiday Shopping in Georgetown

There is already no better place to shop and stroll in the District than Georgetown, but it’s even better during the holiday season! The shops have great sales and there’s a perfect mix of regular stores and classic DC-theme stores – everything you need for gift-buying! Be sure to stop in at Dean & DeLuca’s for the especially hard ones to buy for…there’s definitely something for everyone there.

3. Scottish Walk Weekend & Boat Parade in Alexandria

E & I went to this last year and it was SO FUN! We’re both pretty obsessed with Alexandria to begin with, but there’s something about the quaintness of Old Town around Christmas that makes it that much better. The Walk & Parade are both this Saturday, December 7th, and are definitely worth going to. Both are completely free and happen right along King Street. Head into Alexandria in the afternoon for the Walk, then do a little shopping and grab some dinner before heading to the harbor for the Boat Parade at night! What could be cuter?

4. ZooLights at the National Zoo

The National Zoo is already free and every night from now until January 1 (with the exception of 12/24, 25, 31) it will be all lit up and festive for the holidays! I didn’t get a chance to go last year and I’ve been kicking myself for it so I can’t wait to head over this year and see all the lights AND the animals!

What’s on your to-do list this December?

-S

Weekend Wrap-Up: 4th of July

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend! As it was my first Independence Day in DC, I can definitely say it was everything I imagined & more! First I should admit that a lot of these pictures are stolen from my friend Sophia whose phone takes ridiculously amazing pics – even in the dark! Luckily, she is nice enough to send them all to me so I can Instagram them to death and post them up here! You’ll also notice that I’ve recently learned some new picture tools and I maaaay have gone a little overboard…but it’s just so fun!

Sophia and I on the roof of my office – that’s the Capitol in the background 🙂

Anywayyyyy…..

I started the 4th off at a BBQ with some old and new friends where we drank beer, played cornhole, and hung out up on the roof (classic!) and it was a lot of fun! I love being in a city full of young professionals – it seems like I’m always meeting new people, which is awesome! After a couple hours of hanging out there, Sophia and I walked over to my office for our Independence Day Celebration. This party was definitely as epic as it was described to be! We had Famous Dave’s catered food and specialty drinks named “Sunny Afternoon” and “A Walk in the Countryside” (I much preferred the first – but hey, it was an open bar so I had to try em both!). After mingling for a while and meeting everyone’s family & friends, it was time for fireworks. We had an INCREDIBLE view and the weather was perfect! Just when I think my job can’t get any better they throw this at me….

My 4th in review – pretty epic!

I was able to sleep in a little bit on Friday before my family came into town and I was in full-on tour guide mode! My oldest cousin had been to DC recently, but my other cousin, uncle, aunt, and her parents had never been so it was my duty to show them how amazing this city is – all in 2 days! It was especially important since my aunt’s parents were visiting all the way from INDIA….so I had to prove that America was as awesome as they believe it to be…and that DC isn’t always as much of a mess as it seems to be on the news! Due to the blistering heat and my guests’ restrictions, we decided that a walking tour was out of the question. So Saturday afternoon I finally got to go on one of those crazy Big Bus tours I’ve always secretly wanted to go on! We literally rode ALL OVER the city, taking stops at some of the more interesting locations to get a closer look. I wouldn’t recommend the tour to anyone able to walk, as it was expensive, but it was definitely worth the money for our group! Also – just note how adorable my cousins are in the picture below – presh!!

ultimate tourists!

I hope that between all the BBQs and fireworks this weekend everyone had a chance to stop and think about what Independence Day is really about! Not to get too sentimental, but sometimes I really wonder how I got lucky enough to live in a country where freedom is cherished and celebrated. Having a father who was an immigrant and still having a lot of family overseas always helps me remember this point. Sure, every country has their issues – but I’d say we’ve got it pretty good over here and I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Creed on what he would do if he won the lottery…anyone else miss this show as much as I do? (Thanks, E, for the link 🙂 )

An incredible weekend of family, friends, and fireworks – what more could you want in life?

xO – S

Oatmeal Scotchies

Just incase there wouldn’t be enough food in my life over the next few days, I decided to make some cookies for the office this week. I made one batch of delicious mint cookies (see here) and one batch of another favorite: Oatmeal Butterscotch.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 1/4 cup Flour
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/4 cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 cups Quaker Oats
• 11 ounces (1 package) Nestle Butterscotch Morsels

Now that you’ve got all that lined up, you can start the preparations!

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine four, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside
3. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in large bowl
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture

Mixture

5. Gradually stir in oats and chips

6. Spread into (greased) pan
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned

Again, I’m awful with the timing of baked goods – so I always just keep an eye on them and use the toothpick method to test if they’re done or not!

These cookies are a delicious addition to any baker’s recipe book – simple, unique, and goes great with anything! Try them out this holiday season and you will not be disappointed.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-S