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By Katie Bianco, Jess Feldman, Holly Gambrell and Jennifer Zeleski
It’s my birthday
I turn 25 this week, and besides celebrating with a quarter-life crisis (kidding) I’ll be celebrating over the course of three days since my birthday falls on a Friday this year. The weekend will begin with a night out in an igloo with friends at Farm Brew Live, drinking all the beer that I want. Then on Saturday, I’ll head to a nice meal with my family at Thompson Italian, a newcomer on our recent 50 Best Restaurants list, and on Sunday, I will relax with a day at Lansdowne Resort’s Spa Mineralé, getting a vinotherapy facial and a massage. Here’s to another 365 days around the sun! -Holly Gambrell, Digital Editor // Farm Brew Live: 9915 Discover Blvd., Manassas; Igloo rentals begin at $150; Thompson Italian: 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church; Lansdowne Resort and Spa: 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Leesburg, spa services’ prices vary
It’s cookie time
Holiday baking is in my blood. From a young age, you could find me perched on the counter watching my mom throw ingredients into a KitchenAid, folding together copious amounts of chocolate chip cookie dough, and even more delicate all-butter-and-sugar dough that would eventually turn into kiffles (a Hungarian, pastry-like cookie filled with walnuts or apricot), “cut-outs,” (paper-thin butter cookies topped with sprinkles) or the guest favorite: no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies. For the first time this year, I won’t be cranking out close to 15 types of cookies side-by-side with my mom in North Carolina, so I need to do it on my own. This week I will be prepping all of my mom’s classics to donate to the Boulder Crest Retreat’s holiday open house. The organization needs cookies—and lots of them—during their meet-and-greet with veterans, their families, volunteers and supporters. With so many recipes, butter and flour readily available, it’s the least I can do to help out. Find other places to volunteer this holiday season (with more opportunities this week), here. –Jennifer Zeleski, Editorial Assistant // Boulder Crest Retreat Virginia: 18370 Bluemont Village Lane, Bluemont; Cookie drop-off is Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Creating new traditions
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I live with seven other women in a three-floored townhouse in the heart of Arlington. While it seems insane, it’s really quite nice to be surrounded by people with varying personalities, interests and experiences. One of my roommates, for example, is Jewish and has never celebrated Christmas before. Another is secretly obsessed with spinning pottery. This weekend, I’ll take them both to the Colorful Holiday Ornament Workshop hosted by Wear Ever Jewelry in Alexandria to get a little crafty while embracing the holiday spirit. After the two-hour class, we’ll return home with a few (hopefully nice looking) ornaments to place on our recently purchased Christmas tree. And who knows, maybe the collection will grow for years to come. -Jess Feldman, Editorial Assistant // Wear Ever Jewelry: 1112 King St., Alexandria; Saturday, Dec. 14, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; $75
Icy illuminations
I lived in Orlando for a hot second in my early 20s and one thing that never got old?Fireworks. I worked at a famous theme park, lived near a famous theme park and was surrounded by other famous theme parks, so it was inevitable that I would see a fireworks show (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not) at least several nights a week. Back here in my hometown, most people assume fireworks are reserved for the Fourth of July. Not so! I had my intrepid editorial assistant round up five places where you (and I) can see fireworks in the winter for our December issue. This weekend, I’ll be driving up to the National Harbor for its fireworks display. Plus, there are special rides on the Capital Wheel with Santa. My kids will love it! -Katie Bianco, Editor // National Harbor: 165 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Maryland; free
For more fun things to do this month, read our guide to December events here.
