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By Katie Bianco, Alice Levitt, Jess Feldman, Holly Gambrell, Michele Kettner and Jennifer Zeleski
Big hats and mint juleps
I’m all for anything that involves a tailgate party. Concerts? Pour me a beer. Football games? Start up the grill. The Virginia Gold Cup? Let me go find my hat. This past May would have marked the 95th running of the annual steeple chase race in Warrenton, but like everything else we were looking forward to this spring, COVID-19 put a dent in that plan. The good news? The Virginia Gold Cup is back on, albeit virtually, this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. So, stir yourself a mint julep, dress up in your best hat and tune in here to see which horse takes home the win. -Holly Gambrell, Digital Editor // June 27, 12:30 p.m.; free
Slow and steady wins the race
While many people have started to venture to their favorite stores, restaurants and amusement parks as NoVA entered phase two of reopening, I still find myself a little on edge while being in the vicinity of others. And, for someone who has always been a people person that thrives on the company of others, this is a pretty weird feeling for me to adjust to. If you’re having similar thoughts of anxiety and fear, don’t panic—this is normal after facing a traumatic experience, according to local therapist Esther Boykin. In a recent interview, she shares thoughts on transitioning to the “new normal,” helping your kids through it and how to prioritize your well-being right now, all of which I’ve found extremely helpful, and I hope you do too. -Jess Feldman, Editorial Assistant
Eating inside
As someone who’s eating out for every meal, phase two has opened my world immeasurably. I refer to myself as an “indoor cat,” so dining al fresco was never really my style. But how do I know where I can dine inside? Lots of research. As I find out about places that are serving indoors, I add them to this list. And yes, even I refer back to it when I’m deciding where to dine. -Alice Levitt, Food Editor/Critic
Sports!
It has now been 11 weeks without any live sports in my household. Ask anyone in my sports-crazed family and they will tell you we are struggling. While I’ve been getting my fix with all of ESPN’s great documentaries, like The Last Dance and LANCE, nothing beats the thrill of a live game, even if I’m just watching from home. Don’t get me wrong, I have used this time to catch up on some shows and try out some new HBO series, which is a nice break from the usual summer baseball game, but I truly miss it. Thankfully, for all sports fans, live games are returning to the U.S. this weekend as the NWSL kicks off its Challenge Cup. As a former Washington Spirit intern (shout out to the Spirit Squadron) and after last year’s stellar World Cup win, I’m super excited to see Rose Lavelle, Julie Ertz and the rest of the national team take the pitch during the month-long tournament as I return to my happy place. -Michele Kettner, Editorial Assistant
Beach reads in my backyard
As we enter week 14 (week 15? week 182?) of working from home, I am focused on getting some semblance of summer fun. While my family and I made the decision not to take our annual, out-of-state beach vacation this year with our friends, we’re still planning on lots of backyard fun. I’ve got the kids set with a swing set and baby pool. Me? We finally took our outdoor furniture out of storage last weekend and I plan to spend a lot of time outside reading this summer. I’ll start with these six reads, all written by local authors. Happy summer reading friends! -Katie Bianco, Editor
Closet is empty, stores are busy
After three months of staying put, other than trips to the grocery store and moving all of my belongings across Northern Virginia to a new home, I have ventured out a few times this week. I’m not really one to be brave, but I have good reason to suit up in my face mask and tuck my mini hand sanitizer in my pocket. I recently donated two-thirds of my clothes. It seems the sweatpants-wearing habit of quarantine has trickled down into trading style and trendiness for comfort and convenience. But I still need clothing, more than my rotation of T-shirts, sweatshirts and my favorite Adidas pants. If you’re also feeling the itch to explore, do so safely, but check out these recently opened local shopping centers. Plus, Goodwill has reopened regional locations too, and if there’s anything I’ve missed even more than the mall, it’s thrift shopping! -Jennifer Zeleski, Editorial Assistant
