Eastern Market
The Eastern Market, in DC’s Southeast quadrant, has always been one of my favorite weekend stops, long before I lived in the neighborhood. The market itself is DC’s oldest food market, dating to 1873, housed in an old brick hall. (The hall suffered from a big fire a few years back, and the market is in a temporary shelter across the street, with the old/refurbished shelter set to re-open soon.) Just like a European market, you can come here to visit your neighborhood butcher, the florist, the cheese monger, the produce man, etc. People from all over the city also flock to Market Lunch, for greasy spoon southern-influenced breakfast and lunch. The bluebucks (blueberry buckwheat pancakes) are to die for! But be sure to get there early, as the lines can be lengthy…. Have Dad stand in line while you take the kids to explore all the other merchants nearby in the hall. After lunch? Take a stroll through the flea market next door (Saturday and Sunday only) to check out furniture and other treasures, and walk the whole block of 7th street — tents are set up all along the street with vendors and artisans selling jewelry, paintings, and all sorts of cool things. And be sure to look for the cafe with the bubble-blowing machine outside — that in itself inspires my 4-year-old to walk the 5 blocks to the market!
-Rebecca
Consigning for a cause
I adore shopping for my kids—and now that I have two girls, I feel a little less guilty about buying for my older one, knowing that later on the baby might wear it again. But at some point, you have to start getting rid of stuff! I know my girls have things that they have only worn once before outgrowing it… which is why I plan to make a stop at Monkey’s Uncle with a bag full of stuff to consign! The cool owners, aka the “Uncles,” take gently used baby, kid’s, and maternity clothing for consignment in an effort to “reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink” what we already have. They have even outfitted the store in used fixtures, print receipts on recycled paper, and give a percentage of profits to charity, all while outfitting Capitol Hill’s tots in cute duds. Guilt-free shopping for my “monkeys,” at last!
-Rebecca
Simply silhouettes
I’ve always loved the timeless quality of silhouettes, and when I came across Simply Silhouettes , I couldn’t wait for an occasion to get some done. With U.S. Mother’s Day just around the corner, I ordered up a double print of my two girls for myself (Happy Mom’s Day to Me!) and copies for my mom, my mother-in-law, and even great granny. Snap some profile photos, email the team at Simply Silhouettes, and pick out your style — they offer a wide range of stationery items (notecards, prints for hanging, address labels) and gift items too (pillows, plates, and wall decals). I love that there are both classic and modern versions of the silhouette — it was so hard to choose! Their admirable motto? “We do this so that we can spend more time with them. That’s our story.” Sweet.
-Rebecca
Charmed, I’m sure
After the birth of my first daughter, I received a great Heather Moore charm from my parents for Christmas. It is a simple round silver medallion with my daughter’s name stamped on it in a great, handmade-looking typeface. Her birth date is on back, and it is is accompanied by a little dangling pearl for her birthstone. I just got another one for my second daughter’s birth, this time a bigger one (her name is longer!), with a little topaz charm alongside. I love that the charms come in different shapes — little dogtags, long rectangles, and charms of all sizes, to allow you to create a truly custom necklace. The bangle bracelets are next on my list…
-Rebecca
Spring has sprung
Spring has finally sprung here in DC, and although it is still a bit chilly, buds and blooms are popping up everywhere. To celebrate, we were invited to a First Day of Spring party last month. My daughter insisted on taking a gift (although I explained it wasn’t a birthday party!) to the hostess, and promptly picked one of the neighbor’s daffodils. I was all set to wrap the stem in a wet paper towel and put in in a plastic bag (like I used to do when I was a kid), when inspiration struck—surely, I had something in the recycling bin that could double as a vase? A quick glance and I scored an apple juice box—perfect! I enlarged the hole a bit with a pencil, rinsed it out, then cut a piece of colored paper to wrap around it. My 3½-year-old had a great time decorating the paper with foamy stickers (you could use anything to decorate it—markers, stickers, ribbons), we glued the paper around the box, and voila! A perfectly “green” bud vase, great for giving or just for fun.
- Rebecca
Warm Greetings from DC
Hello to all from the US Capitol City. I’m very excited to be blogging for Babyccino — I’ve been a fan since the beginning of the blog, and continue to enjoy the mix of parenting tips, travel info, shopping finds and recipes. I’m looking forward to sharing my new DC finds and tips as I get settled in my new [old] hometown. As you can imagine, it is an exciting time to be in DC, and you can feel the buzz of new possibilities in the air here. I hope that I can pass that on to you all!
-Rebecca
