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    • July 4th
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    • Summer bucket list
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    • Splash parks
    • Trains!
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    • Spring classes
    • Summer camps
    • Mid-winter break camps
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    • DC Hotels with Indoor Pools
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Spread Kindness for Valentine’s Day

January 13, 2023

You and your children, students, and/or troop members are invited to participate in the annual “Spreading Kindness” community service program that Eliana’s Light, a local non-profit, organizes each year to support children who have serious medical conditions, their caregivers, and their care providers. 

You can be a part of a collaborative effort to share positive messages of kindness, care, and compassion. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for all ages, schools, organizations, businesses, and associations! Gather your family members, friends, and colleagues as they can participate from anywhere in the world.

To participate: You can work on your own or organize a group at your home, work, school, and/or community organization to:

  • make cards or hospital room signs with messages of encouragement, support and empathy;
  • write on a decorated piece of paper a poem, quote and/or song you write or select that gives uplifting, relevant and appropriate messages;
  • draw a picture or paint a painting of images/scenes that carry messages of renewal, replenishment & well-being
  • design a message, graphic and/or image that you submit virtually.

Deadline: Friday, Feb. 10

Please send an email if you are interested in participating. You’ll receive additional guidelines on the messaging.

How to submit: You can email digital works to Eliana’s Light. To submit paper products, please coordinate with Beltway Bambinos, by emailing us.

Where your submissions will go: They will be shared on social media, via deliveries to local children’s hospitals, and through emails to families Eliana’s Light supports and the doctors, nurses, social workers, case managers, therapists & all the others who care for them.

About Eliana’s Light: Eliana’s Light supports the whole health, well-being and quality of life of DC, MD, and VA families that include children who have medical complexity. They provide critical emotional, financial, and educational support to family members while they connect the caregivers to additional resources. They also advocate for whole health approaches to care in pediatrics and regularly organize volunteer programs that build community and connection while raising awareness on these families and whole health care. Click here or more information.

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Filed Under: Holiday Options Tagged: cards, Elianas Light, kindness, love, valentines day

Valentine’s Day treats, gifts and events in and around Washington, DC

January 30, 2022

Pictured: Fudgy Frosting Squares from Milk Bar

Milk Bar: Logan Circle & Online
Send treats so decadent they’re proven to get you a second date. Try the red velvet cheesecake cake, fudgy frosting squares, better than roses truffles and more.

Artisan Confections: Arlington, VA
Jason Andelman’s recipes creatively blend high-quality ingredients that subtly enhance the star of the show – Valrhona chocolate – considered the best in the industry. The result is a collection of smooth and creamy confections that look as stunning as they taste. These truffles are beautiful and definitely are a treat for the eyes as well as the palate. 

The Capital Candy Jar: NE, DC
We continue to make all of our candy by hand in small batches.  It’s sold in gourmet grocery stores, gift shops and coffee shops all over the United States but you can also have them shipped to you from their website. They have a large assortment from chocolate dipped strawberries, gummy candy and chocolates.

Neuhaus: Bethesda Row & Union Station
For over 100 years, ever since Jean Neuhaus Jr. invented the Belgian praline in 1912, all Neuhaus chocolates have been made entirely in Belgium. You can find Valentine’s boxes, truffles and chocolate collections.

Fleurir Chocolates: Alexandria, VA
Hand made artisan chocolates that are works of art made of high-quality, natural ingredients in small batches. You can purchase truffles, caramels and chocolate bars.

June B. Sweet: Chevy Chase, DC
They have a selection of Brigadeiro flavors, mini cakes and Brazilian Mousse available every day at Chevy Chase Stationary (formerly Write for You).

Henry’s Sweet Retreat: Bethesda, MD
Hot cocoa bombs, truffles, dipped chocolates and candies in addition to all of the old school candy from your childhood.

Velatis: Silver Spring, MD
Velatis has been making small batch gourmet handcrafted caramels since 1866. You can purchase caramels and toffee.

The Chocolate House: DuPont Circle, DC
The Chocolate House is a tasting room and boutique store where you can experience over 400 unique chocolate bars and confections from artisan chocolate makers and chocolatiers from all corners of the world. You can purchase chocolate gift baskets, truffles and a variety of chocolate bars.

Harper Macaw: Various locations
Harper Macaw is a fine chocolate venture founded by a Brazilian chocolate maker and a U.S. Marine Veteran with an ambitious yet tangible objective: To turn chocolate into a force for tropical reforestation. They offer a large assortment of chocolate bars, some even being aged in whiskey barrels.

SPAGnVOLA:Gaithersburg, MD
Crisoire Reid is an award winning Chocolatier and co-owner of SPAGnVOLA. She was raised in Hato Del Rey, Dominican Republic and has a passion in land cultivation and agriculture and now grows her beans there. They offer gift boxes, truffles, bonbons, hot chocolate, caramels and more. 

Chocolate Chocolate: Downtown, DC
D.C.’s first independent chocolate shop, since 1984 serving chocolate from around the world.

Godiva: Various locations
Hand dipped strawberries, truffles for miles and drinks made to order.

Balduccis: Locations in Bethesda, Alexandria and McLean
This is a premiere destination for many things such as meats and cheeses. The selection of chocolates and confections is very impressive too.

Henry’s Sweet Retreat in Bethesda will have Valentine’s goodies; likely cookies to decorate.

Gifts:
Mad Libs Dear Valentine Letters

Pop-it Crossbody heart bag
Mad Libs
Giant pop-it heart
Wooden heart magnets
Decorate your own wooden heart box
Pete the Cat Valentine’s Day is Cool

Decor and games:
Year Cheer creates fun family moments instantly with holiday celebrations in a box.

46 fun and easy Valentine’s crafts from PureWow

5 Handmade Valentine’s Day gifts from KiwiCo

Spread love:
Eliana’s Light invites you and your family members, friends, and/or colleagues to participate in “Spreading Kindness”, their 7th Annual community service program in advance of Valentine’s Day. Due to the pandemic, this year’s program will again be virtual, and you can participate where you are. They welcome photos of homemade cards, poems, printable artwork for coloring pages, and songs that give uplift, hope and encouragement to children with serious illnesses and complex medical conditions. Please email items to Eliana’s Light before Feb. 10th. They also welcome donations to purchase art supplies for these families in financial need. Please make a financial donation by clicking here. Questions? Please email!

Events:
Jan. 30 & Feb. 6: Virtual Valentine’s Card Workshop
Feel the love with some Valentine fun at our latest handmade cards workshop. Perfect for virtual hang out with your gals or some cozy solo crafting time. Make one-of-a-kind cards that you can gift to your significant other or your bestie on Valentine’s Day.

Feb. 11: American Girl Valentine’s Cake Decorating
Your girl will enjoy this extra-sweet Valentine’s-inspired cake-decorating class in our store. After learning the basics of this tasty craft, girls can take their creative masterpiece home to admire—and eat with family! Each class will have an on-trend cake-decorating theme as well as two facilitators to help girls with any decorating questions they may have. Girls will leave with their personalized cake, plus each girl will receive the “American Girl Baking Cookbook.”

Feb. 13: Laurie Berkner Virtual Valentine’s Day Concert
2 shows: 12p & 5p ET! Join Laurie Berkner for an 80+min LIVE interactive, virtual performance (plus pre-show!) for the whole family! Sing, dance, & play games through your device with Laurie as she performs fan favorites and Valentine’s songs, interacts with you through the screen, & brings in a few surprises – from her house to yours! Your ticket gives you access to BOTH shows (12p & 5pET) and helps the LBB team continue operations while we can’t tour! You can purchase a meet & greet add-on above. Group rates available, email  to inquire. Please note there will now be a 15% service fee added to tickets, which supports the wonderful folks at the platform that hosts our events.

Feb. 13: Paint & Sip at AU Prosper
When was the last time you did something special with your children just to make memories? There’s going to be free food & drinks, music (DJ) , love, and happiness. The event space is made up into two sections one will be the Dance floor and the other will be holding the Paint and Sip. Come and make memories with us!! You’ll have a blast!!!

Feb. 14: All Fired Up
Reserve a table for two on February 14 to paint with your sweetie. Bring your wine and enjoy a relaxing and fun experience being creative at All Fired Up. When you visit us you can choose from pottery painting, mosaics, fused glass, and acrylic painting.

Local:
Chaia Tacos For one day only, our tacos will be served in our fresh, home-made tortillas made Valentine’s Day-festive with a dash of beet root powder! 

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Filed Under: Date Night, Holiday Options, Products I Love Tagged: celebrate, chocolate, gifts, sweets, valentines, valentines day

Ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in and around Washington, DC

January 27, 2021

February 2:
7:00pm-8:30pm CST: Paper Source Virtual Valentine Card Making
Feel the love with some Valentine fun at our latest handmade cards workshop. Perfect for virtual hang out with your gals or some cozy solo crafting time. Make one-of-a-kind cards that you can gift to your significant other or your bestie on Valentine’s Day. Shop our recommended supplies here and our optional, add-on supplies here.

February 7:
2:30pm-4:30pm: Parent & Me Valentine’s Drip Cake with a Sugar Cookie Cake Topper
Join Dawn Alston from Ravy Cakes, competitor on Food Networks Wedding Cake Championship, for our Parent and Me Valentine’s Day drip cake with a Sugar Cookie Cake Topper.Each team will receive a crumb-coated, 6-inch, two layered Cake. Each team will learn piping techniques, how to apply buttercream to the cake, how to decorate the cookie cake topper, and how to apply drip onto the cake. Chef Dawn will also share additional tips and tricks for cake decorating.

February 12:
10:00am: Red Panda Valentine’s Day-inspired Workshops! 
A day off from school and a full morning of art fun!  Make magical heart worlds and raining heart wall hangings inspired by the art of Chris Uphues. All supplies are included and delivered to you (local delivery only)! Workshop is designed for ages 5 to 10.

4:30pm: Red Panda Valentine’s Day-inspired Workshops! 
Give a loved one the gift of flowers that can last forever! Join us during this 90-minute workshop as we create multiple types of flowers from polymer clay. Clay flowers are added to a canvas to create an enchanting hanging garden. Workshop is best for ages 8+. Adults are welcome to participate, this could be a perfect grown-up and child activity! All materials are included and delivered to you. 

4:00pm-4:30pm & 4:30pm-5:00pm: Valentine’s Cupcake Decorating at American Girl Store
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with sweet treats! Your girl will love adding her own special touches to girl- and doll-sized cupcakes with plenty of frosting and sprinkles to make them extra special!

5:00pm-6:00pm: Valentine’s Kids Night In with My Gym
A special one-hour “evening” event where kids will spend time together on Zoom enjoying fun games and activities with their favorite teachers. Sign up online HERE.

February 13:
11:00am-1:00pm CST: Paper Source Virtual Galentine Hangout
Grab your gals, pals and best buds to join us at the Paper Source Galentine Virtual Hangout! Spend your favorite brunch time learning to make champagne cocktails, long-lasting paper blooms and DIY pressed flower candles with the Bouqs. We recommend crafting along with us with our Big Blooms Paper Flowers Kit and creating bubbly brunch cocktails with our DIY Mimosa Kit (purchased separately). Take 20% off your order when you add the Galentine Virtual Hangout to your cart & use code GALENTINE20 at checkout.

February 14:
10:00am: Red Panda Valentine’s Day-inspired Workshops! 
Spend your Valentine’s Day morning with us as we celebrate all things love! Workshop runs from 10AM to 11AM and includes a collaborative painting project for the whole family! All ages 2+ welcome. All supplies included and delivered to you (local delivery only). $25/family.

10:00am: Virtual concert with Marsha & the Positrons
A 30 min concert; all are welcome! Tune in on Marsha’s Facebook live page.

12:00pm & 5:00pm EST: Laurie Berkner’s Valentine’s Day Party Virtual Concerts for Families 
Laurie encourages fans of all ages to decorate their homes for Valentine’s Day and to wear something fun and valentine-y to the show — shades of pink and red are the order of the day, and love-hearts are the shape of the hour! $20 Regular*/$80. Meet & greet add-on package. Group discounts available.

2:00pm: Adventure Theatre presents The Heartcracker Ballet
Adventure Theatre MTC’s Sunday digital productions will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a reading of the new play The Heartcracker Ballet by Margaret Gorman. In this new work, middle-schoolers Zelda and Therese are dear friends who have been dancing around one question for some time now: how do you admit to your friend that you want to go out with them? Adventure Theatre MTC’s digital productions are Sundays at 2PM ET free on Facebook-live.

2:00pm-4:00pm: Card making at The Lane
What’s Valentine’s day without a homemade card covered in paste and construction paper hearts? There will be hot chocolate, card making, masks, social distancing, and someone else (The Lane staff) cleaning up afterward.

2:30pm: Shrek at the Drive-In
Enjoy Valentines as a family, includes admission for the whole car, family size popcorn, a rose for Mom, & a special sweet treat, This special showing is only offered as a package.

Ongoing:
Valentine’s at-home mini kit from Nook
Host a mini Valentines Day Celebration for 5 little loves. In this kit you’ll get: a cookie decorating kit from Fluffy Thoughts Cakes, with 5 heart-shaped cookies, 3 bags of colored frosting, and a Valentines sprinkle mix, a Valentines Day activity, provided by BumoBrain, plates, napkins, and wooden (kid-friendly) knives for easy frosting application. Pre-order your kit by February 5th. Kits will be available for pickup at Nook Ballston Quarter or Nook Bethesda Row on February 11 & 13 between 9-11am. 

Eliana’s Light is taking its 6th Annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids & Cookies for Caregivers community service program virtual! You can be a part of a collaborative effort to share positive messages of kindness, care, and compassion for children with complex medical conditions, their caregivers & their care providers at pediatric medical centers. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for all ages, schools, organizations, businesses, and associations! For more information, please click here. Gather your family members, friends, and colleagues as they can participate from anywhere in the world.

Year Cheer
YearCheer is the solution for busy moms who want to create memorable moments for their kids, but are so busy managing the day to day of their work and family that “having fun” often falls to the bottom of the to-do list.  You can order individual holiday boxes delivered to your door or get a subscription so all the holidays are covered!

10 DIY activities for kids to share love thanks to Kiwi Co

Pure Wow has 41 fun and easy Valentine’s crafts

All Fired Up
Valentine bundle includes Valentine bundle includes I Love You block or two heart ornaments, a heart tote, paint brushed and heart candles. They also offer adult workshops!

Rosslyn Love
This Valentine’s Day, the Rosslyn BID wants to help you show some love and gratitude! Rosslyn Love is a community-wide activity where you can share your appreciation for your friends, family, coworkers, significant other or even your favorite local business! Now through February 1, participants can submit a message through this link to be displayed on five temporary murals on Wilson Boulevard outside of the upcoming Highlands development. The murals will be installed February 8 and will be up through the end of the month for the entire neighborhood to see!

Henry’s Sweet Retreat in Bethesda will have Valentine’s goodies; likely cookies to decorate. Check back for more details.

Get the very best Valentine’s Day chocolate for your loves!

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Filed Under: Holiday Options, Virtual Tagged: valentines day

Create virtual Valentine’s for Eliana’s Light

January 20, 2021

You’re invited to show how you care for children, their caregivers, and their care providers through a caring community in advance of Valentine’s Day.

Eliana’s Light is taking its 6th Annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids & Cookies for Caregivers community service program virtual! You can be a part of a collaborative effort to share positive messages of kindness, care, and compassion for children with complex medical conditions, their caregivers & their care providers at pediatric medical centers. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity for all ages, schools, organizations, businesses, and associations! For more information, please click here. Gather your family members, friends, and colleagues as they can participate from anywhere in the world.

You are invited to submit pictures of:
-Hand-made cards or signs with messages of encouragement, support and empathy
-Poems, quotes or songs you write or select that give uplifting, relevant and appropriate messages
-Pictures you draw or paintings you paint of images/scenes that carry messages of renewal, replenishment & well-being

They will be shared on social media & through emails this year to families Eliana’s Light support and the doctors, nurses, social workers, case managers, therapists & all the others who care for so many.

Eliana’s Light provides emotional, financial, and educational support to families with children experiencing complex medical conditions. It is inspired by Founder Whitney Ortiz’s experience witnessing the gaps left behind by our broken support systems when taking care of her daughter, Eliana, for four years with a heart condition and transplant.

Eliana’s Light’s “C.A.R.E” collaborative model works with medical centers, mental health providers, housing assistance and other specialists to give families the integrated and integrative support services they need. They hope to replicate and scale this collaborative model works beyond our region. They invite your support and collaboration within all areas of their nonprofit’s mission.

The support Beltway Bambino’s readers have given towards this initiative in the past has been overwhelming and one of our favorite holiday events we are a part of. Our hope is that this year is no different even though it is a virtual event.

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Filed Under: Holiday Options, Virtual Tagged: community service, Elianas Light, valentines day

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