It's Summer. Let's Have Some Fun

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Today is the last day of school for students. And on Friday, most of the staff  [including me!] has their final day of school/work. And that means summer really, really will be here by the end of the week. Ahh! Here's how I want to romp around and enjoy the sunshiney days, when I'm not being a grown up/interning/working at my other job, of course:

 

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What are your summer plans?

Are You Hungry? Nah, I Had Some Wind

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If you haven't already watched the comedic efforts of Harvard Sailing Team, an "Ivy League" sketch comedy group, you're. going. to. love. this!

My coworkers and I pull up their YouTube videos almost daily.

This NY-based group of 5 girls & 4 guys neither sails, nor hails from Harvard. And they're hilarious - in a I'm-not-trying-I-was-born-with-genius-timing way.

Here's one of their funniest videos to date:

P.S. Today's title comes from a joke at 1:24 in the video.

Pump Your Gas & Have Your Thai, Too

So as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm currently interning at NoVA Mag. As part of a new assignment, I'll be blogging about all things arts & entertainment over on our Game Plan blog. 

Check out my post there today: they have some of the best Thai food in Leesburg; it's served ala gas station?

Clara, another A & E intern, will be posting, too, along with tons of cool theater reviews & highlighting shows you won't want to miss this summer. Her personal blog Clara-fict-tation is also a fun read.

I'll post more updates as we blog our way through this summer's hottest things to do, places to go & shows to see.

Outdoor Movies At Capitol Riverfront

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In high school, when summer rolled around, my friends and I would anxiously wait for Hyde Park, the cute little neighborhood in our hometown, to start playing their season of outdoor films. We would crowd around the stone fountain to see old black & whites like Casablanca to Gone With the Wind. So much fun.

At Hyde Park after a night of movie-watching

When they eventually stopped showing free outdoor films, we were devastated. Luckily, DC has tons of different venues that host outdoor movie nights in the summer. 

Such as: Tingey Plaza near Navy Yard. Thursday nights @ 8:45 PM. This year's theme: best of the Oscars - so you know they're going to be good.

Here's a full list of all the films:

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Pack a blanket or chairs, some snacks and cool off at sunset with free flick. For more info: visit Capitol Riverfront's website here.

Proofreading: Always. Do. It.

The art of proofreading isn't just for school teachers and copy editors. Bloggers and Tumblr users everywhere, take heed: 

Read over everything before you post.

Why Do You ♥ NoVA?

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Northern Virginia has monuments, hiking, horse farms, four seasons, battlefields. It's history and culture with a beautiful view. Known as many things: the Commonwealth, birthplace of multiple U.S. presidents, home to the largest office building in the world [Pentagon, anyone?], NoVA has a little bit of something for everyone.

Although I will say I'm not currently loving the humid stickiness we call the weather, there are so many reasons to embrace being a Northern Virginian.

What do you love about life in NoVA?

Jazz It Up In The Sculpture Garden

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Weekends in the District provide plenty of opportunities for cultural and musical perusing - and freely doing so. This summer is no exception. DC's uber-popular Jazz In the Garden season returns again, starting tonight at 5 P.M. Enjoy live jazz from the comfort of a blanket with good friends, sangria and snacks [BYOS, unless you're actually pro-long lines]. 

It's the biggest picnic-style after work party this city's ever seen. If you're on Operation:Cool Down and escaping to the beach this weekend, no need to fret. The Sculpture Garden will play repeat host every Friday through September.

 

That's 16 excuses to leave work early, dig out your old picnic basket and frolic in the grass. Not that you needed any.

Balcony Is To Porch As Summer Is To Night

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Life in the city is different from small towns in a couple ways. For instance, instead of mowing grassy lawns, there's just enough space to have a small commitment to green upkeep: grow a small tray of bean sprouts or water some potted plants on your windowsill. Forget washing your car. What car? Instead, we wash our small or mid-size pooches after an evening at the dog park.

And unlike big, sprawling or quaint, old timey homes, our humble abodes [read: apartments] don't have wraparound porches.

We do, however, have a little 3' x 8' cement slice of heaven: that would be our balconies.

Although most don't allow grilling, we can make our breakfast/lunch/dinner inside - or heck, get something delivered - and then proceed to consume it in our deck chairs on warm summer nights. We still say hi and greet our neighbors; they're just suspended forty feet in the air like we are. 

This is where you'll find me this summer - relaxing and cooling off on my outdoor oasis, people watching and listening to the bus station . . . 395 traffic . . . it's all good.

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Newstylehouse 

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 79 ideas

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Apartment Therapy

Are you a balcony dweller? Where will you be enjoying your summer nights?

7 Days, 7 Outfits

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When the oh-no-the-weekend-is-over-and-I-still-haven't-done-laundry dilemma arises, I like to keep it easy peasy lemon squeezy: turn to the experts who have perfected the art of whipping together outfits with just a few pieces. Luckily, Shop Ruche has just the thing. With 6 pieces, they came up with 7 outfits. That's 7, count 'em 7, looks. Enough to put off laundry until next week. What more can a girl ask for? Except for maybe naturally Pantene Pro-V model bouncy, shiny hair and clothes that wash themselves, of course.

 

Boy Taped Proposal As A MovieTrailer. Girl Has No Idea.

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I'm a huge sucker for anything romantic or cheesy. And really great proposals top the list. How about, "Hey, let's go the movies" as a cover-up for "Hey, let's spend the rest of our lives together." Throw in some buttery popcorn, a crowded dark theater secretly filled family and friends, and pre-taped movie trailer for the surprise ending of a lifetime. ♥

H-B Woodlawn 5K Trail Race For Change

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Do you want to help provide clean water solutions to children in Haiti and Bangladesh? Like to feel your blood pumping and work up a sweat for an amazing cause?

All you 5k lovers and morning joggers - this one's for you: H-B Woodlawn and H20 For Life are putting on a 3.1 mile trail race this Saturday at Potomac Overlook Regional Park [map available here]. Online sign up is now closed but will open again the day of the race at 7 A.M.

The money that's being raised - by the wonderful students I previously blogged abut here] will go directly to children and families across the globe who are in desperate need of sanitary drinking water.

When: THIS Saturday, May 21st
Where: Potomac Overlook Regional Park

Time: Sign up at 7 A.M.; race begins at 8 A.M.

Cost: $30  UPDATE: Only $25!

Will you race for change?

Running In Heels

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Ever wake up every few hours in the middle of the night because you don't want to sleep through your alarm? Guilty as charged. That was me last night. A mixture of nerves and excitement = one sleepless night.

I started my editorial internship at Northern Virginia Mag today and there was no way I was going to be late [hence the mid-night wakeups].

So what was it like? Think The Devil Wears Prada meets The City, minus a crazy boss and the drama, and you get the picture.

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Just call me LD. Kidding, that's not necessary.

My thoughts from the first day:

• Don't actually run in your heels: Although I titled the post "running in heels," I actually wore black flats this morning. It was rainy and gross outside. Best decision of the day. Completely recommend this to anyone with a commute. Or at least wait til you arrive before switching into heels.

• The outfit: Also, I wore a business dressy outfit. Once you get the vibe of the office, then you can dress accordingly. NoVA is definitely more edgy, and now I know what I'll be wearing all summer.

• Pack a lunch ... and then some:  For lunch, I packed what I thought would be a delicious salad. Turns out, the lettuce wilted by the time I went to eat it. Not to worry - that's what back-up trail mix is for.

• Ask questions: Especially right from the first day, you're not expected to know how to use the copier or where you can get a swipe card for the building. So fire away!

• What a commute: Gas is uber cheap in Chantilly - only $3.93?!?! Too bad it's a 30 mile drive there and 30 miles back.

• Caffeine is your friend: The search is over! I snatched up a case of Cheerwine at Sheetz after leaving the office. Will definitely be drinking it like it's my job.

• Be ready to work: My boss gave me lots of assignments right away. Don't think that the first day/week is going to be full of long coffee breaks and chatting with the other interns, which sounds lovely but is not the reason you applied, interviewed and were chosen to intern away the next few months of your life. So jump right in and start researching/editing/interviewing for your articles.

•  Nose plug not included: Sitting in the cubicles next to the office "kitchen" means hunger pains + a bit of nausea at the smell of things constantly being heated up - everything from pasta to hot dogs.
  

but the bottom line is:

• It's totally worth it: Traveling crazy distances every day to work for free is not only "character building" but absolutely important to building your resume. It may not seem like it in the beginning but everyone has to start somewhere.

Cheerwine - And The Search Begins

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While I was in college, some of my FSU friends introduced me to the greatness that is Cheerwine. Now, if you're not familiar with the drink, you may be thinking, "College students drinking wine - what else is new?" But actually, there's not a drop of alcohol  - or grapes - in it. It's a soda/coke originally made in Carolina and it's like heaven in a can [or bottle].

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Once we tried it, we were hooked with a capital H.

We would bribe and beg any friends traveling further south [and by that, I mean technically going north] of Tally to bring us back as many cans and two liters that $10 would buy that could fit in their trunk. Anyone traveling through the South was required to make mandatory pit stops at the local gas station or Food Lion to grab up what they could.

After securing our rations, the possibilities of how to drink it saw no end:

with ice cream,

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in a cake,

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over ice,

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on top of cupcakes,

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or straight out of the bottle!

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Since moving to Virginia last fall, I've only had Cheerwine once: while making the really long trek from Tampa back to Arlington on New Year's Eve, my friend and I bought some at a gas station along the way. I'm not gonna lie. I bought a two liter [it was cheaper than two small bottles!] and just put a straw in it. Best helps-you-stay-awake-all-night-drink. Hands down.

Thanks to the Cheerwine Finder, I discovered that a gas station near my internship carries it. Will be stocking up asap!

Have Your Apple [Crisp] & Eat It, Too

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Yesterday, I went to a bbq with friends. Granted, it was inside, and our hamburgers were grilled courtesy of George Foreman. But nonetheless, it was a bbq - we wore cute summery clothes, brought covered dishes and sipped on cold drinks. Thus I decided on the spot that bbqing should happen at least once a week from now through the summer.

My assignment for the get-together was to bring a dessert (no surprise there). With the endless possibilities of dessert choices - pies, cookies and cakes, oh my - I settled on bringing something with fruit. So apple crisp it was. It was really easy to make and even more delicious to eat. Minus the whole oh-man-I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that feeling afterward. Because you'll feel at least a teeny bit proud of yourself for getting at least one [or two] servings of fruit in your day.

I knew apple crisp and I were going to be friends as soon as the toasty cinnamon smell filled my kitchen . . .

Healthy Apple Crisp

[from here]

What you'll need:

1/2 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose [or wheat] flour
2/3 cup firmly packed brown [or raw] sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg [optional - I didn't have any at home so I skipped using it]
3 tbsp butter, melted
4 Granny Smith apples [or, if you're short on time, 2 cans of all-natural apple pie filling]*
1/2 gallon low-fat vanilla ice cream or fro-yo


What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. While it's preheating, spray/grease a 13"  x 9" baking pan. I used glass but ceramic or your pan of choice should be a-okay.

3. Grab a mixing bowl and throw in everything but the apples and ice cream - that would be the oatmeal, flour, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg, as well as the butter. Stir until it's well mixed and small clumps of oats and flour begin to form.

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4. Next, suds up and clean those apples. Then peel, core and slice them into skinny slices. *Or if you're going the apple pie filling route, simply take your handy-dandy can opener and open your apple cans. Convenience to the max!

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5. Take your apple slices or pre-made apple filling and spread it evenly over the bottom of your baking dish.

6. If you've ever been a flower girl, here's your time to shine, again: grab a small handful of the crisp mix and gently toss over the layer of apple like you would down the white aisle runner on the big day. Repeat until you've covered it all/run out of mix [err . . . petals].

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7. Pop it in the oven and let it bake for about 28 to 30 minutes. When smells of crispy apples and baked cinnamon will begin to waft out of the oven, it’s close to being done.

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8.  Cut yourself a slice and enjoy. Serve it while it’s still warm with a scoop of ice cream/fro-yo if you’re so inclined. I left the ice cream at home yesterday so we had it sans topping and it was unabashedly yummy.

How much it makes:

10 to 12 small bowlfuls