IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL.

Shop Unique Holiday Gifts at Tabletop

“How they managed to cram so much personality into one adorable little shop, I'll never know,” writes one Yelp reviewer of Tabletop, a unique store in Takoma Park. “The shop is chock-full of wonderful, fantastic, hilarious things for your home that you never knew you needed, but shouldn't ever have to live without.” You might not have realized you needed a tabletop bowling game in your life, but you’ll feel the need soon enough, once you’ve set foot in Tabletop. 

The same goes for a cookbook showcasing beans (“the world’s most versatile plant-based protein), a self-infusing cup coated in sakura blossoms, and an ice mold shaped like the Death Star. With so many options available, you’ll be sure to find something to buy (and plenty more to add to your wishlist). 

Shopping for gifts? Look no further. You’ll be ready for every birthday, holiday, housewarming, and baby shower from now on, with little to no risk of bringing the same gift as another guest. And, because so many of their items are eco-friendly and/or locally-made, you can feel good about the gift you give after a purchase from Tabletop’s Takoma Park location. 

Start Your Day With an Espresso at Zed’s Cafe

Zed's Café calls themselves "one big living room."It’s even printed right on their sign! And there is something so wonderful about eating a hot meal or enjoying a fresh cup of coffee in someone else’s living room for a change after a long few months of self-quarantining. 

Zed's Café not only feels homey, but they also have the food that you’d make at home. Simple vegetable quiche, omelettes on a croissant, and turkey on focaccia all come with a side of mixed greens. Lots of folks like to bring a laptop and just get a coffee or pastry, and Zed's Café makes a mean macchiato for under $3. Artists and musicians also love Zed's Café for their monthly open mic nights, live music, and social gatherings. As restrictions continue to ease, look for a calendar chock full of events to attend or to showcase your artistry. Find Zed’s Café in the heart of downtown Silver Spring on Georgia Avenue. Doors open daily at 8 a.m.

Fall Treats to Bake in November

Sweet potato, pumpkin, apple—these are a few of the ingredients that flourish in the fall, so it makes sense they’d also play a starring role in your baked goods. If you’re looking for some sweet autumn treats to make this month that are a little more creative than pumpkin muffins and apple pie, try these recipes.

Gingery Sweet Potato Pie [Country Living]
The distinct addition of ginger lends a rich, complex flavor to this otherwise traditional sweet potato pie. You can make your own pie crust or buy one pre-made to cut back on prep time. Then bake about four small sweet potatoes and mash them with milk, eggs, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and, of course, sugar. Fill the pie crust with the sweet mixture, bake it, and top with homemade (or storebought) whipped cream.

Pumpkin Crisp [Delish]
Sure, pumpkin pie is delicious, but pumpkin crisp in a cast-iron skillet? You really can’t beat that. This recipe guides you in mixing together pumpkin puree, eggs pumpkin pie spice, heavy cream, and vanilla with ample amounts of sugar. Next, you’ll craft a crumbly topping using flour, brown sugar, salt, butter, and pecans. Pour the creamy mixture into a greased cast-iron skillet, sprinkle the buttery crumbs on top, and bake for about 45 minutes—then enjoy a slice a la mode.

Apple Dumpling Bake [Taste of Home]
This recipe is much easier than apple pie, and it features one unexpected ingredient: Mountain Dew. Apple slices wrapped in crescent rolls simmer in the sweet, bubbly beverage with sugar, butter, and cinnamon for about 35 minutes. The result? Flaky, golden-brown rolls bearing the perfect balance of tart Granny Smith apples and sweet soda and sugar. For an extra-delicious dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Fair-Trade Beans Are the Focus at La Coop Coffee

In times like these, you need a short list of the places with delicious food and drinks that also offers plenty of outdoor seating. La Coop Coffee is one such place, and offers friendly service and the products you can feel good about supporting right now. La Coop Coffee sets themselves apart by being a family-owned business that directly sources their coffee products from the owner’s hometown in Guatemala. This ensures a fair price for the farmer, and the highest quality coffee for you! Choose from all your favorite blended drinks in hot or cold iterations, along with menu standouts like the dirty horchata with plenty of cinnamon and spice. There are a few things to nibble on as well, like pastries, quiche, and empanadas, as well as bagged coffee from the same cooperative for you to brew at home. 

La Coop Coffee has a comfortable homey feel inside, with a nice side porch area if you prefer to stay outside. Support this great local business with your patronage today!

The Best Ways to Decorate a Pumpkin, No Carving Knife Necessary

It’s the season of fall festivals and pumpkin-picking! That also means you might be gearing up to carve your annual jack-o’-lantern. But these creative DIY ideas might convince you to put down the carving knife and do something different this year.

Crayon Drip Pumpkins [Good Housekeeping]
This customizable craft gives you tons of artistic license over your pumpkin. You can leave the pumpkin in its natural orange state or paint it white, black, or really any color. Just make sure the color of the pumpkin canvas goes well with whatever crayons you have on hand! After the paint dries, unwrap the crayons (leftover stubs work, too) and situate one near the stem of the pumpkin. Use a hairdryer to melt it and send the wax drips artfully cascading down the pumpkin. Repeat with as many crayons/colors as you want!

Yarn-Wrapped Pumpkins [Two Shades of Pink]
Here’s a fun way to put extra yarn or twine to good use: wrap your pumpkins in it. This tutorial showcases a few different ways that you can swathe pumpkins or gourds in any shade of yard. Simply loop the yarn around the pumpkin horizontally, continuing to stack up layers until you reach the stem, or twist the yarn vertically and weave it back and forth from bottom to top. Then wrap the stems in some string of a different color as the final flourish.

Gingham Painted Pumpkins [Kelly in the City]
If you love the sweet, classic look of gingham, this might be the DIY for you. In true farmhouse-chic fashion, the tutorial creates checkered pumpkins that are much more stylish than a jack-o’-lantern. Start by painting the entire pumpkin white. Once the white base dries, add vertical stripes in the hue of your choice. Choose a darker shade of the same color to create vertical stripes and achieve that cute gingham effect.

Add a Visit to Heyser Farms to Your Autumn Bucket List

When fall comes around, it’s easy to overpack your schedule between school events, social functions, and autumnal activities like scouring pumpkin patches, browsing craft stands, and visiting orchards. But, when you’re pressed for time with so many responsibilities, it’s just as easy to let the fun to-dos fall to the wayside. Thanks to Heyser Farms, though, you can cut down your autumn bucket list without sacrificing the seasonal fun you’re dreaming of—they’ll be your one-stop-shop for all things autumnal. 

As the air becomes as crisp as the leaves falling to the ground, apple season is in full swing. Heyser Farms takes full advantage of this delicious time of year, offering apple cider, cider tours, apple pies, apple sauce, and apples themselves. But that’s not all—Heyser Farms also hosts a pumpkin patch and the Annual Apple Cider Fall Festival, complete with farm demonstrations, wagon rides, artists, and other entertainment. 

With so much available in one location, it’s easy to spend time on all your fall favorites without getting overwhelmed. All that newfound space in your schedule will certainly come in handy, too: once you’ve tasted their apple cider, you’re sure to want to stop by to restock! 

Where to Spend a Sunny Fall Day Near Central: Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park

Montgomery County's Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park is one of the area's most popular destinations for outdoor recreation, and a quick accounting of its attractions makes it quite clear why. The park, which dates back to the 1930s, follows the Sligo Creek as it winds toward the Anacostia River. The park’s most utilized feature is probably the Sligo Creek Trail, a ten-mile paved path that provides vital pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure for the local community, while also preserving natural habitat space for native flora and fauna. In addition to the trail, you'll find picnic areas and playgrounds placed along the water's edge, as well as facilities for golf, tennis, basketball and other recreational activities. Even better, since sections of Sligo Creek Parkway are currently being closed to automobile traffic, there’s even more space for locals to enjoy all that the park has to offer. Check the website for a map and park regulations.

Football Sundays Call for Crispy Chicken From Silver Spring Wings

Game night simply wouldn’t be complete without an order of wings. But who says you have to wait for Superbowl Sunday? At Silver Spring Wings, newly opened on Distribution Circle, you can get your wings (or tenders) with more than a dozen sauces and seasonings. 

Your wing nights will be better than ever with Silver Spring Wings’ naked or classic boneless wings (or, if you prefer, their battered chicken tenders). Depending on the style you choose, you’ll be able to order between four and thirty pieces in a batch. They offer traditional flavors, like classic buffalo, parmesan peppercorn, or BBQ, as well as more unconventional options like their “hot jet lag,” mambo, or old bay buffalo sauce. And, of course, you can’t forget their must-have sides like potato wedges, cole slaw, or even house-fried rice. 

Customers have already gone to Yelp to share their experiences and favorites. As one reviewer puts it, “I said they're delicious right? What're you waiting for? Go eat here.” From “great wings” to “my favorite wing place in the DMV,” there’s no end to this enthusiasm in sight. 

How to Refresh Your Apartment Closet for Fall

Getting ready for a new season is always a process, one that should include cleaning out your closet. In order to prepare for the impending cooler weather, spend some time organizing your wardrobe. Follow these steps to make the process simple.

1. Gather your materials. Before you get started, take stock of what you need. Maybe bins for your sweaters would be helpful, or perhaps a shoe organizer to hang over the back of the closet door would cut down on the chaos. Make sure you have everything on hand before the organization begins.

2. Trim the excess. Next, sort through your clothing. Pack away anything you won’t need until spring, and donate items you don’t wear on a regular basis. A good trick to discern what is and isn’t essential in your wardrobe: turn all of your hangers in the same direction, and then when you wear something, place it back in the closet with the hanger pointing the opposite way. Then you’ll easily be able to suss out the obsolete pieces.

3. Put together grab-and-go outfits. Now that you’ve either donated or packed away anything that won’t be an autumn essential, it should be easy to put together a few cool-weather outfits. Aim for a mix of styles so you always have something easy to throw on, regardless of the occasion—from a stroll in the park to a day at the home office. Having these outfits ready to go eliminates stress when you’re in a hurry.

4. Organize everything else by category. Whatever doesn’t fit into your collection of fall ensembles should be stored in an organized fashion. For example, fold all sweatshirts and put them in bins next to each other. Do the same for jeans. Hang blouses or buttondowns together, corral skirts or suits in the same spot, and shuffle dresses to one side of the closet.

How to Get Your Closet Ready for Summer [Pottery Barn]

7 Simple Steps: How to Get Your Closet Ready for Summer [California Closets]

4 Tips to Get Your Closet Spring and Summer Ready [Creative Homekeeper]

Drink to Your Health at Smoothie King

One reason why Smoothie King has been so popular in Silver Spring is that it helps to resolve a perennial summertime contradiction. Summer is often the time when people try to establish new healthy lifestyle choices, while at the same time the warmer weather means ice cream, milkshakes, and the like. However, with an enormous selection of frosty drinks made from whole fruits and vegetables, Smoothie King splits the difference between discipline and indulgence. 

The menu is organized into five main areas: fitness (protein drinks designed for post-workout recovery), slim (selections with fewer than 350 calories per 20 ounces), wellness (smoothies fortified with essential vitamins), breaktime (for when you want to treat yourself) and kids (for the young and young at heart). If you find all the choices overwhelming, check out the Smoothie King Fuel Finder on the website, which will help generate a taste profile just for you. 

Order online or through the app for delivery or contactless takeout.