Great Holiday Side Dish Ideas

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Do you have your holiday meals planned? Whether you are bringing a dish or making everything, planning your holiday dinner can be stressful. However, the most important part of a holiday meal is being together with your friends and family. We have a few easy creative dishes that will be a hit this holiday season. Take an hour or two and make these delicious dishes, we are positive they will be a hit with your holiday party. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

A great classic holiday side dish is the sweet potato casserole. This holiday classic is one that everyone looks forward to this time of year. You only need a few ingredients and 45 minutes to make your tastebuds happy. Do you want to make this, but you do not have a dish? Head to Home Rule to grab a 9 by 13 glass baking dish. Check out All Recipes to find the whole recipe to this delicious dish 

A Holiday Salad

Salads always seem like the easiest thing to make for a pot luck. However, take some time this year and get creative with a unique and handmade winter salad. We are so excited to try this Winter Salad with Avocado, Pomegranate and Almonds. This easy recipe is done in 30 minutes and feeds eight people. You can even find the fresh produce locally at Whole Foods. You can even pair this salad with a Citrusy Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for a complete meal. See the easy steps to your delicious salad at Food and Wine. 

A Festive Chocolate Lollipop 

Cookies are what everyone craves at Christmas, but you can always mix it up with a delicious chocolate treat. Stick with the theme and make these Nutter Butter Reindeer Pops. These adorable lollipops involve taking a nutter butter dipping it in chocolate then adding decorations. These delicious treats end up looking adorable and tasting delicious. You can find candy to decorate with at It's Sugar. We think loved ones of all ages will like these adorable treats. You can find the recipe at Country Living. 

We hope everyone at The Louis has a great holiday!

Give Back This Holiday Season

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Tis the season! December and the holidays is a time to celebrate the spirit of giving. But who says you have to limit your gift giving to friends, families and coworkers? The holidays are also a great time to support local and national causes alike! Even better, with so many organizations to choose from, it’s easier than ever to support a cause that speaks to you personally.

At the same time, there are are so many organizations asking for help that it can be hard to decide who deserves your time and attention. To help you with this decision, we’ve listed a small handful of our own favorite local groups:

Capital Area Food Bank. The Capital Area Food Bank is on a mission to end hunger in the area. And to help do that, they distribute million of pounds of food a year! They'll be sponsoring multiple food drives with both schools and businesses during the month - and if you can’t make a planned event or if you’re too busy learn how to donate here.

Washington DC SPCA. Who doesn’t love helping adorable puppies and kittens? Our local SPCA is a wonderful group, and the perfect group to support to help ensure that local animals are given food, warmth, shelter and care during the holidays. If you’ve thought about supporting this group with your time - or even with your spare pennies! - now is the perfect time to do it! (Of course, we’d advise planning on helping these guys for more than a few weeks if you plan on volunteering with them - as any shelter staff member or volunteer will tell you, cute animals need help year-round!)

Children's National Health System Foundation. The holidays can be particularly rough for families in hospitals - and are especially heartbreaking when the patient is a child. The Children's National Health System Foundation exists to help find cures, treatment and help for families and children locally and across the globe. Any donation that you can give helps families and children fight illnesses and get them back home. Check out their website to learn how to donate.

These groups are just three examples of local organizations that are working to give back to the community this season - not to mention year-round! If these three don’t speak to your personally, though, have no fear. Thanks to websites such as greatnonprofits.org, it’s easy to look up organizations that are working out of Washington DC this season. With just a few clicks, you can find a group that you’ll feel good making a difference with!

What do you think - will you donate to one of these groups? Or did we not mention an organization that you personally love to support?

Last-Minute Holiday Gifts for Everyone in Your Life

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It happens to the best of us. You’ve made a list and checked it twice, but you left off your second cousin...and now you need a gift with very little time to get just the right thing! Whether you’ve been invited to a last-minute party or you have unexpected guests, sometimes you need a last-minute gift. And if you don’t have time to go shopping or order something online, it can be a big challenge!

Fortunately, there are plenty of places you can go for a nice last-minute gift. Why not try…

Fun, Colorful Kitchenware

You’d be hard pressed to find somebody who doesn’t find animal-shaped kitchenware to be a charming gift. If you’re stuck for a last-minute gift idea, why not head to Home Rule to snatch up something fun for your recipient? Even if the person you’re shopping for isn’t a big cook, you can grab fun clocks, goofy apparel, and bath products.

Give the Gift of Tunes

If the recipient of your last-minute gift loves music, there’s no better place to go than Som Records. This purveyor of used, new, and import vinyl records stocks a wide variety of genres, from rock to funk and beyond! They’re sure to have a great, unique gift for the music lover in your life.

Everyone Loves a Tasty Treat

There’s one foolproof gift that works for anybody, no matter who they are. Simply head to Smuckers Farms or Yes! Organic and find their favorite foods. You can create a themed gift basket by putting a variety of cheeses and crackers into a basket and tying it all up with a bow. Add some “holiday spirits” to the basket with a trip to Barrel House Liquor, if your gift recipient is an adult.

And If All Else Fails?

The best part about living in D.C. is the wide variety of delightful restaurants serving cuisine from all around the world. Take your lucky last-minute giftee for lunch or dinner at Le Diplomat or Doi Moi. After all - what better gift is there around the holidays than the gift of time? Spending an hour or two together over a lovely meal is a great way to cement your relationship this holiday season.

Holiday Decor In Your Apartment

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Thanksgiving and Black Friday events are over, this means that it is time to decorate for the holidays. Living in an apartment can provide you with many options to decorate. You can create a perfect winter wonderland in any space with a little creativity and work. We have gathered a few apartment holiday decorating ideas that we love. Make sure to share your holiday photos with your The Louis neighbors on our Facebook Page.

Windows

The windows in your apartment may be a favorite for you. Do you have a great view of the city or community? Use this space to start your holiday decorating. First, you need to gather some materials. Go to Target on 14th street and purchase some icicle lights and window snow paint. Hanging the lights while giving the illusion of snow on your windows is the perfect way to jump start your holiday spirit. Apartment Therapy can give you a few more ideas on how to make this look perfect.

Tree, Mistletoe, or Wreath?

The classic holiday items are perfect for any space, but deciding what is appropriate for your space is important. Mistletoe will fit in any apartment, all you need is a doorway or archway. Grab some mistletoe from Target and hang it in a high ceiling area in your house. Also, to add some holiday scents to your home, you can purchase a wreath. Even if you are not able to hang a wreath in your apartment or doorway, you can lean it against the wall on top of a cabinet or dresser. We recommend purchasing or making a wreath with scented pine cones in the arrangement. This gives you a nice holiday smell in your home all December long.

Be Creative

Getting in the holiday spirit is about your personal preferences. Do you have any decorations that are sentimental? Make sure to prioritize and put these up before anything else. These items will end up becoming your favorite pieces, and they will be displayed in every home that you live in.