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.

Centerpiece DIY

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Thanksgiving is almost here. If you are hosting Thanksgiving or helping out, there are plenty of things to do to be ready for Thursday. Food preparation, cleaning, dessert baking and of course setting the table. The table may seem like the least important task, but with a few creative touches you could have a gorgeous holiday table that all of your friends and family will remember. Keep reading to learn how to make the perfect centerpiece for your new Thanksgiving tradition.


Flowers

The staple of any centerpiece are the gorgeous flowers. For a Thanksgiving centerpiece, we recommend sticking with browns, golds, oranges and reds. Apartment Therapy recommends using mums, goldenrods, hypericum and mystery greens. Instead of getting these flowers at the big superstore, head to your Flowers on Fourteenth for fresh gorgeous flowers. Flowers on Fourteenth is located at 1712 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009, just 4 minutes from your home at The Louis.

Accessories

Whether you live in the city or in the country, you can always find creative ways to use what is available outside. Head to Meridian Hill Park and pick up some branches, pine cones or leaves from the trees. This is the perfect accent to your completed centerpiece. You may not use everything you find, but it is better to have extra than not enough.

Gather Your Supplies

You will need glue, rubber bands, scissors and more for your centerpiece. Head to Michaels to gather your supplies. You can even get creative with what you want to include in the centerpiece. If you want to add some glitter or a coat of paint to stick with a theme, you can pick that up at Michaels also. The final look of the centerpiece is all up to you.

Put It Together

Start by putting one stem and laying another across it. Make sure to continually attach your stems together. You keep doing this process in a clockwise motion. Once you have a few basic stems and flowers attached, start inserting leaves, branches or anything else you have gathered. Keep building this way until you have a bouquet that you are happy with. You can then insert the bouquet into a vase, or build a base out of the leftover supplies that you have.

We hope your new centerpiece comes out beautifully. If you want detailed instructions and images, please go to Apartment Therapy to learn more.

Thanksgiving Volunteer Opportunities

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Thanksgiving is a great time to enjoy time with friends and family. Every year we say what we are thankful for, as we have a day or two off work to relax and enjoy our time together. However, not everyone has a place to go on Thanksgiving. Washington DC has many organizations that raise money or collect donations for this specific time of year. Here are a few organizations that will let you give back this Thanksgiving.

Food and Friends

Food and Friends is a great organization that helps provide for the people with illnesses in the DC area. They have many great opportunities for you to give back around the holiday season. During Thanksgiving week (Nov 23rd-Nov 25th), they need help with food preparation and turkey box delivery. Kitchen shifts for food preparation are available between 8am-6pm and can last 2-3 hours.  

You can also volunteer with their Turkey Box Delivery. Delivers occur on Monday the 24rd and Tuesday the 24th so clients have time to defrost their turkey and fixings before Thanksgiving Day. The hours to volunteer are flexible and can be worked with the volunteer’s schedule. At the beginning of each shift, a detailed orientation will be held to educate you on the process. 

SOME (So Others May Eat)

The organization hosts holiday events for program participants. The volunteers assist with preparing and serving meals, games and decorations. As a volunteer, you can also help assist with assembling Thanksgiving dinner baskets. SOME also holds its annual Trot for Hunger beginning at 8:30am in West Potomac Park. This 5k fun run and family walk benefits the programs that SOME offers for the homeless women, children and men of DC.

These are just a few of the many great programs that are available throughout the DC area. You can find more Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities here.  We are very thankful for our friends, family and residents of The Louis. If you know of any other volunteer opportunities, please share them on our Facebook Page. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving with loved ones this year. 

Fireplaces and Happy Hours

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The weather is getting colder, and that means the days of outdoor happy hours are limited. However, in DC there are many bars and restaurants that bring the outdoor experience to the winter months. Cuddle up by a fire at these patio bars and restaurants for your work happy hour. You can stay warm while enjoying the outdoors. 

Biergarten Haus

It might not be Oktoberfest weather, but you can still enjoy the liter beers at the Biergarten Haus. This bar has a large fireplace in the back patio beer garden that keeps the outdoor space warm and cozy during the cold winter temperatures. Monday through Thursday enjoy the outdoors during their 4pm-7pm Happy Hour. They also have a Friday happy hour from 4pm-6pm. Happy hours will get you a $6.00 1/2 liter or a $10 liter. 

Barcelona 14th Street

This bar and restaurant is at the heart of Logan circle. The wine bar is a great place to join with friends and neighbors of The Louis for a few after work drinks. There outdoor area includes heat lamps, blankets and a massive outdoor fireplace for the chilly winter months. Make some time to enjoy the fire with a glass of wine and a gourmet dish this winter. 

Irongate

Irongate is located on the 1700 block of N Street NW. The warm and cozy courtyard is perfect for the chilly weather. Their indoor area includes an actual brick fireplace to keep the inside room at a perfect temperature. You can step into their courtyard for fire pits, heat lamps and candles to keep the temperature warm while enjoying the outdoors. Make sure to also sample their seasonal tasting menu that starts at $65 a person. 

Art and Soul

Come early and grab a table around Art and Soul’s large cauldron. Now that the leaves are starting to fall you will have a perfect view of the Capitol Dome. Art and Soul features a patio happy hour each weekday from 4pm-7pm. You can even get a drink or food item to go for your canine pet back home.