ML Interest Tag: die

What Now? Christmas Day Delights in the District

by rtvictoriamason

After all the egg nog has been drunk, the carols have been sung and the presents unwrapped you want to keep the festive spirit going, but what to do? Never fear, we have compiled a list of things to do in the District on Christmas day after Santa Claus has already come to town…and eaten all of your cookies.

Photo: Francisco Antunes via Flickr

Memorials & Monuments
Taking the wee ones downtown to see the Washington and Lincoln Memorial can be a bit of a trek. Avoid the crowds this year and head over to them on Christmas day! There’s a plethora of parking close by and all of the daily hubbub of tourists and civil servants will be missing. Enjoy the stillness as you and the tykes take in unobstructed views of the Washington skyline and all the glory of our monuments and memorials, including Mr. Lincoln himself!

Monuments & Memorials
Various locations throughout the city
Open: Dawn-Dusk
Cost: Free
Online: nps.gov/nama

Photo: ktylerconk via Flickr

All Aboard
The U.S. Botanic Gardens might not be the first thing to come to mind but the always-free conservatory with its seasonal plant exhibits and displays pairs nicely with the Garden Railway model train exhibit aptly named ‘Pollination Station’. Blow their minds when you head to the West Gallery to show them the largest indoor decorated tree in the city.

U.S. Botanic Garden
100 Maryland Ave., SW
Christmas Hours: 10 am-5 pm
Cost: Free
Online: usbg.gov

Photo: Washington Harbour

Skate Away
Scoop up the kids and skate the day away at the Washington Harbour ice rink in Georgetown. This rink is even bigger than Rockefeller Center and boasts over 11,000 square feet of icy, skate-tastic fun for the whole family. Little ones can push penguins along to help them stay upright and in skating position while you take in the city’s sights of Roosevelt Island, the Kennedy Center and the Potomac River. The perfect cure for everyone’s cabin fever!

Washington Harbour Ice Rink
3050 K St., NW
Open: Christmas Day 12PM-10PM
Cost: $10/adults; $9/kids; $5/skate rental
Online: washingtonharbour.com

Photo: Mt. Vernon Estate

Presidential Affairs
Get into the olde tyme Christmas spirit at Mt. Vernon for an early-American Christmas. Tiny tykes with their eyes all aglow will enjoy the many themed Christmas trees, chocolate making demonstrations and holiday treats throughout the estate. A special holiday season bonus is the often-closed third floor where Martha Washington lived out her days. It is open this time of year for viewing. Get in while you can! Just be sure to purchase tickets for your visit online before you go as it does tend to sell out.

Mt. Vernon Estate
3200 Mount Vernon Hwy. (Mt. Vernon, Va)
Cost: $17/adults; $8/kids ages 6-11; free/kids under 5
Online: mountvernon.org

Photo: Richard Pyrker via flickr

Seeing Stars
You dashed through the crowds all Christmas season and now you can stop and enjoy the holiday moment and avoid the crowds. Today is the perfect day to take in a movie! Visit the multiplex and see the flick that you and the kiddos have been dying to view but just couldn’t squeeze into the frenzied holiday schedule. Nosh some popcorn with The Good Dinosaur or see the newest battle of the light sabers with Star Wars – The Force Awakens at a theatre near you.

Times and Locations vary per theater.

Do you have any cool plans for Christmas day? Tell us all about them in the comments section below. 

—Victoria Mason

 

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13 Trees That Will-ow Amaze You

by Christal Y.

Your kiddos play beneath their shade all summer long, and you have aspiring dreams of building a fortress among the leaves. No doubt about it, trees are pretty awesome. Living beings that produce over half of the fresh air we breathe, there’s reason to celebrate their lofty reach. In honor of Arbor Day, we’ve complied a gallery of the coolest trees in the world. Read about an ancient bristlecone pine tree in California, a Guinness World Record cashew tree in Brazil and more breathtaking beauties below.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree – Secret Location in Ca, United States

The grandaddy of them all---this ancient wonder is more than 46 centuries old and said to be the world’s oldest living thing. It maintains life by letting dying parts fall off so it can sustain a single living branch and regrow from there. Think of it like the Benjamin Button of all trees; talk about a cool dinner conversation with your budding ecologist. Find out more about the history at PBS.

photo: Achim via flickr

Which tree is your favorite? Let us know in the Comments below! 

— Christal Yuen

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Uncovering Magical Places: Hidden East Bay Parks and Gardens

by Aly Brown

The East Bay is absolutely bursting with parks where kids can build, play and ride. But if your mini is already considered the mayor of Adventure Playground or the Fairyland attendant knows your whole brood by name, it’s time to explore some of the areas hidden gems. From Fairlyland’s uncrowded little sister (where you can fish for crawdads with a paperclip and string) to a super-sized play structure that lets the littles pretend to be Spiderman and Jack Sparrow, all in one day. Click through to check out the parks that you’ve been missing!

 

 

City Park, Antioch

Why It’s Great: This park is a dying breed! With high wooden towers, rope bridges, a rock wall, and true-blue tire swings, kids can get lost for hours climbing through secret passageways and testing their agility.

Where: A St.
Antioch, Ca.
From highway 4, headed west, exit Lone Tree/A Street and turn right. Park is on the left-hand side.

Good to Know: There are bathrooms and parking available right beside the park. It’s not far from Highway 4.

 

What is your favorite off-the-radar East Bay park?  

—Aly Brown

 

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Watch Priceless Baby Reactions to Everyday Things

by Kelly Aiglon

Babies are funny. Especially when they’re making silly faces while dance music pounds in the background. That’s exactly what you get with this crazy-adorable BuzzFeed video that compiles snippets of babies reacting to trying things for the first time. From grimaces while eating ice cream to spastic smiles while looking in the mirror, this is a look at tiny humans that you won’t forget. Watch the video below and see for yourself.

Are you dying of cuteness overload? Let us know in the Comments section below.

— Kelly Aiglon

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DIY Makeover: A Must-See Inspiring Art Studio

by Claire Schillings

Between finger-painted landscapes and crazy colorful collages, every little one has an inner artist just dying to create. With all that artistic energy waiting to be released, an art room is the perfect space for kids to get inspired. For DIY lover Asia from Fun at Home with Kids, an art room was always on her list of projects for artsy daughter S (and baby X). After several home DIY projects, including a whimsical playroom for her little ones, Asia and her husband embarked on creating a fantastically inspiring spot for creative play in their Seattle home. Check out Asia’s amazing room makeover (from a home gym, no less!) and get inspired!

Before

With two other amazing DIY projects already accomplished in their home, Asia and her husband saw their home gym as the perfect creative space for their little ones...after a little by-hand retouching, of course. Asia painted over the previously beige-grey walls with a bright white shade, adding some much-needed light to the dark space, but left the original carpet, so they won't have to worry about paint spills! Plus, with the awesome cement wall running along the back of the room, Asia saw plenty of potential for an artistic space for her kiddos.

Tell us your favorite area of Asia’s artsy DIY studio in the comments below!

A former classroom teacher turned full time mom, Asia chronicles her adventures with her two little ones, S and X, on her blog Fun At Home With Kids. Drawing on her background in education, Asia features a wealth of activities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers daily, many of which can be done right in your own home. Head over to her site and check it out! A special thanks to Asia from Fun at Home with Kids for all the amazing photos! 

— Claire Schillings

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Red Tricycle Wants To Hear From You!

by Drea Lester

Do we go way back from the beginning? From the day we told you how you could really still have some fun with your bundle of joy (who didn’t seem to have any good ideas of their own), you’ve bombarded us with guesses for the “Travel Tuesday Mystery Location” and jumped on board for local adventures around your town. Your loyalty means so much to us!

Or, maybe you’re new to Red Tricycle and in that case, welcome! While you may know that you’re onto something really really cool, some of you may be still trying to figure out everything we have to offer.

Now, nearly five years into the game and three new markets later we’re dying to know: What do you really think of Red Tricycle?

So you ask, what’s in it for you? For starters, here’s the unique opportunity to tell us what you think. Yeah, we know you like to do that! Oh, and there’s a really cool prize.

Two lucky readers will be selected at random to win a $50 Gap/Baby Gap gift card. Yep that’s right, baby needs a new set of ‘duds.

In order to qualify for the promotion and win the prize, you need to first complete the entire survey and also agree to our contest rules. So go ahead. Take the survey, it won’t take long and it’s actually kind of fun.

By the way, you have our solemn promise that we won’t use any information you share or any information about you in any way but to make Red Tricycle more useful in your life. We also swear not to disclose any specific information about you to anyone outside of Red Tricycle.

Now get on it! Click here to take the survey.

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