Local Ice Cream Shops
The sun is finally out and it’s starting to feel like summer again! Time for ice cream!
What are your favorite ice cream shops? Who has the best deal on a scoop? Any particular smashing flavors out there?
A favorite since I was a little girl is the old-fashioned Thelma’s Country Store at 10200 Colvin Run Mill Rd. in Great Falls. Open since the 1930’s, the country store looks the part. If you head to the back of the store, past the racks of this and that, you’ll find an ice cream counter with flavors such as black raspberry and butterscotch. Flavors tend to be light and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Another place I have been meaning to try is York Tropical Ice Cream at 9324 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring. I’ve seen several good reviews, but I haven’t gotten myself over there yet. It seems to be cheaper than our other heavy-hitting chain scoop shops in Silver Spring, and very interesting flavors. I can’t wait to try soursop or the swiss chocolate. Has anyone been here and can recommend a favorite flavor?
Here is a Washingtonian article about local ice cream shops to get the juices flowing. Any other recommendations?
Washingtonian Shopping Guides
Although their target audience is not usually living on an ultra-cheap budget, Washingtonian Magazine still puts out some very useful shopping guides for everything from furniture to clothing. Many of the stores are not bargain basement, but some offer surprisingly good deals, and the guides can be helpful if you are making a particularly important, larger purchase and you want to read up on options.
Capital Weather
With all of this crazy weather over the past few days and more on the way today, I thought some of you might like a link to a great DC area weather resource. Capital Weather is a blog that tracks DC area weather in more detail and with more commentary that you get from many of the other web sites out there. Stay dry!!
Brookside Gardens Butterfly Festival
Brookside Gardens will host a Butterfly Festival Sunday, June 25 12noon-4pm in conjunction with their ongoing Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit. The festival will include a plant sale focusing on plants that attract butterflies to the garden, garden walks and talks, children's activities, and a concert.
The Butterfly exhibit itself runs daily through September 17, 10am-4pm. Admission is $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for ages 3 to 12. Children age 2 and under are admitted free. (As a note: They do not allow strollers in the butterfly exhibit.)
Kids and Commercialism
The Center for a New American Dream based in Takoma Park, MD has a variety of resources on their web site focused on ideas for reducing consumerism. Here are are a variety of tips for mitigating the effects of advertising and marketing on kids.
(MoCo) Heritage Days 2006
Check out the schedule of free activities and entertainment for this weekend's (June 24 & 25) Heritage Days in Montgomery County. 37 county sites will be open to visitors and many will host dance, music, art food or other activities.
Baby Supplies Deal
This was sent in by Nancy:
I went to Super Fresh the other day to buy diapers and I found out that if you belong to the Super Fresh Club, after spending $200 on baby items you get $20 back.
Our Kids – Online Resource
Our-Kids is a great resource for kids activities in the DC area. The web site includes play areas, parks, museums, theaters, classes, and more. For even more timely information, sign-up for the weekly events newsletter which includes a daily listing of events for venues in MD, VA, and DC. A subscription to the newsletter is $24 a year, visiting the web site resource is free.
(DC) Free Concerts at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
This tip was sent to me this week by Margaret. It sounds like a great way to spend a summer evening.
My family and several others from our daycare center have a wonderful time on Friday evenings at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden free concerts. We bring a picnic supper and some bottles of wine and relax. It is very family friendly and most of the people there have young children in tow. The music is usually okay but the surroundings are always wonderful.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz.shtm
Margaret
(DC) Free Kids Meal at Austin Grill
Karen sent me the following:
Kids eat free on Wednesday nights at the Glover Park location of Austin Grill! I took my 4 y.o. to celebrate the end of school last week and was pleasantly surprised to learn this. It’s not advertised in any that I noticed. Their kids’ meals are usually 4.99 so it’s a good deal! It even extended to my son’s dessert last week.
I will be checking to see if this holds true at other locations as well. Anyone know?
(I got a message back from Austin Grill HQ and this deal only applies to the Glover Park location.)
