It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and if you’re not too full, then it’s the opportune time to take advantage of some killer sales and wicked parties.

SHOP TO IT (SHOPPING AND INDULGENCES)

Black Friday is tomorrow, and more than ever stores are seeking to draw consumers in with huge discounts, online and offline. If the thought of waking up at 4 am to hit the crowded malls makes you queasy, then look for online discounts.

With Black Friday comes Cyber Monday, and here in DC you can attend an event by Shop.org to help the cause for online shopping. Shop.org will provide lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, laptop computers with high-speed Internet access, and will raffle off thousands of dollars in gift cards to shoppers. Shop@Lunch made easy.

Tax free shopping in DC this weekend on purchases that are $100 or less. Stock up on gifts for yourself and others. Look for more local deals from Washingtonian. Bethesda Row is a great place to start the shopping fever!

Shop for a good cause next Wednesday, December 3rd. The Carpenter Shelter for the homeless in Alexandria benefits, while you save! 50% of the proceeds go directly to The Carpenter Shelter. Shop goodies from local designers showcasing their chic apparel, accessories, jewelry, arts and services at HUGELY discounted savings (up to 70% off). 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM at the Westin in Alexandria. Check out the event on Facebook for more details.

Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew and Banana Republic are featuring sales with up to 40% off. Stock up on professional looking winter wear.

• Ann Taylor Loft has 40% off already marked down sale prices.
• J. Crew offers an extra 20% off from mark downs if you enter the code EXTRA20 online through December 1.
• Banana Republic has 40% off of cold-weather items (think sweaters, gloves, etc.) through December 1.
• Work off those holiday pounds with cute and comfy clothes from Lucy. 40% off outerwear and up to 30% off already marked down items through December 2.

Looking for a special holiday or New Year’s Eve dress? Check out one of my favorite stores, Cusp, which has great sales and is offering free online shipping with with the code THANKS and an order over $150. Stock up on cute gifts for under $50 such as hand-knitted purple gloves ($34), a Bobbi Brown limited-edition lip gloss trio ($45), and shine on with super shimmery Lippmann Collection gold nail polish ($15).

Pre-order the latest book from Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, set to release on December 4. The Tales of Beedle the Bard are sure to delight, as all five of the wizarding fairy tales that appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are featured in this treasury of tales. Barnes & Noble is offering it for $7.59 for B&N Club members. An extra 5% will be taken off if you order online. Amazon is even cheaper with a standard edition for $7.14. For the really hardcore fan, a special hardcover collector’s edition is offered for $100.

For some family holiday fun, check out the Polar Express in IMAX at the National Museum of Natural History. Check out http://www.si.edu/imax/ for details and showtimes.

SCENE AND BE SEEN (EVENTS AND PARTIES)

Thanksgiving weekend features parties all week. A few highlights:

WEDNESDAY

• The exclusive Shadow Room is having a pre-Thanksgiving bash tonight. RSVP for complimentary admission (which means free for ladies until midnight, and free for gentlemen until 11PM with RSVP). Absolute Addiction is promoting.
• The newly redesigned Eyebar is having its own Thanksgiving Eve bash, with no cover and open bar for all, starting at 10 pm. Gobble, Gobble! Go to Primo Productions for more detail.
• Itching for a Dewey Beach reunion? Head to Clarendon Ballroom for their annual Thanksgiving Throwdown, featuring Kristen and the Noise. HiBall events sponsors. Come early for $10 admission, and get in for only $5 with two canned goods. Prices increase through the night.

THURSDAY

• Spend time with your family you turkey!

FRIDAY

• My friend (and new Wizards girl) Lyndsay is hosting an event at Midtown on Friday night. (For those who don’t know, Midtown is the new Play.) The Little Black Dress party is sure to be filled with beautiful people, so make sure you dress to impress.

In other news, select summer 2009 shows are now on sale at Wolf Trap. Take advantage of purchasing Disney’s High School Musical tickets (which are sure to sell out) and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. TLOTR will feature the complete film in HD with performances by a live orchestra, chorus, and soloists. HSM will be arriving on September 1-6, 2009 and The Lord of the Rings is coming August 28-29, 2009. For more fun and to purchase tickets (including Riverdance and 42nd Street), go to Wolf Trap’s website.

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY (FOOD AND DRINK)

Thanksgiving is all about food. And, what better way to celebrate food than to share with others. Washingtonian is creating a Thanksgiving recipe box, where readers can submit and share their favorite family recipes.

This is a great time to think of others. Consider volunteering at a local shelter or food bank. Many need extra help for the Thanksgiving holiday, but consider volunteering at another time. Help is needed year round. If you can’t volunteer your time, please volunteer your dollars. Check out Food and Friends, Capital Area Food Bank, So Others Might Eat (SOME), Bread for the City, and the DC Central Kitchen.

Union Jack’s new Ballston location is hosting a grand opening next Thursday, December 4th. There will be a free buffet to sample food, and lots of fun to be had for all. Could be a great overflow spot for Rock Bottom’s Wednesday night $1 beer debacles.

Tomorrow I’ll be posting information for a contest to win a 1 lb. box of Enstrom’s toffee. If you’ve never had it, I highly recommend you get into it. More to come…

NOTE: Posted this a bit early this week with the holiday in mind. Check back every Thursday for a weekly round up.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Every week, there are a ton of events that I want to go to – whether it’s a festival, concert, new restaurant, or party. The holidays are coming up, and there will be more fun things happening than I can imagine. For now, just a few highlights. The list will become more robust over the coming weeks. Think of this as Daily Candy marrying the Going Out Gurus.

SHOP TO IT (SHOPPING AND INDULGENCES)

Stop by Sephora for some yummy calorie-free treats. Philosophy is serving up goods that range from hot cocoa bath and shower gel, s’mores, gingerbread, and cranberry scented lip gloss. Don’t forget to indulge in the pumpkin pie. You can stay fresh, clean, and fat-free with these delicious products.

If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, Bath & Body Works is running a special on their Signature Collection scents online. Buy 5 for $25. I’m a fan of Black Raspberry Vanilla, Sensual Amber, and Pearberry. It’s not part of the Signature Collection, but Vanilla Bean Noel is a great once a year scent to stock up on for the holdiays. I usually buy at least three.

Love bling? Go to the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Dulles Expo Center for FREE if you’re a Goldstar member. Find a sparkling holiday gift for yourself or a loved one. Friday, December 19 – Sunday, December 21.

SCENE AND BE SEEN (EVENTS AND PARTIES)

Jack’s Mannequin (and other guests) will be performing tonight at the 9:30 Club. If only I had heard about this event sooner, I would have definitely tried to make it. The show is now sold out, but check out 9:30 Club for the latest and greatest, including a three-night show in January by Thievery Corporation.

Sports and fashion collide with the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund’s Fashion Forward event. Tomorrow night from 7 pm to 11 pm, join Washington Redskins and Wizards girls at the hottest spot in town, Shadow Room, for a charity fashion show. Mingle with some of DC’s best philanthropists and party people, all in one spot. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

The 14th Annual BB&T Classic is December 7th this year. Always a good time, the schools competing include Virginia Tech vs. Navy and Maryland vs. George Washington. A local crowd favorite, make sure to get your tickets now. The tournament benefits the Children’s Charities Foundation. Tickets are $15, $40, and $125 from Ticketmaster.

Fun for the whole family. One of my favorite childhood books, Miss Nelson is Missing!, will be shared at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. This musical comedy is sure to please kids and adults alike. There’s plenty of time to see it. The show runs November 22, 2008 – January 4, 2009.

For the more grown up side, Hi-Ball events presents their annual New Year’s Eve blow-out will be held at National Harbour this year. Big Night DC will feature multiple floors, open bars, live music, and more. All-inclusive tickets are at their cheapest right now. A general ticket is currently going for $109.99, and VIP tickets are going for $169.99. While it may not be the cheapest event in town, it will certainly be the largest. Although, you may want to skip NYE this year in favor of an Inaugural Ball ticket. If you are looking for another big party alternative, check out the Downtown Countdown. Tickets range from $119-$200, with group rates available.

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY (FOOD AND DRINK)

My friend Mar wrote up a great review of Georgetown Cupcake. Whether you prefer Georgetown Cupcake, Hello Cupcake, Buzz Bakery, or CakeLove…there is certainly not a cupcake shortage in this town. With this economy, a cupcake is a sweet treat that won’t break the bank.

Speaking of money, there are a ton of recession specials around town. If you’re into the post-college kickball scene, head over to Kelly’s Irish Times for a $15 all-you-can-drink special featuring Miller Lite, Miller High Life and Blue Moon. Every Saturday night from 8 pm to 11 pm.

Taxi drivers beware, there are multiple Thanksgiving bar tours this weekend. Who knew it was time to give thanks and…drink? On Saturday, November 22nd, residents in DC, Maryland and Virginia can enjoy a full day of bar hopping across the metro area. The 2nd Annual Bethesda Fall Bar Tour and Upper East Fall Bar Tour (in DC) are sponsored by Lindy Promotions. Get $2 Miller Lites, food specials and more for just $10 per ticket. The Turkey Trot Tour in Arlington is sponsored by the Arlington Athletic and Social League and is only $5 (free if you’re a member). Features $2 Miller Lites, $4 Wild Turkey and Coke, and food specials.

Popularity: 6% [?]

 

Yesterday I participated in my first ever Race for the Cure. Thanks to some awesome organization from another asian girl, my team raised over $5,000 and included 50 some registered team members. I even raised $325!

Friday night I spent the night in Dupont at my friend A’s house (who also did the race with me), and after staying up until 2 am talking and watching Little Children (which was a great movie, but the book was better)…we dragged our asses out of bed at 6 am to head down to the mall.

When I arrived, I was suprised at how much it affected me. Through this whole time I knew I was doing this for a reason, but I never expected to feel the way I did when I saw all of the people walking with names on their backs in honor or remembrance of loved ones who battled breast cancer and maybe died. It made me think about how lucky I have been, and my family and friends…and it was amazing to see everyone out there, even if it was just for fun like me.

Considering that I have known I was going to do this race since March, I should have been in good shape to walk or jog it. Of course, that would also be assuming I worked out like I was supposed to and stretched (my muscles are very tight in my legs and hips and they hinder me walking long distances – I’ve worked out with two trainers and am supposed to be stretching it out, but yeah…I fail). On that note, I’m sore as hell today, I can barely walk. But it feels good you know, that I did it.

We started the race halfway through the runners start, we watched them run by and thought they weren’t going that fast, so we should run for a bit. Well, I made it about a block before I was like, nope…can’t run. My friend A went on ahead without me, and I walked the rest of the way (except for random bursts of jogging and the last block which I tried to jog through the walkers to end on an even time). I managed about 20 minute miles (I usually do about 15 minute ones so that isn’t too bad I guess) and finished in an hour. I figure that isn’t too bad for my first 5k and for not working out in over two weeks. Anyway, it feels good though, and I don’t mind the soreness. Now that I’ve done it, it makes me more excited about doing it next year, and cutting my time down to 45 minutes jogging or so. I know I can do it now, so it gives me a lot more inspiration and incentive for next year.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Man, I hate DC. OK, I understand freezing rain is dangerous, and there have been some light flurries and even some snow on the ground. But, seriously have you looked outside lately? The only problem I see is the influx of people rushing home in case of bad weather. I think that is even more dangerous! Every government person leaving at 2:01 pm and every school closing early, it’s just too much! Plus, people around here get RETARDED when it comes to driving in any kind of precipitation. Sigh. Happy rush hour everyone.

One of my guy friends had this to say about it, and I have to say…amen!

Why does Washington DC insist on shutting down totally when it begins to rain while it’s 35 degrees outside!!?? In a city where it’s 70% govt employees, it seems the whole f-ing town gets to enjoy a “snow day!!” While we in the private sector are expected to remain at work. Meanwhile, all my friends text me and call me as they get banged up at the bars starting at 2. This is bullshit. I tried to petition my superiors for a “snow day” yet I was looked at with utter disgust and disbelief as they themselves had to go pick up their children from daycare due to the “snow.” So I am now the ONLY person in the office working while my bosses are at home with their children, my friends are 3 sheets to the wind at the bars (anticipating the same turn out for tomorrow) and my underpaid ass is stuck here in my bland gray cubicle overlooking the lovely alley view out my window, and left with tedious “busy work.” I need a vacation. My luck, I’ll leave for vacation and then it WILL snow and my flight won’t be able to take off…due to snow. HORSESHIT! I can’t wait to get home and fix myself a scotch on the rocks and watch Scrubs reruns.

Popularity: 18% [?]

OK a little help fellow DC-ers…I’m going to a play at Studio Theatre this week…where should I go to dine beforehand? Somewhere not too expensive…

I’m fairly familiar with the area, but wanted somewhere maybe I haven’t thought of before. I’m open to other places like Dupont etc… as well.

Popularity: 21% [?]