Mom & Me in the DMV

So, the weather hasn’t reached hell's front porch just yet, but it has been warm for a few weeks now which means summer has officially started in DC! Memorial weekend is the perfect weekend to kick off the summer. My mom came to visit me (her 10th time in DC but her first time seeing my first apartment) and we were on the go from the minute she touched down. Full itinerary at the bottom of the page!

I knew she was arriving around 4 in the afternoon and it took me until then to wash a load of laundry and clean every room in my apartment. The night before she told me “I might be hungry when I land” as if I didn’t plan on feeding her, so I had some chicken enchiladas ready when she arrived. We scarfed those down and got ready for our first activity of the weekend: A Poetry Slam at Busboys and Poets

Busboys and Poets is a multi-location restaurant/bar, coffee shop, and bookstore that hosts a variety of events several nights a week. The foodie and book-nerd in me thought this would’ve been the spot! However, the food has left much to be desired. I’ve been quite a few times and… food wise, I’ve mostly been disappointed.

I’ve only attended one poetry event of theirs before, but this was my first time at their Takoma location. This particular night, we attended their Pajama Jammie Jam which consisted of 4 novice poets, and 3 veterans. The theme of this slam was love/erotica, with three rounds of poetry titled “Cupid Ain’t Sh*t!”, “Love is Grand”, and “Freak Me Baby!” respectively. Two hours for $7 a ticket, it wasn’t a bad event at all.

My mom and I also volunteered to be judges (I don’t think I’ve publicly judged anything in my life) but yea the audience was allowed to “boo!” if they didn’t agree on the scores so that was great… scared me out of giving what I deserved were a few 6’s. Also while watching the performers, my mom ordered the catfish (I don’t know how she was hungry again), and I just got the carrot cake and hot chocolate which, I won’t lie were both pretty good. All in all it was a great event! Food, a show, a couple drinks, (and I talked my mom into buying me a book), I forsure would go again… just maybe to a closer location.

The next morning we woke up and I made my mother a light breakfast per her request, then we headed to DIY Scent Studio in Fairfax, Virginia. Before heading there, though, we stopped to pick my friend up as the two had never met in person, and I thought this would be a cute activity for the three of us. The way it works: When you arrive, you put on an apron and listen to the instructors explain each fragrance category as you have a plethora of scents to sniff. It can all be very overwhelming, but they provide pen and paper to write down the scents you’re feeling. When you’ve collected the ones you like most, the creation of your own perfume begins! For two hours you’re in the process of making two 10ml bottles of your own unique scent for $100. Kind of a steep price but I feel it’s really worth it.

Leaving Fairfax, we headed to Miss Toyas Creole House in Silver Spring, Maryland. This was my second time and the food hit twice as hard. Prepare to spend a pretty penny while here though because their sides are as big as the entrees and the drinks will have you ready to order the whole bar. It’s aesthetically pleasing with the food to match. My mom’s favorite food is shrimp and grits and this was one of the places in the DMV that I felt had the best (if anyone knows a better one, comment below). My friend and I both had the lamb, with my two sides the garlic parmesan broccolini and mac & cheese and her sides being asparagus and mashed potatoes. I also want to plug in that their lobster mashed potatoes are chef’s kiss.

Now we’re on Sunday, and I had to take my girl to brunch at Milk & Honey, another multi-location restaurant. I chose the College Park location because it has more of a homey feel to it, as opposed to the to-go counter locations with limited seating. They just opened a new spot at the Wharf so I have to check that one out and see what they hittin for.

I chose this restaurant because they are another place in the DMV that I thought had really good shrimp and grits. So yall already know what my mom ordered, along with a side of catfish and brussel sprouts (she said she wasn’t a fan of these). This was my 4th time at Milk & Honey and I, personally, wanted to come again because there was a 4th item I wanted to try – their crab hash. It was pretty good but I’m not sure I’d get it again. I would actually recommend their RumChata French toast that is one of their popular dishes (adults only)!

After brunch we went to FSC Workshop ($45 on eventbrite) because my mother and I both have an (unhealthy) obsession with candles. You go in and, again, smell the different aromas they provide and you’re able to mix which fragrances you feel go together for a more unique scent. It was only my mom and I and another couple in attendance but my mom said she liked this activity more than the Scent studio because it was more personable.

Next in the itinerary was to visit my dad then go out to dinner that night, but I was unaware that my dad was going to BBQ so we stuffed ourselves there and canceled the dinner plans.

Monday’s plan my mom was anticipating the most. She loves going to the spa so of course I had to take her to King Spa in Chantilly, Virginia and I paid for a service for her as her Mother’s Day gift (no, I did not send her a Mother’s Day gift because I knew I was seeing her in the next few weeks… but I did send a card!). We were there damn near the whole day from 10am to about 5pm. We got V-steams, she got her aroma massage, I journaled by the pool, we had lunch there, and I kicked it in the pool for a while while she laid in the shade. We arrived home about an hour later, watched two movies, and enjoyed some dessert and wine to finish off our mother/daughter weekend.

Now, my DC weekends don’t typically look like this, you can imagine how expensive it was! This is definitely one of those special weekends that you do when a friend comes to visit or you want to splurge for your birthday but stay local. Although the DMV area is small, there are lots to do to enjoy yourself. Trust me, we will talk about it all in this blog! So, if you’re looking for things to do in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area, stick around for more activities, events, and ideas!

Looking to have a mother-daughter weekend in DC? Check out my itinerary below (tweak to fit your needs):

Mother-Daughter Weekend Itinerary

Friday

Pajama Jammie Jam Poetry Slam @ Busboys & Poets, Takoma location: 8pm

Saturday

DIY Scent Studio in Fairfax, Virginia: 1:30pm

Miss Toyas in Silver Spring, Maryland: 5pm

Sunday

Milk & Honey in College Park, Maryland: 10am

FSC Workshop in District Heights, Maryland: 12pm

Caruso’s Grocery (canceled) in SE DC: 7pm

Monday