Absolutely Febulous Baltimore

Do you consider yourself a foodie? You have only a few days left to take advantage of Baltimore's Absolutely Febulous, which offers deals on restaurants, hotels and attractions and ends on February 28. Take advantage of the opportunity to get out of the house and try something new in Baltimore! Here are more details form Absolutely Febulous:

It may be cold outside but Baltimore is heating up February 15-28, during Absolutely Febulous. Shake off the winter blues with two weeks of great deals at Baltimore restaurants, hotels, attractions and museums. Why stay cooped up with the winter blues when you could be dining, exploring, shopping and living it up while enjoying some of the best savings of the year? Take advantage of fixed-price menus; Buy One, Get One free attraction and museum offers; and an exclusive gift card* with purchase of a hotel package.

DIVINE DINING
Savor $30* and $20* three-course Restaurant Week menus and $15* two-course brunch and lunch options, February 15-28. *Price per person, not including alcohol, tax or gratuity unless otherwise noted. Restrictions apply.

GET A ROOM
Check out money-saving hotel and B&B packages and special offers, all perfect for your Valentine’s Day or mid-winter getaway. Book now through Visit Baltimore and receive a complimentary gift card, while supplies last.

SEE. DO. SHOP.
Look for Buy One, Get One free (BOGO) ticket offers and special programs at many of Baltimore’s top attractions and museums, and explore our hip and historic neighborhood shops and boutiques.

Weekend Events: February 20-22

TGIF! Who is ready for the weekend? After a bitterly cold week, we are ready to be indoors, but we won't let that stop us from having some fun! Here is a preview of what's going on in Baltimore this weekend, courtesy of Baltimore Magazine:

Feb. 22: Blue Pit BBQ Mac-N-Cheese Cook-Off
Blue Pit BBQ & Whiskey Bar, 1601 Union Ave. 6-8 p.m. $5 to compete; $20 to eat and judge.443-948-5590. bluepitbbq.com

This weather needs to break or I'm going to. There are only so many sweaters we can wear and so much whiskey we can drink before we all burst like a Baltimore City water pipe. Luckily, this Sunday, you can warm up for a good cause, when the fundraising cycling team, Fierce Chicks Rock, throws a mac-n-cheese cook-off at Blue Pit BBQ to benefit Moveable Feast. Anyone can participate—though my secret recipe is really just a late-night microwave bowl of the classic blue box Kraft, made with whole milk, and often preceded by a number of beers—or come and simply indulge. Awards will go to the best traditional, creative, people's choice, and even vegan macaroni.


Feb. 20: DuClaw & Cigar City Brewing Launch Party
Max's Tap House, 737 S Broadway. 5 p.m. Free. 443-559-9900. duclaw.com

You might recognize the early, short French film, A Trip To the Moon, but what you might not know is that the original story isn't set in the City of Love, but rather the late 19th-century city of Charm. In it, the Baltimore Gun Club president, Impey Barbicane, decides to send himself and his comrades, via cannon, to the moon. Also inspired by the adventurous tale is a new session ale from Baltimore's own DuClaw Brewing and, interestingly enough, Tampa's Cigar City Brewing called Impey Barbicane's Moon Gun. With strong malt flavor, caramel notes, and a slightly hoppy bitterness, the new craft brew launches in Fells Point on Friday, served on tap and in firkins with the two founders and brewers on hand to celebrate.


Feb. 20-22: American Craft Council Show
Baltimore Convention Center, 1 W. Pratt St. Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $5-36. 410-649-7000. craftcouncil.org

The nation's largest contemporary art show is rolling into town for a three-day celebration of all things "Made in America." With more than 650 jewelry, clothing, furniture, and home décor artists from all across the country, you can browse, buy, watch demos, or meet the artists. While you're there, check out some local talent, including Charm City Craft Mafia members like Bmore Papercuts, Stitch & Rivet leather goods, Dylan Designfurniture, Metamorphisis Metals stamped jewelry, and Broken Plate Pendant Co. goods, as well as beer tastings by—fittingly enough—Union Craft.


Feb. 21: Dirty Soul Dance Party
The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St. 10 p.m. Free. 410-625-4848. facebook.com

This monthly late-night dance party brings you all the funk you need to get out of that winter one and into a full-on, feel-good groove. Before long, you'll be peeling off layers while digging on an eclectic mix of soul, funk, and rock-and-roll, with DJ Landis Expandisspinning on the ones and twos. And we're not talking Bruno Mars; we're talking the good stuff: Otis, Ray, Stevie, James, Marvin, Prince—though, admittedly, we do kind of lovethat song. It's a definite don't-miss. So this weekend, throw on some fly threads, gather up the crew, and get down at this booty-shaking, floor-quaking, good time.


Feb. 21: Baltimore Square Dance
Mobtown Ballroom, 861 Washington Blvd. 8-11 p.m. $7-10. mobtownballroom.com

If soul music isn't your bag, you can still get your dance on this Saturday—your square dance, to be exact—at Mobtown Ballroom in Pigtown. You probably don't know how, but that's okay. Everyone's welcome at this fun, music-filled night, beginners and all, and lessons will be taught throughout the evening. Plus, if you need a little liquid courage to get down to the old timey music, there will be a full bar to help you (for a little while, at least) with all the steps.

Where will we see our McHenry Row residents this weekend? 

Best Valentine's Restaurants in Baltimore

Valentine's Day weekend is upon us! If you forgot to make plans, or are keeping things more casual to see what type of food you're in the mood for, there are plenty of delicious options to choose from around Baltimore. Of course, there are the many restaurants at McHenry Row, but if you're looking to get away from our complex, the Baltimore Sun recommends these Baltimore-area restaurants for a romantic dining experience (please note, some of these restaurants do require reservations):

B&O American Brasserie
The restaurant at the Hotel Monaco is offering a special selection of $12 shared plates and $8 desserts on Valentine's Day. Shared plates include veal sweetbread nuggets, octopus tacos and beef carpaccio. Desserts include banana bread pudding and "bete-noire" flourless chocolate cake.

Bluegrass
The South Baltimore restaurant is offering a four-course prix-fixe dinner on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $75 and $95 with a wine pairing for each course. Entree items options include surf and turf and a seafood trio.

Cafe Hon
The Hampden restaurant is celebrating Valentine's Day with a weekend seafood celebration. From Feb. 12 though Feb. 15, Cafe Hon will feature four varieties of oyster, all available for $1 each at a raw oyster and steamer bar. The celebration will be on from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday night and during Sunday brunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Charleston
Cindy's Wolf's restaurant will offer a $149 prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The Harbor East restaurant, normally closed on Sunday, will also be open on Feb. 15.

Cinghiale
The Harbor East restaurant is offering a multi-course modern Italian prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $99 per person and $139 with accompanying wines.

The Corner Pantry
The restaurant in Lake Falls Village is offering a four-course tasting menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $75, with payment taken at the time of reservation. Entree options include slow-cooked local lamb chop, roasted jumbo scallops and mini beef Wellington. The dinner is BYOB.

Donna's at Cross Keys
The contemporary Mediterranean restaurant is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $45 per person. Main course options include crispy skin wild rockfish, grilled New York strip and chicken Parmesan.

Explorers Restaurant
The restaurant at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court hotel is offering a special three-course dinner menu from Executive Chef Josean Rosado on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. The dinner is $49 per person, or $95 per couple. Entree items include herb-roasted quail, braised short ribs and quinoa-crusted salmon.

Fogo de Chao
The Brazilian steakhouse is offering patrons who dine Feb. 13 through Feb. 15 a Valentine’s card, good for a complimentary lunch or dinner toward their next visit.

The French Kitchen
The restaurant at the Lord Baltimore Hotel is offering a special four-course Valentine’s Day menu on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. The dinner is $49 and includes an amuse bouche, starter, entree and dessert. The hotel is also offering a $199 "Lord and Lady Baltimore Valentine’s Day Package" on Valentine's Day weekend. The package includes overnight accommodations for two, a bottle of champagne and a $50 credit for a meal at The French Kitchen or the hotel's pub, LB Tavern.

Guy Fieri's Baltimore Kitchen + Bar
The special Valentine's Day dinner menu at Guy Fieri's includes a choice of appetizer, choice of entree and dessert. The cost is $45 per person.

Jack Binion's Steak
The steakhouse at the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $95 per couple, and the entree selection is a Tomahawk rib eye topped with two 7-ounce cold-water lobster tails and a 4-ounce crab cake.

Johnny Sanchez
The contemporary Mexican restaurant at the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore  is offering a multi-course prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $95 per couple and includes shared appetizers, shared tostadas, shared tacos and a choice of a shared entrees and dessert.

Johnny's
The Roland Park restaurant is offering its a la carte menu all weekend. The restaurant will host a Happy Hearts Happy Hour on Feb. 13 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Red velvet cupcakes and heart-shaped cookies will be available in the cafe on Feb. 14.

Pazo
The Harbor East restaurant is offering a "romantic southern Italian" multi-course prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $79 per person and $119 with accompanying wines. A stuzzichini (snack) menu will be available in the bar and lounge.

Petit Louis Bistro, Columbia
The French restaurant is offering a multi-course French menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $79 per person and $109 with accompanying wines.

Roy's
The Harbor East restaurant is offering a special four-course menu on Valentine's Day. Entree options include a duo Misoyaki "Butterfish" and Kobe beef short rib in a red wine curry demi-glace, crispy walnut shrimp and and pomegranate-glazed chicken breast. The cost for the dinner ranges from $50 to $80 depending on the entree selection.

Ruth's Chris Steak House
The Ruth's Chris Steak House restaurants at the Pier V Hotel, on Water Street and in Pikesville are offering a special menu on Valentine's Day. Entrees, priced from $52 to $95, will include a choice of soup and salad and side dish.

Rusty Scupper
The Inner Harbor restaurant is offering a Valentine's Day menu from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15. The special seafood-focused menu includes Belgian-style mussels in white wine sauce, a classic jumbo shrimp cocktail, grilled Chesapeake Bay rockfish and Maryland crab cakes in a three-mustard thyme butter.

Ten Ten American Bistro
The Harbor East restaurant is offering a special three-course menu of eclectic American cuisine on Feb. 13 and 14. The dinner is $49 and an additional $25 for wine pairings.  

Waterfront Kitchen
The Fells Point restaurant is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu on Valentine's Day. The dinner is $200 for two, and $250 with optional wine pairings. Entree options include veal osso buco, butter-poached lobster and surf and turf with prime rib.

Wine Market Bistro

The Locust Point restaurant is offering a four-course prix-fixe Valentine's Day menu on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. The dinner is $68 per person with optional wine pairings for an additional $30. Entree items include braised lamb shoulder, pan-seared rockfish and escarole ravioli.

Wit & Wisdom
The restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore is offering a three-course dinner on Valentine's Day from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., followed by a Valentine Vendetta Party, from 10 p.m. until close, with a live disc jockey and specialty cocktails in the bar and lounge. The dinner is $95 per person, not including tax and gratuity. On Feb. 15, Wit & Wisdom is offering a four-course dessert tasting and cocktail pairing, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring creations from Pastry Chef Dyan Ng and creative cocktails from Head Bartender Aaron Joseph. The dessert tasting is $45, not including tax and gratuity. Reservations are required. 

What are your Valentine's Day plans? Which of these restaurants is your favorite?

Bedroom Styling

"IMG_1208" by Matthew Piatt is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Your bedroom should be the oasis in your apartment, so you want that space to feel as large as possible, whether it is actually large or not. You can use the decor and furniture pieces in your bedroom to manipulate the size of the space. So how do you make a room feel larger than it is? Try these tricks from Apartment Therapy:

1. Bed drawers and multi-tier nightstands

It's not within every budget to buy a bed that has built-in storage, but in this small and closet-less space, it appears to have been a vital element to ensure this small space actually functioned the way they needed it. Another fun storage feature? Not just one nightstand, but three, on each side! Floating nightstands have long been a smart choice for small spaces, but here, the addition of even more wall-mounted (or in this case, headboard-mounted) ledges means more room for both needed and decorative objects.

2. A large, horizontal wall-mounted mirror

We all know that wall-mounted reflective surfaces like mirrors work magic in small spaces, and in here it's no different. They chose to add the mirror to the wall opposite the door, which is a smart move since it'll reflect an image of the other room, making it feel a little more open than it actually is.

3. A sliding door

For privacy, you can't beat a door. For saving space and adding privacy, you can't beat a sliding door, which they made here themselves using mostly items found at Home Depot.

DIY Home Decor: How To Make a Sliding Door for Under $40

4. Light-colored black-out drapes that blend

For those who need a lot of darkness to sleep peacefully, black-out drapes (lined with dark, light-blocking fabric) are a must. But keep the side of the drapes that face the bedroom a light color, preferably a similar color to the wall. This will help them blend in and expand the look of the space visually.

5. A minimal style

It just makes sense — small spaces need less stuff, and keeping the decorative elements to a minimum will help keep a small space from feeling cluttered. But, that doesn't mean you have to keep everything out. As this small bedroom proves, you can find a good balance between art, decorative elements and more and still have a room that feels spacious for its size.

Eliminate Your To-Do List

"Dawa's Designed To-do list" by Juhan Sonin is licensed under CC BY 2.0

It’s a new year and a time to get organized. You probably have a lot of catching up to do after the hectic holiday season, so how do you keep up with it all? The to-do list, of course! Whether yours is digital or handwritten, there are ways to cut down on your time and increase your productivity. Follow these tips from Apartment Therapy and get those tasks crossed off today!

Include sub-tasks in your lists.

Getting things out of our heads and onto paper (or digital "paper") quiets the nagging anxiety that can creep up, that feeling of I have so much to doooo that can make us twitchy with stress and downright irritable. Channel the energy required to remember what you have to do into actually getting it done by freeing your head space through a list. Make your list detailed, including sub-tasks. For instance, instead of just Make key lime pie for office party also write everything you have to do to be able to make that happen: buy limes and whipping cream, make crust, etc. Your detailed lists give you the info you need to combine tasks and save time.

Combine tasks to save time.

The last thing we need to do is waste time. If you know what you have to get at the store for projects by having created a complete list, you can get them all at once rather than stopping by multiple times. If you're making more than one of something, combine these tasks as well. Sewing new curtains for two rooms, for instance? Buy all your fabric ahead of time, and parcel out the tasks across both projects into groups (for instance, all the measuring and cutting for both projects at once, before even getting out the sewing machine).

Multitask, multitask, multitask.

One excellent way to check a few items off your list — once you have a clear picture of what these items involve — is to work on a task while doing something else. Calling your great-great-aunt to wish her a happy birthday? Fold the laundry you need for your road trip while you're on the phone. Been meaning to have a get-together with some close friends? Turn it into a post-closet-clean-out clothes-swap party. You'll enjoy the company of loved ones and get the pleasure of finishing a task that's probably been hanging over all of you.

Use down times to update your lists and continue planning ahead.

Your list should be a constantly evolving road map of what you have to do. Crossing things off, updating notes (ask Sue to pick up the bread), and adding to it should be happening regularly so your list is always a snapshot of where you are and what you have to do to get where you're going. Use the time while you're on hold with Amazon, or while you're waiting for your bakery order to be filled to check your list again and again.

Cold and Flu Season Essentials

"Tea for two" by Naama ym is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

We are right in the middle of cold and flu season, so if you haven’t been sick so far, congratulations! If you do get sick though, the last thing you want to do is leave the house. While you’re healthy, make sure you stock up on these sick day essentials, courtesy of The Kitchn, so that you’re back to health as quickly as possible!

The Drink Essentials

Herbal Tea: Make sure your stash is well-stocked, as herbal tea is probably the #1 go-to drink for most of us when we get sick. Black and green teas are nice too, but don't soothe the throat quite as well.

Honey: Tea by itself is fine, but tea with honey is extra soothing...

Lemons: ... and even more so if you add a squeeze of lemon. In fact, why not just go ahead and make this ginger honey and lemon tonic? The shot of whiskey in the recipe is optional, but highly recommended. (Trust me.)

Ginger and/or High-Quality Ginger Ale: You'll want fresh ginger for the tonic above, or to make any one of these stomach-soothing teas. You may also want to pick up a bottle or two of high-quality ginger ale — the kind made with real ginger, not just ginger flavoring and sugar — when you're feeling like a little light carbonation would be helpful.

Orange juice or oranges: Give yourself an extra shot of vitamin C with a glass of orange juice, even better if it's freshly-squeezed. (But hey, you're sick! Do whatever is easiest.)

The Food Essentials

Chicken soup: It's not all in your head; there's scientific proof that chicken soup really does help soothe cold symptoms, so buy a few cans for your pantry, or make and freeze a big homemade batch. Looking for the perfect soup recipe? Try one of these → 5 Soups to Soothe a Cold and From Chicken Noodle to Egg Drop: 10 Soothing Broth-Based Soups.

Applesauce: An essential part of the BRAT diet, applesauce is low in fiber but has lots of calories, so it's easy on a delicate stomach.

Bread for toast: Keep a loaf of sliced bread in your freezer, and you'll be so glad you have some bread around when you can't keep anything else down.

Quick-prep frozen meals: If your stomach isn't the problem and you're just wallowing in a head cold, quick-prep frozen meals (like these Trader Joe's recommendations) mean you can get some food in your system fast. You can also reheat one of these excellent freezer meals.

Your favorite comfort foods: This is different for everyone. What makes you feel good when you're sick? Maybe it's something from childhood, like mashed potatoes or a bowl of ramen noodles. Whatever it is, pick it (or the ingredients to make it) up the next time you go to the grocery store.

Do you have any secret cold and flu fighters?

Organize Documents for Good

"Filed Away" by Mark Crossfield is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

You don’t have to wait until “spring cleaning” to do some organization around the apartment. In fact, this is a great time of year to do it - you’re feeling motivated after the new year, you’re stuck indoors more often - why not take advantage of it? It’s time to go through those stacks of papers you’ve shoved into drawers or have left on top of the counter for ages. Where do you begin to tackle these piles? Apartment Therapy shares tips on what to keep and how to sort it:

Step 1: Reduce clutter at the source.

These days, we can choose to deal with much of our filing digitally, reducing the need for storage and the paperwork headache. Bank statements and bills can be viewed online and receipts can be saved on our hard drives or in our email archives. Reducing the number of hard copies in your home makes the task of dealing with them that much easier.

Step 2: Divide and conquer.

The remaining items, those you can't or don't want to banish to your computer, should be sorted into basic categories. There are many ways you can do this, but my choice is a simple divide: those things that have to do with your home, and those that have to do with you. From there, continue to sub-divide to your heart's content. Like this:

HOME

• warranties and manuals for electronics and appliances
• receipts for large-ticket items
• quotes and receipts for recent household repairs
• a copy of your lease, if you rent
• home insurance documents
• mortgage agreements
• utilities bills
• car documents

PERSONAL

• certificates for birth, marriage, divorce, etc.
• pay stubs
• passports
• health insurance documents
• report cards for any children in the family
• education transcripts
• tax returns
• wills
• medical records

All of these documents should go into a dedicated and clearly labelled file folder—no sharing with other categories! I find that using different colors for the home and personal files helps, but you may simply opt to store them separately.

Step 3: Store it with sense.

This is where the fun (okay, shopping) starts. How much room you need for your filing system depends entirely on the size of your home and your family, as well as your lifestyle. I get by with a small plastic file box with ten or so compartments that gets thrown into a closet, while my parents have a two-drawer cabinet with hanging files in a home office. However you choose to go, make sure you give your system a little room to grow.

Step 4: Use it.

Seems obvious, but it's easy to forget you have a system when it's so neatly tucked out of sight. I find that putting all incoming paperwork into one place (even if it's just a kitchen drawer), and setting aside a block of time once a month or so to deal with it, works well. The point is to make the system work for you, not to be a slave to filing.

Step 5: Clean it out.

Now you've got the system, don't let it be the thing that attracts dust and takes up space. Make an annual date (January makes sense... just sayin') to review your files, and cull and update where applicable. Get rid of manuals for things you no longer own, ditch the last batch of bills or pay stubs, and make sure nothing important like insurance or passports are about to expire.