Local businesses are the heart of our area! We love supporting local and are grateful to share our top 10 picks for our 5th annual Favorite Things Guide.
We can’t emphasize how important it is to support local. Not only is it is helping someone’s dream come true, but you are being a part of the type of community you want to be a part of. Please see our 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 Favorite Things Guide too. Once a Favorite Thing, always a Favorite Thing!
Like to win?! Get ready for a Favorite Things giveaway on Facebook and Instagram soon!
Paige has long been drawn to beautiful things — both collecting them and bringing them to life. After years spent wandering the galleries of DC’s iconic art museums, diving into art history in college, admiring pieces in her uncle’s studio, and making crafts with her kids, Paige was inspired to begin making art of her own.
Paige Janes Art is the result of that creative spark. It’s a passion project born from years of appreciation and curiosity. There’s nothing more meaningful than creating something from the heart and watching it resonate with others, and we hope you enjoy exploring her work as much as she’s loved bringing it to life.
Flores Cleans For U proudly serves families across the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area with reliable, professional residential cleaning services. Whether you need recurring cleanings, a one-time deep clean, or help with move-in/move-out cleaning, we tailor every service to fit your home’s specific needs.
We bring all our own supplies and equipment, so you never have to worry about preparation or cleanup. For your peace of mind, we are fully insured and bonded, ensuring your home is protected and in safe hands.
At Flores Cleans For U, we believe in creating clean, healthy, and welcoming environments so families can focus on what matters most. Our friendly and detail-oriented cleaning specialist is committed to providing top-quality service with a personal touch.
New clients receive $20 off coupon for their initial cleaning service, our way of saying thank you for allowing us to care for your home or business.
Contact us today to schedule your first cleaning and experience the Flores Cleans For U difference!
Flame + Pout is a Virginia-based artisan studio that blends self-care with creativity, offering handcrafted candles, lip balms, soaps, and wellness products. Founded by Pooja, a passionate maker and mom, the brand emphasizes personalization and sustainability in every product.
At the heart of Flame + Pout is the belief that scent and ritual can transform everyday moments. Their soy-blend candles—free from dyes and available in seasonal and year-round collections—are designed to evoke moods, memories, and ambiance. Customers can customize their candle experience, from selecting scents and vessels to designing personalized labels, making each creation uniquely theirs.
Beyond candles, Flame + Pout offers a range of wellness products. Their lip balms are crafted with beeswax, shea or cocoa butter, and essential oils like grapefruit and lemon, ensuring natural nourishment. The “Suds” collection features soaps and bath products infused with skin-loving ingredients, while the “Rituals” line includes lotions, perfumes, and body sprays designed to elevate daily routines.
Sustainability is a core value. The brand encourages customers to repurpose candle jars and offers a refill program to reduce waste. They also engage with the community through workshops and collaborations with local businesses, fostering connections and shared experiences.
Flame + Pout’s commitment to quality, customization, and community makes it more than just a shop—it’s a space where personal expression and well-being converge. Whether you’re seeking a thoughtful gift or a personal indulgence, their products invite you to create moments of joy and reflection.
Mecha means “Mom and Pop” in Vietnamese. The Mecha experience is an homage to our Asian-American upbringing. Our mission is to serve local communities by providing Asian comfort food while paying it forward.
Since little boys, we were taught the traditional ways of cooking and the value of a shared meal from our huge diverse family. Being sons of immigrants, we also learned the importance of sacrifice, hard work and grace. All values that have helped shape Mecha Noodle Bar today.
Over the past few years, Mecha has grown to several locations across the Northeast and will continue to expand so that we can tell a story of love through color. That love comes from our food, helping nonprofits in underprivileged communities, and building good humans within our company.
SCOUT is a Washington, D.C.-based lifestyle brand founded in 2004 by Deb Waterman Johns, a former Vogue editor and celebrity stylist, alongside her husband, Ben Johns. As a working mother of four, Deb sought durable, stylish, and affordable totes to manage her family’s needs. When she couldn’t find them, she created SCOUT to fill that gap.
SCOUT’s product line includes everyday totes, beach and pool bags, coolers, travel accessories, and storage solutions. The brand’s signature All-Weather Woven fabric is lightweight, water-resistant, and easy to clean, making it ideal for various uses. SCOUT is renowned for its vibrant, limited-edition patterns, with hundreds of new designs released each year, ensuring fresh and on-trend options for customers. The company’s products are available on scoutbags.com and in hundreds of independent retailers nationwide.
SCOUT is committed to giving back to the community through initiatives like the GO BO Fund, supporting families affected by pediatric cancer, and the Secret Santa program, providing holiday gifts to children in need. With a focus on functionality, style, and philanthropy, SCOUT continues to empower women to organize and carry their essentials with confidence.
“DOPEamine Earrings” is a polymer clay Ear Art (earring) line featuring handcrafted, unique statement earrings for everyday women, for everyday wear at affordable prices.
Each earring is a unique style and design. No two earrings are alike. This means that you own the ONLY pair. DOPEamine earrings are designed with love and joy… two things the world can never have enough of. Wearing a pair is an invitation to IN- JOY! (Enjoy)
This artistic passion project started during the 2020 pandemic and has been a passion of Jamil’s for a long time. Her hope is for you to enjoy wearing your earrings as much as she enjoyed creating them!
SortednSupported helps busy DC parents free up time – and head space – by tackling the tasks you’d otherwise do after work so that your evenings and weekends are free – like, really free. It’s the invisible labor (from thinking about your brother’s birthday and researching swim classes) to in-person tasks (from waiting for that delivery while you’re at work, setting up and dealing with a compost system, or doing a toy tidy up.)
Outsourcing the running of a household may feel strange – but it’s essential for happy and healthy modern families! Wouldn’t it be nice to unwind in the evening, enjoy the bedtime routine, spend some quality time with your partner and maybe even read a few chapters of your favorite book – without your brain cluttered with thoughts and endless to-dos?
To Go Green is DC’s reusable takeout container service. Customers can order pickup or delivery through our platform and will receive their meals in reusable containers that they can return from home or in person to one of our restaurant partners.
Each use of a To Go Green container avoids the upstream and downstream impacts of a single-use alternative, and our containers are designed to withstand at least 1,000 uses.
Millie’s Spring Valley Restaurant features fresh, California Baja-style fare with a coastal vibe that has earned its accolades as one of the best restaurants in DC.
In warmer months, Millie’s patio is DC’s favorite spot for kid-friendly (and dog-friendly) outdoor dining and their signature Frosé. Hailing from their flagship location in Nantucket, Millie’s DC is the perfect getaway for DC locals and visitors alike.
Starting at $39.99/month with FREE shipping Bring the world to your doorstep—one box at a time. Each month, your child will explore a new culture through hands-on crafts, stories, language, recipes and learning activities designed to spark curiosity and connection.
Each Monthly Culture Box includes:
- Educational Booklet (literacy, tracing, matching, coloring & more)
- Storybook or Cultural Reader (read-aloud & global storytelling)
- Crafts & Activities (fine motor skills & creative expression)
- Language Cards (early language learning)
- Cultural Artifact or Toy (sensory & imaginative play)
- Recipes (simple and fun to cook together)
- National Flag or Cultural Symbol (geography & identity)
We love the businesses featured in our Favorite Things Guide and hope you do to. Please keep these businesses in mind when thinking of where to eat, shop, and more!
