O is for Oatmeal Raisin, the best ever baked;

T is for Tulip Cookies, some great-looking sweets;

H is for handmade, like all Lola's treats;

E is for everything good in our store; and

R is for Red Velvet, the taste she adores.

Got a mother in your life? Be sweet to her this weekend!

Today we’re launching two special offers for our FourSquare users:

• The Newbie Special: Get a free cookie for your first-ever check-in at Lola’s. Anyone who has a smartphone can claim this!
• The Mayor Special: Get one free cookie per day when you check in as the “mayor” of our bakery. (If you’re new to FourSquare, the mayor is the person who has checked in most often in the past 60 days.)

FourSquare is a fun way to tell your friends where you’ve been. Using the GPS on your phone, it shows you nearby places and allows you say “I’m here.” You can earn points, upload photos, add tips, and more.

It’s partly a game, and partly a kind of public diary. The app is free, and so are check-ins.

If you’re on our e-mail list, you’re already getting Lola’s coupons. (Not on the list? Sign up in the right column.) This is another way to get free treats — a free cookie every day, if you’re the mayor.

Is it hard to become the mayor? Well, the current mayor, Rhonda W., has a head start on you. But if you check in every day for a week, you might zip past her.

Let the check-ins begin!

Of course we’re returning to the Leesburg market; it kicks off on Saturday, May 5. As usual, the market runs from 8 a.m. until noon in the Virginia Village Shopping Center on Catoctin Circle, near Ben Franklin. (Here’s a map.)

We sold our first cookies at the Leesburg market back in 2002; by now it seems like our second home.

This year we’re also pitching our tent at the Herndon market. It’s open every Thursday morning starting on May 3, and runs from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Herndon market has a great location, as you can see from the photo: It’s on Lynn Street in the middle of town, right by the red caboose.

At both of this week’s markets, Lola’s will have:

• Cupcake flavors including Strawberry, Red Velvet, and Coconut;
• Three types of scone — Apricot, Chocolate Chip, and a brand-new flavor, Cheddar-Bacon;
• Morning Glory Muffins (gluten-free!)
• All our most popular cookies and bars

More May news: Downtown Leesburg is throwing its once-a-month party tomorrow evening, May 4; Lola’s will be open late for the First Friday festivities. Many stores will be hosting music and special events. Stop by for a treat to enhance your stroll!

Have a great weekend,

Two days of flowers and music: Far out!

What’s more, the Cooley Gallery on King Street — right in the middle of town — has just launched a timely exhibit titled “Hippies,” with photos from the late 1960s and early 1970s by former LIFE photographer Richard Busch, who’s now a local potter. Among the flower-child memories: Woodstock and the 1969 anti-war march on Washington, DC. If you’re going, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

In fact, why not just let your hair down and make a day of it? And if you come on Saturday, drop by Lola’s: We’re welcoming all our good buds with a coupon we sent in our e-mail newsletter. (You do subscribe, right?)

Free love may be out of style, but free baked goods? Always groovy.

(Note: As always, the bakery will be closed on Sunday.)

Now imagine getting all those goodies for free. Yup, free. You’ll just need to win the first-ever Lola’s Easter egg hunt.

What sort of eggs have we hidden? Actually, just one: A virtual Easter egg.

Specifically, our “egg” is a hidden page on LolaCookies.com that’ll allow you to claim a free $25 Lola’s gift card if you’re the first person to guess its Web address.

Type your best guess into a browser — make it look like “www.lolacookies.com/yourguess” — and if you’re right, you’ll see instructions about what to do next.

We’ve scattered three hints through the rest of this post, so keep reading …

[Hint #1: Find a link between Kanga (Roo's mom) and Annie Walker, the failed baker.]

In addition to egg-themed treats, we’re baking other goodies with an Easter edge —

• Sugar Cookies shaped like bunnies and carrots
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes topped with cream-cheese frosting and a tiny buttercream carrot — and they’re gluten free!
• Chocolate Cupcakes with Pastel-Colored Vanilla Buttercream

Easter Saturday will be very busy at the bakery; you might want to beat the rush by shopping on Friday.

[Hint #2: "Doll"?? No wonder he bugs her.]

Speaking of Friday: This month’s First Friday falls on April 6; many stores in Leesburg’s historic downtown will be open until late for musical performances and other fun activities.

We’ll delighted that two new stores in our building will be open for the event: Sugar Magnolia, a cute little women’s clothing boutique that’s moving from Shepherdstown, WV; and DiFrancesca Designs, a silk floral studio.

Our own little bakery will be open too, selling a special selection of cookies and cupcakes. Come visit us and our new neighbors

[Hint #3: Omit the space in "yourguess," or you'll be in a jam.]

Finally, a heads-up: Lola’s will be closed on April 9, Easter Monday, so that we can catch our breath!

Have a great holiday,

Alas, you’re not the first person to reach this secret page, but we hope you enjoyed the Easter egg hunt!