MOPS — West Side Baptist

MOPS — WEST SIDE BAPTIST. 9-11 a.m. Meeting donation: $5. Childcare, food, fellowship, speakers. West Side Baptist Church, 6901 Summitview Ave., Yakima. Tera: 972-3001.

Santa at Out On A Whim (1)

Santa will be visiting Yakima’s Out On A Whim Children’s Book Store throughout the month of December. Children are welcome to visit with Mr. Claus and take photos.

Here’s the elf’s schedule:
Dec. 1: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dec. 2-6, 8-13, 15-20: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.

Out On A Whim is located at 108 S. Third Ave. in Yakima; 576-3635.

Mom & Baby — Dec.

MOM & BABY. 10 a.m. to noon. Discussion group for moms with infants under 1 year; bring your baby. Free. Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital’s Community Education in the Nob Hill Plaza, 2506 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima. 575-8484.

Hustle up and enter our contest!

Hey all — Just a quick reminder that Wednesday is the deadline to enter our coloring contest. We’re giving away 40 tickets to see “Elmo Makes Music” next week at the SunDome. Ten winners (selected in a random drawing) will win four tickets to take their family and friends to the show.

The coloring page with all the details is inside the latest issue of Playdate, which you should be able to find near the entrance of most Yakima-area grocery stores and pharmacies, as well as doctors’ offices and family-oriented businesses.  The Herald-Republic’s doors lock at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, so turn ‘em in before closing. 

Personally, I’m looking forward to taking my kids to see Bert (of Ernie fame) do The Hustle. If you’d like to read more that, please read the story I wrote for last week’s ON Magazine.

It’s December! Already?

Yikes!  Is it just me or is time really flying this year?  I’m not even back yet from our trek to southern Oregon for Thanksgiving (in Portland at the moment) and already it’s December! Just three and a half weeks ’til Christmas…

Luckily, I’ve been able to get a jump on holiday shopping while visiting this land without sales tax. An 8.2 percent discount on everything I buy! Yippee! If you’d like to track shopping news in the Yakima area, check out my friend Mai’s new blog, Shop Talk.

Then, finish your shopping so you can spend the rest of the month doing fun stuff with your family. We’ve compiled a list of holiday activities for the latest issue of Playdate. Online, you’ll find the same info here.  

My family will be officially kicking off the Christmas season this coming weekend at Mountain Meadow Christmas Camp. Be sure to say hello if you see us there!

OK, it’s time for us to hit the road and head back to Yakima now. I’m looking forward to going to work tomorrow to see all your entries in our Sesame Street coloring contest. There’s still time to enter! Read more about that here.

DivorceCare for Kids — Dec.

DIVORCECARE FOR KIDS. 7 p.m. Support group for children, ages 5-12, whose parents are divorced, separated or reconciling. West Valley Church, 7109 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima. Pastor Mary: 966-1550, ext. 23.

Inklings Toddler Story Time — Dec.

INKLINGS TODDLER STORY TIME. 10 a.m. Inklings Bookshop in the Chalet Place shopping center, 5629 Summitview Ave., Yakima. 965-5830.

Union Gap Preschool Story Time & Craft

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME AND CRAFT. 10 a.m. Union Gap Library, 3104 S. First St. 452-4252.

Summitview Preschool Story Time — Dec.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME. 11 a.m. Summitview Library, 5709 Summitview Ave., Yakima. 966-7070.

Wrong number for TicketsWest

Yikes! We strive for perfection, but we don’t always achieve it. The latest issue of Playdate has an incorrect phone number for TicketsWest. If you’re trying to buy tickets to see Sesame Street Live: “Elmo Makes Music,” call TicketsWest at 1-800-325-7328. Or, you can visit the box office at the Yakima County Fairgrounds or purchase online at ticketswest.com.

Holiday card class for kids

Kids ages 4-12 can make holiday cards at a Saturday morning workshop at Allied Arts. The Glitter Paint Pop-Up Cards workshop will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Cost is $10 for the first child and $3 for each additional sibling or friend.

Pre-registration is required; call 966-0930. Allied Arts of Yakima Valley is located at 5000 W. Lincoln Ave. in Yakima.

YMCA Itty Bitty Basketball

The Yakima Family YMCA is offering Itty Bitty Basketball this winter for kids ages 3-6. Players can learn basketball skills in a non-competitive environment.

Itty Bitty players will meet from 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jan. 6-Feb. 12. The program is held at the YMCA’s Shinn Gym, 5 N. Naches Ave., Yakima. Volunteer coaches are needed.

The deadline to register is Dec. 22. Program fees are $30 to $50, which includes a team T-shirt; YMCA membership is not required. There’s a $10 late fee after the deadline.

For more information, call Tyler Johnson at 972-5273.

Cinema Circle will show ‘Bolt’

Especially for parents of little ones, Cinema Circle on Dec. 11 will host a special matinee of “Bolt” in 3-D.  There is a $2 surcharge for this special presentation.

Cinema Circle is sponsored by Circle of Success, an early learning program, and Yakima Theatres. Twice a month during the school year (except holidays), Cinema Circle shows a first-run movie at a special screening for parents with babies and preschoolers. No babysitter required!

“Bolt,” the latest flick from Disney, is rated PG for some mild action and peril. The story involves a dog who is the star of an action-hero TV show and actually believes he has amazing powers. When he’s accidentally shipped to New York City, Bolt’s daredevil stunts no longer go according to plan. Voiced by John Travolta.

The Cinema Circle screening will begin at 11 a.m. Dec. 11; doors open 30 minutes before the show. “Bolt” is playing at The Magestic, 1919 S. 14th St. in Union Gap (behind Toys R Us).

Adults must be accompanied by a preschool-aged child. For this special 3-D showing, admission is $7.50 for adults and $6.50 for children ages 4-6; one child 3 and younger is free with each paying adult. Parents with older children are asked to attend a regular matinee. Concessions are available.

For more information, call Circle of Success at 469-9888.

Baby Lapsit — Dec.

BABY LAPSIT. 10 a.m. Selah Library, 115 W. Naches Ave. 698-7345.

Kids’ Art Studio — Dec.

KIDS’ ART STUDIO. 3:30-5:30 p.m. Age-appropriate art activities for school-age children (K-12). Cost: $12 drop-in, or $40 a month. Preschoolers and toddlers welcome ($5); parents must accompany children age 6 and younger. Red Art Gallery, 30 N. Third St., Yakima. 469-2766.

Selah Preschool Story Time & Craft — Dec.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME AND CRAFT. 10 a.m. Selah Library, 115 W. Naches Ave. 698-7345.

Yakima Library Story Time — Dec.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME. 10:30 a.m. Downtown Yakima Library, 102 N. Third St. 452-8541.

We’ve got winners!

Wow! We had a lot of entries for our coloring contest. And, actually, we didn’t bother to count them. But I’m going to estimate it was about 100. Anyway, we had a drawing for the winners this morning. They each won four vouchers to see “Elmo Makes Music” next week at the SunDome.

Congratulations! We hope you enjoy the show.

Savannah Dutton, 2, of Selah

Dalton Gurnard, 7, of Union Gap

Madison Brownell, 9, of Selah

Naomi Rottman, 7, of Yakima

Brooklynn Frey, 3, of Selah

Courtney Stratton, 6, of Yakima

Keaton Pitzer, 2, of Selah

Nathan Varnum, 4, of Selah

Agustin Serrano, 6, of Union Gap

Noah Shirley, 6, of Toppenish

Looking for Christmas lights?

One of my favorite Christmastime traditions is taking a drive to look at the holiday lights and outdoor decorations. I guess I’ve been doing this since before I could say the letter L. My mom says some of my first words were “pretty ites.”

Anyway, my friend Kim at On Magazine does a pretty good job rounding up some of the best and brightest homes in the Yakima Valley. It’s a work in progress this season, but here’s the first list.

Also, the name is a mouthful, but I hear the Sunnyside Lighted Farm Implement Parade is worth a drive to the Lower Valley. There are more than 50 entries signed up for this year’s parade, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The parade has received some national acclaim and this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. Read more about that here.

On Sunday evening, Yakima’s own Holiday Light Parade parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. Put on some gloves, pack a thermos of cocoa and enjoy the show as the parade travels down Yakima Avenue from Sixth Avenue to Third Street. Afterwards, enjoy a choral performance, a visit from Santa and the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree across from the Capitol Theatre, 19 S. Third St.

MOPS — First Presbyterian — Dec.

MOPS — FIRST PRESBYTERIAN. 9-11:15 a.m. Free today. Christmas Tea, speaker is Libby Hodge. Childcare, food, fellowship. First Presbyterian Church, 9 S. Eighth Ave., Yakima. Sherrie: 966-0604.

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