Resolution: Get Organized!

I’m a total sucker for “Clean House,” the Style channel’s reality show in which host Niecy Nash encourages folks with incredibly messy homes to “stop the foolishness” and take control of their clutter.

In that spirit, I’m happy to announce Playdate’s MESSY CLOSET CONTEST. Just in time to help you tackle that New Year’s Resolution to get more organized, we’re teaming up with the professional organizers at Clutter Busters to help one lucky mama get a handle on her kid’s clutter.

Entering the contest is easy, and you could win a free closet makeover from Clutter Busters! Yay! We’ll take photos and show off your new, neatly organized closet — and your kid — in the magazine.

To enter, here’s what you need to do: Tell us in 100 words or less why your kid’s closet needs help. If you’d like to include photos as evidence, we’d love to see them!

Be sure to include your name, address and a daytime telephone number. The deadline to enter is Feb. 6.

You can submit your entry via email: contest@playdateyakima.com.

Or, mail us at Playdate, P.O. Box 9668, Yakima, WA 98909.

Happy New Year!

It’s always warm at Great Wolf Lodge

Even in the dead of winter, a little splash of summer is closer than you might think. Of course, you’ll need a reservation.

At the Great Wolf Lodge near Centralia, just a three-hour drive from Yakima via White Pass, the resort’s exclusive indoor water park is always a balmy 84 degrees. It’s a Disney-esque family fun palace promising a season-defying escape from typical “wetside” weather. Just don’t expect to stay dry inside here.

Amenities include an arcade, spa and craft room, but the resort’s major draw is the sprawling indoor water park featuring a little something for everyone — from a relaxing hot tub to a rockin’ wave pool to the Howlin’ Tornado, a stomach-knotting slide through a bright yellow six-story funnel.

“That was horrifying,” recalls Zillah mom Kelli Olsen. “Never again.”

“That was the best water slide ever,” counters West Valley 13-year-old Hailey Lozano. “It was awesome. You’re just winding around and you can’t see anything and then all of a sudden you just drop and you’re in this tornado going back and forth.”

When my own family visited in March, I appreciated that the Howlin’ Tornado was the only slide that my 3- and 5-year-old kids weren’t quite tall enough to try. There’s a 48-inch height requirement.

However, my junior adrenaline junkies each met the 42-inch benchmark for riding with an adult on the park’s other major slides — including the 500-foot River Canyon Run — and also were able to independently (with supervision) enjoy most of the other attractions, including the 1,000-gallon soaker bucket that sits atop Fort Mackenzie.

So, what’s the price tag for all this madness? As you’ve probably heard (or suspected), it ain’t cheap. Admission to the water park is limited to guests of the resort. In other words, it’s a package deal; you have to stay to play.

Good news is that there’s a quite a range of room options — and deals are fairly easy to find. Accommodations range from a standard room with two queen-sized beds (starting at $190) to the Grizzly Bear Suite (starting at $370), which has two private bedrooms, two bathrooms and a shared living area (i.e. enough space for two families with younger children to comfortably share).

Prices include water park admission for 4-6 people, depending on the room. And guests are able to access the water park from 1 p.m. on arrival day until closing (generally 9 p.m.) on the day they check out. That means, according to the mamas I talked to, you can get a pretty good value from a single night’s stay.

“After a whole day, I was exhausted and felt like I had been at Disneyland for a week,” says Janine Taylor of Yakima. “One night is definitely enough.”

The Taylor family — including Bethany, 7, and Micah, 5 — visited Great Wolf to escape the winter doldrums in early 2008, just a few weeks after the resort opened.

“I thought it was great for that purpose, an outing to do in the middle of the winter blahs around here,” says Janine, who booked a good rate on one of the lodge’s camp-themed family suites featuring a private bunk area for the kids.

“They thought it was fun to have their own bedroom space,” Janine says. Yet, “you’re spending so much of your time in the water park, a regular room would have been fine.”

West Valley mom Megan Calhoon liked that the resort had activities that appealed to everybody in her blended family, which includes four girls, ages 8 to 16. The youngest, Hannah Lozano, enjoyed a bedtime story in the lobby and MagiQuest, a high-tech scavenger hunt located throughout the resort. The older girls danced and checked e-mail in gr8_space, a teen lounge.

“And then there was the arcade,” Megan adds. “My husband loves arcades.”

The resort has a couple different snack bars and two restaurants, including an extensive gourmet-style buffet and a wait-to-be-seated grill, which serves up sliders, salads and steaks.

Food isn’t included in the package price and it can be spendy. The breakfast buffet, for example, runs $13.95 for adults and $7.95 for kids ages 4-12. Though it’s fast and convenient, that’s a steep tab when you have “two small kids who eat like birds,” says Kelli Olsen.

Families with younger kids will likely get a better deal by heading outside the resort or sharing plates at the lodge’s Camp Critter Bar and Grill (think Red Robin).

“We found that, even in there, they are so kid-friendly,” says Selah mom Tanya Bauman, who visited last year. “They catered to the kids and filled sippy cups.”

Good to know, Tanya says, is that both resort restaurants will package up food to take to the room. Also, all suites have a mini fridge and microwave.

Tanya says her family, who met up with another, had a good trip and she would consider going again when kids Becca and Jonathan are tall enough to try more of the activities. But, she offers a word of caution to parents with younger kids: “My 5-year-old had fun. For my 2-year-old, it was way too overwhelming. It was way too loud in there. We weren’t thinking about that.”

Kelli Olsen also visited the park with young kids — Sam, 6; Henry, almost 5; and Olivia, 10 months; as well as a pair of preschool-aged cousins — and also noted the noise inside the waterpark, as well as safety concerns due to the park’s size and unsecured exits. She recommends visiting midweek, when the crowds are lower, and meeting up with another family so the adults can take turns watching kids and enjoying the rides.

Of course, Kelli didn’t really enjoy the Howlin’ Tornado: “It was so horrible. I was so mad at my husband for thinking I’d enjoy it.”

But Janine Taylor has another take: “I am an adrenaline junkie. I love all kinds of roller coaster rides. That thing scared me to death. It was really intense. To me, that’s a positive. It’s not just namby-pamby stuff.”

Sound like a cure for the wintertime blues? For more mommy-oriented trip planning advice, visit the Ask-A-Mom blog at askamom.greatwolf.com.

— Sara Bristol

___________

IF YOU GO
WHAT: Great Wolf Lodge resort. Use of the indoor water park requires staying at the 398-room, all-suite lodge.

WHEN: Open year-round.

WHERE: Grand Mound, Wash., just north of Centralia off Interstate 5 at Exit 88-B. It’s about a three-hour drive from Yakima via U.S. Highway 12.

HOW MUCH: Rates start at $189.95 for a family suite, including waterpark admission for four. Rates vary based on date of stay, accommodations and occupancy.

To hunt for deals, poke around on the reservations calendar at greatwolf.com. Then click on “Great Deals” at the very bottom of the page to learn about upcoming promotions. Also, sign up for the mailing list if you’d like to receive notices with special deals.

FOR MORE: Visit greatwolf.com or call 800-640-9653.

Elk Feeding Station (Naches)

January and February are the best months for viewing elk at the Oak Creek feeding station near Naches. Kids will enjoy bundling up for a ride on the safari-style truck tours that provide an up-close look at the animals.

Each winter, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife provides a supplementary feeding program for up to 1,500 elk — including as many as 150 branched-antler bulls — to keep them from damaging private property. (Humans, you see, have inhabited the herd’s winter range.)

REMEMBER! • Dress warmly. • Bring a camera. • Make reservations if you’d like to go out on the truck: 509-698-5106. • Be quiet. Wild animals don’t like loud noises

For families, the feeding station is a cheap and easy field trip, located about 20 miles west of Yakima on U.S. Highway 12. The elk are fed daily at 1:30 p.m., though you’ll find animals there throughout the day.

A fence separates the elk from the viewing area, but the animals are free to head up to the hills, so their numbers vary throughout the season. More will visit the feeding station when snow and extreme cold prevents them from grazing naturally.

Also worth a stop, bighorn sheep are fed mid-morning at the nearby Cleman Mountain feeding site, just a couple miles up the road. Feeding season for both the elk and bighorns is typically mid-December to early March.

There’s a visitor center at the elk’s Oak Creek Headquarters, open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the elk’s feeding season. The center has a video program, exhibits and a hands-on kids’ corner where children can get a feel for elk fur and antlers. There’s no charge, but donations are accepted to help support the feeding program.

Volunteers can take you for a ride into the feeding area on an old open-air Army truck. Tours typically depart at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Tours are first-come, first-served, but reservations are accepted; call ahead at least 48 hours in advance if you’re visiting with a large group, as the trucks are limited to 14 passengers. Call 509-698-5106 for tour reservations.

During the tour, the truck will drive slowly out into the field and then kill the engine so you can quietly observe the elk. A docent provides some information and answers questions. Bring a camera, and be sure and dress warmly; the tours typically last about 30 minutes.

If you have preschoolers, please note that the volunteers prefer a 1:1 adult-child ratio for younger kids. Also, the children need to refrain from yelling or making other loud noises since the elk are easily startled.

If you’re hungry for more details, there’s a ton of information about the animals and the feeding stations on the Naches Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Web site. Or, call the Oak Creek Wildlife area at 509-653-2390.

HOW TO GET THERE
Oak Creek Headquarters (elk): Drive west on U.S. Highway 12 and continue past Naches. At the junction with Hwy 410, turn left, continuing on Hwy 12. About two miles past the junction, the feeding station will be on the right.

Cleman Mountain feeding station (bighorn sheep): Drive west on U.S. Highway 12 and continue past Naches. At the junction with State Route 410, stay straight, heading west on SR 410 for about one block, then make a sharp right on the Old Naches Highway. The feeding station is on the left.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FACTS
• Rocky Mountain Elk from Yellowstone National Park were introduced to Yakima County in 1913.
• Bulls weigh an average of 450-900 lbs.
• Cows are pregnant for 270 days (about 9 months).
• Twin calves are rare.
• Antlers (found only on the bulls) fall off in the spring and regrow by August.
• Wintering elk may eat 3 to 10 lbs of hay per day at the feeding stations.

— Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

ABOUT BIGHORN SHEEP
• Both Rocky Mountain and California bighorn sheep are native to Washington.
• Can live up to 17 years, but general life expectancy is 10-12 years.
• Rocky Mountain bighorns are larger than the California sub-species. Rocky Mountain rams weigh 160-315 lbs, while a California ram weighs about 180-205 lbs.
• The gestation period for ewes is 180 days (about 6 months).
• Twin lambs do occur.
• Both rams and ewes have horns, which never fall off and continue to grow through the sheep’s lifetime.

— Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Libraries plan enchanted events

Yakima Valley Libraries are getting all girly for their upcoming Pink and Purple Parties. These special events for children will feature “enchanting fun” and royal crafts. The parties are targeted towards little princesses, but there will be activities for boys as well.

Wings, crowns and gowns are encouraged. As always, there’s no charge to participate in library activities.

Below is the schedule for Yakima, Selah and Union Gap. Download the full schedule here.

Saturday, Jan. 10
11 a.m. Summitview Library, 5709 Summitview Ave., Yakima. 966-7070.

Friday, Jan. 16
4 p.m. Southeast Library, 1211 S. Seventh St., Yakima. 576-0723.

Thursday, Jan. 22
10 a.m. Selah Library, 115 W. Naches Ave., Selah. 698-7345.

Saturday, Jan. 24
2 p.m. Downtown Yakima Library, 102 N. Third St., Yakima. 452-8541.

Tuesday, Jan. 27
7 p.m. Union Gap Library, 3104 S. First St., Union Gap. 452-4252.

Thursday, Jan. 29
10:15 a.m. Terrace Heights Library, 4011 Commonwealth Dr., Yakima. 457-5319.

Toddler & Preschool Art Studio — Jan.

TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL ART STUDIO. 10 a.m. to noon. Drop-in open studio for children age 5 and younger. Cost: $5. Red Art Gallery, 30 N. Third St., Yakima. 469-2766.

Terrace Heights Story Time – Jan.

PRESCHOOL STORY TIME. 10:15 a.m. Terrace Heights Library, 4011 Commonwealth Drive, Yakima. 457-5319.

Snowflake Follies

SNOWFLAKE FOLLIES. 2 p.m. Seasonal stories, games and crafts. Southeast Yakima Library, 1211 S. Seventh St., 576-0723.

Funky Friday Night — Jan.

FUNKY FRIDAY NIGHT. 7-8:30 p.m. Rockin’ recreational swim featuring loud ’80s music. Cost: $1 adults, $0.50 youth, or $3.25 family. Lions Pool, 509 W. Pine St., Yakima. 575-6046.

Night Action: Late Night – Jan.

NIGHT ACTION: LATE NIGHT. 8-11 p.m. Supervised activities for youth in grades 6-12 include movies, pool parties, dances and dodge ball tournaments. Southeast Community Center gym, 1211 S. Seventh St., Yakima. 575-6114.

Home Depot Kids Workshop – Jan.

HOME DEPOT KIDS WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects for kids 5-12. The Home Depot, 2115 S. First St., Yakima. 452-3016.

Ace Kids Club – Jan.

ACE KIDS CLUB. 10 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects  for kids ages 3-12. Hometown Ace Hardware, 3700 Tieton Drive, Yakima. 972-4400.

Borders Story Time – Jan.

BORDERS STORY TIME. 11 a.m. Free. Borders Books, 1700 E. Washington Ave., Union Gap. 248-4018.

Official Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist King Tournament – Jan.

OFFICIAL YU-GI-OH! DUELIST KING TOURNAMENT. Noon to 4 p.m. Ron’s Coin & Book, 6 N. Third St., Yakima. 248-1117.

Saturday Nite Live – Jan.

SATURDAY NITE LIVE. 7-9:30 p.m. Free drop-in program open to youth ages 7-15, in partnership with Yakima Valley Young Life. Swimming, sports, games, Christian message. Yakima Family YMCA, 5 N. Naches Ave. 248-1202 or 961-9898.

Simple sewing classes at Allied Arts

Allied Arts of Yakima Valley is offering two basic sewing classes in February that might be fun for older kids — and moms. To register, call Allied Arts (966-0930; 5000 W. Lincoln Ave., Yakima) at least one week in advance.

FIVE USEFUL HAND STITCHES | Open to anyone who can thread a needle, this class will show students how to make five different hand-stitches and complete a small totebag. Led by Kristie L. Burrill, this workshop will meet from 3-5:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Call for fee.

BASIC ALTERATIONS | Anyone old enough to operate a sewing machine can learn how to “fit it and fix it” in this two-day workshop led by Kristie L. Burrill. The class will meet from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 2 and 9. Fee is $40.

On the first day, students are asked to bring an article of clothing that does not fit. They’ll learn to analyze the problem and prepare the garment for alteration. On Day 2, students will learn techniques to complete different alterations; bring a portable sewing machine, if you have one.

Mom & Baby — Jan.

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.

Union Gap Preschool Story Time & Craft

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

Inklings Toddler Story Time -Jan.

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

Scrap retreat benefits Selah students

Need to catch up on your scrapbooks or photo albums? An all-day Scrapbooking Retreat will be held at Selah High School on Jan. 31. Proceeds benefit the Renaissance Action Team, a group that acknowledges accomplishments and contributions of students at Selah High and Selah Academy.

The scrapbooking event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 31 in the SHS Student Center. Cost is $20 per person.

Participants receive lunch catered by Sweet Beez Cafe and enough table space to spread out and work, as well as access to die cutters and dies from Ellison and Sizzix, and sewing machine stations for stitching paper projects. Also, there will be door prizes.

For an additional $8, participants can join a Flip Book Workshop led by Karri Aggett.

Space is limited. For registration forms or more information, call Michele Garretson at 698-0800, ext. 826. Or, email michelegarretson@selah.k12.wa.us.

Girl Scouts Badge & Patch Workshop

GIRL SCOUTS BADGE & PATCH WORKSHOP. 6:15-7:15 p.m. Girls ages 5-17 can learn about scouting and earn official badges and patches; great opportunity for new members to join. Cost: $2 per workshop, plus a one-time $10 membership fee. Scholarships are available for membership dues. Meet in room 203 at Central Lutheran Church, corner of 16th and Chestnut avenues in Yakima. Lisa Tapia: 834-9785 or 1-800-827-9478, ext. 244.

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