Winter Fun from Mary J. Murphy

Winter Fun

in Bethesda and beyond

January/February 2012

Happy New Year! Yes, yes, we know. Clean slate! Resolutions! Yay! But we'll be kind - we'll assume it might take until February for those resolutions to kick in. Or show results. So here's a list of two months' worth of ideas to help with your resolutions (or things you can do when you get depressed that you can't stick to any of them)!

1.0675675675675675 Numero uno: Exercise. But it's gotten so boring, you say. Spinning? That's so 2011. Then hop on over to ZenGo Fitness in Bethesda. Two things to love about ZenGo: one, it's better than regular spinning. You get a whole body workout with loud music, fun instructors and a blessedly dark room. Two, they offer a class just for teen girls - they tout it as "no boys, no stress, no judgment." Oh, okay, and three, the first class is free. Give it a try.

Resolve to see more than your own back ya 1.031413612565445 rd in the New Year? Thinking you'd love to commemorate President's Day with more than just a long weekend? Or just sick of real politics and want to hearken back to a more genteel time? Visit Colonial Williamsburg to dance with an 18th century instructor, have curators and gardeners give you tours, take part in a witch trial or march with fifes and drums. You can also visit Historic Jamestowne, site of the first permanent English settlement in North America.

If the kids are really, really good while you traipse around Williamsburg, give them a treat an Great Wolf overview d take a quick hop over to Great Wolf Lodge. Yes, it's an indoor water park. No, it's not skeevy. The only thing really frightening is how much the pizzas cost if you try to eat dinner there, so pack a picnic or eat out. Really, the kids flip over the giant slides, and they'll burn off tons of energy after a few hours. Once they've quieted down, they love participating in the treasure-hunt MajiQuest game.

Oooh, here are biggies on everyone's list: De-clutter. Organize. Spruce up. Out with the old and in with the new. Is it that bad? Need to call in a professional? We've got two great ideas for you. First of all, get rid of all the junk you know you have but can't actually identify. To de-clutter and organize, try Cherry Blossom. Owner Beth Burchard (202-549-4496) can swoop in and sweep out everything that is messing up your lovely home. Once you're clear of...um...stuff, you'll want the old to look new. Then it's time to call JS Home Designs. Yes, Joan is a stager, so her business is getting a 1.0657894736842106 house to look pretty before it goes on sale. But you don't need to sell your house to want it to look its best! She'll come in, get your budget and then move, toss and shop her way to perfection in any space. It doesn't have to cost a fortune; Joan is brilliant at making small changes (like moving a chair) that have lots of impact. Both of these professionals will make you fall in love with your home all over again!

There's not really a resolution that speaks to this one, unless you're 1.0533980582524271 resolving to make a charitable contribution or get your antiques appraised. But it does look like fun! On January 6 to 8, visit the Washington Winter Show, an antiques show and series of events that benefits five local charities focused on children and families. This year's theme is "Celebrating the White House," so you can catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life behind the presidential doors through several administrations.

Hmm, if you're feeling contrary, resolve to eat out more in January and February! Then resolv 1.037914691943128 e to save money, then read this and rejoice: restaurant week is coming to Bethesda on January 23 (until the 29th). During this week, you can get a prix fixe lunch for $12 - $15 and a three course dinner for $25 or $30 at any one of dozens of Bethesda restaurants. Not so bad when we're talking Capital Grille, right? If you're tired of the Bethesda dining scene or just in the mood to head downtown, DC's restaurant week is January 9 through 15. Good prices, so you can go more than once!

Resolving to spend more time with your family? Well, do a family snow dance (wear your pajamas backwards; flush an ice cube down the 0.9768518518518519 toilet; or just watch the news and get the weather report) and then sled (locally, Robert Frost Middle School, Strathmore Hall, Stone Ridge School and Battery Kemble Park all offer hair-raising rides) or ski or go tubing! Liberty Ski Resort and Whitetail are super close and offer day trips for family fun on the slopes. Whitetail even offers a high-speed quad chairlift, which you can't find any other place close to home.

Have you seen the new Martin Luther King Memorial yet? Come on, thanks to TV and the Internet, people in China have seen it, so get 0.9767441860465116 yourself on over there! January 16 is MLK Day, so it's a great time to head downtown and see the events they have planned around the memorial. You can also visit the National Children's Museum at the National Harbor, which is offering a day of service for kids. They can make their own "I Have a Dream"-catcher or participate in the Valentines for Veterans program.

Do you ever see those commercials for the Sugarloaf Craft Festival or the Washington Auto Show? Well, they both start on January 27, and they're both worth checking out. The craft festival showcases thousands of juried artisans selling their own creations. It's huge and well-known and will delight every crafty bone in your body. The auto show is super cool for anyone who likes cars: they'll have more than 700 new makes and models from 42 different manufacturers. This gets crowded, so head down early!

If you haven't made plans for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner yet, then get on it! Bethesda has become enough of a foodie mecca to warrant advance planning. Many restaurants are offering special menus and dishes. If you want an excellent roundup of your options, check out this fun food blog then get your dialing fingers busy.

1.0574712643678161 Oooh, bottoms up! The DC Wine and Food Festival is coming on February 11 and 12. It's held in the beautiful Ronald Reagan Building and features wine, beer and spirit tastings, gourmet food booths and a restaurant row of local restaurants.

0.8333333333333334 Got a frustrated DJ in the house? Take him or her on over to Beat Refinery, a local Bethesda hotspot that offers lessons in spinning tunes like a professional.

Head to Imagination Stage on February 11 for a one-of-a-kind theatrical event: Play in a Day. Six professional theater companies come together and each must write, direct, rehearse and perform original plays within 24 hours. Lines might get flubbed but catching a glimpse behind the curtain of a working theater company will be well worth your while.

On February 26, take the kids to Brookside Nature Center (you maple sap know, by Brookside Gardens) for their annual Maple Sugar Festival. From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm you can taste sap dripping from trees (which, if taken out of context, sounds very strange), then watch it get boiled down into syrup and taste it again. There's a nominal fee/donation and it's fun for kids to realize syrup doesn't actually come from the grocery store shelves.