Ottawa Family Fun

The  Kids Learning and Growing Fair going on this weekend (January 28-29, 2006) at the Bell Sensplex in Kanata with 3 free (well free with admission to the event) Treehouse Live show: The Big Comfy Couch.  See my previous post for more detailed information.

Head out to a movie (check the rating and description to help you pick one age appropriate):

• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Hoodwinked 
• King Kong
• Imax: Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon
• Nanny McPhee 

Centerpointe Theatre

• The Emperor’s New Clothes

The Pinto Valley Ranch is having a free Outdoor Family Fun Day Sunday with Pond Skating, Sleigh Rides and sliding.  Give the ranch a call for more details for the hours of the event.  I have sent them an email and will post more information when I get it. 

And, the Rideau Canal is scheduled to be reopened at noon today again, so strap on those blades before the temperature rises again.  I think it is supposed to be +5 C Saturday, so if you are looking for something to do tonight it might be perfect conditions!

Check out the ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation website for more information regarding ABC CANADA Family Literacy Day™.

I was looking through the local EMC paper this week and noticed that there is a Kids Learning and Growing Fair going on this weekend (January 28-29, 2006) at the Bell Sensplex in Kanata.  There will be all kinds of interesting displayers who make their living supplying families in the area with some great services.  Check out the http://www.reemevents.ca/ site (the promoter) to see who will be at the show.  The biggest draw will be the Treehouse Live show: The Big Comfy Couch (Hey isn’t that the girl who used to visit Mr. Dressup!?).  The show is part of your admission cost (free with admission is how they word it). 

Admission cost:
Adults $7.00
Grandparents $5.00
3 and Up $3.00
Under 3 FREE

In looking at who would be at the fair, I noticed that there is a new guide out for doing things with the kids in the Ottawa area.  The site with information on the guide is http://www.kidsottawa.com/ (Kids Ottawa).  The guide is $12 and is a great way to help come up with ideas related to doing things with the kids.  Go to their site, they list who to buy the guide from.

We have taken each of our kids to a Disney on Ice Event at the Corel centre and they both enjoyed them.  Reasonable seat prices exist for those who don’t need to sit right next to the ice.

For more details, check out the Scotiabank Place/Corel Center Disney On Ice Event information page.

It might be a bit cold to take the young ones out today or tonight, but at least that warm weather last week did not impact the thickness of the ice on the rideau canal!  The forcast for tomorrow looks better though, so get those skates sharpened and head out.

Here are some links regarding the Rideau Canal that you may find come in handy:

• Ice Conditions
• Found Locally’s Information about the Rideau Canal

Have fun! 

A buddy forwarded the following link to me regarding 101 Tips For Improving Children’s Behaviour (http://www.parentingideas.org/articles/discipline/101-tips-for-improving-childrens-behaviour/)

The site www.ParentingIdeas.org is very well done and is well worth bookmarking if you are a parent.

 As for some of my permalinks, it looks like my upgrade to WordPress 2.0 kind of had some issues.  I am working on them and will have them fixed as soon as I can.  If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks.

For those of you who planned ahead enough to get a babysitter (good for you!) here is what I have been able to find regarding things to do.

As a Couple:
Brookstreet in Kanata is a really nice place and if you are looking for a fancy place to go (and are not to worried about your budget), you might consider this.

As a Family or as a couple
For a more economical, but still very nice, the Marshes also has a dance and buffet (and kids are allowed at this one). Check out the website for Brookstreet for all of the options (http://www.brookstreethotel.com/index.htm) (See the right hand column for New Year’s Eve Festivities)

To do some research on any restaurant in the Ottawa area, check out RestaurantThing.com It is kind of an epinions for Ottawa restaurants. (The main page shows 100 restaurants randomly - if you want to see all of them, there’s a link in the left hand margin) There are too many for me to list. This site allows you to find some hidden gems that you might enjoy.

As a Family
For a family event, check out the free Family Alcohol-Free (not free alcohol!) party at Ben Franklin Place. It looks like Rick Chiaralli (City Councelor) has organized this: http://www.rickchiarelli.com/newyearseve.html. It ends at 10:00 PM with fireworks. (Sleigh rides, Skating, Face Painting, other activities).

And, for the most complete New Year’s Eve Guide I have found for Ottawa, check out Ottawa Start’s New Year’s Eve Guide.

At Home with Family and Friends
If you plan on having a fun night at home with the kids (and maybe some friends), here are some great games you might consider:

The Cranium games have been a favourite of mine.
- Their latest Family Fun game is great for families with kids over 7 yrs old.
- Twister is fun for kids of all ages.
- Trouble (or Frustration)
- Connect Four
- Pen Hockey (I loved playing that as a kid)
- Card Games (Sanp, Spoons, War, Fish, Hearts, … Texas Hold Em!?)

Our kids love to dance, so putting some tunes on and letting them boogie is another great idea.

Have fun and have a Happy New Year!

If you are looking for something different to do with the family between Christmas and New Years, why not take a tour out to Upper Canada Village.

They are doing something called “Alight at Night” in the village over the holidays. There are 150,000 lights on the heritage buildings throughout the village.

Here are some details from their website (http://www.uppercanadavillage.com/night.htm):

OPEN EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK! December 1, 2005 to January 6, 2006
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Except Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
Open New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
Admission - Adults $4 / Children $3

Enjoy Old Fashioned Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides
Departures - 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. nightly
Give your feet a rest and take in the sights and sounds aboard an old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon ride.
Cost for a Wagon Ride - Adults $3 / Children $2 (plus admission above)

New: Take a Trip on the Toy Train!
Sponsored by Scotiabank
Hop on board the Toy Train, illuminated by a multitude of lights, and take a round trip through Crysler Park where you’ll see dazzling new light displays all along the way.

Rides depart nightly every half hour. Limited seating available. Tickets can be bought ahead at the Train Station just outside Upper Canada Village for same night departures.

Train Fares: $3.50 Adult / $2.50 Youth (5-12)* / $1.00 Child (2-4)*

Come In For Dinner at the Harvest Barn
Step out of the cold and into the Harvest Barn where you will find warm-you-up food and beverages, including a dinner special offered nightly.

Take Home Bread from the Village Bakery
Step inside and enjoy the warmth and aromas of fresh oven-baked bread made on select evenings* at the Village Bakery. Bread will be available for purchase at the Village Store while quantities last.

*Bakery in operation on December Dec 26 - Jan 6.

Evenings of Christmas Carol Singing
Step inside the beautifully lit Christ Church at Upper Canada Village and join in the singing of Christmas carols on select evenings during Alight at Night.
(Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 30, 31 and Jan. 1 and 6).

*** Update: Thanks to a comment from Catherine (Thanks Catherine), I now know that there is a site similar to the one I ask for below. The site is done by CHUM and the A-Channel. It is called: http://www.busdelay.ca. For Ottawa area schools go here: http://www.busdelay.ca/ottawa/viewboard.php?cID=40

- From the Ottawa-Carleton School Board: All school buses are cancelled today due to the severe weather conditions however all schools will remain open.
- From CFRA website: School buses to english and french Catholic and public schools in Ottawa have been cancelled this morning. However, schools will remain open for students.
- For Upper Canada District School Board, visit their site: http://www.ucdsb.on.ca/transportation/viewcancelled.cfm

Now…. what I would like to see, and may do…. is set up a website for all schools to have access to to update the bus cancellation and school closure information. Each school board would be given an interface to login to. Radio Stations, TV News, Parents would be able to visit the site and get up to date information regarding the school they choose or all schools. You might even have an option to have it email the information to you. The news might be supplied in an RSS format so that several websites could share the information as well.

I know that the radio announces stuff like this, but it would be nice to have an alternative/central communication point that all school boards could share to communicate with the public in general.

Here is just a little Shockwave game I was emailed. I thought I would throw it up on my site for you to enjoy. For background information on the game (or alternate versions… like the gory version, …) go to: http://penguin.omnihosts.net/

This is an extension of one of my previous posts: OC Transpo Strike and Ottawa Car Pool information

Ok, so a large number of people out there would be upset if OC Transpo came up with a new form or level of Express bus (I will call it comfort express from now on) that would attract people who currently drive in instead of taking the bus. I know that the paper and coffee were extreme, and I really don’t care about that. If you want a free paper, you can pick up a Metro or Dose at any of the Park-And-Ride locations where you would be getting on the bus. And if you really want a coffee, then make one at home and bring it with you…. fine… I have no problem with comments about these two items.

As for the more comfortable bus service with no standing room, only more comfortable seats and having people pay a premium to use these busses, I really don’t understand why people are so upset! Someone can afford (*or chooses to afford …. how many students own iPods?). Yes, some people may not want to spend the $ on the comfort express and they are quite happy with the service as it stands today. GREAT!

This is just an idea to get more people using public transit. Getting more people off of the road and thus helping Ottawa’s traffic situation during the rush-hour(s) to improve.

The biggest thing that I cannot understand is why people are so upset at this idea since the bus would earn more in fares (and thus more money into the Transit System) than an Express bus.

Here are the numbers for just 1 bus route.

Express Bus:
Accomodates 70 Passholders (approx). = 70 * $ 87.00 = $6090 in fares a month.

Comfort Express Bus:
Accomodates 50 Passholders (approx). = 50 * $ 150.00 = $7500 in fares a month.

So the Comfort Express Bus would generate $1410 more per route than the current Express Bus. That is a substantial amount of $$$ added to the transit system to help pay to improve all services (without increasing taxes too much more)… did I happen to mention that those people (not me!) living in larger homes pay more in taxes too!?

I am not someone to be jealous of what other people can afford and have. I like to say, “Good for them, they figured out how to get ahead with all of the obstacles and taxes designed to keep us all from having more than our neighbours.” GOOD FOR THEM! Not ” Boo Hoo… poor me…I can’t afford the bigger house, car and widgets that buddy has.”

I have no problem with others having more than me. If my neighbour wins the lottery, I will be truly happy for them! But, back to the bus system thing.

I guess, I want a solution that will work until light rail is in place. If the ride downtown was only 15 - 20 minutes, then I would have no problem standing on the way in. It is when you are looking at a 45 minute commute because there are spots on the Queensway that are backed up with too much traffic and the busses have no way around…. not to mention emergency vehicles …

Do I want OC to drop all kinds of tax dollars into adding more lanes to the Queensway (loads of $$$). NO! I am asking to PAY for a comfortable ride in that I can enjoy while we wait in traffic. PLUS, adding a possibility that just maybe it would attract several of those people not on the bus now (in my opinion, a high probability) who don’t take the bus for the same reasons I describe.

Light rail is probably the solution I am looking for, but it is years away and there are several bumps in the road before we get there. This is a solution that could be put into place in a relatively short time frame, would increase the $$$ coming into OC Transpo, reduce traffic (thus helping the environment and cutting down on our greenhouse gas emissions), and improve our bus system even more…. just because it is good now doesn’t mean you have to stop improving it with new ideas!

Would those of you who are upset with my idea be upset with people if they rode to work on a Private system? Would you be opposed to them paying a fee to the city to use OC Transpo infrastructure (like the transitway)… I don’t think this would work due to insurance and safety reasons.

Would those of you have expressed that you would be upset over OC Transpo providing these services be just as upset if a private company could do it? If not, why? If so, why? I would really like to see some solid reasons to WHY people would be upset over this service?

Is it because others should not be given the option to pay more for better service? Why is this such an issue? I am not suggesting that the current service levels be reduced?

Is there a financial reason that I am missing? The Comfort Express busses would make more in fares than the current Express busses. Why would there be a huge cost issue to supply the service?

Please, I really do want to know why why why people are so upset. From the comments I have recieved so far, the only reason I have come to is that most people do not like seeing others have something they don’t… Please prove me wrong.

I only wish I could get the same level of feedback regarding what this site is intended to do: give people ideas and activity ideas to do as a family in Ottawa! If you have any good ideas, please feel free to submit those too!

Check this out: A service in Atlanta. And please don’t say, well Atlanta is so much bigger than Ottawa. It only depends on the people willing to use the service.
http://www.xpressga.com/guaranteed_ride_home.htm

Ok, I have been able to round up some Christmas Specials for you from Dec. 14th to Dec. 22nd (This is what I was able to round up, I may have missed some. If you notice errors, please post a comment with additions or corrections.)

For a printable PDF, Click Here

Wed, Dec 14 2:35 AM CHRO [006] 12 Days of Christmas Eve
Wed, Dec 14 8:45 AM TFC [051] ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 12:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Wed, Dec 14 1:00 PM CITY [015] A Very Brady Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 2:00 PM WTBS [047] The Steve Harvey Show
Wed, Dec 14 3:00 PM APTN [070] Christmas at Wapos Bay
Wed, Dec 14 5:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Wed, Dec 14 6:00 PM YTV [065] A Garfield Christmas Special
Wed, Dec 14 6:30 PM YTV [065] It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown
Wed, Dec 14 7:00 PM CBOT [008] A Mole’s Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 7:00 PM YTV [065] The Santa Claus Brothers *** I really like this one - Some Canadian voices
Wed, Dec 14 8:00 PM APTN [070] Christmas at Wapos Bay
Wed, Dec 14 8:00 PM CMT [043] George Canyon’s Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 9:00 PM VISION [061] Barra MacNeil’s Celtic Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 9:00 PM W [062] Grumpy Old Women at Christmas
Wed, Dec 14 10:00 PM VISION [061] An Indigo Christmas With the Nathaniel Dett Chorale
Thu, Dec 15 1:00 AM VISION [061] An Indigo Christmas With the Nathaniel Dett Chorale
Thu, Dec 15 3:35 AM CITY [015] A Very Brady Christmas
Thu, Dec 15 6:00 AM VISION [061] Barra MacNeil’s Celtic Christmas
Thu, Dec 15 6:30 AM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Thu, Dec 15 12:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Thu, Dec 15 1:24 PM TFC [051] House of Mouse
Thu, Dec 15 2:00 PM WTBS [047] The Steve Harvey Show
Thu, Dec 15 3:00 PM VISION [061] Barra MacNeil’s Celtic Christmas
Thu, Dec 15 5:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Thu, Dec 15 7:00 PM CBOT [008] Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire
Thu, Dec 15 8:00 PM WXYZ [020] The Santa Clause
Thu, Dec 15 9:00 PM WPBS [064] A Christmas Tradition With Tommy Makem
Thu, Dec 15 10:00 PM CMT [043] Paul Brandt Christmas
Thu, Dec 15 11:00 PM VISION [061] Quartet Plus Four at Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 6:30 AM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Fri, Dec 16 12:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Fri, Dec 16 2:00 PM WTBS [047] The Steve Harvey Show
Fri, Dec 16 3:30 PM WPBS [064] Arthur’s Perfect Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 5:30 PM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Fri, Dec 16 7:30 PM TFC [051] Ernest Saves Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 8:00 PM WXYZ [020] A Charlie Brown Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 8:00 PM CMT [043] Dukes of Hazzard
Fri, Dec 16 8:00 PM HISTC [055] Worst Christmas Jobs in History
Fri, Dec 16 9:00 PM W [062] A Town Without Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 9:00 PM CITY [015] His and Her Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 10:00 PM ARTSC [031] Karroll’s Christmas
Fri, Dec 16 11:25 PM CBOT [008] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (how many times has this been on!!!)
Sat, Dec 17 12:00 AM HISTC [055] Worst Christmas Jobs in History
Sat, Dec 17 2:00 AM ARTSC [031] Karroll’s Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 4:00 AM COMEDC [046] Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
Sat, Dec 17 6:30 AM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Sat, Dec 17 7:00 AM WTBS [047] The Steve Harvey Show
Sat, Dec 17 7:30 AM WTBS [047] The Steve Harvey Show
Sat, Dec 17 9:12 AM TFC [051] That’s So Raven
Sat, Dec 17 12:00 PM YTV [065] The Christmas Elves
Sat, Dec 17 1:00 PM YTV [065] A Christmas Carol
Sat, Dec 17 1:00 PM CHRO [006] Stealing Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 1:30 PM TFC [051] A Mom for Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 4:00 PM W [062] A Town Without Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 4:00 PM YTV [065] Casper’s Haunted Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 4:00 PM CITY [015] Stealing Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 5:00 PM LIFENET [045] Martha Stewart’s Christmas Dream
Sat, Dec 17 5:00 PM CHRO [006] The Dead Zone
Sat, Dec 17 6:30 PM YTV [065] A Flintstones Christmas Carol ***
Sat, Dec 17 7:00 PM COMEDC [046] Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
Sat, Dec 17 7:00 PM SPACEC [050] The Dead Zone
Sat, Dec 17 7:30 PM BRAVOC [040] Come Into the Parlour: A Victorian Parlour Christmas
Sat, Dec 17 8:00 PM YTV [065] I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! ***
Sat, Dec 17 8:00 PM CITY [015] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sat, Dec 17 8:30 PM BRAVOC [040] Glorious Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 12:00 AM CHRO [006] Stealing Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 6:30 AM TOONC [048] The Secret World of Santa Claus
Sun, Dec 18 7:00 AM YTV [065] Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer
Sun, Dec 18 8:00 AM YTV [065] The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Sun, Dec 18 12:00 PM TFC [051] Jiminy Cricket’s Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 12:50 PM TFC [051] Teddy Bears Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 1:00 PM WWJ [013] A Hobo’s Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 1:00 PM WPBS [064] Cockman Family Christmas: Maker of the Stars
Sun, Dec 18 1:00 PM HGTVC [049] Martha Stewart’s Christmas Dream
Sun, Dec 18 1:30 PM YTV [065] Santa Mouse and the Ratdeer
Sun, Dec 18 2:00 PM APTN [070] Christmas at Wapos Bay
Sun, Dec 18 2:00 PM CITY [015] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sun, Dec 18 2:00 PM WPBS [064] O Christmas Tree
Sun, Dec 18 2:00 PM YTV [065] Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper
Sun, Dec 18 2:30 PM YTV [065] Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
Sun, Dec 18 2:30 PM YTV [065] Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
Sun, Dec 18 3:00 PM WPBS [064] Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Wonderland
Sun, Dec 18 4:00 PM W [062] Secret Santa
Sun, Dec 18 4:00 PM YTV [065] Yogi’s First Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 5:00 PM PRIMETV [054] Santa’s on His Way
Sun, Dec 18 7:00 PM YTV [065] A Charlie Brown Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 7:00 PM CJOH [007] Rita MacNeil’s Christmas Special
Sun, Dec 18 7:00 PM HISTC [055] Worst Christmas Jobs in History
Sun, Dec 18 7:30 PM YTV [065] A Garfield Christmas Special
Sun, Dec 18 8:00 PM CBOT [008] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sun, Dec 18 8:30 PM YTV [065] A Flintstone Family Christmas
Sun, Dec 18 9:00 PM WDIV [009] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sun, Dec 18 9:00 PM CITY [015] The Christmas Blessing
Sun, Dec 18 9:00 PM WWJ [013] The Christmas Blessing
Mon, Dec 19 1:05 AM YTV [065] A Charlie Brown Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 1:35 AM YTV [065] A Garfield Christmas Special
Mon, Dec 19 2:00 AM CMT [043] Paul Brandt Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 2:35 AM YTV [065] A Flintstone Family Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 7:30 AM TOONC [048] Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales
Mon, Dec 19 1:00 PM VISION [061] Origins of Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 1:00 PM CITY [015] Stealing Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 2:00 PM CBOT [008] The Nightmare Before Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 4:00 PM CMT [043] Quartette Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 5:00 PM TOONC [048] Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales
Mon, Dec 19 6:00 PM YTV [065] A Garfield Christmas Special
Mon, Dec 19 6:00 PM VISION [061] Origins of Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 6:00 PM CMT [043] Paul Brandt Christmas
Mon, Dec 19 7:00 PM YTV [065] A Christmas Carol
Tue, Dec 20 7:30 AM TOONC [048] It’s a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special
Tue, Dec 20 5:00 PM CMT [043] George Canyon’s Christmas
Tue, Dec 20 5:00 PM TOONC [048] It’s a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special
Tue, Dec 20 8:00 PM BRAVOC [040] Sounds Like Christmas
Tue, Dec 20 9:00 PM CHRO [006] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Tue, Dec 20 9:00 PM BRAVOC [040] Quartet Plus Four at Christmas
Tue, Dec 20 10:00 PM BRAVOC [040] An Indigo Christmas With the Nathaniel Dett Chorale
Tue, Dec 20 10:00 PM WPBS [064] Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Wonderland
Wed, Dec 21 2:00 AM CMT [043] Paul Brandt Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 2:30 AM CMT [043] Christmas Child
Wed, Dec 21 2:35 AM CHRO [006] National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Wed, Dec 21 6:00 AM VISION [061] Come Into the Parlour: A Victorian Parlour Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 7:30 AM TOONC [048] Casper’s First Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 9:00 AM ARTSC [031] Karroll’s Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 10:00 AM WTBS [047] Christmas Rush
Wed, Dec 21 3:00 PM VISION [061] Come Into the Parlour: A Victorian Parlour Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 3:00 PM ARTSC [031] Karroll’s Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 5:00 PM TOONC [048] Casper’s First Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 6:30 PM YTV [065] It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown
Wed, Dec 21 7:00 PM YTV [065] I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!
Wed, Dec 21 9:00 PM CHRO [006] Chasing Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 9:00 PM WPBS [064] “Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves”
Wed, Dec 21 9:00 PM VISION [061] Quartet Plus Four at Christmas
Wed, Dec 21 10:00 PM WPBS [064] A St. Olaf Christmas in Norway
Thu, Dec 22 1:00 AM VISION [061] Quartet Plus Four at Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 2:35 AM CHRO [006] Chasing Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 9:11 AM TFC [051] Teddy Bears Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 12:15 PM TFC [051] A Mom for Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 4:00 PM CMT [043] Christmas Child
Thu, Dec 22 4:30 PM YTV [065] Chipmunk Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 5:00 PM YTV [065] A Flintstone Christmas
Thu, Dec 22 5:30 PM CMT [043] Paul Brandt Christmas

I really like Saunders Farm. It feels like I just finished writing something about them (and I did - for Halloween). They do a nice job of using their facilities for Christmas. There is a hayride, Santa, freshly baked cookies, activities, and you can cut down a tree as well. They will take you out via the hay wagon to their Christmas Tree section and drop the family off to go searching for the perfect Christmas Tree for the family. Once you have your tree, the hay wagon (which is constantly doing the circuit), will stop and let you on with your tree. When you get back to your vehicle, someone will help you load it up (at least they helped me when I was out there last year). Trees start at $30 and there are plenty to choose from.

This makes for a memorable family trip that is well worth the drive.

P.S. Remember that a tree outside in the open looks much smaller than it will in your living room. Use your height as a good point of reference (or a tape measure). A 9ft tree in a house with 8ft ceilings will need to be cut down a bit when you get it home, but then you can give some boughs to friends and family who have an artificial tree set up.

I have been watching the Dell “12 Days of Deals” to see if they would offer another LCD monitor. Today they have a 19″ LCD Monitor for only $329.00. My old CRT was shot and I purchased one of these from them about 6 months ago and have been very happy. I was so happy that when the sale came again, I told my boss and he bought one.

Here is the link to the sale:

I love to Barbecue! Mmmmmm, nothing like a juicy steak done up right! Do I barbecue in the winter? Yes! Do I barbecue in the winter as much as I should? No! I plan to do more this winter for sure!!!

You might ask, ok Colin, where are you going with this? Many of you might (or have loved ones) also love BBQ’N as much as I do. I would like to point you to one of the best BBQ books I have ever received. My wife bought it for me last year for Father’s day and I bought a copy for my brother for Christmas (last year). Mmmmm. Tasty BBQ!

The name of the book is not the better known “Barbecue Bible” by Steven Raichlen, but “How To Grill” by Steven Raichlen (ISBN: 0761120149 ). Several of the Chapters - Indigo stores in town have copies ($20.00). So if you are looking for a great gift for the barbecue person in the family especially for about $20! This is the book for you.

For more information about the book and Steven Raichlen’s website, check out: http://www.barbecuebible.com/. His newsletter is quite good as well: http://www.barbecuebible.com/newsletter/

Happy grilling over the holidays!

A local Ottawa guy has a really great website that will help you surprise your family over the holidays. It will take some practice, but with Mark’s instructions, you should be able to Solve the Rubik’s Cube for your family in a reasonable amount of time.

Don’t forget to swing by the Norad Tracks Santa website with the kids this year. They have a great website with some really cool stuff that they build on every year.

http://www.noradsanta.org

Bubbles (talking about Norad) (.mpg file)

My sister-in-law sent an email this morning and I thought it was a great idea to put the info on my site. (Thanks Liz!)

I should have put this up on the site Thursday before the big party weekend began, but there is still plenty of time for enjoying too much egg nog. If you do decide to go out and have a good time, please remember not to Drink and Drive. If your spouse or a friend does not feel like being a designated driver (or you unexpectedly ended up in a situation where no-one should be driving), give Operation Red Nose a call at 771-AUTO (2886) in Ottawa between 8 p.m. and 3:30 a.m, 30 minutes before you need a ride. Three volunteers will drive your car home. The only rule is that the caller must have their own car — it’s not a taxi service.

Be safe and get home to the kids so that you can drag your sorry self out of bed the next day to take them out tobogganing (just standing at the top/bottom of the hill is about as much as you will probably feel like participating! )

Operation Red Nose News Stories:
Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Sun
OttawaPlus.ca

The impact of Drinking and Driving information: http://www.madd.ca/

I was at the Kanata Centrum last night and (because a friend - Hi Angela - told me that there was a new kids play structure (similar to Cosmic Adventures) just outside the AMC Cinemas. So, I swung by in search of information.

It has not yet opened, but looks like a nice place to let the kids run wild (I guess it goes with their jungle theme). It is not as big as Cosmic Adventures, but it is still quite large and I am sure the kids will keep very busy there.

It also looks like they have a drop-off for kids over 6 years old. That might come in handy if you want to get some Christmas shopping done!

It looks like they are still looking for people to work for them, so for those of you with teenage kids who are responsible and good with kids, you might want to have them contact them for a potential job.

Their website address is http://www.kidszonefuncentre.com The site has plenty of information about their facilities with admission prices, food prices, etc.

DELL’s - Reveal a new deal every day!

A buddy just emailed me and asked if we were taking our kids to see Dora the Explorer. I didn’t even know the show was coming to town. Tickets go on sale tommorow (Friday Dec., 9th, 2005 @ 10:00 AM ) at Capital Tickets (www.CapitalTickets.ca).

Information:

DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE!
Dora’s Pirate Adventure
Tickets on sale: Friday Dec., 9th, 2005 @ 10:00 AM

Date(s)/Time(s):
Saturday May 6th 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM
Sunday May 7th 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM

Ticket Prices:
$36.50, $30.50, $23.50 and $16.50
(Includes all taxes but excludes the CRF and the convenience charges)

Child Ticket Policy:
Children under 1 years of age do not require a ticket if they are not using a seat

Here is an exerpt from the CaptalTickets website (http://www.corelcentre.com/acts/dora-06.aro):

Presented by Nickelodeon Theatricals and ThemeSTAR, Dora’s Pirate Adventure! is based on the number one preschool show on commercial television. In Dora’s Pirate Adventure!, Dora, her best buddy Boots the Monkey, and the rest of their friends embark on an exciting trip to Treasure Island. For the first time ever, the family-friendly stage show will feature Dora’s cousin, Diego - a nature and science expert. The audience will help them navigate over Music Mountain, through Silly Singing Bridge and help them confront the Pirate Piggies. Along the way, the audience will use their map-reading, counting, musical and Spanish-language skills to successfully help Dora reach the treasure. All ends happily onstage with a “yo-ho-ho!”

Please don’t think I am adding these links for the $$. I am just experimenting with affiliate stuff and I like Canadian Tire as a store. So from now on if there is something (product related to my entry, I am going to put links to them at the bottom of my article. I buy alot from Cdn Tire over the holidays.

Fashion Adventure Dora	Dora Plug ‘n’ Play	Dress ‘n Dance Dora
Magic Dora and Friends, English	Fashion Dora Bonus Pack	My Talking Dora Backpack
Dora the Explorer Ornaments	Dora the Explorer Mini-ornaments