Wine Search: Key Word, Product Browse, and Bar Code Scan

Have a vague memory of the wine’s name? Use the app’s keyword search to pull up a list of wines containing that word. If you have the bottle in front of you, the same app lets you scan the bar code right off the bottle and pull-up the wine details You can also browse by product if you don’t have a specific wine (or beer) in mind).

Wine Search: Finding Your Wine at the LCBO Store

From the product detail page you can pull up more information on the wine and add it to your ‘favourites’ (to avoid searching for it next time). My favourite feature, beyond the bar code scan, is checking store inventory. This avoids you running into the store to look for a wine that isn’t in stock. You can look-up LCBO stores by city or postal code but if you’re not in your neighbourhood the ‘Use My Current Location’ option is ideal. It will list the LCBO stores near you, including the stores address and distance from your current location, plus the number of bottles it has in stock. Stock is updated regularly and the date of inventory is noted beside the inventory number. If the number is low, you can always call the store directly to ensure they have a bottle in-stock. The store detail page has a direct link to their phone number giving you one-click connection. You can also find the store’s hours and features, plus get directions to the store, right from the LCBO on the Go app. The map also page enables you to see nearby stores should you need to hit another store to find your wine.

No need to scribble the name of a wine on a piece of paper or run from store-to-store to find that prize bottle for dinner tonight. The LCBO on the Go app makes finding and locating that bottle quick and easy.

With over 100 parts, kids can create two of the most popular Monster Jam monster trucks in the K'NEX Monster Jam Grave Digger Vs Maxiumum Destruction playset, each with it’s own K’NEXmen drivers. Once built, time to race, smash and crash. Build instructions are included, as well as a ramp and graveyard scene for smashing fun. Even the wedge shaped box can be used as a ramp to reeve up your fun. $25.99 Cdn For other K'NEX Monster Jam construction and distruction, there’s also Monster Jam Grave Digger Vs. Son-Uva Digger building set $ 24.95 US 

One of the best ways to get the kids excited about reading is to find a book that taps into their passion. Meet Mudenstein, a good ol’ monster truck, in Golden Book’s I’m a Monster Truck from Random House.  Kids will love the colourful illustrations and reliving the crashing and smashing from their real Monster Jam experience. $4.99 Cdn

Past gravestone and skeletons, Monster Jam fans will love sending Grave Digger crashing through this graveyard scene in Hot Wheels Monster Jam Grave Digger Boneyard Bash playset. With a slam-action launcher, kids can send Grave Digger over a crushed car, up an adjustable ramp and through a haunted house. Set comes with 1 crushable car, 1 1:64 scale Grave Digger 30th Anniversary die-cast monster truck, 1 removable flame and 2 removable tombstones. Available in toy stores end of January 2012 or you can pre-order online $24.99 US 

Themed parties are always a hit with younger kids. This Monster Jam Deluxe Party Pack has everything you need to entertain 8 mini fans, including invitations, everything you need to serve up the cake (plates, forks, spoons, napkins, cups, and cake candles), as well as items to set the scene (tablecover, activity placemats, center piece, foil balloon and regular balloons, crepe paper rolls, ribbon, and confetti). $38.99 Cdn 

To inspire your party planning, we also found a great monster truck cake idea here and another one here.

Let your child’s creativity loose with this Monster Truck Custom Shop kit from Creative Kids. Using the supplied stickers and paint, kids can add their own custom look on the four trucks supplied. Then the fun begins as you can pull the cars back and let them go. $34.99 US

These bright coloured donut pendant necklaces from Teethease are fashionable and practicle. Free from BPX, PVC, phthalates and heavy metals, these soft, flexible silicone pendants around mom’s neck for easy access for a fussy baby. The break-away safety clasp means there’s no worry about too much pulling on mom. The Teethease Pendant Necklace also comes in a variety of colours depending on the statement you wish to make. $19.95 Cdn

Natural wood has been used as a component in a variety of children’s teething toys, now you can get it in jewelry too. This handmade wood necklace from By Nature has a cool design for mom to wear as well as a non-toxic distraction for baby. Sourced from Canadin hard maple and handmade in Muskoka, Ontario, this necklace is beautiful and functional. $29.98 Cdn

If you’re not a necklace type of person (not everyone is), that doesn’t mean you’re left out of the teething jewelry game. Teething Bling offers non-toxic, 100% lead-free bangles that are also free of phthalate, BPA and PVC. They come in a variety of colours to match your outfit too. Wear them on their arm and slip them off for baby to chew on when she starts fussing. $8.75 Cdn

Instead of giving your baby something to chew on to relieve their teething symptoms, what about something to wear? Amber is reported to be a natural analgesic and induce a feeling of calm when wore against the skin. These stone-like necklaces are designed to be worn regularly when your baby exhibits signs of teething and come in a variety of colours. The necklace is not for chewing or to be worn at night and should only be used when you are supervising your child. $24.99 Cdn

I’ve been on the lookout for a digital camera to use for my photos. Not to replace my iPhone – I will always have the need to grab a quick shot to share – but to enable me to capture my images a little better than I have been. The folks at Panasonic must have read my mind (or maybe they’ve seen my blog photos) since they sent me a new Panasonic LUMIX GF3X digital camera to try out this holiday season. They even included a printout with photos tips and a video tutorial to help get me started.

To be honest, I was so excited to use the camera, I never really looked at either of these pieces of information. I just grabbed the camera and started snapping pictures. I realize there are reasons for using the buttons and settings on the camera and I am looking forward to learning more about these and getting a little creative with my photos, but I was pleased that I could use the camera right out of the box without much learning. I’ve tried some other cameras and I’ve been so frustrated with the manual and the results that I just haven’t had an interest in using the camera.

That hasn’t been the case with my new Panasonic LUMIX GF3X.

If these are some of the shots I can get without learning the buttons and features, imagine how great my photos will turnout when I do take the time to experiment?

The camera is compact too, giving you the option to take video and still photos (though I’ve only used it for still images so far). The amount of filters and presets on the camera is amazing. There are those standard settings for portrait, landscape, and nature, but there are also ones for pets, baby and food; I’m looking forward to trying out the food set-up. There are even some nice filters like sepia and tiny. It’s nice to have these elements built right into the camera.

The camera comes with everything you need, including battery charger, neck strap (which I use a lot), battery and interchangeable lens with is pretty cool though in all honesty I probably won’t be switching out my lenses. I was also sent a camera case that has a nice feature of attaching right to the camera through the tripod screw at the bottom. This enabled me to flip the case open to take a shot and then wrap the camera back up to avoid dirt or scratches. I did say I like to take pictures of my kids.

I was looking for a digital camera that  would enable me to just point and shoot and still get some great shots, but also a camera that would give me some creative flexibility too. The LUMIX GF3X seems to offer just what I'm looking for. I’m looking forward to seeing how my photos change and improve as I learn more about using my new LUMIX CF3X camera.

My 5 year old is a big fan of Elmo and Sesame Street’s Once Upon a Monster allows her to interact with him and Cookie Monster in this storybook-like adventure. The game takes place in a book, where she turned pages and decided which pages to ‘jump into’ to explore and help. With Kinect, my 5 year old could flap her arms to help Elmo reach the top of a vine, run and jump to get Elmo and a monster through a forest full of obsticles, and even aim and through balls of garbage into Oscar’s trash cans. She loved it and she didn’t sit on the couch once. This is a single player game but great for little ones who have difficulty with traditional controllers.

She helped Oscar toss trash into garbage cans. She flapped her wings to help Elmo reach the top of a plant stock. She raced through the forest jumping tree logs and ducking from vines. By completing tasks she received stickers in her book. $39.95 Cdn.

All of us are huge fans of the Fruit Ninja mobile game, now you can get a downloadable version for your Xbox Kinect. The game offers the same player fun but instead of quick action fingers, you slice and dice by waving your arms around. Frenzy mode will have you in a frenzy trying to slice the most fruit as it zips across your TV screen. Party allows for multi-player fun. You can buy and download fun add-ons to the game too. Purchase from XBox Live Marketplace.

Bring the Disneyland experience into your living room with Disneyland Adventures. Up to two family members can explore the park, interactive with Mickey and other Disneyland characters and try to complete challenges based on some of the famous rides found in the theme park. We loved sledding on the matahorn and then tossing snowballs at the yetis to save goofy. Collecting pins, autographs and photos is also great fun and brings the experience closer to  the Disneyland trips we remember. You can read our full review here. $49.99 Cdn.

Just Dance, and now Just Dance 2, are really popular with my 9-year old daughter. Like all younger siblings, my 5-year old wants to eminate what her big sister does but the moves can be a little too complicated for her to follow (and some of the music a little inapropirate). Now little dance stars can hit the dance floor with Dora, Backyardigans and some of their other favourite Nickelodeon characters in Nickelodeon Dance. The sing an dance to some popular songs as well as songs from some of their favourite shows. There’s also an exercise version of this game but my daughter loved the dancing best. $39.99 Cdn.

My kids love skating and surfing (or the idea of surfing after our trip to Hawaii). In Spongebob's Surf and Skate Roadtrip, kid’s can play the part of Spongebob or Patrick and lean, duck, and jump their way through wave curls and skate park ramps. This is definitely on my son’s game list. $49.95 Cdn.

Try shooting baskets to create 4-in-a-row in Connect Four. Kick, pull, twist and turn to succeed in Bop-It. Roll your bowling ball to knock down Yatzee dice. Family Game Night 4 takes some of your favourite board games to a new level. You can play with a controller but I think the kinect version is so much more involving. Play on your own or game show version to add a little competition. $39.99 Cdn.

We don’t watch much TV in our house (we don’t have cable) but we have caught episodes of Wipe Out in the past and the kids love it. It’s like an extreme obsticle course. Now Wipeout: In The Zone promises the ability to jump, duck, and spin your way through your own Wipe Out course. The Kinect version enables game play for 1 to 4 people, making it a great family fun game that will have you moving but without the mud and dirt from the real show. $29.99 Cdn.

Beyond a typical video game, Kinect Fun Labs looks like something more focused on creativity and exploration. Create an avatar just like you that mimics your facial epressions, make yourself into a bobble head, create items using sparkle and so much more. Kids and parents will enjoy letting their creative (and silly) juices flow with Kinect Fun Labs. Free

We love Rabbid Rabbits on the DS and the Wii. The crazy antics always get the family laughing. Rabbids Alive and Kicking brings these crazy creatures right into your living room. The Kinect camera displays you on the TV and the Rabbid Rabbits crawl out of the floor and peek from the side of the room. You have to stomp and swish and just do anything with your body to get them out. There are other crazy games that have you holding poses and creating shadow puppets with your body. Up to 4 people can play adding to the game chaos (and fun). This is definitely on my ‘want to get’ game list.