Question of the Month: New Year's Eve/Day

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Kids in the Capital is all about parents in Ottawa helping each other out by sharing tips and advice. Each month we will ask a parenting question and we want to hear all the gems of advice you have to share. Just leave your answers in the comments! And if you have a question you’d like to suggest, leave it in the comments or email us at kidsinthecapital@gmail.com! This is our bonus question for December, because New Year's is coming up fast! (Where did 2011 go!?)

What will your family do for New Year's celebrations? Do you let your child(ren) stay up to celebrate? What kind of New Year's Day traditions to do you have?

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Kids in the Capital - Season of Giveaways We've been doing our Season of Giveaways over the last two weeks and we are happy to announce the winners of the Sens Skills tickets for today:

1) Paul won the 4 300-level tickets. 2) Jodie won the 2 100-level suite tickets.

We hope you and your guests enjoy the competition!

Don't miss your chance to win one last time this year by going and leaving a comment on Lara's post about The Royal Canadian Mint tour that she took her family on last week!

Activities with kids: Touring the Mint

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by Lara We've been so excited by the giveaways we've been having for Mint Tours I decided to go on a tour myself* and brought Kiernan and my friend's son Joel along with me.

We headed over to the Mint (located at 320 Sussex Drive) on an afternoon of  PD day this past Friday (I booked my tour ahead of time (you don't have to, but I'm told it's better)  by calling (613) 993-8990.) and parked at the National Gallery (the Mint has no parking but the Gallery and ByWard Market are both right next door.)

You can only enter the production area on a guided tour and no photos are allowed when on the tour. You check in at the front gate with the security guard - which feels very official and very important.

We were escorted to the gift shop where we waited for our tour guide to begin the tour.  Once we began we walked through all the different areas of coin production, learning many interesting facts like:

- the Mint in Ottawa only produces investment and collector coins, all circulation coins are produced in their other plant in Winnipeg

- Collector coins often have a face value significantly lower than their actual worth, to prevent them from being used as circulation coins.

- Mint condition means a coin has never been touched by human hands. If a coin gets touched by human hands, they have to melt the coin down and start over.

- The Canadian Mint produces coins for a ton of other countries because our system is one of the most cost effective/best in the world.

I took two five year olds with me. They were definitely on the lower end of the age range that would be appropriate for this tour but also both really enjoyed finding out more about the production of coins and had a ton of questions for our tour guide.

When asked by our guide what they would do with a 100kg solid gold coin my son responded "buy a REALLY big piggy bank for it". ha! :)

When the tour was completed the three of us sat down to peruse the Mint's coin catalogue.  Unfortunately many of the coins in the catalogue were sold out but both boys were thrilled to start a new coin collection with a sasquatch coin*.

We then all tried to lift gold bar - I barely got it in the air (under the watchful eye of the security guard and the chain attached to it)

As we headed out of the building we found a few more photo opportunities.

Overall, the mint was a really interesting and fun time and I highly recommend it for kids 5 and older. (To give you a sense on time commitment : the tour lasted about 45 minutes and the boys kept me occupied in the gift shop for about a half hour after the tour was done)

Inspiring kids to learn about history and coins seems like a win win to me!  Have you ever been to the Mint?

*Full disclosure. I did not have to pay to take the tour. All gift shop purchases were paid for in full ;)

BONUS GIVEAWAY: Two more passes to tour the mint.  Tell us if you ever had a coin collection as a kid and you'll be entered to win. Contest closes December 28 at 5pm. One entry per family.

Other option to enter. Tweet:

I’d love to win a family pass to the @canadianmint from #kidsinthecapital this holiday season! http://www.kidsinthecapital.ca/?p=6655

Good luck!

Christmas Eve: Oh, the anticipation!

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by Karen This is Brandon's fourth Christmas and his awareness this year is more exciting and fun than ever before. He hasn't yet started to ask for things for Christmas, but he knows presents are coming. It isn't his main focus. He is equally fascinated by the tree, the ornaments and our wreath on the door. Driving through the neighbourhood and seeing Christmas lights fills him with just as much joy as opening his presents will on Christmas morning. I hope we can somehow encourage and retain that childlike enjoyment as long as possible.

One day, his focus will most certainly change, but for now it is me who is anticipating the enjoyment of Christmas morning. Seeing his face as he comes down to see his presents under the tree. Watching him open them and enjoy them. These are the things I can't wait to see tomorrow.

What are you looking forward to this Christmas with your family?

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Our eleventh winner of a Family Pass to the Canadian Mint is Chantal!

If you leave a comment on any post for the duration of the giveaway, you are entered to win. Additional comments are not required and won't increase your chances of winning (though they are always welcome).

HOW TO ENTER

Royal Canadian MintWe are going to be giving out one more pass tomorrow! To enter leave a comment on any one of the giveaway posts or tweet about the giveaway:

I’d love to win a family pass to the @canadianmint from #kidsinthecapital this holiday season! http://www.kidsinthecapital.ca/?p=6655

Only one entry will count and you can only win once.

Winners will be picked each day from all comments and tweets received by 8:00pm. If you'd like to know more about this giveaway and the Canadian Mint, please read our introduction post.

Season of Giveaways: Sens Skills {CLOSED}

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Looking for a great stocking stuffer this holiday season? Sens Skills presented by Metro is coming up on Wednesday December 28 at 1 p.m. at Scotiabank place. Tickets start at just $7.50 and are on sale now at capitaltickets.ca. Don’t miss out on fun for the entire family!

See your favourite Senators compete against each other in fun skill-testing events similar to what will be seen during the 2012 NHL All-Star Skills competition.

Events include hardest shot, fastest skater, accuracy shooting, and break away drills.

The event is a fun and relaxed atmosphere. In the past players have worn funny wigs or skated the wrong way, all for laughs.

The Skills Challenge is a great opportunity to explore ScotiaBank Place and check out the newly installed scoreboard. (don't laugh this is a big deal)

Proceeds from the event go to the Sens Foundation and the NHLPA’s Goals and Dreams Fund.

More great reasons to get tickets:

-          Fun for the entire family

-          Great stocking stuffer

-          Free parking

Have you voted? NHL All Star Voting:

Ottawa is hosting the 2012 NHL All Star game for the first time in franchise history. Let's make sure our Ottawa Senators are well represented on the starting line-up. Wouldn't it be great for Daniel Alfredsson, currently the longest serving captain in the NHL, to be the starting forward on home ice.

How to vote:

  • Head online to www.nhl.com/vote and register to vote 30 times for your Ottawa Senators!  It’s quick and easy!
  • Grab your web-enabled mobile device -> Text the name of your selection to 81812

Currently on the ballot are Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, and Michel Michalek as forwards and Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar on defence.

You can write in the name of another Sens player that doesn't appear on the ballot. Maybe Craig Anderson, our starting goalie, deserves a chance.

All those who vote are eligible to win tickets to the All-Star game.

SENS SKILLS GIVEAWAY

We're giving away a set of four tickets in the 300 levels and a set of two tickets in a suite for the Sens Skills Competition on December 28 at 1pm.  To enter just leave a comment telling us who you've voted for to be a part of the all-star game lineup. Contest closes December 26 at 5pm. Winners will be responsible for picking up the tickets from an agreed upon location.

One entry per family. Tickets for the 300 levels will be drawn first.

Winners will be selected using And the Winner Is plugin. In the event of a plugin failure, we will use Random.org.

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Our tenth winner of a Family Pass to the Canadian Mint is Brenda A.!

If you leave a comment on any post for the duration of the giveaway, you are entered to win. Additional comments are not required and won't increase your chances of winning (though they are always welcome).

HOW TO ENTER

Royal Canadian MintWe are going to be giving out one pass a day for the next 2 days. To enter leave a comment on any one of the giveaway posts or tweet about the giveaway:

I’d love to win a family pass to the @canadianmint from #kidsinthecapital this holiday season! http://www.kidsinthecapital.ca/?p=6655

Only one entry will count and you can only win once.

Winners will be picked each day from all comments and tweets received by 8:00pm. If you'd like to know more about this giveaway and the Canadian Mint, please read our introduction post.