Do you like trivia-based board games? How about games involving high stakes? If you answered "yes" to both, then you'll be interested to know that Hasbro has a new version of Trivial Pursuit called "Bet You Know It." The goal is still the same; be the first to get all the wedges and correctly answer a final trivia question to win. But the best part is, you don't have to be a trivia master!

Here's how it works. You first need to setup the specially designed Mixologist envelope by randomly selecting 4 cards from a set of 297 cards (that's more than 1,780 questions in total!) and placing them in the envelope. Each card has a topic which is visible once placed in the envelope and hidden questions in each of the six categories as they relate to the topic. Each player receives a certain amount of chips which can be used to wager a bet on every turn. A player selects a topic from one of the four cards and a category, while the other opponents can use their chips to bet whether that player will correctly answer the question. If you bet that they get it right, and they do, you double your wages. If you bet that they get it wrong, and they do, you also double your wages. However, if you bet that they will get it right but they do not, you lose your chips. And if you bet that they get it wrong but they do not, that player takes your chips.

So what's the point in collecting chips? It's funny you should ask. You see, having many chips in your possession gets you closer to winning. You can use these chips to buy wedges! That's right! You no longer have to dread answering questions in that one category that stumps you all the time (mine would be geography... and history... and sports... and...) Just save up your chips and buy the wedge instead! In essence, you can buy all the wedges and will only need to answer one final question in order to win the game. You would have to be pretty confident in how well you know your friends in order to win enough chips. But you can still earn wedges by correctly answering a question on your turn. They have also added a variety of question styles including image and multiple choice to appeal to multiple intelligences.

Here are the questions in each category for the topic "Flowers" just to give you an idea:

Geography:  

What country suffered a major economic crash in the 17th century after the price of tulip bulbs dropped radically?

Entertainment:  

What flowering plant plays a pivotal role in Spike Jonze's film adaptation?

History:  

What country suffered a series of civil wars collectively known as the Wars of the Roses?

Ats and Literature:  

What artist famously painted the serious entitled "Water Lilies"?

Science and Nature:  

What kind of flower is this?

Sports and Leisure:  

In the children's game "Ring Around the Rosie," what are the pockets full of? 

On Thanksgiving this year, my husband and I played a round of Bet You Know It with his two sisters. As soon as I pulled out the chips, the game was on! It felt fast-paced simply because everyone was engaged during each player's turn. Every bet that was placed revealed how much (or how little) faith we had in each player's ability to answer the question. It was a lot of fun! Until I lost. And just for the record, my sister-in-law, who bought most of her chips, lucked out with some of the easiest questions ever. No word of a lie. Needless to say, we are due for a re-match.

If you're as competitive as me, you can play in the online Trivial Pursuit You vs. YouTube challenge. The game is pretty much the same and just as fun. (It's also a great way for me to practice before challenging a prior opponent, whom shall remain nameless.) You can also visit Hasbro.EA.com to play Trivial Pursuit on a variety of gaming platforms.


Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It is available at Real Atlantic Superstore, Real Canadian Superstore, Toys R Us, Walmart and Zellers. I have also seen it at Chapters for $29.99. Availability and pricing may vary by retailer.
One reader will win their own Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It game, just in time for the holidays.

For you first entry, which is mandatory, read my post on the Hasbro Holiday Preview event and tell me a product that caught your interest. Alternatively, you can visit Hasbro.ca and view their entire catalogue. Leave a comment on this post with the name of your favourite Hasbro product along with a way to contact you if you win.

For additional entries, you may choose to do any or all of the following:

• Add my blog button to your website for one entry. If it's located on your sidebar, add a second entry. Copy code is located to the right.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom using Google Friend Connect.
• Like the Toronto Teacher Mom Facebook fan page. 
• Subscribe to this blog by email or in a reader.
• Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:  

Contest ends November 26 at 10pm EST. Open to Canadian residents only. Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

It is now time to announce the winner of the $25 Gift Card from Lavish and Lime. There were 132 entries and Random.org returned the following winning number:





And the winner is:

47. leanne_mac said... http://twitter.com/leanne_mac/status/27801690419

daily tweet

Congratulations, Leanne! I'll be sending you an email shortly.

Thanks to Lavish and Lime for sponsoring this giveaway!

Kinect for Xbox 360 Launch, Toronto

On Wednesday, November 3, you can join Xbox Canada in the exciting launch of the new controller-free gaming system Kinect for Xbox 360. This is a rare opportunity for you to experience the fun that is unique to Kinect and, to make it more memorable, you have a chance to play Kinect in an elevated glass box at the Yonge-Dundas Square!

To help kick off the event, Xbox Canada is hosting a free performance which will include DJ Christian Rich, N.E.R.D. producers Diddy, Armand Van Helden, Lupe Fiasco and many others. Also, Future Shop (325 Yonge St., Toronto) will have a midnight madness event beginning at 12:01 a.m. on November 4 so you can be the first to own Kinect for Xbox 360. Oh, and you get to enjoy a midnight fireworks show, too! So come on out and enjoy a night of gaming and fun starting at a 9:00 p.m.

Kinect Giveaway on Facebook

Check this out! Every day from now until November 8, you have a chance to win one of 10 Kinect bundles (Xbox 360 + Kinect) as well as a super, fantastic, totally awesome grand prize of a Microsoft Play Experience! This includes a 42" LED HDTV, home theatre system, Xbox 360 + Kinect and a Windows Phone 7. How sweet is that? All you need to do is answer a trivia question by clicking on the Play tab on the Microsoft Canada Facebook Page in order to be eligible. I just entered and the multiple choice question was so easy. Oh, and while you're there, you can check out some of the demos and pictures of Kinect in action, including some pictures of the Degrassi cast.

My Thoughts on Xbox 360 and Kinect

Back in August, High Roads Communications invited my kids and I to attend the exciting X'10 Canada preview event held in downtown Toronto. I will be honest and say that we currently own the Wii, so I was very much interested in comparing the two. I find the Wii has an amazing variety of games and having wireless controllers allows a lot of freedom to play sports games and activities that allow for more physical activity. However, it can be a bit bothersome when a controller goes missing or worse, the batteries die. With Xbox 360 and Kinect, you don't need to worry about that happening because your body is the controller. By simply sticking your arm out to the side and waving it up and down, you can access the menus quite easily. The sensor can detect the movement of your entire body which provides for a truly unparalleled gaming experience that is perfect for the whole family.

A few of the games quickly caught my attention. The first was "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" which is kind of like Wii Fit, only you don't need a balance board. You can personalize your workout, challenge friends and share online. My favourite activities were the kickboxing and yoga. Another game that I think will be a hit is "Kinectimals" where kids can pick from a lion, tiger, cheetah, leopard or panther and embark on a bonding experience like no other. By simply speaking commands and using their body, children can teach their cub new tricks, explore the island of Lemuria and get up close and personal with adorable animals.

Last but not least, I was uber excited to try out the incredibly fun "Dance Central" which is exclusive to Kinect for Xbox 360. Can I tell you how much I enjoyed this one? I could have danced all day! This game is great because you can learn step-by-step choreography to some hopping beats from today's current pop, hip-hop and R&B artists. Or you could learn as you go and perform on the fly in the first ever controller-free, body tracking dance video game. And you can vary the level of difficulty from beginners to master, too. I was so wonder-struck when I saw the one and only Blake McGrath (So You Think You Can Dance Canada) there to test it out for himself. This guy has moves like... heck, this guy just moves! Yeah, I could watch him play Dance Central anytime. Check out this YouTube video I found where Blake gets a super high score:



Oh, and for your information, Blake McGrath thinks my son is cute. *swoon*

While trying to find this video, I came across the blog of William Nguyen who captured some fabulous shots from the event (and more of Blake!). If you would like to read his thoughts on Kinect for Xbox 360, you can visit his blog Lost in the Wilderness: Xbox Canada Presents X'10 and Kinect for the Xbox 360. Warning: he drops the s-bomb a couple of times.

A big thank you goes out to High Road Communications for the invitation to attend. It was loads of fun!

Last year, my daughter had received a similar kit for Christmas. She was 4 and a half at the time and wasn't really into it so I was surprised when she expressed how much she wanted to complete her first pop-up book. She took great care and much pride in publishing it and I love that I was able to be a part of that. That's the great thing about crafts. You get to bond with your kids in a different way that allows you to share your creativity and encourage imaginative expression. It's also a fun way to engage in writing.

These two contests ended Friday night so I'm a little late in posting the winners. I'm going to start by announcing the winner of the Cheerios Milestones giveaway seeing as there were only 4 entries.

Here is what the winner said:

2. janice_pollard said...

My favorite moment is when our son finally walked. Our two girls walked by 10 months of age, and the boy just didn't seem to want to even try.Doctor's visits and check ups still no answers. We were so worried until one day at the age of 14 months he finally pulled himself up to a chair. What a relief. From then on it was none stop. GO GO GO !!!!

And now to announce the winner of the Aqua Leisure giveaway, which includes TWO prizes. There were 197 entries. The winner is:

77. Jen M said...

fan of Aqua Leisure on Facebook as Jen M.

Congratulations to the winners! I will be emailing you soon. Thanks to everyone who entered. I have a couple of gift packs to giveaway which I'll be posting over the course of the week, just so you know. (;

Hope you have a safe and happy Halloween!

• Children's Costume Parade
• Haunted Hay Bale Barn
• Pumpkin Patch Maze
• Trick or Treat Show
• Vampire Maze
• Vampire Treasure Hunt

It is with much regret that I have to make this announcement but due to lack of communication with the warehouse, Aqua Leisure has recently discovered that there are no more pop-up cabanas available for this season. For this reason, Aqua Leisure has kindly offered up two prizes instead of one.

The first one is Uncle Bob's 39" Racer Snow Tube, perfect for winter fun. 

The second is a First Fitness 26" Play Ball which is great for active play.


I truly hope that all those who have entered so far are not as disappointed as I was with the news. This has never happened to me before but I am very happy that Aqua Leisure has generously offered two prizes instead of one. And the least I can do is offer you some bonus entries. You can gain two bonus entries in the Aqua Leisure giveaway by leaving two extra comments there and writing "Bonus entry" as the comment. You can also gain two bonus entries on the other giveaways that are currently running here on Toronto Teacher Mom by quoting "AL Bonus Entry" in the comments (times two!). I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope you understand that these circumstances were beyond my control.

For the past few days, I have been suffering from some kind of stomach bug. I also look as white as a ghost. So when I had to attend a wedding over the weekend, I was grateful for Jill Kirsh Color to help bring some colour back to my complexion. And now, I get to announce the new owner of her very own mini makeup kit and colour swatch. There were 243 entries in the Jill Kirsh Color giveaway and Random.org returned the following lucky number:

The winner is:

172. flowerchild said... daily tweet
http://twitter.com/flower_child_23/status/27439225999

Congratulations! I will be sending you an email soon and you will have 3 days to reply. Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to our wonderful sponsor Jill Kirsh Color!