Sing A Long A Sound of Music Sensation!

Sing-a-long a Sound of Music begins on Family Day Weekend at the Living Arts Centre on Saturday  February 15, 2014 with a sing-a-long screening of the classic Julie Andrews musical film. The difference with this presentation is that the whole audience gets to participate so it's totally interactive. It is encouraged that the audience sings along with the subtitles on screen. Think of Karaoke meets theatre. Different right?

If you're new and never attended the Living Arts Centre this would be a cool event to participate. This is a great opportunity for families to have a unique experience and have some fun! It's so interactive that you're also encouraged to dress in costume. At the end all those dressed in costume are asked on stage to show of their fashion. You become part of the show literally. :-)

For more show information: Sing A Long
To purchase tickets to this unique presentation: BUY TICKETS


Thanks to Living Arts Centre, I'll be giving away 2 tickets to Sing A Long A Sound Of  Music.
Enter below for FREE and Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

E11even Spring Menu Tasting

I recently was invited to the E11even restaurant to try a NEW Spring Menu Tasting that is not yet released on their menu. It was a great opportunity to sample some of the dishes and cocktails served and created by Chef Graham Pelley @E11evenChef. The New Spring menu will be available at E11even in the near future. A highlight for me was that some of the ingredients used in the dishes are local from the Mennonites and are Ontario hometown grown. It's always nice to see chefs and restaurants supporting local community.

I've always frequented Real Sports which is located next door to E11even and are owned by the same parent company MLSE which owns the Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. E11even is more sophisticated and refined than it's counterpart of Real Sports but don't let that fool you. It's quite affordable and fair in it's pricing. For example, the 2 hotdog sliders for $5(NEW Menu item) is a great game day appetizer to enjoy before a Leafs or Raptors game.


Shareable hot dog sliders from E11even.

I'm not going to bore you with more reading and just get straight to the food porn. Check them out next time you head to the ACC or want to find a spot to enjoy the patio in the heart of Toronto.


This is my favourite offering of the tasting: Tuna Tartare

It's tuna tartare with fried shallots, a touch of sirracha, chives, chiles, cilantro and ailoi. This reminds me of Hawaiian Poke or sashimi. It's plated like a small mini cake. All tuna goodness in there.


Wedge salad with oven dried tomatoes, blue cheese and country bacon. The cheese is from a Mennonite farm.


Sweet Peas. Simple and very addictive. Great healthy snacking.


Ling cod organic fish with wild mushroom and sweet pea purée squeezed with lemon citrus.


The dishes featured here will be on the Spring Menu at E11even. I still had the opportunity to try 3 different desserts. All 3 are great, my favourite is the Oreo ice cream cookie sandwich with Tahitian vanilla. All the dessert portions are shareable. Order the Oreo ice cream cake if you don't like to share your desserts. It's good enough for one person.


Oreo ice cream cookie.


Broken banana pie: Graham crust, bananas, banana cream and whip cream.


This Pavlova Meringue was amazing. It's got a "Macaron" chewy texture to it. Very nice and light dessert.

Please give E11even a visit and enjoy the downtown patio. It's a great opportunity to try many of the menu offerings. This is a shortlist of the Spring menu offerings. They've got a gnochhi dish and Caprese salad which are amazing too! Thanks again to the E11even staff for the hospitality and great food and drinks.
 

Remote Control fun with the Sphero

I'm sure you've started to see this glowing ball around on the web or popping up in your local area…. Sphero! What is Sphero? Sphero is a robotic ball gaming system that you control via your smartphone or tablet. This is kind of similar to RC cars that we grew up playing with but even better. The Sphero enables you tilt, touch and swing your smartphone for play. This robotic ball will amaze your friends and family. I had the perfect opportunity this long weekend to show my family the Sphero and they were all amazed and confused in a good way. Why? To be able to control a glowing ball from your smartphone is cool and that's just remarkable advancement in technology.

To begin using the Sphero all you have to do is charge the robotic ball and download the Sphero App which is FREE, into your smartphone. It works with iphone, ipad and Android. Currently you can download several FREE Apps in conjunction with the Sphero. Using the additional apps makes using the Sphero even more fun and enhances the social aspect of the Sphero. I've only had the opportunity to use the single unit and experiencing it firsthand has brought back those fond memories where a kid can be a kid again but as an adult. You can do tricks, record and even take photos while playing with the Sphero.


In this video, I had my nephew test it out. We had the neigbourhood kids watching him play with this glowing ball.


The Sphero can also become a joystick which enables you to experience something very different. Here is another example of Sphero game flexibility using a game called Exile.



The Sphero has a whole Gaming Network "SpheroVerse" so you can track your achievements with your Sphero. It will track distance travelled, tricks you've completed etc.


This is one of the interfaces on the iphone for the Sphero.

I can't wait to give this a try! Augmented Reality with Sphero.

Overall, my favourite part about the Sphero is that it was really exciting to see my nephews and nieces' faces filled with enthusiasm and awe. They were so intrigued that they couldn't wait their turns to take over the ball and controls of the Sphero. Another cool thing about the Sphero is the flexibility that everyone can enjoy their own entertainment and of others. I haven't played the social games yet but that will be next in my blog updates.. having a ball for now. For now if you need more details on Sphero visit here: GOSphero

Where to buy: Best Buy Canada Retail Value: $129.99

Best Buy Canada and Spheros have given me the opportunity to reward a lucky winner. Tweet me and you can WIN or Enter below with various ways to ENTER. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: I have received compensation for this post and all opinions are my own and not reflective of Best Buy Canada or Sphero.