The red cups are back at the local coffee shop and holiday craft markets are beginning, meaning it’s time to start putting together that shopping list full of great gift ideas this season. To give you a head-start, Motorola has offered up their brand new Moto X device for me to give away.

The Moto X — the one you see in the commercials that responds to the voice command “OK Google Now” — is available now only on Rogers in woven white and black for $149.99 on a two-year plan or $549.99 outright.

CNET has reported that “The display found in the Moto X…has the best performance observed in a mobile display to date…[the] AMOLED display draws just 92mA [milliamps] during bright conditions and 68mA while dim.” Here are just a few more features from this impressive new Android-powered device.

Moto X Features

• Touchless Control
  Moto X is ready when you are. It responds to your voice – no touching necessary. You can check the weather, get directions, or do just about anything without lifting a finger.
• Active Display
  Moto X is always paying attention and is ready to tell you what you need to know. Information quietly appears on the screen. It doesn’t interrupt. You don’t even have to wake Moto X up to look at the time or see your messages.
• Quick Capture Camera
  Just by picking it up and twisting your wrist twice Moto X is ready to shoot. Touch anywhere on the screen, and you’ll get an amazing shot, even when the moment isn’t perfect, like in a dimly lit bar. All in just a few seconds.
• The Updates You Need at a Glance
  Introducing a better way to get notifications. It’s everything you want to know, delivered to your screen in a battery-friendly way. Except not when the phone is in your pocket or placed face down—it’s smarter than that.

For one Miss604 reader the Moto X will be theirs to keep, to help with their holiday planning, or to gift to a lucky loved one. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 14, 2013. Follow Motorola Canada on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about the Moto X and its features. Prize includes the smartphone only, it does not include a carrier plan.

Update The winner is Francine!

CandyTown in Yaletown is the neighbourhood’s latest holiday tradition, returning this year on Saturday, November 23, 2013. This free outdoor winter festival offers fun for the whole family in one of the city’s most unique shopping and dining destinations.

CandyTown will be setup along Mainland Street in Yaletown from 12:00pm until 9:00pm on November 23rd, as the heritage district transforms into a winder wonderland.

The Yaletown Business Improvement Association has plenty in store for visitors including horse-drawn carriage rides, Christmas arts and crafts, and plenty of sweet treats. Check out the “All I Want for Christmas” Gift Market, live music, ice carving demos, candy-making, the Yaletown Rotary Club Xmas Tree Lot, CandyTown Cocktail Tour, and visit with Santa.

With food vendors such as Big Red’s Poutine, Coquettish Cupcakes, Maple Sugar Shack, The Pie Hole, BeaverTails Pastry, and the many exquisite Yaletown shops open to start your holiday shopping, this event is not to be missed.

CandyTown in Yaletown also supports the BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver Food Bank and Starlight Children’s Foundation, and attendees are invited to donate to these important organizations. Follow the Yaletown BIA on Twitter and Facebook for more information about CandyTown and other seasonal happenings.

The Museum of Anthropology at UBC recently opened a new exhibition, The Marvellous Real: Art from Mexico, 1926-2011. On until March next year, The Marvellous Real features 55 artworks that capture the idea of the “marvellous real”, a term coined by Cuban writer and ethno-musicologist, Alejo Carpentier (1904 – 1980). The term is used to describe a particular kind of magic realism that is manifest in the arts and everyday life of Latin America.

Carlos Amorales, Sin título (Untitled) (detail) 2004. Image courtesy of the Museum of Anthropology.

Eluding the expected through bizarre amalgamations, improbable juxtapositions, and fantastic correlations, the marvellous real is, as Carpentier said, “neither beautiful nor ugly; rather, it is amazing because it is strange.”

Drawn from the FEMSA Collection in Mexico, the exhibition includes works by Dr. Atl, Leonora Carrington, Jean Charlot, Juan O’Gorman, Alice Rahon, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Juan Soriano, and Rufino Tamayo, as well as a younger generation of visual artists like Carlos Amorales, Sandra Cabriada, Claudia Fernández, Adela Goldbard, Yishai Jusidman, Alejandro Santiago and Francisco Toledo. Curated by Dr. Nicola Levell (Assistant Professor, Anthropology, UBC).

The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the FEMSA Collection, the Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación International Para el Desarrollo, the Consulado General de México en Vancouver, the Ollin Mexican Canadian Association for Arts, Culture and Education, and the Fundación Alejo Carpentier.

The MOA galleries and shop (at 6393 NW Marine Drive at UBC) are open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm and until 9:00pm on Tuesdays.

If you would like to visit the The Marvellous Real exhibit I have a pair of passes to give away (valid until March 30, 2014). Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow the Museum of Anthropology on Twitter and Facebook for more information about this exhibit and other happenings at the museum. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on Friday, November 8, 2013.

Update The winner is Angie N!

The Robson Square ice rink is opening for free skating this season on Friday, November 15, 2013 through to February, 2014.

Photo credit: BC Gov Photos – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool

Robson Square Ice Rink Hours

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00am to 9:00pm
Friday and Saturday: 9:00am to 11:00pm
Christmas Eve (December 24, 2013): 9:00am to 9:00pm
Christmas Day (December 25, 2013): 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Boxing Day (December 26, 2013): 9:00am to 9:00pm
New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2013): 9:00am to 11:00pm
New Year’s Day (January 1, 2014): 9:00am to 9:00pm

Skating is free with your own skates otherwise rentals are available. Skate rentals are $4, helmets $2, and ice cleats are $2. The rink also features a concession stand with snacks and warm drinks.

The Government of BC’s Robson Square ice rink serves as a seasonal heartbeat to the city, allowing us to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures with family and friends this season while being literally in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown shopping.

Ryan Kesler at Old Navy + Robson Square

Old Navy is opening their new store on Granville and Robson on Saturday, November 16, 2013 and they’re doing a cross-over event with opening day of the Robson Square ice rink. The store at 708 Robson will host a huge family-friendly party with ice skating, fab freebies, amazing deals, and an in-store appearance by Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks. Skating that day will be from 9:00am to 11:00pm and there will be special activities and events from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.

Movember at Robson Square

Come on down to the Robson Square Ice Rink on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 and go for a skate with your fellow Mo Bros and Mo Sisters. Free hot chocolate and skate sharpening for anyone sporting a moustache. 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

Neighbourhood Toy Store Day is once again being celebrated at local, independent toy retailers across Canada on Saturday, November 9, 2013.

This one-day celebration encourages you to shop local and enjoy family fun with in-store specials, activities, discounts, deals, giveaways, and more. Participating retailers in the Vancouver area include:

Granville Island Toy Company
Location: 3298 Main St, Vancouver
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The Village Toy Shop
Location: 262 Newport Drive, Port Moody
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Toy Jungle Park Royal
Location: 2022 Park Royal South, West Vancouver
Toy Jungle Morgan Crossing
Location: #N110 – 15850 26th Ave, Surrey
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Follow Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (“A Canadian network of specialty toy retailers and their suppliers working together to provide a superior source of toys within our communities”) on Twitter and Facebook for more information.