4 Friday, December 15, 2017brooklintowncrier.com WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Fake LOLs and Grinchbots With Christmas a few weeks away, many Brooklin parents are on the hunt for this year's hottest toys. It can be stressful and frustrating, especially when the prices are jacked up. But what can be even more irritating is that after you've finally found that much desired gift, it turns out to actually be a fake. That's right. There are manufacturers duplicating popular designs to quickly capitalize on the hot toy market. And when these toys are sold online, it can be really hard to tell if you're getting the real thing. Here are some popular toy counterfeits to watch for: LOL dolls: You'll find them online cleverly disguised but if you look closely (zoom in on the picture), you'll see they're actually labelled LQL Dolls - a cheap fake. At a quick glance, it looks perfectly normal and you may not usually take much notice of the packaging. However, you can clearly see it's not right. When opened, the balls don't have the layers of wrapping inside, but rather the toy is just in the ball. Also watch out for fake "big surprise" ball. These cost about $100 and contain 50 surprises. However, the fake ones will contain all the same doll instead of an assortment. Hatchimals Surprise: It's back on the list of top toys and this year it comes with twins hidden inside a magical speckled egg. Once again though, there are fakes. You can tell because the "shell" is rough instead of smooth. And, unlike the real hatchimals, the egg will not make sounds as it prepares to hatch. In fact, the fakes often need to be cracked open by an adult. These toys re- tail for about $70, so if you see one for about $30, it is likely a knock-off. Nearly all counterfeits are being sold online. While online shopping is convenient, there are risks That's why you may be best to shop in the store. For those who choose to shop online, experts recommend steering clear of heavily discounted name brands, which is a sure sign an item is counterfeit. Once an item arrives, check for: • spelling errors • faded packaging • damaged packaging • anything that doesn't look right The good news is, in most of cases, online sites like Amazon, Walmart, etc. may refund you if you've been deceived into buying the fake toys. Shopbots If the counterfeit toys aren't annoying enough, the reason stores sell out of the most popular toys may be blamed on shopbots. You know those Grinchy scalpers who use robots to snap up the popular concert tickets? Well, they're also using them to snatch up your LOL surprise ball and reselling them to you at a profit as the holiday gets closer. Don't get me wrong: shopping online is fantastic. Just make sure to do your research before buying anything online. If the stores are sold out, use your online network to watch for that prized item. The real LOLs are out there…I just found one! YES! Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Christmas Services December 3 Advent 2 December 10 Advent 3-White Gift, Nativity Displays December 17 Advent 4-Service of Music December 24 Christmas Eve Communion & Candles 10:30 am Family Services 5:00 and 7:00 pm www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Fri., Dec. 22: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico. ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 From My Family to Yours, Merry Christmas! Rhonda Mulcahy North Ward Councillor Safe & Healthy New Year. and a Happy Holidays from Trisha, Tara, and the Ox- ford Learning Team. Plus our logo. Happy Holidays from Trisha, Tara, and the Oxford Learning Team. 5969 Baldwin St. S., Brooklin 905-655-9500 www.oxfordlearning.com