Amy Volume Amy Volume

35F: Christmas Wishlist

Here are some gift ideas for the 35 year old on your shopping list. These items help make life easier.

Give a gift to the men in need at the Ottawa Mission.

Here is a wish list of their Most Needed items - should you with to purchase anything from this list, it will be sent to my radio station (CHEZ 106, Rogers Sports and Media, located at 2001 Thurston Drive). CLICK HERE to buy something today & I will deliver it for you. You are also able to direct shipping to your house.

Air Purifiers. So hot right now.

These could be considered modern day ‘snake oil’ but when something very smelly sprayed my cottage and I couldn’t get the stink out… I gave this Hamilton Beach model a whirl and have since used it to rid the sour milk stink from our car (which was extreme) and refresh common areas in our house with great success! I am convinced that these things are the real deal but buyer beware: there are many brands and models out there to choose from. Lucky for me, I seem to have chosen wisely out the gate.

The Best Underwear: Period.

I had always been interested in ditching tampons and pads but they just seem to be a necessary evil. Until someone recommended Knix and flipped the script on free bleeding. You heard me. Comfiest underwear (and bras) ever. I would like one of each of this Canadian owned businesses’ offerings. They often have good sales, too. Not sure which size or style to purchase? Gift cards work.

Smart Devices make Life Easier.

Some people love ‘em, others hate ‘em and almost every tech company you can think of has something voice-activated on the market. Here are some of my favourite brands and suggested items that really elevate my quality of life. I’m physically disabled so every step matters in terms of pain management, energy conservation and accessibility.

  • Google: hub, mini, chromecast and display.

  • Globe: light bulbs and LED strip

  • Wyze: camera and plugs

  • Geeni: outdoor plug, smart strip (power bar) and wall tap

I tried getting into IKEA’s smart home line (Tradfri) but my experience with their hub, dimmers and bulbs was excruciating. Would not recommend.

Everyday Things.

Lip chap, toothpaste, gas & grocery cards, hair elastics, a good travel mug, socks, winter weather accessories or heated items for maximum comfort. Little things that get used every day always make a great gift because… they get used frequently and are likely to need replacing or replenishing.

There’s nothing terribly flashy about My Wishlist this year. If you are hoping to purchase a gift for someone like me (35F, mom, FT career, commuter), I would suggest grabbing something that helps to make their life easier. I think this advice could apply to anyone on your shopping list at any time of year. Pandemic life has been tiring. If you can’t think of anything your giftee needs, consider donating to a favorite charity in their name.

Here are some of my favourite charities: the Ottawa Mission, CHEO, Minwaashin Lodge, the Food Bank, the Ottawa Hospital and the Canadian Cancer Society. Leave yours in the comments below!

Read More
Ottawa, Video Amy Volume Ottawa, Video Amy Volume

UPDATE: the 2020 Christmas Mission

Help Santa deliver to children who may not have a fixed address by donating a NEW, UNWRAPPED gift to the Christmas Mission.

UPDATE on November 26th: Reps from the Mission, my coworkers and I have all been talking, trying to see if we can make Project: Christmas Mission work this year but it isn’t an option with new COVID-19 restrictions. The Ottawa Mission is even doing dinner service differently. Like Thanksgiving, the dining room will not be used.

“Because of our new food truck service, which will serve Christmas meals the week leading up to Christmas in addition to our Christmas meals for shelter guests and vulnerable community members, we anticipate that we will serve 3,500-4,000 Christmas meals from December 13 – 20.

Frozen turkey donations can be dropped off between 7 am – 5 pm at the garage entrance to The Ottawa Mission at the corner of Waller and Besserer. Please ring the bell and a staffperson will arrive to receive your donation.”

- Aileen Leo, Director of Communications at the Ottawa Mission

If you would like to donate online to the Mission, CLICK HERE.

Do you want to buy a toy for a little one in need?

I definitely have some options!

You can donate to the Salvation Army’s Toy Mountain 2020 fund by CLICKING HERE.

You can also give to CHEO’s Child Life Fund through my annual Birthday Wish campaign by CLICKING HERE. 100% of funds go towards buying games, toys, books, crafting kits, movies & other forms of entertainment (for patients aged 0-18) who may be spending the holidays in hospital.

If you have any questions about how to help this holiday season, please feel free to message me. Thank you for considering others! It just feels better to extend your hands to help lift others up, than it does to hold them down.

Same person (me) but a different radio station now (CHEZ 106) & a new way of approaching my Christmas Mission… I haven’t strategized anything just yet. Essentially, I ask for NEW toy donations for children of all ages to be given to the Ottawa Mission. Children experiencing homelessness can be sure to get something - even if Santa couldn’t find their address! There is a ‘gift room’ at the Mission where clients can ‘shop’ for their loved ones.

Gifts aren’t what Christmas is all about. Or birthdays. Or whatever. It’s not material things that mean the most to us… but over the holidays, it’s a simple gestures for some to provide a token of ‘brighter days’ to a child.

That’s what the Christmas Mission is all about. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and it’s been a success because of your generosity.

This year, I am not able to accept in person donations. Parcels cannot be directed to our radio station either as we do not have an open reception area. I’m not sure how to go about collecting toys but I hope to sort out the fine details over the next few weeks.

Please, stay tuned! And if you have a great idea, get in touch.

Here are two Christmas Mission posts from last year: Post 1 & Post 2

Read More
Ottawa Amy Volume Ottawa Amy Volume

Christmas Mission: 2019

On Amazon? Shop from my ‘Christmas Mission’ Wish List and let us do the heavy lifting. Give a gift to the little ones attending this year’s Christmas Dinner service Sunday, December 22nd at the Ottawa Mission.

Accepting NEW toy donations for kids who attend the Ottawa Mission's Christmas Dinner service. Just received a MASSIVE drop!!

12 Likes, 0 Comments - Amy Volume (@amyvolume) on Instagram: "Accepting NEW toy donations for kids who attend the Ottawa Mission's Christmas Dinner service. Just..."

Accepting NEW toy donations during business hours up until Friday, December 20th at:

2001 Thurston Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 6C9

All donated items will be given to our friends at the Ottawa Mission to hand out during their Christmas Dinner Service held Sunday, December 22nd.

If you would like to place an order for a new toy & have it delivered to the station, you can check out my Amazon Wish List (Click Here).

Below is a press release from the Mission with information about their services and other ways to give (food)!

OTTAWAMISSIONSCHRISTMAS.png

Monday, December 16th Update: THIS IS THE FINAL WEEK TO DONATE GIFTS to the STATION!!

I’m bringing the toys to the Ottawa Mission this weekend, before their big Christmas Dinner service on Sunday, December 22nd. The deadline for drop-off at the radio station is Friday, December 20th! So I’ll be talking about this a lot over the next few days.

Off to a strong start, this morning two large boxes FULL of Lego were delivered to my studio from YanPeng Gao! THANK YOU!

IMG_1486.JPG
The ever growing pile of toys, ready to bring joy to the little faces attending the Ottawa Mission’s Christmas dinner service on Sunday!

The ever growing pile of toys, ready to bring joy to the little faces attending the Ottawa Mission’s Christmas dinner service on Sunday!

Read More
Ottawa Amy Volume Ottawa Amy Volume

Holiday Gift Ideas for That Weird 30something in Your Life

I am a *weird, working parent in my mid-30s living in downtown Ottawa. Currently working on my annual Top 10 Wish List blog for personal gifting this holiday season. 🎄 Here’s what I’ve got so far…

Every year around this time I throw out into the blogiverse items from my personal Wish List.
If you know someone like me (33, mom, weird) & are a little starved for good/great gift ideas, here’s a start:

  1. A gift card to Victoire; high-quality, eye catching, ethical, Canadian made clothing in the heart of Wellington West (bonus points for being close to my house)!

  2. A unique, hand printed piece from Thief & Bandit. They have a new print out (Stardust) and I am obsessed.

  3. Andrew King’s ‘Ottawa Rewind” (see tweet/link below)! Also available at Maker House on Wellington St.

4. The only Lip Balm EVER = Carmex.
5. Google Home accessories; this one is subjective as there are loads of ‘assistants’ out there. I have successfully integrated Geenie and IKEA brand ‘smart bulbs’ on different levels of our home and I just love not having to walk up and down the stairs when a light needs to be turned on or off. We’ve got a smart display (Lenovo), a Hub and several Minis to connect every area and level of the house. This is a super helpful when my arthritis is flaring up!! If the person you’re buying for has mobility challenges, consider ‘smart home’ gifts… they rock!

6. Does the person you’re buying for lose things ALL. THE. TIME? Check out tiles. The device that helps you find your stuff. I love these for personal items (keys) and I also use them to keep tabs on the kids when we visit crowded places in the unlikely event we become separated. Tiles bring me peace of mind and would make an excellent gift.
7. Ozzy Osbourne’s new album ‘Ordinary Man’ should drop sometime in January so a pre-order from any rock music loving fan would probably be appreciated! This album is going to be all over the map, featuring Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Post Malone and more. Keep an eye out for the official release date.
8. Beer; local suggestions include Whitewater, Ashton Brewing Co., Beau’s and Beyond the Pale. Looking for something a little fancier? Prosecco’s my fave and this one is sure to please, IMO: Blu Giovello, $15-ish.

I’m struggling to top this Wish List off at an even ‘10’, so if you have any suggestions send them my way!

ADDED NOTE:
I’m, for the first time ever, hosting my family’s Christmas feast! Since I don’t know how to cook and the holidays are hectic enough, I decided to let Farm Boy do the work. I’ll let you know how that goes towards the end of the year. I’ve heard good things!

I’ve also decided to start including an Archival Index of my previous blog posts in case you’re bored.

Read More
Ottawa, Radio Amy Volume Ottawa, Radio Amy Volume

Christmas Mission: 2019

Help bring cheer to children who attend the Ottawa Mission’s Christmas Dinner service on Sunday, December 22nd, by bringing a new (in it’s original packaging) gift to the Rogers Radio Building at 2001 Thurston Drive, Monday to Friday from 9AM to 5PM.

Sometimes Santa isn’t able to bring children in our community presents because they don’t have a fixed address. Let’s help Santa out, like many of you did last year, by delivering gifts to kids who slipped through the cracks.

Families come together at the Ottawa Mission each holiday season for a warm meal and togetherness. It’s an eye opener to experience the magic that happens during Christmas Dinner Service and, for me, I’m particularly moved to see babies giggling, children smiling and teens spending that quality time with their loved ones…

To commemorate the occasion, wouldn’t it be cool for the little ones to have something physical to hang on to? A gift. JUST for them. Shiny. New. On their Wish List that Santa maybe didn’t see?

IMG_4889.jpg

Here are some pictures and posts from last year’s Christmas toy drive for our friends at the Mission.

If you’d like to arrange for a KiSS Studio tour when you make your donation, please get in touch with me (Amy Volume) directly to set up an exact date & time.

IMG_4906.jpeg

Bring in a NEW toy, book or treat to 2001 Thurston Dr., weekdays from 9AM to 5PM on or before Friday, December 20th.

If you are unable to physically drop something off and you would like to donate - please ship to:

Amy Volume’s Christmas Mission
c/o KiSS 105.3, Rogers Radio
2001 Thurston Drive, Ottawa
K1G 6C9

Read More