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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.

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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?

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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.

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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

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