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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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Cutom Levi's Jacket REVEAL (video)

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Last month, Levi’s opened up shop in the Rideau Centre. I’m a huge fan of their brand so it was pretty exciting to be invited to their grand opening event!

They even said they’d MAKE ME a jacket. This is a video of me seeing it for the first time!

Thank you Levi’s! This is the jacket I received: Original Sherpa Trucker Jacket - with work done by the wonderful: Julius & Tanya!!

Here’s a video from the event - these masterminds helped me plan this whole look and I am over-the-moon happy with how it all turned out!!

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Made in Canada Threads, House Update & More!

Spring is almost here... keyword: 'almost'.

Though at minus 13 feeling like minus 21 with the wind chill, it doesn't really feel like it. Does it? It's been a while since my last update and, since I'm about to start my radio show in a couple of minutes, I'll keep it quick!

We've been living in an Air BnB since February 1st. The place itself is totally awesome - but, since we didn't have our schedule set, we've had to move out three (??) separate times to accommodate pre-booked weekend renters. Moving with the kids and living out of five or six rubbermaid bins has been stressful. Very stressful.

I'm beyond happy to announce that we will be moving in to our new house on Sunday! This will be another busy weekend. I work Saturday morning from 9:30A-2P live on location at the new Natural Food Pantry (which I'm actually looking forward to because I can shop while I work). 

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Ooh, I've also been meaning to give an update RE: finally finding quality kids clothes MADE IN CANADA! I've been looking for years!! Happy to say that Fab Baby Gear carries many Canadian brands now (yay)! Two brands I have just become obsessed with include: Sem Label and Wooly Doodle!

On the GROWN UP front, I was able to spoil myself with some great Canadian made threads thanks to Victoire (Wellington St. location). I wanna give a special shout out to Iris Denim (those Bad Reputation jeans are perfection) and Thief & Bandit for having unique, eye catching designs and for going above and beyond with customer service. <3

We also did a photoshoot at work - I was pretty rushed, so when they told me to sing into this mic I went with the only song I know!! Haha - WARNING: turn your volume DOWN for this.

⭐️ 💫 🌟

A post shared by Amy Volume (@amy.volume) on

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Wishlist for the 30 Something in Your Life

Every year around this time I post a blog about things I'd like for Christmas. It's a good baseline for you if you're shopping for a 30 something (mother of two?) and need some guidance. Some of these gifts are every day items while others are a touch more indulgent. 

Leading with Local:

goods in Wellington West or the Byward Market, Beaded Dreams on Bank St., Vertigo Records on Rideau St., JV Studios in Wellington West, Wunderkammer in the Byward Market, Top of the World on Rideau St., Birling on Somerset St. W.

Skin Care, Hair Care & General Beauty:

FIrst Aid Beauty - Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum, $45 @ Sephora, Carmex Lip Balm, $3 @ Walmart, M-A-C Brushstroke Liner (black), $24 @ M-A-C, M-A-C Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, $34 @ M-A-C, M-A-C Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer, $24 @ M-A-C, Ouai Hair Oil, $35 @ Sephora, M-A-C In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara, $29 @ M-A-C, 

Clothes:

2017 VanVan 200, $4,300 @ Suzuki

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My 2016 Christmas Wish List

This year has been overwhelming in many ways with the greatest gift being my Dad's return to health (to put it very simply). We all know that the best gifts are not material things but each year I make a blog post dedicated to things I want for Christmas. This year, that tradition continues...

This list could benefit that pregnant 30 something in your life and it's kinda fun (for me, anyway) to have digital evidence of things I'd asked for throughout the years.

Donating your time, money or any gently used items to the following causes is as much a gift to yourself as it is to the recipient. I strongly encourage supporting The Ottawa Mission and the Ottawa Humane Society.

Ok. On to the material list...

Now and forever - CARMEX! The best lip balm out there. Absolutely love this stuff. On average, I go through 8-10 jars per year.

Now and forever - CARMEX! The best lip balm out there. Absolutely love this stuff. On average, I go through 8-10 jars per year.

Kanada Black Moccasins from Beaded Dreams (size 5)

Kanada Black Moccasins from Beaded Dreams (size 5)

Dr. Brown's Deluxe Bottle Warmer

Dr. Brown's Deluxe Bottle Warmer

Dr. Brown's Deluxe Sterilizer

Dr. Brown's Deluxe Sterilizer

I'm also on the hunt for a bathing suit top/rash guard (XL) to help keep me covered at the pool while Everett attends swim lessons - something I think everyone would appreciate (haha)!

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