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Birthday Wish for CHEO

Last year I was inspired to dedicate my birthday to kids in treatment at CHEO. I know how long and boring those days can be in isolation - I think we can all relate, too, on some level thanks to this outbreak.

This year, things will be a little different. Yes. I’m still getting older on the 25th. Yes. There are still a lot of children, from babies to teens, receiving life saving (and life altering) treatment in hospital. Many are confined to small, isolated rooms. Some are cut off from their friends and family. Others have to miss out on normal kid stuff because they are sick.

To help make their day a little brighter, I decided to direct any and all attention from myself to them.

Were you going to buy me a card? Were you thinking of taking me out for lunch, dinner, a pint or a coffee? Were you maybe going to gift me a scratch card or cold hard cash (a classic granny move)?

If you answered ‘yes’ or ‘I was thinking of maybe doing that’. First, thank you! Second, please throw that money here:

This is my second year doing this for the kids and, working with the CHEO Foundation, I have made sure 100% of the proceeds go directly to FUN! Art supplies, craft kits, toys, stuffies, movies and other sources of entertainment.

Last year, I was blown away with all the support and gifts given for the kids. This year, I will not be accepting any physical donations in person. I do want to see the faces of those who ARE giving though, so please send me selfies of you with your BIGGEST smiles alongside any messages you wish to give to children in treatment.

This campaign will last the entire month of April. Please help me spread the word for our young friends self-isolating at our wonderful CHEO.

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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)!

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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!

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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!

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My 1st 'DIY Moto' Holiday Party!

If you’re an Ottawa area motorcycle enthusiast, DIY Moto is a wonderful resource filled with the best people that you should have on your radar.

I’ve learned some stuff about my bike and made some new friends through various social meet-ups (and from just bumming around the garage) like the seasonal ‘Moto Social’. This was my first year attending DIY’s Christmas Party and it was a lot of fun!

Here are some pics from the night:

Shout out to Birling for supplying some awesome raffle prizes - I WON THE TOQUE! <3 <3 <3 This glorious raffle victory is made even more sweet as the toque I’ve been wearing for years, which is in dire need of retirement, comes from Birling’s predecessor, Antique (the OG Bank St. days). An additional shoutout to Sasquatch Soaps for their donated goods (which I ALSO won)! I’ll be smellin’ lovely in time for the holidays, so thank you!

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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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