a peek inside the fishbowl

Back in January I visited an Ottawa-area lice removal service and wrote about it here. To summarize: I was really impressed with what I saw at Lice Services Canada. The owner, Anne Doswell, and her staff are (a) the top people in this field who are (b) sensitive to the needs of families and (c) are ready and available to help. And let’s face it, when there’s a lice infestation, we can use every bit of help we can get.

We’ve had lice here at Casa Fishbowl 3 or 4 times. The reason I’m not sure of the exact number is because it’s all a nightmarish blur and I’m not certain whether re-infestation counts as a separate infestation. Sigh. What I do know is that it sucks and I wish I’d had help at the time. More people need to know that help is available! That’s why I’m very pleased to welcome Lice Services Canada as a new blog patron.

Sidebar: Given the number of times I’ve had to deal with lice, I thought I knew everything there is no know about delousing. Spoiler alert: I don’t. I didn’t know how traditional, over-the-counter chemical treatments are losing their effectiveness, I didn’t know how to comb the hair to ensure No Nits are Left Behind, and I didn’t know how easily lice can spread. (Ok, maybe I knew that last part.)

Here’s something that I really appreciated: the folks at Lice Services Canada don’t actually want to see their customers again. I mean, they like their customers – that goes without saying – but they also want their customers to be happy, healthy, louse-free, and be prepared so they know what to look for next time.

Education is a big part of what they do, which is why this giveaway is really really useful.

Lice Services Canada is offering one expert training and information session to one person or organization here in Ottawa. You should definitely enter if:

• You are a family with school age kids. (You can also win it on behalf of your school, daycare, church or scouting group, parent group etc.)
• You are a teacher in an elementary school.
• You are a caregiver or associated with a local preschool.

This info session is two hours and is designed for groups with up to 20 participants but it can also be one-on-one with you at the Lice Services Canada location in Westboro. Participants will learn how to identify lice at every stage of their life cycle, how to do a proper head check, and be given lots of information about preventative measures you can take at home. These are skills for life!

NOTE: You can also opt for option B, a class head check at your child’s school, if you prefer.

As a bonus, the winner will also win a Lice Services Canada preventative kit, which includes a specialized comb and a container of Repel, a chemical-free mint spray. (This package can be picked up during business hours at 337 Churchill Ave N, Ottawa.)

Would you like to win? Please read the following fine print before entering:

• This giveaway is for one training & information session or class head check and will be awarded to one winner. This winner can gift the session to their school or group (up to 20 people can attend) but it’s up to the winner to help coordinate the details.
• The session must take place within the 2017 school year.
• Visit the Lice Services Canada website or Facebook page (you will want to bookmark it for later!) and then leave a comment below to enter. That’s it!
• One entry per email address, please.
• This giveaway is void where prohibited by law.
• If you can’t post your comment for whatever reason you can email it to me for posting at andrea at quietfish dot com. Please note, I cannot be responsible if your entry is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder.

I will draw one name using Random.org at noon EST on March 2, 2017. I’ll contact the winner via email and post here as well. So please check back! Good luck!