a peek inside the fishbowl

Archive for the ‘parenting’ Category

26 Apr, 2018

First and last day of school

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Misc. life|parenting

Many of my friends have younger kids, so I’m anticipating a LOT of last-day-of-school photos in my social media feeds in June. Well, as the mother of a university-aged daughter I get to post mine earlier because SCHOOL IS OVER. At least for the Eldest. Yay! I am thrilled to have my little family together […]

Some of you are already familiar with Fishbowl patron, Lice Services Canada – Ottawa Head Lice Treatment and Removal. They offer lice removal services to families at their Westboro location, travel to schools all across Ottawa AND treat lice at home! What I really appreciate is that Lice Services Canada offers frazzled parents practical help. […]

Speaking of gifts… did your parents send you care packages while you were away at college or university? In my post about life with one less kid around the house I mentioned that I have found a tiny bit solace in sending care packages to the eldest while she’s away at university. I thought it might […]

31 Oct, 2017

Living with one less

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: parenting

As you may know, our eldest daughter is in her first year of university. (You can read about that right here. Grab a tissue.) Our youngest is still at home. She jokes that she doesn’t have anyone to roll her eyes at when we are Being Total Parents, but I have a sneaking suspicion this […]

“WHEN YOU EAT AN ORANGE, EAT AN ORANGE!” I shout this to my teenage daughter, not angrily, just as a reminder. (If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, read the first part of this post.) She is barreling down the stairs while reading something on her phone. It’s most likely a Snapchat from a friend. […]


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The Obligatory Blurb

My name is Andrea and I live in the Westboro area of Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Piper who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. We also have two human offspring: Emma (24) and Sarah (22). During the day I work as a writer at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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