a peek inside the fishbowl

E-book alert!

Shopping Embargo e-book promo

Longtime Fishbowl readers will be familiar with a family challenge I issued and undertook a handful of times starting back in 2006. We called it the Shopping Embargo. The Embargo is essentially about curbing impulse shopping and being mindful about the things we buy. We’d pick a period of time (usually one or two months right after Christmas) and refrain from making unnecessary purchases for the duration. Well, on the tenth anniversary of the Embargo, Mark and I decided to challenge ourselves to a Shopping Embargo for an entire year.

YES. All of 2016!

While we were busy avoiding the siren song of the mall, I wrote about our experience and what we were going through at the time to form the basis of an e-book: what worked, what didn’t, what my triggers are, where we slipped up and what helped me climb back on the wagon. I learned so much about myself during this process. I know I’m not the only one who is overwhelmed by the STUFF we have accumulated over the years. I know I’m not the only one who hates storing and organizing and dusting all of this stuff. I know I’m not the only one who heads to the mall when I’m feeling crappy, or feels pressure to look a certain way at the office (with matching accessories, of course). I also know how much money we can save by being a little bit more mindful about how we spend our hard-earned money.

I wrote every day (more or less) for the entire year. My hope is that the book will serve as a guide for people who want to shave down their personal debt and live a little lighter on the planet. I believe it will help people reevaluate their relationship with their belongings and shift a few of the dollars from items that will eventually just end up in a landfill to more meaningful pursuits.

This is still a work in progress but I’m getting closer to a release date. I’ve set up an email list in case you’d like me to let you know when the book is ready to download. If so, you can sign up right here: http://eepurl.com/cv3S95!

Thanks for your support,

andrea

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  • Gretchen Humphrey: I had a beautiful bee& birdbath filled with a solar fountain and dozens of antique marbles that were suddenly disappearing. At first I thought my
  • Jinjer: I am sobbing reading this post. And you're right, companion is not enough. Little furry treasured gifts that they are. Thanks for sharing cutie-pi
  • Karen: Dear Andrea, Mark and your daughters I am so very sad for your family xxx Piper was/is my favourite Instagram post. You shared with us so intimately
  • Christina Banuelos: Thank you for sharing Pipers life with us. Your posts of Piper brought me joy. Every time I see your post and see what kind of mischief Piper was gett
  • Carla Slocum: I am sitting here yet again crying at your loss. We have known that loss with Asta the WFT our first pup but now have the enormous gift of Stryker the
  • Janelle Brown: Dear Andrea Thank you for sharing Piper’s story with her followers. I empathise with your grief and emptiness as I lost my 14 year old Westie last
  • Natasha McReynolds-Nicholl: My god reading this is heartbreaking. December 1st was the as you describe longest day of my life, we lost out beautiful WFT hazel. Pipers final momen

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.

If you'd like to contact me, please use this form. If you're so inclined, you can read more about me here. Thank you for visiting!

 


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