a peek inside the fishbowl

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 be fun to show what my most recent mailout contained.

What’s inside this care package!

• A small package of freezies that I picked up on super sale (50 cents, I think!) at the grocery store. Just because summer is over doesn’t mean it won’t be appreciated.
• An enamel pin from Mrs. Tiggy Winkles. The cat is drinking bubble tea, a favourite treat around here.
• Itsy Bitsy stickers! They are also from Mrs. Tiggy Winkles. They are tiny and adorable.
• A Click Clack koala pen I purchased at The Village Quire here in Westboro. You pull down one ear for one ink colour, the other ear for a second colour.
• Reusable handwarmer, which I also bought at The Village Quire. Perfect for pockets!
• Vitamin D…. because I’m a mom.
• Gum and Tic-Tacs.

I stuffed everything in a small cereal box. Luckily for me, a friend was visiting her daughter at Queen’s and saved me the shipping.

I don’t buy all of these things at once. The easiest thing to do is to buy things here and there while I’m out and about and collect them in a box until I’ve got enough to send. Some of the things – like the freezies and the candy – are items I’ve found in clearance bins in the grocery store.

Other things I’ve sent along in past packages:

• Cards Against Humanity: the Canadian Edition
• Fun socks from Mrs. Tiggy Winkles
• Chocolate (this goes without saying!)
• Special pens and Sharpies
• Candy to share with friends and neighbours in residence (I timed this one with Halloween)
• Tea
• Jellie Bellies, a.k.a “gourmet” jelly beans (in fact, we sent a Costco-sized bag in the first box!)

I always include a card with a short note too.

I have a loose list of the things I am thinking about sending in future care packages: Tylenol, clean (new!) underwear, hair elastics, magazines, a new sewing kit, bandaids, hot chocolate packages, popcorn, homemade cookies. Any other ideas out there? I’d love to hear them! What would YOU like to receive in a package from home?

Last weekend I went on a girls-only expedition to the All Saints Catholic High School Craft Fair in Kanata. This particular craft fair was new to me and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, as we approached the school I realized there were an awful lot of cars lining the road and more than a few pedestrians coming to and fro. In fact, the school parking lot was overflowing. Ah ha. Clearly, this was going to be a biggie.

The school gym was packed with vendors, as was the cafeteria, main hallway, and the front foyer. There were people selling all kinds of giftie things one would expect at a craft fair at this point in the season: home baking, all kinds of knitted goods, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, home decor, art, soaps and bath salts, jams and jellies and salsa and hot sauces. And that’s just scratching the surface! There was a lady selling double-sided cloth napkins that were shaped like Christmas trees; someone else selling homemade dog treats that sold out before we even got there; rows of lovely woven blankets made out of yak fur (is it yak fur, or hair?); personalized backpacks for kids; walking sticks carved out of branches; intricate pop up cards – hundreds and hundreds of items – the majority of which were handmade by someone here in Ottawa.

The one thing I was looking for didn’t seem to be there: doggy bandanas. (Piper needs to upgrade her wardrobe!) I think I will try my hand at sewing my own instead. However, I didn’t go home totally empty-handed:

I bought mittens! These ones come with a bit of backstory. You see, I’ve been looking for this particular vendor for YEARS. About ten years ago, the maker of these mittens had a booth at our school’s holiday craft fair. I bought a pair at that time and they’ve been my favourite mittens to this day. I liked the traditional Nordic-style pattern, and thanks to a tighter weave, they’re warm yet breathable, which prevents mitten sweats. Basically, they are a Very Fine Mitten.

So you can imagine my surprise when I spotted the mitten lady in Kanata at the All Saints Fair. Now I know that my old mittens (and my new mittens, above) are made by MAGS Knitting. (They’re on Facebook too!) I’m pretty sure they thought I was a little nutty because I practically pounced on their pile of mittens when I spotted them. After I calmed down we had a good chat about Quality Mittens. So of course, I had to buy another pair.

I bought these for myself but I think they’d make a great gift. Is there such a thing as too many quality mittens? I think not. Warm hands are a gift that keeps giving!

As I wandered the 150+ tables it occurred to me that if people are serious about shopping locally, well, it doesn’t get more local than this. Admission to this particular craft fair was $2 or a donation of non-perishable food. Food donations go to the food bank and the money goes to Christmas Hampers for families in need, right here in Ottawa. Beyond that, craft fair purchases support local entrepreneurs, crafters, and artisans, whether it’s their full-time occupation, retirement income, or side gig. Whether you like to shop locally for environmental reasons or economic ones, or maybe you just like a nice pair of mittens, I urge you to drop by your local church or school holiday craft fair this season. Who knows what great stuff you will find there.

Tech is transforming our spaces, and we’re just beginning to see how https://t.co/0m2wBYInx0 pic.twitter.com/22OwPGrqHd

— Co.Design (@FastCoDesign) November 11, 2017

• ‘A real face of war’: Colourized photos offer new way to look at WW I, cbc.ca
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• How some glue and a rusty bike helped a Nepalese girl escape child marriage, theguardian.com
• A Cut Above the Rest: How Finland’s Orange-Handled Scissors Inspired a Design Revolution, mentalfloss.com
• Louis C.K.’s Public Statement Unnervingly Misunderstands the Concept of Consent, slate.com
• “If True” – The moral cowardice of conservatives who say they’ll wait and see whether to condemn Roy Moore, slate.com
• Why We Should All Wear The World’s Most Visible Color, fastcodesign.com
• The 2017 finalists for Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year have been announced, comedywildlifephoto.com
• A Friend Remembers Gord Downie As His Neighbour, fyimusicnews.ca

On the nightstand: The Island Walkers