I was going to title this post “A great gift idea for the bird nerd in your life” but I changed it as soon as I wrote it because anyone can be the beneficiary of a gift of a bird feeder, regardless of how old they are or how much they know about birds.
Birds are a joy, especially when you can see them up close. The black-capped chickadee, of all birds, is a smart little thing with a very big personality. They’re aerial acrobats with an unpredictable temper. Cute, yet scrappy and tough. They’ll steal your heart (along with a seed or two) in the mere blink of an eye and a flap of a wing:
Would you just look at those TINY bodies with their tiny stick legs and tiny toes! Ack. The cuteness kills me.
I bought this inexpensive clear acrylic feeder at Canadian Tire awhile ago. It attaches to a window with suction cups, a system which seemed pretty iffy when I first bought it. It’s not exactly the sturdiest construction, and I wasn’t sure if it would work. Then there was the issue of proximity. Would the birds be brave enough to venture so close to a house, not to mention a big scary window?
Our feeder sat there, untouched, for weeks. I came close to giving up and taking it down. And then, we had a visitor. And then two, and then three, and then SOMEONE spread the news to other neighbourhood birds ROLLED OUT THE WELCOME MAT because it’s now getting daily visits from chickadees and finches.
We’re often sitting on the couch right beside it when we notice someone flying in for a snack. They swoop down for a seed or two, gently landing on the opening to survey the scene. Sometimes they fly away with a big peanut to comic effect, other times they hover and miss altogether, and sometimes they climb inside and hunker down right in the trough for a good ol’ belly-bustin’ chow down. It’s always good for a moment of wonder and amazement, and more often than not a chuckle or exclamation.
A cheep gift indeed!
Are you one of the people who gets their shopping done months early? Or are you like me, with lists of stuff yet to find? I figure most people are probably still looking for a present or two for the very special people on their lists. That’s why it’s my pleasure to give you a few extra gift ideas from the fabulous Fishbowl patrons.
Alicat Art Studio
Wouldn’t you love to see an original painting under the tree? I would. (HINT HINT**)
You should really go see her work in person at the Pop-Up Gallery. But hurry, the gallery will be gone after December 22!
National Arts Centre (NAC!)
- NAC Variety Pack – Mix and match from all NAC shows to create the perfect tailor-made package for the arts & entertainment lover on your list. Get four shows starting at $89! (Some restrictions apply.)
- Tickets to see Royal Wood in concert – He’s a talented songwriter & pianist! The perfect gift for your SIL or a girl’s night out. (Prices vary.)
- NAC Gift Card – Want to leave the gift open-ended? The NAC gift card can be used for tickets, at Le Café or in the parking garage. It’s the ultimate flex-gift and you can buy them online too!
Tag Along Toys
Eep. I love this Loopdedoo Bracelet Maker – For kids 8+ ($39.99)
Baby Stella Doll – For kids 12 months and over ($29.99)
The Perplexus Twist – For ages 6+ ($29.99)
Saunders Farm
- 2013 Annual Pass – The pass gives you unlimited visits to Saunders from June 1 to October 31 PLUS other great discounts.
- Saunders Farm gift cards – If you purchase a Saunders Farm gift card before December 25, 2012 you will receive a $50 gift card for $40. That’s a 20% savings on the perfect Christmas gift for family and friends this holiday season!
4Cats Art Studio
- 4Cats is hosting Shop Till You Drop workshops on December 22 and 23. (Consider it a PRE-Christmas present!) Drop off the kids while you enjoy the neighborhood shops, or maybe a quiet cup of coffee. After all, you might really need one.
- A gift certificate or a surprise registration for a January workshop would also make a great gift for the creative kid you know.
Museum of Nature
Buy a Canadian Museum of Nature membership and get an extra month free (until January 6, 2013). Single adult memberships are $75 and family memberships are only $99!
- Hot off the press: The Natural History of Canadian Mammals by Donna Naughton. This definitive guide to the 215 mammals of Canada recently received a glowing review in the National Post. It includes award-winning photographs and beautiful illustrations. Available in the Museum’s Nature Boutique.
- Give that special someone in your life some unique and beautiful jewellery. Products from Bejewel and Arivka are available in the Nature Boutique. There are some cute ornaments in the boutque too!
- Shop online for great educational toys and books for kids in the Museum’s online product catalogue at nature.ca.
Ottawa School of Speech and Drama
- All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. So how about giving the gift of a workshop for children, youth, or adults?
Tradex
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Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick recently shared this great advice: “Start a habit of deleting one present for your young kids, grandchildren, nieces or nephews every holiday season and substituting an RESP contribution. The past year has seen a big increase in the attention given to young adults and the challenges of high tuition fees and a weak job market. Now, it’s time for families to take action by putting more money in registered education savings plans.” Little known fact: you CAN “gift” an RESP! A parent or legal guardian must sign the application but anyone can open an individual RESP for a child (even one that isn’t related). You can contribute to almost any already existing plan. Even a modest $25/year will see some growth over time.
Solace Interiors
- Do you have a friend or family member that, well, needs a little help getting their space from drab to fab? Consider a gift certificate for a Solace Interiors Service, including organizing, colour consultations, space planning and whole room makeovers. Everyone can use a little Solace!
Jolica
Funhaven
- Give the gift of unlimited fun for a year with a VIP membership. Please note it’s only available in limited quantities
- Gift cards are also available… and make a great little stocking stuffer.
We’re big Harry Potter fans around Casa Fishbowl. We read ALL the books as a family one chapter at a time. And when we finished, my youngest picked them up and started from the beginning. We’ve seen a bunch of the movies at the theatre and bought the DVDs, and even went to Toronto to see the Harry Potter exhibit when it was at the Science Centre awhile back. Sooner than later I’d love to take the family to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. (Here’s a link, doesn’t it look awesome?)
Harry Potter is a children’s story yet it appeals to the inner child in many of us. Wouldn’t you love to visit Zonko’s Joke shop? Ride a broomstick or a Hippogriff? Become friends with a giant? Or have a Marauder’s Map of your own? (“Mischief managed!”) Unfortunately, all of these things are impossible because we are mere muggles who don’t live in a magical world. All we can do is immerse ourselves in the books and movies… and drink butter beer.
I was particularly pleased with this advent activity.
This is the butter beer recipe I used.
My advice to you if you want to make it:
- Make the butterscotch base the day before – or earlier in the day – so it thickens properly.
- I personally wouldn’t use the rum extract that the recipe calls for.
- Don’t omit the salt.
- Top your finished butter beer with unsweetened whipped cream. This recipe will send you into a sugar shock so you really don’t need to add extra sugar to the cream. Whip the cream it until it can be whipped no more. You want it peaky and gorgeous.
- We made it with root beer (not cream soda). The kids, of course, LOVED it.
- Small servings suffice. See above about the sugar shock.
We enjoyed our butter beers while watching one of the HP movies. It was very fun. In fact, I might keep this one on the list for next year. :)
This post is part of our 2012 Family Advent, a.k.a. 25 Days of Christmas. You can read more about that here. Looking for some Christmas-related activities to try out yourself? Check out my Pinterest board.
