a peek inside the fishbowl

Posts Tagged ‘kids

09 Jul, 2019

Diamonds and hot dogs

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: - Ottawa for kids|Easy ways to make kids happy|Ottawa

I am posting this from Thailand (!), reason being that I wanted to get it online before the bulk of summer gets away from us. If you are looking for something fun to do in Ottawa this summer, read on!  I’m not a very sporty person but I’ve certainly played my share of organized sports. […]

For a few years, many moons ago, the kids and I were regular visitors at the annual live butterfly show at Carleton University here in Ottawa. I thought it was a great way to introduce kids to the magic, beauty, and joy of these amazing creatures. So when I heard about the new live butterfly exhibition […]

“When you eat an orange, eat an orange.” I don’t know who originally said this. Some sources attribute it to an unnamed Zen master, others, to Vietnamese Buddhist monk and religious leader, Thich Nhat Hanh. Regardless who said it, this philosophy is one I try to live by and instill in our kids. It reminds […]

28 Jul, 2017

Camping at Bon Echo, Cliff Top Trail

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: parenting|travel talk

Everything was soaked on Monday morning, which was not a surprise given the rain storm we had the night before. We had planned to hike the Bon Echo Creek trail but once we got there we realized it was way too muddy and impassable in parts. (Note to self: make sure all family members have […]

27 Jul, 2017

The most important thing about camping with kids

Posted by: andrea tomkins In: parenting|travel talk

While I was tapping out yesterday’s Q&A post about camping I got to thinking about camping with kids. It’s been a great experience for our family, especially since we’ve been doing it since our daughters were small. Camping is one of our family traditions. Every year is an adventure and every year we cherish the […]


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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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