21 Dec, 2014
Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Easy ways to make kids happy|parenting
This is where my brain has been these past couple of weeks: This is where my brain has been as I walked and up down Westboro and West Wellington/Hintonburg (two of my favourite shopping districts in Ottawa!), and this is where my brain was as I spent untold minutes idling in abysmal Merivale Road traffic yesterday. […]
11 Oct, 2014
Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Oh! Things!|travel talk
The thing about getting older is that you get better at knowing yourself. It took me awhile to figure it all out but I now know that there are some things I need to do in order to keep myself happy and healthy. I need to eat well, I need to exercise, I need sunshine, […]
31 Jul, 2014
Posted by: andrea tomkins In: travel talk
Tuesday p.m. An incredibly mosquito-laden hike left us hot, exhausted, and dispirited. I assumed Owen Point Trail would be less buggy than Jobes’ Woods, but I was dead wrong. We doused ourselves with bug spray (Muskol: 30% DEET) and went in with optimistic hearts, open to any surprises that lay in store. Within the first […]
20 Nov, 2013
Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Challenge me, challenge you|parenting
Clean out their closets. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and although there are many things we can do to raise charitable children (most notably, by demonstrating acts of charity) I think the simple act of cleaning out a closet is one of the easiest ways to show our kids what it means to […]
13 Jun, 2013
Posted by: andrea tomkins In: Oh! Things!
I wanted to share some Father’s Day ideas with you in case you’re doing some last-minute shopping. These are gadgets we actually own, that I think the dad in your life might like too! I would be remiss if I didn’t give top spot to his favourite toy: the Xbox 360. I don’t want to […]
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 (23) and Sarah (21). 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!
