2015 Holiday Gift Guide

As a child, I loved flipping through holiday gift guides - the Sears one was a big hit in our house. Endless toys and possibilities! 

But now that I'm an adult, I've realized the value in giving quality gifts - something that is well-made and one of a kind. This year we're focusing on LESS; making more memories instead of collecting more stuff.

Instead of making sure we have X number of gifts for each person, we're picking really special things for our family to gift. In thinking about quality over quantity. I've collected a great list of gift ideas that you can use too! All of these businesses are Canadian, and some are local (VERY local....as in, the man behind the curvy board lives in my home!)

Waldorf Curvy Boards

It may seem self-serving to promote my husband's products, but we definitely see the value in a Waldorf-style curvy board. The prototype that my husband first made last year became a big hit for both our girls. It can be used for sliding, climbing, balancing and pretend-play. He ended up selling that first one (and many more!), and so there will be a brand new board sitting under the tree for them on Christmas day. Cost: $120 (no tax) Order yours by sending him a message through is Facebook page: Tom of All Trades

The Sweetest Digs Co. Prints

I just met Gemma Bonham-Carter at the Blissdom Conference, and when I checked out her website and Etsy shop, I was blown away!  Gemma is the Queen of DYI, and her blog is full of amazing posts on DIY projects and interior design. She also designs and sells prints, pillows and other accessories. We've chosen a few for you to check out! There's this beautiful print, perfect for the young girl in your life. Or maybe a throw pillow cover for the couch? My personal fave is her watercolour maps - if you're searching for a gift for a traveler, this would be a great option!

Knitted Hats for The Ottawa Food Bank

Rainbow Dash

Sheila Dubois (who is also Lara's mother) knits hats every year, donating the entire purchase price to The Ottawa Food Bank. This year there are many options - iBallistic Squid (that's a Minecraft thing), a Ninja Turtle (colour requests are possible), Rainbow Dash, Minions and Creepers. Adult hats in plain colours are also available. All hats are $20 and you can order on Facebook by leaving a comment on a hat you're interested in and Eric Dubois (Lara's dad :) will get back to you with payment and pick up or shipping options. 

Sheila was able to donate over $1500 to the Ottawa Food Bank last year - let's help her do it again this year!

Mabel's Labels

Kids in the Capital has been a fan of Mabel's Labels since way back when! I have my stack of stickers in a drawer, which I use on everything from underwear to water bottles to shoes. Lara also has their ID bracelets which she uses when they're on vacations so that her cell phone number is securely attached to kids who have a hard time always staying close to their parents.

They've got some great holiday gift ideas, including a personalized "My Adventures with Disney Frozen" book and mini sets that make great stocking stuffers. 

Canvas Pop

I LOVE canvases. Last year we realized that our walls were too bare, so we ordered a number of large canvases of some of our favourite pictures that we've had taken over the years (including the one above!) They really brighten a room!

Lara picks a favourite photo from each year and has it printed as a 16 x 24 canvas for each set of grandparents for Christmas presents each year too.

Canvas Pop is a great option because it's Canadian, easy and they often have great sales. Sign up for their newsletter and then wait for 30-40% off, or use our affiliate link to purchase!

Peekaboo Beans

I first learned about Peekaboo Beans when I got to know Vicky Bisson, a local Peekaboo Beans Stylist. I love this company because they make practical, comfortable clothing for children that are designed to last. My daughter wears holes in her other pants in a matter of weeks!! Peekaboo Beans want children to get out and be active! The clothing is also soft, without scratchy tags - great for children with sensory issues.

City of Ottawa 

Give the gift of play! I LOVE this idea for birthday presents, and Christmas would be even better - activities are so expensive when you have more than one child in multiple classes. Purchase a gift certificate for a child or parent, and help them to be healthier and more active!

Tag Along Toys

We love our local Ottawa toy shop (with a location on Bank Street and one in Kanata). Lara has already been in several times because she loves that they have a great array of the big hit toys, as well as ones that are really educational for her kids. All things crafts, including building Darth Vader, r2d2 or creating a felt purse, will be big hits with her kids. Her aspiring inventor is also getting some inventor specific stuff!

Don't forget the colouring books - good for adults and kids alike!

My Stow-n-Tow

Another local company run by two Ottawa moms! They create these super cute totes that can be multi-purpose at the holidays. They can be an alternative to gift wrap waste and then they can be used for so many reasons: transporting spare clothing or lunches (Lara's kids have them for this because they're impervious) or for storing different kinds of toys or for bringing treasures on car rides or trips.

They have a great array of sizes and patterns. And they're fun!

Just Play Toy Rental

Give the gift of new toys every month with a toy rental service! 

Instead of buying them all kinds of new toys, your kids won't ever get sick of what they have because toys get changed on a monthly basis. Just Play has toys to climb on, toys to build with and toys that will let your children's imagination run wild. Perfect for kids under 6 who are outgrowing toys faster than you can buy or afford them!

Ausome Ottawa Bracelets and necklaces

Ausome Ottawa is a non-profit organization that helps enrich the lives of families living with autism through sport. They're selling gorgeous bracelets and necklaces to support the charity - at a great price. 100% of the proceeds from the Ausome Bracelet go directly to Ausome Ottawa!

These make sweet gifts for family or for kids. Bracelets are $15 each or 2 for $25 and necklaces are $25 and you can buy them on their web site.

Monkey Mud Pottery - Where Pottery Meets Art

By Tracy

This time of year my weekends are often spent at local artisan and craft shows, shopping for others and for myself. It’s a great way to get my Christmas shopping done while having fun and supporting local businesses. 

One thing I used to pass by while shopping at these shows is pottery. It wasn’t because I don’t like it (in fact it was quite the opposite!), but because I already had a lot of pottery, and I figured I didn’t need any more. I received a lovely pottery teapot as a gift early in my marriage and I have wonderful pottery mugs I use on a regular basis. I also have your standard pottery platters and bowls.

It wasn’t until I was introduced to the uniquely beautiful pottery creations of Monkey Mud Pottery that I fell in love with pottery all over again. Owner and master potter, Michèle (known as “MEGG” in the pottery community) takes this art form to an entirely new level by leaving behind the traditional pottery teapot forms, and instead focusing on whimsical houses, one-of-a-kind bowls, and never-before-seen candle holders, angels, and vases.

MEGG spends most of her days in the pottery studio or in her at-home workshop, tirelessly sketching out ideas, dreaming in shapes and colours, and thinking about how she can transform her love of architecture, nature, and animals into timeless pieces of art. Her overall theme or vision is a result of travelling the world, combined with her love of experimenting and creating new shapes.

Monkey Mud pottery pieces make the perfect gift or keepsake, and are always the topic of conversation at dinner parties (guests always ask me where I got my ‘little house’ made by Monkey Mud Pottery). Another thing that makes MEGG’s pottery so special is that you can’t buy it at just any old big box store. She has regular clients and customers who place special orders, she has a Facebook page where she posts her latest creations, and she is often seen at local artisan events, such as the Old-Fashioned Christmas and Outdoor Artisan Market at the Goulbourn Museum on November 22nd.

But MEGG’s pottery isn’t just for Christmas. I have gifted her bowls as baby gifts (some are perfect for baby’s first foods) or pet gifts, and many of her creations are ideal for the fairy-believing child in your life. My favourite items are the whimsical houses, which light up with a candle, or stand alone to tell their own story, as well as the “town bowls,” which MEGG tells me represent the different cities and towns she has visited across the world.

For more information on Monkey Mud Pottery, including a gallery where you can view some of MEGG’s pieces, visit her website, follow her on Facebook, or email her at: monkeymudpottery@gmail.com.

Remembrance Day Ceremonies in Ottawa

I am one of the lucky ones who is granted a day off work every November 11th, in honour of Remembrance Day. I hear a lot of grumbling about this "holiday" in the office, and it baffles me (e.g. "why can't they make it on a Friday so we can get a long weekend?) Clearly, some people have never learned the significance of November 11th.

Kids who learn about the sacrifices our country has made, and come to truly appreciate how our past has shaped our present and future, will be the ones who grow up and continue to remember.  Schools hold their own ceremonies to honour our fallen soldiers and our veterans, but preschool age children can still take part in a service. We've been taking both our girls to Remembrance Day services since they were teeny babies! 

So if you have the day off November 11th, check out the services offered around Ottawa:

National Ceremony

The largest ceremony of remembrance takes place downtown at the War Memorial.  The parade begins at 10:30 a.m., but you'll want to arrive early to get a decent view. That said, they have jumbo screens for the broadcast, so likely won't miss anything.

Orleans Legion Branch 632

Orleans is home to a large veteran population (we just elected a veteran MP!), and this ceremony is the second largest in Ottawa. The CF-18 Fly-By will make an appearance in the east end, on its way downtown. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m., but get there early! Last year, parking was very limited, and we ended up parking at Trim Rd. and taking a free bus to the legion.

Canadian War Museum

If you want to avoid the crowds with young children, head to the War Museum to see the live broadcast of the National Ceremony. Broadcasts will be both in English (10 a.m. in Lebreton Gallery) or French (10:30 a.m. in the Barney Danson Theatre). Remembrance Day tours will be held all day, and the whole month of November is a fantastic time to visit the museum to learn more about Canada's military history

Beechwood Cemetery

This beautiful cemetery is the resting place for over 75,000 Canadians. Their ceremony will take place at the National Military Cemetery at 10:30 a.m.

Royal Canadian Legion South Carleton (Manotick Branch)

The Branch organizes Remembrance Ceremonies at the three Cenotaphs within its bounds. The largest ceremony is in Manotick on November 11th, Remembrance Day. The parade begins at the Manotick cenotaph at 10:30 a.m.

Have a service to add to this list? Email us at: kidsinthecapital@gmail.com

Point/Counterpoint: The New Barbie Commercial

Have you see the new Barbie commercial circulating in your news feed? If not, here it is. Take a peek.

When I see videos like this (the "mommy wars" video made by Similac is similar), my first reaction is "ho hum, another cute/inspirational video by a large multinational corporation trying to sell me something." I'll admit to some consumer apathy.

Also - I never played with Barbie. My mom gifted me three of her 1960s Barbie dolls, which mainly sat in a box, to be brought out when other friends came over and wanted to play dolls. Book nerds have little time for dolls.

But I developed a tiny spark of interest in Barbie in university, as I navigated my master's degree in environmental and gender studies. And later, as a mother, I was convinced I did NOT want my daughters playing with Barbie or any other symbol of women's oppression under capitalism and patriarchy. So far, my girls seem to be following in my book nerd path, and don't seem too interested in Barbie (princesses....that's another story. Sigh.)

Point/Counterpoint

I have a horrible habit of flip-flopping when it comes to polarizing issues (this is probably why most employers check off "team player" as my top asset - I can understand and empathize with many different points of view.)  So instead of writing this from my own point of view, I decided to reach out to other women and get their thoughts on the video.

Our Team Players:

Lara Wellman is owner of Kids in the Capital and Lara Wellman Digital Marketing, and graciously offered some pro points for this video. 

Faustina Konkal is a Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies student at Carleton University, the mom of three and a life time resident of Ottawa. She's offering our counter points.

And me, Misty Pratt, resident Community Manager of the blog, who is sitting on the fence at the moment!

Imagine the possibilities

Barbie wants young girls to imagine the possibilities, and for Lara Wellman, that's easy enough to do. "My take on [the video] was that they were real life scenarios where kids were doing adult jobs and doing them from a child's perspective," she says. The video is cute and funny, and it's uplifting to see young girls follow a passion or dream.

And really, let's think about the possibilities for a minute - what if girls stopped playing "Ken meets Barbie, Ken marries Barbie, and they live happily ever after," and instead started playing "Barbie grows up and decides she wants to be a veterinarian, so she goes to school and opens her own practice." As we see the shots pass by - professors, veterinarians, coach - we can't help but feel inspired to pass the same message on to our own girls. 

" I GET that there are issues with Barbie," says Lara. "But when I look at how my kids play with them, I see that my son plays with them too, and my daughter enjoys them while also climbing trees and rough housing with her cousins." 

But these inspirational feelings fizzle out with Faustina: " What you have to understand is that the effect of this new message, and the old 'Barbie marries Ken' message, is that they are the same message. Exactly the same. Different packaging, but the same message. And the message is: do what is expected of you. Define yourself by what others think and see of you."

You Can Be Anything

The video ends with the (pink) screenshot and the words "You Can Be Anything," signed Barbie.

"Well, no," argues Faustina, "not everyone can be or do anything. People have different access to resources, privilege, abilities, localities. Structural barriers are real. Discrimination are real. Prejudice is real. And all those things can impede an individual girl's ability to realize her dreams and aspirations."

So if this isn't the message we want our girls to be hearing, what DO we tell them? "Do we stop telling our kids to dream big?" asks Lara.

"Perhaps the solution is to stop telling girls anything," says Faustina. "And just listen to what they have to say. Stop treating them like empty vessels for us to fill up, or like victims in a dangerous world that we need to save."

Buy the Doll

Let's put the cute, the funny and the problematic aside for a moment. Look at the subversive: buy the doll. Boil it down, and this video is nothing more than an advertisement, designed to get me to buy a piece of plastic junk made in China. A bunch of brilliant minds worked on this video, getting paid to sell the brand to parents of young girls.

"Of course they're trying to sell more product while doing it!" says Lara. "That's their job - that's what they HAVE to do...but isn't it nice that they're sharing a positive message with their mega bucks beyond just the ads that have my kids yelling "I WANT THAT!"

Faustina is not so sure: "I think that it is inherently impossible for a large multinational to do [positive] messaging. Which is why I'm wary of ads like this."

Game, Set, Match

There is no winner here today, in terms of whether the new Barbie commercial is GOOD or BAD. What we do have are two opposing points of view, doing exactly what I think we need to do to help foster change for young girls - having a respectful and intelligent debate, and challenging the status quo.

I know we all get a little tired of critical thinking - sometimes I feel like screaming "for the love of God, who cares!?" when yet another critique comes out on a story, issue, or advertisement. I remember feeling the same way in university, when all I wanted was to stop talking about the damn problems and DO SOMETHING.

But it's Friday and I'm feeling philosophical, so let's quote Ghandi:

"Your beliefs become your thoughts, 
Your thoughts become your words, 
Your words become your actions, 
Your actions become your habits, 
Your habits become your values, 
Your values become your destiny"

Doing something is not always realistic, or desirable. Sometimes we need to sit back, explore our beliefs, our thoughts, and our ideas, and change the world...one tiny step at a time.

What do you think of the new Barbie commercial? What are your points/counterpoints?

Show and Tell for All Ages! Maker Faire Ottawa

My husband is a maker - he makes things, All The Time. If he's not in his shop crafting something beautiful out of wood, he's carving vegetables and fruits into characters for the kids or inventing elaborate sprinkler systems for the gardens.

Eco Sprinkler System: hooked up to three rain barrels, which connect to all four of our vegetable gardens

But my husband only revealed his crafty brilliance to me when we moved into our first home.

Prior to that, we had been living in small apartments, with zero space for hobbies. We were stepping on each other's toes just to get to the bathroom. So although my hubby WANTED to build and make things, he had no space for the tools necessary to do so.

Waldorf Curvy Boards, which have become a popular Christmas gift!

On a tour of the home we ended up buying, the deal was sealed when my husband discovered a giant workshop in the basement. Since moving in, the number of tools in his shop has doubled, and the lack of storage space in my home has been halved. Once in a while I threaten to turn the workshop into a yoga studio, but I never make good on my threat. There's no way I could take away my husband's space for creative expression!

An island for the kitchen, big enough to house all of my gadgets!

And it seems my oldest is following in Daddy's footsteps. She loves joining hubby in his shop, and will happily pound nails into wood. She is really interested in figuring out how things work, and my husband is just as interested in teaching her!

Do you have makers in your family? If you do, you will want to check the Maker Faire, coming to Ottawa in November.

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement.  It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning. It's a Science Fair for the whole community! Or what I like to call "Show and Tell for Adults" :) Because hands up if you miss making something that you can show off to your peers!

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers.  They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community. My husband will definitely be attending with my daughter in tow!

When & Where: October 15th and 16th at Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa.

Learn more here
Connect on Twitter here
Follow them on Facebook here

What do you love to make?

Disclosure: in exchange for this blog post, my family will receive a pass to attend the Maker Faire. All opinions are my own :)