Neighbourhood Valentine's Gift Ideas

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and don't be caught without a present or plan.  I have composed a list of helpful ideas for gifts and suggested some romantic places to eat in Wellington Village and Westboro.

Flowers: A beautiful bouquet of flowers always makes a woman feel special check out Westboro's Trivoli or West Wellington's Flowers Talk.

Chocolate or Candy: Sweeten your sweethearts heart with some delicious truffles from Westboro's Truffle Treasures or some red candy hearts from The Candy Store.

Alcohol: Visit our local LCBO and select a premium bottle of Scotch or Vintage Wine for that special man in your life.

Underwear: Lululemon's men or woman's underwear, or a gift certificate to one of our local lingerie stores BraChic or  Lilac Lingerie. I highly recommend buying a gift certificate for that special woman because if you don't know her size and you guess...you are just asking for trouble.

Heart or Love Themed Gifts: A heart key chain, or diamond ring napkin holders are just a few of the items you can find at West Wellington's Thyme & Again. You can also check out Swiss Pastries for other edible gifts.


Dinner Out: Nothing is more romantic then a Valentine's themed dinner at one of our neighbourhood restaurants. I have listed a few of the more romantic type restaurants on Wellington and Richmond Road: Bella's Bistro Italiano, Canvas, Wellington Gastropub, Village Cafe, Juniper, Fratelli, Allium and Absinthe. Remember to give them a call ASAP, they book up fast for Valentine's Day.


Dinner In: Why not romance your special someone with catered dinner at home. This is also ideal if you have kids and no babysitter. Check out Thyme & Again or Dish Catering for take home meals or call one of the restaurants listed below.


Jewellery: Girls love trinkets. The staff at Bija Bijoux and Magpie (opening soon) will be happy to help you pick out something to "woo" your woman.

Contact Details:

Absinthe: 1208 Wellington Street, 613-761-1138

Allium: 87 Holland Avenue, 613-792-1313

Bella's Bistro Italiano:1445 Wellington Street West, 613-724-6439
Bija Bijoux: 1307 Wellington Street, 613-728-7371
BraChic: 433 Richmond Road, 613-321-0401
Canvas: 65 Holland Avenue, 613-729-1991

Dish Catering:119 Ross Avenue: 613-761-1302

Flowers Talk: 1305 Wellington Street West, 613-321-0592

Fratelli: 309 Richmond Road, 613-722-6772

Juniper: 245 Richmond Road, 613-728-0220

LCBO: 222 Richmond Road, 613-729-1735

Lilac Lingerie: 307B Richmond Road, 613-688-0321

Lululemon: 340 Richmond Road, 613-761-1839

Magpie: 430 Richmond Road

Swiss Pastries: 205 Richmond Road, 613-761-6551

The Candy Store: 350 Richmond Road, 613-728-7500
Thyme & Again: 1255 Wellington Street West, 613-722-6277

Trivoli: 282 Richmond Road, 613-729-6911

Truffle Treasures: 314 Richmond Road, 613-230-3859

Village Cafe: 295 Richmond Road, 613-728-2162

Wellington Gastropub:1325 Wellington Street West, 613-729-1315

The Champlain Park Winter Carnival

The Champlain Park Winter Carnival is tomorrow Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 11 to 3pm.

Enjoy the horse-drawn sleigh ride, outdoor skating games, wishing well and live fiddle music.  There will also be a chili cook-off - ideal meal idea for those cold winter nights.  Food and drinks will  be available at great prices. Wonderful winter fun for the whole family.

Admission is free!

Directions: At the Champlain Park Rink and Fieldhouse, bordered by Clearview, Carleton, Cowley and Pontiac Avenue in the St George School neighborhood.

Wellington Wholesale Seafood

We finally have a great place to buy fish and seafood, it's located in Hintonburg just west of Giant Tiger on Wellington called  Wellington Wholesale Seafood: 1105 Wellington St. West.  They describe themselves as "Providing fresh, white table cloth quality seafood to the greater Ottawa region at wholesale prices."

They have fresh and frozen fish and seafood. Of course there is a live lobster and mussel tank to entertain the kids while you shop. With competitive prices and very kind and professional service - they are a pleasure to buy from. One of three owners was the manager of Lapointe in the Market - so he knows his fish. For further information you can check them out on Facebook.

Next time you need to buy fish or seafood, support the little guy and give Wellington Wholesale Seafood a try. Their winter hours are 9 to 5, Tuesday to Saturdays.

Tel: 613-759-4141

Google Maps: Unusual Advice

Google Maps is a very useful online tool for helping you navigate around the country. It has been noted that the programmers of Google Maps got a little creative with specific directions on the GET DIRECTIONS page for navigating across open water.

The first example are directions for the United States to Japan:

On the GET DIRECTIONS page just type in the directions FROM: United States and TO: Japan. Then scroll down to DRIVING DIRECTION #31 and you will be informed of some unusual advice how to cross the ocean to Japan.

The second example are directions for Japan to China:
On the GET DIRECTIONS page just type in the directions FROM: Japan and TO: China. Then scroll down to DRIVING DIRECTION #41 and you will be informed of some strange advice how to navigate to China.

Note: This will also work on your iPhone Google Maps App.

Westfest is moving

Westfest, the annual Westboro Village festival of music, art and life has announced their 2011 dates: June 10th to June 12th.  This family friendly event closes down Richmond Rd to cars from the Real Canadian Superstore to just past Golden Ave for the three day festival. They "feature the best in Canadian and Local Ottawa multidisciplinary arts, including music, performance art, literature, spoken word, media art, Aboriginal art, children's entertainment and much more."

Real Canadian Super Store parking lot.

We are also very excited to hear that they have moved their main stage from Byron and Golden to the parking lot area directly behind the Real Canadian Superstore at Byron and Kirkwood. The audience area will quadruple in size (15,000 capacity) in comparison to past years and be fully licensed (that's what I'm excited about). No more parents sitting in the fenced in beer area while their kids wait for them outside the fence to finish their beer. I only did that once and never again. My husband is happy to hear that the beer sponsor will be our local microbrewery Beau's.

Westfest has not announced their headliners yet, but I am confident they will be spectacular.

Are you excited about the new main stage location or do you think this will cause some problems? Let us know your thoughts.

Watch Live with Regis and Kelly today!



Mauler Top Left



Jeff Mauler the radio DJ from Ottawa's Hot 89.9 will be co-hosting with Kelly Ripa on Live with Regis and Kelly today at 9:00. Check it out on channel 7 on CTVOT. Proud moment for Ottawa!

Westboro Shoe Rebuilders

Do you have shoes that are looking a little tired and needs some TLC; or desperately need repair? Well you are in luck! We have an amazing shoe repair store right in the 'hood' called Westboro Shoe Rebuilders (613-725-1012)‎. Located at 411 Roosevelt Avenue, the corner of Richmond Rd. and Roosevelt Ave on the ground level in the Eiffel Building.

The gentleman who repairs the shoes is so sweet and nice. He does excellent workmanship and will save you from buying a new pair shoes. The other bonus, he is inexpensive!

I took in my husbands well used Blundstones to get repaired, he stitched them up and renewed the life into them with a superior shoe shine. He fixed my Sorel boots from giving me blisters, by shaving off some of the inner liner that was sticking out. Now I can wear them without complaining of the pain.

I highly recommend Westboro Shoe Rebuilders; your shoes will be in good hands and will come back looking like new!

Welcome Magpie Jewellery to Westboro

Magpie Jewellery is opening a store in Westboro! Magpie is a really great store that carries unique and affordable jewellery. They have been recognized as one of Ottawa's favorite jewellery stores and awarded "Best Jewellery Store" over ten times. They carry jewellery from across Canada and from around the world. Compared to large-scale chain jewellery stores Magpie takes a more alternative approach.

Currently they have locations in the Glebe and Rideau Centre and we look forward to having them in Westboro. Their new location will be at 430 Richmond Road; right near the corner of Golden Avenue by Bridgehead. They aim to have their opening around February 14th, 2011 - just in time for Valentine's Day.

Adams Apple Cafe: Dovercourt

Just the other day I had lunch with my son at Adams Apple Cafe located upstairs, inside Dovercourt Recreation Centre. The cafe serves freshly prepared, healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and lots of great snacks. They also have take-home dinners and offer catering services.

It has been awhile since I've been there and I forgot how awesome this place is to have lunch with your young children. First off they serve healthy food for you and your child. (I had a wonderful homemade tomato, vegetable soup and it was delicious.) Second, if your children need to run around, they have an small indoor play structure for your kids to play on while you chat with your friends or finish your own lunch. This is a perfect place on those rainy/snowy/cold days when you just need to get out of the house and you don't want to go to the indoor play-structures at McDonald's and eat their processed foods. Check out their menu below and also notice their affordable prices.

In case you need another reason to go to Adam's Apple Cafe, they just received the first Eat Smart Recreation Centre Award. To receive this award 'the facility must offer healthier food choices'. The facility’s venue 'must have an excellent track record in food safety' and of course be a 100% smoke-free environment.

Dovercourt Recreation Centre is located at 411 Dovercourt Ave. in the Westboro neighbourhood near the intersection of Churchill Ave and Carling Ave.

Adams Apple Cafe contact details:
613-913-7815
adamsapplecafe@rogers.com
www.facebook.com/adamsapplecafe

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Westboro Gossip: New Shoppers Drug Mart

Word on the street is that Westboro Village is getting a new Shoppers Drug Mart in the new building Westboro Station across from Starbucks on Richmond Road. Also located in Westboro Station I heard will be a pub of some sort and some type of retail store.

We look forward to new businesses developing in that neighbourhood however I do have one big concern - it's parking! In that one block area over the last couple of years I found it's becoming impossible to find a parking spot. I guess it's a good sign that this area is so busy because of the great stores and services, but it would be nice not to have to walk several blocks so you can go grab a coffee, buy a bra or go to a yoga class. I'm hoping with the new businesses being created, that more parking spots will be added.

Do you have concerns about the parking in the area?  Let us know your thoughts and concerns - add a comment.

Ottawa Hair Stylists: Top Five

I find that many people in the neighbourhood are always looking for a new hair stylist. Since I'm a hair stylist 'harlot' (go from one stylist to another), I thought I would be informed enough to aid you in your search.  I have compiled a list of some hair stylist that I have seen or I have heard great things about here in the neighbourhood and in the market. These hair stylist will vary by price and may not have lots of availability. Remember when you call, don't forget to ask how much they charge because it can cost you over $200 for a cut and highlight. Also, I find the ones without the "$$" (expensive) have more availability.
Please don't tell your husband how much you paid if it's over $150 - because they would 'flip out' - men just don't understand the price of beauty.

 

Here are my top 5 hair stylists:

1. Destination Hair $$: Chris or Leandro are some of the top stylist in the neighbourhood.   613-728-7333
2. Hair Committee: Nicole is down to earth and gives a great cut: 613-761-96683.
3. Jana Pyne: Jana once worked at Destination Hair but now works from home.  613-314-7042
4. Salon Salwa $$: Located in the market, Salwa has a great reputation. 613-241-7902
5. Julian Marc Salon $$: Julian is one of my favourite stylist and he is located on Dalhousie. 613-244-4448

Let us know your experience with these stylists or if you recommend any others.

Ski Naked: Retro Ski Days





Courtesy "The Globe and Mail"

In the Globe and Mail, Iain MacMillan wrote an article about the 11 things we can no longer do on the slopes. This was a funny article because it is so true if you are over the age of 35 - we did do those things back in the day and yes, you can no longer do those things. However, I ski at Calabogie and some people there do get away with some of these things (#1, 3 & 7), but that is why I love that hill. At Calabogie, they also wear hunting gear skiing, construction or ski-doo attire, jeans and ski on their retro skis.

Here are his top eleven:

1. "Ski with a wineskin, in jeans, in rear-entry boots, set on "walk".
2. "Wear a baby on your back."
3. "Ski without a helmet."
4. "Ride a shovel, cafeteria tray or lift-tower pad."
5. "Ride a chair with the "safety" bar up."
6. "Take a turn in the gates."
7. "Smoke in the lift line."
8. "Drive in ski boots."
9. "Sit down the t-bar or Poma track."
10. "Launch your hang glider."
11. "Ski naked."

These are a few I would like to add from my days of skiing:

1. Wear K Ways skiing - when you fell on the hill, you couldn't stop yourself sliding down the hill.
2. Wear a  baseball hat attached by a shoe string and strung around your neck so it won't blow off when you ski down the hill.
3. Wear Vuarnet sunglasses or the sunglasses with leather side shields.
4. Use baby oil or Bain de Soleil (I miss that stuff) for tanning and hang out on top of the hill with a piece of cardboard lined with tinfoil for ultimate sun reflection.
5. Boogie with your boots on. Translation - go to a ski hill dance and dance in your ski boots.
6. Wear a one piece ski suit. My sisters had some beautiful one piece suits  - I need to dig up those suits.
7. Ski on 200's or 210's. The longer the ski, the cooler and faster you were.
8. We would "seal" down the hill. Translation: slide down the hill on your stomach. Wear K-Ways for increased speed.
9. Borrow a shovel from the resort and make a ski jump on the hill.
10. At our high school ski races, instead of wearing a skin suit, we would sometimes wear our long-johns for fun (we would win races wearing that). 
11. Yes, you would not put the bar down on the chairlift, but when the lift would stop half way, and you were 'somewhat' close to the ground -we would just jump off the lift.

What are your most memorable things you did or wear "back in the day" when you were skiing? Let us know by adding a comment!

Destination Hair

Ottawa Citizen

One great attribute about our neighbourhood is that there are lots of great hair stylists here. However, there is one I frequently hear about, her name is Christine 'Chris' Lee at Destination Hair on Wellington. She is an expert hair designer and colourist. I've heard that if you ever have a problem with your hair colour she is the one to see. So far this has been proven right, I have seen her transform a hair colour disaster to a hair colour that looked natural and healthy. She recently did my sister's hair and changed her hair colour from a golden platinum blond to a cool and trendy, smokey, grey blond.

I read in the Ottawa Citizen that she recently went to a course taught by the world's top creative hair designer from Vidal Sasson. She was taught all the latest styles of the season which included 'abstract designs, geometric shapes and stark, monochromatic colours'.
If you are looking for a stylist that is professional and an expert of the latest cuts and colours, definitely go see Chris at Destination Hair.