https://www.inspiringolivia.com/

Inspiring Olivia, Dafter, MI (2025)

07/26/2025

We are partnering with to host a giveaway, so you can pamper yourself! If you didn’t know, Skin spa Esthetics is located in Manotick. They offer many spa services like facials, mani + pedis, laser hair removal and so much more. We’re giving away a facial (custom facial or chemical peel) so you can experience the ultimate pampering.
-
To enter :
1. Follow and
2. Like + save this post
3. Tag a friend (unlimited entries)
4. Bonus entry, share to stories and tag us!
That’s all!
-
Giveaway is open to all local residents over the age of majority, who can visit the spa for services. Giveaway closes July 29, 2025 at 11:59PM EST. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram (Facebook or Meta). The winner will be announced the following day by our accounts only. Good luck!

07/15/2025

Let’s talk about the city daycare waitlist. I remember a while back, I asked for tips and advice on the waitlist. And this is a short summary of the feedback I got, combined with some of my personal experiences. Hopefully this helps with anyone who’s looking to apply for daycare through the city of Ottawa’s portal.
-
Finding a spot at a daycare is certainly hard these days but if you get on top of it, hopefully that helps 🤞🏼

07/09/2025

Save this for toddler dinner ideas (or modified for baby) 🍽️ Honestly, trying to figure out meals for a toddler is sometimes harder than you think (maybe a lot harder)! So, here are some of our favourite dinners that we’ve prepared for our tot recently. All can be easily adapted to specific dietary needs (please message me if you need help with this).
-
All the details can be found in the photos. The concept is usually carbs: pasta, rice, bread, grains. A protein of some sort and vegetables, and usually beans (our girl likes her beans)! Because I’m usually making Aurelia dinner after work or at lunch hour when I work from home, we eat the same food. I typically just add a tidbit more salt and pepper to my meals. I would love to hear what your toddlers/kids like to eat for dinner too 😊
Plate is from

06/30/2025

A toddler summer is an active one, where parents are always looking for activities to entertain the kids with. At least, that’s how I feel as a mom of an almost? Toddler. Summer programming is different than regular programming, so I made a list for you! Much to my chagrin, lots of earlyON programs and our regular activities are not running in the summer 🥲
-
But with summer, comes warmer weather and more outdoor time ♥️ So Ottawa parents, what are you doing with your kids this summer? Taking notes for when our daughter is older.

06/02/2025

Save this list 🤌🏼
Babies and kids go through clothes so quickly! You can find some beautiful preloved clothes, toys and accessories for them from a handful of local shops ♥️ Honestly, I always find one of a kind pieces from secondhand stores and love that I’m able to reduce our consumption that way.
-
This is for all the Ottawa parents, grandparents or anyone looking for preloved kids/ baby items. You’ll find so much for your little ones at a fraction of the price. Support local while at it too! If I’m missing any shops that offer items for all ages/genders please comment below!
-
Ottawa preloved secondhand kids stores

05/26/2025

Save this list to support your local baby + kids boutiques ♥️
-
It was about time I made this list a permanent fixture on my feed. I’ve shared to stories and on my blog but Ottawa (and the valley) deserves to have this list. If you’re looking for gifts or anything for your kids, check out these local shops before ordering from a big box store. I’ve been to a handful of these shops and will one day visit them all!
-
Ottawa local shops baby kids

05/15/2025

Because it’s Asian Heritage Month, I’m sharing some of my favourite Asian inspired bakes (with recipes on the blog). I haven’t created any new recipes lately, as you might already know. But I promise, these are my tried and true recipes.
- Matcha strawberry cookies
- Ube cookies
- Matcha cheesecake bars
- Black sesame cookies (I need to get a better photo of these)
-
If you’d like the link to any of these recipes, please leave a comment below and I will send them via message.
-
Side note, I’m slowly getting back into the swing of baking more. And, if you’ve been here since my baking days, thank you. 😊

05/08/2025

Motherhood is chaotic at times but every bit of chaos is worth it. Nothing matches those little snuggles, giggles and tiny toes. Every day is a new day and our little one is a sponge. She’s growing right before our eyes and sometimes, I still can’t believe we have a 1 year old. These photos truly warm my heart ♥️
-
Thank you for these gorgeous photos. Cashing in on our giveaway with Farrah (a year of photos). But honestly, the motherhood mini sessions were fun, quick and easy. 100% recommend ♥️
-
Mother’s Day photos
Motherhood
Ottawa

04/07/2025

Save this list for fun and interactive classes for your little ones (baby + toddler focused). There are so many incredible classes offered all across the city! These classes require registration + fees, as well as a commitment to a session or series of classes. For gymnastics classes, please refer to the gymnastics list.
-
I know there’s tons of other classes available on the recreation side (swimming, skating, etc…), so I would love to hear your favourites! Or if you’ve attended any of these classes and want to leave a comment, those are welcome too!
-
Side note, some of these classes offer a free drop in class. Worth checking out their policies.

03/27/2025

If you’re looking to take your little one to a fun drop in activity, gymnastics centres in Ottawa are the perfect place! There’s so many options across the city, various time slots and price ranges. It’s a great open space for the crawlers (like mine) to roam around, watch other kids and make new friends. Aurelia loved it when we brought her and she burned off a ton of energy too ♥️
-
If you’re looking for more information, check out each individual business’s website/page. Some require pre-registration and others don’t. They’ll also have up to date closures, if any. If I’m missing any, please add in comments.

03/24/2025

The books that brought back my love of reading 📖 For a few years, I would collect titles I wanted to read and then let them sit on my bookshelf. I read a handful of books but once I had Aurelia and she settled into a good nap routine, I finally made time to read again. I haven’t been so attached to my books (and tablet) in a long time! And it’s such a pleasant reminder that I’ve been on my phone too much.
-
All of these series are romantic fantasies but there’s so much more to them. Let’s get into them.
📕The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros (5 books, 2 unpublished). This series was the first I read this year and the series that hooked me right from the first book. There’s such a great storyline, romance/spice, dragons/magic and the characters are intriguing. Now I’m waiting for the next books!
📗A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (5 books). This whole series is very captivating, though the Fae vs human ages are a bit odd to me. The first book is slower until the end, but it’s worth it to finish and follow through. There’s heartbreak, discovering of new worlds, finding new friends/family, romance/spice (extra spice in the 5th book) and recovering from trauma.
📘 The Kindred Curse saga by Penn Cole. (4 books, 1 unpublished) I really loved this series even though the FMC is a bit annoying. It’s a lot more world building and character development than romance/spice. It’s a neat concept of royals, powers and deception. Awaiting the 4th book now!
📙The Legends of Thezmarr by Helen Scheuerer (4 books + bonus book). I loved this series, it’s got a great plot and it’s a spicier series than the rest. It’s about warriors, magic & monsters and a lot of adventure. I absolutely devoured this series and the bonus book (also worth noting that there’s a spinoff series called the Ashes of Thezmarr but it’s not finished and there’s only one book so far).
-
Currently collecting the Throne of Glass series before I dive into it (officially a SJM fan). But I would love to hear other books/series that match this genre + that you enjoyed reading!

02/14/2025

Our anniversary is a day before Valentine’s Day (or maybe a day after) but this year, we have another little love in our lives ♥️ Happy 10 years to us (2 years married) and a lifetime of love.
-
After 10 years, sometimes we forget about Valentine’s Day. It’s just another day where we continue to love each other. But, our anniversaries will always be remembered and celebrated. We are grateful to be sharing all our love with Aurelia this year ♥️
-
Wedding photos
Family photos

Inspiring Olivia

07/26/2025

07/15/2025

07/09/2025

06/30/2025

06/02/2025

05/26/2025

05/15/2025

05/08/2025

04/07/2025

03/27/2025

03/24/2025

02/14/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category