Loulou's views

I'm having a moment today... a trip down memory lane, if you will. I started looking through baby pictures of my children, and it's brought a tear to my eye. I'm not sure how the years have gone by so quickly, but if I could give some advice to new moms it would be this: Cherish every second, every sleepless night, every cuddle, and every diaper change. Remember it all. Before you know it, your children will be older, and you'll wonder how the years passed so fast! It's not easy for me to part with special clothes my boys wore when they were babies, like the fire truck pj's they both wore when they were two months old, or the toys they loved the most. I keep all these special things in a big box in our basement, and I'll never give them away. One item that I (and my babies) truly loved was the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium. If I turn on the soothing music today, it's an instant flashback to the days I'd put my babies to sleep in their crib,

I've been watching John Hughes movies like I'm a thirtysomething woman going through some sort of almost mid-life crisis. I mean, I'm not, but still, I've been taking a serious trip down memory lane lately. There is a lot I loved about my childhood and teenage years, and watching my favourite movies like Say Anything, Clueless, Heathers and Reality Bites makes me remember all the things I used to love back in the day. I loved Christian Slater. I loved Pretty In Pink. I loved Chachi. I loved BOP and Tiger Beat. I loved my Converse running shoes. I loved teasing my hair even though it looked awful. I loved Alyssa Milano and Tony Danza and Who's The Boss. I loved Kirk Cameron, before he got all, you know, crazy weird. I loved the Mini-Pops and had a crush on the boy who sang Eye Of The Tiger. I loved Fashion Plates. I loved push-down socks and wearing two different earrin

When you're new to parenthood, you think those first few weeks are the hardest. They are, in many ways, especially when you bring home your first born child. However, as children get older we realize those baby years were almost easy. Feed the baby, play with the baby, wipe the baby, bathe the baby, read to the baby, love the baby, rock the baby to sleep... it was quite simple, really, despite the fact that it was a 24 hour a day job (it's always a 24 hour a day job!) done on 3 hours of broken sleep a night. But as children get older, parenting gets harder. Much harder. We have to be careful about what we say, the words we use, and how we react to problems and situations. I swear a lot, especially if other people are driving like morons around me, and my children hear this. Hearing them use bad words (even though I applaud them in my head for using these words in appropriate situations) makes me feel bad. This is just one example of how careful we have to be when we're ar

It's March 21, and the weather outside looks nothing like spring. I'm not sure when all this snow is going to go away, but I'd love for it to be now. Really, it is almost April, and it's starting to get a little ridiculous, no? Sigh. I would love to be able to pack up my suitcase and head south, to where it's sunny and warm, and enjoy a pina colada on the beach. There is a great contest going on right now that I'm happy to spread the news about, because hello , trip for two to Sandals Resort in Jamaica ? Sign me up, please! To celebrate the launch of   #FeelGoodMovies  on CTS (Crossroads Television System) every Friday and Sunday night at 7:00 p.m., they'll be sending someone (and a friend!) to Sandals. Isn't that so generous of them? I think so. To enter to win a trip for two to Jamaica, click here . It is really that simple! This vacation getaway package includes airfare, too, so you're all set. You have to be a Canadian resident to w

So it's March 18th, and spring is coming... it is, I swear, despite the fact that the forecast is calling for 20 centimetres of snow this week. (What!)  March always has a way of getting us excited and then blasting us with one last snow storm before we can start to really get excited about warmer days and breezy nights. Here are the things I'm looking forward to as the weather starts to improve: No more winter gear! I'm so over helping dress my children in their snow pants, stepping in wet snow, and looking for gloves/hats/neck warmers every single morning. I'm looking forward to wearing cute little trench coats, (like my new green trench coat I picked up at the grand opening party at Joe Fresh!) and children who don't have to be bundled up to go outside. They can't wait for the warm days to return, either. Playing outside! There's nothing I love more than spending hours outside with my boys, playing. At the park, on our bikes, kicking the soccer

Lately, it feels like I've been so busy with everything I've hardly had time to eat. As a mom of two young boys, I need my energy, so not eating is not an option for me. Eating on the go can be tricky, though, because I want to make sure my children and I are eating healthy most of the time. It can also be challenging to make sure we're eating enough fruits and veggies every day, too, which is why I'm so in love with the SunRype Just Fruit & Grains bars.  Of course, healthy snacks that taste delicious are ideal, right? When I discover awesome snacks I can eat on the go, that are healthy and tasty, I love sharing the news, because I know you're also looking for something easy and healthy to feed your little ones. (And yourself, too!)   SunRype's Just Fruit & Grains bars are a perfect balance of 70% fruit (or fruit and veggies) and 30% grains and seeds, with nothing else added. Each bar contains two to three grams of fibre, and best of all? The

I am torn, you guys. Torn! Listen, this isn't a real big problem, and it's not an incredibly huge issue, but still, it's something I have been thinking about for days, and reaching a decision has been difficult for me. I'm stressed and this has nothing to do with what I shoud wear or what shoes to buy! California or Chicago? I've attended three BlogHer conferences , and I've loved them all. I actually loved the two in NYC the most, because, well, NYC is one of my favourite cities. I won't get into all I love about BlogHer, because I wrote about it here  and here . In summary: the parties are awesome, I love seeing my friends, and I enjoy exploring the city I'm in for a couple of days. It's a mini-vacation with a professional twist. I also really enjoy  BlissDom Canada and I was honoured to be a Community Leader this past October. I love giving back to this amazing community when I can. I attended Mom 2.0 last May in Miami , and this co

I was recently introduced to a new company called Signazon , a company that does pretty amazing custom work, which includes signs, car magnets, vinyl decals , and more. Here's an example of the great work Signazon does... Pretty impressive, huh? The best part about EZ Stick Vinyl is that you can use it on every surface you can image including walls, glass, wood, metal, tile, and plastic—basically anywhere you want to put it! It also contains a satin finish and works amazingly well on flat, dry surfaces. The special low-track adhesive leaves no residue and will not pull off paint or wallpaper, so that's an added bonus, for sure. Signazon also makes great sign accessories, vinyl banners, car lettering, and stickers. I love the idea of using magnets or stickers instead of business cards—I've seen that recently and it's a really great way to advertise your business! Disclaimer: I received compensation for this post.

On my incredibly long list of things I love: My children's laughter, sunshine, vacations to beautiful destinations, and funny television shows. I gave up watching sad and depressing shows this year for good quality television—and television shows that makes me laugh—and it has been a much more enjoyable experience. Some of my all-time favourite TV shows are Friends and Modern Family, and I just found out that there is a new aweome (and Canadian!) television show called Seed that airs on CityTV Monday nights at 8:30 p.m. This show is like a modern version of Friends crossed with the totally hilarious Modern Family. It's totally a show you should be watching if you like to laugh. You don't even have to thank me for spreading the news—I like making people happy! Now, here's the totally awesome part: right now when you watch Seed on Mondays at 8:30 p.m., you can be entered to win one of three Grand Prize trips for two to LA! Seriously, how amazing is that? I wen

There's so much I love about my childhood, and the memories I have from frequent family vacations tops my list. Not just summer vacations spent in Greece, but plenty of weekend road trips. One place I always loved going to with my family was Fairmont Le Château Montebello . This resort is a perfect destination because it's so close to home, but once you arrive, you feel like you're a million miles away... and this week, my boys are going to be experience it for themselves! I remember summers of horseback riding and swimming, and winters getting warm and toasty in front of the amazing fire place in the lobby. Fairmont Le Château Montebello is a beautiful resort that reminds me a little of Great Wolf Lodge, only more grown-up, of course. The best part about staying here? There's always so much going on: horseback riding, golf, outdoor and indoor tennis, outdoor and indoor swimming, cross-country skiing, dogsledding, tubing, skating, an amazing spa, and more.

A thousand things make me smile every day, from the moment I wake up and get my morning hugs from my boys, to listening to my children playing after school. I'm constantly smiling , from morning to night.   I'm often asked if I've ever had my teeth professional whitened, and my answer is no. I do, however, use Crest —and I've been using Crest for as long as I can remember. If I love a product, it takes a lot for me to switch to something new when I'm so happy with the results! I've been using Crest 3D Vivid White Toothpaste and the Crest 3D White Muti-Care Whitening Rinse for a while now, and I was recently introduced to the new Crest 3D White Glamorous White Toothpaste. I've been using it for a week and it's amazing. In just one week, I noticed an even whiter smile than before, which made me, well... smile. To have a bright white photogenic smile, it helps to use amazing products at home (talk about easy, right?) that'll make your smile

One of my favourite movies is Girls Just Want To Have Fun. I've seen this movie so many time I could actually write it word for word. Dancing was a huge part of my childhood, and recital days were the most exciting—the make-up! The costumes! The pictures! It was such a thrill being on stage performing. I never considered a career in dance, but as my primary extra-curricular activity, I loved every second of it. I started dancing when I was four years old and continued until grade 10. Ballet to jazz, I loved it all. I knew my days of dancing were over, though, the day I skipped jazz class to go to the mall to buy the new Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusions I and II CD. It was a very big deal, remember? Now, I'm bringing dancing back into my life, because I received some very exciting news yesterday. I was asked to be a celebrity dancer for the upcoming Dancing With The Stars For Easter Seals Kids! I'm going to be partnered with a professional dance instructor from Fr