Loulou's views

Updated to add: Congratulations to number 14, Brittany (Mommy Words!) You won the goat, yay! When I received an email with "This holiday season, give the gift of a goat or manure" in the subject line, I was intrigued. And since I was all out of unique gift ideas, I kept reading. Oxfam American has offered to give one of my readers the gift of a goat this holiday season! Oxfam America , part of Oxfam International, is a relief and development organization that helps alleviate hunger, povery and injustice in more than 90 countries. Oxfam creates partnerships and rather than providing short-term aid, works with local communities to create lasting solutions to poverty by helping people address the root cause themselves. There are many ways you can help Oxfam this holiday season. I was blown away when I clicked through the list of gifts you can give. For instance, you can buy a pair of sheep for $90, a cow for $75, a water purifer for $35 or a vegetable garden for $30. A school...

It's time for another writing prompt. Who has been a bad influence in my life? Day 8, 30 Days of Truth: Someone who made your life hell Throughout my life, there have been people who have treated me badly. I've gotten into hurtful fights with friends but no fight was ever big enough that it didn't get resolved with tears and hugs. There were a few rough patches in elementary school, some bullying in middle school, but mostly smooth sailing in high school and University, excepet for some heartbreak and anxiety. Overall though—those were the days and those days have a totally awesome soundtrack. So then. The only person I can think of who has made my life hell is... me . Mostly unintentionally, but still—I'm the only person responsible for my actions, so I have no one to blame except myself when things go wrong. It is easy to put the blame on other people when things don't go your way, but the truth is, we hold the power—to change, to forgive, to grow and to do the...

When I was 18 years old, on a summer vacation in Greece, I saw the purse of my dreams in one of my favourite stores. I fell in love instantly. Yes, I'm a firm believer in love at first sight and in falling in love. Have you ever lusted after something, have you ever had a desire for something so fierce it is all you can think about? I have. At that moment in time, this purse became my obsession. It was a little too expensive for me to be able to afford, and my money parents were nowhere to be found. When I was 18, I didn't have a big collection of designer purses but my love affair with handbags began that summer. This purse was perfect. It was small, too—like a clutch. It was black patent leather. And it had the most perfect bamboo handle. Timeless, classic, beautiful. I remember the fine details to this day. Suddenly, my aunt appeared. "Do you like that purse, Loukia?" she asked. "Oh, yes, I love this purse. It's the most perfect purse I have ever seen. I ...

(I'm guest posting over at Scary Mommy's blog today, and I'm talking all about the proposed Happy Meal ban . There has been some great comments and discussion going on, and I'd love to hear from you, too!) I saw this awesome idea for a blog post over here , and here and here . Presenting: The People Who Live In My Head Charlotte Flax from Mermaids lives in my head. I love everything about Winona Ryder and her character in Mermaids reminds me of me. She's a bit confused, she struggles to be a good girl, and she suffers from some serious guilt issues. Didn't we all think we were going to get pregnant from kissing when we were 14? Cher Horowitz from Clueless lives in my head. Why does Cher live in my head? Because she's me . She's sweet and nice and also spoiled and superficial. I'm totally clueless when it comes to some all things. I'm an airhead with good intentions. I'm a terrible driver, I spent hours in the mall spending way too much m...

Do you ever get into a blog funk? I do. I sometimes get in a funk on Twitter, too, but Sharon figured out that happens when I haven't been to the hair salon in a few days. It's amazing what a good blow-dry can do to a woman! My confidence gets restored, and the world loves me again. Maybe it's all in my head, though? Anyway. Getting into a blog funk is harder to get out of. Hearing people talk about finding your 'people' makes me question who my online tribe really is. I'm pretty sure I know who my people are, but sometimes it makes you wonder. Other times, I have so much I want to say—so much I want to write down—that I don't even know where to begin. I start writing, and walk away. Later, I come back, start a new post, and walk away again. "No one will read this post." Delete. " This post is so silly, and only people who know me in real life will understand." Delete. "This post is going nowhere." Delete. Then I just give ...

Time is very strange. Sometimes, it passes too quickly, like the blink of an eye, and you can barely recall how the moments went by. Other times, it passes too slowly, moving at a dreadfully tedious pace—where every second feels like an eternity, and the clock staring back at you from across the room seems to have stopped working, but you can still hear the constant ticking. Of course, time passes quickly when you're having a great time, when things are just right, and when you don't want to the night to end. Other times, like when your child is sick and you're up worrying all night, time slows down and all you want is for it to hurry up, so you can see the sun rise again. Yesterday, my son brought home a book from school, filled with all the work he has done so far this year. I sat down, reading with him, in awe of all he's learned. Seeing his little letters and words, written as best as a little five year old can write, brought tears to my eyes. As he sat there explai...

It has taken me a while to write my BlissDomCanada post because there is so much going on in my head it's hard to make sense of it all. Also, the pressure to be a better writer and to suck less has been causing me major stress! Just kidding. Sort of. In all honesty, though, after hearing the fabulous talent speak at BlissDom Canada, I have come back wanting to be a better writer and I am also ready to take on the challenges that have been scaring me. I'm a tiny bit more brave now. Baby steps, right? Warning—this post uses words like 'awesome', 'so much fun' and 'good times', so if that makes you roll your eyes... um... sorry? (And surely you're used to me by now?) It didn't take me a long time to write about my experience at BlogHer , which tells me I enjoyed BlissDom more— that says a hell of a lot because I had the time of my life at BlogHer. Are you following me? I liked BlissDom more. It was awesome. Coming home from conferences like thes...

It's finally November! Which means a few things: 1. Red cups are back at Starbucks, baby! 2. I will book my winter vacation to Florida this week because I'm really already so over winter and... 3. I can now finally start talking about CHRISTMAS! Oh, I know. It's ONLY the beginning of November... but still! The holidays are upon us! Fa-la-la-la-la! It's begining to look a lot like Christmas and all that jazz. Really, it is. There is SNOW and frost and it's cold. So the only think that's going to keep me sane during these cold months is the upcoming holiday season. I'm hopeful this will be a VERY good November. Here are some festive things to look forward too—the good, the bad, and the... pour me another whiskey, please. 1. Wrapping presents! Despite all the little paper cuts you'll get that will hurt every time you wash your hands, it's worth it. Because... the pretty paper! The bows! The sparkly! 2. Parking lot drama! Trying to find a spot to park...