Loulou's views

2012 passed by so incredibly quick, don't you think? It seems like only yesterday I wrote a post about  the changes I would make in 2012. Some of them came true, others did not, so this year, I am not making any big promises that I cannot keep. The year ended with immense tragedy that we're all still struggling to make sense of. December was more emotional than other years, filled with lots of tears, laughter, and happy times with the entire family. The only thing I have learned from all of this is how important it is to cherish every moment. And that's my only resolution for 2013. I'm going to enjoy it all. Or try to, anyway. And I'm going to remember the importance of putting things in perspective. When you do that, you see how you really have nothing to complain about. And that everything you need... you already have. Here are some of my 2012 highlights: This year, I discovered my new favourite show ever , Mad Men. And then I discovered another incredible...

This afternoon, I will pick up my seven year old son from school and tell him about the heartbreaking, horrific, senseless tragedy that took place in a school similar to his, in a neighbouring country, in a city that now has to come to terms with this unimaginable tragedy. Edited to add: When I saw my son's smiling face after school I could not bring myself to say anything to him. Instead, I just hugged and kissed him and let him run off to play with his friends, keeping my eyes on him the entire time. Tonight I will once again be thankful for this day, and I will hug my children tight. Every day is precious. Every moment we have should be cherished. 28 people dead... 20 of them small children. This is what happened today in an elementary school in Connecticut. Beautiful, innocent, perfect children, in school— in school —shot dead by an evil person, shot dead with weapons that should not exist, since it has been proven, time and time again , that gu...

When Volkswagen Canada asked me to join them at 24h Tremblant as their official blogger and team member, I very enthusiastically said yes. I'm Volkswagen's biggest fan , and 24h Tremblant is one incredible weekend with one mission: to raise money for children who need it the most. 24h Tremblant is a 24 hour non-stop friendly skiing (and snowboarding) relay that takes place on the mountains of Mont Tremblant. Throughout the night, teams compete to cover the most terrain and ultimately aim to raise the highest amount of money for very deserving children's charities. Volkswagen Canada was the main partner of the 12th edition of 24h Tremblant, and I was so proud and honoured to be there as part of their team. Thank you, VW! Being in Tremblant was emotional, fun, exciting, and so worthwhile . The energy from the participants, the smiles on the children's faces, and the encourangement and cheers from everyone watching as team members skied for 24 hours non-stop wa...

Tis' the season for spending, my friends. For me, it's so hard to stay within a reasonable budget during the holidays. After all, I have children with lists and a big family to shop for. Not to mention all the new decorations and wrapping paper I need! And the stamps, and the Bailey's and a new sparkly outfit and ..well, you get the idea. December is brutal on my wallet, and every year I try to think of ways to save money so I'm not weeping into my credit card bill come January. I mean, I'll already be dealing with a case of the winter blues, so I don't need "I need to sell my house because I spent too much money in December!" as something else to be blue about, right? Mobilicity recently conducted a survey about holiday shopping, and results showed that 58% of Canadians say they spend more than they should during the holidays. 59% (that would be me!) say they make impulse purchases which of course leads to feelings of guilt and a bad case of H...

Well, I'm off to to the ski hills for 24h Tremblant ... look out! I'll be doing some night skiing with my VW team all in support of some amazing children's charities. I'll be keeping you updated all weekend, (and blogging as VW's official blogger!) and I might tweet from the chair lift, too. Hey, I know it's not a good idea, but how can I resist? This Friday morning started off great, too—I got the chance to co-host the morning show with Dylan Black on 101.9 Dawg FM. The two of us actually used to work together years and years ago... and we even graduated from the same college, too. Good times! Can't wait to do that again! I do miss working in the world of radio... Oh! And be sure to check out the new issue of Ottawa Family Living Magazine —I wrote a feature article called Fabulous Moms! Happy weekend, friends.

I've got some exciting news to share... Volkswagen Canada asked me to be their offical blogger for 24 Hours Tremblant! That's right, you guys. I'm being sent to my favourite ski resort in Mont Tremblant, Quebec this weekend as part of Team Volkswagen . I'll be reporting back with all the exciting things that are going on, and I'll be tweeting about how nervous I am to be back on the ski slopes again. Let's just say I haven't gone skiing in a very long time... and um, how will I ski down the hills while tweeting without falling? All joking aside, I'm beyond honoured that VW asked me to take part this way. After all, I'm a car girl , and most definitely Volkswagen's number one fan. The 24h of Skiing is actually North America's biggest sporting fundraising event that's already raised over 10 million dollars for children's causes. This year marks the 12th annual edition and will once again take place on the slopes of Tremblant. 3 da...