Loulou's views

Pink is my favourite colour. Today, I'm wearing a pink scarf in support of Anti-Bullying Day. Even though many of us are wearing pink today, this one act alone is sadly not going to stop children from being bullied. Thankfully, there is so much more we are doing to stop bullying from taking place in schools, like the #NoMoreBullies campaign and awareness. When I was in grade seven, I was bullied , and it was awful. However, after school, I was able to go home, and cry into my parents arms. I was comfortable telling them everything. I was so lucky I had their love, support, and guidance, to help me through the rough times. It's heartbreaking to me to know that some children who are bullied in school don't have anyone to turn to at home. The other night, I watched one of my all-time favourite movies, again— Dead Poets Society . If you've seen this (surely you have?) you'll know that one of the  main characters takes his own life because of his awful situation a...

Watching the Oscars when you've seen every nominated movie is awesome. I haven't seen more than two Oscar nominated movies in a single year since having children, but hey, I still tune in and watch, because I love to see what everyone is wearing, and also, watching any awards show (or TV in general) while on Twitter is totally awesome. This year's Oscars were not exciting at all, I'm sad to report. I miss Billy Crystal. And Steve Martin. Heck, I even miss James Franco! Also, Argo was a great movie and entertaining to watch on a plane, but Best Picture? Not really. And that's um... all I have to say about that. Oh, also? I really need to see Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained. Now, let's talk about the important stuff, like who wore what! And who looked hot... and not. Who do I think looked amazing at the Oscars? Maria Menounos! I don't think she's gone wrong, ever. She's gorgeous. And, okay, yes, she's also Greek, but I promise I...

How is it the shortest month of the year is the month that seems to go on forever? Regardless of the fact that February has been the busiest month ever, it is still here. I'm so totally over winter.Thankfully we're now just days away from a new month, and you know what March means? It means we'll be able to say spring is really and truly around the corner. I was able to escape to south Florida with my boys and family several weeks ago, and putting on my little dresses and bikinis and flip flops felt so good . Of course that meant I had to make sure I had soft, silky, sun-kissed skin. To help get super soft skin I used the Schick Intuition Pure Nourishment Razor . My favourite part? The yummy coconut smell. Coconut milk and almond oil are two ingredients in this awesome new razor that will give you the absolute perfect shave while moisturizing all in one easy step. A soft, perfect, close shave, and soft, yummy smelling skin? Perfection! Time to put on...

I'm usually awake well past 1 a.m. because that's when I actually find time to read for pleasure. You know, after a day of working, writing, blogging, responding to emails, taking care of the children, cleaning the house, helping with homework, and catching up on Mad Men/Homeland/Downton Abbey? Right. My love affair with books and reading began in grade three (or four) when I read Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume. I was never without a book in hand, and I read Wuthering Heights when I was 14 and vacationing in England, thinking it was the perfect backdrop to the story. Just like music soothes the soul, I find reading has the same effect, unless you're reading 50 Shades of Grey. Seriously, the amount of errors in that book were too many to count and also, it was pretty much the worst book ever written. Sexy? More like... shudder. Let's not get into all that I disliked about that book;  read this awesome post  if you want to know how I ...

The long weekend is finally here, Monday is Family Day, and there's a lot going on. Also? There was a crazy meteor blast that hit the skies in Russia yesterday, and I was completely freaked out, probably because I found out in the middle night and couldn't get back to sleep. Also? I was on CTV Ottawa Morning earlier today talking about all the fun events happening around town, and if you missed my segment, I've got the video right here!  Check it out, because I've got a lot of information for you on how to keep busy this weekend. What's there to do in Ottawa this long weekend? Winterlude! It's the last weekend of Winterlude, and the weather has been great so far. Yummy Mummy Club will be in town, too, taking part in all the festivities. From Snowflake Kingdom (I was just there this morning with my big boy and his school!) to Crystal Garden and skating on the canal, there is a lot going on. Beavertails and poutine are a great way to end the day, o...

My children are amazing little travellers . We started travelling with them when they were very young, and now, at the ages of seven and just turned five, they've flown almost a dozen times each. They love everything about going away on a vacation—from packing their suitcase (with my help, of course!) to people-watching in the airport, even. When they find out they're going away, they get can barely contain their excitement—I'm the same way! I think taking frequent (or, at least once a year) vacations with children is so important. How does the saying go? "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." I believe this to be true. The memories made on vacation are memories that last a lifetime, and the fun a family can have on vacation? Well, it's worth it—it's absolutely priceless. I love going places where kids come first—where I know they'll have as much as the adults. Thomas Cook thought of everything when they put together the ...

I love music almost (maybe even more) than shopping. Although I'm not a music pro, I cannot live without my music. I prefer long road trips alone so I can listen to my songs in peace, with the volume super loud, and the windows down. You know, if it's not -40 out. Another thing I love about music? The Grammy Awards. I love it for the music, of course, and also for the fashion, because that's seriously half the fun of watching award shows, no? Everyone's favourite stars hit the red carpet at the 2013 Grammy Awards decked out and looking gorgeous and glamourous despite receiving a memo telling them to cover up, everyone still looked very sexy. Anyway, here are my pics for Best Dressed at the 2013 Grammy Awards! Maria Menounos: I may be biased because I'm a fellow Greek, but every time I see Maria on the red carpet, she looks stunning. I especially love the colour of her dress (I'm currently really into yellow) and she's always got a great smile on her...

I could write a book about all the things I love about blogging and social media, and how thankful I am for all the wonderful things that have happened because of my involvement with blogging over the years. It's been a real "pinch me, I'm dreaming" ride so far, and it's only just begun... I'm excited to announce that once again this year, I have been asked to host the Old Navy Family Day Festival at Old Navy, Rideau Centre, in Ottawa. The Family Fun Day event takes place at Old Navy Rideau Centre on Monday, February 18th, from 1 to 4 p.m. It's fun for the entire family, so make sure to bring your children along so they can show off their dance moves on the Twisted Twister Dance Floor, and get all crafty at the Super Cool Creation Lab while you shop. After that, why not strike a pose on the Flying Photo Floor? A fabulous DJ will also be on hand spinning the tunes. Of course all this fun and excitement is going to make you and your little on...

I'm back from a gorgeous one week vacation  in south Florida. I went with my boys, my parents, and my sister and her family. We had a wonderful time, and it's been so hard adjusting to winter again. I'm pretty much on the verge of tears all day long. Going from summer to winter mode is the hardest thing to do, you guys. From this view every morning from my balcony to views of nothing but snow, snow, and more snow... it's just downright painful! For one week, I didn't have to make beds, do laundry, make lunches, serve breakfast, put on winter gear, or take the kids to school. Instead, I got to swim in the ocean, collect shells for my boys for our growing collection back home, swim in the two pools, one, an infinity zero-entry pool overlooking the ocean, and the other, a huge lagoon style pool with a waterfall, eat dinner at favourite restaurants, watch my boys run and play in the beautiful outdoors, and, of course, shop. My dad even found us a seahorse on t...