Loulou's views

I love Netflix, and so do my children. In fact, I honestly cannot remember the last time I watched television any other way. All my favourite shows—and my children's—are on Netflix. It's a beautiful thing! I'm thankful to be starting another year as part of the Netflix #StreamTeam . The other day, we received a package from Netflix (always a nice surprise) packed with goodies to get the kids excited about the brand new Netflix original series, All Hail King Julien. We received a gift card to Boston Pizza as well as a fun party kit filled with favours to get the viewing party started. A lot of party favours are New Year's Eve themed, so we had fun with them a little early. (We just couldn't wait to get the party started!) King Julien is an original and totally hilarious (and insane!) new series on Netflix. A favourite character from the Madagascar franchise, King Julien takes on the jungle's craziest adventures in this funny new series, along with his lo...

It's the season for baking, shopping, wrapping, cooking, hosting, partying, attending Christmas concerts, and celebrating with family and friends. It is a busy month, to say the least, and I love giving gifts that I know people will love and really appreciate—like a gift card to WaySpa. I love spa days and I love being a Brand Ambassador for WaySpa, because it's my job to test out different spas every month and blog about my experience. It's aways a wonderful and relaxing time, and I think that a gift card to WaySpa would make an excellent gift for everyone on your shopping list. Here are the TOP FIVE  reasons to give the gift of a WaySpa gift card this holiday season to the people on your shopping list: 1. It's a simple way to shop—just go to Wayspa.com  and with a click of a button, your gift card has been purchased. 2. You don't have to worry about wrapping your gift. Just put your gift card in a cute little box, or inside a holiday card, and y...

My boys are the best travelers, whether traveling by car, train, or plane. We just spent three days in Toronto for a pre-Christmas getaway—to attend my mom's art show, visit the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, and to see my best friends—and we had a great time.  Chevrolet Canada gave me a 2015 Traverse to test drive for an entire week, and we were able to take this awesome vehicle to Toronto for our trip. The kids, of course, loved it, and we were thankful for all the room, too—thank you so much for the sweet ride, Chevrolet Canada! We arrived to our favourite Toronto hotel , the Marriott Bloor Yorkville . This was our third stay (and my fifth) at this hotel in Yorkville, and our third stay in the Presidential, two-level suite. Our first visit was during my 35th birthday and the hotel treated us to not only the suite, but champagne, cake, flowers, treats for the children, and balloons, too. The kids truly love all the room, and I like ...

I love getting away with the family for mini vacations, and this past weekend we took the kids (along with my sister and her family, and my parents) to Toronto for the weekend. We travel to Toronto with the children as often as we can, and this trip was planned so we could attend my mom's art show, see my best friends, do some shopping in Yorkville for the holidays, and enjoy a nice stay at the Marriott Bloor Yorkville once again. We had a sweet drive up in a Chevy Traverse—thanks again, Chevrolet Canada, for lending me this awesome vehicle for our road trip—the kids, of course, LOVED it, and so did we! A highlight of our trip was visiitng The Ripley's Aquarium of Canada , right in the heart of Toronto. It was, without a doubt, an amazing experience and everyone loved it. (Thank you to Ripley's for providing me and my family with media passes for our visit!) The Ripley's Aquarium of Canada opened its doors last fall and since then, it has been one of the mos...

What's on your holiday wish list? For me, books are always the top of my list, along with candles and beauty products. I love receiving my favourite must-have products as Christmas gifts, like The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter and White Musk eau de toilette—these also make such perfect stocking stuffers! Christmas 2014 at The Body Shop is all about making wishes come true, and this year, they've put together the biggest gift selection ever —with over 75 new gifts and gift sets that are perfect for giving and gifting. But the very best part? The Body Shop has partnered with War Child , the global charity for children affected by war, to grant children the wish of education—which is the most important gift of all, along with health. With your help, The Body Shop will provide more than 6 million lessons to children in war-torn areas. For every gift you buy—no matter how big or small—The Body Shop will make a contribution that funds a class for a child. Keeping chi...

It's the season of joy, all things festive, giving, and receiving—but most imporant of all, giving to those who need it most. Although we should always remember those in need and those who have less than we do, the holiday season is a time to shine when it comes to giving back, and it's the time of year we're reminded about how much we have, how much we can do to give back to the communties we live in, and how much giving is actually the best gift of all—just knowing you've helped someone, in any way, is such a wonderful feeling. This holiday season, McCain Foods is sharing good news stories to help motivate more  people  to give back and to help support  Food  Banks  Canada. Until December 23rd, McCain Foods will be donating $5 (up to $50,000) for every good news story that is shared using the #McCainShareGood hashtag on Twitter, or by tagging the McCain Foods Canada Facebook page. Pretty easy and worthwhile to take part, right? By simply shari...

I'm absolutely thrilled to be the Brand Ambassador and Spokesperson for the new Urban Barn that just opened its doors in Ottawa, on Hazeldean Road. On Sunday morning, I'll be hosting an in-store holiday style session , so if you're free, come by to learn a few tips and tricks for decorating this holiday season, and do some shopping while you're at it, too! I had so much fun showing viewers on CTV different ways to decorate the table for this festive season, from a traditional Christmas dinner to a glam and glitzy New Year's Eve party, and hosting the Twitter party for the new Urban Barn was a huge success, too—and such a blast. There is so much I want from Urban Barn for my home, and I'll be writing about the pieces I'll be getting to help transform some rooms in my house. Priorities for me are re-designing my bedroom, with a new bedroom set and creating a new family room with furniture from Urban Barn. The tough part, though, is deciding whic...

Last Monday was a very special day for my family and I. My mother's painting, Honouring My Father, was unveiled in Mayor Jim Watson's boardroom at City Hall, where it will be on display next to original paintings by The Group of Seven. The painting will be seen by school groups, ambassadors and dignitaries who visit with the mayor at City Hall. An enhanced print will also be on display in City Hall for everyone to see. The best part is how much this painting has already given back to fallen soldier Nathan Cirillo's son, Marcus. The paining was made after the tragic shooting at the War Memorial  because like everyone that day, my mom was distraught at the news that a young man—a brave soldier—was tragically shot, especially because this man was a single dad, raising his young five year old son, Marcus. It was an incredibly sad day for Ottawa.  News of the painting travelled far and wide, and my mom received hundreds of emails, likes, requests, suggestions, and messa...

The other night, my children begged and begged for me to put up our Christmas tree. It was a beautiful evening, the snow was falling, and we were snuggled up nice and warm indoors after playing outside. Well, with hot chocolate in hands and festive music playing in the background, I complied and we put up the tree. Sure, it's early, but I'm in the mood to celebrate all things festive already, and so are my children. After all, it is such a magical time of year. I have so many wonderful memories of the holiday season from my childhood—decorating the tree, baking cookies, singing carols, writing letters to Santa, asking for the perfect gift (My Little Pony, a guitar, a globe, Rainbow Brite, and Strawberry Shortcake are some gifts I remember asking for and being so excited to receive!). For my sister, I'm sure her favourite and most memorable Christmas memory is when she received Cricket—the big talking doll. One memory that has stayed with me is of staying up really ...

I love a great deal—when I'm shopping in stores, or when I'm shopping online. A favourite online shopping destination for me is Beyond The Rack , because it's where I can find a bit of everything I love to shop for in one place, from designer bags and jewellery, to clothes, shoes, and toys for my children. The best part about shopping Beyond the Rack is the fact that everything on the site is always on sale—up to 80% off, every single day, not just on Cyber Monday. So if you love to shop for great deals because it makes you feel less guilty? You can shop any day, because you'll always find something that is on sale! I was on CTV Ottawa  today talking about the great deals going on right now at Beyond the Rack, and I fell in love with the gorgeous Tory Burch bag I was showing. I think it's a perfect bag for all seasons, you know? And of course, it's on my must-buy list now! For those of you who are looking to do some holiday shopping online, I'm giv...