Loulou's views

It took at least four trips with the car to drop off all my bags of clothes, shoes, boots, and household items I no longer needed—and it took much longer for me to be convinced that I could (and should) let go of the items that were just gathering dust in my basement. I spent an entire day with my mom and a friend going through boxes of old clothes I was sure I'd wear again, (which of course, I wouldn't) and putting clothes my children had outgrown into bags. (Sniff, sniff...) I love doing what I can to give back, and going through items in my home to donate to worthwhile charities like Goodwill is an easy way to do that. I also went through my closet to make room for new items I bought for summer. I always do a closet re-org at the start of each season; I go through all my clothes and give away what I know I won't be wearing again. This way, my closet has some breathing room and gives me the perfect excuse to go shopping! GLAD Canada is teaming up with Goodwill in ...

Sleep... it's a beautiful thing, even though I don't get more than five hours of sleep a night. My lack of sleep started when I had my first child. Having a baby will do that to you, I suppose, but most people get back to a regular sleep routine within their baby's first year. I don't know why that never happened to me, because there are many benefits to getting more than five hours of shut-eye a night. We all need our beauty sleep, after all, and you know what helps with that? A peaceful bedroom (think neutral colours, dim lighting, comfortable bedding) no electronics right before bed, (hide that iPhone!) and a quality mattress. Here's where Endy Sleep comes in—Endy Sleep makes beautiful, affordable (we're talking under $1000 for a King size mattress) and comfortable high-quality mattresses that get delivered to your front door. I love shopping, you guys, but mattress shopping in a store? Not my cup of tea. With Endy Sleep you can choose your mattress onl...

It's the most important time of the year—and I'm so excited! No, I'm not talking about summer, although that's pretty amazing, too. I'm talking about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale . If you haven't been to Nordstrom Rideau Centre lately, you should go, like, NOW. Everything else can wait—the dinner you're in the middle of preparing, the house you're furiously cleaning, the backyard summer BBQ you're hosting—just drop everything and go, and everyone will forgive you, I promise. The Anniversary Sale is on until August 3rd , and I don't want you to miss the huge savings on all the fabulous new items you need of fall—boots, jackets, jeans, sweaters, bags... whatever you desire. I was so happy to be invited to Nordstrom Rideau Centre last week for an exclusive behind-the-scenes shopping spree. Thank you, Nordstrom Rideau Centre, (once again!) for the generous gift card and coffee to keep me going all morning long. I had a blast trying ...

I love grocery shopping—truly, I do—but sometimes it can be a hassle to get out of the car and into the store to stock up on all the items I need to feed my family, like during a torrential downpour after a fresh blow-dry, or when it's snowing and -35C outside, or when I am with my tired, grumpy children. When my children were much younger, grocery shopping was timed around naps, and even when my children were awake, sometimes trips to the grocery store were headache inducing. (Only sometimes; most of the time my boys were perfectly well-behaved!) I love online shopping and anything that save me time. When Loblaws asked me if I wanted to try out the new Click and Collect grocery service, I quickly said yes and started writing out my grocery list. List in hand, I went online to shop.loblaws.ca and selected the location I would be picking up my groceries from, and then I proceeded to select all the items I need. Milk, check. Eggs, check. Cheese, check. Bagels, check. St...

Summer is all about backyard BBQ's, ice cream, enjoying drinks on the patio with friends, and of course, vacations. I'm excited to be heading back to Greece this summer with my family. Despite  all the economic uncertainty in Greece, there is no better time to travel to the one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The beaches, the food, the people, the history‚ the sights and the island life (Mykonos, Santorini, Zakinthos, Lefkada...) are like no other. And you'll leave with memories to last a lifetime. Right before every vacation I try to lose a few pounds, especially since I know I'll be spending my days in the sea, in a bikini. I'm pretty confident with my body and my curves, but still—when I have a goal in mind, and something to strive for, it makes me work harder to achieve my goals. Although maintaining a healthy balance of eating well and working out, I find myself more motivated before I have to hit the beach in the summertime. Summer makes it e...

Ah, the great joys of summer. One of the things I truly love about summer is eating outside. And pretty much doing everything outside. I crave the sunshine and the sounds of summer morning to night, and I can't get enough of this wonderful weather. President's Choice has put together some yummy (and easy to make, I swear!) recipes based on top outdoor eating spots selected by Canadians. Eating outdoors is always fun, but how about trying a different location other than your favourite restaurant patio or backyard? Toronto Island is the preferred outdoor dining destination for Toronto residents, followed by High Park, Ashbridge's Bay, Bluffer's Park, and Trinity Bellwoods Park. Here in Ottawa, Pink Lake is the favourite (and it's oh-so-pretty there!) followed by Major's Hill Park and Rideau Falls. And just what do we love eating in the great outdoors? Mmm... juicy burgers, of course... and crisp summertime salads... and of course, a side of veggies. And s...

Summer is awesome for a million different reasons, and ice cream—and frozen yogurt—is on the top of my list of things I love about this season. My boys totally agree. What better way to celebrate summer than to say YES to Menchie's when they asked me to be a Summer VIP Ambassador? I mean, 150 flavours of frozen yogurt all summer long? I'm in! Menchie's Canada has kicked off summer with the launch of a new, delicious flavour— Oreo Cookie . I know... it's total yumminess. I took my boys for some Menchie's (at our favourite Innes Road location in Ottawa!) the other day and they had so much fun adding toppings to their frozen yogurt. (I had fun, too. My favourite toppings? Coconut, peanuts and Skor!) Of course, the Oreo Cookie flavour has become my son's all-time favourite. Menchie's mission statement is "we make you smile" and it's so true. How can you go to Menchie's and not smile? To make you smile even bigger, I'm runn...

I'm pretty sure nobody loves summer as much as I do—seriously, after the long, harsh winters we have, I cherish every sunny and warm day because they sure don't last long here. I am outside for more hours than I am inside—swimming as much as I can with my boys, enjoying backyard BBQ's,  soaking up the sun on patios with friends, and drinking lots of sangria. And beer. You know, summertime stuff. I keep a more simple beauty routine in the summer, but I still make sure I'm taking care of myself. Olay and Crest are my go-to staples because Olay helps keep my skin hydrated (and protected) and Crest helps keep my smile shining bright through my summer days and nights. I love the new Olay Total Effects moisturizer (with 40% more vitamins) which has the highest level of Niacinamide in an over-the-counter Olay skincare product. To help brighten my smile, I love using Crest Luxe Supreme FlexFit Whitestrips . They are super easy to use and offer great results. The strips u...

Summer is here, and I'm excited about going back to Greece with my family. Despite the Greek economic instability, the sea, the mountains, the way of life, and the beauty of Greece is calling my name. And I desperately need a vacation.  While relaxing on the beach,  I'm looking forward to catching up on all the books I want to read. What are my picks for the best books to read this summer? There are so many great books you should read! I shared my picks with The Ottawa Citizen , and on CTV Ottawa Morning Live, too. Here are my picks for the best books to read this summer:  The Girl On The Train , Paula Hawkins : This is a great summer read, and a book you won't be able to put down. It's a page-turner for sure; a murder-mystery that will leave you wondering. The main character, Rachel, is searching for meaning in her life while trying to piece together clues that will help her solve a murder. If you start this book on the plane, you'll be finished b...

Parenting is always an adventure, no matter how old the children are, and even every day activities—like a visit to the grocery store—can lead to unexpected adventures. (Like the time I walked out of the grocery store with my children only to notice my car was being driven away by a stranger!) No matter what, though, we make the best of any crazy situation. Whether we're on vacation or spending a quiet night at home watching shows on Netflix, we're having fun together making new memories. Now that my boys are older, there are more movies and television shows we can enjoy watching together, including movies that I remember loving when I was a child, like Annie and The Gooni es. I was excited to see that The Goonies is playing on Netflix right now—and so were my boys, because of course, they love this movie as much as you'd expect they would. It's a classic, after all. My boys also love How to Train Your Dragon, and they are looking forward to watching the all-new...