Loulou's views

The timing of this post is pretty ironic, considering I'm talking about tips for staying healthy this holiday season while battling a cold. It's the time of year that mostly everyone gets sick, but there are things we can do now to help us stay healthy for the rest of the holiday season. It is inevitable that when children come home from school with a cold or flu, it'll get passed on to the parents, so it's even more important that we take preventative steps to stay germ-free. We're in the midst of the holiday season, and my calendar is packing up with parties. I'm so excited—but I definitely don't want to miss out on any of the festivities because of a cold. Let's keep the kisses under the mistletoe peppermint-sweet and germ-free, okay? There are three easy tips to help protect yourself and your family this fall: eat well, wash your hands frequently, and get the flu shot. Eat Well It's important to keep your body fueled with nut...

Now that we've settled back into the fall routine, it's important to take note of what we're eating as we move away from the carefree days of summer. I know I'm definitely more pressed for time now that I'm working a full-time schedule again, and with my boys in school, I want to make sure each meal is as healthy as it can be—so we're getting the proper nutrition we need, and the energy to keep us going all day. I go grocery shopping several times a week, but I've never considered using the support of an in-store Registered Dietitian at Loblaw. This great (and did I mention free?) service provides shoppers a range of services, like: Grocery shopping tours to make healthier choices (You'd be surprised what you'll learn!) Health and wellness workshops and lunch and learns  Developing a customized meal plan based on your dietary needs  Interactive cooking classes  Tips for encouraging children to try new foods  Nutrition check-ups to assess dieta...

As summer comes to an end, (how did that happen?) I'm doing everything I can to enjoy the last moments before we get back into the fall routine. There is so much left to enjoy, especially spending time outside, with family and friends—swimming, BBQ-ing, and just soaking up the sun as much as we can. An important part of my day-to-day life is gathering my family together for meal times, and in the summer, we kick back, relax, and enjoy eating fresh foods with each meal, outside. (It's just so simple to eat health during the summer months, isn't it?) I love that Loblaws provides a great variety of fresh, local ingredients, especially during summertime. In fact, 40% of produce sold in Loblaws stores is sourced by Canadian growers during this peak season, and Loblaws is also the largest purchaser of locally grown food in the country. Loblaws recently teamed up the vegan YamChops butcher to create unique and tasty, seasonally inspired recipes perfect for summer dining and...

Disclosure: I am a P&G mom ambassador. As part of my affiliation with this group I have been compensated to test the Loblaws Click & Collect service. The opinions on this blog are my own.  Although I sometimes love grocery shopping, I prefer to be doing more important things with my time, like spending time with my children, working out, reading a book, catching up on other important errands, or having lunch with friends. I have been using Loblaws Click and Collect for a few weeks now, and it's been so great—mostly because of the time I have saved. The entire process is so simple, and makes shopping fun. If you haven't tried it yet, you totally should. Just go to shop.loblaws.ca , and start clicking away! Select your pick-up location (where you'll be picking up groceries from) and then browse each "aisle" by category or brand. It's simple and easy to shop, and takes no time at all, leaving you with more time to do the things you really love. Yo...

Disclosure: I am a P&G mom. As part of my affiliation with this group, I have been compensated to test the Loblaws Click & Collect service. The opinions and views on this blog are my own.  So we all know that grocery shopping is not always fun. It's time consuming, and no matter how long I spend walking from aisle to aisle, I arrive home to remember the one item I actually truly needed—is still at the grocery store! Sigh. Of course. I remember the days when my boys were much younger, when grocery shopping was even more of a challenge. I had to plan my trips to the grocery store around my baby's nap time, and sometimes, I would be a nervous wreck grocery shopping, scared that my baby would have a meltdown and start crying. What has made my life much easier—and will certainly help out new moms, too— has been using Loblaws Click and Collect . It's online shopping, made easy. And it's actually so much fun, too! While I'm working, I go to shop.loblaws.ca...

Disclosure: I am a P&G mom. As part of my affiliation with this group, I have been compensated to test the Loblaws Click & Collect service. The opinions and views on this blog are my own.  One thing I love about being my own boss and working from home is having the flexibility to take my children to school, and to pick them up at the end of the day. In the hours between, I get a lot done, starting with going to the gym. I love my weekly routine, and working out is one thing I do first thing in the morning before I tackle all my work—housework, working, and the dreaded trips to the grocery store. I can honestly say I spend a lot of time in the grocery store, buying food for my family (it truly is amazing just how much food two boys can eat in a week!) and other household items. Of course, by the end of the week, I'm giving my kids whatever we have left in the house for breakfast and their school lunch, reminding myself that I need to head to the grocery store to stock...

October is here and the carefree days of summer are behind us. Our calendar is packed, from birthday parties to extra-curricular activities like swimming and tennis. We've set up a homework station at home, organized the bedrooms so the children always know where to find the things they need, and embraced the change in routine. I've said good-bye to summer dresses and I've even given up on flip flops. There is some sadness associated with fall, but... fall is also a beautiful, busy time—from wagon rides at the pumpkin patch to Thanksgiving and Halloween. Our house is bustling with energy from the moment we wake up and once the boys are off to school, I  start working, and start thinking about what to prepare for dinner. With such busy schedules, what I feed my family is really important to me, and I try my best to make sure my children are eating food they love that's healthy for them. Mornings are rushed, for most of us. In fact, nearly 70% of Canadian parents surv...

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...