Loulou's views

Even though the weather is cooler, we're still spending a lot of time outside enjoying the beauty of fall. It's also the perfect time to enjoy cozy evenings indoors with the family watching a movie, and eating some popcorn--two things that go hand in hand for me! One of our go-to snacks that's also pretty healthy is Orville Redenbacher popcorn. We love it because it tastes good, contains no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives, is made with 100% whole-grain, non-GMO popcorn, and is a high source of fibre.  Since we are also spending more time at home together as a family, trying to keep healthy while keeping our community safe, we are doing more baking and Orville Redenbacher has some great recipes that you can make at home with your children, incorporating popcorn--so fun! I just made these homemade granola bars, and it's a really simple recipe--they're so delicious, too! Orville's Power Crunch Bars Ingredients:  - 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oa...

Anyone who knows me can attest I'm not a huge fan of cooking, as much as I enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. However, I'm lucky to have a husband, parents, and in-laws who can cook amazingly well. Despite the fact that I don't love getting dirty in the kitchen, I'm great at making a few meals my children (thankfully!) love, and most of those meals are Italian. I was so excited to be invited to Toronto this week along with several other bloggers to indulge in an authentic taste of Italy, and meet and learn from Italian Chef Massimo Bruno. We took part, as well—preparing some pretty simple recipes that I know will be a huge hit at home. Best of all? The meals we learned to cook involve only a few key ingredients, so prep time is simple, and takes almost no time at all to actually cook... and serve. (Which is perfect when you're heading home late from work and the children are starving). We sampled delicious Italian cheese and appetizers, drank wine, and got ou...

Finally, warmer days are here! Summer makes me happy, and the warmer temperature and sunshine always motivate me to stay on track with eating well, taking care of my body, and staying on top of my fitness routine. Of course, some days are harder than others, but I find it's easier to stay on track when the weather is cooperating nicely. Although working out several times a week is important in helping you look and feel great, I believe it's what you put inside your body that has a bigger impact. If you feel good from the inside, you'll no doubt look and feel incredible on the outside, too. The best part about getting healthier from the inside out is that it's not complicated. We all know what foods are good for us, and we know that being physically active is important, too. I like doing activities I love, like cycle and barre classes, and spending as much time in the great outdoors as I can, now that it's nice outside.  Whether it's swimming, pl...

Can you believe there is only one week left until Christmas? Yes, the holiday season is upon us, and if you're anything like me, you've been especially busy this month. So busy, you glance at the calendar in disbelief at how quickly the days are going by and a little frightened with all you have left to do before the end of the month... and year. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's easy to forget eating well and maintaining a healthy diet, with all the parties and cookies and festive beverages tempting you. Once you get in the habit of eating well, though (habits usually take 21 days to become a daily routine) it's easier to keep to your routine of eating well, despite the temptations around you. If you're looking to start your day off right, and improve your overall healthy, you should consider taking psyllium fibre. Sounds scary? It's not. It's just a naturally sourced dietary fibre found in Metamucil powder, and it has a long his...

I've been using Tide purclean for several months, and I'm loving it. (Especially the Honey Lavender scent). As a mom of two very busy boys, it seems like laundry is never-ending in my home, but it's nice to know I'm using a product that's better for our environment. I wasn't sure if Tide puclean would work as well as original Tide, because it's a "green" detergent; however, Tide purclean doesn't compromise green for clean—even though it's the first bio-based detergent with the cleaning power of Tide that we've all come to trust and love. To celebrate this step in the right direction, Tide partnered with Canadian singer-songwriter and advocate for the environment, Nelly Furtado, to introduce the brand's new partnership with WWF-Canada, in support of the "Count For Nature" movement, which encourages Canadians to help wildlife thrive by taking action to benefit nature. “As a parent, I consider the products, and their...

I hate to say it—but... I'm so busy. The last couple of months have been busier than usual, and there is no end in sight, especially since the holiday season is here. I know—we all lead busy lives—but even though we're juggling a hundred things a day while trying to find some sort of balance that works for us, it's essential to take care of ourselves, too. I work full-time, run a business I love, and take care of my family, which in itself is a full-time job that never ends—and the most rewarding job of all. From housework to preparing meals to after-school activities and keeping up my social life (that's important, too!) I always make sure I'm taking some time for myself. Weekly visits to the hair salon? Check. Staying active and working out? Check. Taking vacations whenever we can? Check. A great skin-care routine? Check. By the end of the day, I'm ready for a moment of relief, and that usually comes after the children have gone to bed. Late at night,...

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's time to start thinking about the holiday season and all things festive—but first, Halloween! I get so excited for Halloween, and not just because I'm a mom. I love figuring out what costume to wear (I'm Harley Quinn this year!) and I love seeing what my boys are going to dress up as, too. (This year, they're going as a hot dog and a banana. Totally their idea). I get nervous on Halloween, especially because my boys are getting older and wanting more independence. They'd be happy to walk the streets on Halloween night with friends and leave me behind to pass out candy at home. I've seen one too many Halloween movies to let them go out alone on the 31st, though. With all the excitement that comes with Halloween, it's important to remember to be safe, especially since so many children are walking the streets at night, sometimes without parental supervision. Along with (very large) bags to store all the Halloween cand...

The school year is in full swing, and we're already nearing the end of October. There is so much to look forward to now that it's fall, except for colder weather and "germ" season. That's right... it seems like as soon as the kids are back to school, they get sick with a cold or the flu. And of course, cold and flu prevention is important year-round, but it's even more important to make healthy choices and take preventative measures to protect yourself and your family in preparation for the "Fall Spike"— the increase in sickness, which ranges from colds to severe asthma flare-ups, that's associated with children going to back school and the upcoming flu season. I'm thrilled to be working with Loblaw as part of the  #LoblawFluCrew to spread the important message (not germs!) on how we can keep our families healthy this season. Studies show that school children bring germs home from school and spread them to us lucky parents and ev...

Summer goes by so quickly, even though the days sometimes pass slowly when I'm home with the kids every day. We keep busy by going on vacation and when we're not away, my boys do several weeks of tennis camp, which they love. We do the usual fun summer activities, like swimming, BBQ's with friends and family, sightseeing around the city, and more. Another important part of our life—no matter the season—is giving back, doing our part in helping the community, and charity work. I love working with companies and organizations who get the importance of charity and giving back.   Here are some ways you can get active and involved: Ways To Give Back  Stay active in the community: We love staying active in our community by donating what we no longer need to different charity groups. I love getting my children involved so they learn the importance of giving back from an early age. We donate books we no longer read, give away clothes we've...

We have all been affected by cancer one way or another. We have felt the loss and pain of loved ones being diagnosed with this disease, we have friends and relatives who have lost their battle, and we've seen friends beat this disease. These people are now survivors we can all look up to. It seems there is someone else I know who is diagnosed with this terrible disease every month, but the good news is, every day, more and more people are becoming survivors, defying the odds, and every day, there is more research being done and we're this close to a cure. Go, science! I believe in our lifetime we'll see incredible advances for the prevention and treatment of cancer, and we'll also, hopefully, be witness to a cure. A few weeks ago, Cancer Care Ontario added two new cancers to its online cancer risk assessment tool: kidney and melanoma. My CancerIQ is a confidential, online tool that allows Ontarians to determine their personal risk factors for melanoma, breast, cervic...

It's no secret—I don't love cooking or baking... but my family and I need to eat, so guess what that means? I have to cook and bake. Sigh. Here's something you may not know, though—sometimes, I  enjoy it. Unless things go terribly wrong, like when I burn our food, (ahem, often) or ruin muffins that get stuck in the muffin tin. I run away from recipes that sound too confusing, but I like to challenge myself, too, and I have a handful of recipes I have perfected. When I was asked to put the PAM No Residue spray to the test in the kitchen, I said yes right away because like I said, I'm always up for a challenge! I used PAM and another brand to see which product would work best—and leave no residue—when cooking my scrambled eggs in the morning, and when I baked cupcakes for my boys. Guess what? Hands down, PAM won. We've always been big fans of PAM in this house, and PAM is pretty much the only cooking oil spray I've ever used in the kitchen. It was cool to put ...

Sometimes, it amazes me how much I get done before 9 a.m. Before having kids morning was a pretty standard routine: wake up, get ready for school or work, and get out the door. Now? It's wake up, get ready for the day with one million interruptions, make breakfast for everyone, pack lunches, make sure school bags are ready to go, help the children get dressed, clean the house, do a load or two of laundry, clean the house, prepare dinner, and start working after I drop the children off at school... all while enjoying a cup of not so hot coffee, because it's not until the second cup of the day that I can sit down and exhale. It's a whirlwind for sure, but I'm used to it, and I love it, even though some days can be hectic. It's a given that when you're a mom, you're multitasking every day.  I know I am. A multitasking mom gets more done in a day than is humanly possible, with little to no complaining. (Who has time for that?) It's important to stay or...

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 ...

When I was a teenager, I had to get braces because I had crooked teeth. I loved having braces and they never bothered me; after all, I knew it would result in a beautiful smile. Oral health care is a big deal in our household, and I make sure my children are going to the dentist at least once a year—regular appointments are the best way to prevent any dental and oral problems, after all, and it's nice to see my boys learn from an early age the importance of taking care of their teeth with daily brushing and flossing. By visiting your Ontario dentist and taking other proactive measures, you can skip the costly and painful treatments that can result from neglect. It's the strangest thing, actually—my boys LOVE going to the dentist! They are so well behaved, and they actually enjoy the thorough cleaning they receive. Of course, leaving with a new tooth brush and a small toy is always a bonus, too, and these regular visits to the dentist reminds them of the importance of regula...

I am absolutely thrilled that I am a P&G Mom . P&G makes many of my favourite products—Crest, Pantene, Cover Girl, Olay, Tide, Downy and so many more fabulous products I use, buy, and love for myself and for my home. It's exciting being a part of this group, and I'm happy to share news and information with my fabulous readers here about the products I love from P&G. I just got back from an almost two week vacation to south Florida and Orlando, where I walked and swam in the ocean, stayed at gorgeous resorts, and explored Disney World, Epcot and the Kennedy Space Centre with my family. We had a great time, and now we've traded our flip flops for boots, again. It was nice coming home to a great big package of goodies from P&G—it sure beat coming home to all the snow! Winter can seem never-ending, so we do what we can to make the most of the long and cold days. Like going shopping... for clothes that are guaranteed to be comfy, sexy, and just right ...

I love cooking, and preparing meals for my family. I am an organized chef in the kitchen, and cookbooks surround me. I'm Canada's Martha Stewart! Oh, who am I kidding? I actually do not love cooking. I sometimes remember my family needs to eat dinner on my drive to pick up the boys from school—oops! And, cookbooks, for the most part, scare me. However, despite the fact that I'm no expert in the kitchen, I feed my family well, and I am great at making a handful of meals—meals that my children love, and meals that are healthy. I like to make sure my kids are eating healthy Greek meals a few nights a week, and we eat fish at least once a week, too. We also loving our "Mexican" themed nights where we eat fajitas or quesadillas. To the rescue? Old El Paso, of course. Old El Paso has been around for as long as I can remember, and they've just launched their new premium Restaurante product line, so even when we're eating Mexican at home, it feels lik...

Whether it's a busy weekend of activities or evenings packed with extracurricular activities, eating out can be very convenient when you're on the run and need to get a hungry family fed. Sometimes, our days are too busy to prepare a great meal to eat at home, and those are the days we grab food on the go. As long as we're eating together as a family, that's all that counts. We love eating at Boston Pizza  because of all the good they do to help some very worthwhile charities and local schools. Boston Pizza Kids Cards are still available for purchase until November 2nd , and they only cost five dollars. (So go buy a few, you still have time!) Five dollars gets you five free kids meals , which is totally awesome, especially for those nights where you're running from school pick-up to after school activities—you've got dinner covered and already paid for. Also, if you register your Kids Cards with MyBP , you'll get a sixth Kids Meal for free. It's simpl...

I don't know how I'd handle breakfast in my house if my children were picky eaters. Thankfully, I've lucked out in that department—I have children who consider breakfast their favourite meal of the day! It's always a mad dash in the mornings at my house, so knowing that my children have a favourite food to eat for breakfast is a huge help.  My boys love cream cheese, and I love how easy it is to prepare breakfast beacuse of this. We spread Philly Cream Cheese on bagels, tortillas, pita bread, and toast, and with a side of fruit and maybe some oatmeal, breakfast is served! Anything to make things run smoothly in the morning, I'm a fan of. When I saw the new  Chocolate Philly I knew it would taste incredible—and yup, I was right! It's so, so good. You really do have to try it for yourself. I promise—you'll love it. My favourite way to enjoy my Chocolate Philly ? Spread on a warm, toasted bagel, with a side of strawberries. (Grea...