Loulou's views

The bigger the better, right? I think so. Especially when it comes to shopping and stocking up on the things you need. Like cosmetics, books, handbags, jewellery... oh, wait—necessities, right. I love shopping at Costco for all the things I mentioned, but also for the true necessities like food and household items. Fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, bread, cheese, crackers, and awesome party platters that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Costco is also my go-to store for Tide, (I do so much laundry, I NEED Costco-sized Tide bottles!) Pantene, Crest, and Bounty paper towels. It's amazing how much money I save simply by shopping at Costco. A brand-new Costco just opened its doors in Barrhaven and I had a chance to get a personal look at the huge warehouse store a few days ago at the pre-Grand Opening VIP party—and I was impressed! It's got all the things you'd normally find your local Costco store, but more. Because it's brand-new, there are some extra ...

Are you ready? March Break is just days away, and that means we've got to keep the children busy. Heading somewhere tropical and warm is always a great idea, but so is saving money, whether you're travelling or staying closer to home. Join President's Choice Family Finance Advisor Rubina Ahmed-Haq , Chief Family Advisor Kathy Buckworth , and myself, MrsLoulou , on Twitter on Thursday March 10th from 8-9pm EST f or a Twitter Party that'll help you save money this March Break. We'll be sharing some great tips on helping you save money using financial tools, too. We're also giving away some PC Gift Cards  ($600 worth!) to help you save money with whatever you've got planned this March Break. Let's chat more tomorrow night—I can't wait to share to some helpful travel tips with you. There is no RSVP required for the Twitter Party—just follow @PCFinancial and use the hashtag #PCPointer to join in the fun. See you tomorrow night—and Good Luck! ...

I was in Toronto yesterday for a Red Carpet Grammy Viewing Party with P&G , in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart. I had a great flight into the city with Porter Airlines, as always, and arrived to my hotel with enough time to relax and get ready for the big Grammy party. Outfit of choice? My new Free People dress—perfect for this event. A little flow-y, a little fun, a  little flirty—and perfect to mingle in! It was a night of glamour and fun as we watched the stars arrive on the red carpet (how cute were Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez?), dished on the best looks of the night, and talked about the best hair products and make-up to wear on the red carpet—and every day, really. We talked fashion, hair, and make-up with ET Canada reporter Sangita Patel , Pantene Pro-V hair stylist Justin German , and COVERGIRL make-up artists Veronica Chu . These three know a thing or two about achieving the right look, and listening to them talk about their favourite beauty looks a...

It's December, and holiday preparations are in full swing. Right now, I'm busy getting ready for the festive season and all the holiday parties by shopping for the perfect gifts for my family and friends. I'm also getting excited thinking about all the delicious food we'll be enjoying around the table at Christmas. (I'm being extremely careful right now so I can indulge over the holidays without feeling guilty!) I love this time of year and all the holiday traditions that have come to mean so much to me—decorating the house and the tree with my children while listening to Christmas music, watching our favourite holiday movies (like Elf and Home Alone) and taking walks after dinner to look at all the festive lights in our neighbourhood. December is one of my favourite months, and it's also the busiest shopping month—and even though I love to shop, (a lot!) things can get very expensive if I'm not careful. This year I'm determined to stick to a budge...

Now that warmer days are here, there's really no need to ever be indoors—unless it's to sleep, and even then, it's with the windows open, so the sounds of summer can be heard. This weather, you guys... it's perfection. Finally, after the longest winter ever , we're able to kick back and soak up the sun. The only thing keeping me indoors is... argh —never-ending piles of laundry that somehow, despite the fact that we're wearing less clothing than we did in the winter—seem to keep piling up. (And maybe it's because my boys seem to roll in mud, like, every day, going through so many t-shirts and short every day!) There is no magic solution to laundry, unless someone else is doing it for me, but the next best thing is using a product that's going to make my job more efficient so I can get back to doing the things I really love. It's a fact that laundry is the most time consuming household chore, so Tide has come up with a solution. HE Turbo Clean ...

I'm excited to announce that I'm working with  Urban Barn again as their Spokesperson and Brand Ambassador for Ottawa's newest store in Barrhaven! That's right, Ottawa— a third Urban Barn is opening on March 7th , and you can expect to see all the usual gorgeous items for the home in the new store. What's in store at Urban Barn this spring? Think fresh, think colourful, think vibrant. You can sail away with navy and yellow pieces, accessorize with pops or bright orange and aqua, and transform your favourite room with neutral greys and soft green hues. To find out more—and to win amazing prizes from Urban Barn—please join me as I host a Twitter party on  Thursday, March 5th , from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m EST.   I'd love for you to join me, @MrsLoulou ,  and @FeistyFrugal as we'll be chatting about getting the home ready for spring—out with old and the cold, and finally , in with the new—new furniture, bright colours, and home decor ideas designed to brighte...

What's your favourite app? I love Instagram and use it more than Facebook and Twitter. I love apps that are helpful and easy to use, and one of my new favourite apps is Flipp . If you love to shop—like I do—this app is for you. Actually, let me rephrase that: if you love to shop AND  love to save time and money—this app is for you! Flipp is available on the iphone and Android and the new 2.0 version of Flipp includes a unqiue Shopping List feature to help you check things off your list as you're shopping. Seriously, how many times have you been in the grocery store only to get home to realize you forgot the one thing you were there to buy? Happens to me all the time, but with the Flpp app, no more. The Shopping List is great because as you add items to your list, Flipp will find all the local deals for you—all the deals you don't have to look for in the paper flyers anymore. Flipp is simply the easiest way to browse flyers—over 400 retail flyers from nationa...

Hey, Ottawa—I've got some great news for you! Urban Barn —everyone's favourite furniture store—is opening its doors in Kanata on November 15th, on Hazeldean Road in the Grant Crossing mall. (From 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., so you have plenty of time to shop!) A new Urban Barn in my city makes me very excited, and I've already started planning out my dream rooms—I'm renovating my family room, bedroom , and dining room and I couldn't think of a better place to get all the furniture and home accessories I need. My children are growing up and it's time for me to starting thinking properly about home decor again—the timing is just right, and I can't wait to start shopping. I have spent so much time online recently, looking at all the gorgeous rooms and furniture from Urban Barn,  trying to narrow down which couch to buy... or which new bedroom set I desperate need. Often, though, I find even more inspiration walking through the store—it helps with the decisio...

Many things make me happy: snuggles with my children, vacations to warm destinations where I'm lounging on a beach with a drink in hand, rainy afternoons where I'm lost in a good novel, dinners and wine with friends, and shoe shopping. Yes, shoe shopping always makes me happy, no matter the season—spring, summer, fall or winter—because no matter the season, there is always something just so perfect that I must shop for. Even though we're enjoying the crisp days of fall, winter is literally just around the corner, and if I'm not dressed warm, I'm pretty miserable being outside. I also get really sad when I'm wearing a favourite pair of boots and they get destroyed because of the salt and snow... all because I didn't properly protect them. And trust me, I've ruined quite a few pairs of boots over the years. Living in a city that has such harsh winters, I have learned my lesson—if I'm going to wear boots I love outside during the winter months, I ha...