Loulou's views

Are you as excited as I am for summer vacation? With only a couple of weeks left before school is out and we head overseas to Greece, I thought it would be a great time to talk about travelling with the entire family. I was on CTV Ottawa Morning Live , talking about some of my favourite holiday spots—locations that are perfect for the entire family. Here's the link if you wanted to watch the entire segment ! Here are some highlights from the destinations I talked about on CTV:   Westin Diplmoat Resort and Spa : Heavenly Spa by Westin . 6,500 yards of championship golf course (and you can take private or group lessons.) Complimentary shuttle serve from the beach resort to the golf courses. Ten clay tennis courts with six lighted courts for evening games. One of the 50 Best Tennis Resorts in the world, and USPTA Professionals area available for private or group lessons. Westin Kids Club for kids 4-12 (Arts and Crafts, Swimming, Beach sports and explo...

I love to travel and South Florida is a perfect vacation destination for my family because it has so much to offer: hot, sunny weather, the beautiful ocean, amazing restaurants and shopping malls, museums, a great night life, and amazing resorts, like The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa , located just past Fort Lauderdale, right before Miami. I love that it's only a three hour flight from home, too. As you all probably know, we've been traveling to the The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa since my oldest son was two years old, (he's now almost eight years old!) and each and every time we g o , we love it more than the time before. After all, with balcony views like this, how can you not love this resort? Here are my Top Six Reasons To Vacation At The Westin Diplomat Resort And Spa: 1. The Water: If you're a family who loves the water and you're looking for a tropical, relaxing vacation where you'll be able to swim all day in a gorgeous turquoise ocean, ...

My favourite resort is The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa in south Florida. I have been vacationing there every winter and summer for the last seven years, and we can't get enough. My boys love it! We love the perfect location between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, the infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and the lagoon style pool below, with cascading waterfalls. The ocean views are breathtaking, and the service is amazing, too. We also love how many fabulous things there are to do around the resort, like visiting Gulfstream Park , Aventura Mall, and the Bal Harbour Shops. We also love visits to the Miami Zoo and the Miami Children's Museum. I'm happy to share the news that the Heavenly Spa By Westin and Westin WORKOUT have opened at the resort's beachfront property.... which means that while you're being massaged, or while you're burning calories working out, you'll be looking at magnificent views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The new 14...

It's been 13 days since my last blog post, and I think that's pretty much a record for me. It also means one thing: summer is here. And it's a busy, busy time, as I'm sure you are aware. Saying good-bye to great-grandparents who have left for Greece for the summer, soccer games, pool parties, girls weekend, end of school year celebrations, Canada Day festivities, and the start of Mad Science camp for my boys, and it's only the first week of July. I also just finished my last day at work—after ten years working in Communications for the federal government, I'm... finished. It's scary, (actually, really scary) but exciting, at the same time. Right now, I'm just going to focus on having a really enjoyable summer with my family and friends. We're off to spend a fabulous weekend at our favourite Toronto hotel—the Marriott Bloor Yorkville . We'll be staying in the Presidential Suite again, and I think I may be more excited than my children. F...

I was only a few months old the first time I traveled on a plane. I lived in Greece the first year of my life, and every second year after that, my parents would take me to Greece for the summer. I have fond memories of Greece, and of traveling with my family. From Florida to Maine to England, I enjoyed every vacation and the memories from each trip. Now my boys are avid travelers, too—from flying to road trips, they're got the travel bug like their mom. They're on their third passports, already. My children are easy and laid-back little travelers, which makes it much easier on me. I think traveling with your children at least once a year is very important. Travel really is  "...the only thing you buy that makes you richer." Even though we often go to our favourite resort  in south Florida every winter, each time we go, we leave with new wonderful memories to last a lifetime. It's become sort of a second home away from home for my boys. I have learned a...

I'm back from a gorgeous one week vacation  in south Florida. I went with my boys, my parents, and my sister and her family. We had a wonderful time, and it's been so hard adjusting to winter again. I'm pretty much on the verge of tears all day long. Going from summer to winter mode is the hardest thing to do, you guys. From this view every morning from my balcony to views of nothing but snow, snow, and more snow... it's just downright painful! For one week, I didn't have to make beds, do laundry, make lunches, serve breakfast, put on winter gear, or take the kids to school. Instead, I got to swim in the ocean, collect shells for my boys for our growing collection back home, swim in the two pools, one, an infinity zero-entry pool overlooking the ocean, and the other, a huge lagoon style pool with a waterfall, eat dinner at favourite restaurants, watch my boys run and play in the beautiful outdoors, and, of course, shop. My dad even found us a seahorse on t...

Whenever I go on vacation with my family, something crazy always happens. Whether it's locking my six month old baby in the hotel room by accident, or being stuck in a Cuban resort during a hurricane, we bring home many memories. Souvenirs, if you will. The craziness usually starts in the airport before we even board the plane, and the adventures continue from that point on. My family and I spent a week near Miami, at the Westin Resort and Spa, where we go every year. The kids love it, and I do, too. The pools are beautiful, the location is perfect (10 minutes from Aventura Mall, 10 minutes to Bal Harbour Shops, and nooo I don't base my vacations on shopping destinations... um... not completely, anyway!) and we're right on the beach. I choose Florida as our winter getaway destination every year because being the worrier that I am, I like knowing that if we had a medical emergency, we'd have excellent health care, like we do in Canada. I never thought we'd h...