Loulou's views

Summer is my favourite season–I love hot, sunny vacation days, hours spent around and in the pool, bike rides with my children, BBQ's with friends and family, and outdoor concerts and patio nights. It doesn't get much better than that. Somehow, we're just days away from school starting again, even though it seems like yesterday I was celebrating my children's last day of school. Although I'm a summer girl at heart,  I still love fall, and back-to-school. It's definitely time to get everyone into a regular routine again. One of my favourite things about back-to-school is the shopping, of course; and even though it's not me heading back to class (I wish it was, sometimes) I still love getting my boys ready. This year, my oldest son is starting middle school–grade 7–and my youngest son, grade 4.  To make everything go as smooth as possible, and to help alleviate the stress that sometimes comes with the start of a new school year, I partnered with two of...

Although I have school-aged children, I remember my days of being a student vividly. I remember the friends I had, what subjects I loved best, and the special teachers who helped me become the person I am today. It seems like yesterday I was a student in school, and now, my children are students themselves—in grade two and grade five. The years go by quicker than I ever imagined possible, and from the moment my oldest went to kindergarten I wanted my kids' experience in school to be a positive one, despite the occasional first-day-of-school-tears. As a mom, it's important for me to know that at the end of a long school day, it was a good one for my boys. The first day my oldest son started school was rough for me and for him. He cried, and didn't want to leave me. And I cried because I felt the same way! It was because of his loving, patient, and caring teacher that I was able to let go—and it was because of her that he thrived from the first day of school...

Pottery Barn is my favourite store for home inspiration—I love stocking up on items for the home whenever I can. I get most of my decor ideas from Pottery Barn, and I try to make our home look as cosy and comfortable as they do in a Pottery Barn catalogue or showroom. Within two days of walking into Pottery Barn Kids for the first time, I found out I was pregnant. I am convinced that the store has magical powers, and since then, I have shopped religiously in PBK for my boys. From bedding to shelves and accessories for their rooms, to the must-have back-to-school gear, including backpacks, lunch bags, and food storage containers, it's my go-to place to get all the things they'll need to start the school year off on the right foot. The Mackenzie backpacks are my personal favourite—they last throughout the years, and my boys have even used the same backpack two years in a row. They could use them even longer than that, but I like to buy new backpacks for them, because PBK alwa...