Loulou's views

It's challenging being a parent. Everyday we are put to the test. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we soar. I believe that the decisions we make, for the most part, are the right ones. For our children and for ourselves. I like to think that I'm a good mom to my boys. They are my entire life, after all. I love them with every single cell in my body. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. My job as my children's mother is to protect them, love them, teach them, support them, push them in the right direction, and comfort them, while sometimes taking them out of their comfort zone. My oldest child is shy in new surroundings. Once he gets comfortable, he does okay, but it can sometimes take a while. He is my sensitive child, my thinker, my learner. I believe he suffers from some social anxiety in certain situations. Sometimes, I have to help push him out of his comfort zone, even if he resists—for instance, when we signed him up for swimming lessons over a yea

Sometimes, all you need is a good writing prompt to get your blog juices flowing. At the same time, a good writing prompt can also make you stare at your computer screen for hours on end because you're overwhelmed with all you want to write about. I got this great idea from my friend's blog . 30 days of truth . I'll probably combine a few into one post, and I'll write whenever I feel inspired to write about a topic, rather than actually writing 30 posts 30 days in a row. I know, I'm *such* a rule breaker! Any-who. The writing prompts are: Day 1: Something you hate about yourself. Day 2: Something you love about yourself. Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for. Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone for. Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life. Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do. Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for. Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit. Day 9: Someone you didn’t

I love being Greek. I love the culture, the history and the beauty of Greece. I loved spending my summers in Greece as a child, and next summer, my children will hopefully visit Greece for the first time. Except for the 8 hour plane ride, I'm excited to show them their roots. Let me tell you a little bit about being Greek. Greek people love to eat. Everything is about food. Meal times are NEVER missed and dinner is a huge event. Every night, it's like Thanksgiving. We consume a lot. Then, at around 10 p.m, the night begins. That is when people start getting ready to go out, coming back home at around 5 a.m. Greeks know how to enjoy life! Their passion for food, music, drinks, shopping, sex, and everything—is evident. Just ask anyone who has been to Greece! Even though a lot of people in Greece still smoke, the life expectancy is very high. You know why? Because they are so chilled about life. They eat healthy—fresh fish, olive oil, Greek salads and delicious fruit, every day. T

It's no secret. I love summer. I shouldn't really be living in Canada. Don't get me wrong; I think I live in the best country there is, and I love Canada with all my heart. From May until September. From October to April, I complain an awful lot. I hate winter. The snow, the ice, the minus 30 temperatures. The coats, the boots, the hats, the fact that it's dark at 4 p.m. Sure, skiing is fun. Skating, that's okay too. The only reason I partake in those winter activities is not for the rosy cheeks it gives me - I prefer the glow the sun leaves on my skin, to be honest—I do it so my children can get some fresh air, and for the beavertails and hot chocolate. I get a serious case of SAD from about now until spring. I can't help it. I start worrying about winter in July. As I'm swimming in the pool, enjoying the hot sun on my body, I can't get rid of the depressing feeling that winter is just around the corner. I know most of you do not share these feelings w

When I used to think of Mark's Work Warehouse, I used to think: "I've got no need to shop there." After all, didn't Mark's only sell things like uniforms for nurses, and work boots for construction workers? Well, Mark's has changed. It's a store even I could shop at now! Mark's still carries all the basics you'd need if you're looking for proper work attire, but it's also gone through some major renovations - both on the outside, with their new 'look', and in terms of what they sell inside. The store is simply called Mark's now, and Mark's is all about innovation. I was invited to Mark's along with several other bloggers for a Marks-over. I was able to try on some of their fabulous new clothes, and was treated to a full make-over, including make-up, hair, and a fun photo shoot. My eyes were instantly drawn to a sparkly pink top, because, well, I love pink! Also new? Skinny jeans! And sexy boots! It was a really fu

25 Things Being A Mom Has Taught Me: 1. You will love like you have never loved before. 2. Your heart will break like never before. 3. You will remember how fun it was to play with all the things you loved playing with as a child—things like LEGO, Play-Doh and Playmobil. 4. You will become very emotional. Not just right after you give birth, but always. You'll be changed forever, and commercials that aren't made to make you cry will make you cry. 5. Your level of empathy for others, especially children and mothers who have suffered a terrible loss, will increase and although your heart is full of love, there will always be a part of it that is broken for every tragic story you hear about. 6. You will be like a deer caught in headlights the first time you have to deal with cleaning up floating poo from the bath-tub. Unfortunantly, this may be something you have to do more than once. This has happened to me more than a handful of times. Poo in bath-tub is NOT fun! Vomit clean-up

One year ago, I was an emotional mess. Last year, my first born son, my baby boy, was starting kindergarten . I wrote about my feelings before and after . On his first day of school, as he walked away from me, holding his teacher's hand, I cried. A lot. In front of other moms, while holding my baby boy, I was a sobbing mess and I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't believe my child was starting school . He was officially a big boy, a big boy who had just entered a whole new world—an exciting world, filled with so many new experiences. Your school years, from the first year to the last year, are filled with vivid memories, both good and bad. I remember things so clearly, from grade school to Univeristy. The smells, the people, the experiences, the excitement. Friends, detention, homework, dances, track and field, first crushes, first everything . School is where everything happens, where best friends are made, where your heart breaks for the first time, where your world crashes

It's my birthday! I'm another year older. I'm 34 . Only one more year until I am 35 and then it is all DOWNHILL. Right? I mean, when I turn 35, I'm only 5 years away from 40 and 40 is like, I can't even comprehend. So old. Okay, okay, I'm just kidding! KIDDING! I can't wait to embrace my 40's! Bring it ON! Actually, I think I'm going to really enjoy the rest of my 30's. 3o's are almost as awesome as the 20's. Even more awesome, in some ways. Most days, I still feel like I'm in my 20's. Sure, I'm a married mom of two incredible little boys but I don't feel older. Just way more tired than I was in my 20's. I guess five years of getting no more than four hours of sleep a night will do that to a person, right? I miss high school, and University, where my biggest problem was... um... drawing a blank here... because there really were no worries back then. What, studying for an exam? Writing an essay? Discovering the Intern