Loulou's views

The best part about the holidays for me is the shopping. Okay, that sounds awful, doesn't it? Actually, that's not the best part. The best part is spending time with family, decorating the tree with my children, sipping hot chocolate by the fire place, and seeing my children's excitement grow as we get closer to Christmas. It's also about giving back . I love how festive and beautiful everything is, the holiday parties, the cookies, the Bailey's, and yes, the shopping . Especially for my children, especially when they don't give me a list with impossible to find toys on it, and when they remember to stay within Santa's budget! I also enjoy shopping for my mom, best friends, and my sister. Because that means whatever I find for them... I get for myself, too. (Wait.. .am I doing this wrong?) Anyway, here are some great gift ideas for giving—or for receiving, hint, hint —this holiday season! Loulou's Top Eight For Her: Sephora Color Daze Bloc

The  memories of my childhood are still vivid in my mind. Pictures sometimes help bring back certain memories, as do certain scents, or places. My grandparent's apartment in Greece, a home-cooked meal by my mom that I loved to eat as a child, and the smell of my father's cologne all take me back, instantly. I remember happy, carefree days, and of course, regular days of family dinners around the kitchen table and rushing to the family room to watch Today's Special. I remember favourite t-shirts, my old bed, eating chocolate chip ice cream for the first time with my great-grandmother in her backyard, and snuggles with my mom late at night. I look at my children now and wonder what they'll remember when they look back to their childhood. All the laughter? The brotherly fights? The tired sigh from their worried mother? There is so much I want them to remember, and some things I would rather they forget. Like hospital visits, or when I yelled at them to go to bed.

I love that I'm Canadian, but I envy my friends south of the border sometimes. Especially on days like Black Friday. I'm a certified shopaholic, and to be able to take part in the shopping frenzy that goes on the day after Thanskgiving gets me excited. However, stores will be crazy busy, and even though you can score some amazing deals, who wants to spend all day waiting in line? Imagine being able to shop these great deals, without having to deal with parking lot chaos, crazy line-ups, and people misbehaving? Well... here's a secret: We can! We can shop to our heart's content, and reap the benefits of the fabulous sales, only with a Canadian twist. Hello, online shopping... My friends at MasterCard have been working closely with top US retailers to deliver Black Friday deals to those of us north of the border. Deals like free express shopping from Saks, for instance. I know . It's almost too good to be true. From Friday November 22 until December 10 ,

"Cherish every moment" were probably the wisest words of advice I received when I was pregnant. Looking at how big my boys are now, it's hard to remember that once upon a time, they were snuggled tightly in their blankets, sleeping peacefully in their cribs. There are so many amazing memories I have of my children as babies, and truthfully, they'll always be my babies, no matter how big they get. There are definitely things I don't miss about the baby stage, though. Like the diapers. If you're a mom, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say it felt like half the day was spent just changing diapers... over and over again! When I was pregnant for the first time, selecting all the things I needed for my baby registry was fun but a little stressful. The one item I was told to put on my list was the Diaper Genie . Once my baby was born, I made good use out of the Diaper Genie. It's no wonder the Playtex Diaper Genie is the best selling diaper

Can you believe Christmas is literally around the corner? It's unreal how quickly November has flown by! I don't know about you, but this has been one of the busiests months ever. School events, red cups at Starbucks, dances, parent-teacher interviews, book fairs, events, dinners, art shows, TV appearances, doctor's appointments, work, life, laundry... the usual. But more . It's been a post-it notes everywhere kind of month. My mom's limited edition print was launched at her art show last night at Koyman Galleries. CHEO CEO Alex Munter was there to talk about the importance of art in the hospital, and how the money made from this print will benefit the children. A personal friend of ours who is the head neurosurgeon at CHEO was also on hand to talk about the equipment that will be bought from the sales of this print. From this one print (The Joys Of Youth) $25,000 will be going to CHEO . After all the prints are released, CHEO will receive $150,000 . How a

My boys are four and a half and seven years old. They're best friends, and the more time they spend with one another, the more fun they have together. I hear them giggling, scheming, watching movies, dancing Gangham Style, and reading books in their bedrooms. It is awesome how close they are, and it's awesome that I can be in a different room now, folding laundry, knowing they're okay, playing together. Of course, boys will be boys, and I'll often have to break up a fun wrestling match about to turn bad. Moms just know the right time to step in, you know? Having boys has taught me so much, and has opened my eyes to a whole new world (of anxiety.) From construction vehicles to the world of  Minecraft and LEGO, I am immersed in the land of boys and I love it, even though my boys are also very hyper, eat like an adult football team, and don't always pick up after themselves. They're incredibly smart, and incredibly funny. They make me laugh constantly. As much