Loulou's views

When I was new to parenthood, the biggest worry I had was when the next diaper change would be. As my children got older, the worries changed, and each stage brought new challenges and experiences. Now my boys are six and eight years old and in many ways things have gotten easier, but there is still always something to worry about. I'll often catch myself thinking about the day I hand them the keys to the car and let them go... all on their own. This causes me a lot of anxiety, and I want to make sure that I've done everything in my power to make sure they're as safe as can be on the road. It is our job as parents to guide our children in the right direction, and to help them make the right decisions even when we're not around to help. There are a lot of things we can do to make sure our children are protected and aware, especially when they're driving. I remember the first time I took my driving test—I failed. As upset as I was, I remember studying and practi

I've always loved  Volkswagen.  I've been a  VW girl  my entire life, in fact. I learned to drive a stick-shift with my dad in a 1980's white VW Rabbit. My most beloved car was a red four-door VW Golf. The next cars I owned were a Jetta, a Passat, and another Jetta. We are most definitely a VW family. My next car will be a Golf again, because I can't stop thinking about the new 2015 VW Golf GTI. I'm craving a new Golf in a big way. I spent the weekend in Toronto, thanks to Volkswagen Canada , exploring the Canadian International Auto Show, and getting a sneak-peek media tour of the new line-up of Volkswagen cars, all of them beautifully designed. The beauty of any Volkswagen car—whether you're looking at a Golf, Jetta, Passat, Touareg, or Tiguan—is that they all have so many awesome features and amazing safety standards, like standard airbags. (Every 2014 VW comes standard with front and side airbags for front seat passengers, as well a

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! I hope you'll all get the chance to celebrate with the ones you love. The most important thing I love to receive on Valentine's Day are hugs and kisses from my boys, and hand-made cards. Those are the things I cherish the most, always. If you're looking for some great Valentine's Day gift ideas, check out my segment from today's CTV Ottawa Morning Live. I've got a ton of great gift ideas from Holt Renfrew and some cute stuff from Pottery Barn Kid s, too! I love the adorable Valentine's Day cards from Pottery Barn Kids, because they're great for everyone, boys and girls, of any age. Also, they are so very retro, no? So cute. My boys especially love the little mail box you can attach to the back of the chair to receive your love notes—it was so adorable! Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo

I don't like to complain. Wait. I take that back. I do like to complain, but for very valid reasons. I complain about the things that annoy me , and about things I have no control over. Like the weather. I complain about the weather all. the. time. You know why? Because I am freezing, you guys. I have never been more cold in all my life, and I am cold all. the. time.  I feel like every morning when I step outside, there is a good chance I'll never make it back inside. I fear you'll find my skeleton curled up in the fetal position two feet away from my car, once the snow has melted, because winter finally got me. I think winter has given me arthritis. I can't fell my extremities anymore. I have constant headaches. (Note: I was headache free the entire week I was in south Florida . I am 100% allergic to winter.) I don't LIKE the snow. I don't LIKE the minus 30 and minus 40 temperatures. I don't LIKE how dirty all the cars look. I don

Time goes by way too quickly, but mostly when you're having fun. My family and I just got back from our annual winter vacation to south Florida, one of my most favourite places on earth. Escaping winter is an absolute necessity for me, because I'm one of those people who really, really cannot understand how we live in these frigid temperatures for so many months every year. It makes me a little... crazy. The cold, the snow, the blowing wind... yes, I do complain about winter a lot, so going somewhere warm and tropical to remember what it feels like to not have to bundle up... to remember what the warmth feels like on my skin... is a must. (I try to enjoy the beauty of winter, and we've gone to Chateau Montebello and Mont Tremblant, and yes, it's beautiful, but um... I've definitely had enough.) At the end of the day, I am thankful to live in Canada, but I could really do without winter. Eventually, I'd love to make south Florida my home from January to Apr

The village of Bal Harbour is South Florida's most glamorous travel destination and has been one of my favourite places to vacation for years.  The village of Bal Harbour is considered the "jewel" of South Florida, and when you arrive, you can easily see why. Bal Harbour is my go-to place to get away from it all, featuring the very best of everything: five-star restaurants, luxurious shops, and family-friendly (and couples-friendly) accommodations, like the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort.  As much as I love to travel and explore different destinations from Aruba to Greece, there is something I especially love about south Florida, and in particular, Bal Harbour. Bal Harbour epitomizes luxury living, from the St. Regis to the Bal Harbour Shops right across the street. It's a place where you're constantly surrounded by beauty, so heading back to reality is a little bit of an adjustment. St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort During my recent stay in south Florida, I was