Loulou's views

Shopping, as you all know, is a passion of mine. I love sharing shopping news with my readers and friends and letting everyone know about fantastic deals, new products I love, and great new sites that are worth checking out. When it comes to retail therapy, there is nothing quite like shoe shopping. Several weeks ago, I was approached by Shoeme.ca  and was asked if I wanted to be their Shoe Style Ambassador . I said YES! YES! YES! quickly, without hesitation, because, well, shopping and shoes? What's not to love? Sigh... Shoeme.ca is an online Canadian shoe store that carries all the brands you love: Nine West, Sam Edelman, Geox, Hush Puppies, Stride Rite, Timberland, UGG, ECCO, Crocs, Converse, Donald J Pliner, BCBG, and so much more. They have such a great selection of shoes for everyone in your family—women, men, and children—and they provide amazing customer service, like free express shipping, (I received my shoes in one day!) and free returns. Shopping online has s...

I am guilty of being a hair "damage criminal." Weekly blow-dry's are a routine part of my life, and I love using my flat iron almost every day. (I know, so bad, right?) My hair is very damaged because I have been highlighting it blonde since I was 16 years old, and my weekly blow-dry's at the salon by my favourite hairdresser does not help my damaged hair situation! When I'm not at the salon, I'm using my blow-dryer at home. I've noticed this year that I had been losing some of my hair because of the damage from the colour and blow-drying, and I've started taking better care of my hair now, to make it stronger—and healthier—like it once was. I've used a lot of products at home, and have seen some results, but nothing as good as the results I have seen with using Fructis Damage Eraser by Garnier .   I wasn't sure it would really "reconstruct my hair's strength's by 90%" but after using it repeatedly for a few weeks, I ha...

I've been married for ten years, and this June will mark my 11th wedding anniversary.  I was married in the summer of 2003 and preparing for my wedding was like a full-time job, from selecting the perfect wedding dress (thank you, Justina McCaffrey!) to selecting the venue that had the most delicious food with the biggest dance floor. We had a big, glamorous Greek wedding, and it's a day I'll always remember—it's still one of my most favourite days ever. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, and I have to say, my husband did a great job choosing my engagement ring. It's a diamond solitaire, six-prong set in white gold. Selecting and paying for a diamond engagement ring can be super stressful, though, especially with all the other expenses that come with weddings. I love that Canadian Diamond retailer  Spence Diamonds offers a great payment method for couples who are trying to be financially responsible with their wedding preparations. The new online Spe...

Like most of you, I wake up at 6 a.m. and go to bed after midnight, and basically, don't stop moving from the moment I wake up. It's so true, that once you're a parent, you do more before 9 a.m. than you ever thought was possible. Days are always busy, our schedules and packed, and it seems we're booked until October, already. This can be both a very good thing, and a not so good thing. I love anything that helps me navigate my day with ease, helping me make decisions while I'm on the go, and I love the convenience of an app that answers any questions I may have. Like Yellow Pages. Yellow Pages just launched the newest version of the YP app which is really helpful, and helps make even my shopping experiences better than ever. I was in need of a fresh blow-dry one day, (hair emergency!) but couldn't make it to my usual salon downtown, so I just did a quick search with the YP app and voila... I had a hair appointment booked in minutes, at a cute and trendy sa...

I love looking through everyone's Throwback Thursday pictures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It makes me feel so good to know that I wasn't the only one rocking weird and wacky hair! It's a fun way to bring back memories of my youth, too, and to share with my friends and family pictures that have been sitting around in photo albums for far too long.  I love everything about the 80's and 90's, including the music and the classic movies. Ghostbusters is still my favourite Halloween movie of all time, and I just introduced my children to the movie Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, because I knew they would love it, and I was right! My eight year old really enjoyed it because he loves everything that has to do with science. It's such a cute movie, and made us talk about what we'd do if we were smaller than ant-sized.  I love that you can watch your favourite classic movies on Netflix right now—it's the very best blast from the past.  Th...

The first novel I read was Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing  by Judy Blume. My mom picked it up for me at the school book fair. I didn't put that book down until I was finished reading—two days later.  Every since I was a child, I've had a love affair with books and reading, even though for a few years the only books I read were Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High , and The Baby-Sitters Club . (I think I'm a cross between Stacey, Claudia, and Mary-Anne.) Reading is a passion of mine, and reading is why I never get bored. There is always something to read, and I love getting lost in the story. In many pictures you'll find of me from summer vacations, you'll see me smiling, with a book in hand. Books came everywhere with me.  Thanks to Penguin Canada , I have a lot of great books to read this summer, and I'm so glad. I'll be on a very long flight soon, heading to Greece with my family, and I know reading will help pass the time on the long flight. I l...

As a mom, every day is an adventure. When I wake up in the morning, I never know what the day will bring, but I know it will involve some excitement, even if it's getting my kids out the door on time for school.  (That can be a work-out in itself!) Now that the weather has warmed up, it's hard to keep my children inside, which is a very good thing. We've been craving warmer, carefree days for a long time now, and we love spending as much time as possible outside, exploring the great outdoors. Taking a walk after dinner, spending time at the parks in our neighbourhood, and exploring the forest in the ravine near our home is an evening ritual for my family during spring and summer. Although I'm a fan of heels of all kinds, and only wear heels when I'm out of the house—yes, even to the grocery store—I've come to realize that I have to put comfort first is when I'm out exploring with my boys. Because going down a ravine in heels is just not wise, you kno...

Happy Mother's Day to everyone, especially to my wonderful mom, who does so much for me and my boys (and my sister and her children, too!) every single day. From helping us take care of our children, to cooking home-cooked delicious meals for us, and traveling with us, we are blessed to have her in our lives. I'm thankful every single moment that I've been given the gift of being a mom to my two amazing boys. They make me laugh every single day, and they make my heart burst with pride and happiness all the time.  Even when my six year old tells one of his teachers that I am a fire fighter, because "Mommy, what if he doesn't know what a blogger is?" Being a mom is the hardest, most emotional, never-ending, rewarding job in the universe, so today, pat yourself on the back, sleep in, (ha!) and treat yourself—to coffee while it's still warm, to a deserving massage, and to extra long cuddles with your little (or big) ones.  Enjoy your da...

Mother's Day is almost here and that means I'll be spending the day with my family, thankful for the great gift of being a mom to the two greatest boys. Although the most meaningful gifts are those made with love, like personal cards and crafts, receiving something extra is always nice. After all, every mom deserves something special on Mother's Day. I've put together a complete gift guide for Mother's Day, featuring products I think will speak to every mom out there. Here's my Mother's Day segment on CTV Ottawa Morning Live , so you can see and hear for yourself how great these products are. I  couldn't  talk about everything in length on-air, but I've got  the  full rundown for you here. The complete Mother's Day Gift Guide: Books:   Books as gifts are always a good idea—for any occasion, especially Mother's Day. If I only received books as presents for the rest of my life, I'd be very happy. Here are some books that are gr...