Loulou's views

As a child, I didn't worry very much about my appearance, what I weighed, or what I ate. Life was carefree and easy. The word "diet" wasn't part of my vocabulary until I turned 16, and looking back, I wish I hadn't started worrying about dieting at such a young age. (Especially because there was no reason to worry about losing weight—I was healthy, active, and ate well.) Growing up today is a totally different world than the one I grew up in. Our children are now constantly being exposed to unhealthy messages and images online, on television, and in print. These messages revolve around how young people can lose weight to attain the "perfect" body. These unhealthy body messages affect both boys and girls, and sadly, these messages are everywhere you look—and in the faces of children younger than 16 years old. Multi-Grain Cheerios has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the unhealthy body image messages disguised as harmless entertainment that...

Doesn't it seem that lately, everything old is new again? From hairstyles (side low ponytail, anyone?) to movies (sigh... The Great Gatsby!)  the things I loved are coming back better than before. With certain exceptions (there can never be a re-make of Dirty Dancing!) taking a much-loved classic and making it new again is a very good thing. This just happened to one of my favourite cereals—Honey Nut Cheerios! Honey Nut Cheerios has gone where they haven't gone before, and switched things up a little, while keeping what made us love them, all those years ago. What's new, you ask? Now, you can have Honey Nut Cheerios Hearty Oat Crunch for breakfast! Along with what you already loved about this cereal, it now comes with crispy oat flakes and nut clusters for a taste that so good , you'll want  breakfast for lunch and dinner, too. (I think I just invented my new diet!) I received a box and within two days, my boys and I had finished it. They very, very enthusiasti...

Last week, after breakfast, I baked a chocolate cake. After the measuring, pouring, and mixing were finished, I put it in the oven, set the timer, and looked at the clock on my kitchen wall. "Oh, no! Kids! We have to leave RIGHT NOW for swimming lessons!" I took the cake out of the oven, threw it away, and drove off to the Athletic Club with my family for Sunday swimming lessons. Almost every time I try to bake, or cook, something will go wrong. Without fail. I'm not very domestic . I don't beat myself up over this, though—there are other things I excel at. Although I'm no Martha Stewart in the kitchen, I do very much love food . That's the first step, right? In my quest to become a better cook, I happily accepted the role of being a Life Made Delicious connector with General Mills. As soon as I heard the words 'easy recipes' I was on-board! Also, there are tons of healthy and easy-to-cook recipes for kids on their site, too. In working with General Mi...