Loulou's views

Anyone who knows me can attest I'm not a huge fan of cooking, as much as I enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. However, I'm lucky to have a husband, parents, and in-laws who can cook amazingly well. Despite the fact that I don't love getting dirty in the kitchen, I'm great at making a few meals my children (thankfully!) love, and most of those meals are Italian. I was so excited to be invited to Toronto this week along with several other bloggers to indulge in an authentic taste of Italy, and meet and learn from Italian Chef Massimo Bruno. We took part, as well—preparing some pretty simple recipes that I know will be a huge hit at home. Best of all? The meals we learned to cook involve only a few key ingredients, so prep time is simple, and takes almost no time at all to actually cook... and serve. (Which is perfect when you're heading home late from work and the children are starving). We sampled delicious Italian cheese and appetizers, drank wine, and got ou...

Today was the last day of school, and I was equally emotional and excited. After all, my oldest son is moving on to a different school in September, as he and his classmates start their new journey to middle school. When I started this blog, he wasn't even in kindergarten! Time sure goes by quickly, and that's why it's important for me to make sure I'm spending quality time with  my boys as often as I can–including eating dinner together. It's important to carve out time with family and friends and slow down the pace a little, especially now that summer is here. Whether you're BBQing in the backyard by the pool, or taking a vacation overseas, dinner time is the best time to re-connect with your loved ones. Earlier this year, President's Choice (PC) embarked on a journey to get Canadians to eat together when they released their Eat Together film, seen here: I don't know about you, but watching the video brought a tear to my eye. (And the video'...

As summer comes to an end, (how did that happen?) I'm doing everything I can to enjoy the last moments before we get back into the fall routine. There is so much left to enjoy, especially spending time outside, with family and friends—swimming, BBQ-ing, and just soaking up the sun as much as we can. An important part of my day-to-day life is gathering my family together for meal times, and in the summer, we kick back, relax, and enjoy eating fresh foods with each meal, outside. (It's just so simple to eat health during the summer months, isn't it?) I love that Loblaws provides a great variety of fresh, local ingredients, especially during summertime. In fact, 40% of produce sold in Loblaws stores is sourced by Canadian growers during this peak season, and Loblaws is also the largest purchaser of locally grown food in the country. Loblaws recently teamed up the vegan YamChops butcher to create unique and tasty, seasonally inspired recipes perfect for summer dining and...

Disclosure: I am a P&G mom ambassador. As part of my affiliation with this group I have been compensated to test the Loblaws Click & Collect service. The opinions on this blog are my own.  Although I sometimes love grocery shopping, I prefer to be doing more important things with my time, like spending time with my children, working out, reading a book, catching up on other important errands, or having lunch with friends. I have been using Loblaws Click and Collect for a few weeks now, and it's been so great—mostly because of the time I have saved. The entire process is so simple, and makes shopping fun. If you haven't tried it yet, you totally should. Just go to shop.loblaws.ca , and start clicking away! Select your pick-up location (where you'll be picking up groceries from) and then browse each "aisle" by category or brand. It's simple and easy to shop, and takes no time at all, leaving you with more time to do the things you really love. Yo...

Disclosure: I am a P&G mom. As part of my affiliation with this group, I have been compensated to test the Loblaws Click & Collect service. The opinions and views on this blog are my own.  One thing I love about being my own boss and working from home is having the flexibility to take my children to school, and to pick them up at the end of the day. In the hours between, I get a lot done, starting with going to the gym. I love my weekly routine, and working out is one thing I do first thing in the morning before I tackle all my work—housework, working, and the dreaded trips to the grocery store. I can honestly say I spend a lot of time in the grocery store, buying food for my family (it truly is amazing just how much food two boys can eat in a week!) and other household items. Of course, by the end of the week, I'm giving my kids whatever we have left in the house for breakfast and their school lunch, reminding myself that I need to head to the grocery store to stock...

Are you ready? March Break is just days away, and that means we've got to keep the children busy. Heading somewhere tropical and warm is always a great idea, but so is saving money, whether you're travelling or staying closer to home. Join President's Choice Family Finance Advisor Rubina Ahmed-Haq , Chief Family Advisor Kathy Buckworth , and myself, MrsLoulou , on Twitter on Thursday March 10th from 8-9pm EST f or a Twitter Party that'll help you save money this March Break. We'll be sharing some great tips on helping you save money using financial tools, too. We're also giving away some PC Gift Cards  ($600 worth!) to help you save money with whatever you've got planned this March Break. Let's chat more tomorrow night—I can't wait to share to some helpful travel tips with you. There is no RSVP required for the Twitter Party—just follow @PCFinancial and use the hashtag #PCPointer to join in the fun. See you tomorrow night—and Good Luck! ...

It's December, and holiday preparations are in full swing. Right now, I'm busy getting ready for the festive season and all the holiday parties by shopping for the perfect gifts for my family and friends. I'm also getting excited thinking about all the delicious food we'll be enjoying around the table at Christmas. (I'm being extremely careful right now so I can indulge over the holidays without feeling guilty!) I love this time of year and all the holiday traditions that have come to mean so much to me—decorating the house and the tree with my children while listening to Christmas music, watching our favourite holiday movies (like Elf and Home Alone) and taking walks after dinner to look at all the festive lights in our neighbourhood. December is one of my favourite months, and it's also the busiest shopping month—and even though I love to shop, (a lot!) things can get very expensive if I'm not careful. This year I'm determined to stick to a budge...

October is here and the carefree days of summer are behind us. Our calendar is packed, from birthday parties to extra-curricular activities like swimming and tennis. We've set up a homework station at home, organized the bedrooms so the children always know where to find the things they need, and embraced the change in routine. I've said good-bye to summer dresses and I've even given up on flip flops. There is some sadness associated with fall, but... fall is also a beautiful, busy time—from wagon rides at the pumpkin patch to Thanksgiving and Halloween. Our house is bustling with energy from the moment we wake up and once the boys are off to school, I  start working, and start thinking about what to prepare for dinner. With such busy schedules, what I feed my family is really important to me, and I try my best to make sure my children are eating food they love that's healthy for them. Mornings are rushed, for most of us. In fact, nearly 70% of Canadian parents surv...

I love grocery shopping—truly, I do—but sometimes it can be a hassle to get out of the car and into the store to stock up on all the items I need to feed my family, like during a torrential downpour after a fresh blow-dry, or when it's snowing and -35C outside, or when I am with my tired, grumpy children. When my children were much younger, grocery shopping was timed around naps, and even when my children were awake, sometimes trips to the grocery store were headache inducing. (Only sometimes; most of the time my boys were perfectly well-behaved!) I love online shopping and anything that save me time. When Loblaws asked me if I wanted to try out the new Click and Collect grocery service, I quickly said yes and started writing out my grocery list. List in hand, I went online to shop.loblaws.ca and selected the location I would be picking up my groceries from, and then I proceeded to select all the items I need. Milk, check. Eggs, check. Cheese, check. Bagels, check. St...

Ah, the great joys of summer. One of the things I truly love about summer is eating outside. And pretty much doing everything outside. I crave the sunshine and the sounds of summer morning to night, and I can't get enough of this wonderful weather. President's Choice has put together some yummy (and easy to make, I swear!) recipes based on top outdoor eating spots selected by Canadians. Eating outdoors is always fun, but how about trying a different location other than your favourite restaurant patio or backyard? Toronto Island is the preferred outdoor dining destination for Toronto residents, followed by High Park, Ashbridge's Bay, Bluffer's Park, and Trinity Bellwoods Park. Here in Ottawa, Pink Lake is the favourite (and it's oh-so-pretty there!) followed by Major's Hill Park and Rideau Falls. And just what do we love eating in the great outdoors? Mmm... juicy burgers, of course... and crisp summertime salads... and of course, a side of veggies. And s...