Loulou's views

Winter is my least favourite season of all. One thing I really dislike about it (besides the snow, cold, ice, and darkness) is the mess. As soon as we come inside and take off our boots, our entrance way is wet, with snow everywhere. Of course, stepping in puddles of slush is no fun, either. I love simple solutions for keeping my entrance way looking as neat and clean as possible, since it's the first thing people see when they walk into my home. We have mirrored closet doors, hooks to hang up our coats, a neat shoe compartment from IKEA built on a wall, and now, thanks to Ontario Tire Stewardship , two products that make our entrance way cleaner. Ontario Tire Stewardship is a not-for-profit organization championing waste diversion that works with a network of industry partners to collect and recycle used tired. OTS's Used Tires program has successfully diverted more than 100 million tires from landfills since 2009. The tires get safely recycled into new products, lead...

Now that winter is here, I'm officially in hibernation mode. I don't like the cold or the snow, and I already miss the warmer days of summer. However, as a Canadian I have come to accept that we're left with no choice but to embrace these chilly days, and the only way to truly enjoy winter and the great outdoors is to dress appropriately in the right winter gear, and to get out and have some fun. When I'm dressed warm, I can handle whatever winter throws my way (except maybe a crazy blizzard, though we haven't had any of those yet this year). I was given the new Columbia Women's Heavenly Light Hooded Jacket to review, (along with the Men's Voodoo Falls Turndown 590 Jacket) and I absolutely love my new jacket! Spending time outside hasn't been painful at all. This jacket is sleek, stylish, long, and lightweight. It keeps me cozy and warm no matter what activities I'm doing outside, and I've received so many compliments. I love how light-we...

As much as I enjoy escaping the cold and heading south every winter, I also love going to Mont Tremblant  to enjoy all that winter has to offer. There is no better place to take in the beauty of winter than Mont Tremblant—even if you're not an avid skier. A couple of days in Mont Tremblant will turn anyone into a snow bunny. We travel to Mont Tremblant in the summer and in the winter, because there is so much to do, like skiing (downhill or cross-country), swimming (in the pools or in Lac Tremblant), biking, tennis, and so much more. The mountain views are simply breathtaking. I was invited to stay and and review Mont Tremblant for a few days this week with my family, and we had a wonderful time. My boys even skied for their first time, too. (Thank you for taking such good care of us, Mont Tremblant!) What makes Tremblant a top travel destination, no matter the season? So many reasons: Skiing:  Mont Tremblant is a popular ski destination where you'll find tourists and...

I'm officially freezing, and I'll be freezing until about... oh, May. I don't do well with winter, you guys. I know I've pretty much lived here my entire life, so at this point, I should basically embrace the cold, dark, dreary, miserable, icy long months of winter, (tell us how you really feel, Loukia!) but I just... cannot. I love summer way too much. Little dresses. Flip flops. Cute wedge heels. Bikinis. BBQ's and pool parties and never-ending sunshine and tanned skin and sand and swimming and cold drinks and patios and and and... the list goes on and on. Last year, Canada Goose basically saved me , because they thought it would be a great idea to give me one of their oh-so-toasty-warm coats to review and keep. Seriously. (Thank you times infinity, Canada Goose Inc!) And I kid you not—this coat changed my life. I was no longer crying when I had to watch my children play after school with their friends in the snow.  I was able to stay outside in minus 35C ...