Loulou's views

Ten years ago, we visited  Atlantis Paradise Island  in the Bahamas for the first time. Our boys were much younger, and we didn't enjoy all the resort had to offer (like the water slides) but we still had a wonderful vacation, and planned on going back when the children were older. A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of travelling to Atlantis again with our entire family, including my sister, her children, and my parents. I was invited to this amazing resort for a media review, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity and the wonderful memories we made. From the moment we arrived to Bahamas (and were driven to the resort by limo–my boys thought this was so cool!) until the day we checked-out, we had a blast.  I don't think it's possible to visit Atlantis and have a bad time; it's a resort that truly offers something for everyone, whether you love to swim, golf, explore, shop, or relax. Bonus: the weather was perfection the entire week we were there. W...

Florida is always a good idea—especially in the winter. This year, we decided to extend our winter vacation down south and drive to Orlando after a week of fun on the beach at the Diplomat Resort and Spa and at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour in Miami. We took a road trip to Orlando, which was only three hours away. Planning was easy; we decided to fly into the Fort Lauderdale airport, rent a vehicle, and leave from Orlando once our vacation was complete. My children are expert travellers and are always ready for an adventure! I was on Daytime Ottawa talking about some great resorts for family travel, and I loved that I was able to share our experience with the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. It is the perfect resort to go to with the family. The  Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress , which I've written about before, is paradise. We were treated to a complimentary media stay and we enjoyed every minute—my children are already talking abou...

Every winter (and sometimes summer) we travel to south Florida to relax, spend time oceanside, and enjoy the fabulous  Diplomat Resort and Spa.   In a couple of weeks, we'll be heading back to our favourite south Florida resort,  and I can't wait to leave winter behind. Going on vacations with my boys and my family (and taking a break from the harsh, cold weather) is  important to me, and every new vacation gives us many new wonderful, lasting memories. This trip to the Diplomat Resort and Spa will be our TENTH, believe it or not. (That should give you some indication about how much of a great time we have at this resort.) The first time I stayed at this resort, I was pregnant with my second baby boy. (He considers that his first vacation!). I started travelling when I was a baby, and my boys have been travelling since they were infants, too. Because of this, travelling with them has always been pretty easy, no matter how far (Greece) or close (Florida) we go. ...

When I was 19, my cousin Loukia came to visit me from Greece in January. She was fascinated by the snow and winter. I looked at her like she was crazy, because clearly, she was. Maybe she'd spent too many hours in the sun in beautiful Greece, and was suffering from some sort of prolonged sun stroke? Tomorrow I'm going on a much needed vacation with my family to my favourite place on earth, south Florida, where we'll stay at one of my favourite resorts, like we do most years. I'm excited to be getting away from the things that make me moan and groan in the winter, like: Stepping in snow. Wet socks. Salt stains on pants. Boots that get destroyed. Freezing rain. Never-ending snow. Beyond cold temperatures. Scraping ice off of my car. Sick people sneezing everywhere. Dark skies and massive depression. Blinding snowstorms. Snow squalls. Minus 40 degrees. People who LOVE winter. Slush. Dressing my children in snowpants, jackets, mitts, scarves, hats. (F...