Loulou's views

What are your goals for 2019? Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves with resolutions, but I think it's important to have some goals you want to achieve as the new year begins. I always set fitness and healthy eating as top goals for myself, but I've made a lifestyle change over the last few months with regards to eating better and staying on top of my fitness routine, so my goals for 2019 will be to stay on top of my never-ending workload, by keeping my editorial calendar up-to-date, getting through my inbox in a realistic matter, and working on things I love, that I can share with my readers and audience. Here are some ways you can make positive changes to your workload in 2019: 1. A stronger focus on personalization: When you're writing your blog or sending out email newsletters , remember to keep it personal. What started as a personal blog for me in 2007 turned into a business a few years later, and though I don't often blog about persona...

I've been passionately blogging since 2007. I started this blog as a way to stay connected with my friends and family, never dreaming that this blog would one day turn into something more. Over the years, I've had so many incredible opportunities because of this little blog that I'm incredibly thankful for.  I've attended a few blog conferences, including BlogHer three times (in NYC, San Diego, and NYC again) and  Mom 2.0 in Miami , and I've been to  BlissDom Canada three times: in 2010, 2011 , and 2012 , which was my favourite one yet. The thing I love most about going to these conferences is connecting with and seeing my friends again—sure, we're there to learn, network, and have a good time, but nothing beats the connection and joy of seeing the people you only get the chance to see once a year. I was thrilled to be a Community Leader at BlissDom Canada in 2012 , and I'm happy to be back again this year as a Community Leader! There is always...

Blogging began as a hobby for me in 2007, as a way to stay connected to my family and friends. This little blog of mine was the perfect platform to share my stories and pictures of my children as they grew from infants, to toddlers, to children. I never expected my blog to be anything other than a hobby, but it turned into something more; a career, of sorts, where I continue to write about the things I love, while earning an income—and giving back to the community whenever I can. The opportunities I've had have been nothing short of amazing—being featured in magazines, making appearances on television, co-hosting radio shows, emceeing events, speaking at conferences, and writing great reviews and giveaways for businesses and products I love to promote and support. It's certainly been one memorable experience after another.  I've attended conferences from California to New York City to Miami, I've danced with the Rockettes in Radio City Music Hall, and my f...

A lot has changed in the blogging world over the last couple of years. Certainly a lot has changed for the better , but I sometimes miss the days when we used our blogs as a bigger platform than Twitter. Remember blogging, back in 2009? Although Twitter has been amazing for me and my blog as a business, I still miss old school blogging.  I'm happy to join in with my friend Elaine this week to host another Old School Blogging meme. I'd love it if you joined in , too. Let's kick it old school, shall we? And let's talk about one of my favourite things: entertainment! After all, I love movies . A lot. And TV shows, too . 1. What was one of your favourite shows as a kid? Why? I can't pick just one! My favourite television shows when I was a kid were The Facts Of Life, Who's The Boss, Growing Pains, and my two all-time favourites, The Cosby Show, and The Wonder Years. (Which I just discovered on Netflix, so now I'm watc...

I'm back from a gorgeous one week vacation  in south Florida. I went with my boys, my parents, and my sister and her family. We had a wonderful time, and it's been so hard adjusting to winter again. I'm pretty much on the verge of tears all day long. Going from summer to winter mode is the hardest thing to do, you guys. From this view every morning from my balcony to views of nothing but snow, snow, and more snow... it's just downright painful! For one week, I didn't have to make beds, do laundry, make lunches, serve breakfast, put on winter gear, or take the kids to school. Instead, I got to swim in the ocean, collect shells for my boys for our growing collection back home, swim in the two pools, one, an infinity zero-entry pool overlooking the ocean, and the other, a huge lagoon style pool with a waterfall, eat dinner at favourite restaurants, watch my boys run and play in the beautiful outdoors, and, of course, shop. My dad even found us a seahorse on t...

Back in days when I used to blog without the distraction of Twitter, I'd sometime take part in fun little meme's, like this one. These are so much fun and can really get the writing juices flowing. Here we go... kicking it old school: 1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes! I am named after my grandmother from my father's side, Loukia. She's Italian (but the rest of me is Greek!) and so her real name is Lucia. In English, my name is Lucy. A lot of my friends call me Loulou, too. 2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? This morning, on my drive to work. I hadn't had my coffee yet. But really, I was in tears because my little kindergartener didn't want me to leave him and he was teary when I dropped him off at school. My heart! 3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? If I try really hard, yes. Otherwise, no. It also totally depends on the pen and the colour of the ink, too. 4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Um... bacon? Bacon is always the answer. 5. DO ...

Life is busy. Sometimes overwhelmingly so. Being a mom is a constant job, and having a full-time job on top of everything else? Might as well throw the word balance out the window. But, busy is good, for the most part, despite the lack of sleep and constantly being on the go. I do wish life came with a pause button, though. These moments with my boys are precious, all of them. And time passes too quickly, it's almost scary. The days I can drop the boys off at school and pick them up are extra moments with them that I'm grateful for. Conversations in the car, extra hugs on the playground, and big smiles when they see me at the end of their day make my heart skip a beat. I wish my schedule would allow me to do drop-off and pick-up everyday. It's something I'm working on. Blogging has slowed down a bit for me, because I can't turn the computer on when I'm home and my children are awake. If there are distractions, I might miss things like: "Mommy, I don't ...

I have so many things to think about every time I come home from a blogging conference. The things I am thinking about are never about what I wore, how my hair was, or what purchases I brought back with me. Heck, in New York City during BlogHer 2010 I never even once went shopping. That should tell you something, right there. For a girl who talks about shopping as much as I do, clearly there are other things that make me happy, make me feel fulfilled and purposeful, excited and determined. There is something (not including my children, of course) that leaves me feeling full of BLISS, and inspired. (I know, Tanis , but it's true!) BlissDom Canada . Man, do I ever feel motivated to become a better blogger and writer every time my BlissDom Canada weekend is over. I'm still on a conference high a few days later. Now, as someone who has been blogging for (almost) five years, I'm not really looking for ways to drastically improve my blog, since I've already been here a whi...

With BlissDom Canada just days away, it's time to start thinking about what you need to bring to this totally awesome, totally Canadian blogging and social media conference. What I've learned from blogging conferences (having attended BlogHer twice already, and BlissDom Canada last year) is that no matter what you wear, you will most likely have a blast. If - and this is a big if - you're wearing the right attitude. The most important accessory, truly, is your personality - and attitude. It's also important to step out of your comfort zone and do things that might scare you. Like going up to that blogger you've always had a crush on and introducing yourself, even though you're usually not that brave. I did this at BlogHer in New York City with Miss Britt at the Nikon party, and we hit it off right away. I believe my first words to her were: "Oh my GOD! You're Miss Britt!" (And this was after we'd shared a few drinks together.) Nothing embar...

With BlogHer only two! weeks! away! I thought it would be an excellent time to offer some advice about how to prepare for this conference. I wrote a Top 5 Reasons To Be Stressed About BlogHer post before I arrived to BlogHer last year, because I was a bit overwhelmed. (Keeping track of the party invitations alone was a full-time job!) My fears disappeared as soon as I popped the Ativan on the airplane. I travelled with some awesome bloggers , so that helped calm down my mommy guilt, since it was my first time flying without my boys. This year, the 'party plane' as it's been dubbed, will be filled with awesome Canadian bloggers including the girls from Mom Central Canada ! In summary, BlogHer last year was an absolutely amazing experience , which is why I'm going again. Without further ado, here is my BlogHer advice to you, if you're going for the first time: If you want to meet someone, don't be shy. Run up to that famous blogger you love, professing your lo...

So. I'm back from BlogHer '10 in New York City. And all I got was a fridge magnet. Oh, and a suitcase full of swag. And the very best memories EVER. BlogHer was more than I expected. It was more fabulous, more fun, more overwhelming, and more amazing than I thought it would be. BlogHer was more than a conference - it was like a retreat filled with very cool people who all shared a common interest. I'm so glad I went. In fact, I was having such a great time at BlogHer I didn't leave myself any time to shop . And if you know me at all, you know this is a VERY BIG DEAL . I didn't go to Saks. Or spend more than a few minutes on 5th Avenue. In fact, I only went to FAO and to a souvenir store for a fridge magnet and snow globes for my boys. And I'm totally okay with that. (Except my first night back I did wake up in a panicked sweat screaming out OMG! THE SHOE FLOOR AT SAKS... NOOOOOOO!!!!!!) The very best part about BlogHer? Meeting all the people I have been d...