Loulou's views

I was never very environmentally conscious before becoming a mother. Once I had children, though, my perspective on most things changed, including my views on the environment, the world I was raising my children in, and what I needed to do to make sure my children were growing up aware of the things they needed to do to keep our planet green and contribute to their environment in positive ways. Thankfully, I've raised some really good people–boys who are smart and know more than I did when I was their age about science, the environment, and how even small things can make a big impact. Taking on a new job in Communications at Environment and Climate Change Canada has opened my eyes even further to how much work is being done around us to keep our air clean, and our communities safe and healthy. Here are some ways you can be more environmentally conscious in simple ways: Be Aware:  Becoming more environmentally conscious isn't difficult; in fact, living in Canada–a coun...

Over the last several years, I've been very conscious about making wiser environmental decisions in my home, and teaching my children the importance of helping the environment any way we can. I love how much they know about the importance of recycling, and why we use energy efficient light bulbs. From the classroom to home, they are making smart decisions and learning along the way. We shop organic as much as we can, and bring reusable bags to the grocery store. It's the little things we do on a daily basis that will have a positive impact on the next generation and help reduce our carbon footprint while keeping our planet a happy one. One area where I haven't completely made the switch to "green" is with my household cleaning supplies. Many of the products I use contain chemicals that are harsh—but effective. I'm actively looking at how to make the switch to products that are better for our environment and for ourselves. However, I don't want to sacri...

If you have children, you've probably witnessed them putting weird things in their mouths. You know, things like sand, marbles, lego pieces, erasers, dog food, or even cleaning products. My youngest son, who just turned five, has kept me on the edge of my seat since the day he was born. He's the one I worried about the most at the park when he was younger, as sand would often be his snack of choice. Last year he came into my room with a glowing smile. He had taken a bite into a glo-stick and the fluorescent substance was in his mouth. After some online research, we figured out that he was going to be okay, but I was totally worried. Now, I'm just convinced he has superhero powers. Last week, I heard him call out to me: "Mommy, why is there sand in the bathtub? I just tried some..." I ran upstairs, and discovered he had licked some bathroom cleaner. You know, toxic bathroom cleaner with bleach? Yup. Of course, I panicked. That prompted me t...