Loulou's views

Disclaimer: I am partnering with Allergen for this campaign and am being compensated for my blog posts and treatment sessions. I go for weekly blow-dry's. I highlight my hair every couple of months. I go for manicures and pedicures every two weeks. I work out regularly. I take vacations as often as I can, for work or pleasure. I indulge in getting massages. I do this because I have learned there is nothing wrong with taking care of myself and putting self-care on the never-ending to-do list. When I turned 40, I started thinking about the things I wanted to do to continue improving myself. Eating well, working out, and taking care of my appearance are all important things to me, along with being the best mom, wife, and friend I can be. I lead a busy life, working several jobs in communications and social media and being a mom to my two boys. Life is busy, but I make it a priority to take care of myself. I also started thinking about my journey with aging, and started consid...

I love exploring new places near my city. I was a little familiar with Manotick, but I didn't know just how much this village had to offer. Manotick–Objibway for "Island in the River"–is a quaint little village 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, and less, if you live in Ottawa's south end. There is so much to discover in Manotick, including Watson's Mill, an 1860's grist and flour mill on the Rideau River. This working industrial heritage site is a wonderful place to visit with the family, where you can watch weekly flour grinds on Sunday's, and leave with a bag or two of fresh flour. You can also head to the Watson's Mill Manotick Spring Craft Market taking place May 18th-19th , the perfect time to enjoy all spring has to offer while shopping unique items from local businesses. There are over 125 unique and locally-owned shops in Manotick, restaurants that are some of the best in and around the Ottawa area, street front cafes, and plenty of ...

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Now that the new year has started, it's time to get serious about sticking to those resolutions. This year, it's all about eating right, getting your beauty sleep, working out, and taking care of your skin. Here are some tips on how you can be your best self in 2018: Eat Right We all want to eat healthy. I know no one is counting calories in December, but now that January is here, it's time to get back to eating smart. As someone who is always on the go with two busy kids, this is an area I struggle with. Working downtown can make choosing a healthy lunch difficult, but luckily I work close to  Mad Radish. This Ottawa-based restaurant has great plant-based options to make healthy eating simple, delicious, and nutritious. My favourite is their Smoky Caesar salad–with a twist. This salad includes romaine and kale, garlic-marinated chickpeas, and broccoli. Instead of parmesan cheese, it's topped with ...

The holidays are my favourite time of the year—after summer, of course. I love everything about this season: shopping for presents for everyone on my list, writing Christmas cards, wrapping gifts, decorating the house with my family, watching holiday movies, attending and hosting festive parties, and of course, the most important thing of all—giving back, in big and small ways, to those who deserve it the most. The Kellogg's Rice Krispies #TreatsForToys campaign is back, helping kids during the holidays in a great way. In partnership with The Salvation Army, Canadian families are encouraged to create a toy-shaped Rice Krispies treat and submit a photo of it on TreatsForToys.ca , or share on social media with the hashtag #TreatsForToys. For every photo of your Rice Krispies creation you share online, (and it doesn't have to be anything really creative; it is, after all, the thought that counts!) Kellogg's Rice Krispies will donate $20 to The Salvation Army for t...

When you check in to a Four Seasons Hotel, no matter where you are in the world, you know you'll be experiencing the most luxurious, memorable stay—and incredible service from the moment you check-in. I had the chance to review the beautiful  Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto , situated in the upscale Yorkville neighbourhood. This hotel is one of the tallest in the area, at 55 storeys—and it is breathtakingly beautiful as soon as you walk in the front doors. The flowers in the lobby area are so colourful and welcoming. The Four Seasons Hotel Toronto was designed by Yabu Pushelberg, so I instantly felt like I was back at the  Four Seasons New York . There were many similarities between the two properties, like the incredible service one can only expect to receive at hotels of this calibre. Yorkville is known for its fine shopping—from luxury boutiques to department stores like Holt Renfrew—to fine dining, and the Four Seasons Hotel is a perf...

Summer is my favourite season–I love hot, sunny vacation days, hours spent around and in the pool, bike rides with my children, BBQ's with friends and family, and outdoor concerts and patio nights. It doesn't get much better than that. Somehow, we're just days away from school starting again, even though it seems like yesterday I was celebrating my children's last day of school. Although I'm a summer girl at heart,  I still love fall, and back-to-school. It's definitely time to get everyone into a regular routine again. One of my favourite things about back-to-school is the shopping, of course; and even though it's not me heading back to class (I wish it was, sometimes) I still love getting my boys ready. This year, my oldest son is starting middle school–grade 7–and my youngest son, grade 4.  To make everything go as smooth as possible, and to help alleviate the stress that sometimes comes with the start of a new school year, I partnered with two of...

When travelling, I take full advantage of being on vacation mode. This means where I stay is as important as where I go. Splurging on accommodations is something to consider when you're travelling to south Florida–especially in Miami–because there are so many fabulous hotels that will make you feel like you're a million miles from home. Just a short drive from downtown Miami you'll find the exclusive and luxurious village of Bal Harbour, home to the iconic St. Regis hotel —recently named the best hotel in south Florida. There are not many St. Regis hotels in the world (50, to be exact) yet each one offers the same incredible service in a luxurious setting where you can truly unwind and feel a bit like royalty. You'll even receive a glass of champagne upon check-in. The St. Regis Bal Harbour, recently awarded the coveted Forbes Five-star and AAA Five Diamond award, is an oceanfront haven of elegance, and the place to go for people with impeccable taste for the good l...

Finally, the long weekend is here! The weather has been amazing lately, despite a little rain. The Victoria Day long weekend is perfect for spending time with family and friends, and getting away from it all, in the great outdoors. It's time to pack up the bathing suits and sunscreen and get the BBQ fired up at the cottage. If you're heading out of town this long weekend, you'll be spending time packing and washing your favourite travel outfits to take with you– little t-shirts, shorts, comfy dresses and leggings, bathing suits, and sweaters, for around the campfire.  One of my favourite getaways was last summer when my family and I and a group of our friends went to Mont Tremblant for a few days of relaxation and fun in a beautiful house right near the village, complete with an indoor pool, 12 bedrooms, and a nice outdoor fire-pit where we roasted marshmallows late into the night.  The only thing I didn't love about the experience was the fire-pit sm...