Loulou's views

It's almost time for back-to-school–and while this is a good thing in many ways, (hello, routine!) I'm sad my favourite season is almost over. We've had a wonderful summer that included some travelling and we've made the most of these hot, sunshiny days. Even though I'm not heading back to school as a student, I share the excitement with my boys (or for my boys?)–my oldest is going into grade eight (I can't believe it!) and my youngest is heading into grade five. The best part about back-to-school? Shopping for school supplies, of course! I love stocking up on paper, pens, pencils, backpacks, and binders. Isn't it fun getting organized? I love shopping for products that give back, and this year, I'm happy to be partnered with Avery Products Canada because they give back in a big way–and Avery has some amazing products not only for back-to-school, but for the office, too. Avery Products Canada has partnered with the Pinball Clemons Foundation (P...

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...

I can't believe I'm talking about this, but it's almost time for the kids to head back to school. It's crazy how quickly summer passes, isn't it? It's also too bad winter months never, ever seem to go by as fast. I wish summer lasted year-round, but let's be honest—my kids are definitely needing routine back in their lives. And as much as I love lounging by the pool for hours every day... I am also ready for more regular routine. Yes, we've had a wonderful summer filled with great memories and vacations to Mont Tremblant and south Florida, and my boys enjoyed a couple of weeks of tennis camp, too. The rest of our summer days and nights were spent swimming and enjoying the great outdoors, and now... it's time to dust off the backpacks, and start thinking about making lunches every day. Are you ready? I am! (Except for the making lunches every day part. I could do without that.) I was on CTV Morning Live today talking about essential and afforda...

The only good thing about summer coming to an end is the beginning of a new school year. I could seriously live in flip flops and tank tops all year, but I do love fall clothes and boots a lot, too. You know what else I love? Back-to-school shopping! The pencils, the pencil cases, the lunch boxes and the notebooks... oh, the notebooks! Shopping for school supplies was always my favourite thing to do when I was in school, and now I get to experience it all over again with my children. I came home to an amazing package the other day, and I was as excited as a school-girl—a new binder, tools to keep me organized (like an expense tracker—totally necessary as the school year starts and my boys start registering for their activities!) notebooks, and so much more... here, have a look: Seriously amazing stuff. I am a huge fan of practical, well-made products that my children will use during the school year, and products that'll help me stay on top of things as we begin another s...