Red Stick Mom

What You Need to Know If You’re Heading to Strawberry Fest We’ve had our eye on the Strawberry Festival for a while and we were determined to make it happen. If we could manage with an infant and a toddler, you can, but we learned some things along the way. The Ponchatoula event is, April 11-13, at Memorial Park on North 6th Street. It’s the largest, free harvest festival in Louisiana, held each April. This is the 53nd year of celebrating local strawberry farmers and non-profits. The Schedule Now, the times are different each day and each day offers various attractions. Friday: 12 p.m.- 10 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.- 10 p.m. with a parade starting at 9:30 a.m. Strawberry eating contest starts at 1:45 on the North Stage. Sunday:...

There is never a shortage of things to do in Baton Rouge with kids, and Easter is no exception! If you are looking for family-friendly Easter events in and around Baton Rouge and the surrounding area, we have you covered. Guide to Baton Rouge Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Events and Easter Camps Spring is upon us and Easter will be here before we know it. If you're like most moms you're already planning your schedule for the next few months. This helpful Guide to Baton Rouge Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Events, and Easter Camps will ensure you have lots of fun and make many memories this year. Do you know of a fun Baton Rouge Easter event or camp that should be included...

One Tank Trip to Kemah, TX for the Whole Family Okay, Mamas! I accidentally stumbled on a gem. A family adventure is just a tank of gas away in Kemah, Texas.  I work remotely, and occasionally I have to travel. After just getting back from an anniversary trip with my husband, the mom guilt of leaving my kiddos behind again sprang me into action. I wanted to be able to take them with me so I was not away from them again. Nestled right outside of my Houston work was a city called Kemah. I snagged a beautiful Airbnb right on Galveston Bay next to the Kemah Boardwalk. Talk about location. Just a little over three hours from Baton Rouge (yep, that’s a...

DIBELS Test Prep :: How to Help Your Child Shine The DIBELS test - a rite of passage for students like my little Jacob. As his mom, I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated by the whole process at first. I mean, who doesn't love a good acronym, right? DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, which is just a fancy way of saying "we're gonna test your kid's reading skills and make sure they're on track." So, where do you find the DIBELS test materials? Well, I discovered that the official DIBELS website is a treasure trove of resources, including practice tests, scoring guides, and even a handy-dandy calculator to help you figure out your...

The Accessory That Makes Me A Better Mom "Kids are different today I've heard every mother say," The Rolling Stones sang in 1965; seems some things never change. A few lines later Mick Jagger sings, "she goes running for the shelter of her mother's little helper..." and while Mick was singing about Valium, I often think about those lyrics when I run for my mother's little helper, a simple accessory that I learned about in a targeted ad. Why There is so much talk about the expectations and the corresponding stress of being a mom. It can be hard to sort through all of the chatter, and honestly, it's exhausting. I found myself getting frequently overwhelmed with the amount of noise that...