Red Stick Mom

“I’ll message you later.” It’s more commonplace than “I’ll see you later” or even “I’ll call you later.”  It’s easier. It’s more convenient. It’s more efficient. But are all these different methods of communication cutting us off from one another a little too much? Texting, emailing, audio messaging, and social media are becoming the go-to for reaching out and connecting to people. This applies not just to acquaintances but even to family and close friends. But confusion occurs when the line between our 762 Facebook friends and our handful of ride-or-die people is blurred. Unfortunately, the line continues to fade with time by our reluctance to drop by and visit or simply pick up the phone to check in every now...

Both of my older girls have dropped their afternoon naps a little after their third birthday. As devastating as it can feel to lose that glorious time of uninterrupted nap time bliss, we have transitioned them to afternoon “rest time” which has worked really well overall. So, if your little one has stopped napping, take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok! Here are some tips for rest time magic: Set the expectation for rest time. Don’t start doing outings or running errands or letting them watch a show during that usual nap time. It will be hard at first, but if you set the expectations right away, they’ll adjust! Start small. It is unlikely that your child...

How do you grieve, cry, get through personal challenges while ‘the show must go on’… being a mom? Mom is supposed to be the fearless emotional backbone of the family, the one our babies come to when they fall down and the one they want a hug from when their heart gets broken, but what happens when mom ‘breaks’? Mom will physically keep going even when she is emotionally falling apart. As a mother of three boys who has been through harder days than easier, childhood trauma and situational instability, the one thing I have learned through it all is just that… ‘the show must go.’ The important thing I have learned is emotionally sharing that journey with my children and being open....

Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Ochsner Baton Rouge and written by Dr. Ryan Dickerson.  What is Female Intimate Wellness? Female intimate wellness is a term that encompasses different aspects of a woman’s reproductive and sexual health. Female intimate wellness can refer to a variety of health conditions, including the following: Female sexual dysfunction is an umbrella term for recurring problems with experiencing sexual desire, the inability to orgasm, painful penetrative sex, low sex drive or other issues with the sexual response that causes distress for you. Sexual dysfunction can also cause difficulties in the woman’s relationship with her partner. Female orgasmic disorder is the inability or difficulty to reach orgasm (sexual climax) despite sufficient sexual stimulation and arousal (mentally, emotionally...

I have been sitting on the idea of unplugging myself recently. Every time it crosses my mind to limit my social media time, my texting, etc. I always find some amazing excuse not to! I mean, how else would I find the best deals on Amazon Prime Day, or know that Target released a new OpalHouse collection?!But all these little subtle hints keep coming back to me pushing me to unplug. The priest in mass on Sunday got lots of laughs as he imitated a conversation he had with his friend on her phone, there were lots of awkward silences. As my husband nudged me, I knew. It was time. Time to clean up the apps on my phone,...