Red Stick Mom

I love free stuff and I enjoy trying new things. So when I heard about the Baton Rouge Fitness Crawl, I couldn’t contain my excitement! From July 15th -30th, several local, fitness centers opened their doors and offered free classes to those who registered with the crawl.  This opportunity to try unique, specialized classes for free was enough to get me out of my comfort zone. I am an active person, but I am more comfortable running the lakes than walking into a gym or fitness class. Actually I signed up for my first marathon before ever having the nerve to go to a fitness class alone! Crazy, right? The Fit Crawl offered a rare treat to try all...

Before I ever got pregnant, even married for that matter, I dreamed of what it would be like to be pregnant. I just knew it was going to be one of the greatest times in my life. I would feel great, have the pregnancy glow, be fit because of all the prenatal yoga, and look incredibly cute in all the latest fashions. That is what pregnancy was to me. The time you felt best in your life! One morning in July 2010, I woke up convinced I had the flu. My whole body hurt and I could barely move. That night I was so nauseous, I couldn’t eat dinner. After a few days of this, I had the thought, “could...

I was going out of my mind. My son, William – my sweet, loving, adorable son – would not nap in his crib! At 6.5 months old, I was spending hours out of my day holding him while he slept. He would fall asleep nursing and then wake up almost every time I put him down. Occasionally, I was able to gently lay him on our bed or on the couch and he would stay asleep. But that still meant that I needed to hover over him constantly to make sure he didn’t roll off. So I was spending all day playing with him, feeding him, or watching him sleep. While there is nothing I love more than spending time...

Going back to school was something I always looked forward to every year, especially as a self-proclaimed teacher's pet.  I may have earned a few "A"s in my day by staying late to help organize or volunteering to skip recess to help grade papers.  Ethical, eh, probably not, but I sure loved it.  Now as a mom, I can't help but think of ways to make the back-to-school transition easier on teachers and fellow moms alike.  I don't have a ton of experience with school supplies as a parent, so I can only speak for the occasional item I have to label to send to daycare.  But as someone who hates her handwriting, I love the option to just...

The new school year is dawning, and many of you may already be dreading the never-ending fight of getting your children to read.  As a teacher of middle school students, I heard the frustration from many parents who were seeking to help their children to find enjoyment in their reading.  If this describes you, don't fret!  There are several things that you can do to encourage your child to enjoy reading. 1. Talk with your children about their books.  Show them that you are interested in what they are reading and that what they are reading matters.  Some great questions include:  What do you like about the main character?  Is there anything in this book that you can relate to?...