Red Stick Mom

As the river started to run through the middle of the table at a local restaurant, onlookers started to whisper and stare at the two idiots who thought it was a great idea to go out for a peaceful dinner with their cranky baby and clumsy toddler. This was the moment when I remembered my secret weapon. Dashing to the minivan, I snagged my treasure from a play date earlier that day. My incredibly considerate friend, Megan, made a Busy Bag for her little love and an extra for my little dude. I surely can’t promise it will solve all of your in-public-with-your-toddler issues or resolve any rivers from forming in the middle of your dinner table; however, the Busy...

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by IndiePlate. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own! I'm a busy mom with two young kids, and my goal each and every day is to make my life as simple and stress-free as it can possibly be (which is asking a lot).  We are a health-conscious family, and my biggest struggle is to find the time and energy to grocery shop and plan meals with my "helpers" along for the ride. So, when I heard about IndiePlate, a new online grocery store and delivery service for the Baton Rouge area, I was immediately intrigued.  You mean I can choose high-quality groceries from the comfort of my home, take as much time as I...

When Joel and I decided to make the move the Zachary 5 years ago, we got a lot of opinions on the matter.  We were in the heart of South Baton Rouge in a little apartment, and some people didn't understand why we would want to move "so far," while others quietly told me, "Zachary is the best kept secret in Louisiana." And after spending some time in this little city of ours, I'd have to agree with the latter. In total honesty, it did take me a few months to get used to making the 30-minute commute into South Baton Rouge for Target runs or to go to the movies, but soon it becomes your normal.  As I went...

When did the comments start? It seems like they were always there. I had been married for two months to my now ex-husband when I saw two pink lines on the pregnancy test. "Oh, you poor thing! You know you should have waited at least a couple of years to have children. This will put a tremendous strain on your new marriage." Forget the fact that I was ecstatic since I had been told five years prior that having children would probably be one of the longest journeys I would ever set out on and would probably not end up where I wanted. Then he was born and in my new mommy bliss (and ignorance) I overlooked the comments...

If you're looking for a fun day trip to enjoy the beautiful Louisiana weather, head to the Global Wildlife Center! We recently made the 90 minute trek from Baton Rouge to Folsom, and it did not disappoint.  According the their website, the Global Wildlife Center seeks "to be a center of excellence in education; to create a perfect place in which threatened and endangered wildlife, from around the world, live and flourish in a free-roaming natural environment" and is the "largest totally free-roaming wildlife preserve of its kind in the country." I would love to go on an African safari someday, but this might be as close as I get for awhile. When you pull into the gravel drive, you are instantly...