Real Talk

While 2016 wasn't without some challenges, we are looking forward to a bright future in 2017 with Red Stick Moms Blog! We truly appreciate each and every one of you and the community we’ve built together. Over the course of 2016, in addition to launching our community neighborhood groups, Red Stick Moms Blog had over 760,000 page views, reached 470,000+ unique readers and hosted six successful events. To cap off 2016, we wanted to share our 10 most popular blog posts from the past year. They are stories of faith, humor, loss, marriage, motherhood and so much more. We hope you enjoy re-visiting them as much as we did.  Top 10 Blog Posts on Red Stick Moms Blog in 2016 1. 10 Things NOT to Say to...

We all know that these are controversial times in America. There are so many things to disagree over that sometimes it seems there is nothing to agree on. We see it everywhere we turn. On social media there is constant expression of people’s opinions. Around the water cooler co-workers are going at it over the election result. It can be depressing and quite overwhelming. Oh how I long for the days where our heated discussions were the Kardashians' latest scandal or our disbelief at the Jolie-Pitt split. I believe that we are all long overdue for some fun lighthearted discussions. So, to keep your family gathering merry and bright, here are a few topics you may want to stay...

This time of year can be very emotional, and we all often fall victim to a little Stress Eating. Well, to help us out, I thought I'd go over a few Holiday Snacking Guidelines. That's right -- these are the regulations that apply during this magical time of year, which help us navigate from October clear until Mardi Gras. Here is a list to help clarify what factors determine whether your food is a meal or not. If you meet the following criteria, your food is NOT a meal. I repeat, your food is NOT. A. MEAL. 1. If you're standing We will inevitably be attending several parties and other social events sure to bring on stress. It's imperative that you remember, then,...

Every January, my counseling practice experiences an increase in new clients and appointments. I’ve jokingly come to refer to January as “Holiday Rehab.” Of course, many people do choose January to start therapy as a function of their new resolutions. But equally compelling are the number of people who come with the goal of improving family relationships triggered by holiday tension and stressful holiday interactions. So I’ve compiled some of my best advice that can be applied AHEAD of the holiday to hopefully improve the holiday experience and preserve a little bit of your sanity. Manage Your Expectations If I could pick one thing that I think causes the most disappointment and stress, it would be expectations. Now I don’t mean that...

About four years ago a friend and I were discussing our childhood Christmas gifts, and I she challenged me to name 20 gifts I had received as a child. No problem! Or so I thought ... would you believe that I had a hard time getting past naming 10??!! As we discussed childhood and family memories, it became apparent to me that I could not remember many of the toys I had been given, but what I could remember were things we did together. I remember things like vacations, the family reunions, trips to the zoo, spending summers at the pool, or piling in a car to see all the Christmas lights in town ... MEMORIES became what I treasured. This change...