Rolling with the Good Times: Navigating Baton Rouge’s Mardi Gras with Kids
by Ellen Mecholsky on
When my husband and I moved to Baton Rouge, we had absolutely no idea about Mardi Gras. I mean, sure, we had heard of “Fat Tuesday” and had the vague sense that beads were involved, but the Louisiana Mardi Gras EXPERIENCE was a complete unknown. That... Read full article
Raising Readers One Book at a Time
by Mari Walker on
A recent Baby Center email for my seven year old (yes, I still open them to read about her development!) had the headline, “How to Encourage Reading.” I laughed and read along, knowing the advice doesn’t apply to me just now.... Read full article
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
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After word had spread about the “healing” waters in the local springs, Eureka Springs, Arkansas was founded on July 4, 1879. Thousands soon flocked to the town in order to build shanties for the expected guests, and now, there are many places to visi... Read full article
Lessons From the Ballpark
by Cheryl Brodnax on
I’m a baseball mom. I live at the ballpark from February through July. For the last seven years, I’ve sacrificed my weekends (and sometimes sanity) to drag an unearthly amount of stuff to every ballpark imaginable so our boys can do what they love.... Read full article
7 Fun Things To Do After Thanksgiving Dinner
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Since quality time with friends and family can be hard to come by these days, consider using that after-dinner time to create a new family tradition. ... Read full article
Play! Create! Imagine! (and then Clean. It. Up.)
by Ellen Mecholsky on
I walk a very fine line between wanting my children to play and create and imagine...and wanting/NEEDING a tidy house to function at my best. I need order around me to feel relaxed and productive. If I wake up in the morning and I am greeted by a tra... Read full article
From Boys to Young Men
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The day will come when they really feel they’ve found their soul mate or more likely, their love of the week. Either way, you have to prepare for mending a broken heart or teaching them how not to break someone’s heart.... Read full article
Finished, But Not Done (Making the Decision to Complete Our Family)
by Ellen Mecholsky on
As parents, we all ask each other similar questions about parenthood: “How is your baby sleeping? How do you handle tantrums? Are you getting your kid a cell phone?” But the question I get most often these days, as a mother of three children who are ... Read full article
For the Love of the Arts
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When Jenny Ballard was 11 years old, her parents took her to see a play. It was Shakespeare’s As You Like It–an experience that she’s never forgotten. “I remember the way it transformed the way I thought about the world,” she says. “From the lights g... Read full article
Make Time For Yourself
by Amelia Laprairie on
Being a mom is a roller coaster of emotions. There’s happiness while watching the little ones grow, followed by my sadness because of the realization of how fast it happens. There’s anticipation of wanting them to reach milestones, followed by the ne... Read full article