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
A Playdate-Style Birthday Party
by Mari Walker on
Birthday parties for littles can add up fast. For a few Benjamins, you can take them and a few friends to a bounce place or rent a bounce house for your backyard. We didn’t start big parties like that for my older daughter until she was about five.... Read full article
The Remembering: Reflections on My Pregnancy Loss
by Ellen Mecholsky on
It starts the first week of December, the remembering. I had felt her move for the first time in the car driving home from a Thanksgiving trip to Florida, which is why I suspect my anniversary grief stress begins so early. I subsequently gave birth t... Read full article
Your Kids Are Watching Your Marriage
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Often, one of the most neglected parenting lessons throughout a marriage is, in fact, the marriage itself. As couples become increasingly hyper-focused on schedules and extracurricular activities (travel ball, dance, cheer, festivals, events, etc.), ... Read full article
Tri’ing to Mom
by Kelly Carmena on
Whoever said the infant/toddler stage was the hardest stage LIED! Rewind four years, 2015, picture it. I was…well, four years younger (we’ll leave it at that), and a mother to a not yet one-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.... Read full article
Zebras on the Horizon
by Dr. Mindy Calandro, Pediatrician on
In medicine, you are taught to be on the lookout for “zebras in the horse pasture.” In other words, you should always keep in mind that the uncommon or out of place could be sitting right in front of you.... Read full article
From the Brink of Suicide: Why Society Should Talk About Mental Illness
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When I was a teenager, I was hanging out in my room one night when my mom came home really late. She quietly knocked and entered my bedroom. Her face was tear-stained and her voice cracked as she told me where she’d been. She had been attending the f... Read full article
Teaching Children Respect
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As a veteran teacher, I’ve been asked many questions about how to teach children over the years, and only once have I been a bit stumped. The mother asked me, “How do you teach respect?” After a moment’s thought, my response was, “Every single day.”... Read full article
The Moment I Became a Mom
by Amy Delaney on
There are many milestones in the international adoption process–home study completion, being matched with your child, receiving updates, getting the travel call. However, the single biggest milestone for me was never logged on a calendar, even though... 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