Author Archive: Ashley B
Ashley is a Writer, Stay at Home mother of 4, not to busy to take time to slow down and smell the flowers. I also teach a Mommy and Me Dance Class to share my love of dance.

Fall Birthday Party Ideas
The time of year for pool parties may have passed, but never fear; if your child has a fall birthday, this can be a wonderful time to plan a party. School is in session, so your child has easy access to all the friends he wants to invite. And the season easily lends itself to […]

Supporting Your Student’s High School Activities
If you are the parent of a high school student involved in an extracurricular activity (or several) you probably already know why those activities are important. Whether it’s a sports team or cheerleading, drama club or chess club, these extra activities are teaching your child about time management and commitment, improving her social skills, raising […]

Organizing Your Child’s Bedroom
You know how difficult it can be to work efficiently in a messy, unkempt area. As your child heads back to school this fall, having a disorganized bedroom can keep her from being able to focus on her other tasks, such as getting ready in the morning or doing her homework in the evening. I […]

School Choice: Know Your Options
When it comes time to choose a school for your children, you may have a lot of choices: In my community alone, there are a handful of public elementary schools, three charter schools, a few private schools and a large network of homeschoolers. With so many choices, how do you make the right one for […]

Things to Buy on Sale in July
Can you believe that we’re already halfway through the year? It’s already July, and retailers are taking advantage of the hot weather, Independence Day and school starting next month in many areas. You’ll see “Christmas in July” sales at many stores, and occasionally, the deals rival those that you might find on Black Friday! This […]

Summertime Enrichment that is Budget Friendly
Now that school is over for the year, your kids have a lot of time on their hands. Without the day-to-day interaction with peers that they have during the school year, they will likely be complaining of boredom after the novelty of sleeping in and lounging around the house wears off. With friends going on […]

Growing May Flowers: Easy Picks for New Gardeners
The April showers should be winding down now, as it’s time for May flowers, as the saying goes. The reality is that when you plant flowers really depends on where you live. Before you try to plant anything, you should talk to someone at your local nursery or at least look up which agricultural zone […]

May is Foster Care Awareness Month
A few years ago, my son took karate classes, and there were two girls in his class, sisters, who were staying with a foster family. The foster mom was really sweet, and when they went back to their biological mom, it was really bittersweet. Of course she was happy for them that they were reunited […]

Things To Buy On Sale In May
May is here, and between Mothers’ Day, graduations and the unofficial start of summer, you might be busy buying gifts and seasonal items this month. As with each month, May often offers special deals and bargains when it comes to shopping. Here are some things to keep in mind as you plan your purchases for […]

Spring Cleaning Checklist
There’s something about the fresh spring air and sunshine that inspires us all to throw open the windows and beat, scrub and wash wintertime’s dinginess away, isn’t there? Our mothers probably did this and called it spring cleaning. Now that I’m a mom myself, it tends to be one more thing to add to my […]