Lara Alspaugh
Lara is a mother to three boys ages 22, 20 and 16 and has been married for 23 years. She is a native of northern Michigan but has loved living in the Grand Ledge area since 1996! When she's not running around for her boys she's busy planning vacations, going to the gym or walking with her husband and Labrador Lulu.
Ways to Beat the Winter (Pandemic) Blues
Now that the holidays are over and the bright sheen of a new year is (already!) dimming, it's important to find ways to combat the seasonal blues that are so common in the winter....
Simplify the Holidays and Enjoy all of the Moments
There is not much that is more magical than the holiday season, no matter what you celebrate. The pressure to make the holidays perfect can feel overwhelming. I am 100% guilty of feeling like I...
3 Ways to Make Holidays Easier for Kids (And Mom!)
Some of my favorite memories of raising my kids are of Christmas. We always cut a fresh tree, decorate cookies on Christmas Eve, and take a walk in the snow. But, some of my...
What Teens Need From Their Parents as They Head Back to School
Fall and back-to-high-school comes with it a host of challenges in the best of times. Among social pressures and hormone shifts, AP Classes, extra-curricular activities, SAT and ACT prep are all in play. However,...
Anxiety in Teens: What to Look For
Anxiety in teenagers is on the rise. The National Institute of Health reports that one in three teens ages 13 to 18 will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, in the last decade,...
Tips for Connecting with Teenage Kids This Summer
When our pre-teen and teenage kids begin to want to spend more time alone, away from us and with their friends, the shift can be unsettling, especially at first. We worry what their time...
Real Life Productivity Tips for Moms
The one resource we can't renew and don't get any more of is time. It's been said the way we use our time tells us a lot about our priorities. But, does it really?...
The Other Side of Childhood
The rocking chair squeaks in tune to your lovingly-sung lullabye. A shadow is cast perfectly from the dim light across your baby’s face, his long lashes resting quietly along his chubby cheeks. You take...
Life With a Pandemic and Young Adults
Life at home feels a little different these days for everyone. Working through a pandemic with three young adults is anything but easy. With a sixteen-, twenty-, and twenty-two-year-old, we're working together to get...
Introducing Lara Alspaugh…a Grand Ledge Mom
There were four stop lights in my small hometown: an everyone-knows-your-story kind of place. I was the oldest of four kids, the bonus mom to my younger siblings. My mom was a nurse, my...