Jessica Stewart
Jessica is a North Carolina girl, who after living in New York City for eight years, is loving being back in the south since moving to Jacksonville in 2008. She is a stay at home mom to Linda Claire (3) and Liam (2). Prior to filling her days with parks and play doh, Jessica worked in event planning and marketing for financial and media companies, including This Old House. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she is a passionate Tarheel fan, and college basketball season is her favorite time of year. Jessica spends her free time on the tennis court, training for races with her running buddies, or drinking wine her husband, Trevor. Her favorite things include snuggling with her sweet dog at the end of the day, hearing her kids laugh together, and pink cupcakes with sprinkles.
What School Teachers Wish You Knew
Remember the spring of 2020? When schools closed and parents across the country celebrated teachers and all the amazing things they do? Parents struggled to find a new normal and our appreciation of teachers...
Growing Pains: When Siblings Grow Apart
My kids have always been close. They are a year and a half apart, and despite being opposites in many ways, they have always loved playing together and shared a special bond. From toddler...
A New Father’s Day Tradition: The DIY Book
Our favorite Father's Day tradition actually began at Christmas. Cards for all holidays were a big deal for my husband's family, and Christmas was no exception. I grew accustomed to giving and receiving cards...
True Life: We Don’t Eat Family Dinner Together
Before having children, I just knew that our family would gather around the table every night and eat dinner together. That is how I grew up, and my husband and I cooked and ate...
My Child, My Choice: Why I’m Sending My Kids Back to Public School
My children will be entering the 2nd and 4th grades, and we are sending them back to our neighborhood public school. My husband and I have been discussing this decision for months, and it...
Simplifying Science With Fun At-Home Experiments
Science was my least favorite subject in school. Sure, I used to love watching Mr. Wizard as a kid, but at some point, I realized it just wasn’t for me. I got through high...
Simplifying School Supplies
I have always loved school supplies. As a child, I would get so excited to open a new set of crayons or when my mom would let me use one of the red pens...
Tips for Making the Forgotten Holiday More Fun
As soon as Halloween ends, the grumbling about poor overlooked Thanksgiving begins. What about Thanksgiving? Why are Christmas decorations out so soon? I can see why people get so worked up over skipping one...
Opening up with a Parent-Child Journal
The emotional aspect of parenting has always been the most difficult for me. I have two children who are very different in the way they handle their feelings. My son has big feelings. He...
Parenting Outside of Your Comfort Zone
When my daughter was only a few weeks old, my husband and I were admiring her as she slept and talking about all the things we couldn’t wait to do with her as she...
Giving Blood and Saving Lives
I was in college the first time I tried to donate blood. There was a blood drive on my campus, and I showed up tired, not having eaten much that day and generally run...
Stocking Up and Staying Organized with Sam’s Club
Being a mom and being busy seem to go hand in hand. Whether you stay home with your children or work outside the home, all parents are constantly juggling. During my maternity leave as...