Welcome to Raised — a mix of reflections and real talk from a working mom raising a strong-willed, neurospicy kid in Lithia, Florida. From mental health and whole foods to learning and celebrations, this space is for anyone raising sensitive, curious humans with intention.
MENTAL HEALTH, LOCAL
💇🏻♀️ Haircuts & Pets
Who else struggles with scheduling and paying for regular haircuts? 🙋🏻♀️ I’m currently letting my hair grow out and I’ve been telling myself it’s because my daughter has been begging me to… but if I’m honest it’s because the idea of having to schedule one more thing, especially a thing that COSTS ME MONEY, is just too much.
Ironically, adopting a dog a couple months ago that needs regular haircuts and having to schedule and pay big time 💰 for those has convinced me that if I’m willing to do it for my dog perhaps I should be willing to do it for myself as well. 😅
My fresh cut out to brunch at Willa’s with a dear friend & her new puppy 🐾
Dog that inspired the haircut 😂
Proof that pets are the best:
As an added bonus, my wonderful hairstylist and I had an awesome conversation about tutoring, alternative education, the StepUp education scholarship, homemade Reese’s puffs cereal, protein donuts, L-Methylfolate drops and EllaOla multivitamins for our neurospicy kids, and ginger syrup as a healthy swap for her beloved Ginger Ale. If you too want to kick a Ginger Ale habit, hit me up for home homemade ginger syrup! 😋
P.S. If you’re looking for a hairstylist in or around Lithia, Florida, Amanda is my gal!
RECIPES
🐣 Healthier Easter Eats
Breakfast Biscuits — you can make these ahead of time
5-Minute Yogurt Fruit Dip — my very favorite to pair with a fruit tray (even my daughter eats it!)
Gut-Healthy Homemade Peeps — healthy and adorable
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
16g of sugar
Dextrose (causes blood sugar spikes)
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil)
TBHQ & Citric Acid
Shuang Shuang’s Healthy Dupe
No added sugar
Nutrient-dense, whole foods
Cashews, Medjool Dates, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chips, Protein Powder (optional)
What will you be eating and drinking this Sunday? Send me your recipes!
EXCUSES TO CELEBRATE
🐰 Fun Easter Traditions
Magic Jelly Bean Lollipops
One of the EASIEST Easter traditions that has surprisingly stuck out as a favorite for my daughter has been Magic Jelly Beans. She gets a little bag of jelly beans (a kind I don’t ever buy for her so they’re unique) the day before Easter and “plants” them around the yard. Make sure to count how many you have and try to keep them planted close together to make things easier on yourself. Overnight, when the Easter bunny visits, the magic helps them grow into lollipops (again, a kind I don’t ever buy for her) for her to pick the next morning. Such a small thing, but it’s been such a hit for several years running now. 🍭
Bunny Butt Pancakes
We change it up most years, but you can’t go wrong with a fun Easter-themed breakfast. A few years ago was chocolate protein pancakes with banana slices and chocolate chips for the paw pads, yogurt and shredded coconut for the tail and pink-colored yogurt for the ears.
Bunny Trail
Another fun tradition I do every year is a magical Easter Bunny Trail. I use a paper cutout template of bunny prints and sprinkle powdered sugar over them. I then add paper confetti and little “tufts” of fur (pulled apart cotton balls). Sounds messy, I know, but I typically keep it all outside!
🖍️ Easter coloring page freebie
I’ve created (with the help of ChatGPT) four cute Easter coloring pages for your kiddos to color. Two of them feature Mac, our haircut-inspiring poodle! 🐩
🧺 Non-Candy Easter Basket Stuffers
The holidays always seem to be full of candy and sugary treats from school and events, so at home I try to see how many non-candy related goodies I can find. I know it’s a bit last minute, but I wanted to share what the Easter Bunny is dropping off in case you could use some non-sugar related ideas!
EDUCATION
🤓 Alternative Education: The Future of Learning
One of the biggest decision weighing on my mind currently is where Harper will attend first grade next year. I knew the 7:40 AM start time was going to be a problem, but after Harper went into burnout in December it became impossible. She’s been two hours late to school every day since winter break. I’ve been critical of the traditional model of schooling in the U.S. for a while, but being tardy every day sure acts as a forcing function to take action. 😰
What I believe:
Careers 15 years from now will look very different from today
Being entrepreneurial, self-driven, a critical thinker, and learning hands-on life skills will serve our kids well
With small class sizes and individualized lesson plans, kids can learn all their academic basics in 2-3 hours a day (2 Hour Learning), leaving the rest of the day to explore their passions and flex their creativity
Most of all, I want her to never lose her LOVE OF LEARNING! 💖 I can’t think of a better gift than that.
Right now, I know I’m not the best teacher for her — and that’s okay. She responds better to instruction from other authority figures.
This leaves microschools, group tutoring, and homeschool learning pods. These are the best options I’ve found within a 30-ish minute drive of FishHawk, Florida, where I live:
2470 Bloomingdale Avenue, Suite 1330 | |
307 S. Parsons Ave. | |
1721 S. Kings Ave. | |
11273 Winthrop Main St. Riverview, FL 33578 | |
1076 E Brandon Blvd., Unit 109 | |
913 S Parsons Ave., Suite D |
My questions for YOU:
What do you believe the future of learning will look like?
Is alternative education something you’re considering or have already chosen for your child?
If so, any tips on how I should be evaluating our options? What was important to you? Any gamechangers?
Do you have a kick-ass place I should know about locally or for inspiration? Here is my current inspiration for what I want in FishHawk: Moonrise
🙈 Parenting Fail of the Week
Not so much a fail — just a lighthearted story of parenting a strong-willed kid.
My daughter's sensory issues and commitment to rituals regularly make getting dressed a challenge. Since starting gymnastics lessons two months ago, she's been wearing the same leotard under her uniform to school every day. Harmless enough, even if we have to do laundry every day. Then last Friday she started horseback riding lessons...
Despite having an hour and a half between pickup and her lesson, she insisted on wearing her “riding outfit” to school. This consisted of her trusty purple leotard, black leggings, khaki skort, her Lucky T-shirt, and a sweater (her loophole for not having to wear her uniform top). Knowing how excited she was for her lesson I let it go. But alas, she has now worn (and washed) this exact outfit every day since — in 80+ degree heat. I voiced my concern that it would be much too warm to wear that many clothes all day and she'd get sweaty. We went back and forth until she said, “It's my body, not yours, so you won't be the one to get sweaty. You don't have to worry.” 🫠 And wish that, I wish you all Godspeed.
Till next time!
xo, Alyssa
Raised.
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