Alissa M
Alissa is a wife to her best friend {since 2003} and a grateful mother to four boys {2009, 2009, 2010, 2012) and one girl {2015}. And if you're going to be friends, you should know she has a deep and abiding love of chocolate. She's survived infertility, IVF, two NICUs, cloth diapers, a food allergy, and so much more! In 2017, she officially began writing and publishing children's books and LOVES it! When she's not writing or picking her kids up from school, she'd like to be reading/singing/laughing/napping/traveling/crafting/learning something new. But in reality, she's probably grocery shopping/cleaning something/telling her boys to stop fighting. She lives in Katy, blogs at AliMcJoy.com, and occasionally visits Instagram {@alimcjoy}, and Facebook {@alimcjoy}. She is a big believer in living life--especially mothering--with intentionality. If she's learned anything it's that accidental success is a myth: decisions determine destiny. She will also be the first to tell you she is not even close to perfect, but she's giving life her best shot one jam-packed day at a time.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Had a Mother
Distinguished writer Ta-Nehisi Coates poignantly points out the inherent problems with dehumanizing people. And while he was specifically talking about the danger of verbally removing the humanity of enslaved and disadvantaged people, I think...
Decluttering:: In My Home and In My Heart
I can’t be still. Don’t get me wrong—I want to be still. I want to relax. But every time I sit down, I think of 796 other things I could be doing and even...
When #5 Turns 5:: 5 Motherhood Lessons I’ve Learned
I have a bruise on the top of my forehead today where a child dropped a back-scratcher-doubling-as-a-baton on my face while I was lying down. There's a scar on my lower abdomen that basically...
Windows and Mirrors:: Why Diverse Children’s Literature is so Important
As I brainstormed ideas for what to share with you, my fellow in-the-trenches moms, an idea popped into my head. It was more like a potential title, really: 3 Things I've Learned in Our First...
I Want to Be an Ally–Now What?
People worldwide were shaken when the horrific murder of George Floyd was shared across social media and across TV networks. It has opened up a conversation that has been going on quietly and mostly...
Helping Our Kids Feel Secure in Insecure Times
Let’s face it: the absence of routines and predictability is the epitome of scary for kids {and if we’re really being honest, all of us}. Since our last Book Club book was all about parenting...
Houston Moms Blog Book Club:: Read with us in 2020
In 2019, the Houston Moms Blog book club read
Michelle Obama's Becoming
Liani Tamani's Calling My Name
Fredrik Backman's Bear Town
Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers
Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone
Rebecca...
Cheering for My Kids On and Off the Field
If you notice that our trunk is filled with camping chairs, you might understand. We've just survived our first season of school sports. My twins just played their first seasons of football and ran...
Books That Will Keep Our Kids Reading
I've already admitted my undying affliction--I mean, affection--for children's books. So even though I did read a handful of books for grown-ups this summer, I read quite a few children's books. Want to know...
Summer Survival That Sounds Fancier Than It Is {Plus a Free Printable!}
Summer survival with kids is difficult, but we've got a secret solution that just might make these long days a little easier {and fun!}
Don't you hate it when you start June full of good...