About

Hi! I’m Ashley. I’m the mother of three young children and I am always running somewhere! Whether I’m chasing after my three-year-old with my craft scissors in his hand, hurrying to get dinner on the table after swimming lessons, rushing to finish pruning the bushes before racing to pre-school pick-up, or literally running for exercise, I am always on the go. And somehow it feels like I’m often running late! Many of my favorite daily tasks also have something else in common; scissors, or sKissors as our littlest one calls them. Craft scissors, kitchen scissors, garden scissors, children’s safety scissors, I’ve nearly always got one of them in hand.

So, if I’m so busy, why not eliminate some things from my to-do list? Why not delegate the yard work to a lawn service company? Why not stick a Stouffers lasagna in the oven or pick up take-out? Shouldn’t I just buy a baby gift instead of making it? Couldn’t I go for a 2.62 mile run instead of 26.2? Well, the conundrum is that I happen to actually really enjoy working in my yard, making healthy meals for my family, sewing, crafting and running long distance. And I take pride in doing them well. I spend nearly all of my time doing things for everyone else in my household. My main priority is to meet their needs. I work tirelessly to make my family happy but I also deserve to fit in the things that I enjoy. As they say, “Happy Wife. Happy Life.” And I like to say, “Happy Mommy. Happy Family.” Life as a mother with young children has to include some balance in order to maintain some sanity.

On Running with Skissors I share my every day adventures in cooking, gardening, crafting, fitness and parenting. Join me as I strive to learn more and to challenge myself to become better at all of the things I enjoy while fitting it all in to a very busy schedule in a house full of craziness. Visit my Facebook page for a peak into the challenges of my daily life where I provide inspiration, information and sometimes just a reminder that you are not alone in your struggles. It’s a place for busy moms to connect, share stories, commiserate, and often just laugh together.

I may have put my Journalism degree on the shelf for awhile when I left my ad exec job seven years ago to take care of my babies full time, but I can say that I will always be a journalist at heart. I like to think I’ve been using what I learned in my photo-journalism classes to document the growth of my babies all these years through thousands of photos. I’ve also been growing my skills as a cook, gardener, crafter, and homemaker. Now I am excited to put on my journalist hat once again as I gather, process and disseminate information about some of my favorite things in life so I can get better at them and, hopefully, so that I can help you do the same.