Back to Allen - Lisa Allen | Mom, Blogger, Author, Freelance Writer, Cupcake Baker

*Sometimes life blesses us with unexpected "moms". In my case, it was my Aunt Mina. She was my great aunt, actually, and as my grandma's sister she helped raise my dad and his siblings while my grandma, a single mother to five, worked a handful of jobs to make ends meet. As the first born [...]

The strangest things run through my mind when I'm exercising. Maybe it's simply my way of distracting myself from my own discomfort, or maybe it's those natural endorphins that are starting to flow; whatever it is, my thoughts tend to move from what's most pressing to something more creative.  Yesterday, they went to a favorite [...]

Tackling a Mama Kat writing prompt today; one that is heavy on my heart and so fresh, even after almost 42 years, that it brings tears and a funky outlook on life. It's no secret to anyone who knows me or who reads my blog that Mother's Day is tough for me. As  mom, it's [...]

  I do believe I need an intervention. I've started (yes, again….don't judge) the Couch25K program. I'm hoping that by the time The Color Run lands in Kansas City, I'll be more of a jogger than a wogger (you know…that oh-so-hot combination of waddling and jogging).  I keep trying to push aside those thoughts from [...]

Welcome to the April 2012 edition of the One Little Word Blog Hop. If you're new to the hop, please scroll to the bottom of this post for more info and a complete list of participants. If you're going in order, you've clicked through from Jamie's blog, and your next stop is Jenn. April and [...]

  About a week ago I wrote a post about the media's speculation about Ashley Judd's changed appearance and her diligence in taking them to task for their attitude.  I sat on it for several reasons, the strongest of which was that I was unsure of myself. Not unsure of my thoughts, but unsure about [...]

Welcome to the April Fool's Day edition of the One Little Word Blog Hop. You can scroll down to the bottom of this post for the history of this tradition and to find a list of other participants. I love visiting them each month and seeing how their word is shaping their lives. If you're [...]

I've wanted to do a Mama Kat prompt for a really long time. I'd always put it off, though, thinking that I'd carve time out at the end of a work day filled with 'productive' writing. Yes, I hear Dr. Phil's voice in my head asking 'how's that workin' for ya?' because it's painfully obvious [...]

I'll admit it….it's really pretty cool that someone nominated my blog again this year for the Top 25 Single Mom Blogs at Circle of Moms. I feel like I neglect this place far too much, especially when there are really cool things going on that deserve to be blogged about. BUT, I feel like maybe [...]

It's that time again….the One Little Word Blog Hop. For those of you who don't yet know about One Little Word, it's an online class at Big Picture Scrapbooking led by Ali Edwards.  The monthly prompts remind me to keep my word for the year–invest–in my heart, mind and habits throughout the month.  February's prompt, [...]