Meet the Mom Behind the Blog: Parenting, Tech, and Mental Health in One Place

Welcome to my little corner of the internet...

Hi, and welcome to Wired and Raising. I’m Ashley.  I’m a mom, a wife, and a chaos coordinator.  I am a parent of a busy, fun-loving, five-year-old Covid baby (if you know, you know 😉) and an IT professional.

As a working mom of a young kiddo, I wondered why I would want to take on another task.  I want to say the answer is simple, but…ultimately, I landed on this: to connect with other people, share some compassion in what feels like a compassionless time, and to challenge myself to do something new.

Challenging myself

With more than half the year gone, it feels strange to be starting something new. However, I got a wild hair to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. It all began with an interest in blogging but quickly spiraled; thanks ADHD. First, I plan to share my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on parenting, working, and surviving in technology and doing it all while being probably the most anxious person I know. Which actually makes me anxious. As I started jotting down blog ideas, I realized several of them could incorporate not just my thoughts but also actual products we use daily.  Then, a lightbulb moment struck me: could I connect this with Amazon and potentially make a little money? (Assuming this goes somewhere and people actually read it.) 

I did what most people do when they have an idea—I turned to the internet and various resources, including AI, to research my new interest. Thanks to my hyperfocus superpower, I stumbled upon Amazon Associates and Influencer programs.  Now my social media game is weak, which we will discuss later.  While exploring these platforms, I discovered information about making money through Amazon reviews. Initially, I was skeptical, but after conducting more research, I thought, “Hey, I could do that!” My plan was to set up my blog and then apply to become an Amazon Associate. To my surprise, I learned that to participate in online reviewing, you actually need to apply for their Influencer program, which requires a social media following. That was quite a setback! It felt like my idea had come to a screeching halt. 

Earlier, I mentioned that I don't have much of a social media following. I don't mind posting on social media, but I have a fear of rejection and feel very exposed.  I mean, what if I look ridiculous or say something foolish?  Everything on the internet is there forever.  (I understand how things live on the internet, so please don’t feel the need to educate me 🙂). I also realize I am committing to sharing my thoughts and opinions here, so it might not seem so different. With that in mind, I created a new Instagram and dusted off an old TikTok account and am jumping into the world of social media.    

Showing Compassion

As you read through these upcoming blogs (coming soon 🙂), my hope is that you'll feel as if you've just had a conversation with a friend. Ultimately, what matters most is what works for you and your family. All thoughts, opinions, and advice shared here are solely mine as the author.  I understand that as parents and professionals, it's easy to read articles and posts and feel like we're not enough or not doing enough.  I've experienced this feeling more times than I'd like to admit, especially late at night when I find myself doom-scrolling through social media and seeing picture-perfect moments from other moms.  Trigger the mom guilt, I mean, some days I think “Man, I am just glad to have made it through the day!”  I've also known friends who have quit social media because of the negative impact it has had on their mindset. Yet I still find that within that doom-scrolling, there are posts and advice that are amazing, helpful, supportive, and funny - this is why I keep going back. As you continue to follow along, and I genuinely hope you will, I hope there will be times you will laugh, maybe feel seen, agree, disagree, and realize you are not alone.

Connection

The creation of this blog was inspired by various factors and the support of some amazing people (you know who you are!). Using my experience and a little help from AI , I managed to navigate through the weeds, and now here we are: Wired and Raising. No matter how you found your way here, I am so glad you are!  I look forward to sharing this journey with you as we discuss parenting, technology, and mental health. I hope you stick around for what's to come.  

Don't forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future content!  I’d love to hear from you.  Feel free to follow me on Instagram or Pinterest, or leave a friendly comment to say hi. Let me know what topics you'd like to see in the future!