As a recent newlywed, I'm new to babysitting (used to in my teens) but I'm excited to gain more experience again with children of all ages as my husband and I plan to start a family in the next few years. My background includes a BA in Communications from Columbia College in Missouri, and minors in English and Film Studies. I have CPR training from eight years of serving in the Army Reserves as a Lieutenant, so my first aid skills apply mostly to adults, but I have reviewed several training videos recently on CPR for toddlers and babies.
I would love to share any of my skills and hobbies — music, golf, writing (creative and non-fiction), cooking/baking, and even basic French — with any children who are interested!
Here's a little background about my interests:
I have played piano and violin since I was 10 and 11 years old — while I played violin in Mizzou's orchestra in college, I no longer play professionally, although I continue to practice piano frequently. I'm also an avid golfer and have played since I was 12, and even taught my husband how to play!
I'm a published fiction author and have a passion for writing. I've worked in media and marketing full-time since college and now work part-time with Chicago Star Media (used to be full-time and ran the company until we moved out of Chicago, but I continue to oversee the editorial side of things). A few years ago, I also created my own blog called "Sincerely, Ashlea" to be able to write about things I'm passionate about, including beauty, travel, books, food and wine.
Since getting married, I have fallen in love with cooking and baking! I explore new recipes and recently overhauled our entire kitchen to remove all processed foods from our diets at home, so I make pretty much everything from scratch. I have cookbooks by moms who enjoy cooking with their children, so I have plenty of kid-friendly recipes handy.
While I'm not fluent, I've loved French since taking it in high school and visited Bordeaux. I've been relearning this summer and have remastered the basics with a 115-day Duo Lingo streak.
I am eager to positively impact your children's lives in any way that I can!
NOTE: If driving or picking up kids from school is required, I would need a car provided (my husband and I moved to the beach from downtown Chicago in April, so I don't have a car). Because of this, I do prefer families that I can easily access via the train along the shore and/or within a 45-minute walking distance.