Mandy Broussard
Mandy, originally from Plaquemine, LA, transplanted to Lafayette, LA in 2011. Mandy now lives in Abbeville with her husband, Terrent, step-children Andrea and Jai, and her daughter, Shelby. Mandy studied psychology at Nicholls State University, and has a Masters Degree in Social Work from LSU. Mandy now works as the Case Management Director at Abbeville General Hospital. Mandy believes that while life can be messy and stressful, every day is a gift and every moment should be celebrated (cue champagne pop). Mandy believes the true keys to happiness are food, family and music, and if she were a doctor, that’s what she’d prescribe. In her free time, Mandy loves to cook and write on her personal blog, Everyday Cajun with the Cajun Queen, where she enjoys recipe sharing and storytelling revolving around the beauty in the culture in South Louisiana, particularly the Lafayette area, which she believes is a Cajun wonderland.
Catholic Schools Week: Why We Chose Catholic School
One of the biggest decisions we will make as mothers is where to send our children to school.
Our kids are our most precious gifts, and we ultimately have the responsibility of deciding where they...
You’ll Always Be My Baby
I remember vividly the day we met.
It wasn't the peaceful, romantic experience I thought it would be, but it's our story. Pulling up at the hospital on Christmas Day, admiring the giant Santa and...
Things I Learned From My Southern Mother
When I look back on the past, there are so many things that I regret. I regret not spending enough time with my grandparents before they passed away. I regret not calling my dad...
FANOS and Chill: A Better Marriage in Under 10 Minutes a Day
I grew up in a home where lines of communication were wide open.
Feelings, challenges and successes were discussed regularly, and my brother and I were free to tell our parents anything without fear of...
Chasing Rainbows
There are no words to adequately describe the pain felt when we lose someone we love. We try explaining it by using the word grief. There are even "The 5 Stages of Grief" that...
Tutus, Lipstick, and Meltdowns: An Ode to Dance Moms
I started dancing at age 3. My mother enrolled me in the small dance school in our new hometown at such a young age in hopes that I’d gain confidence, make friends, and find...
Steel Magnolias :: 6 Important Life Lessons
steel-magnolia. Noun. (plural steel magnolias) (chiefly Southern US) A woman who exemplifies both traditional femininity as well as an uncommon fortitude.
I was about 10 years old the first time I watched Steel Magnolias. My...
Diary of a Working Mom
“The obligation for working mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one does not have...
Teaching Empathy
I am a naturally empathetic person. It comes so truly, purely, 100% naturally to me. When I was a young child, my mom and I were eating at Piccadilly, and I became tearful thinking...
I Married for Family
Growing up, friends and acquaintances would discuss what we’d look for in a husband. It was a bit of a daydream as a child, then became more real as we grew older. We discussed...