5 Tips to Stay Sane

by | Jan 20, 2016

I could tell you many a story of a time when I was so tired, hungry, or completely drained that I snapped and lost my cool over someone doing something remotely normal. Like spilling water, draining the battery on my cell phone, or saying “Mommy, I’m hungry” (for the 20th time).

But I’ll spare you the gory details and just say that there are times when we all get irritable, impatient, and plain mean. I made it a goal to figure out why I got this way and how to prevent it from happening.
Because, let’s face it, I never feel pleased with myself after I’ve had a complete meltdown. The only way I look back on these experiences is with regret and sorrow.

After identifying the reason behind WHY I get this way (I’m sleep-deprived, hungry, or over-worked), I found 5 things that help keep me SANE.

  1. Get to bed at a decent hour.One thing that can often prevent me from getting my well-needed rest is having electronics right next to my bed. My tip? Plug in your tablet, laptop, phone, etc… on the other side of the room (or even in a different room if you can). This will prevent you from scrolling through endless Pinterest feeds at 2AM.
  1. Start your day early.Yes, there are two 6 o’clocks in the day. You’re throwing away hours of productive time by sleeping in. Follow step one to make this one easier. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done before 9am, and the whole rest of the day awaits you.
  1. Schedule alone time.That’s right. You have to schedule this time. Otherwise, it won’t happen. Choose your favorite inspirational book, grab a journal, and find a quiet place where you can be by yourself, even for just a few minutes. Pray, meditate, and study what’s important to your soul. It’s like plugging in and re-charging your emotional batteries. It’s a lot harder to be mad when you have a clear mind to make sense of the situations. “You’re hungry? Sure. Let’s go into the kitchen and get you a snack.” 
  1. Fuel your body with healthy foods.This one thing makes such a surprisingly large difference. How does food affect the way you feel? How could what you eat possibly affect your mood? Well, you’d be surprised. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice that after eating refined sugar, red meat or over-processed foods, you often feel lethargic. You know that feeling after lunch when you want to take a nap? That’s it! Try incorporating green leafy vegetables and lean protein, like baked salmon or grilled chicken. I’ve found the more vegetables include, the better I feel overall. But, even if you make small changes in this area, you’ll feel a difference.
  1. Energize your body through movement.If you can do this first thing when you wake up, it’s most effective for giving you energy through the rest of the day. It’s counter-intuitive when you think about it. If you’re exhausted, the last thing you want to do is get up and move. But, surprisingly, when I start the day off with exercise, I actually feel less tired than on days when I don’t. Again, start small and try to pair this with step 4.

 

I promise that if you take great care of yourself, there will be more of you to go around, you’ll feel more capable of dealing with life’s problems, and it will be easier to be nice to people.

I hope this helps you in some way. Leave me a comment or send a message and let me know what works to help keep YOU sane.

Don’t forget how amazing you are.

An Embarrassing Song I Wrote |+| Valentine’s Day Special Offer

by | Jan 13, 2016

Do you remember what you were doing when you were eleven years old? I often think of how optimistic I was. I thought I could do anything, and I did. I used to have an old cassette player that I’d use to record music off the radio. Then I’d listen to it over and over and over so I could memorize all of the lyrics. (No internet then, kids.)

One Christmas, I got a karaoke machine. Why do I bring this up, you might ask? Well, the karaoke machine had 2 cassette players. This meant that one could be playing while the other was recording. I would harmonize over myself, and even play my flute- a duet with my own voice and instrument. I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I also started writing songs when I was eleven. They weren’t good, mind you. But you’ve gotta start somewhere. Am I right?

This is the part of the conversation where you ask me what the songs were about and how they sounded. Then I tell you there is no WAY I’d sing you one of those songs now. Too embarrassing. Then you’d persuade me and I’d give in.
So, here it is. One of the songs went something like this:

“I was sitting all alone when you called me on the telephone.
When I took the phone off the hook, saw a mirror and gave myself that look.
When you told me our love had died, I wasn’t very satisfied.”

I’m not lying. This was the first verse of one of the very first songs I wrote. I bet you feel a little bit better about yourself right now, eh? (Hey, at least I had mastered rhyming!)

But let me get to the point.

I’ve been writing songs for a long time now, and I absolutely LOVE IT. (I like to think I’ve gotten a little better at it.)
Just a few years ago I started writing songs for family members and friends, and it has taken off! I’m now getting many requests to write songs for anniversaries, songs for babies, weddings, businesses, songs for mothers and fathers, and songs for loved ones.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to get a custom song written for someone you love. AND – if you think that’s something you’d like to try, I have a special offer. (If you’re thinking it’s not for you, keep reading because there’s something in it for you too!)

I’m offering 50% off any custom song package from now until January 31st.

 

Now, this doesn’t need to be a Valentine’s Day gift, however, if it is, I can only take 2 more custom song clients before Valentine’s Day. (I know in the video I say 3, but since filming I’ve had another song come in that I’ll have to finish by then too!)

But, let’s say you’re looking for a song to be written for a later date: Mother’s Day, Christmas, Anniversary, etc…

You can get the half price song ordered now, and you can be added to the queue for after Valentine’s Day.

Now, those of you who do not necessarily want a custom song written, I have some great news. Let your friends and family know about this special offer, and for every person you refer that orders a custom song, you’ll get $500. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family to let us know when they order that YOU referred them.

Long story short: I love writing songs so much. It brings new friends into my life, it allows me to tap into a moment, a lifetime, an emotion,  and it creates opportunities for me to share the everlasting gift of music. Think about it. A song literally lasts forever. It’s one of the few things you can give that will never run out. It’s one of a kind.

If you made it this far reading, I commend you. If you didn’t, hopefully you’ll watch this video:

Happy 2016!

by | Jan 2, 2016

December 31st. Sitting at my mom’s house, surrounded by family, food, a nice big puzzle getting started on the table, and Ryan Seacrest on the TV announcing a lot of my favorite performers ringing in the new year with song. And I’m having a small anxiety attack.

2015 was a big year for me. I had a baby. I started offering songwriting as a service and was overwhelmed with the response. We raised over  $2,600 for the new album. I finished recording the album. I performed and worked with some really amazing people. I have come such a long way since this day last year. So why does my chest feel like it’s going to cave in?

I put so much pressure on myself to succeed. The funny thing about my success is that I define it. Once I hit a milestone, I re-define success for myself. It somehow always seems out of reach. There are still so many things in front of me. Things I’m excited to try, places I want to visit, goals I want to achieve. And if I get too much in my head about it, it becomes a never-ending “to-do list”. My progress will never end. But, I don’t want it to.

So, today is about celebrating all that I accomplished last year. Today is about allowing myself to feel joy. I’m happy right now. There is no pressure to work faster than I can right now. I will create and share as I feel compelled to.

The funny thing about putting pressure on myself to do something is that, that usually makes it very difficult for me to finish the thing I’d like to do.

One thing in particular that I’m excited about for 2016: the progress of the new album.
So I made a video for you. Happy New Year! I love you!

 

 

Best Wedding Gift Ever

by | Jun 23, 2015

You want to give the best wedding gift ever?

You have probably seen some impressive wedding gifts and keepsakes. Customized artwork, naming a star after the bride, engraved jewelry, and even ornaments made to look just like the wedding cake.

But there is one gift, that will stand out above the rest. It will completely blow them away. It is a gift that cannot get lost or destroyed. It is timeless. It is something so personal, that it is only for them, and all about them.

It’s a personalized love song. 

Looking back, I wish I would have had our first dance to a song that is only ours. A song specifically about us.
It’s a pretty special thing. And if you want to impress and surprise your bride or groom to be, this is the perfect gift.

Here’s how it works. You fill out a questionnaire answering questions about your love story. What do you want the song to say? What is the ever present theme in your life? How did you meet? What are your inside jokes? All the things that make you as a couple unique. Then, you’ll speak with the songwriter one on one. Talk about your life. Talk about your love. Give her a chance to see into your world and feel what it’s like. You can send pictures, quotes, or anything else that might help create the environment for the perfect custom song.

Then, the songwriter will work on the song and in a week or two, you will be able to hear an acoustic version of your song. From there it is recorded in a professional studio with amazingly talented musicians and producers.

Imagine your loved one opening the gift. A CD all professionally wrapped, but with your photos on the cover! Then see the tears well up in the eyes of everyone who listens to this personal love song. It’s so perfectly… YOUR LOVE. It’s something you will cherish always. It’s something your children, and your children’s children will listen to with fondness.

There is NOTHING quite like it.

Learn more about how you can make this a reality for yourself or for someone you love here:

www.ashleyludlow.com/customsongs

Nap Time

by | Apr 22, 2015

Any of you who have attempted to get small children to take a nap (Perhaps so that YOU can take a nap?) understand that it is not an easy task. One of my favorite ways to get my kids to sleep is to sing to them. I have a few favorite go-to songs from my childhood that I really love. Most of these songs come from old cartoons or kid shows that I watched growing up. (Let’s see if you can guess what movie the song I sing in the video is from.)

Sometimes, no matter how long you sing, your babies will just have no desire to sleep. I just love the little grins and coos though. They make up for the fact that I probably won’t be getting any sleep anytime soon.  Enjoy!