Hey there! Ally Baxter here!! My husband, Connor, and I have the privilege of joyfully raising four kiddos while we’re out making family memories! We have been married for 8 years and lead with Onward Community Church here in Frisco, TX. Our favorite things are camping, biking, and adventuring on a mountain trail together. By the way, Go Pokes!!
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Do you have a moment when you realized your phone was getting in the way of what’s important to you?

The moment this set in was when I had an out-of-body experience, seeing myself carry my phone with me the whole day (unintentionally and for whatever reason that specific day held). I was and still am up and down with 4 littles, ages 6, 4, 2, and 1 - yes, we are in the trenches and love it. I realized I didn’t have enough hands, and at that second, I looked down and saw one less hand available because of this device that was controlling me. My heart dropped, and I thought about what my kids might have picked up on from their perspective. I knew an immediate change needed to happen. They are more important than my phone - but are they? Our family culture needed a change.

‍How would you explain Aro to someone who doesn’t know it?‍

Aro is an intentional way to look up. Besides serving as an aesthetically pleasing charging station for your phone, it comes with an app that aligns with your goals to enhance your family culture. The Aro box sits out in the open where you can easily see it and creates a realistic way to put down your phone and be fully present in your everyday. For me, that means during alone time, when taking my kids on a bike ride, while folding laundry, and during cooking, to name a few activities. I also love that the Aro app allows you to compete with friends or family members who have also chosen to live off of their phones. ‍

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever received?

Allow your kids to enter your life. Take them with you because they've entered your world—so show them your world. I love this so much because it invites them in, and more is caught than taught. Our kids join us in as much as we can involve them. We love adventuring as a family, and they have grown to love being a family unit and doing things together.

‍What is your favorite game to play with your family?

The classic throwback game - Marbles!!!

‍You have four young kiddos. What has been your favorite part about motherhood so far? 

Watching them become the best of friends, seeing them grow to understand the gift of siblings because they really are built-in best friends! We have cultivated this bond and seen the fruits of it. Grateful for these four blonde, blue-eyed babes!