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5 Celebrity Multiracial Moms to Follow on Instagram

May 31, 2017 By Diedre 4 Comments

A few posts ago, I shared with you all how much I love Instagram. The great thing about it is you get to connect with your friends, other moms & even a celebrity or two!

Even though I can’t say that any of these ladies are my actual friends, it is inspiring to see how they lead their lives (and their families) in such a positive way. They are all multiracial and are killing the mom game.

Here are just a handful of my favorite celebrity multiracial Instagram moms:

Ayesha Curry

This gorgeous celebrity mama is a class act. She loves her husband, family, she cooks, is an entrepreneur & author.

She is also unapologetic about her faith and devotion to her family.

Tamera Housley

I’ve been following Tamera & her sister since I was a tween and they were in their Sister, Sister glory days. Tamera is the quieter, more laid back version of the twin duo.

I love her style, and the love for her husband and children shine through. Oh, and in one of her most recent pictures, she had a picture of her and Ayesha Curry!

Shh…don’t tell…. I had a little fangirl moment.

Tia Mowry

Tia is the other half of the well known Mowry twins. I love that she experiments with her hair and fashion.

When she and her sister had their own reality show, I couldn’t get enough.

I love how she is reinventing herself–I was a fan as a child, but I loved seeing her when she was an actor on The Game, and now has her own cooking show.

She has faced criticism from internet trolls making comments about her child’s appearance, and in true mom fashion, she faced the haters.

Alicia Keys

This talented songbird is a success in her own right. She is a Grammy award winning artist, and currently, you can find her lending her expertise on The Voice.

She is biracial and has talked about how she infuses her Jamaican background into her music.

As a product of a Jamaican family, I love that! She has two beautiful children with beautiful curls!

Kenya Raymer AKA Halfie Truths

This lady is an Instagram celebrity. I love her unapologetic approach to motherhood and life.

She has suffered 2 miscarriages and is carrying a healthy baby. Having a miscarriage recently myself, I’ve really connected with her.

She is a world traveler, dancer, fashionista & real lady. I just love watching her journey. I think you will too.

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Moms Needs Breaks Too: 7 Ways to Relax

October 14, 2016 By Diedre 5 Comments

Kids. Work. Messes. Husbands. Being a mother comes with great responsibility and at times can become overwhelming.

Moms needs time to unplug and unwind so they can return to the chaos that can overtake motherhood. Here are 7 ways moms can relax:

Booking a Massage to Relax

Who doesn’t love a good rub down at the spa?

I know I do! There’s something about a quiet stranger rubbing your aching joints in a quiet dark room (without screaming kids) that automatically sets the reset button and helps you relax.

Uninterrupted Nap time

As a school counselor, one of the perks of my jobs is being off for major holidays!

I use this opportunity to catch up on sleep. It’s my favorite way to relax!

Now that my kids aren’t babies anymore, they will occasionally play together, buying me uninterrupted nap time. My husband even cooperates at times and keeps them from busting in my room.

Date With Hubby

One way that my husband and I keep the romance alive is to have date nights. There’s something about being alone together that rekindles the romance that brought us together. Now that my husband is a farmer, date nights are few and far between and we’ve had to get creative.

If we can’t go out to eat, we have a nice romantic evening at home once the kids are in bed.

Dinner with Friends

My girlfriends and I have the tradition of going to dinner for our birthdays.

Being a mother, especially with little children, means little time to relax, let alone time alone with girlfriends. Sometimes you even forget who you are apart from your family.

The last time I had dinner with my friends was two weeks ago. We went to a Brazilian steakhouse. My husband was so sweet-he didn’t call me one time! It was a wonderful opportunity to unplug, look down at my Jord watch, and not have to worry about rushing home for bedtime.

Shopping Without Kids

Before kids, I spent most payday weekends out and about. Now that I have a 3 kids, I cherish the times I can shop without whining, fighting, crying and all the other mishaps that may come along with shopping with your children.

Am I the only one who has left a store because her children were so acting so terrible?

Please tell me I’m not alone!

Go to a Concert

Back in February, I saw the amazing Diana Ross in concert. What a legend! I was definitely star struck.

My husband surprised me, and I was on cloud nine! Going to concerts make you feel young and free.

Yoga or Some Other Workout

Nothing compares to the feeling you have after a workout. Well, except maybe the satisfaction of indulging in your favorite food. Working out alone is a luxury not every mother is afforded.

I personally love yoga because it forces me to unplug from the world, get in shape, and relax all at the same time.

If you can’t sneak away by yourself to the gym, pull up You Tube, move the couch and get your work out on! Your kids will learn how to love physical activity from watching you, and you’ll have the satisfaction of keeping that mom body in shape!

Tips for Battling Back to School Emotions with your High School Child

August 28, 2016 By Diedre 7 Comments

The transition to high school can be tough for parents. You realize that this is your last hooray with your kids, and a flood of emotions emerge.

My kids are only 7 & 5, but as a middle school counselor, I have the privilege of watching other people’s children transition from elementary to middle & middle to high school.

Kwame, author of MissKwame76, shares her experience of the high school transition and the challenges it brought for her.

Two weeks ago, my beautiful little girl officially became a high school freshman. Unlike previous school years, this time, I was prepared. We researched the dress code and bought all the clothing she needed over the summer. I bought the school supplies, we finished the summer biology homework way ahead of schedule and even completed the athletics forms so she could participate in the golf team’s practice session day one.

Everything was figured out. Or so I thought.

My daughter was excited to go back to school. Honestly, who wouldn’t be? She gets to hang out with her friends again and meet new ones in the process.

I, on the other hand, was overcome with stress and anxiety. In my quest to be a prepared mom, I realized I wasn’t prepared for how emotional this milestone would make me.

Here are a few important lessons I learned as I navigated my first two weeks as the mom of a high school freshman.

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How to Love Your Kids When They’re Driving You Cray-Cray

February 15, 2016 By Diedre 43 Comments

At times, our house is a little too chaotic. My youngest is 2 and reminds us daily of her need to be in control. My oldest is 4 and likes to remind her younger sister that she is the boss.

I love my kids, but at times they drive me crazy! Does anyone else feel this way? What can you do when you need a break? Here’s what I do:

Go Outside

I know you want a nap.

Desperately.

You wish they would be quiet and slow down long enough for you to just get 30 minutes in. The last thing you feel like doing is going outside. Did you know that a little Vitamin D aids with battling depression?

Getting some fresh air and sunlight can lighten your mood. It will help you forget about all the laundry that you have piled up.

Not only that, if you wear the kids out enough, they may nap when they come back inside.

Hire a Babysitter

You may not live around family, or feel like you use family too much.

Ask your friends and coworkers for recommendations for a babysitter.

Then go watch that movie you’ve been dying to see. Get dressed up and go to a fancy restaurant. Hire a babysitter so you can recharge!

Have a Mental Health Day

This may require #2. If your spouse is off one day, put them in charge and you take a mental health day!

Go to the spa, spend the day in Barnes & Nobles reading, do something to de-stress.

Break Out the Art Supplies

I know you are thinking that making a bigger mess will add to your stress.

I haven’t met a kid yet that didn’t slow down long enough to paint, draw or color.

Crayola has mess free art supplies with their color wonder line of markers. If you are worried about a mess, use a Dollar Store plastic tablecloth to cover the surface the kids are working on.

Use washable art supplies in case the coloring gets out of hand. Trust me, I know.

Schedule a Play Date

When your kids are driving you crazy, it helps to be surrounded by a friend who’s kids are also driving them crazy.

It reminds you that what your kids are doing is normal, and you aren’t going through this alone.

I promise you, your kids aren’t the only ones doing weird and crazy things!

Invite a Friend Over

Real friends don’t judge you or your house.

They just step over the princesses, trucks, and crayons and sit on the couch with you and your kid.

A little laughter and friendship helps you relax and not think about how much your kids are driving you crazy.

And Last But Not Least, Walk Away When the Crazy Gets Unbearable

As long as your children aren’t in immediate danger, sometimes walking away is the best response. For the first six weeks of youngest daughter’s life, she cried for several hours a night every night. It pained me to see her cry in pain, but other than gripe water, nothing seemed to help. I knew it wasn’t her fault, but

For the first six weeks of youngest daughter’s life, she cried for several hours a night every night. It pained me to see her cry in pain, but other than gripe water, nothing seemed to help. I knew it wasn’t her fault, but lack of sleep and endless crying works on your nerves and emotions.

Sometimes I had to pass her to my husband or lay her down. Sometimes to cry, and other times to get my mind together before I tried rocking her again.

Today, my four year old asked for yogurt with granola. A few minutes later, she said she didn’t want it and cried when we told her she had to eat it. She started coughing until she made herself throw up.

As she was crying, I had to just walk away. It was more productive than yelling and telling her she had to eat it. If I haven’t learned anything about motherhood, I’ve learned that it’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed and it’s okay to ask for help.

What do you do when your kids are driving you crazy? I’d love to hear all about it! Comment below. Subscribe to the blog to hear more stories about motherhood!