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Hey Everyone! I am excited to share with you that I have an all new designed blog. You no longer have to type in that incredibly long domain name. Now it’s simple:
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XOXO Diedre
I was judgmental before I became a mom. There I said it. It’s a little liberating to admit that. In my Master’s program, I remember a classmate talking about how exasperated she was with her 2 year old. She was tired after a long day of work, then her evening ended with homework and a non-cooperative two year old.Her toddler refused to stay in bed and she often vented to our group about her efforts.
Me, being the naive 23 year old that I was, asked, why don’t you just tell her to get back in bed?
DEFINITELY THE WRONG THING TO SAY!
At the time I didn’t understand the daggers that she shot me, but since becoming a mom, I have more than eaten those words. Here are a few misconceptions that I had before having kids:
Good evening everyone! I’m still on a high from yesterday’s World Natural Hair show. It took place at the Georgia International Trade Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
I, along with 3 girlfriends made the 3 hour trip to Atlanta. We were excited to meet some of the blogger/vloggers we follow, as well as the excitement of being surrounded by products. I had no idea what I was in for (in a good way!)
As we walked into the trade center, we were greeted with free samples. Who doesn’t love free stuff? There were even places to get manicures, pedicures, hair tutorials and eyebrow waxing.
One of the first booths we visited was Cantu. They have amazing, affordable products. We were met by the lovely Melissa Chanel. We met in college and she was just as bubbly and sweet as the girl I met 10 years ago. She is now a full time blogger and blogs all about fashion and natural hair. It was so exciting to see her in person and get some information about the new products. I even scored a full size curling custard!
As you all know by now, I am a product junkie! I love trying new products on my curls. Even though I have my favorites, I’m always willing to try something new. I stopped by the Mane Choice booth and was surprised to see the creator and owner. I even got to take a picture with her! Her hair was long, curly and gorgeous, and she was ever so sweet.
Another favorite part of the hair show for me was the book nook. I got to meet 2 children’s authors, and they signed both of the books I purchased for my children!
As a writer, it’s always a pleasure to meet other people who share the love of your craft. Especially children’s book authors who write about important messages like self love and diversity.
I’ll be reviewing these two books in future posts, so stay tuned!
Overall, I had an amazing time, and look forward to attending another show in the future. Here are a few things I learned:
If you haven’t been to a hair show, what do you think you would enjoy the most about attending one?
As you all know, I’ve been natural for two years now (natural means that I don’t use relaxers to chemically straighten my hair and I embrace my natural curl)!
I’ve followed a few natural hair girls on Instagram & YouTube (Melissa Chanel, My Natural Sistas & Mahogany Curls just to name a few) to watch tutorials and find out which products work best on my hair.
I’ve heard several people talk about attending natural hair shows, so this past September, I attended on in Savannah, GA. You can read all about my experience in this blog post. On Sunday, I’ll be attending the one in Atlanta, GA. I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Since I’ll be gone all day, my usual Sunday post will go live on Monday instead. I’ll bring you all of the exclusives. I can’t wait to share this new experience with you!
Have any of you ever been to a hair show before? What was your experience?
According to Dr. Francis Wardle, the author of the Center for the Studies of Biracial Children, “A multicultural curriculum for young children should focus on affirmation and acknowledgement of everyone, making sure that every child and every family is represented in the classroom environment and in all curricular materials, and that there are lots and lots of opportunities for rich human contact between children and a vast variety of diverse, mature, and talented adults.”
As parents of biracial children, we can’t depend on society to teach them who they are, and how to appreciate themselves. It’s our job to teach them those things, as well as how to appreciate people who are different from them.
So how do you meet the needs of your biracial child if you only identify as one race? Can you truly meet their needs? I believe you can. Here’s how:
Good evening everyone! Have you ever heard of Loving Day? I didn’t until recently. It’s an an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 Supreme Court decision of Loving v. Virginia, which struck down all of laws forbidding marriage between people non-white and white.
People often remark that when you love who you love, it doesn’t matter, and the world shouldn’t either. I believe that is the case, but being in an interracial marriage is very different than marriage with two people of the same race. It becomes even trickier when you add children to the mix.
What’s different you ask? I’ll be happy to tell you.
Good evening! Many of you are counting down until spring break to have some extra time with the kids, or go on a much needed family vacation. As an educator, the closer it gets to spring break, the more it feels like a permanent full moon (other educators know what I’m talking about). We start to feel the itch as much as the kids do.
This week the girls and I have done a little of everything while daddy has worked hard on the farm (no spring break for him). I’ve composed a list to help you recharge, and enjoy the break with your little ones.
Good evening ya’ll! My new posts usually go live on Sunday nights, but we’ve had a bit of excitement lately. On Easter Sunday, one of our hogs gave birth to 11 little piglets!
I never thought I’d be so excited about pigs! My husband went to feed the hogs (we’ve got 2 and they were both pregnant) after church and discovered that one of them had given birth. After lunch with the family, the girls and I headed to the farm to meet the new little piglets.
This year has been exciting because my husband has stepped out and started his own business, Anthony’s Roots. He’ll be selling range free eggs, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and hogs.
I never in a million years thought I’d be married to a farmer. In fact, my coworkers and friends often say that I look nothing like a farmer’s wife, and am to prissy to be a farmer’s wife. Well I beg to differ! In fact, let me tell you how to be an urban farm wife.
Mixed Chick Hair Dictionary? What is this you ask? Well, having curly hair puts you in a category all by yourself. Since becoming natural, I’ve had to learn several new terms myself. If you are raising “mixed chicks” or children of other ethnicities with curly hair, there are a few terms you ought to become familiar with. Here’s my cheat sheet for you:
Co-washing: The use of conditioners to wash in lieu of shampoos. Shampoos can be drying, while conditioners moisturize. Shampoos also don’t do a great job of detangling.
Are Those Your Kids? 