If you’re anything like me then you know gifting ain’t easy. There is really an art to it if you ask me. This year has been a year of buying gifts for people I really don’t know all that well. It’s been interesting trying to navigate that. I try my very hardest to be a thoughtful giver and really want to make sure what I’m buying for others is useful and hopefully meets a need. I know that can come off a bit idealistic, but that’s how I am. I hate buying random things for people just cause it’s the holidays. On that note, I find something colorful always lights up a persons day.

Also, if you’re anything like me, then you like to keep things colorful, so I’m stepping away from your average gifting guide and sharing a colorful gifting guide and some of my fave places to shop for fun, colorful gifts this season. So here it goes….

If you’ve been following along on my IG lately then you may have seen my post with the hot pink sweatsuit. It came as a 3 piece set with hot pink sweat pants, hoodie and a powder pink tank top. I love this set a lot because it’s cozy, warm on the inside and super comfortable. Comfort is really all I care about being pregnant and all. What I love about this Fabletics fit is that I don’t feel like I have to compromise my personal style. This sweat suit made me feel comfortable, colorful and cute. Want these exact pieces for you or a friend? You can check it out here.

Daisy Dunes Store is another place where you can find some really cute, unique colorful pieces for the holidays. I’ve partnered with Daisy Dunes Store this holiday season and will be offering 25% off your Daisy Dune purchase when you use code: Deidra25 at checkout. I’ve listed below a few of my faves you can shop, including the necklace I’m wearing in the pic above which is currently on sale! I think all of these fun colorful items would be great gifts for this holiday season for any loved one.

• Cornelia Shell Choker

• Charlotte Vintage Paisley Sketchbook (This is a fair trade item)

• Delilah Fringe Sling Bag (Hurry hurry because there is only one left of this item)

• Reversible Kantha Henley Blanket (Hurry hurry because there is only one left of this item)

Macrame Tassel Earrings (This is a fair trade item)

• Flower Child Tapestry

Loving my gift suggestions from Daisy Dune? Be sure to check out the whole store at: https://shopdaisydunes.com/?rfsn=6209326.833667e

One more thing, before you move on to the next fun colorful gift. I’m hosting a Daisy Dune $20 gift card giveaway on my IG page. The giveaway starts TODAY! Read below for all the deets:

To qualify for this giveaway:

1. Follow @daisydunesstore and @sincerelydeidra on IG.
2. Comment on my IG giveaway posts what product is your fave.

Giveaway winner will be announced on Sunday, December 10, 2022.

Sequin is my go to for any holiday party and colorful sequin is the ultimate win. I found the most darling purple sequin dress at Walmart.com by Scoop. I wore this for our annual family holiday photos and I felt like a princess. The dress is super comfortable and I love the purple color and was almost tempted to buy the exact same dress in the green, but decided I’d hold off. As far as gifting goes, this item actually comes in both green and purple and they have the exact same dress in green and purple for kids 4T and up. All that said, this would be a great buy for a mommy and me shoot or just for a fun holiday or new year’s night out on the town.

Now you know I can’t do a gifting guide without doing something for the special man or men in your life. I found this really affordable and colorful men’s total face care kit by Harry’s. The packaging is colorful colorful and very holiday appropriate and comes in a deluxe kit as well. Click here to shop this item and more.

An last, but certainly not least, I found a super fun and colorful magnetic blocks kit at Target for my 2 year old daughter, Charlee. She loves putting things together and she is totally obsessed with colors just like her momma, so I found the perfect kit at Target and an even more affordable colorful kit on Amazon.com. Amazon has a few different affordable options, but the one I’m loving the most you can find here. Also, here’s the link to the Target set.

I hope these colorful gifting finds are helpful. Color can bring so much joy to you or a loved ones life. Why not express your love for color through gifting.

Happy holidays!

Till next time.

Sincerely Deidra

Yes, you guessed it, these are reasons that I’ve personally been told by people about why I should have another child and I’m here to share why none of these are actually good reasons for having a second child, Also, this post is to just say STOP with this nonsense because none of these reasons make any sense at all.

Let me be clear, none of these reasons are based in any hard truth or facts, it’s just silly things made up by people to justify their intrusive questions and behavior around someone else’s family dynamics. Yes, I get it, I’m sure many people are guilty of saying a few of these things on the list without even thinking about how it really comes off to both families trying to conceive and families that have no plans on trying for another, but no matter how you slice it, none of these reasons are grounded in any real logic and just feed into the idea that families are only complete if you have more than one child. Well, allow me to share a few words with you and debunk these ludacris reasons.

Because your biological clock is ticking / time is running out

This justification is the absolute worse, not to mention, intrusive and rude. What do you know about someone’s biological clock? How does anyone know how much time anyone has? When and if someone decides to have more children, it’s between them, their genetics and their doctor. Mind your own biological clock because you know nothing about theirs.

Because your child will need someone to play with

No, wrong, wrong and wrong. Do daycares not exist? Extracurricular activities? Cousins and family members? Playdates perhaps? Speaking from experience, I am very intentional about my child’s interaction and social time; not just because she is an only child, but because I believe it is critical to her mental health, growth and development.  

Children without siblings are selfish/lonely/don’t know how to share etc…

This is a pretty big generalization don’t you think? I’m not really sure how people can say this stuff and come to these conclusion. Yes, I get it, maybe you have met some children that fall under these categories, but that’s not everyone, come on now. You can’t group all children without siblings into these categories, especially when you don’t even know every person that is an only child.

Because your significant other/or other family member(s) want you to have a second child

This is such a poor justification for having another child. Just because someone wants you to have another child, doesn’t mean you should. At the end of the day, let’s face it, it’s you carrying the child, it’s you birthing the child and, in many cases (particularly moms who are nursing) moms are the main caregivers for said child. No one should feel obligated to have another child because their significant other or a family member wants you to have another one. At the end of the day, it’s your decision too! Not to mention, it’s your body!

Because the second child is always much easier

How can anyone possibly know this. Yes, maybe the person making this statement can speak to their own experience about having a second child that was “much easier” but how could anyone know about someone else’s second child, you know, the one that doesn’t exist, the one nobody has ever met. How can anyone possibly guarantee someone else’s second child would be “much easier” There are too many factors that come into play to really make this justification stick and make sense.

Don’t you want a boy? Don’t you want a girl?

If someone says they don’t want a second child, it literally means just that, it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or if it’s a girl. A child is a child, no matter how you spin it and if someone says they don’t want another one, take it as just that, girl or boy.

Because once your first child starts walking, that means they are making room for another

And this, ladies and gentlemen, goes down in history as the DUMBEST reason of all the reasons to have another child. I literally don’t even have a comment for this one because it’s that ridiculous. My first child started walking because it was time, that’s it, the end. Where did this logic even come from?

Children are great, but not everyone wants children or wants to have more… and news flash, they don’t have to explain why! To put the icing on the cake, I’m pretty sure they don’t want to hear why they should either. Let’s normalize not asking people when they are having children or trying for more.

That’s all for now.

Sincerely,

Deidra

Last week was a trying week in the influencer bloggerverse for me. I’ve received email after email from brands who say they can’t compensate me for my work or brands who don’t email back after I’ve requested compensation for my work. I’ve been very successful in turning some of this around, negotiating deals that are beneficial for both parties and working towards helping brands better understand why even nano-influencers like myself deserve to be paid. Keep reading for 7 don’ts I have for brands. Brands and partners, if you’re reading this, I hope this helps you better understand why we ALL deserve to be compensated, treated fairly and valued for the work we do.

Dear Brands,

Don’t unfollow me because I asked for compensation for my content. We can still support each other as you work towards gaining the funds to compensate influencers such as myself. My work has value to, clearly you saw that when you checked my page out and started following me. Keep that same energy even after I ask for a fair wage.

Don’t ask for my media kit with rates if you never intended on paying me or even negotiating terms with me in the first place. My media kit is reserved for brands and partners that value me and my work and want to invest in that work and understand it’s important that partnerships they reach out about should be mutually beneficial for both parties so stop asking for my media kit unless you’re really interested in doing business with me.

Don’t assume that if I’m asking to be compensated for my work that I’m not willing to negotiate terms. If you give me the time of day, we can work out something that’s mutually beneficial for both parties. That may or may not include payment.

Don’t ghost me when I ask to be compensated for my quality content. It’s unprofessional and quite frankly, disrespectful. Send a quick email back letting me know you’re unable to provide payment for my services at this time. It takes you no time to do that and when you don’t, you wasted my time and make very clear that professionalism isn’t something your brand actually values!

Don’t wonder or ask why I’m requesting compensation. The resources used to create the content your requesting isn’t free, so why should my content be?

Don’t one-off me, and if this is a one time deal, be upfront! While compensation is important to me, so is building strong relationships with brands that genuinely care about my content and what I have to say, so if this is a one- off partnership, just say so. Making your expectations clear from the beginning really sets the stage for how you truly run your business and leaves no room for questioning brand intentions.

Don’t ask for 5,000 deliverables, but offer an unfair wage for it. The content you’re requesting takes time, money, and effort to make and when you offer an unfair wage, it really speaks to how much or how little you value the process and all it takes to create said content.

I had to get this off my chest because we’re all trying to build a brand here and at some junction you have to know that in order to make money you have to spend money. We’re all trying here and you have to really weigh your investments, but I refuse to continue providing quality work for no pay or unfair pay or providing quality work to brands without something (paid or unpaid) that shows they care. Sometimes, free products and exposure isn’t enough. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a free partnership, but if that’s what a brand wants, I really need it to be beneficial to my brand as well. Let’s be fair, let’s be equal and let’s build relationships on the foundation of that fair and equal mindset. Influencers, we have to take time to understand our worth and work with brands that do too! It’s not all about the money. What I care most about is that my work is valued and my voice is heard and I shouldn’t have to yell to the rooftops for brands to understand that I’m worthy too.

Till next time.

Sincerely,

Deidra Marie