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My Family’s Jamaican Christmas Dinner Menu

by on December 13, 2020
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So, even though COVID is rampant, the one thing my family can still look forward to is Christmas. I will have Christmas, dammit! The nice clean house, the Christmas beats, the movies, and most importantly, the food. Of course, as Jamaicans, one of the bigger aspects of our culture is…

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4 Tips for Fresher, Brighter Laundry

by on December 11, 2020
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Who does want fresher, brighter laundry? It’s the holidays and we know as Jamaicans, Christmas cyah keep inna dutty house. Translation: We can’t celebrate Christmas in a dirty house. One of the consequences of ‘spring’ cleaning is a throng of laundry, stemming from changing curtains, tablecloths, coverings and whatever else…

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Christmas Movies You Can Enjoy With The Family

by on December 8, 2020
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Christmas movies are part of what makes the season special. As a youngster, my sisters and I watched most of the classic Christmas movies together, even if I’ve grown up and traded them for the cheesyflicks now on Netflix. Still, Christmas magic never leaves and the movie light a warm…

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Living with Migraines for 16 Years

by on December 6, 2020
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I’ve been living with migraines since I was 15 years old. When they are perpetual, they are called chronic migraines. Chronic migraines are defined by frequency and are recognised to be having at least 15 headache days a month, with at least 8 days of having headaches with migraine features,…

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Big Chop! Making the Cut

by on December 4, 2020
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I did it, after one year of transitioning, I did the big chop! I’m newly natural! I know you’ve seen it by now in my last post, so let’s talk about it. Boy, did this post age like milk! So, I had my last relaxer on November 23, 2019. It…

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Blogmas AND Vlogmas?!

by on December 1, 2020
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Clearly, I’m crazy. Head gone, clean! And why is that, you ask? Well, because, I, me… Shandean has decided that in the year of our Lord, 2020 and chaos, I’m going to take on the beast that is Vlogmas. You’re thinking that’s not so bad, but hold the thought, Goodie…

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Ambition and Marriage

by on November 11, 2020
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Today (well, not today but on the day I started writing this blog post), as I toiled away spring cleaning the stove, a thought popped into my head. As per usual when these things happen, the thought nagged and refused to leave until I’d pressurized it and beaten it into…

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Own Who You Are

by on October 9, 2020
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Last night, for the longest time in ‘I don’t know how long’ I spent about three hours on Skype with two girlfriends. We talked. A lot. About many, many things including social media and perception. As the conversation grew wings and took on varying subject matters, I listened to how…

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What It’s Really Like Being Married to a Doctor

by on September 3, 2020
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Being married to a doctor is brutal. Even more so when said doctor is a resident. From the time my husband and I started dating, his professional path was something that I took honest consideration about, among other things. Not to be a brat, but as someone who was a…

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3 Benefits of Sunflower🌻 Oil as a Moisturiser

by on August 22, 2020
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You won’t believe this, but I bought the first bottle of sunflower oil based on a tweet that said something about oil lifting boobs. I’m not gonna lie, I had barely B-Cup boobs pre-pregnancy, and during breastfeeding found myself busting out of a D-Cup. Now I am back to a…

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Virtual Social

by on August 21, 2020
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Hey, WordPress clan. I thought we might try having a social tonight. If you are among the members of my blog’s community, I’d like to get to know you better. I’m Shandean. I’m a toddler mom, the wife of perpetually tired resident, writer and entrepreneur trying to figure it all…

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Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa Review

by on August 13, 2020
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I celebrated my birthday this past weekend at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa. When the shit hit the fan in March and everything recreational went into lockdown, I wondered if it would carry through until August. Common sense said most likely it would, and though my birthdays are…

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Family Unity: My Spouse Comes First

by on July 31, 2020
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I know this topic is discussed to death and there are opposing ideas on whether parents should put the children first in a marriage. I’m sure you can tell by the title of this post where my head is, but I would like to share my position and train of…

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The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution Review

by on July 14, 2020
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I tried The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning SoIution after a friend recommended it. I desperately needed to improve the appearance of my acne-active and scarred skin following an acute wave of eczema and acne. Two years ago, I put a copper intrauterine device (IUD) in, and almost immediately, my…

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Disagreements in Marriage: How to Handle Them

by on June 11, 2020
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Do you guys argue? Of course, everyone wants to know how to handle disagreements in marriage. This is why I get this question a LOT. Partly due to the fact anyone who knows my husband or has been in any proximity to him knows his general demeanour and disposition. Of…

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Don’t Wait to Live Your Life

by on May 16, 2020
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My Greatest Fear is a Life Un-lived. Who told you you’re going to get 50, 70 or 90 years of life? If you knew you would die at 40, would you approach your life the same way? If you knew you have a disability at 30 or 40 years old,…

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The Real Mother’s Day

by on May 11, 2020
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By now, I’ve been awake for a few hours. Yesterday was Mother’s Day and if we’re being honest, I spent it in bed. All of it. Right there is where my husband brought me coffee, showed me my gift and later brought me dinner. I roamed Netflix, social media every…

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Five Things I’ve Learned in Five Years of Marriage

by on May 4, 2020
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I thought I would share five thingsI learned in marriage that are unique to my learning experience with you guys. Going into marriage can be a scary thing. It’s life changing, after all. After signing those papers, you can never go back to being spinsters or bachelors if it doesn’t…

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This Shift is Permanent. ‘The Great Pause’.

by on April 28, 2020
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Many of us dream of things going back to the way they were before, but do we understand that whatever is there waiting for us on the other side of SARS–CoV–2 is not like it was before? A time when “The Great Pause” of a world perpetually on the move…

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How to Bake Bread!

by on April 27, 2020
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*Read this in black and white with some sad music from the past* There was a girl, who once could not bake. She had made a few attempts at cakes, but they always end up lopsided and/or burnt. *Dramatically lifts veil* Then entered the coronavirus. And you know that trying…

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Storytime: How We Met & Got Married

by on April 19, 2020
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Hey, loves. If you haven’t checked out out family YouTube channel yet, this is your chance. Here’s our latest upload about How We Met and How We Got Married! Leave a like, comment, share, subscribe and turn on the notification bell, so you are notified when we post!

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5 Things I Took For Granted Before COVID

by on April 19, 2020
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Apart, from the obvious things, COVID19 has pretty much redefined life as we know it. Notwithstanding the big things, there are so many every day, mundane activities that you’re not able do or suddenly notice and it’s quite sobering. Not that I make a habit of takin things for granted.…

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Blogging for Therapy: Coping with COVID19

by on April 7, 2020
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Blogging is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. I read that somewhere this week, and it might have been the kick I needed to jump start my engine. See, since this quarantine thing started, I’ve opened a blank page to write a blog post a couple of dozen times, but…

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First Time Flying Solo with my Toddler

by on October 27, 2019
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The other day, the need arose for Sio and I to travel alone. Up until that time, we traveled as a family. My husband was a tad concerned, asking numerous times if I was sure I’d be okay mostly because our child is frisskkyy!

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Morning eNewsletter: But First, Coffee

by on October 22, 2019
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More tab a year ago, I tried to get my podcast But First, Coffee going. Failing miserably, I finally conceded that there was no way I could diligently find the time to record a podcast with the noise bug that is my full time charge. But writing? You bet your…

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Becoming Mother: Three Years A Mum

by on October 21, 2019
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To accurately describe the still very young journey of motherhood that I’m on is to fail, and do so miserably. What I can say, is that although I remember life before my nugget, it strangely seems she has always been here. Maybe it’s her energy that was here, helping us…

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Royal DeCameron Club Caribbean Resort Review

by on October 15, 2019
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Hey guys! As you know the Libra weekend celebrations in the Reid household are now a thing every second week in October. This year, we spent our weekend at Royal Decameron Club Caribbean Resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica. I chose this hotel for three reasons;

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Daily Reids VlogBlog 1: Random Family Life Update

by on October 9, 2019
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Hey, guys! It’s Q4 already. The final quarter or 2019. I hate to say it, but I’ve found myself in a dry patch where blog posts are concerned. I am at a loss with topics and though I try not to ‘post just to post’, that’s exactly what I’m doing…

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Skincare Routine – Sept 2019

by on September 8, 2019
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You guys know I’ve been struggling with my skin for a little over a year now, when I shared my skin struggles in this post. I promised you guys a review of the products I have been using that has helped. Since I have been using them for several months…

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Cleaning Favourites – The Jamaican Edition Pt 1

by on August 11, 2019
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Hey guys! I thought I’d do something a little bit different with this blog post and share some of my household cleaning favourites. These items and products are ones I’ve been loving and using for some time now. I’d been on a YouTube dry spell for while and as I…

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Note To Self & Other Moms; Learn First Aid!

by on August 2, 2019
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This morning as I had my coffee, I came across a video on Facebook where a twelve day old new born stopped breathing. The police stopped the speeding car and successfully revived the child and kept her breathing until paramedics arrived. I cried through the video. the mom looked like…

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Karma Wins. I am my child’s mother.

by on July 25, 2019
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Hey guys, Today I asked my Instagram Followers for a prompt to write a short story for the Fiction category on my blog. Well, the votes are in, and here goes. This is what I can up with in an hour… What do you think? Her face scrunched as she…

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Life Update + Triple Peak Challenge

by on July 13, 2019
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Hey, guys! I can’t believe that 2019 is more than half way through, even if only by two weeks. I’ve been meaning to write this blog for a week now, and not surprisingly, it’s at 2am while I’m strung out and tired that I’m getting the chance.

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Tips to Stay Cool This Summer

by on July 9, 2019
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It’s six am. I’ve just woken up to find myself without the top I wore to bed. It’s strewn on the floor telling me that at some point during the hellish heat I most likely peeled it off. I do remember sweating and being restless, Tibby tossing and turning, trying…

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Business Writing: Why Is It Important?

by on May 3, 2019
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Business writing is a skill that is necessary but constantly overlooked. It’s often misconstrued that basic writing and mediocre editing are not significant when presenting important information or documents, much to the contrary. For a business or company putting out information, a most critical aspect of any publication or document…

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Hyatt Place, River North Chicago Review

by on December 23, 2018
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A few weeks ago hubby and I, stayed at Hyatt Place, River North when we took a trip to Chicago to attend the 2018 staging of the  Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference. The conference lasted a week, during which time we stayed at the Hyatt Place River North…

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My Struggle With Ovarian Cysts

by on August 30, 2018
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Have you or anu=yone you know who struggled with ovarian cysts ever had one of those bad boys rupture or slow leak? I’ve been struggling with them leaking and rupturing for a while now. I posted a video on my Instagram teasing about a possible pregnancy some weeks ago. After…

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Why Is Your Business On Social Media?

by on May 15, 2018
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Have you ever looked up a business or brand on social media and tried to contact them only to realize they haven’t posted anything in months, or that message you sent is replied to only weeks if not months later? That is because scores of businesses have social media accounts, but…

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Does Your Brand Have A Voice?

by on February 28, 2018
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In 2018, the era where content and social marketing are paramount in connecting with the online generation, there are millions of brands for consumers to sift through. This is why content marketing has skyrocketed in the last decade. Strictly speaking, to survive and eventually thrive in the electronic community as…

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Siobhàn – The Story of Her Name

by on January 23, 2018
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The one question I can now count on daily is someone asking the pronunciation of my daughter’s name, the origin and the meaning. There’s also the severely funny look we get when we provide her name to someone unfamiliar. Usually, if her name is to be provided for writing, I…

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4 Mistakes Jamaica Instagram Retail Stores Make

by on January 18, 2018
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This era of social media provides unchartered territory for businesses to start up and advertise with little to no spending on marketing and advertising if the business owner has the right experience. This environment has made Instagram one in which a retail business can flourish, particularly within the Jamaican market.…

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Business Social Media; The End Goal?

by on April 11, 2017
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This week’s interaction with a client about social media posts got us thinking about social media marketing and its usefulness. We can agree about the phenomenal benefits of social media marketing, particularly in relation to traditional marketing channels. One perk this relatively new medium off is the ability to concentrate…

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What is Content? Why Is It Important?

by on March 23, 2017
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Whether you have a blog, a website, or just some social media pages for your business or personal use, your content matters. It is not simply putting out a piece whether it is good or bad and that will miraculously bring your medium enough attention or traffic to see the…

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Pregnancy to Becoming Mother 

by on November 8, 2016
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Now that First Pregnancy Series is over, I am taking on the next chapter, Becoming Mother. I stare at her a lot. Cuddle her, kiss her, sniff her. I’m so proud. The little voice that squeals  “I made her inside me!” has not yet gone away.  Production at Shan’s Uterus R…

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Labour (Or a lack thereof) & Delivery Story

by on October 27, 2016
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Finally, after months of fretting about what labour would be like and my ability to handle the pain, needless to say, I had resigned myself to letting it happen. I’m pretty sure whimpi-er women have done it, right? (Feel free to jump in and back me up anytime here). Losing…

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