Photo of black Mazda cx-5 SUV parked in a col snow covered park during the winter. Photo by Shandean Reid, lifestyle blogger and communications expert in the Winter Car Emergency Kit blog post on www.shandeanreid.com
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Winter Car Emergency Kit: Prairies Winter Prep

by on November 7, 2025
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When you move from Jamaica to Canada, the Prairies to be exact, having a winter car emergency kit is part of navigating this new reality. Winter in the Canadian Prairies is no laughing matter. When I moved to Saskatchewan and bought a car, one of the first things everyone around…

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Photo of a woman wearing a purple active wear top and black biker shorts, stooping to tie the laces on her black adidas running shoes. This photo is featured in "Work-life Balance for Working Moms," an article by blogger and communications strategist Shandean Reid at www.shandeanreid.com
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Work-Life Balance for Working Moms

by on September 12, 2025
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A couple of years ago, I went back to school and found that even as a stay-at-home mom, finding balance in attending classes, doing homework —my kid’s and mine—and managing pickups and drop-offs, as well as extracurricular activities, was no easy feat. This year, I am doing it again as…

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Back-to-School Morning Routine: A Practical Blueprint

by on September 5, 2025
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The idea of a fresh back-to-school morning routine at the start of the school year always feels hopeful, but a bit like it’s coming too soon as well. One day, we’re enjoying lazy summer mornings and the lack of hustle and bustle; the next, we’re scrambling to pack lunches, find…

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Tips for saving money image: A bliss pink purse laying on top of three credit cards. The bloggers logo- The Caffeinated Millennial: Shandean Reid on on the purse.
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Save Money : 7 Lifestyle Choices for Better Family Living

by on January 31, 2025
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Everyone (regular folks) looks for realistic ways to save money. Whatever the reason, whether to afford necessities, prepare for the future, or make large purchases, the goal is almost always to improve one’s lifestyle. We’ve all heard the sordid cliche advice that Millennials should buy fewer lattes, cut out subscriptions…

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How to Dry Winter Boots

by on March 24, 2024
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As a recent immigrant, I recently found myself face-to-face with a quandary. My kid did a kid thing and her winter boots were soaked–and because they left for a few days unbeknown to us–they also stank. I had no idea how to dry winter boots. It’s one of those things…

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shandean Reid - Canadian lifestyle blogger, canadian contend creator picture of holiday cards and christams decoration son a shiplap table - Basic invite holiday cards
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3 Ways to Use Holiday Cards This Season

by on November 29, 2023
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It’s tiiimmme! (I donned my Mariah Carey voice for this, thank you.) It’s my favourite time of year, and honestly, I am so ready for all of it—from the Christmas tree I’ve already put up to the home decor finds on a budget to the holiday cards and Christmas dinner.…

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Cost of living in Canada picture showing two shopping receipts. Shandean Reid - Canadian Lifestyle blogger.
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Cost of living in Canada: Saskatchewan

by on May 20, 2023
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As you may know, Canada markets itself aggressively to immigrants. This results in the highlight of the great things about living here, which are many. Canada is a great place to live, but the cost of living in Canada needs more external attention. Nowhere is perfect, of course, but many…

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Tips for saving money image: A bliss pink purse laying on top of three credit cards. The bloggers logo- The Caffeinated Millennial: Shandean Reid on on the purse.
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Four Tips for Saving Money More Intentionally

by on February 18, 2023
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If there ever was a time to share tips for saving money, it’s now. Inflation going into 2023 is ridiculous. The cost of basic necessities while we are still very much in the throes of a pandemic and war is strangling many people. Just six months ago, when I recorded…

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SAHM to working mom on playground with child
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SAHM to Working Mom After 5 Years

by on June 4, 2022
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When I got pregnant, I didn’t think transitioning from being a SAHM to working mom would take five years. Back then, I agonized over the job or career that would allow me to stay home with my baby for a good while. It turns out that job was being a…

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Moving to Saskatchewan from Ontario. Blogger sitting on steps
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Moving to Saskatchewan from Ontario: Why?

by on May 29, 2022
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Yup, you read that right. I’m moving to Saskatchewan from Ontario, where I’ve been living for the last few months: my firsts in Canada. I completed my school program last month, and now I’m going off on this new phase of an adventure. I’m nervous, excited and ready for this…

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girl talking in the phone in long distance marriage
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Long-Distance Marriage: Making it Work

by on April 11, 2022
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I am in a long-distance marriage. Of all the things I’ve shared since day one on this blog about my experiences with marriage, you couldn’t have paid me to believe this would be one of them. I’d have thought you to be mad. Perhaps I am the one who is…

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Kemoi and Shandean Reid - What marriage taught me
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What 7 Years of Marriage Taught Me

by on February 27, 2022
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On Valentine’s Day 2022, my husband and I celebrated the conclusion of our seventh year of marriage. It’s been seven years of beautiful companionship in matrimony, and nothing makes me happier than realizing that I love it and that our marriage is a truly happy one. There isn’t a single…

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living apart together in two households
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Two Households: The Challenges of Family Life

by on January 21, 2022
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One of the most fascinating things that happened last year was splitting my family life into two households. This family life model is officially called Living Apart Together (LAT). Although the typical LAT circumstances are people who choose to live apart as a lifestyle or whether they are unable to…

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4 Alternatives to Force-Feeding Children

by on January 16, 2022
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As a young child, I recall my parents force-feeding me. After 30+ years, I remember it vividly. Sitting over a single dumpling for hours (or what felt like it to me as a child) because my parents thought they had already given me a little, so I should eat it…

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Christmas Tag

by on December 24, 2021
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What better way to bring Blogmas to a close than with a Christmas tag? I have been looking for a tag I could do and say Tall Blonde Tales do this one and figure, why not? It’s Christmas Eve and not many people, myself included are out due to the…

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Budget Christmas Decorations

by on December 19, 2021
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I decided to spruce up my new apartment by using some budget Christmas decorations since I don’t have any decorations at all to start and I’m watching how much I spend. When I was a child, we didn’t have Christmas decorations at my house and that made me sad. At…

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Jamaican Grand Market: A Millennial Flashback

by on December 17, 2021
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As a Jamaican kid growing up in the 90s in Linstead, I looked forward to experiencing what I now know to be a Jamaican Christmas eve tradition called grand market. Grand market or as it is less often called by actual Jamaicans, Christmas market. It is, however, nothing like the…

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Christmas Dinner Menu
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My Stovetop Christmas Dinner Menu, for One

by on December 15, 2021
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When my friend asked me what was on our Christmas dinner menu this week, I said nothing. I had no plan to cook. For the first time in my 30+ years, I plan to spend Christmas day alone. As with many other things, I wondered if it would lift my…

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holiday playlist
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My Holiday Playlist Collections

by on December 13, 2021
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For me, Christmas is never Christmas without my holiday playlist. I’m not even kidding. For me, joyful holiday music does something for the soul, and that something tends to be amplified when I am with my family. So I like my holiday playlist, loud, as background music while I clean,…

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7 Reasons to Shop Local for the Holidays

by on December 11, 2021
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There are so many reasons to shop local now more than ever. The world is rebuilding our lives one day at a time as we head towards recovery from the Covid19 pandemic. It will take each and every one of us making simple day to day decisions to help our…

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Drive-by Christmas Lights Viewing

by on December 7, 2021
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A couple of days ago, an acquaintance invited my husband and me to go look at the Christmas lights. Though I had no idea what that meant, I was excited to get out of the house and go see something that I had never seen before. So, off we went…

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Life Update – I’m Moving to Canada from Jamaica

by on November 30, 2021
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It’s been a little while since I’ve done a family life update. What better time to do it than now, since I’m moving to Canada. Family life has been especially tough these past few years with imposed restrictions courtesy of the pandemic. Blessedly though, we seem to be on the…

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Quick Dinner Recipes For The Family

by on November 27, 2021
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During lockdowns, I got so bored I tried all sorts of things, including quick dinners I’d never made before. I did fancy recipes and baked bread, too, but since cooking isn’t really my thing, I got tired of the cooking pretty quickly as supplementary take-out we were used to wasn’t…

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6 Tips for Shopping Abroad for The Family

by on November 14, 2021
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If your family is anything like mine and you do the majority of your clothes shopping for the family abroad, then you can benefit from a few tips for making the most out of a trip. I was never big on shopping, but I’ve had to do more of it…

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5 Reasons to Do Holiday Shopping Early (November)

by on November 7, 2021
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Holiday Shopping at the last minute. Whew. I love Christmas, but honestly, this is one thing I don’t enjoy. Shopping for gifts. Bt I love to give them, so it’s a Catch 22. I do think, though, that there are ways to maximize the effort, and one of those ways…

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The Cost of Having a Child in Jamaica (Kingston)

by on October 29, 2021
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The true cost of having a child is sometimes sugar-coated. As a matter of fact, many people are ragged on for not reproducing. I can’t see why. We can’t all reproduce. We shouldn’t even attempt it, but that is another story for another day. Many things are typically glossed over…

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motherhood student life
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Tips for Balancing Motherhood and School

by on October 8, 2021
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I’ve been balancing motherhood and school life for over a month now and it is one of those things that I’ve never considered until it was time to actually do it. I now think about how women are encouraged to have this plan (you know the one), where you get…

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Cost of Living In Jamaica 2021

by on September 17, 2021
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My home island Jamaica has a fair number of ex-pats or potential ex-pats who want to know the cost of living in Jamaica. It is something that isn’t always readily available through a quick google search and even might be lacking. You can ask around, but answers are likely to…

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Back to School List + Life Update

by on August 28, 2021
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“ Have you done the booklist for back to school yet?” This is what my mother-in-law called to ask me one hot day in early August and I immediately thought, ‘Smaddy come for this lady’. My peace was shattered because I realized, summer holidays aren’t as long as they felt…

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I Got the COVID Vaccine – My Experience

by on August 2, 2021
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After months of waiting my turn to be eligible for the Covid vaccine, I was finally able to get my first dose over the weekend. Up until now, the Jamaican government was focusing on specific priority groups, and though some people were able to still be vaccinated even if they…

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Summer Activities for Kids

by on July 10, 2021
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I’ve never had to concern myself about summer activities for kids before. As a millennial mom, it’s been a long time since I’ve been bothered about what I was gonna do for the summer. Besides, back then, it was very simple. My Dad would pack my sister and I a…

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To My Husband and Father… On Father’s Day

by on June 20, 2021
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Father’s Day is a celebration of Dads. It’s a day when we recognize the efforts of men who are father figures and actively raise children whether they are biologically connected or not. This post is dedicated to honouring my two lifetime favourites. My Dad and my husband.

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9 Family Financial Goals You Should Set

by on June 19, 2021
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It goes without saying that when you start a family, there are bound to be some family financial goals that you will want to achieve. These goals require a team effort and typically include considerations for both individuals at the helm and any children old enough to have aspirations. Goals…

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Mother’s Day: What Motherhood in a Pandemic Taught Me

by on May 9, 2021
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For the second consecutive year, Mother’s Day 2021 is being celebrated under the constraints of a pandemic; lockdowns restrictions, unease and anxiety our generation has never seen. Motherhood is difficult enough under normal circumstances. However, motherhood during a pandemic? Now that’s a whole different kettle of fish. All the key stressors…

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Getting Our Four-Year-Old Out [Our Bed]

by on May 8, 2021
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When I became a mom, I talked candidly with my friend about how I didn’t want to prolong having the baby in bed with my husband and me. I took great pains to avoid it those first few months. I was successful, too. For about three of them. Three months.…

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SAHM Living in Jamaica: A Day in the Life

by on May 2, 2021
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I’m Shandean and I am a millennial stay at home mom aka SAHM living in Jamaica. Whatever else am, that is the bottom line. I am my family’s admin, so to speak. Being a SAHM in Jamaica is not very typical culturally. Especially since the family unit is not what…

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How to Create a Family Budget

by on March 24, 2021
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A family budget is crucial if you are serious about financial planning and stability for the family. I don’t know about you, but one of the major life lessons of the past year is that the proverbial ‘rainy day’ can actually be a monsoon. For many of us, providing financial…

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My Husband Got the COVID Vaccine

by on March 16, 2021
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Last Saturday, my husband got the first dose of his Covid vaccine. As a healthcare professional, he is on the local priority list and was offered the option. Jamaica’s first shipment of 50,000 doses of vaccines, donated by the Government of India, arrived on March 8, 2021, and another 14,400…

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How to Use Essential Oils for Congestion

by on February 25, 2021
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As a mom, the power of essential oils for immediate relief of congestion cannot be overstated. At least not for me. My daughter doesn’t get sick very often. Even just a mild case of the sniffles or a cough happens about once a year, and when it happens, I’m on…

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Valentine’s Day With Kids: 7 Ways To Celebrate

by on February 5, 2021
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Wondering how you’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kids? If anyone, knows about this one, it’s me. Between you and me, my husband and I haven’t yet had a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day without our kids soak in the middle of it for the last four years. Mind…

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Structuring a Home Routine with a Four Year Old

by on December 22, 2020
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One of the things that have eluded me year after year since becoming a mother is structure. ;m a mom and I dont have a I want to structure a home routine with a four-year-old. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I just so often found that things were better…

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7 Things I’m Grateful For in 2020

by on December 15, 2020
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This year has has been a whirlwind from start to this point. When the year started, I’d launch a daily newsletter and so I was in tune with the world news in a way I hadn’t before. By the time the Puerto Rico earthquakes happened, Australia had been on fire…

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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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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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Pregnancy Update: My Husband is Pregnant Too!

by on August 13, 2016
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My husband is pregnant. Well, not physically. (Obviously) We are prone to forget that while our many symptoms as pregnant women are felt by us first hand,  our partners are experiencing it too and not less strongly, just differently. Be mindful I speak of supportive and committed partners, not ‘baby…

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