For our July Mommy Chick of the Month, I have chosen the beautiful Ciera Hudson from Yours Truly, Ciera. I have personally been following her blog for a while now and have loved watching / reading her journey as a mother and I thought you would too! Her photos are stunning, her stories are inspiring, and I’m pretty much obsessed with her beautiful family. Marloe, her daughter, is a doll! May I introduce you to Ciera, our July Mommy Chick. ?
(All images provided by www.yourstrulyciera.com or IG: @yourstrulyciera)
Ciera, I love your blog! What motivated you to start your website?
Thanks so much! I always loved writing, and taking pictures that it kind of organically happened! My website is the place I get to share products, ideas, and moments with my readers! I absolutely love what I do!
Well it’s obvious that it’s something that you love. Your site is beautiful!
When planning your content calendar, what kinds of work projects excite you the most?
I get super excited about doing campaigns for companies or products that give me creative freedom for what they want me to showcase to my readers! I also love the photography process! Being behind and in front of the camera is so exciting to me, and I always love seeing how the photos turned out!
What’s the #1 thing that you want people to take away from your site when they visit your blog?
Great question! I want them to feel inspired. Inspired to try something new, to find products they love, and to go out and have fun with their families! The blogs I love reading usually inspire me!! I always take away something from them in an uplifting way, rather than jealousy!
Yessss! #communityovercompetition
Your photos are gorgeous on your social media and your blog. Any tips that you recommend to new bloggers on how to get the perfect shots?
That’s so sweet! My biggest piece of advice is to invest in a nice camera, and learning a thing or two about photoshop. Knowing the basics about photography has helped me immensely behind and in front of the camera. I also hire a photographer to take many of my shots, and he has been great! I know not everyone can afford to do that, but it’s definitely worth the investment in the long run!
Also, when it comes to getting ideas for photos, I usually head to Pinterest. That’s a melting pot of ideas, and helps to get the ball rolling when I feel stuck or uninspired!
What does life look like now with a baby and how do you juggle blogging and your family time?
Life with a baby is…all about the baby!!! Most days I don’t get more than ten minutes to sit down at my computer. And juggling photo shoots with a six month old is no picnic! I try and plan my computer time when Marloe naps. But more often than not, she ends up sitting on my lap grabbing the keyboard as I ‘try’ to type. haha! It’s definitely been a transition, but I make time to go adventure with my family when Colten (my husband) gets home from work. I truly forgot what it was like before Marloe was born. Having so much time to myself seems boring now!
Do you have a lifesaving beauty product? Baby product?
COCONUT OIL. I mean, it has so many uses!!!! I use it for face wash, face moisturizer, hair oil, body moisturizer, and even on Marloe! It is seriously the best thing to have around! I buy mine from Whole Foods, and it lasts me a couple months. Coconut oil is so natural and good for you, you will see the difference in your skin and overall health so fast. Plus, it’s yummy to eat too. haha!
Right?! Coconut oil and breastmilk are the two things that can fix everything. lol!
You’re such a stylish mama! Where do you get your style inspiration?
Most of my style inspiration comes from style bloggers I follow on social media. I currently love Amber Fillerup’s style, and how mama friendly (yet unique) a lot of her outfits are. I love simple go-to looks, but prefer stand out pieces that are bright and fun! Lately, I have been loving floral pieces, and mixing and matching different prints and colors! Fashion should be fun, and not taken too seriously! 🙂
I can tell that you have lots of fun picking out different styles. And I’m totally digging the florals and fun prints right now.
What I also love looking at on your site and social media channels are all of your travel posts. What do you love most about travel blogging and what are the challenges that you’ve overcome?
Traveling is one of my absolute favorite things. Going to new places and sharing my adventures with my family along the way is so awesome! The problem with traveling is finding time to do it. Colten works, and we have to plan our trips out so far in advance to make sure everything goes smoothly. We also have a Goldendoodle, Chooiee, who we have to worry about too when we leave town. Making sure he, and our house being in order is probably the biggest stress when planning a trip. Other than that, it’s so fun making memories with my little family and sharing the fun pictures and videos with my readers!
What’s the greatest lesson or lessons that motherhood has taught you?
Motherhood has taught me the importance of self worth. To be honest, before I got pregnant with Marloe, I was nervous I would lose myself to “being a mom”. I didn’t want to have that title be solely who I was. I shortly realized after having her, that it was just an added bonus to who I am! I can still be everything I want to be, while being an awesome mother too! Knowing my self worth and emulating that to my daughter is so important to me. I want her to know that she can be whoever and whatever she wants to be! We are all more than just moms, we are freaking amazing human beings, all with unique talents!
Girl, that’s exactly why I created Baby Chick — to let other mamas know that they are and will always be more than just “mommy”. I couldn’t agree with you more!!
And now that you are a mother, what are your favorite things about being a mom?
I love that Marloe brought this insane amount of added love and patience into my life that I didn’t know existed! Being a mom has taught me so many life lessons, and has made me really realize what is important in all aspects of my life. Plus, she is super fun to dress up!!! Hahaha
Isn’t that the truth! haha!
As a new mama, what’s a piece of advice that you wish you would have known and would like to share with expecting moms and/or brand new mothers?
I think the biggest piece of advice I wish I had right after giving birth is that every ‘hard’ moment doesn’t last. I remember thinking that I would never sleep the same again, or that I would never feel like myself fully. Those phases pass so quickly, and now I wish I would have just enjoyed those first weeks a bit more.
Also, I would tell myself not to feel guilty for doing things for myself, you NEED those moments as a mom (and especially a new mom) to do things for YOU! Take care of you, and you’ll be a happier and better mom!
Amen!!
Who’s is your mommy inspiration?
There are so many amazing mama examples around me in my life. My mom, my sisters, my husband’s mama! They all have different talents and traits that I try to emulate as a mom to Marloe!
What are your greatest hopes for your daughter’s future?
I want Marloe to be a strong example to those around her! I want her to be the type of person to help those in need, and to be kind to everyone. Most importantly, I want her to be happy in all aspects of her life!!! Raising a happy human, sounds good to me! 🙂
What are your greatest hopes for women and mothers everywhere?
Every mom and child are so different! I want mothers everywhere to stop tearing each other down, and start lifting one another up! What works for me, may not work for someone else…and that’s perfectly okay! We all are trying our best, and that’s what truly matters.
Yes!! I love it, Ciera. Thank you so much for your time and for your wisdom. I have loved learning a little bit more about you, hearing your outlook on life and work, your words of advice, and your love for motherhood!
Can you see why I have a total mommy crush on Ciera? Such an incredible woman, mother, and mompreneur. Thank you, Ciera, for sharing a little bit about you and your life and for being our July Mommy Chick of the Month!!
Which mamas are you inspired by? Share with us and they might be our next featured Mommy Chick of the Month!
