
At Home With Bri McDaniel, Photographer & Mother Of Two
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Belathée Photography
Most of us can agree that being a mother is one of the toughest jobs in the world—especially during a global pandemic. Add toddlers into the mix, and there are certainly days when it can feel impossible. Which is a scenario Seattle-based mother and photographer Bri McDaniel knows all too well. The hard-working mama to daughters Luna, 3, and Diana, almost 2, recently invited us over to talk about the ups and downs of motherhood, juggling a career while parenting, and more.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Burt’s Bees was on board to spoil Bri (and one of her mama friends) with her choice of their special edition Mother’s Day Bundles. Burt’s Bees knows the joy that comes from taking a moment of self-care is powerful, so these bundles were designed as a perfect gift to say “I see you” and “I appreciate you” to all those hard-working women in your life. Bri chose the Super Mama Bundle for herself (filled with 6 naturally nourishing products) and the New Mama Bundle (which includes 7 sweet mama & baby products) to surprise a friend who is also about to become a mother of two daughters.
You can shop these special Mother’s Day offerings from Burt’s Bees right here, and check out all the goodies in action in our profile below.
This post is brought to you by Mother + Burt’s Bees.
- Meet the sweet family: Luna (3), Diana (1), and their mama Bri.
- "I have lived in Seattle for about 5 years. I am originally from the South. My partner got a great job and we thought it would be really fun to move out here. We ended up falling in love with the PNW and intend to stay out here for a while. This space we are currently living in has been lovely. We have been here for 4 years and this is the space we brought our kids home to. It is filled with so much light and love."
- Plants and playful decor, everywhere.
- "Luna is three and she wants to be a firefighter when she grows up. She loves making friends. She asks for stickers every time we are in the checkout line. Her favorite show is The Octonauts."
- "Diana is almost 2. She loves everything Luna loves. She excitedly points out every dog she sees. She has a silly personality. Her favorite show is Little Baby Bum."
- The sweetest hand pile.
- "We named them Luna Maire and Diana Violet. Both of their first names are inspired by moon goddesses. Their middle names are inspired by our grandmothers."
- The sweet-smelling Limited Edition Mama Bee Vanilla Lip Balm (found in all three Mother's Day Bundles) hydrates lips both big and small with shea butter and soothing Vitamin E. "It makes your lips feel so smooth," says Bri.
- Felix the Cat making a cameo.
- "No. I never really liked kids growing up, so I never had my sights set on becoming a mother. When I met my partner though, I just instantly knew I wanted to have kids with him."
- Luna helping Bri apply Burt's Bee's Squeezy Tinted Balm from the Super Mama Bundle.
- A family favorite, the Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo and Wash—found in the New Mama Bundle—is made of 97% natural origin ingredients and is safe for babies on up.
- "Everything. They tell you what to expect, but it doesn't really prepare you. So many things in motherhood have to be fully experienced to gain an understanding. The most important thing I have grown to understand is that I am raising small little humans. Humans have needs and emotions and they deserve to be taken seriously."
- "I have become a more balanced person and I have slowed down. My life felt chaotic before the kids and now I feel more at peace."
- Burt's Bees Shampoo and Wash is a natural, tear-free formula enriched with naturally moisturizing Vitamin B and essential minerals, and without phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, or SLS.
- So fresh, so clean, and so very cute!
- A look at the New Mama Bundle, a great gift that includes Burt's Bees Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream, Renewing Biocellulose Gel Face Mask, Ultimate Care Hand Cream, Limited Edition Mama Bee Vanilla Lip Balm, Shampoo & Wash, and a Honey Bee Organic Washcloth.
- Kitty cat not included.
- Nor this adorable toddler!
- "I chose the New Mama Bundle for my friend who just had her second baby girl. She deserves a special treat."
- "It's so hard. Send help. Haha! Really, though, it is hard. It gets easier, but I'm dealing with two toddlers right now. Toddlers are not logical and they are extremely confident even with their lack of abilities. I love watching their relationship develop, though. I am an only child, so I have always craved a sibling bond. I know they will have each others' backs for life."
- Classic air kisses to mama.
- "Motherhood the second time around comes with a different set of anxieties. Like we used to travel around with a diaper mat for our first kid for her diaper changes. Now we can give two flips about a diaper mat and change the second kid wherever. But the second kid broke her arm after her sister pushed her off the couch. It is just a different set of anxieties."
- Fun with textiles and light—one of the hallmarks of Bri's photography.
- "They have been with me 24/7, so it has been rough. I have had to wrap my brain around the world changing, while trying to keep calm enough to meet their basic needs everyday."
- One of the products from the Super Mama Bundle: Truly Glowing Gel Cleanser, which is fortified with naturally derived hyaluronic acid to nourish skin as it cleans for soft, resilient, radiant skin.
- "I rely very heavily on my baths. I did the same before the pandemic too."
- Developed with dermatologists to identify an intentional blend of ingredients that nourishes skin as it cleanses, Burt's Bees Truly Glowing Gel Cleanser is made of 99.9% natural origin ingredients and is free of parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, and SLS.
- "I used this for the first time and noticed the same glow I had when I was pregnant," Bri says about the Truly Glowing Gel Cleanser.
- "I've stayed connected through my motherhood community via Instagram. It is nice to know I am not the only one going through the things that I am going through."
- These three products from the Super Mama Bundle pair perfectly together: Truly Glowing Glow Booster, Brightening Biocellulose Gel Face Mask, and Truly Glowing Gel Cleanser.
- The Truly Glowing Glow Booster is made with 100% natural origin ingredients and is packed full of antioxidant-rich oils to help achieve a more nourished, glowing complexion. Bri notes the "very smooth application" of the antioxidant-rich drops.
- "My mom has been a big support. We talk almost everyday. We live across the country from all of our family, so we try to stay connected as much as we can."
- Just smooth a few drops of the Truly Glowing Glow Booster onto a clean face, working in upward circles until absorbed.
- "I am looking forward to adding this to my self-care routine," says Bri of the Brightening Biocellulose Gel Face Mask, which enhances one's natural complexion for skin that’s instantly radiant and healthy-looking. The mask is naturally derived from coconuts, adheres snugly to the skin with no slipping, and works in just 10 minutes.
- "Their talking is making me so excited. Every new word and phrase I hear just tickles me."
- "They are Black girls living in a world that does not look out for Black girls. That is so terrifying for me."
- "I grew up in South Carolina with my mom. I don't have any siblings and my dad wasn't around. I spent most of my childhood dreaming and waiting."
- "I'm hoping to bring freedom to my own parenting philosophy. I think it's so important to allow Black children to thrive in a free space. Society puts so many restrictions on them. In my space I want my kids to feel free from those expectations. I didn't get that range of freedom as a child."
- "Patience is the biggest key. What I am supposed to create in that moment will happen the way it was meant to happen. I can't force it and I can't get completely wrapped up in it."
- The Squeezy Tinted Balm from the Super Mama Bundle is enriched with responsibly sourced beeswax and hydrating cocoa butter to nourish lips naturally while delivering a light, refreshing scent.
- Made from 100% natural origin ingredients, the Squeezy Tinted Balm delivers a sheer tint of color with a healthy-looking shine and lip balm-like finish for makeup that leaves lips feeling just as naturally lovely as they look. "I love the color and the light application," says Bri.
- "I went to SCAD-Atlanta to study photography. I then launched my career as a wedding photographer. I've had the pleasure of documenting over 250 weddings during my career. The pandemic fortunately gave me the opportunity to slow down and direct my creativity towards a more fulfilling path. I have always had the desire to be seen and heard in the media. Black women and mothers are typically only portrayed in one way and I have been wanting to shatter that mold. Black women deserve depth as well. So my photography has been more directed towards empowering mothers."
- "Vulnerability has been inspiring me. It has allowed me to truly connect with myself and be honest with myself. That connection has empowered me to share that journey with others so that they may connect with themselves as well. I have been my most inspired during the pandemic because it has been the only time I have been able to take a break from work. As a wedding photographer I spent almost a decade wrapped up with that. No weekends, traveling every week, and somehow squeezing 40 hours of editing in there per week. I got to slow down during the pandemic and start creating for myself."
- "A day off."
- "Change is inevitable and you just have to take it one day at a time."
- "I would like to take a long visit home to South Carolina. I would like to take a vacation with my partner. I would also like to take my kiddos to the movies."
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For more on Bri and her family, be sure to follow her at @moonandcheeze on Instagram.
To surprise another mama (or yourself) with a sweet Mother's Day gift, head over to Burt's Bees to pick your favorite of three custom bundles.
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