*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson and Latina Bloggers Connect. Last December, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies revealed the Jiménez family as LA FAMILIA DE HOY™. This family was chosen to represent the family values of the Hispanic community which included being active, multicultural and keeping up with the modern times. Juan, Biviana and their three children: Elisa, Diego and Benicio embody all of these qualities and definitely mirror what my family and I consider to be the epitome of the Latino family. Like the Jiménez family, our family shares a special bond and we find ways to support each other and be there for one another whenever possible. Sometimes this includes making arrangements to pick up each other's kids from school or sharing the cooking responsibilities during family gatherings and dinners. Family is very important to us and we make sure that we teach our younger generation about their roots and … [Read more...]
Take A Journey Through Italy With Pasta Chips! @EatPastaChips #Giveaway #Ad
*I participated in this campaign on behalf of Pasta Chips. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating. All opinions are my own. Many of you are probably unaware that my mother is half-Italian. Her father's side of the family was from Naples, Italy and she can recall her paternal grandmother telling her stories about the old country when she was a little girl. Although I was raised in Spain since my father is from there, there are certain things that I have learned from my Mom about Italian culture. Certainly, cooking and food is an important part of being from any Italian family. A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to review Pasta Chips and I was intrigued because I know that Italian food is made with love and packed full of delicious flavors. The idea for creating these chips was born in the hills of Tuscany at a small, authentic Osteria. They pride themselves on creating real Italian food that … [Read more...]
Join Us For The #MyNovela “Lo Que La Vida Me Robó” Twitter Party with @Univision #Ad
This post was created in partnership with the Stiletto Blogger Network and Univision. However, all opinions expressed herein are my own. If you are like me, you love shows with the reoccurring themes of power, love, family, betrayal and wealth. Add these themes to a novela/soap opera and you have gotten my immediate attention. That is why I just can't stop watching “Lo Que La Vida Me Robó” which is a Mexican novela that is set in a colorful village called Aguazul. Don't just take my word for how juicy their story lines are, go peruse some previews of the show on the dedicated novelas video page. You will be introduced to protagonists who are driven by some of the same hopes and aspirations that you and I have. Just like in real life, these characters are faced with adversity along with the intrusions of controlling parents and competitive friends who revel in stirring up drama, instigating financial hardships and generally making life seem impossible at times. Not only … [Read more...]
What Is The Definition Of Today’s Family? #LaFamiliadeHoy #Ad
*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson and Latina Bloggers Connect. Recently I was having a conversation with my mother about when my siblings and I were growing up and she commented that times have certainly changed since she and my father were raising us. Mom went on to say that today's modern families have a lot more issues to deal with than the families of yesterday. In her opinion, today's parents have so many more factors that they have to consider when protecting their children including the Internet, advances in technology, and other external influences related to music and the media. "One thing that hasn't changed," she concluded, "is the importance of instilling family values, regardless of what your family dynamics are." I would have to say that I agree with my Mom on many of these points. The question then becomes, "What is the definition of today's family?" My husband and I certainly consider ourselves a modern … [Read more...]
Celebrate The Real Spirit Of The Holidays! #JCPenneyLatino #RealLatinoHolidays @JCpenney #Ad
This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Latina Mom Bloggers and JCPenney. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Thanksgiving has always been a very important holiday in our family. Although it is a holiday that we adopted here in the United States, it has become a special day for family bonding. Since I was a child, we would all get together at my grandmother's house and spend time with one another being thankful for all of the blessings that were bestowed upon our family that year. The food that we shared and the unity that we felt made it one of the most important days of the year and I have carried those feelings into adulthood. Nowadays, my siblings and I carry on the Thanksgiving traditions that we learned as kids. Every year, we get together with our own children and we break bread together. The best part is that we still prepare a lot of the dishes that our grandmother used to make all of those years ago. One of the recipes that she was most well … [Read more...]
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Your Favorite Recipe! @IMUSAUSA #HHM #Giveaway #Ad
*This post was written by me on behalf of McCormick Spices and IMUSA Cookware. I received complimentary product samples to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine. You all know that we have been very busy celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month around these parts for the past few weeks. What Hispanic Heritage celebration would be complete without sharing some of our favorite Latin dishes? After all, a huge part of the Latin culture revolves around food and families getting together to enjoy meals and spend some quality time together. Growing up in Spain, I can still remember sitting in the kitchen and watching my grandmother preparing all of our family's meals. She would pour her heart and soul into those recipes and the best ingredient in all of them was the love that she infused into preparing each and every single one. It was almost as if that was the secret ingredient. As an adult, I now know that that spices that she used played a big part in creating … [Read more...]
What Does It Mean To Be A Latina Of Today? @Orgullosa #OrgullosaHeritage #HHM
This is part of a sponsored campaign with P&G and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Being a Latina of today means many things to different Latinas. We all juggle diverse roles as mothers, businesswomen, professionals, wives, and daughters. The one common foundation that we all have is our desire to have the best of both worlds by embracing our Latina heritage and culture and taking advantage of the opportunities that being American has afforded us too. For me personally, being a Latina of today means that I have bridged the gap between the traditions of my Latin ancestors and the modern roles and opportunities that Latinas are able to experience in the United States. It means that I can have it all, a family, a career, a business, and a relationship without having to compromise any one of these roles. Also, it allows me to be a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to balance it all and be successful while doing it! … [Read more...]
Let The Soul Doctor Soothe Your Soul! @SoulDoctor #Review
*This post was written by me on behalf of Culture Mom Media LLC. I received complimentary tickets to review the show. All opinions are 100% mine. My love affair with Broadway began years ago when I took my class on a trip to see Les Miserables. Everything about seeing a show live on stage absolutely enchanted me, from the bright lights to the beautiful costumes and beyond. Since then, anytime I have the opportunity to go see a play, it excites me. However, when I received news that I would have the chance to see Soul Doctor on Broadway, I wondered if I would be able to connect to the subject matter since I am not an overly religious person and I assumed that the show would be laden with boring religious overtones and connotations that I would not be able to relate to. Nothing could have been further from the truth... Soul Doctor tells the story of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who is credited with being the father of popular Jewish music. His ascent to this title … [Read more...]
Check Out My Interview Of David Soren, Director Of Turbo! #TurboMovie
*This post was written by me on behalf of 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation. All opinions are 100% mine. This past week I had the pleasure of interviewing David Soren, the Director/Screenwriter of Turbo the movie. Before our interview, I did a little background research on his accomplishments and I was very impressed to find out that he directed "Merry Madagascar" the first animated holiday television special starring the beloved quartet of Central Park Zoo animals from Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape to Africa. Seeing as how this is one of my sons' favorite animated films, I knew that I was in for a real treat being able to speak to him about what inspired him to create these films. Soren joined DreamWorks Animation after graduating from Sheridan College, located near his hometown of Toronto, Canada. His latest project, Turbo, raced into theaters on July 17th in 3D. It features the story of a snail named Turbo who aspires to win the Indy 500 despite the … [Read more...]
7 Years Bad Luck?
I have been extremely superstitious since I was a little girl. It all stems back to my childhood in Spain being raised by my Grandmother. She would always tell me stories about the region of Spain we were from called Galicia and how it was known for being the land of witches and incantations. Fast forward a few years to my maternal grandmother who was very superstitious and warned us about the bad luck that would befall us if we put our shoes on the table, opened an umbrella in the house, or walked past a black cat. I never fully understood why doing these things was considered bad but I definitely sensed the foreboding and fear in her eyes as she warned us against doing any of them. Now, don't go thinking that I'm a witch or anything because there is always that random reader who reads too much into posts and will go on a rant in the comments below about how they are unsubscribing because I have "wandered into the dark side." Rest assured that this is not the case … [Read more...]
