Growing up in a Hispanic household, I vividly recall seeing the curio cabinets that were prominently displayed in the homes of my grandmother and godmother. They were full of sentimental items that us kids were not allowed to touch as we were too clumsy and might drop one of them. The only time I can recall seeing these items up close was when the cabinets would be opened for dusting and, even then, we were not allowed to touch anything unsupervised. My godmother, Millie, had an extensive Precious Moments figurine collection which she prized and loved receiving new additions as gifts during special occasions from my godfather. I remember thinking how much I would love to have my own Precious Moments collection one day when I was a young girl. This year, Precious Moments, one of the world’s most recognized and inspirational brands known for their adorable figurines, is celebrating its big 40th Anniversary. I couldn't think of a better time to start my own collection in order to … [Read more...]
Celebrate Life’s Special Precious Moments #PreciousMoments @PreciousMoment #Ad
Celebrating 30 Years Of Marriage With My In-Laws!
This weekend, I had the pleasure of celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary with my In-Laws. They celebrated this special milestone with their three children and three out of their four grandchildren. It was heartwarming to see how much in love they still are with one another after being together for so many years. I could tell by their beaming smiles how happy they were to be surrounded by their kids and grandkids and it really made me reflect on what they both have meant to me since Hubby and I have been together. You see, although my Mother In Law Donna is technically my husband's stepmother, she has always treated me like a daughter and always made me feel like part of the family. Additionally, my husband has never considered her anything less than his mother. In light of the fact that my husband's biological mother does not speak to me or to my children, the fact that Donna has stepped into both the roles of Mother in Law to me and grandmother to our boys … [Read more...]
Celebrating 50 Years Of A Charlie Brown Christmas! #CBXmas @Snoopy #Giveaway #Partner
*I participated in this campaign as a Peanuts 50 Years on TV Brand Ambassador. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating. All opinions are 100% my own. One of my fondest memories from my childhood is sitting around the television set every Christmas season to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was something that my siblings and I looked forward to every year as we embraced the holiday spirit and cherished our time together as a family. Now that we all have our own children, we are trying to pass down this family tradition to our kids so they can also have the fond memories that we do of these times. Peanuts Worldwide is kicking off a year-long celebration of 50 years of A Charlie Brown Christmas! December 2014 marks the 50th time the beloved special will air on television. As a Peanuts Ambassador, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jill Schulz, 56, the youngest of Charles M. Schulz’s five children, with bloggers around the … [Read more...]
The Secret To Our Long And Happy Marriage
Today is our 14th wedding anniversary. Without a doubt, I can honestly tell you that the last fourteen years have been the best ones of my life. Have they been easy? Hell no! However, they have been full of love, joy, and lots of laughter. My husband makes me a better person and he has given me the greatest gifts that I have ever received, my two boys. We spent this whole weekend together reflecting on our marriage and the things that have given our relationship longevity and this is the criteria that we came up with: Love is nice but it just isn't enough sometimes. We have found that we are friends first and genuinely enjoy each other's company as people and individuals. Open communication is key. It's important to talk through everything even if the topic is a difficult one to broach. Holding back feelings or thoughts can fester and cause resentment in the relationship over time. Give each other time to pursue interests separately. Although we are … [Read more...]
Eleven Years Ago…
Eleven years ago today, I married the love of my life and it was the beginning of an adventure that continues today. These days, we are the proud parents of two wonderful and beautiful boys, homeowners, and firmly embedded into the American Dream. However, every great story has a beginning and ours is pretty unconventional to say the least... Although many of you have heard me state previously that this is my second marriage, it is not something that I discuss very often because the first marriage is in the past and, to be quite honest, I don't feel that it is generally even worthy of wasting too much time talking about. You see, I like many other people, married my High School sweetheart first because I was drunk with all of the fantasies and romantic notions that young women sometimes have about their first loves. Unfortunately, reality kicked in rather quickly and we both realized that we were too young and inexperienced and that we were totally unprepared to … [Read more...]
