*I participated in this campaign on behalf of Gain. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating. All opinions are my own. Many people don't know a lot about the Bronx aside from what they have seen on television or in the movies. This borough of New York City is often depicted in a less than favorable light and we don't get the credit that we deserve for being full of decent and hardworking people. That is why I was so excited when I found out that Gain was coming to the Bronx to transform local neighborhood laundromats into something special. I immediately knew that this would help to spread an unexpected dose of joy throughout our community! This past Friday, I had the pleasure of meeting Bronx-born musician Leslie Grace, who has partnered with Gain, to showcase how art, music and culture collide to celebrate the launch of six community-decorated Laundromats throughout the Bronx, Spanish Harlem and Washington … [Read more...]
Unlock An Unexpected Dose Of Joy! #MusicToYourNose @GainLatino @Gain #Giveaway #Ad
Submit Idea To Improve Your Community! #StateFarmAyuda #SFNeighborhoodAssist @StateFarm #Ad
*This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Latina Mom Bloggers and State Farm. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Recently, I shared with you all how you could make your community a better place. State Farm Neighborhood Assist wants to help you breathe new life into your neighborhood! By submitting your ideas around making local Hispanic communities better places to live in, you will be entered for the chance to win $25,000 to realize those dreams. I'm very excited to announce that submissions are NOW being accepted until the first 4,000 submissions have been received – on or before March 23rd! ¿Qué esperas? I can't even begin to describe to you how much I would be able to do with that money by way of improving the community around the school I teach in. Many of my students and their families struggle financially and they do not have a safe place in the community to go to after they leave school. ¡sería un sueño hecho realidad! My dream would … [Read more...]
Tragedy Struck Close To Home Today…
This morning, a tragic event took place in my neighborhood, right around the corner from my house. It all started at approximately 7:45 a.m. I was driving to work and talking to my mother on the Bluetooth while I was driving. While we were talking, I heard the faint sound of sirens in the background behind her and remember thinking it was weird because we live in a very quiet community where you hardly hear any city sounds at all. Since I was rushing to get to work, I never even had time to ask her what was going on and eventually ended the conversation and entered my job. Fast forward to this afternoon, I am driving home from work when I notice at least 4 different news vans parked all around the corner at the end of my block. I immediately started wondering if the sirens I had heard that morning while I was talking to my Mom had anything to do with it. Without stopping, I drove up to my house and called my husband who proceeded to tell me that a fire had broken … [Read more...]
Celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week!
I have been a New York City public school teacher for almost thirteen years and, during this time, I have had the opportunity to observe how many children are in desperate need of role models and community establishments for them to spend time off the city streets. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has addressed this need in many inner-city communities by providing a variety of programs to equip America's kids who are in crisis with the skills necessary to succeed. Some of these programs include education and career training, character and leadership building, health and life skills, the Arts, sports, and fitness activities. As a whole, they are designed to give children hope for a better future and to provide them with new opportunities that they might not otherwise have had access to. Many of the kids who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of America begin to engage in more positive behaviors and set personal goals which eventually allow them to become independent and … [Read more...]
Win A Donation To A Local Food Bank In Your Own Community! #HormelFamily
Every year, my husband and I give a turkey away for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. Since he works at a produce market, his employers give him two large turkeys for both holidays and we figure it's the least we could do by paying it forward to some deserving families during the season. There is nothing like the feeling one gets when doing something for someone in need. It really is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. Years ago, when we were still dating, my husband and I went out with members of his mother's church to feed homeless people during the holidays. It was scary for me at first because I did not know what to expect when crawling under some of the bridges and underpasses where homeless people seek refuge. Believe it or not, these people are just like you and I except that they fell upon some hard times. The people we fed were so thankful to have a hot meal and even enjoyed having some conversation and companionship. The holidays are the perfect … [Read more...]
Hurricane Sandy Did Not Stop Halloween in NYC!
I spent a lot of time today pondering over whether or not we should take the boys Trick or Treating this evening. After all, the entire East Coast and Tri-state area is still suffering from the horrible effects of Hurricane Sandy earlier this week. Although we are fine and did not sustain any damage to our home, many of our neighbors did and our neighborhood is full of felled trees and downed power lines. As an educator, I understand the importance of returning to a sense of normalcy for children after any natural disaster or tragedy. My sons, much like many of the children who were affected by this storm, have lived through and experienced the anxiety involved in waiting for the storm to hit, sitting through the storm, and assessing damages afterwards. They have been looking forward to celebrating Halloween all month. Since we purchased their costumes last month, my husband and I decided to just throw caution to the wind and … [Read more...]
