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...]
I’m Done Trying-The Mother In Law Chronicles
Since becoming a mother, my perspective on a lot of things has changed considerably. I suppose bringing new life into the world has its ways of shuffling your priorities. It's no secret that I have never had a close relationship with my Mother In Law. I'm not going to get into the reasons why this is so, all you have to do is type "Mother In Law" into this blog's search and you will learn all about our rocky history. The sad part is that my last post a few years ago was actually hopeful after a surprise visit where everyone got along... Unfortunately, she has been an absentee grandmother in my sons' lives and the good feelings were short lived. To be fair to her, she lives 12 hours away in another state and does not come to New York City very often. On the other hand, as a mother, I cannot even fathom how maintaining contact with her grandsons is not more of a priority for her. There really is no excuse with all of the technology that is available to keep in touch even … [Read more...]
Homemade Remedies And Beauty Tips Passed Down From Abuela! #ALLERGYFACE #ZYRTEC #Ad
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zyrtec and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% mine. Growing up, I always struggled with having combination skin which was difficult to control, especially during allergy season. It didn't help that my allergies would act up and contribute to my blotchy appearance by adding red splotches to my skin and puffing up my eyes and nose. As a result, I was always looking for ways to diminish and combat my ALLERGY FACE™. My grandmother raised me and she has always been a big believer in natural and homemade remedies for almost every issue or ailment. She also used these same natural ingredients in her skin care regimen. One particular plant that I remember her using for a wide variety of problems was the Eucalyptus plant that grew right around the area surrounding our land. We would walk together and collect them to use in her many do-it-yourself beauty recipes and remedies. Whenever I had a stuffy … [Read more...]
I Am In You, You Are In Me…
My Grandmother and my youngest son at his first birthday party in 2007. This evening, I received some bad news. I found out that my Grandmother is very ill. Aside from the obvious reasons why this would be upsetting, it is even more difficult to deal with this because she is so far away from me. You see, she lives in Spain which is really a world away right now. In these times, most would probably say that traveling from one continent to another is a breeze due to the advances that we have made with technology in the area of travel. This information does nothing to fill the void that one feels when a loved one is ill and so far away from them. My Grandmother has always understood the family ramifications that come with the territory of travelling around the world. She and my Grandfather have travelled extensively throughout their lives and have actually lived and worked in Europe, South America, and the United States. That is actually how my father met my mother, … [Read more...]
