*This sponsored post was written by me in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Kleenex. All opinions are 100% mine. Although we don't go back to school here in New York City until the beginning of September, many places across the country are preparing to begin school soon. All parents and students understand the importance of preparing for the beginning of the school year and making sure that kids have all of the necessary materials and resources to help them begin their new grade successfully. As an educator and parent, one of my concerns when it's time for Back to School is making sure to decrease the spread of germs as much as possible. Kleenex brand is supporting the Back to School season by supporting healthy kids in the classroom with their Everyday Tissue with Sneeze Shield. Not only is their tissue extremely soft but it's also a very useful in the classroom because it helps to decrease the spreading of germs. This is accomplished through their … [Read more...]
Look Good And Feel Good Despite #ALLERGYFACE This Spring! #ZYRTEC #Ad
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zyrtec and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% mine. It's ironic that I was going to write this post today because I am suffering terribly from allergies this week. My allergies came on in full force around Wednesday afternoon with a variety of the usual symptoms including a scratchy throat, a stuffy nose, and itchy and watery eyes. Things have only gotten worse and today I feel like my head is literally going to explode with the congestion. Unfortunately, allergy symptoms not only make you feel terrible but they also wreak havoc on your facial appearance by making your eyes glassy, causing your skin to swell and look blotchy, and making the skin under your nose raw and red from continuous nose blowing. As you can see from the photo below, I'm suffering from a full blown case of what is commonly referred to as “ALLERGY FACE™” : Looking my best is very important to me so I am always seeking ways … [Read more...]
Brighten The Day Of A Deserving Mom This Mother’s Day! #JohnsonsBabyCares
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Johnson's Baby and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% mine. I met my good friend Lauren almost seven years ago. From the moment I met her, she always made it clear that she wanted to have children one day. From the way that she has interacted from the beginning with my own boys, I knew right away that she would make a great mother. She is very affectionate and loving towards them and thinks nothing of rolling up her sleeves and sitting on the floor to engage them in any activity. A few years ago, Lauren gave birth to her daughter Carmela and she proved to me right away that I had been right about her being a great mom all along. She immediately immersed herself into motherhood and did everything in her power to be the best parent for her daughter. Shortly thereafter, she gave birth to her son Mateo who completed her life and they couldn't be a happier family. Unfortunately, she has had to … [Read more...]
Protecting Students From RSV #RSVProtection
Nine years ago, our family was directly affected by RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) when our older son contracted it at six months of age. Luckily, the doctor in the emergency room immediately diagnosed him and he was put on a treatment plan to get him better. We were also very fortunate that he got sick as an older baby as it is more dangerous to younger babies or babies born prematurely. When our son was diagnosed with RSV, it was a very scary time for us. Although we had heard about how dangerous RSV is to infants, we were not fully aware of its effects. Our son became very sick from it and had trouble breathing due to all of the congestion and mucus that he had. It was very frustrating, as a parent, to not be able to immediately make him better. Thankfully, he eventually did get better but I think that not being fully educated about RSV made it an even scarier experience for all of us. The RSV season runs from November through March and it is important that … [Read more...]
Raising Preemie Awareness on World Prematurity Day! #ProtectPreemies #RSV
My nine year old son gave us quite a scare when he was six months old. He got sick and, fairly quickly, it started to affect his breathing so we immediately brought him to the emergency room. After treating him with asthma medications, he was sent home with instructions to give him treatments on the nebulizer daily to ease his breathing. While he had been in the hospital, they took a swab culture of the mucus in his nose and told us they would contact us in a few days with the results. A couple of days later, our Pediatrician called us and he told us that our son had tested positive for RSV. I had heard this term before on television and knew it was a respiratory disease that was extremely dangerous to premature babies. Little did I know that it could be dangerous to all babies under a year old and that it could potentially be lethal to preemies. We were lucky because our boy was old enough and strong enough to recover from it quickly. Unfortunately, premature … [Read more...]
Global Motherhood Unites Mothers Around The World #InspireCare #Latism
These photos represent a few of the many programs supported by Johnson & Johnson and its partner organizations to serve the health and well-being needs of communities and people around the world. To read more about these programs and others that help us care for those in need, please visit our website:http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/. Being a mother is the most important role that I have. At the end of my life, I want to be remembered for having been a good mother above all of my other accomplishments. Most of us have had women in our lives who nurtured us and taught us the meaning of "motherhood." In most Latino homes, grandmothers are not only the matriarchs of the family but also some of the first women who teach us what being a good mother is all about. My situation is no different. My paternal grandmother raised me during a time when my mother was incapable of handling the responsibility. I have always affectionately referred to her as "Tata" and she has … [Read more...]
The True Definition of Beauty! #DoveInspired
As an educator, I get to see first-hand what happens to young girls who have low or poor self-esteem. Almost immediately, not feeling good about themselves catapults them into a downward spiral that they cannot always recover from. This is especially true during adolescence when the added factors of going through puberty and peer pressure cause many young girls to doubt their own self-worth. Many of my female students come to me to share their feelings about not being pretty enough, about not being as beautiful as their friends, or wondering why certain boys are not interested in them. Notice that all of these feelings stem from what they think other people's perception is of who they are or whether they are good enough. The thing that is lacking from this equation is a feeling of love and worthiness from within. The problem is that a lot of young girls have not been taught how to love and value themselves first. We need to teach young girls and young women that they … [Read more...]
Parenting From A Dad’s Point Of View! #HuggiesLatino
Most mothers have absolutely no problem articulating what some of the challenges of being a parent are. They will brag about their beautiful children and sing their praises but they will also tell you that parenting can be stressful and messy at times too. Now dads, on the other hand, also have their own point of view on the joys of parenthood but we rarely get to hear their take on being a parent or how they cope with the difficulties involved in raising children. Now my husband always has an opinion on everything and is the best father I know so, who better to interview to get the dads point of view on parenting? After much coaxing, he finally agreed to answer some of my questions and I am very excited to share his responses with all of you here: -What are your tips for new dads? "Never lose patience. There will always be an accident, a mess, something you don't know yet and you will learn everything you need to know as you go. Parenting will get … [Read more...]
Make Your Voice Be Heard This Election! #WeDecide
I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. From as far back as I could remember, my family taught me the importance of getting a good education. They shared with me details about the various doors that would be opened to me by having a good education. I vowed then and there that, not only would I always strive to further my own education but that I would also do everything in my power to make education accessible to others. Unfortunately, education has been denied historically to groups of people for a variety of reasons including religion, race, cultural background, and even socioeconomic status. Although we have made much progress in this area, there is still a significant difference in the numbers of minority students who are graduating from High School in comparison to other ethnic groups. As a matter of fact, 41% of Latino students and 23% of African American students DO NOT graduate from High School.* There are many reasons for this such as the fact … [Read more...]
