*This is part of a sponsored campaign with DiMe Media and Buena Vista Home Entertainment. However, all opinions expressed are my own. My familia, or family, is at the center of everything that I do every single day. Their love and support inspires me to sacrifice everything that I can in order to guarantee that they have the best opportunities that life has to offer. This foundation was laid decades ago by my grandparents and great-grandparents who threw caution to the wind and traveled to distant lands so that their descendants could benefit from some of the things that they did not have access to such as education and democracy. On my father's side, my paternal grandparents migrated to Venezuela from Spain to have access to gainful employment so they could provide for their two children, my Dad and my Aunt. Although it was difficult to make the transition to a new country, away from all their family and friends, they sacrificed and saved all their money in order to … [Read more...]
How Does Your Familia Inspire You? #McFarlandUSA #MiFamilia #Giveaway #Ad
Upgrade Your Bathroom Experience! #TuiteaDesdeElTrono @CharminLatino #Partner
*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Charmin and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own. The last few months, I have been working hard to remodel some of the rooms in our home one by one. Although we redid the bathroom a couple of years ago, it is already in need of some new touches to make it a little more comfortable and inviting. After all, it is probably the room in the house that we spend the most time in besides our bedrooms. Growing up, one of the ways that my Grandmother added special touches to the bathroom is by displaying crystal and ceramic figurines on a glass shelf on top of the sink. She would also fill glass bowls over the toilet with potpourri and with scented soaps. As soon as you walked into the bathroom, you would immediately be greeted with these distinctive scents. To this day, I strive to create this kind of pleasing experience in my own bathroom to make it feel like home or "como en casa." This summer, … [Read more...]
I Lend My Voice To The Voiceless… #Bloggers4Venezuela #PrayForVenezuela #SOSVenezuela
There comes a time in every Blogger's career where he or she has to decide whether to mesh politics into their posts. Normally I don't discuss politics here but, my conscience is beseeching me to talk about what is happening in Venezuela with my readers. Last weekend, I watched a YouTube video describing and depicting how college students in Venezuela had taken to the streets to protest peacefully against a government that was denying citizens its civil rights. Now, I don't plan on spending a lot of time talking about the government because, frankly, they just don't deserve that kind of attention. What I would like to focus upon is that we live in modern times where we would expect people to be able to speak freely and to be guaranteed basic human rights. That is the real issue here, human beings are being denied the right to be free and to exercise free will. As Bloggers, we cover topics regularly on a variety of subjects and our readers respect what we say. Since … [Read more...]
Dessert Meets My Perfect Companion! #CompañeroPerfecto @Coffee_Mate #Giveaway #Ad
*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Coffee Mate. I received a promotional item to facilitate this review and as a thank you item for participating. All opinions are my own. When I was growing up in my Grandmother's house as a young girl, having visitors during the middle of the day was always a big production. From the moment that the doorbell rang, we would all hurry to welcome our guests and to help Tata (Grandma) prepare the coffee and pull out all of the pastries, cookies and cakes that we kept in the house for just these visits. I was always in awe as to how much coffee and dessert could be arranged in such a short time. One of my fondest memories is the smell of coffee permeating the house and mixing with the perfumes of our female visitors. Oh, how I wanted to grow up and be beautiful and gracious like these wonderful women whom I was surrounded by. Now that I have my own family, it is important to me to maintain those wonderful … [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...]
A Whole New Generation Of El Chavo Fans! @ElChavoToys #Giveaway #Sponsored
*This post was written by me on behalf of Jakks Pacific. I received a product sample to review. All opinions are 100% mine. Growing up, most Latino kids knew and loved El Chavo. He spoke our language, made us laugh with his funny antics, and taught us about friendship. It didn't matter whether you lived in New York City or Miami, we all felt connected to his kind heart and his enthusiasm. We also loved the rest of his quirky friends and his many unforgettable catchphrases such as "Eso, eso, eso!" (Thassit!, thatssit!, thassit!) What many people don't know is that El Chavo was also a global phenomenon and is beloved internationally as much as he is here in the United States. El Chavo is the number one family property for Latinos and the most profitable entertainment franchise in the Spanish-speaking world. Today re-runs of El Chavo del 8 are watched worldwide in over 90 countries, including the United States, Latin America, Brazil, and Spain. For those of … [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...]
Get Moving With My Latin Music Playlist! #SeHablaMusica
*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Target. All opinions are 100% mine. Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target. Last night, my family and I attended my nephew's first birthday party at my sister's house. We all had a a great time talking, laughing, celebrating, and dancing. As a matter of fact, one of the party games that my sister had planned for all the kids was a dance contest. It was really a joy seeing my sons and nephews jamming to their favorite songs and spending family time together. I can't recall any holiday or family event that we have had over the years that didn't include some kind of music and dancing. It's almost as if the music is in our blood as Latinos and it moves us from within. Basically, it's an extension of who we are and a large part of our culture and traditions. Over the years, I have added a variety of songs to my Latin music playlist that move me and remind me of memorable events in my life. When … [Read more...]
What Are You Teaching Your Kids About Gender?
Being a woman, I have always been very sensitive to words or actions that pigeonhole females into prescribed gender roles. The reason for this has a lot to do with the experiences that I have had academically, professionally, and culturally. No matter how far we have come as a society with regards to tolerance and equality, one cannot deny that there still exist many stereotypes about what women's and men's roles in society should be. From a parent's perspective who is trying to raise two boys, I am even more aware of the messages that my husband and I are sending our sons about gender and equal rights. Unfortunately, however, my husband has been a little more resistant over the years to letting go of some of the "Machismo" that he was raised with in a Latino household. You see, in traditional Latin culture like in many other cultures, boys are raised to be strong and to be providers while women are raised to take care of the home and be the nurturers of the … [Read more...]
M&M’S “I M“ Campaign Celebrates The Uniqueness Of Latinos! @mmsbrown
As a Latino family, we take pride in participating in any event that celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of Latinos all over the world. We want to instill a sense of culture and community in our children and we want them to connect to their heritage and roots. This past Summer, M&M’S launched the “I M“ Campaign which was designed to celebrate and recognize the uniqueness of Latino consumers. Part of this campaign included introducing new M&M’S Spokescharacters such as Señorita Brown, Red and Yellow. They have been sharing their unique personalities online and in commercials. To celebrate how unique and proud our Latino family is, we designed our own individual "I M" T-shirts that showcase the characteristics that make us who we are. As you can see, my "I M" T-shirt defines me as a "maestra" or teacher. Our older son chose to share his love of basketball with his "I M Deportista" or athlete T-shirt. Lastly, our little guy's T-shirt … [Read more...]
