*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Transitions Optical. However, all opinions expressed are my own. My father has been a diabetic for over twenty years. I remember when he found out that he had Diabetes and how upset he and my mother were at the diagnosis. Over time, he learned that he had to watch his diet and take special care of his feet and his eyes. While anyone can have problems with their vision, Latinos are more likely to suffer from health conditions like Diabetes that can have adverse effects on their eyes and their life. Unfortunately, Diabetes is hereditary and, since I had gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with my younger son, I had a greater chance of having it come back after giving birth. Last year, my doctor alerted me to the fact that the Diabetes had returned and she put me on a medication regimen to control it. I am always worried about my vision and I make sure that I go for my yearly appointment to the … [Read more...]
When Is The Last Time You Had Your Eyes Checked? #TransitionsLens @Transitions #Ad
Tips For Getting Thicker, Fuller Hair! #RogaineRevival @DuaneReade @JNJCares #Giveaway #Ad
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an event co-hosted by celebrity hairstylist, Jill Crosby. It was nice to get pampered for a couple of hours and to enjoy a little "me" time. The event was held at the fabulous Salon Ziba in Manhattan and we all learned some tips and tricks for getting thicker, fuller hair. After all, what woman doesn't want to boast a glorious head of hair? According to Jill Crosby, one of the biggest hair issues that her clients have is the desire to have thick hair that looks full and healthy. I had the privilege of spending some time with Jill and getting some tips directly from her on how I could maintain the fullness of my hair: Setting heat styling products on the highest setting can damage your hair. It's better to style your hair using a moderate heat setting instead. Using thermal sprays on hair before applying heat during styling can protect your hair from unnecessary damage. A great haircut can add volume and fullness to your … [Read more...]
Luis Coronel Is Acceso Total Artist Of The Month! #LuisCoronelWMAT @accesototal #Giveaway #Ad
This afternoon while I was working online and my son was playing video games, I was playing some Latin music in our living room. Although my boys don't speak Spanish fluently, I am always playing Latin music in the car and in the house so they actually know the lyrics to a lot of popular Latino songs. I love introducing my sons to music from their culture. Over the past few months, I have seen a lot of photos on social media of some of my blogger colleagues who have had the pleasure of meeting singer-songwriter Luis Coronel. I immediately became fascinated by his career when I learned that he has been very successful musically from a very young age. Not only has his music already topped the billboard charts, but he has also won many distinguished awards. It's no surprise that Luis Coronel is Walmart’s Acceso Total's artist-of-the-month! Aside from singing, he loves to be able to share his music with his fans because he considers it as much of a dream come true to … [Read more...]
What Is Your Dream Vacation? #GetGoing @Jif #MC #Sponsored
*I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence Central for Jif To Go® Dippers. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to view the photos of family and friends, on social media, of the vacations and trips that they have taken around the world and within the United States. I've always loved traveling so I'm always on the lookout for new and exotic travel destinations that I can add to my Bucket List. This past summer, my family and I had the chance to visit the Jersey Shore and spend the weekend in Wildwoods which had been on our list of places to visit for a long time. You might wonder why we have never been there before since we live about three hours away from it. The truth is that we have very busy schedules what with me having a career and running a business and my husband recently starting his own small business too. Add to that, running around with our two energetic boys … [Read more...]
Tips For Preparing Lobster And Hosting A Lobster Party! #FDLobsterParty @FreshDirect #Ad
*I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour on behalf of FreshDirect and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Many of you are aware that I grew up in a small fishing town in Spain called Mera. My grandparents had a condominium directly across the street from the beach and I would often go fishing with my grandfather for fresh fish in his boat. Those are my earliest memories of the taste of fresh seafood because it doesn't get any fresher than fishing it out of the ocean yourself. We would bring our catch back to my grandmother and she would season and prepare it for cooking. I can't even begin to describe how delicious the scents were that filled the entire house while she was cooking. One of my favorite dishes that my grandmother prepared was lobster. Fresh lobster that is properly prepared can be tantalizing to your taste buds. Unfortunately, many people like to eat … [Read more...]
Commit Your School To Safe Teen Driving! #ManejaConCuidado @StateFarmLatino #Giveaway #Ad
*This is part of a sponsored collaboration with State Farm and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Two years ago, I attended the wake of one of my former students who was killed in a car accident. He was not the driver of the vehicle but the driver was another teenager who had just recently gotten his driver's license. It was heartbreaking to see such a young person have his promising life cut short so early. I vowed that day to help raise awareness about safe teen driving which is why I am proud to support State Farm's Celebrate My Drive® campaign. It is geared towards sharing the belief that safe driving is a lifelong commitment from the first moment each young driver sits behind the wheel. The number one cause of death among teens in North America. As the mother of a tween son who will soon be old enough to get a driver's license, I love that Celebrate My Drive® helps to promote responsible driving practices like 2N2®: 2 eyes on the … [Read more...]
Our Fun Family Picnic At The Park! #GoodFunForAll @FritoLay @SkylandersGame #Ad
*I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour on behalf of Frito-Lay and Skylanders® and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own. As the summer comes to a close in a few weeks here in New York City, I am reminded of all the fun activities that I have engaged in with my husband and sons during this time. We have fully taken advantage of the sunny and mild weather that we have had this season to spend quality time as a family and to enjoy being together outdoors. One of our favorite activities has been going on a family picnic at a local park and nature preserve. It almost felt like everything was perfect that day, from the weather to the smiles that all of us had on our faces. Up until six months ago, my husband was working nights until he got laid off. Although getting laid off imposed some financial hardships on our family, we have adjusted and grown to relish in this newfound … [Read more...]
Creamy Fruit Topped Pound Cake Recipe #SLSweetTreats @SaraLeeDesserts #Ad
*I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sara Lee. This could include Sara Lee providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment. When I think back to my childhood and the desserts that I would enjoy with my parents and my siblings, one of the treats that always comes to mind is Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake. I remember my father telling us that when our grandmother first came from Spain to the United States, this pound cake was one of the first things that she fell in love with from this new country. She loved enjoying a hot cup of coffee with a delicious slice of what she referred to as "Heaven." As we became teenagers, we enjoyed pairing our pound cake with a variety of toppings depending on what we were craving at that particular moment. I can recall eating my Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cake topped with ice cream, cookie crumbs, whipped cream, and even slathered in peanut butter and jelly. It seemed as if the possibilities were … [Read more...]
Celebrate Mothers And Help Raise Money For Childhood Cancer! #MyHeroMom #MC @NM_News #Ad
*I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating. Have you lost someone you love to cancer? Unfortunately, chances are that you have been negatively affected by this disease in one way or another. In 2007, when I was thirty years old, I was diagnosed as having Chronic Myeloid Leukemia or CML. There is no way for me to describe to all of you what a shock and horror it was to hear those words. When you are young you think you are invincible and you never expect to hear that you are afflicted with a life-threatning illness. Since I had a newborn baby and a toddler, I did not have the luxury of feeling sorry for myself and I decided to take my health into my own hands and to become proactive about my treatment. I am very blessed that advances in modern medicine have made my form of Leukemia treatable although I do still suffer from … [Read more...]
From The Mouths Of Babes… #YoureDoingOkMom #Ad
*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with JOHNSON’S® Baby and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% mine. Ever since I found out that I was going to become a mother, I worried over whether I would be able to do a good job. After all, being a mom could possibly be the most important role of a woman's life. Unfortunately, however, parenting does not come with a handbook and children certainly don't come with instructions. I love being a mom but, like most moms, I often wonder if I'm even doing this whole parenting thing right. Luckily, my boys seem to think that I am the cat's pajamas and they remind me on a daily basis that I'm doing a great job after all. I asked my eight year old son what I'm really great at and his response included, "Giving me hugs, taking care of me, scratching my back, and making sure my clothes are clean." The old saying is so true, "From the mouths of babes…" Who knew that scratching his back every … [Read more...]
