easy summer

It was a really good weekend. Saturday we had a party here at home to celebrate Audrey's 5th birthday, she had such a great time... first thing she said to me this morning "that was the best birthday party ever!" (pictures soon).

This morning we stayed in pajamas till late, cleaned up after yesterday's party and checked out all the fun presents she received.

We spent the hot afternoon visiting friends, grilling goodies and splashing in their pool. All of us in the mood of summer. We each brought food and drinks to share and I think this is my favorite part of summer.


Something so simple as getting together in the backyard,  spending time with family, sharing a drink with friends and eating all the simple yet delicious foods of summer can remind you how thankful you are for being here, and having the chance to live another summer.


I love how easy it is to feel satisfied with a dish of fresh salads and fruits... add a chicken breast or hot dog on the grill and it makes a dish extra special.

Fresh & Easy sent us a gift card to help us enjoy the freshness of food this summer.  It's one of my favorite places to shop because of how easy it is to grab something good for my family to eat.  Their ready made dishes and ingredients are always fresh and it's always nice not having to worry about artificial colors or flavors. Iv'e bragged about Fresh & Easy to you before....not only do they make weeknight dinners a whole lot easier...they make summer grilling a lot of fun.

We packed our bag high with fruit, lemonade, a yummy salad, chips and everything we needed to grill with friends.  For dessert we chose ice cream, they have the yummiest ice cream!

I hope your weekend was as much fun as ours!!!

I have a Fresh & Easy coupon to share with you (expires July 7th), it will make your summer grilling extra yummy!

PS. There are no plans to close any portion of Fresh & Easy, not sure who the knew owner will be...but it's definitely staying open!  This makes me really happy!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

summer

  I sit with feet swinging in the water, watching Audrey splash water in all directions, baby Frank sits on my lap sucking on a soggy potato chip. 

The kids don't have school tomorrow, no summer camp, no playdate or anything at all planned.  They might watch a little too much TV or eat too many popsicles. 

And I feel free. 

It's summer. 

Juanes in Concert (Weekend Giveaway)

Disclosure: Brisk Iced Tea is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. I received no type of compensation. This program is not administered or sponsored by Brisk Iced Tea or its affiliates, but solely by Culture Mami. 

Hola queridas! The weekend is here and I'm really happy to start it out with an awesome giveaway! 

Brisk Iced Tea has partnered with Grammy award-winning, Colombian singer-songwriter, Juanes to support his 2013 U.S. Loud & Unplugged Tour. Through this partnership I'm giving one lucky Culture Mami mami in the Los Angeles area the chance to see Juanes live in concert!

This is perfect for you LA area mom's in need of a mom's night out with a girlfriend, sister or a date night with hubby. I'm in need of one! :)

The Giveaway!

One of you will win a Bold Brisk Bag that includes: 

two priority tickets to Los Angeles Juanes concert (May 25th at the Nokia Theatre),

an autographed Juanes poster, and a $50 Amex gift card. 

LA moms, if you were a Bold Brisk flavor....which one would you be? 

Lipton Brisk Sweet Iced Tea

Lipton Brisk Mango Iced Tea

Lipton Brisk Ginseng Iced Green Tea

Lipton Brisk Raspberry Iced Tea

I would definitely be a Lipton Brisk Raspberry Iced Tea, because I love the word Raspberry in Spanish... Frambuesa.

To enter leave a comment letting me know your flavor, I'll pick a winner on Monday, May 20th, email you if you are the winner and have Brisk send you the Bold Brisk Bag!

For a second chance to win, share this giveaway on twitter with the hashtag #AlEstiloBrisk ... and leave a comment letting me know you did. 

Suerte!!

*contest in now closed. Lex @laprimera won the Bold Brisk Bag by random drawing. Congrats!

Kate Spade South of the Border

Kate Spade South of the Border by marcelabeatty featuring kate spade tote

It's like 100º in Pasadena today! Ahh! I'm in a tank top, shorts and sandals.... and very much feeling all these summer accessories.
Paletas, colores..and a bottle opener necklace. All summer must haves. (:

Happy Mother's Day!

Have a beautiful weekend! xoxo

Aveeno is throwing a twitter party...and you're invited

I always have fun at these...and hope you can come and hang out with us as we chat all things beauty and skincare.  I along with some most fabulous ladies will be hosting the twitter party and introducing you (if you aren't in love already) to their Aveeno Active Naturals skin care line. 

I've gotten a chance to try all these products myself and can't wait to share my thoughts and answer any questions while we talk all things Aveeno.

Some of my favorites:

Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30

I wear this daily. It blends away my imperfections and protects my skin from the sun.  It's a must if you live in sunny weather. I'm pretty happy with being able to moisturize, add a little color and protect my skin from the sun all at the same time. It's a time saver...something that is always appreciated. 

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads

Call me lazy but I love me some cleansing pads. I really dislike the clean my makeup off wash my face dry my face routine... I usually leave that for the shower. These pads are soap-free, oil-free and hypoallergenic, they are good at removing the oil, dirt and makeup after a night at work or a day running around after the kids yet still sensitive enough for my skin. Another time saver!!

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

This oatmeal based lotion always leaves my skin soft. Audrey and I both suffer from eczema (mine gets really bad when I'm stressed) and this really helps with the itchiness and dryness. I also love using it at work after all the frequent hand washing I do. 

Are you using Aveeno? We would love to hear about your experience!

Join us Wednesday April 22d at 9pm EST/ 6pm PST on twitter by following the hashtag #AveenoActiveNaturals. 

Make sure to follow the hosts @chicanol @clubdelasdiosas @mamaholistica @mejoramihogar @mom2miahaudrey and @naturalmentmama along with moderators @LBConnect and @laflowers

Three winners will win a $150 prize pack filled with Aveeno products and a gift card!

Can't wait to see you at #AveenoActiveNaturals twitter party,  

Marcela xoxoxo

on three

It's been awhile. Sorry friends. It seems loving on three hasn't left me with a lot of extra time.

Baby Frank is seven months old. I am absolutely in love with him. His smile. His laugh. His big stretches in the morning when I unwrap him from his swaddle. I feel so needed and loved by him.

He has recently discovered how to clap his hands. It's my favorite.
And has also discovered that he really dislikes being left alone to play or not being carried.

I might as well call Jeremiah a teenager because it's just a few more months before he turns thirteen. He sure is acting like one. (: He sleeps more and eats more and is taller than I am. He is still trying to find his balance between friendships, social life, school work and responsibilities and I'm still finding the best way I can be there for him through all of this, give him the privacy he needs and still shower him with love. He is kind, so helpful and I am so proud to call him my son. 

Audrey started preschool this year. She loves all the friends she's made. Loves the projects, and the art and everything she is learning. She's become quite the dictionary and is excited to tell us about the new word of the day she has learned at school. She's also learned all the continents and makes sure she lets everyone know. 

She enjoys dressing herself and picking out her outfits and if I let her will pick out the frilliest, most pink, and glittery outfit she can find every time. 

She's good at driving me crazy. She's a go get it, won't take no for an answer type of person... I love it and dislike it all at the same time. As divalicious as she is sometimes she is perfect. A sweet and darling friend. My favorite lunch date and shopping partner. 

Juggling three is tough. They are all in such different stages of their lives and most days I'm not very good at finding the time, energy and patience each of them needs. I'm a work in progress...all I can promise to be good at is love them no matter what.