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. (:

Dia de los Muertos Cultural Festival at Rose Hills

Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary is celebrating it's 3rd annual Dia de los Muertos Cultural Festival this weekend. 

Audrey and I went last year and had such a good time...we plan to go again this year! They have an art exhibit, arts and crafts activities for kids, face painting, yummy food, local vendor area and music/dance entertainment. 

It's such a fun way to learn about the culture and heritage of Dia de los Muertos. 

The event will be Sunday October 28th from 11-5:30pm and admission is free.

If you are looking for fun ways to celebrate this holiday at home check out this awesome post featuring all things Dia de los Muertos at Spanglish Baby.

Avocado and Chicken Tostadas

Growing up Avocados were always in our home. I remember eating them over a chicken and rice dinner, sprinkled over soup, with beans and tortillas, or just by themselves with a little dash of lemon juice and salt on top (Audrey's favorite way of devouring them). We could always find them at Latin markets along with all our other Latino food staples like platanos, tortillas, and queso fresco. 

When it was time for me to have a kitchen of my own... I think I inherited the need for them.

These day's you can usually find traces of avocado on little cheeks in our home... one of Audrey's favorite foods.  Thanks to Avocados from Mexico we can now find them at any local supermarket. Avocados from Mexico are always available...  aguacates bloom in Mexico naturally year round, so we can enjoy rich and creamy avocados anytime of the year... specially during the summer when avocados make any salad or dish extra yummy and a guacamole makes any gathering extra special. 

And of coarse the yummy bean, avocado and tortilla dish that Jeremiah and Audrey have inherited a love for. Seeing a pot of beans cooking at grandmas house always makes them happy. 


Another dish that makes them happy are tostadas.


Tostadas are the perfect summer dish. Whether eating them for dinner, on a picnic or outside with friends. Maybe it's because you can eat them with your hands or maybe all the fun toppings...

I have a tostada recipe to share with you... Avocado and Chicken Tostadas, a perfect combination of crispy, creamy and yummy. A recipe that is super easy to make and can be enjoyed any day of the week. Buying store bought rotisserie chicken and salsa verde make it a lot easier but you can also make these at home. Play with the ingredients to you and your family's liking...in my case (for Audrey) separating a bit of the mixture before adding tomato.

Avocado and Chicken Tostadas

Ingredients:

8 tortillas
oil for frying 
salt
1 avocado mashed
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced tomato
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup salsa verde (I use store bought but homemade is extra yummy)
1/2 cup queso fresco

Directions:

Add enough oil (enough to cover tortilla) to a deep frying pan. Cook tortillas one at a time until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan,place on paper towel lined dish and sprinkle with salt.

Mix chicken,red cabbage,onion,tomato,lime,olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Spread mashed avocado over tostadas,then add chicken mixture. Add salsa verde to your liking and sprinkle with queso fresco. 

Enjoy!





Make sure to visit Avocados from Mexico fan site for more avocado recipes.



*This is part of a sponsored campaign with Avocados from Mexico and Latina Bloggers Connect. All thoughts and the recipe are my own. 

cat fancy

Today I'm fancying Ana's doll... Minena.  I really need to get one of these pretties for Audrey. So feminine, petite and just plain wonderful.

(Iv'e shared more of Ana's dolls)

cola in a bag

During my visits to El Salvador I have always thought drinking from a bag is fun...





(gracias a mami for sharing with me the video this morning)

Time magazine on attachment parenting

I'd have to argue with Time magazine that breastfeeding your three and a half year old is extreme parenting.... and the whole "are you mom enough?" is just plain silly (we are all mom enough to love our children whichever way we parent) yet I applaud  the moms that shared their stories and photographs for taking another step towards normalizing attachment parenting.

Most of you know that I loved baby-wearing Audrey, breastfed her till she was 3 and that she still shares a bed with Kip and I.

I breastfed Jeremiah till he was 2, co slept till he was 6, and really wish I would have known more about baby-wearing then...

It's what feels right for our family. For us, there was never a need to read the benefits of doing this from a book and we definitely wouldn't call Dr. Bill Sears our guru (I don't even think Kip knows who this is). This type of parenting just happened for us. We respect any parenting choice and know that love is really the most important.

When baby arrives we plan to breastfeed, baby-wear and co sleep as well.

What are your thoughts on the cover/article? Personally... I can't wait to pick up a copy.

Wouldn't it be awesome if they would have included a Latina or black mother in their pictures!?

There is a whole series of articles on breastfeeding and attachment parenting on Time magazine ATM....would love to hear your thoughts/comments....

drinks to keep you warm

During the winter and specially during the holidays I get cravings for all my favorite warm drinks. These drinks remind me of growing up...hanging out a friends house, visiting grandma in El Salvador, celebrating the holiday's with loved ones, or loving it when a family friend or relative dropped it off as a gift. Here are some of my favorite drinks during the Holidays...

Mexican hot chocolate via Mommy Maestra

Ponche Navideño via Viva la Vida

cafe de olla via Presley's Pantry

Atol de Elote via La Cipota

What are some of your favorite warm drinks during the Holidays?
If you have a link to a yummy recipe, please leave it in the comments!

my accent on vlog

Doing this was so much fun! Steph was the inspiration, and as much as I get nervous about being on camera this really wasn't all that bad...fun actually ( :

You should do one too! 

here is the list of words

aunt, route, wash, oil, theatre, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, sure,data, ruin, crayon, toilet, New Orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, spitting image, Alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, syrup, pajamas, caught 

and questions

what is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

what is the bug that curls into a little ball?

what is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

what do you call gym shoes?

what do you say to address a group of people?

what do you call the kind of spider that has an oval shaped body and extremely long legs?

what do you call your grandparents?

what do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

what do you call it when the rain falls while the sun is shining?

what is the thing you use to change the tv channel?

living after tragedy

I really want to see this. The Tiniest Place.
A documentary by Tatiana Huezo, a Latina born in El Salvador and raised in Mexico.

It's a story about how people find a way to keep living even after surviving a tragedy, in this case El Salvador's civil war, and takes place in Cinquera, a small town in the jungles of El Salvador.

What's the last documentary you saw? Do you love them as much as I do?

You can read more about Tatiana in this interview.

Audrey Hepburn Piñata

Months ago while having fun at a friends birthday party... my best friend says to me...


"I wonder when the kids will break the piñata?"


"How do you know they have a piñata?" I replied. 


"Their Latinos... Latinos always have piñatas at birthday parties." 


Sure enough, they had a piñata.


So, of coarse Audrey had a pinãta at her birthday.

I found this....

so appropriate ( :

I ordered it from Whack! Piñateria, each one of their piñatas are so perfect.

Jeremiah and Audrey had fun filling it with candy, small crayon boxes and small toys days before the party.

The goodie bags they decorated caught all the treats and when they got ready to go home were perfect for carrying the parting gift (ice cream shaped bubbles inspired from here).

Is a piñata a must for your parties?

Jeremiah wearing Audrey Hepburn glasses ( :

(thank you for reading friends....xoxoxo)

Pampers First Fathers Day Celebration

Last weekend was the Fathers Day Celebration hosted by Pampers and myself.  Iv'e been meaning to share with all of you on how it went... I am super thrilled to say that it was a great success.  

The weather was perfect, the view gorgeous (Santa Monica beach), there was food, bubble machines, coloring books, gifts, a latin jazz band, free massages, a super fun photo booth and so many beautiful Latino families. 

The turn out was fantastic, I hope all the dad's that attended felt special (they are).

Thanks to "likes" from you Pampers threw parties like this (First Fathers Day Cook-Outs) all across the country via their Little Miracle Missions campaign... these personal touches make a brand stand out from all the rest.

You can learn more about the great things they are up to via Pampers Facebook page. 

I got to meet in person some of my readers, and saw friends, and fellow bloggers (whom I adore) and was in baby heaven. 

Babies make any party special. 

And this party had a lot of them. ( :

I seriously wish I could share every picture with you! 

They are each so perfect. 

A huge thanks to Pampers for choosing me for this project... this event was all about family and culture... both things dear to my heart.

*I was given monetary compensation for working on this project, attending the event, and blogging about it. It still was a super event, something I put a lot of me into, and feel proud to be a part of. 

*photos via www.shutteryou.com (a very cool photo booth for events)

Celebrating Women

It's National Women's Health week... a reminder for all of us to get our regular check ups.  

Being a nurse I often notice that cultural and language barriers keep Latinas from being able to explain their symptoms or understand their doctor's advice. 

I think in our culture we are either taught not to trust our doctors or never question what they say. 

Yet... how can we trust them if we are scared and never question? How can we decide what's right for us whether it be childbirth, cancer or diabetes if we don't learn about the options we have?

So this week not only are we going to schedule our check ups, we are also going to remember to ask, ask, and ask questions and communicate freely with our doctors...ok?

Saint John's McAlister Health Center, a local hospital, sent me info on what they are doing to bring awareness and educate Latinas in Southern California... they are doing good things like wanting to open up the dialogue in English and Spanish between patients and their doctors. 

I'm loving this hospital's mind set and hope more follow soon ... "empowering Latinas to ask questions and to communicate freely about women-related health issues is the first step in educating them". 

Let's celebrate women this week, our health and well being and remember that we are in charge of making our health a priority...

So.. fess up... when was your last check up?

My favorite women(because it only seemed appropriate)... whom I hope will always be healthy( : 

Brunette

As I brushed Audrey's hair I whispered...

You are beautiful ,  you are smart, you are funny, you have beautiful long hair...just like Rapunzel.

Audrey responded, "Rapunzel cut her hair, then she like me" (referring to the movie Tangled after her hair is cut and her hair turns brown).

I quickly answered.. yes Rapunzels hair is cut and turns brown, a beautiful brown just like yours.

This made me think.

Originally I was comparing her hair to Rapunzels long blonde hair.

Why would I compare her hair to Rapunzels long hair?  Audreys hair is not blonde.
Is this what I want Audrey to think is beautiful? Long, blonde hair? Why would I compare her hair to anyone at all?

I'm not quite sure, why I said this.  Maybe because I know how much Audrey loves Rapunzel,
 or is this what I think is beautiful?

This has been on my mind... I want Audrey to love herself just the way she is.

It's made me realize what big part I play with her self image. And how important it is for me to let her know how special she is.

Now I'm looking for a brunette Rapunzel doll with no luck so far.

This also makes me think.

Panela, tomato and Melon Salad

The kids and I have stated our vegetable garden. It was a full day of work with fights over the water hose, several breaks for snacks and getting wet, need for baths post gardening and a ladybug release to celebrate. 

  Tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, mint, cucumbers and squash. 

Audrey has a "let's water the plants mami" obcession going on and Jeremiah keeps checking out the strawberries hoping to beat the squirrels to the first one. 

I find joy in seeing my picky eaters try the different dishes from our cosecha (harvest), they are much more willing to try knowing they have worked hard at growing the veggies. 

I have a yummy recipe to share that uses plenty of seasonal fruits you might have in your garden or are easy to find in the store, including tomatoes, melon, jicama, basil, watercress and cilantro. 

It would make a perfect meal paired with bolillos or french bread...

or make a yummy salad for your Cinco de Mayo celebraciones!

Grilled Cacique® Panela over Summer Tomato & Melon Salad with Lime-Chile dressing

Ingredients:

Salad: 1 package (10oz) Cacique queso Panela, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices 

1 tbsp. olive oil

4oz assorted baby/small multi-colored tomatoes, washed in cold water

1 cup watermelon cut  cut into 1/2 inch cubes or balls using a melon baller

1 cup honeydew melon or other green melon cut into 1/2 inch cubes or balls

1/2 cup jicama, peeled and julienned 

1/4 cup fresh basil and cilantro leaves, tossed together

1 bunch watercress or baby arugula, washed in cold water,then dried well

Dressing: 1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. chipotle chile canned in adobo, minced fine with some of the sauce in the can

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

For dressing add all the ingredients together, mix well and season with salt and pepper, add more chipotle if more spice is desired

For cheese: preheat the grill or bbq. Be sure the grill grate is very clean and place it on BBq to heat up. Once the coals are ready and the grill is smoking hot, lightly oil the grill and the cheese slices. Carefully place the cheese on the grill for about 10 to 15 seconds until the cheese takes some grill marks, and then remove from the grill. 

For salad: lay a bed or watercress or baby arugula on a large platter. Arrange the assorted melons, tomatoes and jicama on the greens. Lay the grilled cheese over the salad, and then drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle basil and cilantro leaves around and add a touch of salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately. 

 Enjoy!

*No compensation of any kind was given for sharing this recipe with you.  Cacique sent me this recipe just in time... when I'm planning my veggie garden dishes(:
Salad picture credit: Cacique

las sandalias de ana

Audrey's 3rd birthday will be here soon.  I'm thinking a handmade doll would be a special gift.  She doesn't have many...a couple plastic babies that have been gifted.  She tends to prefer soft little ones to hold or push in her stroller or stuff in secret hiding spots. Usually her brothers old stuffed friends. Like a tiger, a wolf, or a bear.

Yet...I think something like this she would really fall in love with. 

little red riding hood

berta y su amigo bichin

ballerina con tutu

Ana lives in Spain where she makes the most beautiful dolls and truly I really can't make up my mind which one is more special.  You can see more lovelies on her shop Las Sandalias de Ana.

Does your baby girl play with dolls? Did you play with muñecas when you were a tiny one?

Pampers Milagros LA mural

Remember the Pampers Milagros event I attended?

The Every Little Miracle campaign provides Latina mothers with support and resources for raising happy healthy niños.

Today, as part of their campaign they unveiled a mural in a LA neighborhood, a gift to a local LA school....

I think it's a beautiful gift to our Latino community!

The Virgin Rose

As I look through Madeline's shop, The Virgin Rose, I think of my patients and their families in the ICU.  I think of the small altars they place in the rooms, with pictures, crosses, saints, and unlit candles.  

I think about how powerful a small token can be during times of grief  and times of joy and can't help but admire, be inspired, and fall in love with the beautiful artwork that accompanies. 

Vintage Our Lady of Guadalupe on blue cross

Madeline's shop is full of unique Mexican inspired pieces. Every single one says so much... about death and ritual, life, expressing one self, Mexico and culture. 

I am so happy to show her off to you... and know you will fall in love with her and every single one of her pieces as much as I have. 

Sacred heart on wooden cross

About the artist:

  Madeline is a New Zealander living in Mexico City.  I can't help but fall in love with her story on how she got there because it's proof again that love has no boundaries. 

She met her partner at a Festival in Cannes, France, followed her heart across the world to Mexico to be with him and  has been there now for the last two years. 

                                             "a big culture change as you can imagine"

Frida Kahlo Box shrine or altar piece for the wall

About The Virgin Rose:

"I haven't been working since I arrived so I decided to use my creative side to keep me stimulated during my day's here and The Virgin Rose was born! I love the bright colors of Mexico and they have such beautiful arts and crafts here that I was so inspired to make some for myself. I then decided to set up shop on Etsy which was the best decision! What a fantastic community of artists and art lovers!"

Mexican silver tin mirror with sacred heart

About her art:

"I love producing all my pieces which are inspired by Mexican themes-Day of the Dead, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Frida Kahlo, Sacred Heart, Loteria, and I have many Mexican materials such as the tin nichos and tin sacred hearts which are a huge delight to paint and decorate! 

I'm constantly on the search for new materials and new inspiration, hence the large range of pieces I have in my store. I make every single piece of art with love and attention to detail and my customers are wonderful people looking for a little piece of Mexican art or just a lovely addition."

Turquoise blue and pink Mexican tin nicho

ceramic trinket boxes

Isn't all of this just perfect?  Madeline's expression of Mexico is special and shows how amazing it is to respect and love other cultures. Her love for Mexican culture is obvious.  You can read more about her inspirations on her blog.

Madeline has something special for you!

A giveaway!

She has made it specially for one of you...it's a surprise... just a small trinket to display in your home or make a beautiful gift for your amiga.

Leave a comment telling me your favorite piece or what you like about her art by March 18th 12pm. I will randomly pick one of you. And let you know if you win!

Good luck and always,  always be inspired!!!

*giveaway now closed:  Lisa is the winner!

A Winner!

Congratulations Alba!  You are the random winner of the Pieces of April giveaway!  

I can't wait to hear what lovely's you will pick!

(Audrey playing on the Disney Cruise)

It's Valentines Day!! (A Giveaway from Pieces Of April)

Dia del Amor y la Amistad.

I hope all of you are having a lovely morning.  

Kip, the kids and I had a special evening last night filled with enchiladas, movies and chocolate lava cakes.   

I got up early this morning to make Jeremiah homemade waffles, strawberries, and generous amounts of whip cream on top.  He loved every bite!  I am sure his teacher will love me for loading him up with all that sugar before school. 

I have a special treat for you today.  A giveaway from a most lovely shop that I am so very excited to share with you. 

I fell in love with April's pieces as soon as I saw them.  Every single one speaks amor and amistad. 

April is a fellow Latina, a 3rd generation Texan, from Mexican descent.  A fellow dog lover, who is raising her new puppy to be bilingual. ( :  She not only makes beautiful things, she tweets, gets on facebook and blogs too.

Bird is the word note card set

April has spanish note cards (love) to say hello, send a get well message, or let someone know how much you love them.

Peacoat Navy Blue Flower Bouquet Ring

Mediano Chrysanthemum Ring 

 Her jewelry is delicate, sexy, stylish and beautiful.  Her rings keep calling out to me.

Mediano Duo Bobbies

I love these bobby pins to wear with a ponytail, jeans and a cute top.  

Gray Skies Bobby Pins & Earring Set

One of my favorite things about her shop...she custom makes her tags.  Just let her know what words you want...and she will happily print for you.  A personalized gift is always special. 

Hola Bonita  

Don't you just love?
April has a special promotion going on right now, enter coupon code AMOR15 to get 15% off  your order in celebration of Love day.

Giveaway: April is giving one of you a $40 gift credit to anything you like from her shop!  Super! I know!  Leave a comment by 12pm  Friday February 25th.  I will randomly pick one of you and let you know if you win.  

To win, do any one of these:

Visit Pieces of April and tell me what you would get if you win

Tell me what you would write on your personalized tag

Tell me how you will be celebrating Valentines Day

....or leave any message you want! ( :

Happy Day friends!

*no monetary compensation was given for this post.  I am absolutely in love with April and her shop and wanted to share with you.  April is letting me choose one piece from her shop as a gift for showcasing her. 


*entries now closed.  Congrats to the winner!