.. Celebrate National Red Day, help spread awareness ..

Did you know heart disease and strokes are the cause of 1 in 3 deaths amongst men and women each year? (Killing approximately 1 woman every 30 seconds.) Did you know that at least 200 people die from food allergies?

Some medical conditions are not visible and at times to late to inform others of the condition.

So how can you you keep your loved ones and yourself safe?

Home Paige has created a one -of-a kind fashionable yet fun accessories to help support educational programs that help increase awareness and critical research to discover scientific knowledge about cardiovascular health.

While Hope Paige has these unique fashionable accessories that will keep your loved ones safe they are still stylish. They have various styles to choose from for women, men and kids. Committed to help people protect themselves without feeling branded by their condition, their goal is to combine function, fashion, safety and style.

"Be Safe. Be Stylish. Be Sure." - Hope Paige

So if you and/or a loved one are in need of a medical bracelet, head one over to Home Paige to check out their awesome collection.

Celebrate the Care Bears 35th Anniversary & National Hug Day with Sprinkles Cupcakes!

As part of the Care Bears™35th Anniversary they have partnered up with Sprinkles ( the world's first cupcake bakery).
From January 5-25, Sprinkles will offer limited-edition Care Bears cupcakes and other sweet surprises at all bakery locations nationwide.

Just an cuter excuse to eat as many cupcakes as you want, Lol.

 

We were invited to celebrate the Care Bears 35th Anniversary & National Hug Day (January 21st) by decorating our very own Sprinkles cupcakes. Difficult choices between red velvet, vanilla or chocolate cupcakes, and vanilla or chocolate frosting, with the endless toppings. While decorating we might have indulged in some delicious mini cupcakes ( Who's has the will power to resist those magically delicious Sprinkle cupcakes?!?)

As if cupcakes weren't enough we also got to enjoy some Good2Grow juices. 

Good2Grow has fruit and veggie blends, as well as juicy waters. The already delicious flavors offer kids a drink that has no sugar added, Non GMO, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, (As a parent thats a plus!!)

Their cool spill-proof character bottle toppers give Good2Grow an awesome drink for kids and one a parent can definitely approve of!

Make sure to stop by your local Sprinkles cupcake bakery and get your Care Bears limited-edition cupcake before they are gone. Remember the last day to get your hands on one is January 25th.

Make sure to also keep your eye on the Care Bears and Sprinkles Instagram pages where they be revealing whisper words with instructions for fans to redeem freebies and special goodies at check out. There will also be big celebrations taking place at select stores for National Hug Day on January 21st, where fans of all ages will be able to partake in product giveaways and cheerful activities.

Definitely a month of surprises with the Care Bears and Sprinkles cupcakes.

.. Elena of Avalor, Inspires our Christmas Decor!! ..

When I tell someone that in my house we love to decorate during holidays, the word love is a major understatement!! We absolutely love holiday decor, and Christmas is definitely on the top of the list! 

My husband & I love to show our little one not only the American traditions but those that are celebrated in Mexico. We show her videos and/or pictures of some traditions that are celebrated and we incorporate them in our household. 

This year we had extra help in showing her some of those traditions, help that came in the name of, Elena! 

Elena Of Avalor, is a thoughtful, compassionate and adventurous princess who with the help of family and friends learns new things while she's helping someone in need or just being her adventurous self. Princess Elena's Kingdom is inspired by Latin America and it is most certainly seen in the kingdom's vivid colors, Elena's beautiful dramatic dress as well as events that take place in her palace or in the kingdom with an extra latin flair.

As we cut our choices down for what our "theme" would be for christmas decor, we were struck by an idea (An idea given to us by our 3yr old) Why not have an Elena of Avalor inspired color sway for our front door.
With the help of our eager 3yr old, we choose Gold & red as the main colors, we set out to look for the perfect decor but weren't lucky because nothing really caught our eye.
So what did we do? We DIY our own decor what we turned out with was this:

Frida loved the Elena of Avalor inspired color sway for our door!

Elena Of Avalor: Feliz Navidad, A royal Christmas. (Artwork from book)

Frida hiding behind her copy of Elena of Avalor: Ready to Rule, DVD.

With some of the leftover ribbon Frida wanted to give her snowman ornament a glitzy & fancy attire like Elena.

We used the bold colors red & gold which Princess Elena gracefully wears a beautiful Navidad gown (pictured above) with these vibrant colors. 

We found metallic gold wrapping paper, a red ribbon with gold trim and and red ribbon to use for our decor. Wrapping our door with the paper, and then carefully placing the ribbon as one would do so when wrapping a gift we were left with the task of making the giant bow with our shiny red ribbon, after many tries we finally had the perfect bow & we placed it on to finalize our door!

After our decor was done we proceeded with another great tradition making some tamales!!! Tamales are a must during the holiday season! 

Frida helping her Grandma  make some delicious Tamales!!

We love our holiday traditions while listening to seasonal music, wether its Feliz Navidad or Santa Claus is coming to town we love sharing traditions with our little one. 

So this holiday season share all your memories, traditions or simply start new ones with your family, those are the memories that all of you will remember. Make sure to get a copy Of Elena of Avalor, Ready to Rule DVD as well! 

Celebrate National Mutt Day with the help of Peppy Pups!

Guess what national day it is??? 

Today is National Mutt Day!!  National Mutt day was was founded by Pet lifestyle & animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige. It is observed on Dec.2 and July 31st, to celebrate the many wonderful attributes of mutts to promote adoption worldwide.  Of course my dog-loving family is going to spoil our fur baby Maverick with a his favorite special treat & extra cuddles!! (As if he isn't a spoiled enough, Lol). 

So lately Frida has been asking for a new baby, to be be specific she wants a new baby doggy. In fact she has been telling people that theres going to be a new baby at our home & once friends & family ask her filled with emotion "Omg! Frida, are you going to be a big sister?" she calmly answers "Yes, my mommy is going to have a baby doggy!" I laugh so hard every time I see their reaction to what she answers them. 

Frida & Maverick are inseparable, they're best friends, and I absolutely love seeing their bond. Would I love to have another puppy, YES!! But another dog that's Maverick's size would be a little too much for our NYC sized apartment!

So what is a momma to do??? Frida already has a billion doggy plushes in a variety of sizes but it's not quite as realistic. 

But wait what about Peppy Pups?!?!? What are Peppy Pups you ask? 

Peppy Pups are the only plush dog who really run with you! They have spring action legs, tails & heads so when it's time for their walk, they will bounce along right beside you! The best part aside from their super snuggable demeanor is that absolutely no batteries are required!!! 

Check Peppy Pup in action here:

The perfect companion, free of mess & batteries! Ha! 

Absolutely love Peppy Pup & Frida has watched the video over and over again asking mommy for this new baby doggy! 

This is one more doggy that mommy can bring home for sure!

 So join us to celebrate National Mutt day today with your fur babies at home and if you're looking for a new addition give Peppy Pups a chance to win over your child's heart! 

Peppy pupps is available at retailers nationwide, including Toy R'Us and Amazon for a retail price of $19.99. Recommended for ages 4 & up.

Stay up to all things Peppy Pups by following their social media channels here...

• Instagram  -  @Peppypups_official
• Peppy Pups on Facebook
• #peppypups

.. Tis the season (Already?!?!) ..

Department stores, neighborhoods, school holiday plays and pretty much everything around us is already full of holiday spirit. Its hard to believe that the holiday season is just around the corner! Time to get your noggin thinking about the best gifts as well as entertaining. 

It can be overwhelming trying to figure out some gift ideas or how you can spruce up your house during this holiday season.  

Luckily I was invited to attend this years MomTrends 6th annual Holiday Sioree. This was my 2nd year attending and the fabulous chic ladies of MomTrends never fail in making us feel ready for the holiday season. Not only were we able to see products but were also given tips and resources to make to make this holiday full of gift giving and entertaining painless and enjoyable as well. 

In Keeping with the spirit of holiday, attendees arrived bearing a gift for this years charity which was 'No baby left Unplugged' for the national diaper drive. Our donations were donated to The HopeLine, a charity located in Bronx,Ny, where they help low income families with the essential resources and critical skills they need to better their lives.

 We were treated with with tasty nibbles as well as some delicious AriZona and La Croix sparkling  water beverages. Once I was well hydrated I had the opportunity to check out some wonderful products that possibly but most definitely will be under my christmas tree!

From DIY fun with Avery, to fabulous fashion with ivivva and ARMigami, to the classics such as LeSport Sac, American Girl, Avon and much more were there with amazing product and tips for the holiday season.

Photo courtesy of MomTrends

After spending some time with the brands, we also had the opportunity to take some photo booth style pics with the help of PearHead. Always fun to capture memorable times with some good ole photo booth style pics.

This holiday season can become stressful but thanks to MomTrends I feel ready to tackle the gift list as well as the holiday entertaining! A huge shout out to the wonderful ladies Nicole & Sherri for having us at yet another outstanding MT Holiday Soiree! 

.. Bounty. Enjoy the moment, not the mess! ..

Thanks to Bounty &  Kristin Cavallari we were able to enjoy the moment & forget about the mess at their  Messy But Memorable Birthday Bash event. Cake decorating, finger painting, dying some Bounty made flowers & some cake smashing didn't phase our fun especially with Bounty on hand to clean up the messes!

As a mother to a very creative & curious toddler there's not a day that goes by where a mess is not made, and when accidents happen we tend to worry about the mess & not enjoy the moment with our child. (Not necessarily the mess but the experience)  Guilty of such behavior I was reminded at the event that memories last more than the mess! (Plus I will always have Bounty nearby so the mess will be cleaned up easy & fast!) 

As parents we encounter messes every day, but thankfully Bounty is 2x more absorbent vs. the leading ordinary brand, and one Bounty roll can last 50% longer.  So weather it be your child's first finger paint, baking a cake for the bake sale, or if you have any pets in your household (that's a whole other set of messes!) Just have Bounty nearby & remember to enjoy the moment, not the mess!

Bounty, the Quicker Picker Upper offers a variety of its wonderful product including cool prints, select a size, dura towel & one of my faves Bounty with dawn!! Thumbs up for Bounty for cleaning messes easy & fast! And for giving us mommies the chance to enjoy those messy yet wonderful moments with our kids! 

.. Dia de los Muertos, Celebrate the cycle of life ..

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in Mexico from November 1- 2. 

It is a celebration of the lives of the deceased in which we honor them with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. It recognizes death as a natural part of life, it is a natural part of the life cycle. On the this day the dead are awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The most familiar symbol row Dia De Los Muertos is are Calaveras (Skulls, Sugar Skulls), it may appear everywhere during the holiday in candied sweets, parade masks, dolls, face painting & more. Calaveras present themselves often in bright colors or portrayed enjoying life.
Ofrendas are an essential part of the celebration (Ofrenda means offering in spainsh.) Also know as altares (altars), these ofrendas often contain a deceased ones favorite food, drink and sweets, sweet bread ( pan de muerto) and a toy if the altar is for a child as well. Pictures of saints, Virgen De Guadalupe, and a crucifix may also be placed on the altar, along with bright yellow & orange marigolds (an Aztec power of the dead.) Ofrendas are placed at home as well as in the cemeteries.

Ive always loved Dia De Los Muertos, its always filled my heart with happiness as well as a bit of sadness to celebrate my loved ones who are no loner here. It is bittersweet but I love to celebrate their life with as much joy as they once did.
This year I will be setting up my very own FIRST ofrenda! Ive always helped my mom with hers as well as my mom in law. But this year Ive decided to do my own with the help of my Frida, I love how she asks question regarding the calaveras, or what the sugar skulls are for?
This is part of her culture, a tradition that I wish she follows with years to come and grows to love as much as I do.