Dancing with a monkey...

 



Spring is here! To my family this means: planting flowers, cleaning (my favorite—not so much for my two boys…), rain, picnics, and DANCING! Yes, folks I said dancing. One of our favorite activities is going to our backyard, lighting some festive lanterns, and having a mini dance party (of course there is also turkey burgers on the grill and loads of snacks... we are foodies after all.)

Children don’t care if they are getting the steps right (well... most don’t), they just want to move! My boys and I enjoy spending time together dancing to just about anything. Not only is dance a good way to get some exercise in but it is also a fantastic way to cut loose, release stress from school/homework/chores, as well as spend some quality time with your loved ones. Which brings me to dancing with our favorite monkey: Curious George!

Do your little ones love Curious George like my kids do? Do they have some crazy moves? Well, I am happy to announce that Curious George is having his very first DANCE Contest in celebration of how much the arts influence our little ones! (Can you believe that Curious George is on its sixth season on PBS KIDS®? Yikes... I am feelings a little old here...)

You can enter a video of your child/ren dancing to the Curious George theme song for a chance to be featured on a Curious George DVD…Or maybe even win a visit from George himself!

Please note (parent and guardians) that you only have until April 2, 2012 to send in videos of your child/ren (under the age of eight) to CuriousGeorgeDanceContest.com. The public will then get to vote for a winner between April 16^th - April 30^th. Good luck and get dancing everybody – you can Spring Clean later :)!

~
Bere

This post was sponsored in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and WGBH.

Legal Disclosure: All images used in this post are CG (R) & (C) 2012 Universal Studios and/or HMH. All Rights Reserved. FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY.

Budding flowers...

Many of you may not know but I had a birthday this month. Yes, I can actually admit my age (it is for a good cause I believe), I have turned 30! This has been an incredibly emotional year for me for a variety of reasons: New Job (which I love), New position within an organization that I consider like a family, possibly going back to school soon, the list goes on (there are a couple of personal ones that I feel deserve their own post)....

Reflections: A while ago I took the picture above at night at my son's school. I started to think about the many times that I didn't allow myself to "bloom" because I was too scared of rejection, anxious about regretting decisions later, and so on. HOWEVER, what has struck me the most is that something internal happened to me when I turned the big 3 0 ... I stopped caring. I no longer care about what others think of me, why? Well, I have finally realized that I have pushed on through some pretty crazy times... I am pretty doggone strong and resilient and I don't need the approval of any person that seeks to put me down or criticize me.

Lessons: I am very grateful  there were MANY people that have been like guardian angels, at the right place and the right time to help me through some really rough spots. I have full faith in that if you stay ready, come prepared, and never treat people in a malicious manner, you will come out okay.This year, and for the years to come, I am excited about: taking chances, believing in myself, taking time to "smell the roses", and not allowing negative comments derail me from my goals.

What have you learned as you have gotten older/wiser?

~
Bere

Remedios Caseros

Two weeks ago I was feeling so sick, however, as many of you know; I am a workaholic. I was driving home with bluish lips, wheezing, and a fever after a full week of work. Let me tell you by the next day... I called my Mami! She advised the usual: lots of rest, Vaporub (who hasn't used this to cure everything from a cold, allergies, burns, cuts ... etc...?), and chicken soup. Dragging myself out of bed and debating whether to give in to Nyquil and other meds … I decided to go with what I grew up with. 

By the following day I was wishing that I had not been stubborn about seeing a doctor because my fever had risen to 105 and I was so dizzy I couldn’t function. I found out I had acute pneumonia and was given emergency antibiotic shots and fluids. There are so many occasion where I am a BIG advocate of holistic health and going with our Remedios Caseros however, I learned a valuable lesson that weekend: you have to go to the doctor if your fever persists because your body is fighting an infection that your remedios may not combat as quickly as your body needs.

I still recommend teas, vitamins (especially Vitamin C and Zinc), Echinacea, chicken soup, and lots of water. I also would advise anyone (especially with little ones) to see a doctor when your symptoms have persisted past a couple of days because even though medicine isn’t what we grew up with (well  ... most of us anyway...). Medicine has come so far in being non-invasive and most doctors are very wary of giving little ones antibiotics.

It is second nature for us to “tough it out”, but as I learned these past couple of weeks, it can really hurt your body. There is no reason why you can’t do your holistic options as well as the headache meds, antibiotics, and other medicine that will make sure you are at least comfortable.

As Latinos we have tons of remedios handed to us from our families and friends but it is important to take advantage of the abundance of doctors and medicines that will help us get better quicker (and less contagious faster). What are some of your favorite home remedies? (Mine is chamomile tea for headaches  )

The Shelter Pet Project

“A person is the best thing to happen to a shelter pet. Be that person. Adopt.”

I have a confession: I found my soul mate last year. My doggy soul mate, my best friend, Snow Biscuit (yes, the boys named her). She was two and half when we got her.  I was skeptical because everyone (including us) wanted a cute puppy, one that we could bond with from the very beginning. BOY were we wrong! She has been the best addition, not only to my family unit, but to my mom as well (actually she has "custody" of her during the week, mostly). She came fully potty trained, vaccinated, and already used to being left home alone for most of the day. 

To say that she is amazing is an understatement. I initially accepted adopting her because the boys wanted a pet, she wouldn’t need any immediate medical visits, and she was free. However, now she is priceless. From the moment she came in our home she has taught us all something. She taught me that the love of a dog is the perfect cure to a bad day; when I get home from work she’s there with her tail going a mile a minute, no recrimination to being left for over 8 hours alone, no whining for not having a pricey chew toy. She taught the boys how to care for a little being that relies on them; they carry her around like a treasure and constantly tell her things that they wouldn’t tell anyone else. She has taught my mom how to walk for the fun of it and that she could have a pet just because it loved her, not for the kids. 

My mom bonded with her so much that we “share” Snow Biscuit. HOWEVER, I fully plan on adopting again. I tried to adopt a puppy about 4 months ago, it did not go well. I had no clue how much work went into potty training a puppy and I had to give her back to the family that gave him to us.

Snow Biscuit is one of the reasons why I am so excited to tell you about this amazing project: “The Shelter Pet Project  is a public service campaign from The Ad Council, The Humane Society and Maddie's Fund, and is aimed at increasing the number of pets that get adopted from shelters and rescue groups.”  I would HIGHLY recommend adopting a pet from a shelter, especially if you are a family with children. Most rescue dogs don’t come with too many surprises since you are able to ask upfront: “Are they good with children?” “Are they used to be being left alone?”

When we are ready for our next addition we are definitely going to The Shelter Pet Project  website because you can input your Zip code and start browsing pictures of local pets that are ready for a home (the boys are already getting excited… but we have to wait until maybe the summer when we can spend more time bonding with our new member of the family). 

Please connect with The Shelter Pet Project  on their other websites:

Youtube
Twitter
Facebook

I was selected for this campaign by Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own.

Storms

I have missed writing to you .. and I can't promise that I will not neglect you in the future.. let me explain why. I HAVE TWO NEW JOBS!! I had to give up so much three years ago when I packed up my boys, leaving a job and financial semi-stability in Florida. I drove cross-country back to LA to have a second operation and I was unsure of the outcome of that, scared, exhausted, and desperate for a miracle.

My surgery and recovery were successful but I had no job, was living with my mom, and feeling lost. All I could think about was: storms. Let me explain; one day when I was living in North Dakota it was raining so hard we had to pull over because you couldn't even see an inch in front of you. The rain subsided in about five minutes but those five minutes felt like five hours. It was a tiny car, I had a crying 9 month old, and I was in the middle of nowhere. When it was over I had this thought, "Isn't this like life.. sometimes it storms so hard that you can't even see how you are going to go on (that one inch ahead of you blurs) and then in the next moment, the sun is shining and there is even a beautiful rainbow."

I thought about those moments today because I can feel that I am where I am supposed to be (for now). Both jobs are doing what I love helping people and social media. What makes it even more amazing is that on my last day, yesterday, at my previous job they announced that in two weeks they would be laying off about 60 employees. I felt blessed, humbled, and ready for more challenges because I had angels looking out for me -- making sure I got my rainbows and miracles. 

I can attest that if you hold out in your storm, you will come out okay. However, prepare yourself, go back to school if you can, involve yourself in internships, and get out there -- do not isolate yourself. Be encouraged, be good to others (Karma is real and she has a long memory), and never forget your dreams --- let them be your incentives to push you through your storm.


P.S. For any job-seekers-- here is a blog post I did for an amazing company that may interest you: iHispano

LATISM'11 --- Letra de Amor

I have had an amazing seven or so days, but the highlight has to be the two days that I spent in Chicago for the LATISM'11 conference. Yes, it was freezing but it is STILL one of my favorite cities. I didn't really get to take a lot of pictures because I worked as volunteer for this event, however, I can honestly say that it was worth everything to be able to go. The workshops were amazing, the highlight for me was the Education TownHall with representatives from the White House asking us questions and then having us answer them in both large and small group sessions.

There will be other blog posts about some of the companies that were in attendance because they had some truly incredible things to convey to us, however, I want to talk about one component that set this conference apart from the other conferences that I have attended.

For those of you that are not familiar with LATISM one of the things that we do is we have a weekly tweetup every Thursday. We have covered issues such as education, using social media for social change, and many others. We talk to one another, answer questions, and put our views out there for the world to acknowledge. In doing so we have become a community, a family, and we really do love each other very much. Over the weeks, we have gotten to know each other because if you end your tweet with the #LATISM hashtag believe me someone is there to listen.

Often you would hear the words, "...I follow you on Twitter.." or "..I was hoping you would be here hermano/a". It may sound cheesy but there was a lot of love in the air in Navy Pier. Sure, we love to debate over politics, social views, and so on .. but at the end of the day .. we have formed a family that supports one another and tries to lift each other up.

I was so proud to see my fellow LATISM brothers and sisters because they truly inspire me each and everyday to be better and to dream bigger. There were so many people there that said or did something that touched my heart and I will take the memories of this trip with me and look forward to more in HOUSTON for LATISM 2012!

Día de Los Muertos at the Autry Museum

It is no secret that I love museums; it is also no secret that I have passed this love on to my children. They enjoy seeing how artists express their creativity and passion through acting, singing, art, and dancing. What I have come to enjoy is seeing their faces light up when seeing something new.

                                                                                     

This weekend, thanks to LatinaBloggersConnect, we got a chance to go to The Autry Museum and check out the artisans, shrines, dancers, face-painting, and awesome musical artists (they weren’t just singers.. these were some breathtaking performers!). As you can see by the pictures below, the boys had a blast and I was truly inspired by the elder that told Aztec stories with an accompaniment of instruments. 

I have to say that this was my first time at this museum (I know.. insert *gasp* here), I am not sure if it is because of its location (it is right next to the Los Angeles Zoo and Griffith Park) or because I have always been fascinated by the LACMA, Getty, and Norton Simon that I have neglected the other museums, however, this must be rectified and soon!! 

This museum had loads of interesting finds like a room that children can play in a kitchen or pretend they are selling food in a makeshift restaurant (cash register and everything). The boys specifically loved this (it was right up there with getting there face painted). 

The Autry will be having “Las Posadas” in December *excited* ... the boys and I are definitely going, join us!

Disclosure: AdventuresofThree received complimentary entrance,however, this is not a sponsored post.  

Social Media for Good?

The future depends on what we do in the present. - Mahatma Gandhi

It is no secret that the biggest influences in my life are my children. Not just by their actions, funny quirks, but mainly because they exist. They are in my life; their wonderful hugs, their unbelievable trust in me, and their unconditional love. I am beyond blessed to be their mother. 

I don’t need to look far to be inspired to push for equality in education, clean environment, and more affordable healthcare. Those two little treasures are enough, BUT, if I didn’t have them just being a part of a community such as LATISM would inspire me. Especially after the tweet chat we had tonight. With us was Johnson & Johnson (did you know they are the official title sponsor for LATISM 11?) because we were focusing on using social media to create the change we want in our societies. 

J&J is celebrating 125 years! I was so happy to see them with us today. They have been a part of my life since I was a baby (who hasn’t been bathed in J&J baby wash?) and recently when I went to BlogHer11 they were there as well. When I saw them at BlogHer11 they were talking about their commitment to nurses (my mom who is a nurse said that they were one of the main companies to offer scholarships for nurses).    

All of this made me think of what inspires me and why. One of the main things I noticed tonight was that the best causes to support are those that YOU are the most passionate about. How true is that??

In my experience, it is the most important thing because I could always tell when someone was just trying “sell” me their cause and when they were trying to “wrap me” into their story. There is a big difference. 

From their website, from meeting their reps in person and from the tweet chat today, I can tell you that Johnson & Johnson has demonstrated a true corporate passion to make their environment better, literally and figuratively. They sponsor initiatives that help women, children, advances in medicine, nurses, and poverty (I could go on but when you go to their website they outline all of their causes). I was so happy that a company that is already such a big part of my life was taking their money and putting it where it matters most, not just in their consumers but striving to better the global community.

Which brings me to my questions:

What inspires you? What are you doing about it? What changes do you wish would happen and what can you do to help make it come true?

Comedy Monday

I know that I have been writing about some serious stuff lately: education, single mommy vents, and so on..

Well... thanks to Monique from:
BlogsbyLatinas
CLICK Latina
Curves and Chaos

 

My readers (you) are being an offered an opportunity to go to a screening to see the movie "Tower Heist"


The cities where the screenings are being held are the following:


PICO RIVERA

SOUTH GATE

VAN NUYS

ORANGE

SAN JOSE

 

If you are in any of the cities above and want to attend feel free to contact me (there is an "E-mail me" button on the right hand side).

See you at the movies!

Fine Print:

Passes are First Come First Served

 

 

Educational Adventures inspired by Univision's EDÚCATE Campaign

Inspiration…

Even though the economy is hampering progress right now, I believe that things will get better. Maybe not soon, but eventually changes have to be made if we are going to advance to be the beacon we used to be. Remember when immigrants would talk about gazing at the Statue of Liberty for the first time and feeling like they could do anything? When did that change for the immigrant population?  I digress... 

Let’s come together and stop quibbling over whose politics make more sense and start recognizing (and caring) that while we bicker; there are unemployed people losing their homes, families with no food to eat, and a generation that is beginning to lose hope. I believe that change is sparked by an educated mind that is inspired to move toward a goal. 

   With that said, here are some things that I tell my children to inspire them: 

1.           Never forget that your education is your shield; no one can take it from you.

2.           Never let someone tell you that you can’t do something; if they do—prove them wrong.

3.           Remember that the best leaders in history didn’t always start off being brave and knowing what to   

        do; this came after they took a stand and followed their passion.

4.           If you fall, don’t stay down, get back up and remember why you fell in the first place. Every failure 

        is just a lesson preparing you for success.

5.            If you think only of yourself you can’t expect to be fulfilled in life because one the greatest feelings in   the world is the contentment you feel when you help others. 

Education week is wrapping up and I just want to say that I am happy to have been a part of something that I believe in. To me, education is the first step to financial success and cultural awareness. Hopefully something I said in my posts has inspired you to get involved in your community, go back to school, or maybe even motivated you to participate more in your children’s academic life.

For more information about Univision’s EDÚCATE Campaign please visit the following link:

http://vidayfamilia.univision.com/es-el-momento/

They offer information on scholarships, educational resources in your state, and an extensive list of universities.

My own educational adventure...

High School Memories



Growing up in Los Angeles, I took for granted the diversity that surrounded me. I lived in East LA, went to school in South Central, and went through cities like Brentwood on a regular basis. Seeing the difference in their schools and their homes, I knew that I wasn't going to settle for living in poverty my whole life and the only way I knew to get out was to study. I petitioned my mom and step dad to let me go to a magnet school and they agreed but only if I got myself to the school because they couldn't take me. I decided on "King Drew High Shcool of Medicine and Science" in the heart of Watts.

It had some amazing teachers. It was a magnet school that had about 70 students and we were housed in 5 or so bungalows. They all coordinated their lesson plans so that they synced together; for example if we were studying velocity formulas in Math we were experimenting with those vectors in Physics. It was not rare for students to stay at the school until almost 7 at night because we were studying or in one of the many academic clubs that were offered. Many of the teachers knew I took the bus home (at this point I was living in Eagle Rock, about 2 hours away by bus) so many of them took me home.

Those teachers hold a very dear place in my heart because they took me under their wing (rides home aside). They listened to me when I was having a bad day, they encouraged me to do better if I got a B in a test, and they introduced me to some amazing experiences. Our economics teacher taught us how to waltz, our drama teacher helped us put on a Shakespearean play with sonnets sung to Prince beats, our science teacher took us to Magic Mountain to explain the way Physics made those roller coasters possible.

School was a haven for me; it was a world that took me away from the crazy home life I was living. I am so grateful that those teachers didn't just teach from 8 -3; they made us part of their family. We even ate at some of their homes on the weekend and held study sessions. I wish that there was a school just like that for my kids but ... (that school is now housed in a 1.2 million dollar building and only one or two of the original teachers remain).

It saddens me to think that schools have so little funding now that teachers are funding special projects on their own and with minimal parental support. Our children are suffering from overworked teachers (classroom size is bigger and not enough funding for TA’s), Music and Art programs are being cut, and most parents are under so much economic stress that they are either not able to attend school functions (working more hours for a job that pays less, working jobs where they aren’t full-time employees so if they call out they won’t get paid for that day) or are just not interested in going.

It is time to wake up. Not just parents. Our children’s future affects EVERYBODY. I would feel the same if I wasn’t a mom to two boys. As a society we need to encourage one another to volunteer (afterschool programs, non-profit organizations), tutor, mentor, in other words GET INVOLVED in your community. Many of our schools have cut Art programs, if you are an artist maybe you could volunteer at a public school when you have time. If you are musician maybe you can offer to go to an after school program once a week and teach children to play an instrument. Any little bit would help. Changing the life of even one child should be enough, however, we should strive for changing and encouraging ALL our children. We can do this by offering them our time and support. It begins with us.

I would NOT like to read as much as I do if I didn’t have an English teacher that introduced me to the wonders of Shakespeare (he even let me play Titania in the play with the Prince beats—one of my favorite memories of school), I would not remember how it felt to attend my first musical if one of the teachers hadn’t taken a Saturday out of her life to take a handful of us to see “Les Misérables”, the list could go on and on.

YOU can be a part of a child’s “first”, the first time they played the perfect note on the piano, the first time they painted on a canvas, or the first time they touched wet clay. It is time for us to stress the importance of education to our youth because it will prove to be their shield as they get older. However, as with any type of change it must start from within first. Educate yourself, expect more from yourself and then get out there and encourage the next generation. EDÚCATE!

 This piece was written as part of a campaign of LATISM (Latinos in Social Media), reinforcing the importance of education and the campaign ¡Edúcate¡ Es el momento de Univisión. 

Esta pieza ha sido escrita como parte de una campaña de LATISM (Latinos in Social Media) reforzando la importancia de la educación y la campaña ¡Edúcate¡ Es el momento de Univisión.

Educational Adventures inspired by Univision's EDÚCATE Campaign

Bedtime Stories

As I said in yesterdays post, bedtime stories are a big deal in our house. We started off with reading children’s picture books, later came chapter books, and now we like to each take a turn and make up a story and see where it takes us. It is a tradition that only happens about three times a week now because of my crazy schedule, but we all look forward to it. When was the last time you read to your child? Talked to them about how their day at school went? Do you know your child’s teacher? What are some of the things your child struggles with at school? 

As a parent, you should know the answers to most of those questions. It is so easy to blame teachers for the type of education that our children our receiving.Yes, it is also true that certain neighborhoods have better public school than others. I can concede to all of those points, HOWEVER, nothing affects a child’s emotional, academic, and overall well-being as much as parental involvement.

There are so many outlying factors that are affecting our children and may be keeping them from progressing academically but we cannot put the blame solely on those factors because PARENTAL involvement can solve so much. It can help a child know that he is loved enough that his parent/s care enough to be concerned about what is going on at school. Parental involvement also demands more of the teachers because if there are issues, those parents are there, wanting conferences and maybe offering to step in and help (alleviating the pressure on some of these overworked teachers). 

I can be the first to say that I am not perfect in this area since I drop my children off at 6:30 AM and don’t pick them up until 5 or 6 in the evening. However, I am a very concerned parent, I am constantly emailing their teachers about updates on their progress (thankfully they understand and appreciate my concern). When I pick them up the first thing I ask them is “What did you learn today?”

I have never relied solely on their schools to teach them everything. We go to museums, watch educational documentaries, and we go to the library two or three times a week. Even though I am only supplementing their learning, I want them to know that I take education and learning seriously and expect no less from them. Having high expectations of their academic performance may seem extreme to some, but to me, it just means that I know what they are capable of and I am going to help them get there. 

As a teen I would look at the planes going into LAX and wish I could go somewhere, anywhere and since I couldn’t, I escaped into my books. I longed for someone to encourage me to be more, or to tell me that my dreams were attainable. When I was pregnant I vowed that my children would never have to wonder if I was proud of them, that they would always have me cheering them on. They know I am proud of them and I am always quick to high-five their biggest (and even their smallest) achievements. 

Take the time to go to your child’s parent/teacher meetings, know when your children will be testing and make sure they eat well and rest, and most importantly make sure they know that you not only care but that you SUPPORT them and that you believe that they can do AMAZING things. 

 

A movement doesn’t have to be big to make a difference. Progress can begin in one household. It can begin with you. It can begin with you investing time and energy in your child. It can begin with one question, one book, one teacher meeting, one family at a time.  EDÚCATE!

Educational Adventures inspired by Univision's EDÚCATE Campaign

Going to College

When I was pregnant with my first child I had tons of ideas of what a perfect Mom was. She would make sure there were warm cookies and dinner waiting for her children when they came home from school. I blame television and the fact that more often than not you want what you didn’t have when you were growing up. 

Needless to say I am NOT that Mom, but I strive to be the best nurturer I can be. When they were little my fondest memory of them was when I would read to them. I cherish those memories because it is so rare now that I am able to do that (after homework, dinner, and getting clothes ready for school/work all of which have to happen in less than three hours before they have to go to bed).  Now, they read mainly on their own, although we squeeze in a story at least three days a week. 

As important as catching a bedtime story with my boys has become it pales in comparison to the importance of preparing them for college. No, I am not being an overachiever, I am a first-generation college graduate and I had no idea what I was doing when I was applying for college. This probably contributed to my making some very bad educational as well as personal choices. I didn’t apply for any scholarships even though I graduated high school with a 3.9 GPA and pretty high SAT and ACT scores.

This is why I am starting now by making sure my oldest son has good test taking skills (we practiced at home for his California State Exams). He knows to write clearly, color in the bubbles completely, and so on. My youngest is in kindergarten so we are only reinforcing reading and focusing in class. These are small steps but they are the initial steps and are very important for our children to be comfortable as they get older and are competing with children in private schools, those with private tutors, and so on.

My mom’s first language was Spanish so she could never help me with any of the above tasks. She didn’t read any of the books I like so we never discussed what I read. She was shy around other parents so she never came to my plays, mock trials, or science competitions. I was doing all of these things without her moral support and it was not easy. I took buses to all of the aforementioned events (or one my friends’ parents picked me up). I lived about 2 hours away from my school so I studied and did my homework on buses instead of a library or a desk. 

I am not complaining over my childhood, I am describing it because I am sure there are countless of children that are living through similar situations. Although, with our current economy there are some children that are now facing deportation, homelessness, and a variety of other personal obstacles that will hinder their dreams of college/university.

Let’s focus on creating a society that values education. We need to take them to university tours when they are available. We can also go to our children’s school and speak to their academic advisors. Your children need your help. They need to see you taking an interest in their academic future. Once they see you take that stand it will become an automatic decision for them to go to college/university.  If they see that you believe in them that is one less person they have to convince and they have your voice inside them telling them that THEY CAN every time society or one their peers is telling them that they can’t succeed or dream that big. They should all WANT to go to college; it should just be a matter of “What will I major in?” not “Why should I go?”  Or even worse “I can’t afford to go”. 

 Education is something that nobody can take away from you. Our children can’t defend their roots, if they don’t know them. Our children can’t get better paying jobs, if they aren’t equipped with degrees. Your children won’t feel cultural pride, if you don’t feel pride in yourself. Begin by educating yourself so that you can pass it on to your children. EDÚCATE!