My favorite #PiroposTraducidos

Almost 9 years later, Chris and I still flirt with each other.  We say sweet things, we write love notes, we flirt over text messages, I slap his butt... And I have been told that we are cheesier than ever.  I just can't picture being with him if he didn't flirt with me!   One of the factors of our successful relationship is the ability to laugh with each other and laugh at each other.  Most of the time we do it with piropos - silly flirtatious compliments.  Shhh... thats our secret!

The first time he teased me with this phrase, "Go brush your throat" - I laughed and laughed because I knew it was true.  My breath was less than desirable.  I didn't get mad, I went to brush my teeth, made sure my mouth was smelling real nice, grabbed his face and gave him the biggest sloppy kiss.  If you want to get like me - feeling confident and keep the romance alive - I highly recommend Crest Complete +Scope Outlast Toothpaste.  It provides a fresh feeling that lasts up to 5 times longer.  Crest Complete offers an array of oral care products to leave you feeling fresh and ready for every moment of your day.  Keep your mouth fresher than your pick up lines!

Take it from me, you have to laugh at yourselves and at life.  Feel free to print my two favorite piropos and put it in his wallet.  Or save a tree and text it to your man!

Get Social with Crest: Like Crest on Facebook / www.crest.com

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Disclosure:  This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and P&G Crest. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

There Is No Cure For RSV #RSVProtection

I didn't know about RSV Disease until a couple years ago when a friend told me her baby had it.  RSV is Respiratory Syncytial Virus - a contagious viral disease that may infect a person's lungs and breathing passages.  Most children will catch RSV by the age of 2 years.  RSV spreads rapidly among children. While most will recover in 1 to 2 weeks, even after recovery, infants and children can continue to spread the virus for 1 to 3 weeks.  Seeing as how we're friends and all, its my turn to pass information about RSV Protection to you.  

Since Omar is our last child,  I'm paranoid about everything especially his health.  Our family has been fighting colds and coughs from just before Christmas till now.  January and February have been awful.  It has come full circle in our home three times.  I just want the kids to be healthy already!  I checked the RSV Protection site and saw that RSV Season runs in CA, NV, AZ, HI between November and April, based on this information - you can start protecting your baby and family!  

There is no cure for RSV, only prevention methods - you can help prevent RSV Disease by taking these precautions:

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your baby and make sure others do the same
• Don't let anyone smoke in your home or near your baby
• Wash your baby's toys, clothes and bedding often
• Keep your baby away from people with colds, crowds and young children

When Duke was in Kindergarten last year he missed so much school from being sick!  We did the responsible thing to do and kept him home to prevent spreading his germs.  I just saw the flu going back and forth from kid to kid for months!  This year I decided to homeschool so our risk is down a little.  When we have to turn in work once a month at our homeschool campus, I make sure Duke isn't touching doorknobs, desks, chairs and toys.  When we get home, its straight to the bathroom to wash his hands!    

RSV is also highly contagious through touching, kissing and even hugging so if you are sick - resist kissing your baby!  (I don't know about you but having a sick little one makes me want to kiss 'em even more!)  

This infographic on RSV has been so helpful to me - hope it gives you some insight!   

  

To learn more about RSV, visit www.rsvprotection.com 

Disclosure:  This is a compensated post in collaboration with RSV Protection and Latina Bloggers Connect.  All opinions are my own.

Thrifted Art for under $5 Part II #talesfromthethrift

Art is always on the top of my list when I venture out thrifting.  I really enjoyed showing off my art pieces that I bought for under $5 and decided to do Part II.  We actually acquired more pieces during the past three months but some are already packed away.  We do have an extensive collection of antique frames that we're working on upcycling.

I can't find any information on this figure.  It is gorgeous and I would like to see the whole collection and possibly acquire more pieces.  He has so much personality and was a steal at .98

I picked up this Vintage "The Arts" book for .91 - there are quite a few pages of art and so vibrant.

This oil painting is gorgeous.  I call him Uncle Fred but Chris calls him Eraserhead (David Lynch) - he's quite mesmerizing.  Stretched canvas, not framed was $2.98

I was stunned to find a set of four framed and matted Ansel Adams prints for .98 EACH

Vintage Owl was .98

If you know me, you know I don't care for cats but this... I had to have!  Especially since it was only .48!  I kinda want neon green lasers coming out of the cat's eyes at the duck... whatcha think?
Have you posted about thrifting, antiquing or shopping at the flea market in the past week?  Link up with #talesfromthethrift and share your finds!  Share the love with this button!  

<a href="http://raisedbyculture.com" target='_blank'><img src='http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg518/raisedbyculture/tfttx_zps8b454796.jpg' border='0' /></a>

Touch And Be Touched: Our #NIVEAMoments

My mom bought us a membership to Sam's Club for Christmas and last week we finally found out why she loves the store! It is a wonderland! There were so many products that we haven't seen elsewhere and so many great prices! When I saw the price on NIVEA at Sam's Club, I had to get it! NIVEA Essentially Enriched 16.9 oz. Twin Pack for $8.98!!! I love NIVEA because it isn't greasy and it feels good to the touch. I have ruined many pairs of lovely shoes because of cheap, greasy lotion.

My husband Chris has been crazy busy at work and he started Spring semester at the end of January. So there are two days a week he is at work for a long 9 hours then heads straight to school after work to get good parking and is in class for 3 hours. I know its brutal on him and the littles and I miss him so much. It is a huge sacrifice for Chris but we all appreciate his hard work. I decided to dedicate one day a week to pampering him. My version of pampering is a low-key night at home - making a good dinner and giving him a hand & foot massage. Chris was surprised with the massage and I'll admit, it was so sweet reconnecting after being consumed with a new baby and months of chaos & uncertainty with the NHL Lockout. A good 15 minutes of undivided attention meant the World to both of us.


Our cart was full! See what else caught my eye at Sam's Club with my Google+ album!

Chris is ready for his pampering!  His hands are always super dry from work.  He was shy when it was time for a picture!

Our newly 10 month old Omie wanted a massage too!

I am a sucker for baby feet!  He really enjoyed skin to skin time with Mommy!

He had really dry feet when he was a newborn and they have been getting dry this Winter but not now!

He was so happy with his massage!!!


Get Social with NIVEA:  @NIVEAUSA on Twitter / NIVEA on Facebook / NIVEAmoments on Pinterest 

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Beiersdorf for NIVEA.  #NIVEAMoments #CBias #SocialFabric

Postcard from Tsukiji Fish Market!

Last month I blogged about Le Petit Elefant / Genevieve Santos' Postcards from Abroad and I finally got mine!  It is really special.  The art on the front is one of a kind and her note made me feel like a friend especially since I'm a huge fan of Tsukiji Fish Market!  I haven't been there yet but have watched enough tv shows and films to know that I would love to visit!

Since we're on the subject of Japan - Have you seen Jiro Dreams of Sushi?  It is fantastic!  And now I want maki rolls from Mitsuwa, ramen from Santouka and to shop Kinokuniya and Daiso since I won't be able to see Tokyo anytime soon >.<

Thanks Genevieve!  And you!  Buy a postcard!

L'Oréal #MagicBBCream Review

Another confession!  I was a little bit of a tomboy because my mom was a natural beauty and never talked girly things with me.  I wore dresses, had Barbies but I was the one climbing trees and playing in the mud.  My BFF in junior high school wore makeup when we were 13 but I was 16 years old when I went for it.  I was inspired by a Madonna music video on MTV.  It was in the 90s when MTV still played music videos.  My weapon of choice: pencil eyeliner.  And you had to have a good sharpener and a lighter.  I remember the first time I applied it, my mom was out grocery shopping with my siblings and they came home and I was so stoked to show it off.  What a dork!  I wish I could tell you that I really got into makeup but I've always kept it simple.  Foundation, liquid eyeliner (I upgraded!), mascara, blush and lipgloss.  My younger sister lucked out and got the talent and true love for makeup (she's a MUA!)

Fast forward to now --- Being pregnant, labor, delivery and taking care of a baby sucks the life out of my skin and hair.  My body suffers for about two years.  My face has been breaking out like crazy and I really want to mellow out my foundation use.  I have tried unsuccessfully for a few years to find something that would work for lighter coverage and I finally found it - L'Oréal Magic BB Cream!  I wasn't sure what to expect.  I squirted the tube on my palm and out came white liquid.  Its not firm at all and I went with my instinct and rubbed it together.  Thats when the color started to change and it actually matched my skin!  I applied it to my face with my hands and when it started to dry I was a bit nervous that there was no coverage.  After a few minutes I could definitely see it working.  I tried to take a selfie but I don't even know how to do it right!  I spent my day out & about and it felt like I barely had any makeup on, I loved it!    

About L'Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream: This product gives the sheer coverage needed to create a natural bare skin finish, while delivering built-in skincare benefits. With four beautifying actions, this all-in-one innovation primes and smoothes, perfects to hide flaws, hydrates all-day, and corrects and evens skin. The product is infused with skincare ingredients like Panthenol, Vitamin E and Glycerin for 24-hour moisturization.

To apply, simply dot on and blend with fingertips. Self-adjusting beads will instantly transform and blend to your skin tone.

L'Oréal Paris Magic BB Cream retails for $10.95 for 1 fl oz. It is available in four shades and is sold at mass food and drug retailers nationwide. Click here to find out more.

  

I checked Target and the current price on L'Oréal Magic BB Cream there is $7.99

Drugstore.com has it for $10.95 with 30% off EVERYTHING in their makeup department! 

Join me at the #MagicBBCream Twitter Party w/ @SheSpeaksUp & @LOrealParisUSA 3/7 9pm ET! http://bit.ly/loprsvp

Lucky winners* participating in the Twitter Party will be randomly selected to win prizes including L'Oréal Paris beauty baskets that include Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream and more! We're giving away over $700 in prizes.  One lucky winner will take home our grand prize, a $250 Target gift card!

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product from SheSpeaks/L'Oreal to facilitate this review.  There is an affiliate link in this post.  All thoughts are my own.

NOVICA: A small piece of National Geographic in your hands

I have a new obsession and its called NOVICA - in association with National Geographic and to put it simply, it is like putting a small piece of National Geographic in your hands.  Their philosophy is to create a bridge between us and the many artisans from around the globe.  NOVICA wants us know who we're buying from, feel attachment to the product and to the hands that created it.

I didn't quite get the experience until I started window shopping on the site.  Each piece has detailed information - size, weight, material and my favorite --- a picture of the artisan, a small bio and story behind the piece.  It took me a week to finally decide on the pieces I wanted.  After all there are over 30,000 handcrafted works of art.  While I was narrowing down my choices I curated a collection of my favorites.  You can curate your own collection board and enter to win a trip to Machu Picchu!    

I am a huge fan of little details and the FREE gift wrapping on my Valentine's Day gift to Chris (and one I chose for both of us) was exquisite.  The pieces were securely wrapped with bubble wrap and cardboard.  I was beyond impressed.  Even more impressive?  They each came with a postcard!

I can't say enough about NOVICA, all around impeccable and this is where you need to spend your money to impress someone with a unique gift.  If you aren't sold yet, I don't know what to tell you --- Here are my pictures to seal the deal.

Get social with NOVICA:  @NOVICA on Twitter / NOVICA on Facebook

Disclosure: I was provided with a gift card to review products.  All opinions are my own.  

3 Good Things

I needed something like this to remind me of the good things because  I have been no energy, low energy and sick two times over for a couple months now and it sucked.  I'm trying to adjust my sleep schedule to see if it'll help.  I used to go to bed before midnight every night and now I don't even get sleepy till 3am.  The littles keep busy till around 8am and then its up for a little homeschooling.  I would love to have 6 hours of beautiful uninterrupted sleep.

MY THREE GOOD THINGS:

• Omar's 1st Birthday Party!  My baby is turning one!  We officially started planning and we are so excited.  Our families are in Texas so we were low key all these years but Omar is our last child and want to celebrate his big ONE!  I used to plan so many parties when I was a teenager, I got this.   
• GIRLS!  I finally caught up on Season 2.  The plan was to watch a couple episodes but they were so good that I finished five in one night.  Yeah.  Episode 15: One Man's Trash was awesome till Hannah opened her mouth.  I wanted to tell her to just shut up.     
• Sleep!  So I stayed up one night to finish Girls but my boys have been letting me sleep in!  It has been glorious.  I think I just need 2-3 days per week like this and I'm good!  

Celebrate #KnottsSpring & Giveaway!

We love our city and one of the big reasons is because its also home to one of our favorite amusement parks in Southern California Knott's Berry Farm!  It has been one crazy cold & wet Winter here in Southern California and I am looking forward to Spring!  Knott's always has fun activities planned for every season and this year they are doing it up with their first ever Spring Fling!  

Knott’s Berry Farm, where fun is always growing, will be celebrating the coming of spring in a BIG way with live entertainment, interactive games and a food and wine events starting March 23 through April 7. From Ghost Town to the Boardwalk the park will be alive with new activities and décor for the entire family creating a park-wide experience that welcomes the new season.

• The Search for the Easter Beagle will have kids (3-11) scurrying across the park to find images of the famous beagle. All participants who complete the quest have a chance to win egg-mazing giveaways.
• Warmer weather means enjoying the great outdoors, which is just what the Peanuts characters are doing in “Peanut’s Party in the Park,” a new interactive live show located in Charleston Circle. This musical revue includes some of today’s top ten tunes that will have the whole family singing along.
• Looking for a little friendly competition? Then head over to Knott’s Boardwalk area for the big game, the Big Boardwalk Board Games that is. It’s family game night to the extreme as everyone becomes oversized game pieces in some of their favorite board games. From dominoes to tick-tack-toe – it’s game on! 
• For all those who get into art, Knott’s invites you to do so, literally. At the Grande 3-D Art Show at the Silver Bullet midway, guests can step into life-size drawings of some of nature’s most beautiful spring scenery for priceless photo opportunities. The park will also be filled with giant interactive displays that scream “spring”!
• For some refreshment, guests won’t want to miss a trip to Knott’s Towering Topiary Gardens located in Wilderness Dance Hall. Everyone will enjoy the display of sculpted greenery while the adults can enjoy a tasting garden featuring wines from around the world, craft beers and farm fresh food offerings (additional fees may apply).
• For the younger set, “Lucy’s Really Big Show” in Camp Snoopy features Lucy Van Pelt in her very own show at the Camp Snoopy Theatre. The darling diva is joined by her brother, Linus and good friends, Charlie Brown and JT in a show that’s sure to delight kids of all ages. For the teens, tweens and anyone who has rhythm, the nighttime Spring Fling Dance Party in Fiesta Village will provide an opportunity for everyone to take to the floor with some of their favorite dance music.

All of the exciting Knott’s Spring Fling activities are included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides. Knott’s will have extended hours, from 10 am to 10 pm for families to take advantage of all the Knott’s Spring Fling entertainment offerings.

For information about the day you plan to visit and available discounts, call (714) 220-5200 or click on www.knotts.com or download the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone.

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Disclosure:  I am a member of GigaSavvy Blogging Network and will receive tickets for this event as well as for the giveaway.  All thoughts are my own.

Por Vida.

"Fall in love when you're ready, not when you're lonely"... Chris came into my life at the perfect time.    It was during my "eat love pray" chapter of my life.  There is no doubt in my mind that he is my soulmate.  Number one and most important, he makes me laugh. And he draws me stuff, he keeps me grounded, he backs me up, he is a great father and step-father... But the best thing he does is keep it real with me. I adore him!  (Its kinda cool he puts up with attending blogger events cause you know... that's real love.)

And every Valentine's Day he brings me gorgeous flowers with a sweet card and delicious chocolates.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY MY KING!  I LOVE YOU POR VIDA, HOLMES.

Thank you for being you.  And all you do.  #cheesy

(I was pregnant with Omar)