Second Chances Girl - a Miami family and lifestyle blog!: September 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013

Fall & Halloween Decor

Good morning! I am happy to announce that our outdoor fall and Halloween decor is up. Yes fall and Halloween, both at the same time. I am obviously to lazy to decorate twice. Also, you will notice that I do not like gruesome Halloween decor, I like cutesy stuff. The kids insisted that we decorate for Halloween this weekend, yet they did not move a muscle to help me out! Darn kids!

It's a little hard to get inspired for fall decor when its 90 degrees here until about December, but we try our best!


Large pumpkins from a local market
Small pumpkins, crow, owl silhouettes and scarecrow from Dollar Tree
Straw Hay stacks from Walmart



Skull, Black roses, copper vase all from Dollar Tree


Lawn decorations from Party City


Bag of Bones from Walmart
Tombstones from Dollar Tree

Have you put up your fall and/or Halloween decor?


Friday, September 27, 2013

Chorizo & Spinach Quinoa

Happy Friday! Today I am going to share one of JC's favorite dishes with you: Chorizo & Spinach Quinoa.


Ingredients: (serves 1 hungry crossfitter)

1/2 cup cooked Quinoa
1 small chorizo,  sliced
1 cup fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

In a small pan over high heat, cook onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add chorizo, cook about 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add mixture to cooked quinoa. Add pepper to taste. 

It's a super easy and quick dish to make! Perfect for the weekends, when the kids and I pig out on pizza and he wants something a little healthier!




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Weekend Bloggy Reading

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Best Baby Blankets!

Disclosure: I am a member of Mommy Hotspot Army of Moms and I received compensation for this post. However, all opinions are my own.

I don't know about you but it seems like everyone around me is having a baby. The wives of two of my co-workers are pregnant and due within two weeks of each other. Every week we find out another one of our friends is pregnant. I see post after post on social media spreading the good news. I am extremely happy for each and every one to be blessed with the miracle of a baby. Of course, when I hear the news, I start brainstorming, what should I get them? I remember when I was pregnant with Adrian I was obsessed with baby blankets and must have put over two dozen on my registry. Nothing like wrapping your sweet little babe in a cozy soft cuddly blanket. That's where babyblankets.com comes in.

Babyblankets.com carries the best baby blankets. They carry an unmatched variety of baby blankets.  If you are looking for stylish, high quality, organic baby blankets, swaddles and unique baby gifts, then babyblankets.com is your choice.

So far, these have been my choices for future shower gifts:

How gorgeous is this neutral blanket?



I'm in love with this one:





These are just a few of the best baby blankets I have ever seen! There is so much variety. Also, in my opinion, all babies need a personalized blanket and babyblankets.com provides personalization and quick turnaround times.


Head on over to babyblankets.com and check them out for yourself! They are the perfect gift for a new baby!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Monday, September 23, 2013

MIAMI: I #LOVETHISCITY #MC!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community. I have been compensated to share my experience with you by Collective Bias, and the their client, MasterCard. 

Art, Beaches, Culture, Diversity, Engaging, Family life, Gorgeous, I could go down the whole alphabet to describe why Miami is my favorite place in the world. Man, I #LOVETHISCITY! I am honored to share this amazing city with you. I drove all over town and took pictures of all my favorite spots. It has been the most thrilling experience to grow up in a city that is so culturally diverse. I have met people from all over the world. I have also had the opportunity to be immersed in a my own culture, a culture that my parents thought they had to leave behind when they emigrated from Cuba decades ago.



Miami is known for its beaches and weather. Sun, sun and more sun! We could go to the beach March through December. January and February tend to be chilly for us (low 60's, that's cold for Miami) so that's when the tourists come in and enjoy the beaches. We have many beaches, some more family-friendly than others, but our most famous is South Beach.







If you somehow get tired of the hanging out at the beach, dining at one or more of the hundreds of restaurants or just plain people-watching, you can easily drive through the city. Driving through the city will be quite memorable, I can guarantee it. You can go from big city to our version of suburbia in about five minutes. You can walk through the Downtown Miami/Brickell area and check out our beautiful skyscrapers rising high.




Miami is also known for its thriving art scene. Every year in December, we host Art Basel, the world's premier international art show for Modern and contemporary artworks. You don't need to wait until December to experience the art scene though. Just drive through the Wynwood Walls and you can experience a whole warehouse district full of street art or you can experience Cultural Fridays where all the art galleries down 8th Street open their doors and you can weave in and out checking out all the cool art.




Cuban culture is thriving in Miami. We have a huge Cuban population that makes sure we don't forget. Drive down Little Havana and you can see street vendors, musicians, cigar shops, restaurants and souvenir stores. The biggest attraction in Little Havana, other than the roosters, is "El parque de Domino" or Domino Park where players gather to play domino tournaments day after day.






Another reason I #Lovethiscity is for the music. All of it, from the street musicians to the concerts and festivals. We have hundreds of music festivals annually. Artists from all over the world come in concert to the American Airlines Arena, Adrienne Arsht Center, Bayfront Park and so many more. We have the Winter Music Conference in March that brings thousands of music fans to Miami.  So many memorable events!




I LOVE MIAMI! This city is a tropical paradise. No where else like it in the United States. There is so much to do. Check out more about Miami at lovethiscity.com.

Want to see more pictures of Miami? Check out my Google+ album here.

Have you ever been to Miami? If so, what's your favorite thing to do?




Friday, September 20, 2013

Give A Minute, Help Make-A-Wish

Disclosure: I participated in this sponsored campaign for the One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.




As a mom, I know how much we cherish our children. We try to protect them as best we can, but sometimes life takes it own turn and children get sick. Not just sick, terminally ill. I think about these sick children often and try to help them out. My biggest donations go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They are an amazing organization that grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. 


Do you have a minute? Are you going to Wal-Mart tomorrow? If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, then you can help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Every Saturday in September, Straight Talk Wireless will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for each person that visits a participating Wal-Mart and takes a minute to learn about Straight Talk.  This is the second year in a row that Straight Talk will be hosting this program. Last year's program was very successful, reaching its $1,000,000 donation mark! 




About Straight Talk:
  • Straight Talk is a service provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc., America's largest no-contract cell phone provide in the U.S.
  • Straight Talk is available exclusively at Walmart and the cost savings of not having to maintain stores is passed directly on to customers.
  • Straight Talk has all the same great phones as the contract carries, including name brands like Samsung, Apple, Windows and LG.
  • Straight Talk offers the same networks and the same phones at half the cost. 
  • Straight Talk provides service in more zip codes than any other wireless carrier and reaches more than 300 million Americans.
  • The "ALL YOU NEED" plan for $30 a month to receive $1,000 minutes, 1,000 text or multimedia messages, 30 MB of data transfer for data phones and 411 calls at no additional charge.
  • The unlimited plan for $45 a month to receive unlimited talk, text and data Nationwide anytime will calls to 411 and no additional charge. 

Straight Talk believes there is nothing greater than granting a sick child's wish. They are thriled to be able to be part of making that happen again this year. 

Please, please, please take a few minutes tomorrow, head on over to a participating Wal-Mart (find one here) and listen for just one minute! 1 minute = $1 donation! Every minute counts!!

If you don't live near a Wal-Mart and still want to help out, please share the video on straighttalkwish.com. From now until September 28th, Straight Talk will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $100,000 (one donation per viewer, per day) towards their $1,000,000 goal. It's fast, easy and worth every second!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Moonlight & Mason Jars Link Party!!!



Image Map
Hello! This week I am super excited to be a Guest Host on the 
Moonlight & Mason Jars Link party. Please link up and show 
off your best stuff:















Welcome to week #23 of the Moonlight & Mason Jars link party.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Meet Donald

I've always wanted a pet duck and two weeks ago, my sister got one for Adrian. We have no idea if it's male or female, what kind of duck it is or even how old it is. All we know is that it's adorable and Adrian named it Donald. So without further ado..............Donald!








Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Park Mornings

Three kids stuck inside is no fun. Not for me and definitely not for them. So once basketball practice was over on Saturday morning at 10:30 am, the last thing I wanted to do was go home. I decided, let's go to the park, not just  any park, a park we haven't been to before. Everyone jumped on board. I was pleasantly surprised. So off to the park, we went....

Climbing at the playground........(I was so impressed Gian and Amberly climbed to the top!)


We don't have mountains here in Florida, so when the kids saw a hill, they were super excited to run to the top!



We rented a family bike and rode through the park!


We had a great time at the park. Next time, we will pack a picnic and maybe a nature walk? We shall see!


Monday, September 16, 2013

Wanna Be A Baller!

On Saturday, Adrian officially started basketball at i9 sports. He loved every minute of it. At first, he was a little nervous since he had never really played before, but he caught on quickly and tried so hard to play well. Since it was the first time, they warmed-up, went over some drills and then played a short 10 minute scrimmage against another team. They play their first game next Saturday.

Warming up...


Practicing his shots....






Learning how to steal the ball......





Water break...



Yes, JC is once again coaching him. This is JC's favorite sport so he was very excited to teach a new generation the joys of basketball. Adrian seemed really interested (not like soccer, where he was a little bored) and even practiced dribbling when he got home. I was a super proud mom and yes I was already picturing him in a Heat jersey!

Do your kids play basketball? Any tips for this newbie basketball mom?


Friday, September 13, 2013

RECIPE: Classic Black Beans and Rice

Hello everyone! Today I am thrilled to be guest-posting over at Sunshine Bloggers ! Sunshine Bloggers is a site for all Florida bloggers to come together! Today I am sharing a Cuban classic: Black beans and rice. Head on over and check it out!


Hope you have a wonderful weekend!




Weekend Bloggy Reading

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

KiteReaders Tablet Accessories Giveaway!

Getting ready for the holidays? Well you probably should be since they are getting close? Wouldn't it be awesome to win some tablet accessories instead of buying them? I think so. Enter the KiteReaders Tablet Accessories Giveaway and you have a chance to win one of over 20 kid friendly accessories!! You also get a FREE ebook just for entering, so really, there's nothing to lose!


Hosted by: KiteReaders
Co-Hosted by: Second Chances Girl
Sponsored by: KiteReaders


KiteReaders is a multi-award winning digital publisher of children’s books. With over 100 titles and 30 best sellers across Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks, KiteReaders aims to provide quality content for children and their families and increase literacy around the world. Visit KiteReaders at http://kitereaders.com and like them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/kitereaders!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway Rules: US Residents, 18 years and up only. 1 entrant per household. Winners will be picked randomly through the Rafflecopter entry form. Winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.
All winning entries are verified.
Prizes Include: 
Gumdrop Kindle Fire Case (Valued at $49.99): 1 Winner
If you’re looking for the most rugged, durable yet ultimately affordable Kindle Fire protection, you found it in the Drop Tech Series Kindle Fire Case. Shock Absorption, drop protection, extreme ruggedness and hard-core readiness for all adventures, the Drop Tech Series Kindle Fire case specifically conforms to the shape of the Kindle Fire and offers multiple layers of protection. This transformer case features a unique, snap-on integrated screen for maximum protection. (http://www.gumdropcases.com/kindle-fire.html)
iPad Smart Cover (Valued at $39.99): 2 Winners
Snap the Smart Cover into place and it wakes up, stands up, and brightens up your iPad. It magnetically aligns for a perfect fit. It wakes and sleeps your iPad on open and close. It’s a handy stand for reading, watching, and typing. And it’s a way to make your iPad as personal on the outside as it is on the inside. (http://www.apple.com/ipad/accessories/)
iGuy iPad Case (Valued at $39.95): 2 Winners
Say hi to iGuy. He’s fun, free-standing and kid-friendly. Designed to fit all full-size iPads – even the new iPad 4! (http://www.speckproducts.com/iguy-for-ipad.html)
Fisher Price Kindle Fire Kid-Tough Apptivity Case (Valued at $29.99): 2 Winners
With a Kid-Tough rubberized casing and a clear film over the screen to protect against drips and sticky fingers, the next time your child asks to play with your Kindle Fire, you’ll be much more likely to say “sure”! (http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/kidtough/products/67522)
Griffin Technology Cinema Seat (Valued at $24.99): 2 Winners
CinemaSeat turns your iPad into the perfect in-car entertainment system. CinemaSeat’s wide, adjustable strap routes around your car seat’s headrest to perfectly position your iPad for backseat riders. Without sacrificing access to Multi-Touch display, controls or headphone jack, CinemaSeat lets them watch video, listen to music, play games and more. CinemaSeat gives your riders the best seats in the house. Or car. (http://store.griffintechnology.com/cinemaseat-2-for-ipad)
KaZoo MyPhones (Valued at $19.99): 2 Winners
KaZoo MyPhones have built-in-volume-limiting circuitry that keeps the sound pressure down to levels recommended as safe for young ears. Exposure to excessive levels of sound is more than a nuisance. It’s a health issue, especially for children. KaZoo MyPhones use a built-in, always-on sound-control circuit to cap peak volume levels at 85 decibels. That’s the maximum level recommended by many auditory health organizations in the U.S. and abroad. And, of course, KaZoo are kid-friendly with fun animal designs and durably constructed. (http://store.griffintechnology.com/kazoo-myphones)
Felix TwoHands Stand (Valued at $19.99): 2 Winners
When you want to use your NOOK hands-free, this ingenious accessory is the perfect solution. Made of sturdy molded plastic, it opens with a gentle squeeze and securely grips the edges of your NOOK, while the base rests on a flat surface to form a sturdy stand. The spring mechanism is both strong and flexible, so the Felix will hold your NOOK in either landscape or portrait mode; when closed, it’s only 7″ long, so it will easily slip into a pocket or bag. Add in the sleek, distinctive look – enhanced by a “felix” logo script printed in silver – and this is truly a must-have item for every NOOK owner. (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/home-gift-twohands-stand-in-black/25719436)
Crayola Color Studio iMarker (Valued at $15.99): 2 Winners
iMarker is the key to unlock limitless discovery and play on your iPad. It’s a digital marker, crayon, pencil and paint brush that interacts with the Crayola ColorStudio HD app to create all your favorite Crayola colors on the iPad’s Multi-Touch display. As you color, animated characters, music, sound and visual effects bring scenes to life, and surprises await on every page. (http://www.griffintechnology.com/crayola/colorstudiohd)
Marware UpSurge Speaker (Valued at $9.99): 2 Winners
The Marware UpSurge Mini Speaker delivers crisp, distortion-free sound from virtually any media player device. The UpSurge travels with you wherever you go, providing rechargeable, long-lasting audio enhancement in the palm of your hand. Its compact design twists and extends when in use for enhanced bass and sound quality. The UpSurge Mini Speaker is the perfect solution for your portable audio needs, whether you’re watching a movie, listening to music or playing a video game. (http://www.marware.com/upsurge-mini-speaker)
KiteReaders Stylus (Valued at $5.99): All Winners!
The KiteReaders Stylus is the perfect accessory to use on any of your touch devices! With a pen on one end and a stylus on the other, this stylus is a great tool to have in your pocket or bag at all times! 

ALL ENTRANTS GET A FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD!!!


**This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own!**

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Adrian's Mom

Source: justmommies.com


This meme describes who I am now. This sort of started last year when Adrian was in Kindergarten but it is full-blown now.

Walking Adrian to school "Hi! Adrian's mom!" Seeing a classmate out at a store "Look it's Adrian's mom, where is Adrian?"

I am no longer Idalmis, I'm "Adrian's mom!"

I only have one question, what happens if you have more than one kid? Are you so-and-so and so-and-so's mom?"


Friday, September 6, 2013

I'm a Top 25 Southern Mom Blogger!




Thank you to everyone who voted for my blog to become one of Circle of Moms Top 25 Southern Mom Blogs. I am so excited. I began blogging earlier this year so this is huge for me! This gives my blog so much exposure and to tell you the truth, I am just grateful that I can count on my bloggy buddies! Thank you again! If you wish to check out my interview, click here:  http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/second-chances-girl?blogroll_id=108

Also, have you entered to win a $40 Target giftcard? If not, click the image below and enter:




Wednesday, September 4, 2013

GIVEAWAY: $40 Target Giftcard

Hello! I am so happy that I decided to start blogging. I have "met" so many amazing women and recently have received tons of page views and lots of new followers thanks to super fun blog hops I've participated in. As a token of my appreciation, I am giving away a $40 Giftcard to my favorite store, Target!!! You can enter daily until 09/11/2013.  Thank you and Good luck!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Labor Day Weekend Recap

WOW! What a weekend! We started off great and ended on a sad note. We didn't do anything special or go on a trip, just hanging out at home as a family. Since we live so far South, our summer weather lasts all the way into late November (then we get fall-ish weather until March and then back to summer) so we aren't really saying good-bye to summer around these parts. OK let's begin.....

Friday:

We picked up Amberly and Gian from their mom's house and went to Menchie's for fro-yo. The kids love Menchie's and it's their special treat! They create all sorts of crazy concoctions with the fro-yo and all the candy/nuts/sprinkles/fruits/sauces. We just pretty much let them get what they want.




Saturday:
Pool Day! First, let me explain the weather here this weekend. Bright and sunny from sunrise to about 2pm. Crazy thunderstorms to about 6pm and then we return to bright and sunny until sunset (around 8ish). It was really hard to plan activities around this weather.After breakfast, I spent 45 minutes preparing water balloons. Each child got a bucket of balloons and I let them loose on each other. It was their first water balloon fight. They barely hit each other but hey had fun. Then it was pool time! Once the rain started we came inside and got dressed to go out. I went with Amberly to watch the One Direction movie, oh the things we do as moms, right? It wasn't as painful as I thought. She got a little bored after a while but patiently sat through it (it was meant for older girls, but all her friends were watching it over the weekend so she wanted to as well). Meanwhile, the boys and JC went to Gametime to play video games. They had a blast.





Sunday:
With two boys around, Amberly sometimes feels left out, so I went to pick up Adrian's cousin Ivanna to hang out with us for the day. There was more pool time. Lots of it. I even went and purchased an underwater camera. They had the greatest time taking pictures of each other under water. Once it got cloudy, we moved the crew inside to watch EPIC on DVD. The kids love that movie. I think its so beautiful. There was also a make your own sundae session. Once the skies cleared again, time to go to the park! (Believe me, I was not staying inside with four kids!) They ran, played football, chased each other up and down the slides, all while JC played over at the basketball courts. He loves basketball. After the park, I took Ivanna home and it was bath and bedtime for everyone else. Once the kids start school, I try to maintain their bedtimes so they don't fall out of routine. So bedtime every night was between 9 and 9:30pm.





Monday:
So we are on a routine for the weekend: breakfast, pool, movies and hanging out. I figure today, I will BBQ some salmon, burgers, ribs and chicken with some fun sides and the kids can play with the slip-n-slide. An easy, relaxing day. Well that wasn't in the cards. While I was grocery shopping, JC calls me frantic that one of the dogs bit Gian in the face. I was stunned. I hurried home from the store, picked them up and rushed to the hospital. In the car, I was able to look at it and see that she had bit him in the cheek. Six hours later, he had five stitches in and was treated with a popsicle. He was so brave! Poor thing, he can't get any sun on it so it doesn't scar so bad, so this weekend was officially our last pool session for the summer! And yes, we got rid of the dog. My sister took her. I cannot continue to have a dog in the house that bites the kids. Honestly, we are very lucky she only bit him in the cheek and I am super lucky that his mom didn't flip. Either would have made the situation 10x worse.


So this was our weekend. I am very sad today, just can't get out of my funk. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day! 

What did you do this weekend? 

Also, can you please take a minute and vote for my blog as a Top 25 Southern Mom Blog? I'm currently in #13!  http://www.circleofmoms.com/Top25  You can vote once daily until the 5th! Thank you so much!




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