2014 OSCAR Blog Hop!!!

The Oscars are my favorite awards show! I try to watch all the nominated films prior to the show (try!) and love watching the red carpet. You can imagine my excitement to be part of this OSCAR blog hop! Link up with us and meet new friends!

This hop is in celebration of all things OSCAR!  I have been a lifelong Oscars fan:  the movies, the red carpet, the stars.  I love it all!  I started this hop last year and it was a big hit.  We link up here and meet each other.  We head over to Twitter and chat.  Plus, one lucky blogger will win ad space on my blog!  

  

                  

      

          

1. Follow your host and co-hosts.
2. Add your link below to your blog, Facebook page, Bloglovin' profile, whatever you choose. 
3. Join us on Twitter for the #OscarHop Twitter chat on Sunday, March 2nd.  We will be chatting throughout the red carpet and show, but the "red carpet focus" of the chat will be from 4-5pm PST and the "show focus" of the chat will be from 6-7pm PST. Please join us anytime by entering the hashtag in the search bar on the "Discover" tab of Twitter.
4. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win ad space on the Happy Kids, Inc. blog! It will surely give some bling to your blog presence!
5. Grab a button and put it on your blog to promote the hop!

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I'm Happy! #30ThingsChallenge

What makes you happy? I am generally a very happy person. I'm a glass is half-full kinda girl! There are some days where I will be sad, depressed, angry but I will say they are probably 20 out of 365 days a year. Not too bad!!

Today we are at question #2 of my #30ThingsChallenge series. What 5 things make you happy right now?

1. Happy by Pharell Williams

This song is super fun. I remember it was my favorite part of the Despicable Me 2 movie. How can you not get happy when you here it?

2. Adrian now has an A in math. Super proud mom moment right now. He started at a C and it really worried me that he just wasn't getting it. Since that day, I have been sitting with a dry-erase board and his homework every day. We practice, practice, practice. First-graders in the Common Core curriculum learn 4 different ways to add and subtract. How was he not going to get confused? I was confused. Well, I am glad to say that after weeks and weeks of practicing, he now has an A! 

3.  Instagram.

I love Instagram. I love looking at people's daily lives, not the super-styled "for my blog" pics. I feel a great sense of community on Instagram, so much commenting and sharing! I've also gotten lots of local follows which also helps in making new friends!!! Do we follow each other on Instagram? I'm at http://www.instagram.com/iarias82. Follow me and I'll follow right back!!

4. JC 

This man makes me very happy. He is kind, loving, patient, generous, hard-working, supportive. There are just not enough words for me to express how happy he has made me in the past couple of years. 

5. My Second Chance

In 2009 my life feel apart. I made some bad business decisions and had everything taken from me. I struggled for years and in 2011, I started my life over again. Losing everything makes you value what is really important and material things aren't it. Love and family are it for me. I was able to focus on being a mother. I met JC and started a new life. I was given a second chance and I am not going to mess it up this time around!

What are 5 things that make you most happy right now?

Random Facts About Me! #30ThingsChallenge

On Saturday, I posted about the #30ThingsChallenge I am participating in. I am super excited about this challenge. I'm hoping to learn a little more about myself and save all my answers for my kids to be able to read one day.

20 Random Facts About Me:

1. My favorite color is red.

2. I wear a size 7 shoe.

3. My birthday is in February and I'm an Aquarius.

4. I don't like wearing jewelry other than a watch and earrings.

5. I'm always cold. Sometimes even in the summer.

6. I love chocolate chip cookies. Don't give me any other cookie because I will not eat it.

7. I am obsessed with white teeth. Mine are never white enough for me.

8. I cannot draw, not even stick figures.

9. I need to have my dose of Cuban coffee every morning. I cannot function without it.

10.  I love the ocean but am terrified of what's in the water. Seriously, there's animals in there!

11. I'm a closet Marvel-nerd. Ask me anything. I know my superheroes!

12. My hair is thin and frizzy curly. There is no hope for it to be fabulous and I've come to terms with it.

13. Super organized places scare me. I am messy. 

14. I love owls and foxes even though I have never seen either in person. 

15. My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate, especially Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

16. I love authentic Mexican food over anything else.

17. I am too lazy to wear makeup everyday. 

18. I hate working out, like really despise it, even though I know I should. I'll do yoga though.

19. I love online shopping. Actually going out to the mall is no longer an option for me!

20. I wear contacts. I have been wearing them since childhood. I am almost legally blind and I can see with contacts better than glasses. I am not a candidate for LASIK surgery so contacts it is for life!

If you are participating in the #30ThingsChallenge, please comment below with your post info so I can come over and learn a little more about you!

30 Things About Me That I Want My Kids to Know #30ThingsChallenge

What do your kids know about you other than you are their mom? My kids know very little about my life, who I am, what I want,etc. I saw this challenge over on Toni's blog and decided I wanted to do this challenge also.  If my kids ever read this blog, I want them to know me. So I am going to start today by providing you the questions I am going to answer, in the order I am going to answer them. I will answer them one by one and link the corresponding post back to the question on this post. I plan on answering about 2 or 3 a week so this should become a fun blog series. Now all these challenges become super fun when lots of people participate so if you are interested in this, feel free to post these questions on your blog and leave a comment below so I know where to go check out your answers!

1. List 20 random faces about yourself.
2. What are 5 things that make you most happy right now?
3. What is your dream job and why?
4. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
5. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
6. Describe 10 per peeves you have.
7. List 10 people who have influenced you and how.
8. Describe your relationship with your spouse.
9. What's your favorite holiday and why?
10. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self, if you could.
11. Describe a typical day in your life.
12. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
13. Describe when you knew your spouse was the one or how I fell in love.
14. Describe 5 strengths and weaknesses you have.
15. What'st he hardest part of growing up?
16. How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
19. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
20. What's your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
21. Describe your relationship with your parents.
22. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
23. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
24. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
25. What are 5 passions you have?
26. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for?
27. What's our favorite quality in your spouse?
28. What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
29. What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
30. List 10 things you hope to be remembered for.

My first post will be up on Monday. Remember, if you want to participate, please comment with your blog info so I can come over and read your posts!!


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Happy Friday! It's Time For The TGIF Blog Hop!

Hello everyone! Happy Friday! I am thrilled to be co-hosting the TGIF hop! Please link up below and visit other blogs, you never know, you might make a new friend!

Welcome to the TGIF Hop!

Welcome back! 

Celebrate with us getting through the week by

 linking your blog and/ or your instagram below. 
This is a no rule blog hop, link up any post. Remember,
visiting other links is what makes a successful blog hop.
This hop runs from every week, from Friday morning to Tuesday morning.

*You do not need an Instagram account to link up.
*Please be kind enough to follow your hosts and cohost GFC, Bloglovin or some form of social media. Comment to let them know so we can follow you back. 

 Would you like to be the next co-host and receive a spotlight?

Fill out this Co-Host form here

Meet your hostess:

               

     Meet this weeks Co Host!  

Hi! I'm Ida. From Second Chances Girl.

I'm a mom of one, step-mom of two from Miami, Fl. 

I blog about my second chance at life, love and family!

Tweet about this HOP by clicking "tweet" below!!

Mind Your Manners

WARNING: This is a good old fashioned mom rant. Don't keep reading if you don't want to hear me complaining about the kids behavior! Come back tomorrow when I will be co-hosting a super fun blog hop!!

I'm a stickler for good manners. Children and adults with bad manners really upsets me. I am on the kids all the time about saying "please" and "thank you", opening the doors for others, no loud burps, using inside voices and being kind to others. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to manners is them asking for stuff when they arrive at someone's house. In my opinion, you do not ask for anything, you wait to be offered. I was raised this way and am trying to instill this in my kids. Of course, children don't always do as they are told!

On Saturday mornings, I drop off Amberly at her art class and run errands with the boys. An hour or so later, we drive back to art class to pick Amberly up. Now, Amberly's teacher has a little treasure box that she fills with pencils, stickers and candy that she offers to the children after classes. As the boys and I were getting out of the car, I warn them "You go inside, sit down and wait for 5 minutes while I get Amberly and Don't You Dare ask for anything!" Same warning they receive every Saturday. I get my usual "Yes we know!" and up the stairs we go. We walk into the art class and as I am paying, both boys go "Can we have treasure?" I look back and give them the mom stare. I know you know what the mom stare is. Well they ignored me. Katelyn (Amberly's teacher) tells them that she is all out of treasure. At this point, all three of them get up, walk behind Katelyn's desk and open the treasure box to make sure there wasn't any treasure. I watched all of this like if it were happening in slow motion. I was so embarrassed.

At this point, I was so angry, I couldn't see straight. I said "OK well thank you, it's time to go!" in my nicest voice while staring my children down hoping I could make them burst into flames. We step outside and "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS?" came out from deep inside. It was a roar. They looked at me scared since they knew what  they had done. They knew I was angry and there was no going back from this one. We rode home in complete silence. When we got home, I sent everyone up to bed (mind you, it was like 2pm). I didn't want to see them, hear them, nothing! I was furious! They were up there for hours and I didn't care!

Do I think I overreacted? No! I have pretty simple rules. I repeat them over and over and over and over I have nice, well-mannered children. Everywhere I go, people comment about how well-behaved they are. They aren't perfect. They argue and fight. They yell and cry. They can do those things at home. When we are out in public, they know they have to behave. It will be a long time before I get over what happened on Saturday. Everyone that has heard this story has laughed at me. Well, first they are in shock that they kids would do something like this, then they laugh. This might become a classic, you know those stories that come up when you and your siblings are adults and want to annoy your mother at dinner. Yup, one of those!

Are you done laughing at me yet? Are a stickler for good manners? Have your children done something like this to you? Please share!

Amberly's Rainbow Art Party

Back in December, we celebrated Amberly's 8th birthday with a Rainbow Art Party. This was her first birthday party and I wanted to make it extra special. We could have gone with princesses or fashion or any typical girly themes, but I decided on a colorful art theme. This girl lives and breathes art, drawing, painting and crafts. This was the perfect theme for her!

Of all the parties I plan, this was probably the most nerve-wracking. I know nothing about art or painting and I drove JC nuts asking him what to buy. I also wanted to make sure it was super colorful. I am so grateful it was a nice sunny day. 

The weekend before the party, JC decided that Amberly's outfit needed to be perfect. He went to the store and picked out her pink dress and Converse. Of course, I added on a headband with a bow!

I made a last minute tye-dye cake and frosted it in white buttercream. I'm sorry but I didn't get pictures of it cut! (Bad blogger, bad!)  I also made a tulle tutu for the cake stand. Tutu's rock!

Since the party theme was art, our main event had to be painting canvases. I ordered aprons for all the kids to wear, made sure there were enough paint palettes and set up this table with canvases, paint and paintbrushes that I bought at Michael's. 

The rainbow of balloons was her favorite!

I ordered these cupcakes from a local bakery and I created the toppers.

Every girl needs flowers on her birthday!!

I made sure the boys were dressed in the same colorful scheme. This area was a photo booth area where the kids took pictures with oversized sunglasses, clown noses and random objects I pulled out of the toy area. I did manage to get a nice picture of all three.  

The kids loved the painting. They painted for over an hour!

Here is the super happy birthday girl! I also had a bracelet making station and a headband decorating station. There was also a spontaneous freeze dance session that got lots of laughs. 

This is probably my most favorite picture of that day. JC doting on Amberly and her holding up her masterpiece! There is so much love in this picture.

All in all, we had a wonderful time and Amebrly says she loved every minute of it. 

My Valentine!!

I am a very  lucky woman! I have two Valentine's!! I am very excited about this since only recently have I started liking Valentine's Day. This post is dedicated to most special Valentine: ADRIAN!

You are the person I most love on this planet. I never knew what love was until I had you. Honestly, life really does change when you become a mother, especially to a boy. Being a boy mom rocks. This little one looks at me with pure adoration, even when he is mad at me. I love you very much Adrian! Happy Valentine's Day to my little Valentine!!!

Cue the obligatory "through the years" pictures:

Adrian will be my Valentin's date tonight as will the rest of the family. We will be having a special breakfast for dinner and sweet treats that I will be whipping up!

Are you having a family Valentine's? What do you have planned?

Boomers! Family Entertainment Centers

Disclosure: I am a blogger for US Family Guide and I was provided passes to Boomers in exchange for this post and a review. No further compensation was provided. All opinions provided are 100% my own. 

"I'm so bored!" This is a common phrase you will hear children say. It doesn't matter if they have dozens of toys around them or if they have the latest video game. If they are home, they will tell you they are bored. I get it from mine all the time so I am constantly planning outings to different fun centers around South Florida. One of our favorites is Boomers! up in Ft Lauderdale. 

Boomers! is a family fun center that put the emphasis on fun. They have so many attractions: Go Karts, Bumper Boats, Miniature Golf, Laser Tag, Rock Wall, Mini-bowling, batting cages and an amusement park with rides. There is something for everyone!

Laser Tag

Game Room

To help out with the expenses of going out with the family, I have great exclusive coupon offers for any Boomers! Family Entertainment Centers. For a limited time, download the coupon for your local Boomers! and Save $5 Off Per Person.

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Get Ready for Valentine's Day with Johnson & Johnson Healthy Essentials

Disclosure: This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own and I hope you enjoy them.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. This year, we will be celebrating at home, first with the kids and then just the adults. I know many of you will also be celebrating this way too. Babysitters are expensive, menus are set and service is terrible on Valentine's Day so many families opt to stay at home. I want to make sure I look my best on this night so I was so excited when I received this box of goodies from Johnson & Johnson to help me out with preparation. 

First off is appearance. I need to look HOT!!! I need to pick out a sexy dress and do hair and makeup. With the help of NEUTROGENA® Healthy Volume® Mascara, I can have beautiful, conditioned and volumized fluttery lashes. Then, after brushing my teeth with REMBRANDT® Deeply White toothpaste to make sure I have a dazzling white smile, I will work on kissable lips. NEUTROGENA® MoistureSmooth Color Sticks instantly moisturize lips while continuously conditioning them with a balm-like formula that lasts for hours!

After all this prep and putting the kids to bed, I'm hoping a special someone can't keep his eyes off of me, it's adult time. Intimacy in a relationship is super important. When we become moms, we tend to push aside this special time with our partners and Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to bring it back. This year, you can reconnect with your partner and enhance intimacy courtesy of K-Y® BRAND YOURS + MINE® COUPLES LUBRICANTS®. The COUPLES LUBRICANTS® provide an invigorating warming sensation for him and a thrilling tingling sensation for her, creating a truly unforgettable experience.

To Enhance your Valentine's Day Experience, you can get all of the ingredients for a romantic evening, courtesy of the K-Y® BRAND DATE NIGHT ™ promotion. Look for special  K-Y® BRAND DATE NIGHT ™ display in stores nationwide, featuring details on a gift card offer fro a gourmet meal for two delivered to your home from Plated.com and a streaming movie from Vudu.com at $40. Visit the https://www.k-ydatenight.com/ for more details on this special offer.

Also, as an extra special treat, the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® program is offering amazing printable couopns, tips & tools and so much more for all the products you and your family love. You can get significant savings by visiting the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS website in February and signing up for extra-sweet HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® coupons and offers.

REVIEW: Monster Jam Miami 2014

Disclosure: I was provided tickets by FELD Entertainment to assist in this review. I was not provided any further compensation. All opinions provided are my own. 

On Saturday night, Adrian and I (plus other family members) attended Monster Jam 2014 at Sunlife Stadium. Adrian and I had never attended a Monster Jam event and he was super excited about going. Being a boy mom, I knew this day would come. I am not into monster trucks or ATV's or loud revving engines. I didn't know that this was such a popular event. We arrived about an hour and a half before showtime and between parking and picking up our tickets, we ended up in our seats only 10 minutes before showtime. This show was packed. There was even tailgating in the parking lot. Everything about this was new to me!

The show begins with the singing of the National Anthem, fireworks and a caravan of all the trucks participating in the show. Adrian was most excited to see this one: Captain America!!! The driver even wears a Captain America race suit. This was our family favorite!

Ok, one thing I have to say about this show is that IT IS LOUD! I didn't bring earplugs so this was how I was every time one of the trucks revved their engine, which was all the time!

Once the show started and all of the trucks came out, and it was time to race. The race consisted of rounds where two trucks raced each other around the track at a time and whoever finished in the shortest amount of time would race the next truck. Then those trucks raced each other in the semi-finals and then the championship round where a winner was chosen. The winner of the races was Grave Digger The Legend.

Since we are superhero-obsessed, we freaked out when the Wolverine truck came out. He had claws on his hood, I mean it doesn't get any better than that.

Between the truck races, the ATV riders came out and raced. They raced as TEAM USA (in blue) vs TEAM CUBA (in red). They raced three rounds during the show with Team USA winning!

After the racing was a Freestyle session where the trucks just went at the course. They rode over ramps, jumped cars and school buses and popped wheelies. It is amazing to see what these trucks can do. Most of them ended up like this though. This was what really got the crowd screaming, every time a truck flipped!

I love experiencing new things with Adrian and seeing the world through his eyes. He was amazed at what these trucks could do. I was amazed at what they could do. This is great family entertainment!

Have you ever been to Monster Jam? Please share your thoughts!