5 on Friday

YAY its FRIDAY!!! Today I'm linking up with the lovely ladies of The Good Life, A Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm and Hello Happiness for 5 on Friday for the first time! I'm super excited since I love reading everyone's 5 on Friday every week!

1: I'm LOVING my new HP 14" Chromebook that my honey gifted me! He even got it in the super cute coral color! I'm not a big laptop person but he said I needed one so I could blog in bed! Is he a keeper or what?

2: Adrian comes home today! He has been on a cruise with my mom for a week! I miss him!

3. RESURRECTION is my new favorite TV show! It just started this season and has me completely freaked out! I watch it with JC because I always think something crazy is going to happen (like monsters or something) so I can't watch by myself but I love it! It's on every Sunday at 9pm.

4. Hispanicize14 is a week away! I am officially super nervous. This will be my first conference ever! This is a huge conference for the Latino bloggers and journalists. It starts on Monday. I only know like 2 people out of the hundreds that will be there. Wish me luck!

                             
5. I'm on a new health kick! Last night I had a kale, banana, apple smoothie for dinner and I have been exercising! Say what? I need to get in shape people. It just hit me that bikini season is here and I definitely don't want the "back rolls" this year! Please feel free to share any links to healthy dishes or smoothie recipes!!

Striped for Spring with P.S. from Aeropostale

Disclosure: I am a P.S. from Aeropostale VIP Blog Ambassador and was provided with a gift card to aid in this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.


Big trends for Spring 2014 are stripes and florals. I love stripes. I could have everything striped and not get tired of it! When I walked into P.S. by Aeropostale and saw all the striped clothing, I fell in love. I picked these items for the kids (secretly hoping they had them in adult sizes!):

I also made sure the outfits were bright, it is Spring after all!!

Striped Tie-Front Tee / Jeggings

Striped V-Neck Tee  /  Flat Front Shorts

Striped V-Neck Tee  /  Skinny Jeans

P.S. from Aeropostale is a fun kids line. They have everything from graphic tees and shorts to button downs, chinos and dresses. They also have a size 4-6 section, which is where I shop for my kids since the clothes tends to run big.

Is your kid an EPIC KID? Every week P.S. from Aeropostale chooses a kid to be their EPICKID of the week! If chosen, your child could win a $100 gift card to go on an EPIC shopping spree!

 

Have you shopped at P.S. by Aeropostale? What spring trends are you loving for 2014?

Living Healthy For My Family With #HealthcareClinicMiami

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its client. All health related suggestions and opinions expressed in this post are all my own. #HealthcareClinic #CollectiveBias

Waking up feeling just plain yuck had become the norm for me. I looked in the mirror and would see a zombie staring back at me. I couldn't sleep. I ate junk so my digestion was off track. I rarely exercised so I hated how I looked. I would throw on some baggy clothes, throw my hair in a half-bun-ponytail and off to work I went. I just dealt with it. Then one day, in the elevator at work, I experienced chest pain. Real chest pain that scared me. I was all alone in that elevator, trying to catch my breath and all of a sudden it hit me "I NEED TO DO SOMETHING!"  I'm only 32 years old. I need to get my act together, for me and for my family. My family needs me, they depend on me! I needed a check-up! I hadn't gotten a check-up in years. I went online to the Walgreens Healthcare Clinic Miami and quickly made an appointment for the next evening. There are approximately 400 Healthcare Clinic locations at select Walgreens throughout the nation so it was easy to find one close to me. 

When I arrived at my appointment, I quickly found the check-in kiosk. I put in my confirmation number that I received when I made my appointment, read and acknowledged the required privacy forms and sat down to wait to be called. Less than five minutes later, the Healthcare Professional called me in. 

I explained to her how I was feeling. I wanted a health screening. Did I have high blood pressure? High Cholesterol? Glucose issues? I wanted to know. She quickly ran all the tests, weighed and measured me. She was very professional and courteous and answered all my questions. She quickly reassured me that all my tests came back normal. She recommended that I start taking vitamins, fish oil supplements, eat healthier and exercise. Best part? I was in and out in under an hour! 

I took her advice and purchased vitamins, fish oil and a probiotic. I have started walking for 30 minutes in the afternoons after work. A week later and I feel so much better! My family is going to have me around for a LONG time!!

What do you do to live healthier for your family?

Doc McStuffins Mobile Clinic DVD Review & SURPRISE!!

"Time for your check-up! Time for your check-up!" If you know the rest of that song, then you know Doc McStuffins! Disney's doctor to toys is on constant rotation in this house! We love Doc and we were super excited when we received a copy of Doc McStuffins Mobile Clinic on DVD!

About the Movie: Ride with Doc and her trusty team as they rescue Dress-Up Daisy from a tree. Then, race to the park in time to help a windup mouse get back to doing fantastic flips. Get ready to get movin' with five amazing, song-filled episodes. Wherever adventure takes you, Doc's mobile-clinic is your ticket to healthy, happy fun. 

We say:  We loved it! In this movie, Doc uses her Mobile Clinic to get around and help more toys!! There are five episodes that kept the kids (and myself) glued to the TV. There are lots of songs and plenty of adventure! Also, with Easter coming up, Doc McStuffins Mobile Clinic on DVD is a great Easter basket stuffer!!

AND NOW FOR THE SURPRISE: A GIVEAWAY!!!

Want even more Doc McStuffins goodies for your little doctor?  Enter below for a chance to win all these fun goodies!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fun At The Youth Fair!!!

The youth fair is in town. Going to the fair is an annual tradition for many families in South Florida. This fair is HUGE!! It is miles and miles of adult rides, kids rides, games, mouth-watering food, shows, entertainment, a circus and livestock/agricultural competitions. There is also an exhibit center with over 40,000 local artistic, academic and agricultural student exhibits. 

This is my favorite picture:

We went on Opening Day, March 13th. Parking is free but with hundreds attending, you end up parking pretty far from the entrance. They have a tram service to shuttle guests back and forth. They also have these cool bike rides that drop you off at the entrance. The kids wanted this option.

We grabbed our tickets and P.O.P. bracelets (these bracelets provide unlimited rides instead of using a coupon booklet) and in we went. We went straight to the first Kiddieland area, there are two.  Adrian and Ivanna rode everything, twice, maybe three times!

Bumper cars was the only ride they had to stand in line for! Adrian was too short to drive so they both hopped in one car and Ivanna did the driving!

Ferris Wheels are always a fair staple!

This was the Kids Fun Slide. They were not tall enough to ride the regular Fun Slide. Maybe next year!

So many rides and fun houses!

When I mentioned earlier that the Fair is huge, I wasn't kidding. These sky-carts are available to transport you form one side of the fair to the other!

Kids rollercoaster!

Around 9pm, I told them it was time to pick one last ride! They chose the roller coaster again!

We also happened to eat alot too! We had pizza, roasted corn, cotton candy, chicken and waffles, elephant ears, way too much food!

The Miami-Dade County Youth Fair is open from March 13-March 30! You can find more information at www.fairexpo.com. 

Join The Fight Against Child Hunger with ConAgra Foods

“This post has been written on behalf of ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here. I was not compensated for writing this post and opinions are completely my own.”

Did you know that more than one in five children, more than one in four Latino children in the U.S., may not know where their next meal is coming from? That's nearly 16 million children going hungry daily, right here in the U.S. Yup, right here in our backyards!

Did you know that children who experience even intermittent struggles with hunger may suffer serious, long-term consequences to their health, well-being and educational achievement? What’s more - being hungry robs kids of the promise of childhood – the ability to play, grow and learn.

Ready to make a difference? Ready to join the fight against child hunger?

It's easy to make a difference, look for the red pushpin and locate the code found on specially marked ConAgra Foods and P&G products. For each 8-digit code entered at www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com from March-August 2014, ConAgra Foods or P&G respectively, will donate the money equivalent of one meal to Feeding America. 

Finding the red pushpins is easy! There are codes located on all of the following:

One of the  easiest ways to learn how to get involved is to join the Child Hunger Ends Here Facebook community at Facebook.com/ChildHungerEndsHere or follow the news on Twitter and Instagram @ChildHungerEnds.

Let's help these children never go hungry again!!!

Social Links:

Website: http://www.childhungerendshere.com/espanol or http://www.childhungerendshere.com/index.html

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildHungerEndsHere

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChildHungerEnds

 Instagram: http://instagram.com/childhungerends

 Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/conagrafoods/realities-of-child-hunger/

Party Overload

With kids come parties. With three kids and a couple nieces and nephews under 10 comes lots of parties. There are lots of birthdays and holidays to be celebrated, everyday accomplishments made into big events and some "just because" events. If you read this blog often, you know that I believe that every child should have a birthday party, whether big or small. Birthdays are a big deal in our household (check out the ones I've posted about so far here)!!

So for 2014, I have the following parties to plan (so far!):
1. Jacob's (Adrian's cousin) 2nd birthday
2. Easter Brunch
3. 4th of July BBQ
4. Ivanna's (Adrian's cousin/Jacob's sister) 10th birthday
5. School's out pool party
6. A couple movie release/watching parties (I love these!)
7. JC's birthday
8. Adrian's 8th birthday
9. Gian's 7th birthday? (maybe, his mother is supposedly handling it this year, but I doubt it)
10. Amberly's 9th birthday? (maybe, her mother is supposedly handling it this year, but I doubt it)

I'm writing my list on the blog so I actually work really hard on them this year and remember to share them. For the birthdays, I have a couple themes that I need to narrow down. I need your help with Jacob's. It is going to be a party with his cousins at his grandmother's house. This will be his first birthday party. I'm thinking Mickey Mouse or Sesame Street. He doesn't really watch TV so he doesn't know much about either character but I know these are the biggies for kids. Or maybe, just like a cowboy for construction theme, I'm just not sure!

Source: Party City

Source: Party City

What do you think? Which would you choose? Did you post about your child' second birthday? If so, please share your link in the comments so I can get some ideas!! Thanks friends! Oh and if you have any ideas for a 10 year old party, I welcome those too!!!

A Twist On A Classic: Turkey Picadillo

A classic dish in Cuban households is picadillo (ground meat). You can serve it with rice and beans or use as a filling for empanadas. It cooks quickly and it a great dish for those evenings when I am super-rushed to make dinner. There are times where I buy ground turkey instead of ground meat. This led to a new family favorite: Turkey picadillo.

Turkey picadillo is cooked the exact same way as regular picadillo. Sometimes, I will even make changes to this dish and add sweet potato instead of regular potatoes. It is an extremely versatile dish!

Recipe: (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, chopped

8-10 salad olives (pitted)

1 envelope of Sazon goya

1 can tomato sauce

salt and pepper

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1 oz box raisins

In a pan over high heat, drizzle olive oil and add onions, peppers and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until soft. Add ground turkey, carrots, olives and cook until meat is browned.  Add one envelope of Sazon Goya, salt and pepper to taste and tomato sauce, mix together and cook for a few minutes. Then add potatoes and raisins, cover pot and cook over medium heat until potatoes soften. Serve over rice.

Have you ever had picadillo? What twists do you make to it?

Fun In The Sun

Growing up in South Florida, you learn to love the sun. Sure, it rains sometimes, but it is usually nice and sunny. This weekend the weather was fantastic. It was a high of 80 both Saturday and Sunday and I made sure we were outside as much as possible.

Saturday morning Adrian had the last game of winter basketball and they received their trophies!

Then it was pool time! Yup, we officially kicked off water-fun season at our house on Saturday! The kids were in the pool for hours!

Sunday, we had a family gathering at one of my sister's houses to celebrate her birthday. She lives by the beach, towards the bay area. Here's a good picture we took, the four kids and our mom (the itty bitty in front).

My niece and her boyfriend barbequed (yes, grilling season is also in full effect already!) It was so delicious.

Our little family!!  Isn't this bay area beautiful?

The kids went in the pool and then went fishing! Except for Adrian, this was the kids first time fishing. I didn't even know JC knew how to fish! Well, the picking were slim, this was all he caught!

 My friend Philip helped with the bait! So gross!!

JC took this amazing pic of me and the kids looking out at the bay trying to spot dolphins. I'm definitely putting this on a canvas.

What did you do this weekend? Any fun in the sun?

I Want To Be The Owner! #30ThingsChallenge

Back today with another answer to the #30ThingsChallenge! Today's question is:

#3. What is your dream job and why?

Think back at how many times you have been asked this question in your life. What have you answered? I've said teacher, surgeon, President, stockbroker, actress, professional ballerina, fashion designer, news anchor and so many more I can't even remember. I've wanted to be everything.  So, before I put down any of those as my dream job,  I thought hard. What have I always wanted to be? What job would make me genuinely happy? The answer might surprise you!

My dream job would be owner of a professional sports franchise!!!.

{Source}

Yes, this is my dream job. Owning and managing a professional sports team. It could be for any sport, but preferably an NFL team. I want to be part of the big boys club up in the skyboxes. I want to pick players. I want to negotiate contracts. I want to call meetings and discuss futures. I want to inspire my franchise with positive energy and commitment to my players and staff. I also want to be able to yell when things aren't done right. Can you imagine my 5'5" self standing up to one of these 6'4" 200+ players and telling them how it is? I want to make rules for my team as to how they will behave and present themselves. You will wear suits (players in the NBA have to travel and show up in suits). Your hair will be pulled back (I've seen many a braid getting yanked during games). There will be no bullying, they will be courteous to each other. Oh and let's not even get started on the spitting (YUCK!!!). You don't perform up to my standards, you are off my team. I know I will be a tough owner but a fair one.

I'm sure this is not what you imagined when you first read the question but it is what it is. I love sports. I love football. I want to be part of an exclusive club where women are still rarely allowed in. Hey, Condoleezza Rice once said that her dream job was to be commissioner of the NFL!! She was even considered for the position at one point. Who would have ever imagined that? I'm telling you, if I ever have enough money (like I won the Powerball or some other lottery), I would definitely invest in a professional sports franchise!!

REVIEW: Mr. Peabody & Sherman

On Saturday, we were invited to attend an advance screening of Mr. Peabody and Sherman. I think I was more excited than the kids. I loved watching the Mr. Peabody cartoons when I was younger and I was looking forward to my kids loving Mr. Peabody as well!

Official Synopsis: (IMDb)

Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his mischievous boy Sherman, use their time machine - The WABAC - to go on the most outrageous adventures known to man or dog. But when Sherman takes The WABAC out for a joyride to impress his friend Penny, they accidentally rip a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on the most important events in world history. Before they forever alter the past, present and future, Mr. Peabody must come to their rescue, ultimately facing the most daunting challenge of any era: figuring out how to be a parent. Together, the time traveling trio will make their mark on history.

Our review:

Mr. Peabody is not adopted as a pup so he uses his spare time to study, learn and invent. In turn, he petitions the court to adopt a boy, Sherman. This movie shows the amazing relationship between a boy and his dog, or in this case, his father! Sherman gets himself into all sorts of trouble and its up to Mr. Peabody to save him. The back-and-forth arguing of parent letting go of their child into society will touch the heart of any parent watching this movie with their child. There are funny parts for kids but many more funny parts and one-liners that only adults understood. This movie provides many glimpses into major events in history and the kids were dying to know more! All in all we loved it and will definitely be watching it over and over again!

One of the best parts of this movie are the 3-D glasses!

The 3-D effects in this movie were on point. It was just enough to pleasantly watch without having to remove your glasses 20 times during the movie. Actually, the kids didn't take off their glasses once.  (There was face painting at the event, that's why you see a green snake on Adrian's face!)

The kids received their very own Mr. Peabody and Sherman Glasses and Bow Tie Set. They wore these all day Saturday!

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, I highly recommend going to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman together as family. It really is fun for all!

Did you watch the Mr. Peabody and Sherman cartoons? Do you plan on taking your kids to watch the movie?