Flavors from my childhood… passed on to my child

#ad From the time I was 11 years old I remember my fun super hot NY summers and also I remember my first favorite “ice cream”  LUIGI’S REAL ITALIAN ICE

(make sure to click on the link for your discount coupon)

Its crazy to think that now my husband and my girl are loving them too. Specially now that LUIGI’S REAL ITALIAN ICE has joined forces with @abominablemovie. You all definitely have to go check out the movie that is out now, its beautiful and with a great message for kids.

 

Also run to your closest supermarkets in the following locations Baltimore, MD/ Washington/DC, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Harrisburg, Scranton, PA, Hartford, CT/Springfield, MA, Las Vegas, NV, Los Angeles, CA, Miami/Ft Lauderdale, FL, New York, NY, PHiladelphia, PA, Raleigh/Greensboro, NC, Richmond/ Norfold, VA, San Francisco/Oakland, CA, Tampa/St Petersburg, FL and get yourself some  LUIGI’S REAL ITALIAN ICE

All the opinions are my own***

Summer is near

Hey all!!! Just wanted to come in here and scream out loud that we are more than ready for our summer and our dream Disney Cruise vacation even though it is not until november.

But let me tell you all about Pat Pat company. They have the best outifts for kids and also have some gorgoeus Mommy and Me sets, so we are excited to be working with them. My girl loves the feeling of the outfits she has gotten, specially her bathing suit, it first perfect and looks gorgeous on her.

Mommy on the other hand still has a few lbs left to lose but im so ready rock my bathing suit with her!!!

Also I am sharing a 10% OFF code with you all “LOCKE10”

Here is the link to the bathing suits. Definitely check them out because they have great outfits.

Striped Matching Swimsuit for Family:https://www.patpat.com?adlk_id=94864

A party for babies or the mommies???

(This is an sponsored post by Beech-Nut® Naturals™ but all opinions are 100% my own)

We recently threw a small get together (picnic) with some mommies and their babies to taste out some sponsored Beech-Nut® Naturals™ and I have to say all the kids really loved them, specially the “Just Apples” flavor. Now the very funny part is that the moms did as well, hahaha, and who can blame us when Beech-Nut® Naturals™is a baby food brand that is inspired by homemade. It is made with real fruits and veggies just like you would use at home

We also had such a great time playing Beech-Nut® Naturals™ Bingo and tasting all the different flavors we got. Kim was hapy to share some of her treats with her friends and us mommies also got to make a delicious dip out 2″Just Apple” jars and some cream cheese and it was delicious.

I had started giving my girl Beech-Nut® Naturals when she was just a baby and even now her favorite “apple sauce” is still this. She also loved the pumpkin flavored one. They are also super easy to spot at your local grocery store in their honey pot jars with green lids, they are truly amazing.

Kids and technology

Hello all!

Here I am ready to talk about an issue that has been so controversial for lack of a better word. Kids and technology, when enough is enough?

The other day as I was driving my daughter asked me for the phone, I said I couldn’t reach for it since I was driving and my daughter proceeded to have the biggest tantrum I’ve seen her have in her short 5 years, all because I couldn’t reach for my phone.

That is when I realized how bad my daughter’s obsession for the phone/ipad had gotten, and yes, it is my fault. I have to say and accept that sometimes
I have used technology as a “free babysitter” either because I have to cook, clean or sometimes just because I want some time for myself.

Once we were home and all calm, my daughter had her “well deserved ‘time out'” and I decided to sit down and find out what really has my daughter’s obsession, it turns out that she wants the ipad/phone to watch “Ryan’s toy review”, I mean who is this kid? I get it, they make millions unboxing toys and acting a fool, she is obsessed with it and I don’t see us making any millions by my girl watching that show, hahaha.

Soo I had a talk with my little girl, I told her she can have the iPad after homework is done, after all her chores are done, after dinner is done and only for an 1 HR every 2 days and NO Youtube! that last part she wasn’t so happy about but we negotiated and downloaded NickJR and ABCMouse both have great games, shows and are super educational. And this is NOT an ad

Maybe it is not the time spent on the tablet that is bad or not beneficial for our kids but rather what they’re watching on it, maybe if we remove the apps that not providing anything good and download educational ones it will make kids using technology just a little bit better. After all, technology is the future right?

One more little thing, can we please bring back flip phones that are not $1000 so my daughter can call 911 if she needs to, without having to go through 300 screens and security codes. yes?. thanks 🙂

Here we are again

So, my last post was more than a year and so much has happened since then, lets start at the beginning…

Last July (2017) I, crazy enough decided I wanted to take that leap of faith and take a class I NEVER thought I ever could, I went to BARTENDING school!! It was the most fun, interesting, and easiest class ive ever taken! I met incredible people who are now my very close friends and I actually learned to make drinks hahaha,

I later worked as a bartender in a local bar here in my town and it was so much fun, I got to meet a lot of people, have my own regulars and even create some of my own drinks, I loved it but unfortunately they had to shut down, i see that as a blessing in disguise, I made some money to help with the bills and then I got to stay back at home with my husband and my girl, it truly is the little things that count,

Also right after summer, i started noticing some white spots on my hand, i first thought it was just the sun, or tan spots that were not tanned enough, but i think inside of me I already knew, I was the lucky daughter that inherited my dad’s condition of VITILIGO, i say “lucky” because I now see my spots as a special mark, something only my dad and I have in common, and yes it was super weird at first because it spread super fast, on my body, my hands, my feet and some spots on my face, yet my husband and my daughter dont see a difference and now, neither do I.

So here we are, 2 days away from Thanksgiving, running all over the place to find the best ingredients for the perfect dishes, ready to spend our first Thanksgiving with my inlaws. And you know, life may be a little hard sometimes when I feel that people keep staring or pointing at me, but those spots dont define me, they dont make me better or worse person. They make me Thankful, thankful for the love I still have even with my spots.

Summer reads!

Hello everyone, I have recently gotten a new library card and I am super excited because I can go and get some amazing books. I am writing below the list of books I have read and also the ones that I am hoping to read by the end of the summer. Feel free to leave me a comment with some of the books you recommend

1. this is my ALL TIME FAVORITE book, I’ve read it about 7-8 times, and every time I read it again, something in me changes. it is consider a
“self help” book,, but for me it is more than that, it is book that teaches you about love, compassion, faith and believing in the impossible.

2.
this is one of my favorites! women should definitely empower each other, this book is geared toward female entrepreneurs and as Cara calls them “Side Hustlers”

3. This book!! this was a book that at moments it was way more than I could handle, I loved all the twists and all the characters too.

4. this book was so adorable! it made me want to buy a plane ticket to Paris, it will give you ladies great ideas about some changes worth making.

5.
this is the most recent book I read, I LOVED IT! I laughed, and cried. it really was a great book about love, that sibling love, that family love, and that self love. Totally recommend it.

——————————————————————————–

That was the list of books I’ve read this summer and loved, now comes the list of books I am hoping to read by the end of the summer. if any one has read any please let me know how they are.

1. Who doesn’t love Chip and Joanna? they are goals!

2. 2.
Ive heard great things about this book so I got it yesterday and I cant wait to read it!

3. I have to finish reading this asap

4. saw it yesterday, and it looked like a good summer book.

5. this books has been a best seller for months now, the description sounds like a great thriller.

6. I follow Courtney on Instagram under @PIZZAZZERIE and I truly love what she doesn’t and she really looks like a genuine person, and now that her party and hosting book is out, I definitely have to get it.

Bread Pudding- Budin de pan

INGREDIENTS://
7 a 8 bread rolls.

1 1/2 liter of milk. (I mixed evaporated milk with regular milk)

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups of sugar (depending how sweet you want it to be)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 Fl Oz

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

1 tablespoon of lime zest.

Orange zest from one orange (just the orange part, not the white part because it will be too sour).

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup of sugar for the caramel that will go in the pan

(I also used a teaspoon of rum for flavor, but that is completely optional)

STEPS://

Break the bread apart in small pieces and put in a big bowl. Add the milk and let it soak for 10-15 minutes

In another bowl mix in the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and the lime and orange zest.

Pour the eggs mixture into the bread and milk bown. Add in the rum (if you are using it) and the raisin and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated and let it rest for another 5 minutes

••••••••••••••••••••••••••
In the mean time melt the sugar in a pot until it becomes caramel and pour it in the pan. Preheat your oven at 390 degrees. 

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. And voilà! 

It IS OK!

Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a great week so far, I have been debating whether or not to talk about this topic because I feel like everyone has an opinion about this, but I want to talk about the FEELINGS that some Stay at Home Moms experience, I recently read about the “HOUSEWIFE SYNDROME”, to be honest, I’ve never heard that term before but sometimes I do have all the “symptoms”

Apparently this Housewife syndrome is the feeling of some emptiness and some kind of that we are not enough because we are at home all day, every day, it is the feeling of tiredness and not having any motivation to do something, and when you do have that motivation it is the feeling of thinking you don’t have enough time to do anything, not time for doing the dishes, and cleaning, and making breakfast, lunch and dinner, doing laundry etc.

I am sure this happens to millions of moms out there but right now it is happening to me, maybe I have been a SAHM for too long (it will be 2 years this November) or maybe it is the fact that I’m running out to things to do at home. Either way, sometimes I feel like I wish I was back at work, I wish I was the same individual I was before I became “just a mom” and then the other “symptoms” start happening, but please, don’t get me wrong or don’t get confused, I am not depressed, at least I am 99% sure that I am not, but I do wish people in general understood that IT IS OK to feel this way.

IT IS OK to feel tired and to not have everything together, IT IS OK to just want to lay down in the sofa and watch reality tv, IT IS OK to not make dinner every day, IT IS OK to wake up late and let your child have breakfast in bed so you could stay in bed for 10 more minutes, IT IS OK to go out for a drink once a week, IT IS OK to ask your husband or partner for help, IT IS OK to go out and leave your kids at home with their dad, IT IS OK to want to do things alone,  and also, something that is very important to me, IT IS OK TO RUN YOURSELF A NICE BUBBLE BATH FOR JUST YOU!!! and don’t forget the candles and wine.

Please don’t get me wrong, I LOVE , I ADORE MY FAMILY TO DEATH, but I do need to be the same old person I was before I became a mom, being a mom has certainly changed my life, I am now forever responsible for another person and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Hello again!

Hey guys. I know I have been so lost but I have been going through some tough moments personally but I am back in the game and I’m going to give this blogging thing another chance. So much has been going on with me that it may take days to fully tell all of you everything, but i will summarize it and if anyone has any questions just reach out to me.

Back in March, I found out I had had a miscarriage, the dr said the baby was just 2 or 3 weeks in but it didnt hold so the miscarriage happened. This was a devastating shock to say the least because we have been trying for over 6 months now and since I already gave birth to one child I kept thinking it was going to be the easiest thing to get pregnant and stay pregnant again, but boy was I wrong.

I have never mentioned it here but I have hypothyroidism and because of that it is much harder to get pregnant. A lot of women even suffer from infertility because of it. And even though I have been getting my thyroid checked regularly it is still not fully controlled so all we can do is keep trying and all I can do is continue to take care of myself as much as I can.

At the end of March my husband went to California for work for a week, so my girl and I went to visit my sister in Miami and then my mom in North Carolina. Those trips really helped me getting my spirits back up after the loss we had.

April was a month full of running around in the house, with us giving our families the first Easter dinner in our home. It was a great time filled with love and our families. Also, the Easter bunny was very generous with Kim this year.

I also became a Permanent Resident in this country and that was definitely the greatest news and accomplishment so far this year. It is something that unless you are an immigrant you cant really appreciate. This is the first time that (God willing) I will be going back to Perú, my country of origin after 24 years! I came here with my parents when I was only 11. And for many complicated reasons we stayed and made a life here. It has been tough for our family with everything that is happening now with immigration but all I can say is that I am a proud immigrant who worked hard and paid all her taxes in time and now is a permanent resident who cant wait to become a citizen so I can vote and go on jury duty. 🙂

May came and we also did a lot of running around. We went to visit my husband’s fraternity brother and his family and oh my, do they have the cutest little boy. He is only 3 months and my daughter loved being with him, which is a good sign she might be ready for a sibling. We also went to visit my mom for Mother’s day and even though it was amazing to spend this day with her it was also very sad because her father in law passed away on Saturday morning. He was 84 years old and suffered from Alzheimers and once his whole mind was gone his other organs started failing and that is what caused his dead. My mom was devastated because she loved both her inlaws, they were the sweetest people we have met, and her mother in law passed last year and now her father in law. Its been, like i say a very bittersweet month.

But the rest of the year is here and Im here to not let anything or anyone bring me down. If anyone feels like dragging me down they are being cut from my life because all I want to do is appreciate and enjoy every moment im living with my loved ones. Life is too short for everything else. Soo I will now go grab a glass of wine and have some cheesecake.
Have a great night everyone. Remember. Life is what YOU make of it. Make it worth your memories. Xoxo

Cynthia

Kim’s birthday celebration part 1

Hey guys, I know I’ve disappeared for almost a whole month and I’ve just had so much going in February that I am glad to say I accomplished all I had in mind for the month.

February started off with all of us sick with a bad cold, a cold that probably lasted about 2 weeks! but February 12 came and we were off to Disney! yes, DISNEY WORLD!!!!! We went with my in laws to celebrate my daughter’s Kim/s 3rd birthday and she truly enjoyed it all. We  had a few reservations, kept wondering if we made a mistake by taking her there so soon, but we were wrong and she had the time of her life!

Nothing will ever compare to the moment she met the characters and her face lit up. I’ve never seen a child so happy and in “awe” as she was. We really had a great time and I highly recommend visiting during the month of February it was not as crazy or expensive as it is in the hotter months. My in laws also had an amazing time with us and it was great to see them both going on rides with her.We were there from Sunday to Thursday night and did Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom and Universal Islands of Adventure the last day. Totally enough time for a 3 y/o and adults to enjoy.

 

We stayed at Disney’s Art of Animation resort and it wasn’t only a BARGAIN but it was a beautiful place for children and adults! we rented a car which worked perfectly because we skipped the lines for the bus and they also have a huge restaurant equipped with everything you might need like toasters, microwaves, milk, juices and all sorts of things.

It really was a magical moment and we really cant wait to go back 🙂