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Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

Kleenex, There When you Need Them!

As many parents, my heart grow ten times in size when I gave birth to my precious little baby girl seven years ago. She is literally part of my heart detached from my body, she is the most amazing little person. Ever. As her primary caretaker I am there to help her, teach her, encourage her, and console her.

Since she was 6 months old she has been in a form of daycare or schooling as I’ve had to work and up until last year work and attend school. While her being around kids for so long has built up her immunity, it has also led to many runny noses, many fevers, and coughs and colds. I try my best to be proactive during these colder months, but it’s inevitable that she’ll get sick.

When she does I’m right by her side nursing her back to good health. What makes my princess feel better? In our house it isn’t a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup or tea. Like most kids, she wants to snuggle up with Mom, and loves the extra time we spend together. I share stories with her from her childhood, funny things she used to say and do, and we look at picutres of her as a child. And oddly enough this is part of the healing process for her. It’s the cutest thing. Ever. We also swear by Kleenex products, as they are reliable and soft on her little nose. Their care pack is a great gift to someone not feeling the best, and is like a dose of get well in a box!

I’ve shared what works to help nurse my little girl back to good health, and I’d love to hear what works for you and your family! In addition, you can win a Kleenex Share Pack – a large box of their tissue brand! Entering this giveaway is easy enough – the mandatory entry is to leave a comment describing what works to help nurse your loved ones back to good health. You can earn an extra entry by liking the blog’s Facebook page, please leave that in a separate comment. This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on Monday December 10th at 4pm!

 

This post is sponsored in collaboration with Kleenex and Latina Bloggers Connect. All the opinions expressed here are my own.



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Celebrating Latinas at the #SMlatinas event at Pio Pio!

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Blog Her conference in the heart of The Big Apple – more on that in another post. The highlight of my time in NYC wasn’t the conference surprisingly, but rather a party before the event, the Stiletto Media Kick Off Your Heels Event at Pio Pio Restaurant.

I’ve been part of the Stiletto Media (#SMlatinas) group for awhile now, and was so so excited to meet some of the ladies I communicate with regularly through social media in person!! The event was an opportunity for us to network, make new friends, and celebrate being latinalicious bloggers!

In addition to endless Sangria, delectable hors d’oeuvres, and glitter tattoos there was friendship. I met Migdalia the powerhouse of Stiletto and fellow single mom, Lourdes a friendly latina who made me get my first glass of Sangria, instantly clicked with Gloria another former teen mom, Sili my silly Sili with an electric smile, super friendly Maria who welcomed me in with a warm hug, Rachelwho was just too cool for school, beautiful Heiddi & super sweet Eileen!! Along with many more, we posed, we drank, we laughed, and most importantly we supported each other.

Listen, getting a group of opinionated ladies together doesn’t always end well. But in this instance, in this atmosphere, we were one big latina family. There was no pressure, no cattiness, there was acceptance. I’ve struggled for a long time figuring out where I fit in, there was no doubt I was supposed to attend this #SMlatinas party and meet the wonderful ladies that I did.

In my busy day to day life I don’t give myself the opportunity to kick back and enjoy with friends, and I’m so glad I did. I brought out the hot pink dress (representing Stiletto!) and the heels for this event! The pictures just begin to tell a story of the fun we had, it was truly a night to remember.

Me & Gloria of Teen Mom NYC

HUGE thanks to our generous sponsors Sweet Pickles Books, HP, COVERGIRLAvocados from Mexico, and Glitter Tattoo NY for supplying us with awesome goodies to take home!! Many thanks to the photographers, videographers and Migdalia’s oldest son Karl for taking snapping great pictures of us throughout the night!

Stiletto Media is an amazing sisterhood connecting influential latina bloggers with creative voices and experiences. If you are interested in joining this sisterhood please visit Stiletto Media, and be sure to connect with us through Twitter by using the hashtag #SMlatinas

SMlatinas, stietto mediaDisclosure: As a member of the Stiletto Media Blogger Network, my trip to the VIP Latina Blogger Event was sponsored, but as always, my thoughts and words are my own.



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Surviving

I was so excited to launch the new blog and post some new kick-a** content and then BOOM life got real. In a matter of a week I somehow worked 70 hours, helped pull off a 360 gala at a swanky hotel, and went through some medical ish that had me in the hospital for 7 hours the night/morning before my huge event. I only got 1.5 hours of sleep that night *gulp*. Don’t ask me how I did it; don’t ask me how I survived. I felt terribly guilty working so much and had to rely on family and friends to help with my daughter, who missed me and wondered when I was going to be home.

I was thisclose to walking out of work many days last week, the pressure and stress got to me. I wasn’t able to think straight or be creative. Thursday night I got home a little after midnight from my gala event, I checked in on my daughter snoring loudly, went back into the kitchen and wept in my boyfriend’s arms. I didn’t say surviving was easy. I try so so hard to hold it all together, but last week proved that there are cracks in my armor…and that’s ok. I have to cut myself some slack, we’ve all got to give ourselves more credit for all that we do, and how hard we grind for ourselves and our families.

Life is still a ball of crazy but I’m able to see better this week, and I’m taking it slower, cutting myself some slack, and patting myself on the back. Somehow, someway I get up every morning and put my best foot forward as a mother, woman, and employee.

Shoot, I’m doing better than surviving. I’m living.



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Why do I blog anyway??

For new (thank you!) and returning (thank you!) visitors to the blog, I hope you have all had a chance to check out my *About Me* page. I started this blog about two years ago, and since then my voice has grown and matured. I have embraced the growth but it also has me wondering about the future of the blog and wondering more and more about if what I’m writing about is appealing to others.
So, why do I blog anyway? In a nutshell I feel like I have too. I need a place to unload. I am driven by emotions, and this blog is my virtual diary. I have spilled out my thoughts, my happiness, my sorrow into my posts. Blogging is therapeutic, it’s enlightening. The support I have received is so much more than I ever could have anticipated, and I’ve made some amazing friends through the blogosphere. I have a voice and I understand the power of a voice, and I want to share my voice and continue to make connections with other bloggers and create a safe and inviting space for people to come, share, unload, and feel supported.
As I think about the future of my blog (no I’m not going to stop writing!) I remember why I chose to blog in the first place, and it all started with a name. Mommy Glow. Becoming a parent has been the most…wonderful-delightful-lovely thing to ever have happened to me. Being a single parent has spoiled me, as I have my daughter all to myself most days. Our bond is unbreakable, even at 6 years old she still has separation anxiety. And at 26 I too, suffer from separation anxiety from my daughter. Being her parent has opened me up to the world, and I am so grateful for all the experiences I’ve been through since being a Mom. They have helped shape me and have made me wiser, smarter. She has provided warmth in my life that carries me wherever I go, hence Mommy Glow. So this is why I blog and I hope to those that read my posts and have followed my journey have felt inspired and engaged along the way. :)
For my fellow bloggers: why do you blog? What keeps you going and motivated?
Love and Light.


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What I’ve learned about myself so far in 2012

I’m not one to make resolutions at the beginning of a New Year. But in doing self-reflection I knew that I wanted 2012 to be an even better year than 2011. I want this year to be a year of growth where I challenge myself more than ever before. Challenge myself to jump higher and run faster. To leap. To live with reckless abandon. To trust love. To trust myself. To not be afraid to push the limits.
And 25 days into the New Year I can say that I’ve done just that and have learned so much about myself in the process. It’s interesting how situations arise that test you, that test your strength and you have to make a decision. You can go run in a corner and choose to be consumed, or you can strap on your armor and stand with your feet firm. I have been tested, it’s even fair to say I’ve been an emotional roller-coaster (cue Vivian Green’s song) this year.
While I’ve never been one to back away from difficult situations, I usually become an introvert, secluded myself from the world and hidden in a shell. On the exterior seemingly calm and collective, but on the interior a ball of fire. I’ve gotten by like this, but as you can imagine it’s not the ideal situation. But recently I’ve realized that I don’t have all the answers, that when I’m being tested I don’t have to stand alone. I’ve never been comfortable asking for help or sharing a lot of personal information with others, but I realized I can’t carry this load on my own. And I’m glad to say that I was able to look around me and find amazing support from my friends and family these past few weeks. There were no questions, no judgment, just pure concern, encouragement, and love for me and lil mama. It’s been overwhelming and slightly uncomfortable to know that I’ve got so many remarkable people in my corner who truly believe in me and genuinely want what’s best for me and my family.
What I’ve learned 25 days into 2012 is I’m stronger than I think. That when I think I’m backed into a wall, I’m really not, I just have to change my perspective and find another way. That I’ve got an amazing support system that’s there for me no matter what.
That Still I Rise. 


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