The TRUTH About Motherhood

Author: Deborah Cruz

Easy Fishtail Hairstyle Tutorial & the Secret to No More Tangles
Attention: Moms of girls, in collaboration with JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® and Latina Bloggers Connect I’m bringing you this very important PSA today about how to brush your little girls hair without losing your mind or causing a family war. Yes, there is such a thing.
Have you ever spent an hour in the morning brushing through chlorinated bed head? No? Let me start by saying that every time our little girls get their hair wet this summer, it becomes more susceptible to sun damage. This makes hair brushing a circle of hell that not even Dante was willing to mention for fear that uttering the words may doom him to eternal damnation with a 7-year-old with a tender head. Ay Caray!
There has to be a better way. My 7-year-old daughter gets mad and starts crying all because I try to brush her hair. I just want to stop the kid going out into the world looking like la llorona. Either I take them to the neighborhood pool and they develop this awful, straw like dried out hair that is impenetrable by a comb or we don’t go swimming and I’m crowned the meanest mom in the world. Decisions, decisions!
So anything that helps alleviate that morning tension between the girls and I is all good with me. I want my girls to remember their childhood summers with fond memories of sleeping in, lazy days spent playing in backyard tents, bike riding, road trips and sweet memories of their mommy brushing their hair as we have long talks about life, not that I pulled their hair and made them cry. So we tried out JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® easy step-by-step hair regimen to help keep their hair nourished, beautiful and healthy-looking.
- Step 1 Cleanse: JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® Shampoo and Conditioner
- Step 2 Nourish: JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® Leave-In Conditioner
- Step 3 Style: JOHNSON’S® NO MORE TANGLES® Detangling Spray
Then, I styled her hair as usual into a cute, messy side fishtail.

Then, we went on with our day of shopping, bike riding and jumping on the trampoline. The best part of this hairstyle is that it looks great on little girls of any age (including me) and even after a day of activity, her hair only looks better because it is made to look messy. Best summer hairstyle ever.
2014/07/31
Swagger Wagon Makes Moms Cool Again
Do you refer to your car as a swagger wagon? Wait! Have you heard that the latest technology in minivans makes it so that I can yell at my kids in the car without having to scream over the Kids Bop #71 millionth edition CD and the two of them out octaving one another to the tune of, “NO, YOU’RE THE worst sister ever!” What?
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post about the swagger wagon; I just think that this is really cool and I want these features STAT.
Apparently, Toyota knows that parenting is hard work and it is not for the weak. Quite frankly, we can use a few more tools in our parenting toolbox especially in times of parenting desperation like road trips or 10 minutes drives to school or around the block. The 2015 Toyota Sienna has not one but TWO features that I cannot believe were not already invented. When you have kids you need all the blind spot detection, three rows of seating, airbags, entertainment system, auto warning this and that and braking in times of danger. You need all the safety bells and whistles, don’t let your husband convince you otherwise. He’s not the poor bastard driving around town in a vehicle covered in Goldfish dust with sippy cups and overpriced hard plastic, educational toys being hurled at HIS head trying to look cool with the Wiggles blasting on the radio.
Damn it people, we’ve got babies on board! I did not house those little people so some damn drunk driver can run a red light and t-bone us and I certainly didn’t sign a waiver allowing my sanity to be taken away on loooooonnnnnnggggggg road trips to places like Disney World nor did I read the fine print that said that I may or may not have to dislocate my shoulder to hand toys and sippy cups hurled and then cried for immediately while driving back to toddlers who think its funny. P.S. It was not funny! Why did no one warn me about teenagers texting on the road? I want all the blue tooths. Every time I go on the road, it feels like I’m in a game of frogger as I try to avoid all the texters, drunkards and stay in the line and not miss my exit all while little people are shouting at me and licking one another and choking on cheerios. It’s like extreme driving. I need a xanax just thinking about it.
Anyways, what are the two features I am referring to? Wait for it….
“Driver Easy Speak.” It uses a built-in microphone to amplify a parent’s voice through speakers in the back seats. Translation: You no longer have to actually scream at your children, you can whisper (that’s more scary any ways) into a built in megaphone. Take that, little people and the best part is this is not two-way. It’s just me, talking at them…all day long! So, instead of yelling, “If you lick your brother’s face one more time…I’ll drop you off at the orphanage!!” YOU can now simply whisper from the comfort of your front seat, “I see dead people!”
It also has what they are calling an optional “pull-down “conversation” mirror” I call it eyes in the back of your head and wait…wasn’t that already invented? I mean, isn’t that what your rearview mirror is for? Well, except for when you are backing up and the camera comes on and the kids could literally be back there setting shit on fire because you can not see a damn thing. Anyways, I like the idea of eyes in the back of my head and I convinced my little ones that I did in fact have this condition a long time ago. My 7-year-old still checks the back of my head from time to time. I think instead of a mirror, I’d prefer a camera…right there in my rear view left side that watched the backseats. You know, security footage to be used in a court of law.
I was so excited that for half a second, I actually considered swapping out my Enclave for the Toyota Sienna 2015 and then I remembered that I am allergic to minivans so, sadly no #Swaggerwagon for me but I do love these features and the new commercials. This one is my favorite.
P.S. Does anyone else hear Missy Elliot’s “Get UR Freak on” every time they see the word “Swaggerwagon” I’m serious? No? Maybe that says more about me than it does about you? I did learn to drive in an extended van with a bed in the back.
What’s the number one feature you look for in your mom Swagger wagon?
2014/07/29
15% off Wayfair Promo Code & Renovating with Big Style on a Tiny Budget
Have you ever bought an old house and had to renovate it? Loads of work? Loads of fun? Lots of money( it doesn’t have to be)? Correct answer? D. All of thee above. Talk about perfect timing, I just became a brand ambassador for Wayfair right as I’m getting neck deep in renovations. Our love affair started long before I ever became part of the Wayfair family. I was a customer who fell head over heels in love with a citron, chevron chair and the rest is history. Amazing product plus amazing customer service and they had me at helloJ Compensation for writing about the things I already love, win: win baby.
Anyways, my family bought our first “older” house almost two years ago. Prior to that point, we had owned two new builds but we really wanted to buy an older home with good bones and make it our own. It just always felt like the new builds lacked the character, craftsmanship and charm of the more vintage homes. So, when we found our “bones” in the neighborhood we wanted for the girls, a little bit of manual labor and hard work just didn’t seem like that much of a deterrent; so we bought ourselves an old house. I call it my John Hughes house because it’s the kind of house and neighborhood that I wished I grew up in back in the 80’s, only it looks like 1980 was the last time anyone even attempted to renovate.
It’s been a true labor of love and sometimes, I feel like its a money pit but slowly it is coming together. When we first moved in, we had to rip all the carpet out because the previous occupant had cats and apparently thought it was a good idea to let them urinate inside the house. I’m not sure a litter box ever saw the inside of this house. I’m pretty sure the cats were feral and maybe even the occupant because the stories I could tell you about this place. Jeez. But rest easy, my friends, I am not living in a feline pee soaked home because we ripped up the carpet, I bleached the concrete (yep, that’s a thing) and opened all the windows in the house and let it air out for a week and then repeated the process. Once the house was sufficiently free from the urine smell, we installed new laminate flooring throughout the first floor (sure, we have it for the second floor but it’s a process people and there are only so many weekends in the year).
We had to rip out all the cabinets and reno the entire kitchen, which is still in progress. Good news is I have all new cabinets and appliances but I spent the last 3 days sanding drywall and smearing my walls with more joint compound to try to rectify the “texturizing” job the last owner did on the wall. It looks as if maybe a monkey was throwing poo at the wall or maybe she tried to bury a body or maybe some extra feral cats who misbehaved. What it doesn’t look is good. It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, quite frankly and I’m not that hung up on the superficial. But that’s another renovation story for another day, maybe in a month or so once I’ve sanded and skimmed for the 15^th time and had the balls to put some paint on it.
Let’s just say when we decided to buy our house, it was under duress (we were living with our in laws) and it was time for us to get our own place (for the sake of all of us) and on some days, I think perhaps our eagerness to get back into a home of our own wrote a check that we just don’t have the skill or ability to cash. But, you know me? I’m no quitter. Come on, I can put in the time and effort and read a few tutorials and binge watch DIY Youtube videos as easy as the next gal. I’ve got this! Wait, did I just say that? (This is where I usually get myself into some trouble.) But this is how you save a little money, by getting down and dirty you can save the money you would have spent on labor on actual things and check your favorite websites at least weekly for deals.You will be amazed at the deals you get with a little patience and always google for promo codes before buying anything online.
I started with the easiest room to remedy or, as I like to call it, my favorite room in the house because it’s in the least amount of renovation transition; our media room. We removed the feral cat carpeting ( FYi, I hear it’s the absolute latest in home décor interior design for 2015…no not really , don’t do that!) and replaced it with laminate wood flooring.

We painted the asylum white walls charcoal grey (not Christian Gray because I just couldn’t stand my breath to be hitching all the time like thatJ ). Installed some white crown molding and are going to replace all the 1980’s wood baseboard with more modern white baseboards. We sold our Antique Victorian Furniture and replaced it with a more stylish and modern grey sectional.
I replaced my Victorian his and her’s chairs with two of those lovely citron chevron chairs (try saying that real fast 3 times). I picked up a new more modern lamp and a few pieces of art (I still need a few more) and I just bought some awesome room darkening drapes for the picture window and the entry way (movie room needs to be dark in the middle of the day so kids can watch Isabelle the American Girl Movie and Frozen 27 bazillion times).
So the room is almost done but it is still missing something. I think maybe it needs something to add warmth and coziness. All that beautiful laminate wood flooring just doesn’t scream “cozy” so mama is looking for a new rug then the room will be 85% done (no room is ever 100%) but it would be nice to have just one room that’s finished and not being renovated where I can go and sit, sip coffee and go to my happy place.
So which rug, would you choose? The White? The silver? A mix? I’d love your help. Check out my Movie Room Pinterest page and let me know which one you like.
And because I know that you are all as budget savvy and décor loving as I am, I’m sharing my very own special promo code for you to use to save 15% on all area rugs if you purchase between 7/31 to 8/4/14.
If you are a Wayfair customer already, you know that they hardly ever do promo codes. I mean they run crazy daily sales, clearance, free shipping and a rewards program but a promo code is nearly unheard of so this is VERY EXCLUSIVE!!! And you better believe that I am buying myself my new rug this week too and then my room will be almost perfect.
My Promo code to save 15% on all area rugs from Wayfair is RUGLUV13
Leave a comment and tell me which rug I should go with and let me know if you are getting yourself something pretty from Wayfair too. If you’re just not that into shag ( as I obviously am) maybe check out the jute and sisal rugs, I hear they are great if you are looking for something in a more natural fiber to spruce up a high traffic area.I’m not sure which rug to choose. Obviously not pee soaked is my number 1 quality that I’m looking for in a carpet but I’d like it to be stylish too. Maybe I am superficial…just a little bit.
At first I thought a bright white rug and then I was all like, hey dumb a**, you have kids and a dog and there is not enough Scotchgaurd in the world to save a snow-white shag carpet from those three. So, I’m thinking maybe silver? But I don’t want it to be too monochromatic; I’m just not that cool. I need something in between that says, “ Hey..I’m cool and chic but kid friendly too.” Help!
Which area rug from Wayfair would you choose for this room?
2014/07/28
Sweet & Savory Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken & Watermelon Feta Salad Recipes

Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect to create a recipe or re-work one a favorite dish. I had so much fun experimenting and it was compensated! I’ll give you a hint, Kikkoman is more versatile than you can imagine. Think outside of the Asian inspired box. I did. Kikkoman can actually be used in lieu of salt in every type of cuisine. In fact, to reduce the sodium content of your dish by 1000 mg swap ½ teaspoon of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in place of ½ a teaspoon of salt.
Anyways, if you are like me, the minute you hear the name Kikkoman, you instantly think of soy sauce for your sushi but Kikkoman is so much more than just soy sauce, they make Teriyaki sauce, Ponzu and many more products than I ever knew about. After all you can’t get much more perfect than Kikkoman soy sauce when cooking because 19 generations and 300 years of living by the family philosophy of it’s founder, “Isogaba Maware” (Make Haste Slowly; Advance and grow with tremendous thought and care) can’t be wrong. All this means is that Kikkoman takes it’s 6-month natural brewing process seriously and has since the seventeenth century. We should all advance and grow with such thought and care. True haste without thought will surely make waste in everything from food ingredient choices to life choices.
I actually adapted two recipes for dinner last night using Kikkoman soy sauce.
I chose Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken and paired it with a nice, refreshing summer watermelon and feta salad.
Here is the recipe for the Citrus Honey Grilled BBQ Chicken
Ingredients:
6 Large Chicken Breasts
Marinade:
1 ½ cup of Orange Juice
½ cup of olive oil
¼ cup of La Preferida hot sauce
½ cup of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of grated orange zest
2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce
½ cup of honey
Dash of Paprika

Glaze:
1 stick of unsalted butter
½ cup of honey
½ cup of orange juice
¼ cup of brown sugar
½ cup of honey BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons of grated orange zest
Between ¼- ½ cup of Dijon mustard (to taste)
3 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy Sauce
Directions:
Whisk together orange juice, olive oil, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, Kikkoman soy sauce, orange zest, honey and paprika together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to combine and cover chicken breasts. Cover bowl with lid or saran wrap and let marinate overnight or at least 1 hour, but for best results marinate over night in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, pull chicken out of fridge and let it come to room temperature before you grill. Room temperature meats cook more evenly and don’t lose as much moisture. Prepare the grill and set to medium and direct heat.
Drain your chicken breasts from the marinade and pat dry. Grill for 5 minutes on each side, then turn heat down to medium-low, close the grill lid and continue cooking for 25 minutes.
While the chicken breasts are on the grill for those 25 minutes, start making the glaze. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat or on grill burner. Whisk in honey, orange juice, brown sugar, honey bbq sauce, orange zest, Dijon mustard and Kikkoman soy sauce. When it’s time to glaze the chicken breasts, reserve some of the glaze in a separate container to serve with the meal, in case someone wants more sauce on their chicken. I, personally, love my food saucy but some others don’t so reserve some. Stir occasionally. Check that poultry is cooked to 160 degrees before serving.

Then brush chicken breast with glaze, flip glaze side down, glaze other side and then continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Glaze once more, flip over, glaze top, cook for 3 minutes more. Then take chicken off the grill, loosely tent with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes, so the juices will reabsorb into the meat.
The interval when my chicken was on the grill for 25 minutes was when I started my side dish Watermelon Feta Salad. It’s quick and easy but you need 20 minutes to let it refrigerate it so you can totally make this ahead of time.
This recipe for Watermelon Feta salad serves about 6 people, generously.
Ingredients for salad:
4 cups of cooked quinoa (cooked and cooled)
4 cups of fresh watermelon (cut into bite sized cubes)
2 tablespoons of Kikkoman Soy Sauce
12 ounces of Feta cheese (crumbled)
2 cucumbers (cubed)
Ingredients for dressing:
3/4-cup fresh organic basil {packed}
Fresh squeezed juice from 2 large lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of Kikkoman soy sauce on the watermelon as a flavor enhancer.
Then combine the quinoa, watermelon, feta cheese and cucumbers in the bowl.
Using a food processor, process basil, lemon juice and olive oil together until well combined then gingerly toss sauce with quinoa/watermelon/feta combination. Cover and chill for 20 minutes in refrigerator to allow flavors to combine appropriately.
Serve as a side to the Citrus Honey BBQ grilled chicken. It is absolutely delicious; light, filling and mostly guilt-free. My girls and husband gobbled it right up. The dinner table was quiet and that is always a good sign.
So were you surprised with how I used my Kikkoman soy sauce? My husband even used it in his recipe for sausage gravy and biscuits. It was one of his best batches and none of us knew it had soy sauce in it until he told us and think of how much better it was for our health with less sodium.
How could you use Kikkoman in your favorite recipes?
2014/07/24
Delicious Summer Rum Cocktail Recipe
Craving a deliciously cool cocktail recipe to celebrate summer vacation with?
Summer vacation is almost over. We’ve been so busy that it’s been one great adventure, trip or event after another, every weekend since May. I’m not complaining, really, I’m not but as in most things, too much of a good thing can be a little overwhelming. I honestly feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. I’m sure you know what I mean. You know, just a moment to sit in the sun, close my eyes and be still with no worries of putting myself in danger of a heat stroke. It’s the little things people.
Anyways, I’ve partnered with International Delight to try out some of their new flavors and I’ve become a little obsessed with finding ways to use them other than just rocking my coffee. Last month, I came up with a recipe for a Mexican Hot Chocolate milkshake that blew my families minds. Apparently, I really crave cold weather comfort drinks but adapted for the hot weather.
As I was sitting by the pool, wishing it was a little less humid and watching my kids do cannonballs, I began imagining myself on a tropical island (because I’m melting as one does when on a tropical vacation) and then my daydream went off into a completely odd direction and as I was sitting on the beach, it began to flurry and I was trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue, like I did when I was a little kid, but I was in my bathing suit which was odd. The point is, it made me smile and I thought to myself, why can’t I have a little snow right this very minute. Obviously it’ll never snow in July but with the courtesy of International Delight Cinnabon Creamer I could have a little bit of snowflake on my tongue, right here in July.
I never have been one for taking no for an answer so here’s the recipe I used to make this deliciously cool and refreshing cocktail, Dulce de la Nieve.
Fill cocktail shaker ½ way with ice. This helps chill the shaker and the ingredients as you add them. Leave plenty of room for shaking, so if your shaker is small use less ice.
1 part Rum Chata Rum
1 part heavy cream
2 parts International Delight Cinnabon Creamer
¼ teaspoon of sugar
¼ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Grip firmly, shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend dairy products well. Typically when shaking drinks you need only employ the slow count to 10 method. Once the shaker is frosted, you are ready to strain and pour into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sip for maximum effect.
The only problem I have with this drink is that it is so sinfully delicious that I always want more. Just like you can’t just catch one snowflake on your tongue, you can’t just drink one Dulce de la Nieve. It’s also a fantastic drink to enjoy around the holidays. It reminds me a lot of the Rompope my dad used to bring back from Mexico but lighter and sweeter. It’s a very delicate and delicious variant on eggnog, minus the eggs and incorporates some Cinnamon buns.
Now, that I am now cool and refreshed, I think I might go take a nap on this lazy summer afternoon. I deserve it and so do you!
What’s your favorite cocktail to cool down with on a hot summer’s day?
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.
2014/07/21
This Blogger’s Life Tracy Morrison ( @Sellabitmum)
This week’s guest on This Blogger’s Life is Tracy Morrison @SellabitMum is the founder of the always entertaining website Sellabitmum.
Tracy is one of my favorite bloggers to read because she is always open and frequently hilarious. She has a way with words that can touch your heart and pee your pants with laughter, sometimes in the same post. We finally met in person last summer and if you want to know the truth, she is exactly who you’d expect her to be from reading her blog and that is very refreshing.
I am honored to know Tracy Morrison and proud to have her as my guest on This Blogger’s Life today. So, without further ado…
This Blogger’s Life, Tracy Morrison
Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging after my last(fourth) miscarriage over 6 years ago. I was reading many blogs and decided to journal my own experiences. However – I ended up not even talking about my losses, but instead telling funny stories about my family.
What’s one piece of advice for new bloggers?
Your story is important. Don’t think that everything has already been written. It hasn’t. Your story is yours and thus unique. Be authentic.

What are the three words that describe you best?
True. Quiet. Kind.

What is your favorite website?
Um, anywhere I can shop. Does that count? I mean I love blogs, but if I’m online I’m typically shopping….

What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not blogging?
Running, shopping, or hanging out with my family. I run a lot as I’m typically training for a marathon or two.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself from blogging?
That it’s okay to be me and opportunities come before you work hard and you are true to yourself.

How do you balance life and blogging? Ha! Is this a trick question?
I never want blogging to overshadow my life, but I want my life to be documented by my blogging. I want to live to the fullest – and write that down when I have time. If I find I’m telling my kids “Just give me a minute” – than my priorities are wrong.

How has blogging changed you or your life?
It’s opened a huge pot of love and friendship. The connections I’ve made through blogging with amazing women cannot be measured. It’s true love. And it’s made me a better writer.

What do you think makes a successful blog? A great blog? Are they one in the same?
I think each blogger needs to decide what success means for them – or even if they want success. Do they want to make money? Do they want to turn their blogging into a job? Do they just want a journal? Do they want to improve their writing? I think your blog is a success if it’s what you want it to be.

If you were to stop blogging today, what would you do with the rest of your life?
I think all bloggers think about this. I think I would train(run) more and maybe take some classes – do something for myself – as writing is a huge outlet for me – so I would need something positive to replace that.

How do you balance telling your story, without telling the story of others in your life?
I think that’s the beautiful part of writing and blogging – as it is memoir – and memoir is what you remember – and may not match up with what someone else did who had that same experience with you. I can tell my side of my story. It’s still my story.

Blogging has changed a lot, just since I started 5 years ago, what do you miss about blogging in the early days? What do you love that has changed?
It’s so big now – and that can be overwhelming. It’s easy to feel smaller as a piece of this huge pie. But I love the opportunities and connections that have come from this space.

How do you consistently come up with relevant and shareable content?
Life. Live life and observe and remember the details. There’s a good story in just buying a pair of socks. True story!

If you could have a dinner party for 6 people, living or dead, who would you invite?
Oh wow – Jimmy Fallon, Ellen, President Obama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Pope, And Boy George

What’s the one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I majored in engineering in college. I’m a nerd.

What’s the one post that you are most proud of?
Probably my post about my marriage and being vulnerable, as it was a hard one – admitting faults on both sides. I don’t often share about my husband and our relationship – but it was raw and personal and felt good to just get out there.
Tracy, thank you for being my guest today on This Blogger’s Life. You make me smile daily and I can’t wait to hug your neck today at the fashion show! XOXO
If you want to read more of Tracy Morrison, check her out on Facebook and Google+.
2014/07/18
When You’re All Alone by Yourself, Do You like You?
When you’re all alone by yourself, do you like you? Do you?
I never thought of it before. You see, as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve spent all of my life trying to look and be and sound and appear a certain way. Even when I say that I don’t care. I care. We all do. We are all just a little bit vain and as much as we wish it didn’t, other people’s opinions matter when it’s personal.
Do you like you?
If you see me on most days of the week, I have no make up on. None at all. I wear it when I go out at night or if I know I’m going to be photographed, but I’m not one of those women who won’t leave the house until she puts her “face on”. But I care. I take pride in my appearance because it’s sort of like having a clean house, no one wants to live in filth but sometimes we just don’t have time to fold all the laundry, scrub the floors and dust the light fixtures because other things take precedence like loving on little ones and impromptu dance parties and trips to the zoo on sunny days.
But sometimes we forget that because it seems like everyone else has their shit together. But really, none of us have all of our stuff together. If you look behind the curtain you’ll see that the woman who has an amazing career may have a marriage that is crumbling, the lady who looks like a model in her clothes has an eating disorder that she can’t quit, the mom with all the patience in the world has a house that looks like it was hit by a tornado and the mom who you hear yelling through her open window at the dog is because she’s dealing with a 3-year-old newly diagnosed with pediatric leukemia. We just never know. So stop measuring yourself by someone else’s success; by someone else’s anything.
You don’t have to try so hard
You don’t have to give it all away
You don’t have to bed until you break
You just have to get up
You don’t have to change a single thing
So they like you, do YOU like you?
When you’re all alone by yourself do you like you?
Take your make-up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror at yourself
Don’t you like you?
Cause I like you
~Colbie Caillat

The point is this, don’t waste your life trying to fit someone else’s mold. You are unique and at your most beautiful and sexy when you are yourself. I speak from experience, I’ve spent a lot of years being unhappy with what I have, wanting more, better, different. I’ve envied others for their ease and grace, their beauty, success but I don’t know their story, it all could have been hard fought and not easy at all.
I learned the hard way, or maybe I should say I am completely blessed to finally have learned the lesson that I am my harshest critic. Those who love me, the Big Guy, my family, my daughters, my amazing friends, they see me.They see the real me and they think I am beautiful, even when I feel ugly and that has to count for something. They see my soul. They see my heart. They see my strength. The same way that I see theirs. In fact, I am regularly astonished by how beautiful the people around me are. They are giving, caring, loving and understanding and it’s taken me half a lifetime to realize this. So, who are we trying to be perfect for if those whose opinion holds any weight already think we are perfect? Just be you and be happy. Do what makes YOU happy.
I just want to remind you that you are the most beautiful you there is. You don’t know how beautiful you are. But I see you.
The bigger question that we all must ask ourselves is this…
when you’re all alone by yourself, do you like you?

Photo
2014/07/16
Only 9 More Summers
Mom work life balance, is there even such a thing?
Oh the working mother guilt in the summertime is almost unbearable. UNBEARABLE. I thought I couldn’t handle leaving my girls all day and going to an office to work because I didn’t want to miss anything and I still don’t. There are only 9 more summers until my oldest turns 18, then college and then I won’t have these every day opportunities that I take for granted.
I work from home. I am living my dream except for one small thing; well two small things. I work from home. Which means, I am never technically off. I know this is my own fault but I just can’t find the balance. I want all the hugs,kisses, giggles and the air filled with laughter and midday picnics and cannon balls in the neighborhood pool and “mommy” sounding like love throughout my home. But then there is work. Work doing something I love, something that is part of my definition and my DNA; work that helps pay for all these wonderful memory filled moments and vacations and classes. It’s a chicken and egg situation if ever there was one.
I LOVE what I do. I am blessed to get to be paid to write but every time I have to tell my daughter that we will paint our nails…LATER. I feel like the biggest dick on the planet. It’s like a knife to my heart when she walks away defeated because she knows that “later” probably means “never”. I hate that I do that to her. I hate that my older daughter doesn’t even bother to ask any more. That breaks my heart. But what do you do? You stop and paint nails. You get up earlier and stay up later, which explains how we spent 2 hours at the pool today but I’m writing this at 1 am.
I want a little bit of everything. I don’t want it all but I want a little bit of everything and I want my daughters to know that the world stops for them, if they need me because nothing is more important. But how do you maintain professionalism when you keep telling clients that your children come first and their company always comes second. It’s true and they may respect it and you for your family value but as an employee, your children are a liability and you feel undependable.
It’s a little bit of everything. People never want to hear a work-at-home mother complain because it’s like complaining about first world problems. To outsiders looking in, it’s complaining about having it all and I agree. It sounds crazy. I know I am lucky to be able to spend my days loving on these two.
I agree, it is the best of both worlds but it’s also the worst because if you are a stay-at-home mom, you get to stay home but you start to feel a little stir-crazy without any outside contact. You feel a little bit unfulfilled, unappreciated and wasted.
When you leave to go to work outside of the home, you feel terrible missing the milestones and you make a huge sacrifice to be able to provide the things that our children need like food and shelter and clothes. But when you leave the house, you see that look of defeat or disappointment once when you walk out the door.
When you work at home, you see that look of defeat or disappointment on your child’s face every single time you have to put them off to do work. You hear it in their voice. You want to crawl in a hole and die when you hear them crying and you have a hard deadline. It’s the worst feeling that I’ve ever felt. I’ve been a SAHM mom and a Work-outside-of-the-home and now, for the past few years a work-at-home and it all brings with it unimaginable guilt.
You have to make a choice. We always choose our children in the big moments but what about the small insignificant ones, like the nails that yearn to be painted soft baby pink , or the hide and seeker who hides for 20 minutes unnoticed or the one booboo that she figured it wasn’t even worth the disappointment to ask you to kiss?
These are the moments. These are the moments that our legacy of motherhood are made. So, I’ve decided today that for the remainder of the summer, I will no longer be online on Mondays and Fridays because I will be enjoying undistracted moments with my children.
NO ONE CAN HAVE IT ALL SO I’M GOING TO STOP LOOKING FOR THE MOM WORK LIFE BALANCE AND JUST ENJOY THE MOMENTS AS THEY COME AND REMIND MYSELF CONSTANTLY THAT THEY ARE FLEETING LIKE DEW ON THE GRASS OR FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND.
2014/07/15
New National Geographic Kids Channel & Bonus ROKU
Update: The winner of the Roku Streaming Stick is Jessica Escobar. Thanks to everyone for entering.
As many of you know, I’m an ambassador for National Geographic Kids. For a second consecutive term I have been named a Nat Geo Kids Insider! Woohoo for me! Well, tonight that means woohoo for you too!
You already know that National Geographic is an amazing non-profit organization that provides awesome educational books, magazines and toys with amazing photos for our children. My girls truly love and enjoy their National Geographic magazine and books. Well, great news, recently National Geographic launched a channel on Roku, featuring a ton of exciting NGK videos that are perfect for your curious kids.
The new National Geographic channel is a video channel for curious kids and families featuring fun facts, animals and adventure. The subscription channel includes award-winning animated series like Mama Mirabelle, Iggy Arbuckle, Toot and Puddle and humorous, live action programming like Amazing Animals and Making Stuff. My girls think it’s awesome and the photography mesmerizes them.
National Geographic Kids’ mission is to inspire kids of all ages to learn about the world and provide quality video programming that sparks a child’s curiosity. With a focus on nature, animals, science, global cultures, exploration and adventure, NG Kids wants to keep the whole family engaged with videos even mom & dad like to watch! Then, continue to learn together by getting outdoors and exploring the great, big world around you.
The Roku Streaming Stick makes it easy to enjoy the best selection of streaming entertainment on TV like Netflix and the National Geographic channel as well as many more. With its compact design, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs discreetly into the HDMI port for a streamlined look that’s ideal for wall-mounted TVs like mine.
Once plugged in, the Roku Streaming Stick lets consumers start streaming from more than 1,500 channels of movies, TV episodes, music, news, sports, kids’ shows and free programming – more channels and genres than any other TV streaming device – and all in up to 1080p HD video.
And in celebration of National Geographic’s new channel, the great people at Roku are providing one Roku Streaming Stick for me to giveaway. So, this is a flash giveaway. It will last from now until Monday, July 14, 2014 at 8 pm EST on Monday night. To enter all you have to do is follow me on Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/DeborahCruz/ and leave a comment below telling me your favorite show and the Pinterest account you followed me from.
I’m a National Geographic Kids Insider and was provided a Roku streaming stick to give to one of you.
2014/07/14
Things to do in Boston When Traveling with Children Part.1
I’ve made a short list of things to do in Boston when traveling with children.
When my family was in Boston,Massachusetts we saw and did a lot of wonderful things.Honestly, too many things to mention in one post but I would like to mention some of our favorites.
I won’t lie, I drug my kids all over Bean town. It was like Disney World to me. There was just so much to see and I only had 6 days to see it. This trip has made me realize that I like about 7 to immerse myself in a city and the key to any great trip is to talk to the locals. They live there and they know the best places to go, see, do and eat (Boston foodie post coming soon)
Things to do in Boston when traveling with kids
The Boston Children’s Museum located at 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
This was one of my children’s favorite places. It is enormous, we were lucky enough to be spending that day with friends and it was a welcome break from the hot June Day. Quick fact: The Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest children’s museums in the world. It was founded in 1913 by a group of visionary educators. For over 100 years it has been engaging children in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning.

It is huge and three floors of solid fun. If you want to tire your little ones out while stimulating their brains and hearing their non-stop giggles, you will love this place as much as we did. The Museum’s exhibits emphasize hands-on engagement and learning through experience, employing play as a tool to spark the inherent creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children. Designed for children and families, Museum exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts. My girls’ favorite exhibits were Arthur’s world and the art room. We could have stayed there for days but closing time was at 5 pm.
The Boston Harbor Cruise New England Aquarium Whale Watch Cruise at 1 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110.
I was so excited to do the whale watch, probably more so than the kids. It was the one thing, aside from walking the Freedom trail that had me acting all squee-like.
The BHC hi-speed catamaran provided a fast, comfortable way for about 400 passengers to see, what I consider to be, the ocean’s most magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, up close and personal. The “in their natural habitat” was the most important part to me because no matter how badly I’ve been wanting to see these amazing creatures, ethically, I refuse to see them in captivity.
In 3 hours (yes, believe me the Gilligan island song played non-stop in my mind), BHC gets you to and from your destination; Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary, a rich feeding ground for whales and dolphins. There is a NEAQ-trained naturalist on board to point out which kind of whale you are seeing and give you some background on each one. This was very helpful to us and educational to the children, especially since we were on board with a large group of field trip children.
If you’ve never been on a whale watching tour, be prepared for breathtaking views all around. It’s like flying without all of that pesky altitude and seeing a whale beside your boat for the first time feels a little like seeing a baby be born. It will stop you in your tracks in amazement. While on our tour we spotted a finback, a humpback and a couple minke whales. It is something we will never forget. Also, if you go on the tour and don’t get to see any whales, no worries, BHC guarantees their whale watching tours and you will be issued a ticket to return for another cruise. For me, the BHC Whale watching cruise is something everyone should try, at least once, though I fully intend to go again on our next visit.
Faneuil Hall located at 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109

Faneiul Hall Marketplace is located in downtown Boston in walking distance from the harbor. In 1742 our nation’s fathers proclaimed it “The Cradle of Liberty” today, it is a buzzing marketplace with over 70 retailers and 160,000 square feet of space on Boston’s iconic festival marketplace. The kids loved it.
Faneuil Hall’s cobblestone streets are filled with music, laughter and people of all ages shopping and watching as street performers and musicians dazzled the crowds. Our girls thought the caricature and balloon artists located directly outside Faneuil hall were the best. There is definitely something for everyone.

You can enjoy unique, locally loved, and nationally recognized shops while indulging in the a variety of cuisines at the many restaurants, pubs (Cheers was one of our favorites) and the world-famous Quincy Market.

You can also start walking the Freedom Trail, right from here!
What are your favorite things to do in Boston?

Disclosure: I was provided tickets to Boston’s Children Museum and the BHC Whale Watching Tour but every single one of my opinions about these two places were my own. Stay tuned for Part 2 of things to do in Boston coming next week.
2014/07/10