Friday, April 29, 2016

::Things to consider when making Big Decisions::



A couple of weeks ago I received an email, one that I truly wasn't expecting. I was accepted to participate in the Mujeres de HACE, Women in Leadership program. While it was a huge honor and I felt overwhelmed and excited. There would be a cost for the program. I immediately wrote it off as, "it's not gonna happen" but then I "placed it out in the universe" and the magic began. Through a facebook post, I expressed my feelings and concerns. I received so many comments and so much encouragement that I began to think, this might just happen! 


{Only a few of  the 33 comments, full post here.}


After seeing the awesome facebook feedback, I thought, I need to go home and really talk to my Husband and see what he thinks. I sent him the email I received for him to review, he is the logic and financial person in our relationship. I thought, he won't see the value, he will think it's a waste of my money, he will write it off as "eh do you really want to do this?" and I will be persuaded to move on. That didn't happen at all. I came home, asked my Husband, what do you think? He began to tell me how it would be a relevant program, and that it would be up to me, if I wanted to do it, then go for it. Not what I expected. 

Then I asked HACE for types of payment options I had for the program and the wonderful administrative team suggested I ask my employer and sent me a letter to ask them for possible funding. I was a bit intimidated having only been at my company for about 9 months but moved forward. And, I've received good, positive feedback from my manager. I am still waiting on higher-ups to decide if they can help but still, I had the faith and courage to ask and I feel that's the first step to success. Plus my co-worker and immediate managers' response was so supportive I felt so good about having asked. 

With this experience I know will come great responsibility but as always I want to share this journey with all the Momma's that read my blog and seek to be inspired. 

What have I learned so far? Well, you must... 

::Claim your ticket:: 
Opportunities come to you for a reason, whether expected or not we should claim our tickets and figure out what we need to do to succeed in those opportunities. Sure, you should weigh out the pros and cons but know that this is yours, and you deserve it! Claim it! Speak it into existence and have faith that you will find your way.  Somebody once told  me, "Connie if this is for you, it's already yours." Those words have been with me for years... because it's true. Anything that is truly and genuinely meant for you, is already written into your future, you just have to take it and run! 

::Take Care of You::
The same night that I talked to my Hubby about this program was the same night of the new show 'Strong'. One of the contests said that same old story of mommas everywhere... "I became too invested in caring for others, that I often forget to take care of myself." After I cried my face out, I thought, this program is all about taking care of ME. As a Momma with a career and who wants to be a certain example for her family and most importantly for my daughter, I must take care of me! No more putting ourselves on the back burner... because you will be burned out. 

::Invest in You::
Just like a well-oiled business, your are a brand and a business for your company, you must invest in bettering yourself and learning more for the benefit of everyone. Sure it can seem like a lot of time and money but in the long run, it's so worth it. Spending on yourself isn't only about clothes and shoes, it's also about feeding your mind and motivating your soul. I am sure we can find "better" things to spend our money on but we can also waste it on those things that have no real value, so why not invest in yourself. You must put a little effort into being a better you, even if it costs you. 

::Own It::
Not like "Yay, I did it" but YES, this is mine and I will slay! You know that moment Beyonce walks on stage and you know she is gonna be a badass, well she knew that before taking the first step onto that stage. That natural vibe of certainty is where you want to be. That confidence that yes, THIS IS MINE. I deserve it, I will own it and I will be a badass. It's already yours if you are sitting in the moment and experience, no one can take it from you and don't allow the outside world to take it from you. It's none of their business, it's yours! 

::Fully Commit:: 
There is nothing that hurts me more than people who are like yes, I can and will do this but then a few days later they have more important commitments or other priorities. I know things happen and people's lives change from one second to another, but if you have been accepted into a certain path, why not fully commit? Why not erase self-doubt and stop making excuses? Just like we have made sacrifices, invested money and weighed out the good and the bad to accept the opportunity; those people presenting us with the opportunity have done the same. They have fit you into their schedule so why not commit to doing the same for them? So yes, please fully commit to those things that will be beneficial to your well-being and in the long wrong to your overall quality of life. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

::A Book about Rules & a Motivational Mug:: #KickAss

Last week seemed to get better by the days, it was almost like our PR reps knew we were gonna be home all week! Our second product was another book, this one was one about rules. Ian is a rule follower and his Sister Jenny, not so much. We loved it, the book teaches the importance of yes, following rules but knowing when to bend the rules. Even if it means telling lies to save your Sister from a giant tub with teeth, an angry furnace, and a bear rug! Ha. Bizzare. Not if you follow the rules. It came with the cutest toothbrush holder and a white erase board to write our own house rules down. 

The kids did a great job at listing our usual rules. Camila tried to help me write it all down. Rules of the House comes out May 3rd, you will want to buy it for your collection. Because we all know...rules are meant to be.... followed! 





By the end of the week, I had received this beautiful motivational mug I purchased from Bliss on Main, a great local shop. It will definitely be my morning go to mug when I need that extra pick me up!  We all need that little reminder to Kick Ass every now and again. 



And finally, this past weekend we received the deliciously fresh Tekeen, a "premium line of cocktails made with agave nectar, orange wine and natural flavors for an exotic and fresh taste." My favorite part about this drink is that it's made in Texas. If you know me you should know that I love supporting local or Texas created products. Who else knows Tejanos better than a native Tejana. Full review next week. All I can say now is that it smells so sweet and light, I can't wait to make some fruity drinks with this liquor and share my creations with you! 





Tuesday, April 26, 2016

::Mommy Trade:: Mom's Night Out Event, May 16th in Houston #ad

::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All statements are my true and honest opinion.



As Momma's, there are certain features that we seek when joining online groups some important ones are; feeling secure and trusting the group, sense of community and how easy it is to navigate their website. Which is why I am loving Mommy Trade! It combines all the convenience of being able to buy, sell, or trade your used baby items with a sense of community and safety. I know that when I had my children, this could have been very helpful. I would give up on trying to have garage sales and would end up throwing items out or just giving them all away. Mommy Trade makes the process of selling these items and making money, simple! 

For all the details on how you can sign up and cost visit their site here, they are very affordable: http://mommytrade.com/mommy-trade-about-us/

On May 16th, you will be able to meet the group face to face as they will have their first-year celebration with a Mom's Night Out. Where you can network with other Momma's, engage with local Momma entrepreneurs and participate in a lot of fun giveaways! 

You will be able to win a few Momma of Dos goodies as well- Social Media consulting and Blogging 101 consultation, for moms with small businesses or looking to work from home. You must attend the event to win! To enter, tell them Momma of Dos sent you! 



Join us for our Moms Night out hosted by MommyTrade.com! Meet our local moms and have a fun-filled night out! 

$5 at door or show ticket

We have an exclusive venue just for Moms Night Out and can't wait for you to join us!

Your $5 Ticket includes:
* 1 Drink Ticket
* Apps (First Come First Serve)
* Enter all Giveaways (via smartphone)
* Shop until YOU drop at all of our fun and mom-friendly businesses! 
* Happy Hour Pricing on Drinks
* Mommy Trade - Cake (Yum)
* Access to exclusive Moms Night dinner menu (special pricing) Dinner is NOT included in $5 ticket. Ordering options will be posted on the Events page.

This venue will hold 200 local mommies so invite your friends and let's enjoy this fun and relaxing mommy night out!


(Moms Only) We will be looking at your Facebook profile to see if you are a mommy. 

If you are a local business and would like info about sponsorship or a Table contact us at support@mommytrade.com

*This is our official 1-year anniversary celebration and we hope you can join us in celebrating!


Please RSVP via Facebook!
Tickets for Sale!

Monday, April 25, 2016

::Weekend Snapshots:: #HoustonFlood Edition

 {This is a weekly link-up with Jessica and Ariana for their #WeekendSnapshots series.  You can see more here: http://www.reinventingjess.com/ &  http://www.3twentysix.com/}





I think that the first two days of rain in Houston last week, we were all in a bit of shock. While our home thankfully didn't have any water damage others were not so lucky. I am grateful for that because as you will see, the damage and reality of flooding is not pretty. After the first two days of school cancellations and not being able to leave our neighborhood without being stuck in massive traffic and horrible downpours, I realized that I wasn't going anywhere. I think it was Wednesday when I decided to go to work but soon gave up. I decided that we should just make the most of our "flood-cation", one that now I am thankful for. 

The kids and I did a lot of lounging and resting, something we don't get to do often. Then we started getting creative with our activities. I cooked and cleaned all week. We baked cookies and made green cake batter from vanilla funfetti Pillsbury cake mix. The kids decorated cupcakes and we even colored and made puppets. Santiago entertained himself with piles of legos. Which is always fun, for him, because I have to sit and build it all. And, it wasn't until Friday that the skies finally cleared and we were able to leave the house. I found a route to work and felt a little relief to be able to leave my area. 














By Saturday, we had a full day of sun and heat. We went to the kids baseball games and practice. The day was good. Then we drove around a neighborhood about 5-8 minutes from us, on Little York and Addicks Satsuma , where the flooding was evident.  Homes that were basically being gutted to start over. The site was shocking, but for what it was people were out working hard and in good spirits. Not something I think I would recover from easily but I guess when you have no other option, recovery is the only way to move forward. If you are looking to help in the affected area I recommend helping, anywhere you can! I know that people would appreciate the extra hands to haul trash, sweep out mud or pull wet walls out. The true faces of the flood live in neighborhoods like this. This is only a couple of streets but the entire neighborhood was affected. 






Thursday, April 21, 2016

::Top 10 Reasons to attend LOCAL Conferences:: #BACHou16 Recap



I will always express my gratitude towards having been able to attend LATISM here in Houston back in 2012. I think that up until that moment I felt that good conferences only happened outside my city but truth is they can be even better when they are local. All you have to do is seek them and as they say, you will find them. A couple of  weekends ago Houston Latina Bloggers attended a new local conference that I am sure will only grow in the coming years. We went to the Business Advancement Conference which was held at the Houston Food Bank and was hosted by a young, yes, local entrepreneur Kiersten Kindred of Kindred Communications





The conference gave a bigger and broad insight into starting your own business, the steps you need to take and the resources that you will need to acquire. It featured a great group of speakers, mostly local entrepreneurs that helped cover a great amount of detail in each of their topics of expertise. Because, like most people who create something new, Kiersten learned along the way of building her own business that she needed specific people who could assist her but they were not all in one place. From that lack of resources, she created this conference, a kind of "one-stop shop" for all your business needs! It was a very informational conference filled with good, local contacts that will help you get to that next level of entrepreneurship you might be seeking. 

Speakers Included: 
  • Bob Keplinger – The Action Coach, The Woodlands who presented Five Ways to Massive Profits For Your Business! 
  • Local blogger: Kirsten Oliphant – Create If Writing who presented  The Art of Crafting The Perfect Brand Story
  • Toni Harris – Constant Contact who presented  The Power of the Inbox to Advance Small Business
  • Donna Wick – WICKed Publicity who presented It’s All About You, It’s All About Yes!
  • Kristal Howard, Kroger who presented Do-It-Yourself Public Relations
  • Liz Robinson, Turningstones who presented SEO Essentials
  • Thais Amaral Tellawi  & Saeed Tellawi – Amaral Tellawi Law Firm who presented Using Business Entities to Achieve Your Goals
  • Ronald Richmond – Weebly  who presented  How To Build A Website And Online Store In 30 minutes



Houston Latina Bloggers were invited to attend as Conference Mentors, we were honored and happy to be a part of this event: http://www.businessadvancementconference.com/mentors-houston-business-conference/

Here are 10 reasons to seek out and attend local conferences, enrichment programs, and/or workshops:

1. Resources at your fingertips, literally you will be able to reach out and being local makes it easier to meet up with new people after that initial connection. Sometimes that face to face contact is needed to conduct certain business items. You can reach out to local connections and meet in person without worrying about being miles and miles away from one another. 

2. Making a local impact is very important and easier done if you attend local conferences, you can learn where you fit in the circle of needs and close that gap almost immediately. Making that connection in your own community is always gratifying. 

3. Creating friendships from local connections usually, it's easier to establish not only partnerships but long lasting friendships when you are both in the same city. It makes it easier to find a common ground and again it will make meeting up easier. It's happened to me several times now.  

4. You don't have to worry about travel and board, the expense is less and you don't have to worry about extra out of pocket expenses. As a momma money isn't everything but it's very important that I make money wise decisions. When you are a new entrepreneur you want to save as much as you can and invest in areas that you know will benefit you more than others. 

5.  You get to explore your own city. Some of the events or conferences that I have attended are in areas of town I don't usually get a chance to visit. This makes exploring new locations in my own city a fun part of local events. I always say that I like to stay in my bubble or own area of town, but attending events is a good excuse to visit new areas of Houston.

6. Your tribe can join you! It's easier to get a group of ladies to go to something local than to have to worry about travel, it becomes more accessible for everyone. And, it also makes it easier to work around schedules when it's a few hours out of your day. 

7. You get to meet your online connections in person, even though Houston is a large city seeing people who you have connected with online is very likely when you attend local events. And, it's always fun to put a live face to your online profile. 

8. Time is well spent, when events are local you can make time to attend an event, 1-day conference or workshop and then go about your day as usual with family or friends. No one's time is really impacted or sacrificed which makes staying local a great investment.

9. Because really nothing can replace that face to face interaction. I don't care how great the world wide web is and how fancy we have become at communicating with one another, there is just something to be said about always being able to meet someone in person. To be able to reach out and shake their hand and heck why not, even give them a hug! The need for human interaction will never die. Ever. I love meeting online people in person. It's fun. 

10. It's fun! Simple as that, having this type of conference or event locally allows you to have fun and be close to home. Having fun and enjoying yourself, for me, is a big part of the puzzle and what keeps coming to this type of local happening. 



Tuesday, April 19, 2016

GOLDIE & BEAR: BEST FAIRY-TALE FRIENDS **Disney DVD April 19th**

                            ::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All statements are my true and honest opinion. 


It's been a couple of days now since we left the house due to severe rain in Houston. We are usually OK with staying home since my kids love watching movies, reading books and simply hanging out. We are always so busy and on the go that when we get down time, we enjoy it very much and being at home is easy to do. So, when we got rained in this week, we took it as a time to relax, catch up on some TV and rest as much as possible. Only because we know that when the rain clears out our super busy work, school and extracurriculars schedule will be back in full swing. Thankfully we received this awesome care pack from Disney's "Goldie and Bear: Best Fairytale Friends" who's DVD release is TODAY!!!

While the books won't keep us dry, they have kept these two wild ones entertained and they are now enjoying the DVD series with Goldie and all her Fairytale friends! 




DVD and Book Information below (received information from PR group):

Available for the First Time on Disney DVD April 19th! 
Join Best Friends Goldie and Bear on Their Adventures Through 
Fairy Tale Forest in Disney Junior’s Hit Series "Goldie & Bear!" 

  • Includes 7 Episodes for Over 2 hours of Classic Fairytales with a Twist! 
  • Plus FREE Exclusive Playtime Fun Activity Kit with Re-Usable Stickers, Games and More!


Synopsis:

ONCE UPON A STORY, IN A FOREST FAR AWAY...

Everyone knows "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," but after that story ended, a remarkable friendship began! Team up with newfound best friends Goldie and Bear on amazing adventures as they laugh, play and learn important life lessons in the wondrous Fairy Tale Forest. 

Climb a beanstalk with Jack, try on Little Red's famous hood, outsmart the tricky Big Bad Wolf, and much more. Join Goldie and Bear - and your favorite fairytale and nursery rhyme characters - for magical, song-filled fun you'll treasure today and ever after!

Voice Cast: Natalie Lander (ABC's “The Middle”) as Goldie; Georgie Kidder (Disney XD's “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”) as Bear; Jim Cummings (Disney Junior's “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”) as Big Bad Wolf; Mitchell Whitfield (“Winx Club: Beyond Believix”) as Humpty Dumpty and Woodsman; David Kaufman (“Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes”) as Jack and Brix; Mary Birdsong (Disney XD's “Crash & Bernstein”) as Mother Bear, Mother Good and Jack’s Mom; Barry Wiggins (“Dog & Me”) as Father Bear

Executive 
Producer/Director Chris Gilligan (“Frankenweenie”)

Developed for 
Television/Co-Executive 
Produced By: Jorge Aguirre ("Giants Beware!" graphic novel series)

Episodes:
  • The Birthday Chair/ Big Bear
  • Fee Fi Fo Shoe/ Little Gold Riding Hood
  • Bear’s Red Shoes/ Goose Sitters
  • Moon Jump/ Big Good Wolf
  • Pinocchio-itis/ The Clubhouse That Jack Built
  • The Egg/ Golden Kickball
  • Thumbelina’s Wild Ride/ Big Bad Houseguest

ABOUT “GOLDIE & BEAR”:
“Goldie & Bear” is a fairytale-inspired Disney Junior animated series that premiered in September 2015. The series follows the adventures of Goldie and her newfound best friend Bear following the renowned porridge incident of "Goldilocks and The Three Bears." Well-known characters from fairy tales, folk tales and nursery rhymes can be seen in the series, including Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, who is often referred to simply as "Big Bad." Goldie and Bear seek out opportunities for fun with their friends, having adventures that often feature a touch of magic.


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Monday, April 11, 2016

::Weekend Snapshots:: Texas Bluebonnets 2016

This weekend was super busy for our little family. Saturday we had to split up, I went to an all day conference with our HLB crew and my Hubby and kids had baseball. This is one of the biggest sacrifices I make as a Momma who wants to grow and develop not only for myself but for my brand. And, a sacrifice my children and Hubby make for me as my children and spouse. I try to rarely cut into our family time and obligations on the weekend but sometimes it's needed. This was also an event that we committed to a while ago and before I knew we would do baseball this season. But, I made no excuses and woke up early and left the house that morning, leaving behind all baseball things prepped for my kids so that their morning could go smooth as well.



I am really glad I did. Because we made new connections at the Business Advancement Conference and our administrative team was able to have an actual face to face meeting, most of our day to day work is done online via, chat and texts, and phone calls. Face to face is becoming more and more important as we begin to get more organized and structured and committed to our group. So, that was awesome! I love seeing Jihane and Ariana in person when needed. I think we are 3 truly different people and our dynamic is interesting but I feel we have and continue to grow every time we meet and talk. 

More on the conference this week. 



Since I had spent all day away from the kids and Hubby we went to dinner at my In-Laws house to eat some crawfish. And, we also planned a small day-trip for the next day to seek out what the bluebonnet craze was all about! Sunday morning we slept in a little and then woke up, got ready and met up with Ricardo's cousin for a short trip further out into the country. We drove, with really no clue of where we would go. Finally, about 30-45 minutes away from Houston we found a spot along the side of the road where everyone was stopping so we stopped, cause when in Rome. Ha. We for the first time ever, yes, ever, got bluebonnet shots! It was fun until we were eaten alive by tiny ants. After which we continued to take more pictures but were definitely done with it. We headed towards the Blue Bell Creameries, we didn't know it would be closed but still looked around and planned to go back on a weekday when it's open to see more.











{ Please note we did not climb on the truck, we gently sat for pictures. } 









You would think our Sunday would have ended there, but oh yeah we have a 5 and 6-year old who never stop. We had a late lunch at MOD Pizza and then headed out to Meyer park to walk it off. We had fun and for sure, a FAMILY filled day. Exploring is always good, we went home exhausted, us, not the kids, and then tried to relax and get ready for the week.





How was your weekend?? 

DON'T FORGET: Link up with Jessica and me on our #WeekendSnapshots
link up below by entering this weeks post link!