::Being a Chingona has no age:: What I am teaching my daughter about being a badass + Sew Bonita review!

::Momma of Dos:: All opinions and statements are my own, items in posts have been provided by www.sewbonita.com in order to provide a review. 

Growing up my Momma instilled in us; hard work, a good education and oh yeah being a complete and total bad-ass or Chingona. I grew up knowing that this word was something to be reckoned with. And, it was used often in our home as a sarcastic view on something we had done that we thought we could get away with, like "ah, que chingona me saliste!" HA. HA. HA. My Momma was not one to hide her feelings, she has always been outspoken, strong and independent. We were not taught to be meek or hold back, we were taught to be ourselves, and others had to take it or leave it. Flash forward to 35 years of life, marriage, a college degree, a career and Dos littles. Chingona? 

For sure. 

I had a recent conversation with Elena of Sew Bonita, and it inspired today's post. Completely. We both had very similar views on being a Chingona and where we get our inspiration from...our Momma's. 

What and how am I teaching my 5-year-old to be a Chingona?!  Let's begin. 

1) ::She is Encouraged to be Herself:: I tell Camila that it's ok to be herself. She is a spunky, bright, and very happy child. She loves everyone and isn't scared to be herself. She talks. A lot. Like me. She has always been unique and specific in the way she dresses. She isn't scared to stand out. I encourage this. Because she should be allowed to be herself in a world filled with so many people trying to be like everyone else. She steps outside everyone's comfort zone, especially mine and I have learned to embrace it and let her be. 

2) ::She speaks her mind::  Camila, like many children, is outspoken and truthful. And, although those truths are sometimes embarrassing and painfully true, we encourage it. I want her to always tell others how she feels and what she thinks is right for her. To be bold and speak her mind the way everyone should! Sin pelos en la lengua, and oh trust me this little girl will speak her mind. No matter who you are or where she is. It's scary but freeing as a parent to know that she will one day be able to stand up for herself. 

3) ::No Fear:: I am teaching Camila, that although as a parent, there are many things that frighten me she shouldn't be scared. She should try new things, be adventurous and never give up!  I know there are fears in many aspects of life and sometimes you just have to follow those gut feelings and do those things that scare us. At the end of the day once we have conquered our fears we realize that the only thing standing in the way was our own self-doubt and not really fear.  

4) ::Be Fierce:: I am teaching Camila that it's OK to be girly and strong, and smart and hard working. Being these things come without an age requirement. She can be fierce and stand her ground even at 5 years old. Her presence is known and she makes it known. Like a true Chingona, she lets people know she has arrived, SO MOVE. I love that about her. She sometimes claims to be shy but I quickly encourage her to be herself to stand out from the crowd and lead.

5) ::To be a Leader, even if that means you stand alone:: One thing that always bothers Camila is not having "friends", early on I taught her that she can do anything she wants, even if that means doing it alone. She won't always have friends and with growth and doing great things comes a certain level of "loner status", and that's OK. Camila knows that even although some days its a hard concept for her to grasp. I have had her come home from school and say, "Mom, today I played on the swings all my self and it was fun!" or "Mom, -so&so- said they didn't want to be my friend and I said, good, I don't care." Because in this world she will have to learn that some times no company is better than bad company. 

And, still, Camila is only 5 years old, although she has a long way to go she is still a fun love-able little girl who is slowly forming her own attitude and perception of being a Chingona. I hope to constantly influence her in the right direction! 

About our "Frida is my Homegirl" t-shirt: Special thanks to Elena of Sew Bonita for providing this t-shirt and inspiring this post and mini-photo shoot! You can see all of her latest creations and collections HERE. Also, the t-shirt has very soft and comfortable material, it's in a small and the print is just uber inspiring. We love Frida Khalo in our house, she is the official Mexican Chingona and we are so proud to wear items with her on them and love what she stands for and represents. All of Elena's collections are very telling of being a Chingona in 2016 and I am proud to have collaborated with her.

Come back later in the week to get to know Elena and an exclusive on her connection to the late Selena! 

VISIT SEW BONITA, PURCHASE AND RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT WHEN YOU ENTER MOMMAOF2 AT CHECK OUT! 

Taco Lovers Unite! #TacoGear

::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All opinions expressed are true and my own. 

When I was first asked to review shirts about tacos, I knew I couldn't say no. Then I saw the Jesus Loves Tacos shirt on the Taco Gear website, and I was absolutely sure I couldn't say no. Plus there is one thing I love more than tacos and that is working with young Texas entrepreneurs. Supporting them and their pursuit of what they love.  Oh, and did I mention tacos? 

Side story, my dad's name is Jesus and yes, he really does love tacos. But, that's not why I wanted this shirt, or maybe, just a bit. He will probably think this shirt is about him. 

Gerald reached out to me and all I could think was I must go eat Tacos and I must bring Ariana of 3twentysix along. And, so we did. We both selected our favorite shirt from the Taco Gear website and then waited anxiously for them to arrive.  

::A little about Gerald and his story::

Photo Credit: Dustin Ashcraft

 Gerald, what is the name of your company and the creative behind it all?- 

"Taco Gear is the name of my company. We create taco apparel for taco lovers!

I've been a graphic designer for the last 10 years and a taco lover for life, working with businesses agencies and startups, creating and developing brands, advertisements and more.

My experience over the last 10 years has given me the ability to launch my own clothing/apparel line. This is something I have wanted to do for a very long time, and I am thrilled to have finally had the opportunity."

What was the driving force behind your brand?-

"I always knew I wanted to start my own business (apparel mostly), but never really knew what kind or what style. I've always collected and worn all types of t-shirts and appreciated the unique designs they had. I knew the market was flooded with so many companies selling their own graphic tees, so that was never really in my mind as something I would want to jump into. 

When I say I am a taco lover, I really mean it. Like many I know, I can and do eat tacos almost every day for breakfast lunch and dinner, and I usually do. 

One day, I was looking for a taco t-shirt. I wanted something simple that was designed well. I remember thinking, 

"I'm sure there's something cool out there that someone has created." 

It's so easy in today's market to launch a shirt design or online e-commerce business. I was very surprised to find that there were not very many options out there. The few options I found were mostly overdone jokes or badly designed. 

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks! I should design my own! My experience as a designer and lifelong taco lover have given me every single tool I need to launch my own taco apparel company.

I knew when I started, that I wanted to focus on taco related apparel only. The thought of Mexican / Spanish culture designs did cross my mind, but I knew there were already companies out there designing some amazing apparel in this area. So the decision to focus on tacos only, became even easier, and it's been so much fun!"

Want  to snag your own sweet JESUS LOVES TACOS t-shirt? 

Here is how....

Use code: houstontaco at checkout to get 10% off your first order!
Expires 9/21/2016 (end of summer)or Enter below to win one!!! 

Finally, what inspires you most and allows you to be creative?-

"Creativity can come from anywhere and at anytime, at least for me. I can be inspired to create a new design or slogan from anything really. It's because of this that I always write everything down. To quote Field Notes,

 "I'm not writing it down to remember it later, I'm writing it down to remember it now."

 As far as where I do most of my designing and creating, it's usually at a large desk in our living room either watching tv (listening really), or listening to music."

Do you want to follow, shop or just say hello?

Website: http://www.tacogear.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacocreative/

Tumblr: http://www.tacocreative.tumblr.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldrflores

Anyone is free to contact me via my social media networks or email me at gerald@tacocreative.com

Youtube: 

Also, could not forget, big thanks to my wild child and our blogger assistant for this collab, Cam. 
She loves tacos too. 

ENTER TO WIN:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

::San Antonio // Riverwalk:: #pictureoverload #blogalicious

One of those skills that I am trying to perfect for my blog is photography. This past weekend while at Blogalicious, I had the opportunity to wake up super early, haha, and go on a morning Photo-Walk along the San Antonio River Walk and then my family joined me on Saturday so we continued our site-seeing the next day. Here are the pictures I took...

::Blogalicious:: Conference Recap

{::Momma Disclosure:: This is not a compensated post. I was invited to Blogalicious by Texas Latino Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own personal opinions.}

Friday morning, I boarded the Mega-Bus in Katy, Texas near Houston and headed out to San Antonio! My second trip by myself , since my children were born and maybe since I have been married. It's always exciting at first and soon after I start to miss the chaos I leave behind. I was so excited about the Mega-bus that I never took a picture. It was a good experience, I booked my trip for $15.00. The bus was clean and comfy, the trip took about 2 1/2 hours. {For more pictures find me on Instagram @mommaofdos !}

I arrived in San Antonio and was greeted by my friends Alba & Michelle at the bus stop. We walked a couple of blocks to the Westin on the Riverwalk where I hit the ground running! I started with lunch and went on to attend afternoon sessions and to meet all of the amazing sponsors.

Later that night I had the opportunity to attend a dinner sponsored by Tylenol and their #smilingitforward #ad campaign, please visit their website for details. The campaign will donate $1.00 for every smiling photo of our children that we upload on their site. The funds are donated to the Children's Health Fund. During the dinner we discussed our own concerns or questions about our families and children's health. It was so informative and a great way to learn more about what other Momma's think about different health issues in the Latino community. This was also a wonderful opportunity to meet and chat will all of the Latina bloggers at the event. We then broke away into a smaller group and set out on a mini-girls night out! It didn't last long we were exhausted but it was so much fun!

Saturday morning; I took the challenge of waking up early {at 6:30 a.m.} and joined some of the other amazing bloggers  from Blogalicious for a Photo-walk on the Riverwalk! It was very informative our Photography guru was Candace her pictures and perspective are very unique. She gave some great tips which allowed us to capture our early morning site-seeing. If you want to see some of the images captured follow us on Instagram {@mommaofdos} under the hashtag #begreatb6pics.

That afternoon I was able to attend sessions given by some of my personal favorites including a very inspirational lunch about embracing your failures and learning from them given by Kathy Cano-Murillo of Crafty Chica. {I wish I had a glitter font, she deserves to have a sparkly name!} She spoke about eliminating self-doubt and "throwing away the inner sergeant whistle". When I attend this kind of session I feel re-energized, inspired and motivated. It's a wonderful feel-good session filled with so many emotions. Kathy never disappoints, when she speaks she is sure to motivate you to do more! Who can say no to her positive energy and always smiling face!  

I also attended Pintrest/Facebook Engagement sessions both equally important for gaining traffic to my little ol'blog. In all, the sessions were great and I walked away rich in information.    

Personally I have learned something new at every conference that I attend and they have all helped build my blog in positive new ways!

What I gain at each conference:

::Connections:: Real life and in-person. It's just so different once you meet all of the amazing writers, photographers and inspiration speakers in person and can actually talk to them! 

::Perspective:: I usually come away with a new perspective in so many different areas of life and blogging. Everything just seems to shift into a positive and hopeful direction. 

::New Tips Acquired:: I am not a newbie blogger but I learn something new everyday! 

::A Mini-Girls Getaway:: The past few conference have just felt like fun little girlfriend getaways and it's so relaxing and a great way to relieve some daily stress for this Momma of Dos. 

::Inspiration/Motivation:: Every writer and person at the conference adds a little to my spirit and motivation. I am always so inspired when I listen to other's story, their struggles and how they have overcome all obstacles to be where they are. 

{TOMORROW :: HUGE PICTURE POST!}

::Quinceañera:: #txlatinoblog #hhm14

{This blog post was created in collaboration with Texas Latino Bloggers ‪#‎txlatinoblog‬ for Hispanic Heritage Month you can also follow our Photo a day Challenge on Instagram  http://instagram.com/txlatinoblog; ‪#‎photoadayhhm14‬http://www.texaslatinobloggers.com/}

Ever since I was a little girl I remember dreaming of my Quince. I was very blessed to have this traditional celebration that these days can be lost with new generations. It doesn't have to be an expensive or as extravagant of an event as it is now, something that simply honors the tradition works just fine. I personally love the traditional and cultural value that it holds. It's a tradition that I hope one day my daughter wants to celebrate. 

Ever since both my children were born I have attempted to instill in them our Mexican {American} culture and heritage as well as traditions and customs. Not just so that we know we are Mexican and that yes we are very different from most, but so that they can learn the meaning behind these traditions and why they are special to us. 

As a Quinceañera I remember wanting to be a respectful representation of my family and values. My dress was very modest and I opted for a very traditional celebration. My cousins were the chambelanes and I danced "el vals" tradicional. I also had the traditional "ultima muñeca" gift and dance, which signifies the going from childhood to young adulthood. My religious ceremony honored my faith, my family and my life to come. It was followed by a night of fun, friends, food and dancing! 

These days many girls opt for the more modern Sweet 16th, I believe either is a great way to continue the traditions and customs of our roots and growing heritage.  I want my daughter {and my son} to embrace the good of both of our cultures and be able to understand as well as appreciate them both. 

Being a Mexican {American} comes with many lessons to learn and different worlds that should be combined in order to grow as individuals and love where we come from. As my children grow I will continue to teach them about Mexican traditions, their roots and hope that they can be proud to be who they are! I also hope that they will want to continue in these traditions of not only our families but our language and Mexican rooted lives. 

Being Mexican and being able to have grown up with such great and memory making traditions have made me who I am today, and I love it! 

Funny enough; my children are now at that age where they are understanding and questioning their surroundings. We recently went to a family Quince and my daughter was taking it all in and LOVED it. Both my kids wanted a picture with the "Queen". This kind of celebration has also turned into a great opportunity to see family and friends we wouldn't otherwise see. Which allows us to slow down, embrace life and create new memories and traditions. 

An InLinkz Link-up

   

::San Antonio:: Festival People en Espanol #FestivalPeople

::Momma Disclosure:: {This is not a compensated post. I was invited to a People en Espanol Luncheon and will receive a gift. All statements expressed below are my own personal opinion.}

::Logo:: Property of People en Espanol

What will you be doing this Labor Day weekend?

If you are in San Antonio or plan on making your way there; you should really consider attending the Festival People en Espanol! There will be great line-up of Latin artists, family activities and inspiration!! And, guess what it's FREE!!!!

With also a great concert Saturday night by Becky G. & Zendaya for tickets go to Ticketmaster: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C004CCCDEA5A3DB

::What::

Festival People en Espanol

::When::

Saturday August 30th
&
Sunday August 31st

::Where::

 Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio

::Information:: http://www.peopleenespanol.com/festival

::Children's Books:: #RealCincodeMayo Blog Hop Edition

In an effort to constantly educate my children about our culture, where we come from and the history of Texas and yes, Mexico; I wanted to create a short book list that could help my toddlers learn a little more about Cinco de Mayo. 

I am pretty sure I have written about Cinco de Mayo once before, because just like my children I also love learning about Mexico and it's history. I grew up in Texas and spent most of my grade school summer vacations and winter breaks in Mexico; mostly the border town of Reynosa and a few summers in Cuernavaca. I have since vacationed with my Husband to several places in Mexico such as San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato and Michoacan. 

Due to the current problems in Mexico my children have only visited Mexico once {Reynosa} and it was for about 2 days. But, they love books and they love what they already know about Mexico. My son calls it the "republic of Mexica". Slowly but surely they have come to realize that we live in a home with diverse cultures. We embrace our home, the U.S. but we also love to learn about where our parents, Grand-Parents and Great-Grand Parents came from, Mexico.

This list was created with my 3 and 4 year old in mind; there are plenty of other age appropriate books that will assist older children learn more about Cinco de Mayo, why it's celebrated and it's traditions. 

When I am trying to teach my children more about the Mexican culture, I seek books with the following characteristics; 

1.I look for at least one of the authors to be Hispanic to teach my children about Hispanic/Latino authors.

2.I look for colorful pictures because my children are toddlers they love pictures.

3.And, finally I love Bilingual or books written in Spanish because it helps my children learn our second language, Español.  

The following books were my Top 3 online choices to help us learn about Cinco de Mayo in a toddler friendly manner: 

Two of the books are bilingual and they have great illustrations!

{Book Pictures from: AMAZON.COM}

I have teamed up with a great group of Ladies from Texas Latino Bloggers to create this Blog Hop ::PLEASE VISIT THEIR SITES FOR MORE #REALCINCODEMAYO POST::

04/28 Tejana Made

04/29 Que Means What

04/30 Candypolooza

05/01 Mejorando Mi Hogar

05/02 ME

05/03 Family Love In My City

05/05  Your Sassy Self