Café Sabroso - Café de Latino America

 **Today is Spanish Friday! This post is in Spanish with with an English translation! Enjoy!**

El otro día estaba en Wal-Mart.  Típicamente no comprar en wal-mart pero está muy cerca y estaba fuera de café. No estoy seguro cómo sucedió eso porque yo vivo de café. Jaja!

Estaba mirando el café que normalmente consigo cuando una bolsa me llamó la atención. ¡Todo la bolsa estaba en español! No es muy a menudo se ve signos o productos en español donde yo vivo. Me encanta encontrar cosas en español por supuesto lo compré. ¡Además era sólo $5!

Se llama Café Sabroso - La nueva generación de cafés latinos. La historia de la compañía está en un lado de la bolsa y hay una traducción en inglés en el otro lado. Es interesante a mi que el lado español estaba hacia fuera a la tienda.  Tal vez no se dieron cuenta que era en español e inglés.

En cuanto a qué sabía ¡estaba delicioso! Mejor bolsa de $5 de café que he tenido. Sin duda lo compraré otra vez. También me gusta el hecho de que es Rainforest Alliance Certified. Siempre compro café que tiene esta certificación. Yo también quiero apoyar las empresas latinas. Este café me permite hacer las dos cosas.


Me encanta agradables sorpresas como esta. ¿Has encontrado algo sorprendente en español? ¡Hágamelo saber!

English -

The other day I was in Wal-Mart. I typically do not shop at Wal-Mart, but it is close and I was out of coffee. I'm not sure how that happened because I live off coffee. haha!

I was looking at the coffee I normally buy when a bag caught my eye. The whole bag was in Spanish! It is not very often you see signs or products in Spanish where I live. I love finding things in Spanish, so of course I bought it. Plus it was only $5!

It's called Café Sabroso - The new generation of Latin Coffees. The story of the company is on one side of the bag and there is a translation in English on the the other side. It's interesting to me that Spanish side was facing out at the store. Maybe they didn't realize that it was in Spanish and English.

As far as the taste, it was delicious!  Best $5 bag of coffee I've had. No doubt I'll buy it again. I also like that it is Rainforest Alliance Certified. I always buy coffee that has this certification. I also want to support Latino businesses. This coffee allows me to do both.

I love pleasant surprises like this. Have you found something surprising in Spanish? Let me know!

Tweet Pin It Now!

Our Summer Soundtrack, Aquí, Allá!

Photo from Amazon.com

I think we have found our Summer soundtrack! Thank goodness it's not FROZEN! I can sing you every word to every song from that movie, because for the past 2 months that has been the only thing Liam wants to listen to in the car. Not to mention that we were watching the movie once a week!  I think it's about time for us to thaw out and warm up and I found just the thing!

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band's latest Spanish album, Aquí, Allá! Not only does Liam love dancing to it, but I love listening to it too! It's not everyday that you find children's music that you actually enjoy as an adult, but Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band's latest album fits that bill.

Liam has been singing along to Lucky Diaz's first Spanish album for awhile now. It's one of the first albums that he learned the words too (followed by Frozen). That is why I was so excited to hear that they were making a second album! And it does not disappoint! It's catchy and heartfelt with a nod to Hispanic culture. I find myself singing along too. I've even caught my husband singing in the car! hehe!

The fact that Liam is singing in Spanish is what makes me the most excited! I've noticed English is becoming his dominant language.  I expected that seeing as we live in the USA, but it's still a little disappointing.  Any time I can encourage Spanish and have fun at the same time I do it! Hearing him shout out "Órale!" from the backseat is music to my ears. Thanks for another great album Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band!

Tweet Pin It Now!

Look Who's Back!

 

Well, hello there! My intent to keep up with the blog was thwarted by homecoming readiness activities. You know things like, finding the perfect dress, making signs, and freaking out over every little detail.

It was perfect. I don't know why I freaked out. Having my sailor back in my arms made everything else obsolete.

I could not have asked for a better homecoming. Liam running up to his Daddy and squeezing his leg was the best ending to deployment. I was so worried about how he'd react to having Daddy back. Again I stressed for nothing. They picked right back up where they left off. Only now Liam is talking in full sentences and no longer needs most of the assistance he did when Pablo left.

I have to give a huge shout out to my photographer, Holly of Shutterly {Sweet} Photography. She captured our homecoming moments perfectly. All of the emotions and love of our day can be seen in her photography!

Now that I'm not sending out care packages every month and now that I'm not absorbed in being the sole caregiver to a two year old, I'm going to try and keep up with the blog once again.

Although, we are getting ready to move to a bigger place (with a backyard!!) and that may keep me from posting on a weekly basis. We'll be sifting through boxes and unpacking, but my plan is to try and post at least once a week after we're settled in. I'll warn you now - these may not be the greatest posts you have ever read, but I will at least be posting something.

Thanks for sticking around, friends! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

I'm bringing blogging back...

I really hope you sang the title to the tune of "I"m Bringing Sexy Back"! haha!

Today I'm bringing back the blog. I have just been way to busy being Mom and Dad to a 2 year old. (That's right the boy is 2 now!) I had back surgery and my husband is STILL deployed. So, Life took precedence over my blog. I have missed it though. I've decided that I will still post, but it probably won't be as frequent. Let's say it will be infrequent,  but I'll try! :)

To kick off my blog's rebirth, if you will, I've decided to link up with Very Busy Mama for the Real Mom Style series!  Look for the #RealMomStyle on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! 

 Here is what I wore to church Sunday morning! I bought this dress to wear to the halfway party for my husband's ship. It's a party to celebrate the halfway point of deployment! All the spouses left back home get together and have a big party! I missed said party though, because I had a horrible stomach bug. Since I didn't get to wear it then I brought it out for church yesterday! I love how edgy the dress is without being over the top. It still has a classic shape and flare. I also love an excuse to wear patterned tights! hehe!

Dress: Worhington from JCPenney

Tights: I'm not sure where I got the tights. I'm a huge fan of patterned and colored tights. I usually pick them up at Target. This pair I can't say for sure though.

Shoes: Target! I got the ankle boots this past Fall at Target. 

Necklace: Claire's. I picked this necklace up at Claire's of all places. I was actually shopping for my younger cousin, but I saw it and thought it would look perfect with my dress. I was right! 

So, What's your Real Mom Style?! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

Our Autumn Season: A Bilingual Preschool Curriculum Guide for Home

I created this bilingual Waldorf-inspired preschool curriculum to use with my son this Fall.  I wanted an easy way to implement a Waldorf way of life and create a more predictable schedule for us. This guide is recommended for ages 2-4, but can be adapted for other ages and levels. I like to keep things simple and belief wholeheartedly that children learn best by doing. That and our families love of books is what inspired this curriculum! I will also be including Montessori manipulatives in our play area for Liam to play with during free play. I hope that you will enjoy exploring the season of Autumn with us! 

Don't forget to check out my Pinterest board here for links to the books, art activities and recipes to use along with the curriculum! 

Click here to download Our Autumn Season and it's accompanying weekly planning sheet.

How to use Our Autumn Season-

This is a 3 month program (September to November) divided into 2 week segments. Each 2 weeks includes 2 books, a song, a rhyme, a recipe, a listening story, a field trip and an art activity.  It is up to you to decide how you would like to schedule each activity. You can take on everything in one week and then review the next week or break things up over the course of the 2 weeks.  The weeks are somewhat interchangeable, so feel free to move around activities or week themes as you see fit. Also, most of the stories, books and rhymes are in Spanish. This program is bilingual, but Spanish is the minority language in our country, therefore, my main focus with my son is to speak and read in Spanish!  

For my family our daily rhythm will include a circle time where I will introduce each book, rhyme and song. Our circle time will also include Yoga to get our bodies moving! We will be taking a nature walk at least once a week and collecting things for our nature table. This table will consist of seasonal items we find on our walks. Branches, leaves, acorns, etc. I also encourage you to make the songs and rhymes part of your day.  Sing and recite them while you’re playing, cooking or taking a bath. Incorporate them into your daily life!

Remember that the books I have suggested can easily be replaced by a similar book from the library or your own home library.  Most of the books in this curriculum can be found on Amazon.com, as well. If there are activities that you feel are more age appropriate or are more suitable for the area that you live in feel free to swap those out too!

This program is inspired by Waldorf methodology. Nature, the seasons and festivals play a huge role in the Waldorf methodology; that is why this curriculum is seasonally based.  A Waldorf education in the early years puts most of the emphasis on imaginative play with simple toys. I suggest wooden toys that a child can manipulate his/herself. The early years are seen as a time of exploration and for a child to learn through play.  Learning is also seen as inseparable from daily life where young children learn by example. The recipes and trips included here are a catalyst for learning by example and incorporating your child into your everyday activities.

 I hope that this guide will help you on your road to implementing a more child involved way of life! Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you notice any errors at rivasandcompany {at} gmail dot com! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

3 Weeks Down: Surgery, Preschool and homeschooling.

We have reached the 3 weeks mark! We are almost to a month and I have to say that I feel like time is clipping along quite nicely. I'm hoping it stays that way!

My awesome new car decal!

My husband received his first care package along with some cards and stuff that my parents mailed him! He loved the package and said he's enjoying the snacks!

Our map showing where Daddy visits!

This past week I had to have a spinal block done to try and alleviate my sciatica. I have Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and my sciatica has been constant for about a month now. The block still has not kicked in, so I've been trying to take it easy.  If I can't get relief from the block then the doctor is talking about doing surgery! I'm trying to avoid that at all costs! Surgery is definitely not something I was planning on this deployment!

During this down time I've had a chance to think about Liam turning two! It's only 3 months away!  My husband and I were thinking about sending him to Preschool when he hit the 2 year mark, but our budget is not at the point where we could easily do that this year.  So, after I started thinking about it, it hit me! Why not just have Preschool at home with him? I mean my philosophy is mostly made up of the belief that children learn through doing and playing! Liam gets lots of interaction with other kids thanks to play dates, my moms' group and church, so I wasn't worried about that.It's not like preschool is foreign to me...during college and right after I graduated I taught preschool. I even created and taught a Spanish program for preschoolers at the school I was at.

My dapper almost 2 year old!

Now to decide on a teaching method!  I learned all about them in college, but it has been a while. Off I went to the internet to do some research.  If we were going to send Liam to preschool the Montessori schools in the area are on the top of my list. So, I started reading up on Maria Montessori and also looking at comparisons of preschool programs. That's when I stumbled upon the Steiner Method, also known as a Waldorf Education. I really liked the idea behind it. It wasn't really child centered, but more of a child involved way of life! I felt like it went right along with my ideals. There are aspects of both Montessori and Waldorf education that I love. I knew for sure that I was not going to do strictly one or the other...more like a little of both.  I then started looking for a curriculum, but just could not find one that was exactly what I wanted and not a lot of money.

After thinking about it long and hard I decided to write my own! I knew that the basis for what I want to teach Liam was going to be everyday life and lots of free play! I also loved that a Waldorf education is based on the seasons and festivals. Keeping those things in mind and our love of books I came up with a simple Waldorf Inspired preschool learning guide! 

I am so excited to share it with you all in my next post. It still needs a bit of tweaking and I'm trying to create a Pinterest board to go along with it. That way all the resources are in one place, if you choose to follow along! We'll be starting "Preschool" the second week of September after we return from a trip home. 

If you would like to learn more about the Montessori method and the Waldorf method check out Global Mama's series Hunting For A Preschool! She gives an excellent break down of the methods and their critiques. Who knows maybe you'd prefer the Reggio Emilia method or the Charlotte Mason approach!  

 

Tweet Pin It Now!

2 weeks down: Care Package #1, International calling and France!!!

We hit 2 weeks down on Sunday! Woohoo!

Ever since my husband left I feel like all I've done is go from one doctor's appointment to another! Some days there were 2 in a row! After today I will be down to just a couple this month! Shew! Today I had an outpatient spinal block to try and calm my sciatica and hold off on back surgery. It went well and I'm praying it will last until my sailor returns! Surgery while he's gone is not something I look forward too! Lol 

Speaking of my sailor! We got to Skype with him today while he was in FRANCE! His ship is in port for a little bit before heading back out to sea. He found free wifi in town and we got to Skype. The connection was poor, but I loved getting to hear his voice and see his blurry face!!! 

This deployment my husband invested in an international SIM Card for his cellphone. It is pre-paid and he can add minutes as needed. It has already paid for itself! My husband was able to use it on the ship when they pulled in. The convenience of using his own phone is so helpful! He doesn't have to wait in line at a phone bank or wait to Skype in order to contact us. I absolutely love it!  

The company we bought ours through is Telestial. My husband picked the Passport SIM Card. Keep in mind that your phone has to be unlocked and that texts, pictures and data cost extra. You can also buy an unlocked phone and SIM card on the Telestial site. I highly recommend this for deployments! It is cheaper than the international plans through cellphone providers and so convenient! 

Oh and I almost forgot we got our first care package sent out! I sent a smaller one this time with not a whole lot in it. The main reason for that is that he stocked up on stuff before he left and has only been gone a short time. The space on the ship is limited when it comes to storage. I'm sure later on he will be making requests for things he's ran out of! So, here is our first care package....snacks, k-cups, PC Gamer magazine, a laundry bag (that he forgot), a USB stick with pics and videos on it, cold medicine and a glasses cleaning cloth! I also added a jewelry box with three pennies I found on the ground the day he had to report to the ship. I'm not superstitious or anything, but I thought it would be cute to send them to him for good luck. ;) I also included a little baggy full of sauces (BBQ, Soy, Honey mustard) for him to liven up the bland ship food and a tub of Chick-fil-A Sauce too!

As far as how I decorated my box goes... I just used Chevron duck tape and scrapbook paper for the flaps. The stickers are scrapbook stickers, as well! I bought a big book of different colors of scrapbook paper to use to decorate my care packages this deployment. I just tape it on and then add decorations. Super simple! My husband informed me that the boxes just get trashed, so I don't go too overboard and I make sure pictures are easy to remove, so he can keep those and trash the rest. I hope that helps! :)


I hope the rest of our days, weeks, months pass as quickly as these last two! Until next time!! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

One week down!

Oh... Hello, There!

Yes, I remember I have a blog. I was just soaking up all the time I could with my sailor!

Photo Credit: Shutterly {Sweet} Photography

Photo credit: Shutterly {Sweet} Photography

And would you look at the calendar... It's been a week since I had to say see ya later to my handsome husband! The following day we watched the ship sail out from the Chesapeake Bay and onto the Ocean.

 

Liam and I are still trying to get into a routine of our own, but the week went by surprisingly fast. I think the first week is one of the hardest.  I just tried to stay busy and work on a schedule for us. I have also started putting together the first care package.  I've already booked our homecoming photographer too! From what I hear finding a photographer for homecoming is already starting to be a challenge and we just got started! Ha! 

So, for those of you dealing with a deployment or facing one soon I thought I'd share the link to my care package idea board on Pinterest! You can find it here. There are LOTS of great ideas on there. I'm going to try and post my monthly care package, as well. :) 

Another idea I came across on Pinterest to countdown deployment can be found here.  You take a photo each month with a chalkboard wall that says what you did that month complete with drawings, etc. Since we rent I knew I couldn't do a chalkboard wall. So, off I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I found a dry erase wall decal that is perfect! You can find it here.

 I can't wait to share our photo each month with my husband (and you guys too)! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

Vacation Time!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I will not be posting for a week or two. My husband is on leave and we are heading to California for a week. I am just trying to soak up all the time I have with him before he leaves for Deployment!

I hope you guys all have a wonderful 4th of July and we'll be back before you know it! :D

Tweet Pin It Now!

Our Weekend In Review// Father's Day Weekend

Saturday we had a fun play date at the park with the Mom's group I'm a part of. Liam played in the sand for the first time since he was 6 months old. The park we normally go to just has mulch and some dirt patches, but this park had an awesome sand box! Liam was so worn out after playing that he took a 3.5 hour nap! Then it was off to the gym for a workout (for me) and playtime (for Liam). Needless to say we both slept well that night. :) 

I don't even know what this is. He came crawling into the apartment after church. I guess he was worn out!

Sunday was Father's Day and unfortunately we didn't get to spend it with any of our Dads. That's what happens when you're in the military. My father and father-in-law live in different states and Pablo was out to sea. We made sure they felt the love though! I emailed my husband (usually our only form of communication when he's out) & sent him pictures. We tried to celebrate before he left, but Liam was sick, so we only managed to go out to lunch. I guess we'll do some more celebrating when he gets back! Liam even made him a card! 

We did go to church, but other than that we spent the day being lazy. Liam was not feeling well. The doctor finally put him on an antibiotic after we went back for the 3rd week in a row! This time Liam had fluid behind his ears. He and the antibiotic aren't getting along to well though. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that he has a very uncomfortable rash. :( 

This coming week we're preparing to fly to California to visit my in-laws! We'll be heading out a week from tomorrow! I'm not looking forward to flying with a 19 month old, but at least Pablo will be with us! If you think of us, say a prayer for a safe and smooth trip!!! :) 

Tweet Pin It Now!

It's My SITS Day!

Today is the day I have been patiently waiting for! It's my SITS Day!

If you haven't visited The SITS Girls blog then you should! It is a community of women bloggers who support and help each other in all things blog related! Each weekday they feature a blogger and today is my day!

I am so overwhelmed by all of the love I have received today from all my fellow SITS girls! I have been doubting myself lately, but you ladies have definitely shown me that my posts are not in vain! Thank you!!!

Head over to the site (at the link above) for tutorials, paid blogging opportunities and ALL things blog related!

And thanks again for all of the support and LOVE! 

Tweet Pin It Now!

Our Weekend in Review // 6/7

                          

       

This past Friday Tropical Storm Andrea decided to pay us a visit. We really just got a lot of rain, but we decided to stay indoors in our jammies! I realized Liam had never played with play dough before, so it was the perfect day to make some. I searched Pinterest for an easy recipe that I could make with things I had on hand.

Here is the recipe I used. Oil, flour, cream of tarter, salt, water....really simple and you probably already have everything in your pantry. For the colors I used the back of the food coloring box as a guide. There's usually a chart with how to combine colors to make frosting colors. We went with lime green, teal, orange, reddish/pink  and yellow. 

Liam had a great time mixing and kneading as we made the dough. And he loved playing with the end result. I broke out some cookie and biscuit cutters for him to use and he got the hang of it fast. Liam did mix colors and I had to overcome the OCD side of myself. I desperately wanted to pull the colors apart, but he was having fun and I've had to learn to let go of little things like that. I am way more laid back than I use to be. lol 

 To store the dough I put each color (as best I could) in a plastic sandwich bag and put them all in the fridge. 

  

                       

   

  

Saturday we were super busy and I didn't take a single picture. We spent 2 hours at the YMCA where Liam played and I worked out.  Then we went shopping followed by a dash home for a nap.  Then Liam and I both made new friends at a get together with other Navy wives from my husband's department.  It's nice to know people from the ship that have similar schedules and know what you're going through. That was the whole point of the get together. I would say it was a success. :)

Sunday we went to church and spent the afternoon napping (well, Liam did).  After naptime we had a meeting for church and I'm happy to say that we have a lot of exciting things happening! 

The weekend flew by and I'm glad it did! I hate to wish time away, but when my husband is out that's what I spend my days doing! 

Tweet Pin It Now!