• Family & Motherhood

    Is Frozen the new Little Mermaid?

    I can’t get that song out of my head. It doesn’t help that Jimmy Fallon did one of his classic ” kindergarten toys” rendition with Idina Menzel herself (or is her name Adele Dazeem?). The hit song “Let It Go” from Disney’s Oscar-winning film Frozen is all over the place, and I haven’t even seen the movie. When I was little, I wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. When we moved into a bigger house growing up, we got a pool. Soon enough, the Disney movie resided in that pool and we let our imagination soar (or paddle, which was probably more realistic). The shallow end with steps were…

  • Family & Motherhood

    why dancing is the answer to everything

    “Seriously, you can’t play that song one more time or I might lose it” “Hold on, just one more time, I have to get this one last 8 count down” There are songs my husband can’t listen to because I have reached the maximum number of replays in his book. Artists like Beyonce, Usher and Britney (back in the day when she was good) have fallen victim of this terrible end result. When I taught hip hop, I would comb through YouTube to find interesting choreography, ways to make your body move to feel the music in the best way possible. Dancing is the ultimate way to do that. it…

  • Family & Motherhood

    I listen to your kid’s music

    “We’re getting too old for this”, I tell my husband after attending the ACL festival a couple of years ago. We were filthy. Open park + rain = mud. Mud = very unhappy Sandra. My husband and I will be at Coachella this year. For those of your who aren’t familiar with it, it’s a 3 days music festival with DJ’s and musicians including Calvin Harris, Disclosure,  and Pharrell Williams (among others). We are probably going to be the oldest people there, and I don’t care. For all you parents out there, this is the festival your kids are going to. I listen to your kid’s music. I’ll be the…

  • Family & Motherhood

    it’s always been there

    I knew it all along and didn’t realize it. I remember growing up I had a journal. A place where I could write down anything and everything that was on my mind. At the time, it was filled with ideas of marriage with Leonardo DiCaprio or Jonathan Taylor Thomas. I even cut out heart shapes from pictures I would see in BOP! Magazine. It was my escape from boring reality. From not being the “cool kid” or “pretty girl” in school. I would write about my school crushes that I didn’t have the guts to talk about in person to other people and how I felt about a fight with…

  • go love yourself
    Family & Motherhood

    Go Love Yourself

      Learning to love yourself can be one of the hardest things we as human beings can do. With pressure from pretty much everyone (including ourselves), it’s sometimes easier to find the flaws in us than in the great is us. I know that for me, it’s so easy to think of the negative. That I’m not thin enough or smart enough. That I’m not a morning person or that I’m not a social butterfly. It’s a shame that we go to the negative instead of the positive when we think of ourselves. However, when I think of the great things that make up who I am, I know that I can…

  • Family & Motherhood

    everything is manageable

    “Everything can be manageable”, said my yoga teacher as we settled into class. “If the pose is too hard, or your breath gets choppy, lower your knee, don’t go as low in the pose, or take a break. That’s how you manage every situation.” It was my first time in months to practice an exercise that gives me so much perspective, inspiration, strength and most of all, peace. I didn’t know how much I needed that class until I kept hearing those words over and over in my head as the day went on. Change is inevitable. It’s what helps us grow as human beings, opens us up to new experiences…

  • Family & Motherhood

    Christmas in Mexico: What to do in San Miguel de Allende

    The last leg of our Christmas in Mexico trip was visiting San Miguel de Allende. The town is fairly small as well and about 45 minutes away from Leon. A definite must see if you want to be “cultured-out” when you visit Mexico. This is also home to a lot of older retirees because of its tranquil nature (I can’t say I blame them). Lots of great food and romantic spots. My Picks: La Posadita (famous green pozole), San Agustin (the best churros you’ve ever had) and Jardin Botanico. Our first stop was a little place called La Posadita, a place my sister Vanessa has been talking about for years. We…

  • Family & Motherhood

    Christmas in Mexico: what to do in Guanajuato

    After Christmas (which for us it’s Christmas Eve), we went exploring in beautiful Guanajuato and San Miguel. (see part one here). Here are some pictures as well as a mini guide on what to do if you’re visiting! Guanajuato is a small city is about 30-40 minutes away from Leon. To tell you the truth, it’s my favorite. In addition to so much culture, Guanajuato feels like you’re going back in time with cobblestone streets, a spot at a cafe for that late afternoon coffee, comedians acting out shows for tips in front of an old theatre, and mariachi’s playing outside while you walk around the square at night. It has…

  • Family & Motherhood

    Christmas in Mexico

    Christmas in Mexico was wonderful. After a red-eye flight, 7 days of non-stop exploring including spending Christmas with my Mexican family and an early morning return flight, I’m back. It was so great enjoying the holidays with my family with amazing food, lots of laughter and amazing views. It was a full circle trip, starting off in Guadalajara and then driving 3 hours to Leon, visiting Guanajuato and San Miguel (where we met Mackelmore!!) and then driving back to Guadalajara to end the trip. Since there were 4 cities to explore, I decided to split this post up into 3 to also include a mini guide for those of you…

  • Family & Motherhood

    what’s your personality type?

      Do you know what your personality type is? I remember taking the Myers Briggs test in high school and was fascinated with how accurate it was. Introvert/Extrovert, Intuitive/Sensing, Thinker/Feeler, Judger/Prospector, they all shape how we interact with the everyday. As a senior in high school, going through college applications and figuring out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, I decided I wanted to be a child psychiatrist. That dream lasted about a year, when my first chemistry class kicked my ass and I got my first “yeah, no you’re not going to do that” sign. I knew I was fascinated with the human mind (and…