Holiday Gifts for Latinos

Check out these beautiful Arpillera Christmas Stocking available through Lucuma Designs. Handmade in Peru, these original one-of-a-kind stockings are artistic masterpieces! They seem to be selling like hotcakes though they still have several in this design and a few others. What an extraordinary gift to give a loved one. They even have a Noah's Ark design that I think would be wonderful for a child.

To view these and other items they have for sale, click here.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Latino Families

Feliz Navidad a todos! With the holidays fast approaching, I decided that I had better get cracking and start investigating holiday gift ideas. So over the next few weeks my posts will revolve around regalitos for Hispanic families.

My choices are dictated by the following three criteria:

1) The item(s) celebrates the Latino spirit.

2) The item(s) preserves or promotes Hispanic traditions.

or 3) The item(s) is created/crafted by a Latina(o).

So to start the ball rolling, I am going to champion a toy that probably most (if not all) of you have heard about. The Baby Abuelita dolls include Abuelita Rosa, Abuelito Pancho, Baby Andrea and Baby Tita. Each doll sings anywhere from 4 to 6 tender and sweet songs that preserve our Hispanic heritage. From "Arroz con Leche" to "Los Pollitos Dicen," "Naranja Dulce" to "Duermete, Mi Niña" these dolls are a wonderful tool for teaching little ones music while enhancing their listening and learning skills. A unique product on the market that is making a difference in children's lives. Thank you to Baby Abuelita's creators, Hilda Jimenez and Carol Fenster, for your contribution towards helping Latinos pass on their cultural identities!

An excellent gift from Abuelitas to their grandchildren.

So what are you waiting for? To order your Baby Abuelita doll, click here.

Losing our Culture a Little Bit at a Time?

El Paso Community College has a local history project called "Borderlands" in which English students research and write on topics of importance to the Texas-New Mexico-Mexico border. Each year, the student editors turn their research papers into feature articles and they are published in the El Paso Times. While reviewing the website and all of the articles of the past years, I stumbled upon one titled "Traditional Hispanic Children's Games Disappear" by Guadalupe G. Castillo. This is a fascinating yet sad little piece about how traditional children's games have been replaced by fancy store-bought toys.

What's happening to our imagination, People? HACK! It's being stifled by materialism.

Late at night in the dark, as I stumble over toys around my own house trying not to awaken my family as I get ready for bed, I am quickly reminded that I, too, am suffering from the "Too Many Toys" Syndrome. I think that tomorrow I will initiate a good game of bebe leche and dig out all those bottle tops in the recycling cabinet....

To read this excelente article, click here.

To find out how to order the baleros shown above, or other cultural toys, visit Leos Mexican Imports by clicking here.

Latin Baby SALE!

Latin Baby's "Dia de Gracias" Sale is going on this weekend! Check out super savings with prices reduced up to 50% on children's tees, jean jackets, bibs, books and more... This is our biggest sale of the year, so check it out right away! Sale prices are valid for on-line purchases ONLY. Latin Baby products in boutiques, gifts shops, etc... are not included.

While supplies last....

View our products here.

America's REAL First Thanksgiving...

Once again, Marisa Treviño of Latina Lista opens my eyes and makes me shout "woo-HOO!" with one of her enlightening posts. I encourage all Latina mamis to check out her post about America's first true Thanksgiving which actually occurred 56 years prior to Plymouth Rock, in the town of St. Augustine, Florida. Be proud, Amigas, to learn that the preferred language at this historic event was actually Spanish, not English as we have been led to believe!

In addition, Treviño highlights children's book, America's REAL First Thanksgiving by author Robyn Gioia, a fifth grade elementary school teacher from the community of Ponte Vedra just outside of St. Augustine.

I firmly believe that it is muy importante for our children to learn the true history of our country and the major role that Hispanics played in its founding and establishment. Be proud of your heritage, Mi'jitos!

To view Latina Lista's post, click here.

To order Gioia's book, click here.

Dia de Gracias...

Gracias....

-For mi familia.

I love you, Husband, for you are my best friend, the one who makes me feel loved, respected, needed, beautiful, intelligent, equal and wanted. I am so blessed to have you.

I love you, Hija, for you are the joy of my life. You are smart, sweet, proud, beautiful, fun, independent, stubborn and lovable. I am proud of you.

I love you, Hijo, for you are the warmth in my heart. You are sweet, kind, loving, snuggly, smart, muy guapo, determined, and joyful. I am proud of you.

-For mi mamá.

I love you, Mom. You drive me crazy, but I know that your love for me is complete, sincere, and pure.

-For Andrew.

I love you, Andy. Your support and love over the years has always been cherished and means so much to me.

-For all my extended family and friends.

I love you. Thank you for all of the joy, laughter, tears, arguments, and loyalty. You have made me the person I am today and I hope I have been a good friend to you all, as well. If not...I'm sorry. I promise to try harder!

With much Love,

~Monica

Nursing Necklace

I have to admit, I decided to feature this item after seeing it on my friend, Lisa's, blog. It is too cool not to share with all of you....so check out this beautiful nursing necklace created by Bonnie Alvarez, the owner/designer of Birth Designs. Her beautiful website features a large collection of jewelry. The nursing necklaces are my favorite as they are a great way to bond with baby while nursing or bottle feeding.

To see more of her collection, click here.

Car Seat Safety

Well, it has definitely been a busy week filling orders and getting new products ready to launch. Add in a family visit with 6 kids (ages 20 months to 8 years) under one roof (mine) and it has been a little more on the crazy side! Finally getting my house back in order and have found some time to post some updates....

According to SeatCheck.org, car accidents remain the leading cause of death for children ages 3 - 14. Despite the fact that 96 percent of parents believe that their children's car seats are installed correctly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows that 7 out of 10 children are not properly restrained in a vehicle.

Enter SeatCheck - a national campaign created by Chrysler to help parents properly secure their children in motor vehicles. One of the best aspects of SeatCheck is their free child safety seat inspection locator service. The website is available in both English and Spanish and also offers valuable tips and information on car seat safety.

To visit their site in English, click here.

Para Español, clique aqui.

Latina Baby Shower

Well, Amigas, so many of you keep asking for advice on throwing a Latina Baby Shower. I am hoping the posts so far have been helpful and promise to post more on that subject. There are so many ideas for throwing a Latin baby shower! I hope you all have visited my website and checked out the page I have dedicated strictly to that topic.

I am also seriously thinking about setting aside a page dedicated to those of you who have thrown a Spanish baby shower...what do you think? You all can send in a description of how you integrated the Spanish culture into your baby showers and maybe even a few photos? I know how creative you all are and maybe you could share your originality with others who are looking for unique ways to celebrate our culture during such a joyous time in a mamí-to-be's life.

In keeping with this, check out this beautiful little mint tin by A Shop for Babies. It comes in four color choices and two sizes. What a wonderful party favor for your guests! It can even be personalized with the expectant mamá's name and date of the shower or due date.

To check them out, click here.

¡Ay! Que Frio...

With el invierno upon us, I thought now would be a great time to feature a few items for keeping our children warm. I was extremely pleased to find this shop on-line. Caserita.com specializes in Bolivian handicrafts. I love their products and am seriously contemplating carrying some of their items.

First, check out the Rainbow Poncho and Hat for children ages 1 to 3. So beautiful and colorful for any child.

And second, how about this 3 Piece Alpaca Set for babies ages 3 months to 3 years? Made of 100% alpaca, it is soft, light and warm. A perfect gift for the niños in your life!

To view these and other products by Caserita.com, click here.

Dia de los Muertos!

Looking for a quick way to celebrate Dia de los Muertos and teach your children about remembering their family members who have passed on? Check out this great site by Ladislao Loera which includes a lesson plan for teachers, but which can also be applied as a family activity.

A beautiful way to remember our loved ones.

To view the activity, click here.