GIVEAWAY! Win a chance to join me at the #LLBLOG Conference in Los Angeles, April 26-28th

Yep, it's ANOTHER giveaway!

But this one is for bloggers only-sorry!

Remember my post about all the fun I had last fall in Vegas with the Latina Lifestyle Bloggers (How To Gain 1.5lb in 4 Days)? This April, the conference is back! And this time, it's in Los Angeles! Here's a sneek peek at the agenda:

Kick-off party from the 2011 LLBlog Conference (that's me in the stripes)

THURSDAY 4/26/2012

6 p.m.

KICK-OFF: Location TBD (Warning: it will be swanky!)

FRIDAY 4/27/2012

9 a.m.

KEYNOTE: Exploring the Possibilities: Going Beyond a Blog

9:30 a.m.

WORKSHOP: Exploring and Planning Your Possibilities / Vision Book Creation

10:30 a.m.

PANEL: The Social Media of Blogging: Taking your Blog the Distance

11:30 a.m.

PANEL: Using Your Blog to Sell Your Products Online: Key Tips and Tools from the Experts

12:30 p.m.

LUNCH

1:30 p.m.

PANEL: From Blog to Book

2:30 p.m.

Walking Tour: Downtown LA

3:00 p.m.

FIDM TOUR

SATURDAY 4/28/2012

10:00 a.m.

PANEL: The Business of Blogging: IRS Reporting, legalities of selling online, etc.

11:30 a.m.

PANEL: The Ethics of Blogging / Creating a Blogger Best Practices/Guide

PRESENTERS: Aminah Hanan, Blogging While Brown/ Jes Sofia Valle, Latinos in Social Media / Margo Porras, Blogger & LLBlog Member  (THAT'S ME!!)/ Jose Vargas Ulloa, The Latino Cyberguy

1:00 P.M.

Mezcal & Oaxaquen Food Tasting

3:00 p.m.

WORKSHOP: Blogger Dressing/Presentation Tips

PRESENTER: Martha Coronel / Macy's

I made so many friends at the LLBlog Conference!

Want a conference pass? I'VE GOT ONE! Here's what you need to know:

1. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LATINA to attend! As you can see, the seminars are VERY interesting and geared to ALL bloggers. If you're a blogger and these seminars are of interest to you, then you are welcome to attend!
2. Your Conference Pass includes all the meals listed on the agenda!
3. Giveaway is for the Conference Pass ONLY. You are responsible for getting yourself to, from and around LA, your accommodations and any other expenses. (There is an "official" hotel offering a special rate for conference attendees, though)

Here's how to enter to win FREE FULL CONFERENCE PASS!

1. Like Latina Lifestyle Bloggers on Facebook and leave a comment below letting us know you did.
2. Leave a comment with the name of your blog.
3. Leave a comment letting us know which seminar you're most interested in.

Maximum 3 entries per person. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, April 6th.

GOOD LUCK!! Looking forward to meeting the winner next month! :)


Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I am not being compensated for this post in any way. Giveaway item was purchased by me and the above is my honest opinion.

VLOG: Ross Dress for Less GIVEAWAY!

Sorry for the video quality!

Look at the awesome shoes I found-each for under $25 at Ross!

PODCAST Episode 13: WEIGHTLOSS!

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So how's that New Year's Resolution to lose weight coming along? Join us as we bring back Stefanie Marie from If Curves Could Talk as we discuss the best, smartest, healthiest and EASIEST ways to lose weight and develop sensible, sustainable habits today! And, of course, we'll be discussing the Weight Watchers PointsPlus plan in detail-so if you have any questions, join us LIVE! This show is PART TWO of our 3-part series on Wellness.

BODY IMAGE SUNDAYS! We could all learn a lot from Diamond Lil...

Lately I've been thinking a LOT about Mae West. She was definitely one of a kind, a brilliant enterprising playwright as well as, quite possibly, the most formidable bombshell ever to hit Hollywood. She fought her entire career, not only for herself, but for equality among the sexes as well as the races.

This is a woman who wroteand starred in a Broadway play called "Sex"-in 1918. In 1927 she was sent to prison on NYC's Roosevelt Island for "corrupting the morals of youth."

PODCAST Episode 12-FITNESS

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It's March! Still keeping up that New Year's Resolution to finally get fit in 2012? Join me and my and guests as we discuss how to find a way to work exercise into your busy life and the importance of making fitness FUN!

still tryin to find what works for me!

Over at Mamiverse-Why Frida Kahlo would "friend" Mark Zuckerberg

Good morning everyone! I have a new piece up over at Mamiverse about Latinas, Atheism and how I met me best friend. I'm not an Atheist myself, but I was very honored to speak to several people from various Atheist organizations. I learned so much! Here's my interview with Ayanna Watson, of Black Athiests of America:

NM: How did you come to Atheism and how long have you been an Atheist?
AW: I came to my atheism by studying religion in undergrad. Prior to
undergrad, I had already had some doubts with regard to religion. During
high school, I moved from a christian to a deist.

Enjoying Facebook? Thank Atheist Mark Zuckerberg!

NM:  How do people generally react to your Atheism at first?AW: Generally speaking most people are shocked. I fall into a triple
minority. I am black and female, in addition to being an atheist. Many
people have expressed to me that they have not come across a black
atheist. Those who have, generally, have not met a black female atheist.

If the person is not religious, or progressive - at minimum, they seem to
welcome it. On the other hand,  [some] seek to "save my soul."
Others have sent death threats. It depends on the person.

NM: What would you say is a common misconception about Atheism and
Atheists?
AW; The most common misconception is that atheists are evil, or inherently bad
people. This belief shows that most people ignore evidence. Despite the
large amount of evidence to the contrary, people still hold on to this
belief.
NM: What would you most like people to know about you as an Atheist?
AW: I think that it is important that most people know that we are members of
their community. There is this perception that atheists live "on the
other side of town." In reality, we are your neighbor. We are your
teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. The problem is that many of
us do not feel comfortable being open about our stance on religion because
we fear being ostracized.

Thank you Ayanna!

I love that blogging gives me the opportunity to meet people from so many different backgrounds. To read the entire piece over at Mamiverse click HERE.

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

BODY IMAGE SUNDAYS! Picasso's "Four Bathers"

If there's one artist who showcased the female body in all it's forms, it's Picasso. He was such a prolific painter and sculptor that one could take days and days looking at his work. Right now I'm loving this piece from 1921, Quatre Baigneuses (The Four Bathers).

image via about.com

Picasso painted this around the same time he was designing sets for the Ballet Russe, which might have influenced the "stagey" feeling of this painting. I love the theatrical way the light plays off of the women and how much Picasso seems to delight in their shapes. And I especially love how at ease the women seem.

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

TGIF! A little something for you 9 to 5ers...

OK, I miss the income, but there are SOOOO many things I don't miss about office life! I'd much rather relate to Dolly from my imagination than from personal experience. How about you?

Isn't she glorious? I LOVE HER! And how fabulous is she in that movie?

 

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYBODY!

 

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

Body Image Sundays! The "Baker Dancer"

It occurred to me today that I haven't been flexing my Art History chops so much here at Nacho Mama's Blog. Art has always been a big part of my life and continues to be a big source of inspiration and motivation for me, especially when it comes to body image. SO I've decided to start a new weekly series, sharing some of my favorite empowering images of women throughout Art History.

Many of you know that, before deciding to go back to grad school, I had a career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met is FULL of beautiul representations of women throughout the centuries!

My latest post for Mamiverse....Military Families

Hello Everyone!

I am very pleased to announce that I have recently started writing for Mamiverse! I can't believe the company I'm in-even Daisy Fuentes writes for them (which reminds me, I must tell you my "Daisy Fuentes" story at some point). One thing I really like about my new gig at Mamiverse is that it pushes me to tackle topics I wouldn't necessarily cover here at Nacho Mama's Blog. My first post was about Culture Clash and the "book ban" in Tucson, Arizona.

Yesterday they published my piece about Latinas in the military, not only the mamis, the sisters, the wives and daughters, but the women who are themselves actively serving. There was one interview that didn't make it into the final piece, due to time constraints, but I wanted to share it with you here. And of course I want to say thanks to all our military families for your sacrifice and strength!

PODCAST Episode 11: Gettin Tech-y...

Click the player to listen NOW!

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Confused amid the sea of apps, gadgets and gizmos that claim to make modern-day living easier? Never fear! Join me and my guests as we navigate the murky waters of info, steering you to the right tools to help streamline your life!

Yes, I am a Blackberry holdout. Image via Amazon

Oh Mama! Reader submitted #VIDEO

I just love reading all of your comments and emails-they really make my day! This past week I was stressing out a lot trying to plan the "perfect" birthday party for my son. I thought it might be fun to go to Mission Beach here in San Diego, where they have a great playground right next to the water, but for some reason I had this nagging feeling that Mission Beach might be a terrible idea! But WHY?

Sure, it's a great car, but what's on the roof?

Then I got a very sweet email from reader Mark Nevin in England (really? Wow!) with a video of a song he wrote he wrote for his wife called "Oh Mama!" - he said he hoped it would put a smile on my face. It did! Not only because I loved the song and the video, but because it helped me remember what was bugging me about having my son's birthday party at Mission Beach! Check it out: