"Shape Up For Summer" Block Party! #Positivisimo

Happy Summer everyone! Hope you've been having a beautiful time in this glorious warm weather and getting in lots of fun activity. My Zumba classes are going very well-so well that I decided to invite some of my students to join me and my family for a very special "block party!"

YUMMY!

 I've been sharing with them how I've been selected as a "Positivity Ambassador" for Milk and wanted to serve them some delicious milk-based recipes. It was a great excuse to get my cooking on!
The recipes were such a hit that I wanted to share them with all of you, too.

PODCAST Episode 25 Summer Food!

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Summer is here! The season of Barbecues, Clam Fries, and Ice Cream is upon us and I'm here to help you cook up some great summer eats that won't break your budget OR your waistline! Need something to bring to that 4th of July Barbecue? Tune in!

We're talkin' SUMMER FOOD!

MYTHBUSTING DINNER! Cheaper Than Drive-Thru?

Hello all! This afternoon I got the biggest hankering for a cheeseburger and fries-ever get one of those?

The drive thru? Not for me, thanks!

I had plenty of Weight Watchers pointsplus left for the day (not to mention the week) and yes, I could TOTALLY have hit the drive-thru without destroying my diet for the week.

HOWEVER-when I stopped and thought about it I realized that, since my local supermarket it actually closer to my home than the nearest fast food joint, it would actually be faster to pick up all the ingredients and cook them at home than it would be to drive all the way to the fast food place, wait in the rush hour line at the drive-thru, order, pick up the food, drive it home and serve it to my family. Who knew?

Something else, though. Not only was it faster, it was (of course) healthier and also...

WAAAAAAAY CHEAPER!!!

PODCAST Episode 24: Summer Spectacular! Fashion, Makeup, Food and more!

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Summer is officially HERE! But what to wear? What to eat? What to do for fun? Join me and my guest, Candy from Curves Ahead Makeup as we gab over the best that Summer 2012 has to offer!

Candy rocks a summer maxi look!

GIVEAWAY! A Summer Dress from Ross Dress for Less!

YAY! Summer's here! I'm already making my 4th of July plans, which actually start (for my family) on the 3rd with our "Dependence Day" Party! But what to wear? WHAT? If only there were someplace with perfect summer dresses at amazing prices-oh wait, there is! ROSS!

That's right, the good people of Ross Dress for less issued me another fashion challenge: this time, to find a great dress for the 4th for $25 or less. This one was SUPER fun because my local Ross had TONS of dresses that I liked, like this one...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I keep hearing this song...

Happy Father's Day everyone! Hope your dad is alive and well and that you are enjoying spending time with him. Or if not your dad, then your baby-daddy! We are postponing our own celebration a few days because our daughter has a very nasty stomach flu and is not in a partying kind of mood. But Father's Day can be whenever you make it! We'll just have to celebrate extra big-especially since my husband is the best (nacho) daddy ever! I got him this card on Etsy...

How cute is this? Seriously!

Because he is a GIGANTE Star Wars fan (he watched the dvds over and over again to calm his nerves while I was in labor with each of the kids) and he is the dad of a boy and a girl-just like Darth!

Lately, I keep hearing this song...

NIFTY THRIFTY! Electric Ladylamp...

Hello all! Just a little "Nifty Thrifty" to help launch the weekend. I spotted this beauty in a local thrift shop just after we moved into our current home. It was love at first sight...

How did the Salvation Army KNOW I needed a lamp?

I am a sucker for a great "figure" lamp and am always on the lookout for one. This one was in beautiful condition and even the linen shade still looked flawless. I'm not entirely sure whether the statue is of a woman or a man-but for $4? Who cares?! The only caveat was that the switch seemed to be broken and the SA couldn't guarantee whether the lamp would be functional.

RECIPE: 1PointPlus Cafe Gel-Latte! (aka "Coffee Whip")

By now many of you know that I am a collector of vintage flotsam in general and vintage Weight Watchers memorabilia in particular. I especially love old cookbooks (WW or otherwise) and am known to spend many a lazy Sunday afternoon reading through my treasure trove of ancient culinary tomes, sipping iced coffee and giggling at the photos.

The Motherlode: My 1st edition copy of the ORIGINAL 1966 Weight Watchers cookbook

CRAFT: What Becomes a Legend Most? GLITTER!

Hello everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your weekend. I wanted to share the craft I made last weekend with all of you, since you were all so very complimentary of the photos I posted on feisbuc and tuiter.

First of all-the AMAZING "Frida Calavera" painting in question was not painted by me (I wish!) but by my friend, the ludicrously talented and hilarious Cynthia Martinez of Fat Girl Escapades. I was touched beyond words when she gave it to me-you're the best, Cynthia!

Cynthia The GORGEOUS and Frida

PODCAST Episode 23: Weightloss, Body Image and The Mind

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Hypnotherapist Jill Thomas

So you've blown a ton of money on the latest fad diet, bootcamp workouts, shapewear and supplements and you're still unhappy with your body? Maybe it's time to bring your mind into the equation. Join me and my special guest, hypnotherapist Jill Thomas as we discuss how to use the power of the mind to develop a balanced holistic approach to food, exercise, and your body.

NIFTY THRIFTY: Unicorns are pretty.

Because of my career as a professional interior designer, many of my friends and acquaintances expect my home to be filled with expensive designer goods from posh boutiques in Beverly Hills. While that may be true of many of the homes I've designed for my clients, my own home is filled with items only a Nacho Mama could love. Yes, I have a Danish Papa Bear chair in my livingroom, it is the perfect accompaniment to the $150 vintage sofa I rescued from a consigment shop, thank you.

Thrifting in LA, inspired by one of my fave landmarks, CHICKEN BOY!

A San Diegan dream come true-I'm in The Reader!

Hello all! I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot to mention the "bucket list" moment I had late last week. Nacho Mama's Blog is in The Reader!


image via sdreader.com

Those of you who live in San Diego, or grew up here like me, know that The Reader is where you go to get all the art, theater and music coverage that doesn't get published anywhere else. They also have the best essays on local politics and culture. I've been reading this weekly magazine(? newspaper?) since I was in high school and used to peruse the art reviews over iced cappuccino at Quel Fromage (anyone else remember Quel Fromage? No? Sigh.)

Let's all Shape Up for Summer with Milk! #Positivisimo

Hello everyone! Hard to believe that summer is already upon us. Many of us have long forgotten those New Years' resolutions to get in shape, right? Wrong! My main New Year's resolution was to reach my goal weight in 2012 and I'm happy to share that it going very well. I've been exercising more and more since the start of the year. As some of you know, I've even recently become a certified Zumba instructor! My diet has been very good but I must admit that I have been seriously slacking in one area-my goal to get at least 2 servings of lean dairy per day. So I was absolutely delighted to be asked, once again, to serve as a Positivity Ambassador for the California Milk Processor Board's Shape Up for Summer campaign!