News Fatigue? This looks like a job for SALSA KIDS! #salsakids #thesalsacure

Oh, dear. I know, I'm experiencing it, too.

News Fatigue.

Me after watching cable news.

It's gotten pretty ugly out there, hasn't it? I don't care how positive a person you are, enough exposure to this stuff can get you so riled up, bummed out and let down that it can start to seem like there's nothing any of us can do to make this world a better place. 

I feel you. 

These are the times when I need to be reminded that one light heart outshines a thousand dark ones. When I need to see, really see, that it's infinitely more powerful to inspire someone's joy than it is to light a fire under their anger. 

THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR....SALSA KIDS!

That's right. I'm pulling out the big guns here, people. Just try and keep a straight face and a still booty while these children blow you away with the unbridled, fantastic tripping of the light that is...

SALSA KIDS!

Behold!

Feast your eyes..and your SOUL!

The cuteness! The footwork! THE FIRE!

Come on! What are you, made of stone?!

SALSA KIDS! Bringing people together all over the world.

SALSA KIDS! There's no one they can't help. 

Don't believe me? Oh, ye of little faith. Don't you see? 

SALSA KIDS aren't just here to help you and me.

SALSA KIDS even help...SALSA GROWNUPS!

Feel free to replay as often as necessary. You feel better now, right?

Me after SALSA KIDS!

I'm pretty sure that when the Divine Gloria Estefan said, "The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" she was talking about SALSA KIDS!

SALSA KIDS! Here to recharge our batteries so we can all live to fight News Fatigue another day.

Thanks, SALSA KIDS!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

If you are reading this anywhere but on www.nachomamasblog.com, then this content has been stolen. Please do not support thieving cochinos and click away!

VIDEO: Fitbloggin, 300 Pounds & Running, Photo Alarm

Are you going to FITBLOGGIN?

I hope you'll be able to join us in Denver this year. The Fitbloggin community is something that has definitely made a measurable difference in my life, not only professionally, but personally as well.

Follow Martinus.

Check out FITBLOGGIN!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

VIDEO: CORN TORTILLAS! Erh. Mah. Gerd.

I still can't believe it. 

CORN TORTILLAS!!!!!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

A Mexcellent Playlist for Your CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION!!

Lighting a vela for YOUR Cinco party!

Hola everyone!

As a Mexcellent-American and a native of Southern California, this day is always a little funny for me. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a holiday we NEVER celebrated in my family when I was a kid, I really love that this country takes a day to celebrate Mexican culture, crafts, food and more! HOWEVER...even here in America's Finest City ("I can see Mexico from my house!") Cinco de Mayo celebrations often take a few, um, liberties. 

Yes, I'm talking about the music.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NACHO MAMA'S BLOG!

Yes, three years ago this week, I set up my little card table here on the internet. Amazingly, you all showed up...many of you brought your own chairs. Some of you even brought snacks!

In just three years, because of all of you and this blog, I've:

-Been asked to write for MANY sites and companies I admire

-Joined the (award-winning!) cast of The Mommalogues

-Started a PODCAST.

-Lost 73 pounds and became a Weight Watchers leader

-Been cast in an EXERCISE VIDEO (what?) with RICHARD SIMMONS (no, really. WHAT???!!)

-Gotten to travel all over the country to MEET YOU at conferences like: Blogher, Hispanicize, The Latina Lifestyle Bloggers' Conference and, of course, FITBLOGGIN

-I was even named one of Latina Magazine's Top 10 Mommy Bloggers!

and much, much more. SO much more than I ever could have imagined that day when I jumped up off of my sofa (where I'd been sitting & watching a pumpkin pie recipe on the Food Network) to see if this URL was available.

It's been an enchanted experience so far, and I have all of you to thank for that. So THANK YOU.

And stay tuned-I have much, much more in store for you in 2014!!

Wishing you ALL love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

THEATRE REVIEW: A Weekend With Pablo Picasso at San Diego REP

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW AT www.sdrep.org

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was given tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

REVIEW: "In The Heights" at San Diego REP

For more info and tickets, please visit: www.sdrep.org

 
Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was gifted tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

VIDEO REVIEW! "Federal Jazz Project" at SD Rep

Richard Montoya in Federal Jazz Project-photo by Darren Scott

Federal Jazz Project runs at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza til this Cinco de Mayo! Purchase your tickets HERE.

Please remember to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL THEATERS!!!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I received tickets to this event for review purposes. The above is my honest opinion-honest!

THANK YOU, LATINA MAGAZINE! #Gratitude

Hi everyone! Hope you've been having a great spring-I've been so busy that I'm muy behind on EVERYTHING, especially the blog & podcast. No worries, though, I have big plans in store!

In the meantime, I wanted to be sure and share something really special that happened over a week ago. I woke to find my twitter feed exploding with messages of congratulations! It seems Latina magainze had named me among their Top 10 Mommy Bloggers-COMO??!!!

image via wikipedia

I am so humbled to have been included among such wonderful bloggers, many of whom I have had the pleasure to meet "IRL". It was truly a wonderful surprise and a great honor. Please check out the entire list and the blogs of all the other wonderful mamis HERE.

THANK YOU LATINA! 

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Mamacita, Donde Esta the Mayan Apocolypse?

I know that I should be the sleeping...(image via Wikipedia)

So....yeah. We're all still here. But the picture in this video is totally how I imagine the Mayan Apocolypse would have looked if it had happened. So now that we can all relax, let's CHA-CHA with Augie Rios! 

Wishing you love (and Feliz Navidad) with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

#CRAFT Tutorial: Day of the Dead Apron!

Hola!!

I've been in a super good mood lately because FALL is finally here! For me, that means cooking and CRAFTING for Halloween, Day of the Dead and beyond!


Crafty Chica products on sale at Michael's stores nationwide

All summer I've been dreaming about buying a "Day of the Dead" apron to do all my cooking in. They are pretty easy to find here in San Diego (not to mention online) but hijole, are they pricey! They start at $40 (at least the cute ones do) and that is waaaay out of my budget.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! #Latism

Hi everyone!

Today is Mexican Independence Day (please tell me you knew it wasn't Cinco de Mayo), and this is also Hispanic Heritage Month!

I am so proud to live in a country that celebrates our diversity and I love learning from the cultures and traditions of my neighbors. I thought this video was the perfect way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Los Lobos at the White House!

Stay tuned for a muy fun HHM craft project and giveaway, you're gonna love it!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

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 16: Dream Boards!

Listen to internet radio with NachoMamasPodcast on Blog Talk Radio

Do you have a "dream board" or a "vision board"? It sounds corny but these little "craft projects" can actually go a long way to help you realize your goals now matter what they are: weightloss, professional, fitness, family, spiritual, financial...you name it! Join us as we explore the wonderful world of "dream boards"! Our special guest this week is Jen Hibbits of Not Just Another Jen.

Even if you don't believe in "The Secret"-Vision Boards can help you! (image via Wikipedia)

 Got a question? WE WILL BE TAKING LIVE CALLS during the broadcast OR YOU CAN POST YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE LIVE CHATROOM which will also be open during the broadcast.

HISPANICIZE 2012! Friends, Fun and what I wore #Hispz12

Hello everyone! I'm back from Miami and I can't wait to share some of the wonderful people I met and heard there. I arrived a day after the conference had started, so I missed the truly inspirational presentation by Ted Rubin talking about one of my favorite topics: how social media is all about relationships. I flew out early on Wednesday courtesy of Hispanicize sponsor Southwest Airlines. I was SOOOO impressed by their new "Evolve" interiors and all the staff were extremely friendly and helpful-thanks Southwest!

Miami at night-AMAZING!

Bienvenidos a MIAMI :) #Hispz12

Hello everyone! Hope your spring is as gorgeous as mine has been so far. I am SOOOOOO excited to announce that I will be spending the rest of the week at HISPANICIZE 2012!!

 

Is you remember the post I wrote about last year's Hispanicize conference, you'll understand why I'm so excited to get together with all my Hispanicize friends again. Plus? This will be my FIRST TIME in Miami! So I hope you'll all understand that that is why I'm having to pretape this week's episode

Happy Cinco de Mayo (with Chicano Soul Soundtrack)

You know what I love about Cinco de Mayo? Aside from the food? And the margaritas?

By now most of us know that Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (I hope), but instead commemorates the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French who outnumbered them 2 to 1.  You can read more about this momentous day at Wikipedia. 

What I really love about this holiday is that it celebrates the fact that, even when the odds seem to be overwhelmingly against you, you can succeed.  I'm also a big believer in celebrating all of your victories in life, however small.

And then, of course, there's the food. And the margaritas. And by margaritas I do not mean some slushy, sugary neon-yellow concoction served in a fishbowl. I mean something made with fresh ingredients, served on the rocks in a lady-sized glass.

Photo via Wikipedia

And by food, I do not mean Velveeta microwaved with a can of Rotel and poured over Tostitos. I mean carnitas. And perhaps? Nopales.

I know some people hate on Cinco de Mayo, saying it doesn't mean anything to "real" Mexicans, and that it's a completely American phenomenon-an excuse to get your party on after Spring Break is over. I prefer to think of it as an opportunity to celebrate the pepper that Mexican-Americans (and Hispanic-Americans in general) have added to the Great American Melting Pot.

And in the spirit of celebrating our "flavor" - my soundtrack for Cinco de Mayo is not mariachi music (which I love, don't get wrong!) but always the awesome Chicano Soul music recorded in the 50s, 60s and 1970s. Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about-the Blendells' "Hispanicized" cover of Stevie Wonder's "La La La La La" As promised in the intro, it'll make you clap your hands, kick your feet, and as a matter of fact, it'll tear you up.

What will you be eating and drinking this Cinco de Mayo? What will you be listening to? And most importantly, what will you be celebrating?


Wishing you mucho love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama

Yes, but what did I actually LEARN? More from Hispanicize...

It wasn' t ALL parties at the Conga Room! Me with Veronica Smith (@muybuenocooking) Photo courtesy Eva Smith

Yes, parties at the Conga Room and food by Wolfgang Puck are all very well and good (ok, very good!) but the whole reason we bloggers go to conferences like Hispanicize is to learn how to be better, more effective bloggers, right? 

So what exactly did I learn? SO MUCH! Click here to read my post at Media Monarkey, featuring my favorite Social Media takeaways from the Hispanicize conference. 

What's the best tip you ever got at an SM conference? Or if you've never attended one, what would you hope to learn?

Wishing you love with Extra Cheese-

Nacho Mama

HISPANICIZE! Friends, Fun and What I Wore :)

Don't you love when you have super-high hopes for something, and then they are surpassed?

That was Hispanicize for me. I knew that it would be extremely educational, I knew it would be fun, I knew I would get to meet all the movers and shakers and I knew the party at the Conga Room would be awesome. But there was no way I could have imagined what a truly moving and inspiring experience was in store for me when I arrived at the beautiful Renaissance Hollywood hotel.

First of all-there was all the priceless information the other bloggers and I received. I'm putting together a post for my SM blog, Media Monarkey, sharing some of the best nuggets I learned from bloggers, PR superstars and some of the hugest brands in the US.

Me with Manny Ruiz (@papiblogger) and Veronica Smith (@muybuenocooking) Photo Courtesy Hispanicize

Secondly-for how large a demographic we are in the US, and for how much we are engaged in social media? The latino blogging community is not that big. Which means that, for the most part, we were all meeting people whose blogs we follow and admire from all over the country. If any of you bloggers out there have had the chance to meet some of your blogging role models, you know what a thrill it can be to spend some time with them in person. It's weird how you feel so close when you've only conversed online!

Photo Courtesy Eva Smith

Here are some of my absolute favorite blogueras from left to right: Eva Smith of Tech Food Life, Monique Frausto of Curves and Chaos, Veronica Cid from Cid Style File and Veronica Smith from Muy Bueno Cookbook. I want to say special thanks to Eva Smith-not only for telling me about the contest in which I won a pass to the conference, but for graciously giving this weary blogger a place to stay!

Photo Courtesy Eva Smith

Another highlight was the very inspiring keynote speech by actor Edward James Olmos! Thank you, Mr. Olmos for sharing your time and your passion, and thank you for stopping to take a photo with me and Eva! And yes-I am wearing my pan dulce earrings from CJ's Angels!

Then? There was the party at the Conga Room-the nightclub owned by Jennifer Lopez and company!

We all danced and partied the night away and cheered for the winners of the unbelievable prizes (including a WASHER and DRYER!!) I myself won an AWESOME prize at the conference, which I will reveal in a later post. (Of course, if you were following my tweets you know all about it already!) We actually did form a conga line at the Conga Room!

Party at the CONGA ROOM! Photo courtesy of Hispanicize

I got a lot of questions about my outfit that night-which was very flattering! For those of you who wanted to know, I wore this red dress from Stop Staring, with this yellow coat from Jockey Person to Person (it was unseasonably freezing that night!) and my Guess leopard-print pumps from a few years ago.

We took this on our way out of the Conga Room-tired but still workin' it! Photo Courtesy Veronica Smith

The other item I wore during Hispanicize (and always wear to bloggy-type stuff) was my "Nacho Mama" necklace!

Why? Because bloggers don't know each other's names! We know blog names and twitter handles (@shesnachomama, btw).  I love this necklace, which I bought on Etsy from Maria of Best Name Necklace. I especially love the sparkly little crystal she put in the "N"!

THANK YOU Manny Ruiz, Louis Pagan and everyone at Hispanicize (especially Jennifer of Mami to Mommy) for putting together this historic and memorable event. I have no doubt that many lives were changed as a result of HISPANICIZE! I hope you'll check out the blogs I've linked in this post-these are definitely folks you'll want to watch :)

And a special thank you to my wonderful husband for watching the kids so I could enjoy such a phenomenal experience!

Wishing you love with extra cheese-

Nacho Mama

*Disclaimer: I won a pass to the Hispanicize conference but have not been compensated by them or any other association or company mentioned in this post for what has been written here. All the products mentioned were purchased by me. These are entirely my own, honest opinions. For real.

Never underestimate the power of the vela!

So....excited....hard to.....type...complete sentences!!!

People, this blogger if going to HISPANICIZE!!! If you've heard of it, you can imagine how excited I am to be going. If you haven't, then you can check out the the HUGE Hispanic PR, Marketing and Social Media Conference that is Hispanicize HERE.

You have no idea how badly I wanted to attend this conference! But the tumbleweeds in the family coffers were blowing across my dreams of meeting my role models and fellow blogueras like, well, tumbleweeds. I had given up all hope of going. Good thing I love free wine!

That's right, last Friday, the wonderful ladies of the San Diego Momfia sweetly invited me to attend a free wine tasting (thanks Mirassou wineries!) where I ran into Eva Smith of Tech Food Life. Eva asked if I was going to Hispanicize and when I shared my tale of financial woe, she told me that Jennifer from Mami to Mommy was having a contest for a free pass to the conference! When I went home and got online to investigate, I learned that I had only one hour left before the contest ended to write a post about why I want to attend Hispanicize. One hour!

And?

 You can read my WINNING post HERE!

I'll be tweeting about the conference @shesnachomama and @mediamonarkey

Are you going? If so, I hope to meet you in person! If not, what would you like to know about what's going on at the conference? I'll try to address your questions in my tweets and posts FROM HISPANICIZE!


Wishing you love with extra cheese-
Nacho Mama