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Bricia Lopez

Bricia Lopez

Bricia’s Postpartum Essentials

Hi Super Mamas! 

As you all know, I gave birth to my second child and first baby girl - Augustina Bricia Maytorena on 7/15/2020.  Her and I are home, resting and nourishing our bodies through my postpartum journey and her first days outside of my body.  As many of you know, I read the book The First Fourty Days during my pregnancy and it changed my entire perception on pregnancy and the fourth trimester.  

I recall my mother telling me over and over again how important the 40 Dias were when I was first pregnant with my son.  I have no idea why I never listened to her back then.  I was so eager to ‘bounce back’ and be out and about.  I would hardly nap during the day, and I was walking the aisles of Target a week after I gave birth.  Looking back, I can’t help but think that me not taking care of myself had something to do with my miscarriage later on in life. 

This time around things have been very different.  I hardly leave my room, I nap as much as I can and do as much skin to skin and bonding with my little girl as possible.  I am enjoying my time with her and family.  I am nourishing my body with atoles, caldos, teas, warm and soft foods.  If you are expecting, and have the ability to stay home on maternity leave for 40 days, I suggest you take full advantage of it.  

Aside from food and rest, the items below have been game changers for me in my postpartum recovery.  If you have any favorites that are not listed here, let me know on the comments below.  I am sure our Super Mamas would love to hear from you too!  

TUCKS WITCH HAZEL PADS & STOOL SOFTENER PILLS 

I didn’t have either of these in my last postpartum experience and so thankful I do this time around. I was given and then prescribed the stool softener at the hospital and it was the best thing ever,  Because I am both breastfeeding and/or pumping every 2-3 hours my body is always hungry.  More food equals more frequent bowel movements, and like my doctor said… last thing you want to be doing is pushing anything out of your body.  The Tucks pads are great to have as an alternative to wet wipes.  They are soothing and will help you heal any postpartum bum discomfort. 

PERI BOTTLE , PERINEAL HEALING SPRAY & DEPEND UNDERWEAR 

These three are also must haves for ‘down there’ healing.  Hospital will give you a peri bottle to bring home with you, but it's worth investing in one of these made specifically for postpartum healing.  They work similarly to a bidet and you can always keep it around even after you’ve healed. 

The Earth Mama spray is great to help heal any tears or sensitivity you may end up dealing with.  It’s cooling and soothing. 

As far as what comes out of your body the next few days after birth… Well, let’s just say its ALOT.  Hospitals always provide you with massive pads and strange looking underwear that doesn’t make you feel your best self after birth.  I highly encourage you to invest in these disposable underwear (aka, adult diapers).  Aside from being comfortable they will make you feel confident that nothing is getting past them.  Leaking and staining your sheets should be the least of your worries. 

BAMBOO NURSING PADS & BOOB SHELLS

Let’s face it, you are going to be leaking for the next few months of your life.  Yes, it sucks and there’s not much you can do other than prepare for what's to come.  These two products have helped me cope and deal with the leaking.  The boob shells have been a GAME CHANGER.  I never used them with my first born and wish I would have known about them back then.  The shells catch any let down on your boon while nursing on the other.  I have caught up to 2oz without pumping! The let down is real ladies.  

After I shared about the boob shells on Instagram, SO many of you replied to recommend the Haakaa Breast Pump. It’s worked for so many of our fellow super mamas, so I’m going to look into it for myself. I’ll keep you updated.

As for nursing pads, I opt for these, I have found them to be the most soothing and absorbent.  Because I don’t like to use the boob shells all the time, I alternate between these two products 

As far as nipple cream, there are so many out there, but I am opting for just a mix of coconut and grape seed oil. 

PAJAMAS , SLIPPERS & EYE MASK

Comfort is your best friend during postpartum.  Do everything and anything to feel as comfortable and good about yourself.  I chose to invest in comfy PJs and house slippers.  It is recommended you NEVER walk barefoot in your 40 days of postpartum.  I bought these slippers when I was pregnant and are completely obsessed with them now.  I even took them to the hospital with me and so thankful I did. As far as PJs go, these are a few I ordered on Amazon (option 1, option 2, and option 3) and I have worn over and over again.  I realized early on that I was probably going to live in PJs during my 40 days of postpartum recovery so might as well make the most of it. 

Eye masks have also become my best friend.  Day and night seem to be blended together during those first postpartum days and having an eye mask come in handy when you want to take a midday nap.  Make sure you pack an eye mask in your hospital bag as well.  Hospitals can be a difficult place to get rest and eye masks help you not only sleep, but also lets nurses know not to bother you.

Vision Board Posada 2018

We cannot even begin to express the amount of gratitude and love we have for every single person that made our 3rd annual Super Mamas Posada a success. It was absolutely perfection. Thank you to all of our beautiful attendees for opening up your hearts to us. We hope that you enjoyed the night as much as we did. We cannot wait to see how you manifest your dreams this 2019.

And for all of our Super Mamas Tribe who was not able to attend, please make sometime before the year ends to make a board for yourself. Checkout our Vision Board How-to to get more inspo. Grab a few magazines, scissors, a board and a few girlfriends. You will love what yo can create.

Cheers to a fabulous and fruitful 2019 mamas!

Special thanks to:

Event Planning: @harlowplanning

Photographer @l.a.momma 
Florist @madreflorals 
Rentals @circarentals 
Photobooth @nevercloudyevents 
A/V @ametron 
Catering @churroservice @laguelaguetza 
Supplies @yoobi 
Venue @theknottedapron

5 Pieces of Great Marriage Advice From Our Dad

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This past Sunday we took some time out to celebrate the  men in our lives. And on our special Father’s day episode we had a great conversation with our Dad about the challenges of raising a family, what it was like coming to the US, and how he’s stepping into his role as a Grandfather. But Papa Lopez definitely dropped some gems on us even though he didn’t think he had any insight-- so modest! He gave us some great marriage advice, the kind that can only be learned under fire.

 

1. Happy Wife Happy Life:

Although marriage rates have declined significantly from 72% in 1960 to just 50% today, there are still a plenty of people taking the plunge according to the Pew Research Center. Saying that marriage is hard, is an understatement but our Dad says that it’s never going to be easy. And that working things out, keeping your wife happy and putting your family first is a must. “We are no longer the owner of our lives when we have kids,” he says.

 

2. Think of your family as a unit:

One of the main takeaways from this episode was that your family is one and needs to be dealt with as such. Although Dad admits that our Mom is primarily responsible for holding the family together through the tough times, he was always willing to work on his marriage because he wanted to do what was best for the family as a whole.

 

3. Everything in life is practice:

Dad says when things get tough you need to be willing to try over and over. Like everything in life, strengthening a relationship takes practice and that means repetition as well as a willingness to dust yourself off and try again because “it’s a thing you have to practice every day.”

 

4. Think of others:

Although our Dad admits he wasn’t always the best husband, he recognizes the sacrifices our Mom had to make for the sake of their marriage and us kids. Even though he wishes some things had gone differently it’s clear that it was their ability to anticipate each others needs and see the big picture, that allowed our parents to stay together.

 

5. Learn from your mistakes:

One of the most heartwarming things is our Dad’s sincerity in admitting he didn’t always say or do the right thing--but really, who does? Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes but we have to be willing to take responsibility and work hard on making it right. He said that he’s making it right through his relationship with his grandchildren, who he loves with all his heart. And also by being open and honest with us about the things he knows he messed up on.

Tune into our Father’s Day episode for some great stories from our childhoods and for more advice from our dad! 

 

 

 

Win a Trip to #SMSocial18 with Delta

 
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Pack your bags ladies, one of you is coming to LA!  One lucky Super Mama will be joining us on May 12th for this years Social.  Seriously, can we just take a moment. This is pretty wild. Never in a million years did we ever think we would get here.   Dream and Believe sisters, one of you will be flying into LA pretty soon! 

To enter, we are asking you all to upload your favorite #SuperMamasMoment on your stories.  Now, they have to be 15 sec or less, because you know, we are all moms and we got sh*t to do.  Make it your own, make it funny, emotional, but most important, keep it real.  

Thank you to our wonderful partner Delta.   Now let’s get to posting sisters!

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THE PRIZE:

  • Two Delta Vouchers ($1,000 value)
  • Two night Hotel in Downtown LA
  • 1 Super Mama Swag Ticket
  • 1 Super Papa Ticket (or) 1 Super Mamas GA ticket

HOW TO ENTER:

  • Share a 15 sec #SuperMamasMoment on your IG Stories
  • Tag @_SuperMamas and @Delta

THE DETAILS

  • Contest is open to Super Mama podcast listeners and subscribers
  • You must be 18 years or older and a US resident to enter.
  • You must submit via Instagram Stories
  • Posts must be featured on your Instagram Stories for 24 hours.
  • Participants must tag @Delta, and @_SuperMamas
  • Participants must use these hashtags: #SuperMamasMoment #Contest.
  • You may enter up to five times per day with original posts.
  • All Entries must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 20, 2018 to be considered.
 

Eduardo’s 3rd Bday

 
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Before you continue reading, let me first tell you that I am not big on kids bday parties.  So if you are here looking for Bday decor inspo or Bday themes, you can stop reading now. This post isn’t about how to go all out on your child’s 3rd Bday, but the complete opposite.  If you are the kind of mom who does a theme park every year to skip out on big bday parties, than this post is for you.

This year Eddie turned 3 and my husband and I had planned to spend the entire weekend at Disney.  We thought it would be a hassle free way to celebrate his bday. But after looking at our budget, we quickly realized spending the night at Disney’s California Grand hotel was out of the question.  We decided to do California Adventure for Saturday and invite my sisters, brother and my husbands moms for an impromptu get together.

I will say that my sons Bday was one of the most memorable days I’ve had with him.  I had so much fun with my siblings and the kids had a blast. The weather was beautiful, the food was great and everyone was chilled out.  I also loved having a photographer there, it allowed me to be more present and not worry so much about capturing that perfect Instagram moment.  It was the best decision ever! So what did I learn about this? I learned that all you need for a stress free Bday party are 5 things.

  1. Great Food - I Got party trays from Chichenitza and my sister brought cake from Paris Baguette

  2. Create a simple Photo Backdrop - I Bought Balloons and hero masks from Party City

  3. Be surrounded by the people you love talking to

  4. Have enough space for the kids to run around.

  5. Invest in a photographer - I had the fabulous Annie Vovan

Now, I am not saying that there’s anything wrong with doing the most for bday parties.  I wish I had more of that gene in me. But if the hosting thing doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t stress.  Don’t let the Instagram and Pinterest world get to you and your stress levels. Relax and know that there’s no greater gift than spending quality time with your child.  Don’t do it for others, do it for your babies.

And who knows, maybe I will eat all my words and next year host the grandest bday bash ever.  But for now, just having these memories stored in my hear (and my dropbox folder) will do :)

 

 

 

 

Vision Board Posada 2017: : Presented by Munchkin

 
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We have been making Vision boards for years now.  The concept was first introduced to us by non-other than the Queen her self, Oprah.  And of course, when Oprah shares knowledge, all you can do is listen, learn and execute.  We hosted vision board parties at our home every year, inviting only a few close friends.  Everyone would bring magazines, wine and a few bites to eat.  We’d sit around the house, cutting and glue-ing away.  There was no right or wrong way to create your vision board, but all we said to our friends was this:

“Let your inner voice guide you because deep inside you know what sort of things are meant to be yours. Be bold, allow yourself to trust your inner voice and don’t over think.  Let the images call out to you, cut them and place them on that board.”

We would then put that board anywhere we knew it would be visible to us every day.  The amount of visions that came true were magical.  And just like that, the idea of creating a Vision Board night for our Super Mamas sisters came to us the same way, like magic.  

Our first year, we presented the idea to Munchkin and they were absolutely ecstatic. They loved the idea and said YES right away.  We gathered 50 sisters and had the best of night.  This year, we knew we had to outdo ourselves.  We didn’t know how, but we did!  We called on our design hero @harlowplanning who created a design concept that we fell in love with.  We saw the night come together, again, like magic.

On December 14th 2017, the magic flowed through the Munchkin Headquarters with 75 of our sisters again.  All of us worked on our 2018 vision boards, enjoyed the best food, connected with other sisters and left inspired, charged and ready to take on the new year.  We also presented our first-ever Super Mamas Sister of the Year Award.  We honored Dulce Candy because she was a catalyst in giving us the courage to take on this Super Mamas journey.  We have watched her videos for years and witnessed her career take off right before our eyes while always encouraging others (and us) to follow our own dreams.  She received the award and of course, there wasn’t one dry eye in the room.

This time around, we had some of our sisters share their vision boards.  Every single person in the room was moved.  There was a spirit present that is hard to explain, but in our hearts we knew everyone walked out certain of themselves and of what 2018 is bound to bring them. 

Thank you all who joined us, the response was unbelievable.  The night sold out in less than three minutes!  If you couldn’t secure a spot, we encourage you to gather your friends and host your own vision board night. And please, keep us posted on visions that have come to fruition for you.  We love listening to your magic moments.  Here’s to a blessed 2018 sisters!!!

A few special shout outs to those who made this night a reality:

Presenting Sponsor : Munchkin

Sister Sponsor: Yoobi

Design/Planning @harlowplanning

Photography @lilyro_

Florals @floralsbyisabelle

Macrame design @theshiftcreative

Rentals @247events

Furniture @circarentals

 

 

 

CREATE OLD SCHOOL CRAFTS INTO HOLIDAY CARDS

 
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We are all guilty of keeping every art project our toddlers bring home from preschool/kinder right?  We feel guilty to throw them away, yet we have no use for them.  Well, I have been getting in the habit of making my own greeting cards this year using Eddie’s old artwork.  I don’t remember where I first read about this, but it stuck in my head.  So this Holiday season, I wanted to share with you all this little trick I have been doing this past year.  Works great for any celebration, but for Christmas specially, family loves it!

All you are going to need is some recycled holiday ribbon, scissors, glue, jumbo color pencils, markers and/or holiday stickers.  I used a few of Yoobi’s decals that I had in my arts and crafts box.  Eddie loves to color over them and it gives the card a bit more character.   Making them is super easy.  

Just cut out any old artwork made from construction paper, fold it in half, and glue some holiday ribbon around the edges.  You can write directly inside the card, or you can cut out a blank square and glue it on the inside where your message will go.  In the front, simply write out “Happy Holidays”, or in my case, “Feliz Navidad”.  Yes, its that easy!  And trust me, everyone loves them!   

So this holiday season, save yourself some money on greeting card by making your own all while getting rid some of those old craft preschool projects while you are at it!

 

Turn your Baby Food into your own Breakfast & Lunch

 
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When you have a baby at home, the last thing you may want to do is cook. The lack of sleep from a newborn makes it very hard to get creative in the kitchen. When I was at home with baby Eddie, I began to realize that I would make food for him and totally forget the fact that I needed to nourish myself as well.

One of my kitchen saviors quickly became avocados, since Eddie became obsessed with them at an early age. I always had them handy and they were a perfect food we both could share for breakfast and lunch. Actually, one of his first foods was a mix of avocados and bananas. Not only was it smooth and creamy, but extremely versatile.  I could serve it alone or mash it up with fruits like bananas or mangos.

Though Eddie is already 2½ years old, avocados are still one of his favorite foods (and mine too, I mean, who doesn’t like a good avocado toast?), but now I don’t have to mash them up. He loves to eat them in chunks over salads, pastas, tacos, dips or in a smoothie.

Being conscious of nourishing our babies and of course, ourselves, is a challenge any super mamá can overcome. With having high nutritional value and being super versatile, it’s easy to incorporate avocados into our everyday diets.

Here are three recipes in partnership with Aguacates Frescos – Saborea Uno Hoy® that can help you turn your baby’s food into your very own breakfast and lunch (so you don’t forget about yourself when prepping for your baby). And please remember to check your pediatrician before introducing any new foods.

This post sponsored by Aguacates Frescos – Saborea Uno Hoy®

AVOCADO MANGO BABY

Nutrition Tip: 

  • For infants: If desired, add breastmilk or formula to reach desired consistency based on age and caregiver’s comfort level. Nutritional information will vary.

  • For older babies and toddlers:

    • Mash ingredients with a fork instead of pureeing.

    • Serve in reusable baby food pouches for maximum portability, or freeze in ice pop trays to make homemade popsicles.

    • Add Greek yogurt and use as dip for your favorite fruits and vegetables.

Note: Speak to your child’s pediatrician before adding solid foods to your infant’s diet.

Ingredients: 

1 ripe, fresh avocado, cut in half, peeled and seeded

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

Instructions 

  1. Puree avocado and mango in a blender or in a baby masher until desired consistency is reached.

  2. Serve baby 1 to 2 tablespoons mixture. Freeze remainder in 1 ounce ice cube trays.

*Recipe adapted from SaboreaUnoHoy.com

AVOCADO AND MANGO KICK-STARTER SMOOTHIE

Instructions 

  1. In a blender, add avocado, mango, pineapple, pineapple juice, almond milk, and ice.

  2. Blend until smooth.

  3. Serve immediately.

*Note: Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.

*Recipe adapted from SaboreaUnoHoy.com

Ingredients 

1 ripe, fresh avocado*, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

1 large ripe mango (about 1 cup), pitted, peeled and cubed, or 1 cup frozen

1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, chopped

3 Tbsp.pineapple juice

1 cup almond milk

1 cup ice

MANGO AND AVOCADO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 mangos, cubed

  • 2 avocados, diced

  • 1/2 small red onion, diced

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a large serving bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in oil. Toss in mangoes, avocado and red onion to coat. Serve immediately.

*Recipe adapted from SaboreaUnoHoy.com

 

The Baby Shower of my Dreams

 
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My mom is the go-to person whenever we plan parties in my family. With my previous baby showers, I would just decide on the theme, the food and she would do everything from start to finish. I didn't realize how much work it took until now.

This being my last baby, I decided to have a more hands-on approach and do it myself. Truth be told, I ended up needing lots of help. I couldn't have pulled it off without my mom, sisters, friends and it was just what I wanted. It was the perfect celebration for my baby with the people I love, my favorite food and in a beautiful setting that gave us beautiful pictures to share with her when she gets older.

We may make it look easy, but we all know it's not. I learned a few lessons from this experience and I decided to put some tips together, so you too can fully enjoy your celebration. Don’t feel guilty and just go for it. You deserve it, Super Mamá!

Ask for help

Yes! As much as you want to take over and do things yourself, you're growing a human inside of you. Enlist your family members and friends and give them a task.  My sister Elizabeth was in charge of all the games and activities, Bricia put together my vision and helped with final touches, and my mom helped with the flowers, decorations and dessert table. She also came with me on my multiple shopping trips (you know me). I had many other tasks that I spread around to a few family members and friends and they were so much help!

Don't get caught up with having the ‘perfect’ theme

Nowadays with the pressure of social media we all want the prettiest theme and believe me, I did too. I wanted a 'chic cacti and pastel colored Mexican baby fiesta' party. I know! It was complicated and it was born from a picture I saw a while ago on Pinterest. I was so stressed that I spent hours searching online for the prettiest things, but as time went by, I couldn't find anything. At the end, I let go of that idea and opened myself up to finding things I loved organically. So, start with a general idea and be open to change! It’s easier and stress-free.

Support small businesses

Every vendor at my baby shower were contacts from social media.  From my delicious cake, to my catering, to my deserts. There are so many growing small businesses and people with side hustles who are incredibly talented. You already follow these people, so why not support them in a real way? We also all have that one friend (or many) who loves baking, making flower arrangements or taking amazing pictures. I bet if you look closely in your address book you will find a lot of people that can make your life easier.  Plus, your budget will thank you! Also, don’t forget to visit your local dollar store. You will be surprised at all the things you will find for a super cheap price!

Choose what YOU like

Yes!! It's your party and you will cry if you want to. This party is about you! So what do YOU want to eat, drink, experience and take away from your party? You’re never going to make everyone happy, and haters will hate no matter what (so, don’t invite haters). What really matters is that you enjoy your own party! If you want to have a special food, dessert, music, or treat, go for it and have it! Believe me, the people who are really there for you will have a blast no matter what you give them and at the end of the day, you’ll be much more satisfied.

Rely on technology to make things easier

Its 2017 ladies! There are so many things we can take advantage of. Websites like Evite and Paperless Post will do most of the invitation and guest list work for you. People can RSVP, get up-to-date information, get maps, directions, etc. After many birthday parties for the kids, I’ve learned to rely on other people to do most of the ‘cute stuff’. I downloaded clip art from Etsy and designed my own invitations with the Over app. For my baby registry, BabyList was super helpful. I put all my favorite items from different stores in one place and people had the option of either buying straight from the website or purchasing on their own (Plus - you can link it to you invitation). And for music, I used Spotify to create my playlist. There is an app for everything nowadays!

Take lots of pictures

Taking photos is a way of putting special moments in a time bubble. It gives me a chance to see how blessed I am and how much we have changed and grown as a family. Your baby will look back and see how much she or he was loved before being born. My kids get super excited to see themselves inside of me.  Believe me, these are the best moments!

Have fun!

This is the most important tip of all. This is YOUR party. You are the queen, you are growing life inside of you and deserve to be celebrated and pampered. This is not the time to take care of others, it's about you!! Once your little baby is with you, you’ll have plenty to do. Things will not be 100% perfect, but if you enjoy yourself those little things won't matter.  

Go ahead! Give yourself permission to have fun and enjoy!

 

Scoring Goals with McDonalds

 

This week, us and a couple of super mamas had the pleasure of taking our kids to the McDonalds Soccer Clinic at the StubHub Center to practice their skills before the 2017 International Champion Cup between Manchester City and Real Madrid. The experience is one we will always remember.

As we arrived, we were surprised with two things: the coolest and cutest McDonalds soccer uniforms and the one and ONLY Ronald McDonald. Luckily, the kids had the opportunity to practice with him before the event started. 

To kick off the event, Ronald gathered us up and introduced the official soccer coaches and emcee of the day, Piolin (who need no introduction). Then the fun began!

The kids were divided into different teams, each with their own soccer coach. Max (@nardasarit), Krista, Sabina, Eduardo, Benny (@mommyinlosangeles), Xavier(@scillasticks) and Ji (@lamamacitablog) eagerly waited their turn to kick the ball. While the handsome little Kai (@thepennycloset) cheered from the sidelines with his mama. On right field,  Alexander (@pattyrodriguez), Mia (@ themotheroverload), Nia and Knox(@momdutyblog) scored some serious goals

As the session went on, we noticed a huge group of kids gathered around someone in the distance. It was non-other than the legend himself, Jared Borgetti! Everyone was freaking out (especially the husbands). Seriously. He’s a huge deal! Paulina’s husband can tell you every single detail of his famous goal against Italy in the 2002 World Cup. Basically, every major soccer fan knows who Borgetti is.

Borgetti visited every team and made the effort to interact with every single child on the field. He encouraged them to be brave and gave them confidence to go for the goal. Borgetti and Piolin were the best goalkeeper and coach any child could ask for, the perfect dynamic duo. 

Not only did the soccer clinic give our kids the opportunity to play outside, but also a once-in-a-lifetime experience to practice with a world-renowned player and further connect with a sport that plays a major role in their culture. Thank you for the amazing experience, McDonalds! Now, it’s time for us to get ready for the ICC game tonight at the Los Angeles Coliseum!  Who are you guys rooting for?

 

Stop Feeling Sorry for me because I'm having another girl

 
Photo by: @Lilyro_

Photo by: @Lilyro_

By: Paulina Lopez-Velazquez   @iampaulinalopez

 
 

“Aaaaaww its ok, you can always try again”,  “Well, if the baby is healthy I guess it's ok” , “I can imagine how disappointed you must feel” or the worst one I have heard so far “I heard there is a treatment that can change the baby’s sex while still inside of you” Really?!?!?

 

These are some of the many lines I have heard from people when I tell them I’m having a girl for the third time.  Yes, I’m the first one to admit I was thrown off myself when I found out, and so was my husband, but it wasn’t because we didn’t want a girl. It was because long before I got pregnant my husband and I knew for sure next time we would have a baby it would be a boy.  The same way we knew for sure Krista & Sabina would be girls long before we conceived them. I got rid of all Sabina’s baby clothes because I wasn’t going to need them anymore.  I started buying items that were gender neutral so they could all share, and whenever we would see cute baby boy clothes we would get them. We even had a name picked out long before the pregnancy happened! So, from the moment we found out I was pregnant we never really considered the fact that we might have a girl, we immediately started referring to the baby as a him and by the name we had chosen. Even Krista, my oldest would say my baby brother, and that is not something we told her to say. 

 

 You can imagine our surprise when my brother popped up a princess lollypop and not a cars lollypop at our mini gender reveal over lunch at our family restaurant.   It’s a girl!! It took us some time to digest it, and to adjust to the idea.  I was already struggling with the idea of being pregnant at all, and this added to my confusion.  But it didn’t take us long and by the next day we were talking about all the wonderful things about having another girl. Girls stay closer to their parents we said, our grandkids will spend a lot more time with us.  

Photo by: @Lilyro_

Photo by: @Lilyro_

 

I don’t know what it is, I have heard it from Latinos, non-Latinos, man and women the same, but when we started telling people the news, I started getting so many negative comments from strangers, friends and even close family members.  They viewed it as a negative, they assumed we were sad, disappointed and that we would immediately start considering having another baby. We obviously had to keep trying for the boy!  I would say: “No, this is our last baby” and their face would look concerned for us " But you  have to try at least one more time" they would say. At first I thought it would be something occasional but it has been a continuous pattern. 

 

When they told me I should look into changing my baby’s sex within the womb I was baffled, did they really think I would consider something like that?  I went off on them, I tried to lecture them about being a girl nowadays but when someone has those kind of opinions, is there really a point on trying to argue with them?  I started realizing the kind of challenges my girls have even before being born.  A lot of people still view being female as a disadvantage, or an obstacle in their life. I know for a fact this is not the case. I am so thankful my parents never made any distinctions because I was a girl, they raised me without highlighting that fact, and that only encouraged me to prove those people wrong. It only made me happier to bring in another girl into this world. 

Photo by: @iampaulinalopez

Photo by: @iampaulinalopez

 

 My husband and I are determined to educate them, encourage and empower them as much as we possibly can so they can be part of the generation of women who are changing this archaic views.  It inspires me to keep working on myself so that I can be an example for them.  She chose us for a reason, she was meant to be part of our family long before we knew it and I finally know why. So, don’t you dare feel sorry for me, if anything I feel sorry for you, because you will have a very difficult time living in the future my girls will help construct, so get in with the program. And don’t you forget  "Who runs the world?  GIRLS!"

 

Bricia's Beauty Essentials

 

A few weeks ago I posted my nighttime routine on our @_supermamas instastory and so many of you wrote in with questions on all the products I used.  I will admit that when I put all my beauty essential products in one picture, I realized that it may seem a bit overwhelming.  In my defense, I don't use all of them at once.  I pace them out throughout the week, but I do use them all.  

Before I go into my routine, I want to mention that I have dry to normal skin and that I in no way, shape or form a beauty guru. I am a skin care junkie and as a lot of you may already know, a make up one as well.  I try to get facials at least once every 4-6 weeks. I always like to ask questions to my esthetician and have learned a lot from her.  These products listed below I have been using for the past couple of months and can personally vouch for them all. My face washing routine does change up throughout the year and I will list alternative products I use below as well.  Ok, lets get started! 

1. CLEANSE

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  1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover - I have been using this product for the past 7 years. I have tried others and no other product comes close to this for me. It removes even the toughest water-proof mascara. The only other product I have tested that may be a tad better is Bobby Brown's eye make up remover, but it also costs a lot more, so I just stick to Neutrogena's. If you are a Target shopper, their Up & Up Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover works just as well and is just as amazing. A great tip is to use cotton swabs to cleanse any left over make up residue under the eyes.

  2. Facial Cleansing Oil - I love this particular oil from No-Tox life, in fact I love a lot of their products. I am also a big fan of their deodorant collection. (Both me and my husband use them, I particularly love the grapefruit mango scent). ok, back to the routine, I always begin my night time routine by taking my make up off with a great oil cleanser. Since it's the first thing going on my face, I make sure they are organic and vegan. Also, since my skin can get very dry, this helps. Other oil cleansers I have used and like are DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Mineral Fusion Cleanser

  3. Gaffer & Child Deep Cleanser - after using the oil cleanser, I follow with a deep cleanser. I am currently using this refreshing Gaffer & Child face cleanser. Other cleansers I love are: Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel Cleanser and Derma E Hydrating Gel Cleanser

  4. Face Wash Clothes- I don't use make up wipes, I instead opt to use terry towels to cleanse my face. I find it that it's the only way for me to make sure all of my make up is total off my skin. Also, I think its better for the environment. I bought 12 from Ikea and wash them regularly with my laundry.

2. MASKS & PEELS

  1. EmergenC's Triple Threat Mask- This is a pricey one, but very much worth it. I have been using it for only a month or so, but my skin thanks me every time I use it and has quickly become a favorite. Also, I only use once a week, so I know it will last me a very long time. I make it point to use it on Sunday nights, this makes it easier for me to remember to use.

  2. IS Clinical Coolmint Revitalizing mask - This mask I use twice a week, generally on Saturday and Wednesday mornings before getting ready for the day. Its a quick hydration boost that never hurts in the morning time. I also always use it to prep my skin if I need to wear event or photo make-up.

3. TREAT 

  1. Resurface Retinol Reform - I heard so many great things from so many beauty bloggers about this, that I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. I only use this product 2-3 times a week at night time depending on the amount of sun I anticipate to get the following day. you never want to apply retinol products if you expect to be out in the sun all day. I've used other retinol products before and this one has been the least abrasive on my skin. Also, I only use retinol on the days I don't do peels, or the day's I don't use my IS clinical active Serum.

  2. IS Clinical Active Serum - This I use on the days I don't use Retinol to help prevent any breakouts and help with uneven skin tone. I suggest you apply it with a cotton face pad. Makes a huge difference than applying it with your fingers.

  3. Emergin C Vitamin C Serum- This product I have begun to only use it in the daytime. Helps fight and prevent free-radicals also helps in combating bacteria that causes breakouts and aids in skin texture and tone.

  4. Revitalizing eye gel- I use this eye cream every day both day and night. I must say that I am not a HUGE fan of this particular product. But to be fair, I haven't found an eye cream that I just absolutely love and adore. Maybe I just expect a lot out of an eye serum. Because this product was pricey, I probably won't be buying again but do want to use every last drop before I buy switch to a different brand. Until then, my search for the perfect eye cream will continue. I will keep you all posted on any new finds! Just as an FYI, the reason why I didn't return it was because wanted to give it a fair chance and any cream is better than no cream.

4. HYDRATE & PROTECT

  1. Eminence Herbal Facial Recovery Oil - I absolutely love this stuff. It looks like a small bottle, but all you need are two drops to completely boost your face's hydration. I add a couple of drops to any of my two favorite moisturizers. I also always add a couple of drops to the ends of my hair after curling or when I get out of the shower. This stuff is really amazing if you suffer from dry skin.

  2. IS Clinical Reparative Moisture Emulsion- I use this moisturizer every other day and every time I use it, it feels like my skin drinks a gallon on water. I usually use this on the days I don't wear my retinol, because I don't like to mix the retinol with any other ingredients other than natural ones and really sink into my skin.

  3. Control Corrective Healing Lotion - This is a moisturizer I absolutely love to wear on the nights I use retinol. It's a basic face cream that anyone can wear and should be in every women's beauty arsenal. It's also very affordable.

  4. PIXI Hydrating Milky Mist - This is the first thing I spray on my face when I wake up. Since I don't wash my face in the mornings, just a couple of spritz of this on your face feel so good in the mornings. Always follow with a tall glass of water in the morning

  5. Trish McEvoy SPF 30 Primer - This product I wear every single day, rain or shine. I wear it alone or under my make up. I love it because it serves both as an SPF and as a make up primer. There are a lot of great SPF's in the market that I have used and love as well such as DELTA MD and Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen. I am almost out if this particular tube so I will be switching back my SPF this summer to either Delta or Supergoop!

5. Misc.

  1. Konjac Sponge- I don't have an exfoliator cleanser, but do use a konjac sponge a couple times a week with my face cleanser twice a week for deep cleansing of pores.

  2. Rejuvenate Eye Mask - I use these when traveling or after having a long night. Makes a huge difference. Feels even better when you've kept them cold in the fridge.

  3. Lip Balm - I have so many laying around my house and wear a balm constantly throughout the day. I can't say I have a favorite, but I am currently loving my lip butter from No-tox life in Rose Petals.

Thanks for reading my super long beauty regimen. I hope you find it helpful.  Please hit me up on my Instagram @bricialopez or in the comments below for any questions!

 

 

My last chance to make labor a good experience.

 

I can’t believe I’m almost half-way through my pregnancy already; it has been all so fast, it feels like a blur.  Someone brought it up recently, and when I checked the calendar, I started freaking out. 

I better start preparing for labor and I need to start now!

What I mean by preparing is not this: worrying about what I’m going to pack in my hospital bag, whether I should take candles or magazines or swimming trunks for my husband (Yes, I had all of this on my hospital bag with my first pregnancy). What I mean is; I need to mentally, physically and emotionally prepare my body for what it’s going to go through - whatever that might look like this time around.

My two labor experiences have been completely different from each another. The first time around, it was the hardest experience of my life; I had my perfect birth plan ready, I had gone to all the classes, checked all the boxes and made all the arrangements necessary. I knew how everything would go, easy peasy!  Everything I needed was in my hospital bag(s) after all. 

As soon as I stepped into the hospital, it all went out the door.

My water broke on a Friday night, but I had no contractions. By the time I got to the hospital, my amniotic liquid was running low and the baby needed to be closely monitored.  They started induction and after some hours (what seemed like forever) they increased the dosage of Pitocin and that is when things went from bad to worse.  The pain was increasing fast, so I asked to get an epidural and epidural it was not my friend. I started getting contractions from the waste up and it was unbearable. By that time, I had been in bed for almost 38 hours.  I was swollen, hungry and tired.  I finally dilated to 10 cm and I was ready to push.  I was extremely exhausted but I still managed to push for almost 4 hours. Toward the end of this ordeal, I was not all there - I was hallucinating and talking nonsense. I had an oxygen mask and was going in and out.  Thankfully, I had my husband, my sister, my mom and the best attending with me (she was a Midwife that was coming fresh into the shift and was so patient with me and my whole family).  I am so thankful for her - she was the one that got me through the hardest part and made us all feel at ease. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, after 42 hours, my beautiful Krista came into this world. We spent the next 4 days in the hospital; she in the NICU and I being monitored for all my labor complications. My recovery was long and painful, but it was worth it.

As you can imagine, I was not looking forward to labor, or post labor with my second daughter. I wrongfully did nothing beforehand to prepare. I was just too scared to relive my previous experience. My due date came and went and one afternoon after a long walk, I had a conversation with my baby and later that same night, I started feeling some discomfort. I took a nap and a couple of hours later I woke up again with some pain. As the pain increased slowly, I took a bath to get comfortable. To me, the pain wasn’t bad enough for me to think I was going into labor.  I thought it was the same Braxton hicks pain I had been feeling lately.  That whole night I walked back and forth in my apartment, sat on a yoga ball and did some stretching.

Around 5 am I told my husband, “I think I’m in labor.”

We drove to the hospital and when the nurse examined me, she told me I was 6 cm dilated. I was in shock and I immediately panicked. I asked for the epidural again and again. My doctors sensed the fear in me and tried to get it in me as soon as possible. 30 min went by and finally the anesthesiologist came in. Before he could start, they checked me again and I was 9 cm! Panic turned into horror.

“No epidural? I can’t, I won’t be able to do this, I am going to die,” I thought.

I started crying, yelling, cursing and refusing to cooperate. I even went as far as to hold back when I felt the urge to push. I was just not mentally ready. My entire birth plan spelled out: epidural, epidural, epidural. But Sabina was ready and there was no turning back. Within 40 minutes she was out and I couldn’t believe what had just happened.  I felt exhilarated and incredibly empowered. Within a few hours, I was taking a shower and hosting my visitors in the room. The very next morning I was on my way home and ready to celebrate my birthday.

So, just as my third pregnancy has been different, I know my labor will be as well.  But this time around, I will mentally prepare for whatever is destined to happen. I will go in with no expectations. I will read, train my body and my mind for that moment.

I’ve come to realize that my body knows exactly what to do, whether my mind wants to cooperate or not.  I now know that it can do incredible things. Like the time I ran a 10k after only 8 weeks of training, or the time I did cross fit for 6 weeks straight, or the time I went through a 42-hour labor, or the time I went through natural labor.

All of these experiences have one thing in common - I would constantly tell myself, “NO, I WILL BE NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT”.

I know I can now. 

It will not be perfect, but at least this time I want to own it. Whatever happens happens, however it may be. I want to know that I did it with intention and that I did the best I could.

My baby deserves a better experience, but most importantly, I deserve a better experience.

 

I'm Pregnant for the third time, and it hasn't been what I dreamed of

 

By: Paulina Lopez-Velazquez

If you know me at all, you know I always wanted to have three kids, I've dreamed about it for so long, told everyone that would hear me that my family wasn't complete. I even had a whole therapy session about it back when my husband wasn't completely on board, how could he not understand? I couldn't just erase this baby that already existed in my mind, but most importantly, it already existed in my heart. We had talked about timing, and said that when Sabina, our youngest turned two, we would start trying.

Sabina’s second birthday came and life was getting busier and busier, we slowly stopped talking about it, there was just too much going on. Working full time, the Podcast, two kids, new projects, life was busy!  We said, maybe next year, yes, next year we could take our time and plan it better. I was ok with that. I made peace with that decision and it sure felt like the right one for our family. When it was time to create my vision board for the year, I had some baby cut outs, but I decided to take them out because it wasn’t on “my plans “for this year.

You know that saying, “If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans? “That’s kind of what happened to me, within a few weeks of the new year I started feeling off, I knew something was up but it never crossed my mind that I was pregnant, yes, I was not on any sort of birth control, but I haven’t been for the past 8 years, and things had worked out great so far.  I was in sync with my body (or so I thought) and we had it down! Well, one day, when I was feeling super sick, I got a notification from my period app saying, Hey, you are 6 days late! Could it be? No, I’m just too stressed, I should go get checked because stress is affecting my cycle I said. Obviously, I was still on denial. Pregnant? Not possible! No way! The next morning out of pure curiosity I took a pregnancy test while getting the kids ready for school, I honestly forgot about it then on my way out I came back into the bathroom to grab something and saw it, POSITIVE.  I literally sat down on the toilet and stared at the thing for a minute.  I called my husband immediately, he didn’t respond , instead he showed up at the house right away and gave me the biggest hug, he was so happy, I went to work, gathered my siblings, called my parents on facetime and gave everyone the news, they were all super excited.  But I was not.

Judge me if you want, I probably would too, but I was not happy, or excited, or looking forward to it. Why? I’m not sure to be honest with you, this is my last pregnancy, I always dreamed of enjoying every second of it, savoring every milestone, watching my belly grow for the last time, bonding with this baby inside of me in a totally different level.  But honestly it hasn’t happened quite that way, and I feel so guilty about it.  I cried so many days trying to understand my feelings, I had many conversations with God those few weeks.  I got into arguments with my husband for no apparent reason.  Hormones maybe? Guilt? I couldn’t really tell you.  What I do know is that I couldn’t voice my feelings.  You wanted this baby! You asked for this baby! You talked about this baby nonstop!

So, what now? I prayed so much, so hard, I meditated, I did everything, Then It came to me, Of course it was going to be different, I have 2 kids that require my full attention, a full-time job at the family restaurant and a Podcast that I love and enjoy, my schedule is full most of the time and things just keep coming my way, I realized my second pregnancy was so different from the first one, obviously, this was going to be much more different too.  I had to accept that life doesn’t come to you how and when you plan it but when it’s meant to happen, if it didn’t happen this way, it probably wouldn’t have happened, it would never be “the right time” for us.  

 

So, I am making the best of it, even if it doesn’t look like what it did in my dreams.  Sometimes I get so busy I forget that I am pregnant, and it’s not that I don’t care about my baby, I LOVE MY BABY, when I saw that ultrasound and I saw that little thing jumping up and down inside of me i knew that my family is finally complete.   I knew that what I always imagined will happen at the end of the day, even if the process of getting there was different.  

This baby is teaching me a great lesson, it is teaching me to be comfortable with change, with the unexpected, because some of the best things in life are often unplanned.

 

Lent Meal Planning with Northgate Markets

 
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Hello sisters!  We are so excited to share with you all our latest collaboration with our favorite grocer, Northgate Markets.  We teamed up with them this season to bring you all a Lent meal plan  that will make your cooking life much more simple and put your mind at ease.  I remember how strict my grandma used to be about lent, she would always say "Los Viernes, no se come carne."  Although we are not catholic, we still observe 'no meat Fridays' during lent season in memory of our grandma.  

I hope you all enjoy the recipes we put together for you!  They are truly delicious and very easy to make. We know what a hassle grocery shopping can be, so we even went ahead and put together a grocery shopping list for you, just to make your life that much easier (you know, one less thing to think about). We hope you enjoy, and please, if you recreate any of these meals, don't forget to tag us and Northgate. We would love to see and know what you think of them.  Provecho!

Cooking Plan of Attack, Tips, and Planning Ahead

I know a lot of you may look at the name of of these recipes and think they are too hard to make, or that they probably take too much work.  Let me stop you right there; we created these recipes for moms just like us.  Moms who are too busy to even shave their legs at times, or for that mom who doesn't have a couple of hours to spare to get her nails done (yes, that is us, and we are not ashamed to admit it).  This section breaks everything down to show you how easy it is to not only make the meals, but get you in the habit of planning meals for your family, and to use any left-overs for lunches or dinners throughout the week. The best thing of all, these recipes are versatile and can be reheated very easily. 

  1. Aguachile Rojo - Save a tablespoon of the fresno chile sauce, and add about 1/2 cup of olive oil plus a squeeze of lime juice and salt to make a bright and delicious vinaigrette. Use over any quinoa, bean and hardboiled egg salad. Seriously, just having this vinaigrette laying around can make any salad (or hard boiled egg) taste fancy.

  2. Tostadas de Atun - This is my favorite recipe because of how easy it is, and because it keeps forever. This has always been my go-to meal when I feel overwhelmed and like theres nothing to eat on the fridge. Aside from being simple, it is also very kid friendly with zero spice (that's if you omit the buffalo of course). You can also always make tortitas de atun with any leftover tuna. Or make a quick tuna salad sandwich for lunch the next day. Also, the chips and tostadas from northgate are addictive and can eat them all day and all night.

  3. Chiles Rellenos - ok, ok I know what you are thinking. Even reading the words chiles rellenos together can make any cook nervous. Listen, its like riding a bike, once you learn you will be a master in no time. But even if the task seems daunting, take the filling recipe and make yourself tostadas with a drizzle of our Guelaguetza mole on top. Believe me, these will be a winner and maybe save this chile relleno dish for a special occasion, but please do make the filling! It pairs beautifully with our mole. Promise you they will become one of your favorite tostadas recipes.

  4. Sopa de Tortillas - Listen, you always need a nice soup in the fridge. You can also always make extra and freeze it in small tubs. To thaw it, all you have to do is pop it in the fridge before heading to work, and heat it up once you get back home. You'll have dinner ready for your family in less than 10 minutes. You'll thank us for this recipe. It is finger-licking delicious.

  5. Cheese Stuffed Zucchini - We made this for a group of friends who came over our home and these were a hit. They made us look super fancy. These also keep great in the fridge and are so easy to reheat when you have people over. You can also prep everything ahead and assemble everything come dinner time. Just prop them in the oven and you'll have a healthy and delicious meal in no time.

  6. Fish Tacos - Who doesn't love themselves a good taco? The great thing about this dish is that you could make them on a Tuesday for a Taco Tuesday and then repeat them on a Friday. This recipe bakes the fish, so its a healthier choice for your family. Also, the crema is to die for. You can always make yourself extra for a great chip dip and pair it with a nice glass of wine later on the night.

  7. Capirotada - I loved this one for so many reasons. One, because we used Pan Bimbo and it brought back so many memories of our childhood. Also, because the left over cream mixture we prepared was used for breakfast the next day on our french toast and as a strawberry dip for mom later that night (yes, there was wine involved in that one too). This is a perfect dessert to take to any office pot luck, school gathering or just as a treat to keep around the house.

ok, ok enough talking, lets get to the recipes! 

AGUACHILE ROJO

Ingredients:

  • 16 large shrimp, peeled and cleaned

  • Juice of 8 limes

  • 4 red Fresno peppers, stems removed

  • 2 to 3 habanero peppers, stems removed

  • Juice of 4 limes

  • 2 tablespoons Pompeian grapeseed oil

  • 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 cup English cucumber, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

  • Pepper

  • Salt

  • Tostadas.

Preparation:

  1. Peel and clean the shrimp. Using a small, sharp knife, butterfly the shrimp open by slicing almost all the way through the back side. This will help the shrimp lay more flat while marinating and cooking.

  2. Rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat dry with paper towels and transfer back to shallow glass dish.

  3. Add the juice of the 8 key limes, making sure the shrimp is covered with lime juice. Cover and chill while you prep the rest of ingredients.

  4. To a blender, add the red Fresno peppers, habaneros, juice of 4 key limes, grapeseed oil and salt to taste. Pulse or blend until desired consistency. Taste for salt.

  5. Pour this mixture over the shrimp/lime mixture making sure it’s mixed in evenly. Season with fresh cracked pepper.

  6. Layer the cucumbers, onions, and cilantro over the top. Chill for just 15 more minutes. make sure the shrimp has been chilling in the fridge for at least of a total of 30 minutes Before serving, mix all together. Serve with tostadas.

TOSTADITAS DE ATÚN

Ingredients:

  • 4 cans of Tuny Jumbo light tuna in water

  • 2 tomatoes, diced

  • ½ red onion, diced

  • Cilantro, chopped finely

  • 4 tbsp. McCormick mayonnaise with lime

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Avocado, diced

  • Classic Mexican Bufalo hot sauce

  • 4 tostadas

Preparation:

  1. Mix tuna and mayonnaise with fork and season with salt and pepper.

  2. Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and avocado in a separate bowl and set aside.

  3. Spread tuna mixture on every tostada.

  4. Add a tablespoon of mixed vegetables on top of every tostada.

  5. Serve tuna tostadas topped with classic Mexican Bufalo hot sauce.

Chiles Rellenos de Mole

Ingredients:

  • 6 pasilla peppers charred, peeled, and seedless

  • 1 cup Mole Guelaguetza

  • Filling:

  • ½ lb. imitation crab meat

  • 1 pear, diced

  • ½ white onion, diced

  • 3 tbsp. oil

  • ½ cup raisins

  • 2 tomatoes

  • 1 tbsp. sugar

  • Salt

  • Pepper

Batter

  • 2 Hidden Villa Ranch eggs, whites and yolks separated

  • 3 tbsp. flour

  • Frying oil

Preparation:

  1. Char, peel, and remove seeds from pasilla peppers then set aside.

  2. Heat oil in a saucepan and add imitation crab meat, pear, and raisins. Grind tomatoes with sugar and add to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Fill each charred pasilla pepper with mixture from saucepan and then coat each pepper with flour. Set aside.

  4. Beat Hidden Villa Ranch egg whites until reaching a frim consistency, then mix in egg yolks gently.

  5. Dip the flour coated chiles into the batter and fry in abundant hot oil until golden on both sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

  6. Prepare mole sauce and serve chiles rellenos bathed in mole sauce.

Sopa de Tortilla

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. Cacique Queso Fresco, crumbled

  • 2 tbsp. Cacique Crema Mexicana

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

  • 2 tomatoes, diced

  • 4 husk tomatillos, peeled and diced

  • ½ cup yellow onion, diced

  • 1 chile guajillo, seeded and toasted

  • 1 tsp. chipotle chile canned in adobo, minced

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • ½ tsp. oregano

  • ½ tsp. cumin

  • 1 cup of tortilla chips

  • 2 quarts of chicken stock

  • 1 avocado, diced

  • Cilantro

  • Salt

  • Pepper

Preparation:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

  2. Add tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, both chiles, garlic, oregano and cumin to the heated oil. Sautee for 15 minutes.

  3. Add tortilla chips to the pot along with the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiling turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

  4. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Blend the soup in the blender until very smooth. Add the soup back to the soup pot and bring back to a simmer and check seasonings. (you could also use an emulsion blender)

  6. Serve soup in bowl and garnish with tortilla chips, a drizzle of Cacique Crema Mexicana, crumbles of Cacique Queso Fresco, avocado and cilantro.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

Lime Crema:

  • ¼ cup sour cream

  • 3 tbsp. mayonnaise

  • 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

  • zest from half a lime

  • ¼ tsp. salt

Slaw

  • 2 cups cabbage, thinly chopped

  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

  • ½ green onion, sliced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Tacos:

  • 2 tbsps. vegetable oil

  • 1 tbsp. lime juice

  • 2 tsp. ground cumin

  • 2 tsp. paprika

  • 1 tsp. ground coriander

  • ½ tsp. red pepper powder

  • ½ tsp. garlic powder

  • ¼ tsp. salt

  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

  • 1-pound of tilapia

  • 8 (6-inch) soft taco tortillas

  • 1 avocado, sliced

Lime Crema:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the crema ingredients. Set aside.

Slaw

  1. In a large bowl, combine all the slaw ingredients. Set aside.

Tacos:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, lime juice, cumin, paprika, coriander, red pepper powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip the fish into the bowl and turn the fish until it is evenly coated with the marinade. Place the fish onto a lined baking tray and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

  3. Bake for 9-10 minutes until the fish is flaky when tested with a fork.

  4. Transfer the fish into a plate and break into smaller pieces using a fork.

  5. Heat the soft tortillas according to the directions on the package.

  6. Divide the fish evenly onto the tortillas.

  7. Top each taco with sliced avocados, lime cream, and ¼ cup of the slaw.

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Calabacitas Rellenas de Queso

Ingredients

  • 4 zucchini

  • 1 cup of shredded El Mexicano mozzarella

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 ½ tbsp. of onion, finely diced

  • ¼ cup of bread crumbs

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp. of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Sauce

  • 3 medium tomatoes

  • 1 garlic clove

  • ¼ white onion

  • ½ tbsp. olive oil

  • Salt

  • Pepper

Preparation:

  1. Slice zucchini in half and use spoon to scoop out the flesh. Set flesh from all zucchini aside.

  2. Boil water in a pot and throw in zucchinis for 3 minutes.

  3. Remove zucchini from boiling water and set them aside.

  4. Chop zucchini flesh you had set aside, and place in mixing bowl. Set aside.

  5. Place saucepan with olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic and onion for 4 minutes, then add chopped zucchini flesh and cook 2 minutes.

  6. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.

  7. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  8. Stuff zucchini halves with sautéed mixture and top with cheese.

  9. Place zucchini in baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned.

  10. Boil tomatoes, garlic, and onion for sauce. Once softened, blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

  11. Serve stuffed zucchini with sauce.

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CAPIROTADA

Preparation:

  • Prepare the cream for the bread pudding by mixing evaporated milk, condensed milk, milk, cornmeal, eggs, and vanilla.

  • Place cream mixture in a saucepan on medium heat. Continuously stir for 15 minutes, until cream slightly thickens. Be sure not to stop stirring to avoid mixture from burning and sticking. Remove from heat and set aside.

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • In a deep baking dish place a layer of bread, then pour some of the cream mixture that was set aside on top and add peanuts, walnuts, raisins, and shredded coconut. Repeat these steps in layers until ingredients are completely finished.

  • Bake for 15 -25 minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of evaporated milk

  • ½ can of sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 cup of milk

  • 2 tbsps. cornmeal

  • 3 egg yolks

  • 1 tbsp. vanilla

  • 1 package of Bimbo

  • ½ cup peanuts

  • ½ cup of walnuts

  • ½ cup shredded coconut

  • ½ cup raisins

 

 

Exploring Disney California Adventure through my pre-schooler's eyes.

 

When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, Krista, I always dreamed of the day I would take her to Disneyland with me. I thought, if I have this much fun as an adult, I can only imagine how much fun she would have.  As soon as she turned one, I  took her on her first visit (I would have probably taken her sooner but my husband wouldn't let me).  From the moment she set foot in that magical place she became a Disney fan just like mommy, but I soon realized that visiting the park with a little one was  different. I had some figuring out to do!  I know some people might feel overwhelmed with the idea of taking a small child to Disneyland but trust me, once you overcome the fear and see that light in their eyes, you will not regret it.

Disney California Adventure has become my favorite park to visit with the little ones. Since it’s smaller, I can cover the whole park in one day and it has more rides and attractions for kids than I expected.  I recently visited with my daughters, Krista and Sabina who are 5 and 2, my nephew Eduardo who is 22 months old and my mom, the #QueenSuperMama for a “Pre-K Family Day”. I found some really great gems! 

We started our day with Disney Jr Live on Stage where they clapped and sang along. I was so happy to see how much all three enjoyed it and stayed entertained during the whole show while watching Mickey and his friends.   We then visited Bugs Land, which is Krista’s favorite area. We always have to ride every single ride or else she won’t let us leave. From Francis’ Ladybug Boogie (my personal favorite) to Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies, she can be there all day!

We then headed to Cars Land, since Eduardo is a HUGE fan. He got to say hello to Mater and Lighting McQueen at the Cozy Cone Motel  and  then rode Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. He couldn’t stop smiling, it was really cute. But his favorite moment was definitely meeting Nick Wilde from Zootopia.. He ran to him and kept telling him, “I love you buddy!" That moment made our whole day!

Sabina loves her babies and princesses so she loved visiting Boo at the Monster’s Inc ride, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure with the little Mermaid, and was delighted to meet Elsa and Ana in-person while visiting the Animation Academy. This is a must see on your visit to Disney's California Adventure! This place teaches children (and adults) how Disney movies are made through drawing and animation workshops. Sabina and Krista had their creative juices flowing.

One of my personal favorite things about visiting Disney are all the delicious treats. My favorites are the churros, popcorn and the corn dogs. They're my must-haves every visit. For the kids, I opt for the carts with fresh fruit and the kid-friendly options on all the restaurant menus.

"   You might still be telling yourself, 'they are too young to remember' maybe, but YOU will remember! That memory will live forever in your heart    "

We closed our visit with the new Frozen Live Show at the Hyperion.  It's the best way to introduce your kids to theater and musicals.  All three kids were mesmerized by everything that was going on on stage and around them. They sang, danced and laughed out loud! It was definitely Krista's favorite of the day- she has not stopped talking about it!

A trip to Disneyland can be exhausting! So if you need to take a break during middle of the day to nurse, feed your child or you just want to relax for a bit, visit the Baby Care Center. It's complimentary and they offer nursing rooms, changing rooms, a feeding area and they also offer different baby-need products for sale. Trust me, this place has saved me from breakdowns a few times.

You might still be telling yourself, "they are too young to remember," maybe, but YOU will remember! That memory will live forever in your heart. For me, every visit has been so special, always fun, and always different. Living the magic through their little eyes, seeing their smiles and now seeing them having fun together creating memories that I will be able to share with them in the future makes it all worth it.  

Don’t be scared Mama! If we survived with three small children, you can too!

Love ~ Paulina 

 
 

Additional Super Mama Tips:

 

- Children under 3 years old are free at the parks, and Southern California Residents are eligible for a great offer now- A 3 day ticket for $149.00, less than $50 a day. Get your tickets soon!

-Mark Your Stroller : There are tons of strollers at any given time at Disney, make sure yours is recognizable as sometimes the cast members re arrange them to make more space for others.

-Snacks, Snacks , Snacks! : Make sure you pack enough snacks for the day, these will keep your little ones entertained during wait times. I usually take fruit, crackers, yogurt and popcorn, sounds like a lot but they have helped me avoid meltdowns and tantrums.

-Stay hydrated: Pushing a stroller and keeping track of children is no joke! So make sure you stay hydrated through out the day, take a big bottle of water for yourself to refill as needed and take some for your children as well.

-Wear comfortable shoes:  Please! It's a day to have fun not to torture yourself.

-Map out the nearest restroom:  I mean, do you want to be running around trying to find the nearest bathroom with a crying child? Just be aware of your surroundings at all times to avoid any accidents

- Have Fun!  Just enjoy the day, become that kid you have inside, enjoy with your child just as much as they will, this will make your experience so much better! After all, Disney is the happiest place on earth.

 

 

@_SUPERMAMAS Holiday Gift Guide

 
Holiday Gift Guide artwork.png

One of our favorite segments on the podcast is our “Super Mama Picks and Tips” of the week. Now that the holiday season is upon us we wanted to share some of our gift picks.  There’s something here for everyone on your list!

But we warn you some of these are so good you will want them for yourself! Feel free to discreetly email this list to all of your friends and family so they know what to get you.

  1. "Dream Big" Jewelry Dish- Keep inspiration close with this beautiful dish by Pressed Intentions. Keep it on your nightstand to remind yourself to dream big! Other messages available include: “Put It Into The Universe” and the Selena inspired “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” Buy one for yourself and one for your bestie!

2.  Squatty Potty- Did you know that “the optimal elimination posture is a relaxed position as close as possible to a natural squat?” As mentioned on the Super Mamas podcast, this product promises to give you the “best poop ever.” Let’s just say it doesn’t disappoint! This makes a great gift that the whole family can “enjoy.”

3. Gaffer and Child- We love these vegan, cruelty free, products that are safe for us and our children. Gaffer and Child’s apothecary line includes: styling pomade, hydrating serum, facial cleanser and after shave butter for the men in your life. Our favorite product is the face scrub which will leave your skin feeling as soft as your baby’s. Buy the whole kit for your man and one for yourself because trust us you will want to use it too! P.S - use code 'super mamas' at check out for 10%off

4. Amco Rub-Away Bar- There is no smell that this soap will not eliminate! At under 10 dollars this makes a perfect stocking stuffer for an avid cook. This is a must have in our homes!

5. Jo Malone Candle in Orange Blossom- Speaking of smells, here’s a little piece of luxury everyone will enjoy. The intoxicating aroma of these candles will make you feel like you are in an exotic locale. Put this on after the kids are in bed to set the mood for a relaxing evening. They come in a variety of scents but this is our favorite one! Buy this for that person in your life who knows how to enjoy the finer things.

6. Cuddle and Kind Dolls -These super soft dolls are Ethically produced, hand-knit. Each doll you purchase buys up to 10 meals for hungry children across the world. Buy one for an expectant mama or your own baby. But don’t say we didn’t warn you would want one for yourself.

7. Honest Company City Backpack- This is the ultimate mom backpack, spacious, and sleek it can be used for baby things or for your own things too. We love it in black but it comes in other colors. We love that it can be used as your baby goes from newborn to toddler. It comes with external pockets for your keys, and wallet, is waterproof and made with vegan leather. It’s our favorite and we know you’ll love it too!

8 Lola’s Cocina Bakers Gift Set- This is vanilla extract and vanilla bean sugar combo is the perfect gift for a hostess! Handcrafted in small batches the vanilla extract and sugar creates a distinct flavor and aroma that will enhance the taste of any dessert or drink. It also comes with a handcrafted Oaxacan spoon. Lola's Mercadito supports the advancement of women in education, business, and leadership. Check out her shop for more goodies inspired by Mexico.

9. Kor Nava Filtered Bottle- This sleek and functional water bottle filters waters as you go. We like this because it’s a great alternative to conventional water bottles. This would great for the avid hiker or camper in your life.

10. Q&A a Day for Moms: A 5-Year Journal -We can’t think of a better way to remember all the glory of parenting than by documenting it in this 5 year journal. Each day comes with a brief writing prompt to help spark your imagination. Makes a great stocking stuffer for your favorite Super Mama!

11. Paper Source Personalized Stationery- The handwritten note is an artform we believe never goes out of style. This is one of the most thoughtful gifts on the list! There’s endless options to personalize stationery and matching envelopes. Great gift for a fellow #Momboss!

12.Fit Bit- Self care is important and this Fit Bit will help you reach your fitness and wellness goals with ease. It tracks your steps, your sleep patterns and even comes with interchangeable accessories like a bracelet and necklace. It reminds you to move and also alerts you to text messages or phone calls. We didn’t think we needed one and now we can’t live without it!

13. Dre Beats Wireless Headphones- These wireless headphones are a Super Mamas favorite! We wear them to listen to tunes while we clean the house but you can use them for workouts and of course to catch up on our podcast! Enabled with bluetooth technology they work up to 30ft away from your phone. They are so comfortable and will always stay in place. This is good for anyone on your list!

14. Voluspa Candle Gift Set- This mini candle trio doesn’t just smell wonderful but it comes in beautiful tins that will enhance any decor. We like the whole collection, but this trio is a great stocking stuffer to get you started. This trio includes the following scents: pink citron, laguna and saijo persimmon.

15. Mole Negro by Guelaguetza- This here is the KING of moles. We are biased of course, but this award winning sweet and savory sauce never disappoints! Just pour it over chicken or beef and prepare for a culinary experience. It’s so easy to prepare you can buy one for each person on your list.

16. Tarte Cosmetics PRO Amazonian Clay Palette- The is the mother of all eyeshadow palettes! It comes with 20 ultra pigmented shades in shimmer and matte that will allow you to create endless looks for the playground, the office, or a night out. Get this one before it sells out