Vision Board Posada 2019

Manifesting Your Vision Into Action

We’re still riding the high from this year’s Vision Board Posada party. After years of hosting the posada at other venues, we finally decided to have it at our restaurant, Guelaguetza. We always intended the first posada to be held here, but for one reason or another it didn’t happen until now. With the release of our OAXACA cookbook earlier this year, it finally felt like the right time. Guelaguetza is our home and a huge part of who we are, and we wanted to share that with you sisters.

This year’s theme was manifesting your vision into action (get it? Like 20/20 vision 👀). We wanted our guests to walk into the restaurant and feel the closeness we feel on a daily basis, working with our family and those who have become family. We encouraged everyone to step out of their comfort zone, envision their goals for the new year, and make sh*t happen. Attendees enjoyed drinks sponsored by Jack Daniels, desserts from Sugar Crush Sweets, a meditation from Rocio Navarro, and a custom holiday flower arrangement from Madre Florals, plus took pictures all night long with Never Cloudy Events (see all the photobooth pics here). All of our guests also left with swag from Brujita Skincare, Gourmeletas, Happy Organics Co., I Love Micheladas, Jack Daniels, Momtreprenuer Planner, and Rizo’s Curls.

Like always, our Super Mamas Sisters also worked hard on their vision boards to share their dreams for the new year. And to all our sisters who weren’t able to attend the event this year, make sure you check out our blog post about how to create your own vision board !

Cheers to manifesting your vision into action in 2020!

Special thank you to all of our sponsors:

Planning/Design: @harlowplanning

Venue/Food: @laguelaguetza

Drinks: @jackdaniels_us @_elsamaritano_

Dessert: @sugarcrushsweets

Meditation: @water_healing

Florals: @madreflorals

Photo Booth: @nevercloudyevents

Signage: @preferred_projects

Photography: @l.a.momma

Swag Bag Sponsors: @brujitaskincare @gourmeletas @happyorganicsco @ilovemicheladas @jackdaniels_us @momtrepreneurplanner @rizoscurls

Getting in The Holiday Spirits 🥃 with Jack Daniels

We love the holiday season. Spending time with the kids, hanging out with family & friends, surrounded by great food from our OAXACA Cookbook and even better drinks. For this year’s Vision Board Posada, we partnered with Jack Daniel’s to create holiday inspired drinks, and now we’re sharing them with you! Each of these drinks not only has great flavor, but just the right amount of whiskey to warm you up on those cold winter nights. Which drink will you be creating at your next holiday party?

Jack Raspberry Mule

Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7

Chamber / Lime Juice

Ginger Ale / Muddled Berries

Jack Apple Fizz

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple

Lemon Juice / Soda

Agave

Mamá Luchona

Hard Cider

Jack Daniel’s Whiskey

Lemon Wedge / Cinnamon Stick Garnish

Special thanks to Jack Daniel’s for sponsoring the bar at the Vision Board Posada! To learn more, check out JackDaniels.com.

Super Mamas 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s the holiday season and we’re sharing our favorite gifts with you! This year’s guide is a collection of our favorite picks from our pick & tip of the week segment, products from some of our favorite guests, and more great items we have to come love throughout the year. Make sure to add these to your list for Santa because even super mamas deserve presents. #treatyoself !

Felices fiestas!

Holiday Gift Guide 2019

1. The Lolita by LOLA Y TULA - We are obsessed with this purse! It sits right on your hips and it’s the perfect way to carry just the essentials when running errands, out for the day with the kids, or just want to add a colorful accessory to our outfits. 

2. The Always Pan - This pan is amazing. We cook everything in it from pasta and eggs, to frying tacos and sautéing veggies and nothing sticks! Plus, it’s as great as it is beautiful and comes with a spatula and steamer basket. This is the only pan you’ll be reaching for from now on. 

3. Orox Leather Proletariat Hat - I have not stopped wearing since I bought it. I’m actually starting to plan outfits around wearing it! You know when you’re looking at your outfit of the day and you think, “hmm, it’s missing something.” This hat is it, and it’s a look. 

4. Ole Henriksen Force of Nurture™ Intensive Hand Crème - Our hands get soooo dry once the weather starts getting colder and we’re always on the lookout for a great cream that fits in your purse, your car, whatever. This lotion leaves your hands so soft and not greasy, and it smells really good.

5. Lunya Washable Silk Sleep Mask - We’ve have been traveling so much for the book tour and with all the time zone changes, it’s been tough to get to sleep. When we found this sleep mask, it changed everything. Not only is it silk, which is great for the delicate skin around your eyes, but it can also be used as headband for your nightly beauty routine AND it’s washable! 

6. Chanel Le Lift Firming - Anti-Wrinkle Flash Eye Revitalizer - I’ve talked about these on the podcast before but they’re so good that I have to add them to our gift guide. We know this is one of our bougier picks, but there are 10 patches in a box, so it’s really $13 per pair of patches and trust me, it’s worth it. Not only does the serum prep your skin for makeup but it also leaves you looking so awake.

7. Sweet Street Cosmetics Wing Queen Eyeliner - If you’ve listened to our latest podcast episodes, you know that during our “Fire Questions” segment, we often ask our guests to choose between their must-have of eyeliner and hoops. We will ALWAYS choose this eyeliner! It’s so rich in color and glides on so easy, your wings will always be looking fresh.

8. “OAXACA: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico” - This is best Oaxacan cookbook on the market! Okay, maybe we’re biased, but seriously. Our book is not only filled with recipes we grew up on, but stories about our family and images of our beloved Oaxaca. It’s the perfect gift for your mom, your friend who cooks, or just for you because it looks so damn good in your kitchen too. 

9. Tributo Huarache from Via Raíz - Everyone loves a good chancla. This one will have you looking fly when you’re out & about or just hanging at home. It’s made from natural leather in Nayarit, Mexico and super comfortable too! Add these shoes to your closet now. 

10. Floral Print Leather Teardrop Earrings - You know we love big, statement earrings. When we found these on Etsy, we were so excited because not only are they cute, but they’re wallet friendly too! The creator has a few different options, patterns, and prints in her store, but we loved the roses the most.

11. “The Confident Woman Devotional: 365 Daily Inspirations” by Joyce Meyer - This book has been such a positive addition to our lives. This daily devotional book shares words of encouragement, inspirational quotes, and practical advice for issues that many women face in life. It’s a quick and easy read that will only take a few minutes each day, which is great because we know how busy super mamas can be. 

12. Waterproof G Spot Vibrator - Ladies. End 2019 with some higher vibrations. 😉 This vibrator is great for alone time (it counts as self-care too!) but is even better with your partner because it comes with a remote. Your bedroom is about to get a lot more exciting in 2020. 

13. Rose Quartz Face Roller from Hija de tu Madre - You know we love a good face routine. Once we added this roller to our daily routine, we noticed the difference. Keep it in your fridge to help reduce puffiness and redness in the mornings, and use it with your favorite moisturizers and face masks at night. Make us feel super fancy. 

14. Dyson V8 Animal Vacuum Cleaner - This vacuum is incredible. Our houses can get so messy with our kids (we can be messy sometimes too) but this vacuum makes clean up a breeze. It’s so light that it can be carried anywhere, it’s great for hardwood and carpet, and there’s no cord to get wrapped around furniture.

15. Dyson Pure Cool Me Purifying Fan - There were so many fires in LA this year that we were on the hunt for a great air purifier, and this one changed the game. Not only does it improve air quality and keeps the air warmer or colder (depending on the season), but it’s so quiet! Which is great when we keep it on overnight for the kids.

16. Super Mamas swag - We want all of our sisters to be dripping in Super Mamas swag! Show your support for the podcast and invite others to join our sisterhood by repping in our crop top, with our pin on your favorite denim jacket, or the our SM phone grip. Want to see more swag in our shop? Send us an email to hello@supermamas.com and let us know!

17. Membership to CHIRLA - We recently had Angelica Salas, Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), on the show for a podcast episode out later this month, and we were so inspired and touched by the organization that we added a CHIRLA donation to our gift guide. They accept donations as little as $20, but a donation of $495 helps to cover the $495 DACA renewal application fees that the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges to keep these young people from facing deportation. To learn more about CHIRLA and they help DACA recipients, click here.

18. Books that sing from Lufi & Friends - Little Zixta LOVES this book! She loves how she can “read” on her own and listen to the words page by page. It’s a great way to get your littles to learn about animals & listen to lullabies to put them to sleep, but also to help them practice their spanish skills.

Super Dinosaur at the Natural History Museum

This is where it begins!

This past weekend, Team Super Mamas had the pleasure of being invited to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles for a Super Dinosaur Takeover. This comic book series, created by Robert Kirkman & Jason Howard, was recently launched on Amazon Prime. Super Dinosaur follows 10-year-old genius Derek Dynamo and his T.rex best friend Super Dinosaur as they protect the planet against evil (check out the trailer here).

To celebrate the launch, Skybound Entertainment and Spin Master partnered with the Natural History Museum to bring a day of Super Dinosaur events to the museum. We learned all about dinosaurs and walked in to a few arts & crafts tables set up for Super Dinosaur coloring pages and make your own dinosaur masks (included below!). Guests were also invited to participate in a comic book signing with the comic book’s creators, Robert & Jason.

In between activities, we enjoyed shows and museum exhibits. We visited the Dino Lab, where we could watch real paleontologists working on recently uncovered dinosaur fossils. There were replicas of fossils and even new discoveries like vertebrae, skulls, and other bones, found in locations as close as Utah. We also caught the Dinosaur Encounters show, a fun, educational, and interactive show with life-size dinosaur puppets, like Dakota the triceratops. The puppet was actually pretty large, but the kids loved interacting with him.

At the end of the day, we sat in a Q & A session with the show’s writers and a paleontologist from the museum. The talk also included a special guest - Dakota the dinosaur! Children took turns asking questions about the show, like what inspired them to write the comics and their favorite story from the series. Many kids also asked about Dakota and other dinosaurs, asking silly questions like if dinosaurs ate chips and why do T. Rex’s have tiny arms. One of the best questions came from a little boy who asked if the dinosaur could do tricks. When he asked it to sit, the kids went wild with laughter.

We had such a great day, and were lucky enough to leave with Super Dinosaur swag, including a coloring book, new lunchbox, and cool bandaids. Check out the photo gallery below to see all the fun we had - you can even download the Super Dinosaur masks for your own arts & crafts time at home!

Major thanks to @SkyboundEnt, @SpinMaster, and @NHMLA for a wonderful afternoon with dinosaurs! Season one part one of Super Dinosaur is on Amazon now, with part two coming out on Sunday, November 24.

Havana-Boo-La-La: A Halloween Party For Adults

Halloween is almost here! That means it’s the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year. As a kid, you carve pumpkins, dress up as your favorite character or person to go trick-or-treating, and best of all, eat lots of candy. But who says all the fun has to stop when you’re an adult? Our friend Evelyn of Harlow Planning, along with a few of our other party planning amigas, put together the cutest themed party for your adults-only halloween party with inspiration from items that they already had around their homes.

Take Halloween to an island full of color, spice and flair. This styled shoot embodies the essence of Cuban culture and provides a glimpse of what Halloween might look like at abuelita’s house in the 50s.

Your guests will walk into to a table featuring a lush, black palm runner and rich colorful island florals, platanos, coconuts, congas, and the traditional bottle of Cuban wine to rinse it all down. They’ll relax in a vibrant lounge with the richest cafecito and freshly rolled cigars - the perfect setting to have Tia read your fortune.

If there’s room for dessert (and there’s always room for dessert), head over to the pantry for a slice of spooky papaya cake and coconut cotton candy. Finally, finish in abuelita’s garden, sipping on mint and pineapple mojito floats. And before you leave, be sure to give abuelita un abrazo; you can find her in the pantry with her traditional headpiece on.

Truth is, you can plan an incredible party for any holiday with items you have at home! Plates from the motherland, store bought dessert on a cake stand, decorations from the dollar store displayed on colorful placemats already in your cabinets. Check out the rest of the image gallery below for inspiration, and tag us when you use our tips for your next party!

Vendors:

Planning/Design: @harlowplanning & @thriftedsisterevents

Florals: @victoriasgardenanaheim

Photography: @aimeejoanmatias

Desserts: @sugarcrushsweets

Cotton Candy: @twistedforsugar

Floats: @floatsserviceco

Balloons: @lotuspartyco

Rentals + Venue: @thriftedsisterevents

Don't Miss The Largest Baby Show in the Country!

So your family is expanding. Whether it’s your first bebe or another sibling for your littles, you’re looking to fill your home with the latest and greatest baby items. The 2019 LA Baby Show is coming to Magic Box in Los Angeles from November 2-3, 2019. This is the largest show for new and expectant parents in the country. No other event offers over 100 brands, parenting education, discounted buying opportunities, giveaways, and more. This is a must-attend event if you are planning, expecting, or recently had a child!

As a Super Mamas follower you can get tickets at a 50% discount (for a limited time only). CLICK HERE or enter promo code SUPERMAMAS50 on the registration page at lababyshow.com.

Other Great Reasons to Attend

Top Brands & Gear: 100+ top pregnancy, baby, toddler, and family brands from all over the world, as well as local goods and services. You’ll find brands like 4moms, fridababy, honest, totsquad and more. For brands exhibiting at the Show click here.

Speakers & Seminars: There are so many good speakers and experts in the baby industry! From lactation experts to doctors to psychologists and more, you’ll be able to get answers to your pregnancy, baby, and parenting questions. Click here for the complete lineup.

Nursing Lounges: Located in quiet, comfortable spots throughout the Show, these serve as havens for mothers to feed and pump at their convenience.

Changing Stations: Our changing stations are complete with outstanding products by our featured brands and more, and are conveniently spread throughout the Show for easy access.

Moms' Lounge: A restful spot apart from the busy Show floor to relax, feed and change your baby, and meet other expectant and new moms.

Dads Lounge: We can’t forget the super papás! An oasis of support, information, and encouragement for dads run by the legendary City Dads Group.

Big Giveaways: You can expect there to be great raffles and giveaways at the Show: Dream Nursery Giveaway, Everything Baby Giveaway, Ultimate Stroller Giveaway, car seats, and other great items. You won’t want to miss you chance to win great prizes from these incredible brands!

This year's show is larger than ever and promises to be fun for the whole family -- we hope to see lots of our Super Mamas there! Remember to use code SUPERMAMAS50 for a 50% discount on lababyshow.com

Super Mama of the Month - October

Super Mama of the Month

Where we feature dope mamas doing big things in their community. 

This month we’re featuring Verónica Sánchez of Los Angeles, California. She is a mom to two young daughters and as a local business owner, she not only strives hard to show her girls that nothing is impossible, but that you can help your community while doing it. 

Verónica owns a local McDonald’s franchise in Downtown L.A. and recently partnered with the Downtown Women’s Center to give a second chance to women in need. Quick fact: An estimated 36% of the homeless population in L.A. is Hispanic, and 31% of that population is also female, often with family or children living with them. There is no easy solution to when it comes to these situations, but Verónica believes that through her franchise, she was given the opportunity to help her community. 

In the last few months, Verónica has hired seven women from the center and plans for this number to continue growing. These women are excelling in their positions and Verónica hopes to inspire other local businesses to help combat homelessness by giving a second chance to those who are committed to working hard and changing their lives. 

Q + A with Verónica Sánchez

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, and what’s keeping you busy these days. 

I am married, and together with my husband, Charlie and I have two daughters, Isabella, age 4, and Adelina, age 2, in October. Together, my parents, brother, sister, and I run our organization, of 27 McDonald's locations throughout Los Angeles, High Desert, and San Diego. When I am not in the restaurants, I love to spend time with my family. My husband and I love taking our girls to the park or finding fun things to do around Los Angeles. 

How did you start this partnership with the Downtown Women's Center and what is your mission? 

As a McDonald's owner-operator, we are always looking for ways we can help the community. When McDonald's first mentioned the Downtown Women's Center as a possible employment partnership, I jumped at the opportunity. Growing up in Los Angeles and seeing this homelessness crisis every day, I knew I needed to do something to help. This partnership just seemed to be so perfect for so many different reasons, starting with the fact that our McDonald's location is the closest to the center. The Downtown Women's Center does amazing work, and I am just happy to be a part of this partnership. 

What do you see as the future of this partnership? 

I am hoping to continue to hire women from the Downtown Women's Center and help them get a second chance. Our mistakes should not define us, and all of us deserve a second chance. I couldn't be prouder to be a part of this great partnership. I am very grateful that McDonald's allows owner-operators to be a part of programs such as these, not many brands would take the chance. 

What’s one message of encouragement that you’d like to share with women who are currently at a crossroads in their life? 

Just keep going, do not give up, I firmly believe that we are all tested, but we can overcome anything. Women are so powerful; we can do pretty much anything. To take the time to reflect on where you want to be in life. Having a vision is a powerful thing, creating a vision board or writing in a journal where you see yourself can help keep you stay focused. You never know how strong you are until there is no other choice. 

How can other businesses or volunteers get involved?

Contacting the Downtown Women's center would be the best start. The center has a day program where you can feed the women of skid row. They also have programs where they train women and help them re-enter the workforce. You can donate clothes, or your time to help prepare meals. There are so many ways businesses and volunteers can make an impact on these women's lives. 

To volunteer at the Downtown Women’s Center, visit their volunteer page.

Do you know a Super Mama (or mamacita!) who should be nominated as Super Mama of the Month? Email hello@supermamas.com and you could be featured!

How to Make Mango Micheladas

Fall may have started, but we’re not ready for summer to be over! We’re holding on to the last bit of summer heat by making delicious mango micheladas with Keitt mangoes from Melissa’s Produce and everyone’s favorite I Love Michelada mix. Here’s a step by step guide on how to make our famous micheladas and keep that warm summer feeling all year round.

Step 1

Rim your ice cold glass with lime and tajin from your I Love Micheladas mix. You can purchase it at your local Northgate or Vallarta Market, or online at ILoveMicheladas.com.

TIP: Don’t have any limes? Use a little michelada mix to rim the glass!

Step 2

Cut up the Keitt mangoes and add them to your ice cold glass. Keitt mangoes have a lemony tang with hints of honey, so it’s a perfect match to our miche mix.

TRICK: If you want to add ice to your michelada, try freezing pieces of mango with water or michelada mix in an ice mold.

Step 3

Add 3oz. of michelada mix to your glass and top off with your favorite mango beer. We love Latitude 33 Mangoveza, but any beer will do the trick.

You can also find a step-by-step video on our IGTV! Follow us on Instagram at @_supermamas. To purchase your own Keitt mangoes, check out Melissas.com.

A Night to Remember: Opening Night at Mama Rabbit

It’s here! Mama Rabbit is officially open at the Park MGM Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. This bar features Las Vegas’ largest collection of mezcal and tequila, all hand-picked by our Super Mama, Bricia Lopez. Mama Rabbit gets its name from Mayahuel, the goddess of agave and fertility, and the mother of 400 rabbits that she nourished with mezcal and tequila.

With a huge double-sided bar, multiple rooms, live entertainment and art by Okuda San Miguel, you’ll never want to leave this bar. Opening night was hosted by Mario Lopez, featured music from G-Squared and Shalvoy, and guest bartender Patricia Estrada. Check out the slideshow above and gallery below with images from opening night, and be sure to visit Mama Rabbit Bar next time you’re in Las Vegas!

To learn more about Mama Rabbit, visit drinkmamarabbitlv.com and follow their Instagram at @drinkmamarabbit.

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Hatch Chiles: Roasting, Recipes and More with Melissa's Produce

Team Super Mamas has a thing for chile 🌶️. This past weekend, Melissa’s Produce invited us to join their event team for a live Hatch Chile Roasting at a local Northgate Market. Hatch green chiles are similar to Anaheim Chile that we know and love, but instead are specific to Hatch Valley in Southern New Mexico, so we jumped on the opportunity to experience this live chile roasting.

We arrived at Northgate Market in Long Beach, California to a large group of people waiting for their hatch chiles to be roasted. We knew it was a big deal, but not like this! Chile lovers had been standing in line since 6AM that morning to purchase their boxes of chiles for the year. Many people purchase in bulk and then freeze a portion to last them to next season.

Lacy and Peter with Melissa’s Produce welcomed us and not only explained the roasting process but also helped us choose our own chiles. Then they walked us through the market and showed us all the great products customers could purchase - anything from fresh chiles to dried and powder hatch chile, plus hatch chile polenta, tortillas, bolillo con queso y rajas de chile hatch (so incredible 🤤), hatch chile muffins and pan de elote. Even the hot bar had items like macaroni & cheese with chiles, chicken & hatch chile tamales and ceviche with hatch chile. The combinations were endless and each Northgate Market has a variety of fresh hatch chile items that are available for purchase.

We also spoke with Fernando, the head buyer of hatch chiles for Melissa’s Produce, who gave us some fun facts about the veggie. He told us one thing to remember about hatch chile season is that it’s over almost as fast as it arrives, and harvesting really depends on weather conditions. A storm or cooler weather could roll in for two to three weeks, like it did this year, and could delay the maturity of the chiles.

• The hotter the weather patterns prior to hatch chile season, the hotter the chiles will be.

• Mild chiles are longer, hotter chiles are a bit shorter and the lumbre, or fire, chiles are the shortest.

• At the end of the season, the chiles get ripe, turn red and get a sweeter flavor. Around Labor Day, the chiles are the most mature, have thicker wall (perfect for chile rellenos) and tend to be spiciest.

• 50% of the crop is to sell fresh chiles and 50% is for processing - salsas, powder, frozen - but it’s definitely not as good as fresh hatch chile!

There are two weeks left of Hatch Chile season and you have a few more opportunities to join Melissa’s Produce for a live roasting! Join the Melissa’s Produce team on Saturday, September 7th at the following locations. The events start at 7AM and run until 2PM or until chiles run out.

Locations

Northgate Market La Habra

1305 W. Whittier Blvd. La Habra, CA 90631

(562) 691-8032

Northgate Market Vista

1150 E. Vista Way Vista, CA 92084

(760) 724-4900

Don’t forget to check out your local Northgate Market for more delicious hatch chile items and if you’ve already purchased your chiles for the season, you can find delicious recipes like Hatch Chile Deviled Eggs, Roasted Hatch Chile Mc n’ Cheese, Hatch Chile Apple Pie and more at Melissas.com.

Major thanks to Melissa’s Produce for the invite!

Celebrating 50 Years on the Moon with McDonalds, NASA & Peanuts

When you were young, there was nothing like going to McDonald’s and getting a Happy Meal. That iconic red box with deliciously salty fries, a cheeseburger or chicken nuggets, and the toy of the month from the coolest new movie or tv show. Now you’re an adult and there’s nothing like seeing your child’s face light up when you hand them that Happy Meal box with the same great food, but also healthier side options like apple slices and yogurt and better drinks like milk, apple juice or water.

Team Super Mamas had the opportunity to share this feeling with our little ones this week when McDonald’s invited us to an exclusive lunch at Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles, California. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, McDonald’s is partnering with Peanuts and NASA to on a limited run of Happy Meals featuring Snoopy and Woodstock books that celebrate astronauts and space exploration.

Families staying at the Ronald McDonald House were invited to attend the lunch. Paul Propster, story architect for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, gave a live reading of one of the new Snoopy and Woodstock books that are available in Happy Meals now through September 3rd, 2019. The children were invited to ask questions throughout the reading about the constellations featured in the book like the Little Dipper, Hydra and Orion.

Paul also gave a presentation about JPL headquarters in Pasadena, California and about all things space exploration. We learned that JPL is bigger than Disneyland and also talked about the Juno spacecraft that traveled to Jupiter. The space craft was launched to take images of the planet and to gather data about how the planet formed. Did you know it launched in 2011 and took 5 years to reach Jupiter?? Paul also taught us about Marsquakes, which are very similar to earthquakes but look a little different that what we’re used to in California. You can watch a video about marsquakes here.

At the end of the session, all the guests were invited to enjoy their Happy Meals and talk to Paul one-on-one, where he shared cool NASA stickers and mini solar system poster with even more space facts. Many of the children asked for autographs too! It was a sweet ending to a fun lunch.

You can visit McDonalds now through September 3rd to collect your Snoop & Woodstock books, and from September 4 - 16, 2019, Happy Meals will feature Astronaut Snoopy STEM action toys designed to help inspire kids to play with science through fun.

To learn more about Ronald McDonald House Charities, please visit https://www.rmhc.org.

5 Easy Steps To Planning a Party

It happens to all of us. We volunteer to throw a party for our kid’s birthday, sister’s baby shower, or an end of summer party. We have all these great ideas and plan an extravagant party our heads for weeks but then get busy with work, projects, family and you feel like you have so much time and then BAM - all of a sudden, the party is next weekend and EVERYONE has RSVP’ed yes but you have nothing planned. 

Lucky for us, fellow super mama Evelyn Jimenez of Harlow Planning has plenty of experience in event planning. You know all the great photo ops and activations at our Super Mamas Social and Vision Board Posada? Evelyn is the person who makes that happen. She believes in us and brings all of our ideas to life, and believes in you too! Below she lists out all the steps to plan a flawless event in ONE day. 

Super Mamas Social 2019

How to Plan a Party in One Day

Step 1: Intention, guests, and budgets. Is it your mom’s 55th birthday or el bautizo de tu nieto and all the Tias, Tios and cousins are coming? Maybe you’re throwing a cumbia party 😉 for your family & friends or a banquet for your kid’s sports team. Also consider that your budget is a starting point and you should leave a little wiggle room in case of emergencies!

Step 2: Event design. Now it’s time to make it look pretty! Create a visual for your party with a mood board on Pinterest, collages or photos. Use this as inspiration to begin reaching out to vendors regarding food, decor, and more. You can do so much with a great balloon installation (we love @lotuspartyco), flowers and plants. 

It’s also important to walk the layout of the event space - you could even create a rendering of the floor plan to know exactly where everything needs to go. Does the bar look better by the pool? Or maybe you need signage to direct guests to the bathroom. Maybe even invest in a walking measuring tape, like the one Evelyn was gifted. 😂

Step 3: Work with vendors. Creating lasting relationships with your vendors is extremely important. It takes a bit of research to decide which vendors are for you, but you’ll begin to learn when it’s better to rent certain items over buying them or vice versa. 

Gaining this knowledge & developing these relationships helps in the long run, especially if you throw parties often like Evelyn. And with this knowledge, you begin to learn more about what things cost from tables and chairs to buffet spreads or entertainment. Evelyn says, “I don’t believe in overpaying or underpaying. Everyone should earn a fair amount and do good work.”

Step 4: Logistics. With all the details figured out, now you can plan for the day of the event, including timelines and staffing. Decide if you need to hire a clean up crew and make a schedule of vendor arrival times. Communication with everyone who is part of the production is crucial as this is the team who will bring your party to life. Make sure you have clearly communicated exactly what you want so things go as planned.

Step 5: Day of Event. “That’s the day where I work my effing ass off,” says Evelyn. It’s a lot of running around and making sure everything goes as planned with vendors and staff, checking in on guests and the little things in between. 

Congratulations!

You’ve just planned your first party! Evelyn notes that the rewarding feeling of seeing it all come to life and seeing that you achieved this vision, “[is] one of the best parts of my job; that I feel accomplished once all these weddings and parties have happened.” Remember that no matter what happens during the planning stages or the event, the goal is to have a good time. As long as you have good food, good drinks and good music (which you can plan in one day!), you’ve got a great party planned. 

Interested in having Evelyn plan your wedding or next event? Check out her events on Instagram at @harlowplanning.

5 Things You Can Do at Home to Practice Bilingualism

Whether you’re a native spanish speaker or trying to learn a new language with your family, it can be hard to practice your newfound vocabulary at home. Some children are lucky to have parents or grandparents who speak Spanish to them daily, or maybe they attend a dual immersion school where they can practice with their teachers and classmates. But what happens after hours, when the children are watching TV in English and parents also feel more natural (and honestly, sometimes easier 🤷🏽‍♀️) conversing in English? 

We recently interviewed Lizet Alvarez, founder of Chiqui Social, an interactive language school and event space in Culver City, California, about the best ways to practice spanish at home with your chiquitos. 

1. Add it to your daily routine. Choose a time of day to practice your new language. Whether you’re having Spanish-only mornings like Bricia’s family, making the car ride to school bilingual, or dedicating story time to bilingual or Spanish-only books, making it part of your routine helps children practice on a regular basis.

2. Watch their favorite shows and movies in Spanish. If you allow screen time in your home, switch the language settings to Spanish. Watch it in real time with your kids and use this time to converse with them about the show in Spanish only. 

3. Pretend you forgot the word in Spanish. Sometimes you speak to the kids in Spanish but they respond in English. Get them to respond correctly by pretending you forgot the next word and asking them for help. For example, maybe dinner time is for Spanish speaking only. “Me pasas una … napkin?” Your little ones can guess what word you’re searching for, but in Spanish only.

4. Build their vocabulary with subscription based services. Lizet loves Rockalingua, a music based Spanish learning program for children and beginners. It uses repetition to help students develop the four basic skills of communication - reading, writing, listening and speaking. She also recommends The Cultured Kid, an online language program with videos, worksheets, flashcards and more that the whole family will enjoy. It also offers other languages besides Spanish, including French, Mandarin, and English.

5. Choose a word of the day. While you go through your morning routine before work and school, choose a Spanish word that everyone must use that day. When everyone returns home, they have to share how they used the word. Sometimes the kids don’t have a chance to use the word during their day, so you can get them to practice it with you in that moment.

BONUS TIP: Lizet has a hack for getting them to practice their Spanish no matter what. When you ask them what happened at school today but they don’t want to share (“Nothing,” is a favorite answer 😒), she says to ask your child who cried at school today. It works almost every time and gets the conversation started!

Remember, it’s easy for children to be easily frustrated when learning something for the first time, but patience and not shaming them when they make mistakes goes a long way. Lizet reminds us, “If you can make the connection and you enjoy the process, that’s what makes you a good teacher [for your kids].”

How do you practice Spanish with your kids? Tell us in the comments below!