The Last Days of November

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!!!

Si, today is the first of December... where the heck did the year go? Bueno, if the last days of November are any indication of the coming holiday season, good thing there's vitamins, cafe, and lots of sales on chocolate!!

Saturday Nov 22:
Took the Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover, and TriRail to take Bloggin' Mamas President and close friend Heather Lopez and her family to the airport

+Papa Hype +Heather Lopez 

Then from there, @TheFallsMiami for their Christmas Parade

Peyton List Is The Grand Marshal For The 18th Annual Miracle On 136th Street Parade @PeytonList @TheFallsMiami http://t.co/WHdM2cGtuT

— dis411 (@dis411) November 19, 2014

It was surprising that such a "big" city like Miami could still have a little town feeling. Local dignitaries, groups, bands, made a great point. No matter the size of your home town, we're all individuals with families, friends, and enjoy seeing them shine in events like these. Kinda makes you feel at home wherever you go.



Sunday Nov 23:

Bloggin' Mamas Pink&White NYC Night





Now this one BB didn't actually attend, but there was so much behind the scenes stuff to do and tasks to accomplish while the Prez was in NYC that it counts as if Babushka was there.

Mon, Tues. Wed- Don't recall the specifics but these for sure were done

Wrote Posts- 

5 years @HeartofHaiti

Did online shopping- and almost finished my Christmas List. Quee?? BB wait to the last minute??  JUSOFONII!!!

My Little One is gonna love this!!

More Posts w/Giveaways!

cirque de soleil #Giveaway

#OldFactoryCandles #Giveaway




Kcup Extravaganza #Giveaway




The other days of the week may have been a blur,
but this is one Thanksgiving BB will put into the Happy Memories Box.

All the craziness of the week, of life, is worth it for moments like these.

May the rest of your year be full of happy busyness.

BB2U

*disclosures- FTC all of this is BB's and prior sponsored info on links

Small business Saturday- Moms Nite Out #MNOSFL

It's been 5 years... @HeartOfHaiti A reason for giving thanks, A reason for giving more.

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US, and Babushka is sooo very thankful to live in this country, be blessed with the people in my life, and the countless moments of abundance I've had. For that reason I have joined with Macy's in their Heart of Haiti program, to give back to those who haven't been as fortunate. 

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!

Five years ago this little girl was born and BB's world would never be the same.

Almost Five years ago Haiti was hit with a devastating earthquake, 

and their world would never be the same.

Flickr pics -Top Row:HaitiDamage  coolgeography.com.uk
haiti_earthquake  csmonitor.com, Cite Soleil by mellagi,haiti_earthquake  theengineer.co.uk

Like my granddaughter La Princesa, Haiti is also developing, learning to stand on its own. 

Pero tambien como mi nieta, like La Princesa, Haiti needs help in doing so.

Macy’s went to Haiti shortly after the January 12, 2010 earthquake and realized that despite the devastation there was an artist community that existed and was eager to bring their product to market. 

They launched a product line for sale at Macys.com and in stores (listed below) which to date has employed 400 artists. 

• Macy's Herald Square, Brooklyn Downtown, Metro Center, Chicago State Street, Northland Center, Seattle Downtown, Portland Downtown, San Francisco Union Square, Biltmore Fashion Park, South Coast Plaza Home, Mission Valley Home, Dallas Galleria, Lenox Square Mall, and Dadeland Mall. 

 When you employ one artist in Haiti, the entire community benefits. Over 500 artists employed benefitting over 3,000 members of their extended family.

To put this into perspective, the average Haitian’s annual income is only $400 – for a year!  Add to that, Haiti has an estimated 400,000 artisans (out of a 10M population) who rely solely on their handcrafted goods as a source of income. No other sector of employment even approaches such numbers.

Macy’s paved the way in helping to rebuild this important sector of the fragile economy. 

The paper mache technique - practiced by many Haitian artisans - involves sourcing old, cement bags - or other paper products - to tear apart and re-purpose with glue and paint to create this unique piece. 

The blue circle vase - made in Jacmel - is hand-painted and includes a glass insert for functionality. 

Babushka was given the Blue Circle vase to show and share here, and to say it is stunning is an understatement. The quality is buenisimo, the colors rich and bold. A treasure to wake to every morning; it's a true work of art in my bedroom. Quee?? Ok si, JU SO FONII, BB's a work of art too. Actually, as I said in the Oprah post, this vase reminds me of all the beauty in the world, and how Babushka can play a very important part in it.

And you My Beautifuls can be a very big part of it too.

When thinking of gifts, think of giving gifts that help others, especially those in need. 

Give gifts that give hope, a sustainable income to Haitian artisans.

 Giving back and paying forward is the way to start this Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Have a wonderful holiday My Beautifuls.

BB2U

Heart of Haiti can be found and followed on social media at @HeartofHaiti on Twitter andwww.facebook.com/heartofhaiti on Facebook. 

For additional information about how Heart of Haiti is helping the community, visit this page. 

O-O-O x3 Part I #Oprah #Orgullosa #Olay #LifeYouWantMIA

No se if I need to "disclose" as this is more of a Gracias than a sponsored post-

pero por sea... we wouldn't want Tio Sam aka FCC mad at BB, would we? 

And this post, it's all Babushka, all over the place.

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!

After 2+ months in Miami, BB tries to summarize the many blessings encountered. Of course I can't do it all justice, and without pics,notes,brochures, the memory isn't coming up with todo, so before BB forgets, let's start with the last week.  Quee?? JUSOFONII Ok si, Babushka does usually go backwards and against the norm doesn't she??  Pero you know what? That's what Oprah says makes us special, being true to ourselves. And I heard that straight from her. Oh Si BB did!!!

Gracias to the wonderful world of Orgullosa, the P&G division for Latinas, Babushka was able to attend Oprah's "The Life You Want " event in Miami. On to OTown BB went. With sombrilla in hand and bus pass ready, Sweetie & BB were set to experience the world of O.

From @BBabushka Instagram:

Getting Babushkafied for the #Oprah #LifeYouWantMIA #Orgullosa #Covergirl#GirlsCan Event

http://instagram.com/p/uiFc22CdeQ/

Got my sombrilla got my bus pass NADA stops BB from #Oprah#LifeYouWantMIA Grateful y #Orgullosa

http://instagram.com/p/uiMZqlidVl/

OTown in Miami was next to the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami. 

You can see my beloved Freedom Tower in the last pic.

We took part of the Power Meet-up and since y'all know BB doesn't work any harder than she has to- 

here's a snippet of the Media Alert.

"COVERGIRL, PROCTER AND GAMBLE’S ORGULLOSA AND PUBLIX HOST A POWER MEET-UP IN MIAMI TO KICK-OFF THE OPENING OF "OPRAH’S "THE LIFE YOU WANT" WEEKEND"

*Tour Aims to Empower Women to Live the Life They Want Every Day*

*WHAT:         COVERGIRL and Orgullosa *will host a unique Power Meet-up breakfast for media and Miami influencers to officially kick-off the opening of Oprah The Life You Want Weekend O-Town experience. The exclusive one-hour networking event will start at *9AM on Friday, October 24 at Museum Park* and include a celebrity panel who will provide tips on how women can embrace life, uninhabited by chaos.

 Buenisimo right?  Pero wait- it gets better.

*WHO:            Special celebrity guests will participate in the Power Meet-up panel and be on hand for press interviews.

• Carla Hall, TV host on ABC "The Chew"
• Jessi Leon, Latin GRAMMY nominee for "Best New Artist"
•  Irma Martinez, fashion stylist and entrepreneur

Guest panel- 

"TV Host and Chef Carla Hall, Singer Jessi Leon and Celebrity Fashion Stylist Irma Martinez participated in a Power Meet-Up of influential women, hosted by COVERGIRL, Olay, Orgullosa and Publix, at "Oprah's "The Life You Want" Weekend" in Miami, Oct. 24, 2014. In panel discussion format, the women explored the topic of living one's best life, while sharing words of encouragement, empowerment."

Some of the Panel Pearls:

Set Your Boundaries. Make "Me" time. ~Carla Hall

The "Bad" things are beautiful too. ~Jessi Leon

On the Risk of Enterpreneurship-
Lost job after 4 years and started styling clients out of necessity;
this in turn became the successful Trendy,Inc.   Stylist Irma Martinez says about hurdles-

"Clean up the mess and be happy- Do What You Love."

ESOESOESO!!!

Babushka's in total agreement & enjoyed their messages.  You know what else BB enjoyed?

           

"Guests will also be treated to unique beauty brand makeovers, expert demos, and skincare consultations from Olay and COVERGIRL. Tide, Charmin and Crest will also provide attendees with mini styling presentations, an inspirational photo experience, a live wall art project and expert demos.These specialty brand experiences are designed to help inspire Miami residents to not be hesitant to take the necessary steps to renew and reinvent themselves."

BB enjoying the tents of OTown, the Olay samples of the Regenerist night moisturizer I use, my friend Jill Tracey getting a massage and Babushka getting an unbelievable head massage with Pantene Age Defy oil

Pero sabes que mas was unbelievable? 
Sweetie & BB were invited to the VIP Suite to see Oprah!

ESOESOESOOOO!!!

The Suite, the Swag, the Smorgasbord!!!

Pero none of this means anything without the-

 *WHY:            With The Oprah Life You Want Tour and COVERGIRL, aim to empower women in Miami with the tools they need to be their best selves, empowering them to discover the potential hidden inside and summon the courage to overcome obstacles, so they can more easily live the life they want every day.

Gracias Orgullosa por the invite y el hospitality.  

And though Babushka doesn't "need" anyone's approval or consent to pursue my dreams, 

a gentle note of validation is always nice.

Heart of Haiti Paper mache Vase with tag Orgullosa gave Babushka
BB's daily reminder

BB2U

           Info about the Oprah Tour is available here:

           http://www.oprah.com/app/events-miami.html

           http://www.oprah.com/app/events-houston.html

BB will share more of Oprah's #LifeYouWantMIA weekend in Part 2.

Showcasing Love with HeART of Haiti

HolaHolaHola My Beautifuls!  It's February, the month of love- and for BB there's no greater love than mother love. Quee?  JU SO FONII!!!  Ok si, el café and chocolate come very close, especially during ::shudder:: puberty, but all in all, Babushka must say my trio have been and are the greatest loves of my vida.

Heart of Haiti Frame and Paperweight

river stone paperweight

 The S Sisters once again blessed BB with such symbolic gifts.  The frame pictured above is encompassing my loves by the same sentiment I've shared with them throughout their lives.  To give fully of oneself- in all one does, and to do it authentically. And like these hand chiseled paperweights, we shape and form our children with love, while they in turn become our grounding treasures.  

For those of you who've been following BB for awhile, you may remember my Mother's Day post  where I've always told my trio to "do everything with heart, from the heart."  I sincerely live by this motto and as you've seen by the last couple of posts, Babushka believes in the power of giving, helping and loving.  Thanks to the wonderful Heart of Haiti initiative my trio is being showcased with love, because each original piece of art is made by a Haitian artisan who gives of themselves fully.  I can think of no better way to show off my trio, and no better way to show global love than to help those who give of themselves. 

"Haitian artisans create beautiful one-of-a kind pieces for sale at Macys.com. This is an initiative Macy’s launched with the Clinton Bush Haiti fund and Willa Shalit – a philanthropic entrepreneur. Macy’s Heart of Haiti upholds the belief that “trade not aid” is a powerful way to create sustainable work and much needed financial opportunities."

Babushka hopes you go to their website, not just to see the wonderful creations, but to watch a video BB fell in love with.  The music, the colors, but most of all the sharing of the people. Their love of their art, their country, and of themselves.  Si, self love, self sufficiency-  the greatest lesson a mother can give her children. And the greatest love we can give to all.  

Love to you My Beautifuls, during the month of Amor and Always.

♥

Babushka Besos a todos.  Cuidensen.

P.S.  Although this post was in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Heart of Haiti, 

BB received no monetary compensation, just the above shown items and the satisfaction of knowing the cause is worthy of highlighting.  

Opinions and beliefs as always are mine, and as always, shared from the heart.