I love spring because the days are longer and warmer and I can take  long runs just as the sun is coming out, but what I hate about this season are allergies because they basically stop me from doing everything. When allergies attack,  I feel and look so bad, I seriously think allergies are even worst than colds.

What’s even worst,  is that allergies not only affect how I feel, but how I look, having an allergy face is no fun.  What’s the point of wearing mascara if my eyes are watery, not even 20 layers of powder can cover my red nose and no blush will make my puffy face look better.

And I’m not alone, maybe you’re one of the  96 percent of women who  experience ALLERGY FACE™ when suffering from allergies, this according to a recent survey by the makers of ZYRTEC®,

That’s why I was so excited to hear, that the makers of ZYRTEC® have partnered with beauty and fashion expert, Carmen Ordoñez from VivaFashionBlog.com, to help women look their best despite their allergies and combat “ALLERGY FACE™”

The makers of ZYRTEC® have released video number #1  of a three-part, bilingual video series on YouTube.com/Zyrtec, in which Carmen shares her personal beauty tips to take on ALLERGY FACE™ beauty challenges.

Watch the video below to learn about Carmen’s personal beauty tips on how to beat the dreaded ALLERGY FACE™

Since I’ve been suffering from allergies for several years now, I know exactly when I’m about to get sick so here are a few tips of my own to feel and look better when suffering from allergies;

1. At the first allergy sign, take Antihistamine like ZYRTEC, you don’t have to suffer!
2. Drink lost of water. Drinking extra liquid can help thin the mucus in your nasal passages  and will give you relief.
3. Avoid going outside, the sun just makes the allergies feel worst and  close doors to help keep pollen and other outdoor allergens out of your home.
4. Use a  nasal rinse is a must! This will help clean mucus from your nose and can help relieve nasal allergy symptoms. Doing this at least once per day will not only make you feel better, you will look better!

Make sure to follow the ALLERGY FACE™ tips to look your best.   For more great tips and future videos follow ZYRTEC on Facebook here.

23 per cent of elementary students reported being bullied one to three times in the last month school bullying statistics say.

14 year old Jennifer was the victim of bullying and cyberbullying but the bullies didn’t stop there, they went after her mother and little brother.

This summer it would be like no other at ALL Disney parks, it will be Monstrous! And the celebration starts Friday May 24th 2013 at 6am when all Disney parks will be open 24 hours!

In this vlog I show you what you new attractions you can expect at the Happiest Place on Earth during this Monstrous celebration, such as;

• Monstrous 24-Hour “All-Nighter”: A Monsters University-themed kick-off to a Monstrous Summer where you can spend an entire day (and night) inside Magic Kingdom park—don’t miss your chance for a firsthand education in fright!
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor: Led by Mike—the “monster of ceremonies”—a colorful gang of comics has been studying up on their jokes. Will they graduate to new comedic materials? Check out the “frights” and sounds in this attraction to see for yourself!
• The “Monsterail”: One of the iconic Monorail trains has been redesigned and monster-ized with visuals from the newest Disney•Pixar film. So go ahead and hop onboard—this is one frighteningly fun Monorail ride you won’t soon forget!
• Monsters University Meet Up: Drop in to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a magical encounter with some monstrous friends from Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University.

I also show you, what’s new at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl this year, like the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, which is truly Magical!
For more information about the Monstrous Summer at Walt Disney World visit their Website.
This is no a paid post, I was invited to the Monstrous Summer Media Event.

Join the Latina Mom TV Talk

I would love to hear your comments, How do you deal with brothers fighting? Post a comment below or send me a video here

I love to try new make up and as you know I’m a big fan of L’Oreal Paris and when I tried their latest products I couldn’t wait to share my opinion with you and best of all do a GIVEAWAY !

Like you I’m always on the run and sometimes I have no time re-apply lipstick, Colour Caresse Wet Shine combines the power of a lip stain with lip-gloss luster, leavse  lips soft, comfortable and hydrated for up to 6 hours! Seriously you apply in the morning and don’t have to worry about re-applying again until after lunch time.

My favorite colors are:

Pink Resistance for Day

And Endless Red for a sexy look.

For my is extremely important to have big and beautiful eye lashes and Telescopic™ Shocking Extensions™ Mascara    TRULY does the job, just take a look at my before and after pictures. The reason is because  it’s a liquid extensions in a bottle, lashes are separated, intensified, and look shockingly long! Plus it’s clump-free, flake-free, smudge-free.

As you know I don’t have a perfect skin, so I’m always looking for products to help me cover my imperfections including blemishes and dark circles under eyes. True Match™ Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer it’s amazing! Because it’s a crayon you can cover tiny or BIG spots and I love that it doesn’t look cakey.

Who doesn’t like miracles? I do, specially if they make me look younger, that’s why RevitaLift^® Miracle Blur it’s my new best friend, just look at the difference on the pictures. On the top the before picture, at the bottom the after picture,  see how my wrinkle lines around my eyes are almost gone? RevitaLift^® Miracle Blur it’s  first of-its-kind Instant Skin Smoother because instantly erases the look of lines, wrinkles, and pores and the skin instantly looks and feels smooth.

Working on TV for more than 12 year I’ve tried many hair sprays, but I’m in LOVE with Elnett Satin Hairspray and the reason is, because after I style my hair I hate when it feels sticky and dirty the next morning, but Elnett Satin Hairspray Its micro-diffuser spray which offers a clean, soft shiny finish. So fine, it disappears at the stroke of a brush, but So strong, its hold lasts all day.

And for those humid hairs when nothing works, and 30 minutes after you styled your hair, you look like you just came out of the shower, Advanced Haircare Smooth Intense Frizz Taming Serum it’s the answer. I recently used it while in Miami on a trip and it really works, my hair looked amazing from day-night, the reason, Smooth Intense Frizz Taming Anti-Frizz Serum  creates an invisible humidity barrier to help block out frizz and lock in sleek shine. LOVE IT!

How would you like to try all these products?

You will if you’re the winner of our giveaway! Here’s how to enter:

Use the form below to log in and enter the giveaway. Simply do one or more of the following eight entry methods listed on the form and earn up to a total of 70 points! Complete all eight entries to give yourself the best chance of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway will be open until May 30th at 9:00pm PST. Winner will be selected via random.org and will be notified via email. Winner has three days to respond to our notification before another winner will be selected. Giveaway is open to winners in the US only ands 18 years or older.

I received the products shown on the pictures for review and for the giveaway, but as always my opinion is solely my own.

It’s almost impossible to keep my children away from video games, with Ipad, Iphone, Wii etc.. Video games are everywhere and although I have rules at home on when and for how long to play vide games, I have to admit, they play more than I would like them to.

That’s why I decided to take advantage of their love for video games and I’m using them to teach my 6 and 4 year old to read and write.
In this vlog I show you how I do it and how video games have motivated my kids to learn how to read and write.
I would also love to hear from you, What tactics do you use to teach your kids to read and write?
Join the Latina Mom TV Talk! Post a comment below or send me a YouTube video HERE

3,092 people were killed last year due ti distracted drivers, this according to the National Highway  Safety Traffic Administration, on December 14th of 2011 the National Transportation Safety Board or NTSB a nationwide ban (Including cell phones with hands free devices) on the use of personal electronic devices while driving except on emergencies.

I share with you why i don’t think is safe to talk on the phone, text or email while driving and I give you a few suggestions on what to do with the kids in the car to have a pleasant and most of all SAFE drive.

I want to think is the same situation at other houses where moms also work. We hardly have time to do anything, so the less time I spend making breakfast the better, but at the same time I want my family to start their day with a healthy meal in their tummies.

Here I’ll tell you how do I accomplish feeding my family a healthy breakfast that takes only minutes.

Disclosure: This is Not a paid post.The products were provided by PepsiCo for review, as always by my opinion is solely my own.

You might also like:

The #1 reason kids are obese

The healthy side of PepsiCo

Better fun for you snacks, a must this spring break

Fun and Better for you 4th of July party

Choosing a school for our children is one of the most difficult tasks as a parent, for example, what’s better for my child, the Montessori or traditional system? What are the benefits of both and why experts say the Montessori method is for all the children but not for all the families.

According to Maria Montessori, children absorb like “sponges” the child learns to talk, write, read the same way he learns how to crawl, walk, run etc. in other words is spontaneous.

The Montessori system has always been very controversial, for some parents is very structured and for others there’s no structure, “The Montessori system allows children to develop individually according to their own needs and abilities,” says Wendy Lewis, director of “ Montessori  Children’s School” in Escondido, California.

The three primary principles of the Montessori method are, observation, individual, liberty and preparation of the environment, the child is be able to work for long periods of time and able to choose his own material, “This allows him to satisfy his own needs. When they start an activity in the classroom they will finish it when they feel they are ready for the next activity instead of being interrupted like on a traditional classroom where the teacher says, ‘Close your math books, it’s time for art’ for the child to go back to that level of concentration it’s very difficult,” says Lewis

But for Jaqueline Garrido, a teacher at a traditional kindergarten, the problem is that most of the time the child doesn’t stay in a Montessori school his whole life, “A lot of children go to Montessori preschool or kindergarten, but what happens next?

Garrido who’s also a mother of 3, says nowadays, children are more independent, and if we don’t set limits and they are allowed to do what they want, children can get confused between, “What I can do and what I should .”

Main Differences Between The Montessori And Traditional System.

M-Emphasis on cognitive structures and social development.  

T- Emphasis on rote knowledge and social development

M-Teacher’s role is unobtrusive; child actively participates in learning.

T-Teacher’s role is dominant and active; child is a passive participant.

M-Child sets own learning pace to internalize information.

T-Instruction pace set by group norm or teacher.

M-Mixed age grouping.

T-Same age grouping.

M-Children encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other.

T-Most teaching done by teacher and collaboration is discouraged.

M-Children encouraged to teach, collaborate, and help each other.

T-Most teaching done by teacher and collaboration is discouraged.

M-Child works as long as s/he wants on chosen project.

T-Child usually given specific time for work.

M-Child chooses own work from interests and abilities

T-Curriculum structured with little regard for child’s interests.

According to Lewis, one of the most important benefits of the Montessori method is to encourage child’s independence, “That help that parents provide to their children when the children don’t ask for it, is slowing their development.”

 But for Garrido, who’s also an Educational Psychologist, the Montessori method is old and hasn’t evolved in years, so it’s not for the children of the 21^st century, “Allowing the child to do what he wants, whenever he wants without any limits could be counterproductive for the society in which we live in where we can’t do what we please.”

 Daniella Kalach, An Example Of The Pros And Cons Of Both Educational Systems.

 Daniella Kalach started going to a Montessori school since she was 18 months old until preschool, a total of 4 years. This is the first school year on a traditional kindergarten for Daniella.

Sonia her mother who has also 2 more girls who never went to a Montessori school says, she’s seen a difference between her daughters, “Daniella has always been very good on math, she knew how to add and subtract when she started kindergarten and she knew how to read as well.”

 But on her first day of kindergarten, something took Sonia by surprise, “The first thing her teacher told me was if my daughter had been to preschool and I said yes and she told me that Daniella didn’t know the letters. She does know the letters but not by their name, by their sound.”

 According to Garrido, it’s very important that the parent decides from the beginning if her child will stay on a Montessori school or he will transfer to a traditional school, “If this is the case, the parent must reinforced her child’s education at home so when he transitions to a traditional school he’s not behind the rest of his class because the school system is different.”

Sonia agrees, switching school systems was a little hard for her daughter, but because Montessori taught her to work for long periods of time, she absorbs the information very easily, “I don’t regret enrolling her in a Montessori preschool, but I think I should have taught her the names of the letters for example.”

 Under the Montessori System, the guides advise parents not to saturate their children with information at home, since they are already working very hard in school.

What’s The Best School System For My Child?

According to Lewis, the Montessori system is for all the children but not for all the families, “That independence and socialization could be controversial for some mothers, for example, she wants to dress her daughter because she’s in a hurry, but the boy  wants to dress himself , that independence that we promote doesn’t always work at home.”

 For Garrido, parents should know their children well before choosing a school system, “The child makes the school, not the school makes the child, the child makes the system, not the system makes the child. We have to make sure the system we choose for our children is the best.”

According to experts, before making a decision, make sure you understand the benefits of both, Montessori and traditional method, visit the schools, observe your child and make sure he likes it, it’s important to observe if your  child is comfortable in the school environment, otherwise doesn’t matter which system you choose it won’t be beneficial for your child.

I wrote this article for Terra.com.

Am I Raising Two Enemies? Is there a better way to discipline my kids without making them enemies?