tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17647392037377926182024-03-05T00:40:43.171-05:00Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes Welcome! I write about heritage, bilingualism, multicultural children's book, travel and global culture education with lots of hands-on activities and language learning ideas for kids. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger438125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-7115510277214871672017-05-05T15:14:00.001-04:002017-05-05T15:14:14.207-04:00 New Orleans Road Trip with KidsThis post is the first installment of a three-part series Road Trip with Kids, and we're visiting the deep South. <br />
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First stop is New Orleans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumjwKqk6QxFuCs-MrsotebflFiGxbAh2jxM28H8HnzdMfeOkdT2XK1ZprBGSIlveZZ40TOpCnG-rxYihjvjQ5lvbzt8yDRRjFLBE75dzIWY_WGVRgkw_BXuTovQXrqPrwFmTBCghh14JI/s1600/new+orleans+with+kids+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumjwKqk6QxFuCs-MrsotebflFiGxbAh2jxM28H8HnzdMfeOkdT2XK1ZprBGSIlveZZ40TOpCnG-rxYihjvjQ5lvbzt8yDRRjFLBE75dzIWY_WGVRgkw_BXuTovQXrqPrwFmTBCghh14JI/s640/new+orleans+with+kids+.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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We've been to New Orleans twice before. First time we flew in when little man was smaller. This time around we actually drove to Louisiana. Mom came from Puerto Rico, and we hit the road.<br />
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New Orleans is a beautiful city with so much culture, and history. We stayed for two days, and I must admit it's not enough time to see all of New Orleans though. The pictures I'm sharing are from both our trips we made to the Big Easy. <br />
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Thanks to a fab Groupon deal we stayed at the Le Pavillon Hotel an expensive hotel, but affordable with the Groupon.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHqDwTQBDg0/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">During our stay in New Orleans we stayed in a beautiful luxe hotel with baroque décor, rooftop pool & private cabanas. The genuine antiques and art reflects the city's French roots. . . . . . #viajarconniños #viajarconpeques #viajarenfamilia #travel #mkbkids #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #tourism #vacation #traveling #trip #vacation #igtravel #travelpics #instavacation #getaway #roadtrip #neworleans #hotel</a></div>
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A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-07-09T22:16:55+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 9, 2016 at 3:16pm PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">So here's what to do with kids in New Orleans!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Visit the French Quarters. </span><br />
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You can't go to New Orleans and not visit the French Quarters. Be warned you'll be tempted to shop at the market, and make sure you eat some delish beignets, and don't forget the gumbo.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIF-GJHjawj/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">I'm dreaming of beignets, gumbo, the French market and the wonderful culture of New Orleans 😍🚗🍴🎉 . . . . . #viajarconniños #viajarconpeques #viajarenfamilia #travel #mkbkids #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #tourism #vacation #traveling #trip #vacation #igtravel #travelpics #instavacation #getaway #roadtrip #neworleans #gumbo #beignets #louisiana #usatravel</a></div>
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A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-07-20T18:26:12+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 20, 2016 at 11:26am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Try some gumbo! </span><br />
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The gumbo is too die for! It's a bit spicy, too!<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BHnFR8uBo-a/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">A local told us that when you visit New Orleans you come for two things: music & food. So to make our trip complete we'll have Chicken and Andouille Gumbo for lunch. Little one wasn't too fond since it had the New Orleans' kick! I on the other hand loved it! Yummmmm . . . . . . #viajarconniños #viajarconpeques #viajarenfamilia #travel #mkbkids #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #tourism #vacation #traveling #trip #vacation #igtravel #travelpics #instavacation #getaway #roadtrip #foodie #neworleans #gumbo #nomnom #instafood #foodporn #yumm</a></div>
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A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-07-08T18:32:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 8, 2016 at 11:32am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Visit St. Patrick's Church a beautiful cathedral!</span><br />
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One of the highlight of our visit to New Orleans was attending Mass at St. Patrick's Church. A beautiful cathedral!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIGuAWyjZpG/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">✞💒 A few weeks ago I shared a picture of St. Patrick's Church today I'm sharing a video ✞💒 Enjoy! One of the highlight of our visit to New Orleans was attending Mass at St. Patrick's Church. A beautiful cathedral! A Catholic church and parish in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The parish was founded in 1833, and the current structure was completed in 1840. It is among the most revered of New Orleans historic landmarks. It stands in the heart of the business district and is one of the treasures that remains from early 19th century days when the city began moving outside the boundaries of Bienville’s original settlement, the French Quarter. . . . . #viajarconniños #viajarconpeques #viajarenfamilia #travel #mkbkids #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #tourism #vacation #traveling #trip #vacation #igtravel #travelpics #instavacation #getaway #roadtrip #neworleans #church #cathedral #catholic #video #instavideo</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger</span><span style="font-size: large;">|Writer (@disc</span><span style="font-size: large;">overingtheworld.franc</span><span style="font-size: large;">es) on</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <time datetime="2016-07-21T01:24:51+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 20, 2016 at 6:24pm PDT</time></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdU7g-F5ePWzex6b6g86-1LHo6xV7hDGiMfjtZ-_DQDJuIYsjFdqg_z85VHQLllpNIckX4q_GcJif1LBxIpbtDIC_bZOPLNf2Q4bioJ-_wNPJlxBsmWgaRKh3x-WtAMnFf7MCnev8zEfA/s1600/new+orleans+with+kids1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdU7g-F5ePWzex6b6g86-1LHo6xV7hDGiMfjtZ-_DQDJuIYsjFdqg_z85VHQLllpNIckX4q_GcJif1LBxIpbtDIC_bZOPLNf2Q4bioJ-_wNPJlxBsmWgaRKh3x-WtAMnFf7MCnev8zEfA/s640/new+orleans+with+kids1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Audubon Insectarium </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1COOeX4_sUWcQWTUxQ_5nIYTAMk2EW8KSxGjDFcWffkRidJAh6WnkpO9GD9r5w3NRNQ10cssmdiqzvxe3cTg7fdykvVKLxPT4Pgu3M10BxzlToNPw555nCDltc39idqV0ey4eNrb87XP/s1600/new+orleans+with+kids2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1COOeX4_sUWcQWTUxQ_5nIYTAMk2EW8KSxGjDFcWffkRidJAh6WnkpO9GD9r5w3NRNQ10cssmdiqzvxe3cTg7fdykvVKLxPT4Pgu3M10BxzlToNPw555nCDltc39idqV0ey4eNrb87XP/s640/new+orleans+with+kids2.jpg" width="476" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hop on the Natchez. </span></span><br />
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An authentic steamboat. You can have dinner, and enjoy the two-hour harbor cruise. Take a tour too!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Katrina Memorial </span></span><br />
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</span>Depending on the age of your child you can come by and see the Katrina Memorial. A cemetery for those unidentified and unclaimed who died during Hurricane Katrina. I went to pay my respects. However, little one remained in the car with his Daddy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn36WLVXNgzN0DgAuDgtc5EQNxi1k1TKFMRDp7n4C4joUD9NuesE2MzYor4FxlXlJgG5trSi5nM1HBPMeEUefkGJuH0APVJGodqExu9yMm1_ygS3_IfjJDwrI-akZGkKASEssy-Q8J0E7q/s1600/katrina+memorial+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn36WLVXNgzN0DgAuDgtc5EQNxi1k1TKFMRDp7n4C4joUD9NuesE2MzYor4FxlXlJgG5trSi5nM1HBPMeEUefkGJuH0APVJGodqExu9yMm1_ygS3_IfjJDwrI-akZGkKASEssy-Q8J0E7q/s640/katrina+memorial+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Take a stroll in Riverwalk </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kFagd2z2mEdkphh37RYKBaXvj1MBVHHk9PKQ3WXVmSaiUpsnutmOiQ2jiAQaIiC0Sa2K86xewQ65pfQVzgKaabAb-jy6Z3f0si8Ziz8xJgT7kjSX6XtKGT-NasG_Mq2niy6Fv4oMYyEy/s1600/new+orleans+with+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3kFagd2z2mEdkphh37RYKBaXvj1MBVHHk9PKQ3WXVmSaiUpsnutmOiQ2jiAQaIiC0Sa2K86xewQ65pfQVzgKaabAb-jy6Z3f0si8Ziz8xJgT7kjSX6XtKGT-NasG_Mq2niy6Fv4oMYyEy/s640/new+orleans+with+kids.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit Canal Street!</span><br />
</span>You may run across a jazz funeral, or hop on the famous street car. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQLtWwP7sj/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">We are looking forward to visiting New Orleans again this summer. The last time we were there was five years ago when hubby was attending a work conference during the month of December. With little one in tow, and my in-laws we set out to explore Canal St. and we were lucky enough to see a jazz funeral. ♩♪♬♭🎉♩♪♬♭😉 The jazz funeral is one of the more distinguished aspects of New Orleans culture. The funeral is seen as a major celebration. The roots of the jazz funeral date back to Africa. When slaves were brought to America, the idea of providing a proper burial to your fellow brother or sister remained strong. As time passed, these same concepts that were rooted in African ideology became one of the basic principles of the social and pleasure club. As did many fraternal orders and lodges, the social and pleasure club guaranteed proper burial conditions to any member who passed. The practice of having music during funeral processions was added to the basic African pattern of celebration for most aspects of life, including death. As the brass band became increasingly popular during the early 18th century, they were frequently called on to play processional music. On the way to the cemetery it was customary to play very slowly and mournfully a dirge, or an 'old Negro spiritual' such as 'Nearer My God to Thee,' but on the return from the cemetery, the band would strike up a rousing, 'When the Saints Go Marching In,' or a ragtime song such as 'Didn't He Ramble.' Music here is as much a part of death as it is of life. The traditional New Orleans jazz funeral is as much a part of the fabric and rich cultural traditions of New Orleans as red beans and rice. #neworleans #jazzfuneral #mkbkids</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-06-05T00:34:46+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 4, 2016 at 5:34pm PDT</time></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGpg2eDv7hT/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Dreaming of New Orleans again! The St. Charles Avenue streetcar in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. It’s been up and running for over 150 years. . . . . . . . . . #viajarconniños#viajarconpeques#viajarenfamilia #travel #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelgram #tourist #tourism #vacation #traveling #trip #vacation #igtravel #travelpics#instavacation #mkbkids #neworleans #streetcar</a></div>
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A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-06-14T20:40:32+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 14, 2016 at 1:40pm PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><span style="font-size: x-large;">
Go see the Mercedes-Benz Superdome </span></div>
</span>My sports fan hubby wanted to see the dome. The superdome is located in the Central Business District of New Orleans. Home to the New Orleans Saints (National Football League), and is also the home stadium for the Sugar Bowl and New Orleans Bowl (college football).<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNBpKzoGVpAokghdUGBfR2XdgILVBzKHCgP2QLsDEeci8DlIBTtppM-lIsXt2HmjvmsXizguKBQGIjHeZZD0wQSqtweX-Slcv3eJ2jJf52cEz7NRsQy1RyInJ5yWyEOR39RViB2gD2PfP/s1600/mercedes+benz+superdome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: xx-large;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNBpKzoGVpAokghdUGBfR2XdgILVBzKHCgP2QLsDEeci8DlIBTtppM-lIsXt2HmjvmsXizguKBQGIjHeZZD0wQSqtweX-Slcv3eJ2jJf52cEz7NRsQy1RyInJ5yWyEOR39RViB2gD2PfP/s640/mercedes+benz+superdome.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of New Orleans. There is yet so much more to see. We hope to visit again very soon.</div>
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You may also enjoy these <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/06/road-trip-busy-boxes.html" target="_blank">road trip busy boxes</a>, and our <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/06/summer-road-trip-to-east-central.html" target="_blank">Summer Road Trip to East Central Florida</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-55049562613694094012017-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:002017-05-03T00:00:06.489-04:00Kindness Day is Every Day <div style="text-align: justify;">
Did you know that we have an International Acts of Kindness Day that is celebrated in February? Random Acts of Kindness Day is a day to celebrate and encourage random acts of kindness. However, we should celebrate Kindness Day every day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5R3AdnydwoCr6N73dmrb6TE-BDMfvnL5gk6aLre2Cgbgkn1aCkQScfQIbcCrWBuCMwCt0mVvJmAamy5oW32Sv4BUluT4LMRHWFvw0XqtnIptesfHvnx8_CWkRuJGStJ7U7sTPP9kZUx/s1600/Kindness+day+is+every+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5R3AdnydwoCr6N73dmrb6TE-BDMfvnL5gk6aLre2Cgbgkn1aCkQScfQIbcCrWBuCMwCt0mVvJmAamy5oW32Sv4BUluT4LMRHWFvw0XqtnIptesfHvnx8_CWkRuJGStJ7U7sTPP9kZUx/s640/Kindness+day+is+every+day.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #737373; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">I received a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure </span><a href="https://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/p/this-policy-is-valid-from-31-january.html" style="color: #80c2d4; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;">here</a><span style="text-align: start;">. </span></span></i><br />
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With that being said, Anna from <a href="http://theimaginationtree.com/" target="_blank">The Imagination Tree</a> came up with the idea of a "<a href="https://thekindnesselves.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">sweet-natured alternative to the "naughty elf" tradition</a>, with a positive message of emphasizing kindness, sharing and gratitude within our children" and hence, the <a href="https://thekindnesselves.com/" target="_blank">The Kindness Elves</a>™ was created.</div>
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<i>The Kindness Elves are magical friends who love nothing more than to sprinkle kindness and joy wherever they go! They love to visit your home and spread this happiness with children, encouraging them to do small acts of kindness in their daily lives. </i></blockquote>
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The best part of Anna's initiative is that she actually has a book out! The main characters? The kindness elves! They are the cutest characters sprinkling their kindness throughout the story. The book is full of colorful, and vibrant illustrations. This book is sure to be a hit with little ones, and older ones just like mine. </div>
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Since my son was little we've been doing <a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2012/12/17/random-acts-of-kindness-discovering-the-world-through-my-sons-eyes/" target="_blank">random acts of kindness</a>. Such as, <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/12/giving-tuesday-and-christmas-kindness.html" target="_blank">Giving Tuesday</a>, and even <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/random-christmas-act-of-kindness-gifts.html" target="_blank">gifts for the elderly</a>. This new book has sparked my son's interest in continuing to show acts of kindness every day. You can also use this book at home or in a school setting to encourage children to be kind. Anna is so awesome that she even has a 25 Spring Acts of Kindness <a href="https://thekindnesselves.com/blogs/thekindnesselves/springkindness" target="_blank">free printable</a>! </div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Hardback: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span>26 pages<br />Age Range: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span>3 - 8 years<br />Publisher: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span>The Imagination Tree Publishing<br />Language: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span>English<br />ISBN-13: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span> 978-0995686106<br />
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You can follow The Kindness Elves on their Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thekindnesselves/" target="_blank">here</a> and on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thekindnesselves/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-44829090877817047702017-05-01T10:04:00.001-04:002017-05-01T10:04:31.992-04:00The Ups and Downs of this Crazy Bilingual Journey <div style="text-align: justify;">
I have a confession to make. It's really hard to raise a bilingual kid especially when there are limited language learning opportunities. So today my friends, I’m sharing with you the ups and downs of this crazy bilingual journey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZWE-jueZG5mXR6IkKvzWLw_ZE9uCGgo9V7Q2JpxVYb1_HH2kq9M8M_a_Q7m4rvTNvXUcU9-bKsDgfnUD3bzG__BtxAUnG14Vdq9Gk-S0SIdKFvF2lypVSLRdQseC6H4eG5D9flNlPuPG/s1600/UPS+AND+DOWNS+OF+THIS+CRAZY+BILINGUAL+JOURNEY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZWE-jueZG5mXR6IkKvzWLw_ZE9uCGgo9V7Q2JpxVYb1_HH2kq9M8M_a_Q7m4rvTNvXUcU9-bKsDgfnUD3bzG__BtxAUnG14Vdq9Gk-S0SIdKFvF2lypVSLRdQseC6H4eG5D9flNlPuPG/s640/UPS+AND+DOWNS+OF+THIS+CRAZY+BILINGUAL+JOURNEY.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let me start with the downs…</b></span></div>
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It’s been a real struggle to get my 8 year old excited about reading and writing in Spanish. <br />
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One day we were working on his Spanish grammar lessons. He starts with the whining, and complaining, “Why do I have to learn Spanish?” </div>
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My answer is always the same, “Spanish is part of your heritage and your identity. Mamá is from Puerto Rico, and we speak Spanish. Therefore, you need to speak Spanish, too!” </div>
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He responds, “I wish we weren’t from Puerto Rico! I don’t want to know Spanish!”</div>
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I was C-R-U-S-H-E-D! </div>
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I was so in shock that I didn’t even know what to say! I was mad, I was sad, I was devastated.</div>
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My initial reaction after the shock was to say, “Well, I guess if you wished we weren’t from Puerto Rico that means that I would have never been your mommy.”<i> (Deep I know!)</i></div>
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Then it was he, who was shocked and quickly said, “¡No, Mamá! Yo no dije eso.” <i>(Yeah he responded in Spanish. Go figure!)</i><br />
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He apologized, and I stressed how important it was for him to know how to speak, read, and write in Spanish. Even though he may not understand it now in the future he will thank me. </div>
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Needless, to say we didn’t have the lesson that day. I was discouraged, and needed to take a “mental break” from the shock. </div>
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However, I am not one to get easily discouraged, and I keep looking for ways to make language learning fun for my child. Perhaps, finding other children who speak and also read in Spanish will help.<br />
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Ah! How about starting a Spanish book club for kids at our local library? <i>Even if the opportunities are limited or non-existent I still push forward. </i></div>
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So I enthusiastically called every school district in my city in hopes of reaching out to a Spanish teacher to promote the book club. Not one school teaches Spanish! WTH! (Excuse my language). They have one elementary school with a Spanish teacher but she's an ELL teacher. Quite the opposite of what I'm looking for. Their main focus is to teach English to Spanish speaking children. You can imagine my dismay. At this point, I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about this. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now for the ups…(there’s still hope!) </b></span></div>
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On a recent visit to little man’s school I was pleasantly surprised by the greatest news ever! I found out that he has been teaching his monolingual classmates Español! Yes, he’s teaching his classmates Spanish! </div>
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A bit hesitant with the news, I asked the teacher, “Are you sure?” <i>(Remember the, "I don’t want to know Spanish" rant?) </i></div>
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His teacher assured me that he was. That all of the kids were around him in a circle chuckling and laughing. When she asked what was going on they all responded, "He’s teaching us Spanish!" </div>
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This made my day! I praised my child, and told him how proud I was of him, and that he should be proud of himself.<br />
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I asked him if any of them knew Spanish. </div>
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He said, "Nope, but now they do!" </div>
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My response, "¡Ay mi niño si fuera así de fácil! Jajaja” "Oh my child if it were that easy! Hahaha” </div>
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Then I told him, "Isn't it so cool to be the kid who knows Spanish?!" </div>
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He was beaming, and gave me the biggest smile ever. </div>
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I was beside myself! I was happy and relieved. </div>
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If you’ve been following us for a while you will know that his has been no easy feat for us. We started late, and aside from all of the challenges I can see the progress. Raising a bilingual child will be a lifelong journey, and we're barely getting started. So we'll deal with the ups and downs as they come along.<br />
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I am not alone in this crazy bilingual journey read about these other mamas share their own bilingual parenting challenges.<br />
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Such as, Diana’s <a href="http://ladydeelg.com/2017/03/i-dont-want-to-the-hardest-moment-when-raising-a-bilingual-kid/" target="_blank">“I don’t want to!” The Hardest Moment When Raising a Bilingual Kid</a> post on her son not wanting to speak French or Spanish, and Sarah’s own <a href="http://www.alifewithsubtitles.com/2016/07/the-ups-and-downs-of-raising-bilingual.html" target="_blank">The Ups and Downs of Raising Bilingual Kids.</a> Rita shares on her series "<a href="https://multilingualparenting.com/2014/12/10/diary-bilingual-mother-part-5/" target="_blank">From the diary of a bilingual mother, part 5</a>" the ups and downs of raising bilingual children in a new home country, and in this post a mama shares how she encounters a lot of ups and downs and uncertainties along the way while "<a href="https://steemit.com/parenting/@boxcarblue/a-battle-of-languages-raising-bilingual-children" target="_blank">Raising bilingual children isn’t a straightforward one-two-three process</a>."<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-28120624172565067112017-04-29T20:05:00.002-04:002017-04-29T20:07:56.872-04:00Spanish Poetry for Kids: Poesía Alada <div style="text-align: justify;">
My first memories of poetry actually started with my mom when I was a kid. Back then Spanish poetry for kids didn't exist. In fact, my mom helped me write poems in a notebook; and to this day she still has that notebook!<i> I know because I called her and asked. Ha! </i><br />
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I remember sitting down and writing poems in my notebook many times asking my mom for help with rhyming words. Other times, she'd share a poem of her own inspiration or one that she loved. These memories although etched in my brain were somehow forgotten until I received the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2qr2oSa" rel="nofollow">Poesía Alada: Poesía y arte para volar</a> (aff. link) by author <a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CFVV3P8">Mariana Llanos</a>. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">I received a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of review. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure </span><a href="https://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/p/this-policy-is-valid-from-31-january.html" style="text-align: start;">here</a><span style="text-align: start;">. </span></span></i></blockquote>
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Poesía Alada is the perfect book to introduce my 8 year old to<b> Spanish </b>poetry. Author Mariana Llanos does a superb job in each of the 25 poems that can be found in her book. Her poetry is literally taking a child by the hand through a magical world of written rhythmical compositions such as, Vientos en la playa, and my son's favorite Viento feroz. <br />
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Since I'm also raising my son to be bilingual this poetry book is perfect to enhance his <a href="https://www.istorybooks.co/blog/general/why-reading-poetry-is-so-important-for-children/" target="_blank">reading and vocabulary skills</a>. However, the best part is that I will be able to share a part of my childhood with him just as my mom did with me: a love for poetry! </div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2qr2oSa" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xN5v1R_x8iuPLy6VWtJqJdg6GTwXT6Sdws60_QH9h_Xj7DQjdW6q5-HekcYviR5cWZEiKmrsze6i-jFYxPXBCNcz9_74QJyb5D7fiRTOdHlydY8VIB6XLMVPBIyXFzpJmZC6w0-v-j-b/s320/Poesia+Alada-cover+1.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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This beautiful Spanish poetry book Poesía Alada was released on April 22nd. To read her full press release click <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=12DC9E0FC5923AC!16812&ithint=file%2cdocx&app=Word&authkey=!AA1GxBWlBmngyUw" target="_blank">here</a>. For those interested in the English version it will be available after April 30th at <a href="https://purplecornpress.com/">Purple Corn Press</a>. You can learn more about Mariana and the wonderful work she does at <a href="http://www.marianallanos.com/">www.marianallanos.com</a>. </div>
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I highly recommend this book! It's sure to please kids, and adults too!<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BTJniNvgKOp/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Frances|Latina Blogger|Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances)</a> on <time datetime="2017-04-21T14:11:21+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 21, 2017 at 7:11am PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-32966924636217552422017-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:002017-05-14T08:59:36.758-04:00Let's Celebrate Holi!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8DQdqYy21iOJSZw1_5IPXlayAOTjpvKK5aaqZy-uYxARrFsQPikuHkygic-NbM1ZbqB5Gpdhm-D-GPqm11RgSaLRTjnZQ-HCESbm4yBXEHvF7a16CgEBuni3TbtrGUyTC8n_UmEWK8_R/s1600/Holi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8DQdqYy21iOJSZw1_5IPXlayAOTjpvKK5aaqZy-uYxARrFsQPikuHkygic-NbM1ZbqB5Gpdhm-D-GPqm11RgSaLRTjnZQ-HCESbm4yBXEHvF7a16CgEBuni3TbtrGUyTC8n_UmEWK8_R/s400/Holi.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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As a mother raising a global citizen I am excited to review Let's Celebrate Holi! </div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi">Holi</a> is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in India and Nepal, also known as the "festival of colours" or the "festival of love", The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. </div>
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The children's book from authors and founders of the Bollywood Groove company <a href="http://www.bollygroove.com/team/">Vivek and Ajanta</a> have a new book Let's Celebrate Holi! You can find their book at <a href="http://www.bollygroove.com/holi/">Bolly Groove</a>. </div>
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Let's Celebrate Holi! takes children into the celebration of Holi with its colorful, and beautiful Indian tradition. I love how this book makes it easy for children to understand the meaning of the festival, and that it is not just to simply throw powdered colors on each other. With a helpful pronunciation guide and a map of India it provides the perfect resource to explain in detail how Holi is celebrated in different regions across the country. </div>
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If you need a book to teach children about Holi then you need to have this in your home library. Although this book is geared for children ages 3-7, my 8 year old thoroughly enjoyed it. </div>
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Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own<br /><div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wTfYhG2mOSA" width="560"></iframe>
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Age Range: 3 - 7 years<br />Grade Level: Kindergarten - 2<br />Series: Maya & Neel's India Adventure Series (Book 3)<br />Paperback: 38 pages<br />Publisher: Bollywood Groove; 1 edition (February 9, 2017)<br />Language: English<br />ISBN-10: 1945792167Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-47541804301760993672017-02-21T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-21T00:00:15.966-05:00Tips for Motivating Language Learning in Pre-Teens<div style="text-align: justify;">
The days of sing-along, and finger-puppet play to learn a new language are long behind us.<br />
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My child is an 8 1/2 pre-teen which has proven to be quite challenging to motivate when it's time for his language lessons. Seriously, teaching him when he was a preschooler was so much easier! <br />
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However, I see that this is a common phenomenon. I recently read a post from Multilingual Parenting that children learning another language go through a <a href="http://multilingualparenting.com/2014/08/27/bilingual-children-might-surprise/">rebellious phase</a>, and the importance of being <a href="http://multilingualparenting.com/2014/06/11/parents-consistent-languages-bilingual-children/">consistent</a>. So I am not alone!<br />
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In today's post I am sharing tips for motivating language learning in pre-teens. This age group usually describes those between ages 8 to 12 also known as the 'tween years.<br />
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I've learned by experience that this age is very difficult to engage and motivate. <br />
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Tip #1:<br />
<b>Consistency: </b>I admit I am lacking on being consistent when it comes to sitting down for his lessons. Therefore, I have a set aside a specific time for spelling, grammar, vocabulary and reading lessons daily. </div>
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Tip #2: <br />
<b>Reward</b> him with some extra 'screen-time'. Yes, sometimes we have to resort to technology. I have him read on his iPad a book in the minority language (Spanish for us), and in return he gets extra 'screen-time' to play a game on it.<br />
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Tip #3:<br />
<b>Praise</b> works wonders! I often tell him how happy it makes me to hear him speak Spanish. When he translates a word I commend him on his efforts. We also joke around on how Daddy is not bilingual but we are. It gives our son a sense of pride of knowing two languages.<br />
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Tip #4:<br />
<b>Engage</b> and encourage your child in a conversation in your minority language while doing an activity together. Ask him a question in the minority language. In my case, I ask in Spanish and he responds in English. I encourage him to respond in Spanish by praising him. <br />
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Tip #5:<br />
<b>Play games! </b>You can use manipulatives such as the Story Cubes to create stories, and make it a game not a lesson.<br />
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Tip #6:<br />
<b>Focus on their interests</b>. <br />
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<li>My son loves drawing Pokemón, and other characters. I bought a blank notebook with no lines so he can create his own graphic novel in the minority language! He thinks it's so cool but, he wants to do it in English. I told him it would be cooler if it was bilingual! So with a bit of hesitation he agreed! </li>
<li>He also loves reading in <span style="text-align: start;">"knock-knock" jokes, and riddles in English! So I'm thinking about getting for him a </span>Spanish book of jokes. </li>
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Of course, even after doing all of the above I am stumped on ideas and suggestions to motivate my child.<br />
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Thankfully I reached out to my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/discoveringtheworld.frances/">Instagram community</a> and asked them for their tips on motivating language learning in pre-teens. </div>
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The response was great. I received lots of encouraging comments but the ones that I love the most were these tips from mamas just like you and I! </div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPBiR4tFNTb/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">For the past two months I have completely dropped the ball with little man's Spanish homeschool lessons. Today we got back on track but not without a hitch. He fussed and whined asking why did he need to learn Spanish! I'm like, "Really?" 😒 Though he's bilingual and biliterate he still has lots to learn! Spanish lessons at home are not negotiable, and one day he will thank me. 👏 He's in that pre-tween (8 yrs. old) stage....which I'm not digging! 😭 LOL Teaching him when he was a preschooler was so much easier! ✔Any tips you can share for this challenging stage? LOL #biliterate #bilingualchild #bilingualism #bilingualkids #teachspanish #spanishimmersion #spanishhomeschool #spanishclasses #mkbids #learningisfun #latinamom #latinablogger #kbnmoms #momsonistagram #bilingüe #niñosbilingües #español #mamasblogueras #mamalatina #aprenderespañol #bilingüismo #bilingual #homeschool #education #Spanish #bilingualisbetter #bilingualkidsrock #languagelearning #learnspanish #kidbloggersofig</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2017-01-09T00:45:56+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 8, 2017 at 4:45pm PST</time></div>
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From the mouth of these mamas: </div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alldonemonkey/" title="alldonemonkey">alldonemonkey</a>
Oh I need tips on this too, since my oldest is just entering this stage! The
only thing that's really worked so far is games, especially anything online. I
was reluctant to do more screen time, but he loves doing Spanish apps and games
online.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mundodepepita/" title="mundodepepita">mundodepepita</a>
It's quite common at that age to resist learning the home language, especially
if any peers don't speak it-I see this phenomenon frequently in my
students of various heritages. One thing I've seen change the dynamic is
finding a friend who thinks its cool to know Spanish (or the home Lang) and
wants to learn, too. This will mitigate some of the "difference" your
little one is feeling. Kids just want to be "normal" and not stick
out-which often means integrating into the dominate culture-this even happens
when peers speak the same home language, unfortunately. Hope this helps a
little bit!</li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/miss_panda_chinese/" title="miss_panda_chinese">miss_panda_chinese</a>
You will be fine and he will be fine. We just have to lead the way and adjust
the learning with his preference and interest. It is a gift we have for our
kids!</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sra_casado/" title="sra_casado">sra_casado</a> Yup!
My 8 and 9 year olds are tough!!! We have found that special board games and
books work well. My husband found some choose your own adventure type books in
Spanish which my 9 year old little loves. My 8 year old love playmobil and we
do battles in Spanish. Spanish card games and board games. And of course
FÚTBOL!!! I think the most important thing is getting them into an immersion
setting as often as possible (even if it's a restaurant meal or a FaceTime
chat) let me know what works for you!!! It's truly a struggle! </li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/diapersndissertations/" title="diapersndissertations">diapersndissertations</a> It is so challenging
sometimes, isn't it? My 5 year old resisted speaking Japanese all these years
until she met Japanese friends at kindergarten. As soon as she noticed Japanese
is useful for playing with friends, she started speaking Japanese to me. Seems
like peer "pressure" works the best, not mom or family pressure<span style="font-family: "segoe ui symbol" , sans-serif;">😅</span>Now
it's so easy for me because she is willing to use it.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/diapersndissertations/" title="diapersndissertations">diapersndissertations</a> And yes, agree with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/miss_panda_chinese/">@miss_panda_chinese</a> He
will be fine and you are doing a great job.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladydeelg/" title="ladydeelg">ladydeelg</a> I
don't have advice I just wanted to say you're doing an awesome job! Oh maybe a
prize like after 10 lessons he can get a treat?</li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bookwormsowls/" title="bookwormsowls">bookwormsowls</a>
I think you're doing awesome and keep it up. I have to enforce it more like
that. With my oldest daughter it became harder when her doctor said we couldn't
force her because she was developing her own American identity (can you believe
that). However, we have acknowledged that that was wrong. She can speak
whatever languages and keep her identity. We talk to her in Spanish and she
understands. She can read basic Spanish too. What's not that easy for her is
speaking it, apparently because of her mild ADD. However, we have noticed that
as she gets older she gets more interested. It helps when she has teachers who
are pro bilingualism and friends who speak Spanish. Bilingual books help a lot.
Making it fun too. I think hearing music is another good idea. With my little
one it looks like is going to be easier.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/barefootinbooklandia/" title="barefootinbooklandia">barefootinbooklandia</a> you are definitely
doing great and I know it can be challenging sometimes. Playing board games,
card games, charades in Spanish really is enjoyable. Also whatever he is interested
in, find him those things in Spanish.</li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/cuddlesandcrumbs/" title="cuddlesandcrumbs">cuddlesandcrumbs</a>
I have been reading both my kids stories in our language. Maybe have a story
that week then work on the lesson around it?</li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/hannacheda/" title="hannacheda">hannacheda</a> Aww I feel you mama! My boys complain a lot
when it's English time and they prefer to mind their own Lego business ;) I try
to keep learning as fun as possible, but at least with Andres I don't want to
wait too long to teach him to read in English. What works in my house: board
games, some screen time at the end of the "class". For example if we
review action verbs, I try to find an Educational game online and in the end
they can watch their own thing in English for 10 minutes ;) What else: snacks.
Making it a special time. I know that it's hard, though. Keep it going! As you
say, one day your son will thank you!</li>
</ul>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kidworldcitizen/" title="kidworldcitizen">kidworldcitizen</a>
Where did you get those verb conjugations!? I want them for my kids. I have not
practiced riding with them in a long time. Also I highly recommend Duolingo.
They have to practice speaking, writing, and reading it.</li>
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Thanks to the comments above I am inspired to start a <span style="text-align: justify;">Spanish reading club at our local library with kids his age. Hopefully, he'll find a new friend that thinks it's cool to know Spanish, too! </span><br />
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This post is part of The Piri-Piri Lexicon <a href="http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/p/a-to-z-of-raising-multilingual-children.html" target="_blank">A to Z of Raising Multilingual Children</a> series. Hosted by the wonderful linguist, and mama Annabelle with the participation of other parents raising multilingual children. You'll find useful and resourceful ideas from all of the letters in the alphabet! </div>
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Make sure you pin, bookmark or save this post and the others for later. </div>
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<a href="http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/p/a-to-z-of-raising-multilingual-children.html" rel="nofollow" title="the piri-piri lexicon"><img alt="the piri-piri lexicon" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAiaCvt-7wPCVRVPpBkIj1XFlHpHkUkGiZsuQVYpPWPCvzGUDtNjnxUB2fBjNu24-Bmkl0kqAK7o3mnSOZ_9p6n9Sqc-LPCVwdGesZ3az01hkTsRMO3cr3anmF1c4Weu7xkPgesZ8kC5Y/w1920-h1080-no/" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Do you have any other tips you'd like to share? Please do so by commenting below. Thanks!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-11932798302936852972017-02-06T16:48:00.001-05:002017-02-06T16:48:38.985-05:00Puerto Rican Sandwich Spread (Sandwichitos de mezcla)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Puerto Rican sandwich spread (sandwichitos de mezcla) is a staple in every party, event or family gathering in Puerto Rico. <br />
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What is it? It's a creamy and delish mixture of cheese, luncheon meat, pimentos and cream cheese nicely spread between two slices of white bread. <i>FYI, this is not healthy at all, but oh so good! </i></div>
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During this past holiday I hosted a party at home. Guess what I served? Yes, sandwichitos de mezcla, and they were a hit with both the kids and adults. <br />
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So if you're hosting a party or gathering why not serve something with a twist, or a multicultural appetizer like these sandwichitos de mezcla? The recipe that I used calls for cream cheese, and it gives the spread a creamier texture. Others recipes that I have seen used mayo, and others don't use the cream cheese at all.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1/2 jar of cheese whiz (or cheese spread)<br />
1/2 of cream cheese bar<br />
1 can of luncheon meat<br />
1 jar of pimentos<br />
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Instructions:<br />
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Dice up the luncheon meat, and slowly mix in the blender with the rest of the ingredients until smooth and creamy like in the picture below. <br />
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I used the pimentos liquid as well. If you need it to be more smooth you can add a little bit of milk. Spread on two slices of bread and cut off the crust. Like the picture above.<br />
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Now enjoy! </div>
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¡Buen provecho!<br />
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Speaking of spreads did you know that in the South (of U.S.A.) <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/pimiento-cheese-recipes">pimento spread</a> is very popular? It is a spread or relish made with pimentos, mayonnaise, and lots and lots of cheddar cheese all chopped up and mixed together. Unlike the Puerto Rican sandwich spread that is mixed in the blender these are simply mixed together. I had some and I wasn't too fond of it. I guess my heart, and palate are stuck on Puerto Rico! LOL </div>
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How about you? Any spread in your neck of the woods? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-420303146141638752017-01-27T20:29:00.002-05:002017-01-27T20:29:34.464-05:00Nurturing Lifelong Friendships <div style="text-align: justify;">
There is truly nothing like having friends. </div>
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Growing up with friends, sharing experiences, bonding with each other, and eventually becoming adult friends has so many <a href="http://inspower.co/having-friends/" target="_blank">benefits</a>. Friendships will boost your happiness especially when they are lifelong friends. 💗</div>
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My son is an only-child, and <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/01/friends-for-life-fostering-childhood.html" target="_blank">I strive to make sure he has friends</a>. He actually has some very close friends since he was a toddler, and although at times its hard for them to meet-up because of the parent's busy schedule (including myself) he knows they are his friends. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0__T5B_73c6XXWu8psijuf6TXKN6ea9heagzS-npltzBsCwqjQFsaPTbJ4jt9ClwfQtGg7sjrwTcUBAHLbjT9BvvpJ_iQ_wcKadcAqhD3M7VxCMhSyrUlChHI_kk2bKj1wmTu-QyCPStF/s1600/lifelong+friendships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0__T5B_73c6XXWu8psijuf6TXKN6ea9heagzS-npltzBsCwqjQFsaPTbJ4jt9ClwfQtGg7sjrwTcUBAHLbjT9BvvpJ_iQ_wcKadcAqhD3M7VxCMhSyrUlChHI_kk2bKj1wmTu-QyCPStF/s640/lifelong+friendships.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2kC6hAy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cecilia and Miguel are Best Friends / Cecilia y Miguel son mejores amigos</a> is a beautiful children's book that precisely focuses on a lifelong friendship. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclosure: </span></i><i style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.</span></i></td></tr>
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Written by <span style="text-align: justify;">author Diane Gonzales Bertrand and illustrated by Thelma Muraida they created an album of memories that reflect their shared Mexican-American childhood in San Antonio, Texas: swinging at birthday party piñatas, breaking cascarones over friends' heads and dancing at quinceañeras. </span></div>
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<i>Cecilia and Miguel are best friends, and have been since the third grade when he gave her bunny ears in the class picture. Their life-long friendship is recorded in warm recollections of bike races and soccer games, beach time and fishing from the pier. </i></div>
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<i>Their closeness endures separation, even when he drove north to college and she drove west. The relationship evolves and grows, but remains strong even when ... he dropped the ring and she found it inside her flan ... he set up one crib and she told him they need two ... the twins climb into their bed and beg for another story. In this celebration of friendship, best friends forgive mistakes, share adventures and sometimes even become family! </i></div>
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I love this book for so many reasons! As a mamá raising a multicultural child I love being able to read a book with my child that he can relate to. The kids in the book look like him, and he can actually connect with the characters of the book. In this book you'll find themes such as, friendship, culture, and most importantly the book is in both English and Spanish! </div>
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I am always looking for diverse and multicultural books. So having the opportunity to review this beautiful children's book was more than I asked for! </div>
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Now for some fun activities that your child and friends! </div>
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Remember I told you that my son has friends since he was a toddler? How about having your toddler create an <a href="http://teaching2and3yearolds.com/easy-toddler-friendship-art/" target="_blank">easy friendship art with his/her friend </a> from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds. </div>
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Friendship bracelets seem to be a hit with older kids. <br />
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This <a href="http://twitchetts.com/2015/05/2-minute-twisted-bracele.html/" target="_blank">2 minute twisted bracelet</a> from Twitchetts is super easy to make. Maria Magdalena Living Ideas has another fun <a href="http://www.marcellinamaria.my.id/index.php/19-diy-craft/141-diy-friendship-love-bracelet" target="_blank">do-it-yourself friendship bracelet</a> while Mother Natured has this natural <a href="http://mothernatured.com/2015/01/12/diy-crafts-wood-slice-bracelet/" target="_blank">wood slice bracelet</a> that kids can help decorate (adult assistance is required). Kid World Citizen shares a cool <a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/2012/07/08/diy-shrinky-dink-flag-bracelet" target="_blank">shrinky dink bracelets that the kids will enjoy making</a>.<br />
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Looking for something different? This <a href="http://www.kitchencounterchronicle.com/friendship-pin-craft-patterning/" target="_blank">beautiful friendship pin craft</a> from Kitchen Counter Chronicles is beautiful, and a unique craft for kids. </div>
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Munchkins and Moms has a great post on <a href="http://munchkinsandmoms.com/friendship-art/" target="_blank">friendship art</a>. This is another activity that both younger and older children can enjoy together.<br />
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What about an <a href="http://www.tobeakidagain.com/friendship-ice-cream-craft/" target="_blank">ice cream craft that reveals friendship words</a> from To Be A Kid Again? My son will go crazy with this! </div>
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What's cooking or not? 😊</div>
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How about making a <a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/2013/08/12/friendship-bread-recipe/" target="_blank">friendship bread</a> together with this simple recipe from Kid World Citizen or a <a href="http://www.mommymaestra.com/2016/02/rositas-strawberry-cream-cheese-wraps.html" target="_blank">yummy strawberry cream cheese wrap</a> from Mommy Maestra.<br />
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The kids can also make a yummy frozen sweet treat from Mama Smiles. The kids will surely bond over this <a href="http://www.mamasmiles.com/friendship-ice-cream/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">friendship ice cream</a>. </div>
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While I do realize my son was able to make friends as young as a toddler, not all children are the same. The Preschool Tool Box Blog shares some great t<a href="http://thepreschooltoolboxblog.com/tips-for-helping-preschoolers-be-a-good-friend-teachece/" target="_blank">tips for helping preschoolers be a good friend</a>. </div>
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Hope you and your kids enjoy this book, and the activities in this post, and may they continue to nurture lifelong friendships. <i style="background-color: white;"></i><br />
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Our mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.</div>
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Children’s reading and play advocates Valarie Budayr from <a href="http://www.jumpintoabook.com/">Jump Into a Book</a> and Mia Wenjen from <a href="http://www.pragmaticmom.com/">Pragmatic Mom</a> have teamed up to create an ambitious (and much needed) national event. On January 27th, Jump into a Book and Pragmatic Mom will be presenting yet another Multicultural Children’s Book Day as a way of celebrating diversity in children’s books.</div>
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Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries.</div>
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Multicultural Children’s Book Day will include book reviews from noted bloggers all over the world, giveaways and book-related activities for young readers of all ages. The MCCBD team is also offering teachers and librarian the chance to earn a FREE hardcover multicultural book for their classroom and library shelves. As a new incentive to schools, the Junior Library Guild has signed as a major sponsor of MCCBD and together we have launched the joint Classroom Diversity Reading Challenge.</div>
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Source: <a href="https://pixabay.com/en/teddy-bear-bear-bears-797576/" target="_blank">Teddy bear image</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-50897484420371947472017-01-25T19:13:00.001-05:002017-01-25T19:16:35.029-05:00The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule Spanish Activity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We absolutely love The Magic School Bus! What I love more is that the DVD collection that we own we can watch it in Spanish! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4f-n25am3YQnwLc_YOhuheqqk-Qeimtr54W4o19xSIbbMCdi5oz4UZEro4Y6_BtzkRCA-aYQmauJeonQQ4ZnGqFkoQ-dEg8sUI-KQKaOgXjhUYDtd8a2Bi3UawPEXcQeBOqpc0zDblVy/s1600/el+autobus+magico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4f-n25am3YQnwLc_YOhuheqqk-Qeimtr54W4o19xSIbbMCdi5oz4UZEro4Y6_BtzkRCA-aYQmauJeonQQ4ZnGqFkoQ-dEg8sUI-KQKaOgXjhUYDtd8a2Bi3UawPEXcQeBOqpc0zDblVy/s640/el+autobus+magico.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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With that being said, the "teacher" in me is always looking for opportunities to have a Spanish activity with kids. After they saw the episode "Meet Molly Cule" I got them pumped up to make borax crystal worms with googly eyes, and all! 😊 </div>
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In Spanish we discussed the video, and we went over the materials that we were going to use: </div>
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Jarro de cristal / Glass Jar<br />
Agua / Water<br />
Tijeras / Scissors<br />
Googly eyes / ojos plásticos <br />
Hilo / String<br />
Limpia pipas / Pipe cleaners<br />
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Lápiz / Pencil<br />
4 cucharadas de Bórax / 4 Tablespoons Borax<br />
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For full instructions on how to make them read the <a href="https://www.education.com/activity/article/borax-sparklers-growing-crystals/" target="_blank">instructions on Education.com</a>. </div>
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I asked each child to twist the pipe cleaners on to the pencil to make their shapes. They picked their own colors. </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtm15Lff05CfyzmT32A_1mZChHZAImYKYr8edjtZ2knKj8TLzjZtC9iWsvQpFKAR6wIXSTwzkpBbo7qPLJ3RUprp5iYTG3UF_FcqfikIkudhYwJdKt07PFZR9hyphenhyphentDzpkOOdY-p_8tcwFba/s320/el+autobus+magico1.jpg" /></div>
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Once they finished I tied the string for them, and wrapped it around a popsicle stick. Since the water is hot I poured it into the jars, and they placed them inside. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FM1slGayDbGv29dINtqfCP8zayz4C3TRdn1IHwWnvVmb7YDHRBFNv06tKLdUhaYJ-1eCObRTGv_IIXVHq8BRKqe8einQtsna8LEseAYinpd43xXntCYoTCFGmOjoS_eitRtu4Q-TZRxL/s1600/el+autobus+magico2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FM1slGayDbGv29dINtqfCP8zayz4C3TRdn1IHwWnvVmb7YDHRBFNv06tKLdUhaYJ-1eCObRTGv_IIXVHq8BRKqe8einQtsna8LEseAYinpd43xXntCYoTCFGmOjoS_eitRtu4Q-TZRxL/s320/el+autobus+magico2.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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They patiently waited for it to hardened, and were especially excited on how they came out! </div>
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They glued on the eyes, and I cut out the antennas for them. Didn't they come out cute?? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsOvyZMBESHjZYqbX1ahiF7QNMmQEuiBE4w7Z0iIYVP7OCydbNVQh1GLHDWbw7D5XWrlZPjzIqji75QEviKcicj8-VNiSKfU_bUupTrSi_n6Jwa5zjpqEQ-BKu2EQNvb9Kucw_1DtFZvT/s1600/borax+crystal+worms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsOvyZMBESHjZYqbX1ahiF7QNMmQEuiBE4w7Z0iIYVP7OCydbNVQh1GLHDWbw7D5XWrlZPjzIqji75QEviKcicj8-VNiSKfU_bUupTrSi_n6Jwa5zjpqEQ-BKu2EQNvb9Kucw_1DtFZvT/s640/borax+crystal+worms.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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Additional resources for The Magic School Bus: </div>
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<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/Games/coloring/index.htm" target="_blank">Free printable coloring pages </a></div>
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<a href="http://homeschoolbelle.blogspot.com/2013/08/free-science-plans-using-magic-school.html" target="_blank">Free Science Plans Using Magic School Bus in English </a><br />
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Interested in the video? It's available in Amazon. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The link below is an affiliate link if you purchase the videos I'll receive a small monetary compensation. Thanks for your support! </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2jr37C0" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3J3jUIDhWmrKmAXAPdQgGa_L0pCOkdusd1KDRTsBS7VtBqYF_fB2qsD0uhhhZgrVvpXNAgBNPOSBT0kp-0b-DMbcnWtZycAX9hyphenhyphenZgTEyD6dQ-FNk6e8NsEKdXilj_220wRQYOeaGTgK0/s320/df2df860b272f88f0ec5c9c96620e8fa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For more ideas on <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/p/bilingualism.html" target="_blank">Spanish homeschool lessons or activities</a> take a look at my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/francesevans/bilingual-education-resources-for-teaching-kids-sp/" target="_blank">Pinterest board.</a> </div>
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<a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="240" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/francesevans/bilingual-education-resources-for-teaching-kids-sp/"></a>
<a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="240" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/francesevans/bilingual-education-resources-for-teaching-kids-sp/"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-3227927705092279732017-01-24T13:42:00.002-05:002017-01-24T13:47:35.523-05:00How to Organize a Multicultural Event or Party for Kids Have you ever thought of planning your own multicultural event or party for kids? Well, this is your your lucky day! I'm thrilled to share with you how to organize an event in five easy steps at <a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2017/01/23/organize-a-multicultural-kids-event-five-easy-steps/" target="_blank">All Done Monkey. </a><br />
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Click on the link or on the image below. </div>
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See you at All Done Monkey! </div>
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<a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2017/01/23/organize-a-multicultural-kids-event-five-easy-steps/" target="_blank">Organize a Multicultural Kids Event in Five Easy Steps</a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2017/01/23/organize-a-multicultural-kids-event-five-easy-steps" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6V3K__Zq0C-mHHm0cSAwZT8Ib8OpZnA45xwp-weIUa6v5-PjqprWZr8AMuENGupAizxfqVPP3UYTs9BJIAMp8WLYLz3hwIUqKAdBSfU_4G1R7B_GAt1UrdqRAZna959v_JWnk3u02l74/s640/how+to+organize+a+multicultural+event.jpg" width="448" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2017/01/23/organize-a-multicultural-kids-event-five-easy-steps" target="_blank">Image Source / Image Source </a></td></tr>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-18902875647720452622017-01-02T13:34:00.002-05:002017-01-02T13:34:54.303-05:00DIY Three Kings Ornaments Epiphany is in 5 days, and we are so excited! Of course, our Christmas tree is still up and we're making Three Kings Ornaments. <br />
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This year I really wanted to make these ornaments, and it's really hard, and nearly impossible to find king shaped cookie cutters. So I made my own, and so can you. You just need a little bit of creativity. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Three Kings Salt Dough Ornaments</span></div>
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Use aluminium cookie cutters that you can reshape:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPF1dhl28Hik8RM8grd9B-Z8flMLK0wM8WBN4tjn_Tzv5NUkg7WOY1tgsym6MlKFc2u0cS-b_RvrM5bIc_sJJha4XvRPjc-2PlmCNbnOQl65l3sSM0FrwNySRE24BRInPGQo6ACCu8hxT/s1600/20161224_151631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPF1dhl28Hik8RM8grd9B-Z8flMLK0wM8WBN4tjn_Tzv5NUkg7WOY1tgsym6MlKFc2u0cS-b_RvrM5bIc_sJJha4XvRPjc-2PlmCNbnOQl65l3sSM0FrwNySRE24BRInPGQo6ACCu8hxT/s640/20161224_151631.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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Make your ornaments with salt dough. I used the recipe from <a href="http://wholefully.com/2015/12/17/make-salt-dough-ornaments/" target="_blank">here</a>, but this makes a huge batch! So next time I'll just cut the recipe in half.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WbA_TY7vCGOA1mJQWQFzAXJi-aG_VZUhrZ3ebG_-wTwGd1vOw9Xdosn5jalLXPdo3SlTfnyZToCo_gbCMfUD3s6xPMwkTEyW_4CtQj4fnVp4viQRP1T9IzTC7F9NPlI2-HBIC3PKQq2P/s1600/THREE+KINGS+SALT+DOUGH+ORNAMENTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WbA_TY7vCGOA1mJQWQFzAXJi-aG_VZUhrZ3ebG_-wTwGd1vOw9Xdosn5jalLXPdo3SlTfnyZToCo_gbCMfUD3s6xPMwkTEyW_4CtQj4fnVp4viQRP1T9IzTC7F9NPlI2-HBIC3PKQq2P/s640/THREE+KINGS+SALT+DOUGH+ORNAMENTS.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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Once they are cool draw the faces on the ornaments. I drew them with a pencil that I can erase and draw again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYzb0QujoRbw-6iam6cL1YeQLB9sOThwfhOITu_T4j0tY4cTsL0hxUsIVCHGsK60uzieCU3LhM1bbymgueJWHwB44lF7OtCzB89SAKyivj17h4-c9dnWSEU7LBdBeP6KQRUZdvb9ZOznM/s1600/DIY+THREE+KINGS+ORNMANENTS+SALT+DOUGH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYzb0QujoRbw-6iam6cL1YeQLB9sOThwfhOITu_T4j0tY4cTsL0hxUsIVCHGsK60uzieCU3LhM1bbymgueJWHwB44lF7OtCzB89SAKyivj17h4-c9dnWSEU7LBdBeP6KQRUZdvb9ZOznM/s640/DIY+THREE+KINGS+ORNMANENTS+SALT+DOUGH.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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Lastly, get your kids to help! We used permanent markers to color them, and glitter glue. Once the glue was dry, I spray painted it with an acrylic sealer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuN3Bef949XZvZkn1fi5PybGOgObp4lu89oKYDZTHrafxrjd561KdJyaz6E6mwh4QqyspsJJwI3Cm3GOUKHvK6hJwqFfi6NJVfU_B-fHTxnJHqctIgpDQvuqThcHW6XYgLgE_TW06YVA22/s1600/THREE+KINGS+ORNAMENTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuN3Bef949XZvZkn1fi5PybGOgObp4lu89oKYDZTHrafxrjd561KdJyaz6E6mwh4QqyspsJJwI3Cm3GOUKHvK6hJwqFfi6NJVfU_B-fHTxnJHqctIgpDQvuqThcHW6XYgLgE_TW06YVA22/s640/THREE+KINGS+ORNAMENTS.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
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This is a super easy, and fun activity to do with your kids for Epiphany! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! </div>
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¡Feliz Día de Reyes! </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-73797958384162424772016-12-29T15:17:00.000-05:002016-12-31T15:23:06.938-05:00New Years Eve Global Traditions<div style="text-align: justify;">
For as long as I have been married we have never celebrated New Years Eve how it is celebrated it in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico families gathers to eat, sing aguinaldos, light up fireworks, and after the clock hits 12 midnight everyone listens to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAb058tRods" target="_blank">El Brindis del Bohemio</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01x4AkO7AScuLpGetky514beguIsJ-HAWL6Bv9wP1T2OJlkzi4vJgvc-fjBDw_9ql9BT5JkAqzn_Zu5elQaIbIbWOUyu8j-9bjoHKjzvXR5hhzKV-tlGAFB5craKKL3K3v_JRkzeI8U8s/s1600/new+years+eve+global+traditions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01x4AkO7AScuLpGetky514beguIsJ-HAWL6Bv9wP1T2OJlkzi4vJgvc-fjBDw_9ql9BT5JkAqzn_Zu5elQaIbIbWOUyu8j-9bjoHKjzvXR5hhzKV-tlGAFB5craKKL3K3v_JRkzeI8U8s/s640/new+years+eve+global+traditions.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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Here at home, on New Year's Eve, little one would crash way before midnight. Hubby, and I will stay up to watch the Times Square New Years Eve Ball Drop on TV, give each other a kiss, and give our sleeping child a kiss too, then we're off to bed.<br />
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Last year, we were in Puerto Rico but little man was out by midnight. The year before that I had a New Year's Eve at noon party for kids. </div>
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Babysitting two of his friends during the holiday break was a perfect opportunity to celebrate New Year's Eve at noon. We made masks, they colored sheets, and made ornaments. I was lucky enough to have some hats from a clearance sale from last year, and that's what we used.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/xSo9xyP7hg/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Ringing in the #newyearseve at noon with little one & his friends! Happy 2015! #kbnmoms #mkbkids #mkbholidays</a></div>
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A video posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2015-01-01T00:29:37+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 31, 2014 at 4:29pm PST</time></div>
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We also counted down the New Years with this fun video below:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/119291120" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/119291120">King Julien New Years Eve countdown</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/shinestudio">Shine</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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This year we are home, and we'll probably do the same as years past. Watch TV, and then crash. On the following day we'll eat <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/01/traditional-southern-new-years-day.html" target="_blank">a Traditional New Years Day Meal</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, I will enjoy these New Years Global Traditions with ideas for kids, books, and more! </span><br />
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<a href="http://russianstepbystepchildren.com/new-year-is-coming-to-town/">New Year is Coming to Town</a> by Russian Step by Step Children <br />
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<a href="http://russianstepbystepchildren.com/russian-new-year-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-grandfather-frost/">Everything You Wanted to Know about Grandfather Frost</a> by Russian Step by Step Children <br />
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<a href="http://craftymomsshare.blogspot.com/2014/01/happy-new-year.html">Happy New Year</a> by Crafty Moms Share<br />
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<a href="http://lifewithadoublebuggy.blogspot.nl/2015/12/new-years-bonfires-in-scheveningen.html#.WGVCLvkrLIV">New Year's Bonfires in Scheveningen</a> by Expat Life (With a Double Buggy)<br />
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<a href="http://lifewithadoublebuggy.blogspot.nl/2014/12/happy-new-year-scheveningen-and.html#.WF8Gb_krLIV#.WGVCLvkrLIV">Happy New Year: Scheveningen and Oliebollen</a> by Expat Life (With a Double Buggy)<br />
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<a href="http://hispanicmama.com/2015/12/30/new-years-eve-traditions-in-ecuador-2/">New Year’s Eve Traditions In Ecuador</a> by Hispanic Mama <br />
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<a href="http://acraftyarab.com/2016/01/happy-yennayer-2966-2016/">Happy Yennayer 2966 (2016)</a> by A Crafty Arab <br />
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<a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/2011/12/31/new-years-eve-in-mexico-12-grapes-red-underwear-and-packed-suitcases/">New Year’s Eve in Mexico</a> by Kid World Citizen <br />
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<a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2015/12/28/bali-celebrate-new-years-5-times/">Bali: Celebrate New Years 5 Times</a> by Orana on Multicultural Kid Blogs <br />
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<a href="http://www.mamasmiles.com/celebrating-new-years-with-kids/">Celebrating New Years with Kids</a> by Mama Smiles<br />
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From <a href="http://www.andthenwemovedto.com/" target="_blank">And Then We Moved to</a> shares a Danish tradition: "My favorite was in Denmark: Danish tradition on New Years Eve is to stand together on a sofa or a coach or a chair and then you all "jump" into the New Year at midnight! The concept was to literally jump from the old to the new year."</div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span>All Done Monkey shares <a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/2014/12/30/kid-friendly-new-years-traditions-around-world/" target="_blank">Kid-Friendly New Year’s Traditions from Around the World with a Free Printable!</a><br />
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Looking for <a href="http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/books-for-a-happy-new-year/" target="_blank">children's books for New Years</a>? What Do We Do All Day has an amazing list!<br />
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Hope you have a wonderful 2017!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-60683411623568557832016-12-26T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-29T15:40:11.258-05:00Free Three Kings Day / Epiphany / Día de Reyes Printable Cupcake Toppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love the cute printable that I'm sharing with you today. With Día de Reyes quickly approaching it's the perfect cupcake topper for your fiesta, or Día de Reyes event. </div>
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I baked cupcakes for a Christmas party that I hosted, and I made these cupcake toppers to give them an extra special touch! </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9g9R4FsFRSUVmQzZHF4QktZV1k" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Download the Three Kings Day / Epiphany / Dia de los Reyes Printable Cupcake Toppers</span></a></div>
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As a bonus I'm including a<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9g9R4FsFRSUQm44bURLQzU2NUE" target="_blank"> Feliz Navidad poinsettia labels</a>. There are 24 per page for exactly 2 dozen cupcakes. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-27718404145254028712016-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-31T17:46:40.639-05:00Coquito for Kids Recipe and Free Printable (Puerto Rican Eggnog) <div style="text-align: justify;">
It's Christmas, and I am full-Christmas spirit! I planned a Latin flair Christmas party for the kids (post coming soon)! For the drinks besides fruit punch, and strawberry lemonade I served coquito for kids. <br />
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Coquito is like a Puerto Rican Eggnog and of course, it has liquor in it. It is a creamy coconut-based drink that has rum in it. But for the kids I'll be making it "sin" which means "without" the liquor! </div>
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Coquito is a very popular drink during Christmas time in Puerto Rico. It takes me back to my isla bonita during the most festive time of the year. </div>
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To make this kid-friendly version of coquito I used the following ingredients: </div>
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1 packet of pure creamed coconut 7 oz. (this has no sugar)<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2ijRmgz" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7wHvlHaijYRbQmAdaKzPO6VmoKCm4cg0wwSr1D9KTMxr5dN6mOoU39mfnOJNF_bc1QeduCSEVZWdJPP4_wy4V9O9_STAY0Dok0V1N4GwoOdnxSzz-4jxDH2uikjnYGBIg1N0s5Cn1Ry8/s200/610Hv14cgrL._SY679_.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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1 can evaporated milk </div>
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1 can condensed milk </div>
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2 cans of coconut milk </div>
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1/2 cup of sugar* </div>
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Sprinkle of cinnamon </div>
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Cinnamon sticks </div>
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Mix all of the ingredients together and pour in a glass jar. *Since the creamed coconut has no sugar you can actually adjust the sweetness of your coquito. You can use the 1/2 cup or less if you'd like. </div>
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Chill, shake and serve. <br />
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Will you be making your own coquito for kids?<br />
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I have a free printable for you. It's actually a jpeg file, that you can print in whatever size you may need. I would suggest to save and upload to a Microsoft Word doc, and adjust the size of the image for your label. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9g9R4FsFRSUTXFoNFBpa3laa2c" target="_blank">Printable "Coquito for Kids" Label </a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Or you can right click on the image below, and save as. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwmRnJp8OS3Eb2zA_9iMHOacjwX2NKFWd9zAl4-6VSMgUpfroTt18aaXbaNCpuDgRAPg-rM0LWblYqc34vACIGLPxcAm-UEK2XJzGbMUUE1TocXFgRK8-Ar_R37V6yj9L7Rf5A2ZH7vNy/s1600/COQUITO+FOR+KIDS+LABEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwmRnJp8OS3Eb2zA_9iMHOacjwX2NKFWd9zAl4-6VSMgUpfroTt18aaXbaNCpuDgRAPg-rM0LWblYqc34vACIGLPxcAm-UEK2XJzGbMUUE1TocXFgRK8-Ar_R37V6yj9L7Rf5A2ZH7vNy/s320/COQUITO+FOR+KIDS+LABEL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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¡Buen provecho and Feliz Navidad!<br />
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<i>Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on it and make a purchase I will receive a small monetary compensation. Thank you! </i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-80455285625657519612016-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-24T19:45:15.004-05:00Christmas in Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican Roast Pork<div style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
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The Puerto Rican roast pork or as it's commonly known "lechón asado" is a staple in every menu across the island during the Christmas holiday. Served with <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/10/arroz-con-gandules-puerto-rican-staple.html">arroz con gandules</a> (rice with pigeon peas), <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/07/puertorican-cuisine-at-its-best-guineos.html">guineos en escabeche</a> (pickled green bananas), <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2016/11/wrapped-up-pasteles-tamales-humitas-and.html" target="_blank">pasteles</a> (similar to tamales), and <a href="http://www.recetaspuertorico.com/ensalada-de-coditos/" target="_blank">ensalada de coditos</a> (cold pasta salad) it is an explosion of flavors and pure deliciousness!<br />
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Be warned! This menu is not for those on a diet! 👀 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXZcuMCk3Ype94jnNZ2js39HcaDfdxClZtLfpfCHOM5cvurFlEefp-b8iCNgjMMS99BdkIHfav5-Vmout-0BZfMTfLrnuMKFtn8Y0_ys4r4UsEVOSbOQP4asSzNKzCWd2xA8FgbDwpWdg/s1600/lechon+asado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXZcuMCk3Ype94jnNZ2js39HcaDfdxClZtLfpfCHOM5cvurFlEefp-b8iCNgjMMS99BdkIHfav5-Vmout-0BZfMTfLrnuMKFtn8Y0_ys4r4UsEVOSbOQP4asSzNKzCWd2xA8FgbDwpWdg/s640/lechon+asado.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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What is pernil, lechón asado or pig on a stick?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvR1FWUjjVDxY5mczhQgvezUqC0aljyd_yejJzZzT5tKSLTTGndiuL0nt-Ij6Tf671bVH7IlNizsp-vwop_UdMN40TWk8J4PxA73zcbmSJrrmbbVDnzAwd8pjSZNpQUC1OW6NoBX8XHLF/s1600/3752150673_a102bb242c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvR1FWUjjVDxY5mczhQgvezUqC0aljyd_yejJzZzT5tKSLTTGndiuL0nt-Ij6Tf671bVH7IlNizsp-vwop_UdMN40TWk8J4PxA73zcbmSJrrmbbVDnzAwd8pjSZNpQUC1OW6NoBX8XHLF/s320/3752150673_a102bb242c_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jjpacres/3752150673" target="_blank">Source</a><br />
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The pig roast is slowly roasted on a stick for almost 8 hours seasoned with herbs such as, adobo, sazón, oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN47gKaTLSOzBW5YXMENwSao0cIdc_IL6GXHZh6_qEAjhAc2gGhiZ0tFOh7YM6ooj9VQlCSY0nONmq3K41Hri3LzFAPOY0TWnkXyiqj1mYx9QVtXVYfLlyuly_QAZaAadiED-dWzlNG32C/s1600/241081283_65fdd99b26_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN47gKaTLSOzBW5YXMENwSao0cIdc_IL6GXHZh6_qEAjhAc2gGhiZ0tFOh7YM6ooj9VQlCSY0nONmq3K41Hri3LzFAPOY0TWnkXyiqj1mYx9QVtXVYfLlyuly_QAZaAadiED-dWzlNG32C/s320/241081283_65fdd99b26_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmewuji/241081283" target="_blank">Source </a></td></tr>
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However, you don't need to roast a pig on a stick, you can buy a pork shoulder (pernil) and roast it in the oven!<br />
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Now for the pernil recipe.<br />
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There are many different recipes, and each family gives it it their own special twist. I usually go with this one that I'm sharing from <a href="http://www.elboricua.com/pernil.html">El Boricua Pernil al Horno </a>with specific instructions, and tips on roasting the pork shoulder.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZYJ_nPNMcJhRiz0U8Hcpe7LLynv7nT9AV8ZbH9xceLXuEFSshMq2yoqDl8Bwm6vlF4oZSa0HhzymZw04mjrPLNrhxgN7R9UkbjcmRtN3HVHDNqRxp6ntqKhL7Sl_pQApVnN179S3WOeN/s1600/pernil+boricua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZYJ_nPNMcJhRiz0U8Hcpe7LLynv7nT9AV8ZbH9xceLXuEFSshMq2yoqDl8Bwm6vlF4oZSa0HhzymZw04mjrPLNrhxgN7R9UkbjcmRtN3HVHDNqRxp6ntqKhL7Sl_pQApVnN179S3WOeN/s640/pernil+boricua.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pernil al horno" Oven roasted pork roast. This tasty looking pernil was one that my Mom actually roasted. </td></tr>
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<br />
When is Christmas celebrated in Puerto Rico?<br />
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Christmas is really big in Puerto Rico. The celebration really starts right after Thanksgiving when every one puts up their Christmas decorations all the way through January 16th. Want to know more click below, and enjoy our traditions:<br />
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<a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2016/11/christmas-in-puerto-rico.html">Christmas in Puerto Rico</a><br />
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Who brings gifts?<br />
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On <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/12/celebrating-noche-buena-christmas-eve.html">Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)</a> gifts are exchanged among family members.<br />
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Santa on Christmas day and the Magi on Three Kings Day. Yes, children receive gifts on both days. You can read a fun story on how <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-day-that-three-wise-men-were-met.html">"</a><a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-day-that-three-wise-men-were-met.html">The day that the Three Wise Men were met with Santa Claus Spanish Children's Book</a>". You can also celebrate <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/10/keeping-tradition-of-los-treyes-magos.html">Three Kings Day here in the U.S.A</a>, and if you visit Puerto Rico during Christmas these are <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2016/12/christmas-traditions-6-ways-to.html">6 Ways to Celebrate Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico</a>.</div>
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¡Feliz Navidad!</div>
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Puerto Rico is not the only country with fun traditions Kid World Citizen has an awesome post on <a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/2014/11/26/christmas-around-world/" target="_blank">Christmas around the world</a> that you'll love!<br />
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<a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/christmas-different-lands-2016/"><img alt="Christmas in Different Lands 2015 | Multicultural Kid Blogs" class="aligncenter wp-image-11823" src="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Christmas-1024x1024.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Welcome to our fourth annual Christmas in Different Lands series! This year each participating blogger will focus on a different country, sharing a traditional dish and more about Christmas in that country. For even more glimpses of global Christmas celebrations, see our series from previous years (<a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2013/12/01/christmas-in-different-lands/">2013</a>, <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/christmas-different-lands-2014/">2014</a>, and <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/christmas-in-different-lands-2015/">2015</a>), plus follow our <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/MKBlogs/christmas-around-the-world/">Christmas board on Pinterest</a>! </div>
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<a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="200" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/MKBlogs/christmas-around-the-world/">Follow Multicultural Kid Blogs's board Christmas Around the World on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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<strong>December 2
</strong><a href="http://multiculturalbaby.com/">Multicultural Baby</a> on <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/">Multicultural Kid Blogs</a>: Japan</div>
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<strong>December 5
</strong><a href="http://craftymomsshare.blogspot.com/">Crafty Moms Share</a>: Nigeria</div>
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<strong>December 7
</strong><a href="http://englishwifeindianlife.com/">English Wife Indian Life</a>: India</div>
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<strong>December 8
</strong><a href="http://www.marcellinamaria.my.id/">Living Ideas</a>: Indonesia</div>
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<strong>December 9
</strong><a href="http://creativeworldofvarya.com/">Creative World of Varya</a>: Lebanon</div>
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<strong>December 12
</strong><a href="http://hannacheda.com/">Hanna Cheda</a> on <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/">Multicultural Kid Blogs</a>: Poland</div>
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<strong>December 13
</strong><a href="http://www.thepiripirilexicon.com/">the piri-piri lexicon</a>: Portugal</div>
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<strong>December 14
</strong><a href="http://www.trilingualchildren.com/">Raising a Trilingual Child</a>: Italy</div>
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<strong>December 15
</strong><a href="http://www.letthejourneybegin.eu/">Let the Journey Begin</a>: Latvia</div>
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<strong>December 16
</strong><a href="http://packngogirls.com/home/blog/">Pack-n-Go Girls</a>: Austria</div>
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<strong>December 17
</strong><a href="http://www.spanglishmonkey.com/">Spanish Monkey</a>: Spain</div>
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<strong>December 19
</strong><a href="http://uno-zwei-tutu.com/">Uno Zwei Tutu</a> on <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/">Multicultural Kid Blogs</a>: Colombia</div>
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<strong>December 20
</strong><a href="http://www.multiculturalbaby.com/">Multicultural Baby</a>: Paraguay</div>
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<strong>December 21
</strong><a href="http://www.laclasedesradufault.com/">La Clase de Sra. DuFault</a>: Chile</div>
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<strong>December 22
</strong><a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/">Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes</a>: Puerto Rico</div>
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<strong>December 23
</strong><a href="http://alldonemonkey.com/">All Done Monkey</a>: Haiti</div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/product/celebrate-christmas-around-the-world/"><img alt="Celebrate Christmas Around the World Printable Pack from Multicultural Kid Blogs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6746" src="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Xmas-cover.jpg" height="608" width="465" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>Don't miss our other posts about <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/category/holidays-around-the-world/christmas-holidays-around-the-world/">Christmas in different lands</a>, plus our printable pack <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/product/celebrate-christmas-around-the-world/">Celebrate Christmas Around the World</a>, on sale now! </em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-57291297865810082282016-12-20T00:00:00.001-05:002016-12-20T08:46:59.857-05:00Multicultural Resources for Raising World Citizens <div style="text-align: justify;">
When my baby was born (8 years ago) I was sure of one thing. I wanted to raise him to embrace his multiculturalism, and to become a global citizen. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOClS-2kIVl5__IV1RuWh_H2iJ3DIA8fRT9HAEAkHMJFs0wzIfQoCOPulMtR0qmSHgMwcwyM9ciw8ZCr4NflYao1_-9uN7BMcgFb5sEXORdGup7cUAmDv7D2T7yqvZJI5E57KMhZp2EtTF/s1600/multicultural+resources.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOClS-2kIVl5__IV1RuWh_H2iJ3DIA8fRT9HAEAkHMJFs0wzIfQoCOPulMtR0qmSHgMwcwyM9ciw8ZCr4NflYao1_-9uN7BMcgFb5sEXORdGup7cUAmDv7D2T7yqvZJI5E57KMhZp2EtTF/s640/multicultural+resources.jpg" width="380" /></a></div>
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Besides, exposing him to foods, and books from other countries I also rely on resources such as the Diversity Calendar and Games Around the World that I am featuring today. These are resources you can use to help you raise a world citizen. </div>
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<a name='more'></a>Here are my go-to resources for raising world citizens at home, and in the classroom:</div>
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Becky from <a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/diversity-calendar/">Kid World Citizen</a> has a Diversity Calendar that can be found <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Diversity-Calendar-of-Multicultural-Holidays-Academic-Year-2016-2017-2619973">here</a>. While I realize that this is for the academic calendar year, and it is December you can still use this for this month, and the rest of the year. I love that this calendar has all of the major world religions, and it also includes fun holidays like Penguin Appreciation Day next month, and International Polar Bear Day in February among many more: </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>multicultural and ethnic festivals</li>
<li>religious holy days from all major religions</li>
<li>environmental days to celebrate and honor our planet</li>
<li>United Nations International Days such as “Global Youth Service Day“</li>
<li>fun holidays that celebrate friendship, empathy, and kindness</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZNywEUG-5hbZHeFITW94W3gKYrI0VZrTLnUg2tl73Tq_1GueAKQLmAs4SrEmce5FBWB_qB5p3TtpgT8wF3rF5D190JIBBLPKyMgZnwZMjjxQq5dyIeHRXr1FB20Bt-YnjX2n6cGT6CBu/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZNywEUG-5hbZHeFITW94W3gKYrI0VZrTLnUg2tl73Tq_1GueAKQLmAs4SrEmce5FBWB_qB5p3TtpgT8wF3rF5D190JIBBLPKyMgZnwZMjjxQq5dyIeHRXr1FB20Bt-YnjX2n6cGT6CBu/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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I love this calendar, and now each month you have the holidays, festivals, and celebrations listed by dates. It's easy to follow, and a real-time saver. Perfect for the classroom or for you homeschool. Who knew there was an International Polar Day in February? You can get your Diversity Calendar <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Diversity-Calendar-of-Multicultural-Holidays-Academic-Year-2016-2017-2619973" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Have you ever wondered how to play games from around the world, and had no clue where to look? Julie from Globe Trottin' Kids has an amazing resource with <a href="https://globetrottinkids.com/2016/09/30/games-around-the-world/" target="_blank">Games Around the World</a> which includes: </div>
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<li>a summary table. Plan for the materials or equipment needed to play each game, as well as the best setting to play (indoor/outdoor) and the number of children needed to play.</li>
<li>a world map. Students keep their own copy to track the countries they have played games from.</li>
<li>35 instruction cards. The colorful cards, decorated with the country’s flag, include clear instructions to prepare and play the game, its country of origin, and printables when necessary.</li>
<li>8 extension activities. Students compare games, invent a new game, research other games, and more!</li>
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I love her games! These can be used in the classroom, or homeschool. I would also venture to use them in cultural playdates, or parties. When planning a lesson on Ghana, Japan or Australia play one of the games, and the kids will love it!<br />
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Want to know more about Games Around the World? Click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Games-Around-the-World-2575351" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<i>Disclosure: I received electronic copies of both resources for purposes of this review. I did not received monetary compensation for my review. All opinions are my own. </i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-17028457925798607682016-12-18T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-18T00:00:13.482-05:00Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop #46<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIQfWDiwg73uzm2z6W7Jse75PJldlbmOcFwPCrAfXp1hohhUMgV6qnFQG6VNSyLMOqc15QaBkND4WYsKqB_g0gyQNJOwU02NaPo8pC7CZ39gtDjwAzPyM00p6h53vyg014GAbeGWQlstB/s1600/creative+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIQfWDiwg73uzm2z6W7Jse75PJldlbmOcFwPCrAfXp1hohhUMgV6qnFQG6VNSyLMOqc15QaBkND4WYsKqB_g0gyQNJOwU02NaPo8pC7CZ39gtDjwAzPyM00p6h53vyg014GAbeGWQlstB/s640/creative+kids.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Welcome to the Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop!
The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place where bloggers can share multicultural activities, crafts, recipes, and musings for our creative kids. We can't wait to see what you share this time! </div>
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As the creator of the Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop I'm thrilled to be co-hosting the blog hop in it's new home at <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/multicultural-kid-blogs-welcomes-creative-kids-culture-blog-hop/">Multicultural Kid Blogs</a>, and the wonderful bloggers from:<br />
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<strong>This month our co-hosts are:</strong></div>
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<a href="http://craftymomsshare.blogspot.com/" title="Crafty Moms Share">Crafty Moms Share</a> on <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/" title="Multicultural Kid Blogs">Multicultural Kid Blogs</a>
<a href="http://www.castleviewacademy.com/" title="Castle View Academy">Castle View Academy</a>
<a href="http://www.bringinguptheparks.com/" title="A MultiAsian Family Life">A MultiAsian Family Life</a>
<a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/" title="Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes">Discovering the World Through My Son's Eyes</a>
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Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place for you to share your creative kids culture posts. It's very easy, and simple to participate!
Just follow these simple guidelines:
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<li>Pinterest, <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/113929086469433644201" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MulticulturKids" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalKidBlogs" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Please let us know you're following us, and we will be sure to follow you back.</li>
<li>Link up any <b>creative kids culture</b> posts, such as language, culture, books, travel, food, crafts, playdates, activities, heritage, and holidays, etc. <b>Please, link directly to your specific post, and no giveaways, shops, stores, etc. </b></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Please grab the button code above and put it on your blog or the post you’re linking up. You can also add a text link back to this hop on your blog post. Note: By sharing your link up on this blog hop you are giving us permission to feature your blog post with pictures, and to pin your link up in our <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/francesevans/creative-kids-culture-features/" style="color: #80c2d4;" target="_blank">Creative Kids Culture Feature board on Pinterest.</a></li>
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<li>Don't be a stranger, and share some comment love! Visit the other links, and comment. Everyone loves comments!</li>
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<li style="text-align: left;">The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will go live on the 3rd Sunday of the month. It will run for three weeks. The following blog hop we will feature a previous link up post, and if you're featured, don't forget to grab the button below:</li>
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<pre style="color: #072ca8;"><textarea class="tiny" cols="18" name="1" rows="3" style="height: 104px; width: 388px;"><a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/category/creative-kids-culture-blog-hop/" target="_blank" title="Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop"><br />
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Here's my favorite from last time:
Colours of Us Just in time for the holiday shopping!<br />
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<a href="http://coloursofus.com/24-multicultural-childrens-books-about-christmas/" target="_blank">24 Multicultural Children’s Books about Christmas</a></h1>
Thank you for linking-up, and we can't wait to see what you've been up to!
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-64970172406268721302016-12-17T18:45:00.002-05:002016-12-17T18:45:20.335-05:00Queen Girls Collection Children's Book<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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Now more than ever our little girls need to see themselves depicted in strong powerful women that can be found in children's books. Books that they can open to read, and see themselves as the queens they are bound to become into one day. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lzl18cn6JQIldKq_GV1stMaPbzgEUP_sTbd76sWiVuQpgYQSM3LqcXK8nWbX6UT5y9QJ-sPZ3KhKUd1L5Bf1m59u7zNydzorLOEqm-mTpzd9aidH98fDF35gd00M_AbY0F_KkfcLhDvw/s1600/queen+girls+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lzl18cn6JQIldKq_GV1stMaPbzgEUP_sTbd76sWiVuQpgYQSM3LqcXK8nWbX6UT5y9QJ-sPZ3KhKUd1L5Bf1m59u7zNydzorLOEqm-mTpzd9aidH98fDF35gd00M_AbY0F_KkfcLhDvw/s640/queen+girls+.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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The Queen Girls project and kickstarter campaign is precisely working on a project to publish their first book! Their mission? Is to inspire girls to follow their dreams and envision them as possible. This is the reason why the Queen Girl’s fairy tales are based on stories of real women stories. </div>
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<b>It's no wonder within just a few days of kicking off the campaign they have successfully reached their goal! </b></div>
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However, it is <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/queengirls/queen-girls-stories-of-real-women-turned-into-fair?token=a1b7a78b" target="_blank">never late to make a contribution, and help this amazing campaign</a>! </div>
<i><br />Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of the book “Bessie, Queen of the Sky!” for purposes of this review. All opinions are my own. <br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
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The book Bessie, Queen of the Sky! Starts with a young Bessie dreaming that one day she can fly. Although, she was being told that she was to learn how to cook, clean and become a mom she continued to dream. As she got older, her dreams of flying never went away; and she faced many obstacles especially when she wasn't allowed to go to pilot school because it was only for boys! Nevertheless, she found another school that would allow girls but she had to learn French! She did and was admitted to pilot school. She continued to face many other obstacles especially the rejection of boys in school. She worked very hard, and she finally became a pilot at the age of 30! She was in fact the first Black woman to become a pilot. </div>
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The illustrations are breathtakingly beautiful, and you're instantly drawn into the story. It's as if you and your child were right there with Bessie. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I love, love this book, and it's also a great book to share with little boys, too! So they too, can see the great things that girls can accomplish! </span></div>
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Who's behind The Queen Girls Project? </div>
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I was thrilled to hear about this amazing project spearheaded by three amazing women! <i>This multicultural team is formed by Jimena Durán (Spain), Andrea Doshi (USA) and Chiara Fabbri (Italy). They bring their diverse experiences to this initiative along with tons of love and dedication. Their intention is to open this collection to fellow authors and illustrators that could potentially bring their own Queens on board. You can read the full press release <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Lwy731ap8jjEVfX_5VVfsqj3cNzwjRqY3hNQwC4V7o/edit" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
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When Andrea reached out to me I was instantly hooked! She had me at both empowering young girls and that the books will be available in Spanish, too!</div>
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What books can you expect in the Queen Girls Collection series? </div>
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<li>“Bessie, Queen of the Sky!” Inspired by the story of Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to hold a pilot’s license in the world - When Bessie was growing up, no one could have imagined that a girl from a humble family would get out of the cotton fields and become a pilot. But with the help of her best friend Bloony, Bessie uses her courage and determination to make her dream come true! </li>
<li>“Isadora, the Rebel Queen!” Inspired by the story of Isadora Duncan, a ballerina who danced away from rigid ballet technique towards what she perceived as natural movement. Influenced by the sea, she started dancing like no one ever did before, imitating the waves of the sea with her arms and feet - She defied conventionalist minds by creating what today we refer to as Modern Dance or “Barefoot Style.”</li>
<li>“Savi, Queen of Education!” Inspired by the story of Savitribhai Phule, a woman poet, an educationalist and a social reformer, Savi was one of the earliest crusaders of education for girls in India. She defied all odds to become the first female teacher at the first women’s school founded by her and her family. </li>
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The books are available in English & Spanish. The recommended age is from 4 to 7 years old. </div>
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If you're interested in becoming a part of this amazing project please pledge to make it happen <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1491136886/1804553447?token=a1b7a78b">here</a>!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-21983417378019608242016-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-09T00:00:21.982-05:00Is Santa Real? Telling My Son the Truth about Santa <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-pqOZQaJjnXavLumHp48B-lp6xgHVzqzI1eq-XcLeKz0xBCwqkTDFOnK3mGjIymnUxFk2Kz0IwHmJJCB4Xvrt0HuTIvosEtQS963wTDfkq7iGNe2BTPZ5q0Ddyw1Du0UiB8S6ayyInki/s1600/is+santa+real.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-pqOZQaJjnXavLumHp48B-lp6xgHVzqzI1eq-XcLeKz0xBCwqkTDFOnK3mGjIymnUxFk2Kz0IwHmJJCB4Xvrt0HuTIvosEtQS963wTDfkq7iGNe2BTPZ5q0Ddyw1Du0UiB8S6ayyInki/s640/is+santa+real.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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Last night my child sits down to write to Santa and to the Three Kings. He's done this since he was a toddler where he'd scribble what he wanted. <br />
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He starts writing, and says to me "This year I didn't go overboard with toys. I only have five things."<br />
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He then looks up, and asks, "Mamá is Santa real?"<br />
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In the past years, many, many kids have told him that Santa is not real, but I reassured him that he was, and he continued to believe. I wanted to keep the magic alive, and the excitement of a jolly old man who brought gifts to him.</div>
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Listen ya'll I was torn last night!</div>
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In my mind, I thought, "OK it's time to tell him the truth!" Then I would second-guess myself, "But why, why now? He's growing too fast!"</div>
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Then I bit the bullet, and casually told him, "Not really." He looks at me confused, and eagerly looking at my face waiting for an answer.</div>
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I told him that Santa as we know him now really doesn't exist, but a man named Saint Nicholas did. He was kind man who gave to the poor and needy. As years passed St. Nicholas evolved into what we know Santa today. We as parents are kind'a Santa's helpers.</div>
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He responds, "So you and Daddy got me my gifts." I'd say, "Yes." Then he said, "No wonder I never got EVERYTHING on my list." I laughed.</div>
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Then I tell him, "Can you imagine if Santa was "real" how many millions of kids he'd have to get toys to? So yeah, that's why parents are really Santa's helpers, and the ones that buy the gifts."</div>
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He continues to write, and now he's on the second letter to the The Magi. He pauses, and looks at me. "Mamá how about Los Reyes (The Magi)? I know they're real because we read about them in the Bible."</div>
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I said, "It's the same with them, too. They followed the star to Bethlehem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for baby Jesus. In Puerto Rico it's a tradition that parents get toys to their children to remember the wise men and their journey to meet baby Jesus."</div>
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As he continued to write I told him, "Just because they are not 'real, real' doesn't mean there will be no Christmas."</div>
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He says, "Yeah, I know."</div>
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I ask him, "Do you know the real reason of why we celebrate Christmas?" He says, "Yes Mom, it's to celebrate the birth of Jesus!"</div>
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When we go to bed he says, "I love Christmas and I love you" I respond, "I love Christmas, and I love you too! Good night!"</div>
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Sigh........... so there goes that! It is bittersweet for me. </div>
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He knows the truth! LOLOLOL</div>
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Initially I thought he was going to have full-blown melt-down. He took it like a champ, and I truly believe he knew all-along that Santa and The Magi weren't real.</div>
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Nevertheless, we will continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and for fun (as long as he's up for it) he'll write a letter to the jolly old man, and the Three Wise men.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-28888966623362353542016-12-07T09:04:00.001-05:002016-12-07T09:04:43.917-05:00Stress-Free Holiday Shopping <div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfNmhpY_KpAHFoVYF5WRPXICwXYNVq9-a-WMiq5vE27dfvOTgPnpqLoxKvBBC_b-7f4y_9ArzEy9wAVV8Wb6qqMDRtmNdok-Hs2bkyvgrInSA8TifJvB5RtR2xZhEIjL4XHHVKEtjGlVG/s1600/stress-free+holiday+shopping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfNmhpY_KpAHFoVYF5WRPXICwXYNVq9-a-WMiq5vE27dfvOTgPnpqLoxKvBBC_b-7f4y_9ArzEy9wAVV8Wb6qqMDRtmNdok-Hs2bkyvgrInSA8TifJvB5RtR2xZhEIjL4XHHVKEtjGlVG/s640/stress-free+holiday+shopping.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I have a confession to make. I really hate going out to stores to shop especially around the holiday season. I cringe at the thought of long lines, crowded stores, and trying to figure out what </span><a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/gifts/christmas/christmas-gifts" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Christmas Gifts</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> to buy for my loved ones. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVat_bWHtEamOcFOQQu4z7CYeaHeeXQvE4kZi28m3-dmRHovaEBh0BqVQjOW0jG_rKhEefFsHgah8SkD3yL1gsgULZjQLFcx5xtpA2mzCaS3joLaWp6vhcsS0NG-hqRBWA1TX0jTx2ZD7E/s1600/disclosure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVat_bWHtEamOcFOQQu4z7CYeaHeeXQvE4kZi28m3-dmRHovaEBh0BqVQjOW0jG_rKhEefFsHgah8SkD3yL1gsgULZjQLFcx5xtpA2mzCaS3joLaWp6vhcsS0NG-hqRBWA1TX0jTx2ZD7E/s400/disclosure.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With that being said, I for one, love to shop online! That for me is a deal breaker! Shopping online is actually a stress reliever for me. 👀 Ha! </div>
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You can enjoy a stress-free holiday season by simply following these three steps: 1) set aside a budget, 2) make a list of whom you want to gift, and 3) shop online! </div>
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As a busy mama, that takes care of her family, and works full-time I want to relax during this season, and shop for gifts that I can feel good about for my loved ones and friends. </div>
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<a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/static/mission.jsp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UncommonGoods</a> has a large selection of products that are sustainable, and green. Their mission is to make socially and environmentally friendly products while making a positive impact in the workplace, and the world. . As an Eco-friendly company they realize that by producing catalogs they are using the earth's resources they are shifting to more business online. </div>
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For instance, gifts for Mom! Getting <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/for-her/gifts-for-mom/gifts-for-mom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">gifts that are handmade, recycled and organic for both my Mom and Mother-in-Law </a> that I'm sure they'll love is one of my priorities. You’ve got to impress the two most important ladies of your life, right? {Smile!} </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1OZFvvWhCxa5gwbFmNcMf8dSOUiGvLLxw8_M9xn39PoMWafRoTzmwCpgNXYqFGjw_JMVWi_R3gSReeLIc8Yrt5T8Z4QEbo0W3BTtUAg1slFNrJhcPav9ndUX03hc1Kf2KGsDKPbdY23K/s1600/20672_1_360px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1OZFvvWhCxa5gwbFmNcMf8dSOUiGvLLxw8_M9xn39PoMWafRoTzmwCpgNXYqFGjw_JMVWi_R3gSReeLIc8Yrt5T8Z4QEbo0W3BTtUAg1slFNrJhcPav9ndUX03hc1Kf2KGsDKPbdY23K/s320/20672_1_360px.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With my list and budget in hand I'm ready to shop at <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/gifts/christmas/christmas-gifts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UncommonGoods</a> website to see the great selection of Christmas gifts that they have. </div>
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This Christmas, I want to get hubby a <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/gifts/by-recipient/gifts-for-men" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unique, different and special gift for men</a>. Believe me when I tell you that sometimes it's hard to find a special gift for him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUEnZfZZh5jbpVXHT2LjUudijNGpNUL-sSmLma9Jzub2S3slSnJxAzuGUFyq4XVkFDABpZvgch-dUHaRSssSq7eFj85oVbjUiaWuBwbZE8PYhd52W3sqWP9okG5QDy-lvIyvnzhBAucfZ/s1600/25476_1_360px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUEnZfZZh5jbpVXHT2LjUudijNGpNUL-sSmLma9Jzub2S3slSnJxAzuGUFyq4XVkFDABpZvgch-dUHaRSssSq7eFj85oVbjUiaWuBwbZE8PYhd52W3sqWP9okG5QDy-lvIyvnzhBAucfZ/s320/25476_1_360px.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Second on the list are my sisters, friends, and colleagues. I found some beautiful and <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/gifts/christmas/christmas-gifts-for-women" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">great Christmas gift ideas for women at UncommonGoods.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZyFtGwaMBWLTy-Hl5YBgT0n1hmlLCT2yv003fsj_840nqHcjFbPH80ISSB0peColApXo8PjuqgVXg7WAbI1HB_e1Eqn7mpH0ijHJ4ZSz_tyWN8OF7Bj2dyPqEh2QXl4h0zuEcY7hyfiw/s1600/21471_1_360px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZyFtGwaMBWLTy-Hl5YBgT0n1hmlLCT2yv003fsj_840nqHcjFbPH80ISSB0peColApXo8PjuqgVXg7WAbI1HB_e1Eqn7mpH0ijHJ4ZSz_tyWN8OF7Bj2dyPqEh2QXl4h0zuEcY7hyfiw/s320/21471_1_360px.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then of course, there’s little man! Can't forget the kids. You can find a fun selection of<a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/for-kids?view=all" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> gifts for kids at UncommonGoods</a> from books, to do-it-yourself kits, and this adorable ice cream truck, too! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9gzWE6CfBuEJeP8jfCpYxwJzVuA3z8jbxcH1hRT5-Ljmw_Fi1PVXpHhh3YUfhdehUjxaZ907Gl7uppku5NUYUTxDW2dtE2aOx93-_q81tFmzo45-SzOvgsIVRCPaTdZYBS_f1KFwSTXQ/s1600/42386_1_360px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9gzWE6CfBuEJeP8jfCpYxwJzVuA3z8jbxcH1hRT5-Ljmw_Fi1PVXpHhh3YUfhdehUjxaZ907Gl7uppku5NUYUTxDW2dtE2aOx93-_q81tFmzo45-SzOvgsIVRCPaTdZYBS_f1KFwSTXQ/s320/42386_1_360px.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This holiday season, sit back, relax, and enjoy all the Christmas cheer stress-free. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">¡Feliz Navidad!</span></div>
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<i>Images source: Used with permission from UncommonGoods </i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-82337101697831860272016-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:002016-12-12T10:08:37.485-05:00Christmas Traditions: 6 Ways to Celebrate Three Kings Day in Puerto Rico<div style="text-align: justify;">
Three Kings Day is one of the most important celebration in Puerto Rico. <br />
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The last time we were in Puerto Rico during the holidays was when little one was 6 months old. I took him to Puerto Rico to meet la familia and it was during the month of December. </div>
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This past Christmas, hubby, little man and I all went to Puerto Rico! This was a holiday vacation that had been a year in the making. I planned every single detail of this trip, and the one celebration that I really looked forward to was Three Kings Day! I wanted my son to experience celebrating Día de Reyes in Puerto Rico. </div>
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Sadly, a few days before the big day, my sweet father-in-law passed away. We flew back home on Three Kings day on January 6. </div>
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Although, we didn't celebrate as I had planned little one did have fun:<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) On the eve of Three Kings Day make sure to cut some grass for the king's camels. </b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAYMD9Rv7h3/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Looking down at his shoebox! The excitement of having a shoebox full of grass for the three kings camels is beyond words. #mkbkids #puertorico #navidad #christmas #threekingsday #epiphany #diadereyes #shoebox #navidad</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-01-11T00:03:25+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 10, 2016 at 4:03pm PST</time></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) Visit La Lomita de los Vientos.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">La Lomita is actually a hill right across the Capitol building overlooking the ocean. It has been set-up as a replica of Bethlehem, where you will see a live re-creation that leads up to the night Jesus was born, and the visit of the Magi. Our son received a traditional box to use for the camel's grass, and a booklet of Puerto Rican Christmas carols. </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_xzKWsv7hq/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">We saw a live Nativity scene with animals and little one got his very own shoebox for El Día de Reyes! #mkbkids #puertorico #visitpuertorico #navidad #sanjuan #christmas #diadereyes #threekings day</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2015-12-27T02:14:42+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 26, 2015 at 6:14pm PST</time></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_xieNEP7iZ/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Christmas in San Juan! #mkbkids #navidad #sanjuan #christmas #visitpuertorico #capitolio</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2015-12-26T23:48:51+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 26, 2015 at 3:48pm PST</time></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) Visit La Casa Museo de Reyes in Juana Diaz.</b></span></span><b><br /></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAYI7Lzv7rh/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">El 6 de enero de 1884, el pueblo de Juana Díaz celebró su primera Fiesta de Reyes. ¡Así nació una tradición! This is the only museum of it's kind in the world dedicated solely to the tradition of the Three Wise Men/Three Kings. #mkbkids #juanadiaz #puertorico #navidad #christmas #threekingsday #epiphany</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-01-10T23:36:00+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 10, 2016 at 3:36pm PST</time></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4) Santa pictures? Forget that! Have pictures taken with Los Reyes. We found them at Plaza Las Americas (a mall). </b></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">5) Visit La Fortaleza where the governor and his family will have a traditional Fiesta de Reyes. It's an all-day event with a tour around el Palacio Santa Catalina, a Christmas concert, and toys are handed out to the children. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">6) Participate in a Día de Reyes festival and parade. The one is </span><a href="http://www.reyesdejuanadiaz.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Juana Diaz</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> is actually the most popular one with a caravan that drives past various towns, and cities. </span></b></span><br />
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Most importantly, enjoy this day with family and loved and always remember the true spirit of Christmas. </div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-66169167952951253042016-12-01T00:00:00.001-05:002016-12-01T10:46:45.834-05:0012 Days of Latino Children's Christmas Books and Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1mesXsZkTofNsMROpGPHU6ueGSy3R008pZUgClDH2cnC5t48Jb8zUs-O6A0j1y-E1Z-g33V0obIKoYmmQWfA3bBkZ257DMLBBWimB7C7-HabzQMZ5mud2CR4cH5guSJv_qxQmjd90Ftk/s1600/12+Days+of+Latino+Children%2527s+Christmas+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1mesXsZkTofNsMROpGPHU6ueGSy3R008pZUgClDH2cnC5t48Jb8zUs-O6A0j1y-E1Z-g33V0obIKoYmmQWfA3bBkZ257DMLBBWimB7C7-HabzQMZ5mud2CR4cH5guSJv_qxQmjd90Ftk/s1600/12+Days+of+Latino+Children%2527s+Christmas+Books.jpg" /></a></div>
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Looking to read Latino Children's books during this Christmas with your kids? I've got you covered! For 12 days you can read a different book and have fun with your kids doing an activity. <br />
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Day One: Peru/USA<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: (Not) Home for Christmas (The Wanting Monster) by Mariana Llanos</li>
<li>Activity: Now who wouldn't love to <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/12/making-magic-reindeer-food-lazy-sunday.html" target="_blank">make magic reindeer food?</a> You just need three ingredients! </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR5DnoKc74otyVmDrsxCUop2sQjAVR31CxdeYF6sEHGR3UPZV4TcRjofn5s-FyVGanh7xhcJYyLrJgT6lT-SLC8IcjsWkLKgDhieG1eSLhMuI4AXnJJggrHmopZRDN2gzB4yeWMF8gBbg/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR5DnoKc74otyVmDrsxCUop2sQjAVR31CxdeYF6sEHGR3UPZV4TcRjofn5s-FyVGanh7xhcJYyLrJgT6lT-SLC8IcjsWkLKgDhieG1eSLhMuI4AXnJJggrHmopZRDN2gzB4yeWMF8gBbg/s1600/7.jpg" /></a></div>
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Day Two: Spain/USA<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-day-that-three-wise-men-were-met.html" target="_blank">El día que los Reyes Magos se toparon con Santa Claus</a> by Ana Galan</li>
<li>Activity: Bake gingerbread kings with your kids. </li>
</ul>
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Day Three: Mexico<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/12/book-review-pinata-in-pine-tree-latino.html" target="_blank">A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Christmas Twelve Days of Christmas</a> by Pat Mora</li>
<li>Activity: Got some toilet paper rolls? <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2013/12/pinata-ornaments-20-days-of-kid-made.html" target="_blank">Make a piñata ornament.</a>. </li>
</ul>
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Day Four: Puerto Rico/USA<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: Mimís Parranda/La Parranda de Mimí by Lydia M Gil</li>
<li>Activity: Gather some instruments and have your own parranda! </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmXJOcE7K9cJY8cZnIyDxvfKPvvJl6bWKVgnK5T-Z_vp3U-ZzhuUveyTGQmkBMCiRydwAHXM_qx9NdtUJkb-pgxYLYoTYmIK4BrTRB2mif98Myfynw4tvmepbCnhX2CMjxD3wNxtfioLs/s1600/parranda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmXJOcE7K9cJY8cZnIyDxvfKPvvJl6bWKVgnK5T-Z_vp3U-ZzhuUveyTGQmkBMCiRydwAHXM_qx9NdtUJkb-pgxYLYoTYmIK4BrTRB2mif98Myfynw4tvmepbCnhX2CMjxD3wNxtfioLs/s320/parranda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Day Five: Mexico<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto</li>
<li>Activity: Feeling adventurous in the kitchen? <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2016/11/wrapped-up-pasteles-tamales-humitas-and.html" target="_blank">Make tamales at home with your kids</a>. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4QUzc3_AdwyFlkXiNuwJcdDW_nf-hhnK7ksbZQzRupHg_y4F_F5YqPujBUpThTWxjk5kFcr9BMMEEUBLtFiVsq8kxhlZb8D3l5BcB9sYt0IulFy1rrqmJQdX7JsuELsW-nFVy8-loa4B/s1600/20160925_153354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4QUzc3_AdwyFlkXiNuwJcdDW_nf-hhnK7ksbZQzRupHg_y4F_F5YqPujBUpThTWxjk5kFcr9BMMEEUBLtFiVsq8kxhlZb8D3l5BcB9sYt0IulFy1rrqmJQdX7JsuELsW-nFVy8-loa4B/s320/20160925_153354.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Day Six: Dominican Republic<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: El mejor regalo del mundo: La leyenda de la vieja Belén by Alvarez</li>
<li>Activity: Grab some branches, and <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/charamico-traditional-dominican.html" target="_blank">make a charamico</a>. </li>
</ul>
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Day Seven: Mexico<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: Carlos, Light the Farolito by Jean Ciavonne</li>
<li>Activity: <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2016/11/carlos-light-farolito-book-and-craft.html" target="_blank">Make a farolito </a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12Qz5N59htT05f0-ucHqO0qlZmI4r-vZuPrSGGxqITiuTH_cxL8rt9KLY6TZ5NcfAr_kGratl_No1Bgg3IwRp0Yvj68mfh5km-c2PkTdbrAsmzuZkYOCCD0AC3V5z3nQ6GxgdOwFuk85y/s1600/farolito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12Qz5N59htT05f0-ucHqO0qlZmI4r-vZuPrSGGxqITiuTH_cxL8rt9KLY6TZ5NcfAr_kGratl_No1Bgg3IwRp0Yvj68mfh5km-c2PkTdbrAsmzuZkYOCCD0AC3V5z3nQ6GxgdOwFuk85y/s320/farolito.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Day Eight: Puerto Rico<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2015/12/verde-navidad-green-christmas-childrens.html" target="_blank">Verde Navidad</a> by Mrinali Alvarez Astacio</li>
<li>Activity: Have the kids <a href="http://www.mommymaestra.com/2015/01/free-download-letters-to-magi-in.html" target="_blank">write a letter to the Magi</a>. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA68iaOXK4_Rq3R_IlQWMh6Weu8Qq82TOBZMBWETH3WlQpHRwg1LZY7XuCeUQGGiJHjP9_DHm3sH2pcYadIIUpVOXYOR1hIVuhS_tOR13tbhE293JpP0XfveTs6J5skpNw7Zhd9XGWm5Pg/s1600/Letter-Magi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA68iaOXK4_Rq3R_IlQWMh6Weu8Qq82TOBZMBWETH3WlQpHRwg1LZY7XuCeUQGGiJHjP9_DHm3sH2pcYadIIUpVOXYOR1hIVuhS_tOR13tbhE293JpP0XfveTs6J5skpNw7Zhd9XGWm5Pg/s320/Letter-Magi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Day Nice: Mexico<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola</li>
<li>Activity: <a href="http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2014/11/14/diy-christmas-ornaments-inspired-by-world-cultures/" target="_blank">Make a felt poinsettia </a>. It's super easy, and fun to do. </li>
</ul>
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Day Ten:<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola</li>
<li>Activity: Have the kids dressed as Mary, and Joseph and <a href="http://kidworldcitizen.org/2013/12/08/christmas-in-mexico/" target="_blank">re-enact las posadas</a>. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNYQ51UFDCH7GN6yxXaRxuPUW_OkJGltH7zarUjAR7wSV-xzWsKqaGUmhXtGgavRgRI-pLYQw8OP9rT-ME8kWyEjk4VKBG5oW2Yl1XQ57mHLdqll1j5PUwC-xTXDb91TWEH05gKcEd5Dq/s1600/120813Las_Posadas_in_Mexico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNYQ51UFDCH7GN6yxXaRxuPUW_OkJGltH7zarUjAR7wSV-xzWsKqaGUmhXtGgavRgRI-pLYQw8OP9rT-ME8kWyEjk4VKBG5oW2Yl1XQ57mHLdqll1j5PUwC-xTXDb91TWEH05gKcEd5Dq/s400/120813Las_Posadas_in_Mexico.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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Day Eleven: Puerto Rico</div>
<ul>
<li>Book: Los Tres Reyes (a caballo) by Carmen Rivera Lassen</li>
<li>Activity: Grab an empty shoe box, and <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/01/dia-de-reyes-story-time-and-shoe-box.html" target="_blank">have the kids decorate it.</a></li>
</ul>
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Day Twelve: Mexico/USA<br />
<ul>
<li>Book: The Christmas Gift / El Regalo de Navidad by Francisco Jiménez </li>
<li>Activity:<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><a href="https://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-trip-to-playground-turned-into.html">Take the time to donate to someone in need</a>.</li>
</ul>
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I truly hope you and your kids will enjoy yourselves during these 12 days of Latino kid's books and activities.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>¡Feliz Navidad </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>son los mejores deseos </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>de nuestra familia a la tuya! </i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-3340237926774635262016-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:002016-11-30T00:00:05.258-05:00A Free Anti-Bullying Resource for Parents and Teachers: We Are All Created Equal <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9Xzd4uHcYiP-dmdXecNFfO5eeF9Z36-XGhI4-ejuQ7Ux9gQBoTSJ-PE51urQU-naDNbqnwfLg8KSW4Qdy0q-fPdnQcUqunzqLDAfYJVpRINFbuvKyQCJOXoZhlF0zlXR6PsOUyoeWfbp/s1600/RespectEachOther-650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9Xzd4uHcYiP-dmdXecNFfO5eeF9Z36-XGhI4-ejuQ7Ux9gQBoTSJ-PE51urQU-naDNbqnwfLg8KSW4Qdy0q-fPdnQcUqunzqLDAfYJVpRINFbuvKyQCJOXoZhlF0zlXR6PsOUyoeWfbp/s640/RespectEachOther-650.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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I have been struggling with the dark cloud that has been overcast on our country during this past year. I was also deeply disturbed with the election fiasco, and all of the negativity in social media. I needed to take a step back, disconnect and regroup. </div>
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As an adult, I was overwhelmed and really sad. I could only imagine how a child could feel. Hopeless, sad, and uncertain of their future. Feeling harassed, and bullied by their peers by children just like them. </div>
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I find it hard to believe that in this year 2016, our children are literally terrified to go to school, to step out of the safety of their homes, and of what will happen to them and their families. <br />
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<i>Yet during this time, I am reminded that after every storm the sun always comes out and shines upon us. </i></div>
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I'm happy to share with you A Free Anti-Bullying Resource for Parents and Teachers: We Are All Created Equal. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mommymaestra.com/2016/11/respecteachother-free-download-for.html" target="_blank">Mommy Maestra</a> has created a packet to promote kindness, respect, and appreciation for diversity. Sometimes parents, and even teachers don't know how to address bullying in the classroom. This guide will be helpful even for your children with a one-sheet with three steps on how kids can deal with bullies. </div>
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What else will you find in this guide?<br />
<ul>
<li>posters to be placed as visual reminders</li>
<li>an educator's guide</li>
<li>discussion questions & guide</li>
<li>resources for parents</li>
<li>phrases parents can use when talking to school officials about their child being bullied</li>
<li>plans for students on how to deal with a bully</li>
<li>writing prompts</li>
<li>writing pages</li>
<li>and a recommended reading list</li>
</ul>
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Get your free resource guide: </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6Ip0sFmNCK4UGhUWGNlRENLd1U" target="_blank">#RespectEachOther Project</a></span></div>
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Print this packet, share it with your kids, your school, and let's help our children. Let's promote kindness, respect, diversity and love! </div>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM4ohONjhbz/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">You guys will never guess where this Statue of Liberty is located at, and no it's not Ellis Island! Nope! And this is not the real statue either. It's actually a replica of our beautiful Lady of Liberty! Did you know there are hundreds of replicas across the world? Argentina, Peru, United Kingdom, France, Israel, Japan, and many more countries. 🌏 Now more than ever I don't take lightly what she represents. She represents friendship between nations and freedom from oppression. Before air travel, ships would sail into New York Harbor and Lady Liberty would welcome their passengers, many of them being immigrants traveling to the United States for the first time. Lady Liberty is one of the first sites when sailing into the harbor, and she is symbolic of freedom. ⛵ Want to know where this replica is located? It's in Puerto Rico! Yes, my beautiful li'l island, and this replica is located in a historical area in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. 💕 There's also an engraving on the base (can't see in this picture) that reads: "Del Pueblo, Por El Pueblo y Para El Pueblo." (Of the people, from the people and for the people). . . . . . . . . #replicastatueofliberty #statueofliberty #ladyliberty #estatudadelalibertad #arecibo #puertorico #viajarconniños #viajarconpeques #viajarenfamilia #travel #mkbkids #familytravel #exploretheworld #kids #purejoy #wanderlust #instatravel #travelwithkids</a></div>
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A photo posted by Latina Blogger, Writer (@discoveringtheworld.frances) on <time datetime="2016-11-16T20:44:30+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 16, 2016 at 12:44pm PST</time></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-44906413467914045362016-11-28T00:00:00.000-05:002016-11-28T00:00:04.354-05:00Carlos, Light the Farolito Book and Craft Activity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHja32C9H2dBZ3qS2QGMikWugZEG8bQ9hvtQvlgS_vGyk4XSVlt9lYT0L5qTv7575AJM5wot2uPIajKDkwIvxPj1OY3KsAopiEk09uK-x9MsllX5fZ4J_e3XDUa85RIlQHXpZnUjvTcX5D/s1600/Farolito+Book+and+Craft+Activity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHja32C9H2dBZ3qS2QGMikWugZEG8bQ9hvtQvlgS_vGyk4XSVlt9lYT0L5qTv7575AJM5wot2uPIajKDkwIvxPj1OY3KsAopiEk09uK-x9MsllX5fZ4J_e3XDUa85RIlQHXpZnUjvTcX5D/s640/Farolito+Book+and+Craft+Activity.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2gKOYjO" target="_blank">Carlos, Light the Farolito</a> by Jean Ciavonne is the perfect book to explain the beautiful tradition of Las Posadas. </div>
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<i>Publisher's synopsis: On Christmas Eve, Carlos is dismayed to see the procession of neighbors and friends coming up the front walk. His parents and grandfather aren't home yet-so it's up to Carlos to take over Grandfather's role as the Innkeeper. But he's so frightened, he can hardly breathe, let alone sing! Carlos's triumph over his shyness, and the joyful celebration that follows, make this a satisfying story for any season</i></blockquote>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I checked this book out at our local library, and instantly fell in love with it. We also had a fun time making our own farolitos. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFVozMP-fIdkah1JFozDkYZh0P9OiJ6UOqLPLIUS4XB4KNJ7C-wtdHtw7tl-A6Hipjxq9_lVW8CoLLZhmC5Xr50ZSRdapE-rO-DZAZK1dVUAit0o_NBtenaivTiht8REOnb4dEPpWYY1M/s1600/farolito+christmas+lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFVozMP-fIdkah1JFozDkYZh0P9OiJ6UOqLPLIUS4XB4KNJ7C-wtdHtw7tl-A6Hipjxq9_lVW8CoLLZhmC5Xr50ZSRdapE-rO-DZAZK1dVUAit0o_NBtenaivTiht8REOnb4dEPpWYY1M/s640/farolito+christmas+lantern.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<li>glass jars </li>
<li>flat marbles </li>
<li>hot glue gun </li>
<li>gold marker</li>
<li>craft wire </li>
<li>pliers </li>
<li>glitter glue </li>
<li>battery-operated votive tea candles</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZe1FdbTRg1zt07yTloPYfYb_1Y8n6lHL_9K9nXtFsQDZr4bLiTjykt4uk5FExZeMIjP2S6N106D4ATk3P4IG1fjFpQo7bJfmapSoYSJdI60GJ4jy0eUxZq5lVH9EmcA9kQABIJLsCnlX/s1600/1farolito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZe1FdbTRg1zt07yTloPYfYb_1Y8n6lHL_9K9nXtFsQDZr4bLiTjykt4uk5FExZeMIjP2S6N106D4ATk3P4IG1fjFpQo7bJfmapSoYSJdI60GJ4jy0eUxZq5lVH9EmcA9kQABIJLsCnlX/s640/1farolito.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a super easy farolito craft. </div>
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Let your kids decorate the jars with the gold marker, and with the glitter glue. My son drew flowers on his. With adult supervision he hot glued the marble on his jar. Once the glitter glue is dried (I let ours dry overnight) I attached the handle. </div>
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For the handle, wrap two equal size strips of wiring around the open end side of the jar. I cut two pieces of the same size with the pliers, and wrapped them around the jar until I made a handle. See diagram below. Once finished just add the battery-operated votive tea candles, and voila! You have your very own farolito. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6DfHfQyrmYnDPwmQnzwZeivG8kPT7zJ5Gw69YiqaJjIgxFqdzxA1_M8IY4o48dWB-bYzcNQHOVQSpoH2bAT15sxMextSauZ1gNAV4I16uRYnV4r7075F-FYq7zzCHN2FCjgMaSP-CxWh/s1600/farolito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6DfHfQyrmYnDPwmQnzwZeivG8kPT7zJ5Gw69YiqaJjIgxFqdzxA1_M8IY4o48dWB-bYzcNQHOVQSpoH2bAT15sxMextSauZ1gNAV4I16uRYnV4r7075F-FYq7zzCHN2FCjgMaSP-CxWh/s640/farolito.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764739203737792618.post-70239858338405738632016-11-25T00:00:00.000-05:002016-11-25T00:00:16.044-05:00Christmas in Puerto Rico <div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanksgiving is over, and we're gearing up for Christmas!!! Where is the best place to celebrate Navidades? Simple.... Puerto Rico! This little island has the best Christmas celebration in the world!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-O80MBHjo4buuXYnffNbULbmv-Y9xxydztriIcSjkflkSFuWjR4pQAjbMXG6G3X2DG1xdb-pxnJq3vwID5sCEBhU3SoQvDLa8y6T1u3wdmPI2IaVC79-TW-n0dU22VQht_kQYoq-xwf7g/s1600/Christmas+in+Puerto+Rico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-O80MBHjo4buuXYnffNbULbmv-Y9xxydztriIcSjkflkSFuWjR4pQAjbMXG6G3X2DG1xdb-pxnJq3vwID5sCEBhU3SoQvDLa8y6T1u3wdmPI2IaVC79-TW-n0dU22VQht_kQYoq-xwf7g/s640/Christmas+in+Puerto+Rico.jpg" width="404" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2014/12/parrandas-puerto-rican-version-of.html">Parrandas are held all throughout the holiday season</a>. <br />
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December 15 - 25 Misas de Aguinaldos are special Catholic masses held at 6 a.m. and the service is sung using traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments.<br />
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December 24 <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/12/celebrating-noche-buena-christmas-eve.html">Nochebuena is Christmas Eve and families gather on this night and wait until midnight to celebrate the birth of Jesus.</a> Catholic families attend a special mass called the Misa de Gallo (mass of the rooster) and the service is sung in aguinaldos (traditional Puerto Rican Christmas songs). Gifts are exchanged on this night.<br />
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December 28 is <a href="http://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/nota/elorigendeldiadelossantosinocentes-1056059/" target="_blank">Día de los Santos Inocentes</a> (Holy Innocent Days). Although based on Biblical events when King Herod ordered the deaths of infants born in Bethlehem to make sure he killed new-born Jesus; this day has turned into a day similar to April Fools Day when folks play tricks on each other. There's also a huge festival in Hatillo called El Festival de las Máscaras. However, there are some communities that celebrate this day with a religious solemnity.<br />
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December 31 is New Year's Eve is also a big night where everyone gathers together waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Growing up, I remember listening to El Brindis del Bohemio (A Bohemian Toast) which is played on the radio. Of course, everyone ends up crying because it is a very emotional toast. </div>
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January 5 <a href="http://discoveringtheworldthroughmysonseyes.blogspot.com/2012/10/keeping-tradition-of-los-treyes-magos.html">The Epiphany (El Día de Reyes)</a> children get ready for the visit of the Three Kings, and on that day there are festivals across the island. The following days January 6, 7 and 8 people remember the kings. <br />
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January 9 After Epiphany the Octavitas begin with more parrandas, and special services honoring Jesus and the Kings. This goes on for eight more days. <br />
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So basically we are in the Christmas spirit right after Thanksgiving all the way through January 16! <br />
Ha! Yeah, that's a long time! <br />
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Then come Christmas again, and we're ready to parrandear all over again.<br />
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¡Feliz Navidad!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hDLk9z7U6Mk" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com