Today, February 7th, Mickey Mouse and all of the Clubhouse friends are celebrating Minnie Mouse’s birthday! Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie  includes five episodes and the bonus feature “You’re invited to Minnie’s Birthday Party!” The DVD  also includes two best friend necklaces to share with someone special this Valentine’s Day.

The best part about this friendship celebrating DVD is that it includes English, Spanish, and French soundtracks for our bilingual, and even trilingual, niños to enjoy! We’re giving away TEN copies of this DVD, and in the meantime make sure to check out our  Feliz Dia de San Valentin with Minnie post for free Valentine’s Day cards and activities in Spanish.

<iframe frameborder=0 width=480 height=270 src=”http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=907&playerid=69&bitrateid=314&formatid=10&clipid=e102358&affiliateid=-1″></iframe>

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away TEN  copies of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie  on DVD + Digital Copy! Each DVD includes two best friend necklaces.

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment telling us which is your favorite Clubhouse character.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post, @SpanglishBaby and the #mickeymouseclubhouse hashtag. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

Ex: Celebrate Minnie Mouse’s bday & win a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I Heart Minnie  on DVD here> http://su.pr/2bLuPc   #mickeymouseclubhouse

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Tuesday, Feb. 14th at midnight PST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age in the continental U.S. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

Wordless Wednesday: Mickey, Minnie & SpanglishBaby

The one and only picture of Ana, Camila, Vanessa and I during our Read more ...

Worldess Wednesday: Mickey Ears

My son, Santiago — who didn’t get to go with us on our Read more ...

Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland!

My girl is finally at the stage where the images of Halloween are Read more ...

Living in a border town like El Paso, Texas, it was not unusual to cross the border down to Mexico on a weekly basis. Mexico was ten minutes away and Sunday morning mass, breakfast and maybe even a haircut were our Ciudad Juarez family day trips. This was a custom for many families living in a border town. As we headed back to the U.S. the wait at the crossing bridge seemed an eternity as kids. We napped, read the latest issue of a Periquita comic or we enjoyed what the bridge vendors had to offer: Mexican candy.

Cocadas always stood out to me due to their bright pink color. I really wanted to recreate them exactly as I remembered. This February, we are steering away from the Valentine chocolate cliché and playing with coconut instead. This dessert is pretty simple and made in less than an hour. You little ones will enjoy stirring the coconut mixture and cutting out cocada shapes with plastic cookie cutters once the dessert has cooled. Enjoy and happy Valentine’s Day!

Cocadas for your Valentine

2-14 oz. cans sweetened, condensed milk
1-14 oz. bag of sweetened, flaked coconut
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
optional: red or neon pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line an 11” x 17” baking sheet with parchment paper and set lined pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add sweetened, condensed milk, honey and vanilla mix with a strong (preferably wooden) spoon.   Stir until all ingredients have been completely mixed.

Add a few drops of food coloring and mix well until desired shade of pink or red has been reached.

Spread the coconut and milk mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a flat wooden spoon, push the mixture evenly on pan, including corners. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top begins to lightly brown.

Cool for at least an hour.  Cut into squares or use a lightly oiled circle shape cookie cutter.  Enjoy or store in a tightly sealed container.

Makes approximately 20 pieces.

1. shredded coconut

2. add condensed milk, honey and vanilla

3. stir and mix well

4. add food coloring (optional)

5. stir until colored evenly

6. pour in baking dish and bake until golden

7. remove from oven, let cool completely and enjoy!

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

On SpanglishBaby we usually share plenty of movies for the niños, but here is one for the mamás, (and maybe older daughters), that we’re super excited about.

GIRL IN PROGRESS, from the same director as La Misma Luna, is about a single mother, Grace, (played by Eva Mendes) who is too caught up with paying the bills and her own personal problems to realize that her teenage daughter Ansiedad, (played by Cierra Ramirez) is in desperate need of her attention.

The characters Grace and Ansiedad of GIRL IN PROGRESS are bilingual Latinas. (Love the opening scene of the trailer which takes place in the Principal’s office, played by Patricia Arquette.)

Girl in Progress hits theaters on April 27 and we hope to get you interviews with the cast and more exclusive coverage very soon.

Meanwhile, check it out!

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

My Girl Needs Speech Therapy. No, It Has Nothing to do With Her Being Bilingual!

Yes, that´s right. We´ve hit the dreaded speech development Read more ...

Cool Whip whipped topping was looking for busy moms who, somehow, still find the time to make every day special for their families and that was something I could definitely identify with. And, well…they found me! And by “found” I mean they invited me to be one of four bloggers to be part of a their new national print advertising campaign. Yes, national…as in our pictures will appear inside the pages of magazines I actually buy.

The invitation was a bit overwhelming for me because I didn’t see an opportunity like this to spread the word about SpanglishBaby coming to us so fast and furiously.

The Cool Whip ad will feature yours truly with a top secret dessert of our creation and a paragraph telling the world about my joint-custody cyber baby: SpanglishBaby.com!

The shoot took place in NYC the first week in January. As you might remember, I was in El Salvador spending the holidays with the familia during those days. So, this busy mamá had to fly out to freezing New York City for two days while my girl and husband were well-fed and well-loved in El Salvador.

In NYC, I got to meet the fabulous three bloggers who were also chosen for this campaign. We instantly bonded as we saw each other get transformed for the shoot at a beautiful studio loft overlooking the Chelsea Piers and the Empire State building.

At first I was nervous about what to expect because even though I´ve been in these scenarios plenty of times behind the scenes, this was my first time in the actual spotlight with people primping and staring at me. The photographer was adorable and funny and totally made us at ease as we posed with our imaginary Cool Whip creations.

The campaign launches in March and I can´t wait to see the ad and share it with the SpanglishBaby familia!!

Disclosure:  I am working in partnership with the Cool Whip brand and I am receiving compensation for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

There is one thing I have noticed about SpanglishBaby’s (and other parenting blogs’) readership that I don’t like: very few fathers are represented! This is nothing new; moms have historically been the ones attending playdates and talking about the trends in diaper bags. Still, fatherhood has changed considerably and, when it comes to maintaining a home culture and language, the presence of Papi is just as important as that of Mami.

Since my significant other is one of the most admirable fathers I have ever known, I decided to ask him a few questions about how he feels about his role in our multicultural family. Christian is father to two beautiful preteen girls and stepfather to my 4-year-old son.

Why did you decide to raise your kids to be bilingual, and how committed are you to this decision?

Spanish has been an important factor in my life, connecting me to friends and family members I wouldn’t have otherwise known. I am very committed to giving this same advantage and cultural pride to my children. Even though we speak lots of English at home because of homework and daily rituals, I still believe that Spanish is their first language and I never cease to emphasize that. 

Who reinforces Spanish the most for your kids?

My parents have been instrumental in keeping up Spanish at home, because they are not comfortable speaking English. From a young age, my daughters became accustomed to speaking only Spanish with their abuelos and it reassures me every time I hear it that they are part of the Spanish-speaking world that I call my own. 

Do fathers and mothers play different roles in giving kids bilingual skills?

Fathers should be just as involved as mothers in all aspects of parenting, but especially in maintaining a native heritage and language. Children of both genders look up to fathers differently, and I feel that if I portray a genuine interest in and respect for Spanish, they will emulate that.

What do you wish you had done differently throughout the years regarding Spanish and your children?

I would have spoken more Spanish at home with their mother, but more importantly, I would have spent TIME reading, writing, and discussing life in my native language. As second-generation Americans, my kids are more likely to lose the drive to speak Spanish, and I should have been more conscious of this when they were very young.

What is the best way for fathers to approach school-aged children who are resistant to speaking Spanish?

Consistency is key. It must be an expectation, along with chores and manners, but also must come from a genuine place. Children can feel when we aren’t being true to our own values. Since they do as we do, not as we say, we must also force ourselves to use Spanish every chance we get, or we will lose a bit of that sincerity and our kids will follow suit.

When was the last time you asked your father, brother, uncle, boyfriend, or husband about his commitment to raising truly bilingual kids?

Let’s make a concerted effort to open the conversation to the male voices, and remember that they are more than just backup.

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

The Diamond Edition of Lady and The Tramp, the adorable story about puppy love will be released February 7th  on Blu-ray and DVD. This song-filled Disney classic is coming out just before Valentine’s day for your family to enjoy. And as always with Disney movies, your niños can enjoy La Dama y el Vagabundo en español!

My girl was anxiously awaiting this one because she´s totally at the age where she´s learning about love and the classic spaghetti scene had her blushing and giggling. So cute to watch!

Scroll down for the giveaway, and click the image above to enjoy these awesome Lady and the Tramp games and activities in spanish with your niños :

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away FIVE  copies of Lady and the Tramp  on Blu-ray and DVD!

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment telling us if you´ve seen the movie and what your favorite part is.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post, @SpanglishBaby and the #ladyandthetramp hashtag. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Thursday, Feb. 9th at midnight PST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age in the continental U.S. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

My husband and I just found a tiny Cuban restaurant in Denver which opened only a couple of months ago and it was like being transported to, well, Miami… because, unfortunately, I’ve never been to Cuba.

¡Delicioso!

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

Wordless Wednesday: Así era

Hay un capítulo en el libro que estamos escribiendo Ana y yo – Read more ...

Wordless Wednesday: La Mariposa

Vanessa, el nombre de mi hija, significa mariposa. No wonder she Read more ...

Thank you,

Frank

Hi Frank,

I hear your frustration… I can assure you that you are anything but a failure – you have only just begun the long journey of raising bilingual kids! So don’t give up…!

If it’s any consolation, I had a similar struggle with my son when he was around 3-4 years-old. His receptive language was very good (i.e., he understood practically everything in Spanish), but his productive language was limited. Not only that, but he actively refused to speak in Spanish, and he resisted reading or watching TV in Spanish. I can tell you that now, at 8 years-old, he is doing MUCH better (you can see for yourself by viewing some of Niko’s videos in Spanish on our YouTube channel).

How did this transformation happen? I wish I could say with certainty. I will tell you that we just kept on speaking to him in Spanish, reading in Spanish (when he wasn’t too resistant), and exposing him to the language on TV and in movies. At some point he started to identify with my husband’s Colombian culture (he told a classmate on the school bus that he was Colombian!), and even using Spanish words here and there. Productive language continues to be a challenge, so two years ago we enrolled him in a heritage language Spanish school on Saturdays (he doesn’t love it, but that’s ok!)

With your children, the key is patience and consistency. It’s best not to show your frustration if your kids resist your efforts. I found it better to use “tricks” like reverse psychology (i.e., “I am so glad I get to read this great book all by myself!”) and pick and choose your battles. You can also access many excellent online games and videos. Here’s a quick list (you can access my entire collection on my Delicious bookmark page or on my website):

• Primera escuela
• Juegos arco iris
• Mi disegni
• Chillola
• Hello-world
• 123 Teach Me
• Learn 4 Good

Your daughter’s accent can be improved with more access to hearing the language. It is not too late for her to develop a native-like accent. I can’t tell from your post, but it seems as if you are the native speaker of Spanish and your wife is a native English speaker. If this is the case, you should speak Spanish to your kids, and your wife can speak in English. According to research, this is the best way to develop a balanced bilingual. If you speak to her mainly in Spanish, you shouldn’t need to hire a tutor.

I hope this helps, Frank. You can do this! Stick with it and you’ll see the results. Buena surety!

Lori

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

Like any little girl her age, my 5-year-old daughter loves to draw. Like any little brother, my 2-year-old son loves to copy her. And so they can sit there for a nice long while surrounded by paper and crayons, markers, pens and pencils. She drawing and making up her own little books and him scribbling.

I’m not a very artistic person, but I do love art. Although my husband doesn’t really draw, he’s been a photographer and videographer for more than 20 years. Our kids have been exposed to all kinds of different art, but I don’t think we really had a lot of book specifically about art and/or artists until now.

My Scholastic Parent Circle pick for February from Club Leo’s catalog is an art and imagination pack which contains six books about topics that range from colors to artists’ lives. Check out the titles:

1) ¡Compórtate, Pablo Picasso!

2) El libro de colores de Coneja Blanca

3) Diego

4) Frida

5) Abecedarios

6) Mi vida en colores

The ones about the artists are a great introduction to some of the masters just for kids. My favorite is the one about Frida Khalo, which my daughter was able to read all by herself. I love how the author tells Frida’s life story in a way even my daughter was able to understand. Not to mention the illustrations that are absolutely gorgeous and go perfectly with this book.

The other thing that I loved about this pack is that there was something in it for both my kids. In other words, my 2-year-old is too little for the books about the artists, but he loved the ones about the colors. On the other hand, a couple of the books were too simple for my 5-year-old, but that means she could read them all but herself.

The Giveaway

We’re giving away one Art and Imagination Pack to one lucky winner.

To enter, all you have to do is leave us a comment telling us how you expose your children to art.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Sunday, February 5 at 11:59 p.m. EST and is open to everyone with a U.S. mailing address over 18 years of age. Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

The Secret World of Arrietty hits theaters February 17th. This family film from Disney and Studio Ghibli, based on Mary Norton´s children´s book series “The Borrowers,” follows the story of Arrietty, a tiny fourteen-year-old girl,  who lives beneath the floorboards of a suburban garden. Like all little people, Arrietty and her family live hidden from view of the their human  homeowners and only occasionally venture out to collect scrap supplies. But all that changes when twelve-year-old human boy named Shawn moves into the home.

We’ve rounded up five printable activities and coloring sheets for your niños to enjoy in the meantime.

Click here for the printable activities and coloring sheets. 

And if you want to find out more about his movie check out the trailer here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMe7PavaRQ

Thanks for being a subscriber and reading our posts! We'd love to have you join the conversation on Facebook and get to know you on Twitter.

Related Posts

4 Fun Activities for Spanish Playgroups

Joining a Spanish speaking playgroup is a great support for Read more ...