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Featured in San Antonio Express-News' Conexion Latino Gift Guide 2012

2012-12-06T21:13:14-05:00

'Babel Animalitos' Onesie Featured in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine's Holiday Gift Guide

2012-12-03T17:13:43-05:00

We're so excited that pnmag.com has featured our popular Babel Animalitos onesie in its holiday gift guide this year. This was one of the two designs that we launched our shop with exactly one year ago, and it's still a customer favorite!

Con Mi Burrito Sabanero ...

2012-12-03T10:17:51-05:00

We love this song during Christmastime, especially when Juanes sings it ;)

Villancicos - What's Your Favorite?

2012-11-30T18:26:32-05:00

Conoces este?

Canta y No Llores baby tee

2012-11-27T13:46:04-05:00

Our latest baby tee Canta y No Llores. Isn't is sweet?

Justice Sotomayor to Sesame Street Abby: Princess Not a Career

2012-11-12T12:09:48-05:00

Our favorite Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited Sesame Street for the second time this year. This time, the life-appointed justice explains to little Abby Cadabby what a career is, and what it isn't.

"Abby, pretending to be a princess is fun, but it is definitely not a career," Justice Sotomayor explains to the little pink muppet Abby Cadabby.

I used to be vehemently opposed to princess play and when my daughter K was smaller, and I tried to buy her lot of gender neutral toys. But sooner or later most little girls are bound to get the princess bug, and it's happened with mine, although it's not too bad. And I guess I just loosened up too, because I've bought her the Disney classic films like Snow White, Cinderella and the Princess and the Frog - which I love all three films myself, so she definitely knows what princesses are. And well, she did go to a full-on princess birthday party this weekend and even came back with a crown. And my MIL has always called her 'mi princesita' so there was no escaping.

Three years into parenthood and the way I see it is just how Sotomayor explains it: it's totally fine to pretend to be princess. I mean, it's all a part of childhood imagination. And it's sweet. But the sooner children start aspiring to be doctors, lawyers and engineers and not princesses, the better, IMHO. I asked my 3-year-old what she wants to be when she grows up, and I'm glad to report she said TEACHER!!! We definitely love teachers in our household.

Then there are the little girls who want nothing to do with princesses, and hate them in fact. Check out this video of a little girl telling Princess Kate Middleton's sister Pippa what she really thinks. Hilarious!

Mijito & Mijita T-shirt and Onesie Coming Soon

2012-11-02T17:35:57-04:00

We are in love with these Mijito and Mijita T-shirt and onesies that will be up for sale on our website just in time for the holidays. Mijito, which is short for 'mi hijo+ito' or my little son, is the perfect shirt for your beloved little boy, and ditto for the Mijita shirt for your hijita.

Se Habla Spanglish T-shirt Coming Next Week!

2012-11-02T17:29:45-04:00

Stay tuned for our new awesome design: Se Habla Spanglish. We do, and we're proud of it. It'll be available in men's, women's and kids sizes. Can't wait. Check back soon.

Baby Shower for a Very Hungry, Pregnant Latina

2012-09-14T11:43:24-04:00

In case you missed it, check out my guest blog post about throwing a Latina-inspired baby shower on SpanglishBaby.com. I have to thank my in-laws for having it and for letting me be metiche in the planning. We all had a wonderful time, and the Mexican/Peruvian/Nicaraguan food served hit the spot perfectly.

A lot of the decorations, foods and recuerdos we used came from the inspiration we gathered through our Pinterest board Latino Baby Shower. My mom helped me sew the lavender sachet bags using a beautiful calaveras print and tying it together with a pink gingham fabric. And the lavender, well, that came from our front yard. But I can say now that the job of separating the dry lavender buds from the stem was not fun on my hands. But the end product smelled great! Oh, and the Mexican matchbox favors is something I enjoy making, and actually sell in my Dos Borreguitas Etsy shop.

So I know we all use Pinterest to fantasize about having, buying or making beautiful or tasty things, but I think this Latina baby shower proves it isn't too hard to pull off in real life, especially if you have comadres to help out.

Like a Jefa!

2012-09-14T10:12:29-04:00

Know the meme 'Like a Boss'? It's when you take charge and do something with authority, Like a Boss! Well, in my household, and in true Latina style, I do things Like a Jefa! So to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month which starts tomorrow, September 15 through October 15, here's a poster to celebrate Latino history and all the Latinas who have been doing things like a jefa for generations now. It's a picture of Las Adelitas, the soldaderas who joined the Mexican Revolution. They're totally fierce!

Are you going to any celebrations or know of any great exhibits or festivals for Hispanic Heritage Month? Share with us, let us know.

Have a great month, jefas.

Spanglish is my Language

2012-09-02T19:10:36-04:00

Hablas Spanglish? Well, Feliz Labor Day, amigos :)

Big Onesie Sale: Buy 3, Get One FREE!

2012-08-30T14:43:24-04:00

Have baby showers and baby birthday parties to attend? Or want to get a head start on stocking up on Christmas gifts. Well, check out our latest fabulous steal of a deal: buy 3 of our super cool baby onesies, get one FREE! All you have to do is select the four you'd like, then use the coupon code FREEONESIE at the checkout, and you'll get the four for the price of three. Simple enough. This sale won't last long so hurry.

Favorite Finds: Unique Gifts for Latinas

2012-08-23T05:12:21-04:00

If you're anything like me, any time you head out to a mall or department store looking for things for yourself you inevitably end up in the kids section or kids stores looking for cute things for your little ones. It's one of the reasons why I like shopping online, and why I looooove Pinterest, because its a visual reminder of all the things I've liked and bookmarked across the web. At least it's let this hot mess of an online shopper and browser get some order in her life. I thought I'd do a little round-up of a few of the things I've been eyeing lately that are awesome unique gifts for Latinas, and our honorary Latina comadres too. Or really, anyone with fab Spanglish style.

Virgen de Guadalupe & Frida Nail Decals

So I've been eyeing these nail decals on Etsy for a few weeks now and I pinned them to my Things for Mama board on Pinterest. I've tried the Sally Hansen nail decals before and I loved them. So easy, just like taping nail polish on. And at least for me, it lasts longer than regular nail polish. But when I saw these, totally custom-made for a Latina, I was like GOTTA HAVE! I mean, La Virgen de Guadalupe and Frida Kahlo -- they are like the mother and madrina of all Latinas. And they also have Dia de los Muertos and Morrissey decals! I haven't bought yet but am thinking of getting some for me and my mom. I also think these would also make awesome regalitos for bridesmaids. So fun!

Frida Kahlo & Amor Necklaces

I just bought the cutest floral headband for my little girl (shown in this pic) and I looooove how this Frida necklace beautifully captures one of the signatures of Frida Kahlo, her floral headbands. This would be an awesome Christmas gift to myself :)

And well, this Amor necklace is just beautiful. I've been eyeing it for months now. I can totally see myself wearing it every day, since I tend to lean more toward simple, classic jewelry.

La Chingona Fine Art Print

Finally, this print is just awesome! The line is inspired by a poem - read it here. I would love to hang it up in my office as a reminder to myself to be a strong woman every single day. No, not just strong, to be chingona.

Favorite Finds: Taxidermied and Mounted Piñatas

2012-08-07T09:40:23-04:00

Truth be told, I think I have much more fun shopping online than I do in real person. Mostly, it's because I love stumbling upon the unexpected, which is more likely to happen in the black hole of the Internet than in a chain retail store. Don't get me wrong, I loooove classic and nostalgic things, like oxford shoes or smocked dresses for baby girls, but I get the greatest pleasure and kick out of seeing a clever twist on something classic.

I'm always coming across the coolest things on Etsy.com and via Pinterest, and I thought I'd start a weekly blog post series called 'Favorite Finds' to showcase some of these things. Most of these are pinned on our Dos Borreguitas Pinterest boards, too. I started DosBorreguitas.com originally as a blog where I could post cool baby and kids finds with a Latino or bilngual twist. That led to tons of ideas and eventually, taking a leap and turning Dos Borreguitas into an online shop specializing in cool T-shirts and onesies for the Spanglish aficionados out there. Anyway, this blog feature goes back to Dos Borreguitas' roots of featuring fun Latino-inspired kids finds from the web.

Taxidermied Piñatas

When I first saw these mounted piñata heads pictured above on Etsy.com, I was soooo excited (thrileada!). Maybe it's because I grew up in South Texas in deer country and seeing taxidermied animals just gives me a warm fuzzy home feeling. But I much, much prefer to see an adorable unicorn piñata head mounted on the wall than poor Bambi's father. Here's a blog post on how one of these mounted piñata heads would look in a nursery. Adorable!

I think the coolest part is that you can send this Etsy shop the piñata head from your kids' birthday party (and let's face it, at the end of the massacre that's all that's left hanging from the rope) and they'll mount it and attach a brass plate with the party information on it. I looooove this idea. These would be perfect wall decorations for a playroom. Maybe for K's next birthday. She already has a taxidermied plush unicorn in her bedroom, which I bought from Cherrybox Studios at a crafts show a few years ago. The Plushkill Forest series they have is a bit edgy to be hanging above a kids toddler bed, but it looks awesome and is definitely one of my favorite finds for her bedroom. Adding a taxidermied piñata head would go right with our theme.

Do you have a Favorite Find for your kids that is Latino-inspired? Let me know in the comments below so I can feature it!

It's Another Baby Girl for Us!

2012-07-31T11:16:14-04:00

... and as you can see, she's already shaking things up before she's even said "Hola!" to the world. We're so glad that by Christmas this year we'll have another hijita in our house. I have to say I love spending my days with my little girl by my side, although she's just turned 3 so she'll be starting pre-school next month. Sniff, sniff. I already know it's going to be waaaaay harder for me to detach than it will be for her. But I suppose I should enjoy the little break, because in a few months it'll be back to the beginning with a brand-new baby.

My first trimester was pretty awful. No serious complications, just 24-7 nausea that left me feeling beat down and wanting to spend my days under a rock in a dark cave. Mother's Day brunch did not end well for me, let's just say that much. But once the second trimester rolled around the veil lifted and I felt like I could do backflips up and down the street. It's amazing how your body just adjusts to all the changes happening and suddenly, you feel great again.

Now that's I'm past the half-way mark I'm starting to get excited about nesting. My heart melts when I see little onesies or infant-sized diapers. I remember when K was born, I'd look at the 12 months dresses and onesies hanging in her closet and they looked so huge to me, and it felt like it would be ages before she fit into 2T. Well, she's past that point, and I just don't know where time went. Enjoy your babies when they're babies. Enjoy your toddlers when they're toddlers. Savor each and every moment, every single mundane day, because one day you'll miss it. I remind myself of that every day and honestly, it makes me pretty happy to live in the moment.

So yes, it's a girl! My poor husband will be outnumbered by a long shot now - we also have two girl dogs. Pobre, but the three (K included) of us are just as thrilled and happy as can be. And as for our other baby, DosBorreguitas.com, well, this just means we'll have plenty of fresh inspiration with this baby!

On-the-Go with Kids Means a Few Tweaks

2012-07-30T16:29:10-04:00

The husband and I have always been on-the-go-type people. Or as we say back home in South Texas, we have pata de perro, which translates to dog's feet. At least in my hometown, where I'd say most back yards are non-fenced, dogs are frequently seen roaming the streets. They walk alone, or run with a small pack of their friends. Most are not stray dogs, but they are not homebody's either. Like us!

Having our first child three years ago didn't slow us down as much as I thought it might. Sure, you can't move through a city as quickly, and going up and down the New York subway toting a toddler and stroller and diaper and shopping bags up the stairs in hot, steamy weather is no fun. At all! But for the most part I can say I haven't felt like having a child has slowed us down much. It's just meant that we do things a little differently when we travel or head out to explore our own city. It means we avoid fancy restaurants, and go for the laid-back, but still savory, types of restaurants. And we try to eat dinner before 7, when the dinner crowds arrive. As a parent, you want to show your child the world -- after all, you are your child's first teacher -- so in truth it's actually made us better explorers. Like taking your kid to a dairy farm -- that's not exactly some place I would've visited as a non-mom, but with kids it's wonderful. And the ice cream was yum.

So yup, we're still callejeros! I love that word, which in Spanish means someone who is always in the streets, or in la calle. I love letting others know that we love being on-the-go, which is why we came up with our Callejeros T-shirt for kids and creeper for baby. Our 3-year-old has become an excellent callejera, I'm proud to report!

Cool Lucha Libre T-shirts for the Whole Family

2012-07-29T16:35:29-04:00

Check out the pic of the husband and our little girl, who just turned 3, wearing matching Lucha Libros T-shirts. Heck yeah, dad and daughter in matching T-shirts. I'm loving it. And they were loving getting their bag of fruta con chile y limon on the streets of DC. Yup, DC streets channeling a little bit of Latin American flavor. All is good in the world :) Nothing like a bag of fruit when it's close to 100 degrees outside.

Until now, our focus has been on creating cute Latino baby creepers and toddler T-shirts. But we kept hearing the rave reviews about our Lucha Libros T-shirt, and received a lot of requests to carry this shirt in bigger sizes. So, we listened! This popular and cool lucha libre T-shirt is now available in Men's, Women's and Kids sizes S, M, L and XL. We hope to carry other shirts in the future in bigger sizes, too.

I'm so glad to see so many of our non-Latino (or shall I say non-Mexican) amigos loving this shirt. I think we have to thank Nacho Libre for letting the world know all about Mexican wrestling and luchadores. I've always had a fascination and love of lucha libre. It can be kitschy fun, just like our twist of making it Lucha Libros and having the two books wrestling it out.

The women's T-shirt has a nice fitted look. I had requests earlier from bilingual teachers and even a bilingual librarian. Yes, this would make the perfect gift for a bilingual teacher!! Or really, anyone who loves reading and thinks books are fun and cool. These shirts would also make the perfect gift for anyone having a new baby. New shirt for mom, dad and infant. Super chido.

Piñata Candy, con chile o sin chile?

2012-07-20T12:55:39-04:00

Since I bought my daughter a big lion piñata for her birthday, I had to buy a ton of candy to fill it with. Luckily, I was in Laredo where the Wal-mart store has an awesome selection of Mexican candy. And a lot of it was picoso, to my delight! Check out this massive bag. Heaven for me, not so much for the teeth. Mmmm, tamarindo, chile, limon, sugar - all mixed into one delicious sweet. Yum.

My little one, however, has not developed the taste for Mexican candy yet, and she definitely doesn't like hot candy. So I stuck to the piñata mix that had lollipops and bubble gum, including Canel's. And although I didn't buy the Skwinkles candy, I love the name, like escuincle - or little kid!

And look at what K's Tia brought her last week. I think she said a friend of her brought them to her from Peru. Chupetin Colorado lollipops, perfect for all the viejos who are still nostalgic for el Chapulin Colorado.

Circus Birthday Party and the Search for a Lion Piñata

2012-07-19T21:44:49-04:00

Our daughter just celebrated her third birthday (sniff, sniff), and since we were going to be in Texas this month visiting family we decided to throw her a little family fiesta, with a big ole piñata, por supuesto. I always prefer general themes, versus character-centered birthday parties, because they're so much fun to put together. Last year we made her a pink cowgirl birthday party, haystacks and cowboy hats included. And this year I thought circus would be fun, since she loves Dumbo and Olivia.

I bought a lot of decorations online, but waited until I was in Laredo, Texas to go searching for the perfect piñata. I love piñatas, which is why I paid homage to them with our fun Piñata Party t-shirt. I figured I would find tons of stores, no, massive warehouses, bulging with every single kind of piñata possible. Well, if there are such warehouses, they sure aren't listed on Google or Yahoo! business pages, which made my search tough. I did find a few stores down la calle San Bernardo, which has always been known to have piñatas, but their selection was pitiful. And they were mostly of those not-quite-right Minnies and Hello Kitties, you know, with the slightly off faces. And a lot of Angry Bird piñatas. Must be what's hot, still, apparently. By the third store I stepped into they told me I'd probably have to custom order a piñata, especially if I wanted something related to a circus. Whaaaaat??? In Laredo? If you can't find a piñata in Laredo, where else can you find one? And I REFUSE to buy a Party City piñata. To me, they're just not the real thing.

Well, it was about ten minutes 'til 5 and I was totally deflated when my mom remembered she had seen a store a few blocks from where we were that had two little piñatas hanging outside. It was more of a talavera pottery and Mexican home goods store from the looks of it outside, but I was desperate and cranky from my search. I parked and rushed in and just asked the older man working the counter exactly what I was looking for, algo del circo. And his response: Sure, look in the back room here, it's filled with all kinds of piñatas. Aye Dios mio, and it was! It wasn't a warehouse but it was a huge room, and there were lions! Horses! Zebras! Tigers! And monkey piñatas! And all that on top of the usual Disney knock-offs and traditional star piñatas and so much more. I was beyond ecstatic. I wanted all of them. I liked the lion so I took it, for $20. Not bad.

So the party was a blast, especially the photo booth, where the kids and viejos put on their big smack-ready lips and bigotes. I served circus/carnival type food: frito pie, nachos, hot dogs, popcorn, shelled peanuts, lemonade and root beer. And I a little fun making the strongman's barbells with peppermint sticks and marshmallows, and of course, I had to buy animal crackers. K and her cousins played pin-the-tail-on-the-elephant and a few other games. And the poor piñata got a good banging. It probably would do some adults some good to get a piñata every few months and let loose. Stress reliever!

Spend $40 this Summer, Get a Mercado Tote Gratis!

2012-06-08T19:32:56-04:00

Has your summer officially started? Where we live, the kids are all still in school. Bummer, right? And so really, the summer gallivanting is still not in full swing just yet. But the toddler and I have already been hitting the swimming pool for the last few weeks for swimming lessons. And I've been using one of our cute little mercado totes to carry our wet swimsuits and towels home. This mercado tote is made of the same plastic mesh used in typical Mexican mercado bags. So it breathes!

So you want one? Well, anyone who spends $40 or more in our shop will get one for free this summer. Coolísimo, no?!

Congrats to Our Giveaway Winners

2012-05-05T13:26:54-04:00

Congratulations to the four winners of our awesome giveaway: Maricela B., Rayetta T., Ada J. and Vanessa S. Your packages will be in the mail next week. Was hoping to send them off this week but I am waiting for an extra goodie that I wanted to include to be delivered to me before sending off. But you'll get them soon.

Thanks to everyone who entered. More giveaways in the future, so be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up with the latest. Gracias.

Gearing Up for Cinco de Mayo

2012-05-03T13:22:04-04:00

As I look back at how Cinco de Mayo has evolved in this country over the last 20 years, I can't help but think it's headed the way of St. Patrick's Day and will one day be known not necessarily because its roots and history, but just as a Mexican heritage cultural celebration. And I'm fine with that. In fact, I love this. With kids, though, you always want to explain the 'why' so it's worth brushing up on this holiday's history. This AP story has some great bits of information that I did not know about, namely the tie to the slavery and civil rights in the U.S. It also brings up the fact that I think resonates with a lot of folks, which is that at its core, this is a story of David versus Goliath.

Often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (that's Sept. 16), Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla between the victorious ragtag army of largely Mexican Indian soldiers against the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Mexican Americans, during the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, adopted the holiday for its David vs. Goliath storyline as motivation for civil rights struggles in Texas and California.

Si Se Puede! No wonder I like this holiday.

For my family, it's a chance to celebrate our Mexican-American culture through food, decorations and good music. I bought these mini-piñatas as table decorations. We'll be heading to my mom's house and I caught a glimpse of her stockpile of decorations the other day. Can't wait, especially for those tasty fajitas, guacamole, pico de gallo and margaritas! Oh, and playing Loteria will be a blast.

Cool Mom Picks features Dos Borreguitas "Latino Cool"

2012-04-13T15:19:00-04:00

We were beyond thrilled to be featured on Cool Mom Picks this week. We love this website because they are THE arbiter of good taste in kids products. Their editors regularly appear on the national talk shows, and magazines like Martha Stewart, InStyle and Parents Magazine regularly look to what they're writing about for top trends in children's products. Needless to say, we are delighted that they liked our shirts. Here's what they had to say:

I love the t-shirts at Dos Borreguitas because they strike the perfect balance between all-American hipness and Latin tradition. The designs take advantage of the playfulness of the Spanish language and twist traditional sayings into clever designs.

They go on to say:

But the beauty of the onesies and t-shirts at Dos Borreguitas is that they're so cute and clever that you don't have to be Hispanic to appreciate them; after all, who doesn't fall in love at the sight of two books fighting it out on a Lucha Libros onesie? It's proof that nerdiness and good design transcend all cultures. ¡Wepa!

Indeed, a lot of our customers are not Hispanic, but just folks who love the language or want for their children to grow up with an appreciation of another culture. Or they just like our fun designs and the softness of our shirts. We like to think the wonder and whimsy of our designs are universal. We're glad Cool Mom Picks thinks so, too.

Cool Baby Onesie and Toddler T-shirts GIVEAWAY

2012-04-09T19:37:05-04:00

We had so much fun with our last giveaway that we just couldn't wait to do another. And since we debuted four new designs (Chicle, Callejeros, Lucha Libros and Piñata Party) a few weeks ago, we thought it would be PERFECT to give away these awesome toddler shirts and cool infant onesies. Plus, we'll throw in a $5 gift certificate to use in our store.

And since we want to spread the love, we'll be picking FOUR winners. Yup, that's cuatro.

So, below are the giveaway rules, but basically just leave a comment below telling us which of our news T-shirts is your favorite and why, and you're entered. And again, although it's not required, we'd love it if you let your comadres and compadres (friends:) know about us on Facebook or Twitter.

The Giveaway

We're giving away our exclusive and original Dos Borreguitas T-shirts/Onesies and a $5 gift certificate to FOUR lucky winners.

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment below telling us which new shirt is your favorite and why. That's it! NOTE: Only your name and comment will be visible, not your email address.

After that, if you want additional chances to win you can:

1. Follow Dos Borreguitas on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to link to @dosborreguitas. Let us know about the tweet by leaving the link to it in an additional, separate comment on this post. If you already follow us just let us know in a comment.

2. Follow us on Pinterest, and let us know about it in HERE ON THIS BLOG POST an additional, separate comment on this post. If you already follow us just let us know in a comment.

3. If you follow us on Facebook, let us know about it in a comment HERE ON THIS POST (not on FB). If not, follow us, and let us know.

This awesome DB giveaway ends Sunday, April 29 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Here are some quick rules: Must enter a valid email address on comment. This is how we will notify you. Upon notification, winner will have 4 days to respond with a valid U.S. mailing address. If we don't hear back from you, we will send you a second email letting you know the time is up and we will choose another winner. We use random.org to pick a winner.

Dos Borreguitas Featured In Associated Press Article on Cascarones

2012-04-09T19:13:34-04:00

We were beyond thrilled to get a call a few weeks ago from Associated Press reporter Jennifer Forker who was working on an Easter story about cascarones. She had read our blog posts about this awesome tradition of breaking confetti-filled eggs on people's heads during Easter, and wanted to chat a little about the tradition and how to make them. We had a great convo and afterwards I also sent her the pictures that ended up running alongside the story (Cascarones: Latin American tradition of confetti-filled eggs expands in US), including this one above of my daughter K playing with cascarones. That photo ended up running in the Sydney Morning Herald -- cool! I just think cascarones are one of the greatest things since sliced cake, so I'm glad the story got picked up by quite a few newspapers across the country. This is one tradition that will hopefully become as American during Easter as Peeps.

Jennifer spoke to us, and also with two of our favorite sites, SpanglishBaby and Tikitikiblog. Here's what we had to say:

Cynthia Leonor Garza’s family brings out the cascarones at weddings, graduations and anytime there’s a celebration.
“I have an aunt who’s notorious for carrying cascarones in her purse for graduations,” Garza says. “You look at my high school graduation pictures and there’s confetti all over my head because somebody cracked one over me.”
Garza lives in Washington, D.C., where she runs an online shop of Latino-inspired children’s clothes and toys, but she grew up in South Texas. Garza recalls crossing the border to Mexico to pick up a massive bag of 10 dozen cascarones.
“I grew up an hour from the border,” recalls Garza. “You’d haul that huge bag back with you home. You can imagine the big party you’d have with those cascarones.”
It’s that annual border crossing with her mother that Garza treasures most.
“I think of that every time this time of year rolls around,” she says. Meanwhile, “the (egg) breaking is one big blur.”

And here's a few of the papers that ran the story:

Side note: We had a BLAST this Easter Sunday with our stash of cascarones. Tons of laughs, tons of smiles, tons of surprises and tons of confetti in every single crevice of your backyard and inside your clothes and hair. Love it.

Tienes un Chicle Pegado?

2012-04-02T17:41:04-04:00

We've been getting lots of awesome feedback about our T-shirt in Spanish that says Chicle: Pegado a Mamá. The translation is Gum: Stuck on Mom. It's a happy pink stick of gum holding the hand of her little chiclet (or Canel's chicletito).

For Latinos, to say someone is a chicle in Spanish is an affectionate way of calling someone a tag-along. As in the case of a little brother wanting to always hang out with his older brother and his friends. He's a chicle. In the case of babies and toddlers, it's literally stuck on mama's hip. But I've got to admit, I think it goes both ways. I might be getting more stuck to my little K. I stay at home with my daughter and every day I grow more and more attached to her. Maybe it's because I know that next Fall she'll be starting pre-school and I feel that since so much time will be spent in school, "our time" will be over. On the flip side, the older I get the more I've learned to really appreciate living in the present and savoring each day. And yup, when you have a small child a lot of that daily stuff if mundane. Meals, bath, playing, reading, bedtime, repeat. But by knowing it'll be gone in the blink of an eye, I can actually enjoy doing the small stuff. I know one day I'll wish I could just play and read with her and hug her as often as I do.

I've talked to a lot of customers who were looking for something unique and different to give as baby shower gift and ended up buying this fun Latino baby onesie. It's actually pretty spot-on for baby-wearing moms, or soon-to-be moms. Of course, I can attest that toddler-wearing is also fashionable, if not a little arm- and back-breaking :/

Need Egg Shells for Cascarones? Try these Egg Recipes

2012-03-29T22:05:39-04:00

If you're like a lot of busy folks, you're not even thinking about Easter yet, much less preparing for it. Or maybe you've got an awesome Pinterest Easter board, but yeah, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that's just virtual preparedness. Damn, I know. I, too, feel an immense sense of domestic accomplishment after spending hours on Pinterest or watching HGTV. But in the real world, we've gotta trek to the grocery store and spend time in the kitchen to make those pretty things.

Last week, I posted about how easy it was to make cascarones, or confetti-filled Easter eggs, which are a South Texas tradition at Easter. Let me just say once again, cascarones make Easter a million times more festive and fun and are totally worth the effort to make. And yes, they are easy. But the hardest part is remembering to save the egg shells when you're cooking in the weeks leading up to Easter. But never fear, even with just a week to go you can amass a nice little stockpile of empty egg shells for cascarones-making just by making a few egg-centric recipes. These are few recipes that use up a lot of eggs, or at least four each.

QUICHE

Two of my favorite quick quiche recipes are the Knorr Spring Vegetable Quiche and the Knorr Cheddar Broccoli Quiche recipes. I originally found these recipes from a former co-worker who used to bring them in to the office when we had potluck breakfasts. They are so easy to make, and taste delicious.

I didn't have any Knorr Leek recipe or Spring Vegetable packets on hand, so I just winged this quiche I made today with what I had in the frig and freezer. The result, a ham, cheese and broccoli quiche that took 5 minutes to prepare and was ready in about 45 minutes. Here's my recipe (I just tweaked the Knorr recipes.) These are great to make two at a time. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)
5 slices of ham, chopped small
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or any yellow cheese mix, I use Mexican blend)
salt and peper
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust
STEPS
Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk and salt and pepper until well blended. Add broccoli, shredded cheese and chopped ham bits and mix well. Pour into pie crust and bake around 45 minutes.

FLAN

I am a Facebook fan of Hispanic Kitchen and I love getting their daily updates of Latino-inspired recetas. Here you can find recipes for flans you couldn't even dream up: flan de cajeta, flan de coco, flan de maracuyá, flan de nance, flan de naranja y coco, flan napolitano, and on and on. You get the point. The recipe I've used since I was in junior high is from an old South Texas Rotary Club recipe book. It's a no frills recipe and it tastes divine, especially the second day.

TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA

Ah, when I think of the average corner bar that serves tapas in Madrid, I always think tortilla española. This is Spain's version of an omelette, but the olive oil gives it a nice and different texture. Most recipes for tortilla española call for olive oil, potatoes, eggs, onion, salt and pepper. Nothing more, nothing less. Simple and satisfying.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Okay, this is the mother ship of using of a ton of eggs in one fell swoop. This particular Betty crocker recipe for angel food cake calls for 12 eggs. And with just that, you've got yourself a good number of cascarones.

CREME BRULEE

If creme brulee got in a fight with flan, I'll be in the stands with a bull horn rooting for Team Flan. But I know there are plenty of people who think creme brulee is to-die-for and would kill for it. So if you're feeling adventurous in the kitchen, why not try this? Here's a recipe. It'll use up 10 eggs.

Any other suggestions? Happy cooking and baking!

Calling All Mamás-To-Be: MTV Tr3s Wants YOU!!!

2012-03-26T17:52:04-04:00

If you're like me, you've inevitably gotten sucked into the black hole of MTV or MTV Tr3s shows and spent an entire weekend afternoon watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back episodes of Quiero Mis Quinces, Quiero Mi Boda, Teen Mom, The Abuela Show or Jersey Shore. I got a call and email today from MTV Tr3s (the Spanglish version of MTV) casting about a new show that is premiering next month called Quiero Mi Baby. They are looking for a cross-cultural couple (where one partner is Latino, one is not) who is expecting its first child or who has just had its first baby recently. They want to share your story!

When I first read this, my first thought turned to the high drama of Teen Mom and even Bridezilla. While stats show Latina moms tend to be younger, I know a lot of Latina women, myself included, who waited until they were more established their first child. I also know Latina moms who were younger when they had their first child and are now doing well: education, career, house and home included. My only point here is is to say that Latina moms come in all ages, from all backgrounds and relationship statuses, and I'd love to see that representation on this show, and on television in general. The casting director, Khadine Clarke, said they were in fact looking for more established couples, preferably engaged or married. I'd love to see Latino and bi-cultural families represented in a positive light, and for the show to focus on how our culture, language and family are a centerpiece in many of our lives. I think it's the little nuances in our hybrid lives that makes things interesting and enriching. I mean, that's the idea behind Dos Borreguitas, after all -- to celebrate the two sides in all of us, the black and white sheep, the fútbol and football aficionado, the bilingual and bicultural American-Latino.

I know there's some great candidates out there. I've heard from soooooo many amazing Latina and honorary Latina (married to a Latino) moms through my blog and shop and I know some of you would make us proud (and laugh and cry). If you're interested, the casting coordinator, Khadine Clarke, has asked that you contact her directly at Khadine.Clarke@mtvnmix.com to speed things up. Buena suerte!!

Do you have any thoughts on what you'd like to see on Quiero Mi Baby? Are you in a mixed-culture family? Share your story with us here or on Facebook.

CONTACT:

Khadine Clarke

Casting Coordinator| MTV Tr3s

Khadine.Clarke@mtvnmix.com

Horchatita for the Kiddos

2012-03-23T22:09:51-04:00

Spring is here and we've been spending a lot of our afternoons outside - going to the playground, gardening or just hanging out on the porch. I'm an afternoon iced coffee drinker, so I like to sit on my rocking chair on the porch and relax with my cafecito. I found something at the grocery store today that I can give to K to enjoy on our porch-sitting afternoon: Horchatita! That means little horchata, which is a cinammon rice beverage that is just heavenly. I try to just drink it on occasion, otherwise I'd be drowning myself in the stuff every day. I usually don't buy juice boxes for the toddler, but opt for just filling up her sippy cups with milk, water or juice. But these are a special treat, and a good way to introduce her to the world of horchatas. And a good way to cool down as we welcome the warm afternoons.

I've never attempted to make homemade horchata, but this Horchata de Plátano recipe from Nibbles and Feasts blog looks easy enough, and delicious with the banana twist. I've got everything I need to make it, so gonna attempt this weekend. Can't wait to try it!

How to Make Cascarones, or Confetti-Filled Easter Eggs

2012-03-22T01:09:27-04:00

Last year I wrote about how much I loved cascarones because they remind me of home and growing up in South Texas. But mostly, I like these confetti-filled eggs because they make this or any other holiday or celebration a million times more festive and fun. To me, cascarones equals laughter, and that's what brings so much joy in life.

My mom and I have been diligent about saving our egg shells for the past few months. Use white eggs, not brown eggs as those don't dye well. To make the hole, just tap gently on the top end of the egg when breaking it to let it out. The hole can be about an inch in diameter or so. Just wash and rinse the empty egg shell well and set aside until you've accumulated a decent amount. Yesterday my mom, my daughter and I finally got around to making a few dozen cascarones. I remembered to photograph so that I could write-up a how-to blog post.

Really, these are not difficult to make and my daughter loved the dyeing part. They do take a little time but, I just think that the whole process is fun, from making to breaking. Yeah, especially the breaking part.

So here are cascarones in four easy steps!

Step 1: Dye the Empty Egg Shells

We dyed some with non-toxic child-friendly spray paint, and colored the rest with Paas Easter egg dyes. Let them dry before filling with confetti.

Step 2: Fill with Confetti

Step 3: Seal Top of Egg with Tissue Paper

Cut circles of tissue paper big enough to fit just over the open hole of the egg. To affix them to the egg, you want to either use glue or make a homemade glue by mixing some flour and water until it's the consistency of glue (not too runny). That's what we use. Then we just brush it around the edge of the egg shell hole and push the tissue down to make sure there's no way for the confetti to escape.

Step 4: Save for the Easter Egg Hunt, or Make a Gift Bag to Give to Guests

We just thought these would also make great Easter celebration favors for guests who come over to your home. Just get some clear bags, fill the bottom with colorful crinkled paper or Easter grass, put in a half dozen eggs, slap a label or sticker on them, tie it up with a nice ribbon and voila, you've got an Easter your guests will never forget!