I was lucky enough to be there again this year with my family for the second time in a row. I’ll be writing a lot more about the speakers and the Disney news here, on SpanglishBaby and my Babble Voices column. But now I want to share the big news that the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration will be traveling to four U.S. cities this year to bring the magic to more social media moms! If you live in or near San Francisco, Seattle, NYC or DC  you should apply to attend the Disney SMMC “On-the-Road” and get a chance to experience a lot of what makes this event so fabulous!

Per the official announcement:

During this delightful half-day event, the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration “On-the-Road” will:

• Highlight a dynamic line-up of motivational speakers, who will empower you to take your business to the next level
• Deliver educational content focused on business growth
• Create an exciting networking forum with influencers in your community

It really is fantastic and the learning and connecting is at a high level. You’ll also get to meet in person the people that make Disney SMMC happen every year.

I highly encourage #LatinaBloggers in the cities where #DisneyOnTheRoad will be this year to apply by clicking here.

If you do get to attend, please let us know so we can follow your tweets, instagrams and so more! Here are some pics with some of the Latina bloggers in Walt Disney World this year.

From L to R: Divina, Denisse Icaza, Silvia Martinez, Cristy Clavijo-Kish, Ana Flores, Zelma Rivera

From L to R: Silvia Martinez, Liz Cerezo, Storm Trooper, Tiany Lindemann Davis

Jeannette Kaplun, Ana Flores, Ana Roca Castro

Liz Cerezo, Ana Flores, Silvia Martinez

Ana Flores and Tiany Lindemann Davis

Silvia Martinez, Denisse Icaza, Ana Flores

Hola Blogueras!

Before we get to the Latina blogger news, here’s a mini round-up of social media and general blogging news you may have missed!

• Mom Bloggers Build a Network for Activism and Change on Forbes.com

• Seven steps to staying safe on social media sites on usatoday.com

• The Six Major Anxieties of Social Media on NYmag.com

Las Noticias:

• The following bloggers attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration Conference at Disney World this year: Ana of SpanglishBaby, Lorraine of Mamiverse, Denisse of Ahorros Para Mamá, Zelma of Yo Soy Mami, Jeannette of Hispana Global, Liz of Thoughts of a Mommy, Silvia of Mama Latina Tips, Pilar of One Mom Media, Helena of Pink Guayoyo, Christy of Los Tweens, Ana of LATISM, Eliana of ElianaTardio.com, and Divina of Dancing Hotdogs.

• Yvette of Muy Bueno Cookbook is a Food Editor over at Clabber Girl and Veronica and Yvette are both Kraft Tastemakers.

• Romina of Mamá XXI and Yoly of Cuponeando were invited last week to a live tweet in Spanish from the Mom+Social Global Summit by the United Nations Foundation. You can see Romina’s post about the experience HERE.

• Yoly of Cuponeando, Jeannette of Hispana Global, Yolanda of Sassy Mama in LA, and Ana of Traveling Latina are proud ambassadors for the Orgullosa Project – They are representing non-profits in their area while garnering votes for them.

• Eliana of ElianaTardio.com was interviewed by Thalia for Mother’s Day on her radio show, Conexión Thalia and had one of her articles on raising children with special needs, shared by Sheryl Sandberg.

• Lisa of Autism Wonderland has been selected as one of the 12 Latinas Think Big Event Twitter Ambassadors and will be live tweeting. Lisa says, “You can follow all of the fabulous #LATINASTHINKBIG Twitter Ambassadors to see live updates & photos during the event in NYC.“

Alexandra – @AlliChasesBliss
Catarina – @CatarinaRivera
Chantilly – @BiculturalMom
Francesca – @WAOFrancesca
Lisa – @LaliQuin
Lisa – @LisaTalksLove
Patti – @PattieCordova
Raquel – @RachlWhite
Tanisha – @TanishaLove
Vicglamar – @vicglamar
Vicky – @DocSabia

Okay Latinas, ¿qué pasa con ustedes? What have you been up to? Do you have exciting noticias about yourself or one of our amigas? We want to know about it! E-mail us with the latest happenings in our Latina community and links to stories that feature our fellow blogueras. We may share it here on Latina Bloggers Weekly Round-up next week!

Sigan logrando!

Image source: Buster Benson

I am part of the Windows Champions Program. As a Windows Champion, I have been loaned a Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Windows 8 convertible Ultrabook, and, on occasion, Microsoft products such as software to assist me in developing content for my blog posts. All opinions are my own.

This month I promised to explain how you add apps from the Microsoft App Store in Windows 8 and how to remove pre-installed apps you don’t like, or ones you’ve decided aren’t for you. I also said I would cover some awesome apps for blogueras to make the most of your time online and off – more on that in a minute!

So, you have a Windows 8 device and you want to download some new apps – This is one of the easiest things to do in Windows 8. Ready? Here we go, in 3 easy steps:

Installing Windows 8 Apps

1. First you need to go to the Microsoft App “Store” – you do this by simply tapping or clicking the Store tile on the Start screen.

2. You can look for apps by categories including “Top free” (which are the most popular free apps), or if you’ve been around the store a lot, you may simply want to check out “New releases” once in awhile. If you’re looking for a specific app, you can open Start and type the name – apps that match your search will appear in results.

3. When you find an app you’re interested in, tap or click “Buy” or “Try” (free trial if it’s a paid app), or “Install” if it’s free – Windows 8 will automatically install the app and when it’s finished downloading, the tile will automatically appear on your Start screen. Easy, right?

Now, if there’s a Windows app you’ve decided you don’t use or don’t like, removing it is just as easy as installing it. If you’re using a mouse, right-click the app tile you want to remove and then select “Uninstall” from the toolbar that you now see at the bottom of the screen.

Removing Windows 8 Apps

If you’re using Windows 8 with a touchscreen and want to remove an app, tap and hold a tile, dragging it downward a little, then release. A checkmark appears in the corner of the tile. At the bottom of the screen, select “Uninstall.”

Now for my awesome app recommendations for blogueras. I’ll give you a few today, and more in the next post!

Awesome Windows 8 Apps for Blogueras

#1. A lot of people use and love Evernote and OneNote, both of which are available for Windows 8. They’re powerful apps for organizing blog post ideas, conference notes and more.

#2. Todo – If you’re anything like me, all the options available in Evernote and OneNote are a little overwhelming when you just want to make yourself simple reminders. If you want a basic to-do list, “Todo” is for you.

#3. Fitbit – Life is a balancing act, especially for those of us who work online. If you have trouble finding time to exercise, give Fitbit a try. There is a small device you keep on you (one is pictured in the photo at the top of this post and there are different models to choose from), which tracks how many steps you take per day along with other information depending on the model you use. The Fitbit app for Windows 8 makes the information easily available right on your Start screen.

That’s it for now – As usual, if you have any Windows 8 questions, feel free to comment here or tweet me. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll be happy to find out for you!

Who knew soy sauce and its history could be so fascinating? I sure didn’t, but after a half-day visit to the Kikkoman Kitchen with Chef Helen Roberts I am now a soy sauce devotee!

Last month the three winners of the #KikkomanSabor challenge we hosted were flown out to the Kikkoman U.S. headquarters in San Francisco to learn more about the brand and for a unique opportunity to recreate their winning recipes in the Kikkoman test kitchen along with Chef Helen Roberts.

The day kicked off with a viewing of Kikkoman’s “Make Haste Slowly” docu-short which beautifully portrays the rich history and tradition surrounding the humble beginnings of Kikkoman’s soy sauce. Did you know Kikkoman was essentially started by a woman?

Check out the short here and you’ll be fascinated as well.

We then headed to the kitchen amidst views of the San Francisco bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Chef Helen Roberts had at hand all the ingredients the bloggers had used for their recipes and joined them as they got to work to recreate their winning dishes.

Mayra won us all over with her Sushi Caribeño.

Sandra had everyone talking about her Tacos de Lechuga.

Nancy and her Carne Deshilachada proved to be so tasty and melt-in-your-mouth good.

To see more pictures and recipes by many of our #LatinaBloggers, visit the Kikkoman Sabor site.

With so many fabulous #LatinaBloggers in the blogosphere, we’re beyond excited about our collaboration to create recipes using Real California Milk products. The California Milk Advisory Board, on behalf of California’s more than 1600 dairy families, wants to be a part of our special occasions with a variety of Hispanic Dairy Products that will be sure to add sabor to any of our family dishes. California is the country’s leading producer of Hispanic dairy products and produces more than 25 varieties and styles of Hispanic-style cheeses bearing the Real California Cheese seal. It’s time to set the table and pour the refreshments, we’re serving up more amazing recipes this month!

Forty #LatinaBloggers have been asked to create a recipe using a Real California dairy product in celebration of upcoming Spring and Summertime family occasions. To see these delicious recipes ideas, follow the hashtag #VivaCADairy on Twitter and Instagram. If Pinterest is more your thing, check out our board. We will be pinning as recipes come through!

Hola Blogueras!

Are you ready for El Día de la Madre this Sunday? We wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day and hope you spend the day being celebrated and/or celebrating the special mamis in your life.

Las Noticias:

• MomsRising.org have created a customizable Mother’s Day video called “The Evolution of Mom Dance.”

• HungryFoodLove was listed as one of the 10 Best Food Blogs Out There/10 Food Blogs You Need to Read by LifeStyle Mirror Magazine.

• Muy Bueno Cookbook has received a lot of press for Cinco de Mayo, including: Better Homes & Gardens, Men’s Fitness, and Cosmopolitan for Latinas, among others.

• Carmen of Viva Fashion participated in a segment on Univision’s Despierta America on Mother’s Day gift ideas as a spokesperson for Marshalls. Carmen was also featured the same week in a segment on summer beauty and fashion trends on Telemundo in Miami as a spokesperson for Jergens and LOFT.

• Vanessa of De Su Mama has written her first post for Barilla, promoting Mediterranean Diet Month. Their Executive Chef Lorenzo will be answering 5 readers’ questions on the topic.

• Check out this Mother’s Day Recipe e-book by Ericka of Nibbles and Feasts, Maura of The Other Side of the Tortilla, Leslie of La Cocina de Leslie, Uchi of Latin Food Lovers, Nicole of Presley’s Pantry and Vianney of Sweet Life.

• Viviana of The Wise Latina Club was selected in Latina magazine’s list of 25 Latinas That Shine in Media.

• Helena of Pink Guayoyo, Dariela of Mami Talks and Denisse of Ahorros Para Mamá have released The Mother’s Day edition of the 3 Amigas Gift Guide.

• Many blogueras were featured along with their recipes in the Qué Rica Vida e-book.

Okay Latinas, ¿qué pasa con ustedes? What have you been up to? Do you have exciting noticias about yourself or one of our amigas? We want to know about it! E-mail us with the latest happenings in our Latina community and links to stories that feature our fellow blogueras. We may share it here on Latina Bloggers Weekly Round-up next week!

Sigan logrando!

Thirty #LatinaBloggers have been asked to create their very own Care Card and share with a special mom in their life. You can read their beautiful stories by following the hashtag #JOHNSONSbabycares on Twitter.

We’d also like to invite you to a Mother’s Day celebration with #JOHNSONSBabyCares. Together, let’s reassure the special moms in our life that they’re doing a wonderful job and let´s create a ripple of effect of giving!

Date: Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

Time: 9pm EST / 6PM PST

Where: On Twitter with the Hashtag #JOHNSONSBabyCares

Hosts: @blogali @liz_cerezo @mamaxxi @mcontemporanea @spanglishbaby

Moderators: @lbconnect and @laflowers

Special Guest: @JNJcares

Tweetchat: http://tweetchat.com/room/JOHNSONSBabyCares
Customized Tweetgrid: http://tinyurl.com/bv5cg3h

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

Prizes:Three winners – $100 gift card each and JOHNSON’S productsTo be eligible to win, you must join the party and participate during the hour with an original tweet (RT’s not eligible) using the #JOHNSONSBabyCares hashtag and answer the Giveaway questions correctly. RULES APPLY.

If there’s somewhere I wished I could teleport myself too right now it would be to NYC for the Mom+Social event.

This will be the crowning event of the Global Mom Relay, a 60-day online conversation that has been connecting moms and experts around the world with personal experiences, stories about motherhood, as well as global causes they care about.

The relay is in support of the United Nations’ Every Woman Every Child. To date, the relay has proven to be truly “global” with people sharing from across all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and 141 countries.

Tomorrow, Wednesday May 8th from 10am -430pm ET, Mom+Social partners – 92Y, the UN Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, BabyCenter, The Huffington Post, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – will leverage the unique power of social media to inspire action to improve the lives of families all over the world. Jennifer Lopez, Ann Curry, Elizabeth Gore, Christy Turlington Burns and our very own Jeannette Kaplun will join mothers from every part of the world at Mom+Social. This one-day event will focus on moms who are making a difference globally, as well as the role of social media, technology, and philanthropy to improve the health of women and children everywhere.

Here’s how you can participate – from wherever you are! Visit www.unfoundation.org/momplussocial on Wednesday, May 8 and watch the event streaming live from 10am eastern to 4:30pm eastern. Chime in via Twitter, using the hashtag #globalmom.

You’ll also have a chance to make your voice heard at the United Nations by telling us the one thing the global community can do to better support moms around the world. We’ll be delivering these answers to the Secretary-General.

We hope you’ll virtually join us! RSVP through Facebook to join the community and see updates.

Your voice counts more than you think it does. Please share and you’ll be making a huge impact!

Thank you!

We’re excited to join the #OutnumberHunger effort with a fun and engaging Twitter party where we’ll all learn and share what we do to fight hunger in our communities.

Date: Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Time: 9pm EST / 6PM PST

Where: On Twitter with the Hashtag #OutnumberHunger

Hosts: @DenisseIcaza @JeannetteKaplun @PresleysPantry @SassyMamainLA @webcitygirls @smashbravoteam

Moderators: @lbconnect and @laflowers

Special Guests: @FeedingAmerica @OutnumberHunger @MavericksMusic (TBD)

Tweetchat: http://tweetchat.com/room/outnumberhunger

Lots of Prizes!!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK now!

To be eligible to win, you must join the party and participate during the hour with an original tweet (RT’s not eligible) using the #OutnumberHunger hashtag and answer the Giveaway questions correctly. RULES APPLY.

Hola Blogueras!

Did you know that Mamiverse, (where many of our Latina bloggers are contributing writers), has now launched the Spanish version of the website?

You can check out Mamiverse in Spanish right HERE!

Las Noticias:

• Myrah of Coupon Mamacita interviewed Gwenyth Paltrow at an Iron Man 3 Event.

• The ladies of Muy Bueno Cookbook and some of their recipes were featured in The Denver Post.

• Angelica of New Latina spoke about the ELLA Leadership Institute, a network that she founded, on the Voice of Russia Radio from Washington DC.

• Mercedes of BeChicMag talked about Prom Dresses under $200 on Univision.

• Ana of SpanglishBaby shared her story about sponsoring a child on the Johnson and Johnson website.

• Liz of Thoughts of a Mommy, Nadia of Justice Jonesie, Vanessa of The Queen of Swag and Divina of Dancing Hotdogs went to New York for the 2013 Spring Showcase where Time to Play announced the “summer playlist”, (hot toys for the summer.)

Okay Latinas, ¿qué pasa con ustedes? What have you been up to? Do you have exciting noticias about yourself or one of our amigas? We want to know about it! E-mail us with the latest happenings in our Latina community and links to stories that feature our fellow blogueras. We may share it here on Latina Bloggers Weekly Round-up next week!

Sigan logrando!