Reasons why I love Mafalda...

"Please, STOP the World, I want to get off"
1. Mafalda is just as quirky as I am...
2. She cares deeply about humanity and world peace. And if she were still alive, she would probably care a lot about the environment and recycling...
3. She loves the Beatles and their revolutionary, thought-provoking lyrics...
4. She has equally quirky (interesting) friends...
5. She is brutally honest, but still, HONEST!...
6. She thinks human rights are exactly that, YOUR RIGHTS!...
7. She has always been part of my global conscience, ever since its beginnings...


Nahima (my little sister) and Mafalda

Mafalda and The Beatles

how could colorado springs rock?

So, I was given this blank postcard at my job and the instructions were to write/draw or collage my thoughts on how to make Colorado Springs an awesome and amazing place to live. [Anonymity is ok] Then I have to drop the postcard in the mail and 'kiss it goodbye' because once dropped, you have no legal claim to it.
The organizers of this movement even paid the postage.
The purpose of the “How could Colorado Springs rock?” postcard campaign is to elevate the voices of the community, share great ideas, and inspire people to act. The postcards are intended to be catalysts for creativity, dialogue, passion, and leadership. Submit a postcard that describes your ideas on how to build a vibrant city center, one that elicits pride and passion. (Info taken from the website)
So, here I am extending this invitation to all of you (yes, YOU, whoever you are!) Share your thoughts if you ROCK, how could Colorado Springs ROCK? You can even check out other postcards at www.icoloradosprings.org

Send any comments [or postacards] to:
icoloradosprings
P.O. Box 38808
Colorado Springs, CO
80937

The Uniform Project Trailer from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

10 Things that are getting BETTER!

1. Public awareness of diabetes- Diabetes is one of the most common diseases and much effort has been devoted to educating the public. Finally, people are starting to understand the complications of this disease. I know I understand it better and for that reason I decided to make small changes in my life to avoid diabetes altogether.

2. Sunscreen- What used to be this super heavy cream now is almost imperceptible. My Mom is really happy about this!

3. Recycling and "living green"- I remember when my co-worker started recycling at my job and I thought it was just going to be too complicated to actually do it. Then I started recycling at home and my husband didn't quite like it... now the whole family is doing it. A family effort with a global impact!!!

4. Protein drinks- Some of the new protein drinks on the market are so delicious, they bear no resemblance to the OH-so-chalky-concoctions of the past and they even come in Starbucks-esque flavors like Mocha Capuccino.

5. Lia Sophia Jewelry- I've always loved the high quality of the jewelry from Lia Sophia, but lately, they have been releasing some top-of-the-line jewelry pieces that make me feel like I'm wearing the stuff the rich and famous wear on the red carpet.

6. Plus-sized clothes- Back in the not-so-good-old-days, plus-sized clothing was just wack and old lady like. Nowadays, most of the companies selling these type of clothes got the memo that we (chubby ladies) like to dress sexy and comfortable without looking like we're 80 years old. Thank you!

On a more personal note:
7. Quality time with my hubby- As we get older, we understand what is really important in life. Spending time with my husband, talking about our past, present and future and thinking about our individual, as well as our shared goals is just getting better with time.

8. Friendship- To better explain it I am just going to use a quote:
"When it comes to matters of the heart, people get better with age. As you grow and become truly happy with who you are, you can then be happy with those around you."
Rachel Roy, fashion designer

9. Dark chocolate and Sex

10. Blogs

Eunice galore!!!

Itching to go to...Greece

Listening to... Bossa Nova

Driving... a Jeep Cherokee Laredo

Shopping fix... the perfect purse/bag/clutch and Lia Sophia Jewelry

Signature scent... Magic Dreams

Necessary extravagance... pedicures and facials

MUST-haves... Cetaphil Facial Cleanser, Avon Deodorant, Floss, Caress Almond Soap

Fear Factor... rats and an empty bank account

Currently craving... a Nutella crepe from France

Latest Splurge... Lia Sophia Jewelry

If I weren't a teacher I would probably be... an artist (dancer, performer, painter, etc) a fashion clothes designer, an interior designer or a carpenter...

Dreaming of... a European vacation with my hubby, family and friends

Ok, now it's your turn to answer these questions!

Make music of what you can...

AGAINST HESITATION

If you stare at it long enough the mountain becomes unclimbable.
Tally it up. How much time have you spent waiting for the soup to cool?
Icicles hang from January gutters only as long as they can.
Fingers pause above piano keys for the chord that will not form.
Slam them down I say. Make music of what you can.
Some people stop at the wrong corner and waste a dozen years hoping for directions.
I can’t be them.
Tell every girl I’ve ever known I’m coming to break her door down,
that my teeth will clench the simple flower I only knew not to give . . .
Ah, how long did I stand beneath the eaves believing the storm would stop?
It never did.
And there is lightning in me still.

Charles Rafferty

The Uniform Project

In my life, I've heard a lot of talk about 'chicas' making a big fuss over wearing pieces of clothes more than once. As if we all had bottomless wallets and an endless wardrobe space, right???!

I chanced upon this really cool site, it's called THE UNIFORM PROJECT.
Starting May 2009, The owner of the site pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Sustainable fashion means being able to wear one essential clothing piece in various stylish ways.

Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day she will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of things, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with a creative license... so this is it: One dress, 365 Days.
Here's a preview of how she styles the really cute dress..

I adore the creative eye of this girl and how she makes the dress look so un-boring everyday.
"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn."
Gore Vidal

This is what compassion looks like...

The Aging Brain

Ok, so I am an educator and I teach ESL to adults ranging from 17 years old all the way to the 80 somethings. More often than I would want to, I ask myself the same question: Can an old brain learn, and then remember what it learned? Should this brain be (at all) in a school setting?

And so, it is with this question in mind that I started researching the topic and stumbled upon this phenomenal and interesting article on "How to Train the Aging Brain". This article written by Barbara Strauch explains how the aging brain can be trained not only to learn but to retain more of what it learns. The author debates that middle-aged brains, although less focused, compensate in some part by greater and faster reasoning. They actually become more capable of understanding the big picture, of recognizing the main idea and can continue to develop if done the right way. How do we do that? by finding ways to keep our neurons connected and active. By "scrambling our cognitive eggs and challenging our perceptions of the world".

According to the author, our brains are "plastic", meaning that under the right circumstances the brain can produce 'new' cells and can even get more cells to connect with others.

I am embarrassed to say that even after reading this, I continue to ask myself whether my older students are ever going to learn all those new concepts, grammar points and vocabulary words that I have in store for them. I am hopeful that they will.

I promise myself / Me prometo a mi misma

Hola amigas (hermanas/os)!
Aqui les comparto un pensamiento que saque del libro "El Secreto" de Rhonda Byrne. El pensamiento original es en ingles y me tome el atrevimiento de traducirlo al espanol para poder compartirlo con ustedes.
Que lo disfruten!

Hello Friends (brothers/sisters)!
Here I am sharing with you a motivational thought that I came across while reading the book "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.
Enjoy!
Both Spanish and English versions are included!

Me prometo a mi misma

Ser tan fuerte que nada pueda perturbar mi paz mental...
Hablarle de salud, felicidad y prosperidad a todo el que conozca...
Decir y hacerles sentir a mis amigos lo mucho que valen...
Ver el lado positivo de las cosas y hacer que mi optimismo se vuelva realidad...
Pensar, trabajar y esperar solo lo mejor...
Ser igual de entusiasta con el exito de los demas como lo soy con el mio...
Olvidar los errores del pasado y poner mas ahinco en los grandes logros del futuro...
Llevar una expresion alegre en todo momento y brindarle una sonrisa a toda criatura viviente que conozca en mi camino...
Invertir tanto tiempo en mejorarme a mi misma que no me quede tiempo para criticar a otros...
Ser demasiado madura para preocuparme, demasiado noble para enojarme, demasiado fuerte para sentir miedo y demasiado feliz para permitir la presencia de problemas...
Pensar bien de mi misma y proclamarselo al mundo, no con palabras sino con acciones...
Vivir en la fe de que el mundo esta a mi favor, siempre y cuando yo sea honesta conmigo misma...
Christian D. Larson
(Modificado por El Secreto)



I promise myself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet.
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large to worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
To live in the faith that the world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.
Christian D. Larson
(Modified by The Secret)

This is the real deal, the good stuff, can you handle it? Can you commit to at least one of these ideas? Can you try to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind? It's hard and it requires a certain kind of attitude towards life...
I'm trying, I'm trying to be different and by doing that, make a difference. Like Jack London said: "Life is to be lived, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I will use my time."
Be blessed!

Couch to 5K

Well, this is me again! Today I thought I was going to die after my run. In the beginning of January I decided 'enough was enough', I don't want to be obese, I don't want to have to buy my clothes plus-sized, I don't want to send a premature invitation to AARP and I most definitely DON'T want to become a diabetic. So, after thinking about it for a long time (and the extra push from my very supportive group of friends and family) I decided I was going to actually do something about it... YES, I am the CHIEF ARCHITECT of my life!!! One of my great friends talked me into a running program called Couch to 5k, this program has been designed to get just about anyone from the couch (yes, us couch potatoes) to running 3 miles or 30 minutes in just 9 weeks. Its secret is that it's a gentle introduction to getting the body moving, starting off alternating between walking and running small distances, and slowly building up until after 8 weeks, you're ready to run 5 kilometers or 30 minutes non stop.
I have never been a runner and everybody knows I don't enjoy running as much as other types of exercise but what I do like is the idea of doing something out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. So far I have been doing pretty well, today was tough, but I did it and I am so proud of that maybe-insignificant accomplishment. I guess I have to work more on my mind set... I already know I can do it but for some reason my mind tries to tell me I can't. Well, let's see where this journey takes me, so far I am glad to say I have lost 4 lbs. and I am pa pa ra pa pahhhhh LOVING IT, like the Mc Donald's commercial. That's all for now, folks!