My surprise when I opened my email... plus printable bonus.

I opened my email and found this from My Publisher on a 60% sale they are having for Father's Day.

I smiled. 

Then, I teared up.

 Mostly because how cute are my boys? They look so much the same! And mostly because I miss my mister who has been away on a business trip for more than a week and a half now. Boo.

We kept missing each other on Skype- literally within minutes of each other- (so frustrating) I decided I get slightly grouchy with out him.

Come home!

So stop over at Mypublisher.com and you just might see our mugs wearing staches over there! It's funny because over a year ago mypublisher emailed me and asked if they could feature a book I made with these photos... I can't remember if I ever saw it on their site- But looks like they are still being putto good use even after a year and a half... but this time somehow we are now the "Gibson Family!" :)

Okay- now on to what I am really here to post about... just as I promised.... here is a way to download my visual schedule printables!! 

Yay! 

If you have no idea what I am talking about go here.

If you do, and want to download- go here. 

I am sure I will think of more and will keep you posted when I do.

Besitos-

xo

The lessons I learned from mi Mami.

Side Note: This post was supposed to be up on Mother's Day (yesterday) as a gift to my mom...but seeing as my husband was out of town and I spent the day making my own breakfast, dinner, preparing a lesson, baking cookies, and chasing after a two year old who decided to nap at church and not at home- It didn't happen. I must admit that I was somewhat envious of the mother's who reported on their breakfast in beds, flowers, and bubble baths. But the trail of a two-year-old (literally chocolate finger prints everywhere) was a reminder that I am very much a mother of a young child and to me that is the greatest gift I could ask for. 

So on with this post...

I was going through some photos and came across this family photo. I noticed my little hand grasping onto my mom's finger. This is all too familiar. How I love to have Little Man's hands in mine. Being a mother myself I realize the love and connection that my mom and I must have and still have. Every stage that Little man is going through (good moments and tough moments) my mom has been through. She is an exceptional woman who taught me so many things. 

I just had to ask her a few questions:

ME: What advice to you give mothers of this generation?

MOM: The advice I can give mothers of this generation is the same advice I was given by a middle aged woman at the time when I had a five and two year old: "Enjoy each precious moment with your girls because they do grow up way too fast." I now understand exactly what she meant.

ME: How do you put service in your daily life?

MOM: Service needs to come from the heart, it can't be forced. Be an example by serving others and most likely your children will do the same.

ME: What is your favorite thing about being a mother?

MOM: My greatest satisfaction as a mom is to watch my children do things better than me and to know that despite of their mother, they turned out great!

   

ME: Any other thoughts?

MOM: I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be a mom. What a great honor it is. I am also mindful of women who never had this blessing  and for them, Mother's day must be hard. I can only hope that they may find ways to help other children in need of love and attention and that eventually they can also be called "mom". The sweetest words a woman could ever hear.

 

What have I personally learned from my mom? 

1. Education is important. 

She was doing homework along side of us and graduated from BYU last year!

2. Stand up for what you believe in.

 My mom has been an advocate for women, children , and the latino population. She has volunteered countless hours as the Honorary Consulate of El Salvador, teaching parenting as a parent advocate,  and serving the people El Salvador. She is so not afraid to get on the microphone and tell others what she believes. 

3. Serve others- even while you are on vacation. 
My mom always had her hand in service everywhere she went. As a family we always packed a suitcase for ourselves and one for someone in need when we traveled. 

4. Love your children and their spouses.

My mom is each of our number one fans. I can always count on her to be one of those who actually reads my blog or shares everything we do on facebook. And she adores her son-in-laws as well and is constantly telling all of us and (other people) how proud she is of us. I love that. 

Happy Mother's Day Mamita. 
Te amo mamá. 
Besitos, xo

How to take care of your man- in the words of Mami Gloria

As a child, I spent many of summers in El Salvador living in my Mami Gloria's home. Every afternoon everyone would come home for "siesta" and sit down to warm lunch for a chance to put their feet up until it was time to go back to work. Although my grandma was a very busy business owner, she not only always was fashionably dressed but she always was home when my grandpa- (Papi Meme) came home.  

Together they would eat lunch and she would spend the afternoon by his side nurturing him with masajitos (massages) or mini facials. As old-fashioned as that sounds- she genuinly loved doing it. And old-fashioned she is anything but. In fact, to this day you can find her wearing denim jeans and sylish shades while sporting a flaming red hairdo. Although, her role as a wife seems very 1950's housewife...one thing is for sure- she adored my grandpa. I would often find these two holding hands in the car or arm in arm while they relaxed at the beach house.  Taking care of him was not considered a task but in her eyes the least she could do to show her love. 
 I think there is something to be learned here.

I thought there was no better person to ask relationship advice than Mami Gloria. So I asked her  to give us "mujeres modernas" (modern women) some advice on how to keep our man happy and therefore have a happy relationship.

Her response:

1. "El hombre es como un nino grande. Hay que alimentarle tanto su estomago como su ego. Hay que hacerlo sentir bien"

(The man is like a big kid. It is necessary to feed his stomach like his ego. You must make him feel good.)

2. "Cuando el hombre esta enojado, salirse del ring. No seguir discutiendo, eso envena la relacion. Despues cuando esta calmado proseguir con el argumento."

(When the man is angry, get out of the "ring." Don't continue arguing; it's poison to the relationship. Then when he's calm continue with your argument.

3. Tratar de siempre estar bien atractiva.

(Try to always look really attractive.)

 4. "El hogar debe de ser un oasis y un verdadero descanso. No darle malas noticias al nomas verlo que llega del trabajo. Si hay que hablar de algun problema, esperar el apropiado momento. Ellos deben de ver a una esposa feliz y sonriente cuando enran a la casa."

(The home should be an oasis and a true place to rest. Don't give him bad news the minute he gets home from work. If there is a need to talk about a problem, wait for a appropriate moment. They must see a wife who is happy and smiling when they arrive home.)

5. "Querer a la familia del esposo porque hay que comprender que es una extencion de la familia nuclear que estan formando."

(Love your husband's family because you must understand that it is an extension of the nuclear family that is forming.)

6. Ser una buena administradora de las finanzas porque no hay peor cosa que agobie a una pareja que las cuentas pendientes

(Be a good administrator of finances because there is not a worse burden on a couple than outstanding balances.)  

I loved these anwers. Many of us women hate to admit that these things do in fact make our men happy... I think she is on to something.


 Te quiero Mami Gloria! Feliz Dia de la Madre!

Happy Mother's Day!!

besitos, xoxo

5 things that Grandma Shirley taught me...

 Today I had to fight the urge to just let my dishes "soak" while I sat down at the computer and begin this post. It's the free spirit yellow in me that is constantly battling with my overpowering and very blue side. (color code) I know I "should" tidy up the kitchen before diving into a creative project but where's the fun in dishes? But today before sitting down to write, I cleaned up my kitchen. According to my grandma Shirley "It only takes a few minutes." However, for me today that didn't apply...I may have had a few days worth of dishes to tackle. ;)

I remember my grandma's house as always spotless. White carpets and white couches with a lot of crystal figurines locked behind glass were eye candy for the curious child. I am surprised I never broke anything (not that I could remember at least). Everything was in it's place and polished clean. I remember her constantly spotting unnoticeable specks of dust or paper on the carpet and bending down to pick it up. (She still tries to do that and we quickly hurry to the rescue before she hurts herself) I can remember picking up pine cones or vacuuming her stairs when I went over there. My dad reports that he always had to do a job or chore of some sort before he could play. He also noted that "She always had a place for everything and to this day she knows exactly where her scissors are- they have been in the same place for 65 years."

Photos of Shirley May Van Leeuwen

{Grandparents wedding day}

So, in honor of Mother's Day- I am thinking about something that I learned (or am still learning) from Grandma Shirley. Her secrets to a clean home. I asked her to give me and other new moms some tips and this is what she said:

1. Never go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

Shirley reports: "It feels great to wake up to a clean kitchen.  I never let dishes pile up or sit in the sink. It  makes such a difference in the feel of the room to have an empty sink."

2. Include your kids.

She reports: "I used to have a little chore chart where the kids got to choose three small jobs to do. They were simple jobs like find 10 weeds or dust three pieces of furniture. They never seemed to complain because afterwards we got to sit and have a treat like ice cream sandwiches."

3. Wash the tub even before the little ones get out.

She reports: "I would start cleaning the ring around the tub even before they were getting out. I made sure that the toys were cleaned up and towels hung up before doing anything else. It was always ready for the next bath and I hardly had to scrub the tub on another day."

4. Safety Pin your socks.

She reports: "I used to safety pin the socks together so they would always be together in the wash. It saved a lot of time!'"

5. Fold laundry right out of the dryer.

She reports: "It only takes a few minutes to fold the laundry right out of the dryer. I would always see women who would bring it into the living room and set it on the couch. I had no idea why they went through all the effort to move the laundry when it was just as easy to fold right away."

When I asked what her favorite cleaning solutions are- she said; 

"vinegar and baking soda"- She claims they leave your floor extra shiny. 

I can learn a lot from these tips. I love to procrastinate dishes and laundry and have a huge basket full of mismatched socks just waiting for me to sit down and match them one of these days.

Grandma- I love you and admire you. 

Thanks for these tips. 

I am going to implement them into my life! 

besitos,

xo

Got Art? Make a Mother's Day card!

I have so many finger paintings around my home from Little Man that I am not sure what to do with them all. At first, I just hung them on the fridge (until they fell off each time opening the fridge) or on a little art display wall and admired at what talent my little boy had in making incredible squiggles and hand prints... that is until we made more... and more... and more art... and the piles around the house began to grow. Yes, it's true. I confess- I am a pile person. I have a problem of piling something that I plan on putting away later. (sometimes it could be months though)

And obviously- I don't have the heart to throw out these beautiful lovelies. After-all, it is his self-expression and his own little art journal.  But I am afraid if   if I don't do something quick then I am going to be on The Hoarders episode titled: "Buried Alive in Finger Paintings" 

So here is a cute idea my friend Nicole came up with to make Mother's Day cards that are similar to Eric Carle Books. If you don't know these books...you are missing out. I LOVE them!

1. Take your child's masterpiece (with their permission of course) and find different interesting shapes.

2. Cut out shapes. 

  

3. Glue it to your card.

4. Give this to your mom for mother's day. 

Easy huh? Here are some other flowers I laid out.

It's perfect for a last minute mother's day card don't you think??

Besitos, xo

P.S. Thanks for those of you who commented or emailed for the visual schedule printables part one. I am working up some more and will have a way for you to download right here on the blog! So-stay tuned.

We SO need a visual schedule.

I have had one of those days where I look down at the end of the day and realize my shirt has been inside out the entire day. And it's not like a t-shirt where it's easy to notice- it is a full blown button down ruffly shirt. How? I have no idea.

It was a non-stop day getting ready for a photo shoot for Proof and finishing up my How Does She post. 

To make matters worse little man was extra needy for a me and took a very short nap in which I was supposed to get everything I needed done. He must have sensed the slight frazzleness I had going on and wanted to give me support...

To add to the craziness- we are still not sleeping over here. Little man wakes up two or three times a night lately with nightmares from this incident. Stupid sick bug...why did you ever come here.

So, I decided we needed to have a constant nightly ritual that we do every night and he can see. So, I came up with this:

That way he can see everything we are going to do for the day. 

You can read more about it on How Does She where I talk about how I made it. 

The one thing I found difficult was finding cute images that I wanted to use. But at last- I found some and thought I'd share. 

 These are activities that little man can choose to do- you can always make them rewards for doing the other stuff.

 These are chores or things he can do to help me with around the house.

 This one is fun summer activities that we can plan.

I have several more of these...so, if you are a Weeds to Wishes Blog follower- I am happy to share!! You can email me (cristidame@gmail.com) or leave a comment with your email and I will send you the files! Right now I have 60 individual images with more coming soon.

Enjoy! Besitos!

4 days in.

Day 4 into my raw food cleanse.

I always wondered what it would be like to be a vegetarian... now I know what it's like to be a vegan...
bitter sweet.

I only say that because although I am feeling amazing and starting to have a new found appreciation for veggies- I can smell the smell of a neighbor barbecuing something on the grill... mmmmm...what I would give to sink my teeth into a home made hamburger right now...with extra pickles and cheese- oh wait I am getting side tracked.

Focus Cristi Focus.

Anyhow, it has been 4 days of a 28 day cleanse- eating nothing but raw fruits, veggies, and nuts. Most people who hear we are doing this think we are crazy and say "I could never do that."- My answer to them is yes you could. Especially if you know how awesome you feel while doing it.

Things I have learned in the last four days.


-It's amazing how much our kids follow us. Little man is being weaned of his chocolate milk and enjoying natural fruit juice. He even is asking for fruit for lunch!

-I have a habit of mindlessly reaching into a bag and popping snacks in my mouth.

-Pinterest will make you hungry.

 -Cooking food for someone else is rough while detoxing...I may have licked my fingers a few times...may have.

-I love bread and sharp cheese. 

-Organic fruits and veggies are where it is at- and are actually delicious. Veggies are now my friend.

-Having the support of the Mister makes all the difference in the world! He even turned down a warm Arby sandwich that someone brought into work on the first day of the cleanse...I think I would have caved right there!

-Juicing is fun. We like to play this game of guessing what fruits and veggies are in the concoction we make each other. It surprising what you can sneak in there.

-Being hungry makes me moody- no wait I already knew that. But seriously day three was the hardest day by far...

Here is to 24 more days of this.

besitos
xoxo

Tagged.

Like a month ago I was tagged by Dar- but life got a little crazy and I never finished. But today I am in the mood for something fun (mostly to keep my mind off food) so I decided to post my answers finally.


Game Rules
1. Post these rules. 
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things. 
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post. 
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them. 
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them. 

My 11 Randoms:
1. My dog knocked out half my tooth.
2. I am deathly allergic to cats...in fact I am not a fan of cats.
3. As a child I lived in El Salvador during their civil war.
4. I have a fear of snakes
5. I pick my lip. A lot.
6.  I have an obsession with mint oreos. but you probably already new that.
7. I have a weird connection with owls...there is one that I hear outside my window at night.
8. I have never had a cavity...never mind I take that back- I did have a small one- a few years ago. Okay I almost have never had a cavity.
9. I ran a marathon without training at all and actually had great time. However, my knees are  still paying for it to this day.
10. I don't like skittles or otter pops.
11. I am proud of my Latina roots and my ability to latin dance...y claro que puedo hablar espanol!




My answers to Dar's questions:
1. Where is a place you go for inspiration?
The shower. I have the most amazing ideas and thoughts when I take a shower.
2. What is one thing that makes you terribly happy?
Being with my little boy and my husband.
3. Would you rather go sky diving or deep sea diving?
I think sky diving- I am afraid of sharks.
4. What is your favorite holiday and why?
New Years. Only if we are dancing the night away.
5. What would you do if you won the million dollar lottery?
Travel the world and start a non-profit for at risk kids.
6. What is your favorite television show?
I honestly don't have one...is that lame huh? 
7. Would you rather be stranded in the desert or in a frozen waste land?
Desert. I hate being cold. 
8. Do you crave sweets or salts?
Definitely Sweets!!
9. What is one thing that keeps you motivated?
My son. My spiritual beliefs.
10. Would you rather live in the east or west coast and why?
Half and half. Fall and Spring in the East. Summer and Winters in the West. I love them both for very different reasons!
11. What is something you want to change in your life right now?
Slow down and 
1.Travel
2. Garden
3. Learn to Sew


Okay My turn...answer these questions: 
Wendy
Maren
Bianca 

And pretty much ANYONE- just let me know where I can find your answers!
1. What is the first memory you can think of?
2. Who is your hero?
3. Finish this sentence: Love is____
4. Where is your favorite place to travel and why?
5. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
6. What is the next thing to cross off your bucket list?
7. What is your personal symbol?
8. If you could grow up in any era what would it be?
9. What character out of a book, movie, or tv show do you relate to the most?
10. What is one thing you could absolutely not live without?
11. What are you most proud of?

Besitos, xo

Cleanse countdown...

There is a problem when you still look pregnant...um, but you are not. 

For the past few weeks I have indulged in all types of goodies and comfort foods including entire boxes of oreos, cartons of ice cream (also oreo), and loaves of home made bread.

No bueno.

It's got to stop.

Maybe I am trying to feed a food baby in hopes it transforms into a real baby? 

Or maybe I am rebelling against my body? ...Take that body. 

Or maybe I know I am about to start a crazy cleanse that my friend Shelley  tried and told me about and I somehow convinced The Mister to do it with me.  It's a month long cleanse of herbs, teas, and eating an all raw natural diet- all things that I believe can make a difference in a person's body... I need a good cleanse after the past few weeks.

Good bye delicious weekends eating out, "Sweet Sundays" where I love to bake, midnight oreo cravings...

But I am willing to try anything.
Even this.

Although Shelley and I have not ever physically met (we know each other through How Does She)- she has been so sweet tell me about her experience where she reminded me of this quote:

"Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting. We want things a long time before we get them, and the fact that we want them a long time makes them all the more precious when they come".~Joseph F. Smith

I love that.

She also introduced me to the blog The R House.

I love that too.

Well, here it goes... Next week we begin....

besitos, xo

Renewal week take 2

Today I feel blessed.

 It was not only the warmest most beautiful day of the year yesterday but it was Easter. Such a special day with such deeper meaning. For such occasion, I decided to wear a special dress my grandma gave me that she used to wear when she was my age. ( More on the dress here)

Funny thing about last week was that it was supposed to be my "renewal week"- (aka: working out, cleaning house, catching up with work, taking Little Man to the zoo, eating less oreos and more veggies kind of a week) but life had different plans. The week instead  started off with a late night ER visit followed by sleepless nights and a cranky toddler and therefore a very sleep deprived and cranky mommy... again reminder that I am NOT in control. 

 Perhaps I am not ready to go back to "normal" quite yet. Maybe I needed an extra week of madness? 

This past week has once again brought me to my knees and given me an even more focused view of life and a another glimpse into the way I believe our Heavenly Father sees us.

This week as I held Little Man in my arms as he was burning with fever and crying out in pain- I felt the a small amount of pain and sorrow that our Heavenly Father must have felt when he watched his son suffer that day in Gethsemane. I know for me watching my little boy endure such pain was difficult to bare. I would have done anything to trade him places if I only could or to rid him of  that experience... and I can only imagine what that day may have been like for our Father in Heaven.

I am so grateful to have this perspective. I love being a mother even more.

(Above: Little Man sharing kisses and his coughing germs with me.)

It is amazing how the past few weeks things have seemed so foggy yet so clear at the same time. Things that were usually every day priorities really didn't matter all of a sudden and everything that did was so clearly presented in front of me that it was easy to set those other things aside.

 Listening to conference two weekends ago I loved what President Thomas S. Monson said in his talk "The Race of Life" where he states: 

"In this fast-paced life, do we ever pause for moments of meditation—even thoughts of timeless truths?

When compared to eternal verities, most of the questions and concerns of daily living are really rather trivial. What should we have for dinner? What color should we paint the living room? Should we sign Johnny up for soccer? These questions and countless others like them lose their significance when times of crisis arise, when loved ones are hurt or injured, when sickness enters the house of good health, when life’s candle dims and darkness threatens. Our thoughts become focused, and we are easily able to determine what is really important and what is merely trivial."

-President Thomas S. Monson

What is really important? what is merely trivial?

That is my renewal. Remembering these past few weeks and the clarity I had of what was really important.

Maybe this week can be my "Renewal Week" take 2?

besitos, xo