Love Letter to JB: Happy 5th Birthday!

Dear JB,

You are a big boy now and we are so blessed to have you be apart of this family! You bring us joy, laughter, and happiness.  You can also be an occasional "pain-in-the-you know what" but, hey, what kid isn't?

Anyway, read on, Papito.  It gets better - I promise. :-)

Changing the World: Book Launch Party

Who would've thunk it? Certainly, not I. 

Never in my wildest dream did I ever think that I would be writing about my daughter's book launch party but here I am today doing just that. It is truly amazing and a testament to how great God really is.

Read on and I'll tell you why...

May Service Challenge: Recap

I'm so late with this post but I want you to know that I'm committed to this project so, although I've been swamped with end of school activities like school dances and graduations, I did complete May's Service Challenge - I just haven't had time to blog about it. :-(

Here, take a look...

Maya Angelou: 7 of My Favorite Maya Angelou Quotes

Dr. Maya Angelou was, by far, one of the greatest writers of her time. Her words were so powerful and felt by many.

Today, as the world mourns her death, I reflect upon 7 of my favorite quotes that will live on in my heart and, undoubtedly, in the hearts of many others.

May Service Challenge: Spring Cleaning Donation Drive

The beginning of a new month always excites me - new goals, new possibilities, and new ways to serve the Lord and His people.

Take a look to see what's in store for this month's service challenge...

April Service Challenge: Recap

The months are flying by and the days are flying by even faster. The month of April has passed us by and as I sit here and type this post, I find myself thinking about the cycle of life.

Read on and I'll tell you why...

A Love Letter to My Son on His 14th Birthday

Wow...14 years old already, Papito! It's crazy how time flies. Today, on your birthday, I write you this letter as I reminisce on the past 14 years of your life...

All You Need Is Love Project: My Favorite Love Quotes

This week's topic for the All You Need Is Love Project is about sharing your favorite "love" quote or, in my case, quotes.

First of all, I believe there are different kinds of love. There's the love you have for friends, family, your children, your significant other and yourself. In my opinion, these are all demonstrated in different ways and on different levels.

Nevertheless, the core meaning of love is to have a deep, passionate affection towards another person despite the type of relationship you may have with them.

In my search for quotes, I was able to narrow it down to 5. The first 3 support the general meaning of love while the last two, I think, are directed more towards your significant other.  Then again, it may be all in the interpretation. Anyhow, they all touched my heart. Take a look and tell me what you think...

Easter Sunday: 5 Fun Ways to Spend it With Your Kids

During the Christmas holiday, Santa Claus gets all the shine and with Easter, the spotlight is on the Easter Bunny. From a commercial standpoint, I get it - whatever drives up sales and makes more money. Both holidays, however, are biblically-rooted and centered around Jesus Christ. For that reason, I want to make sure that my children know the real reason why we celebrate the holiday, yet still make it fun and enjoyable for them.

With that in mind and with only 3 days left before the Easter Holiday, I thought I'd share 5 fun ways to spend the day with your family and still honor God's story. Take a look...

My Top 3 Passions in Life

Working hard for something you don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something you love is called passion. Have you ever stopped to think about what your passions are? Here are my top three...

All You Need is Love Project: An Ode to a True Friend

This week I join Shugar Love and the All You Need Is Love Project! 

To give you a little background information, the All You Need Is Love Project is a project that was created by Mrs. Shugar to inspire more love on our planet. In an effort to do that, she's dedicated Thursdays to the All You Need is Love Project wherein she writes about love, post pictures about love on social media (using the hash-tag #allyouneedisloveproject), and shares with others her heart. She has invited the community of bloggers and non-bloggers to contribute to this movement directly or indirectly.

As such, because this project is in line with Six Little Osos' mission, I have decided to join in on the love revolution, too! So, going forward, you can expect to see a post every Thursday regarding a new love related topic as suggested by Mrs. Shugar.

This week's topic is true friendship - who would you consider your true friend and why that person defines your meaning of friendship.  

Birthday Gift Kit: Survive, Pamper, and Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

We just celebrated my mother's 61st birthday this past Sunday, April 6th. May God continue to bless her!

Now, I love her to death but she's a difficult person to shop for and I'm tired of getting her the same ole' traditional gifts that I usually get her like perfume and gift cards. I still needed to stay within budget, though. So this year I figured I step out the box and get a little creative with it...

My Writing Process: Blog Tour

Imagine my excitement when Kerry Connelly, over at Vibrancy Lives, asked me to be a part of the "My Writing Process Blog Tour!" I've only been blogging for a couple of months and don't have many "blogger friends" so, naturally, I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour in hopes of making a couple of new ones. I also welcomed the opportunity to take an introspective look at my writing process because, honestly, I've never done so in the past.

But first, I did a little research to find out more about this blog tour. In doing so, I learn that it's essentially a fun way to introduce you to writers and authors from across different fields. Those writers are to answer a few questions about their writing process and then introduce you to three more writers who are to do the same the following week and on it goes. During my research, I was able to trace the tour back to September of last year but can't be sure when and where it initially started.

So, let's get started...

April Service Challenge: Forgiveness

Spring has sprung and April is officially here! That means that nicer weather is finally on the way! (that was the sound of the North East Region collectively letting out a sigh of relief) 

More importantly though, this month is of great significance for Christians all around the world. The culmination of Lent (Holy Week) and the death (Good Friday) and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Easter) are all observed this month. 

With that in mind, can you take a guess what this month's service challenge will be? Take a look...

March Service Challenge: Recap

And just like that, the month of March has passed us by. Today's the last day of March and I really hope you had a chance to join us in our Monthly Service Challenge this month. If not, no worries, there's always April's challenge! 

In the meantime, however, I've realized that while I posted photos on our Instagram account showing an update of how we did with the challenge, it would probably be a good idea to do the same here on our blog. 

For that reason, I've decided to do a "recap" at the end of each month sharing our story and how we did with the challenge for that month. So, without further ado, here is our first Service Challenge Recap... 

My Dream Job

Had I been asked when I was younger what my dream job was I would have said...

St. Patrick's Day: Five Fun Ways to Spend it With Your Kids

Who says you have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Well, clearly this MamiBear is not. As a child, however, I remember attending the local St. Patrick's Day Parade in my neighborhood and loving it. The food, the music, the kilts...such good times. Not to mention the cute little leprechauns and rainbows you see everywhere.

Well, it's been a long time since I've gone to a St. Patrick's Day parade but I still want to be able to celebrate the holiday with my ositos from the comfort of our own home.  To that end, I've come up with 5 fun ways you can spend St. Patrick's Day with your kids at home. Take a look...

My New Journey: Youth Mentoring

I did it! I finally signed up to become a Mentor!

It's something I knew I would do as I got older, maybe in my 50's, but I had no idea I would do it this soon in life.  It's amazing how God works sometimes though...

If I could have 3 wishes, they would be...

Random Fact No. 6 of the 52 Things My Ositos Should Know About Their Mami-Bear.

My first wish, of course, would be to have 3 more wishes but for the sake of specificity, I’ve chosen the following 3 wishes:

Father Loses $80,000 Settlement Over Daughter's Facebook Post: 4 Things We Can All Learn From This Story

Last week, the Third District Court of Appeals for the State of Florida ruled that Patrick Snay had violated the confidentiality clause of his settlement agreement with a private preparatory school in Miami, Florida. 

Mr. Snay had sued Gulliver Preparatory School for age discrimination after being fired from his position as Headmaster. The school and Mr. Snay came to an agreement wherein the school paid Mr. Snay's legal bills, $10,000 in back pay and an $80,000 settlement.

Not bad, right? Now, here's where the story goes left.

March Service Challenge: Read Across America

Today the nation celebrates the National Education Association's Read Across America Day, a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on Dr. Seuss's birthday. Children across the country participate in reading their favorite books, a multitude of fun activities and have guest speakers come in and read to them. 

So, that being said, guess what this month's Monthly Service Challenge is going to be? Read on to find out....

Monthly Service Challenge 2014

I'm pretty sure you've heard of Monthly Photo Challenges by now. They're everywhere...Instagram, Facebook, blogs...you name it.

If you haven't, allow me to explain for a minute.  The objective is to be challenged to take a photo everyday of a certain prompt (e.g. color, object, action, etc.)  You must find whatever the prompt is asking for and photograph it. Simple, right?

Well, the Monthly Service Challenge is a slightly different take on this same concept.  Read on and I'll tell you how so...

5 Things That Make Me Most Happy

Why should you care about what makes me happy? Read on and I'll tell you why....

40 Reasons Why We Love You Drink & Snack Cake

I racked my brain trying to figure out what to give my husband for his 40th birthday last week. He shares a birthday with my daughter who just turned 1 and we agreed to have a party for her and celebrate his birthday on a much smaller scale. I, however, still wanted to get him something special for his birthday without blowing my budget. So, I scoured the Internet and was inspired by a few ideas that I liked.

EB's 1st Birthday: All Aboard The Love Boat!

All Aboard EB's Love Boat!  That was the theme of my daughter's 1st birthday party this past weekend. See, here in New Jersey, we're trapped in a virtual freezer box with so much snow on the ground that your words literally freeze in the air the moment they come out of your mouth. So, the thought of being on a cruise ship in the middle of February seemed pretty enticing. It was also Valentine's Day weekend so I combined the two elements and waa-laa...The Love Boat is born! Think plenty of hearts and anchors. Take a look...

EB's 1st Birthday: An Open Letter to My Baby Girl

Dear Baby Bear,

Time sure does fly! Around this time last year, your Dad and I were preparing ourselves for your sweet arrival. I was so nervous worrying about how the delivery would go. I remember the medical staff laughing at me and then joking that I should be a "pro" at delivering babies because this was my fourth time around.

10 Things I Would Tell My 17 Year-Old Self, If I Could. (An Open Letter)

There's nothing like reminiscing through old pictures and taking a trip down memory lane. Oh, the memories! That's what I experienced as I tried to complete Random Fact No. 4 of the "52 Things My Ositos Should Know About Their Mami-Bear" Series. Why seventeen? Well, I'll be thirty-four this year and half of thirty-four is seventeen which marks the half way point of my existence on earth.  So, in addition to listing 10 things I would like to tell my seventeen year-old self, I decided to pen an open letter as well. 

Many influential people such as Oprah Winfrey, Stephen King and Tyler Perry did the same. Here's what I would say, if I could...

Tracking Your Progress in 2014

New Year. New beginnings. New possibilities. So, now that all the New Year celebrations are out of the way, how are you managing with your goals so far? Are you still on track to attaining them or are they just a distant memory by now? As for me, if I'm being totally honest, it's a little bit of both. I'm on track with certain goals and I've fallen off the proverbial bandwagon with others. So much to do, so little time, I tell you!

For this reason, I've come up with a little something to help me stay on task and track my progress in different areas of my life (not reinventing the wheel, just customizing that bad boy to fit my life).  Take a look.....

Fact No. 3: Describe Your Relationship with your Spouse

As a part of the "52 Things My Ositos Should Know About Their Mami-Bear" Series,  here I tackle No. 3: Describe Your Relationship With Your Spouse.

35 By 35

There's nothing like a New Year and an action list to keep you going,  right? So here's mine: 35 things I want to accomplish by the time I turn 35 (God willing). A bucket list, if you will. So, that gives me a little over a year and a half to run through this list. Will I keep you informed of how it's going? Duh, of course I will. Wish me luck!