Latina in America: My Story

I take a quick sidetrack in our blog topics this week ( Don't worry the Bride's Maid Part II will be back!), following a program that was aired on CNN called Latino in America. Following this two-part program, I thought that I needed to write about being Latino in America, as a modern millennial women. The women of today are not cookie-cutters by any means. They are individuals and have unique backgrounds and history. So I share mine and what it means to me to be "Latino in America."

I remember when I went to go visit my grandparents in Miami when I was a young teenager and had my first run-in with the fact that I really didn't know half of my culture. I was about fourteen and my grandparents had recently purchased a condo in the Latino area of Miami Gardens. My grandparents are from Nicaragua and moved here when my Mom got married in the early 80s. They, along with the rest of my Mom's immediate family moved from Nicaragua due to a civil war that really took everything from what was a very successful Nica family. Now I must note here, that I am only half Latina, and so for most of my life I was raised apart from the Latino culture. I'm biracial and my Dad is from the United States, born and raised. I like to think I have the best of both world, but that comes from a lot of soul searching and identity development (that totally isn't over). But I digress.

So Latinos like to eat and they like to get together and party. It's no secret - it's just what we do. So one day while in Miami, my aunt and Grandparents took me and my brother to a cousin's house for dinner. When we arrived we said hello and shook hands and it was awkward, but I attributed that to us having never met my Mom and aunt's cousin's kids (our second or third cousins- who knows?). Dinner was great - we had some GOOD Nicaraguan food, etc. as Latino family get togethers usually go. But when it came time to leave, it was awkward again, as we shook hands or just said goodbye. When I got in the car, I asked my aunt, why was that so awkward? Why did they kiss you on the cheeks? My aunt said, "That's what Latinos do. It's part of our culture."

I was a little confused. That's what I do? That's what you do? Am I supposed to know how to do that? Having been raised in a primarily White neighborhood, I didn't have that many run-ins with other Latinos, or half Latinos like me. Of course I kissed my Grandma - she's my Grandma and so does everyone else. So what may have been a  cultural identifier (kissing cheeks at hello) was not something I knew how to do. I never kissed anyone else on the cheek when I saw them. What I realized at that moment was I hadn't been practicing part of my culture.

When I went to college, I made it a point to develop the other half of my culture. My Latino culture. I joined a Latina-based sorority and immersed myself in the culture, which was primarily Mexican. While it wasn't Nicaraguan (and my Grandma will make fun of me because I have a Mexican accent when I speak Spanish) I am grateful for my sisters and for the opportunity I had to get to know another part of me. I learned a lot about myself, my heritage, and who I am - two parts of one whole.

An imporatnt thing to note is that :"Latino in America" is very culturally diverse story. You have half Latinos like me, and you have MexiRicans for example (Mexican and Puerto Rican) and sometimes that can be just as different as being half white and half Nicaraguan. Our culture is diverse and eclectic and needs to be recognized as such. It's important to remember that we're all on a journey to find out who we are - my journey is just beginning!

The Bride's Maid Part One: Joining the Wedding Party

I have been fortunate to have been in five weddings in the past two and a half years, with more scheduled to come. I've had the lime green, chocolate, watermelon, Tiffany's blue, and red bridesmaid dress. Only one was not strapless - unfortunately. But I loved them just the same!! Noting all the experiences I've had with weddings this far, this next series will be focusing on "The Bride's Maid" and because truly - the Millenial Modern Woman is the bridesmaid of today.

But first, before we get into this week's blog post and the first part of this next series titled "The Bride's Maid," we need to discuss why this series is titled "The Bride's Maid" and NOT "The Bridesmaid." I think what many people forget during weddings is if you're not the bride or the groom (well sometimes even the groom) - you're an accessory. The bridesmaid truly is - the Bride's MAID - and for good reason. Though I have yet to get married, though I hope one day it will eventually happen, I do recognize why the bridesmaid exists. For one, planning a wedding is difficult! Gathering a large number of people for a ceremony and really fancy party when you have never done it before, all while making a lifetime committment to one person, is HARD. Hence - you get maids - to HELP you. And so, I title this series "The Bride's Maid."

Joining the wedding party can be very exciting! However, many people stop to think about what this involves. For one, you are joining an event, and a show in a way, for a very important friend or family member! Yes - a show. You're on stage and performing,whether it's a church wedding where you're walking down the aisle (remembering to smile), or you are teaching a party dance at the reception to get people up and enjoying the festivities. You are ON from the moment you wake up on the rehearsal day until you make it back to your home or hotel room the night of the wedding (or early morning of the day after). You SHOULD be tired. But more about this later in Part Three- The Wedding.

Most important to remember is the costs associated with being a part of the wedding. Many individuals think it's just about the tux or the bridesmaid dress. However, if you are an out-of-towner, you must consider the flight or gas to arrive to your destination (and parking for your car or perhaps doggy daycare), the hotel room (you shouldn't be relying on the bride to put you up - remember that it's not about you), meals, etc. Even if you are from in town, you need to consider the dress or tux, the alterations, and other items that might pop up. Now I'm not trying to discourage those who may be on a budget, like myself, but I have seen the occasional bride be "jilted" by a maid that just couldn't afford to be in the wedding after they had made the commitment. The polite thing to do, I repeat, the polite thing to do when you know that you cannot afford the costs associated with a wedding is to let your friend or family member know. It is disappointing, don't get me wrong, but if he or she is a true friend they will understand. We all have budgets and putting bridesmaid dresses on your credit card (for example - three for me), doesn't help when you're trying to save.

Make sure you are COMMITTED when you accept the invitation to be a bridesmaid. Be sure you are willing to take on all that comes with being a Bride's Maid. Being a true friend means making your friend or family member's wedding the best and easiest it can possibly be!

Next: Check out The Bride's Maid Part Two: Supporting the Planner, Supporting the Bride

Revamping the Blog: The Modern Woman

So over the last couple weeks I really haven't had the opportunity to update the blog for the Part-Time Homemaker. In the time that I had to think about posts, I began to realize that maybe the direction isn't about homemaking per say, but more about the modern woman and her struggles, her accomplishments, and how she takes on the day-to-day and more. Many parts of the life and times of the millennial part-time homemaker consist of knitting, cooking, gardening, but there is so much more to that woman. So I decided that the blog needed a revamp, a makeover - it needed to be "flipped".

And how interesting is it that the modern woman also has to always adapt to the changing locations, team dynamics, situations at home, and more. So it is appropriate that with this change - we become the Millennial Modern Woman. Thanks for hanging in there during the change and please look forward to a broader subject matter, and of course the frequent post regarding the millenial part-time homemaker and her hobbies and eats! : )

So What's Coming Up? 

The How-to Guide: The Bride's Maid

Hobbies = Sanity

When you move to a new location, finding balance in your life can be difficult. I was going to stay sometimes, but to be honest, it's always. In my adventures as a yearling stud colt trainer, dairy cattle sales rep, corporate affairs intern, and most recently student affairs professional, I've realized that no matter what you do or who you work with, you still need life outside of work to keep you balanced. Some golf, some run, and I ride horses.It's nothing against the wonderful people you work with or the type of work you do.

Work is Work and you can't allow it to overtake your life.

So how do you find the balance? The question is what do you like to do? Once you have established what you like to do in your free time, you've found your hobby."Freetime?" you might be asking. Yes, freetime, and you have to create it! Even movie watching can be classified as a hobby. Now all you have to do is set aside time for it!

Personally, I try to ride once a weekend but that doesn't happen often, so I also substitute for cooking classes and reading, other hobbies of mine. However, no matter what your hobby (or hobbies) is - take some time away from work. Find your balance and I promise you, you'll be more productive at work and a happier person! What's the twist you ask? - actually set aside time in your calendar or planner for you to commit to your hobby!! You could even try to make a hobby out of some of the suggestions from past posts - knitting, gardening, or home decorating!

Happy Homemaking!

The Art of Giftgiving - On a budget

How many hours have you pondered over the right gift for your friend, special someone, or family member? Don't sit and calculate this - it would be another waste of time...

Let's face it. Unless you are picking out a gift off a wedding or baby registry, where the most important decisions you need to make are how much money are you willing to spend and what options are still available (be quick on selecting the gifts off registries people - the good ones go fast), gift giving can be pretty tough! Sometimes the perfect gift is way too expensive and sometimes you can't find that perfect gift at all - how dare Home Depot, Macy's, or Bed Bath and Beyond not come through for you! So what's the quick fix?

The best way to to go about finding the perfect gift is to sit down and make a list of things that you know your friend has mentioned they like, they have saught out and couldn't find, or that they admire about you. For example, one of my best friend's is a little deficient in the cooking department. She'll readily admit it, so I don't feel bad in outing her. She always enjoys hearing about the latest dish I'm cooking and has no problem sitting down to a good meal that I've prepared. So when considering a gift for her, I thought why not a cookbook?

Now with an option such as a cookbook - you can make this as elaborate or as cheap or as easy as possible. You could go out and purchase a cookbook or you could make one yourself. I chose the later for the reason that I knew I could even buy her a notebook and handwrite my recipes that I wanted to give her! I chose a more elaborate version (I picked up a blank scrapbook from my nearby Michael's craft store) and decorated it and wrote my recipes and left her space to add more. Needles to say she loved it! A good notebook is only $10! You could easily make it personal with scraps from magazines that you cut out, pictures of you and a friend, and home recipes that you use on a regular basis!

Additionally, I find that the home made gift is one of the best kinds. I recently picked up knitting. Though it seems very domestic, I find it very relaxing, since I don't really have to focus or think while doing it. It's easy to watch tv and knit a few rows. So for my most recent gift, I gave my time. Another of my friends is expecting. Knowing that I'm on a lower budget, I knew that I would be limited in the gifts I could give her. So I headed to Walmart, picked up some good yarn (a total of $15 worth) and knitted a baby blanket that in total only took me about 20 hours. Now you may be asking, " 20 HOURS?!" Consider this - how much time do you waste just sitting in front of the tv - snacking or staring blankely into space? You could be knitting and could knock out a scarf for a holiday gift for Mom! Consider it!

The twist this week - Consider your hobbies and your talents. What options do you have to cut down on the large budget normally associated with gifts? You'll be surprised with what you come up with and your friends and family will be so impressed and so grateful.

The Rollercoaster Ride.... of Plants

My mother can tell you that I've never had a plant. Nor would she ever trust me with one, except for maybe watering her outside flowers, with the garden house, when she's away on vacation - which isn't often. So when I embarked on my own personal garden earlier this summer, with encouragement from my favorite cooking blogger, I was a little skeptical.

My biggest problem with shopping is that I have no terminal amount that if reached, stops the spending. Therefore, I make sure to bring a valued friend with me to make sure I do. In this case, my favorite cooking blogger took me to Home Depot (as you can tell one of my favorite stores - just under Macy's and Williams Sonoma) and we went plant shopping. I decided that I wanted a hanging basket and a few plants for some pots. This is where it started and it didn't end.

Noting that I don't have a lot of sunlight on my patio, I purchased some rainbow and peperomia plants, an ivy plant, a hanging basket full of guinea impatients (more to come on this plant), a roma tomato plant, and some red and green bell peppers. I also purchased some rosemary, chives, italian parsley, and some basil.

My first adventures with THE hanging basket turned into some very testing ones. One morning I woke up to realize that my plant was completely sucicidal, that or very much asking for attention, and had it been able to, I think it would have thrown itself off the plant hook. See picture here. The best thing about this impatient was if I watered it - it immediately came back to life! A very good plant for someone who is a little forgetful about watering.

Overall, the plant adventure has been very rewarding. I've had a few bell peppers in my meals, and my tomatoes are flourishing and the herbs have been a great addition to my cooking! More importantly, I've kept the plants alive!! What a confidence booster. The twist this week: Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone and get a plant, just make sure its one that will be forgiving and will let you know when it needs some TLC - like my very patient impatient :)

Happy Homemaking!

The pillows that turned into paint samples

I've found it very easy to turn around a space that has just become tired with only a few items and not a lot of money. For someone who doesn't have a large budget, I'm always excited to find new ways to update my apartment within the legal realms of the lease, which includes painting rights and leads to our next story. Exciting!

Today was one of those really relaxing "Sundays" thanks to the Labor Day weekend, and after a fun weekend with family in the city to go see Mama Mia and eat some great food, I made it back to the apartment and the dog.On my way home, when I was actually knitting on I-95 because of stand-still traffic, I decided that I needed to clean my apartment and attempt to simplify my life. Those who know me are now laughing at me because simple really isn't in my vocabulary. Well maybe it is, but only when I'm saying "it's simple" followed by how i think i can do something easily or better than someone else (usually followed by something not so simple). Hence - simple and I are not synonymous.