Valentine Gifts

Business Card:

I'm a strong believer that we MUST celebrate special days. It makes others feel special and adds interest to our days. But with my busy life, I, at times, let special days go by without giving it much attention :(

Last year for Valentine's Day, I got my hubby a shitty last-minute gift. I was feeling overwhelmed by the demands of life and did not put much thought into the gift. I felt awful and the fact that I can't even remember what I got him makes it worse.

This year, I'm going to redeem myself. Though I'm not sure what I will give him, I do have a few ideas in mind.

Popcorn maker and Pay Per View
In the past, I have given friends and family an old school looking popcorn maker. Later, they tell me of fun movie nights and popcorn binges.
For my hubby, I'm hoping to add umph to the gift by purchasing a Pay Per View event. He can make popcorn, serve home-made beer and have friends over to watch a fight or special event.

Watch with glitz
As a Brazilian man, my hubby loves watches. To make it better, he loves large, glitzy watches. It's this ghetto fab side that I love so much!

Business Cards
As of now, this is my top choice. Now that my hubby is engrossed in his beer-making projects, I'm thinking of making simple business cards with his name and hobby written on it. He can then give cards away to friends and fellow brewers. Who knows?! Brahma, Brazil's number one beer, may end up asking him to become a professional testers.

Early Puberty & Paraben Products

My daughter has fabulous curly hair. At time, though, it is a little wild and difficult to manage. So logically, my husband and I have turned to a variety of hair products to remedy the problem. I also asked others for advice and was surprised by what I learned.

During a conversation with my sister, she began recounting the story of an eight-year old girl who has hair like my daughter. The little girl recently began menstruating--yes, she is eight and has a period! My sister, then, went on to explain the consequences, which I never considered. Women who begin their period early begin menopause early. My sister went on to explaining that some believe paraben, a common preservative in beauty products, can lead to early puberty in addition to breast cancer and a decrease in sperm count. My sister concluded by stating that the parents of the eight-year old believe that, to some extent, harmful products led to their daughter's early development.

What? I found the information intriguing, so I began researching. While there is information that proves and disproves the parent's claim, my hubby and I want to be on the safe side. We began purging our home of paraben products and were surprised to learn that paraben is in everything from toothpaste to organic beauty products! We are now on the hunt for paraben-free products that work and are easy to find.Paraben-free products:

1. Mixed Chicks hair products
2. Eucerin original lotion. Not all are paraben free. Check the ingredients.

Below are a few links to sites with more information on paraben.

Livestrong.com

Children's Health

Bright Hub

Maria Souza: A Dancer, Friend, and Teacher

Maria Souza: queen of Carnaval and Aquarela's founder, manager, and dancer. Around the holiday season, Aquarela begins preparing for the San Francisco Carnaval Ball. We brainstorm costume ideas, rehearse old and new choreographies, and begin our beauty regime—brown rice and broccoli--tasty! For us, the SF Ball is one of the top shows of the year and we LOVE it!!

However, this coming ball is going to be very different for me. Since I am currently in grad school and pregnant, I have not attended rehearsals. I’m out of the loop and I hate it because rehearsals are more than just a time to dance and rehearse. It’s my time to bond with some of my closest friends.

Aquarela is like a second family with Maria Souza as the mother. For the past 25 years, Maria Souza has led Aquarela Dance Ensemble. During this time, she has been a fellow dancer, friend, critic, and mother. She taught me how to dance, make costumes, and build the confidence that I have today. In simple terms, Maria has been one of the most important people in my life. She truly is an amazing woman.

To show my gratitude, I've included some of Aquarela's best moments?

The beginning. Warning! The costumes are outdated but still fabulous. Plus, Maria's white feather costume is to die for.

Carnaval Parade

Silvana: Choreographer, organizer, dancer, and friend. Micaela: Organizer, dancer, and friend. Akiva: Organizer, dancer, and friend.
Dominique: Dancer, friend, and the baby of the group :)
Molly: Dancer, friend, and clown. Yes, a professional clown!

6 Things Moms Can't Live Without

As my due date approaches, I'm trying to get things ready for the new baby. After all, Camila is 2 1/2 and like the pains of childbirth, I have forgotten how it feels to have long periods of sleepless nights, extreme exhaustion, and all the great things that go along with being a new mom.

To get prepared, I began an informal questionnaire of things moms can't live without. Just to be fair to my very detailed and very statistical research, I asked a daycare provider, a first-time mom with a 6-month old daughter, and a veteran mom with a 7-year old son. Here are the results.

Every mom needs:

1. Alcohol. Yes, a glass of red wine after the baby is asleep does wonders. Please note that it's when the baby is down for the night. I'm not counting the morning and afternoon naps. Instead of a glass of wine, I personally recommend a shot of tequila. I've hear that I cures all sorts of ailments.

2. Ergo Baby. It's an amazing gadget. Much like the Baby Bjorn, the Ergo Baby allows parents to carry the baby around hands free. Best of all, unlike other similar products I have tried, the Ergo Baby does not cause back pain.

3. Nap Time. God decided to be kind when she created nap time. This is a time when kids sleep so moms and dads can regroup. I can't imagine what life would be like without it.

4. Pacifiers. When Camila was born, I strongly opposed the use of pacifiers. I was under the impression that if she cried, I needed to figure out the source of the problem and solve it. Six weeks later, I was a believer! On a normal 7 pm crying session, my husband suggested that we give Camila a pacifier. After trying everything, I gave in. OMG! The clouds parted, birds began to sing, and the household was once again quiet. The baby stopped crying.

5. Ear Plugs. When I say ear plugs, I don't mean just any old foam plug or cotton balls stuffed into the ears. I'm talking about the deluxe silicone plugs that molds to your ear. This one little thing saved my sanity and at times my marriage. On the night my husband was on call, night duty with the baby, I plugged my ears, had a glass of wine, and was out for the count. Of all the things moms can't live without, this by far is my favorite!

6. CPR Class. Throughout high school, I was in a JROTC class. In addition to learning discipline, I also learned CPR. Of course, I have retaken the class a few times after high school and I must say that I'm glad. Though I have never used the strategies I have learned, it gives me peace of mind in knowing that I am prepared.

I'm sure that I will have numerous sleepless nights, wear out my ear plugs, drink more than my share of wine, and pray that the pacifier works, but the joy of having my baby say "mamae" will be worth it.

What's Love Got to Do with It?

"What's love got to do with it?" A great question that I ask all the time.

According to a recent article published on the Washington Post, dancers and choreographers have the highest divorce rate when compared to other professions. The highest!

Though I feel disappointed, I can agree and accept the information. If you think about it, a good dancer is constantly rehearsing with his/her partner and must develop a close understanding of the body and movements of the other dancer. The combination of close contact along with chemistry is a recipe for sex or at least intense flirting!

This does not mean that all dancers are doomed to a lonely life. It just means that we need to find the right one, hold on to him/her as if your life depends on it, and remember that the passion and attraction towards other dancers come from their talent as a dancer and not because they are the right one--right?