Episode 275: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: Post-Vaccine Travel, Birthdays & the Bulgaro Lady

Are you ready for a sister update? Because we’re ready to spill the tea! Bricia tells us about her first trip post-covid vaccine and while she had a little bit of anxiety getting to her destination, she is really thankful she was able to getaway. Paulina is talking about her new healthy habits and becoming the búlgaro lady. We also talk about Eddie’s second birthday party ever, Bricia’s extra decorations and as always, we’re sharing our picks and tips for the week. #AddToCart 

P.S. Shoutout to our favorite Evelyn from Harlow Planning, balloons from Lotus Party Co. and installation from Preferred Projects for creating this incredible set up for Eduardo’s 6th birthday! Nothing wrong with a little extraness. 😉Check out his backyard party set up in the gallery above and reach out to these amazing vendors for your next party!

Paulina’s Breakfast Smoothie

Spinach

Broccoli

Blueberry

Blackberry

Almond butter

Ginger

Tumeric

Bulgaro milk

Pick or Tip of the Week

Last week, Fernando asked Paulina if she wanted to go to the movies. Some movie theaters are allowing you you rent out the whole room for yourself up to twenty people - your family or whoever is in your bubble. They went to the AMC in Monterey Park and everyone loved it! This is going to spoil the kids because they were able to walk around throughout the movie and yell at each other. It’s a good sign that everything is slowly getting back to a new normal. Check out local theaters in your area to see if they offer this cool opportunity!

Bricia’s pick is a kids’ finance app called Greenlight. It’s a savings + spending app that she found when she was trying to figure out how to pay Eddie from his business since he has to pay for his new iPad (if you missed the story about that, listen to the intro of THIS episode and check out his tie dye shop). Greenlight is a prepaid debit card made just for kids. You can transfer money, send allowances when they complete chores, see their expenses and how much money they have. Eddie used his debit card to pay for his new iPad and his independence even shocked the guy at the Apple store! You have to listen to the episode to hear about the rest of his first big purchase.

Links

Arca restaurant in Tulum - Bricia and her husband, Eduardo, went here during their post-vaccine travels and they loved it! The food was so creative and well executed, blown away by the menu and flavors.

Paulina the búlgaro lady has been referencing this article and this one to learn more about kefir.

Ayara Thai in Westchester, CA

Episode 274: What is CBD? The Misconceptions of Cannabis with Jessica Gonzalez, owner of Happy Organics

Everyone loves a new episode! This week we talk to Jessica Gonzalez, owner of Happy Organics, a wellness company and apiary company in California. When her father was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, she and her siblings turned to cannabis to help him with pain relief and after a ton of research, her company was born. Jessica talks to us about the basics of cannabis, the difference between CBD & THC and the products she’s created through the years (including one of Paulina’s favorite salves). You know we never shy away from taboo topics, so we get to the bottom of CBD for you and how you can add it to your daily routine. 

Cannabis Glossary Terms from this Episode

The most important takeaway from our interview with Jessica: “The main misconception around cannabis is that hemp and weed are two different plants. They come from the same plant, but there are different laws around the two regarding distribution. Scientifically, it’s the levels of THC in the plant.”

• Hemp: is used to mean cannabis that contains 0.3% THC. Hemp derived CBD can be found in any wellness store and is available almost anywhere. It is also federally legal. Learn more about the life-changing benefits of hemp oil on the Happy Organics blog.

• CBD: short for cannabidiol. It is a chemical compound found in the stem or leaf of the plant. CBD is the non-psychoactive part of the plant and will NOT get you high.

• THC: stands for tetrahydrocannabidiol. It is a cannabinoid molecule in cannabis that is the main psychoactive ingredient a.k.a. the substance that causes you to feel high.

Jessica’s Top 3 Products

• Happy Honey: Raw, Sustainable Sage and Wildflower Honey with CBD - This is a great way to start taking CBD! It’s delicious on toast or in a smoothie, or even in your coffee. Which might help level out the coffee kick. 😉

• Día y Noche: Mexican Hot Chocolate Tonics with CBD and Adaptogens - Has a mild herb flavor. It’s not a huge effect, just a great drink to relax to.

• Sana Salve, Organic CBD Muscle Balm and Chest Rub - This has been a top fave product / seller since the company started making products a few years ago. It’s nostalgic (like vaporu!), moisturizing and you’ll want to add this to your daily routine.

Pick or Tip of the Week

One of the ways Paulina’s body reacts to stress and anxiety is dry scalp. There was a time she made her scalp bleed she was scratching so much. Her tip this week comes from her sister Liz, who suggested and also uses coconut oil with apple cider vinegar as a leave-in mask. Twice a week she uses a small bottle of equal parts coconut oil and ACV. She uses a small applicator to apply all over her scalp for a minimum of 10 minutes (usually on the days she washes her hair).

After the third application Paulina has not scratched her head anymore! It’s helped her scalp a lot and it’s way better than the doctor recommended shampoo filled with chemicals. Sometimes going natural is better than anything!

Also part of her scalp / haircare routine - Dr. Bronner’s tea tree soap and a scalp massager for when she washes her hair. 

Bricia’s tip is a SHAMELESS PLUG - watch Waffles + Mochi on Netflix! Produced by Michelle Obama, this show is geared towards children but it’s great for the whole family to watch. Bricia is shook that this show is so good but of course, it’s produced by the Obamas! You can catch us on episode 2 about salt. The best part of the episode is the last twenty minutes. Be sure to check it out and tag us!

Links

To learn more and shop all CBD products, follow Happy Organics on Instagram @happyorganics.co and happyorganics.co

Episode 273: Let’s Talk About Sex, Fertility Awareness, and that Time of the Month with Cindy Luquin of Howl at the Womb

We LOVE to talk about sex! But really, as taboo as it is in the Latinx community, it’s so important that we talk about sexual wellness. This week we talk to Cindy Luquin, founder of Howl at the Womb. We talk about why she created her business, plus we touch on fertility awareness, unprotected sex, basal body thermometers and so much more. These can be uncomfortable topics to discuss but Cindy makes it easy and informational, and we know we’ll be having her back for another chat soon!

Our Conversation with Cindy

What is Howl at the Womb?

Fertility Awareness Methods and Body Literacy

——————————————

How do you feel when it’s your time of the month?

1. Your basal body temp: Use a basal body thermometer to check your basal body temperature (resting/core temperature). You need to track this throughout your cycle because it shifts. When a spike in temperature happens, this is when you ovulate.

2. Check for cervical mucus, AKA wetness in your undies.

3. Your cervix: Insert your fingers into your vagina and check the position of your cervix. It changes positions at different times in the month.

Using apps to predict your cycle

• Read Your Body app

• Kindara app

——————————————

Methods to NOT conceive

Pulling out 🙈

Using a basal body thermometer (like this one)

Cindy’s Liberated Lovers course

When do you start preparing for menopause?

Introducing our little ones to their boundaries and teaching consent

Links

Learn more about Cindy and her Liberated Lovers course at HowlAtTheWomb.com.

Follow Cindy on Instagram @howlatthewomb and be on the lookout for announcements for workshops, classes, etc.

Episode 272: Dealing with Post-Pandemic Anxiety in Children with Dr. Maritza Mikolich, PsyD, LMFT

The world may be getting ready to reopen again, but are our kids ready for in-person school after a year of virtual learning? We speak with therapist Dr. Maritza Mikolich about anxiety issues our children might be facing when going back to post-pandemic life. We talk about behavioral signs to look for and how to listen and validate their feelings. She also offers tips on how to help them get back to normal in-person socialization in a safe & healthy way!

Before the episode, we’re talking about Eddie going back to school! He’s so excited to see his friends and it feels like he grew up overnight (or during quarantine 🤣) because he’s getting ready for school on his own and even packing his school snacks, including the new plant-based Sabra Kids Snack Kits. We dared Eddie, Krista and Sabina to try the snacks and all they talked about was how good they were! The girls love the yummy Brownie Batter flavor and Eddie can’t get enough of the Taco dip, especially the delicious tortilla chips. We’re daring YOU to dare your kids to try these snacks - we know they’ll love it!

More about Dr. Maritza Mikolich: Maritza is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a doctoral degree in psychology. “I come from a traditional Mexican family, raised in the United States and spoke Spanish as my first language. My parents were born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico and moved to the U.S. for the American dream of giving their family better opportunities. It was that dream that highly motivated me to follow my passion by going to college and studying psychology when I discovered it in high school. I was the first college graduate in my extended family to get a college education. I obtained my bachelors degree at the University of San Diego, my masters degree at Saint Thomas University in Florida and my doctorate degree at Alliant International University in San Diego. During my studies, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico and Madrid, Spain.

“I have therapy experience working in different settings including: youth and parents in foster care, teenagers in group homes, children in schools who struggled with behavioral issues, individuals struggling with co-parenting issues, and crisis intervention with all age groups. During the pandemic, in October 2020, I decided to start my private practice in hopes of giving back to the Hispanic community. I provide psychotherapy primarily to adults in English and Spanish virtually through telephone and video throughout the state of California. I provide individual, family and couples therapy virtually to people struggling with depression, anxiety,  trauma, life stressors, and relational problems.”

For more information on how to contact Dr. Mikolich, check out her site DrMikolich.com and scroll below for more links!

Tips & Resources for Parents from Dr. Mikolich

Parenting During Covid

• Self-care

• Manage your own emotions

• Manage your home environment

• Be more aware of your child’s mental health

• Practice healthy communication skills

• Manage school stress

Suggested Reading

• Children's Books for Anxiety: "Ruby Finds a Worry" by Tom Percival

• Positive Discipline by Jane Nelson (several option depending on child's age)

• 9 Ways to Cope With Anxiety as a Family During the COVID-19 Pandemic via Parents.com

• Parenting in the time of COVID-19 via World Health Organization

• Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home via HealthyChildren.org

• NEW RESOURCE PACK: POSITIVE PARENTING IN COVID-19 ISOLATION via end-violence.org

• Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19 via NASPonline.org

Resources

• National Parent Helpline 855-4APARENT

• Parents Helping Parents: 800-882-1250

• San Diego Crisis & Access Line: 888-724-7240

• Youth Talkline: 877-450-5463

• Resources in San Diego: 211

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

• National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI): 760-722-3754

• Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): 800-826-3632

• Codependency Anonymous: 888-444-2359

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick is the covid vaccine. She and Paulina are lucky enough to have received their first rounds of the shot and they are very thankful they’re on the road back to normal life. Bricia suggest doing the research, finding reliable sources and talking to your doctor about any questions you might have. If it’s your turn and you can get the vaccine, get it! You can find more information at myturn.ca.gov.

Paulina’s pick is Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty. Her therapist suggested it as a tool for Krista to use to that help ease school stress and use during study time. It’s kind of like slime and it’s relaxing.

LINKS 

Learn more about Dr. Mikolich and her practice at drmikolich.com. Call or email for a free consultation at therapy@drmikolich.com. She is also available for virtual appointments via video or phone.

Try the new Sabra Kids Snack Kits now! Click here to find a grocer near you.

Episode 271: College Success & Resources for Undocumented Students with Sarahi Espinoza, founder of DREAMer's Roadmap

“If I can change the life of one person, if I can help one Sarahi out there and let them know they can go to college after high school, that’s success to me.”

- Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca

Is someone in your family getting ready to apply to college? Maybe your teenager is looking at school’s out of state or your young cousin is starting to think about their future career and what schools would benefit their education? This week we interview Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, founder of DREAMer’s Roadmap. This free mobile app provides resources and helps undocumented students find scholarship opportunities for college. Sarahi talks to us about her own journey as an undocumented student, the inspiration behind creating the app and what high school & college students can do to make their college tuition life a little easier. Furthering your education can be a little confusing, but luckily Sarahi has created a helpful resource for any student looking for new opportunities!

More about Sarahi: Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca is the Founder and CEO of DREAMers Roadmap, a mobile app platform that helps undocumented students navigate the necessary resources to access higher education. This is Sarahi’s project for the past 4 years within a longer trajectory of activism within and for the undocumented community, which has placed her in the spotlight of continued conversations centered on national immigration policy.

Sarahi was a Champion of Change at the White House in 2014, has received 4 House of Representatives Awards, and was named in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2016. A former undocumented student who once had to drop out of school to support her family, Sarahi’s personal experience informs her unwavering vision: to help hundreds of thousands of students eliminate the barriers to success and achieve their full potential. 

More recently Sarahi has directed two major campaigns serving minorities. #FirstOfTheMonth where she and two other local orgs Cosme together and raised 2.2 million dollars to help the most vulnerable of their neighbor who were impacted by covid and got no financial support. The other #Supplies4FarmWorkers a grassroots community-led campaign organized by 100% volunteers where we go to farmworker camps and fields to distribute backpacks, school supplies, PPE, and essentials. Serving families affected by the California fires and Covid19.

Tips for College Success from Sarahi

• Be proactive!

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

• Reach out to the Admission’s Office and EOPS offices.

• Be persistent. Call, email and show up in person if possible.

• If parents can’t make these calls due to language barriers, students need to make these call.

• Check out FastWeb.com for random scholarships. Anything helps!

Links

Follow @dreamersroadmap on Instagram and Facebook.

Download the DREAMer’s Roadmap app from the Apple Store or Google Play for more information, scholarship opportunities, resources and events local to you and around the country.

Episode 270: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamás - Post-Pandemic Dreams and Acknowledging Personal Growth

Who else has missed our catch up sessions? We sure did, and this week is a little profound talk between sisters. Not only are we imagining what life is going to be like post-pandemic with family vacations (and maybe trips without them 🤣), going back to school, eating in restaurants and birthday parties, but we’re also getting deep into our feelings. We’re exploring buried emotions and acknowledging that growth from our childhood is just as important now that we’re parents and trying to understand our kids. It’s never too late to grow, sisters! 

P.S. Have you entered our giveaway for the new #TomAndJerryMovie ?! We’re giving TWO movie kits to a lucky random follower and a tagged friend! Check out our Instagram post for all the details on how to enter and watch the official movie trailer below.

Paulina’s Kid Schedules

The pandemic is finally on it’s way to out (we hope 🤞🏽) and Paulina barely started getting the hang of it! She realized that her girls needed to be on a better schedule before and after school, so she used Over to customize the schedules below. When the girls start to bother each other or tell Paulina they’re bored, she just points them to the schedule and asks what they’re supposed to be doing. Whether it’s meal time, school or free time, there’s always something to do.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia and Eduardo tie dyed some shirts this weekend! The tie dye kit was gifted to her by Paulina. It’s a brand called Rit and it came in camel brown color and Bricia ended up buying more colors. She and Eddie went to Joanns for shirts, squeeze bottles and extra dye. Now her $5 shirt now looks like it cost $45 dollars!

Paulina is really into her eyebrows right now. She loves the Microfilling Brow Pen from Benefit. The tip is like three points and it almost feels like micro blading, and gives a much more full look. Elizabeth also recommended a brow gel from Anastasia. Paulina uses the gel first then the pen to fill in. 

Links

Bricia has started working with her life coach Victor Pierantoni again. Check out the episode we recorded with him about staying sane and zen in the pandemic earlier last year!

Episode 269: Market Investing Fundamentals with Ramona Ortega of My Money, My Future

Money money money money ! 🤑🤑🤑One of our friends and favorite financial gurus, Ramona Ortega of My Money My Future, is back on the show this week for more money talk. A few weeks ago there was a ton of drama in the stock market involving Game Stop, Dogecoin and more, and we realized that some people probably had no idea what was happening. We reached out to Ramona to get to the bottom of it as well as learn more about the basics of investing, financial strategizing, financial freedom funds and so much more. We understand that new terms and money can be confusing for many of us, but that’s exactly why we interviewed Ramona about this info. If you’re just starting to explore the money market, this is the episode to tune in to! 

Join Ramona’s Don't Just Thrive. Survive. Investment Bootcamp! You’ll learn more about the fundamentals of finance and risk factors, how to choose & buy high performing stocks and so much more. Plus it’s a self-paced course with a live Q&A every two weeks, so you can join at any time!

More about Ramona Ortega: Ramona Ortega is the CEO & Founder of My Money My Future. MMMF is personal finance app helping Black and Latinx millennials save, invest, and build wealth with automated financial guidance and personalized product recommendations. Ramona was recently named one of the most Notable Women in Personal Finance by Crain's Business. Ramona has been an Entrepreneur in Residence with Azlo and is a sought after thought leader in fintech and financial inclusion. She is on the board of Village Capital, Camino Financial and Los Angeles Community Health Council. Prior to founding MMMF, Ramona was a Wall Street attorney and worked on complex securities litigation and corporate matters in private practice and at the SEC and U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Ramona is a contributor to TechCrunch and is working on a book called No Shame in the Money Game: A Broke Girls' Guide to Building Wealth.

Our Conversation with Ramona

The Language of Finance

Ramona’s Investment Bootcamp

How to Strategize Different Accounts

Investment Tips for Beginners

Why Financial Literacy is Important, especially for Latinos

Short term vs. Long term Investing

What is stock split?

Investing for your Children

How to choose a good stock

Mutual Fund vs. ETF

What is Crypto?

The Game Stop Drama

Links

Follow Ramona on Instagram @MyMoneyMyFuture, Facebook.com/mymoneymyfuture, Twitter @MMoneyMFuture and check out her site MyMoneyMyFuture.co for more financial tips.

You can also follow Ramona’s personal Twitter @dinero_diva for more inside tips.

Episode 268: Relationships in the Pandemic - A Valentine’s Day Special with Samara Fabrick

“Part of what keeps eroticism alive in marriage is separateness. You need to be your own person and your partner needs to be their own person, and when you come together as the Venn diagram, that's where the sexy, spicy comes.”

- Samara Fabrick

Are you feeling the love this week? 🥰 Ahead of Valentines Day, we brought back previous guest, Samara Fabrick, a couples therapist who talks to us about relationships during the pandemic. So many of us are facing issues with our partners like never before and Samara is breaking down the pros & cons to our newly realized problems. She is sharing ways that we can get our sexy back with our partners during quarantine and when we need it in the future! 

Listen to our previous episodes with Samara that will help set the mood for Valentine’s Day:

• Episode 93: How to Date Your Partner with Sex Therapist Samara Fabrick

• Episode 118: Sex while Pregnant, Sex Toys, Sex Shops and the Road to Sexual Freedom with Samara Fabrick

More about Samara Fabrick: Samara Fabrick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been in private practice as a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills for the past 20 years. Samara specializes in working with clients suffering from anxiety as well as a specialization in relationship and couples therapy. She taught the premarital course, Making Marriage Work, at the American Jewish University for 15 years.  As part of her extensive work with couples, Samara works with a variety of sexual issues including those related to dating and sexuality in the course of long-term relationships. Samara has been married to her husband for 26 years and has two grown children.

How to Get Your Groove Back 😉

1. Make sure you are taking care of yourself and practicing self care. You need to feel good about yourself first before you focus on anyone else.

2. Find something that feels novel, or new. Samara suggests a few dates ideas below.

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

• Get someone to watch the kids and take a night drive with your partner. Park somewhere and fool around a bit.

• If you live close to to the beach, take a drive up the coast. Super relaxing.

• Have a picnic in your backyard or the local park. Do the things that we used to do at the beginning of the pandemic that have become complacent.

• Do what feels sexy and special - take a bath or hot shower together, read a book.

• Make a date to have sex! It might not feel sexy to schedule it on the calendar, but it obviously matters enough. You NEED to make time for your partner! Lock the door and tell your kids it’s mommy & daddy time. Your kids will survive. 🤣

• Paulina’s suggestion - Prior to covid, she and her husband used to visit sex shops together. Now her husband will buy her something sexy online and have it delivered. It’s a fun surprise for both of them.

LINKS

For more information on Samara and to book a session, visit her website at SamaraFabrick.com

Divorce Rates Spike in China due to Coronavirus Lockdown

Paulina mentions how not sexy these sock gloves are (her pick from last week’s episode) but they are SO nice for your feet!

Samara’s favorite books right now - Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel by Bernadine Evaristo and The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett

We’re all also loving with making cocktails at home, especially with Fortaleza tequila! Not sponsored.

Samara’s guilty pleasure is Below Deck on Bravo.

And yes, we’re still obsessed with Bridgerton. Can you blame us?! We’re getting in the Valentine’s Day mood.

Episode 267: A Journey through IVF with Dulce Candy

The journey to mamáhood is not the same for everyone. This week we speak to beauty icon Dulce Candy Ruiz about her journey with IVF. After struggling to conceive for years and trying other natural fertility methods, she finally felt comfortable with the idea of IVF and decided to tackle the treatments with the support of her family. Dulce talks about the importance of having a strong mentality throughout the IVF process, explaining the decision to her Latinx family and how she feels like a first time mom all over again. We love Dulce’s real, transparent take on her experience, and we hope that her story gives other struggling mamas hope for their future too.

More about Dulce Candy: Dulce Candy Ruiz is a beauty icon who has been sharing her experiences and insights since 2008 through high-quality self-produced content across videos, photos, and blogs. Her focus ranges across self-love, beauty, petite fashion, and family. She immigrated to Southern California from Mexico as a young girl. At 18 she joined the armed forces to serve in the US Army in Iraq. Dulce is a globally recognized published author & beauty expert who has collaborated with hundreds of lifestyle brands, all while prioritizing her role as a mother, wife, daughter, and big sister to her millions of viewers from around the world.

Dulce’s Top Baby Picks

Solly Baby Wraps

Sleep Sacks like these highly recommended from Babylist

What Dulce is absolutely loving right now

Last great movie she watched - Soul on Disney+

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush - great for blending products and using for all over your face

Check out Dulce’s IVF Journey on her YouTube channel

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina’s tip is to get your things ready for the next day the night before! It makes morning before school/work much easier. Her pick this week are these gel socks for her feet! She has always struggled with dry skin and dry feet. She tries to use them for a few hours or overnight, and her feet are soooo soft!! This will make a big difference in the summer time when it’s huarache season.

Bricia has two picks this week! First, her husband is obsessed with personal hygiene and his teeth. He found Coco Floss - coconut oil floss that’s cruelty free and vegan. Her second pick are aging eye drops from Similasan. Bricia suffers from dry eyes and its hard for her to find good eye drops that don’t irritate her eyes even more. She uses them multiple times a day and it never stings!

Links

Follow Dulce Candy on Instagram and subscribe to her Youtube channel.

Babies documentary

Kiinde bottles - Bricia’s favorite!

Dulce’s favorite morning shakes - Boobie Body and Shakeology

Paulina bases her morning routine off of Rachel Hollis’ morning routine. It’s really made a difference for her in the past year!

Paulina is also on the hunt for a new daily moisturizer. Dulce’s favorite for everyday is Pacifica Vegan Collagen SPF30 Every Day Lotion. Bricia’s favorite cream is Honest Beauty CCC Cream.

Episode 266: The Realities of Blogger Life with Jacqui Saldaña of Baby Boy Bakery

One of our favorite amigas is back on the show! This week we talk to Jacqui Saldaña of Baby Boy Bakery. She’s one of the OG mama bloggers and has been creating content for family for years. This week we talk to Jacqui about the inspiration behind her newest content and recent website relaunch. We also talk about the ups & downs of quarantine life, how this year has changed her as a mom, and how much we all miss Disneyland! 😩Chatting with Jacqui is always such a good time - she’s real, honest, and hilarious! She has so many goals and ideas coming soon, we can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. 

Before the episode, we’re also talking about how big Augustina is getting! She’s getting ready to start her solid foods journey and Bricia is really focused on using the RIE parenting method again. We did an episode about this technique a few years ago, but we’re thinking it’s time for a refresher course! You can listen to that episode on Spotify here.

Also, Paulina might have shared a secret about her growing family on the episode. 😉 But you’ll have to tune in to find out!

More about Jacqui Saldaña: Jacqui is the author of Baby Boy Bakery, an inspirational online space that offers the tips and tools you need to feel the most confident within your kitchen. Jacqui began Baby Boy Bakery ten years ago as a place for families to gain insight on cooking simple meals and creating lasting memories together in the kitchen. It has since evolved into an uplifting space giving viewers an honest look inside Jacqui's home, as she invites everyone to cook alongside her and her little ones.

As a mother of three she keeps it real and simple, perfect for parents looking to whip up a tasty meal while also soaking up the time they have with their family. Jacqui shares delicious recipes, kids activities, and personal stories that resonate with most. She writes candidly about her journey through parenthood helping thousands of parents feel less alone as they face the hard times along with the beautiful ones. Her community loves her for being relatable and honest. Her fierce passion lies with food and family. You can count on Jacqui for recipes that will make you feel proud, fun ideas to make the most of your family time and stories that will help you hold on to joy!

Our Conversation with Jacqui

Quarantine life at home

Where she gets her content inspiration

Learning Sisterhood series on BabyBoyBakery.com

How this year has changed her as a mom

Her decision to keep going after tradgedy

Her relationship with her husband while in quarantine

“Hispanic Panic” 😂

Jacqui’s goals for the new year

What Jacqui is loving right now

The Crown on Netflix

Cookies! Because she’s a stress/emotional baker. Check out some delicious cookie recipes from her site including Sugar Cookies 4 Ways and a simple Brownie Cookie recipe.

She also loves organizing her closets. So relaxing!

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia is loving two protein powders right now. It’s so easy for her to add them to morning smoothies when she needs a quick breakfast.

1. Ora Organic - There are a few different flavors but she loves vanilla.

2. Four Sigmatic - This plant based protein gives Bricia so much energy, which is helpful because she’s detoxing from caffeine this month.

Paulina’s pick is also health related. She recently read an article about gut health and was inspired to do some more research for her nine year old, Krista, who is lactose intolerant. These Garden of Life probiotics for kids have helped her so much! Her skin condition and overall gut health have really improved. It reminded of an older episode we did about poop - yes, poop and the mind/gut connection. Maybe it’s time for a refresher episode on gut health too!.

Links

Follow Jacqui on Instagram @babyboybakery and check out her new site relaunch at BabyBoyBakery.com! You can find recipes, insightful parenting posts and ideas for kids activities that we love to do with our own families.

Also check out Jacqui Saldaña on YouTube for new, easy recipes every week! We love the recipe below for an easy, no bake cheesecake.

Episode 265: Birth Charts, Astrology and Predictions for 2021 with astrologist Dr. Veroshk Williams

Horoscopes? Birth charts? We’ve never been too much into astrology, but over the last year we have had so many guests talk about their star signs and how it plays into their personality, business decisions, and more that we were curious to learn more. We are both Libras and come from a family of many more Libras, but we know almost nothing about what that means!

In this episode, we dive into what astrology really is with Dr. Veroshk Williams, astrologist and psychologist. She explains how studying a person’s astrological birth chart can tell you about their core personality, communication skills, and so much more. She also tells us what happened in 2020 according to the planets and what’s predicted for 2021. Who would have thought the solar system would teach us so much about ourselves? 🪐💫

More about Dr. Veroshk Williams: Dr. Veroshk Williams is an entrepreneur of wisdom. Her work in psychology and astrology distinguishes her by her vision of the emotional, self-understanding, and actions directed at success. Her work model is based on creating a solid healing space for the entire community. She graduated from Cornell University and Ponce Health Sciences University where she did her PhD in clinical psychology. Also, she studied astrology in Colombia.

Currently, Dr. Veroshk runs Sanación Infinita PR, a multidisciplinary health clinic where she integrates her astrological and psychological consulting services. In addition, the clinic integrates other health professionals. Dr. Veroshk oversees clinical psychology doctorate degree students , who offer their clinical practice at low cost to the community. She also has a Sanacion Infinita office in New York City where Dr. Veroshk offers her services.

She is the creator of 'RESET by Veroshk' a series of virtual and face-to-face wellness events to restore the four dimensions of being: body, mind, emotion and spirit, with the support of lunar energy to achieve balance and well being.

Her website www.veroshk.com offers information about her services and wellness materials such as the Membresia Veroshk, downloadable meditations, worksheets, and other healing resources developed by Dr. Veroshk. She is also the creator of Shop Veroshk which is an online and physical store where she has developed branded products such as ritual candles and love elixirs, you can also find incense and a diversity of quartz.

All of this encompasses Dr. Veroshk’s vision on wellness and mental health which can be summarized as: “Mental health and healing is possible for all, you just have to find the way to make it happen.”

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick this week is a baby pick! She would gift this to any new mom - the dockatot. It’s been her everything with baby Augustina. She started sleep training at 3 months from 7pm - 7am, and Bricia thinks the dockatot has made a difference with keeping her asleep and keeping the same environment for her.

Paulina’s tip is the total opposite of baby gear. Bridgerton on Netflix! If you haven’t watched it yet, you need to! Make this your super-mamas-self-care time for yourself because it’s the ultimate novela. There’s a reason 63 million people have watched this already.

Links

Follow Dr. Williams on Instagram and all social platforms @vroshk

Check out her podcast AstroTerapia, all about fusing astrology & psychology and mental health advice

You can contact Dr. Williams for your own birth chart reading at info@veroshk.com or 787.460.3247

——————————-

Tenet - Bricia recently watched this movie and now she’s really into learning about time travel 🤣

The Dig on Netflix

What Dr. Williams is reading - Becoming by Michelle Obama

Episode 264: Keeping it Real with the Super Mamas: How Covid-19 Tried to Steal Our Holiday Cheer

Happy New Year, sisters!

This week’s episode is about our personal experience after Paulina and her family were diagnosed with covid right before Christmas. After months of being so careful and trying our best to stay safe, Paulina, her husband and children, and our parents, . What a way to end 2020, right? 😅 It was a scary, painful and stressful few weeks, but the entire family is on their way to recovery. So many of you not only reached out to send well wishes and covid experiences, but also shared home remedies that helped us fight the virus off even faster. We’ve included some below, which we will absolutely be using in the future for when flu season rolls around again. At the end of the day, we are blessed to have our good health and the support of our family, friends and followers! The year can only get better from here!

*If you’re a covid survivor, please consider donating blood and plasma for research. Learn more at redcrossblood.org.

Coronavirus Remedies

Flu Bomb Recipe

Smash one clove of garlic and one teaspoon of grated ginger.

Mix with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, one teaspoon raw honey, one lemon and 1/4 cup warm water.

Drink one in the morning and one at night to help with flu-like symptoms.

Pick or Tip of the Week

After Paulina’s Instagram Live, where she let the followers know she had coronavirus, many of you reached out to share remedies that have worked for you and your families who were also recovering coronavirus. Her favorite was a Flu Bomb that she knows she’ll use whenever she’s feeling sick. It helped with a lot of the flu-like symptoms of covid, plus it’s anti-inflammatory and helps with infection. Check out the recipe above and video above for more details.

Everyone is pretty used to virtual learning at this point in the pandemic. Bricia’s pick is Osmo, an app that children can use with their tablets at home. It’s a great gift and another great option for your kids who are learning at home and are craving a different kind of stimulation. Bricia bought it for Eduardo last year and it’s been great while he’s learning at home. He even wants to use it during his free time!

Links

If you’re a covid survivor, please consider donating blood and plasma for research. Learn more at redcrossblood.org.

Daniel Fast - Guide, Food List, Resources and more

Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker

Episode 263: What We Learned in 2020 with Lernando Fopez

It’s our last episode of 2020!

This week we interview our one and only little brother, Fernando Lopez. The three of us talk about what a year it’s been - both positive & negative - and the lessons we’ve learned. We learned to adapt to new business practices and precautions, how to focus on just a few things rather than spreading ourselves thin, and best of all, we learned how empathic and supportive our local communities can be during times of struggle. Even though this episode gets a little serious, there’s a lot of sibling laughs and teasing! And maybe a special message from Fernando to all of his fans 😂 but you’ll have to listen to the end of his interview for that! We are so grateful for family this year and could have survived without each other’s help. 

We also could not have had the successful year that we did without our super mamas sisters! You overwhelming support listening to the podcast, engaging with our content and supporting our family businesses means the world to us. We can’t wait to truly celebrate our incredible community at some point next year - hopefully sooner than later!

Feliz Navidad and happy New Years, sisters! Enjoy the rest of this year with your families, and let’s all manifest a better year in 2021. 

Lessons Learned in 2020

• Fernando learned how nice and empathetic, giving and helping people can be in times of need.

• He also learned how cruel and mean people can be, doing the bare minimum to help people out.

• Paulina learned she could not run the business without her siblings / family. With the kids and everything else that has happened this year, one of them is always willing to step up and help and she is grateful for that and them. 

• Bricia learned that everything really is how you look at things, or “perspective on perspective.”

• Bricia, Paulina, and Fernando learned the power of focus - learning to focus on a few things instead of spreading themselves thin.

• They all learned to adapt - all the processes from work to school to shopping changed, and we were forced to change the way we do things.

• They all learned the importance of financial literacy during the pandemic. We recorded an episode about maximizing our finances during covid this earlier this year.

• Most of all, we learned how lucky we are to have healthy families, both spouses working throughout the pandemic, and a great support system.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Family nights on Zoom are Paulina’s tip this week. Since we can’t all get together for the holidays, we’re finding other ways to hang out. We used Quizizz.com and Kahoot.com to play trivia games and quizzes with each other last week and everyone was so into it. Both sites make it easy to log in and use one code for everyone playing, and everyone uses their own phone. A great way to bond virtually!

Bricia’s recommendation is a garlic peeler. Sounds weird, but it’s this magical silicone tube that you roll around and it peels garlic. It’s the best invention and she doesn’t know how she could ever live without it after this! It’s a great stocking stuffer, an awesome gift for your foodie friend.

Also if you’re looking for some last minute holiday gifts, be sure to read our 2020 gift guide! This year we highlighted local small businesses, and there are shops that you’ll want to shop at well into next year too.

Links

Match Made in Hell video - if you’re over this year but want a good laugh, this is the video for you!

Episode 262: Walking in Gratitude, Body Positivity, and Prioritizing Happiness with Rosie Mercado

There are only a few new episodes left for the year, and this week is a good one. Our guest, Rosie Mercado, is a podcaster, TV personality, author, plus-size model, mama, and that's just the beginning! Rosie talks about her 240lb. weight loss journey, her growing faith, and what it’s like to be a new mom after a 14 year gap between her kids. Listening to Rosie’s story will motivate you to begin creating your own happiness as soon as the episode is over. There's no better time to start working on you than right now!

Before the episode, Bricia is catching us up on her mini vacation with her husband that she mentioned during last week’s episode. It was their first trip alone since Augustina was born earlier this year!

More about Rosie Mercado: Television star Rosie Mercado is capturing hearts and imaginations across the globe with her compelling story, electric persona and breathtaking beauty. 

A proud, bilingual Latina, Rosie is a true crossover star who also guest-hosts and is a correspondent on leading Spanish-language networks, Telemundo and Univision, as well as on the Emmy-award winning Dr. Phil Show and The Doctors. 

The journey of her 240-pound weight loss and life transformation into a prominent voice for women’s empowerment went viral. In 2019, Rosie was named as one of the “Top 25 Most Powerful Latinas” by People en Espanol. 

In fall 2020, Rosie launched two projects simultaneously. Her shocking story of survival and triumph was released through the publication of her memoir, The Girl with the Self-Esteem Issues, in both English and Spanish. With the same title, she launched her podcast with both video and audio components and is also available in English and Spanish. Each episode features candid discussions between Rosie and influential figures from all walks of life covering topics such as parenting, health and relationships.

Episode Gems from Rosie Mercado & more

“It’s a blessing to be present as a mom.” - Rosie

“Until you know someone’s story, you don’t know who they are.” - Rosie

“No mas. I’m going to work on me.” - Rosie

“Becoming a mother just makes you a different person. You start looking deeper into who you are meant to be.” - Paulina

“Sometimes when people are being mean to you, it’s not a reflection of you. it’s a reflection of them.” - Rosie

“When you change you mind, your body changes in the process.” - Paulina

“Find things that you like, that make you happy and give it an opportunity.” - Rosie

“Self care is essential for transformation.” - Rosie

“I want more peace, I want to find answers, something is guiding me. I know there a presence out there.” - Rosie

Pick or Tip of the Week

Bricia’s pick is the cutest tie dye sweat suit from our amiga, Rachel Gomez’s line, Viva la Bonita. It’s cozy and perfect for hanging out at home during the holidays, so support a small Laguna owned business and buy it for someone you love (or yourself 😉) today!

Paulina’s tip is the movie, War with Grandpa - watch the trailer here. She saw it a few weeks back at a drive-in movie and it’s so funny! It’s family friendly and she highly recommends it for children and grownups alike

Links

Follow Rosie on Instagram @rosiemercado and her podcast @thegirlwithselfesteemissues.

Learn more about Rosie, her book, and more at RosieMercado.com.

Listen to her podcast The Girl with the Self Esteem Issues in english and in Spanish, La Latina con Baja Autoestima.

Episode 261: Keeping Up with the Super Mamas: 2020 Holidays at Home

Happy holidays from the Super Mamas! This week we’re catching you up our holiday plans - what we did for Thanksgiving, how we’ve decorated our homes for Christmas, and our parents FINALLY visiting (safely) after a year apart! We also have a new family inside joke about Paulina and Bricia’s daughter that you are going to love. 😂 Bricia is also going on her first trip since Augustina was born and she’s so excited to do absolutely nothing, that she may extend the trip even longer. 😂 Paulina is just glad the girls are back in school after a week long vacation because the house is a mess and she is done cleaning up! At least for now.

We’re so blessed to be able to spend time with our family this holiday season since we know not everyone can due to covid, so we’re soaking in all the bonding while we can! And we’re so lucky to have our Super Mamas sisters! How are you celebrating the holidays this year? Share you traditions with us below!

Our Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

• Search “Whimsical Christmas Tree” on Pinterest for Christmas tree inspiration

• Use ribbon. You can change it up every year but keep the same ornaments, and it looks like a completely different tree!

• Try a theme! Paulina is doing “red & gold” to keep a classic and Bricia has a pink tree.

• Get shatterproof ornaments while the kids are still little. They may bump into the tree while they’re learning to walk or try to play with the colorful ornaments, so wait to invest in good ornaments until they’re a little older (and less clumsy 😂).

Pick or Tip of the Week

You always have to be prepared for kid sniffles during the colder seasons! Paulina always tries to go for the natural or homeopathic remedies and one of her fave brands is Boiron. The cold calm tablets are non-drowsy and great at the first sign of a cold. You put it under the kid’s tongues and it always helps boost their immune system and not get full blown sick. Anything to help during this time!

Speaking of Fancy trapos like we do in the entirety of this episode, Bricia’s pick are these fancy servilletas. She uses them every time she has get togethers. They’re thick, elegant, and disposable too!

Episode 260: Turning Podcasting into Art with Mala and Diosa of Locatora Radio

This interview is so overdue! This week we speak to the latest queens of podcasting, Mala and Diosa of Locatora Radio. We admire these ladies so much for what they’re doing in the podcasting world but also in the Latinx community. Have you seen their recent feature in the Los Angeles Times? We talk about a lot in this episode: what a radiophonic novela is, why they talk about taboo subjects, and how they would raise their future children - IF they ever have kids. These mamacitas are not only the next generation of incredible podcasters, they’re leading the way for future brown girls to share their art, voice, and power with the world. This is a feel good, inspirational interview you do not want to miss!

About Locatora Radio: Locatora Radio is an independent multimedia production company committed to archiving and celebrating the brilliance of womxn of color through podcasting, film-making, educational workshops, and live events. Co-founded and produced by Mala Muñoz and Diosa Rodriguez, the podcast blends humor, pop culture analysis, and interviews with artists to engage listeners in nuanced discussions about feminism, sexual wellness, and arts and culture for a modern Latinx audience.

About Mala Muñoz, Co-Founder, Producer, Sound Board Operator: Mala graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in American Studies in 2014. Between 2014 and 2018 she worked as a State Certified Counselor-Advocate at Peace Over Violence, a local rape and domestic violence crisis center where she provided 24/7 emergency response and advocacy services to English and Spanish speaking survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. She has written about violence against women and the work of women of color artists for the Huffpost Blog, Everyday Feminism, and VIBE. In addition to her podcasting work with Locatora Radio, she was formerly in the role of Human Development Department Chair and Dean of Student Voices at an All-Girls High School is Los Angeles. She also teaches self-defense and empowerment classes for women and children.

About Diosa Rodriguez, Co-Founder, Producer, Audio Editor: Diosa received her B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from UC Santa Barbara, where she was also heavily involved in the student artivist/activist community. After graduating in 2015, she was a grassroots community organizer, working with Immigrant women to produce educational events and mobilize their community to be politically involved. She currently works in the Assisted Living field, managing services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Diosa is also a freelance writer and has written for Remezcla, Fierce by Mitu, and Hip Latina. Her writing is focused on sexual health & wellness, radical self-care, and feminism.

Our Conversation with Mala & Diosa

2020 - the Year of Redirection

Why they talk about taboo subjects like sexual wellness

Putería

Team Pad or Team Tampon

Favorite Podcast Episodes

Who is Locatora Radio?

How they met

How they would raise their future kids (IF they have kids)

And your favorite segment is back - Fire Questions!

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina’s pick this week is a shameless plug. The holidays are coming, so grab your jars of mole from store.ilovemole.com and add them to your holiday meals! Van a quedar muy bien con la suegra. 😉

Bricia’s pick is the MasterClass app. It’s a full library of lessons about cooking, dancing, basketball - really almost anything you can think of. Last year for Thanksgiving, she recreated a Thomas Keller potato puree recipe that her future brother-in-law Lukas is obsessed with! It’s a great investment for yourself or a great Christmas present for someone you love.

LINKS

Follow @locatoraradio @diosafemme and @mala_munoz on Instagram.

Listen to their podcast on Spotify and more.

Mala’s favorite podcast episode - Capítulo 008: Femme Tech

Diosa’s favorite podcast episode - Capítulo 016: Multidimensional Heaux

Diosa’s latest obsession - Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Episode 259: Educating Our Children on Body Safety, Boundaries, and Consent with Rosalia Rivera, founder of CONSENTparenting

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode talks about sexual abuse.

We speak to Rosalia Rivera, Consent Educator, Sexual Literacy Advocate, Speaker, change agent, and founder of CONSENTparenting, about abuse prevention education. She’s answering our questions about how to talk to our children about boundaries, signs to look for if we suspect abuse, how to empower ourselves & our children to heal from & prevent sexual abuse, and so much more. There is a lot of information to unpack this week but the more we talk about it, the safer our kids will be. 

More about Rosalia: Rosalia Rivera is mother, proud Latina, and the founder of Consent Parenting™. She is a consent educator, sexual literacy advocate, speaker, change agent, and survivor turned thriver. Her work is dedicated to helping out child sexual abuse survivors (who are now parents) how to confidently keep their kids safe with abuse prevention tools. Rosalias' mission and drive have graced her with the opportunity to speak at a TEDx stage this year! She also hosts the AboutCONSENT™ Podcast where she offers education, information, resources, and inspiration to help you on your healing journey to go from survivor to thriver.

Our conversation with Rosalia

What is CONSENTparenting?

What are some early signs of abuse that we should be looking for?

What should we be teaching our children when it comes to their bodies, boundaries, and safety?

The difference between privacy, surprises, and secrets

What are kid’s rights?

What are the layers of abuse that can happen to a child?

What the physical /behavioral signs should we look for if we are suspicious of abuse?

What is grooming?

Signs of grooming

What are some ways to teach our children boundaries?

How to handle online predators when homeschooling

LINKS

For more resources, follow Rosalia on Instagram @consentparenting, check out her website consentparenting.com, and listen to her podcast, AboutCONSENT™

Resources mentioned by Rosalia:

• Personal Space Camp to help teach your little ones about personal physical boundaries

• Amaze.org for videos about boundaries, personal space, safety, and consent

• CommonSenseMedia.org to learn more about the apps and websites your child is using, and see what is appropriate for their age

• Monitoring apps like Bark.us to help monitor exchanges your child is having with others (i.e. messaging friends online). It monitors for bullying, harassment, sexually explicit content, and suicidal ideation, and notifies the parent. It also recognizes including slang. Learn more about the app by listening to Roslia’s podcast interview with Titania Joran, the company’s CMO.

Episode 258: Using Social Media to Grow Your Brand with Kelley Baker, celebrity brow artist

This week we talk to the original queen of brows, Kelley Baker! This mama started her brand, Kelley Baker Brows, from the ground up using social media to help grow her business, market her products, and connect with other beauty lovers. Now she teaches other women and mamas how to create their own businesses and schedules that work for their lives and find their own version of success. Kelley is also sharing her tips for social media brand growth and the beauty products she can’t live without. Any mama looking to be inspired will love Kelley’s journey to success!

Super Mamas listeners can use code SUPER10 to get 10% off at KelleyBaker.com.

More about Kelley: Award-winning arch and celebrity makeup artist, entrepreneur, and social media beauty maven, Kelley Baker, knew her calling early on after witnessing the confidence boost each of her clients left with after she had transformed their brows. Over fifteen years later, she is now known as one of the world’s most coveted celeb arch artists, with a reputation for shaping brows in a manner that can only be described as perfection.

Kelley has a knack for social media and utilized the Instagram platform, sharing her world as a brow artist by posting real-time images and videos of her clients in her chair from her chic salon in Venice, CA on Main Street. Kelley’s charisma and amazing brow transformations quickly turned her into a social media sensation and developed a loyal following of over 750,000 fans, setting the internet on fire with perfectly shaped sleek brows desired by women around the world.

Kelley’s Favorite Beauty Products

• Blush: Patrick Ta Monochrome Moment - Velvet Blush in She’s Seductive

• Highlighter: BECCA Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlight in Opal. Kelley recommends putting it on your temple/forehead to hides any dark spots. It makes you look glowy, which makes you look younger!

• Concealer: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

• Eyeliner: KVD Vegan Beauty Tattoo Eyeliner

• Mascara: L’óreal Telescopic Mascara and Voluminous Original Mascara

• Perfume: Burberry Her Eau de Parfum. She always gets asked about it!

• Brows: Anything and everything by Kelley Baker brows 😉

Pick or Tip of the Week

Since we’re talking all things beauty this episode, Bricia’s pick this week is Sweet Street Cosmetics L.A. Lady eyeshadow palette. Its neutral, bronze-y and beautiful. She also highly recommends their liquid lipsticks. Her tip is to put on a quick swipe of the liquid lipstick before a Zoom call and it instantly makes you look so put together.

Paulina has been waiting for La Libreria to open up during quarantine and it finally is! It’s a great place to find libros en español for your kids. They are following social distancing protocols when visiting in store and you can also shop online. There are many books that you won’t find on Amazon, books from other countries, all ages from baby to teens - each of Paulina’s girls picked up books they loved!

Links

Super Mamas listeners can use code SUPER10 to get 10% off at KelleyBaker.com.

Follow Kelley on Instagram @kelleybakerbrows and her salon @kelleybakerbeautysalon

Episode 257: Change Your Mind, Change Your Body, Change Your Life with personal trainer, Melissa Alcantara

You’re not along when it comes to your health and fitness journey - it’s something we all struggle with. During this week’s episode, we talk to Fitness Trainer and Author, Melissa Alcantara, reminds us it’s not only normal to struggle, but it’s something she deals with too! We talk to the incredible super mama about her personal fitness journey, how she stays motivated, and why she thinks it's a blessing to decide to work out every day. She also has a new workout series with Messenger, where we can all workout in real time and “Watch Together”. 😉 Besides that, Melissa is dropping all 👏🏽 the 👏🏽 gems 👏🏽 about life, staying motivated, decision making, and more. Get ready to be schooled !

More about Melissa: Raised in New York City and currently based in Los Angeles, Melissa Alcantara, aka ‘Fitgurlmel’, is a Dominican-American mom, author, fitness trainer, and athlete, who works as a personal trainer for Kim Kardashian West.

After losing 40 pounds in 60 days, and realizing she had total control of her mind and body, Melissa started training for bodybuilding competitions and shared her fitness journey on Instagram.

She has since grown her platform to more than 1 million followers, where she continues to document her inspiring health and fitness journey, share her no-nonsense diet and fitness tips, and inspire others to put in the work to change their body and life.

Most recently, in partnership with Messenger, Melissa created a series of workouts for Watch Together, a brand new feature that lets you watch videos with friends and family and see their reactions in real-time, to inspire digital fitness accountability, so friends can keep each other accountable while they train from home.

As a leading face in the fitness industry, Melissa has been featured in several publications such as Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and many more, and was named to Create & Cultivate's Top 100 list in the Fitness & Wellness category in 2019.

More about Melissa x Messenger: Melissa, who has been documenting her inspiring health and fitness journey on social media, partnered with Messenger on a fitness accountability program to help people stay moving, highlighting the benefits of having a virtual workout buddy as many of us are working out from home. 

Melissa created a series of workouts for Watch Together, a brand new feature on Messenger, perfect for fitness gurus or amateurs, to help inspire people to work out with friends and hold each other accountable.

Watch Together enables you to: 

• See your friends laugh and cry in real-time while viewing the same video at the same time in Messenger and Messenger Rooms.

• Enjoy your favorite music videos, TV shows, movies, and FB Watch videos, including what’s happening now, Lives, music videos, sports and Facebook originals, with more selections coming soon.

• Watch with up to 8 friends on a video chat and 50 in Messenger Rooms.

• Watch Together is free and easy to use! Start a Messenger video call or create a Messenger Room then swipe up on the bottom of your screen and select ‘Watch Together.’ From there you can select a video suggested for you or choose from a category such as ‘TV & Movies,’ ‘Watched,’ ‘or ‘Uploaded.’

Check out Melissa's first workout video on Watch Together below!

Little Drops of Knowledge by Melissa Alcantara

“Super Mamas - that’s a compliment. Because most of the time I feel like I’m failing at everything. I’m winging it most of the time. But I think a lot of women out there need to realize thats pretty much how you do it. You have no choice.”

“I’m going to surrender. I’m going to stop trying to force something and I’m going to accept the fact that I know nothing, and you have to be okay with that.”

“Starting everyday is the hardest thing. I always sad it’s not the ten thousand squats that made your ass nice. It’s the ten thousand times that you said, ‘Yes, I’m going to work out.’ That’s what makes you feel good.”

“Making a decision is taking an action. Motivation comes from action. You must do first.”

“That’s how everything in life goes. You can’t just go from being a newbie to a pro. You have to learn how to love, how to appreciate. These things don’t just come to you, you have to teach it to yourself.”

“Everything that’s unknown is scary. It doesn’t matter if it’s good. That’s why people say they’re scared of success. Success is a scary freakin’ place to be.'“

“It’s really about balancing, about balancing your life. You’re going to make crappy decisions. You are going to not have the best day. But it’s how you carry on, how you keep going.”

“You have to make the decisions. If this is something you want, I’m going to guide you, I’m going to give you the tools you need, but I can’t do it for you. I can’t make the decisions for you.”

“Sometimes we feel like we have to make so many decisions in our life and we have so many responsibilities, but to see it as something good, to see it as, ‘I have control over my life and the things that I want and how I want to live it in the tiny amount of time that we have,’ is a blessing.”

“Making sure that we know that we have control, that we have the power, and that we can take responsibility for things that don’t happen perfectly or when we mess up because we human beings and we’re just trying out best.”

LINKS

Follow Melissa on Instagram @fitgurlmel and learn more about her on her site fitgurlmel.com

Subscribe to her YouTube channel for workout videos, recipes, and more! So much fun healthy living content.

Get your copy of her book, Fit Gurl, on Amazon and wherever books are sold!

Episode 256: Keeping It Real with the Super Mamas: Libras, Birthday Surprises, and No More Babies

There so many Libras in our family! In this episode, we catch you up on all of our birthday celebrations. Bricia’s perfect day of birthday surprises included everything from getting her hair done to incredible one of a kind meals. For Paulina, it meant their third annual family birthday trip to Big Bear where they celebrate not only her birthday, but Krista and Sabina’s too!

It’s crazy how fast time has gone this year and how quickly all of the kids are growing up. We’re not sure if we’re ready to accept that our babies Zixta and Eddie, aren’t babies anymore. 😢 We also give you an update on what our Halloween plans are for this year. We’re planning on creating family costumers and need to get on it now! 2020 might not be the best year, but at least all of the Libra birthdays were perfect!

Tips for Constipation

This might be a little TMI, but we’ve also talked about a lot worse on the podcast. 🤣 While Paulina and her family were in Big Bear, they all experienced trouble going to the bathroom - every single one of them was constipated! She later learned it was High Altitude Sickness, but she reached out to you, our lovely listeners, to share tips to make the bathroom trips a little easier. Here’s everything you suggested.

• Drink more water!

• A capful of apple cider vinegar

• Add raw oatmeal to your smoothies

• Boil tamarindo and drink it like tea

• Coconut water to help increase electrolytes

• Drink water with mined garlic in the morning after fasting

• Stretch! Lay on your back, bend your right knee toward your chest and right hip. Continue with left knee.

• Jugo desinflamante - 1 cup of water, a handful of parsley, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 cucumber (peeled). Blend together. One serving size.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Paulina’s pick this week came in handy during their recent trip to Big Bear. Her family suffers from a lot of skin issues (eczema, psoriasis, and more) and the high altitude/thin air left them with really dry skin. Palmers Cocoa Butter Lotion formula has helped them so much, both on and off the mountain, because it’s formulated to help all of their skin needs.

TIP: Use twice the amount of lotion during the winter for extra hydration. It’s great for the belly when you’re pregnant!

Bricia was working on a project this week where she was required to have her nails done and since she’s not going to go out for a manicure any time soon, she remembered she had these press on nails - Kiss press on nails. She filed them down a little to be less square and to give them more of a natural look and they got the job done! She’ll give us an update next week to see how they’ve lasted haha.

LINKS

Bricia’s birthday massage therapist is Sean Bartholomew - he’s incredible! Listen to us talk more about him and his work in this episode.

Bricia, Paulina, and their family all get their hair done by the incredible Sal - he’ll be on the show for his own episode in the new year!