MomsRising Blog Carnival Post: Food is Fuel for our Students

After speaking at the 5th national Latino(a)s in Tech Innovation and Social Media (LATISM) conference, I was delighted to be invited to participate in a blog carnival with MomsRising, a great national advocacy organization. I hope to become more vocal online and do more public speaking. I get so fired up talking about health- it’s a lot of fun! Hope you enjoy the blog and I promise to start posting more frequently now 🙂

“When I was a teacher at an elementary school in the Bronx, I noticed that my students had poor diets. They started off their day with candy from the bodega and walked into class with blue tongues. For lunch, some students would eat the school lunch but many would eat their own lunch- usually some bags of chips and sugary drinks. I became very concerned about the impact of their diet on their moods and their ability to learn. I created a healthy food policy in my classroom and educated my students about nutrition. But one person can only have a limited impact. Now change can happen faster for our kids because of the USDA Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Snacks. This exciting piece of legislation raises the bar of the foods our kids will eat and also provides support for schools in implementing the changes. Hopefully we will see a reduction in childhood obesity due to these new guidelines.”

Read more: http://www.momsrising.org/blog/food-is-fuel-for-our-students/#ixzz2g7SJQUEI

It’s Too Easy to Stay Home

You know the feeling. It’s usually a work night. You made plans or signed up for an event but you don’t feel like going anymore. You’d rather go home and veg out. You’re in that moment of whether to cancel or go. Tonight I was in that exact position.

I was scheduled to join a dinner of some old college classmates who all took courses with the amazing Tony Brown.When I left work, it was drizzling. I hesitated for a moment and really considered going home to relax. Why did I want to cancel? It was mostly about my hearing and vision loss. I didn’t want to deal with figuring out where the restaurant was, walking in the NYC crowds in midtown, finding the table in the restaurant, and trying to hear in a group conversation. These small things can be a frustrating challenge for someone like me. Sometimes it feels like it’s easier to just stay home.

However, this blog is one of the reasons I decided not to throw in the towel on this evening. I have been writing about living with Usher Syndrome and being a Latina who overcomes obstacles. I’ve heard some wonderful & encouraging comments from everyone. And I want to live up to my words. Going home would be giving up. There are times in the past  when I have probably missed out on great experiences.

So I went. What ended up happening? The crowds weren’t bad (rain kept other people away!), the restaurant was very well lit and almost empty, it was super easy to find the group, I sat next to a friend, and I heard about 70% of the conversation. Who knew? It went much better than I expected- I think I learned my lesson. It’s too easy to stay home, and I know it’s not in my character to do so. I love socializing, enjoying the city, and being active. I don’t ever want to let Usher get in the way of that. Life is short- we have to enjoy it!

Bonus: I highly recommend this Lebanese restaurant, Byblos, to all hearing impaired and vision impaired individuals in the NYC area. There was no amplified music, so it was very quiet. There were no steps and it was well lit with space to move around the tables. Food was delicious and the prices were reasonable too.

Latinas Creating Positive Change #OrgullosaProject Twitter Party 6/5

Tonight I participated in a wonderful #ToneUp Twitter Party with @MAMIVERSE where we discussed all things fitness. It was an enjoyable, fast-moving conversation and I was able to connect with some new Latinas online.

One of my goals has recently been to revamp my Twitter presence and participate in more chats. I just got an invite for a chat through Facebook, and I wanted to post about it. Maybe you’d like to join the discussion too!

It’s the Latinas Creating Positive Change #OrgullosaProject Twitter Party. Latina Mom Bloggers (@LatinaMomBlogs), @Orgullosa, and lifestyle expert Evette Rios (@EvrRios) are hosting. You can join by using the hashtag #OrgullosaProject next Wednesday, June 5 at 9pm EST.  I like the focus on non-profit and social change, even if it does come from a large company.

Let me tell you one tip about how I set up for a Twitter party. I always open two tabs: one with Twitter and my @s and the other with TweetChat.com to follow the hashtag. It keeps me engaged in the conversation while allowing me to also remain aware of who’s interacting with my posts.

RSVP for the Twitter party here: http://www.latinamombloggers.com/join-us-for-the-latinas-creating-positive-change-orgullosaproject-twitter-party/

Hope to see you at the party!

#30DayChallenge & Happiness

It’s getting late but I wanted to make sure I posted today. I’ve made a commitment to do a #30DayChallenge where I post every day. I’ve been talking about writing a blog for so long that it’s time to get some real momentum going! I’m a firm believer in making your goals public and creating accountability in that way. 

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So now I really want to talk about this amazing article I read this week. If I could make everyone I know read it, I would. It’s called “Does Trying to be Happy Make Us Unhappy?” It resonated with me very strongly. It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Recently, I have lost touch with some of the things I enjoy to do and I have not felt as happy as before. The article mentions pursuing a state of flow,  in which you’re totally immersed and lost in an experience. Then later, you might think about it and realize that that was a “happy” experience. When do I feel in a state of flow? I can name some things. I LOVED doing karate. It made me very happy. I’m lucky that at work we have a karate instructor and there is an opportunity to continue my studies after 10 years of not practicing. I love salsa dancing, especially with a live band and a positive atmosphere. I went dancing a couple of days ago and was reminded of how much fun it is and how much I miss it. I love spending quality time with friends, especially time with girlfriends. I also really enjoy networking and being part of a community of people who are driven to contribute to the world and pursue their passions. That’s what I find with the Latinos in Social Media (#LATISM) community, as well as United Latino Professionals (@ULP_National), and the @ELLAInstitute community. The online world and in-person worlds flow seamlessly, and I feel like I’ve only just hit the tip of iceberg and there’s so much more to discover. I believe I’ll be happier if I create more experiences of flow in my life and pay attention to the things that nourish me. 

You’ll be seeing a lot more of me on Twitter and on this blog. Looking forward to talking to you!

One final note: Thanks to everyone who has given me positive feedback and support since I went public with this blog and having Usher Syndrome. It means the world.