Our Christmas Celebration in Pictures!

2013 is here! Christmas and New Year's have passed and now we are trying to get back into our daily routines.  While my  husband went back to work on the 26th, I had the opportunity to stay home with the kids until January 1st.  

Ms. Bree's first day back to school was January 2nd and Lil Man's first day back to school was January 3rd.  

We were able to do a lot of special things with the kids this year and I am so glad my  husband loves to capture these moments in pictures.

"Making Smores"- more like burning marshmallows!

Who doesn't like to make S'mores?? I think every child does, I personally never had one before and after this I will probably never will!  

My son had the great idea of making some and my husband just went along with it.  

After I had gathered all the necessary ingredients to make the infamous S'mores, the children decided they didn't need any cookies and/or chocolate.  

Okay, so the kids really loved the idea  but EUK! The mess and the taste .. enough said.. lets move on.


"Our Christmas Village"

The assembling of our "Christmas Village" is something I do with my children every year.  

This can be fun but a headache is always guaranteed with this as well.  Every year my husband buys me a house (or two) to add to my village and now I have a total of fourteen building (i.e. Churches, Lighthouse, Fire Station, Grocery Stores, etc.) a Musical Carousel, Trees of all sizes, people and all animals.  


"The Night Before Christmas"

The reading of "The Night Before Christmas" is another tradition that we started a few years ago.  

On this night each child gets to open one present (not a toy, we give the kids new pajamas with matching slippers and a book), we drink hot cocoa and eat cookies.  

   

Little Man is now 6 years old and he knows exactly what kind of present he gets the night before Christmas and always looks forward to it.

"The Presents"

"The Opening of Their Presents"

Or what I like to tall "the aftermath" (in my most dramatic voice). it took them approximately two hours and several "you can play with it later, open the next one"...to open all their gifts and there are no words for the mess afterward.  

"Christmas Dinner"

This year we invited another family over to share Christmas Dinner with us so we set up the table a bit different from previous years.

The adult table:

and the children's table:

"The Outfits"

The girls decided to wear their new "Brave" dresses.  While Ms. A. decided to wear her hair lose adorned by a single flower clip, Ms. Bree wanted two simple buns with a "zig-zag" parting.  Simple right!

The boys ...well, they were too busy playing!

We truly enjoyed staying home with the kids for almost two weeks, but now it's time to get ready for our next big event, "Ms. Bree's 4th Birthday Party"!!

Don't forget to share all your amazing pictures with us!!  

Nina Bonita by Ana Maria Machado

              By: Ana Maria Machado
Illustrated: Rosana Faria

This beautiful  book was given to Ms. Bree as a Christmas present (Thanks Grandma!!).  

Nina Bonita is available in English & Spanish for those who have bilingual children.  Ms. Bree was given the hardcover English version.

The very fist thing my daughter noticed was Nina Bonita's dark and curly hair- "look just like mine mami".  As we continued to read the book she then noticed the picture where Nina Bonita's mother was braiding her hair and using colorful ribbons.  Yes, just like we do...   

This is a story about a little white rabbit who fells in love with Nina Bonita's dark skin and how he wanted to be as dark and pretty as she was.  After three failed attempts, he finally discovered why Nina Bonita's skin is so dark and pretty, it's all about genetics.

I love the illustrations, they are very simple and colorful.   This is a perfect book for the little ones who are just beginning to read by themselves, it teaches them acceptance with a sense of humor and it also teaches them that all shades of color are beautiful.

If you would like to obtain this book for your little one, click:  Nina Bonita: A Story (Children's Books from Around the World)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Ana Maria Machado was born in 1941 in Rio de Janeiro and is, alongside Lygia Bojunga Nunes and Ruth Rocha, one of the most significant children's book authors in Brazil. She started her career as a painter in Rio de Janeiro and New York City. After studyingRomance languages she did a PhD with Roland Barthes at the 'École pratique des hautes études' in Paris. She worked as journalist for the magazine 'Elle' in Paris and the BBC inLondon. In 1979, she opened the first children’s literature bookshop in Brazil, 'Malasartes'.

In 1969, Ana Maria Machado started to write. "I belong to that generation of writers who began to write during the military dictatorship, as children’s literature, alongside poetry and song texts, were amongst the few literary forms with which, through the poetic and symbolic use of language, you could make the ideas of a joie de vivre, individual freedom and respect for human rights known." Her story 'Menina Bonita do laço de fita' (1986) about a white and a black rabbit who marry and have a whole hoard of black, white and black and white patterned children, is a charming book about the living together of diverse ethnic groups. In 'Era uma vez um tirano' (1982) three children defy a tyrant who has forbidden colour, thoughts and any happiness. Without pointing fingers, Ana Maria Machado always dresses up her messages in humorous stories and trusts the ability of her young readers to also read between the lines.

Similar to many Brazilian children’s book authors of her generation, Ana Maria Machado stands in the tradition of the first great children’s book author, Jose Bento Monteiro Lobato (1882–1948). Her writing is marked, in the style of "magical realism", by a subtle mix of social satire and fantastic elements as well as a conscious and playful use of language and narrative structures. In 'História meio ao contrario' (1978), Ana Maria Machado turns the classic narrative structure of the fairy tale on its head and lets her story begin with: "And if they didn’t die, then they are still alive today" and end with "once upon a time".

In 'Bisa Bia, Bisa Bel' (1982), one of her central works, Isabell’s internal dialogue with her dead great-grandmother, Bisa Bia, and her own great-grandchild from the future, Bisa Bel, becomes a magical journey to the invisible connections between the generations, which finally allow Isabell to find her own way. For the author, fantasy also means to expand the sense for space and time and to allow reality and fantasy to mix with each other.

Just as brilliantly in ‘Palavra de Honra’ (2005, Engl: Word of Honour) Machado tells the story of a Luso-Brazilian family which has become very wealthy since their arrival in the 19th century. The reader encounters Letícia, who tries to reconstruct her own story out of the dispersed remains of the family legacy.

Ana Maria Machado has written more than hundred books for children and adults in 17 countries for which she has received the most significant Brazilian awards and many international honours. In 2000, she was awarded the 'Hans Christian Andersen Award' for her life work, the most significant international prize for youth and children’s literature. Ana Maria Machado lives with her family in Rio de Janeiro.

Additional Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A young girl living in a coastal South American town has a blacker skin tone than any of her family members or playmates. A white rabbit, entranced by the girl's skin, "dark and glossy, just like a panther in the rain," implores her to reveal her beauty secrets. Nina Bonita, who doesn't really know why she's so dark, gives the rabbit three ridiculous possibilities, which he duplicates with disappointing results. Persistently, the rabbit asks for a fourth explanation, and the final one is provided by the girl's mother-the child is the same color as her black grandmother. The white rabbit, satisfied with a truthful answer, proceeds to marry a black rabbit and produce a plethora of children of various hues. With its unique setting and engaging characterizations, this gentle and entertaining exploration of mixed-race families is appealing. Soft, colored-pencil illustrations depict Nina Bonita and the rabbit in the larger context of a diverse village where people live comfortably despite superficial differences. This translation has retained the rhythmic cadences of the Spanish language, making it suitable for reading aloud.
Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Other Reviews:

"This enchanting story of diversity, in which a very white rabbit falls in love with a very dark girl and longs to discover the secret for being so dark and pretty, juxtaposes soft illustrations with simple text. It is perfect for reading alone or for group sharing." --- Publishers Weekly

"Soft, colored-pencil illustrations depict Nina Bonita and the rabbit in the larger context of a diverse village where people live comfortably despite superficial differences. This translation has retained the rhythmic cadences of the Spanish language, making it suitable for reading aloud." --- School Library Journal

"The softly-colored illustrations of Nina s seaside life give subtle nuance to a story that explains color most imaginatively and with great wisdom, a simple lesson easily learned about differences and acceptance." --- Curled Up Kids

Happy New Year !!

From our Family to Yours!! 

REVIEW: Bee Mine Natural & Organics Hair Products

For more information or to place your order please visit:  "beemineproducts.com"

Use our Code to save on your purchase! 

BEE MINE- BEE-U-Ti_FUL Deep Conditioner

Ingredients:

Distilled Water;

Cetearyl Alcohol;

BTMS (mild emulsifie);

100% Unrefined Shea Butter;

100% Organic Coconut Oil;

Cupuacu Butter;

Calendula Extract;

Chamomile Extract;

Organic Raw Honey;

Optiphen (fprmaldyhyde & Paraben Free Presevative); and

Fragrance (phthalate Free).

CLAIM:

This is a Protein Free Product

"Detangles, and restores essential moisture and manageability.  Cupuacu butter provides some protection from damaging IV-A and UV-B rays while helping restore elasticity, add shine and replinish the moisture in hair.

OUR EXPERIENCE:

After shampooing Ms. Bree's hair I divided her hair into four sections, as all of you know I'm a big fan of working in sections;

I applied a generous amount of the Deep Conditioner to her hair, working from root to ends to each section, then I secured each section in buns by using a large alligator clip.

As you can all see on the picture above, Ms. Bree has a big smile! 

I give all the credit to the Deep Conditioner! 

It was so so creamy that her hair WAS NOT hard or difficult to manage after applying the deep conditioner.  That Ladies and Gentlemen is a PLUS FOR ME!!

After I had applied the Deep Conditioner to all four sections, I use a plastic shower cap (kids size) and let the conditioner sit for approximately 25 minutes.  

But you can use a warm towel in lieu of the shower cap, I prefer the shower cap since Ms Bree is so young.

After I rinsed her hair throughly, her hair was amazingly soft, styling was a piece of cake after that... Her hair was so moisturized that no extra coat of conditioner was required (as I would with other treatments).

PROS:  OMG, too many to name, so I'm going to summarize it: the deep conditioner really made her hair soft, shiny and made detangle process after applying it to her hair so much easier.

CONS:  NONE!

We truly recommend this product, it is an amazing deep conditioner that meets all the needs of any curly top!

Updated October 2, 2012

(Bee Mine Products Review)

Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer:  Where do I begin with this? I'm going to make this nice and short!  I absolutely love this moisturizer! How did I go all this time without it?  I truly wish I could have found this product sooner but unfortunately it is not a product that can be found in my local hair store.  

Now, I have to say that I received the package a lot faster that I had expected... BIG PLUS!! I did not have to wait 5 to 10 days to get my box.

PRODUCT INFORMATION:  

Ingredients:  Distilled water, Hydrogenated Persea gratissima (Avocado) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (and) Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Emulsifying wax, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Paraben & Formaldehyde Free Preservative & Fragrance.

Scents available:    Original - Island Mango (IM) Scent and Coconut Cream (CC) Scent

Product Description :  

Our moisturizer is enriched with pro-vitamins, natural proteins and healing butters that heal seal and nourish your hair and scalp.  Beautiful hair requires a complete balance of moisture and protein to prevent breakage.  This light cream moisturizer help to prevent split ends and strengthen hair from root to tip.

We have now been using this moisturizer for a little over a month.  Ms. Bree's hair has very to no split ends and she is not losing a lot of hair during the washing and detangling process as she was doing before.   My daughter's hair is super soft and very manageable.  

Bee Mine Curly Butter:  

Product Description:

This shea butter and aloe based curly butter is packed with rich moisturizing nutrients to give you long lasting moisture and promote growth. It has a soft touchable hold that will help to defrizz your frizzes and give great definition. This Curly Butter is wonderful for twists, finger curls, puffs/pony tails and especially for laying down unruly hair. Great for naturals, relaxed, texlaxed, everyone.

Scents available:  Coconut Cream, Unscented, Island Mango (Tropical Mango)

Ingredients: 100% Shea Butter, 100% Aloe Vera Gel, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Rosemary Leaf and Chammomile Extract, Silk Powder, Paraben & Formaldehyde Free Preservative and Perfume.

With this product what originally attracted me to it was that one of the ingredients is 100% Shea Butter.  (I am a big fan of Shea Butter and Coconut Oil) 

Once I received the product and used it on Ms. Bree's hair in combination with Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer I immediately loved it! The texture of it is very light and the smell its amazing. I purchased the Coconut Cream Scent (See, here I go with "coconut" again).

I used both products to do her braids and 2 strand twists and her hair looks shiny and smells nice!! It also makes her hair more manageable.  Both products can be used for before styling on wet or to keep the styles looking nice.  

Another Bun Style

This is going to be a quick post.

This is another simple sock-bun style I did on Ms. Bree over the weekend.  

Since the kids are schedule to be home for a week (winter break) we are planning to let her hair be "free" for a few days and give her a break from braids and other similar styles.

You can see the step by step instructions by clicking "The-bun-style"

See, what did I tell you... QUICK POST!!