Dia Del Nino: Phoenix Zoo & Toyota Highlander

I was very excited when I was asked to partner with Toyota and the Phoenix Zoo celebrating Dia Del Niño.  Toyota let me use the Toyota Highlander for a few days, and I have to tell you that my kids and I fell in love with this car.  The color was a gorgeous wine color with some shimmer in the paint.  The inside had luxurious leather seats, the backup camera, the rear view mirrors would light up with little orange lights letting you know when a car was driving next to you. 

 

The Toyota Highlander can sit 7 people, which worked perfectly for my family of 6.  Oh, and did I mention that the trunk opens and closes up automatically with a touch of a button?  This car would be perfect for any family or mother who needs plenty of room for the kids, it's safe, and very fuel efficient.  When it was time to give the Toyota Highlander back, I honestly did not want to!  I need the Toyota Highlander, and it's going to be at the top of my list next time I go car shopping. 

 

It was a very busy day at the Phoenix Zoo, because of Dia Del Nino.  They had a bunch of booths set up with games for the kids.  They had free gifts, my kids had a blast.  We came home with new backpacks, books, they got to make bracelets, and won some new toys. 

 



Univision gifted the kids The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one of my favorite children's books.

 



 

 

The Lion and Lioness taking a nap together, how cute is that?

 



This monkey looked like he was posing for the camera, this was one of my favorite animals. 

 

I saw this gorgeous pink flower and I had to take a picture of it!  



My little princess talking a little break from all the walking!

 



A few tips I would like to give you before visit the Phoenix Zoo.  First tip, is take extra sunscreen with you, absolutely necessary to apply again if you plan to stay for more than a couple hours.  Second tip, obviously take comfortable shoes, (tennis shoes are best) I would not recommend sandals or flip flops. Third tip, take an umbrella and a hat. I didn't take either one, but I saw quite a few people who took theirs to shield them from the sun and I wished I had taken mine with me.  My last tip for you is, that you can take a cooler with wheels, or a cooler in a wagon so you can fill it with drinks, sandwiches and snacks. 

 

This was a great event that celebrates children, I will definitely be taking my kids next year. 

 

Besos,

 

Marieesbella

 

 

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and honest opinions. 

 

 

 



We All Grow Sumit: Long Beach 2016

I was very honored when I applied and was selected for a Blogger Workshop that Kathy Cano Murillo from Crafty Chica, Eric Diaz from Collectivo, and Ana Flores from Latina Bloggers Connect sponsored the workshop to train bloggers that would represent Phoenix, Arizona.  We met every Saturday for a month, and Kathy from Crafty Chica mentored and shared her knowledge with us.  She taught us everything we needed to know to run and manage a successful blog. 

At the end of the four week workshop, we were able to attend the We All Grow Summit in Long Beach, California.  Five Pheonix Latino Bloggers who attended the workshops ended up being able to go together as a group to the summit.  It was great, the five of us shared two cars both sponsored by Scion and Toyota Latino.  I had no idea what to expect, but I can tell you this summit truly exceeded my expectations.

We met up at the Maya Hotel in Long Beach early Thursday morning where everyone would break up into groups and head out to different venues for the Field Trips.  We got to attend a Long Beach tour.  We started out on a skyline cruise, we took a tour of to the Museum of Latin American Art, then to the Aquarium of the Pacific for a gorgeous lunch, and lastly took a tour of The Queen Mary. 

The evening finished off with a great party right off the beach with cocktails and music.  Thank you Hampton by Hilton for throwing such a great party to kick off our first night at the Summit. 

Throughout the next couple days we were non stop with amazing Keynote speakers.  A couple of my favorite Keynote speakers were Rosie Rivera author of Mis Pedazos Rotos,  Elayna Fernandez from the Positive Mom, and Christine Guiterrez a Life Coach who spoke on self confidence was very inspirational.  Confidence just so happen to be my word that I chose to work on for this year, and as a reminder I got a stamped bracelet compliments of My Intent to remind me to always wear my crown of confidence. 

Throughout the day we would take breaks to snack and connect with We All Grow sponsors,  for snacks and fun swag from sponsors such as Mazda, Colgate, Narciso Rodriguez Perfume, Dove, Neutrogena, OPI, H&R Block, Aveeno to name a few.  Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.

 If I had to pick my favorite snack and connect sponsors I would have to say first Dove, because I got my hair styled by beauty expert for Dove Mario Anton.  He did an amazing job, and he was also very sweet.  He talked to me about what type of style was best for my hair and showed me how to achieve the look while he styled me. 

My second favorite was Neutrogena, they had a Dermatologist look at our skin, she then wrote down what would be best for our skin type, and then we went to the makeup chair where we got our full face makeup done by a makeup artist.  Finished off by going to the makeup counter and being able to take everything they put on our face from the skin care to the makeup home with us! 

I would love to share all the pictures from the trip, but this post would be so long!  Overall it was a life changing experience for me.  I learned that "Con ganas si se puede", meaning that you can do anything with hard work.  If you want something bad enough you need to work hard for it.  I also learned that it is so important not to loose touch of my Latina culture, so that I can pass that on to my kids.

 As women we need to remember that we are better off helping each other, because there is room for everyone to grow.  We all have something unique to bring to the table.  So there is no need to be jealous or envious of one another.  Let's find our voice, and let it be heard!  

Thank you to everyone who made this Summit such an amazing experience.  I look forward to attending next year!

Besos,

Marieesbella 

 

Roadtrip: Scion IA & Scion IM

Last week 4 Phoenix Latina Bloggers and I had the opportunity to drive the Scion IA and Scion IM to Long Beach California for the We ALL Grow Summit.  I rode in the red Scion IM briefly, it is slightly smaller than the Scion IA.  I also rode and got to help drive the Scion IA, and loved it!  The blue color of the car is so pretty.  It was so easy to drive, and very fuel efficient.  We gassed up once each way.  The car is very roomy on the inside.   

Being that my very first car at 16 was a Toyota Tercel which I loved so much, and then I later transitioned into a Toyota Camry to fit the needs of my family, I am a big fan of Toyota.  They are very reliable, well made, fuel efficient cars.  I have a 13 going on 14 year old son, and already I am thinking about what kind of car I would like to get for him when he starts driving.  I think this would be the perfect car for him, safe, affordable, fuel efficient, and sporty. 

I would like to thank Scion and Toyota for sponsoring us and letting us use these two cars for out trip.  I look forward to working with them in the future!

Besos!

Marieesbella

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