A Great #MothersDay Gift - Dee Ocleppo 3-in-1 Handbags

Last week I got attended the Moms4Moms Autism Speaks Mother's Day Luncheon. While I don't necessarily agree with all of Autism Speaks philosophies - specifically on finding a cure for autism - I do appreciate the opportunities they provide for families. Like partnering with The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum Complex to host a Access Family Program.  Autism Speaks was one the first organization I turned to for guidance when The Boy was first diagnosed.

During the Moms4Moms luncheon, Autism Speaks honored one of their National Board Members: Dee Ocleppo, designer and mom to an autistic son. Dee graciously donated her signature 3-in-1 Handbags to be sold on the Autism Speaks online store.

Through the sale of the handbags, with an estimated value of close to $300,000, 100 percent of the proceeds fund the mission of Autism Speaks. The organization also announced its Mother’s Day special: each of the bags will be on sale from now until May 12 for $88 – representing the one in 88 children affected by autism. The special also includes free shipping until Mother’s Day.       

Free Shipping Code: MOMS4MOMS

All the moms received the Plaza Clutch Taupe/Quilted Taupe as a Mother's Day gift. It's versatile and chic and just my style. A great bag that can go with so many outfits. 

What do you think of my bag? I LOVE IT!

 

 

 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary bag by attending the Autism Speaks lunch. All opinions are my own.

Autism Awareness TOMS by Pear Mama for AutismWonderland

I was going to post this tomorrow but I honestly can't wait! When I picked them up from the post office this morning, I walked out, ripped open the box and changed my shoes in the street. (Oh yes, I did.)

Who painted these beautiful TOMS? 
PEAR MAMA of http://pearmama.blogspot.com 

Between us, I have a bit of a girl crush on this super artsy, super craftsy, super fabulous Latina Cali blogger. I love love love her blog, her voice, her DIY designs that I know I'll never make - because I am not craftsy. At all. 

And when I saw she makes custom-painted TOMS, I knew I needed a pair for Autism Awareness Month. So if you're interested in a pair - Denise aka Pear Mama is the go-to gal! 
For more info on her custom-painted shoes click HERE.     

Disclaimer: I happily paid the going rate for these shoes. All gushing is genuine, all opinions are my own.   

AW Sunday Review: Teres Kids Clothes

In my life before mom, I was a bit of a fashionista. I've always been a lover of fashion and cool clothes. As for The Husband, he's even worse than most women. And my sense of fashion has been influenced by him for sure. (I am sure I will regret those words.) 

When I became a mom, I knew I wanted The Boy's style to reflect ours. And it does. 

At the same time, I have to find clothes that are comfortable. An autism and/or sensory processing disorder makes clothes shopping challenging. Clothing needs to be super soft, easy to take on and off and without annoying itchy tags, buttons or zippers.

So I was excited when Teres Kids reached out to me and asked if I'd be willing to do a product review. As soon as I clicked on the sight, I fell in love with their clothes - it was just our style. I picked out a shirt (see below) for The Boy and the cutest Vertical Ruffle Dress for my goddaughter, Livi.

I was quite pleased when I received the items - the quality and craftsmanship were excellent. The colors vibrant. The cotton extremely soft. And they were perfect for layering. I knew they were comfortable enough to wear throughout the day.

The Boys loves his cool t-shirt. It's something that he wear from school to the playground to an occupational therapy session at the sensory gym. And he's happier in clothes he's comfortable in.

The Boy wearing his Guitar on Crimson Long Sleeve Printed T-Shirt

Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary products from Teres Kids, all opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

What The Heck Do I Pack for LATISM? ¡Ayúdame!

By this time next week I'll be en route to Houston, Texas for the LATISM 2012 Conference. I am beyond excited.

And I am extremely honored to be fully sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. 

Johnson & Johnson has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My mom always purchased J&J products. And now that I'm a mom, it's the brand I trust for my own family. But it's only since I've started blogging that I've learned that Johnson & Johnson really is a company who cares. They care about their employees, their costumers and the global community. I'm looking forward to learning more about their give back initiatives and sharing with you.

But before I can do that...I need to pack. And while I'm excited to be going, I'm not so excited about trying to figure out what to wear. It's Houston, so it's warm. And it's only for a few days...

But there's the LATISM Gala Awards and the Pijama Party. And that's where I'm stumped.

I mean...have you been to a Latino party? We are a people - especially the ladies - who like to Dress to the Nines.*

I'm not really a fancy girl (though, I can fake it pretty well).

The last thing I want to be is underdressed is for the Awards. But I also need to be practical. It can't be anything that needs ironing (I don't do ironing). And it needs to be something pretty that I will feel comfortable in (i.e. something that hides the bulge around my belly). I've pretty much described absolutely nothing in my closet right about now. I refuse to spend money on something that I will most likely not wear again. I'm also determined to lose weight and refuse to go up another size (which is why I am squeezing into my clothes and spending most of my day sucking in my gut).

As for the Pijama Party...WTH? I don't think I own a pair of pj's that I would or could wear out in public. I may need to buy pj's. But at least I'll know I'll wear the pj's again.

Then of course J&J offered me a polo shirt to wear for one of the days. Which is fine but this probably means, I'll need to wear jeans. And did I mention I put on weight and that I'm having trouble fitting into my pants? So whenever I wear pants I usually wear a shirt that hides the muffin top. I'm crossing my fingers that the polo is super stretchy. 

Sure there's other stuff that goes into prepping for a blog conference other than what to wear. But I'll let my amiga Ruby of Growing Up Blaxican tell you how best to prep - click HERE. 

 
* just a little trivia: the term "dress to the nines" comes from England when sailing ships were used. As the ship would come into the harbor all sails would be flying, all nine of them. And all the sailors would be dressed in dress uniforms lined up on either side of the ship. The modern connotation is to have put on your finest clothing and jewelry, almost as if you were being visited by royalty.          

Natural Wonders a #MaryKayGlam GIVEAWAY!

While attending the LATISM Top Blogueras Retreat last month, we were all pampered by the fabulous ladies of Mary Kay.  I returned home with a new line of beauty and skin products and a new love for Mary Kay. 

And now, I have the opportunity to host a giveaway and you can have the chance to win all of the fabulous products I've been using. 

The products are featured in People en Espanol Spring Trend Report.



photo courtesy of Latina Bloggers Connect



Personally, my favorite trend is "Bold Boho - splashes of cool, bright blues sparkle against flow-y fabrics, petal pinks and earth-tone sandals."   While I am not the fashionista I once was, I love looking at what the current trends are and incorporating  - even in a small way - it into my everyday frazzled mom style. Typically I wear neutral eye colors but I'm excited to experiment with the Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color blues (Azure, Midnight Star and Peacock Blue)  

Before you tell me what your favorite spring trend is - let me tell you about the products in the giveaway. Check it out:

Products featured in People en Esp. Spring Trend Report & Suggested Retail Price (Total $138.50):

$14      Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus™ Lip gloss in Mango Tango

$14      Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus™ Lip Gloss in Au Naturel

$26      Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist and Pale Blush ($13 each)

$15      Mary Kay® Lash Love™ Mascara in Black

$13      Mary Kay® Cream Blush in Sheer Bliss

$32.50 Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Cinnabar, Emerald, Ivy Garden, Copper glow and Honey Spice ($6.50 each)

$12      Mary Kay® Eyeliner in Rich Jade

$12      Mary Kay® Eyeliner in Deep Brown

Additional products to complete looks and fill a compact and compact mini  & suggested Retail Price (Total $82.50):

$6.50   Mary Kay® Mineral Eyecolor in Crystaline

$20      Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek color in Strawberry Cream & Sparkling Cider ($10 each)

$18      Mary Kay® Compact (unfilled)

$16      Mary Kay® Compact mini (unfilled)

$12      Mary Kay® Lip liner in Soft Blush

$5        Mary Kay® Cheek brushes (2 per person at $2.50 each)

$5        Mary Kay® Eye brush sets (2 packs per person at $2.50 each pack of two)

Botanical Effects™  Suggested Retail Price (Total $58):

$14      *Cleanse

$16      *Hydrate

$14      *Freshen

$14      *Mask

*Each available in Formula 1 (dry skin), Formula 2 (Normal Skin) and Formula 4 (Oily Skin) - winner will need to let me know which one they want.

A  grand TOTAL: $279.00

Now for The Rules:

• You MUST post a comment with each entry.
• Comments will be numbered in the order they are listed and a random number generator (random.org) will be used to select the winner.
• If you combine entries into one post, you will only have one chance to win rather than up to three.
• Giveaway is open to Continental U.S. and Puerto Rico addresses.
• Mary Kay will ship the package to the winner directly

Mandatory entry:  Click HERE to view the Mary Kay Spring Trend Report (English version) & check out their products.  Then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me what Mary Kay product you'd love to try (or have tried) and why. 

Additional entries - you must leave a comment for each additional entry:

• Follow me on twitter - @LaliQuin
• “Like” the AutismWonderland Facebook page
• Tweet: I just entered to win @MaryKay Spring Trend products http://bit.ly/KC4X7d #MaryKayGlam #giveaway via @LaliQuin  

This giveaway will end Tuesday, June 19th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be announced on Facebook & Twitter by Wednesday, June 20th.  I will contact the winner and you will have 24 hours to reply.