Healthy skin is super important for anyone, but, in my experience, women tend to focus on this more than men. I moisturize every day and have done so ever since I was a young girl. My mami taught me to apply lotion every day, and I’m doing the same with my girl. It’s essential that we keep our skin hydrated, especially with our dark complexion, which rapidly shows if we’re not well-mosturized.

We use a variety of lotions, but I’m excited to partner with Eucerin this year, a brand we’ve been using since baby boy was born, due to his eczema. Eucerin has a wide variety of lotions, and cremes, and this month they sent me a complimentary sampling of their products plus a few goodies to have an in-home hydration spa day. Since me-time is something I’ve been working on having more of this year, I welcomed the opportunity to take an afternoon to focus on my skin.

Since Eucerin also makes cleansers, I was able to begin treating my skin from the bath, not just after. From using Eucerin’s hydrating cleanser, anti-wrinkle lotion, and body lotions, to the face mask and cucumber eye pads they also included, I had a lovely and relaxing afternoon right in my home. More importantly, though, I need to continue a skin hydrating routine (beyond the daily moisturizing I already do) and will begin to try some of these tips that Eucerin provided for maintaining healthy skin.

3 Tips for Maintaining Healthy, Hydrated Skin (Provided by Eucerin)

• Drink lots and lots of water (9-13 cups per day).
• Eat moisture-rich foods such as vitamin-loaded citrus fruit, nuts, whole grains, broccoli, sunflower seeds, egg yolks, and milk.
• Protect your skin from sun damage by using lotions with SPF protection, like Eucerin Daily Protection SPF 15 Moisturizing Body Lotion.

You can also check out the Eucerin Skin Solution Center on their Facebook page to see what products Eucerin recommends for your skin and gain more information.

Eucerin Skin Hydration & In-Home Spa Giveaway ***Giveaway Closed***

We want you to begin caring for your skin too, so thanks to Eucerin, we’ll be providing one of you with a wonderful in-home skin hydration gift pack (similar to the one pictured above), which includes a sampling of Eucerin products, a face mask, cucumber eye pads, a $15 iTunes gift card, plus a $125 Visa gift card! How’s that for getting your in-home spa day started? See giveaway details below.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this giveaway for a skin hydration gift pack and a $125 Visa gift card, simply leave a comment telling us about your current skin hydration routine. Do you moisturize regularly, use lotions with SPF, and drink plenty of water? Tell us all about it!

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following (1 time only): Win @EucerinUS skin hydration pack + $125 Visa gc from @modernmami & treat yourself to me-time! http://bit.ly/ZL4Umw #giveaway #SkinFirst
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this giveaway. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 72 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Prize will be provided and fulfilled by giveaway sponsor and modernmami™.com is not responsible for lost or damaged goods.

Disclosure: As a participant in the Eucerin Skin First Network, I received samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Becoming a mom did not diminish my fondness of beauty products, so trying out new ones is especially fun for me. If said beauty products include natural ingredients, do what they promise and are affordable, then I become a fan. Such was the case with the Nuance Salma Hayek hair and beauty line, which I got to experience recently during a very pampering and relaxing event at the posh Mandarin Oriental spa in Miami.

As I looked through the wide selection of nail polishes to pick the perfect one for my pedicure, I learned that the line’s creator, famous Mexican actress Salma Hayek, specifically left out of the formulations any chemicals that could potentially harm her daughter. My own little princess is obsessed with changing her nail colors frequently and I am always concerned about avoiding toluene, DBP and formaldehyde, so this is a huge selling point for me. The Nuance Nail Lacquers also are very affordable, retailing for $5.99 at CVS/pharmacy.

I ended up choosing Sienna Red, a bright coral that’s all the rage for Spring and Summer. My toes are now ready for the warm weather!

Next stop was the hairstyling station. There my curls were tamed and styled using Nuance Salma Hayek’s hair serum, sea salt spray (for texture) and finally, some hair spray to seal the soft waves without frizz. All of the products smelled delicious, were light and for me, it was great to learn they are sulfate and paraben free. I cannot wait to try the curling cream on those days that I let my curls run free.

Finally, I tried the Super Brightening hand cream ($9.99) and now I’m obsessed with it. It’s rich but also absorbs very fast, while leaving hands silky soft. Since I frequently wash my hands, my skin dries out quite easily, so from now on I’m carrying this hand cream in my bag at all times. It has shea butter, honey and evening primrose and also has a light and fresh scent.

The Nuance Salma Hayek hair and beauty line is sold exclusively at CVS stores. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out on high quality yet affordable products. Plus, they are not tested on animals.

Disclosure: Jeannette attended a CVS/pharmacy event for the Nuance Salma Hayek beauty line on behalf of modernmami.com. She received complimentary treatments and samples to try out the products. All thoughts and opinions are her own.

Photo © Jeannette Kaplun

I’m not sure what happened, but my wardrobe is seriously lacking these days. I’ve never been one to be super fashion-conscious, but I know that my closet used to look better than it currently does. I half-heartedly joke all the time that I need to be on one of those TV make-over shows where the stylists tell the person exactly what she should or should not wear. I just don’t really pay much attention to fashion trends nor do I often shop for myself. When I do shop for myself, my logical and practical senses tell me I should buy items that I can re-use, mix and match, and wear for multiple occasions. I very rarely buy items that are for just one occasion or that only go with one specific outfit. I would much rather have an array of items that I can grab and go. And, that’s how the problem began.

These days, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find me in jeans and a blouse or shirt – every day. My daily routine consists of dropping the kids to school, working from home, picking up the kids, and running errands. On the weekends, we sometimes go out as a family, but again, it’s not a major occasion and in my mind, not one to merit wearing anything fancier. So, jeans and some type of shirt it is, again. I cannot deny that I’m always comfortable, but I definitely feel like I’m in the middle of a major fashion crisis and would love to spruce up my wardrobe. I may just have to get over being practical, enhance my wardrobe a bit, and start combining different pieces to make things look different.

I took a recent opportunity from Kohl’s to brighten up my wardrobe and start thinking differently about my outfits. Kohl’s challenged me to shop their recent Grand Opening sale to find spring items and coordinate with a favorite piece already in my closet. I decided to try to find items that would allow me to use two sandals I currently have in my closet, both of which I really like, but don’t often wear. The good thing is that the wedges have a variety of colors in them, many of them already bright and perfect for spring!

With my shoes in mind, I was determined to find bright colors and at least one dress, to change things up from the jeans I normally wear. Let me tell you, it’s hard to stray from the norm and force yourself to look at different clothes! But, I tried my best and after trying on a variety of clothes, I settled on a couple of outfits. The first is a pink dress that I think I can either dress-up or wear more casually, depending on the accessories. I like that I can switch out the belt to wear with different color shoes, including my wedges and my silver sandals if I use a silver belt.

The other outfit I picked out is certainly full of spring colors and very different from anything I have in my closet. I chose teal Jennifer Lopez jeans, a basic white tank, and a pink cardigan. I love how the colors combine and though hesitant at first, I am happy with this outfit. It too goes well with my silver sandals. I happened to see a pair of beige ballet flats that I thought would work well with this outfit, plus other pieces I already own, so I grabbed them up also. I saved quite a bit of money too with the pieces I picked out; the jeans were actually half off, as were many other items in the store!

What do you think? Did I do good with my Kohl’s shopping trip? It was actually pretty fun to find different clothes I’m not accustomed to buying and piece them together. I may just be on the right track to upgrading my wardrobe after all!

Kohl’s Gift Card Giveaway ****Giveaway closed****

To help you get your wardrobe ready for spring, we’re giving away a $100 Kohl’s gift card! See giveaway details below.

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this giveaway for a $100 Kohl’s gift card, simply leave a comment telling us about your favorite closet piece. Do you have a favorite blouse, dress, pants, pair of shoes? Tell us all about it!

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following (1 time only): Win a $100 @Kohls gift card from @modernmami and brighten up your spring wardrobe! http://bit.ly/kohlsgv #giveaway #Kohls
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this giveaway. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 72 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Prize will be provided and fulfilled by giveaway sponsor and modernmami™.com is not responsible for lost or damaged goods.

Disclosure: I received a Kohl’s gift card to shop the Kohl’s Grand Opening sale and facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

At the beginning of this year, I reflected on what I am looking forward to for 2013 and shared some personal goals and planned changes. One of those is to grow my knowledge this year – to read more, learn something new, enhance a skill – something along those lines. You see, I used to have lots of dreams, ambitions, and the energy and drive to do it all. Somehow, in the hustle and bustle of wanting to be a good mom, and be there…I lost that.

My husband has noticed. My family has noticed. And, slowly, I came to the realization myself. I have moments of pure brain mush – where I can’t tap into knowledge I know I once had. I can’t remember how to do the complex math problems I used to do when studying years and years of high-level math and science during my Engineering courses. Heck, I can’t even work in that field now without going back to school. It’s just not there anymore.

That’s just but one example of how I feel I’m no longer the woman I used to be. I know I have goals in mind, but they are not as clearly defined as they once used to be. I know I’m motivated, but it’s not showing in tangible results – at least not in my mind. So, what’s a woman to do? How do I bring my snappy, energetic, ambitious, and intelligent self back?

To be honest, I haven’t quite figured this out yet. I’ve thought about buying myself a study book to revisit topics like math and science, just to give my brain a chance to be stimulated in a different manner. I’ve considered enrolling in some kind of local class or program. There are many options, obviously, but I have yet to narrow down my personal choices and decide what it is that I currently need. I suppose that’s a process in and of itself, right?

I’ll have to work on figuring this out and finding myself again (so to speak). In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you – do you ever find yourself wondering where the woman you were has gone? Do you find that motherhood has, in a way, stripped you of your previous identity?

Original photo: Fabiana/Flickr

These days, I’m barely able to find a little quiet time for myself. Even with these 7 ways to squeeze in ‘me time’, I don’t always feel like I can make it happen. As the majority of you know, there’s a lot that goes into raising two kids, owning a business, and juggling all the roles a woman plays. If we don’t make ourselves a priority and take time for ourselves, it’s just not going to happen. We have to make it happen, right? This is me making it happen for two of you! Read on for some cool tips and a fun giveaway to help you get some ‘me time’ in your week.

I figured the best people to ask for tips for getting some ‘me time’ would be other moms and business owners. After all, who wants advice from someone not walking the walk? These ladies live a full life, just as you and I do, and have shared their ideas, tips, and tricks for adding some ‘me time’ to their lives.

Tips from Real Moms on Taking Time for Yourself

“I like to do shopping, or window shopping, run or do yoga, read a good book, or watch comedy or reality TV–preferably with a glass of wine,” shared Kelly of The Centsible Life, who also lists 10 ways to get some ‘me’ time while updating your look or wardrobe on her own site.

“Sometimes I just have to lock myself in the bathroom,” says Megan of SweetSadieMarie.com. Monica of Mommy Maestra shared Megan’s sentiments saying she too locks the bathroom door!

Julie at Julieverse.com stresses that ‘me time’ is a total necessity in mommying, and also says her favorite ways to get ‘me time’ include, “gym time, mani/pedis, quiet time at a coffee shop, shopping.”

“I send my kids and husband to the park,” is Silvia’s trick for getting ‘me time’. Silvia writes at Mamá Latina Tips.

Jessica of Found the Marbles had this to say: “Because I have worked from home for the past six years I need to get out of my house to truly decompress, whether that means having dinner or drinks with girlfriends or getting out on a Saturday night with my husband.” Jessica also shared The Art of Decompressing with readers on her site.

“I leave the house with my laptop and iPad citing that I’m off to the grocery store. Then I spend hours at my local coffee house enjoying a day of caffeine and writing,” said Sara, Founder and Editor at www.mommafindings.com

Nadia of JusticeJonesie.com told us: “For me time, I pick one of my two Cs. Cocktails with friends or a coffee at a coffee house somewhere.”

“I squeeze me time after work or head on over to the coffee shop for FREE wifi on weekends. I love me time. I need more of it,” was the tip provided by Eva of Tech.Food.Life.

As you can see, everyone has their own way of getting some ‘me time’ and taking some time to relax. Hopefully, you’ve learned some new tricks you didn’t already know! To help you out even more, two of you will win a fun ‘me time’ kit to put these tips to use and have some time for yourself!

We’ve partnered with CVS/pharmacy to provide the following essentials for a little self-pampering, all of which you can find at your local CVS store or online:

• Essence of Beauty Ultra Soft Spa Set
• Essence of Beauty Faux Sea Sponge
• Nuance Salma Hayek Shampoo and Conditioner
• Nuance Salma Hayek Eye Quad
• Designer Fragrance
• Sally Hansen Nail Polish
• Godiva Chocolates

‘Me Time’ Essentials Giveaway

We want you to have some ‘me time’ and take care of yourself, so we’re giving two of you this kit full of ‘me time’ essentials! Consider it an early Mother’s Day gift for yourself or give it away to your own mom or special lady in your life!

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this giveaway for a ‘me time’ kit, simply leave a comment below sharing your favorite way to make time for yourself.

Extra entries (optional):
Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter.
2. Tweet the following (1 time only): Need some ‘me time’? Who doesn’t?! Enter to win a ‘me time’ pampering kit from @modernmami! http://bit.ly/metimeideas #giveaway #balance
3. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
4. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this giveaway. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winners will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winners will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received the same ‘me time’ kit from CVS/pharmacy in order to facilitate this giveaway. No compensation received.

Top photo: D. Sharon Pruitt

As women we tend to cry a lot. I know this is not true for all women; some women are able to control their tears quite a bit. But, in my family, we tend to be criers. It’s even been passed down to my baby girl.

She and I tend to be pretty emotional and can cry over the littlest things. Of course, my husband finds this to be a foreign concept. He doesn’t understand why we burst into tears when we do. With her, it’s interesting to try to teach her to control her emotions, and especially the crying. I want her to be strong and not need to cry every time she gets emotional, but it’s a little hypocritical of me to say much, since I have a hard time controlling my own tears.

I tell my husband that as women we are wired different than he and our son. I think baby girl explains it best, though. When in the middle of crying, she’ll say, “I just have sensitive eyes! I can’t stop them from crying.” I get it baby girl. I have sensitive eyes too.

Are you a crier or can you control the tears?

Photo by Ryuuji

Chances are you’ve all had an encounter with Avon at one time or another. Whether you have sold Avon products yourself, know someone who does, or bought Avon products, surely Avon has crossed your path in some manner. For me, I believe my first Avon memory was created in Puerto Rico when I was a little girl.

A good friend of my mom is an Avon representative and has been for many years. I remember when we lived in Puerto Rico, she’d come by with her Avon catalog for my mom to look through. As a stay at home mom (or housewife if we use the term from those days), my mom’s friend was able to make money from home. That’s something Avon strongly supports, which is why I’m happy to be partnering with Avon over the next four months to bring you more information of their mission and representatives.

I was surprised to learn that Avon was founded in 1886, which means that many women had an opportunity to earn an income for themselves and families years before women could even vote. A little over a week ago, Avon celebrated their 125th birthday by honoring their Founder David McConnell’s mission to empower women to be economically independent, as well as celebrating the current 6.5 million representatives.

As you might expect, Avon representatives today are able to run their businesses differently than in the past, with many more tools at their disposal and the ability to incorporate technology. It’s no longer just about selling door-to-door and singing out, “Avon calling!”

Over the next few months, I’ll be able to highlight some representatives and will also get to meet with a local Avon rep in order to learn more about a typical day in the life of an Avon businesswoman. I hope to learn, and in turn, share, how Avon representatives incorporate technology into their businesses, if they market or sell online, and how they balance their business and daily lives.

Do you have personal experience with the Avon company or a memory to share? What would you like to know more about Avon and their representatives?

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work with Avon.

“Es poca mujer.” These were words I heard at various points growing up and that have stuck with me. Literally it means “she’s not much of a woman,” but the phrase is used to mean a woman is not strong enough or cannot handle a situation. For example, if a woman is unable to handle her responsibilities as a mother, wife, and home manager, then some might say, “es poca mujer.”

The phrase has never been said about me, at least not to my face. I’ve heard it said by my mom, mostly, but also other family members in reference to other women we know. In all honesty, it seems like such a judgmental and harsh phrase to me. Of course, it goes back to something I’ve written about before – how in our Latino culture, women and moms especially, are somewhat expected to be super women. The result of not being able to balance it all is to be called out as “not good enough.”

Do you know how often I could be called “poca mujer” based on that definition? I try hard to get many things done and meet a lot of self-imposed expectations, but I would cringe if someone ever told me it wasn’t good enough. I can only do the best I can and really, who besides me can truly know what a successful day entails? Success for our family is probably different than it is for yours. So, for someone else to call me “poca mujer,” or to call anyone that, seems a bit cruel.

To me, saying “es poca mujer” about a woman is equivalent to calling her weak. And to call a woman weak because she is not able to keep up with so many aspects of her life – mainly those involving caring for others – well, it’s just wrong, isn’t it?

Are you familiar with the phrase? What are your thoughts on how it’s used?

My mami is a great mother. She raised three children, along with my father, during a time when there wasn’t as much “help” as there is these days. That is, she never read a parenting book or sought the advice of parenting experts. I’m sure her and her friends shared complaints and some advice with each other, but this probably came in a very informal manner while they had their café y pan.

On top of the generation’s ideals, my mami also started being a mom at a very young age. She basically had to learn it all herself; being a wife, mom, and becoming a woman are all things she learned on the fly. In retrospect, I see now that she essentially lived her life for us. My two brothers and I were her life. Sure, she held some jobs at various points, but never was it a career. She had friends, but that I can remember, they never took the time to have what we now call a girl’s night out. She also didn’t have hobbies.

Fast forward 30 years later, and my mami is now “retired” – from being a mom and from working. Of course, moms are moms until the end. But, all three of her children are married, out of the house, and have children of their own. She provides an entirely different mami role these days. This is the time when she should be enjoying her free life, taking part in various activities, hobbies, and get-togethers. Right? However, because she spent the bulk of her life living for us, I’ve noticed she finds herself in a special place as a woman.

Two reasons, actually, contribute to my mother’s current situation: she’s the caretaker for my father who has dementia, and she didn’t allow herself to be anything but a mom when raising us. In defining herself only as a mom without paying attention to herself, as a woman first, she’s now in the position of not really knowing what to do with herself. Of course, this is my opinion from observing her, but I often see it reflected in her actions and conversations.

It’s a situation I hope never to find myself in. I think I’m on the right track so far. I work full-time, have my own business, travel, and try hard to balance my roles as a mom, wife, and woman. It’s not always easy, as many women will attest. But, after seeing my own mom’s struggles, I believe it’s important. I don’t want to have to depend on being needed by others (my children) in order to be happy. I plan to be happy with my life, my husband, and myself, regardless of where life takes my children.

Because of that, I am content in showing my daughter (and soon my son) that I have my own time where I may do things without her. She sees me working and knows why it’s important. She understands when I need to travel by myself and knows that it’s for work. As she’s said to me when leaving for a conference, “You’re going to go learn with your blogger friends.” Yes, baby girl. I am. And, then I’ll return home and continue to show you how great it is to be a woman with many interests and passions – all while still being a great mom, just like your abuela.

Do you find it difficult to define your role as a woman now that you’re a mom?

A few weeks ago I had a birthday. It was a big one. As in, the big 3-0. I joked around the weeks leading up to my birthday and said things like, “I don’t know how I feel about turning 30” and “Can I just say I’m 29 and 13 months instead?”

The thing is that I was being honest when I said I didn’t know how I felt about it. I truly wasn’t having a complete freak-out about it, but I also wasn’t thrilled. I just knew I was now leaving my 20′s and entering the 30′s. And, that was what bothered me a bit. The fact that I could no longer say I was in my 20′s. I was leaving behind an entire decade!

Everyone I talked to said the same things: “The 30′s are the best” and “You’ll see that the 30′s are better than the 20′s.” While that may be true, my 20′s weren’t so bad either. I graduated college, got married, and had my baby girl – all in my 20′s. Plus, there’s the whole “I still feel young” thing. Don’t laugh, but for some reason 30 is the official number in my head for leaving young and crossing over into old. I realize this doesn’t make sense.

However, it’s the idea that was in my head. I felt like leaving my 20′s meant I was also saying good-bye to my youth. My fun, lighthearted, young 20′s were now going to be in the past. Saying “I’m in my 30′s” seemed so much different than saying “I’m in my 20′s.”

Even so, I understand that 30 is really just a number. I know it doesn’t mean I’m old. I know it will be what I make of it. But, part of me couldn’t help but feel the way I did.

Obviously, the day that I actually turned 30 wasn’t so bad. It’s not like I felt a sudden change, of course. In the weeks since my birthday, I haven’t actually had the need to say “I’m 30″ yet. Maybe when I do it will become a reality for me. Because so far? I still feel 29.

Wonder how long that will last?