When your daughter tries to BRIBE you...

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this.

As all moms and dads know, parenthood is a topsy-turvy world. Much like the fun-houses you enter at a Carnival, you are constantly being surprised by unexpected twists and turns, albeit in a colorful and "fun" environment. A place you entered at your own will, knowing sometimes the "fun house" will make your heart jump and your adrenaline speed up.

Sometimes you think you're doing a good job as a parent, but then you look in the mirror and you see a distorted version of yourself- in other words- you're not sure how "good" or "bad" of a job you're doing.

This week, I had an incident happen to me.

Sometimes I reward my daughter's achievements with "prizes" in the form of gifts, money, or promises to take her to the movies with popcorn and soda to boot. Well, if you choose to call it a bribe, so be it.

But on Friday, my daughter turned the tables around and I was just not quite sure how to react.

Basically, she got a bad mark on her behavior sheet which means she talked out of turn in class. Every day, parents are to sign this sheet so you can monitor your kids daily behavior and read the teachers comments to see what kind of misbehavin' they've done so you can apply the appropriate lesson at home.

Before my daughter handed over her behavior sheet so I could sign it, she told me, "before you see it, mom could I give you $5.00 so you won't be upset?" With that pre-emptive strike I knew I was probably going to see something I didn't like, but how should I feel about my 8 year old child bribing me?

I had mixed feelings. First, I appreciated her creative spirit. She anticipated a conflict and before facing it, thought it out and figured out a plan about how to mitigate it before it got ugly. Second she demonstrated an entrepreneurial side, hey if money gives you rewards, then money can also help you "buy" your way out of a problem.

But how should I feel, as the parent. My mixed reactions also included, "Oh, no! Have I been teaching her that money can 'allow' you to be 'bad' in class as you can 'buy' your way out of trouble?"

I took the money, and gave her a disapproving smirk. I know at this young age, she values money as I always make her save it and buy most of her own stuff like toys and other miscellaneous knick knacks.

I know giving up an entire $5.00 was slightly painful for her, and punishment in and of itself. Much like many parents have "swearing jars" at home, where you need to put a quarter in the jar every time you swear, I figured, for her giving up a weeks worth of A's and good behavior on her sheet was something that probably pained her.

But she was not completely out of the woods yet. The next morning as I drove her to school, I started  lecturing her on how she needed to behave in class, not talk out of turn, yadda yadda yadda.

As she exited the car, she said, "mom, you are lecturing me, so now you owe me my $5.00 back.!"

PARENTHOOD... quite the fun house it is... But I'm keeping the money.

I love these Nautical themed candles, and guess what? I Hand-Crafted them myself- And so can you IN 5 EASY STEPS !

It was super easy... 

STEP #1 -Find some cute votive candle holders 

I found a bunch of these on sale for two dollars at Michael's Arts and Crafts.  Since I'm having a Nautical-themed party, I decided it would be a nice to have these candles around the tables as decoration. I bought 14!

STEP #2 -Get some nautical rope -type ribbon to decorate the candle

 I used a glue gun to wrap it around the candle.

STEP #3 - Glue a Nautical Themed sticker or Seashell on the candle

I bought stickers with different fun beach themes and a bag of Shells. To mix it up, I glued a sticker on some candles, and a seashell on the other ones. Mixing and matching is fun and adds a little spontaneity to your arts and crafts.

STEP #4- Insert decorative sand and blue sea rocks and seashells in the candle.

They sell these bags of decorative sand in different colors. I bought off-white to give it a more beachy feel.

STEP #5 -Insert a small tea light candle in each votive (they sell a dozen for about three dollars)

VOILA! you are done and ready to add a little romantic flair to your Nautical-themed soiree... You can also give the candles to your guests afterward as a "thank-you" gift for "lighting up your evening." HAPPY CRAFTING! 

Surprise!....I got the Baby! Now time to pay up on "Dia de Candelaria"...

I got the Baby (a plastic toy baby) on January 6, during the "Dia de Reyes" !

"Dia de Reyes" or "The Day of the Three Wise Men" is Mexican tradition celebrated every Jan. 6th. Family and friends gets together, have a meal,  and eat a delicious "Rosca de Reyes" cake.  The oval shaped cake is very colorful (yes we love flava!) decorated with red, green, and orange dried fruit slices . Statues of the Three Wise Men are placed in the middle of the cake  Hidden inside the cake is a plastic baby!

Rosca de Reyes

 The baby represents the plight of Jesus, fleeing from King Herod's wishes to kill all babies since the prophecy predicted that one of the babys born in that era  would grow up to be the Messiah.

As I cut my slice and placed it on my plate, I noticed a small white plastic figurine snugged inside my piece! I got the baby! They say its good luck to get the baby! The fun part of this tradition is that whoever gets the figurine has to throw a party for all  family and friends the following month on February 2nd called "Dia de la Candelaria" or in English its called Candlemas Day. ! The tradition is to bring  Tamales to all.

partying on Dia de Reyes with a live BANDA!

after some "Happy punch" we decided to pretend to be cheerleaders! 

I love my Mexican heritage. We always use any excuse, to get together, have a great meal, and enjoy time with friends and family. What do you love most about your culture?

WHAT'S YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION?

Lots of people say they don't like to have New Year's resolutions because they are "constantly improving themselves all year-long". Well, I DO need that re-start button at least once a year to remind me that we can continuously be re-invented, re-newed, and re-born.

To me, January 1st does represent a fresh start, a clean slate.

So what am I planning to improve in 2012?

1. EXERCISE. Be more consistent with my workouts. Its amazing how radically you can change your body when you commit. You can loose your job, you can loose your partner, but no one can take away the work you put into yourself, your health, and your body.

2. CLEAN. Pick up after myself more often (I'm like a Snail, I leave a trail of things behind everywhere I go). The trunk of my car has been a trash can for the past year.  Oops, I forgot to dump that apple I packed back in May. I have plenty of "JUNK IN MY TRUNK" that needs a cleaning.

3. KIND. Be nicer to myself. The world is harsh enough as it is. If you are not nice to yourself, no one else will. This year I realized that no one will take care of your interests more than you. Love yourself, we can't do enough of that. Don't judge yourself to much. Don't compare yourself to anybody. Like they say, "the Sun shines for everyone", and I truly believe that.

4. PARENTS. Be better to my Mom and Dad. As teenagers we blame everything on them, and sometimes we forget to shake it off even in adulthood. They are human too and one day, they will not be here anymore.

5.THINK. Breathe and think before I react. I've lost friends and opportunities for over-reacting and being overly emotional. I've seen people lose their jobs because they lost their cool. As humans we are emotional creatures so kick the walls, destroy your pillows, pick up those boxing gloves and punch way, but do it when your home alone.

6. THE PLAN. Have confidence with Gods Plan, the Universe's Plan, Buddha's plan, whatever you are into. I truly believe their is a Plan for all of us and when you feel a lull in your life, the Powers are just working out your plan. Be patient. The architects may be doing a re-haul on your life and they are figuring out where to put your new kitchen, your new den and that nice pool.

7. ENJOY. I have had a career that has taken me to the best Hotels, Cities and Restaurants of the world, but believe it or not sometimes the best moments of my life have been the simple ones. Cuddling up with my boyfriend near a crackling fire. Watching my daughter overwhelmed with Joy at the park.  Having a nice dinner with my mom. Yes, its cliche but cliches reflect deep truths. Everything gets old, even 5 star Hotels, and Limos. I know Im probably sounding crass right now but I am writing from my heart. We watch reality shows and we glamorize their lifestyle. If only we lived in a million dollar mansion, if only we had that great body, if only we made as much money as they did. Everything is relative. How many people in third world countries wish they could live OUR lifestyle? I have running warm water, enough clothes for this season and next, and hey, last night I ate Sushi for dinner! Now, thats pretty fancy to some, and if we don't ENJOY these things we are missing the moments. WE are the STARS of our own lives.

8. DON'T JUDGE. We are so quick to judge people before we know whats going on in their heads and in their lives. At the end of the day, most of us have deep fears of everything from losing our jobs to losing our health. We as humans, are all in this together. Lets support each other. If someone doesn't say hello back or ignores you, maybe they are dealing with something, give them a hug not a frown.

9. LEARN. I've been putting off Rosetta Stone's French Language DVD's. In Los Angeles we spend so many idle hours on freeways, might as well learn a new language and learn to tell the guy that just cut me off a word or two in a different language and then say "oops Pardon my French!".

10. LET GO. So a guy you dated a million years ago was a stupid A-hole, that Ex-boss was totally gross, condescending and not so smart, your old friend really hurt you. LET THEM GO, they obviously let YOU GO!  We have all come across  these kinds of gnats (GNAT: definition: an annoying insect that sucks blood from humans). Set them free, they were not good enough to stay in your life. Look around you and you will see that  the quality of the people around you NOW has improved after these pests exited your life.

11. KEEP my  New Years Resolutions.

***SOME OF YOU MAY BE JUDGING ME right now, so please refer to Number 8, 10 and 3 .
HAPPY NEW YEARS!
What are your New Years Resolutions? (comment below)

How I out-ran Rudolph & placed 3rd on my first 10K!

Running a Marathon has always been on my Bucket-list, so I decided to be pro-active and take baby steps to accomplish that goal.  I signed up for the SAY NO TO DRUGS HOLIDAY CLASSIC 10K on Dec 4, 2011 so I could test the waters. Next goal: a Half-Marathon and then a full blown 26. 2 mile Marathon.

I love fitness and I always change up my fitness routine. That's how I started getting into running. Its perfect when I don't feel like driving to the gym because I can run long distances around my neighborhood or just hop on my treadmill.

My P.O.V at the Starting line butterflies in my stomach are in full force!

I registered for the 10K about a month before it actually happened so I figured I had plenty of time to "train" NOT! Birthdays came up, extra-long work weeks, and THANKSGIVING to boot!

Thanks to former collegue Stephanie Simmons for introducing me to this Race!

I was not on my training game, but I refused to be one of those people that always makes excuses and doesn't commit to important goals. I was NOT going to let any excuses get in the way.

Silly Poses. 

Naibe Reynoso and Steph Simmons Post-Race!

So I will break down how the morning of the race went:

4:30 am- wake up- (it was early but I was excited)
5:00 am- drink  a cup of coffee, eat boiled egg, change, get my wallet and Iphone and fanny pack ready.
6:00 am-drive to Race location (Universal City Walk)
6:30 am- get to location, park and wait. (oh and pee )
7:00 am- get out of my car, get my registration packet, safety pin my race number on shirt.(pee again)
7:25 am- go to the Start Line and get ready to hear the gun go off. (I had butterflys in my stomach)
7:30 am-run like the wind, up the steep hills through the Universal Studios backlot, past some of Hollywood's most famous sets including War of the Worlds, the Bates Motel and Psycho House, Whoville and more!
8:34 am-CROSS THE FINISH LINE ! Yeay !  I made it! in 1 hour 04 minutes!

So how does Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer come into play? Well, being a Race newbie, I had NO idea some runners get very festive during races close to the Holidays. There were people wearing antlers, Santa hats, and elves costumes.

So was the case with a lady that was running near me the entire race. At first I was ahead of her, of course I would be right? Well, low and behold,  Reindeer Antler lady ran passed me and got way ahead at about the 3k mark of the run. Oh no, I wasn't having it. I had to run faster, not give up, and show that Red-Nosed reindeer what I was made of.

Towards the end of the race, Antler-lady and I were neck and neck. This was my first race, but I was not going to come in behind a woman who obviously had an aero-dynamic disadvantage on her head (although Santa may differ on this fact).

Cue the song "Chariots of Fire".... and picture me sprinting in slow motion to get to the Finish Line. From  the corner of my eye, I  could see an antler inching toward me, and that's when I found the inner strength to find the energy, cross the mark,  and beat her!

Naibe Reynoso, Steph Simmons , 2 friends and Crispin Lazarit 

After the race you check your name to see your exact times, and what place you came in. There are various categories ranging in age-range and your sex. Low and be-hold... I came in 3rd place in my Division for the 5k! And they gave me a commemorative metal. Whoo hoo...
Rudolph... bite my dust. (but I still expect you to deliver my Xmas present)

Steph got 3rd Place in her Division too for 10K!

My 3rd Place Metal for 5K!

have you seen HOPE? A great play at the Los Angeles Theatre Center

"HOPE" cast on Stage. PHOTO courtesy Ramon V. Parra

I love going to Plays. You can "SEE" the actors in person on stage, you can "FEEL" the energy of a live performance and you can "HEAR" them without the filters of editing equipment and looping sessions.

 "Lets Talk" girls supporting Dyana  Ortelli ,(the Star of HOPE),Kikey Castillo, Naibe Reynoso (Me),  Bel Hernandez 

No wonder the best actors in the world keep coming back to the stage, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro.

This Thursday I got to see my friend and fellow  "Let's Talk" co-host Dyana Ortelli in her play titled “Hope: Part II of a Mexican Trilogy". I went to it not really knowing what to expect, which is the best way to see something. When there are no expectations is when you get the best surprises. Needless to say I was blown away. I loved it! And so did the L.A. Times!

CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO L.A. TIMES REVIEW OF "HOPE"

The play  is part musical, part history lesson, party family drama. Written by Evelina Fernandez and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela. It takes place in the 1960's and follows a Mexican family facing the uncertainties of the country's future as they face the Cold War with the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro, and a looming Atomic Bomb that may or may not fry them like "chicharrones". (Chicarrones are pork rinds). President John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro make cameo appearances. 

It also talks about the Mexican family dynamic, where Machismo, passiveness (by the Matriarch), and racism take center stage.

The play, did to me, what any great performance should. It made me laugh, get emotional and learn something new .

(here is a promo for HOPE)

"HOPE" made me realize that, 40 years after the Kennedy years, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Now in the 21'st Century, we may not face an "Atomic" bomb, but we do face an "Atomic" financial crisis that has hit us all without mercy. I feel Machismo in our community hasn't changed much. I still see the man playing certain roles and the females succumbing to old traditions. That's changing a little, but at a snails pace. As far as discrimination, hmmm well I think its strange that although I was born here in the U.S., its 2011 and I'm STILL considered a "minority".

I have to give props to ALL the actors. The young actors sang so angelically that I was a little pissed that I haven't seen them before on mainstream series like "Glee" or even "High School Musical". They were great singers and performers and hopefully their talents will be showcased on even bigger platforms. 

top row: Sam Golzari, Esperanza America Ibarra, Pepe Serna, Olivia Cristina Delgado, Dru Davis, Dyana Ortelli, Sal Lopez

Botto row: Geoffrey Rivas, Edward James Olmos, Keith McDonald

What can I say about my colleague and friend Dyana Ortelli. She played Elena, the Matriarch who puts up with a cheating husband, sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her kids and does it all with charm and grace with one clean sweep!  She caused me to fold over  my seat laughing,  hold back tears as she stirred some deep emotions that I've encountered in my own family, and make me proud to know and work with someone so talented. 

I encourage everyone to see  “Hope: Part II of A Mexican Trilogy”". Its now playing at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Ends Nov. 20. $20-$40. All seats $10 on Thursdays. Contact: (866) 811-4111 orTHE LA THEATRE CENTER  Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes.

Hurry.... you only have a few more days! 

Bohemian-Chic in Stacy Sterling Jewelry Designs.

Designer Stacy Sterling (in the Middle) and friends wearing her designs

 I recently went to jewelry designer Stacy Sterling's "Catch your Spirits Glow" Launch party held on November 10th in Venice CA because I love her jewelry line!
Here I am wearing a layered feather necklace. Every time I wear it I get compliments and I feel so earthy yet chic.

Naibe Reynoso (me)wearing Feather Layered Necklace

Daniel Nuguyen, Naibe Reynoso, Jeff Hodsden (supportive boyfriend)

Her designs, which are handcrafted are ethereal and bohemian with a sophisticated flare. She gets inspiration by the vibrant colors and textures of natures beauty, her pieces speak to those with both a glamorous and free-spirited soul.

various feathered necklace, bracelets, and earrings.

colorful skull inspired latches 

Feathers+ rocks+metal = cool

Models wearing Stacy Sterling ( in grey shirt) wearing her designs 

Designer Stacy Sterling and Me!

Stacy Sterling is truly talented. No wonder celebrities like Debra Messing, Hayden Pannetiere, and Hilary Duff are fans! Although "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend", its jewelry like Sterling's made with passion, love and patience that truly makes a woman feel Beautiful!
FOR MORE AMAZING DESIGNS CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE:
www.stacysterling.com

I'll show you mine.... my TOP TEN Favorite APPS

I love ME my IPhone Apps. They put a little bit of fairy dust on an otherwise dull business and emergency-only device: the phone (okay maybe I also use it for the occasional gossip call). When I was a kid, and I used to see "businessmen" on their phones, I thought yuck... who wants to be on that thing for hours on end? But now thanks to all the fun apps that smart phones have, I want to be on my phone for hours on end!

Here is a LIST of my top TEN favorite apps.

1. Facebook/Twitter-
 We can instantly Facebook/Twitter via our smart phones when something pisses us off and save tons on Therapy! EXHIBIT A:

BTW: follow me on Twitter @naibereynoso

2. MAPS -Can I say Hallelujah! Just when I needed a Trader Joes all I got to do is Map it in and Voila! Who knew I was only 3 minutes away? Who knew there was actually a Trader Joes here??? Im the GREEN dot, and all I have to do is get to the RED dot. Easy. Men... are you reading this?

3. Yelp! Its like Yellowpages and Help all rolled into one.. Need I say more?

4. Nike plus GPS. Love tracking my Miles while I run. It also comes with a built in cheerleader that congratulates you every time you reach another mile... gooooo Nike!

 for MORE INFO ON NIKE PLUS GPS click here

5. iBooks.  I never got the Kindle and I almost sleep with my Iphone, so might as well "cuddle" up with a good book while I'm at it and kill two birds with one stone right? Here is my library, what does yours look like?




















6. Pandora. Its Free. You create your own radio station with your favorite music.  There are NO disc jockeys. I mean I don't want to hear Ryan Seacrest anouncing my favorite Adele song or interviewing his celebrity friends. It totally kills the mood when im dancing in my underwear. Hope the next hit is "Pandora killed the radio star".
http://www.pandora.com/

7. Celeb for a Day. In this era of instant fame everyone wants a piece of the pie. With this App you don't have to sell your soul or get married then divorced in 72 days to make headlines. You create your own Fake Magazine cover. Here's mine:

8. TOON PAINT. Everyone is cooler as a cartoon character. This app is free and uber cool. Look at my before and after's:

9. INSTAGRAM. Make your drabby pictures works of art with this app that provides different filters to make your snapshots pop. The app is a social site which allows you to share pictures with other Instagram subscribers and make comments . Here is a before and after INSTAGRAM.

BEFORE INSTAGRAM 

AFTER INSTAGRAM 

BEFORE INSTAGRAM 

AFTER INSTAGRAM

10.PERIOD TRACKER. Okay this App is just for girls. But I love the fact that it reminds you when Aunt Flo is scheduled to arrive etc. eliminating the need for you to write embarassing notes on your calendar. This App does all the "dirty" work for you.

***BONUS app
11. AGE FACE. we all need a reality check once in while. With the swipe of a finger this app ages your current photo. Yes, even botox and facelifts will not save you from eventually looking like this: so might as well "Face" the music.

Before AGE FACE 

AFTER AGE FACE! Yikes!

OKAY, i've showed you mine, now you show me yours What are your favorite apps. and why?