My Open Letter to America

The results of this election clearly show the dissatisfaction with the status-quo. We are in the midst of a revolution here in this country and around the world. Regardless of the election results, half of the country would have been disappointed. 

America, our communities, the working class and the middle class, we are all hurting. Something we can all agree on is that we feel our government has not been working for those of us who aren't elite. There is too much grid-lock in the system as government officials are choosing party lines instead of choosing to work together to find common ground for good for the country. I understand the outpour of frustration that has taken over and I also hear the voices of people standing up for change. 

The results of this election really are shocking and this path seems really scary. So, what do we do from here? We pick up the pieces, move forward, and work together to forge the best outcome for all Americans and make the country work for all of us. There is a lot of work to be done and we must start the rebuilding process. Will this be easy? No. There is too much pain, anx, and frustration, but we must work together. 

I really struggle with the message of "make America great again" and "let's take our country back". Take the country back from who or what? In my mind, America is great. America is the land of opportunity. It's a melting pot of people who came to this country to better their lives and the lives of their families. People know that through hard work anything is achievable here in this country. People come to this country to seek freedom and opportunities. People come to this country because they believe in our founding ideals.  This country was built by people who migrated here because they were pursuing better outcomes for themselves and their families. This country was built by immigrants and yes it's becoming more and more diverse by the day... it's changing. Perhaps, change is scary, but we must remember that we are all human beings who want the best outcomes for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Let's embrace diversity, let's embrace a changing America as everyone can prosper. Building walls, shutting people off because of their background, skin color, religion, sexual orientation, and place of origin will not make America great. Exclusion, bigotry and hatred will not make America great. 

No matter what the messages out there tell you, don't forget that love always trumps hate. We may not be able to control what happens outside of our control, but we can control how, as individuals, we are going move forward. Let's come together and build strong relationships and community, let's be compassionate towards one another, and let's work together toward the common good of all people. 

Michelle Obama said it best, "when they go low, we go high".  And I quote this without thinking of party lines... Darkness simply cannot be overcome with darkness. 

Continue to shine light into this world. Continue to navigate life from a place of love, compassion, grace, with open hearts + open minds, and understanding. Now more than ever, we must continue to be the change we want to see in the world.

It all starts within. 

Xx, 

Rocio

Life Lessons | My Child Taught Me

Today, Alexander turned 18 months. Happy 18 months to Xander --and us (mami and daddy)!!

If I had to choose one word to sum up the last 18 months, it would be growth. Our family literally grew from being just Allan and me, to being our little family of three.  The first year of Xander’s life was a really steep learning curve for all of us (especially me). Adjusting to life with a baby takes a lot of work, patience, learning, adjusting, trial + error (lots of trial and error), re-learning and re-adjusting. Some days (and weeks) were harder than others, but I would not change a thing.  In the last 18 months, I have learned so much about myself, my child, from my child, and from our family + couple dynamics. The learning curve was steep and so was the growth experienced.

One of my absolute favorite things of being a mother has been to view the world through my child’s eyes.  Viewing the world through Xander’s eyes has been amazing + refreshing and I want to capture these moments, feelings and lessons learned because I really do not want to forget.

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Here are some life lessons Xander has taught me… (or reminded me)

Be Fearless // fearLESS

Xander has been a very busy and fearless guy from a very young age. Crawling, cruising, taking the first steps, learning how to walk (and wanting to go down stairs like a big boy at 11 months) takes a lot of courage. Letting go and falling (many, many times), getting up and trying, again and again, is a lesson I never want us (Xander and I) to forget. 

When Xander was 9 months old, we visited the Philippines (it was a trip of a lifetime) and Xander’s first time experiencing the ocean.  Xander seemed to be amazed by the body of water in front of him and by the sounds coming from it.  I took him to the shore to get his little feet wet, then went back out and sat down on the sand. He loved playing with the sand. He grabbed the sand, looked at it, felt it, and watched it slip out of his hands (he did it again)… and this play went on for a while. After he was done playing with the sand, he stopped for a while to just stare at the ocean and take it all in. Shortly after, he began to crawl towards the water.  I watched him crawl towards the ocean until the small waves wet his little hands, knees and toes. Then, I helped him get up and together we walked a little further into the water.

As his mom, watching the joy on his face was priceless. The beauty of small children is that they don’t have a concept of fear, they are constantly learning from the world around them, and they are not afraid of falling, getting up and trying again. I don’t know at what age children learn fear, but I do know, I want to foster an environment where Xander (and my future children) are not afraid to try due to fear of “failure”. If we didn’t try (many, many times), we wouldn’t be able to master a skill we learn from a very young age… such as walking.  So we must walk through life with the conviction that skill and mastery takes many, many trials.

Be Adventurous  

Xander is the most adventurous little guy I know. He constantly reminds me that life is an adventure. Go adventure. Go explore. Go discover. 

Be Curious

He loves to explore everything around him. The curiosity and imagination of children is truly powerful beyond measure.

Be Assertive 

I have never met a tiny, little fella who is as assertive as Xander. He constantly reminds me to be self-assured and not seek external approval.

Be Persistent

Xander doesn't give up easily. He is very persistent, which makes for very interesting moments (learning patience is a virtue we have yet to master! It's a work in progress).  Nonetheless, persistence is a very important skill he knows all too well. 

Be Joyful

Xander is such a happy child. His smile brightens-up my world and his laughter is contagious. Children are so joyful/blissful/happy just because.

Be Loving

Xander is really sweet too.... He loves mami + daddy, puppies, children and people in general... And he gives us (Allan + I) the most awesome hugs (pretty much the best part of my day).

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As parents, it is important that we help our children preserve “The-Child-With-In”.

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Growth has truly marked the last 18 months of our lives and I’m so ready to continue embracing this path. From my experience, parenthood is slightly easier if we take some of the pressure off and recognize that we are all learning as we go and that all the answers we seek will appear when the moment is right. 

Xx, 

Rocio

Pumpkin-Yard + Fall Centerpiece

Xander and I visited our local pumpkin yard yesterday! He has been saying pumpkin and halloween pretty much on repeat lately... So as we gear up for halloween this year, I thought he would really enjoy seeing the pumpkins up-close.  He had fun looking at the pumpkins and watching the tractor go by. It was really cool to see so many varieties of pumpkin, all so uniquely beautiful.

I even picked up a few of these beauties to make a fall table center piece for my dinning table. I'm not much of a halloween or fall decor type of gal, but thought it would be nice to add a touch of fall to the house.  I loved how the center piece turned out.

Fall Centerpiece

1. Pumpkins

2. Platter

3. Maple Leaves

I knew I wanted something really simple and classic, so I selected cream pumpkins as my main color and added a bit of green + orange to the mix. The green and orange pumpkins still had cream in them, which helped tie the collection together. Choosing pumpkins of different sizes, shapes and textures creates a more interesting look.   

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I simply arranged the pumpkins on the platter in a way that was appealing to me.  The platter keeps the arrangement contained and easy to move from one place to another.  I added a couple twigs from the maple tree in my backyard to add a finishing touch and pull the centerpiece together.   I really enjoyed how it all came together!  

Hope you liked this really simple fall home decor idea! 

Xx,

Rocio