BLOG UNDER CONSTRUCTION and HIGHLIGHTS OF MY WEEKEND

Hello friends and faithful followers. I have great news for all of you! I will be taking a little break from blogging while my blog is going through some fun changes. I'm sure some of you are wondering, why? What changes? Here is the short side of the story......... I never, ever, would have thought about starting my own blog, but with the encouragement of my friend Kimberly, I decided to start one! I was so excited to start blogging right away that the last thing on my mind was to think about templates, background and a presentation overall. Well, I learned the hard way!! So here I'm worrying about the presentation of my blog! In two weeks Love Always, Paola,  will have a new chic look to it! You will love it!

Please do not be discouraged to continue following me! I promise that the new look of my blog and content will worth the wait.

For now I leave you with some highlights of my weekend. Please continue to send me emails and write comments. I will be checking my blog periodically. I love reading them and they mean the world to me!

My weekend was very uneventful. We all have been sick with a very bad cold and decided to take it slow and had a very low key weekend. For all of you who don't know me that well, I'm a social butterfly and I take every opportunity to invite friends and family over for dinner Fridays and Saturdays, and I always have our weekend activities planned in advance to keep my two active boys happy! Yes, I have a nick name among my family and friends, I'm the energizer bunny! Honestly I get tired but I push myself hard to keep everything under control and my little family happy! A big huge smile and worrying about making everlasting memories is my secret! I'm a happy gal, what can I say!

FRIDAY

My little man took me to watch his FIRST movie called RIO! Logan loves music and dancing, mm I wonder were he gets it from? Perhaps, Me?! Logan watches Rio at least once a day. He calls it Birds TV and starts dancing.

 So as soon as  I heard that the Paradise Valley Mall was showing Rio on Friday for only $1 per person, I knew I had to take him no matter how sick we were feeling! I was congested with a really bad sinus pressure, but it didn't matter. I absolutely love watching all of his facial expressions, and how excited he was to watch it on a  GIANT screen! He lasted longer that I expected! It was  a great experience and we both enjoyed every moment! 

We are still smiling!

After the movie we went to the mall kids play area and had some fun running around chasing each other!

Living in Arizona during the summer is challenging. Not only is over a 115 degrees outside but we are the second place in the world known for having huge Haboobs. Unfortunately I was so nervous when I took this picture that I'm not sure if you can see the huge sand wall right underneath the clouds behind me, that's a sand storm.  The sand is so thick that is covering the mountain behind it.

After having a fun morning, we were driving home when I suddenly get this sand storm alert on my phone. I thought , Na its probably far away! Next thing I look out the window and there it is, right behind me.  Luckily I was only 5 minutes away from my house, so I hit the gas and made it home safe. Phew that was scary and close! 

And I ended the afternoon reading this book Nanny 911, hoping to get some good creative ideas to discipline Mr. Logan, and help me not to loose my mind with so many tantrums lately! I love watching their show!

SATURDAY

Saturday was all about running errands during the day. Logan finally got his second hair cut!  Here is my happy boy and daddy before his hair cut. 

                  

This happy boy is looking good. 

And our Saturday ended with a fun well deserved date night!

So how was your weekend? I would love to see pictures and hear all about it!

 Also I'm reading Teaching with love and Logic. What books do you recommend for me to read regarding early child development and tantrums? 

Also I would love to hear some fun ideas of what you would like to see on my blog, more fashion, more recipes, more local sponsoring? My ears are open my friends and would love hearing some good suggestions!

I appreciate every single one of you and I'm grateful for the love and support that all of you have given me as I start this new chapter in my life. Blogging is not easy and it is time consuming, but I'm loving it.

With lots of love and many Colombian Kisses from Arizona,

WHAT I WORE: ZUMBA ACTIVEWEAR

Double Duty-Gear  

T-Shirt: Under Armour (HotShot HeatGear Training Shirt) // 
Pants: Nike // Running Shoes: Reebook  (Sublite Duo) Macy's 



Lately I have been craving to find some fun but modest gym clothes. I have been looking everywhere for a nice gym shirt that will cover my belly, but at the same time will make me look stylish and fun. I gained 72 pounds with Mr. Logan and although I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, I don't care very much to show off my stomach. So I said goodbye to all my old sexy gym clothes and welcomed a new fun and modest style that I absolutely love. 
Hey who said that modest can't be fun and sexy!

After spending countless amount of hours window shopping and trying on a lot of gym clothes, I came across this shirt from Under Armour. I completely felt in love with the color, HOT PINK!

What I absolutely love about this shirt is that is very breathable, comfortable, stretchy and is one of those shirts that you can wear with anything. I like to call this shirt my Double Duty-Gear. I love that I can just wear it with a pair of jeans with sandals and it still looks cute. Not to mention great for those days that you want to dress low key to be productive with that long list of mommy duties!

 This Under Armour shirt is form fitting, it doesn't show the sweat and if it does, it dries very quickly. I feel like I hit the jack pot! I have to say that a lot of people complimented on my gym outfit today, especially the shirt!

Here are some pictures of what I wear to ZUMBA! 

From Head to Toe

Close up of my amazing shirt!

 Kimberly and I went to Tanger Outlets together and we bought the same exact shirt because we both loved it so much!! Her shirt is a orange/pink color. MMM  this will be the next one on my list! 

 I do feel powerful!

Below is a picture with our Zumba instructor Tasha. I absolutely love her and to be honest, I really enjoy her class. I'm Colombian, I like shaking my hips an love to dance! I have been to many Zumba classes where you can tell the instructor is counting steps and not feeling the rhythm of the music. This amazing bubbly, gorgeous lady knows how to make me break a sweat!

Do you know that you can loose up to 1000 calories an hour doing Zumba? Well, let me tell you, I do believe it and I have seen the results! I shed off 18 pounds within just 4 weeks by just doing some hard core Zumba with Tasha. So if you have never been to a Zumba class let me give you some good advice. Zumba is a high impact cardio class, so eat a small healthy dinner about an hour and a half before your class, stretch big time and bring lots of water! Trust me you will need it. And during the class give it your best, shake those hips like there is no tomorrow and you will see results! I promise!

If you are ever in the North Phoenix area, you should stop in and check out Tasha's class. I promise you that you will leave her class feeling amazing,energetic and not to mention super sweaty! To find out when her scheduled classes are, just click on this link HERE

Zumba Tasha's Website

Zumba Tasha's Facebook

What is your favorite work out outfit?

 Help this girl build her new workout wardrobe! 

Hope everyone continues to have a productive and fun week. And remember... shake those hips like there is no tomorrow and work it!  

Lots of hugs and Colombian Kisses from Arizona 

TAKING A LITTLE BREAK !

Good Morning everyone, 

I will be taking a  break from posting something on my blog today.  Logan and I only had 3 hours of sleep last night. He cried all night and woke up sick! So today is all about TLC and cuddling with my baby! 

Good News are: My blog is currently going under some changes. We are currently customizing the view and will be offering fun features soon. Hopefully it will all be up and running by next week! 

See you tomorrow and send good and loving thoughts our way so Logan regains strength in his little body! 

Love you all and I appreciate your views and comments as always. 

Our Fun Weekend, LOGAN TURNED 2 and more..............

Has two years gone by so fast? Wow I feel like my sweet angel was born yesterday. I remember the day Logan was born, holding him in my arms, it seemed unrealistic. I remember looking at his little face and thinking,  I can't believe I am a mother! As soon as I held him, he made eye contact with me, and I intermediately fell in love. I couldn't stop looking at his perfect eyes, tiny little nose, kissable lips, soft gently hands, listening to all of the sweet little noises he made, everything about him was so pure. I knew I was holding someone very special that will change my life for ever ,and will challenge me to become a better person. Two years has gone by and indeed this active monkey has turned our world upside down! We couldn't be more grateful for the blessing of being parents of such an incredible boy.

Our weekend was short, busy and exciting. Not only we celebrated the 4th of July but had the blessing of celebrating Logan's birthday. And yes, WE HAVE ALREADY WELCOMED THE TERRIBLE 2's! YIKES! 

Here are some cute pictures of Logan's birthday celebration. Wow, I learned that I'm a better multitasker  than I thought I could ever be, but apparently I was able to chase active toddlers around, beg them to stay still for pictures,  entertain guests,  keep Logan away from eating the cake and pushing the emergency button at the splash pad, managed to keep birds from eating our food, answered a billion questions, and ended up meeting a new group of moms and made new friends!  I was all over place. This mama deserves a big pat on the back and some pampering too! It was successful celebration! 

Enjoy 

IN THE MORNING

Logan loves dinosaurs and this was his cake! Totally scrumptious with lots of CHOCOLATE! 

Finally I got him to sit on my lap and get ready to sing the happy birthday! 

Logan got to hear our opera voices! Poor little guy, honestly, Adam and I  CANT SING! 

Caught YOU LOGAN! Don't ask me where he hid his fork but he kept coming back for 2nds, and 3rds....................! At least he loved his cake! 

Daddy and Logan having some fun! 

Sweet grandpa couldn't miss the fun! I have the best in laws in the world. Love this man! 

Thanks Kim for snapping a picture of me! After the celebration!  I am one happy momma!!!! 

AT NIGHT 

We waited until after dinner to open Logan's gifts! WELCOME FRIENDS TO MY HOME..... And yes, this is us relaxed and behind the scene, very normal loving people!

Ended the night with lots of BUBBLES! 

And a baby who fell sleep inside of a box, LOL! Very tired! 

Officially 2!
........................................................

4th OF JULY 

Our 4th of July was really low key. Trying to keep the kids up for fire works is a little challenging but we were all energetic and excited! So the trick was, good friends, good food and a lot of SUGAR!!!!

Our good friends Sam, Olivia and Randi.  Cute family! 
Randi has a fun cooking blog! Check her out at
Crazy Delciousness 

 YAY LOGAN!  We were very excited! LOVE the nice bling in our eyes!! 

WOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW! 

My best friend, companion, partner in crime and LOVE OF MY LIFE! 

This was an amazing weekend. We had lots of fun activities planned, great company for unconditional friends, family and lots of yummy treats.

..............................................

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and spending a little time getting to know my little FAMILIA! 

So how was your 4th of July celebration this year? Send me your favorite pictures. I will love to see them all!

READER'S SPOTLIGHT - THANK YOU!

Look, it is a cute dress! 

What a gorgeous Mom! 

This week's Reader's Spotlight goes to Randi from Phoenix, AZ! Aw isn't she a gorgeous mom! You are so beautiful and your little girl is precious! This picture inspires so much love and happiness! 

Randi sent me a really cute message about how much she loves my blog and made me tear up a little. She has been a faithful follower of my blog and a good friend too.


So do you see something special, other than she looks fabulous? Here's a hint...............

Randi had this dress in her closet for over a year. She mentioned she is absolutely in love with it, but didn't know how to wear it. She loves the colors and the fabric, but the dress was loose on top, which made it very unflattering in the upper area that she couldn't wear it with just a white t-shirt underneath.

After reading my Royal Blue Dress Post, she was inspired to take it out of her closet, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried it on with a simple purple t-shirt on top. She couldn't believe how amazing she looked!!! The dress no longer looks like a dress,

It's a skirt!

 

Dress: Old Navy // T Shirt: Active Basic (Boutique in California) // Shoes: Fioni (Payless Shoes) // Necklace: Paparazzi

Uh, sassy...

 Thank you so much Randi for sharing these adorable pictures with us.

 It means the world to me,  to see good friends reading my blog and commenting and learning from it.
  YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

Oh and Randi has a great cooking and recipe blog that I love to follow: mycrazydeliciousness !


Now its time to   Rock That Dress!

For all of my amazing readers and friend around the world , don't be shy, email your pictures and let me know your story! I would love to heard from you, no matter what language you speak or where in the world you live!

Who would like to be my next week Reader's spotlight?................. YOU!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY - LET'S CELEBRATE!



HAPPY 4th of JULY EVERYONE! 

We had a blast taking these pictures and I couldnt hold a serious face for anything in the world. Regardless of how much fun we were having,  I have to admit that it was very challenging at the same time. Not to mentioned it was a dry 120 degrees outside, love the summers in Phoenix, AZ!  

For those of you that saw our silly picture from yesterday's post

you are probably wondering what the story is behind that funny picture huh?!?

We had planned on getting some fun 4th of July balloons from the Dollar Tree for pictures,

but when we got there, they told us that they were out of helium! Really?!? Are you kidding me!?!?

So we ended up getting some 4th of July buttons, leis, and flags instead for our pictures which

as you will see below worked out great. This was all totally unplanned but we love how it turned out!

First...let me just tell you that Arizona is known 

for having dust storms.......and when they hit it is windy and the air quality is the worst! 

On our way back, we noticed that the sky was 

starting to get dark.  A little overcast, but not too bad!

We first starting taking pictures of each other and then I thought, why not take some pictures

together with our fun 4th of July stuff?!?! So we did!! We were able to take some great pictures

while hoping and praying that it wouldn't rain or the dust storm wouldn't come our way.

Well.....we spoke way too soon!!!

I had a dust storm alert in my phone, didnt see it of course!  Just as I was getting the leis separated for one last picture (and as the timer on my camera was counting down)10....9....8...7...6....5....4...3...2....1...... WOOOOOOOSSHHHHHH!!The wind and dust hit!

So enjoy our silly pictures..............

Top: Ralph Lauren (Macy's) // Belt: Boutique, Bogotá, Colombia // Pants: C'EST TOI (Papaya's) // Shoes: Ticket (Cartagena, Colombia)

Watch: Caché // Bracellet: Paris, Paris (I added more pears and the pear ring charm) // Ring: ICING (Macy's)

Necklace: I took some old necklaces and loose beads and made two separate necklaces in one! 

I love this country and I respect our veterans and admire all of our soldiers who sacrifice their lives to protect  this beautiful country and our freedoms! 

Happy 4th of July FRIENDS! 

Please share your precious moments and pictures with us! I would love to share them in my blog and share your story. Specially if you are an immigrant like me and have nothing but to be grateful for this land of opportunity and freedom!