Freed From Auschwitz

Today is an Important day of history that should NEVER be forgotten. On this day 70 years ago, Russian soldiers freed the survivors of Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland from Nazi enslavement.

For Those Of You Who Do not know, Auschwitz was one of the MOST lethal and Well Known concentration camps. Many men, women, and children Were exterminated, abused, and experimented on there Solely Because They did not Fit With Hitler's great race.

In the 1940s Hitler was the MOST ruthless dictator of His Time. He convinced the majority of the population that Germans were the supreme race, and all others that were poisonous to the growth and development of the country. Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, dwarfs, and black people were Considered enemies.

In a vicious attempt to eliminate them completely, Hitler constructed concentration camps Where I would force Human Beings to work under horrifying conditions or commit mass murder-through the use of gas chambers.

Unthinkable and unspeakable horrors that occurred during the years Hitler was in power.

Soon, as other countries country started to notice what was happening, a second World War was of declared. Finally, in 1945 on January 27th, the survivors of Auschwitz were LIBERATED.
 

 Let us NEVER forget this day.

Let us be aware that genocide is STILL happening in modern-day society.

Let us fight this HORRIBLE injustice.

And let us NEVER persecute others based on ethnic, spiritual, or sexual differences.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died in Staten Island, New York, after a police officer put him in a chock hold. The tragedy was caught on tape, and Eric Garner was heard repeating the phrase "I can't breath" until he lost consciousness.

 

On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Mike Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. His sudden death, at the hands of a law officer, caused violent protests.

Those are only two examples of the slew of negative stories regarding police officers in recent Media. It seems that people are being influenced to believe that all cops are violent, racist, selfish monsters who couldn't care less about the safety and well-being of the community. This new anti-cop mentality is causing people to act out all around the country. They are "taking matters into their own hands" by murdering innocent men who bravely put on their uniform everyday with the goal of protecting absolute strangers.

The deaths of those men were a terrible tragedy, as are all untimely deaths, and the men responsible NEED TO BE held accountable. It is important that murderers learn the value of ALL human life. 

 

On December 20, 2014, uniformed police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were fatally shot in their squad car in Brooklyn, New york. The double murder is still currently under investigation. 

The belief that all police officers are evil is ridiculous. 

All police officers are human. Are all humans racist? No, right? Therefore, we have reason to believe that not all cops judge others by the color of their skin. In fact, most police officers take their oaths very seriously and are just as appalled as the rest of us by what happened to Eric and Mike. I do not want my son to grow up thinking that he cannot turn to a police officer in an emergency situation.

No wife/husband should have to worry that their spouse is not going to return home simply because he/she wears a uniform and a badge. No child should be told that their mother/father is in heaven because of someone's ignorant vendetta against the police. 

Once again, I encourage everyone to start thinking for themselves. 

Is it simple to make a difference! 

All you really need to do is be respectful and know your rights. This goes for police and civilians alike.

Value EVERY human life!

Christmas Tragedy

Usually, around this time of year we hear stories about miracles and brotherliness all around the world. People go out of their way to lend a helping hand, but a few days ago a horrible event took place in Pakistan. 

The Taliban raided a military school and opened fire, killing 132 children from grades 1 through 10. Many of the children were civilians and all of them were completely innocent. One father commented that his 14 year old son left home in his uniform and returned in a coffin. 

 

Once again, intolerant men were carrying out their perverted view of "justice."

While it is important to remember that this season is about love and thanksgiving, we cannot ignore the fact that children are dying, not just in Pakistan, but all over the world. As we rush into stores to buy presents for those we cherish, many others are suffering and grieving. 

This year, we have to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas: a savior was born into an evil place to save us from the sin that enslaves us all, so that we could have hope for a perfect eternity. 

Thank God that you are safe, comfortable, and warm. 

Thank God that you are able to show your children, family, and friends how much you care about them. 

Thank God that you are alive and well today. 

There are not enough words to express my condolences. 

My heart bleeds for those kids, and especially for theirs mothers and fathers. 

No parent should ever suffer the loss of a little one; no one should ever know that pain. 

'Tis the season to be grateful for the peace in your life in a world that is filled with despair.

Honor the 132 children who lost their lives by living like Jesus, and spreading the love to everyone you meet. 

No exceptions.

7 Secret Parenting Tips

We can all agree that being a parent is extremely difficult, especially being a young one. 

Our kids are their own people, which makes us wish that they came equipped with an instruction manual and all the gear they will need throughout their childhood. Let's face it, we don't always have the answers and we don't always know what to do.

That is why I searched all corners of the internet to bring you 7 Parenting Tricks that will help you save money like its your job, cure sicknesses like a doctor, and make you feel like a superhero!

1. Vapor Rub Socks - Us Latina moms are well aware of the Vapor Rub remedy used on us every time we got sick. When your child has a cough instead of giving your child a Vapor Rub bath, try rubbing some on his/her feet and covering them with socks! This will help them fall asleep!

 

2. DIY Baby Puffs - I love those yummy Gerber Puffs for Nico, but they are just so expensive for a container that doesn't last him very long. So, I found a great recipe for puffs you can make yourself using ingredients that are much better for baby!
Baby treats
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Baby Cereal
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Water
Mix all ingredients. add enough water to make it come together. add more cereal if you added too much water. Roll dough into tiny little bite size balls. You don't need to worry about separating them all completely, after they bake, they separate easily just by shaking the pan. Bake at 325 for about 7-10 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes or so before putting them in an air tight container. Store in the fridge.

3. Removing Baby Stains - I haven't tried this one yet, but wouldn't it be amazing if all those baby food stains would magically come out? Apparently they do! With a little Dawn dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda, you can remove even set it stains. It calls for 2 parts peroxide and 1 part Dawn and baking soda (1 cup of peroxide and 1/2 cup of the Dawn and 1/2 cup of baking soda) 

4. Jumbo Play Yard - Play "yards" are expensive and small. Babies don't really have room to roam or play so it can feel more like a jail than a play area. Skip the play yard and baby gate buying and get a large inflatable pool instead! Its a great safe place to put baby without you needing to worry about baby boredom or a little escape artist. 

 

5. Doll Hairspray - A small spray bottle with 2 tablespoons of fabric softener and water will make any dolls hair soft and silky like new! I wish I knew about this as a kid. This will save many barbies from "emergency" hair cuts. 

6. Crib Teething Guard - When Nico started teething, I wondered how long it would take him to chew through his wooden crib bars. We took an old blanket and cut it to turn it in to a very effective teething guard. He still chews on the blanket, but he will not be breaking out any time soon!

7. Plane Common Courtesy - This was a really nice idea! If you are flying with a fussy baby or toddler, maybe you can try making little treat bags with a few pieces of gum and candy and a tiny explanation note. It would look something like this: 

When Parents Turn to Murder: Alexis

As many of you know, the month of October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. In order to raise awareness, this week I would like to tell the story of Alexis and her mother, Victoria.

Victoria was a victim of regular, brutal domestic dating violence. Her boyfriend, Freddy Mendez, would repeatedly beat her during arguments and force her to do ridiculous things for him. In one video she speaks about one of the instances of abuse where he punched her repeatedly in the face, threw her in the pool, dragged her out, punched her repeatedly again, shoved her into the closet, and then told her to go make him a sandwich.

One day, he began beating Alexis, Victoria's 3 year old daughter, and he did not stop until she was dead.

Victoria said she stood by holding her 7 month old son, yelling at Freddy, trying to get him to stop. When he finally did, she was left to "take care" of the lifeless little girl. 

Freddy was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole, and Victoria was sentenced to 35 years in prison for "allowing" the abuse, which escalated to murder. But after serving only 2 years, the judge decided to release her. Many people were appalled by his decision.

This country has made a habit of turning battered women into criminals for failing to protect their children in situations such as this one. Many of them face between 20 and 40 years of prison time. 

I believe that there is always something you can do to get your child out of danger. I would even go to the extreme of killing anyone who is physically threatening the life of my son.

But every woman is different. 

I don't think that a woman who lives in constant fear can be expected to make rational decisions, and I don't think that they should be considered in their right state of mind. Who knows how much head trauma they themselves have faced, who knows how much emotional and psychological abuse they have endured.  Many of them have been brainwashed in to thinking that they are worthless and powerless by men who are obviously crazy and manipulative. 

Everyone deserves a second chance. The judge's decision only means that Victoria can grieve her daughter, get her life back on track, seek the help she needs and try to focus on regaining custody of her son and providing him with a better life.

This does not mean that I excuse the child abuse.

Like I mentioned before, there are always ways to keep your baby safe. Leave them in the care of a trusted adult, teach them to call 911, encourage them to tell someone who you know will help, find a hiding place for them in the house that only you know about, physically defend them even if it means getting hurt yourself, or my personal favorite, get out and get help! 

Remember, these women are not alone!

 If you see children with multiple bruises, report it; better safe than sorry. If you hear your neighbors arguing a little too violently, report it. If you see a man (or woman) treating their partner or child harshly in public, report it. If you see a woman with multiple bruises, report it. 

In this world, we have to take care of each other. Together, we CAN...