ARTE y PICO!- and a fun time is had by all at New York Life!

WOW. I have been blessed in the blogosphere-on many different levels-this past week and was very touched and honored to receive this award from DAWN at Renaissance Mama. I greatly respect and admire Dawn. Within her blog I have found so much inspiration and food for thought, as well as an appreciation for the wonderful life that she builds and weaves around her family. I am grateful that she shares her invaluable perspective and experiences! Thanks so much, Dawn! Sharon, an incredibly gifted artist and writer from One Small Square also gave me this award! Thanks to you, too, Sharon!

Here are the rules of the award:

1) Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award which is here: Arte y Pico

The blogs I have chosen are ones that I am incredibly grateful for and blessed to have found. My choices for the Arte y Pico award are:

1. Living Joyfully with what is- Go, NOW, and read this woman's uplifting, inspiring, and paradigm shifting blog.

"We all face challenges, and all of us have the capacity to embrace these challenges, to see the lessons in them, to act with love and acceptance, and to embrace our lives with joy."

Joyous Judy is an amazing and prolific writer who was diagnosed this past summer with multiple myeloma. At first, when I heard of her blog, I thought,"RUN! it's another scary and sad blog about cancer!", but I braved her first post and was gripped. She experiences her illness with such bravery, open mindedness, and gratitude. Her writings of her personal experiences with the universe and all it's synchronicity are touching me on such a deep level and I thirst for every new post. I am very grateful to Judy for her eye opening insight. Her blog is fairly new so I suggest starting from the beginning and working your way through enlightenment.

2. This is my body, this is my blood-Eldonna is an excellent thought provoking writer and a sister in bodywork! Her posts often "stick with me" for a day or three after reading them. She is the author of 2 journaling books-definitly on my wishlist!-and is currently writing a novel. Although Eldonna has been blogging for a few years, her's is another blog to read from the beginning!!! I'm working my way through it now. Here's her description of this incredibly well written blog:

"I initially created This is My Body, This is My Blood to open an honest dialogue between my mind and its ongoing relationship with this body as we lean closer to the fifty-year mark. Over time, the blog has evolved from a log of physiological and emotional changes, to a place for reflection on life as a woman, a mother, a lover, a sister, a daughter, a writer, and a massage therapist. My hope is this site will inform and entertain, while also serving as a forum for readers with similar interests and challenges."

3. Child's Play-This clever, wanderlusting and funny Mom brings a smile to my face as she shares her life. What stands out for me in this blog is that she experiences the same craziness and stress that we all do-but portrays it through such wonderful humor. In situations where I would be overloaded and crabby, she is able to use hilarious dialogue and witty comedic insight. Her blog is a daily reminder for me to remember to stop find the HUMOR in daily life when things get stressful. About:

"There’s me; homeschoolin’, soapmakin’, fun havin’, trip plannin’ mom… a rather random and ’big picture’ individual who manages to homeschool and run my own company without a lot of the ‘little picture’ details that hubby swears would make my life a lot more orderly. I am the Oscar to his Felix. So here’s my family’s journey with dyslexia, giftedness, homeschooling, & living life well, and a list of books, games, CD’s, and movies that we recommend for everyone!"

4. Collecting leaves .....and other little experiences-This post sums up this creatively written and beautifully photographed blog by Ladybug-zen, an American ex-pat living in Japan with her Australian husband and their children:

"minutia. One of the many things i've learned from my wee little teachers is how absolutely essential it is to throw oneself with passion and fervor into the mundane...to revel unabashedly, unapologetic in the ordinary of the everyday."

Enjoy this collection of musings and life shared by this stay-at-home mom with a penchant for picture taking.

5. Crafty Crow- Here is a collection-added to almost daily- of the Best of the Best crafts, games, recipes, and educational activities found in the blogoshpere. I have found SO MANY wonderful things on this blog to incorporate into the activities Lo and I do. There's even stuff there that Dea has enjoyed doing! Bella Dia says, "I'm a single, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of three. I was an education major in college, taught preschool for many years, have been a Girl Scout troop leader, camp counselor, and have taught a variety of crafty classes to many different ages. Even now I have my own business designing and selling pretty things for people to love and have contributed patterns to multiple craft books. I guess this is all a long way of saying: crafting and kids are a huge part of my life and I love it!

THANK YOU winners and know that this woman is indebted to you on many levels....


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NEW YORK LIFE(Huz's work) knows how to throw a family Kick-off party!

CAKE! (Dea's)

Karaoke!

Face painting!

Wrastlin'!

Dancin'!

And no NYL party is complete without the DANCE-OFF! This one featuring NINO! from Nino's Italian Eatery!

Go Nino, go Nino!!!!

What the..?!?!?!