Viva la Mami - Latina Motherhood, Modern Parenting, Latina Well-Being

En este episodio en español de mi serie Mamis Abroad, tuve el honor de conversar con Sandra Bermúdez, de "Sandra Sin Filtro", una mamá venezolana que ha vivido no una, sino dos migraciones: primero de Venezuela a México, y después de México a Estados Unidos. Hablamos de lo que significa crear comunidad desde cero, de criar hijos que se sienten orgullosos de ser de varios lugares, y de es...

In this episode of the Mamis Abroad series, I sit down with Vanessa Mota, a Dominican-American content creator, digital publisher, author, and founder of My Dominican Kitchen. Vanessa made the boldest move by packing up her life in New Jersey and moving solo to the Dominican Republic. She has spent 12 years building her bilingual food brand for the Dominican diaspora, and now she's creating f...

After 10 months of living in our first house in Mexico, we made a decision that surprised us: we broke our lease early. But this episode isn't just about the logistics of moving - it's about the deeper realization that came with it. I'm sitting down solo to share why we left, what we discovered about housing options in Mexico that I never knew existed, and the uncomfortable (but nec...

This week I'm bringing you a rerun of one of our most-asked-about episodes! After 10 months of living here in León, we decided to break our lease early to find housing that better fits our family, and we're spilling all the tea on what led to that decision next week. But first, here's where our housing story began. Listen to this episode to understand the foundation, then tune in ne...

In this solo episode, I'm getting real about what it actually takes to help your child get into college in today's landscape, because spoiler: it's not the same process we went through. As a first-gen parent myself with 14 years of combined college admissions and counseling experience, I'm breaking down what's changed, what still matters, and how you can start building a r...

In this solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on a side of me I don't often share - my professional story. I walk you through my journey as a first-generation college student, how I stumbled into the world of higher education, and the decade-long career in college admissions and counseling that followed. And yes, I have a BIG announcement at the end that I'm so excited to final...

In this solo episode, I'm giving you the life update I've been meaning to share and I'm keeping it real. From accepting a corporate job out of desperation (and quitting nine days later) to deciding to stay in México for another year, and finally announcing the new business I'm building from scratch. This episode is for every first-generation mami who's ever felt like she h...

In this episode of the Mamis Abroad series, I'm sitting down with Jess Winns, a mom of four, published author, entrepreneur, Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, and Transformational Leadership Coach, who made the bold decision to pack up her family and move to Playa del Carmen, Mexico as a single mom. We talk about the moment she knew it was time, what it's really like to build...

In this Mamis Abroad series episode, I sit down with Lina Molina, a Latina mama of three who has been raising her family across continents. Lina shares what it really looks like to pick up your life, move to a country you know nothing about, and still show up as a grounded, intentional mother. We talk about building community from scratch, raising trilingual global kids, keeping your cultura alive...

In this VLM Spotlight episode, I sit down with Cynthia Contreras, a wife, Latina mom, and bilingual reading specialist. What started as a chat about raising Spanish-dominant kids turned into a beautiful exploration of identity, healing generational trauma, and what it really means to show up for our children while still showing up for ourselves. Cynthia shares her journey from being the only Latin...

This week, we welcome Lucía Garrett, founder of Pato Pato and the brilliant mind who coined the term "Spanish-first kids." As someone currently raising Spanish-dominant children myself, I was so excited to dive deep into this intentional approach to bilingual parenting. Lucía shares why the Spanish-only stage is so crucial for our kids and how we can stay confident in our choices, even w...

In this powerful conversation, I sat down with Dr. Alma Medina , a certified functional medicine coach and pharmacist, right here in the Chicago area. As a fellow first-gen Latina mama, we dove deep into healing from the root - addressing gut health issues, hormonal imbalances, and chronic fatigue that so many mujeres in our community struggle with. We also explored how to reclaim the nutritional...

I had the privilege of sitting down with Alex Fernandez, a father and educator with over 15 years of experience. Alex has presented on restorative practices and brought such valuable insights about intentional parenting from the Latino dad perspective. Our conversation really resonated with me, especially as we discussed the challenge of breaking generational cycles while honoring our cultural roo...

In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Eddie Garcia, Elisa Garcia, Christina Galindo, and Jessica Bess to hear Francilia Garcia's story - a beloved wife, first-time mother, and advocate who tragically passed away from childbirth complications just weeks after welcoming her twin boys. Through their grief, Francilia's family created Francilia's Twice the Love Foundation to rai...

In July 2024, I was featured in The New York Times in an article about how childcare costs are limiting women’s ability to work. The headline captured exactly how we felt at the time: stuck. In this solo episode, I share the real story behind that moment and how my family made the strategic decision to move from Chicago to León, Guanajuato. I break down the real cost of living for a family of four...

In this episode of the Mamis Abroad series, I sit down with Karina Wright, a content creator, community builder, and certified no-gatekeeping reina! Karina made the bold decision to move back to the motherland with her husband and teenage son, and she has been sharing every step of the journey with her growing community at @karinalifeinmexico . She is giving our people real, practical resources on...

In this solo episode, I'm breaking down the three action steps I wish I had before we made the move to Mexico - the same ones that helped our family go from dreaming about life in Mexico to actually living it. Whether you're thinking about moving abroad for a year or permanently, this episode is your reality check and your permission slip all in one. For detailed show notes, visit vivala...

In this episode of the "Mamis Abroad" series, I sit down with Alyssa Bolaños, the Latina mom behind @casabolanos , who made the radical decision to leave the U.S. with her family and embrace world schooling abroad. We dive deep into what it really takes to uproot your life, sell everything you own, and create a new future for your kids outside of the United States. Alyssa's story is...

In this episode, I'm introducing a brand new series called Mamis Abroad and sharing some exciting updates about resources I'm creating specifically for mamás like you who are considering moving to Mexico with your family. I've noticed a serious gap in representation when it comes to Latina moms who are traveling or moving abroad. Most of the content out there is centered around digi...

In this week's episode, we welcome Juda Avila, a bilingual therapist and postpartum coach who's doing incredible work with first-gen Latina moms. As someone who experienced postpartum depression twice and grew up witnessing the silent sacrifices of Marianismo, Juda brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation. We dive deep into the cultural expectations th...

In this solo episode, I’m checking in with you. There is so much heaviness right now in the United States, especially for our Latino community, and I felt called to pause and hold space for everything Latina moms are carrying. From fear and uncertainty to burnout and survival mode, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone, you are not weak, and you are not imagining how hard this feels. T...

Welcome to Season 6 of Viva la Mami! In this solo episode, I'm getting real with you about our move to Mexico, the lessons 2025 taught me, and how we can make 2026 our best year yet. Whether you're questioning the "American Dream", struggling with mom guilt, or dreaming of making a radical change in your own life, this episode is for you.  Let's redefine madrehood together...

In this week's solo episode, I'm sharing what life really looks like four months into our move to Mexico as a family of four. I'm hustling, navigating new routines, and learning what it means to be truly present with my family in a culture that prioritizes connection over constant productivity. I also get vulnerable about the guilt I feel seeing my community struggle back in the US,...

In this episode of the "Living in Mexico" series, I'm sitting down with my husband to talk about something so many of you have been asking about - how to get dual citizenship in Mexico! This has been our most-asked question since we shared our own journey to becoming dual citizens earlier this year. I'm walking you through our very different experiences. We're also getting...

This has been the #1 question flooding my DMs and emails: "How did you find work to move to Mexico?"  In this episode of the "Living in Mexico" series, I'm finally answering your biggest question! I sit down with my husband to share our real, unfiltered experience navigating employment while living abroad. From his remote job to my freelance work, passive income streams, a...