Last year was our first time celebrating Día de Muertos.  Since then, a lot has changed in the way I see this holiday.  It amazes me how much of a spiritual impact the celebration of Día de Muertos has given me.  Last year I didn’t know much about it, so I did a little research, applied what I learned to the same beliefs that my husband and I grew up with, and did my best to weave the old with the new.  After having experienced all the emotions and joy that come with setting up and creating an altar last year, I was looking forward to getting started on our altar this year once Fall officially arrived.

What this year’s altar means to me is beyond the expectations of what I first expected to feel.  I knew that it had to be meaningful from start to finish, and it was.  There was no doubt in my mind that it needed to be separate from everything else, and it needed its own space where it can be appreciated.  Last year I was left feeling like I didn’t do our altar justice, so this year I wanted to make our deceased relatives proud. My goal was to create the foundation for an altar that would last us many years.  I wanted it to stand out and be noticed by everyone who walked through our door.  Most importantly though, I wanted my children and husband to be a part of the whole process too.

After much brainstorming and planning, we began gathering all the materials we needed together.  My husband took on the challenge of building the home of our altar(s), which were three large rectangular shadow boxes that would be hung on the wall.  The wood we used came from the box frame of our old bed that we took apart over the summer and saved before throwing out what we couldn’t repurpose.

Here is a detailed list of the materials we used for the shadow box shelf:

• (4) 11 5/8“ Long X 11/16” Thick X 3 3/8” High solid redwood boards
• (4) 21 ¾” Long X 11/16” Thick X 3 3/8” High” solid redwood boards
• (1) 22 7/8” Long X 3/8” Thick X 11” High plywood board for the back
• #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws
• #6 x ½” wood screws
• #16 x 1-1/4” Wire Brads nails
• (4) 2” rectangle brackets
• Staple gun
• fabric
• ¼” thick Quilt Batting
• Picture hangers (20lb capacity)
• ring hangers

Step 1:  Cut the Batting at least ½” bigger than the plywood board, and the fabric at least 1 ½” bigger than the plywood board. Lay down the fabric face down first, then place the batting over the fabric, then place the plywood board over them.  Starting with the middle (lengthwise), pull the fabric up and over the edge of the board, and staple it down.  Do the same with the other sides.  Work your way from the middle – out, leaving the corners last.   When you get to the corners, fold the leftover piece of fabric that hasn’t been stapled like you would a present, and staple it down one or two times.

Step 2: Build two frames separately using the nails first (the shorter redwood boards go on the outside of the frame).  Once you have the frames built, reinforce them with the #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws (one on each end between the nails).  Screw on half of the bracket halfway down the middle of each board with one #6 x ½” wood screw.  Slide the second frame onto the frame with brackets and secure them together with #6 x ½” wood screws again.

Step 3:  Evenly position the upholstered plywood board over one side of the completed frame and secure it onto the frame using the #6 x 1-1/4” wood screws.

Step 4:  Use a ruler to measure how far down, as well as how much inward, you want the picture hangers to be on the back board.  Screw them on with the #6 x ½” wood screws.  Use the distance between the top of the two rings to determine how far apart you need to place the hangers on the wall.

Now that the hardest part is done, it’s time to get creative!  If you’re going to include children in the process of creating an altar for Día de los Muertos, here are a few tips.

1. Find age-appropriate books about Día de los Muertos to introduce them to the cultural festivities if this is their first time.  Talk about the pictures, note the basics as a starting point (i.e., Marigolds, the offering, Calaveras, etc.).  Then talk about who you will be honoring in your altar.
2. Scope your home out for the right spot together as a family and talk about the different options you have.  How much space are you going to need?  How much space do you have?  Do you want it to be on a table, or on the wall, which room should it be in?
3. Once you’ve decided where the altar will be, you can ask the children to draw a picture of some of their ideas.  If they don’t want to do this, or are too young to understand, it’s okay!  Simply talking about it together can be enough.  Just make sure you jot down some of their ideas (if they give you some) so you can plan for them ahead for time.  Remember, this is a FAMILY DIY Project!  Everyone’s ideas and participation count!  No matter how big or small.
4. This one can probably go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway…Keep breakables and flammables to a minimum!  Children are naturally curious, and they will want to touch everything on the altar, so don’t put anything on the altar you would be upset about if it gets broken.  If you do, educate them on how to handle those items with care.  Lay down some rules if you must.
5. Have fun, be patient, and take your time.  Building an altar isn’t something to rush.  It’s a personal matter that involves lots of love, and only you and your family know what will work and what will not.  Small, large, simple, elaborate… doesn’t matter.  What matters is the time spent together bonding with your loved ones – alive and departed.

Watching my daughter get excited about helping us with our altar made every bit of hard work putting it all together worth it.  This year we talked about her Grandmother more, she asked about the others; who they were, how they died.  “Do we miss them?” she always asks.  Hearing and answering these questions does reawaken the grief and sadness in us, but only for a short while.  It’s part of the process I guess, because you can NEVER forget about the people you love and miss.  Never!  We don’t want to forget about them!  I think that’s why it’s so important to me to do this every year for my family.  It’s the only way my children can get to know their Father’s Mother and it helps keep the memories of her alive.  For that reason alone, I am beyond more than happy to continue this tradition every year.

I hope you enjoyed reading our experience. Below are links to recipes and resources that we used to help us build our altar as a family.

Books about Día de los Muertos

Paper Table Template

Pan De Muerto recipe by King Arthur Flour

Sweet Tamales by Muy Bueno Cookbook

Do you have a child beginning to learn to read and write?  Need some help at homework time?  Learning to write is a huge milestone for children, and not all children learn at the same pace.  That is a fact.  I’ve seen children whiz through the process of reading and writing. Others, I have witnessed, struggle with letters such as b, d, and E, as well as numbers, 2, 5, 9, and 6 (which is very common for a kindergartner).  If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t worry too much yet.  Just remember that with patience, a steady routine, good study habits, and lots of practice, it will get better.

Today’s SB find is the perfect tool for this task.  Smart Play Magic Alphabet & Magic Numbers 3D lenticular flash cards are a wonderful tool for children who are in the process of  learning to read and write.  The best part about these is that they are in three languages! English, Spanish, and French.  Since we received them, we have referred back to them as a practice/reference guide almost everyday when my daughter (now in kindergarten) is doing her homework.  She loves them!

When tilting one of the cards, you see the images magically transform between the uppercase, lowercase, and word image (or number). On the other side is a wipe-off writing surface where you can practice tracing and writing with a dry-erase marker (marker not included).  They are made of a layered laminate wipe-off material, light weight, and durable enough for a child to carry around the house or even in their backpack. The ring that holds the flashcards together is made of a solid flexible plastic that is easy for older children and adults to open and close again if needed.

On a side note, we own a different set of alphabet cards (in English only) with a metal ring that is too easy to open and can pinch a child’s little fingers when doing so.  Sometimes it opens up all on its own in fact, so I was relieved to know we wouldn’t have that problem with these flash cards.  Having the flash cards on a plastic re-closable ring was a huge benefit to us because it also allows for sharing with other children at the same time!  The Bilingual Smart Play Magic Flash Cards measure 3.5″ x 4.0″,   and are available in opposites and animal themes as well.

All in all, these make a perfect gift to any child learning to read and write!  Especially if they are learning Spanish like mine!

The Giveaway!

We are giving away the Magic Alphabet and Magic Numbers flashcards to one lucky winner. Just leave us a comment telling us who you’d like to share this giveaway with and enter the Rafflecopter below.

There’s more! If you enter all three Ingenio giveaways going on this week you will also be entered to win a $100 gift card from Toys R Us! giveaway 1 | this is giveaway 2 | giveaway 3

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If you have not yet had the pleasure of hearing Jose-Luis Orozco’s newest CD with Duck Duck Moose, Favorite Spanish Songs For Kids, you MUST! It is a brilliant arrangement of bilingual music made for both English and Spanish speakers filled with Latin and American classics that both parents and their children (or teachers and students) will enjoy for sure. The variety of tempo and rhyme in the music and lyrics provides a balanced range of lessons that help with language acquisition in young children that is sometimes difficult to find in Children’s Music. I love a good CD that teaches and entertains at the same time and this is one of those. There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy!

A couple of our favorites were “Buenos Dias” (Good Morning), and “Diez Deditos” (Ten Little Fingers) because they’re both sung in English and Spanish. In fact, I used to sing both these songs each morning as we gathered for circle time when I was a daycare provider. I was so thrilled to hear these songs on there! Another favorite that we all enjoyed was “Las Vocales” (The Vowels), also in English and Spanish. Hearing these familiar songs in both languages brought back so many memories of my preschool teaching days.

My own favorite from this CD was “Compadre Comprame Un Coco” (Buy Me A Coconut). I swear we played that song countless times together as a family, laughing at just trying to keep up with the hilarious 32-second tongue twister. Paired with some of his award-winning books like Diez Deditos and Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America, and De Colores and Other Latin American Folk Songs, you’re sure to experience many fun-filled gatherings either at circle time if you’re a preschool teacher, or parent at home.

Listen to some short samples of this CD for yourself on the Duck Duck Moose site and also download the full lyrics in both English and Spanish!

(The entire album is available for purchase on iTunes for $9.99 and Google Play for $9.49.)

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one digital copy of Jose-Luis Orozco’s newest CD with Duck Duck Moose, Favorite Spanish Songs For Kids to THREE lucky winners! Winners will receive their prize through iTunes or Google Play. All you have to do is visit the music preview page and leave us a comment letting us know which song you and niños enjoyed the most. Then enter the rafflecopter below.
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Sukey’s Circle! Vol. 3: Mini Shows, a bilingual DVD with 15 mini televised episodes featured on Baby First, is the perfect example of what a true circle time should be for young children.  Circle time for young children is one of the hardest jobs (at least for me it was) to do well because children are always growing at different stages.  From the moment a baby is born, his instinct is to learn, grow, and make connections with the world around him. Each one reaches his or her own milestones at different stages which makes entertaining while educating difficult.

What I loved about Sukey’s circle! is the relaxed nature and gentleness of movements that engages a child’s interest.  Her approach at circle with a soft voice and relaxed style helps children feel comfortable. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to being overstimulated without such elements which makes Sukey’s style perfect for the youngest children.  Her movements are slow, simple, and easy to follow for any child who has mastered walking.  The mini shows are also just the right amount of time; just enough to get their attention, get involved, and learn something new.

Each mini show is begun with a simple greeting song that is catchy, welcoming, and easy to remember (as any good transitional greeting circle time song should be).

A few of our favorites were…

• I Like to Move My Body; A video that invites children to join her in practicing different movements with their bodies.
• Pat the Ball; which encourages children to explore different forms of ball play and ball skills.
• Puppet Dance; A display of computer animated bubbles that Sukey gracefully maneuvers through and catches as she demonstrates a variety of movements with music.  It’s probably the simplest out of all the episodes, but both my five & two-year-old were watching and following along saying “catch one, catch one!” to Sukey.  They loved this one!

Sukey Molloy has studied developmental movement with former Olympian, Garland O’Quinn, Ph.D., and infant development at the School for Body Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen.  ”I look for ways to promote quiet reflection, while also engaging children in physical play, to create a sense of invitation, trust, and relationship” (Sukey Molloy).

Sukey’s Circle! Vol. 3: Mini Shows DVD is available at Sukey Molloy and Amazon.  You have the option of watching the mini shows one at a time in English or Spanish, or you can choose to play all in either language.  The total run time of the DVD is 33 minutes with 15 mini shows.

{Image Copyright © 2013 Sukey Molloy! - All Rights Reserved}

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Sukey’s Circle! Vol 3: Mini Shows DVD to one lucky winner. All you have to do is visit Sukey Molloy’s video page and tell us which video you enjoyed the most and why. Then enter the rafflecopter below.

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