It’s hard to walk into a house with a preschooler that doesn’t have one of Fisher-Price’s Little People characters in the play area. This is a classic and iconic toy that has inspired generation of pequeños to engage in the early stages of creative play in any language. No wonder over two billion Little People figures have been sold in 60 countries since the brand’s launch 54 years ago. From the days when I played with them back in the 1970′s, to when my daughter got her first Little People play set, the figures have changed and evolved with the times and they continue to do so.

Earlier this week Fisher-Price announced during an event in Manhattan’s Bryant Park, which included a special musical performance by singer/songwriter and children’s TV star, Genevieve Goings, that it has made an unprecedented investment to refresh its iconic, beloved Little People brand and transform it from a toy brand to a lifestyle brand. The company executed a complete toy design refresh, complemented by an award-winning writing, illustration and musical team to contemporize the Little People brand for today’s new generation of preschoolers, while preserving the charm that has contributed to the ongoing success of the brand’s 54-year heritage.

The webisodes will feature a multicultural, ensemble cast of Eddie, Sofie, Koby, Mia®and Tessa, each with unique traits and interests that make them special – just like the children they exemplify.

We can’t wait to meet the new Little People cast and create new memories for a new generation of kids. The Little People LIVE Show will be touring in its fifth consecutive year in 2013, traveling to top zoos across the country, as well as performing onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, to entertain children and encourage them to dance and express themselves with their Little People friends.

While we wait for the new Little People to make their appearance, how about enjoying these videos from Little People en español!

{Photo: Business Wire}

It’s when I see toys like Fisher-Price’s Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza that I wished we were having another baby, or that my girl could regress a bit! Since I know neither one of those is happening, I can at least enjoy knowing that one of you will be able to enjoy this super fun developmental toy with your baby.

Fisher-Price really grasped that babies and toddlers love to groove and bounce to the rhythm as soon as pumping beats are played near them. Acknowledging this, they created some cool and fast-paced new rhythms that are sure to captivate your little one and get him moving to the groove.

The chiquitos will also soon realize they are rewarded with the tunes every time they drop one of the eight balls down the slide. The size is perfect for babies that are already sitting and will motivate them to pull up to stand and drop the ball from the top. Crawlers will have a blast cruising through the swinging door to get into even more “ballapalooza” action.

Even though my girl is not within the age range of the Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza, she loved testing it out and spent quite some time playing with it for this video.

Enjoy and then scroll down for your chance to win your very own Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza, courtesy of our amigos at Fisher-Price!

The Giveaway!

One lucky winner will take one Fisher-Price Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza! Just leave us a comment telling us about your kid’s favorite Fisher-Price toy and why they love it so much. Then, eneter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s been two weeks since my family and I got back from one of the most memorable vacations we’ve spent together — a Western Caribbean cruise aboard the world’s largest ship, Allure of the Seas, courtesy of Fisher-Price and Royal Caribbean — and my kids are still talking about it.

We sailed from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale and after two days at sea, we docked in Labadee, Haiti. It was a great opportunity for me to practice my French with the locals and for my kids to see how important it is to be able to communicate with people in a language they understand. I mean, it’s not like they don’t speak English, but it’s definitely not their first language and the ability to speak French actually got me several discounts in the handicraft market on site.

As I said on my first post about the cruise, from Haiti, we were supposed to set sail to Falmouth, Jamaica, but Hurricane Sandy had other plans and so we ended up spending an extra day at sea since the port there was closed by the government to avoid any potential problems. I was a bit saddened because I had been looking forward to visit Jamaica, if only for a few hours. In the end, though, I was grateful that at least I was not home in Denver, where my friends and family were dealing with the first snow of the season.

Plus, another day at sea meant we got to the opportunity to spend even more time exploring all the Allure of the Seas has to offer to adults and children alike. Check out some of the photos of our adventures within the cruise ship:

On the merry-go-around in the Boardwalk for the 50th time…

Watching one of the endless shows from Chicago to Madagascar, there’s truly something for everyone!

I’m so happy I did the zip line!

Playing mini golf surrounded by the ocean on all sides!

Reading a book borrowed from the library on board. What a view!

Racing on Fisher-Price Power Wheels!

After spending two days at sea, we finally docked in Cozumel, Mexico and took a lovely tour of the city with a very knowledgeable tour guide. The tour also took us to the other side of the island where the kids had some agua de coco and Vanessa picked some conchitas for her ever growing collection. And then, we got to spend a few hours by the water just relaxing. Vanessa was excited to be back in Mexico and our visit gave me the opportunity to talk to her about the immensity and diversity of that beautiful country.

I would’ve never really thought of a cruise as a great opportunity to expose children to different cultures and languages in a short period of time. As I said in my last post, besides the places we visited, the cruise ship was also full of people from all over the world and my kids made several new friends in a trip we’ll be talking about for a very long time.

Some toys can just bring the most immense joy in the power of their simplicity. Such is the case with Fisher-Price’s Ready for Potty Baby Dora. This baby Dora is the perfect companion for a little girl that’s learning the basics of going to the potty.

Your girl can play with feeding her the bottle and then place her on the potty and chant with her “We did it!”,” “¡Lo hicimos!”

Of course, Ready for Potty Baby Dora is bilingual and as cute as she can be.

Speaking of cute, you must watch this video my husband and I did starring our girl Camila and her new buddy, Ready Potty Baby Dora. ¡De lo más cute!

Oh, and make sure you scroll down after the video to enter the giveaway for your chance to win your own Ready Potty Baby Dora!

Find it at Amazon for $24.88.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My family and I just got back from a 7-day Royal Caribbean cruise that took us to Labadee, Haiti and Cozumel, Mexico. (The ship was supposed to dock in Falmouth, Jamaica also, but Hurricane Sandy had other plans.) As you can see from the photo above, we went aboard the Allure of the Seas — the biggest cruise ship in the world! While I’ll attempt to give you a sense of what it was like through a series of photos, I think the only thing that will do justice to our whole trip is for you to experience it yourself.

But before I begin, I want to disclose that this trip was made possible by Fisher-Price and Royal Caribbean. What does one have to do with the other, you might ask? Well, Royal Caribbean has partnered up with Fisher-Price to offer all kinds of incredibly fun onboard experiences to little cruisers. From playgroups with interactive sessions for the teeny ones (ages 6 months to 36 months) to a toy lending program and even a musical birthday party show with the Little People characters, there is something for everyone!

One of my children’s favorite things was Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean youth programs. Although Vanessa was sad to be separated from Santiago because of their age difference, she got over it quickly after she had the chance to experience all the amazing and fun activities she participated in each time she was there. Santiago was in a program called Aquanauts (for ages 3-5 years) and Vanessa was in the one called Explorers (for ages 6-8 years). From science to art to music, there was never a dull moment while my children where a part of the cruise’s youth programs. I must say I loved going to get Vanessa at the end of each session only to find her having the time of her life dancing!

But the aspect I liked the most and which made me feel the most comfortable leaving my kids there — especially when it came to Santiago — was that so many of their staff members were multilingual. As many of you know, Santiago is not yet fully bilingual and Spanish is his first language. As soon as I signed him up for the Aquanauts program, I asked if someone in the staff spoke Spanish and I was so very happy to find out that several of them did! Santiago was quick to make friends with all of them — the Spanish and the non-Spanish speakers alike — but I was glad that he had people there who would be able to understand him without a problem.

Speaking of which, one of MY favorite parts of the cruise was the amazing diversity not only of languages, but of nationalities among both the other guests and the crew. From what I was told, there were 70 countries represented among the crew and who knows how many more among the other guests. My kids heard all kinds of languages aboard the ship during the time they were there and Vanessa always asked what they were. Plus, we met people from the Philippines, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Romania, Peru, England, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Japan, Panama, Canada and from a lot of different parts of the U.S. Sounds like heaven for someone raising bilingual and bicultural kinds, ¿no creen?

I have a lot more to share with you about this amazing experience, but I’ll leave it for another post. I don’t want to overwhelm you!

Seems hard to believe that it’s been less than three weeks since we celebrated in Miami the launch of our book “Bilingual is Better.”

We finally got the video to share with all of you just how amazing it was to be surrounded with so many friends, bloggers, celebrities and press that were there to support us, the book and, well…you! Yes, you because you are the one making this a movement, a true and bonifide revolutionof parents who are convinced that bilingual definitely is better and that all kids should be given the option.

We need to thank once more Huggies and Fisher-Price for their support and for believing in what we do. Their contributions to making this party a huge success and unforgettable fun are invaluable.

A huge thanks also goes out to Cool-de-Sac, the awesome space in Miami where we had our party, for letting us take over for the day. If you live anywhere close to their locations in Miami and/or Mexico, you must take your kids there!

And now, enjoy the show!

I can’t believe our first press tour is done and our Bilingual is Better launch party is over! Ana and I had such a packed schedule last week that it all felt a bit like a blur… until Thursday when the day of the fiesta arrived and we were beyond excited to be able to share our book with so many wonderful people, including a few celebrities and a lot of chiquititos! As well as a ton of media!

The party, beautifully put together by Zikei Events, had two major sponsors and today we’re bringing you highlights from one of them: Fisher-Price. But first let me start by telling you that the venue for the party was, simply put, perfecto! I’m sure those of you who live in South Florida have heard of Cool de Sac because I know that, as a mom of two little ones, if I had something similar near me, I would have a lifetime membership.

If you’ve never been, I think I should just let the photos explain what this awesome space is all about. Suffice it to say that there was not one kid in that place who wasn’t having a blast — especially with the awesome bilingual toys brought by Fisher-Price, which included those from their Laugh & Learn line, as well as the Potty Baby Dora and the Fantastic Gymnastics Dora.

The party was a huge success! We loved seeing so much support from so many people we love and meeting a bunch of news ones who, like us, believe that Bilingual is Better!

We have tons of photos from the event, but we figured the best way for all of you to enjoy them would be with a slideshow. So click away and enjoy!

[Show as slideshow]

As most of you know already, Ana and I are in the process of promoting our first book, Bilingual is Better, which will be officially released next Tuesday, Sept. 18. To that end, we’ll be in Miami all of next week for several media appearances — details of which we’ll be sharing with you soon in case you’d like to see us — and for our book launch party.

Although nothing would make us happier than to have all of you there to celebrate with us, the party is in South Miami and it’s by invitation only. So we’re taking this opportunity to invite ten (10) of our readers in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area and their children to the awesome party we’re throwing at Cool-de-Sac, a super fun indoor playground in Sunset Place.

We will have a book signing and other fun activities para toda la familia! This book launch party wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors, Fisher-Price® and Huggies®, who will have many surprises for you, too!

As a preview, Huggies has invited Jeannette Torres-Alvarez, early childhood expert and proud mom of two bilingual kids, to tell you all about their new Facebook app — Respuestas de Mamás.

Fisher-Price will have on-hand for you and your kids some of their hottest toys of the season to test out and play with, including favorite bilingual ones and their Apptivity line.

The party will take place Thursday, Sept. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. and all you have to do to be invited is sign up using this form. The first ten (10) people to sign up will automatically receive an invitation as this will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. We’ll also be keeping a waiting list and continue to invite people as the spaces become available once we have a final count.

We’re looking forward to seeing some of you out there so we can finally meet in person!

We also wanted to take this moment to thank all of those who pre-ordered Bilingual is Better on Amazon and have let us know you received your copy through posts on Facebook or on Twitter. ¡Mil gracias! We can’t wait to hear what you think about it!

¡Nos vemos en Miami!

Did that headline shock you? It shocked me to write it and admit it because I’ve been claiming for years now that my 5-year old is completely bilingual. I mean, we’re doing everything right, or at least we were for a while.

First let me tell you why and how I realized she’s not as bilingual as I thought and then I’ll explain where I think we messed up.

Fisher-Price invited Roxana and I to be one of their Play Ambassadors and, as such, we have some trips we’ll be taking with them during the year. One of the trips is a visit to the Azul Beach, a Karisma hotel in the Riviera Maya, to learn how children reach developmental milestones around the world and in different cultures. I took advantage of this opportunity to arrive a few days early and bring my daughter with me to Cancun to visit my sister-in-law, her husband and my niece and nephew — Camila’s primos. The trip was long overdue since we hadn’t seen them in two years and had only kept in touch through Skype and such.

Of course, I was super excited because this would mean Camila would not only get to nurture the bond with her primos, but also to polish her Spanish the week before starting kindergarten at the dual immersion program she was accepted into. Even more so since the last month we’ve been talking so much about her new school and how it will be mostly in Spanish. She always seems excited and eager, but then, randomly, she’ll spill out that she doesn’t know how to speak Spanish, that she prefers English. I deny it. I insist that she speaks Spanish very well and that she just needs to practice it. She responds that she doesn’t know it that well and that she mixes too much. I keep insisting it’s okay, and that she just needs to practice and not be afraid.

I honestly thought that as soon as we got to Mexico and she was surrounded by her primos she would switch that imaginary Spanish chip on. It’s been two days and it’s not turning on.

Camila and her primos had an immediate connection, especially with her prima who is only three months older than her; they’ve been inseparable and loving to each other. The way the relationship is developing is that Camila speaks to them in English and they respond in Spanish — just like what’s been happening at home. They kinda understand English and Camila understands Spanish perfectly, so there’s no real need for her to speak it. I’ve nagged a bit with the “Aquí hablamos español” and such, just like I did last year when we went to El Salvador, but it doesn’t seem to be working this time. Plus, I don’t want to force it on her at all.

I do see her trying and she’ll throw words in Spanish here and there, but the truth I’ve had a hard time admitting is that she can’t string conversational sentences together like she can in English — not even close.

And here is where I realized where I had messed up. Back in February, Camila was accepted into a fabulous dual immersion program in Spanish. That day was full of excitement, but also of a sense of relief that I could finally relax with the Spanish exposure. Meaning, my husband and I still talk to her only in Spanish, but we now allow television and music in English; we no longer translate the books we read out loud to Spanish; and we got lazy about asking her to respond to us in Spanish. Aside from that, her pre-school was in English — because we had no choice, — so her exposure to it was vast and her language of play became English.

Now, faced with the realization that she’s not truly as outward and expressive bilingual as I thought, I wonder if I did her a disservice or if it will all really come to her once she starts kindergarten next week?

I’m sure it’s all in her, and maybe I’ll be surprised by the end of the week when she’s had plenty of immersion and her Spanish would have flourished again. Regardless, it’s been a good wake up call that this journey to true bilingualism requires plenty of attention and awareness, and that I need to follow my own advice a whole lot more.

Please share with me in the comments, have you had a bilingual setback with your kids or yourself? How did you deal with it?

The 2012 Summer Olympics are finally here!

We just love the energy that’s generated during an Olympic season and all the fantastic opportunities to show our kids how far one can get by having a real passion, powered by motivation, persistence and hard-work.

And that’s precisely what I got to chat about with Nastia Liukin, 5-time Olympic medalist and gymnast, last week during a recorded Skype conversation. Nastia became a member of the U.S. junior national team when she was 12 years old and won the National all-around title at the age of 13. Since 2005, Nastia has been a key member of the U.S. Senior team. Although she didn’t make it to the Olympics this year, she will be heading to London to cheer on her teammates.

Nastia has partnered up with Fisher-Price to inspire young gymnasts with the launch of Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll – just in time for the Olympics!

Check out our interview to learn more about Nastia and how she got started with gymnastics through the motivation of her mother and father, both Olympic medalists in gymnastics themselves. She also shares with us just how important it has been for her career and personal life to be bilingual in English and Russian and how that has kept her in touch with her grandmother.

Oh, and then scroll down to enter for your chance to win a brand new Fantastic Gymnastics Dora doll. Yes, she’s bilingual!

{Photo credit: ©2012 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.}