I love being a mom. It is the hardest and most rewarding job I have ever held and I wouldn’t want to change one bit of it. Motherhood has been a dream come true for me. I struggled for over 5 years to become a mom and it’s made me appreciate even more the blessings that come with being a mother. I remember when the nurses placed my daughter in my arms for the first time and thinking to myself, wow, I’m responsible for this precious little being. I still am in awe most days, that I’m a mother and that I have been given this wonderful opportunity and responsibility.  I want to make sure my kiddos know that whatever they choose to do in life, I will be there supporting them and making sure their dreams come true.

Olympic Season is upon us and as I watch my kiddos get excited about the Olympics, I can’t help to dream and think maybe one day they could be part of it. I couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed, watching some of the commercials from the   Thank You, Mom by P&G Campaign.  The Campaign thanks moms for all of their hard work behind the scenes, that work hard to make their children’s dreams become a reality. I like to think that behind every successful athlete there is a great mother that has been supportive and making sure that their child could achieve their dreams.

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to an Olympian’s mother, Ondina Lopez, that is making her children’s dreams come true. Not only does she have one child headed to the 2012 Olympic hopefuls,she has two! Steven and Diana Lopez are both London 2012 Olympic Games hopefuls in Taekwondo

Ondina has always supported her children in their pursuit of Taekwondo. The kids used to practice in the garage, and during the winter she would run the dryer when they were practicing to help warm the garage, and would bring them ice and water during the summer.

Crest & Oral-B Complete help give Taekwondo fighter Steven López the confidence to show off his healthy, winning smile.  López, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and bronze medalist will be competing in the 80kg division at this year’s Games. Crest & Oral-B Complete have also partnered with Steven’s mother, Ondina López, to highlight the importance mom’s support can play in an athlete’s success.
Ondina Taking Care of the Kids

To learn more about P&G’s Thank You Mom Campaign and the Oral Care Olympic Games Campaign head here.

This is part of a sponsored campaign with Crest and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

My daughter loves wearing sunglasses. My son on the other hand not so much.

Living and growing up in Southern California, sunglasses are a staple for me. I don’t leave home without them and I always have an extra pair in my car. I think for most of us they are almost a necessity with driving and living an outdoor lifestyle. I am always diligent about making sure to use my sunglasses but I have to admit that have not been very diligent about making sure my children wear their sunglasses. In a recent survey of 10,000 U.S. adults, 73 percent of parents wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from ultraviolet radiation, while only 58 percent have their children wear sunglasses. I admit, I am one of the 42 percent that has been a little careless about establishing good vision habits.

I recently had an opportunity to participate in a great discussion about the importance of vision health and eye safety, especially when it comes to the little ones.  Did you know  that children receive three times the annual sun exposure of adults, and they have an immature lens, which makes them especially susceptible to UV-related damage. UV exposure at any age can cause both short and long term vision problems – many of which can’t be reversed. I have to be honest that before the discussion I had not given much thought to the dangers of UV rays exposure does to the little eyes.

One important thing we can do to help protect our kiddos is buying UV-protective sunglasses from a reputable retailer, and of course making sure we use them!  To determine if your sunglasses are reliable, look for a little sticker or tag on the lens that shows compliance with criteria set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The label “UV 380” covers all UVA and UVB rays.

We are going sunglass shopping for my son this weekend. My daughter has a great pair of glasses that she wears whenever she’s out. She loves the look of sunglasses since she is such a girly girl, but with my son it always hasn’t been easy. So this weekend I set up a time to head over to the mall and find a great pair of sunglasses that he will like and wear. I figure the best way to make sure to do that is by allowing him to pick his own pair out. We can also be great examples by making sure we always wear our own pair.

To learn more about sunglasses and finding the perfect pair head here.

Disclosure: This is part of a compensated post with the Motherhood. However, all opinions are my own.