Latin Lingo just let me know that they've just put up their blue Chavo and Chilindrina shirt for sale on their website. Coolness. I did a post a few weeks ago of baby K wearing it. I bought it in the company's store in San Jose, but couldn't find it online. Until Now!

In the meantime, last week when I was in Los Angeles I hit up--at the suggestion of a friend--El Mercadito, on First and Lorena in East LA. As she had described it to me, "it's like a glorified pulga," and that's just about right. They sell everything from molcajetes to pinatas, pan dulce, boots, quince recuerdos and aceites to cure all sorts of ailments (or envidias). It's totally what I was in the mood for. In one of the tendajitos upstairs I came across a ton of Chavo, Chilindra and Chapulin t-shirts--for five bucks each, woo hoo. I literally salivate when I find a deal.

We have boring switchplate covers in our house. White ones. Some super old ones with layers of paint encrusting the edges to the wall. And our dining room light switch is naked and showing all its stuff. Super classy!

Now these switchplate covers are the kind that only super cool people put in their house. I saw these in a shop at the Placita Olvera in Los Angeles. I especially like the lucha libre ones--and in particular the ones of El Santo, who is like the Elvis of lucha libre.

I don't really watch lucha libre, but I have a fascination with the early luchadores as folk heros (like Mil Mascaras and Blue Demon) and the films of the '50s, '60s and '70. I've done quite a bit of reading up on it and watched a few of the films. It's very dudish, but I just like classic lucha, like the idea of two identities or two sides to everyone (like Dos Borreguitas :).  I think as soon as I get around to it, I'll put up one of these switchplates in baby K's room. Gotta balance the pink with something testosterone-filled.

You can find similar switchplates here and here and here online. There's also Dia de los Muertos, Frida and Loteria switchplates. Most are less than ten bucks.

This is my older brother's DREAM come true. He can literally eat pan dulce like Cookie Monster gets down with cookies. I literally raided Xochico's online store when I saw this collection. I couldn't wait for my order to come in--and it finally did on Saturday.

First, I gotta say, the packaging these products come in is amazing. It's better than wrapped presents. It's authentic. Everything comes in pink boxes--just like it's fresh from the panaderia. I love that attention to detail.

The one thing I wanted the most was the massive concha cushion for baby K's crib. Sweet--check out the pic of Raggedy Ann testing it out. No calories, she said. I love what the tag on it said:

"Pan Dulce"

Mexican "sweet bread" comes in many different shapes, colors and tastes. These pastries often take natural forms like Conchas (sea shells), Cochinitos (piglets), Cuernos (horns), and Orejas (ears). Even basic forms like Empanadas (turnovers) often use native ingredients, like piloncillo, making them distinctly Mexican. Pan Dulce is part of Mexican culture and we hope you enjoy our whimsical interpretation of these Mexican favorite. 

I also got a coin purse for myself and some fuzzies for our ride. Yeah, I drive a mini-van, a V-Dub and I LOVE IT. It's the only thing that fits me, husband, baby, mom and "the girls" (our doggas).

Xochico also has an oversized empanada cushion and a concha backpack, too. The prices for their products run from $4 to $18. These products are carried in stores in Cali, Arizona, Texas, New York, etc. Here's the list.

I relented late, late Thursday night and let my husband take baby K to Miami over the weekend since he had to go there for work. I've been in touch with the monkey via phone and Skype. Really, it's not so bad having her so far away thanks to all this connectivity. Plus, I really like for her to be with the abuelos and tias and primos. She's getting in lots of espanol and is probably eating pastelitos by the dozen. Hey, when I was small my grandma gave me cafecito to drink while I watched Sesame Street, so whatever.

Her tia just sent me this photo of baby K visiting the caballitos. I knew deep down she was rancherona. The poor kid is actually enthralled by grass. Simple green grass. That's what happens when you live in a city, I guess.

UPDATE: Apparently she is NOT rancherona, and cried when she got near the horse and didn't want to ride it. We'll work on that.

I know if I were to give this game to baby K she'd just end up chewing on it and spitting it out. I thought she was over the stage where she has to lick everything she comes in contact with, but no, no, not yet.

¡BINGLéS! is billed as a game based on Loteria for Spanish-speakers to learn English. It teaches the pronunciation--the myu-zi-shan. The gua-ter-me-lon. There's different activities to help folks learn English. I think it could probably work the other way around, too. Hey, if it has both English and Spanish on it, I'll take it. Never early enough to start exposing the little ones to Loteria.

That picture on the game is a trip--La dama hanging out with El apache. And I think El soldado is eyeing La sirena ;) It totally looks like one of my jacked up dreams. I like the stereo in the back, nice touch. They must've kicked out El musico. And El borracho.

You can order it here.

I've been in LA for past two days for work, and I miss baby K so much. I'm at LAX right now and gonna get on a red eye. Every time I hear a baby cry or child babble my heart beats faster. I mean, even Shrek 3 and the sight of little green Shrek babies with big eyes on the flight over made my eyes well up. I totally see why guilty parents take back armfuls of gifts for their children when they travel for work.

The upside to this trip is that during the little down time I had, I made use of it and hit up some targeted shopping spots (thanks, Mayra B., my East Los homegirl). I had some excellent tacos too. And I got drunk on horchatas and homemade salsa. Mmmmm.

I took lots of pics and made some good buys and I'll post next week. I love doing this product hunting thing--it's an awesome excuse to strike up conversations with shop-keepers. And shop for baby K.

But this pic I posted--well, its the only one I took with my iphone. I don't eat chicken anymore, and I rarely eat meat thanks to Jonathan Safran-Foer's book, Michael Pollen's books, and Food, Inc. I occassionally eat beef or pork, but rarely. Today was a rare day. I just had to have an In-N-Out burger because all my Cali friends swear they are better than Whataburger--what we have in Texas.

I got two words: HELL NO!

And to back that up, while I was eating at this place a homeless dude with crazy curly hair and some girth on him finally emerged from the women's bathroom (I was eyeing it--I needed to go bad after all those horchatas) and stormed passed this UCLA chick who screamed after him when she saw what he had done in the bathroom. He apparently bathed the walls and floor in In-N-Out food.

He didn't like it either. Ha! Whataburger wins! I should tell him to cast his vote on this Facebook page (damn, there's a page for everything).

When you're gonna hang in the public park, gotta dress up for the occasion. Got this pink Latina tank top at the same place in San Jose where I bought the Chavo and Chilindrina t-shirt. But again, can't find this particular one in their online store. BUT, it's similar to this one sold online at Arte y Loqueras. Some of the other children's shirts this store carries are the ones I saw at Latin Lingo. Hmmmm.

And no, baby K is not wearing those denimish diapers. They are actual denim diaper covers. Baby K has two pairs, one from Old Navy and the others are by Wrangler, and bought those in South Texas at a Western store.

I bought this Cristo Redentor passport holder pre-K in a Gilson Martins shop in Rio--near Ipanema. Baby K got her passport when she was  six months old, and she's traveled abroad just once so far. So far. I really, really want to go somewhere soon, although last time I flew with baby K on my lap was last month and it was NOT FUN. I basically wrestled with a one-year-old for two hours, meanwhile I thought my eardrum was gonna burst (thanks a lot, allergies) in my head and that it was gonna bleed all out the airplane and I would be deaf forever. I was deaf afterwards for three full days. Not a good travel day.

But traveling with baby needn't be high drama. I need to start reading the HaveBabyWillTravel blog to figure this out. In the meantime, I'll just keep buying travel guides and dreaming. Here's my top places to visit, hopefully in the near future:

1. Tokyo (been on top of my list for like twenty years--thank you Hello Kitty)

2. Peru (Peruvian cuisine is the draw for me here. Mmmm ceviche. Okay, Laura Bozzo is what sold me on it years ago, too. Kidding. Sort of.)

3. D.F.

4. Madrid (I have to, HAVE TO go back here because I have this recurring dream that I have just landed in Madrid and it always looks different, and I'm in a rush to see soooo many things. I'm always with different people and they are ALWAYS HOLDING ME BACK. Hm. I'm sure a therapist would have fun with that one)

5. Dominican Republic (the husband wants a "Corona beach" vacation where all you do is scratch your butt all day)

One of my good friends got baby K this bib that says "Gimme la leche!" as a gift. I don't know who's more serious here though--baby K or her abuelo. This is when she was about five months old, when drinking her lechita every two hours was serious business. Like clockwork.

I like that this bib is simple, kinda gave non-verbal baby K some attitude, and importantly, that it is absorbent. I had too many cute bibs that did nothing to help a mama out.

Latin Baby USA makes this one, as well another that says "Latina in Training" and another that says "'Buelita Loves Me." They're $8.95 each.

I've had Julieta Venegas on my mind a lot this summer--especially because her latest album is fantastic, like, EVERY SINGLE SONG, especially Despedida. I didn't even know she was expecting, probably because I work and can't get my daily overdose of Charytin on Escandalo TV or other chisme anymore. Ah, maternity leave was good.

But anyway, Julieta had a baby girl this weekend, Latina mag has the story here. There's still the guessing-game about who the baby daddy is, although chisme has it that it's a psychologist from Argentina.

Who cares about those details. Let's hope Julieta gives that little girl some accordion lessons early. Felicidades.