No matter your household budget, you can spruce up your space with expert ideas from New York City–based diseñadora Nina Isabella, founder of Nina Interiors & Styling.

Sala Sensual
Think rich texturas. Layer them on thick throughout the room, says Isabella, creating an abundancia of beg-to-be-touched telas. “Pillows, throws, window treatments and rugs -- they’ll all warm the space at relatively little expense,” says Isabella, who shops at IKEA for low-cost cool rugs. Next, change up el arte. “Use a different theme or color palette as a foundation,” says Isabella, adding that she routinely scours Etsy for eye-catching one-of-a-kind artwork at reasonable prices.

Add inspiration-on-demand by stacking splashy revistas and libros on chairs in corners and on floors, keeping an eye on how the binding colors combine. “We have no fewer than six piles of each around our home at any given time,” says Isabella. “Nothing says ‘lazy day’ more than reading material at the ready.” Lastly, infuse the room with intoxicating fragrancia. Make a ritual of lighting a candle or diffuser whenever you enter.

Lights in la Cocina
Never underestimate the power of el efecto visual. “Add tabletop lamps and mirrors to add warmth -- without relying on predictable and harsh overhead lighting.” Display pottery to brighten and add character; check out Cabelas.com for such finds. Finally, add punches of fresh green with a potted jardín de hierba. “I keep a window box of herbs off the kitchen and can easily snip as I cook. In winter, I replant and keep them inside,” says Isabella.

La Recámara Romántica
Keep it simple. “It should feel uncluttered,” says Isabella. “Relaxed and romantic.” Remove any desk or television and reserve the space for relajación. “You should be able to fully detach from work there,” says Isabella. Next, splatter on fresh paint. “I’m into darker hues for bedrooms. People tend to go lighter -- it’s safe, uplifting. But darker shades bring coziness, which is what we want in our bedrooms.” Use bright, energizing colores in cocinas, and reserve darker cafés de cocoa for bedrooms.

Photo Credit: Eric Morales (http://www.ericm-photo.com)

Want to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest? Start with the seven easy steps and get into the holiday spirit.

1. Bake homemade cookies for coworkers. Whether they are shaped into Christmas trees or piñatas, cookies are a time-tested way to spread cheer.

2. Watch holiday flicks. Rent an old Christmas movie -- maybe even a Spanish-language classic your familia loves -- and watch with a loved one. It’s a heartwarming way to ignite a wintry romance.

3. Host a Christmas comadrazo. Invite your closest comadres over for hot Mexican chocolate and other Latin treats. Read one of the 36 options from Noche Buena: Hispanic American Christmas Stories.

4. Volunteer. In the busiest of months, sharing your time with others keeps the true meaning of the season alive. Visit the elderly at a nursing home, chop onions at a shelter or watch your neighbor’s kids while they finish Christmas shopping.

5. Take a time-out. Go for a massage, a spa treatment or a new haircut instead of another round at the stores, and you’ll replenish your sense of winter joy.

6. Decorate your home. Remember visiting Santa’s workshop at the mall’s North Pole? Wrap your living room or dining room chairs in festive ribbons and colorful Latin-American-style ornaments. Blow up old pictures of your family celebrating la Navidad in their native country and use the photos as decorations. For an extra dose of fun, copy your mother’s sequin mini-dress or bouffant hairdo and text her a picture. You’ll both be sure to get a great laugh!

7. Have Old-Fashioned Fun. Go ice-skating with your loved one and hold hands. Or join a group of Christmas carolers. A better idea is to start your own caroling group and to include classic and contemporary holiday tunes in Spanish in the repertoire.

Photo Credit: @iStockphoto.com/kate_sept2004

Let’s face it: Unless your mezcla is part Pequot, Canarsee or Wampanoag, the tales of Puritan pilgrim settlers may not resonate. What we can relate to, however, is food and familia.

Still, if you think about it, some of the staple ingredients on a Thanksgiving menu -- corn, potatoes, calabazas -- are all inherently Latin. And the spices -- cinnamon, paprika, cilantro, vanilla and chiles -- all add distinctive sabor. Carolina Buia, co-author of the book Latin Chic, shares some quick tips on how to spice up your Thanksgiving feast, Latin-style.

Decorations
Fill you home with giant Mexican paper flowers, which you can pick up at most craft stores. They don’t just add a pop of festive color; they’re also reusable and will stay beautiful all year long. Use a plain white tablecloth with colorful runners. Check Etsy.com for beautifully handcrafted ideas.

Meal
For the turkey, first brine the pavochón, then add an adobo rub or salsa valentina, a Mexican hot sauce. For a stuffing with mofongo-style dressing, add some green plaintains, garlic, salchicha and nuts to your recipe. Instead of mashed potatoes, serve boiled yucca with garlic mojo sauce. Or, go the rice route with some arroz con gandules and sofrito.

Dessert
Whip up a tres leches cake, which is very festive and kid-approved. Or, substitute a creamy flan de calabazas for pumpkin pie.

Beverages

• Kid-friendly: Make a batch of tropical batidas of either guava, piña or passion fruit. Or, serve Jarritos instead of soda. These yummy Mexican sodas are made with real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
• Adult beverages: “Latin eggnog,” “coquito” and “ponche crema” are all different names for the same deliciously wicked rum drink. Buia recommends that you serve high-quality rum after dinner.

Kid Activities
Let them celebrate and get their ya-yas out by whacking a piñata that’s filled with Spanish dulces. LatinBag.com sells authentic sweets to cater to all your nostalgic Latin cravings. LatinBag’s Luchador piñata is particularly awesome.

China
Don’t worry about having everything matchy-matchy. If you’re having a large party but don’t have enough plates, places like HomeGoods have plain white everyday dishware for only $1.50 per plate. They’re nicer-looking than plastic or paper, and you can reuse them for the next fiesta!

In her groundbreaking memoir, When I Was Puerto Rican, Esmeralda Santiago wrote of her journey from the barrios of Puerto Rico to the halls of Harvard University. The book, published in 1994, opened up a dialogue on cultural identity, immigration and assimilation. Her recent novel, Conquistadora, continues the conversation, exploring class, survival and romance in untamed Puerto Rico.

Las Fabulosas: During your research for your novel, you read about the history of Puerto Rico in the face of so much adversity -- slave insurrections, a cholera epidemic and hurricanes. What was the universal response to each of these catastrophes, as a people?
Esmeralda Santiago: People picked themselves up and started over with an unbelievable optimism. As I read, I was thinking, “My God, I cannot imagine going through all these things and having the strength to go on.” But that is very much a part of our people. There’s an attitude of, “Well that happened, and I’m alive, and I’m just going to do what I have to do. Fix things and keep going.” And it’s not like they just fixed their own house. They helped one another. There was this willingness to give the next person the shirt off of your back, literally.

LF: What is the best advice you ever heard from your relatives about making do when money is tight?
E.S.: My mom raised 11 children as a single mother, and the thing she is very proud of is that we always ate well. And she did it by being creative. If there was no milk, she made almond milk. If there were no almonds, she made rice milk. If there was no rice, she made oat milk. I remember her saying, “So long as I’m upright, I will work to make sure that I will take care of my family.” When she wasn’t able to work as a seamstress, she worked as a maid or she made alterations at the laundry, or she cooked for men who didn’t have families. This attitude is ingrained in my family.

LF: What is the best advice your mother gave you about finding true love?
E.S.: My mother’s attitude about true love is, “It’s great to fall in love, but if he doesn’t treat you right, there are plenty of men.” She had five husbands, and at 81, she still tells this to her granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

LF: What has your family taught you about what makes life meaningful?
E.S.: I think for us, it is the sense of closeness and unity. We are not physically close, because we live scattered over the United States and Puerto Rico, but we are close in the sense that if any one member needs help, the whole family goes into action. The sense of unity is very, very important to us. I always know that if I need them, my sisters and brothers will be there. And that is an incredible comfort.

Everyday hustle often makes it difficult to relax, even during downtime at home. Finding just a few minutes during the week to enjoy some solitude and explore your thoughts can reap countless benefits. Fortunately, it’s easier than you think to create zones of Zen within your personal space.

Create a Home Baño Spa
Take a cue from the ancient Romans, who built bathhouses across the empire when they discovered water’s therapeutic properties. Prepare a warm bath and add droplets of essential oils, such as stress-melting lavender, mind-clearing spearmint or cramp-relieving anise. After your rejuvenating bath, linger for several minutes wrapped in your towel. Finally, make sure to hydrate your skin with an enriched cream, such as cocoa butter.

Listen to the Sound of Music
Nothing soothes the soul like listening to your favorite tunes. Each night after work, fill your home’s airwaves with some of your much-loved songs. Instead of starting up the night’s chores right away, sit back for a few minutes to relish in the pleasant memories. Love nature? Play the sounds of gentle ocean waves, bird whistles or whales songs.

Set the Mood With Lighting
Humans respond to light; its presence can get you going in the morning, and its absence helps us fall asleep. Give your home a romantic or quiet mood by replacing artificial light with candles. Dinner over candlelight, for example, enhances the meal experience. Another option is to set tea light candles in one space in your home where you can linger and unwind after a long day.

Make a Hotel Bedroom One reason hotel rooms have a calming effect on guests is that there’s little in them demanding to be taken care of, rearranged or put away. Create this effect in your own room by de-cluttering it of items that haven’t been used in the past six months. Make your bed every morning and add tokens throughout the space of visual and sensory comfort, such as fresh flowers, cedar chips or a soft blanket.