Between taking los niños to summer camp, handling casita-chores and more, moms rarely partake in “the lazy days of summer.” Busy schedules make it difficult to stay healthy and consistently prepare nutritious foods for you and your family. But it is possible. And these delicioso meals and snacks will keep your family happy and sanos.

Salmon With Quinoa and Spices
Protein and gluten-free grains are a win-win combination for the whole family. Plus salmon is packed with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. Plus this fish tastes great grilled. Once cooked, season your salmon filets with summer citrus like orange and lemon. When cooked to perfection, the fish will be somewhat flaky and come apart easily with a butter knife.

Quinoa is a simple and healthy side dish to prepare. Simply add 1 part quinoa to 1 ½ parts water in a pot, and cook until the quinoa is a fluffy texture, about 10 to 12 minutes. For some added flavor, mix in spices such as chili powder, cumin, coriander and garlic powder. Let the kids help you prepare your spice mixture for added fun!

Summer Ensalada With Fruit and Nuts
The hot weather is the perfect time for light meals that can work double duty as next-day snacks. For a healthy and satisfying entrée, prepare a salad with spinach and your favorite verano fruits. Some options are apples, watermelon, strawberries, kiwi, mango, peach and mandarin oranges. Encourage your kids to pick their favorites at the store. Cut up the fruit into bite size pieces and serve with walnuts or pecans. The nuts will satisfy your hunger because of the healthy fat content, says health and wellness authority Dr. Linda Marquez. Cut up enough fruit to serve with Greek yogurt the next day for a healthy breakfast.

Fruit and Vegetable Blend
Summer typically means “go-go-go,” so prepare healthy snacks for a family on the move to enjoy. “I’m a big proponent of juicing and blending,” says Dr. Marquez. This is also a great way to put the leftover summer salad ingredients to good use. Kids will enjoy this meal, and can help you prepare it. Have your kids add water, spinach, apples, lemon peel and ½ cup of frozen berries, such as raspberries and blueberries, to the blender. Take over from here, blend and serve in their favorite cup. For a healthy sweetener, use coconut sugar. This juice blend is a great start to the day, or perfect for a healthy and refreshing afternoon snack.

Few are the jobs in today’s economy that are safe from uncertainty or outsourcing. That’s why it’s especially important to diversify your income. Las Fabulosas dug up three ways you can increase your earning potential by next otoño.

Clases de Lenguaje

Speak español already? Take a language class this summer at a nearby institute or even online to brush up on grammar, accents and sentence structures. Once you’ve built confidence and fluency during a summer intensive course, you can increase your earning potential by tutoring children or teaching adults.

Web Design

According to Noble Desktop, a web design school based in New York City, students can earn a certificate anywhere between one and six months depending on how many classes you can fit into your schedule. The goal is to earn a comprehensive set of skills so that you can build websites and trouble shoot. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay per hour is about $31.78.

Public Speaking
If you love digesting and sharing information before an audience, why not earn extra cash to speak to crowds? Classes in public speaking will teach you to organize your topic, modulate your voice and boost your confidence among other lessons. Before enrolling yourself in a verano class, pick a topic that stokes your passion, or about which you know a great deal. While speaking fees for beginners vary, you can also earn money as personal coach. Once you’ve had lot of practice before audiences, beginner speakers can expect to earn a few hundred dollars per gig.

Managing a work-life balance can often leave you with trouble focusing at the office and coming home only to forget what’s for dinner. There are easy ways to boost your memory and concentration, so you can feel more in control of your mind. USA Memory Champion Ron White shared his tips on foods and activities to sharpen your focus and improve your memory.

Dieta

• Fish: Salmon, halibut and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an important part of the development and functioning of the brain. Consumption of omega-3 fish oils are linked to lowering the risk of dementia and stroke, and can improve memory as you age.
• Fruits and veggies: Cruciferous and leafy green veggies, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts and spinach, can reduce the decline in memory and even reverse memory deficits. In the fruit department, berries, such as blueberries, contain antioxidants help to protect your brain and improve memory, says White.
• Chocolate and vino tinto: These indulgences contain flavonoids -- antioxidants that have been linked to brain health. Just be sure to limit consumption so not to reverse effects!
• Whole grains: Pass on white. In addition to providing energy and promoting heart health and weight loss, whole grains like brown rice and whole grain cereal may help to slow the rate of cognitive decline as you age.
• Water: “A dehydrated brain is bad for your focus,” says White. Be sure you drink the recommended eight glasses of agua each day.

Actividades

• Physical exercise: Cardio not only gives your heart a boost, it can also boost the brain. “Exercise improves blood flow, and better blood flow means more oxygen to the brain,” says White. Exercise also helps to reduce the risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both of which can lead to memory loss if serious enough. A recent study from Umea University in Sweden also found that memory skills improve significantly after weight loss. How’s that for motivación?
• Sleep: Getting adequate sleep can actually help enhance your memory. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, found that people remember objects they were shown better after they sleep versus being forced to stay awake. Plus, sleep disruption can lead to performance decline in newly learned skills.
• Laugh: When you laugh, you intake oxygen at higher levels and boost circulation. Both help the brain to function at a better rate.
• Memory games: White recommends trying mental exercises to help your memory. For example, “turn every name you hear for the next month into an image,” suggests White. “Lisa as Mona Lisa, Karen as carrot, Steve as stove. Turning things into pictures helps you later remember names, because it makes things visual.” You can also put your mind to work by challenging yourself with a variety of new and interesting activities and hobbies.
• Brush up on your español: Studies have shown that bilinguals are more adept at solving mental puzzles. People who know or learn a second language have more gray matter, a major component of the central nervous system that helps you to complete all types of tasks. Plus bilingual seniors experience less cognitive decline.

Are you trying a new dieta each month only to find yourself in the same shape -- or even gaining weight?

The next time you try to lose weight, focus on the quality of your calories versus the number itself. “Go back to the basics with ‘nature’s foods’,” says Dr. Linda Marquez, a certified nutritionist and wellness educator. Here are her recommendations for superfoods to help you burn fat and lose weight. 

Frutas
Marquez lists grapefruit as a good fat-burning food to incorporate into your daily diet. “It isn’t a magic fruit,” she says, “but is very filling and will satisfy your appetite because of the fiber content.” Grapefruit helps stabilize blood sugar and lower insulin levels, so you’re less likely to want to reach for an afternoon candy bar. It also contains disease-fighting properties and is packed with nutrients and vitamins.

Fruits that are high in agua content will also make you feel fuller, leaving less room for more fattening foods. Marquez recommends watermelon, nectarines, tangerines, apples and pears, which are also high in fiber.

Vegetales
Do you find yourself telling los niños to eat their broccoli? Take your own advice. “Not only is it high in fiber content, but broccoli has a chemical that helps metabolize the excess estrogen that we’re getting in our foods,” says Marquez. “Estrogen is the reason we’re rounder with more curves.”

Look for low-calorie, water-rich vegetables such as celery, zanahoria and cucumbers. These foods will fill you up while providing nutritional benefits such as antioxidants and vitamins.

Marquez recommends choosing organic fruits and vegetables when possible, to avoid chemicals that foods are sprayed with and exposed to. “These chemicals can create a hormone imbalance, leading to possible obesity and diabetes,” she says.

Proteína
The body burns more calories when it has plenty of protein, so opt for comidas in this food group instead of starchy carbs, says Marquez. Your best option is protein-rich fish such as salmon or tuna. “Fish is low in fat, high in protein and contains lots of B vitamins,” she says. These vitamins help your body burn fat and make energy from food.

Other high-protein foods include eggs, which contain the fat-burning vitamin B12; high-fiber nuts such as almonds and peanuts; and gluten-free grains like quinoa and oats, which are also good sources of iron and fiber.

As a busy, penny-wise mama, I’m on an ever-present mission to find new uses for things that may otherwise end up as trash. So when I was recently faced with a growing pile of paperless rolls left over from paper towels and toilet tissue, I polled my budget-conscious parent friends for tips on new ways to use these things.

Try these ideas if you’re looking to reuse leftover toilet paper rolls:

Get Organized

Toilet paper rolls are a wonderful way to keep electrical cords tangle-free. Fold the cord and slide it into the roll before plugging it in. Get bonus decor points by covering the roll with colorful tape.

And what about those tangled Christmas tree lights? Keep them in holiday-ready shape by wrapping them around a tube before storing for the year. Cardboard tubes can also be used to protect important documents or kids’ artwork: Roll the papers, slide into the tube (or tubes, if the artwork is long) and stash in a drawer or box.

Get Cozy 

Fill a cardboard tube with dried leaves and wrap in newspaper for an easy and accessible fire-starter. Stock a basket with these homemade starters during chilly months, and even the most hesitant of fire-makers will be ready to start a bonfire for some backyard summer fun.

Get Crafty

Cardboard tubes of all sizes are the ideal foundation for kid-friendly crafts. Paint the tube with stripes or dots and glue on feathers, or fur plus ears and a tail, and you’ve got a quick and cute handmade animal.

For the mini musician in your house, tape one end of a toilet paper tube with masking tape, fill with dried beans or rice, tape the other end closed, and you have a homemade maraca. Increase the fun factor by decorating it with bold paint and glittery glue.

Get Creative

Kids love pretend play: Try gluing two toilet paper rolls together horizontally and decorate with paint and stickers for a pair of homemade binoculars. Pretend you’re on safari in search of wild animals or a spy on a dangerous mission.

You can also turn empty tubes into fire-free candlesticks: Simply turn the rolls upright and outfit them with orange and yellow paper flames. Decorate them in festive colors (like orange and black for Halloween), or encourage your children to go exploring by ‘candlelight.’