With winter upon us -- plus loads of winter sales -- now is el momento to whip your house into an invierno haven!

Luxe Linens
January has traditionally been a great time for "White Sales," when department stores slash prices on bedding, linens and towels. This is a great time to buy luxury items on the cheap, such as high-thread-count sheets and luxury towels with soft long-thread cotton.

Mattress Maintenance
Give new life to your mattress and help distribute the wear evenly by flipping it four times a year. Also, vacuum mattresses and box springs with the upholstery attachment every three months (each time you flip it).

Color Your Home Happy!
Add some color to revive and revitalize your home. Lift up the vibe in your bedroom with a splash of color on your walls. Or add pops of primary colors to your living room to offset the dreary days of winter.

You can also use paint to fix problem areas: Warm up a loft or big room by painting it in colors that envelop you, such as red, brown and gold. Make any room appear larger by painting it in hues that recede. (This works with natural panoramic colors such as blue, green and violet -- think of an infinity pool or a far-reaching landscape.) You can also make a ceiling appear higher by painting it a lighter color, like sky blue. A ceiling painted bright white reflects natural light better, making the room seem brighter. Likewise, you could lower a ceiling with a darker shade, such as chestnut.

If the weather in your area is not conducive to opening windows and doors, consider buying low-VOC (low-volatile organic compounds) paints, which don't produce the noxious fumes traditional paints do.

Lighten Up

To combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), replace commonly used light bulbs in your home with brighter full-spectrum (also known as broad spectrum) light bulbs. While more expensive than regular bulbs, they provide light that is similar to natural sunlight.

The holiday season offers many opportunities to give back to la comunidad in meaningful ways. Here’s how tres Latinas are helping in their areas.

Helping the Homeless

As a decades-long New Yorker, shop owner Bianca Moreno has endured many crises, from 9/11 to blackouts to subway strikes. But when Hurricane Sandy flooded the Red Hook neighborhood just blocks from Moreno’s Brooklyn apartment, the catastrophe struck close to home.

"I went shopping at a grocery store to prepare for Sandy," says Moreno. “After the storm hit, there was no grocery store. It’s surreal."

Stirred by seeing neighborhood haunts flooded or closed -- and their owners out of money, jobs and homes -- Moreno cooked meals for the newly homeless and displaced. Then she brought them supplies, such as bottled water, batteries and toiletries.

Moreno still contributes by raising money at her vintage store, A Little Wicked. Fifteen percent of all sales go to help storm victims. "I'm committed to volunteer through the holidays. These people need help long-term, especially after the camera crews are gone. I don't want to forget about them."

Galvanizing Volunteers

Elvia Rodriguez, a government agency worker in D.C., doesn't wait for the holidays to lend a helping hand. "What I love about this season is that I can inspire others to volunteer because they tend to be more generous.” 

Rodriguez jumps at the opportunity to educate friends and strangers alike about organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and other Latino charities she works with.

Her favorite non-profit? St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. From ice-skating fundraisers to gift giving, the benefits of working with the hospital are a two-way street for Rodriguez. "Helping out helps me, too,” she explains. “Supporting my community makes me feel like I'm part of it."

Comforting Single Moms

Being a single mom is the catalyst for Yvette Castillo's big Christmas spirit. Every year, she volunteers at a battered women’s shelter in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas.

In addition to a big heart, Yvette brings the kids and moms toys and gifts. "I know what it’s like to want things for your kids and not have the resources to get them,” says the native Tejana. “I promised myself if I was ever in a position to help a mom, I would." And so she does.

Looking for more ways to give back this holiday season? Our sponsor, Orgullosa™, is working with the League of United Latin America Citizens (LULAC) to donate toys to Latino kids in need. For every new “Like” on the Orgullosa™ Facebook page, they will donate $1 to LULAC so they can provide toys for kids in need. To learn more about LULAC visit LULAC.org.

 

Like the Orgullosa™ page today to help kids in need!

Before comedian Debi Gutierrez landed hot spots on Showtime, HBO, NBC and CBS, and before she hosted the popular parenting show called “A Place of Our Own” on KCET in California, Debi was a public school educator for sixteen years.  

"I really depended on my sense of humor when teaching high school," the Mexican-American mother of three remembers. "On tests, I'd include jokes like, 'Who's your favorite teacher? And list my name for options A, B, C and D!"  

Her stand-up may have started in a classroom, but today she's a star comic garnering large followings at L.A.'s top comedy clubs. Gutierrez recently shared some insights with us on how humor can be used to diffuse tense moments and improve marriages:

You Could Cut the Tension with a Laugh: "Having a sense of humor and warmly accepting the playfulness of others gets us through anything! If I can get you to laugh, I can get you to listen. If I can get you to listen, I can get you to learn."

What Women (and Men) Want: "My act has been called 'blame-free couples counseling'!  I am not going to make a bad marriage better, but I believe I can make a good marriage better for an evening. I explain to women that we are nothing like men and show them how to recognize a man's love language. During my act I actually see couples getting physically closer. It's no marriage seminar, mind you. It is rowdy, bawdy and even naughty!"

Get a copy of the comedy queen’s hit show, “He's Not Your Girlfriend,” at MommyComic.com. 

The name “Janet Murguía” may not be known in Latino homes across the country -- but it should be. From Sofia Vergara to Selena Gomez to Zoë Saldana, more Latinos than ever walk the red carpet each year. And we can thank Janet Murguía for that.

As the President and CEO of National Council of La Raza, the largest U.S. civil rights and advocacy organization, and the producer for the annual Alma Awards, Murguía has empowered la comunidad through voting and increased visibility in the media. We recently asked this trailblazer to spell out how showcasing Latino talent in music and entertainment is changing the lives of Latinos across the country.

“[Our country] is incredibly diverse,” Murguía says. “But you wouldn’t know that based on the amount of Latino representation in the media.”

Hispanics, she points out, are just as much a part of the American fabric as any other group. “We think it’s important that Latino faces are fairly represented on television, in the movies and in music, as well as behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.”

That’s why Murguía founded the annual ALMA Awards, which celebrates Latinos in the entertainment industry. There were just a few Hispanics on television when the awards were created. But today there are more than 40. Having an awards show during primetime hours on a major network provides huge exposure for la comunidad.

Murguía hopes that increasing the visibility of Latinos in the media will inspire others to pursue their dreams. “Seeing somebody that looks like you on television or on a stage at a concert sends the message that, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I do it too?’” she says. “Having these forbearers is in a sense both comforting and inspiring.”

All this just goes to show there’s no reason a viewer with the talent and drive shouldn’t follow their dreams, says Murguía. “Who knows, maybe they’ll be on stage accepting an ALMA one day?”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (pictured right)

It’s easy to forget that volunteering can be both rewarding and fun. But did you know it could also improve your mental health? According to Melissa Lopez, a psychotherapist in Pasadena, Calif., “the psychological benefits include a sense of purpose, forward direction and a sense of connection to others.” But she adds, finding the right way to give back is the key to boosting your well-being. Consider the following questions before taking the jump:

• How much time can I offer? While some organizations rely on volunteers to survive, others only need services for a specific event. Know your availability and don’t over-commit yourself.
• What are my skills? Do you speak Spanish or cook healthy traditional meals? If so, Lopez encourages Latinas to use their skills to empower their communities, where there are often gaps in public services. “Volunteering doesn’t have to be strictly done in an agency or organization,” she says. “Sometimes, we in the community know our needs best.”
• Which issues do I care about most? Giving your energy to something you deeply care about -- whether it’s working with kids or teaching Latino dance -- will bring fulfillment and may even lead to a possible career change!
• What are my limits? If working with domestic violence victims or in a rape crisis shelter triggers you, these may not be the best settings. On the other hand, “you can volunteer for these causes in a fundraising or event-planning capacity,” says Lopez.