Sure, your kids can use an iPad and order movies on demand, but how savvy are they when it comes to life's basic skills? Take them back to basics, teaching them practical skills they'll need to become well-rounded adults.

Families these day- and especially kids- seem to rely on technology for virtually everything. Need information for a school paper? Google your subject, and the amount of data available is overwhelming. Need to learn how to tie your shoes? I'm sure there's an easy-to-follow YouTube video that'll explain. Books, games, recipes, movies- there's no limit to what can be reached and learned with the right high-tech device.

A useless generation?
So, I started to ask myself: Are our kids relying on technology and other amenities so much that they'd be rendered useless if they didn't have the conveniences they've grown accustomed too? What kind of skills do they have in their "life bag" that could help them if there were no more smartphones or iPads? I'm continuously amazed a

...Read More »

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Mi hermana Natalia lived with her husband in a sailboat for a few years. During her travels, she was exposed to the culinary world of the Colombian coast- an area known for its abundance of fresh food. She learned everything from the proper way to barbecue seafood onboard to making meat conserves while at sea that lasted up to three years. One of my favorite dishes was her easy-to-make tuna and coconut ceviche, common in Baru, a small island off the shore.

During my last visit to her house in Bogotá, I asked her to make that same tuna dish. With pen and paper in hand, I carefully took note of the recipe and ingredients expecting this to be a long and complex process. To my surprise, thirty minutes into the cooking we were already serving dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients
(4 servings)
3 limes, juiced
1 lb. fresh tuna, diced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 small white onion, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned

...Read More »

Learn how to expertly contour and highlight your face surgery free with these simple makeup techniques.

By Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina

Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez use contouring and highlighting techniques to enhance their natural beauty; this is the makeup secret to the high cheekbones and chiseled facial features when they hit the red carpet. With contouring you get to shade the areas that are supposed to recede on your face, which in turn provides a slimmer, sharper look with just a few products.

To master this technique, you'll need to start off with either a cream bronzer or foundation in a shade two or three times darker than your natural skin tone. In order to highlight specific areas, you'll also need a concealer lighter than your complexion. With the right products and these easy steps, you'll be amazed at how well you can enhance your natural features surgery and fuss-free!

Step 1:
Select a concealer that is a few shades lighter than your skin...Read More »

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Growing up, mi nana made exotic juice blends I refused to drink. She chased me down for hours with juice in hand until I finally gave in. But once I took the first sip, I always asked for more. Sometimes she'd blend spinach and guava, or pineapple, garlic and celery. Over time I learned not to ask what was in the juice because it all sounded very weird to me.

Every January, she made a detox beverage that was delightful, colorful and delicious mixing papaya, orange, carrot, ginger and honey. Besides being the perfect morning juice, it is packed with vitamin C, giving your metabolism a great kick start. Nana made this smoothie at least once a month, but after eating all that rich holiday food, it was on the family's menu every day for a full week. ¡Bienvenido 2013!

Ingredients
(1 serving)
3 oranges, juiced
3 oz. papaya
½ cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp. honey

Try this recipe with my healthy avocado-egg salad


Directions

...Read More »

A stressed-out lifestyle can lead to overworked tresses. Learn to follow hair care tips that really work, and leave behind beauty myths.

Multi-tasking American women go through life stressed out to the max, and as a result their hair is as well. While ladies tend to treat their skin with regimens including moisturizers, eye creams and serums, their locks are getting the short end of the stick, according beauty giant L'Oreal Paris. Lifestyle factors like emotional rollercoasters, a lack of sleep and hair drying tools that can reach up to 500°F result in damaged and over processed hair for which little repair can be found. To make matters worse, there are widely-believed misconceptions regarding hair care that women are only too eager to believe.

Noted hair care scientist and expert consultant for L'Oreal Paris, Dr David Kingsley, offers his best tips for keeping hair healthy and strong while setting the record straight on common conventional knowledge:

Wash your hair often: The old wiv

...Read More »