Disclosure: The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them.  I have a relationship with HelpFul Honda, for whom I create original editorial content

Last weekend the family took a trip to the StubHub center to watch LA Galaxy play against Seattle. We got great seats, thanks to the helpful guys in blue. Did you know that Honda Owners can possibly score seat upgrades the next time they watch a LA Galaxy Game because the guys on blue choose up to four fans per game for random seat upgrades. This is part of the Helpful Honda's Random Acts of Helpfulness. But the helpful guys do not stop there.

1. SoCal Honda is offering seat upgrade promotions: 4 fans are surprised with SoCal Honda shirts and the ability to watch warm-ups from the field of play and they are also upgraded to exclusive club seats.
   
2. SoCal Honda is setting up a 6 clinic series for under-serviced areas around LA. The helpul Honda guys in blue will help out the participants during practice sessions and provide them with water.
   
3. Set up of 6 soccer clinics, SCHDA also sponsors 6 community service series events this fall. Kids can donate an item (perishable food, school supplies, clothing, etc.) as an entry fee into a free soccer clinic hosted by the Galaxy. The helpful guys in Blue will be assisting with donations/registration/water distribution/etc.
   
4. The “Pass It Forward” promotion is a community-based initiative where fans and members of the community can support the LA Galaxy team and help raise awareness for charities. Participants can win tickets to games and one lucky grand prize winner will receive a VIP experience package, which includes private access to Galaxy training session and the opportunity to meet a player. For more information visit
   lagalaxy.com/passitforward
   

It was a very good game. LA Galaxy did not win, but the game ended tied. We had a great time. I love opportunities like this to teach my son all about soccer and of course have a family outing with great food as well. I am looking forward for our next game.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Since a was a teenager I have had dogs. I love all dogs, however Shepherds are my favorite type of dogs. When I left Colombia to come to the US my two German Shepherds stayed with my parents. I knew they were in good hands, but I was missing my fury babies. 

As soon as my son was old enough to help take care or a pet, I got the most adorable Christmas present. I was given Da Vinci, our handsome German Shepherd. Well, call us crazy, but we went and adopted another dog a couple of weeks ago. Yes, you read it right. We got a new dog. He is a Shepherd Chow mix and we named him Donatello. (no, we will not be getting two more dogs to complete the Renaissance artists).

Why do we adopt and rescue? The answer is simple. There are so many dogs that need a home and when you adopt you are saving an animal live and guess what? they are saving yours too. They give you so much love and become a very important part of your family. We find adopting dogs from the shelter rewarding and we know that we are doing good by doing so. However, let me assure you, it is a win-win situation. I feel that the dogs have rescued me as well with all their love.

You can buy any of the following products and Pedigree with donate a bowl of food to a shelter to help feed dogs because #PedigreeGives #CollectiveBias

• Pedigree Adult Dry Dog Food 55 Lb
• Pedigree Choice Cuts Dog Food 30 ct
• Pedigree Dentastix Variety Pack 51 ct
• Pedigree Small Breed Dry Dog Food 20 Lb
• Pedigree Puppy Dry Dog Food 16.3 Lb

I would advice you to visit the web page for your local shelter. They usually have a list of all the dogs available. You do not need to adopt a big dog as we did. There is plenty of small dogs available. There is also other animals that might be a better suit for your family. Yes, you can buy a pet, however I recommend adoption because we find it more rewarding. 

After you visit the shelter website, you can also pay a visit and get to know the animals. Learn about the reason they are at the pound. There is plenty of good animals that were abandoned because their family moved and they were not able to take them with them. Not always that a dog is at the shelter is because of behavior problems. In most cases the families are unable to keep them but the dogs are great dogs. If you want a pet, give the shelter a chance.

Disclosure: I received complementary products to facilitate this review, however all opinions expressed are my own.

Summer is almost over and it is time for kids to go back to school. We had a great summer, but I think all parents will agree it is time for kids to go back to school. We just got our classroom assignment letter and we cannot be happier. My son's teacher will be the same teacher he had last year. She is an awesome teacher and we like her a lot.

Since, we are so happy with our teacher assignment we have decided to put together a welcome gift basket for the teacher. Just a little token of appreciation for what we know it is going to be hard work for a whole year. I have always thought being a teacher cannot be easy, and I think teachers deserve support from parents and all the help they can get.

When I started shopping for our welcome basket, I knew I needed to include some hand sanitizer. Yes, i need to make sure kids have clean hands, so maybe my son will not get sick all the time. Let's face it kids go back to school and all the germs come home with them. They get sick and parents get sick. And who has time to be sick? well, not me, not this year.

As far as hand sanitizers goes, there is a few brands our there, however I found a cool brand that is made in the USA and is triclosan-free. 

b4 products are packaged hand sanitizers that are convenient for anyone on the go, especially with kids and off course they are perfect for school backpacks and for teachers to have on their classrooms. Small packages that will avoid waste, although the product also comes in a wall dispenser and hand pumps.

The best part about b4 hand sanitizer is that they give 50 percent of all profits from sales to children-focused causes. The profits are donated through The Midway Foundation and more than $1.3 millions have already been donated to more than 150 organizations.

You can shop online and use code “b4health” and get 15% off any online orders. All orders over $35 receive free shipping.
b4 products will be available at Staples store starting Sept. 9th so you can buy them locally too.

I have been a supporter of The Orphaned Earring since I heard about it. I love non-profit causes that really give back to the community and knowing that the money I donate is actually going to the organization is really important to me.

For the last 5 years, the Bloganthropy Award winner, The Orphaned Earring (El Arete Huerfano in Spanish) has helped over 300 orphan kids in Latin America with food, clothes, school supplies and arts & crafts. 

By collecting orphan earrings and unused jewelry, The Orphaned Earring recycles the materials by making bracelets, thus, giving new meaning to the jewelry and a new home to the orphan earring. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to the orphanages but most of the time the bracelet sales sometimes doesn’t even reach the $150 a month goal.  

Even though The Orphaned Earring struggles every month, it’s incredible to see how $30 a month they feed about 60 children daily for a month in Guatemala. Isn’t that amazing? While that is truly an accomplishment, we often forget that these orphanages also house young ladies with dreams of having a Quinceanera celebration, similar to a Sweet 16, a Quinceanera is a big deal in Latin American countries that celebrates a girls right-of-passage. Without parents to make this celebration happen, these young ladies will never have a special day due to the hardships they face.

This year, in addition to our regular contributions and ongoing help to each center, we want to make the dreams of 7 teenage girls come true and help them get the Quinceanera they deserve but we need your help!

Become a Quinceanera MADRINA o PADRINO and help raise money for celebrations for 4 girls in Mexico and 3 girls in Guatemala. This is how you can help!

• Send your donation to [email protected]
• Help meet the goal by contributing to the #QuinceDrams Fundly campaign and encourage your family and friends to #DoGood by donating any amount. Simply click here: https://fundly.com/quincedreams
  

So do not be shy, head over to the pages and help this girls have their dream come true!!

Disclosure: I create editorial content for SoCal Honda, however all opinions expressed are my own. I love dogs and I believe in pet adoption.

My dog is a rescue. I cannot think about another way to get a pet. With so many animals in need of a home, adopting from the pound and rescue organization is the best thing you can do. From my own experience, you can find all type of great dogs. There is always small, medium and big dogs available. On some occasions you can even find puppies. Rescue dogs are great. My dog has some separation anxiety but he has plenty of love to give. We have been working with him a lot, and we have been able to train him and teach him new behaviors.

If you are looking for a pet, I have an event for you...

When: Saturday, April 27th from 10am-2pm 
Where: Griffith Park (4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles)
What: Helpful Honda Pet Adoption with What's Up Dog! LA & Much Love Animal at the Annual Walk for Prader-Willi California Foundation.

The Helpful Guys in Blue will be sending each adopted pet home with a new leash and collar and will help you find your perfect pet!  For a list of available pets for adoption, visit: www.whatsupdogla.com andwww.muchlove.org

Head aver early, so you can check all the animals out!