Habana Brand Clothing (MBFCF Giveaway #7)

There's still a whole lot of celebrating going on around here.

I'm the kind of person who likes to celebrate birthdays for the entire month, so celebrating my 7 years in the blogosphere really does deserve a month-long celebration, but that's not important right now.

Also, I've been busy lining up the very best the Cuban community has to offer for My Big, Fat, Cuban Family readers. So thanks to your wonderful response, this is going to be a really fun giveaway.

Let me tell you what I have in store for you today.

My wonderful friends at Habana Brand Clothing have very generously offered the following giveaway to celebrate my 7 Bloggywonderful Years. You probably remember Roland from his beautiful Cuando Sali de Cuba story that he shared with us last year.

Here's just a taste of the Habana Brand Fabulousness that you sooo want to be a part of:

Lucy and Jonathan looking sooo accidentally cool in their Habana Brand shirts.

The winner will receive both:

1. A Habana Brand T-shirt - they have some amazing designs that you get to choose from.
2. A 16 x 20  poster - you can choose from one of 5 beautiful designs.

This is my favorite.

To enter this drawing for A Habana Brand Shirt and Poster of Your Choice, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:

• Do you love wearing your Cubanness for the world to see? (Or is the word, Cubanity?)
• Do you have Cuban art in your home?

Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose one winner on Friday, October 25th, 2013 at 11am PST.

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Habana Brand Clothing on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

• "I like Habana Brand Clothing!"

So that's not one, but two entries. Because that's the way I roll...

3:05 Miami Cafecito Break (A Winner)

Wow, people! We are some seriously serious coffee drinkers. According to your answers from the 3:05 Miami Cafecito Break giveaway, our attitude is "hey, it's 3:05 somewhere..."

Thanks to all of you who entered and of course, to JennyLee Molina for generously providing such a cool giveaway.

For those of you who are wondering just how I choose a winner, here's how I do it to try and make it as fair as possible:

1. I click over to Random.Org.
2. I insert the total number of entries into the True Random Number Generator and a number pops up.
3. I count each entry and the one that corresponds with the random number is the winner.

So congratulations to winner #7:

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Marianela, you won! Also, how much do I love that there's an office full of people somewhere who know that 3:00 is the time that Lola was killed?? That is so deliciously Cuban. Plus it tells me that it's absolutely true that Miami runs on 3:05 Cafecito. So fitting.

Congratulations, Marianela! Please send me an email with your home address and put HEY, MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG in the subject line. I will forward to 3:05 Cafecito and they will send your goodies.

Please stay tuned...more cool Cuban giveaways coming up this weekend.

3:05 Miami Cafecito Break (MBFCF Giveaway #6)

Because I have had such a great response from my sponsors, I'm proud to announce that I have a few more 7th Blogiversary giveaways for you. Isn't that awesome? I have to say right here how much I love my people.

Last year when I was in Miami I stumbled upon a wonderfully clever idea that has since become a movement.

There are a few things you need to know for any of this to make sense.

1. 305 is the area code for Miami, Florida.
2. It's a habit for us Cubans to enjoy an afternoon espresso pick-me-up. Much like the English Tea Time, but without extending the pinky.
3. The beautiful and talented JennyLee Molina and her agency JLPR originated the concept that 3:05 should then become the official cafecito time for the city of Miami.
4. JennyLee Molina is a PR genius.

From the Official 3:05 Cafecito website:

The idea came about to unify the Cuban coffee culture and create and on-line community that would enjoy sharing this mutual love for Miami's nectar.

You don't need to be Cuban to enjoy it or even from Miami but Cuban coffee drinkers understand the culture. The window of a Cuban restaurant is the original social network. It is where, on any hot afternoon, you might find a relative, an old friend, the Mayor of Miami or Dwyane Wade. Sharing a coloda is an act of friendship and solidarity. 

What is Miami without cafecito?

What indeed?

I so love the entire concept of sharing your cafecito. When Amy was in Miami in June, she connected with JennyLee and reported what I already suspected: She's an absolute doll and a genius. ¡Claro que si!

Today's giveaway is sponsored by my cyberfriend, JennyLee Molina and 3:05 Cafecito of Miami.

MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #6:

3:05 Cafecito of Miami Gift Basket

The gift basket includes the following:

• Two tacitas
• two tshirts
• 1 cafe La Llave
• 1 cafetera
• 1 espumera
• azucar
• 4 stickers

1) To enter this drawing for this beautiful 3:05 Cafecito of Miami Gift Basket, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:

• Do you take an afternoon cafecito break? Or tea time? 
• What does that look like? (On the run? In the break room? Meet up with friends? At home?)

Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Thursday, October 17th, 2013 at 11am PST.

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" 3:05 Miami Cafecito Break on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

• "I like 3:05 Miami Cafecito Break!"

So that's not one, but two entries. I'm a giver that way.

Also, if you're on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and want to share your cafecito, use the Hashtag #305cafecito. You just might just find yourself as part of the 3:05 Cafecito community.

How accidentally cool is that?

MBFCF Giveaway Week Winners

I want to thank you all for celebrating with me this week. Also, to my very generous sponsors for providing the cool Cuban giveaways I've been priviledged to share. Thank you all. I'm blessed and humbled by your constant love and support.

MBFCF Giveaway #1 - My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook

goes to....

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MBFCF Giveaway #2 - WASSUP En LA? Family Gift Pack

goes to...

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MBFCF Giveaway #3 - Cubamerican The Movie, Tickets

The winners will be contacted by the Producers of Cubamerican.

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MBFCF Giveaway #4 - Santayana Jewelers' Leather Bracelet and the Azabache.

goes to...

Also, if you're still interested in this beautiful bracelet (and I know you are), remember that Santayana Jewelers has graciously added a special promotion for MBFCF readers:

$40 off your $150 purchase with the promo code MARTASENTME.

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MBFCF Giveaway #5 - The Cafe La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket

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I want to thank you all for entering my giveaways and for participating in my weeklong celebration of my 7th Blogging Anniversary. 

To all the winners - Congratulations! Please shoot me an email that contains your mailing address. Put HEY, MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG! in the subject line so that I don't accidentally delete it and I will get your goodies out to you ASAP.

But wait! There's more....

I wasn't quite prepared for the ridiculously generous show of support from my Cuban Cubiches and now I have some more sponsored giveaways coming up this weekend!

Please stay tuned for MBFCF Giveaway Week - The Sequel.

Many thanks to you all for entering and sharing. I'm overwhelmed with pride and love for all the friends of MBFCF. Seriously.

"Mas café por favor!" (MBFCF Giveaway #5)

I hope you're enjoying the week long celebration of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family being here on the web for 7 years now. I'm so seriously delighted with the generosity of my sponsors and I'm grateful to all my Cuban cubiches who are helping me celebrate by offering such fun prizes.

This summer, Eric and I had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy a day at Gaviña Gourmet Coffee Roasters.

La Llave is my husband's absolute favorite espresso. In fact, (warning! over-share alert!) he makes happy, yummy sounds pretty much every single morning as he's having his La Llave. This, of course, pleases me greatly. I love that such a simple thing makes him happy.

I further love that he's embraced this part of my Cuban heritage.

This is Eric happily supervising the vacuum packing of the La Llave coffee on the Gaviña tour.

"Mas café, por favor!"

He says it with an almost flawless accent. It reminds me of my dad and I feel a catch in my throat. My husband happily drinks his La Llave from one of these gorgeous little cups every day. His wife sits in wonder at the continuity in her life.

My good friends at Gaviña & Sons Coffee have graciously agreed to sponsor a La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket for today's giveaway, which includes those same awesome La Llave "tacitas."

Isn't it fabulous?

MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #5

The Cafe La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket consists of the following:

• 2- 10oz. Cafe La Llave espresso bricks
• 1- 8.8oz. Cafe La Llave decaf. espresso brick
• 4- 1.75oz. Cafe La Llave espresso samples
• 4- "tacitas" - demitasse cups and saucers

1) To enter this drawing for this beautiful Cafe La Llave Cuban Coffee Basket, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:

• Do you drink espresso? How often?
• Do you like it sweet? With milk? Latte? Cappuccino? Tell me.

Please leave your comment on this post and I'll choose a winner on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11am PST.

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Cafe La Llave on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

• "I like Cafe La Llave!"

So that's not one, but two entries. De nada.

Also, please let them know that Marta from My Big, Fat, Cuban Family sent you. It doesn't make any difference to how I choose the winner. I just want them to know you are reading about it here, but that's not important right now.

The Azabache. (MBFCF Giveaway #4)

Today's lesson in Cuban culture comes to you directly from Miami from my friend, Elena Santayana. Last year Elena was kind enough to share her family's "coming to America" story here on My Big, Fat, Cuban Family. Her family owns the beautiful jewelry store of the same name. Santayana Jewelers in Miami.

• Santayana Jewelers • 917 SW 122 Ave. • Miami, Florida • (305) 559-8565
• Santayana Jewelers • 640 Crandon Blvd. • Key Biscayne • (305) 361-2786

The azabache is a black onyx stone. Cleaned and polished and attached to a pin of some sort. The unassuming azabache is the grand protector of all Cuban babies from untold evils.

There were two things that every Cuban child was practically born with: Violetas cologne and an azabache.

The Violetas is a light cologne scented with violets. I am venturing to guess that there is not one Cuban child in my family who was deprived of smelling deliciously of violets, but that's not important right now.

Also mandatory for every Cuban kid, was the azabache. It's the only thing that can protect from jealousy, the evil eye, and all sorts of untold calamaties brought on by strangers glancing sideways at you as they pass by.

As Santayana says, "The azabache...keeping you safe on the playground since 1978..."

Today's very Cuban offering for MBFCF Giveaway Week is generously sponsored by Santayana Jewelers.

And it is.....you guessed it - An azabache!

Not just any pedestrian azabache, either. It's a Santayana exclusive design - an authentic silver azabache pendant on a leather and silver Chamilia bracelet.

MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #4: Santayana Leather Bracelet with Azabache (retail value: $90.)

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win this gorgeous Leather Bracelet and Azabache charm from Santayana Jewelers and please answer one or both of the following questions:

• Did you have an azabache pinned to you as a baby?
• Did you pin one on your own kids - por si acaso? (I know you did. Confess.)
• NOTE: Even if you're not Cuban and don't have the fantastic superstitions that we grew up with as part of your emotional baggage, please feel free to enter to win this beautiful bracelet. Just tell me anything about yourself as a child.

For an extra entry,, please go "like" Santayana Jewelers on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:

"I like Santayana Jewelers!"

So that's not one, but two chances to win.

I'll choose a winner at the end of MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am, so you have all week to enter.

If you absolutely can't wait for a winner to be drawn next week and you want to go ahead and order your own Azabache Bracelet immediately (take no chances with your health, people!), Santayana Jewelers is very graciously offering an online promotion for My big, fat, Cuban family readers.*

*Santayana & MBFCF Promotion: $40 off your $150 purchase with the promo code MARTASENTME. (I feel sooo accidentally cool.)

Cubamerican, the Movie (MBFCF Giveaway #3)

I'm always happy when the Cuban community steps up when asked and they have not dissapointed so far.

There's a beautiful documentary called Cubamerican. There will be two screenings next week here in Los Angeles:

Friday October 11th at 7pm and 9pm • Gene Autry Museum, Los Angeles

From the Cubamerican site:

CUBAMERICAN is the stirring story of how the Cuban Revolution shattered the Cuban family. Spanning the past 60 years of Cuban history, the film evokes this tragedy and its universal themes of loss, freedom, assimilation, struggle and triumph through the stories of Cuban exiles that have achieved acclaim in diverse fields in the U.S.A. and beyond, rendering a mosaic of a bittersweet exile experience. A pro-immigrant story that grapples with the agony of displacement, contributes rumination on the future of Cuba, and highlights the absolute need for all of the world's people to be able to freely exercise their fundamental human rights; CUBAMERICAN is an insightful and powerful experience.

Today's giveaway is generously sponsored by Cubamerican The Movie. It's for my Los Angeles people, so if you know anyone who deserves the tickets in our West Coast community, please leave a comment on this post and submit their names.

The producers of Cubamerican, as a heartfelt thank you to the Cubamerican community, have offered two (2) tickets each to the following for the 7 pm. screening of Cubamerican at the Autry Museum on Friday October 11th.

1. A single mother/father who is an exemplary Cubamerican Mom/Dad.
2. An armed services veteran of war
3. An individual who risked their life for freedom.
4. Someone who is battling a life-threatening illness.
5. Someone who has made a difference in their community.

 
Leave a comment on this post with the name of the people you are nominating to enter. Leave as many names and reasons why as you think are deserving. Please answer one or all of the following questions:

• What is the name of the person you're nominating.
• Which of the 5 categories would they fall under and why?

Winners will be announced on Monday October 7th, 2013 at 11 am.

Also, this film will be screening very soon in in a city near you.

Follow Cubamerican La Pelicula on Facebook for the latest screening information.

Here's Wassup. (MBFCF Giveaway #2)

Back in March, I was privileged to be an eyewitness when television history was being made.

The pilot for Wassup En LA? was filmed before a live audience that included me and Eric. I originally got involved with the project after seeing an online pitch for a Kickstarter to fund it, which didn't work out, but technically, it did, because the person who became the Executive Producer on the project read about it right here on my blog and decided to jump into the fray, but that's not important right now. (I'm looking at you, SugarCube Productions.)

Notice my Varadero sign above the kitchen door. See? I'm totally the Cuban Props R Us.

Co-creators Rudolpho Zalez and Carlos de la Vega approached me about pulling together some Cuban props for the Diaz television home. I quickly started collecting stuff around my house and off my walls. Just call me Cuban Prop Mistress Deluxe. (Or maybe that could just be a cool band name.)

We met for lunch at Porto's (of course) and became insta-friends in that familiar Cubans-love-each-other-at-first-sight way. I wrote about our day at the Wassup En LA taping in great, newsy detail.

Here's a 60 second spot showing the highlights of that pilot episode.

When I was contemplating who I could reach out to so they could help me celebrate my 7th Year in the Blogosphere, my first thought was, Wassup En LA. They quickly and graciously agreed to be a sponsor and so without further ado....

MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #2:

Wassup En LA? Family Gift Pack

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a the WASSUP Family Gift Pack which includes:

• Wassup en LA? jute gift bag
• Wassup En LA? tshirt
• Wassup En LA? hats,
• Wassup En LA? mini Cuban cafetera (!!!)
• Wassup En LA? tacita
• Café Sol de Cuba
• Conchita Guava Bites (I know. Shut up!)

Please leave a comment on this post and answer one or all of the following questions:

• What is your favorite TV sitcom of all time?
• If you were cast as a character in a Cuban American sitcom, what part would you play?

2) For an extra entry, please go "like" Wassup En LA? on Facebook and come back and leave me another comment telling me:  

• "I like Wassup En LA!"

So that's not one, but two entries apiece. You're welcome.

I'll choose the winners at the end of MBFCF Blogoversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am.

Seven Years. (MBFCF Giveaway WEEK!)

You know that I'm all about celebrating.

Big events. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Summer. Dinner. I believe in celebrating. Often. And well.

Today marks my 7th anniversary here in this space. SEVEN.

My big, fat, Cuban family is 7 years old today. And so I'm celebrating. *fires off the confetti canon*

But first you have to sit through the usual recap of my 7 years in the Blogosphere. 7 years, people! I totally deserve a party. Or at least a recap. But before the 7 year recap, how about a celebratory video?

Yes, I think a video would be perfect. Enjoy!

Did you know I also have a YouTube Channel? I know. The over-sharing never ends.

Also, if you're following me on Instagram, you'd recognize that most of my life takes place at #CasaDeLaLoma. I'm Smrtqbn, by the way. (See what I did there?)

Year One. October 1st, 2007. I was delighted to have found my voice and an audience.

Year Two. October 1st, 2008. I was taking care of my family and sharing the stuff I had cooked. And people liked it. Who knew?  I also wrote a cookbook that year, which gave me something to give away. And so the giving away commenced in earnest.

Year Three. October 1st, 2009. Three years? I was amazed that I had been able to keep at it for so long. And I fell in love with you, my readers. Always kind and ever gracious. I felt like I had won the lotto.

Year Four. October 1st, 2010. I could have graduated from an institution of higher learning with a degree. Bachelor's in Bloggology?

Year Five. October 1st, 2011. It was a rough year, filled with some physical challenges, but then I became the "little Cuban that could" and just kept right on writing. (<--That last bit took tremendous grammatical focus, as do most of my blog posts, but that's not important right now.)

Year Six. October 1st, 2012. Six years. Add lots of great experiences and some amazing blog-friends later, I was still standing. Seriously so much to celebrate.

Which brings us to today.

Year Seven. I am so very grateful that I get to write and you are still there, reading and sharing your lives with me. You get my sense of humor and you seem to enjoy my writing style.

I have met so many of you in person and I'm always amazed and humbled by your enthusiastic response to whatever silly things I'm up to. I enjoy hearing from you on Facebook and Twitter and (even if I don't respond right away) I love receiving your emails.

And yes, of course I'm going to get to the giveaway, but first I want to say thank you. I would not be doing this at all if it wasn't for my awesome online and (for some of you) now real life friends.

Thank you. From the bottom of my big, fat, Cuban heart. Seriously. Thank you.

You may have noticed that I've changed up the banner up on top there and added color. It makes me happy and I hope you'll enjoy the things I've got coming up this year.

I have so much to celebrate!

In fact, I'm going to be celebrating ALL WEEK. From today, October 1st, 2013 through October 7th, 2013.

Seven glorious days and seven fun-filled nights of celebrating that I've survived and possibly even thrived right here on the internet. For this next week I've lined up some wonderful Cuban friends that I've met because of my blog who have graciously agreed to sponsor some very cool giveaways every single day for the ENTIRE WEEK to celebrate each of my SEVEN bloggy years.

I can officially call this MBFCF Giveaway Week! (7 days and all that...) Yay!

To kick things off - here's MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway #1

My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook

An autographed copy of My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Cookbook. I know. Shut up.

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my cookbook and please answer the following question:

• When and how did you find My big, fat, Cuban family?

I'll choose a winner at the end of MBFCF Blogiversary Giveaway Week on Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 at 11 am, so you have lots of time to enter.

Thank you again and let the celebrating begin!

The Cubans: Our Footprints Across America (A Winner)

When I first read Fernando Hernandez's book, The Cubans; Our Footprints Across America, I was intrigued. I read through and was impacted by two things:

1. The scope and reach of the Cuban community is not a small thing.
2. Our stories are so familiar and yet absolutely unique.

Thank you all who left such beautiful and poignant comments about your lives. If you haven't already, please consider sending me your complete "coming to America" stories to include in my Cuando Sali de Cuba feature.

The book, The Cubans; Our Footprints Across America is available on Amazon. (Click this link, or look over to the right on my sidebar.)

The winner of the book, The Cubans; Our Footprints across America is:

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Congratulations, Nancy!

Please send me an email with your mailing address and put: HEY MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG! in the subject line (so I don't accidentally delete it) and I will forward to Fernan who will get your book to you ASAP.

Thank you, again, to Fernando "Fernan" Hernandez for his generosity in providing this book for my readers and for so fearlessly and eloquently telling our stories. He believes, as I do, that we Cubans have to keep letting the world know the cause of our exile. We musn't be shy in explaining that communism ripped all we love from us and that we have survived and thrived and that we have a brave generation of parents that we can never completely and adequately thank for their sacrifices.

In Fernan's own words,

"One of my goals before I depart this existence is to see erected a statue in a free Havana honoring our Pedro Pan parents, their suffering during the separation period from us was incalculable."

Amen.