Feeling Extra Wholesome On The 4th Of July

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Being Latino and Honey Maid. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Every time I hear the national anthem and especially around the 4th of July, I become even more proud to be an American. With an American father and a Puerto Rican mother I often say that I was blessed to have the best of both worlds! I was exposed to diversity early on and embraced it. I loved the fact that my Tío’s and Titi’s were all different shades and I was hungry to learn the language and communicate with my family members. My family made me feel whole because they embodied all that I was and I’m proud of all of it.

Those 4th of July fiestas take me back to when we came together to marinate delish items and place them on our grill together as a family. We would also look forward to the evening time when we would make our s’mores, a tradition that I have now passed on to my own children because they are the ultimate finishing touch to any 4th of July party! No matter how things change, what makes us wholesome never will, traditions especially. Honey Maid does this for me because they provide wholesome snacks for me and EVERY wholesome familia!

I never felt different or as if I was an outsider despite having family from Puerto Rico and being considered an “immigrant” or “different”. In reality, I truly believe I felt strongly and confidently about my roots because they were instilled in me from the very beginning and I was taught to embrace them. We give thanks to our nation for allowing us to build a life here in the United States while never losing our roots. Oftentimes, the way we don’t lose track of who we are and where we come from is that we talk about it. My parents carried over the traditions they had throughout the years and now I pass them onto my children. With that being said not only do we pass along stories, values and morals but we pass along great snacks like s’mores! My boys are even more EXCITED that Honey Maid Teddy Grahams are now available in a celebratory birthday cake flavor just in time for the birthday of our nation! What’s even better for me as a parent, is that they don’t include high fructose corn syrup and have an awesome 8 grams of whole grain. Now that’s something to celebrate!

I honor the struggles of my familia every day through my constant storytelling, within my blog and through pictures, but I become even more sentimental during this time of year. All of the obstacles we have had to overcome for me to be where I am today, my family has paved the way for me to be successful and work toward all that I continue to achieve. I aspire to do the same with my boys every single day and for them to continue to pass this along to their families in the future. As this 4th of July nears, our grill will be steaming up with delicious foods of our culture and previous generations (we incorporate them all in this household!) and our stories that night will be of earlier generations and the pride we have to be American, Puerto Rican and of Dominican decent. We will forever honor the journey of our ancestors and all that makes us whole!