Christmas in Mexico Top 10

Today I’ll share with you my top 10 things to do if you are spending Christmas in Playa del Carmen, Mexico this year.

10) Go to the beach and build Santa’s house out of sand. Paper towel rolls make a great mold for the posts. Don’t forget to add the North Pole sign post. Paper or plastic reindeer are optional, but do add a more realistic look. Skip the candy – too messy with the sand – sand on your tongue is just yucky.

9) Make some pretty red and green margaritas. The green ones are lime and the red ones are strawberry (frozen strawberries of course because we don’t grow strawberries in Mexico!). Drink them while you eat corn chips with a choice of red or green salsa.

8) Put on suntan lotion and go Christmas shopping on 5th Ave. Buy an inflatable pool floaty toy shaped like a palm tree for yourself and towels that say “Playa del Carmen” for everybody else.

7) Rent a kids Christmas movie that you know really well and watch it in Spanish and giggle because the voices are different and sound funny.

6) Take your new palm tree floaty and go for a polar bear swim in the pool – the pools are cold here at Christmas time! Have Abuelita (Spanish for Grandma) brand hot chocolate ready for when you come out. It’s the best - all pre spiced and everything!

5) Decorate a palm tree with twinkle lights and red balls as your Christmas tree.

4) Plan a party and invite mariachis to play the music. This is a good time to serve more red and green margaritas, and your salsa. You can also show off your palm tree.

3) Buy some poinsettias to decorate your place and then after Christmas you can plant them outdoors and they will live!

2) Take a picture of yourself at the beach wearing a Santa hat and send it as a Christmas card to all your friends who live far away. If you want to get creative, take it in front of the Santa house you made out of sand. Very impressive!

1) Last but obviously not least; put tacos out for Santa and chili flavored chips for the reindeer. They look forward to coming to Mexico every year because we have the best snacks!

Merry Christmas to all!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/

Does it really feel like Christmas in Mexico?

Does it ever really feel like Christmas in Mexico? Well not exactly at this moment. You see I originally come from a land of snow at Christmas. Playa del Carmen does not get any snow.

So, I have the decorations up, and the tree up, but still no special Christmas feeling ... hmm, what to do??

I am thinking the following may help ..... paper snowflakes on the windows, rolls of cotton batting laid out across the lawn, the setting up of a live nativity scene in our yard, creating an outdoor fireplace, twinkle lights everywhere, installing air conditioning so that I can turn it up really high, and playing my Christmas carols full blast every minute of everyday until Christmas.

That should help! Does anyone have any pine scent? Wait until my husband gets home!

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit www.LiveYourDreamsCoaching.com

Christmas shopping in Mexico

Christmas shopping in Mexico can be so easy. First, put on lots of suntan lotion .......

Then, if you are on the west coast of Mexico, head to the beach as there you can lounge or have dinner while all the vendors come to you. How much easier can it get? Before you know it, you will have purchased gifts of silver, shells, beads, wooden carvings, kites, candles, blankets, and assorted clothing.

If you are on the east coast of Mexico, vendors are not allowed to come to you on the beach, but don't worry as a stroll along 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen will satisfy all your gift requirements.

Anywhere else in Mexico, just visit the local market and you will find many unique and inexpensive gifts. Remember however you cannot travel with chickens. Best to stick with the local handicrafts and art work.

Now, who gets this awesome sculpture of a monkey carved out of a coconut? Really nobody needs to fight over it - I bought 5!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit www.LiveYourDreamsCoaching.com

Holiday in Mexico at Christmas?

Christmas is coming ... it's coming ... it's coming! I love Christmas - no matter what country I am in! You probably wonder how I can feel so much like Christmas when I live with warm weather and palm trees?

It is because even here in Mexico the stores have Christmas decorations out! Yes, few countries escape commercialism. Real Christmas trees are even showing up in store parking lots. I don't recommend them though as they never see water and I can guarantee you they will be brown by Christmas. In Mexico, as near as I can figure, they are seen as a sign of great beauty when brown.

Why don't you plan to come and have a tropical Christmas? You could spend Christmas day playing in the surf and laying on the beach. Christmas dinner could be fresh fish or tacos. No cooking, no cleaning and no responsibilities. Now that just might be a change of pace you need.

You will definitely find me at the beach while my turkey is cooking. I like to mix up my traditions. Now to plan my Christmas baking ...... maybe some candy with chili?

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit www.LiveYourDreamsCoaching.com

Life in the slow lane of Mexico

Life seems to move more slowly here in Mexico. Do you need to get used to that? Yes, very often I remind myself that it is a good thing. In Mexico, things are usually done at a different pace and can even be looked at with a different level of importance.

Line ups are good because they give you a chance to notice things like what people are wearing and they also give you a chance to write to do lists. When they tear up all the roads at the same time (just visit Playa del Carmen now to experience this wonder) that is good because you cannot go anywhere and you are forced to relax. Of course I work from home, so I relax all the time and don’t usually need to go anywhere.

Some days it can be tough to get anything done, but what really needs to be done anyway? I say relax and enjoy as that is what life should be about! I guess I moved to the right place then.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Puppies born in Mexico

My friends dog just had puppies at my house! This morning at 5:15 AM the first was born and six hours later number two was born. Will there be a third puppy in six hours more?

Here is the story: My good friend left for four days in Mexico City to visit her mother and left me her dog. She did not know when she booked the trip her dogs due date. When she left me her dog - she was supposed to have 10 days more to go ... but ... well you now know the rest!

The truth is, she could not have given me a more beautiful present. Seeing puppies being born is one of life's miracles and I just got to see that miracle first hand. Thank you my friend.

Shall I stamp the puppies made in Mexico?

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com

Day of the Dead in Mexico

In Spanish it is called Dia de los Muertos.

When we first moved to Mexico I did not understand this holiday or this concept. As with everything we do not understand, it even scared me a little. Why did Mexicans display skeletons and skulls made out of sugar?

It turns out that the whole emphasis is on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life. Now this I can get behind.

Alters are made and graves are decorated to celebrate the lives of loved ones passed away. If artistic skeletons are used, they are often adorned with the type of clothes the deceased would have worn. Their favorite food and drink and cherished possessions are put out in hopes their spirits will be enticed to visit.

This special time is celebrated November 1st and 2nd. I better get preparing!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/