Mexican Christmas fun!

Are you coming for holidays to Mexico or are you a foreigner who lives here?

Those of us who live here sometimes find we miss our old Christmas traditions and then again sometimes we desire to create some new ones.

Maybe we can create a mix of old and new traditions this year.

Here are some ideas to get the Christmas fun started whether you live in Mexico or are coming for the holidays …

- Whack a piñata. It is good exercise too as real Mexican piñatas are very hard.
- Build a sand castle to represent Santa’s tropical home.
- Throw sand in the air and pretend it is snow.
- Decorate a palm tree.
- Swim in a cenote and pretend its glacial water.
- Go Christmas shopping in shorts and a t-shirt.
- Swim in the ocean with an inflatable reindeer and call out ho ho ho.
- Drink “Abuelita” hot chocolate with mini marshmallows floating in it because the weather is kind of cold. Cream tequila in it is optional.
- Put a turkey in to cook and go for a swim.

Also on Christmas Eve don’t forget to put out a non alcoholic margarita with some chips and salsa for Santa and some banana or mango chips for the reindeer.

What are your ideas?

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My ebook: 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

Riviera Maya Jazz Festival

Playa del Carmen is once again host to a world famous jazz festival at Mamita’s beach!

You will find excellent music and all forms of jazz by artists like Herbie Hancock, Pat Martino, Al Jarreau, Na’rimbo, Sergio Mendez, and Jim Beard just to name a few.

I will be there both of the remaining nights enjoying the music, the beach, the ocean, the stars, my husband and our friends. Better yet – there is no cost!

Last year our 16 year old son said – “Wow that was excellent - Thanks for moving us to Playa del Carmen – I love my life.” Doesn’t a parent love to hear that?
He was there with his girlfriend but still ...

We have two nights left of four so go here to find who is playing Friday night and Saturday http://www.rivieramayajazzfestival.com/new/#

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My ebook: 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

Beach time in Mexico

I want to share with you one of my gratitudes for living in Playa del Carmen, Mexico ..... Beach time!

We not only have Playa del Carmen beaches at our feet but a quick drive away are the beautiful beaches of Maroma, Tulum, Akumal and Puerto Aventuras to name just a few.

Please don't hate me! Just come visit soon.

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My ebook: 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

A holiday out of Mexico

In a few days my husband and I are headed from our home in Mexico for a week’s holiday in Florida. We are going Christmas shopping at the discount outlet malls, going to see some live theatre and do some general exploring. Who really knows what mischief we will get into?
We needed Florida so we could still stay warm. We are so acclimatized to the heat now that we may freeze anywhere else!

Do you want how to details? Both of us can fly Spirit Air from Cancun to Ft. Lauderdale return for about $200 with one of the many specials they run. I also paid $60 on top of that to have three checked bags but after all we are going Christmas shopping and I can’t carry all my goodies home on my back! I still think that is such a great deal.

We booked a condo for part of our stay and since we wanted to travel around a bit this time we also have three night’s hotel. I booked the hotels through Hotwire and ended up with stays at 4 star hotels like the Hilton and the Westin for $65 a night taxes included.

It will also be really fun when we arrive back in Mexico and hit customs as they will undoubtedly need to go through our bags like last year and try to figure out what all the weird stuff we bought is. So much is available in Mexico now but you can’t beat the variety and prices in the US. It is even cheaper to shop there than in Canada. Plus I still bring in some baking supplies I cannot get here – Oreo cookie crumbs, graham crumbs, instant puddings, dream whip, and flavored chocolate chips.

I go with delight but I know that there is nothing like a holiday to make you appreciate home. Let’s chat later!

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My ebook: 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

Moving to Mexico - What you need to know

The following are some of my handy dandy quickie tips for newbies living in Mexico.

- Don’t bother asking why! Trying to understand why everything in Mexico is done the way that it is will only drive you slowly nuts. Just accept that people think differently and do things differently here and that is what makes it such a special place.

- It is not recommended to flush toilet paper most places in Mexico.

- All produce should be washed in a disinfecting solution and tap water. The disinfecting solution is readily available anywhere. Frankly no matter where you live I would recommend this. Just wash all your produce when you bring it home and you never have to think of it again. Yes, restaurants follow this procedure too.

- If you are paying to have something done you better act like the boss or your worker will lose respect for you.

- Yes we use bottled water in Mexico for drinking and most cooking related activities. Restaurants use it too.

- Expect things to happen more slowly in Mexico. Expect everything to happen much more slowly! Relax.

- Expect people to be friendly and helpful and they will be. Especially if that is what you have shown them.

- Expect things to be different and remember the first point – don’t ask why.

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My ebook: 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

Recycling in Playa del Carmen

Recycling bins have popped up everywhere in Playa del Carmen. We can now recycle cans, plastic, paper, cardboard, and glass. El Parque la Ceiba in Playa del Carmen also takes used batteries. This is great news. Maybe I just get excited very easily. I believe I mentioned before that the grocery stores are also promoting the use of fabric bags.

I found another find the other day while browsing through Parque la Ceiba’s monthly market featuring local venders. Are you ready? Plastic bags made out of corn starch! Isn’t that cool? They have the bags in two sizes and offer disposable plates made out of sugar cane! They also have disposable cutlery and some other containers made out of I am not sure what – maybe more sugar cane?

The company that makes them is called Tierra Natural and their website is http://www.tierranatural.net/. Let me know if you would like the contact email of the local Playa del Carmen representative.

Just call me a proud recycler. I may not be perfect at it but my goal is to improve every day.

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – http://www.onestopmc.com/

Another weekend in Bacalar, Mexico

We went away last weekend to one of my favorite chill out spots in the world. We were in tranquil and beautiful Bacalar, Mexico.

It is an easy 3 hour drive south of Playa del Carmen and we break up the trip by stopping for breakfast in Felipe Carrillo Puerto which is about half way. A restaurant called, El Faison y El Venado makes the best chicken enchiladas verde (verde means it is covered in green tomato sauce) that I have ever eaten. I also had a panucho as a breakfast appy. A panucho is made with a thick home-made tortilla layered with beans, shredded chicken, pickled onion, thin sliced tomato and avocado slice. You can fold it over and eat it like a taco. Need I say more? I couldn’t possibly think of leaving Mexico now as I love the food too much.

As we get closer to Bacalar there are a few small towns that have venders at the speed bumps on the road. We always get some banana bread and whatever fresh fruit is in season. We missed the nut and candy guy this time as there was some road construction in his neighborhood and he was not there.

We usually stay in a great little inexpensive hotel right on Laguna Bacalar but this time we were with friends who wanted to try something different so we ended up in a fully equipped 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo one block from the beach for about $80/ couple. Our room was steps away from the pool. I think this is the only ritzy place in town as Bacalar is still a quaint, very, very little town.

I could have just relaxed there all weekend but this time we had bigger plans! A grand opening BBQ at a new ranch called Num Ka’an where you can ride horses, play horseshoes and can eventually head to the beach for a swim. They do a real smokehouse BBQ making really awesome ribs and burgers. Yes, more food for lucky me.

Sunday we went out on a friend’s boat – there are probably only three boats ever seen on this huge fresh water lake. The turquoise water was beautiful and the swimming sublime. We swam in pirate’s cove in crystal clear water with piles of gleaming white sand all around us. I am in so love with this place. I cannot wait to have our house built there!

The only thing I would have added to this beautiful weekend would be a day or two more to really enjoy more relaxation. Bacalar, you know I’ll be back.

I'm putting pictures on my facebook!

Enjoy the Adventure!

With great love, 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/

Are you looking for a way to earn money so you can live in Mexico? Maybe these ideas can help.

Would you like to own property in paradise for only $40,000? This is my husband's development in Bacalar, Mexico http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/. We are planning a house there.

My husband's Playa del Carmen Real Estate office – One Stop Real Estate, Playa del Carmen, Mexico