"Life's a Beach"

So, Mexico's famous department store Liverpool opened a shiny new location in Playa del Carmen and while I am not much of a shopper, I still had to check it out! We have been to Liverpool in Cancun many times to make some purchases of good quality housewares unavailable in Playa del Carmen. While the prices are unarguably very high, when you ...

A Trip to the Grocery Store in Mexico - by Laurie Ritchel Going to the grocery store can be an entertaining adventure in Mexico!  We enjoy exploring the culture through their food - and visiting a grocery store is an excellent start on that journey. The most obvious "adventure" lies in the different proteins consumed in ...

I haven't done one of these in awhile but when Rob asked me to give a very rough monthly budget for a couple who are thinking of buying a condo in Playa del Carmen, I figured it was overdue. Lots of things drag up the cost of living in Playa del Carmen. Real Estate is expensive. Rent, depending on the area, can be expensive. Electricity is ...

“Over the ocean and through immigration to Grandmother’s house we go…” That’s right, the kids are off to visit Grandma in the States, their first trip flying solo. They are excited. We are excited. They will spend a week in Boston eating lobster and seeing the sites then, spend a week on the beach in Rhode ...

This past Wednesday evening the ladies of Wednesday, Women and Wine hosted a special holiday bazaar at Coffee Cafe on 34th Street and 5th Avenue. Members and friends of this social networking group were on hand promoting their businesses, selling homemade gifts, and sharing business ideas and opportunities! Coffee Café offered the ...

If you've ever been to a fair here in Playa, then you know how much fun they can be. Frankly, only one time have I ever actually found anything I though was actually worth buying. Nevertheless, they are very entertaining, a great people watching opportunity at very least. Tonight, we spent several hours wandering through a ...

Sometimes, the best nights out with the girls DON"T actually involve shooters, dancing on bars and losing you clothes at the beach! Wait, actually NONE of my nights out have EVER involved ANY of those things (not that I can remember, anyway). But, even if they did, it would be nice to dial it down every once and again to spend a night out on ...

On our way to dinner last night, we came upon a small art exhibit on the street on Calle Corazon. There are about twenty artists represented, mostly showing paintings and photography. Rumor tells that sometimes there is a weaver working traditional fabrics and patterns on a loom. Unfortunately, he was not there this evening. One of my constant ...

Since our last trip to The United States, a fabulous family Thankgiving and 60th birthday celebration for my MIL in Miami, I am even more appreciative of the affordability of our food staples and produce. Yesterday was Wednesday, the day where all the stores have fruits and veggies marked down even lower than usual. I know "Life's a ...

Ever on the lookout for something yummy, last week, I stumbled upon some lovely homemade breads at my favorite produce market, Dac. For the past two weeks, a small table has been set up out front offering samples of these tasty baked goods to the customers of the market, the clientele of "Nativo" and passersby. They have a nice variety ...