Fall is here...according to the Pumpkins!

Mexico City went through a weather identity crisis lately...we went from super hot days to freezing temperatures overnight; I even bought S' first winter coat (that's how cold it got). Finally, though, the weather gods seem to be slightly more stable now. It's been a nice, fall, crisp-y weather for the last 2 weeks or so...which makes me happy.

What makes me even happier are pumpkins. They are everywhere now! I've been waiting for winter squash to be available so that I can make S his first pumpkin puree. Squash is supposed to be one of the first foods you give a baby, but since he started eating solids in the summer, he'll only get to try it now.

After my wallet-being-stolen experience at City Market, I headed over to Wal-Mart and found myself face to face with the biggest pumpkin display I've even seen. All kinds of pumpkins. All different sizes and colors. 

You must be thinking, this woman is obssessed with pumpkins! lol.

The other day while I was over at my friend and fellow mama B's house - I got inspired by her super cute pumpkin coffee table arrangement {I have to give credit where credit is due} so I decided to bring a little fall ambience into our home as well.

My coffee table has been naked as of late, considering S bangs, rips, and throws everything in sight {i.e., no coffee table books on the coffee table}. But the pumpkins are baby friendly! Somewhat.

A few have already suffered some minor bumps and bruises, including being victim to S' 4 teeth

Back with Bad News...

Go figure.

Yesterday we (gordo and myself) were in the car talking about blogs of all things, and the first thing out of my mouth was "It seems my blog is dying a slow death..." as I turned to see gordo vehemently nodding in agreement. {sigh} "What am I supposed to blog about? - I feel like all I do is change diapers and make baby food". Of course I knew the words I was speaking were a lame attempt at justification. Gordo on the other hand began to list a few topics that could be blog worthy...

And he is right, I do have things to blog about, just not enough time nor discipline to do so. Trust me, it's frustrating! I do want to share, but when I have those precious 10 minutes to spare, I need to take advantage and do actual work...not that blogging isn't work - it just doesn't generate an income - for me at least. 

So anyway, of all days to get back to blogging, I had to choose today with this story. Sorry dear reader, but I need to vent!!! 

MY WALLET WAS STOLEN! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 

At City Market, of all places!!!

As I was browsing the baby food section, some lady came out of the blue and asked me to help her read the labels because she didn't bring her glasses with her and she needed to buy food for her 7 month old grandson. While I was  stupidly reading away "platano, guayaba, pera..." some accomplice of hers snatched my wallet out of S' stroller while he was sleeping.

I feel SO dumb! :( Just goes to show you that you need to be vigilant everywhere, even the "nice" places where you think stuff like this wouldn't happen. My wallet didn't even have one peso in it, so I didn't lose anything of worth, except my time cancelling credit cards. It's just such a violating feeling to be robbed. I know whoever did it will not in a million years read this, but I hope karma comes and gets you!

Anyway, hopefully I'll be back soon with a more cheerful story. In the meantime, keep your stuff safe!

Maneuvering Mexican Markets

Most weekends we head off to Cuernavaca - to de-stress from city living. But staying in Mexico City every once in a while does have its perks. One of which is discovering the many markets this metropolis has to offer. Instead of plowing through second hand gems and local crafts you find at tianguis, we decided to visit a market that was sure to satisfy our palates. 

I'm talking about the Mercado San Juan. This place has been around forever, and it has become widely know for having exotic meats and a variety of ingredients you won't find elsewhere in the city. It's become a staple for chefs who look for the perfect item to create their dishes. 

Green Day

Mexico City is pretty green. Maybe not so much in the eco-friendly manner we have taken the word "green" to mean nowadays - but in the simplest of meanings - the actual color green.

For a city as big as this one, I would say that there is a fair proportion of tree lined avenues and parks that makes living amongst the concrete and traffic somewhat bearable. Most neighborhoods around town have a park for its residents to enjoy daily...and if you want a more Central Park atmosphere, you can always head to Bosque de Chapultepec and enjoy its vast sprawl of green.

Anyway, in an effort to make the inside of our little home greener, we headed over to Viveros de Coyoacan to see what we could find. Viveros de Coyoacan is a huge park and plant nursery in the heart of Coyoacan in the southern part of the city.

When we moved to Mexico City, there was a slight attempt at keeping up our workout routine through early morning runs at the viveros. It's quite a popular spot for running enthusiasts. Open by 6:00a.m., there is a circuit around the park about 4 km long. By 6:15, if you don't run, stay on the left side please. Unless you want people running all around and over you. Anyway, I said attempt because I lasted all of 5 days getting up at 5:30.

Tuesday is Market Day

I love Mexico.


Today I specifically love the Tuesday market a block from mi casa in the park of Colonia Acacias.


If you are in the need for an ego boost, this is the place to fish for compliments. With the vendors calling out "que quiere mi reina?" (what do you want my queen?) or "que mas linda?" (what else pretty lady?) - I guess it would make anyone's day a little brighter, no?


Not to mention of course all you get for 210 pesos (at today's exchange rate: exactly USD $16.30)...

Finally Friday

It's Friday night, the week is finally over, let the weekend begin.


We (my gordo and I) sometimes feel like we never take real advantage of our weekends. Granted, after a stressful week, yucky weather, and over all exhaustion, a weekend spent in PJ's on the couch is not only justifiable, but sometimes even well-deserved!


But on occasion, it feels good to explore, see what's happening, discover something new, right? So what are you going to do this weekend?


Here are a couple of suggestions if you live in DF:


Explore El Bazaar Sabado (Saturday Bazaar) in San Angel. For the last 50 years, Plaza San Jacinto turns into a labyrinth of little shops every Saturday. From hand made jewelry, clothing, house decors, paintings, and Mexican handicrafts  - perusing through all the artistic offerings is a great way to spend a Saturday.

A recent New York Times article actually mentions this Bazaar as one of the 'to-do' activities when you have 36 Hours in Mexico City.

Aside from shopping, simply walking around this colonia is breathtaking. Houses from the colonial era still line the cobblestone streets shaded under trees making it all so romantic and nostalgic.

Take a break and grab a bite to eat at Fonda San Angel inside the Bazaar itself, or better yet, head over the San Angel Inn, which I hear is super famous for its margaritas.

If you wake up on Sunday wanting more, head over to Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico and catch a bullfight.

Most people think bullfighting is really more of a Spanish pastime, even I did, until we went to see a corrida here last Sunday, but it seems that it is also quite popular here in Mexico.

Actually, many young toreros from Spain come to Mexico to debut their careers. They get practice fighting here first, so Mexican spectators even have a special cariño for Spanish matadors.


If you like bullfights, El Juli from Madrid is fighting this Sunday, January 31st. He is currently one of the best out there and definitely worth seeing.


Even if you don't live in Mexico City, I'm sure there is a local flea market near you that you can browse through for some great finds. Finding a bullfight may be a little more difficult though.








El Bazaar Sabado
Plaza San Jacinto 11
San Angel, Mexico D.F.


San Angel Inn
Diego Rivera 50 y Altavista
Col. San Angel Inn
56 16 14 02


La Monumental Plaza de Toros
Augusto Rodin 241
Col. Noche Buena

What did you get for Christmas?

Tengo que presumir unos regalitos. I guess the correct translation would be I have to show off a few presents - but somehow it doesn't sound as snooty Spanish!

As I sit here, my feet are all warm and cozy in a pair of fleece slippers that I've lived in since I got them on Christmas Day.

And TA-DAAA! I finally have an amazing, awesome, much needed, new camera thanks to my gordo! Yehay!

Much easier for me to handle around the city than his SLR. Safer too.

Uff - this was another great gift too:

We finally have our very own Girolle! YUM YUM YUM. We promised each other healthier eating in 2010, pero ni modo, tête de moine will be part of my life forever. Now it's just a matter of saving up each time for it - at $650 pesos/kilo, it's a small luxury.

For this last Christmas 2009, my gordo and I decided that to help make our lives easier, we would each come up with a WISH LIST to give the other. Sounds fairly straightforward, right? Right, so we decided on a budget and agreed to get back to each other within a week.

7 days before Christmas in the car driving around Cuernavaca:

Me: Do you have your wish list ready?

Gordo: Yes.

Me: Ok, you go first.

Gordo: I want boxing gloves; I'm going to join the gym in January and I need gloves. But they have to be Cleto Reyes gloves.

Me: (?!?!?!?-Who is Cleto Reyes and where will I find his boxing gloves?) Um, ok.

Gordo: I also want an iPod. I've never had my own iPod. I've always used yours.

Gordo: A PlayStation 3 would be pretty awesome too.

Me: Wait, wait, wait...how am I supposed to stick to our budget and buy all that at the same time?

Gordo: Bueno, that is why it's called a wish list, it's supposed to be items you wish for. A stretch.

Me: I know, but I thought we were going to be realistic so the other could actually buy what is on the list.

Gordo: Ay, dream a little. Your turn.

Me: Um, ok.

Gordo: What's on your list?

Me: I want pantuflas.

Gordo: Pantuflas.

Me: Si.

Gordo: Your number one wish, longing, and desire this Christmas is a pair of house slippers?

Me: Um. Yes.

Me: But since we are wishing, I'd also like a designer handbag.

Gordo: Aha!

And thus, my feet are warm...

...and I hope my gordo doesn't come home with a broken nose!

The Mexican Summer...

It happened last Saturday when, despite the marvelous weather of the city of eternal spring (Cuernavaca) has to offer, we decided to make our way back to Mexico City. So at some point in the early afternoon, with our head still a little blurry from the night before (*blush*), we hopped into the car and took on the highway. Now, summer time in Mexico is almost synonymous with thunderstorms. That I somewhat understand, thinking back to meteorology class in college and something about hot weather and evaporation and finally rain…can’t remember the specifics now ;)

But a HAIL storm in the middle of summer? Someone please explain. Up along the highway in the middle of the mountains, we found ourselves trapped within this dark menacing cloud that decided to open up and pour buckets of ice cubes on all the poor souls (some on motorcycles!) coming from sunny Morelos.

I was so amazed I had to take a video for you to see:





Some cars pulled over on the side of the road, simply because they probably couldn’t see 2 feet in front of them. We kept moving at a snail’s pace, but regardless I couldn’t focus my camera to well. I’ll explain though.

The white stuff on the side: ICE building up on the side of the road.



The out of focus red lights: the dashboard thermometer reading 2.5 degrees Celsius. Keep in mind, it’s SUMMER!!!



LOL. I don’t have much else to say about this natural incident, aside from the fact that Mexican Mother Nature keeps me on my toes.

So we cleared the hail storm and made it back into the city to set out on our original mission: to buy furniture. The absence of Swedish genius, a.k.a. IKEA, in Mexico is made up by the existence of BOSSA, gracias a Dios! And last Saturday they had a super sale! For all those modern, or so we like to think, young couples who cannot necessarily afford to decorate a house with the finest of Italian design, Bossa has some great designs and ideas that come at affordable prices. So we went. We saw. We bought. Now we wait. For delivery. ;)