Hello?? Hello?

For all of you out there anxiously wondering if your US Cellular phone will work while you are in Mexico, let me tell you the cold hard facts. 

No.  No it will not.  Nada will happen if you try to use your lovely over priced cell phone and plan while spending sexy (ya, I just said sexy, it is THAT great there)  warm balmy days in Mexico. 

So, as you may have guessed, my phone provider is US Cellular.  :)  Therefor I have been spending a little bit of time figuring out what phone and what plan I am going to take with me on my next trip to Puerto Vallarta.

The winner after much back and forth seems to be At&t.  They have good coverage and seem reasonably priced.  I can get a cheapo phone for $7.99, a prepaid phone card for $25, free shipping, a plan that you only pay for the days that you actually use....I think yes.  Yes indeed.

If I break my phone, well, I will be out 8 bucks, I can live with that.

I will be able to call and text, while out of the country, which after spending a month with no phone, sounds pretty rockin'.

Next on the to do list-find a good priced computer notepad, find charity to volunteer with while in PV, buy plane tickets.

One down...many more things to cross off the list!

;-)

Can I have a side of Fun with that?

Sigh.

I would like a do-over please!  Half way through this day, and have found myself reacting (and over reacting at that)instead of living in the moment.

On days off I have to fight all the urges and voices in my head.  (Yes, I said voices, plural, in my head.  It explains a lot huh?)

They are telling me that I am lazy if I just sit on the floor with the kids on my day off, instead of cleaning or at last putting away the giant pile of laundry.

I nag myself relentlessly, stop and read stories with the kids, or dust?  Chase them around the house, tickling them like crazy, or do the next load of laundry?

I HATE that days off are so hard to enjoy, like I am not working enough even when I am NOT "supposed" to be working!

It makes me think of talking to a few Americans about my working vacation in Mexico.  They ask what we did.  I say "um, went to the beach everyday, floated in the ocean, swam in the pool, ate".  They say things like "that is all?!  Do scuba diving?  No zip lining?  No cruises?!  JUST laying around with your kids??"

I get the distinct impression that I did not "work" hard enough having "fun" on my vacation.

Strange, right?  I think so.

But this is like the feelings I am giving myself on days off.  Like if I am not working around the house then by golly I better be off doing something amazingly fun and exciting with the kids to fully make the most of my freaking "fun time".

Geeze, how fun is that?

Sex and the Eco-City: Getting It On Is Getting Greener

By Kathleen Kingsbury

Correction Appended: Oct. 20, 2009

In many ways, choosing a sex toy is not unlike buying a car. Walk into most adult shops, and the new-car smell is undeniable. Salespeople tout motor speed and durability. And then there are emissions to consider.

That's carbon emissions, of course. As the green movement makes its way into the bedroom, low lighting is a must--to conserve electricity--but so are vegan condoms, organic lubricants and hand-cranked vibrators. (See five eco-friendly sex accessories.)

Another big enviro-sex trend: birth control that's au naturel. Like all good Catholics, my husband and I had to attend church-run marriage prep before we tied the knot last year. I was surprised, however, during the hard sell on natural family-planning (NFP), that this updated version of the rhythm method was being advertised not only as morally correct but also as "organic" and "green." I was even more surprised when I found out that some of the most popular instructors of NFP--known in secular circles as the Fertility Awareness Method--are non-Catholics who praise it as a means of avoiding both ingesting chemicals and excreting them into rivers and streams.

Nikki Walker, 35, an actress in New York City, stopped taking the Pill because of concerns about the effects of excess estrogen on her body and the environment. "I do yoga every day and eat vegetarian," she says. "Why wouldn't I go green in this area of my life?"

Walker recently attended her first Tupperware-style pleasure party, thrown by Oregon-based Earth Erotics, where the goods for sale included organic massage oils and whips made of recycled inner tubes. At a time when Americans are just getting used to prime-time ads for Trojan and K-Y, eco-consumers are learning that most of the personal lubricants in the U.S.--drugstores sold $82 million worth of them last year--contain chemicals found in oven cleaner and antifreeze.

"Our taboos prevent us from having the same consumer-safety conversations that are commonplace when you're making a toothbrush, sneaker or baby bottle," says Ethan Imboden, founder of Jimmyjane, a luxury adult-toy maker based in San Francisco. This bashfulness is not helped by the fact that the adult-novelty industry is largely unregulated. "Manufacturers can use whatever they want," says Imboden. "And they do."

Case in point: that new-car smell. It may connote nice and clean, but the odor comes from phthalates, which are used to soften plastics in many products, including some sex toys. Like bisphenol A, these compounds are endocrine inhibitors that some studies have linked to premature puberty in girls and low sperm production in boys. Europe and California have already banned certain phthalates.

The search for phthalate-free alternatives helps explain the increase in sales of sex toys made of such materials as stainless steel, mahogany--yes, you read that correctly--and glass. Babeland, a sex shop with locations in Seattle and New York City, saw sales of a stainless-steel toy triple from 2007 to 2008. Sales of glass models rose 85% in the same period. Says Babeland co-founder Claire Cavanah: "People want high-quality, renewable materials that they know will last." (And in the case of Pyrex toys, that they know can be safely warmed in the microwave.)

See pictures of Earth Day.

See video of the TIME 100 green roundtable.

Babeland sells four times as much of its Naked organic lubricant as it does of a national synthetic brand. "It just goes to show that if they have choices, customers pick more eco-friendly and natural options," Cavanah says. (See 10 odd environmental ideas.)

The Roman Catholic Church is catching on to the organic trend. "People pay $32 for eye cream because they're told it is good for them and the planet," says Jessica Marie Smith, who repackaged the NFP program at the diocese of Madison, Wis. "We figured we could do the same with NFP."

NFP detects ovulation by monitoring a woman's temperature and the amount of cervical mucus. But this process is not 100% accurate. And several studies on climate change note that the best way to protect the planet is to have fewer children. "Around the world, more than 40% of pregnancies are unintended, and full access to birth control is still unmet," says Jim Daniels, Trojan's vice president for marketing. "Meeting that unmet need would translate into billions of tons of carbon dioxide saved."

To that end, Trojan makes latex condoms as well as ones made of biodegradable lambskin. Other brands offer a vegan variety that replaces the dairy protein in latex condoms with cocoa powder. And no, they don't all taste like chocolate.

See the effects of climate change.

The original version of this article stated that Babeland sells four times as much of Good, Clean Loves organic lubricant as it does of a national synthetic brand. Good, Clean Love is, in actuality, not the products brand name but rather the manufacturer of Babelands Naked lubricant.

Hello New Friend!

Getting to know your vibrator. 

This is a good topic, everyone has to start someplace!  :)

Time Required: For Your First Time, a Half Hour or More

Here's How:

1. Get to know your vibrator.
   Take your vibrator out of the package and get to know how it works and what kind of batteries it takes. Play with the buttons and switches and find out how many speeds and settings it has. Wash your vibrator well before using it. If it isn’t waterproof, be careful not to get any water near the battery case. Check for sharp edges or seams (these can be easily filed down and made safe). Make sure the body of the vibrator isn’t coming apart from the battery pack and that all wires are solid and secure. If there are any flaws, return your vibrator before you use it.

2. Start on your own.
   Even if you’re planning on using your vibrator with a partner, it’s a good idea to check it our by yourself first. You’ll feel less self-conscious and/or you can really concentrate on how it feels for you without being distracted (for better or worse) by a partner. Make sure you have a little time and enough privacy. If you’ve got roommates, children, thin walls, or nosy neighbors, you can always turn on some music and make use of blankets and comforters to mute the sound (you may also want to think about getting a quieter vibrator).

3. Play with the lights on.
   Not everyone will be comfortable with this one, and vision may not be a sense you rely on, but playing with a vibrator with the lights on can be very educational and useful. You can discover specific places on your body that are rich with nerve endings and ripe for stimulation. This is the kind of information you can use on yourself in the future and share with a lover. You can achieve the same effect with touch, knowing exactly where the vibrator is, but seeing what’s going on can be a benefit for some.

4. Turn it off before you turn it on.
   Get comfortable with the feel of the vibrator on your body. Run the vibe along your body without even turning it on. Notice how it feels. Press it firmly against your skin and massage your muscles with it. If the vibrator is a hard material this will probably feel nice. If the vibrator is a soft rubber and doesn’t feel smooth against your skin, try the above with your clothes on. This isn’t meant to give you an orgasm, but it’s a gentle way of introducing your body to the vibrator.

5. Move your vibrator from the outside in.
   Once you turn it on, start by touching the vibrator to your feet and your hands. Run it up and down your arms and legs, across your belly, your shoulders and neck, your scalp and face. Again, you can start with some clothes on if you like. Even though vibrators are used mostly around the vulva and clitoris, don’t just jump to the main event. Get a feel for the vibration all over your body and then slowly move to the more sensitive parts. You can slowly move the vibrator up your inner thigh, or in circles around your breasts and nipples.

6. Don’t rush: Explore every inch.
   The great thing about vibrators is that they never get tired, and they let you explore every inch of your body for sexual pleasure. Most women use vibrators for clitoral stimulation and many women report that one side -- or even one portion -- of their clitoris responds to vibration more than another. Think of yourself as an explorer, and the vibrator is both your compass and your flashlight (in fact some vibrators come with flashlights). Don’t rush, leaving a vibrator in place can allow it to establish sensation connections that previously weren’t there.

7. Play with the speed of the vibrator.
   Most vibrators have multiple speed settings (or at least two settings). Always start on a low setting and work your way up. If a vibrator feels too strong at first you can put a towel between you and the vibrator, or just press it lightly against your body. You may find that on some areas a lower speed is all you need, and on others stronger is better. Some vibrators have “pulsation” settings, but you can also play with turning the strength up and down in rapid succession.

8. Play with pressure.
   Experiment with applying different pressure. You may enjoy a lot of deep pressure with clitoral stimulation or you may want to hold a vibrator just slightly above the body. You can press your vibrator deep into your skin and massage the muscles while also feeling the stimulation of the motor. With most battery-powered vibrators, the more pressure you apply the lower the vibration feels. Also the stronger you hold your vibrator, the more vibration gets absorbed by your hand. Experiment with everything from a feather light touch to a self-love smack down, and find what works for you.

9. On point or flat out.
   Most vibrators will have a point or an edge. Try touching yourself with the finest point of the vibrator. Next put the widest or flattest part of your vibrator against your body. When you focus on one point, the vibrations can feel more intense than when the vibration is being dispersed around a wider area. You may find that the feel of the vibrator on your labia, or above your clitoris feels awesome. Because the clitoris extends inside the body, deep vibration in this area can feel great, and different than direct clitoral stimulation.

10. Using a vibrator for penetration.
    Most women use vibrators for external stimulation, but as long as your vibrator is safe for penetration there’s no reason not to try it. A vibrator that is safe for penetration will be smooth, have no rough edges, and won’t absorb bodily fluids. In almost all cases. it’s recommended to put a condom over a vibrator if you’re using it for penetration. You should also use water based lubricant when using a vibrator for penetration. You can put some lube on the shaft of the vibrator and with your fingers put some lube on your vulva and just inside your vagina.

11. Exploring penetration with a vibrator.
    Start slow with penetration and get yourself aroused by using the vibrator externally first. While far more nerve endings are outside the vagina than inside, lots of women enjoy penetration with a vibrator. Some women will use a vibrator to find and stimulate the g spot. It has also been hypothesized that nerve endings in the cervix respond to stimulation and pressure. Pressing the vibrator against the top of your vagina (such as pressing it towards your belly) may provide g spot stimulation or even indirect clitoral stimulation.

12. Using your vibrator with a partner.
    You can use your vibrator with your partner in any number of ways. You can control the vibe, using it on yourself to add stimulation during sex play with a partner. You can use the vibrator on your partner (or vice versa). You can also find a vibrator that fits well between you and your partner that neither of you need to control, but can add stimulation during sex. However you want to do it, it’s a good idea for each of you to follow the above steps first, and get fully comfortable on your own before making it a threesome.

Tips:

1. G spot vibrators
   Some vibrators have a curved tip and are sold as g spot vibrators. These toys can make it easier to reach the g spot but they are no guarantee that you’ll enjoy g spot stimulation. Also, any firm vibrator can be used to stimulate the g spot.

2. Safety tip: vaginal or anal penetration.
   If you want to insert a vibrator anally, only use vibrators designed for anal penetration. The toy should be smooth and seamless, and should have a flared base to prevent it from slipping all the way in.

3. Vibrator strength trick.
   If you’re using a vibrator on a partner and you want to vary the strength of the vibration you can do this by grabbing the vibrator tighter and getting a larger grasp on it. When you do this your hand absorbs more of the vibration and to the person on the other end it feels like the vibration is getting a bit lower. Loosen your grip and the strength will come back.

4. Take your batteries out.
   Get in the habit of taking your batteries out of the vibrator each time your finished using it. If you leave the batteries in, the vibrator may turn on to a very low speed (or you may leave it on low without knowing it) and this can both burn out the motor and make for some embarrassing moments when everyone at dinner is wondering where that buzzing is coming from. Also, if you leave your vibrator alone for extended periods with the batteries in, they can corrode and leak into the battery case, destroying your vibrator.

Should we treat it well, or use it as our lovely little dump...one person at a time.

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children."

 

Sometimes as I read this (it is part of my signature) it makes me sad.  Very sad.  (Sometimes my eyes just scan right over it, one more catch phrase, one more blah blah)

Because honestly, how many people think this way.  Do YOU?  When you go to make a purchase, do you ever think about what the effect of all that plastic and paper packaging is doing to the environment, the environment that our babies will have to take a long hard look at.  That our sweet children will have to deal with. 

I think about how we have wrecked this earth, because most do not ever take the time to think beyond themselves. 

It is hard, buying is addictive.  More more MORE is what we are taught.

Less is what I am teaching my kids.

And myself

 

You ARE coming, RIght??

;-P
 Come on, you know you want to see what it is all about.

;-D

Eggs? Right over there...next to the shoes.

 I think eggs came up in our conversation more often then one might think possible.  That is, after I told mom that I saw them every place I went shopping, out on the shelf, just sitting there, no refrigeration, thank you very much.

When I went grocery shopping at the little market down the street, eggs sitting there on the shelf, right next to a pile of pretty sandals.

The little market a few blocks away, they sat next to potatoes and random veggies.

The OXOX, they sat right under the cigarette display, just hangin'.

Mind you, these places do not have air conditioning (no, I take that back, OXOX does have air conditioning), the temp is over 80 on average.

I bought these lovely eggs, I cooked them, I ate them, I fed them to my children.

They happened to be very tasty as well as a beautiful color.

I laughed often about the fact that in the USA people take our eggs out of the very very cold cooler and peer anxiously at the "good by date" and complain bitterly if the eggs happen to be with in 2 weeks of the date stamp.

HA.

Ask your local Mexican market when the eggs got there, when do they go bad you might ask.

They will look at you like you are loco.  Straight up crazy, fool.  They got here when whatever local vendor dropped them off.  They are "done" when they are all gone, as in bought up, thank you very much you crazy American.

Eggs, not so perishable.  Really.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Can't unpack

 I still have not unpacked.  Me, the queen of getting it all out and put away the same day.  I did one suitcase, the other 2 sit...I take out a little here, a little there.  I move them around the house.  But I do not unpack.

I look through them.  I look at them.  I talk about how I NEED to unpack, how I am going to unpack.

Then, I don't.

I have taken clothes out, looked at them, put them back in...I don't have time for this now, I have said, I will do it later.

I am still not back all the way, if my suitcases stay, full, waiting.

Not as ready as I had thought

I am trying SO hard to stay busy, unpacking, laundry, working the store, getting ready for our Earth Erotic Parties, planning a party for friends for Sunday, and of course taking care of the kids.

Just so that I can try not to think about Mexico every waking moment (& i have no control over my dreams..lol..).  I thought a month would be long enough to make me really ready to be home.

Other then missing the interactions that go with working...I never was ready to come "home".

I thought I would miss everything, all my stuff, driving my own car...nope, not a chance...strange, huh.

I had my kids with me, guess that is all I need.

:)

tsa does suck

so sad to be back in the usa, thanks tsa. powermad maybe?? waiting for our last flight, kids going crazy...holding on to my cool...wait, no, lost it. everytime i hear spanish i feel heartsick...sorry kids..we won't be spending much money on anything...savings for our next trip only!

tsa does suck

so sad to be back in the usa, thanks tsa. powermad maybe?? waiting for our last flight, kids going crazy...holding on to my cool...wait, no, lost it. everytime i hear spanish i feel heartsick...sorry kids..we won't be spending much money on anything...savings for our next trip only!

octopus? for me?? um, thanks...

so turns out that eddie may be at times, a bit more of an adventures eater then i am.

he quite eagerly devoured some octopus on a stick with bbq'd veggies...the little suckers that where very visible on the long dangley octopus bits kinda put me off.

the beach venders where duly impressed.

go eddie.

:)
 

Melissa Roloff
An Organic Market
a greener way to shop
www.AnOrganicMarket.com

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Goodbye is sad. :-(

Mexico, I already miss you.  Yes, I don't leave till tomorrow afternoon, that is true.  But I am feeling the sad pull as I look out at the waves, sitting on my little porch, in a nightie, bare legs crossed in front of me, listening to a women croon Spanish music to the left of me....

I am heartsick for this!

Not dramatic (ok, a little, sure), but true stuff!! 

Today I said goodbyes to people that I have enjoyed for over a month, and to some that I have met more recently.

Everyone says stay!  Get a job!  Don't go to the cold!!

It's hard to resist.

Very Hard.

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One of the early morning beach walks I take with Tamra Rose. The best part for her?? The birds, and passing dogs. :)

Melissa Roloff
An Organic Market
a greener way to shop
www.AnOrganicMarket.com

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Uh, what IS that???!!

What the HELL is that?  Oh, wow, that is big!!  LOL.

All somethings you would have heard if standing by the pool the other day as people glimpsed the rather large reptiles on the low hanging roof by our heads.

Anyone know what kind this is???

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Hey Mama, where are the kids??!

I took a little walk this evening.  Tamra Rose asleep on the bed, Eddie watching some TV, Grandma reading...I kinda ran for the door, I admit.

I just want to walk, all by myself, with no one holding on to my hand or hanging from my back.  ;-)  Crazy, I know.

So I walked in a loop, up the hill a little and then back around to the ocean to walk along side it till back to the hotel (oh ya, another story will be that little fact, that we moved!  For the FOURTH time!!!  Bring it world, I am strong).

Anyway, on my little jaunt, I had at LEAST 6 different people call out to me Hola!!  Where are the babies??!! 

I am used to this when I run down to the market, but I always "know" the locals talking to me.  These people, well, I don't think we had ever met.  Just seen me trucking along with the kids enough that it was odd to see me by myself.

Puerta Vallarta feels like a small village to me, more so everyday.

Got to love it!  :)

Your name? Please... Su nombre? Por favor ...

I am listening to an online radio station, it's in English, and ya, it's really great to understand all the words being sung.  I had no idea that I would feel like that, honestly, until I found an online site that would play in Mexico and also was in English.  Then as soon as the first song played, I was hooked, I hardly want to turn it off...damn it, I want my own soundtrack in my life...playing always...and mostly in English.  Thank you.

I took the kids to the beach around 10am, because supposedly the fridge guys where coming to fix the damn refrigerator (hafuckingha) at 10 and I had no desire to be in the small apartment with 2 kids, 2 repair guys, the apartment owner and my mom.  :)

Mom escaped to get a pedi and then pick up the laundry. 

So babies and I on the beach from 10-ish till around 3:30 (mom did show up, with very pretty toes).

Lots of sand, sun and surf.  Running, dancing (to the bands and groups that roam the beach looking for tips), swimming, floating, eating, drinking, digging...

& then mama saw something she liked.  Mmm  hmm.  That's right.  ;-)

I even pointed him out later in the day to mom, she agreed, pretty cute indeed.

So, there are these guys who take people out fishing, or on these things called "banana boats" which are really long blow up raft style things with handles and fit like 6 people.  They get towed behind a speed boat for a fun filled fast ride.

Anyway, I see the same guys everyday, doing this.  It's their business, we say hola pretty much at some point, every day, they tease me that I always say "mañana" and never do ride the banana boat (mawahahaha...for some reason as I type banana boat, my dirty mind went all crazy.  Deep breath.  Ok.). 

So, today, ah today, there was this guy.  You know, when someone grabs your attention?  For no real good reason?  Like, he is cute and all...but so what?  Well, there was that guy today.  He asked me when I was going to ride the banana boat (are you gonna drive that ride??  NO I did not say that out loud thank you very much), I said not now (big smile on my face, and I will admit with the head tilt and I slid my sunglasses down my nose to give him the big eyelash flutter....god it just comes natural), he said later???....big smile and turning to watch me walk away ( I know this cause I turned to look at him over my shoulder). 

Sigh.

The rest of the afternoon was little flurries of random comments to each other, and lots and lots of staring.  At first I thought it was just me, but then every time I would look up from watching the kids in the surf or sand he would quickly look away.

Hmmm.

Ahhh, sometimes being single is just too much fun!  :)

I love the play, I really do.  I almost ( I did say almost) don't care if I ever really "meet" him.  The play!  The suspense!  Fun.  So fun.

Anyway, packed the kids up, headed home while he was off getting people ready for another boat ride.

I will be looking for him tomorrow....

;-)

You know it.

This is so wrong, & strikes fear in my heart as a mom traveling. Fuck you TSA. I will NOT hand you my baby.

http://www.mybottlesup.com/2009/10/tsa-agents-took-my-son/
 

Melissa Roloff
An Organic Market
a greener way to shop
www.AnOrganicMarket.com

Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children

Mmmm! Dinner for a week??!! Or two....

We stared down at the pile of giant fish laying on the beach.  The fishermen and just jumped out of their small fishing boat, into the waist high water and strode ashore each holding a fish that when held aloft stretched from my upper thigh down to my foot.

Wow!

Eddie was very interested in all this, and in fact, spent a great deal of time staring intently down at the pile, as if to mesmerize what each huge scaly body looked like.  Maybe to be able to tell this tale at a later date when he gets home, he needs to be able to visualize every detail.  :-)

The other day we had witnessed one fisherman bring out 2 such monstrosities.  We then got to enjoy the matter of fact job of gutting and cutting apart the fish as well as watch them hand out to their friends good sized chunks of raw fishy juiciness...which they gobbled down right there.

Yum.

When I pressed them for some sort of fish name, they seemed to say over and over Yellow Jack.

:)

*Shoulder Shrug* At least that is what it sounded like.  ;-)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

The best picture yet!

I think, my most favorite picture this trip!  Thanks Becca...this says it all.  :)

Dear to my heart-SEX.

The Art of Green Loving

by eartherotics

No matter how long I stare off into the distance with a creased brow, I cannot fathom a more natural human behavior then the sexual encounter. What started out as normal behavior 100,000 years ago has been molded over time into numerous culturally influenced categories. In the past, we called it wild, taboo or dirty, but nowadays – sex is fashionable. Today, sex is more commercialized than ever, yet sexual experimentation remains a dirty business. I don’t mean “dirty” - as in your conservative mother’s nagging reminder: ”not until you are married!” What I mean — is that if you aren’t careful, it can be toxic.

It turns out that humanity’s most natural expression of love can easily become a toxic affair for both lovers and the environment. When you and your partner are playing with sex toys, there is a good chance that they are made of poly vinyl chloride PVC which is a toxic and environmentally damaging plastic. Dozens of studies on phthalates, the plastic softener commonly used in PVC sex toys, clearly indicate a direct relationship between exposure and reproductive, cancers, and obesity. Believe it or not, your intimate toy has been manufactured as a mere ”novelty” by a completely unregulated industry. Since sex toys are not held to any measurable governmental standard of health, you shouldn’t be surprised to find a “not intended for internal use” warning on your brand new, tightly packaged stinky PVC vibrator. Under the eye of the law, your personal pleasure is nothing but a gag gift — but instead of laughing — we really should be gagging!

In Portland, we tout healthy living, family planning, and population awareness, but we are finding ourselves caught up in hypocricy regarding individual sexual practice. Most individuals own a sex toy, whether for themselves or for their partner, yet most toy owners are completely unaware of anything beyond an impending pleasurable experience. As good green citizens of this earth and caretakers of our bodies, the key question we always ask ourselves is: What am I putting into my body?

Why should such a crucial question end at foodstuffs, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals? Earth Erotics would like to announce: The Green Love Project. In this online forum, we will pose the very same questions that spurred the organic foods revolution, but this time — we want to talk about “Doing it Green.” This blog is an open space for discussion on toxins, plastics, organics, the environment, and sexual health. Cheers to your health and your pleasure!

 

(Mom, Lydia & I are now launching into a new area of "Greening" our lives (and yours??).  Please ask for info on how we can bring some new fun to your bedroom!  ;-)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

How do you say "I am going tell everyone I ever meet that you have crap for rentals & I think your customer service sucks" in Spanish?

I love Mexico!  Oh wonderful warm weather, soft sand, the fact that the ocean is not freezing and I can play in it with the kids and not turn into an ice cube are a few good reasons why I have a major crush on Mexico.

Let me take a stroll down the dark & angry side of my Mexico though.  Don't you worry, I will still come back to my new love, I just need to do a few pissed off jabs at someone.

Rental drama.

Yes, oh yes.  More rental drama!!!

I feel like my expectations where not very high when I decided to rent here for a little over a month.

I wanted a fair price, not looking for luxury rentals by any means but also not looking for the cheapest thing out there.

Things I expected (and oh ya, was TOLD I would have thank you ever so much):

a working fridge (ya, so I could have groceries.  Ha fucking Ha.  Once more the damn fucking fridge does not work, and oh guess what Christy, the food went bad cause it is HOT HOT HOT here in Mexico!!!)

a working sink in the bathroom (guess who had a major leak this morning and had the bathroom flood, and then some repair guy came and turned the water off till maybe MAYBE sometime tomorrow when he might get some parts to fix it MAYBE)

not having the apartment shown while you are on vacation with your two kids and mom and are feeling sick and ya oh by the way you DID tell the owner/manager that you had been sick and they STILL said they where coming by to show the place when could you be out for the day???

WOW.  Hellooooo???  I am on VACATION???  Remember??? I PAID for this crap??!!!

So now, here I am, once more debating just telling them to fuck themselves and go and stay at a hotel (which really, I can't afford but at this point whatever)...

Sorry, I know I am freaking out.  But how do you relax when someone emails you in the morning that they want to come hang pictures and do some remodeling so when could you be out??

Who does this while people are staying in a apartment on vacation??

Sigh.

I am mad.

I feel like I have to flipflop my emotions all over the place.

One moment I am relaxed, all warm on the beach with the kids and the next I am dealing with flooding (for the SECOND time) and multiple repair guys and someone drilling holes in the walls to hang stuff.

I must be learning something in all this.

Maybe patience?  How not to do physical harm to someone??

I dunno.

OH, and these people are from the US of fing A.

More Cowbell Please

 I am laying on the bed, writing, with my coffee perched precariously next to me.  I'm thinking that I need to get a move on, it's after 10am already, and the kids are fed...but I need a shower and to get ready because we are supposed to being heading to the beach with Becca soon.

However, the shower stays hot for about 35 seconds, and I need at LEAST 60-ish!  I guess it is a good wake up, all the cool (er, COLD) water slapping me in the face.  Mmm, Good Morning World!

I MUCH prefer my lovely warm cup of coffee, thank you very much.

I wanted to write about the cowbell before I forgot about it, which is why I am on the computer instead of grooming myself.

So, last night I stuck Tam in her pack, and Becca and I headed out for a few hours of late night roaming.  It was a nice warm night with a bit of a breeze and so we ended up quite a ways aways and then slowly made our way back...stopping for drinks along the way.  We met nice people, had some good conversations...all with Tamra Rose asleep on my back.  It is awesome, no one looks shocked that you are leaning on a outdoor bar counter having an adult beverage with a sleeping toddler strapped on your body.  :)  Good time people, good freaking times!  :)

On the walk home all of the sudden, behind us came an extremely loud clanging noise.  And I mean LOUD.  Becca and I stepped out of the way ( we were startled to say the least) and a man with a very large COWBELL came striding by.  He was swinging that thing like a crazy person, and then I remembered having read someplace that there is an actual job where someone rings a bell through the streets here to let everyone know it's last call for garbage pick up.  LAST CALL folks!!  Get your garbage on the curb!!!  Last call until tomorrow night anyway!

So, in addition to the truck with the five gallons of water, the truck that plays loud music to tell you that he is on the street with propane & other various others selling interesting things...we have The Man With The Cowbell.

Very cool.

Organic and in Mexico

Things I have found Organic in Mexico:

Coffee

Granola

Bread

Milk

Salsa

Salad Dressing

Ketchup

Fruit

Tequila

Wine

Pretzels

Honey

Coconut Oil

Agave

Salad Mix

Some Veggies

Peanut Butter

Jam

Cereal

Chocolate

Ice Cream

Tea

Beach mornings are yummy

Morning at the beach.  There is something about eating breakfast with your feet in the sand while watching people play in the ocean a few feet away.

Everything tastes better with a little coating of sand...right? 

;-)

Blueberry pancakes, bacon, hash browns, ham and avocado omelet...mmm...it was a "spoil" ourselves kinda morning.

& then it was a spoil grandma kinda afternoon when I took the 2 cranker babes of to nappy nap time.

Enjoy gma!

:)

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New Friends For My Eddie

Today was a wonderful day!

Eddie made 2 new friends, they are on vacation here as well, staying a few blocks from us, and also just off the beach.

A 13 year old and a 10 year old, making friends with my Eddie, you could tell they wanted to play just by body language alone!

And it is a good thing we have body language!  Cause the boys and their family don't speak English, and, well, we all know how my Spanish is!  LOL.  ;-)

The boys played ALL day, literally!  We got to the beach sometime after ten in the morning and did not leave till dinner time.

There was swimming, floating, splash fights, running, chasing, tag, throwing-things-at-each-other-and-laughing-really-hard, snacks, laying in the sand, covering each other in sand....you get the idea.

They took pictures of the boys, playing, standing with arms around one another, sitting in the sand.

As did I!

It is all just to frickin' cute!!  :)

It makes a mama's heart (and grandma's) glad.  :)

A ice cream vendor pulled his cart up next to their family and they bought Ed a strawberry Ice cream...for so many reasons (we don't eat sugar, ice cream happens every blue moon) Eddie was almost shaking, he was THAT excited!  And yes, he asked before taking, and YES, the parents WANTED him to ask! 

Sigh, I heart Mexico.

After Tam took a nap on my lap, I wandered over to where the Mama was standing, watching the boys play.

As soon as I went over I was surrounded by a very very large Mexican family.  All talking.  And smiling.  Laughing.  Touching.  In Spanish, I mean the TALKING was in Spanish, the touching was very easy to understand.

;-)

Through my broken Spanish and their broken English we managed to get a few points across:

We all are on vacation

They are from Mexico

I am from Washington

The kids ages (this was all me people!!  in Spanish!!  be proud!!)

Tamra can walk

That we all (both our families) will be back on the beach Sunday so the kids can play

They leave Monday

Did I need sunscreen (HAHAHAHA!!!  poorpoor white girl they are thinking!)

Where we are staying

Where they are staying

I want you all to know, that right now I am basking in the glow of meeting an awesome family, Eddie making new friends, and fact that I did not shy away from trying my hardest to make new friends myself-whatever the language! 

:)

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Jump Tam! Jump!

Tamra Rose decided shortly after arriving in Mexico that the pool is a wonderful place to be after all.  She even has grown fond of the shower (and it is a damn good thing with the amount of sand she and Eddie bring back on their bodies and in their clothes from the beach!).  :)

She thinks of herself as Grandma's swim partner, and it is a bad time indeed if we should forget for a moment!

How dare you Grandma head into the pool without me?!  Here I come to throw myself to you from pool side!!

You should see her lunging for Grandma as soon as we get to the pool! 

Grandma Tamra & Baby Tamra enjoying some sun and splashing. 

 :-)

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