Packing for Long Weekend Trips: Puerto Rico/Beach Edition

It was the night before leaving for PR and I realized I don’t have anything new to wear for my trip, so like most people I went shopping in the closet. I wanted to pack light but still have some style. My packing inspiration comes from travelfashiongirl.com ‘s Mexico Travel Outfit. I figured what can work for Mexico could work for Puerto Rico.

 So according to this packing list you should only pack 10 things:

-Jean shirt

-Tank blouse

-Striped t-shirt

-Black pants

-Orange maxi skirt

-Jean shorts

-Sandals

-Toms/sneakers

-Scarf

-Earrings

This is what my packing looked like with the travel fashion girls suggestions with my own twist ….I think I did pretty good only 11 items ;-)

  

          

 ü  Jean shirt

 ü  Tank blouse: white/grey tank

 ü  Scarf

 ü  Sandals

 ü  Earrings ( pearls are my everyday earrings)

BGBW Additions

-High waist shorts: A good way to spice up the jean short option

-Day dress: I believe that every trip needs a day dress, they are so simple and cute!

-High wedge pumps: Duh! You never know when the music will call your name and you will end up partying the night away lol!           

-Mustard blouse:Good for dressing up or down. You can pair it with the black skirt to go out to the club or the navy maxi to go to the beach.

-Black skirt: Another dress up or down piece that can be paired with the mustard blouse or with a tank or t-shirt.

Here’s a few photo’s to show you how I put it all together. I consider myself to have a classic style so if you’re looking for fanciness I can’t help lol!

I hope this helps for your next trip to the beach. Do you have any suggestions on ways to pack light for a trip?

An Evening at the Embassy of Costa Rica

Greetings All! In case you didn't read my 12 things to do before the end of 2012 post I have been dying to get to a DC Embassy event.Considering I have no fancy international friends I had to go the commoner route and buy a ticket lol. So here's my review on the event titled " Evening at the Embassy of Costa Rica".  This is what the night entailed....

Costa Rican Salsa Demonstration, Lessons and Dancing 

The salsa demonstration was entertaining and a great way to warm the party up. What started out as a stiff crowd turned into a pretty good party after a few rounds with the lively instructor!

Diplomatic Greeting

 I missed this part and I'm not sure if the greeting was from the current Ambassador Anne Andrew but let's just say if it did happen it was great lol.

Costa Rican Artist and Film 

Now this time it wasn't just that I missed it there was no artist and no film. I checked with many of the attendees and confirmed that this did not happen. I was actually looking forward to them both to learn more about the country and it's history. So much for that. 

Costa Rican Sampler Buffet 

My favorite part of any event is usually the food!!! This event was no different! Everything was delicioso! The buffet included the following:

Pollo de Santa
Grilled Chicken Breast Marinated in Coconut Milk 
Gallo Pinto
Black Beans and Rice
Picadillo de Plantano Verde
Tangy Platains
Hearts of Palm Salad
Costa Rican Corn Muffins
Tres Leches Cake

Overall Impression

While I was dying to get to an Embassy event, and this one was definitely a lovely event, it was not worth the $49.00 that was spent on a ticket. I invested in the experience because I knew I wouldn't be able to move on without trying it out at least once but now that I have I don't think I would pay for another Embassy event. The food was the best part and I only got one plate of it and the salsa lessons were only for about 20 minutes of the 2 hour event so that left most of the time to get a drink and have mindless chatter. I did get to meet two cool people but no one that I would keep in touch with. Despite my overall impression I would recommend that everyone try to get invited to one of these Embassy events though lol!  They are great ways to have a cultural outing that make you feel like you took a mini vacay because once your inside you are technically on the country's soil....so yes I went to Costa Rica last week lol! 

Have you ever been to an Embassy event? If so what are your impressions?

P.S. I'm off to Puerto Rico in 2 days so check back to read all about my Mommy and Me adventures in San Juan!

Book Review: Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water For Chocolate has been a classic for decades now however if you have yet to read this book or waiting to get around to it (like I was) GO READ IT NOW! If you want to jump right to it go watch the 1992 movie rendition! 

Like Water For Chocolate is a tale of magical realism. Set against the backdrop of the most important modernizing force in Mexican history, the Mexican Revolution of 1910-17,the book follows the life of Tita De La Garza. Born the youngest of three sisters her destiny from birth was to take care of her mother until she died which ruled out all opportunities for love, marriage, and a family of her own. The story surrounds the forbidden love of Tita and her one true love Pedro who marries Tita’s sister Rosaura at the request of Tita’s aging widowed mother. Pedro only agrees to be closer to Tita which only makes matters all the more tense on the De La Garza ranch. The book is divided into twelve chapters for each month. Each chapter is introduced with a recipe of Tita’s as cooking was the only way she knew how to express her emotions. The recipes are so central to the plot of the story because each one tells a part of the story and each recipe will have you craving Mexican with its intense detail to flavor!  

Why do I love this book?

Because it’s SPICY!!! The title itself describes anger and passion.  “como agua para chocolate”. In Mexico, hot chocolate is made with water, not milk. Water is boiled and chunks of chocolate or chocolate tablets are dropped in to melt. The saying "like water for chocolate," means to be hot like the water is hot enough to receive the chocolate. It means to be at a boiling point and is a metaphor for describing a state of anger, passion or sexual arousal.

There is so much sensuality throughout the entire story, between the love, war, and food everything is sizzling! This is a tale for anyone who has had issues with their mother, anyone who has questioned traditions, and anyone who dreams of true love. This book captivates the reader so much so that you will find yourself crying with Tita as Pedro marries her sister and smiling with Tita as she makes her favorite Christmas rolls. 

Have you read this book before or watched the movie? What are your thoughts? Do you have any favorite travel reads or movies?