TMI

Ladies, let's have a little chat about feminine products.

In the U.S. You can buy them essentially in bulk, which is convenient, you only have to go to the store let's say every couple months or so, and there is a wide variety. 

Now let's go shopping for those in Mexico... You can buy large and small packages of pads, all kinds and varieties. The tampon selection is limited to like 4 options, and the boxes are only boxes of 8.

Really? Is that box of 8 going to get me through a week? I'm thinking no... Really!?!? 8... Come on!

I've really been thinking about Trying out a Diva cup, unless I want to relive my youth in diapers... No thanks. I think this has pushed me over the edge to try it out... It will be better for the environment anyway right?

Day 12

Today was my Mom's birthday!

And before I woke up, I had a dream that we were shopping at goodwill for my prom dress (no this never actually occurred) but whe. I called her to tell her happy birthday, you guessed it, she was at goodwill!

I also talked to my brother, bright and early, I don't think he understands no kids means I have no need to be up super early... This week was hard with the 2 hour difference because of the early time change in Mexico, after Sunday, back to 1 hour! Phew!

And I Skyped with my sister, I took her on a virtual tour of my house... And found out where exactly the wifi will not reach :)

Josh had went to Texas yesterday to turn in an inventory of our box and get it approved so we could get it. And you know what, curling irons are electronics, I never would have guessed, so they had to have their serial numbers and model numbers and etc. listed. Crazy right?

I also scrubbed down a the bathroom in what we will use as an office, I don't think the pervious renters used it either, it was clean! And then I scrubbed the rooms floor as well, Josh had previously dusted the desk and etc.

Then we were going to head to the gym, we got just out of our neighborhood and realized that we didn't have our IDs to get in, so we turned around and went back and got them, then we drive to the gym, and when we got their Josh had forgotten his running shoes... We turned around and decided that this meant we should run around our neighborhood... 

Happy devil's night!

Day 10

Can you believe we are in double digits already?

We got my pictures back for my visa, so we can put in for that... I don't think the pictures look like me, josh says they do... 

The people were supposed to come to put a piece back on the dishwasher that t hey had to take off... But they never came.

I worked on laundry and finally scrubbed the bedroom floor, and the cleaned the living room, so we could put down our rug!

This half of the living room is finished.

The rug

This half needs some work... For instance, taking the umbrella outside.

And also I finished putting together the cubes in the bathroom for storage.

Now tell me, In this GIANT bathroom, why they had to wedge the toilet between the bathtub and the shower?

Day 9

A couple loads of laundry and then the new dishwasher was installed!

The old one wouldn't latch, so it wouldn't run.

Yey! Dishwasher!

Day 8

We tried to make Mexican pizzas like the ones from Taco Bell.

I cooked hamburger meat, but I didn't touch it at all, so that was a score, and the smell didn't bother me too much because I think my sinuses are clogged.

They were actually pretty good, the crispier the tortilla the better.

Day 7

We slept in, and then did a little shopping, picked up a couple things we will need to keep up the lawn. We have chosen not to hire a lawn company, or a maid.

We also bought this rug.

Pool boy

This is not the movies

Day 6

Day 6 started out early, I dropped Josh off at the plant at 5:30am, because I wanted to use the car.

The pool people, were scheduled to come, but I didn't know what time, so I showered and got ready for my day when I got home, the I ate breakfast and watched some tv. 

Then I drove to a coffee shop to meet up with a group of expats, for coffee, it was great to see some of the people I had met before and make new friends. Ther were some ladies from Canada and England, in addition to the ladies I had met from South Africa before. I'm not sure I'll be best friends with all of them, but I am glad to have a group of women to talk to that understands where I'm coming from.

And one of them was selling watermelons that she grew on her ranch!

After coffee I came home and worked on a couple of things, washing placemats, I wiped down all the the bedroom furniture. Then I was prepared to make dinner...

Hi my name is Lisa, and I touched raw fish for the first time...

They were in a package 

First I cut open the package and drained the fish juice out and then slid the fish onto the cutting board.

The fish still had skin on it, so I had to cut it off...

Please note me touching the fish! The entire time I kept thinking, remember when you ate sushi? That was raw fish... You didn't die, it will be ok... Then I rinsed it, and put it onto some previously sliced limes.

The recipe called for lemons... But the store didn't have lemons, they aren't that popular here, limes are more popular, so I went with it.

Add butter,

And wrap it up, good for cooking.

Cooked for 25 minutes at 300f (which out stove only does c, so I have to convert it everyday!)

When we ate it, Josh said it was the most bland meal he had ever eaten (we also had rice) I don't think we will make this again... And we were still hungry...

Then we watched lone survivor, the saddest movie ever! I held it together until they showed the pictures of the real people... Then I dreamed about it.... Awesome...

Day 5

Nothing exciting. I paid bills, ironed a few remaining clothes, washed a couple loads of laundry, cleaned up some things in the bedroom, so I can mop the floor...

Day 4

I worked on ironing... Not one of my favorite tasks, but, I was happy today for several reasons...

1. Axn was in English!

2. A new iron, I was so happy to no longer have the iron that I got when we got married, I knew not much about choosing an iron, and a lot has changed In iron technology in the past 7 years. My old iron was Teflon coated stainless steel, with steam and a spray button.

Meet my new iron

Featuring a ceramic face, a convenient sticker that changes to red when it's hot, and a steam shot button in addition to the spray button... All my iron dreams have came true!

3. I got a sleeve board, I iron a ton of Josh's work shirts, all with long sleeves, and it's a pain...

Look at the adorable print. 

From using this I learned, iron the sleeves first, then the shirt, but the sleeves come out real nice. 

My other new ironing board is so nice too, the pad and the cover stay in place when I turn the shirt, which is amazing!

Ironing may not be torture any more.

Previously Josh was doing the dishes, because it grosses me out a bit, but he works 12 hours everyday pretty much, so in addition to trying out cooking, I'm also now on dish duty... I did two sink-fulls yesterday! There are still more to do :(

Day 3

Well, the day did not have a good start, my NEW dryer had a red light that said check vent...

So I made sure the lint trap was clean and the outside vent was cleanish... (There were snails living in there...)

Still no dice, the. I disconnected the vent pipe... It was clean. No dice... Again

So I googled it, said the vent pipe might be kinked, so I shook it around again, and it worked! All day!

Until my last load of the day, it was back again... Thankfully Josh was home, he stuck his arm down the pipe in the wall and pulled out a lot of lint... Then he went outside and did the same thing. It was gross! But the red light went away... Let's hope it stays that way!

Also I cleaned and organized the master closet. Now why would this take all day? 

This is the first room of the closet

And the other

My side

Josh's side

Day 2

Monday started out like any other Monday for my family, laundry... No matter what country you are in, apparently Monday is the day for laundry.

Followed by cleaning the master bath, I feel so much better now that it's clean!

Then when Josh got home from his 12 hour day, we ran to the grocery store to pick up some items for a recipe I wanted to make. I told Josh that when we came to mexico I would learn how to cook. 

I got the recipe from Pinterest. But, I couldn't find poppy seeds, and I forgot to put the aluminum foil on... It still turned out good!

We made home made apple juice, and Josh made fries in his deep-fryer. Yum!

Recipe 1 a success, leftovers tonight

Happy fall ya'll

After I left North Carolina, I had to drop my car off at my parents house in Michigan, so they can hold on to it and some of our other this for our expat stint in mexico.

I don't think josh and I had driven through the mountains when they were in color, it was beautiful.

Look at all of those pumpkins!

Last but not least, fall in Michigan... I think I will miss fall, it is my favorite season.

Day one

Day one of living in a new country...

Josh and I slept in, ate breakfast and made a list of the things we needed for our house.

After shopping and bringing our things home, we washed the dishes , put them away, put together a shoe holder, and went out to dinner, for tacos. What else should you have on your first day in mexico?

Also we set up our Netflix! Especially since AXN is now showing most things in Spanish :(

Packed

We taped out the size of the box we were allowed to fill with our belongings we would need for the next 5 years... 

One of my boxes, had 27 sweaters... But then I thought that I couldn't fit everything, so I had to whittle it down, not all 27 sweaters made it...

We had to make an inventory of everything to go through customs... But we didn't do it perfect... Now we have to drive to Texas, and get some paperwork signed... And then Hopefully we can have our box...

Josh packed my singer as his carry on... It made it safe and sound!

This everything we hope is still ok when we get back in 5 years...

Cloud mountains

On my flight back to NC (I almost typed home... Where is home anymore?... Not a question I thought I would ever ask myself... I digress...)

Instead of the clear skies on the way in, it was cloudy, I love how the clouds look like the ocean and mountains, and swirl around the show the mountain peaks, it's a beautiful view.

Night sky

I flew in at night, and we had to circle around... My new home from the air.