Amazing Race Downtown Twins Party

Amazing Race Twin Party

TWINS are 10 I can barely believe it!

Huge success so I thought I would do a blog post on it for memories and for others to gain ideas.

So I began my search online.

I secretly love the show "Amazing race" so I went with that theme.

I found these original envelopes so cheap on "etsy" I think it was 10 for $10 I bought $20 worth.

Great service and just adorable addition to the party.

The kids started out with a clue, a couple parents and a camera.

They had to read the first clue.  Along with the first clue was a "Gnome" the Gnome had to go with them the entire time and be included in all the pictures at each stop.

We did the race in beautiful downtown San Luis Obispo, my hometown.

 Here the girls are reading a book in "Barnes and Noble" to try and find their answer to the first clue.

 I had the chief at the local sushi place make butterflies out of carrots for one of the clues.  They had to ask for and eat the "butterfly" before getting the next clue.

Pretty cool.  I offered to pay the guy for making them and he did it for FREE.  Isn't that awesome.

So cool.

 Here are the girls with their butterflies.

 I found this really cool stairway downtown so I had the girls go to the back of the store for one of their clues. Try on a hat and sunglasses and pose a the stairs.  Just adorable.

I ended up going with the girls, my husband was with the boys.  I recommend recruited a couple other parents as well, it really helped it go smoothly.

 The girls/boys had to take turns opening an reading the clues here is one of the girls reading the clues.  Sometimes I included a little cash for the next clue.  For example below:)

 They had to go into a local candy store.  Buy a yardstick of bubble gum for the following clue.

 Here are the girls at the candy store

 In our town we have bubble gum alley.  The kids had to purchase the gum and then create a "N" for Nolan and a "T" for Taryn with the gum and stick it on bubble gum alley.  Yes that wall is all bubble gum.

 Another clue was to go to a local sock store called "Sock drawer" and ask for a pair of socks (already pre-purchased) put them on and then get their next clue from cashier.

 The girls also had to find a sparkle make up at Sephora.

Purchase it with a gift card and everyone had to wear it.

So cute.

 Running to next clue.

 Bubble High Fives at "lush" was a hoot.

 Nolan reading the clues with his buddies.

 Buying .10 lbs of candy at a local candy shop.

 Boys. SO fun

 Ending up at a local Pizza joint and having pizza and cake.

 Nolan.  So cute.

It was a HUGE success everyone had such a great time.

Highly recommend in your area.

Takes some coordination, but SO fun.

Great Twin Party.

Chacala + Faith = part VI

Faith

It is interesting.

It took faith for us to step out and take this ths trip and leave our kids.

It was hard, in midst of kid and home activities.

But so good for us too.

I was to be perfectly honest very nervous about coming to Mexico;

But I had to trust Paul and Elaine geez I have known them my whole life and I knew they would not allow us to go somewhere that was not safe and beautiful. 

So we came and it was a bit of a culture at first.
I mean to go from city life in California to a remote area in Mexico.

But once we saw this it was just so beautiful, we started to relax and just enjoy.

Most of the week we felt like it was our own private beach.

Swimming in 80 + degree water with no sharks was so relaxing.

Just a quick side note:)

The only thing you have to be aware of when swimming in these waters in these waters are the big waves.  They come unexpectedly and they are so powerful. 

They will knock a grown man right down.

Other than that you just have pure beauty at the coast;)

The sunrise from our room while i was blogging.

The sunsets are so amazing. This is the upstairs patio.

All and all definitely book a trip to Chacala embrace the culture enjoy the beauty and definitely book the Chacala beach house.

http://www.vrbo.com/100746

Adios de Chacala.

Chacala Part VI

Chacala has great food, we learned some valuable lessons about food
(besides having to go on a diet when I get home)

Here are some things we learned the restraunts at beach are good don"t get me wrong.

Yummy.

And Paul you are really right on about guacamole and they bring a bag of tortilla chips thanks to Pablo...thank you Pablo (we were told Paul usually likes extra chips).  Seriously Jason loved it but wife needs to eat veggies for months after this trip.  

So delicious. Especially with pina coladas.

What we learned is behind restraunts and off the street there are some pretty awesome places too.

Like Asadas.

The below picture is of a tortilla press.  

The green bowl Is tortilla dough. 

O my goodness so delicious and only thirteen pesos per taco.  Thirteen.  That is less than a dollar and so so SO good, but so salty so watch how much you buy.
Also if you have a sensitive stomach may want to be cautious.

This is a small grocery store.

On a side note:)
The mexican people here in Chacala are so warm and friendly.
Once I started talking with them in my (malo espanol).  They started really talking and sharing.  I can understand more than I can speak.  I had three years of spanish in college but that was twenty years ago.  I cant believe how much you remember and how quickly it comes to you when emersed in it.  Its amazing.
The biggest laugh we got was with the local lifeguard.  His facial expressions and explanations so funny.  He took the time to talk and I could really understand him.  He was a swimmer.  Very fun conversation.

Chacala V

Back to the town of Chacala

So the other day we actually went on a boat ride and snorkeling.

The beauty from the boat was breath taking.
First, we walked to the other side of the beach, here is the view from this side.
We didn't realize it there is a trail over there to get to boat dock.
(Slice of heaven right and not many people at all)

The walking trail. 

Things are so simple in Chacala.

(such a great reminder of how little we really need)

Two different boats. 

First we took this one and i regret to say we did not get pictures from our first location. It was amazing.  Around the left hand side from Chacala there is a hidden beach with caves just so beautiful.  I was a bit nervous about snorkleing there due to the rough waters so we were all trying to decide;  and we forgot to take pictures.

On the way back we snorkle out in the sea. It was great.  We saw a huge sea turtle poke his head out the water and lots of fish.

This video does not do it justice but gives our kiddos idea of what it was like:)

After a hour of snorkling there the driver took us to the beach on the other side.

There a lot of custom and rental homes here and a private beach

Felt like we were just dropped off on a remote island.

Nobody was around except for a security guard.

If your looking for a remote get away this is it. 

Just amazing.  

The lack of people was really just so strange being from California.

"Muy Bonita"

Crab

Jason just stumbled across this huge crab on of the patios.

Roberto came out and picked it up.

Largest crab I have ever seen in wild.

Roberto said it was a river crab not ocean.  He said they get bigger than that and a lot of them too after a rain. 

Every time we go outside we see something new.

Chacala IV Sayulita, Mexico

Sayulita

We ventured out of Chacala and went south for one hour

to the town of Sayulita.

A couple we met from the states that is living here for six months said it was really fun if we have never been and completely safe.

So we headed out in the morning.

Onto the "jungle highway" I call it because it is mostly surrounded by lush green trees. 

We finally arrive to the coastal town of Sayulita.

Wait first I gotta show you this bug I bumped into on way to grocery this morning.

Check it out.. 

Completely harmless, but HUGE!!!

The ladies could not figure out what to call it.

Anyway, onto Sayulita what a adventure.

You drive Into the town and you are greeted with a entirely different look.

Its a cross between Pismo Beach and San luis obispo.

It is definitley different.

Okay onward.  

Chacala is definitely mostly Mexicans in the tourist areas.

Sayulita has a mixture.  There are a ton of Americans and it was so refreshing. Enjoy Chacala but I am a American so it was great to be around some.  Funny huh.

We had a great day.  They cater to American tourist;

For example i ordered chinese chicken salad (extememely salty btw) and Jason ordered a sandwich it was just goofy, but at this point in week we were craving something familiar.  Not so much.  It was okay.  A+ for presentation though and service.  I've never been asked so many times if i would like "chopsticks".

Onward.

Look how beautiful it is...

Do you see all the surfers?  Huge surf spot and tons of tourist watching.

Very busy compared to Chacala. You dont see it but to my left a ton of chairs and people eating and drinking at restraunts on the beach just lined up watching.  

The shopping was really fun.

So many choices and so much to look at; lots of boutiques and stands.

Highly recommend waiting for trinkets until you go to Sayulita.  Much cheaper than Chacala beach vendors.  Be prepared beach vendors are everywhere.

People are friendly thats me in middle.

picture of jason with art done with corona bottle caps.

On a street full of shops with beach in background.

 

One thing we loved was this popsicle store.

Check out all these choices it was amazing.

I ended up with chocolate coconut it was s GOOD!!!

i took this picture just for my brother.  I know he probably already knows what a hot spot this is for surfing...just to let him know i was thinking of him when i saw all these boards.

Well let me end on a positive.  

All in all Sayulita is definitely one beach to visit. Lots of beach walking and lots too watch check out these two random pictures we took of happenings at the beach;)

Random.  I know. 

I'll let you just ponder those two pics.

Chacala Part III

It is Mexico.  This is outside gate of La Casitas.

This is a picture of street in Chacala.

The grocery store is on the right.

Its so interesting to watch in the morning.

They are all hustling and bustling around 

getting city ready for tourist and the day.

The streets are cobblestone mostly or dirt.

We saw the local school and delivered school supplies.

Which was very interesting.  The have a scholarship program to get kids all the way to college.  They have a library, computer room ect and the mommas help clean the school once a month.  Cool huh.  If you want to donate you can do so online.

Below are two pictures of the tortilla factory.

Really cool.  

Never seen a tortilla factory.  Very cool:)

FOOD...

So Elaine or "Elaina" is what the locals call her, but my whole life she has been

"Elaine" so its super funny to me because they constantly correct me.

Anyway she gave us a sheet all about food.

First, we picked up local fruit

and quickly found out this was not grapefruit.

You can not pull it out with a spoon. I mean you can, but its very challenging.

Still not sure what it is called it is tart but good.

Pinapples are everwhere and served in anything;  Pinapple shrimp, muffins, cakes, dried, breakfast, lunch everywhere.  It is funny.

Bannas are plentiful.  

All to say the fruit is delicious.

Now if you are going to Chacala hoping to find the ultimate American burriot, think again.

This is a coastal mexican town the food is different lots of seafood a ton of shrimp everywhere and it just has its own flare it its all very tasty.

Next door at Las Brisas we were told they have best guachamole in all of Mexico.

I cant speak for all of Mexico but its REALLY good.  Along with the pina coladas and shrimp salad and many other things very tasty.

Choco Moll is very good we had dinner with our new found friends from Colorado on Sunday night.  So fun and so good.  Watch out for margaritas they floor only need one or none whatever ypur preference.  

The food is not what i expected at all but it is good and presently so perfectly at the three restraunts we have gone to.

The wonderful thing about Elaine and (Paul's) place is it is inbetween to restraunts and they two restraunts will bring it to the large patio out front for you to enjoy, which is a super personal touch.

The above is a picture of a shrimp burrito very yummy.

Below is a seafood pasta dish. So so Jason said. 

yes that is octupus below.

See you manana...