The Rosas-Standring Family

I finally all of the pieces in place to move forward full force with my school project.  I have been putting thing project together for a while now and I am so excited about it.  I have written more on it on my Tulum Living page but have also mentioned it here. 

Having kids in school here in Tulum has been a bit of a love/hate relationship.  I am so thankful for education but know that there are so many things that are missing or lacking.  I know that it is not the same all throughout Mexico.  Some of the problems are but some are also because I chose to live a in a much smaller community. 

I have seen though that the schools here are in desperate need of certain things.  I call it their big "quiero"  Their big "want"  This is the thing that is too big for us parents to ever be able to pay for but too small for the gov't to fix.  I also want to increase the awareness of recycling to the children of the area.  That is where permanent changes will be made.

So here is the project.  This is  a 3 part project involving  Community- The School- and The Kids!!!!    We go to each school and find out what their quiero is.  As a community we work to raise money for the project.  As part of the donation we will also be buying recycling containers.  For their part, the school must commit to regular recycling pickups and recycling education.  The kids must also participate in a street cleaning day - seperating the trash into recyclables and garbage.  The kids will then be rewarded with a cake and ice cream party.

We are so lucky to have a recycling center here in Tulum and it is up and running again.  YEAH!!!!  If you would like to donate, please click the donate button.  All of the money donated (minus the fee that paypal charges) will go towards the project.  Tulum Living will cover all other expenses.  

Most of these project are between 4,000 and 6,000 dollars.  Yes that is a lot of money but it is not an impossible amount to raise. 

our first project: Hurricanes Kinder.   They are in desperate need of a lunch palapa and some picnic style benches.  They also want a smaller palapa over the playground equipment.  Could you imagine going to play at 5 years old in the hot Mexican sun and the playground is scorching metal?  Not fun. 

Please keep track of our progress.  If you are in the area and want to meet up or help, please contact us. 


I am so excited!!!!!

Well, it has been a very interesting past few weeks. But before I get into the catch up and where the hell we disappeared to let me first say... Yes we are safe, fine happy and living in a small Mexican Caribbean town.  I dropped out of circulation for a week and my family got really freaked out. I am so sorry for causing concern.  But there is one thing that gave me a good laugh once all the calls where done.  Right on my FB info page is my Mexican cell phone number.  Again I am sorry for any scare.  We are just fine.  Better then that in fact.

Well, I quit my job.  They were willing to work with me on the part  days but there is a big problem.  I need 4 things to be in place for me to work, 1) school open 2) kids not sick 3) My friend picking them up 4)my babysitter.  If 1 of those things is not there (and that happens frequently) I have to run around and stress out about who is going to watch my kids.  And that is the life we ha in the USA and I live in Tulum, Mexico.  I do not need to be living that life here.  So with a little sadness but knowing it is the right thing I have quit the jungle tour. 


But this means I have to get going with Tulum Living.  And I have found what I want to do.  I am making a calendar of Tulum.  All of the Happy hours, live music, dj parties, yoga classes, community service projects etc all on one calendar.  This is leading into my really big project ... The Tulum Living School Project.

We have designed a 3 part community service project for the schools here in Tulum. 
1) Community: pulls together donations from locals, businesses, tourists and the online community to buy each school their big need. (most of these projects are between $5,000-7,000 dollars.)

2) School: as part of the donation we will get them recycling containers and set up regular pick up (our recycling center in Tulum is open again)

3) Kids: after school 1 afternoon the kids will walk the streets and pick up the garbage separating out recycling.  After the street clean the kids will be treated to a pizza/ice cream party. 

I used to work with Women for Children for  Doernbecher Children's Hospital and I remember my mom telling me that amazing things can get done by people who are willing to put in the time and get organized.  Well, I see a huge need and a huge community of people who are willing to help.  It was actually the kindness I received after the kids bikes that told me to kick this into gear.  I have friends willing to help pay for my kids bikes.  And while that is so sweet- we did get them new bikes- it took all our money which is why our cable and elec got shut off but it was totally worth it.  But anyway.  It showed me that there are people in the world who would love to donate to this project and these are not HUGE projects. 

Anyway.  There will be more on that later.

So I will update more about all the specific fun we have been having but let me say we have been having a great time.  I better go.  My internet was turned on yesterday and I have sooooooo much writing to do.

I am so glad to be back. 

First of all- I cannot say thank you enough for all of the support that I have gotten here. Thank you to every one who commented as well as those who support me just by reading. I have been very busy lately and things are looking up.

The ups and downs here in Mexico have been very extreme for me. The years in my youth were adventurous and full of activity and intrigue and drama and everything. But the life here in Mexico has thrown me every direction I could imagine. When I have gone through challenging parts in my marriage I have had to do some really hard thinking. What am I going to do? or what would I do? move to the states? stay in Mexico? Move to another part of Mexico? What would I do for work in the USA? Will my business work here in Mexico? etc. etc.

I was very happy and a real sense of peace came over me when I really decided that I like living in Tulum. This is a town of easy going people- fisherman, healers, craftsman and service workers mixed with the beautiful culture of the Maya. It is wonderful here. The beaches are literally the most beautiful coastal site I have ever seen and the water is clear, warm and full of beautiful fish.

Things are going well and I look forward to even better things. I have made a commitment to myself. Now yes... this is pretty much EXACTLY my new year's resolution plan- But oh well.

I need to recommit to taking care of myself. I need to put the sunscreen on my face- especially now that I live sub tropic. I need to put lotion on my tired legs and feet, paint my toe nails - esp now that we are ALWAYS in flip flops, hand the kids to Ruben and walk away- and not feel guilty about it, ... I just need to take more personal time. It is so amazing how fast your time gets sucked from you. And guys I know that it happens to you too but unless you are a FULL-TIME single father- you have no idea what we mom's go through.

So that is my big goal for myself this next decade. I had a friend send me this breakdown of women recently. I really liked it.

GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN

Between 18 and 29, a woman is like Africa . Half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!


Between 30 and 40, a woman is like Europe. Well developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value.


Between 41 and 49, a woman is like Spain , very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.


Between 50 and 54, a woman is like Greece , gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.


Between 55 and 59, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.


Between 60 and 70, a woman is like Israel, has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, takes care of business.

After 70, she becomes Tibet .. Wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages.....

An adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.

Hell Yeah.


And I start this month and this new decade of my life with my first 2 clients for Tulum Living. I am so proud that I have a product and service worth selling and I am really excited for www.TulumLiving.com to take off. I really think that it can.


On another great note- I spent yesterday afternoon with 4 of the greatest kids ever. We walked around Villas Tulum (our neighborhood) and picked up trash. We had 2 or 3 bags of trash trash and then the rest was all recyclables. It was great. The kids learned a lot. Did you know that it takes a plastic bottle 450-1000 years to decompose! That is just crazy.

** I have a lot more pictures coming!***

It is not very often that you hear about something that someone is doing and it just makes you smile from the inside. Well, the project of Dutzi Designs Inc. is one such story.

The project is that of Ariane Dutzi. Ariane lives here in the Yucatan and has started a line, Dutzi Designs Inc., to help the communities of the Yucatan. As a former fashion editor from New York and Paris, she moved to Mexico and where she is making an impact in the beautiful community that she is now a part of. I just got to meet her and she is ever so as amazing as this project and I cannot wait to do an interview with her.


When the Swine Flu scare erupted in Mexico last April it created a mass exodus of tourists in the Yucatan and the communities of the area really suffered. As the “infodemic” spun out of control, a whole bunch of totally healthy people sat in the deserted towns of the Yucatan and the found themselves without people to sell their handiwork to. Ariane has since developed the Dutzi Design Rescue Bag.

Complete with a label befitting of the project, a small outlined face of a pig, these bags are as eco-friendly green as they are well made and beautiful.
The whole project really is something special. As a way of helping the Mayan community that lives in the areas around Valladolid, about 70 women as well as some men make each and every bag. The project is not only a means for so many women to help provide for their families, but also helps preserve the beautiful culture of the indigenous Maya. With all of the proceeds from the sales of the bag going directly into the project, this community of women continues to be able to help sustain themselves especially in a time where so many of us here in the Yucatan are feeling the devastating consequences of the hype of the swine flu.


I have not even started to tell you about the amazing bags themselves… these bags, made of vintage burlap or 100% recycled white raffia. They are absolutely beautiful and are not only made by hand with love and care but, probably because of that fact, are incredibly well made.

These bags are being sold in stores and boutiques all over New York as well as in Paris, Santa Fe, Malibu, CA, Mexico and over the Internet. One of the best ways to get your own Rescue Bag is to drive over and see the project for yourself. Valladolid is a beautiful town about an hour from Tulum and wonderfully worth a visit. What a fantastic souvenir of a trip to the Yucatan. Luckily you can also buy one online and have it sent to you. Check out the website with information about how to purchase your very own bag.

These bags are perfect for both men and women. I especially love the bike messenger bag for men. These bags reflect both a consciousness for the earth and an effort to protect and cherish it, but also for the wonderful communities of Mayan women in the Yucatan.

I am trying to get the word out as far and as wide as I can. I simple love this project and i know that there are so many others out there that will too. Please pass this information along. If you own or manage a shop-- These would be a GREAT thing to carry. You can get more information from their website. Or feel free to contact me and I can pass you along. Here are some great links for Dutzi Designs. I will also be featuring them on www.TulumLiving.com very soon.

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