The wedding of your dreams

Is incredible the feeling of thousands of butterflies flying inside us when we are in love. Everything then turns into a world of fantasy and all of sudden we wish that the future we yearn next to that special person becomes real. We definitely feel that our wedding, that ritual that indicates the beginning of our lives as a couple, must be an unforgettable moment, full of details and with lots of romanticism.

Paper details

It is for this reason that every time, more couples dream about celebrating their wedding in a fantasy place. And it is just that, especially for us women, the place on which our wedding will be held has a lot of meaning. The problem starts when the magazines specialized in the subject invade our minds with thousands of images of weddings celebrated in the middle of magnificent landscapes, huge lakes, saloons in front of the ocean and endless gardens, making us believe that the wedding of our dreams has to cost an arm and a leg. Obviously, all this flows into a high dose of stress for the couple when their budget is not enough to afford all the expenses.

Fortunately, there are many of us women who know that even the most arid place on the earth can look just fantastic under the simple enchantment of decoration. The question is, however, “how” to decorate without spending a lot of money. The answer is really simple when we understand that the true meaning of decoration is simply to create an atmosphere that welcomes our guests with no need for us to be personally in front of them:  a napkin carefully folded on the table, a lit candle or a fresh flower are details that no guest can overlook. On the other hand, when the budget is not enough to buy, for example, fresh flowers, cloth napkins, glassware, table cloths and the long etcetera that implies organizing a nice reception, the most fabulous suggestion is to replace as many items as possible by beautiful paper handicrafts. Had you thought about this already?

Paper luminarias

Paper center pieces

And it’s just that paper is such a versatile element that can trigger a huge amount of ideas to decorate your reception. If you like handicrafts, you can replace the natural flowers by colorful paper flowers. If you can’t buy or rent glassware, you can think of your other options such as using clear plastic cups (Yes! Plastic!), making them look fabulous by just placing a paper napkin –of the colors you want- inside them. Even the paper napkins can be customized by printing on them a cute stamp that commemorates the wedding, for example, the names or initials of the bride and the groom or some cute drawing design.

Also, the amount of light in the environment affects as part of the decoration, since it can even intimidate our guests in cases where the light is too much, or it can also make them feel more relaxed and less inhibited when the lights are soft and bohemian, creating the perfect romantic atmosphere for this type of celebration. Basically, it doesn’t matter if the place you’ve chosen to celebrate your wedding is not too eye-catching or if it definitely looks like it’s part of a horror movie: if you manage to soften the intensity of the light along the place, you will have guaranteed a 70% of the decoration (Yes!), now that the atmosphere will be completely romantic and you can even add some complements with candles to give an elegant touch. To attenuate or soften the lights at the place of the event, you can use some chinese paper lanterns, which are already a classic item chosen by many couples who want to add a bohemian touch. And, if you want it “with a cherry on top”, there are other couples who decide to customize the seat of each guest on the table by placing cards or paper details with the names of each guest.

The important part of this all is that you don’t leave aside all these beautiful details that will make your guests feel welcome, no matter what place you choose for the event or if the menu you offer at the reception is pretty simple.

For all those couples who planned their wedding for a near future and don’t have enough time to prepare all the decoration, a very good choice for them is to plan an outdoor wedding, now that the view of the surroundings reduces the need of excessive decoration. For example, the weddings at the beaches of Puerto Peñasco (beaches better known by the name of “Rocky Point” by the North American tourists) are now so popular, that these beaches have become an icon for this type of events. If you’re planning your wedding at this destination, it would be a very good idea for you to approach a wedding expert who can help you choose, such as Soledad Méndez from “Si, I do” wedding planners, who will assist every detail you might dream for your wedding at the Mexican local phone number (638)388-8238 (if dialing from the U.S., just add 011 + 52 at the beginning) or at the e-mail address sol@siido.com .  She will surprise you with her charming and elegant options.

By: Carla Seldner/ Visit Rocky Point. April, 2013

The refreshing side of the exercise

Currently, if you ask 10 people why they exercise, it is very likely that the answer of 9 of those people is that they just want to lose weight. With so much publicity about how the human body is supposed to look in the esthetic sense, it´s not a surprise that many people worry about how they look (or, more specifically, about how they look to others). When an exercise routine is initiated under the influx or the concern of losing weight, it is easy to forget how fun, gratifying and innovative this activity can be. Personally, as much as I adore exercising, it turns out to be one of my favorite hobbies as long as the routine is always creative. Did you think that this couldn´t be possible? Well… it is. The routine doesn´t have to be the usual program of repetitive and predictable exercises that can lead you to boredom in the long run. How to exercise turns out to be real art when you require creativity to invent new ways of exercising. Here are some recreational ways to always transform your routine in something new:

1.- The music is the key.- It´s serious; even if it doesn´t seem to be so important, there´s a huge difference between exercising accompanied by any type of music than doing it with the music you really enjoy. It´s not unusual that we choose to play the music of just one CD with the catchy tunes we like; however, the error is playing the same CD for the whole 3 months. Try new music every time you can and you´ll see the difference.

Fun exercise

2.- Accompany yourself with someone who shares the interest.- Is incredible how fun and stimulating it can be to share your exercise with one or several partners. If you go to the gym, always place yourself right next to that person who never fails to any of the sessions; for you, it will be a real incentive to watch a determined person doing the routine and you will be secretly challenging that person if you attend to all the sessions as well. If you like jogging or playing any sport, make sure to accompany yourself from an exercise pal who has enough determination to achieve the daily routine no matter what. You will see that you and your pal will be motivating each other.

3.- Change the panorama.- Let´s be honest: we human are not made to repeat any task when we are tired or bored. If one day you really feel you are tired or pessimistic, it´s time to change your routine by changing the panorama. If you usually attend the gym, replace it once in a while for a walk at the park or for a friendly front-tennis round. If you regularly exercise at home, it´s time for you to go out and do something new accompanied by your friends, like artificial rock climbing, join the kick boxing routine at the gym or a friendly foot ball game. If you have a bicycle, skate board, roller skates, treadmill or any other toy that you don´t use very often,  this is a very good time to enjoy it and invite a friend to use it with you. Remember that we are not chained o any particular routine.

New activities

4.- Always keep your mind open to new experiences.- If you are in the sports environment, it might happen that a person invites you to do something different one day. Sometimes we leave ourselves get intimidated by a new activity just by the fact that we have never practiced it before; then, we prefer to say no to that valuable invitation instead of giving ourselves the chance to practice something new. Therefore, always try to perform new activities and, Who knows! You might even find a new hobbie!

By: Carla Seldner / Visit Rocky Point.  April, 2013.

Send me your comments to:   helpdesk@seasidemexico.com

Mark your calendars for Saturday July the 7^th! It will be a great night of Las Vegas style fun at the Sonoran Sky Beach Front Condominium Resort to benefit the city’s municipal charity, DIF. Try your hand at Black Jack, Poker and Roulette to build on the $300 in chips you get with each ticket. Tickets are just $30 U.S. each or two for $50. There’ll be food and a cash bar, too! Use your winnings to bid on dozens of gifts that will be on display throughout the night and available after the gambling is over!

All this fun, all these great prizes and every penny of the ticket sales will go to facilitate the City of Puerto Peñasco municipal office on Integral Family Development (D.I.F.), an important subsistence program for local needy families now in its 35^th year of helping children and parents in need through various activities.

Current DIF president, Mrs. Marcela Albelaiz de Zepeda, wife of Mayor Alejandro Muñoz Zepeda, has directed the organization through phenomenal growth for the last three years and her work continues through the Las Vegas Night for Charity event.

The U.S. citizens who love and visit this beautiful beach town have always been pleased, even eager, to help the local charities because they do so much for those in need. We’re hoping you will be motivated to assist on July 7^th, and this time be able to help yourself to some great prizes donated by the local businesses. Even if you’re not sure if you can make to the event, be assured that 100% of each ticket price will go directly to DIF with your name on it. You can purchase tickets at any Sonoran Resorts Sales Office, or you can purchase them on line by visiting www.sonoranresorts.mx/LasVegas .

If you own a business in Puerto Peñasco, please consider donating a prize for the auction by contacting Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales at RockyPointJim@gmail.com, or calling his office at 602-476-7511. Locally, his cell number is 638-105-9357.

This  is brought to you by The Sonoran Resorts Sales Group, Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales.

Just off the beach in front of the Sonoran Sea and Sonoran Spa Resort Condominiums it is common to see dolphins frolicking and jumping above the surface of the Sea of Cortez almost year around.  They are such fun to watch and the opportunity to see them, though frequent, never gets old.

The photos in this article were taken by Sonoran Spa resident, Tony Ballesteros, as he followed on foot a small pod along the beach.  An avid photographer, Tony followed them until he was waste deep in water, then flagged down and convinced a passing jet skier to take him further so he could continue capturing these great shots!

1. Dolphin sense of smell and vision

Dolphins have no olfactory glands and therefore no sense of smell. They do however count on their fantastic ability to see both under and above the water surface.

2. Dolphin and its brain

Dolphin brains have two sides. Even when asleep one side of the Dolphin’s brain remains active to protect them from predators as well as allowing them to swim and breath.

3. Dolphin sounds

One of the most well known Dolphin attributes is that they can communicate with each other—and with humans—by creating voice-like sounds, or a mixture of pulses, clicks and whistles.

4. Dolphin sense of hearing

Dolphins have a remarkable sense of hearing which is enhanced even further by an “echolocation” capability which allows them to determine the precise location of objects and make them great hunters.

5. Dolphins diet

Dolphins love most any kind of fish and squid. They will work together in pods of up to a 1,000 to hunt down and corral schools of fish using several ingenious methods to trap them for efficient consumption.

6. Dolphin species

The dolphin is highly regarded as a friendly, cute and cuddly mammal with which people love to interact and play. Keep in mind that the Pilot and Killer Whale (Orca) are also among the 17 species of the dolphin family!

7. Dolphin intelligence

The dolphin is one of the most interesting creatures in the world, probably because of its intelligence. They are extremely smart hunters. They maintain an immense capacity for learning and patience for accepting instructions made even more remarkable by their ability to communicate with humans.

Finally, worth pondering is the fact that many marine scientists who have extensively researched Dolphin behavior have proposed
that, due to their unusually high intelligence compared to other animals, they should be considered as non-human persons and should have their own specific rights, and that it is morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purposes, or to kill them; either intentionally for consumption or as by-catch. (Ref. ^ Jonathan Leake and Helen Brooks forThe Sunday Times (2010), Scientists say dolphins should be treated as ‘non-human persons’; from Wikipedia: Dolphins)

8. Dolphins ability to swim

Dolphins can swim at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour and dive to depths of up to 300 meters.

9. Dolphin predators

Other than humans, dolphins have few predators. Many species have no predators, making them Apex Predators. Larger sharks, like the Tiger and Great White will prey on the smaller species, especially young dolphins (calves). Due to their intelligence and evasive skills, dolphins usually escape being the main course, though many times they are left with deep wounds from the ordeal.  Fortunately, dolphins have an amazing ability to heal from even the deepest wounds.

Dolphins also seem to be susceptible to a wide variety of diseases and parasites which are communicable among species.

By far, their biggest predator danger is from irresponsible human activities such as the indiscriminate dumping of pesticides and plastics; use of drift and gill nets and other harmful fishing methods. Also damaging to dolphins are the loud noises of offshore construction projects, live military firing exercises and naval sonar which damage their sensitive hearing and cause decompression sickness from being forced to surface too quickly to escape the noise.

Even though you can sight dolphins from your balcony at any of the Sonoran Beach Front Resorts, the further out to sea you go, the more Dolphins you will see. Just take a fishing excursion on a charter boat like the popular Pancho Villa Charter and you’re not only  likely to catch a  fish the size of your youngest child, but you will definitely see Dolphins, sometimes in pods of hundreds!

Source: Sonoran Resorts

Mark your calendars for Saturday July the 7^th! It will be a great night of Las Vegas style fun at the Sonoran Sky Beach Front Condominium Resort to benefit the city’s municipal charity, DIF.  Try your hand at Black Jack, Poker and Roulette to build on the $300 in chips you get with each ticket. Tickets are just $30 U.S. each or two for $50. There’ll be food and a cash bar, too! Use your winnings to bid on dozens of gifts that will be on display throughout the night and     available after the gambling is over!

All this fun, all these great prizes and every penny of the ticket sales will go to facilitate the City of Puerto Peñasco municipal office on Integral Family Development (D.I.F.), an important subsistence program for local needy families now in its 35^th year of helping children and parents in need through various activities.

Current DIF president, Mrs. Marcela Albelaiz de Zepeda, wife of Mayor Alejandro Muñoz Zepeda, has directed the organization through phenomenal growth for the last three years and her work continues through the Las Vegas Night for Charity event.  

The U.S. citizens who love and visit this beautiful beach town have always been pleased, even eager, to help the local charities because they do so much for those in need.  We’re hoping you will be motivated to assist on July 7^th, and this time be able to help yourself to some great prizes donated by the local businesses.  Even if you’re not sure if you can make to the event, be assured that 100% of each ticket price will go directly to DIF with your name on it. You can purchase tickets at any Sonoran Resorts Sales Office, or you can purchase them on line by visiting www.sonoranresorts.mx/LasVegas .

If you own a business in Puerto Peñasco, please consider donating a prize for the auction by contacting Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales at RockyPointJim@gmail.com, or calling his office at   602-476-7511. Locally, his cell number is 638-105-9357.

This blog is brought to you by The Sonoran Resorts Sales Group, Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales.

Just a few steps onto Sandy Beach in front of the Sonoran Sea and Sonoran Spa condominium resorts, you’ll find friendly Johnny Elías and his crew ready help you onto a Jet Ski or the famous banana boat, a bucking thrill ride you or your kids won’t soon forget—and in the opinion of many—absolutely the most fun you can have anywhere for $5.00!

Of course, if you like to make your own thrills then rent a Jet Ski and cut your own wake into the sea for an hour of wave jumping and salt water spray.  At $50 U.S. dollars an hour, (or $30 for half an hour) including gas (and not having to buy one of those suckers!), the Jet Ski is a darn good deal and a great deal of fun as well. 

You may likely meet Johnny’s equally friendly boss, Gama Tavarez, the young, polite, handsome owner and concessionaire extraordinaire who is always around the beach but keeps busy running between the four resorts his concessions cover.

Gama owns eight jet skis and two banana boats, all in immaculate condition, as safety is his primary concern. His priorities for safe guarding the tourist come from working with his father on fishing tours since he was in high school.  His father served tourists in Rocky Point for 40 years and raised Gama and his brothers to understand the importance of both service and safety as they relate to the visitor. It was only natural that Gama and his brothers continue in the tourism business today.

All in all, you’re covered by the experience of Gama and his brothers in front of all the Sonoran Resorts, the Sun, Sea, Spa, and Sky, and all the resorts in between with a total of about 20 jet skis and about 6 banana boats.  That’s a lot of beach and whole lot of fun waiting for you!

It’s important to note that, as a concessionaire appointed by the port authority, you’re assured that every effort is taken to insure your safety, and the safety of your kids, and that all the quality standards have been met or exceeded by the Tavarez brothers. Gama and Johnny both emphasized the importance of asking for permits from anyone renting jet skis or offering banana boat rides if they don’t offer it voluntarily like the Tavarez family does.

At the young age of 32, Gama already has 17 years experience in the tourism business and it shows quickly after meeting him.  You get the feeling there is nothing he wouldn’t do to make your visit to Rocky Point, not just your day at the beach, more enjoyable.

By the way, if you haven’t tried it yet, the family also owns the popular taquería in town calledTacos Brisa con Amigo Gama.  It’s located on the corner of Melchor Ocampo and Sinaloa across from the OXXO. It comes highly recommended by the locals here.

Be sure to plan some Jet Ski and banana boat time into your next trip to Sandy Beach!

Source: Sonoran Resorts

InSANDity! Beach Challenge is a 2.5 mile beach run over, through and under challenging obstacles, in deep sand or shallow water, on the gorgeous beaches of Rocky Point Mexico.

Located just 60 miles south of the border, Rocky Point is Phoenix and Tucson’s closest beach. Fantastic weather, awesome sunsets, friendly people and cold beer await you. After you survive the InSANDity! challenge you can relax and enjoy your destination for the weekend!

Register by July 4 for the early registration rate of $45 per person. Registration fees will go up to $55 per person on July 4, 2012. All entries must be by PayPal which comes up at the end of each registration completed. (You do NOT have to already have a Paypal account of your own to pay.)You can form teams and run together. Simply wear similar shirts, hats, colors or whatever. Costumes are encouraged! Teamwork to get through some challenges may be required!

Runners will be divided into Waves of up to 250 runners, with the first taking off at 9AM. Subsequent waves will start at 9:30AM, 10AM, 10:30AM, 11AM, 11:30AM and Noon

The obstacles are sponsored by local Rocky Point businesses, restaurants, bars, condo and hotel resorts,and Charities, who will also be represented at the After-Party.

Each participant will receive a runner number, an event t-shirt, and tickets for the After-Party. Tickets will be redeemable for food, drink, or swag from our challenge sponsors. Live bands will be on hand to help you celebrate your surviving the course.

By: Victor Salazar

ROCKY POINT, SONORA.

As one of the leading health problems in rocky Point, the health authorities have detected the presence of stray dogs in Rocky Point, this according to local health coordination, where by a local meeting, it was confirmed that both trash along with street dogs occupy the top two spots of health concerns, not in order of importance of health in the city, revealed Marco Antonio Hernández.

The chief of the rabies control office of Rocky Point, said sadly that this city has a high rate of collection of stray dogs, a figure that has soared lately in an overwhelming manner to such an extent that in 2010, the number of slaughtered animals reached out the amount of 4 000 dogs.

“We collected 5 000 street dogs last year´s and we sacrificed 4 thousand animals, this happened because owners do not look afterthem, if you have to do the math,  this gives us an idea of ​​how serious this problem is, every month I can tell you that we collect from the street about 400 and 500 dogs, this is a truly alarming statistic, “he said.

The chief of the animal control center said he works two ways to reduce the dog population, on one hand they have the responsibility to collect and slaughter the animals who are on the streets of Rocky Point, on the other hand they reciebe and sterilize both cats and dogs to stop the reproductive chain, which needs to be done once and for all and to stop the procreating process with more and more animals.

“Sterilize animals at all, would be the greatest idea, because the pets have a geometric growth, for example from one couple of dogs comes four animals, from four comes eigth, and so on and so forth, just do the math, and I can tell you a female dog in one year can breed between 20 and 40 puppies, but if we speak of big numbers, one couple of dogs in 5 years makes 50 000 dogs”, he explained.

The vet said that the main problem of stray dogs side is og crap, because they are on the streets, and their poop is exposed and with the wind and moisture these are transported on the air and they go and land in our food or our respiratory system, which can lead to serious health problems for humans.