If you are like me and have a sweet tooth for all things freshly home baked, then their service is a must when you arrive in Cabo. Imagine the thought of freshly baked goods being delivered to your door for the whole family to munch on during your stay in Cabo??!! Seriously, it’s enough of a reason to book a trip to Cabo in the first place.

This talented duo has had a passion for baking, and after years of pleading from locals they decided to come up with this virtual bakery concept. They bake a variety of things. Like sweet breads, muffins, cakes, brownies, cupcakes, and other specialty items. Also there are weekly gluten free options.  Check out their Facebook page for the weekly menu.

Brooke & Angie will do their utmost to cater to dietary needs. Bakeology offers its service with NO DELIVERY CHARGE!! There is no minimum order; all they ask is you give them at least 24 hours notice so they can get their baking on!!

The best way to contact them is to message their Facebook page.  They can also be reached by email at bakeologycabo@yahoo.com. And for all our lucky Baja Baby Gear clients in Cabo, for anyone who orders more than 2 items of baked goods, Bakeology have kindly offered to include a 6 pack of fresh muffins with your order! How good is that??? Thank you ladies for having such a delectable service for us and our clients!

Thankfully, Baja Baby Gear surpassed our expectations. Within 3 short years, we have grown our business to serve either side of Mexico and grown our family to have 2 beautiful children. We are so blessed. We feel that our clients are the reason for our success and we are so grateful to you for using our service.

Recently, we made the big decision to launch our very first skincare product! Oftentimes our clients ask us which skin care products are ‘safe’ in Mexico and we would point them in the direction of the brands we see on the shelves of Walmart here. We realized (with the help of our beautiful little daughter Reese and her sensitive skin!) that it would be pretty neat for Baja Baby Gear to have its own skincare line especially for our precious little clients!

To help us with the inception of our retail endeavors, we welcome Kelly Underdahl to the Baja Baby Gear team! Kelly is also a mother and brings a wealth of experience and passion to our company – we are so glad to have her. Our first product is Baja Baby Gear Shampoo & Body Wash! We feel confident that this shampoo & body wash is perfect for babies with sensitive & irritated skin. It is lightly scented, sulfate & paraben free. Calendula, Burdock Root, Nettle Leaf & Hemp Seed Oil are just some of the calming, vitamin-enriched ingredients packed into our new product.

We plan to have more products as time goes on and if you would like to be notified about them, please do let us know. Our product is set to launch on Amazon.com in July… we will keep you posted on the exact day! For questions about our new baby product, please email info@bajababygear.com. Thank you for your support!

1. Schlep something with you (no guarantee the gift will make it in one piece)

2. Spend a large amount of your precious vacation time looking around Cabo for a gift (this is could prove to be pretty costly in addition to the time you spend looking… travelers normally have to pay a little more to buy local items)

OR

3. Not give a gift (hmmmm….. really???).. probably not the best way you want to go – unless you want to be referred to as Scrooge by your counterparts!

So, that’s where our neat idea comes in. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a local service in Cabo that supplied some of the coolest gifts ever? And in addition to that, they also packed the gift and sent it to your loved one? Kinda like sending flowers, but even better because these gifts are all customized for your recipient.

Well it just so happens that our sister company Cabo Regalo does just that! www.caboregalo.com was created to provide locals and visitors with a way to send their loved ones a super cool gift. Maybe you were supposed to come to Cabo for a wedding and you couldn’t make it? But you still want to send the bride and groom a gift? Wouldn’t it be neat if you could go online, pick your gift and have it delivered to the happy couple in your honor? Or maybe you are bride looking for a cool welcome gift for your wedding party?

Cabo Regalo specializes in custom gifting. We have a beautiful selection of local gifts, edible arrangements, beautiful hand-crafted souvenirs, crazy game gifts.. the list goes on! Our prices start at $35 USD. That includes the gift, the packaging and the delivery! You get to choose the contents of the gift; you get to select if you want the gift to be packed into a quality Cabo Regalo signature box, or a handy beach bag. You get to decide on a personalized note that goes along with the gift!

Cabo Regalo has already covered the ground work for you. We have got a fantastic network of the best products ready for you. Baja Brewery, Apitas Dips, SlatePlate, Aden & Anais, Crosby & Taylor, Plum Soap Company, Paddywax are some of the brands we stock, and the list is growing all the time!

Gift-giving in Cabo suddenly got a lot easier! We hope we can help to make your life easier. For a closer look at the types of gifts we have, visit www.caboregalo.com. Our toll free number from the US or Canada is 855-648-4438. For written inquiries, email info@caboregalo.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

I recently caught up with Kanoelani Patenaude, the creator/owner of the Cabo Playseum. After spending a wonderful day at the Cabo Playseum with my two children, I couldn’t wait to share the information with our Baja Baby Gear clients. Anyone visiting Cabo with their kids have to come and check this place out! Here is what Kanoelani shared with me about her life and vision for Cabo Playseum:

1.  Can you share a little about yourself and your family?

I was born and raised in an Hawaiian family in San Diego, Ca.  I spent about 7 years in Dallas, Texas during my 20′s for work.  I spent 8 years in college trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I “grew up” (everything I enjoyed, I wanted to keep as hobbies, not jobs). I moved back to San Diego and  I met Victor, my husband 8 months later.  Victor is an attorney in San Diego, his family is Mexican and he is originally from Texas.  He bought the Cabo Inn Hotel 8 years ago as another avenue in life as well as means to socializing and make people happy, which we are successful at 98% of the time.  Thus, between the hotel, my husbands law business, the playseum, church and our children, we stay busy to say the least. 

I never wanted or had the desire to have kids (until I met my husband) and NOW, I can’t imagine my life without them or with just two of them.  We have a son, Makoahe’enalu (means “fearless surfer”), he just turned 3 and our daughter Anuhea (means “cool soft frangrance” – like a mountain or ocean breeze), she is 14 months. We also have another baby due at the end of October. We hope to have 5 biological children and adopt 1 or 2 if life plays out that way for us.  Church and Family is a HUGE part of our family structure and our children are what make it that much more enjoyable and it is my hope that the Playseum will offer other families in or visiting our community another way to come together with one another in a positive environment.

2.  How did the idea of the Playseum come about?

I’m not a “certified” educator by way of schooling; however, by way of God and becoming a mother (parent) we are made automatic educators and it is our responsibility to help our children grow and learn.  I believe this applies not just to helping our own children, but others as well.  I am a big believer of learning by ability versus learning by age.  I believe keeping children confined by age versus ability, hinders their learning capability and capacity.  That said, I needed something that I could provide my own children that wasn’t structured, indoors (as it relates to Cabo) and could let them bounce back and forth between various learning activities (i.e. social, mental, physical, etc.).  I was disappointed that Cabo did not offer such or anything close to its like at an affordable price.  Additionally, I was disappointed Cabo had no good parks that were safe.  After multiple flights back and forth to San Diego so that I could provide these ideas and desires to my kids, I asked my husband if I could open an affordable indoor “park” with a kid friendly learn and play environment for the children of our community…

With my husbands instant support and hard work, the Playseum was born. Additionally, it was always my intention to have a library part of the Playseum and when I heard that Heather Stewart (someone I did not know) had this dream of a children’s library, I could not help but reach out and find out more.  Long story short, like myself she has a desire to help children get an early start.  We both believe that getting children engaged in learning from an early start while having fun at it, really helps the children and their education in the future.  There are many studies that prove this to be true as well.  Thus, I donated a space in the Playseum for Cabo Children Read to have a little library, with the hopes, Heather is able to grow and expand this library with the support of the community so that many children and in our community even adults can come learn and begin enjoying the wonderful life reading has to offer.  This library is currently FREE to any children (no playseum purchase necessary).

3.  Tell us a little about your facility…

The facility is open to children 10 and under.  Most activities are geared up to the age of 8; however, we have had several 10 year olds enjoy the Playseum as well.  As I mentioned before the library is FREE and currently we have books to satisfy up to the age of 12, Heather hopes to expand on the reading levels to bring more pre-teen books as well, I hope to help her with this venture.  My goal is to help Cabo Children Read grow to their own space so that the children of Cabo can a have a real and fulfilling library one day.

4.  What sort of activities do you offer?

The activities we offer are social, mental and physical.  Games, arts, crafts, gym sets, reading, building, basic young life skills (numbers, letters, colors, tying shoe, alphabets, etc.).  As the Playseum grows and gains more popularity we plan to rotate activities and bring in new ones so that kids do not get bored and are always being challenged.

5. Can you tell me about your policies, prices, hours of operation etc?

Hours of operation are subject to change based on request of majority of parent feedback; however, what is working best for most is:

Monday:  Closed (unless a school holiday or summer, in which we will be open)

Tues-Fri:  10:30AM-7:30PM

Sat-Sun:   9:30AM-6:30PM

 PRICE:

All prices include unlimited open play 6 days a week excluding certain holidays, few special events and closures for equipment maintenance (see monthly calendar/news announcements for these closure dates).  Prices include free WiFi for parents and caregivers, access to Libros 4 Niños, a service offered by the Cabo Children Read Library and all music, dance, science experiments, and arts and crafts , and much more without additional fees (excludes some special craft Saturday’s and special week night events).  Parents, Caregivers and infants 7 months and younger are always admitted free with paying child/sibling.

12 Month ………………………………. $380.00*
6 Month ……………………………….  $230.00*
3 Month ……………………………….  $140.00*
*Prices include up to 2 siblings, each additional sibling add $20.

1 Month …………………………………..  $55.00**

**Price includes one child, each additional sibling add $5.00.

Daily Drop-In ……………………………  $5.00***

***Each additional sibling add $3.00.  Additionally, this is for a single daily entry (i.e. no come and go’s).

NOTE:  Parents and caregivers are always FREE!  Infants 7months and younger are $3.00 OR always FREE with paying sibling. 

Terms and Conditions apply:

·    This pricing structure applies to siblings only.

·    ONLY 12, 6, 3, and 1 month payers are considered “members” all others are considered “non-members”.

·    Adults will NOT be permitted under any circumstance when not accompanying a child.

·    Children will NOT be permitted under any circumstance when not accompanied by an adult (18 yrs or older).

RULES:

·    Please be respectful of one another as well as the facility.  Cabo Niños Playseum was established to bring enjoyment to all.  Remember this is a family and very importantly child friendly environment.

·    Furniture, play equipment and activities are strategically placed for safety purposes.  Please ensure these items are NOT rearranged and that you or the participants you are responsible for, use the furniture, play equipment and activities for their intended purpose only.

·    Everyone (including infants) must wear socks at ALL times at the Cabo Niños Playseum.  In the event you visit our facility without socks, we may offer some socks for purchase at the reception counter.

·    All Edutainer lead activities for 2 years of age and younger are with parent/caregiver, unless noted.  For 3 years and older a parent/caregiver is optional.

·    NO chewing gum allowed.  Outside food and drinks (excluding alcohol) are permitted ONLY in the dining area and must be completely consumed (swallowed) before returning to the play area.  Dining area may be limited on Saturdays during special events.  

·    Healthy snacks and drinks may be purchased at the snack bar and must remain in the dining area.

·    Play may be restricted to 90 minutes during busy times in order to comply with fire and safety regulations.

·    Children who are unwell or with fever should not enter the playseum.

·    Smoking or consuming alcohol is NOT permitted in or within 150 feet of our facility.

·    In the interest of health and safety please report all hazards to a member of staff immediately.

·    Please report all accidents to a member of staff immediately to ensure that we provide the best assistance possible. At all times, changing of diapers should be carried out in the bathroom facilities provided. Please place diapers in the bins provided.

·    We at Cabo Niños Playseum  are pleased to provide these facilities and while we have attempted to make it as safe as possible, the very nature of children’s play activity means that accidents can occasionally happen. We cannot therefore accept responsibility for injury or damage to children or clothing while using our play areas. Parental supervision is essential, as children are not supervised by our staff. Staff do; however, monitor the playseum throughout the day.

·    Under NO CIRCUMSTANCE will any adult be admitted to the playseum without being a parent or guardian or a child, nor will any unsupervised child be admitted.

NOTE:  Price and rules may be subject to change without notice.

6.  Is there any other information that we need to know?

Cabo Niños Playseum is an OPEN PLAY and LEARNING destination and resource where families of all backgrounds come to learn, play and grow together.  We invite you to come enjoy unstructured playtime with your children.  You can watch them explore, create, play and read while you take opportunity to connect with other adults, interact with your child or take a little break with your own book while your child is nearby.  We are not organized by age group, but rather by ability in an environment in which the parents, caregivers and Edutainers can all contribute, mentor and support children 10 years old and younger to enhance their natural abilities as well as help them explore in additional areas of interest while having fun! 

info@caboplayseum.com

172.5559 Playseum Phone

Facebook:  Cabo Ninos Playseum

www.caboplayseum.com  (Spanish version coming soon).

]]> http://bajababygear.com/2014/04/23/finally-an-indoor-play-place-for-cabo/feed/ 0 http://bajababygear.com/2014/04/11/vacation-in-luxury-on-a-resorthotel-budget/ http://bajababygear.com/2014/04/11/vacation-in-luxury-on-a-resorthotel-budget/#comments Fri, 11 Apr 2014 20:19:21 +0000 http://bajababygear.com/?p=3248 Have you ever dreamed of staying in a luxury vacation home or villa but thought it was way out of your price range? Well, in many cases this is just not true… Not only are many of our luxury homes and villas less than what you would pay per person per night at a resort, […]]]>

Have you ever dreamed of staying in a luxury vacation home or villa but thought it was way out of your price range? Well, in many cases this is just not true… Not only are many of our luxury homes and villas less than what you would pay per person per night at a resort, but you can also enjoy all of the amenities plus private spaces for your entire family to spend their vacation together.

 From the time you land to the time you depart, Baja Sur Vacation Rentals can handle all of your vacation needs. We offer private airport ground transportation, initial grocery provisioning, Baja Baby Gear rentals for your children, private onsite chef service, professional onsite spa services, car rentals, golfing, fishing and many other activities from the area. Please contact us for availability and prices. www.bajsurvacationrentals.com or 1 (888) 332-8477.

 When contracting with us for private airport transportation, a private driver will be waiting for you with a sign placard bearing your name once you clear customs and exit into the transportation area. He will help load your luggage and drive you directly to your private home or villa for the start of your vacation. Please remember to tip your driver as many on them rely of tips as part of their compensation. If you have roundtrip transportation, the driver will return on your day of departure and preset time to take you back to the airport for your trip home.

There will be a property manager to meet you at the home or villa upon your arrival to show you the details of the home and review the operations. You will be given a welcome packet or mobile app for your phone that has all of the details about the home or villa including contact information in case you have questions or an issue.

 If you contracted for initial grocery provisioning, all of your items should be in the cabinets, on the counter or in the refrigerator/freezer. Please remember, you are in a foreign country and not all of the specific items that you might have selected from the list are available, but the staff has done their best to substitute where possible. You will also be presented with the receipts for the provisioning and you will be responsible for paying this bill upon presentation unless other arrangements have been made with the office.

Whether you contract with us for in house chef service,  spa services, deep sea fishing, championship golfing, whale watching (during season), sunset cruises or any of the other exciting activities Los Cabos has to offer, Baja Sur Vacation Rentals can make all of the arrangements for you and your family.

Baja Sur Vacation Rentals commitment to service is the best in the industry. They are with you every step of the way through your vacation planning to your return home and follow up. Remember when planning your next trip to Cabo or if you have a friend or acquaintance wanting to come and visit Cabo, Baja Sur Vacation Rentals “Is your ticket to Cabo”. We look forward to seeing you in our paradise very soon.

What do families do when they come to visit Cabo? The things that we do have: the beach and the beautiful sunny weather, we have in abundance. But lets face it, snorkeling, scuba, paddle boarding, or ATV tours just aren’t on the list for families with little children.

I recently caught up with the owner of what I consider to be the best family activity in Cabo. If you do come on vacation to Los Cabos, you cannot miss out on this. Cabo Submarine is a 60 foot semi-submersible tour where you and your children of all ages can see what the ocean looks like in a super safe and fun way.

In a comfortable air conditioned viewing area, you and your kids can explore the waters of Cabo. You get a tour guide, televisions and an audio which all help to explain the species of fish, the cool rock formations and even the sea lion colony that we have here!

There are two tours a day: 11.30am and 2.30pm, both leaving from the Cabo San Lucas Marina. The cost if $35 USD for an adult, $25 USD for children between 4-12 years old and children 3 and under go free. Cameras are permitted. www.cabosubmarine.com is their website where you can make a reservation. Email is reservations@cabosubmarine.com, phone numbers are: Reservations: USA (214) 774-4844 or Mexico (624) 143-8718 .

For all you thrill-seeking parents who may be reading this, have a look at www.cabojetpack.com while you are planning your activities in Cabo. Needless to say the money that you spend on this activity will be well spent; not only will you be doing a fun activity you may never do at home, you will also be giving your family who will be watching you from the beach a few giggles as you master the art of flying by yourself! (FYI – An instructor and lifeguard are present as you use the jetpack). Prices start at $200 USD. Visit the website to make a reservation!

The most well known activity in Riviera Maya has to be Xcaret (pronounced Ish-Car-Et… well that’s how I pronounce it anyway!!). This place has everything you could possible ask for; there are so many things to do and see. Xcaret is located 45 minutes from Cancun (See map), and there you will find the first Butterfly Pavilion in Mexico, a Coral Reef Aquarium, tropical Jungle Trails, underground rivers, a wildlife breeding far, a bird sanctuary amongst lots of other activities.

Not only will you learn about Mexican culture and history, but for all you animal lovers out there you can see monkeys, flamingos, turtles, birds, tropical fish and there is even a bat cave!!

Xcaret is open all year round, 8.30am – 9.30pm. If you are staying in Playa del Carmen, it’s just 6 kms north. Parking is free. A taxi from Cancun will run you between $80-$100 USD each way. There are buses that leave from 5^th Avenue in Playa del Carmen that can get you there – or you can jump in a taxi for about $15 USD. Ask the resort you are staying in about transportation – as Xcaret has a shuttle service that can also come pick you up!  

  FYI, You can buy all the food and drinks you need while you are there, but you can’t bring your own in.

 Here are just a few activities that you may enjoy:

·      Snorkeling in Xcaret Park’s Underground Rivers

·      Floating along Paradise river on a raft

·      Lay /swim at the beach

·      Sit in the salt water natural pools – great for people who don’t like the ocean

·      Nature walks through the jungle

·      Shopping! Can’t beat some retail therapy!

·   Visit the Rotating tower to see some beautiful scenery from 80 meters high (10am- – 6.30pm)

·    Butterfly Pavilion, wildlife farms, turtles, deer shelter, monkey island and bird refuge – great for curious babies!

·      Check out the coral reef!

·      Orchid museum & Mushroom Farm!

 For more information on Xcaret, visit their website www.xcaret.com. Oh and it goes without saying – Xcaret is HUGE, so if you are bringing baby – you want want to rent a stroller! Hint Hint!

While we all love our babies, it can be especially nice for us parents to get a break. It is so important for Moms and Dads to get alone time – and even more so when on vacation. Bringing your family to a new place can be worrisome, as you don’t have family members to help out or your regular babysitters from home to help when you need some time out. We thought you would want to know about an amazing company that has been in business since December 2009: PlayaKids.

Carla Sanchez opened her business after working as an au-pair in Germany. We asked her a few questions about her fantastic service based in Playa del Carmen, servicing all of Riviera Maya. Here is what she said:

Can you tell us some background information on yourself and your staff? I have many years of experience with kids all ages and types. I have worked as an Au-pair in Germany taking care of an autistic child. All the Babysitters that work for Playakids have previous experience working with kids in the past. We can always provide references for parents, plus provide contact information if a new client wants to speak directly with someone who has used our service before.  

Are you willing to go to wherever the client wants a babysitter? Is there a charge for transportation?

Yes, we typically go wherever the client want us to go. It is our preference that we go to the Hotel room, Condo or Villa of the client, as it is the safest contained environment to babysit. While we do charge or transportation, Playakids have an agreement with local taxi drivers for the best rate possible. It is also worth mentioning that in some cases we have had to rent a car for the babysitter. We have been to places like the Sian Kaan reserve where it is not easy to access; taxi drivers usually will not take you there at local rates so in this cases we rent a car for the babysitter and split the transportation cost half is paid by Playakids and half is paid by the client.

What are your business hours?

Our business hours are 24/7! We are always available; however we ask parents to please book the babysitting service with at least one day in advance, so we have time to prepare and let the babysitter know the place where she will be going.

Can you tell us about your policies and rates?

Usually when we do a babysitting service we ask the parents to fill out a small questionnaire about their kids, so the babysitter can know if a child needs any special care, has allergies or also general parenting rules like a certain bed time. Our rates may vary a little bit depending on how far the location is in Playa del Carmen. Our flat local rate is only 15 USD per hour. Mayan Riviera is 20 USD per hour and in the Tulum area is 30 USD per hour.  We charge 2 USD extra per hour if there are two children and 4 USD extra per hour if there are 3 children. It is important for us that the client leave us some references after each service, like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Playakids/170695486354236) or at least spread the word out about us with their friends who might need our services while visiting Cancun, Playa del Carmen or the Riviera Maya.

How can people contact you?

Either via the website www.playakids.com or email info@playakids.com. Our numbers are: Mexico phone numbers + (52) 984-139-5832, + (52) 984-118-3054, + (52) 984-13-50200. US phone number 424.777.6694

We thought we would kick off our blog with one of our favorite places to be in Playa del Carmen: 5^th Avenue. 5th Avenue is the heart of the city and one of the ‘must do’s’ for tourists.  Located right off the beach, 5th Avenue is a pedestrian street where the largest concentration of restaurants, spas, shops, coffee shops, boutiques, jewelers, ice cream shops, art galleries, various souvenirs for all tastes and budgets can be found. It takes about 90 mins to walk it from one end to the other… longer if you stop! We HIGHLY recommend you rent a stroller for the walk – we know a very reputable baby equipment rental company called Baja Baby Gear where you can get great strollers!! (I know – we are shameless! :-))

The avenue begins on Paseo del Carmen, a small plaza located at 10th Avenue and Calle 1 Sur with good places to have a coffee or buy some designer clothing. There are plenty of trees in this part – so great for when baby needs to get out of the heat!

‘Ah Cacao Cafe’ is our favorite spot for coffee! It has the best hot chocolate and coffee we’ve ever had. They have it all: espresso, lattes, hot chocolate, Mayan chocolate, sipping chocolate…Order the corn cake. It’s super fudgy, delicious. Great outdoor seating if you like to people watch and free wifi.  Beneath are their two locations in Playa:

5th Avenue and 30th Street

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Everyday from 07:15 AM – 11:30 PM, Tel: +52 984 879 4179

5th Avenue and Constituyentes

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Everyday from 07:15 AM – 11:30 PM, Tel: +52 984 803 5748

Go a little farther and you will find Parque Fundadores: a beautiful park with a cool sculpture. Here you will find a little park for kids with a pirate ship to play on! Our Lady of Carmen chapel is situated here. There is a neat little fruit market where the locals vendors sell all kind of seasonal fruits. If you go at night you will be able to see the “Voladores de Papantla”. This is an amazing show (which is free!). For more information on the show itself, click here: http://voladoresdepapantla.com/index_eng.html

If you happen to have a babysitter for the kids so you get a night off, you want to hit the intersection of 5^th and 12^th avenues. This area is littered with clubs, bars restaurants and shows. There is something for everyone: from small bars of mezcal with electronic music or clubs with two or three dance floors!

Locals like to hang out at Calle Corazon  (Heart Street). This street is located between the 12^th and the 14^th street, but you can also access it from 5^th and 14^th. Calle Corazon is as sweet as it sounds:  a welcoming light-filled alley with cafes, art galleries and restaurants.

On Thursday nights  you can go to New 5th Avenue, where a group of local artists show off their work. The art walk or ‘Caminarte’ is a fun thing to do: lots of great art along with a great vibe.

We will go into more detail about some of our favorite places to eat in Playa soon! Any questions you have, feel free to email Liliana: cancun@bajababygear.com or call 855369BABY from the US/Canada, or her local number: 9841009993.

We strive to provide the highest quality of equipment to our customers and bring you as much up-to-date knowledge about what you need to know about Riviera Maya as a traveling family! If you have any questions about our service, please feel free to email Liliana on cancun@bajababygear.com. Happy travels