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@survivingmexico
Natural Healing -- Maravilla
The lovely native Mexican plant Mirabilis jalapa has quite a number of names. In the area where I live, it’s known as Aretitos (little earrings), but it also has been given the names Maravilla, Hoja de Xalapa, Linda Tarde, Clavelina, Maravilla amarilla, Don Diego de Noche, and Maravilla de Perú in Spanish. In English, this plant is most commonly known as Four o’clocks, and in Maya ts’uts’uy xiiw.…
Natural Healing -- Rosa de Castilla
Natural Healing -- Bretónica
Photo credit: mvz-juangonzalezromero Bretónica (Lepechinia caulescens), not to be confused with betónica (Betonica officinalis) is also known as brenilla, cabezona de mata, xenxenekua, salvia del campo, chía tendida, sonaja, datha nejexmho in Otomi and chun chinaskua by the Purhépecha. Native to Mexico and Guatemala, primarily in the highlands, this square-stemmed plant has white flowers that…
Natural Healing -- Hierba de pollo
Photo credit: BotBin Hierba de pollo or Mexican dayflower, was a difficult plant to identify positively. One of the issues was that several herbal sources had photographs of Tradescantia plants rather than the bright blue flowers that are the hallmark of hierba de pollo. To complicate matters further, Tradescantia is one of the ten genera in the Family Commelinaceae. In fact, several varieties…
Natural Healing -- Culantro
Photo credit: Mokkie Culantro is also known as cilantro habanero, cilantro de monte, cilantrón, and cilantro camino although it is not related to Coriandrum sativum. Other names include chillangua, culantro coyote, alcapate, escorzonera, tlipotón, samat (with the spelling variant xamat, and spiritweed or Mexican coriander in English. Although native to tropical Mexico, and Central and South…
2026 Reading Challenge
Every year I tell myself I’m not going to make “rules” around reading… and every year I do it anyway. The truth is, I’ve really enjoyed my past reading challenges, not because I finished every category (I didn’t), but because they nudged me toward books I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise. The 2026 Reading Challenge is just that: a personal little nudge. No pressure, no leaderboard, just a loose…
2025 Reading Challenge Recap
Every year, I approach my reading challenge with equal parts ambition and realism. Some books are carefully planned; others show up unexpectedly and end up checking off multiple prompts at once. This year was no exception. As I look back at my 2025 reading challenge so far, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much ground I covered—and how flexible this challenge allowed me to be. Here’s a breakdown…
Natural Healing -- Azomiate
Photo credit: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata Azomiate, Barkleyanthus salicifolius has the botanical synonym of Senecio salignus and is native to Mexico and Central America. Common names include chilca, jarilla, izcatzoyatl (faja de algodón) or necheloli (para recoger la bilis) in Náhuatl, it oksini in Purhépecha, ra-yhotitha in Otomí, baldag shi ingol in Zapotec, alzumihatl in Oaxaca and willow…
2025 Book Marketing Challenge Year in Review
In 2025, my goal wasn’t to shout louder. It was to be seen more clearly. That meant focusing my energy where it mattered most. SurvivingMexico.com became the main stage, while ceflores.com quietly stepped into a supporting role. After reviewing performance and profitability, I’ve decided to keep ceflores.com on WordPress’s free plan in 2026 and concentrate my efforts where growth has been…
Moving into 2026 with Cautious Steps
Things feel so stagnant right now that setting goals, intentions, or even choosing a direction feels premature. I’m hoping that over the course of this month, some of the issues keeping me stuck will begin to move toward resolution. In the meantime, I looked back at what I intended to do in 2025—if only to take stock of where things actually landed. Writing and Reading I didn’t get anything new…
December 2025 Book Marketing Challenge
December is here, which means it’s time for my favorite (and occasionally humbling) year-end ritual: digging through a year’s worth of stats to see what actually happened in my little corner of the publishing world. This month, I’ll be taking a closer look at: • Website stats – Who visited? What were they looking for? And how many of them stuck around long enough to click something besides…
November 2025 Book Marketing Challenge Update
So… how did November marketing go? Well, let’s just say it was an adventure—and not entirely by choice. Remember how I had to discontinue my Amazon ads because of that delightful bank card fiasco? Yeah. So November was a full-on freeballing-it month. No ads. No fancy targeting. Just me, my social media posts, a couple of emails, and some strategic free book promos thrown into the universe like…
Surviving Domestic Challenges
My wedding–so long ago! I last left my faithful readers of this colorful saga with the bombshell that my husband had locked me out of the house. I’ll need to provide some background information so you can understand how we arrived at this point. My husband is an alcoholic. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He’s “tried” a variety of treatments over the years and has even maintained…
2025 WIP Challenge: End-of-Year Wrap-Up
Well… here we are at the end of the 2025 WIP Challenge, and yes, I know that I haven’t posted an update since August. Oops. But in my defense, time is a weird soup, and somehow the last four months evaporated when I wasn’t looking. Did I write?A little! Here and there! Enough to feel smug for a moment and then promptly forget what I was working on. Did I finish any new WIPs this year?Absolutely…
Thoughtful Gifts for Readers, Writers, and Dreamers ✨
If your idea of a perfect evening involves a steaming mug, a cozy blanket, and a good book (or notebook), this list is for you. Here are a few gifts that celebrate storytelling, creativity, and quiet inspiration — perfect for the readers and writers in your life. 📘 1. Books That Spark Curiosity Start with books that feed both the mind and imagination: 🌿 Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in…
3 Thoughtful Gifts for the Herbalist (or Aspiring Healer) in Your Life
If you have someone in your life who’s always brewing teas, drying herbs, or talking about tinctures, you already know — herbalists are a special kind of magic. 🌿 This year, surprise them with gifts that nurture their curiosity and honor their connection to the natural world. Here are two meaningful books that any herbalist, healer, or plant lover will adore. 🌿 1. Exploring Traditional Herbal…
Natural Healing -- Pelonchile
Photo credit: B.navez Tropaeolum spp. is native to Central and South America, from Chile to Mexico. As seems quite common among plants, there are some naming issues that cause confusion. First, in English, this plant is often called nasturtium. However, it does not belong to the watercress genus Nasturtium officinale. Tropaeolum was given this common name because it produces a similar oil as…