My Favourite Souvenirs from Mexico City
Plus more tips on where and how to shop.
Welcome to another edition of Love, Peace, and Tacos, a weekly newsletter where I share what I’m currently feeling, loving, and eating.
I’ve been back in Canada for a few weeks but still lingering in all things Mexico City.
Whenever I travel to a new place, I tend to organize my days around eating and shopping.
Some may scoff but I think shopping is a great way to get to know a city.
In addition to researching places to eat, I’ll poke around online and on Instagram for boutiques I might want to check out. I love a good vintage or thrift shop, and anywhere that sells unique art prints and jewelery.
Then, I’ll map out my day based on what stores I want to check out. More often than not, the stores I’ve researched in advance don’t live up to the hype. However, I almost always end up in a fun neighborhood surrounded by other interesting places I want to see, shop, and taste (a delicious-smelling taco stand! A vintage clothing pop-up!)
In the 18 months leading up to the pandemic, I went to Mexico seven times for work. Throughout those trips, I brought back my fair share of beautiful Mexican folk art (think: embroidery, blankets, handmade toys, hand-blown glass, baskets, and even a bed for Joe the Intern!) While there are places in CDMX where you can find gorgeous Mexican handicrafts (Mercado Coyacan is a wonderful place to start), I knew if I brought anything home from this trip it would be something truly unique and compact (I live in a very small space!)
So, without further adieu, here are my favorite things that came back with me from Mexico City.
💖 Malintzi Holbox Medal from Casa Mandarine - If you’ve seen my unpacking video, you know I love gold necklaces. I also love palm trees. Confession: I didn’t want to leave Mexico City.
So, when I stumbled across this adorable gold medal necklace on one of my last days in the city and read the inscription on the back, I knew it was coming home with me. On the back, it reads:
"One always returns to those places where I love life."
(I’m not crying, you are!)
💖 Breakfast-themed art prints from BAD! (breakfast all day) — I love this breakfast spot’s quirky branding almost as much as its pancakes, so I am thrilled that they had these art prints for sale. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, restaurant merch is always a fun option and a nice way to support small businesses.
And yes, I regret not buying some swag from Pizzeria Della Madonna while in CDMX.
FYI, if you’re headed to Los Angeles,
has a recent post that features a list of local LA restaurants that have great swag.
💖 Donald Duck Vintage Pascual Tray — One evening, my friend Sheldon and I stopped by Tacos La Chula for a snack. When it was time to pay, the server brought our bill out on this adorable vintage tip tray — a promo item from Mexican soft drink company, Pascual. Smitten, I decided I’d look for a similar tray at Tianguis La Lagunilla (the flea market) the next day. Lo and behold, I had to go back twice but eventually, I found an identical tray for around $10 CAD. It’s now my new favorite catch-all dish for keys, lip balm, etc.
💖 MITS (Mexico is The Shit) T-Shirt from Casadinamarca (this is the back of the tee) — The MITS brand started as a political statement following the 2016 US Presidential Election\ as a way to celebrate that Mexico is amazing & full of endless potential (you can read their mission statement here). I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear it with my favorite biker shorts.
💖 Miniature Food (!!) — Mexico is a hotspot for miniature food and it is one of my favorite craft items to buy whenever I’m at a market. I couldn’t leave Mexico without stocking up on some of Joe the Intern’s favorite Mexican dishes. If you can’t make it to Mexico to pick up a tiny plate of churros, search “miniature mexican food” on Etsy. I found a bunch of amazing sellers.
What are your thoughts regarding shopping while traveling? Do you avoid it? Revel in it? Let me know in the comments!
Love, peace, and tacos,
