mass transit, mass benefits

i know i have been so delinquent in the past few weeks in posting, since school has somewhat taken over my life. now that i have a schedule in place and am on top of all homework, i have a few things to share about being resourceful.

since i've been in Minneapolis i've started using public transportation again (Tahoe is not exactly great for those without cars). as an urban area its incredibly easy to get around by bus, and very soon the Light Rail will be expanded to cover more area in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. though its great to save money and energy, there are a few pitfalls to public transportation.

1. timing

in order to make it to my classes, i have to give myself a minimum of one hour to get to campus, usually more to be safe (i absolutely hate being late to class, especially as a professional-looking grad student). i actually have to take 2 buses to school which can delay things even further, especially when i'm done for the day and i just want to go home. it is, however, a great time to practice patience and remember why i'm taking the bus in the first place.

2. waiting

waiting for the bus goes hand-in-hand with timing, but i also feel like there's a decent amount of waiting while i'm on the bus. sometimes passengers need extra assistance getting on and off the bus, or maybe there's a lot of people getting on or off the bus. in addition, just waiting to get to my stop can sometimes feel like eternity. to combat this, i bring a book (unrelated to school) that can draw my attention away from the waiting. by nature i am not a patient person so i try to remember to do these things and not drive myself crazy.

3. bus etiquette (or lack thereof)

personally, i prefer to ride the bus with headphones and keep to myself. other people want to make conversation. as politely as possible, i smile and pretend like i can't hear them, which usually i can't anyways. i certainly don't want to offend anyone but i also am not interested in talking to a stranger about nothing while i'm commuting to school. it's also important to be courteous to everyone and their space, though some people have a harder time with this. i always make room in a seat for older folks, and i politely excuse myself when i arrive at my stop and i'm sitting on the inside seat. people who often ride the bus are usually on the same page, so this hasn't really been an issue for me. just to be safe, i make sure and practice my best manners.

all in all, riding the bus and public transportation is better for my wallet and the environment, though it can sometimes be trying. when possible, i think its a great option and certainly much better than trying to commute into or through a major city, and pay an outrageous amount for parking (unless your company or firm is willing to pay and you don't mind traffic). it's a great way to save money and energy and be resourceful!!

consignment gold at the end of the rainbow

unless you've been living under a rock and know nothing about me (or have never read this blog before), you know nothing about my obsession with used and secondhand goods. i love thrifting and vintage shopping so much i even wrote a guide for my readers and followers so you too can strike gold at your local thrift shop or vintage boutique.

silk Marc Jacobs blouse, purchased for $26
in 2008

last week i was given the privilege to pick a few things out (for back-to-school, yay!!) with my parents at my favorite consignment store EVER, Fashion Avenue. i could go into more detail about its location but that would be completely giving up the secret. there i found a sweet scoop neck Velvet brand wool-blend tunic and a light-colored and lightweight plaid button down by Free People, all together for under $60.

the lot of scores from 1 week of consignment shopping

a few days later, my dad called and said i had a store credit at Fashion Avenue as a late birthday present, so i was able to go pick out a few more things for school, when i found an adorable grey sweater dress by Free People and some J Brand black denim bootcut jeans, again for about $60. that may seem like a lot to spend on just a few items, but knowing what i do about these brands means they will last for a long time, fit me well, and can be consigned for something different if i decide i don't like them anymore.

keyhole and ribbon detail from the back of Free People sweater dress

i cannot tell you how satisfying it feels to find such amazing deals on high quality clothing. i mean i can, and i am now, but i recommend you find out for yourself. check my guide (all 3 parts) for more info and tips to making the most of your money! being resourceful will always pay off, i guarantee.

crafting is art

in the past year, my love for my own art and creativity has grown immensely. through my creativity i find an inner calm (also found through my yoga practice) and i feel accomplished for making something new.

a taste of my workspace

though i do use some new materials like chain and leather that is harder to find in large quantities recycled, i prefer to use recycled beads, pendants, pieces and parts for my jewelry. this has become popular in the past few years as we try to be more resourceful, and it's called 'upcycling.' i've posted about upcycling before, and lately i've only collected more and more pieces to use and make new again.

100% upcycled earrings made with
hoops, glass beads and chain

i'm still listing pieces on my etsy and hope to soon show my work to a larger audience through a trunk show and networking. if i can reach even a few people and share my art, that is based on making old things new again, i will be happy. check it out and spread the word! my pieces are for anyone and everyone, but mostly for us betties everywhere.

takeout, eggs, and magic

this morning i searched the fridge for something i could use in my eggs for a healthy, filling and not-too-heavy breakfast. as you may have seen here before, i absolutely love eating eggs and leftovers for my breakfast , and it's a great way to use what you already have. being on a budget doesn't have to mean eating cereal for breakfast and ramen noodles for your other 2 meals.

2 nights ago, my parents and i got some super delish takeout from the Holy Land , a Mediterranean food mecca (pun intended) in Northeast Minneapolis. for $20, we got an appetizer plate that included hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel and dolmas (stuffed grape leaves - amazing!), a lamb pita plate with saffron rice pilaf, and a large tabouleh salad. we ate most of the food that night, but the leftovers were put to good use the next day and again this morning. i used the lamb meat with the eggs and added fresh chevre (soft goat cheese), and added the tabouleh to the same plate to have a vegetable and a little spice. it made for an incredible breakfast and kept me full for hours afterward! i like to have a bigger breakfast with lots of protein, so i stave off any snacking and hunger until i'm ready to have a small meal or lunch.

lamb and chevre scramble served with authentic
Mediterranean tabouleh

now that i live in a bigger city again, i have countless options for affordable, healthy food. i also love foods from all over the world, so the Twin Cities are perfectly fulfilling. curry goes great with eggs, as well as stir fries and rice dishes. do some research about your tastes and what's available in your city so you can get creative and be resourceful!!

yoga is my church

as some of you know, i am a strong advocate for the practice of yoga and its physical and emotional health benefits. i've been practicing yoga for 10 years, and i started doing it at home. i had gone to a few classes here and there, and when i was living in Chicago i began my home practice. i had a tiny little TV with the built-in VCR, and i watched Rodney Yee's videos (if you don't know about Rodney Yee, Google him. he wears awesome tiny black yoga shorts that always made me giggle.). it was a great way to start my home yoga practice, in a comfortable, non-competitive environment.

when i first moved to Minneapolis in 2006, i practiced and studied yoga with my teacher Ben Vincent, from One Yoga. as i delved deeper into my practice, i learned more and more about myself and the practice of yoga itself. it is manifested in different ways for different people, and we all have different abilities. i rarely practiced at home, since the studio was a half block from my apartment. in Truckee, i became close to my friend and teacher Ann Marie Sheridan, who now owns Namaste studio and utilizes a similar teaching style to Ben. this consistency in teaching improved my practice and my understanding of yoga. as some of you read previously, i found a great spot at my most recent house in Truckee to practice, outside in the backyard among giant pine trees. it was magnificent.

Warrior 1 pose

now i am back in Minneapolis getting ready for grad school in a few weeks and my yoga practice has become grounding for me, during a time of readjustment and new beginnings. i'm living with my parents (you can laugh but its FREE) and they have an awesome Midwestern rec-room, multi-purpose basement. with a huge space sometimes used for the grandkids' playspace, i am also able to use it as a yoga space when i want to practice at home. this week i am house and dogsitting for my sister while she and the family are in Seattle, and once again i was able to find a small space to lay my mat. she has a massive walk-in closet (filled with lawyer-y clothes, amazing vintage pieces and tons of beautiful shoes) with a small wood floor space just big enough for my mat and some standing poses.

Tree pose - a practice in balance

some of you are probably thinking, "how the heck can i practice at home if i'm not that 'good' at yoga?" well first of all, there's no such thing as being 'good' or not at yoga. it is a practice and should be viewed that way. i may be able to do advanced poses, but i don't think of myself as being 'good' at it. it may be easier to begin a home practice after you become more familiar with poses and are not fearful of injuring yourself. for beginners, i recommend attending at least a few classes to gain some ideas about what their home practice could look like, and to learn proper alignment for those poses.

you may also be wondering how you can cultivate a home practice if you are not a trained teacher. how will you know which poses to do and when? for me, this is the beauty of the home practice. i generally don't start my home practice with a specific idea for the poses i'll do, but i naturally fall into a routine that i've gotten used to through different classes and teachers. if i start to feel lost as to what to do next, i take a minute to breathe deeply and check in with how my body feels. this will usually tell me what i'd like to do. sometimes i only practice for 20-30 minutes, other times i practice for an hour or more at home. without a specific agenda in mind, the home practice allows me to be fully aware of my body's needs, and to practice without any distractions.

i encourage everyone to consider a home practice of yoga and/or meditation at either a regularly scheduled time or sporadically. everyone's needs are different. for more ideas about poses and a home practice, check out these online resources:

10 tips for practicing yoga at home
Yoga for beginners at home (video)
A home practice

betty roots run deep

last week, i moved back home to Minneapolis from Truckee to get settled before i start my graduate program at the U of M. living with my parentals again as an adult will surely be a challenge, but luckily my mom and i have lots in common, primarily that we are super resourceful betties. my mom is the original; she taught Erin and i how to make the most of what we are given and to do it well. here in the midwest, gardening comes more easily than in the mountains. the other day, my mom made lunch for me, Trevor, her husband Gary and herself, using home and locally grown ingredients (primarily).

     

chilled Cucumber-Avocado soup, made with homegrown cucumbers

Tortillitas with shrimp and scallions; yellow
cherry tomatoes and cucumbers from
mom's garden

not only does my mom have a garden full of massive cucumbers and squash, but she has both curly and lacinato kale plants that are as big as small trees. having these resources readily available makes us more likely to put them to use and not waste what we already have. as a kid i was not totally excited about all of the vegetables in our garden, but now that i am older i thoroughly enjoy eating every kind of homegrown vegetable i possibly can. not only is it healthy, but eating this way is good for our environment. along with the chilled soup, my mom made tortillitas with shrimp and scallions (imagine small pancakes with savory goodies inside). to complete this perfect summer lunch, she picked yellow cherry tomatoes from the garden and served them with freshly cut cucumber slices.


now that i'm home in Minnesota i will certainly miss the mountains and the incredible friends i made in Tahoe, but i am excited to begin a new chapter with graduate school and reconnect with my Midwestern roots. soon enough i'll be back to visit Tahoe and snowboard like crazy, but until then it's family, school and work here in the Twin Cities.

san francisco on the quick

Trev tries on his favorite team's
helmet at a Mission thrift store

earlier this week, Trevor and i decided to head right down the hill to the great city of San Francisco for a quick trip to see friends and enjoy the city. the drive down is only 3 hours from Truckee and beautiful through the foothills. if i have the time, i usually stop at Pedrick Produce in the Valley, to stock up on local fruits and veggies. our first day and night were spent mostly socializing and going out in the city, which can be costly, but we managed to not spend a total fortune on alcohol.

Mexican Cokes

the next day we nursed a serious hangover with brunch at Eats Restaurant in the inner Richmond district. after our meal, we headed to the Castro so i could swing by Crossroads to sell some clothes. i've been cleaning out my closets as i get ready to move to Minnesota and i was able to sell a few things, though that particular Crossroads was already well stocked. while i did my errand, Trevor and his friends went to hang out at nearby Mission Dolores park. after a food coma and nap we got ready to head out of town, hitting up the famed Mission Chinese restaurant on our way out of the city. i've been hearing about this place for a while, where authentic, traditional Chinese cuisine takes center stage and the public comes pouring in. the sign outside is for the previous restaurant, named Lung Shan (it's yellow and hangs overhead; have to keep an eye out!). the vibe inside is hip yet traditional, featuring lanterns and huge paintings of the General Mao and his comrades. we ordered 4 "Mexican Cokes" (Coca-Cola in a glass bottle) made with real sugar and got to work on the menu.

between the 4 of us, we ordered one soup, one chicken dish, and two vegetable dishes, one of which was a cold appetizer. all food is served family style and the portions are appropriate, even at a fairly inexpensive price. without realizing it, we did all order fairly spicy dishes and the kitchen staff certainly does not skimp on the spice. after sufficiently stuffing ourselves and relieving our burning mouths with cold Coke, we paid up and tipped the very aloof hipster server. including tip, we spent under $80 (his aloofness prompted only an 18% tip).  with a little time to kill before rush hour ended on the Bay Bridge, we headed to a nearby thrift store on Mission and 17th. the place was like a huge warehouse, yet i found nothing (and i am trying hard to stop collecting items right before i move).

cold Garlic Cucumbers at
Mission Chinese

we made it home to Truckee that night around midnight and i was supremely exhausted, but it was all well worth it. San Francisco is my favorite city and i was happy to have one last trip before heading east again for school.

Mongolian Long Beans with Leeks
(this was the spiciest and my favorite dish!)

the spread: Kung Pao pastrami, Garlic Cucumbers,
Mongolian Long Beans and Smoked Beef
Brisket soup