Chipotle Mexican Grill

I love Chipotle Mexican Grill, and maybe I'm preaching to the choir. But I have to throw it our there for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of going to a Chipotle yet. The company's focus is "Food With Integrity" and they go into great detail on their website. In a nutshell, they seek out the best ingredients using meats raised naturally(animals raised humanely, free roaming, never given antibiotics or added hormones and fed a vegetarian diet), source organic and locally grown produce when practical, and use dairy from cows raised without the use of synthetic hormones. This is a quite unusual concept for fast food and certainly for any dining out experience. I have found very few restaurants in the area that use such high quality ingredients. Some people think eating at a fine dining restaurant and spending $150 on a meal for two is "high quality", but I beg to differ. This company hand picks the farms the animals are raised on, as well as the farms the produce is grown. You just can't beat that! This blog is about getting the best for less and that is why I highly recommend you go to Chipotle Mexican Grill.
So here's what to expect when you walk into a Chipotle: You walk up to the counter and see all the ingredients laid out in front of you. You have the option of a burrito, bowl, taco or salad. I personally always get the bowl, I feel like you get more food that way, and it's easier to eat than a burrito. But, it is a matter of preference. First, a layer of cilantro lime rice, white or brown. Second on the list is black beans or pinto beans. Next is the meat, which is marinated and then grilled. Your choices are shredded beef, steak, chicken or pork. The next choice you have to make is what kind of salsa you would like. The four options are, tomato, tomatillo-red, tomatillo-green, and roasted chili corn. Finally, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and lettuce. Oh, and I almost forgot the grilled veggies(green peppers and onions). They assemble your burrito, bowl , taco or salad with all your toppings and viola! You now have a substantial, healthy, fast meal all for under $7.00! If you want more information on the company and it's menu, check out the website @ www.chipotle.com

If you live in the Metro-Detroit area there are 8 locations to choose from:

2611 Rochester Rd.
Rochester Hills
(248)853-2850

84 North Adams Rd.
Rochester Hills
(248)402-0047

3129 Crooks Rd.
Troy
(248)816-5103

28644 Telegraph Rd.
Southfield
(248)415-4301

32824 Woodward Ave.
Royal Oak
(248)658-3100

26147 Evergreen Rd.
Southfield
(248)353-3448

13975 Lakeside Circle
Sterling Heights
(586)532-1139

6753 Orchard Lake Rd.
W.Bloomfield
(248)539-1094

You must see the movie "Samsara"

We just rented the movie "Samsara" , which was released on DVD in January ,from our local library. This is the best way to see movies for free. They have new releases , as well as foreign films, documentaries and most of the previously released movies as well. I think the selection at the library is actually better than the video store. The best part is that it is FREE, as long as you return it when it is due. If not, you will pay a $1.00 fine and this is still better than renting from the video store.

"Samsara" is a movie with amazing and exciting cinematography, no dialogue and minimal music. The images speak for themselves. You feel like you are being teleported to the location of the videographer. To see places that you may never visit in your entire life gives you a sense of satisfaction. It's as if you have been let in on a secret and now you can move on. Yet, as you are visually stimulated ,frame after frame, you crave more.

This is what the official website says:

"Prepare yourself for an unparalleled sensory experience. SAMSARA reunites director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose award-winning films BARAKA and CHRONOS were acclaimed for combining visual and musical artistry.

SAMSARA is a Sanskrit word that means “the ever turning wheel of life” and is the point of departure for the filmmakers as they search for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives. Filmed over a period of almost five years and in twenty-five countries, SAMSARA transports us to sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial sites, and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, SAMSARA subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary, instead encouraging our own inner interpretations inspired by images and music that infuses the ancient with the modern."

"SAMSARA explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of man’s spirituality and the human experience. Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, SAMSARA takes the form of a nonverbal, guided meditation. Through powerful images, the film illuminates the links between humanity and the rest of nature, showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet."

- http://barakasamsara.com/samsara/about

Check out the official website for more info

Change in perspective

Here we are in midst of the "Holiday " season which Christian's and non -Christians have adopted as a time of celebration and gift giving. After studying the origins of Christmas I found out some eye-opening facts from many sources. The Roman pagans in ancient times celebrated a festival called Saturnalia from December 17- December 25th which marked the beginning of winter solstice and honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. It was a hedonistic celebration with alot of lawlessness, indecency, drinking , and even human sacrifices. They would bring evergreen trees into their homes to decorate and worship.The evergreen tree was a phallic symbol in fertility worship. The pagans worshipped many things of nature. They would go from house to house singing naked which has evolved into Christmas caroling today. They also gave each other gifts. It was also known to be the birthday of an Iranian mystery god, Mithra ,the sun of righteousness . The early Roman church tried to recruit pagans into the church by incorporating pagan traditions into the celebration of Jesus' birth , even though most bible scholars will tell you that Jesus was not born on December 25th.The fact is that many of the traditions and customs that the world practices during Christmas today were adopted from pagan celebrations. And I don't want to forget to mention Santa Clause! He was the Germanic pagan god Thor. I strongly encourage you to google the origins of Christmas and all it's traditions. The fact that Christmas is the most commercialized holiday of the year makes it a very secular celebration. Stores are now open on Thanksgiving which was traditionally a day spent with family being grateful. Black Friday has now extended into Thursday . People spend nights camped out on sidewalks to ensure that they get the biggest and best flat screen TV. Lines are long everywhere you go. Don't even go within a 3 mile radius of the mall because you will surely get caught up in shoppers traffic. Sure, people are trying to be generous to there loved ones by buying them gifts. The question is, what happens when you get the credit card bill in January? Are you late on your rent because your son just had to have the $500 game system that every kid in his school has? Did you have to take out an equity loan so you could finance that new ipad, iphone and imac laptop for Billy, Bobby and Betty? Did you really need to get into a fight with that lady in the parking lot because she took your parking space? Are you stressed out because you just can't find a that perfect gift for your Aunt Margaret? The killings in Connecticut, the mall shootings, robberies, muggings all at a time of year when we're promoting "Peace and Joy". It's time to reflect on what is important in life.So many parents will not have the privilege of spending time with their little child due to the recent tragedies. What is your focus at this time of year? Have you sold out to the materialism of the season?  Love your friends and family the right way and remember , you can't buy love. Keep it simple and adapt your own traditions that are not of the world . My husband and I decided to forgo the gift exchange this year and give each other gifts at random times of year and surprise each other. We will give the children one gift each but will probably alter how we do things in the future. When you give a gift you should want to give and not feel obligated to give just because everyone else is . As for my family and I , this season , we're not going to focus on Jesus birth, but why he died for us.


On a more lighter note, if you decide to keep the tradition of gift giving, here are few ways to keep it simple and cheap.

1. Make something! I've been going to resale shops and deconstructing and reconstructing used clothes and jewelry. I just found a silk sari for $3.50 at the Salvation Army. I'm going to take it apart and remake it into a scarf. When I'm done I'll be sure to post the photos. Baked goods and chocolate are always winners as well as home-made soap.

2.I had this stack of Trader Joe's and Whole Food's bags just sitting there taking up space. The other day I needed tissue paper to stuff in gift bags for some friends for a non-Christmas event. I decided at the last minute to cut the bags into sheets and run it through the paper shredder, Voila! It was perfect strips of shred ready to fill the bags like tissue. I also recommend using the cut up bags as wrapping paper. Very eco friendly and green!

3.Buy something vintage from the thrift store or flea market that is really hip and cool. Buy something used? Alot of the trendy stores model their designs after vintage clothing. Antique jewelry is collectible and you can find some rare finds if you really dig hard.

4.Sign up for Groupon.com , Amazonlocaldeals@amazon.com, Travelzoo.com ,  livingsocial.com, retailmenot.com for tremendous savings on restaurants,entertainment, spas, retailers, fitness centers,  just about anything.

5. My new favorite product right now:



This stuff smells too good you would think it's edible! But it's not!It's for your dry, flaky skin. It's so rich and thick and goes right into your skin. It's great for dry cracked heels too. And , it's safe to say  that most of the ingredients are certified organic. This would make a wonderful gift and it only costs $4.99! I'm telling you, if you know someone who loves coconut, and so many people do, this would make a fantastic gift. Add a soap or body scrub , put it in a box and wrap using your Trader Joe's bag as gift wrap, use twine or jute to make a bow, and there you have a fabulous gift!

6. Give the gift of a yearly subscription to their favorite mag. By using magazines.com you can save 50-90% off the price.

For example: InStyle Magazine 6 issues for $12 which is 50% off the newstand price

7. If you a have a friend or family memeber with small children make a coupon on the computer for free babysitting for a night out with their husband or alone . I have a baby and I know I would love that as a gift:)

8.My kids are great at making coupon books and we love that! They give coupons for back rubs, foot massages, assistant for the day, cleaning the house, doing the laundry etc..

9. Photo books and calenders from snapfish.com make awesome affordable gifts for grandparents,aunts , uncles and any special people in your life. Just upload your favorite photos and they'll ship the finished product to you. You can order books as low as $11.99 for 20 photos. Calenders start at $19.99.

10. Hugs are free!

Kidnapped by bandits?

On the last leg of our trip we ended up in Bogota, Colombia. When we started this trip four months ago we had planned on exploring only Uruguay and Argentina. The plan was not to go backpacking through all of South America with 5 huge luggage, 5 carry-ons, a stroller and a baby cot. The plan was to stay put a month at a time and then fly out of Montevideo in November. Well, plans changed and we did end up dragging all of our luggage and stuff through 6 countries and who knows how many cities on who knows how many buses and taxis!!!!!!!!! Because we are very thrifty and have a budget, we discovered a really great deal on airfare out of Columbia. The price for a one way round trip ticket was $150.00. When we got to Peru and realized that we would like to go further north to see Ecuador, we started thinking about how much it would cost us to travel all the way back to Montevideo to catch our flight. We were thinking about all the long bus rides we would have to take as well all the hotels we would  have to pay for. When we weighed it out we thought that it would be cheaper to work our way up to Colombia, and purchased the $150 tickets through Spirit airlines.

Now you know I love a great deal because this blog is all about the great deals! But we all know that when you think of Colombia the first thing that comes to mind is ...... the drug cartel, kidnappings, bombings,cocaine etc... I did not feel very comfortable with having to travel through Colombia.Of course my husband the adventurer said "Oh c'mon, it'll be fun!!" So I got coerced into saving money by going to Colombia. When I started researching things I realized that crossing the border from Ecuador into Colombia has been known to be somewhat dangerous. After reading my Lonely Planet book about how to cross over, I was dreading having to do it. I kept reading travel websites with posts from travelers who had done it before. The one warning was not to take an overnight bus because of bandits robbing buses. To avoid taking an overnight bus we would have to stay in the border town and get to immigration really early in the morning, walk across the border with all of our luggage and stuff , go to the Colombian immigration office and then take a taxi to the bus station. I was really nervous about having to do all this , I thought for sure we would get kidnapped.

Needless to say, we made it safely. God watched over us and sent us a helper. On the bus to the border town on Ecuador's side I sat next to this young woman in her 20's. We didn't say much to each other for most of the ride. As we were getting close, in my broken Spanish I asked her if she was Ecuadorean or Colombian. She said she was from Columbia. We continued to make small talk and I asked if her if it was safe in Pasto the town we were trying to get to before dark. I found out from our conversation that she worked in Ecuador during the week and went home to Pasto for the weekends. This border crossing was something she did every week. I asked how to get over the border and on to Pasto. She told me how she did it and I asked her if we could follow her. So at that moment she became our border crossing buddy and translator.We got off the bus, loaded our luggage into this big pickup truck with a tarp covering the sides. It was the only way we could go without separating into two taxis. We hopped into the back and sat on our luggage and off we went on a 10 minute bumpy ride to immigration. We got our passports stamped and our friend was kind enough to wait  a half hour for us. We then dragged our luggage across a bridge and crossed a busy street into Columbia's Immigration to get our stamp in. We then loaded onto a minivan called a collectivo,which is a cheap way to travel and got dropped off at the bus station. We bought tickets for Pasto which would be a two hour bus ride and made it to our hotel by 10p.m. safely.

Two days prior to us arriving in Columbia, there was a suitcase bombing in a park two hours away from Bogota. This added to my anxiety. We stayed in 3 cities in Colombia and felt relatively safe but were on guard as we normally are. In Bogota we watched a protest with about 300 people and it was very peaceful.
 Overall , Columbia was a great experience and I would probably go back.

The best deal of our whole trip

After staying in Quito for a few days we continued north to Otavalo, Ecuador. I had been patiently awaiting our arrival and this was the one place I wanted to visit in all of South America. Otavalo is a village in the Andes of mostly indigenous people with a population of around 90,000. The Otavalos are known for their handicrafts and travel all over the world to sell their wares. Here in Otavalo is the largest handicraft market in South America. People travel far and near to come this market.The biggest market being on Saturday which spans several blocks with animals(chickens, roosters, cuy, llamas,goats), handicrafts , produce and meat. Because of the  popularity of the market, it is now present every day of the week with the handicrafts. The Otavalos can be recognized by their traditional dress. Woman wear a white,  embroidered blouse with bright colors ,dark skirt and colorful woven belt with black espadrilles and  long braided hair. Men wear white cotton pants, black poncho and long braided ponytail. I am completely fascinated by indigenous clothing. They are so talented in so many crafts and everything they wear is hand made. Whenever I see them with their traditional dress I just stare in awe. Their clothing is so beautiful and detailed with beading or embroidery. Their clothing varies by village and culture and so traveling through South America we've had an opportunity to see the diversity in traditional dress. What amazes me is the fact that their culture remains intact despite living in a progressive world. Here's a link to google images for Otavalo. Unfortunately, I was too busy shopping to remember to take photos. Here are the few I did take.

 

Here's the crocheted bag I bought for $12.00

Tagua necklaces for $3.25

Embroidered bags   $8.00

https://www.google.com/search?q=otavalo+market&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=enWiUIigGOXEyQGXr4DYCw&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQsAQ&biw=1725&bih=850



We booked our hotel on booking.com which is our default source before anything else. Hotels are usually 50% off their usual rate. We have actually tried calling the hotels and asking if they could match the rate they have on booking.com and some of them couldn't do it. A couple times we wanted to stay longer at a particular hotel we had been at for a few days and found a lower rate on booking.com, so we just booked it online to guarantee the lower price. We just learned to work the system. The best deal we got was for Hotel Acoma in Otavalo, Ecuador. It had a high rating of  9 out of 10. I usually look at the reviews and price and try to find the best value for our money. If a hotel has a rating between 8-9 and is in our price range , then it's in the running. It's hard to find a budget hotel with a rating higher than 7, so when you do find a higher rating you jump on it. The ratings are based on cleanliness, comfort, location and staff. Hotel Acoma was priced at $17 for a double room , with free breakfast. The usual rate was $40 a night for a double.When we arrived the owner and her daughters came out to greet us at the curb and helped us with our luggage. The hotel was beautifully decorated, spotless and bright and airy. The room was not too small, clean and the bed was comfortable. The best part was the huge bathroom with an extra long bathtub. We were very pleased with a our bargain. After wandering around the hotel, we discovered that some pretty prominent people had stayed at this boutique hotel. There were photos of some famous people who had stayed at Hotel Acoma on the walls including Hugo Chavez! Here are some photos of Hotel Acoma .Unfortunately, I don't have the original booking page to show our $17 deal but at least you can see where we stayed.
http://www.booking.com/hotel/ec/acoma.en-gb.html?sid=cf64b6f7a795db29cb94c24a32e5c6c1;dcid=1;checkin=2012-11-13;checkout=2012-11-14;srfid=6b7ad0d092348563269d586190b523140953dfd5X1

Cuenca,Ecuador another expat haven

We stayed in Cuenca , Ecuador for 11 days. Cuenca is a charming , colonial city which it's historic area  is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the buildings date back to the 1500's and the streets are cobblestone and narrow. It has a small town feel even though there are 330,000 people living in Cuenca. We rented an apartment  in a hundred year old  building for 10 days overlooking the Tomebamba River for $280 . If we had decided to stay for one month the rent would have only cost $500 which includes utilities and satellite tv. We found housing to be extremely affordable in Ecuador. You can rent a beautiful apartment in the historic area, which is the center of town , for $400 a month utilities included plus maid service once a week, plus free continental breakfast every morning. This apartment has high ceilings with tin tiles, arched doorways and a balcony overlooking the main square. We met some expats  from Canada who were renting this particular apartment. Everywhere we went we met Americans who had retired and decided to move to Ecuador due to the low cost of living and low cost health care. Most of these people had never even been to Ecuador. After researching and of course probably reading "International Living", they had decided to sell most of their things and move to Ecuador to live comfortably during their retirement years. Some people that we met were very young and just wanted to live a better quality  life than they were  in the United States. International Living Magazine has deemed Ecuador the #1 Retirement Haven. After being in Ecuador for almost a month now, I truly understand why. I think if you lived on a  budget, for two people,  you could live comfortably on less than $1000 a month. This would include rent, utilities, food, health care, transportation and entertainment. Most people who live in Cuenca use public transportation or walk, so this would be the trade off. I think you may even find that you could live off of $600 if you were really smart with your money. It is very difficult to find housing in the U.S. for under $600. The trade off would be your location and safety. We all know how much health care costs in the US, the price alone is killing people.In Cuenca you can chose the hospital you want to affiliate with and sign up for their plan, the cost is generally under $100 a month for a family of four. This is just another reason why someone may chose to live in Ecuador. It has been interesting meeting all these people who are truly happy living in a 3rd world country, living a better life than they would coming from a 1st world country.

-Rent  a two bedroom apartment for $400 utilities and satellite tv included plus weekly maid service

-Go to the central market and buy a weeks worth of organically grown papayas, banana's, tomatoes ,onions and avocados for $4.00

- Have lunch at a neighborhood restaurant , hot vegetable soup, stewed beef , white rice, salad and fresh squeezed juice for $1.50

-Fill up your gas tank for your car for  $1.48 a gallon

-Go to the Museum of Contemporary Art for  free

-Stay at a four star hotel for $20 a night including breakfast

- Take a taxi anywhere in the city for  $1.00

After 10 days we hopped on another bus for 8 hours and headed north to Quito, Ecuador. I was a little nervous because the elevation in Quito is 9350 feet and a few of us had suffered altitude sickness at 7330 feet in Arequipa ,Peru. When we arrived it was a little hard to breath but it was mainly because ths sidewalks were very hilly and it was a struggle to climb uphill with a stroller. After a few days we had all acclimated and were actually ok with the high elevation.


Quito  has a well preserved historical center and was one of the first UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES in the world. The  streets were narrow and cobblestone and the architecture was beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We had an opportunity to go to the equator which was about 30 km from Quito. There  was a bus that took us to  this attraction called "Mitad del  Mundo" which means" middle of the Earth" and we actually had to pay to get in. Someone had turned this piece of land into the Disneyland  of the Equator. There were souvenir shops and restaurants and even roaming alpacas. This is the monument they had built to show the line of the equator. Unfortunately, after we had visited this place, we found out that the equator was actually 240 meters from this monument. We had been suckered into a tourist trap! But , considering we had been traveling for almost four months and this was maybe our first or second time being lured into the a "touristy" attraction , I'd say we've done pretty good!

 

 

 

 

I love handicrafts!!!!

I meant to put these photos up sooner but I've been a little behind on my posting. When I was in Lima, I fell in love with the handicrafts made by the Inca's. Every village or region has it's own specialty and it's usually something that has been passed on from generation to generation for hundreds maybe thousands of years. The handmade world is very large in South America and there are some very talented artisans and designers. They use the resources that are rich in there area and sell there products to make a living so they can feed their children. Wool and Alpaca are common materials used . There are many fair trade co-operatives that help market and sell these products. They are also many small business men and women who manufacture these goods in there own homes with machines and hand sewing. I found Peru to be filled with many entrepreneurial minded people. Every where you look someone is trying to sell something. Shoe shining services, woman with babies on their backs selling candy and snacks to drivers at red lights. Old men sitting on the sidewalk selling shoelaces, toothbrushes, and hairbrushes, Inca ladies selling Humitas and Tamales out of baskets. Everywhere you look, whatever you could need, someone is trying to sell and make a buck. During my window shopping trips and the artesianal markets and boutiques scattered throughout Miraflores, I fell upon a designer with the business name of "creaciones Yessica". I saw many little stalls filled with all her products.  She makes purses, jewelry and accessories by hand and machine. I started investigating and found her phone number on a tag that was on one of her bags. Like I said before, it is very difficult( for me at least) to make a phone call. I tried calling but no success. I went online and started googling her name and digging for contact info.There is very little online presence for businesses in Peru , so I had no luck. I found an address and went to it , but no Yessica ! I was on a quest to find her!! I wanted to be able to buy her products wholesale and sell them in the U.S. I had left an email message on some random sight she was connected to  and some man speaking Spanish called giving me a phone number. I called it and no answer. I had pretty much given up. I wanted to go back to the market and just look at her designs, I happen to ask the girl working if she knew Yessica. She said  in Spanish, "Un momento". She made a phone call on her cellphone and a few minutes later a Peruvian woman in her 30's appeared. It was her in the flesh! I found this young entrepeneur had set up shop in her home with her family. Most of her products made by hand and then finished with a sewing machine. She had numerous locations showcasing her products. What I liked about her designs was that it had the Peruvian style but with a contemporary twist. Some of the items below are designed and made by other people.  If you like these products , drop me an email and  tell me what you think. I would like to have these available online in the near future. We will be working out the details when we get home from our travels. We're also looking for products from Ecuador.

Yessica's Wool Purse

 

 

Yessica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embroidered belts

 

 

Yessica

 

 

Yessica's Wool necklace

 

 

Yessica's Wool necklace

 

 

Yessica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of Yessica's stores