After a quick review of Yelp! it seems Marin County is loving the new addition of Mi Pueblo. There were some concerns of the new big store having an impact on the smaller mom and pop stores but overall it seems it’s brought employment to the local neighborhood which is a good thing.

Mi Pueblo has lived up to their mission listed on their Website:

We strive to create an ambiance reminiscent of the fresh-food markets of Mexico and Latin America, while also carrying all the grocery items generally available in mainstream supermarkets, always welcoming everyone with a warm smile.

I was in the neighborhood so decided to stop by Mi Pueblo out of curiosity. I had already eaten and did not need any groceries so I just walked around the place.

My first impression upon walking in was that Mi Pueblo was a happy place to shop! Festive Latin music in the background, a colorful, fun Taqueria located right in the store, Pinatas hanging above the produce. The place made me smile and the music made me want to start dancing.The employees were super friendly and welcoming, every one we walked by said hello and smiled.

Shopping at Mi Pueblo is a cultural experience. It has everything you would find in a traditional grocery store including organic produce PLUS all sorts of Mexican and Latin American food. It’s a great opportunity to try new food and drinks. I bought a Mango Agua Fresca – it was delicious and refreshing.

I took a stroll through the produce. I was happy to see the produce looked very fresh, there were organic options and special produce from Mexico and other Latin American countries; things like Mexican Squash – stuff you might not find in a traditional “American” grocery store.

They were making handmade hot tamales ready to eat for $1.49. I was kind of wishing I was hungry so I could try one.

Mi Pueblo is located in the Canal are of San Rafael
330 Bellam Blvd
San Rafael, CA 415-578-3971

Sally Waters considers herself a skin care problem solver. She created products to solve her own sensitive skin care issues and eliminate toxins from her daily skin care regimen. Birdy Botanicals offers  several options with multiple uses, 100% natural scents and has a 100% guarantee policy. Sally is a stickler about ingredients and is constantly striving to make her products as user-friendly as possible. Plus they smell divine!

“I have lived in San Francisco for 20+ years and not a day goes by that I am not blown away by the beauty, diversity and culture that the city provides. We have access to some of the best food and drink in the world and as far as the people, an unwritten policy of “anything goes.” And believe me, it goes.” ~The Other Sally.

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area?
My favorite places to hike are San Francisco neighborhoods, Muir Woods and exploring all areas of the North Bay just over the GG Bridge. For biking I love Golden Gate park and over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. I will beat that hill coming back someday!

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
That depends on the day but my list would include:
Yountville
- Bouchon
San Francisco
- Chapeau
- Pacific Cafe
- Clement Street Bar and Grill
- La Mediterranee
- My kitchen because my husband rocks! We call it Cafe Mac.

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea?
Besides my own daily homemade cappuccino compliments of my Bialetti and milk-frother I would go to Peet’s coffee on 16th and Geary because everyone knows my name.

For tea I love going to the Aroma Tea shop on 6th at Clement and tasting as much tea as my heart desires. My heart always ends up with the Phoenix eye-  White tea and Jasmine pearls. (That’s my favorite tea too!)

What is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
My favorite experience shopping for clothes is when you find that gem amongst the heaps at a thrift store like Thrift Town or Goodwill on Fillmore Street or Crossroads,…though I have to be in the right mood.

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them?
I would take my guests to the De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, Napa Valley, The Ferry Building (and the Ferry Farmer’s Market) and possibly to the Frisbee Golf course in GG Park although I suck at it.

You can also find Sally and Birdy Botanicals on Facebook & Twitter!

The point is I did it! It was not easy and to be honest it was not fun.

One night a few Twitter friends and I were having a conversation about the oil crisis that is going on. One friend said she was going to commit to riding her bike at least once a week to work and she challenged me to ride my bike to all the places I check in on Foursquare. Of course, my first reaction was, “you have not seen my hill!”.

For the last 15 years I’ve lived up this VERY STEEP hill, I’ve always dreamed of biking but never thought it was possible for me (the wimp) to get up and down that hill. Besides the strength (lung and leg) needed to get up that hill I have a serious un-rational fear of riding downhill. But this oil mess really got to me. I felt helpless. I didn’t feel comfortable just blaming BP and boycotting or blaming the politicians. In my heart I know it’s not any one person or one company’s fault; it is all of our (oil consuming) faults.  So here I am knowing  I’m partially responsible and using my hill as the excuse I had to continue driving everywhere.

Then… I had a light bulb moment. I realized I go hiking every single day up and down steep hills on the trails behind where I live so why on earth could I not hike up and down that one short (steep) hill to my house.

It just so happened Mike’s Bikes in Sausalito was having a big sale that weekend! So… I went and got my bike. I got great service from Brian who asked me questions about what kind of biking I was going to do and showed me the different bikes he thought would work best for me. I found my dream bike! The color and everything was exactly what I had been visualizing. I picked out my bike, Brian took it to the back and had the mechanics check it out and then it was ready to go! I went for my first ride on my new bike right out of the store along the Sausalito bike path all the way to the water. It was such a beautiful day!

The first week I started out driving my bike up and down the hill but I soon got tired of putting the bike in and taking the bike out of the car so I decided to overcome my hill fear and just go for it! I figured I’m a great hiker I could walk this hill no problem if biking was too difficult.

Friday night I rolled/walked my bike down the (very steep) hill and headed to Mill Valley Beerworks to meet my Twitter-turned-real friends for a beer. Mill Valley Beerworks was happening! We squished 11 people around a 6 person table. (Blog post coming soon).

Fortunately on Friday night I got a ride back up the hill but today… I was meeting someone for coffee in downtown Mill Valley and just couldn’t justify driving my car there and back so I went for it. Today was my first day coming up the hill on my new bike. It was not easy but I did it! If I can ride a bike, so can you!

I’m not fully giving up my car. I will still drive places but I do plan to bike more and drive less.

I challenge you to ride your bike more and drive less. I would love to hear about your biking stories. Please leave a comment below.

*I always wear a helmet when I bike… I just took it off for the photo.

Nikol Elaine is what some might call an artist of the face. A makeup artist by day, born and raised California girl by night, she is clearly on a mission to show you how less can enhance more. Known for her delicate use of false eyelashes and crafty ability to make subtle or dramatic changes, she winks at any challenge. Nikol Elaine works solely on location across the bay area and specializes in wedding makeup.

nikol elaine makeup artistry

What do you love most about the Bay Area?
-I love how lucky we are to be surrounded by mountains and ocean and I love that San Francisco is a mecca for travelers and culture from all over the world.

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area?
-I enjoy hiking and the view from Mt. Diablo

Favorite place to take your dog?
-I love taking my dog downtown Danville to Sideboard cafe as he loves sitting outside to people watch.

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
-My favorite resturant changes often as I am a self proclaimed foodie, however this month is Esin in Danville.

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea?
-I could not live without coffee and my first choice would be Cafe 504 in Oakland

What is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
-I love shopping vintage in SF and for gently used clothing at local consignments or at SF’s own ClothingSwap.com!

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them?
-I would take them wine tasting in Napa valley followed by a nice dinner in SF.

What do you love most about the Bay Area? The weather and the outdoor spaces

Where is your favorite place to hike/bike in the Bay Area? West Marin – love road biking out there or on Mt. Tam

Favorite place to listen to live music? I like to play live music (I play guitar in Terry Lauderdale Band, TerryLauderdaleBand.com and my favorite place to play is Slims in San Francisco or The Cow Palace.

Favorite place to take your dog? Running around near Old Mill Park in Mill Valley

What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area? Sushi Ran Sausalito

What is your favorite place to get coffee or tea? Peets Mill Valley

Where do you shop for clothing? Shadows San Anselmo or Famous in Mill Valley for local folks – or Hot Topic for my Band Gear.

If you had an out of town guest coming to visit that had never been to the Bay Area where would you take them? Marin Headlands, Tiburon or West Marin

Anything else you would like to share with our readers? Thank you for reading!  Reading is good for the brain!

Tell us a little bit more about you:
Having my own record label for the past 10 years and developing websites, identity branding, social networking, search engine optimization, editing and producing great music, sound and video blogs was the perfect next logical step to putting together my new company, Video Blog Marketing – marketing for local businesses.

Mary’s specialties are: New Media Marketing, Website Development, Wordpress Blog Development, Professional Branding, Video Production, Music/Sound Production, Motion Graphics Production, Local and Worldwide Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Networking, Shredding Guitarist/Producer/Songwriter.

Follow Mary Cary on Twitter @videoblogmarket

Please welcome guest blogger Grier Cooper. After reading Grier’s post below, I’m ready to head to Hayes Valley to do some exploring.

Hayes Valley in San Francisco has blossomed into a cultural oasis with a plethora of hip boutiques, upscale restaurants, and an edgy art scene. In a quick stroll around the neighborhood, you’ll feel as though you are exploring the side streets of Paris. Not so long ago, Hayes Valley was one of those sketchy, somewhat seedy neighborhoods where you wanted to watch your back when walking at night. Now, it is a place you won’t want to miss.

Speaking of an oasis, Arlequin restaurant, at 384 Hayes Street, is just such a place. As both a cafe and a wine bar, it also houses a secret garden, nestled behind the cafe. While diners enjoy salads, paninis, or the highly recommended Indian lamb burger, hummingbirds and sparrows flutter overhead.

Dinner ought to be followed by drinks, dessert, and a stroll, not necessarily in that order. However, Sugar, 377 Hayes Street, offers a variety of delectable, sugar-rimmed cocktails in its sultry lounge, and Cafe Altano, 620 Hayes Street, makes a mean crème brulee and tiramisu.

Window shop to your heart’s content, but be sure to swing by the African Outlet, 524 Octavia Street. It’s impossible to miss, with one of the most alluring windows in the city, with African art, artifacts and treasures from every country on the African continent. Sake fans won’t want to miss True Sake, at 560 Hayes Street, where you can taste and purchase from the most extensive collection in town.

Whether you drop by for an hour or two before the opera, or make a day of it, Hayes Valley will have you coming back for more.

Grier Cooper is a California based children’s writer, photographer, and dancer. She draws on over twenty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer to create both fiction and nonfiction that inspires, educates and enriches the hearts and minds of her readers. Visit her at www.griercooper.com.

The show is on Sunday, June 13th, 2010. Doors open at 6:30pm.

More info here: http://marysfutons.com/Futon_Comedy_94903.html

All Beverage proceeds benefit Spectrum LGBT Center of Marin
Join us for our no-host bar before the show,
And help us celebrate Paula Pilecki’s Birthay!

*warning strong language in video

You may wonder why it is called Sushi 69. (Get your mind out of the gutter!) It’s called Sushi 69 because their address is 69 Center Blvd, San Anselmo, CA.

The Book Passage is one of my favorite places to meet with people. Besides being a wonderful resource to the community as an independently owned bookstore; the Book Passage has an awesome cafe.

The Book Passage hosts tons of author events, writing conferences, classes and workshops. Marin County (and San Francisco) are very fortunate to have the Book Passage.

Why does it matter to me that the Book Passage an independently owned book store?

Indie Bound does a good job explaining:

Why shop Indie?

When you shop at an independently owned business, your entire community benefits:

The Economy

• Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in your community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43.
• Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
• More of your taxes are reinvested in your community–where they belong.

The Environment

• Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint.
• Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify your community.

The Community

• Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you.
• Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.
• More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.

Now is the time to stand up and join your fellow individuals in the IndieBound mission supporting local businesses and celebrating independents.

IndieBound supports Independent Business Alliances around the country. To find an alliance near you, visit AMIBA or BALLE.

www.indiebound.org

The Book Passage in Marin is located at:

51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
415.927.0960
www.bookpassage.com

They are also on Twitter! Follow them @BookPassage

The Book Passage in San Francisco is just a ferry ride away from Marin! It’s located in the beautiful San Francisco ferry building.

1 Ferry Building, #42
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.835-1020

Bikes & Beans, formerly located by the 7-11 near China Camp, has moved to a brand new and bigger location while still close to China Camp thus being very convenient to stop by before or after riding China Camp. In particular if you like coffee, bike talk with knowledgeable people, and good deals on bikes and parts.

Check them out!

I like stopping by to get my coffee fix since I am not drinking beer these days. The stores offers a cozy place to hang and yummy coffee and I keep hearing great reviews about the Commencal and Jamis bikes Justin (the owner) sells in his this store.

I also like the selection of cool hip bike clothing… I have gotten a pair of cool shorts that made me feel like a hot shot

And the best of all, I like it that Justin kept decorating the shop with local artist work (some of his own work!). This mural is right by the bike mechanic shop area!

Check out Celia’s previous blog about Bikes & beans to get a better sense of what this bike shops brings to Marin county.