{Every week, I publish a small round-up of my favorite essays, books, and sometimes I highlight events too. Enjoy!}

- Some of you have asked how I spread my message online without letting social media take over my life. My friend Courtney wrote a great post on this topic and it happens to be a wonderful summary of my online policy too. Read: Rules of (Digital) Engagement.

- Last year, I co-hosted TEDxCUPortland. The event was a blast! This year I’m looking forward to being a member of the audience. I’m also really excited to see Cheryl Strayed speak. I read her memoir, Wild, and loved it! If you live in Portland, consider buying TEDx tickets.

- For more goodness, check out my favorite resources and sign-up for my daily photo and note.

Yesterday, Katy, the finish carpenter who built our little house delivered another dwelling to a Portland backyard! Logan and I had the opportunity to help with the move. Well, I should say Logan helped move the house and I took a lot of photos. Today, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

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If you have specific questions about the move, feel free to join the conversation on Google+ or you can email me.

Want to learn more about building a little house? I highly recommend reading, Go House Go! Also, check out PAD’s website for more information.

We’re still settling into the tiny house and my parents are in town this week, so I haven’t gotten much work done. But that’s okay because I love spending time with my folks. It’s hard to believe I haven’t seen them in three months!

In the meantime, head over to the Tiny House Blog today! My blogging buddy Kent interviewed me and I gave him a tour of our tiny house. Click here to check it out!

I’ll be posting more on the tiny house soon. In the interim, take a look at some new photos:

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Want more goodness? Get the letter. 

Have you ever moved a one-bedroom apartment full of stuff, in an hour and a half? More importantly, have you ever moved and had a good time during the move and afterwards? My guess would be no. In my experience, moving is always stressful. Maybe that wouldn’t be the case if more people moved their stuff by bicycle?

Logan has been trying to get me to go on a bike move ever since we got to Portland and after six months he gave up on me and started attending the events solo. I resisted going to bike moves because I hate moving. My lovely Portland friends have told me again and again that bike moves are a blast. But I wasn’t so sure. Since moving can be so stressful why would I want to help move someone else’s stuff?

On Saturday, our friend Audrey organized a move by bike. She was moving across town to a new apartment. Reluctantly, I went on the bike move and discovered that the rumors are true; moving by bike is a lot of fun!

We arrived at Audrey’s around 10am and there was hot coffee, yogurt, fruit, bagels and donuts for everyone to munch on; between 25-30 people showed up on all sorts of human-powered machines, like cargo bikes and recumbent tricycles. Many folks were riding normal bikes too, but were towing some very cool trailers. For example, one trailer was made out of bamboo and hemp and was big enough to haul a queen sized mattress and box springs!

In fact there were so many people that showed up, we were fighting over who would carry what (in a playful way). One person noted, “We tried to get here early because on the last bike move we didn’t get to carry much. All of the big stuff was taken.”

A few things struck me about the bike move. First, the reaction of people on the street. Some people clapped, others cheered from their apartment buildings, and even pedestrians had some great comments. One guy was standing on his front lawn with a phone in his hand and shouted at us, “I am talking with my mom on the phone! She’s in Philadelphia and I told her about this. You guys are so cool! This is great!”

Second, everyone was laughing, joking around, and happy. And it was 90 degrees outside! I’ve never experienced a happy move before.

We closed off the day with pizza, beer, and fantastic conversations. It’s amazing what you can do when you bring a community of people together. We were able to move Audrey into her new place in an hour and a half and had a lot of fun in the process.

You might not be able to move by bike, but you can savor Sunday on two wheels. Dust off your bike and go for a ride! Maybe you’ll even consider meeting up with other pedal-powered people in your community?

Micro-action: If you live in the Portland area, consider getting connected to Shift. They put on Pedalpalooza, Breakfast on the Bridges, have a calendar of events and more. In essence, they create community by bringing like minded people together.

If you don’t live in Portland, maybe you can start an informal bike group in your town?

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, I post a Simple Living News Update that includes links to some of my favorite articles of the week. In addition to the update, I answer a reader question via video.

The question . . .

I’m moving to Portland and don’t know what neighborhood to live in. Do you have any suggestions?

Here’s my response . . .

For those of you who can’t watch the video, here’s a quick summary:

If you’re thinking of moving to Portland, come visit the city; it’s the best way to explore the neighborhoods.

Before you roll into town, pick-up a copy of the The Zinester’s Guide to Portland. It’s a “locally-produced travel guide for visitors and residents alike, focusing on low-to-no cost things to do and places to go to in the Rose City, and is built on contributions from people in the community.”

If you’re looking for lodging consider staying at the Ace Hotel or the Northwest Portland Hostel.

For additional information about Portland, check out Dave Knows Portland and Mile73.

Now onto the news

10 Mindful Ways to Use Social Media

“People often share links without actually reading them, or comment on posts after only scanning them. If the greatest gift we can give someone is our attention, then social media allows us to be endlessly generous. We may not be able to reply to everyone, but responding thoughtfully when we can makes a difference.”

My life was gone in a split second

“Abundance is everywhere; It just might not be taking the form we think we want or need. I´ll chose abundance of connections over Money and stuff any day!”

Everything You’ve Been Force-fed About Blogging Is Wrong

“Yesterday I was involved in a discussion with travel bloggers about strategy and it was obvious to me why so few of them are successful. They follow really bad advice. Their collective thinking is “noise > value,” which, in an endeavor like blogging, is horrible. Many of them care more about how they can take more visitors for themselves (by, for example, tweeting the same link over and over), instead of spreading the wealth (by, for example, tweeting links from other people more often than their own).

Besides yesterday’s discussion I get a lot of e-mails, I have a lot of conversations, and I read a lot about business, blogging, and social media.”

Cool Stuff

• Homemade Spaceship

Research has documented the many positive effects yoga has on an individual’s emotional and physical health. More specifically, individuals who practice yoga are more likely to experience a greater sense of happiness and well-being. Plus, the practice is challenging, fun, and a fantastic exercise.

So what is yoga?

Yoga refers to…

“traditional physical and mental disciplines that originated in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Within Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal towards which that school directs its practices. In Jainism, yoga is the sum total of all activities — mental, verbal and physical.”

The definition above is based on the history of yoga. But it doesn’t tell us how real people feel about the practice.

By practicing yoga you’ll learn a series of postures that will help you stretch and exert your body. While you’re doing these postures you focus on your breath. Focusing on your breath will allow you to go deeper into your pose and cultivate a meditative state.

An inmate at Coffee Creek describes yoga as:

“This is the most fantastic way to begin to awaken to our body, mind, and feelings. To relax and get real. This class has a played a major role in my desire to change my life and create healthy habits.”

Living Yoga

Since I’ve been Living in Portland, I’ve been volunteering at an organization called Living Yoga.

Living Yoga is a non-profit outreach program “teaching yoga as a tool for personal change in prisons, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, transitional facilities, and to populations who would otherwise not have access to it.”

Through the practices of yoga and meditation, Living Yoga teaches skills like, mindfulness, impulse control, emotional regulation, and more. The programs aim to “motivate and encourage students to utilize these skills in their lives outside of the classroom…to bring more awareness to their actions and the consequences of their actions, to make decisions based on short and long term outcomes, and to, daily, create an internal emotional state of ease, acceptance and accountability.”

The organization is volunteer driven and only has two paid staff members! They do amazing work in the Portland community and illustrate how you can change the world by doing yoga.

My experience with yoga.

Happiness. Joy. Silence. Beauty. Stillness. Strength. Confidence. Breath. Karma.

When I think about yoga all of these words come into my mind, especially the word karma. Karma literally means “to do.” And Karma yoga relies heavily on action. Yoga is not only a way to exercise my body but it’s also a life philosophy. It’s about being in service to others and doing good deeds. And I can’t give back if I’m stressed out, unhealthy, or unhappy.

For me, yoga is a form of active meditation. While practicing, I’m able to work out all the kinks in my mind and body. For example, practicing yoga gives me the extra energy to keep volunteering in my community and be more kind, loving, and patient with friends and family members.

If you can’t afford to practice yoga at a studio, practice on your own. All you need is a yoga mat and comfortable clothing. A yoga mat is important because it will prevent your bare feet from slipping on the floor.

Remember, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars a year on yoga stuff to reap the physical and emotional benefits of the practice.

Get Involved!

If you’re passionate about social justice issues, do something!

Consider donating to Living Yoga or creating a similar organization in your community. Yoga has the power to change the world by helping people become more mindful and aware of their choices.

It’s official! We’re leaving Sacramento tomorrow and moving to Portland. I’ll be on the road for the next few days, so if I’m slow approving or responding to comments please be patient.

I’m going to miss so many things about Sacramento, like my amazing co-workers, friends and the kick-ass biking community.

I’m working on a more in-depth post about new beginnings and gratitude. So stay tuned.

In a perfect world, I’d love to move by bike. But I don’t think my kittens would enjoy the ride. The big move is approaching quickly and we’ve been doing a lot of thinking about our stuff, what we want to take with us and how the cats will handle the car ride.

Moving to a new apartment can be stressful and expensive. To minimize these issues we’ve focused on three strategies.

1. Do a cost benefit analysis.

Moving is expensive and it’s important to do a cost/benefit analysis before you run out and rent a U-Haul. For a fleeting moment I considered keeping our household stuff. But that moment died quickly after I looked up the rental costs of a U-Haul. For our move, renting a small U-Haul would be $398, plus gas and insurance! I can’t imagine the cost of moving a whole house! I’m grateful that we’ve downsized our stuff.

2. Donate now and find free or low cost furniture later.

One can furnish a room very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it in. – Francis Jourdain

I never thought I’d be saying this, but we’ll be donating our household stuff and purchasing used items in Portland. Why? It is more cost effective to give away our household items and buy used items. I know this sounds a little crazy, but it’s amazing what you can obtain on Craig’s List and Freecycle for little to no cost.

So far we’ve given away household plants, our bike rack, a monster cat tower, our chair, and other odds and ends. If anyone lives in the Sacramento area and needs a good used bed, please email me. The bed needs a good home.

This strategy might not work for everyone and that’s perfectly okay. Like I’ve said before, everyone’s simple living journey is different. Finding balance and the “enough point” is challenging and I think this move will be the perfect opportunity for us to discover what we need in our lives and what we’ll miss.

If all goes well, we’re going to purchase a tiny house this year or consider biking across the country. Large pieces of furniture won’t fit in a little house or on a bike, so this is a perfect opportunity to donate extra stuff and declutter.

3. Accept help from friends and family.

Accepting help isn’t easy for me. So when my folks offered to help us move I was hesitant. I didn’t want to inconvenience my parents. To be honest I didn’t think we’d all fit in my parents truck. 4 of us and 2 cats? Yikes! Plus, my mom is a heavy packer. She usually brings 4 or 5 BIG bags when traveling.

I decided that these concerns were foolish. Spending time with my parents and showing them around Portland are more important than stuff. Fitting us, the cats and our belongings in the monster truck shouldn’t be a problem. If we don’t fit in the truck, we can always rent a small car.

Thanks to my parents our moving costs will be very low. We’re paying for gas and I’m going to put them up in a hotel for a few nights. (We’re selling our bed and I don’t want my parents sleeping on the floor.)

Closing Thoughts

Wish us luck implementing these strategies. I’m hoping they work out. And I’ll be sure to report back.

For more on minimal moving read: Minimalist Moving Questions to Consider.

Our big move is approaching quickly. Over the weekend, we started preparing for our move up north. For the holidays we’re going to combine visiting family, moving a few things and scouting apartments in Portland. We’re excited for this trip! We can’t wait to visit with friends, family and our future city.

We decided to store some of the stuff we don’t need immediately at the ranch during our visit. During this pre-move planning I’ve been asking myself these questions:

1. What do we really need?

2. How much would it cost to move the big stuff? Like our bed, chair and desk?

3. How much does our stuff effect the freedom to move around?

We don’t need a lot and the cost of moving our big stuff is ridiculous. Slowly but surely we’re giving away big and small household items. GardenPunk took a few houseplants off our hands to add to her refugee collection. My friend Debby is taking our chair and footstool. The desk is going to some of Logan’s grad student friends at UC, Davis. I am still looking to find a good home for our bed and cat tower.

We don’t have many personal items, but the household stuff takes up a lot of space. Friends who have seen our apartment would disagree. I’d probably get the eye roll and something like: What?!? You barely have any furniture or kitchen items!”

And this is true. Compared to the majority of American’s we don’t have a lot of stuff in our home. But even organizing the three hundred items in our home feels a bit overwhelming. I’m itching to get rid of the excess.

Stuff restricts your freedom of movement. Theoretically, we could leave for Portland tomorrow. But figuring out what to do with all our stuff would be problematic.

This will be the best moving experience of our lives by far. We’ll make one trip to Portland, with all of our stuff in the back of a truck. Our new apartment will be very minimal and that makes me happy.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we made some big decisions. I decided to leave my day job and we’re moving to Portland at the end of January.

I’m excited, sad and scared all at the same time. Leaving my day job, friends and Sacramento were hard decisions to make. I work with amazing people and have learned an incredible amount at this job.  Sacramento has been a great city to us and we have made so many good friends that it makes leaving bitter sweet.

The questions on the tip of everyone’s tongue is: Where are you going to work? And why are you leaving such an awesome job?!?

Logan is nearly done with his PhD program and has a number of teaching prospects in the Portland area. He’s thrilled to be finishing his Ph.D; it’s been a long haul and he is also sad to leave behind mentors and friends at the university.

I’ve decided to take some time off, settle into Portland and get to know the community. After this short sabbatical, I’ll plunge into my new career: freelancing! I’ve got a number of projects lined up and I’m incredibly excited. Being location independent has been on my life list for years. Living a simple and frugal lifestyle has helped us make this dream a reality.

Moving to Portland has been on our life list for a while and it’s perfect timing to make the leap. We’re extremely fortunate to have the liberty to make such a decision; especially when you consider the current economic climate and high unemployment rates. With that in mind, we’ve prepared for the best and the worst and we are ready to start a new chapter in our lives.

We look forward to the new challenges and opportunities this transition will bring. With an optimistic spirit we say “farewell Sacramento, and hello Portland!”