SHOP SMALL

 

Alphabetically ordered by State, City.
Arranged by SHOP IN PERSON VS. SHOP ONLINE
Organized by the following categories:
BABY + KIDS, BOOK STORE, CANDLES, CERAMICS,
CLOTHING BOUTIQUE, COFFEE, FITNESS, FOOD, LIBATIONS, PAMPER, PLANTS + FLOWERS, LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOP,
WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY, VINTAGE + ANTIQUES

A NOTE ON SHIPPING

first from Sugarhouse Ceramics Co. because she explains it more perfectly than I ever could and this is SO SO IMPORTANT always, but especially this time of year. “The phrase “free shipping” is super misleading because shipping isn't actually free - somebody has to pay for it. It's often rolled into the cost of an item, or in cases like Amazon, they have extensive supply chains in place to make shipping cheaper and can afford to take the hit. A lot goes into safely sending your orders, including packing materials and labor to wrap and pack each piece…” Please remember that small businesses likely pay FULL cost to ship your item(s). Whatever the fee is that’s tacked on to your order at checkout is the actual cost required to fold, wrap, package, tape, label, and SHIP your item safely to you. Please be aware and understanding of this when shopping from small businesses this season.

 
 

Arizona:

SHOP ONLINE -

TUCSON

BOOK STORE

California:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Costa Mesa

COFFEE

FOOD

LIBATIONS

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Culver City

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Los Angeles

PLANTS + FLOWERS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

LONG BEACH

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

San Diego

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

San Francisco

FOOD

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

vallejo

BOOKSTORE

SHOP CALIFORNIA ONLINE -

Colorado:

SHOP IN PERSON -

denver

PLANTS + FLOWERS

SHOP COLORADO ONLINE -

By Bay Jewelry - Clay earrings

Florida:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Key Largo

FOOD

SHOP ONLINE -

Georgia:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Atlanta

COFFEE

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Decatur

BOOKSTORE

Macon

VINTAGE + ANTIQUES

SHOP GEORGIA ONLINE -

Illinois:

SHOP ILLINOIS ONLINE -

Minnesota:

SHOP IN PERSON -

PAMPER

SHOP MINNESOTA ONLINE -

Missouri:

SHOP MISSOURI ONLINE -

Montana:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Bozeman

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

New Hampshire:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Goffstown

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Portsmouth

VINTAGE + ANTIQUES

SHOP NEW HAMPSHIRE ONLINE -

New Jersey:

SHOP NEW JERSEY ONLINE -

New Mexico:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Taos

BOOKSTORE

SHOP NEW MEXICO ONLINE -

We Are Tumble - jewelry & home goods inspired by the desert

New York:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Brooklyn

BOOKSTORE

SHOP NEW YORK ONLINE -

North Carolina:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Asheville

CERAMICS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

Winston-Salem

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Willmington

FOOD

SHOP NORTH CAROLINA ONLINE -

OHIO:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Cleveland

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

SHOP OHIO ONLINE -

Washington

SHOP IN PERSON -

battleground

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Bellevue

FOOD

Bellingham

FITNESS

Fircrest

BABY + KIDS

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Longview

BABY + KIDS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

port angeles

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Seattle

FOOD

LIBATIONS

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Snohomish

PLANTS + FLOWERS

Spokane

FOOD

Tacoma

PAMPER

PLANTS + FLOWERS

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

SHOP WASHINGTON ONLINE -

 

Oregon:

ALBANY

SHOP IN PERSON -

FOOD

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

beaverton

SHOP IN PERSON -

PLANTS + FLOWERS

BEND

SHOP IN PERSON -

CANDLES

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

COFFEE

FITNESS

FOOD

LIBATIONS

PAMPER

PLANTS + FLOWERS

CORVALLIS

SHOP IN PERSON -

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

DUNDEE

SHOP IN PERSON -

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

EUGENE

SHOP IN PERSON -

BOOK STORE

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

COFFEE

FOOD

LIBATIONS

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

NEWBERG

SHOP IN PERSON -

FOOD

Oregon City

SHOP IN PERSON -

FOOD

PORTLAND

SHOP IN PERSON -

FOOD

PLANTS + FLOWERS

REDMOND

SHOP IN PERSON -

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

SALEM

SHOP IN PERSON -

COFFEE

FITNESS

FOOD

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

SHOP OREGON ONLINE -

ART + HOME DECOR

BABY + KIDS

CANDLES

CERAMICS

CLOTHING + LIFESTYLE

FOOD

  • Ground Up - Nut butters (also in stores at Whole Foods and other health food grocers in OR, WA + CALI)

HOME + BODY CARE

JEWELRY

LIBATIONS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

Pennsyl

vania:

SHOP IN PERSON -

Bellefonte

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

FOOD

SHOP PENNSYLVANIA ONLINE -

South Carolina:

SHOP IN PERSON -

FOOD

Tennessee:

SHOP IN PERSON -

NASHVILLE

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

Memphis

COFFEE

Texas:

SHOP IN PERSON -

AUSTIN

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

WELLNESS + SUSTAINABILITY

HUSTON

LIFESTYLE + GIFT SHOPS

SHOP TEXAS ONLINE -

Utah:

SHOP UTAH ONLINE -

Vermont:

SHOP VERMONT ONLINE -

ECO FRIENDLY GROCERY SHOPPING

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GROCERY SHOPPING ESSENTIALS -

Reusable bags/totes - Love this new earth day 2020 one by Package Free Shop and this one is my favorite . Grocery stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joes have awesome reusable shopping bags that cost between $1-$2. I accumulated most of mine in the beginning of my sustainability journey when I would forget the one or two bags I did have, at home.

Produce bags and these and these or this bundle

Bulk jars with tare weight

Glass spice jars - buy your spices in bulk or opt to buy the spices in the glass containers vs. in plastic

Fruit + veggie cleaning brush

Bag to store lettuce and other moisture-loving fruits + veggies for extended freshness

GSE or I use Theives fruit + veggie spray from Young living to clean my produce

FARMERS MARKET HAUL
 
FARMERS MARKET

Utilize the farmers market in your area! Not only is this a great way to support your local community by it also cuts back on your food miles, meaning when you buy from your local farmers your food is only traveling within the community you live, not some 1500 miles from a different state or country which is where a lot of the produce in our grocery stores comes from. Local food doesn't create a large carbon footprint because it doesn’t take a long haul truck or overseas plane to transport it. This cuts down on fuel consumption and air pollution. There also isn’t a need for shipping facilities, packing facilities or refrigeration.

A thought on buying pre-cut fruits, vegetables and prepackaged meals - So many of the choices we make when grocery shopping are about convenience. I get it, you have a million things on your plate, you’re running around from place to place, you’re working late nights etc. I understand that our lives ebb and flow and some months we have the capacity to practice sustainability with 100% effort and others, we struggle living our values. But I also believe that those sacrifices come at a cost, they’re costing us our planet. I’m a huge believer in getting back to nature, meaning - it’s important to rest, it’s important to set boundaries, it’s important to LIVE and part of living is appreciating the world around us - aka Mother Nature. Next time you reach for that pre-cut watermelon ask yourself, are you really too busy to cut one at home? What’s more important saving yourself 10 min or saving the planet?

SUSTAINABLE GROCERY SHOPPING HACKS -

bring your own silicone bag for meat and seafood. Before you start shopping head to the register and ask them to weigh your bag so that they can determine the tare weight for checking out.

opt to always choose the option not packaged in plastic.

FRUITS & VEGGIES - All grocery stores will have a selection of fruits and vegetables packaged in plastic for convenience, the easy switch you can make is opting not to buy those and instead select the same option that’s plastic free. Even if you don’t have your own produce bags just toss the items in the cart and give them a good wash when you get home. I don’t know how many times I see people putting bananas in plastic produce bags that is then put into a plastic shopping bag - nature literally created bananas, and oranges and avocados WITH skin that naturally protects them! So much of sustainable grocery shopping is just being aware of the habits that were instilled in you growing up in this society and then breaking them!

OILS, DRESSINGS, CONDIMENTS, NUT BUTTERS - There’s always going to be an option that is packaged in glass vs. plastic - choose glass.

FACT - glass can be recycled endlessly without losing quality or purity unlike most “recyclable” materials.

FRESH BREAD FROM THE BAKERY VS. ON THE SHELF - I know not all grocery stores bakery’s have the option to select your own from a case but if it does just toss the bread in your own reusable bag vs the bags they provide. Typically the bread from the bakery is going to have less ingredients, less fillers and over all is going to be the healthier option for you anyways. And like with so many food products I can almost guarantee there’s a local bakery in your city where you can pick up bread using your own bag - and brownie points, you’re also supporting a local business. win win win win win!

Things you can buy in bulk that people often grab in bags - nuts, flours, grains, legumes, granola, baking ingredients like chocolate chips, dried fruit.

Do less shopping in the middle isles because the majority of it is packaged in plastic. Stay to the outer edges of the grocery store for the fresh, whole foods - fruits, veggies, meat + dairy.

I love storing my cilantro or parsley by cutting the ends and sticking them in a glass jar in the fridge to optimize lifespan!

MORE FAVORITE IG ACCOUNTS
TO FOLLOW

 
 
 

SUSTAINABILITY AT HOME

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S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y at home

Switching to sustainable, eco friendly products in your home can often feel overwhelming at first. When you begin your sustainability journey it’s important that you don’t get caught up in what you haven’t changed. Thinking about all the switches you feel like you should make can often lead to a downward spiral of anxiety because you’re looking at essentially flipping your entire life as you know it, upside-down. Just remember, this is a journey and it takes most everyone years to transform their conventional lives to an earth friendly one. So, commit to making this a LIFESTYLE which means continuously taking small steps towards the big picture. Try implementing one new practice a month, just 30 DAYS of sticking to a practice. This will lead to a habit and once you form a habit, choosing the sustainable option will feel as natural as brushing your teeth.

To make it even easier on you I’ve compiled a list of my must have home switches. EVEN BETTER - most of these come from one online shop that ships directly to your home completely free of plastic - PACKAGE FREE SHOP - it’s truly a one stop shop. Oh and guys, the owner is basically the most bad ass business woman out there. She’s been plastic free for EIGHT YEARS, only accumulating enough trash to fit in a single mason jar. I know, my jaw was on the floor too. SHE IS ACTUAL GOALS.

_______________________________________________________________________________

BATH -

Toothpaste - Uncle Harry’s fluoride free remineralizing toothpaste is literally the best thing to happen to me last year. It’s a paste that comes in a glass jar, not a powder or pill like some of the other nontoxic, plastic free packaged brands. It takes some getting used to because its SO STRONG but damn it’s amazing and my teeth have literally never felt so clean my whole life. I will never go back.

Bamboo toothbrush

FACT - Over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown out every year just in North America creating 50 million pounds of waste annually.

Mentrual cup

Tongue scraper

Stainless steel razor or THIS less expensive option

Cotton facial rounds for make-up removal

Non-toxic deodorant (in a glass jar!)

Natural bath sponge to replace your loofa

Plastic free packaged lip balm

_______________________________________________________________________________

BATH CONTINUED -

Bamboo toilet paper - which is currently sold out but there’s other brands like Who Gives A Crap and more. I suggest searching “eco friendly toilet paper” or “sustainable toilet paper” on google to see what’s out there. Just remember its probably green washing if it’s still packaged in plastic. Fun fact - bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants? Some species can grow as tall as 36” in 24 hrs. LIKE WHAT?!!!

Dry shampoo - make your own! Here’s a quick + simple recipe
1/4 cup arrowroot powder or corn starch
2 TBSP cocoa powder more or less if you want it darker/lighter
OPTIONAL - 5 drops essential oil for smell & scalp benefits - I use tea tree

BATH PRODUCTS I USE THAT ARE NON-TOXIC BUT STILL PACKAGED IN PLASTIC -

I don’t use bar soap, shampoo or conditioner. I haven’t found a bar that doesn’t leave residue in my hair and honestly, the brand I use now I am so obsessed and in love with it’s just one of those things for me that I’m not willing to sacrifice. It’s completely non-toxic, has sustainably sources ingredients and they are working towards more eco-friendly packaging.

Rahua Shampoo

Rahua Conditioner

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile liquid soap - although packaged in post consumer plastic (still plastic btw) *most* grocery co-ops offer refills in their bulk section. For all you Oregon friends, they offer bulk refills at Market of Choice too! Almond is my favorite sent!

BUS LIFE CONVERSION

KITCHEN -

Stasher bags - Package free does offer these on their site but sometime I like to go straight to the source, especially when it’s a small business because I know ordering directly through them puts the most money back in their pocket.

Planet Box - ok parents here’s your new best friend. Forget the 5 trillion ziplocks you waste each year or the 10 different containers you try and shove in your child’s lunch-pale. This is it. This is all you need! Your welcome.

FACT - Every year the average person uses approximately 540 plastic sandwich bags. That’s the statistic for one person. Image a 4 person household with 2 children - you’re looking at approximately 2,160 single use plastic baggies used annually by a single family of 4. YIKES.

Dishwashing brush

I use either Young Living dish soap or Dr. Bronners

Stainless steel straws

Beeswax food wrappers

FACT - It’s estimated that an average American family goes through 24 rolls of plastic wrap each year. Not only is this plastic non-recyclable it’s also made from harmful chemicals that seep into your food and it’s another huge contributor to the plastic problem.

KITCHEN CONTINUED -

Glass jars for bulk shopping WITH tare weight

Weck jars for pantry

Weck jars for nut milk - I used these back when we had an average size fridge and love them!

Reusable coffee mug - I have like 4 reusable coffee mugs which is a lot for a small home on wheels but this one is my FAV. It’s a hydro flask so it stays warm or cold and it has a lid which makes for easy transport if you’re on the go!

FACT - It’s estimated that 50 billion “paper” coffee cups are thrown away in the US every year. Starbucks says it’s responsible for nearly 6 billion cups annually. And here’s the kicker, most people think they’re “recycling” their paper cups but the truth is those cups are lined with plastic and often can’t actually be recycled, they end up in landfill or our oceans just like all the others.

Insulated water bottle - I swear to you, my water bottle is never more than 5 ft. away from me at any given moment. This is literally my lifeblood. And obviously United by Blue makes the cutest ones so there ya go. Use code kalenrivers20 for 20% off your order.

Berkey water filter - an investment for sure, but definitely the best one I’ve made! We have the travel size in our bus.

FACT - A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. EVERY M.I.N.U.T.E. That’s 1,000,000 plastic bottles being purchased every 60 seconds. Let that sink in.

Additionally, Americans throw away approximately 35 billion plastic water bottles every year. And you know what percentage of those are actually recycled? Almost none. It’s said that 7 out of 10 plastic water bottles are either incinerated, dumped into landfills or left as litter.

Glass spray bottle - and with that I use the Young Living Theives all purpose cleaner concentrate and it’s literally the only cleaner I’ve used for 3 years. No more buying 10 different toxic cleaners (10 different plastic bottles) when 1 non-toxic cleaner does the job of all 10. 1 bottle of the concentrate typically lasts me a year. Yes, even before the bus we had a small home but this stuff freaking lasts, a little really does go a long way. The other option I would suggest if you aren't a Young living member or know one would be Branch Basics , of course I still recommend buying the concentrate so you’re buying less bottles.

Garbage bags - I’ll be honest, these arent my favorite but they’re good enough. However I’m just at that point in my sustainability journey where I’d rather deal with taking out the trash a little more often then using plastic trash bags. The key word to look for when buying is COMPOSTABLE not biodegradable because everything compostable biodegrades but even something that is biodegradeable can still take many years to decompose. I actually found a brand at Whole Foods when we were in California and as soon as we get back to the west coast I’m going to look for it again because they were the same deal but SUPER sturdy and of course I just forgot to write the brand down before we recycled the box.

Reusable dish cloths

Pot + Pan brush - I use this for caked on food before I use my dish brush so that it doesn’t get beat up.

I’ve bought all of my glass tupperware at TJMaxx.

QUIT SINGLE USE

ADDITIONAL LIVING SWITCHES -

Laundry Soap - I use Young Living but Branch Basics has a non-toxic formula. Yes, both come in plastic containers and yes there are glass packaged products out there as well as diy formulas but I’m just being honest and telling you what I use and so far that hasn’t been a switch I’ve made. I do believe that switching to a non-toxic lifestyle is also an important sustainability factor. I’ve found that when you start ridding your life of toxins you often start buying less stuff and when you stop buying stuff your plastic consumption decreases. See where I’m going here? All of these switches and pivots are really leading you to a different lifestyle - a healthy more sustainable one.

Pela PHONE CASE - Is an awesome mission driven business making 100% compostable phone cases, based in Canada! Favorite phone case I’ve ever had, hands down. Super durable, awesome selection of colors and it’s grippy, which I prefer in a phone case.
FACT - It’s estimated that approximately 1.5 BILLION phone cases are thrown away each year.

All around I just buy less because the most sustainable product you can use is the one you already have in your home.

as you can tell in the images I’ve shared, these brands aren’t just selling their products, they’re sharing their perspective on sustainability which is why I choose to follow them. Yes, I buy their products but I also intentionally consume their content because it’s informative and inspiring.

Here’s a few other instagram accounts I love to follow for sustainable living :

Lauren Singer, the founder of Package Free Shop has an awesome, inspiring IG feed as well as a website with tons of blog posts on sustainability. Her podcast episode on School of Greatness with Lewis Howes was a huge eye opener and motivator for me in the beginning of my sustainability journey.

Forage and Sustain is a fairly new follow and I’m obsessed. Most of their captions include a super informative fact which I’m always learning from.

Love love love easy eco tips! I literally learn so much from this page. Everything is always super clear and straight to the point. Plus, they have an unlimited amount of awesome diy + upcycle ideas.

2019 Reflections + 2020 Intentions

2019 year review

What a wild, wild year 2019 was.

I’m truly struggling to come up with words because I still, after 2 years of conversion and nearly 2 months of living, can’t quite comprehend the magnitude of our choice to literally sell everything, including our home, and move into our self converted school bus. Obviously moving into our home on wheels was by far the biggest, craziest thing we’ve ever done and because of that nearly everything else that happened last year feels like it’s been overshadowed by our massive lifestyle change. Which, is why this exercise of looking back on the year is so important. If you haven’t already I encourage you to do the same. Take note of what worked, what didn’t, what brought you joy and what drained you so that you can intentionally live out the year ahead in a way that brings you abundant happiness. Now, without further ado let’s dig into my highs and lows of 2019 and talk a little bit about what I hope to achieve in 2020.

Bus life in Banff

2019 HIGHS -

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Winter - 

I started the year by committing to a monthly goal in lieu of a single yearly resolution, which I love and highly recommend. January’s goal was to not drink alcohol which ended up lasting through March and even then my previous habit of “needing” a glass of wine with dinner each night never resurfaced. I’m happy to say I reserve drinking for occasions when I feel like celebrating and gone are the days I wake up hung-over. I’m only now realizing what a huge accomplishment this is as I write it out (again, the exercise at work, YAY!)

True & Co. sent me underwear in exchange for literally nothing. I know I should probably say this was my first sponsored post, but it wasn’t. Yes, they gave me product but they didn’t ask for a single thing in return, they only HOPED that I would create a little content for them and I did because I genuinely fell in love with their bras. You know a bra is comfortable when you get into bed for the night and completely forget you’re still wearing it. I’ll never go back.  

Spring - 

March + April were CRUNCH time to get the bus in “livable” condition for our first trip. In May we took the bus on it’s maiden voyage to Arizona for our best friends joint bach party in Scottsdale. We stopped over in Valley of fire and witnessed my favorite sunrise of the year over the jumbo rocks in Joshua Tree. This trip taught us SO MUCH about what we did right and what we still needed to add/fix on the bus. 

I also did something I’ve never done before - I reached out to a brand in hopes of getting product in return for my services. Guys, this IS SO UNLIKE ME. I’m someone who strrrruuugles believing that my skills are worthy and needed. It’s actually a problem, one that I’m very aware of and intentionally working through daily.  Well, on this particular day and because of the particular circumstances I had a break through. I offered my photography services in exchange for my absolute favorite chocolate treat and guess what? They were immediately game! Not only did I get A BOAT LOAD of Cobbs Cups in return for my photography services but, I grew to have an even deeper appreciation for the people and product that is Cobbs Cups. P.S if you haven’t tried one yet, WHYYYY?!!! Go support the kindest small business and enjoy literally the most delicious chocolaty nut butter cup you’ve ever tasted!

Valley of Fire, Nevada
Joshua Tree
Cobbs Cups
 
custom bridal jacket
Ombre Seating chart
Banff Canada
 

Summer - 

Our friends moved in with us to begin work on their own bus build. Although wedding season kept me from spending as much time with my bestie as I would have liked I’m so grateful for the brief period we were able to have together. Cooking farmers market dinners and indulging in way too many late night (vegan) ice cream dates at Vanilla Jills together was a highlight of my summer. 

Wedding season really does get better each year but 2019 was extra special to me. I officially entered the world of paper goods and was able to create invites and menu’s and save the dates that I’m so, so proud of. I realized that my love for working with wedding planners runs DEEP and having the opportunity to create along side Manda of Mae & Co Creative, as well as Taylor, Jordan, and Ashley of Bixby + Pine is a dream. They bring incredible ideas to the table and allow me to simply be me in the work that I create for their clients. The opportunity to work with them and their couples is a dream that I’m so dang grateful for. On top of that I was able to create for an abundance of ideal clients on some of my favorite projects to date like the Wild Standard Flag collaboration and so many bridal jackets I’m still obsessing over. 

We celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary and 7 total years together in the Oregon outback with a few thousand other people at Descend on Bend. The annual event we’d been talking about going to since we started the bus build ended up happening on the same weekend as our anniversary and although it wasn’t ideal timing (to me) we did it and ended up meeting some amazing people who we’ve since seen and continued to stay in contact with. 

A late anniversary trip took us to Banff in early September where we spent a weekend with close friends experiencing the vast beauty of the area.

Descend On Bend

Fall - 

THE BIG ONE - finishing + moving into the bus. We finally hit the road, officially OFFICIALLY! On November 14th we started our trip east to spend time with family for Christmas in Atlanta, GA. We drove the coastline from Oregon through California, made stops in Death Valley, Zion, Arches, Austin and realized that rushing across the country isn’t ideal. Like I said above, accomplishing this goal was the highlight of the year because the magnitude of this decision really controlled our life and the choices we made since 2017. We sacrificed a lot to live this way but the outcome, although still challenging, has already proven to be especially rewarding. 

We paid off the entirety of our debt with the money that we made from the sale of our house. It feels wild to live completely debt free. No mortgage, no car loans or student loans, nothing. We own everything we have outright which feels super liberating. 

Death Valley National Park
Death Valley
 
Zion National Park
Death Valley National Park
 
Arches National Park
Death Valley National Park
 
Zion National Park

2019 LOWS - 

home sweet home

I spent 3 days in February covered in hives. It was the most bizarre phenomenon that I still can’t explain and damn was it miserable. 

We spent the later part of the year basically saying goodbye to everything and everyone we know and love. We sold our house, sold my car, and I cried walking out of the house (our first home) that my business was born in. We said see you later to our closest friends and family and we’ve already missed out on numerous special occasions and celebrations with them. The whole year was an emotional rollercoaster filled with an abundance of feelings, but especially the last 2 month. 

Not only has moving into a traveling home challenged my perspective as well as my business operations, but this choice, the one that so many consider #goals (I loath that term) has challenged my marriage more than anything. 2019 was hard on Kyle and I; like, really hard. We argued more than we laughed and there was a huge disconnect between the two of us. I’m not going to pretend like moving into the bus solved everything because it didn’t. Even though I feel more grounded because I’m not living in limbo, we now have an entirely new set of challenges we have to face, together. Like figuring out a new normal that works for both of us, honoring each others needs and space, and, well, just simply living together in only 170 sqft. None of that is easy. But nothing worth having comes easy, right?!

Banff National Park

2020 intentions

 
Death Valley National Park

  • I’ll be continuing the practice of monthly commitments starting with no alcohol in January. 

  • I plan on taking more baths, even if that looks like soaking in muddy hot springs.

  • I plan on committing to volunteer opportunities.

  • And of course, I plan on furthering my sustainability practices. Which, so far has been more challenging since leaving the west coast. Just being honest.

Business – 

VLOGGING! This one pertains more to our @roamingrivers account and the goal we have to start our YouTube but as for @kalenrivers I WILL be creating educational IGTV’s for you. It’s something super challenging for me and totally out of my comfort zone which is what makes it so exciting! 

By the end of 2020 my goal is to offer services that exclusively use 100% recylcled paper, eco-friendly inks and green cast acrylics. This is a HUGE goal of mine and one that feels SO DAMN RIGHT for me and the direction of my business. I hope to open up the conversation about waste in the wedding industry and encourage others to head in a similar direction. It is absolutely possible to create the wedding of our couples dreams while also doing it in a way that honors our mother nature.

Produce educational content and take a step back from custom work to make it happen. I have so many ideas and content I want to create for you guys but every.single.time I begin work on a passion project, a client project pops up and that time I thought I had gets filled. I want to be more intentional with my time and spend less of it in the trenches of my business and more of it growing my dreams.  

SHOW UP MORE. I want to be more consistent and open not just in my captions but in stories. I want to show you more of the things I don’t think you care about because turns out, YOU DO. 

Continue sharing about sustainability. I was reminded the other day that even my little voice matters and I should keep using it. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do!

Personal – 

Now that Kyle and I are settling in to life on the road and officially have no plans to be anywhere or commitments to honor, we’re excited to just simply BE whenever, wherever we want to be. This year we’re putting our relationship first and focusing on reconnecting.  We’re intentionally choosing to grow individually so that we can show up in our relationship as the best version of ourselves. 

For me this looks like continuing my health journey. A journey that started from a low point in my life, the lowest point, and I so badly want to share about that but it’s not easy. I hold a lot of shame in my story and although I’ve spent 2 years digging into and trying to make peace with what happened to me it’s still hard. In 2019 I made a massive amount of progress towards physical healing as well as my mental healing, and I feel ready to talk about my struggles – especially if me sharing means there’s a chance I could help or encourage someone else to do the same. 

Death Valley National Park
earthy wedding invitations
Arches National Park

If you read this far I hope you’ll allow me the same honor and let me get to know you better by sharing a goal that you accomplished in 2019 or an intention that you’re setting in 2020. Tell me in the comments below so that I can cheer you on from afar because connecting with you in this way is a true highlight for me! Having you here, seeing your support day in and day out, feeling your appreciation of my work, it all means so much to me. It’s because of you that I’m encouraged to keep going. Thank you for all your messages and your likes and your comments and your orders. I see you, I appreciate you and I’m so so grateful to you for being here!

Happy New Year, friend!
All my love, Kalen

instagram is where i’m at

To know that there are still people here who started following me back when I had an Etsy is kind of mind blowing. I’ve lived what feels like a dozen different lives since then. My opinions have changed. My beliefs have changed. My style and
OCTOBER 🍂🎃 — Spent the only way I dreamt of transitioning from summer to fall …. on the road, with my people, experiencing the best of the NE! I’m so grateful ✨
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