Hi Reader!

Another month done and the end of daylight savings coming this weekend. What a whirlwind week it has been!

Let's dive into today's newsletter. 💌

Adventures

'Tis the season of (over)consumption. There's not much that scares me more than witnessing the vast amounts of consumerism that happens every day, but particularly around the holidays. Perfect spooky topic for Halloween. 👻

With many of us starting our holiday shopping early (hooray for planning ahead!) or hoping to grab good deals on outdoor equipment over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I want to share a few resources to consider for all your outdoor gear needs.

• ⛺️ REI's Re/Supply: Probably the most well-known of the bunch. REI has an amazing resell program for returned gear. You can usually find a Re/Supply section in your local REI or you can shop the larger selection online!
• 🏔️ Brand-specific trade-in programs, such as Patagonia's Worn Well and Arc'teryx's ReGEAR: Many brands, especially higher-end ones, have their own resell programs specifically for their gear. This is great because these items tend to be of higher quality and more expensive, meaning you're getting a solid deal on items that can easily last across multiple owners.
• 🦋 Articles in Common: I discovered this company on Instagram and love all the environmental initiatives they're implementing. This is essentially a consignment store of outdoor gear. You can send in your gear, they'll inspect it and send you an offer, then they'll sell it at a discounted price on their website. They'll even recycle clothing that can't be resold by salvaging any material that is still useable. Win-win-win!
• 🔄 Gear swaps: Check your area for local gear swaps, which are a great way to get rid of gear you no longer need, pick up some you do need, and meet awesome like-minded folks. Check with outdoor groups or set one up yourself if you aren't finding any!
• 🛒 Local thrift or secondhand stores: I recently learned that outdoor clothing is trending in streetwear?? I'm far too behind the times to be following any trends, but I do know this means more outdoor clothing is hitting thrift stores. I've specifically seen plenty of jackets and fleeces from big outdoor brands being stocked in my local shops!
• 👩🏻‍💻 Online thrifting, such as Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay: Similarly, any online secondhand shops will also have more outdoor gear and clothing -- but with an even larger selection. Keeping an eye out can lead to some incredible finds and deals.

And a few tips for purchasing outdoor gear secondhand:

• 🧐 Test and inspect before you buy. This is especially important for gear like tents, where a missing or broken part could ruin your next trip.
• 🧾 Check the store's return policy. There's nothing worse than receiving your item, finding out it doesn't work for you, then being stuck with it.
• 👷🏻‍♀️ Never buy protective gear secondhand. Things like climbing ropes and helmets should always be purchased new. No deal would be worth the risk.
• ❤️‍🩹 Be open to all options. Having your heart set on a specific brand or color can limit your ability to purchase secondhand. My shoes inevitably get beaten up, so a minor scratch wouldn't deter me. Small stains and holes can be covered with patches.
• 👀 Keep checking for new arrivals. There will always be new stock. Give yourself time to wait for the piece that's meant for you. And when you find a killer deal, grab it!

Lastly, lots of brands will be having massive sales toward the end of the year as they clear out old inventory during the offseason. It's a good time to grab anything you'll be needing next spring/summer when it's time to head back outdoors for more adventures.

Many companies have to get rid of (read: throw away) items they aren't able to sell, so I feel slightly better about buying brand new items if I know they've been stocked for a while and could be destined for the scrap heap.

Happy (mindful) shopping! 🛍️

Shoutouts

My shoutout this week goes to Zoe and Kelby of @the_adventureaddicts (also on YouTube). Their adventurous lifestyle can seem enviable at times, but I love that they also show the less than perfect parts of it all.

They offer tons of in-depth advice around gear (good and bad), camping meals, and overcoming fear in the outdoors. Check out their pages for Lake Tahoe living and epic adventures.

Munchies

I know not everyone is a salad person, but I most definitely am. It's one of the foods I crave the most often, especially after trips or when I'm in need of something light and energizing.

I'll admit that I was never the type to make my own salad dressing in the past, even though I knew how easy it was. My boyfriend was appalled to learn this and immediately began teaching me how to make a few staple dressings at home. The one we use most often is a tangy and creamy dressing with balsamic vinegar. We keep the recipe up on a whiteboard in our kitchen so we can easily make a big batch to keep in the fridge.

Here's that recipe:

• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 7 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a small shallot
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp of mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp of mustard, preferably whole grain
• 2 tsp of maple syrup
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

It's as simple as throwing everything into a blender and blitzing it all until smooth. We store it in some repurposed glass containers and have dressing ready for a week or two of salads!

On My Mind

I try not to get political on my pages, but here's a friendly reminder that Election Day (in the US) is less than a week away! ⏳

If you're able, get that ballot in so your voice can be heard. It takes some time to research and understand all your options for different measures and candidates. Set aside a chunk of time to get it done -- it's a time commitment you only have to give once every four years! 🗳️

Reading

This was a one-book week for me and it probably took me longer to finish than it should have. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker is a genre-blending read with elements of romance, mystery, and thriller. I saw many reviews that complained of the slow pacing, but I found that things were happening so fast that if I spaced out for just a second, I'd have to go back to see what I missed.

The story revolves around a boy called Patch, who has one eye. He goes from outcast to local hero overnight when he saves the life of the most beautiful and popular girl around. While Patch is suddenly receiving much more attention from his female classmates, his mind is unable to let go of the one girl he wasn't able to save, the mysterious Grace.

The writing itself was intricate and nuanced. The characters felt real. This would make an amazing movie. Yet something bothered me about the pacing, maybe it was the super short chapters; there are a whopping 261! Overall, I give it 3 stars out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Check out all my book reviews on Goodreads if you want to see what else I've been reading!

Everything Else

I'm going to sound like a broken record talking about getting my routine back in order before the new year. October was affectionately referred to as "getting-my-shit-together October" around here. Part of that has been trying to take my own advice around fixing my sleep and a huge part of that this month has been exercise.

Rock climbing has been my primary form of exercise since I first got into it a couple years ago. Now, I'm realizing I also need to switch things up for the sake of my body and to avoid falling into a rut with exercise.

I spent the last couple weeks trying out a hot yoga studio with a friend. This particular studio wasn't quite right for me, but going to those classes reminded me how much I love (hot or not) yoga and group classes.

I found a different studio closer to home that offers tons of different types of group fitness classes, so I'm giving this one a trial run for a month to see if it's a better fit. I actually just took my first class there last night and loved it!

For some people, spending an hour doing yoga in a 100+ degree room, or riding a stationary bike with a bunch of strangers is their version of hell. For me, needing to come up with my own workout routine each day would be torture. 😂

It's been fun refreshing my routine so I'm excited to head to the gym again. And I'm sure everyone around me appreciates that I'm less stressed and moody than when I've been a sedentary couch potato for too long. 😌

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Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you here again next week! ✌🏻

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Happy adventuring,

💚A

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