Happy Monday, friends!

I had the pleasure of hosting a really fun and meaningful event on Thursday night at the Athleta store in Boston that brought together a few of my passions: wellness, travel, and style. I was joined by my friends at Follain, a non-toxic beauty and skincare boutique founded in 2013 to change the way people think about healthy choices from the inside, out. Read on for a recap of the Pack LIGHT, Style RIGHT event in Boston, MA with BlueBootsGo, Athleta, and Follain!

Pack LIGHT, Style RIGHT 

I began by highlighting what brought BlueBootsGo x Athleta x Follain together: in short, our shared commitment to the same mission for wellness, thoughtfulness, and community in our space.

Athleta is committed to making 80% of their garments with sustainable fibers by 2020 – just three short years away. Follain began with one shop in the South End and the motto, “healthy, wholesome, sound” and through a genuine care for people’s health and their neighborhood, they have become a darling and a go-to spot for good-for-you beauty and skincare needs. They’ve become friends over the past few years, and I am incredibly grateful that they brought their voice to this event!

After a bit of browsing through the store, to foster a warm, friendly atmosphere, I asked everyone to find a person they didn’t know and introduce themselves.

I asked everyone to share one thing – small or big – with their new acquaintance that they were grateful for at that moment. Gratitude helped open up the time to share new ideas and thoughts!

I brought my Sp-ICED Wellness Elixir for people to sample – a warming spice, citrus, and root drink that helps soothe tummies and with ingredients that cooperate to relieve inflammation.

We chatted ingredients, and I also brought the ingredients to show what I used.

Fun fact: some of those ingredients in the drink also are active in best-selling skincare! Follain showed us some of the great products they test for effectiveness and then carry featuring the same warming spice ingredients that deal with redness, inflammation, and moisture which prove to be bothersome for skin.

Almost everyone who was there had a trip coming up so I shared packing tips for a 7-day trip, demonstrating some tricks I’ve learned from traveling on BlueBootsGo adventures with a carry-on suitcase I packed.

I was so happy to hear from attendees afterwards that they learned a lot, and had some fresh ideas for how to arrive maximally prepared, but minimally weighed down!

Ideas that people shared with the group were great, including:

• using a hand sanitizer spray to spray down the seat and arm rests of an airplane seat, and wiping it down with a simple napkin
• keeping dry nasal passages hydrated with a little almond oil
• taking a refreshing face toner spray along to keep skin hydrated
• bringing noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask in a carryon to rest well on flights
• bringing a calming tea (chamomile lavender) and a tummy-helping tea like turmeric ginger to calm an upset stomach from travel stress or pressure changes

Planning, Shopping, and Packing for, and Enjoying a trip are all related. When each is done with great thought and intention, it can help you to actually BE at your destination in a full way and not waste time catching up or getting organized.

As an adventure blogger, it is important to me to shop thoughtfully, especially for a trip. Summer is all about adventure, and is fresh on the tails of newness from spring.

I like to layer comfy chic styles that can seamlessly take an active lifestyle from adventure to adventure. I wear one outfit then pack 1-2 “stowable” pieces – a versatile legging, a different lightweight shoe, a light linen top – that transforms the outfit for the next activity.

I put together 8 outfits + a few staple pieces and talked through why I made those stylish, environmentally conscious, and perhaps surprising choices for biking, beach walks, walking around Rome…….Paris…….San Juan….. (ok, a girl can dream!).

Did you know that in addition to great active wear for exercise, Athleta carries terrific lightweight, UPF sun protection, wrinkle-resistant, quick drying, “unstinkable” layers for travel (and daily wear)? Search any of those terms on Athleta.com to see what they have!

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I picked up shorts, pants, and a tank at Athleta specifically for BlueBootsGo’s upcoming adventure this weekend through the Gulf Coast! (Follow along with the adventure #bluebootsgotravels on my stories on Instagram, instagram.com/BlueBootsGo .)

By the way, do YOU have any great places I MUST see in Florida, Louisiana, Texas? Send them over!! to wherethebluebootsgo (at) gmail.com. I’d like to know :). 

Everyone browsed, sipped, smacked and chatted and… we drew a winner (Raquel) of an Athleta gift card!

Thank you so much to Athleta for adding in this fun opportunity! 

Attendees were able to take home a colorful recipe card to learn how to make the Sp-ICED Wellness Elixir at home, and also went home with a turmeric ginger tea sample to take on their next trip! They also took home excellent skincare and beauty goodies from Follain, including products from May Lindstrom, Ursa Major, and Jane Iredale!

We start with gratitude, and finish with gratitude here:

Thank you to all of you who came, shared the event, told a friend, and for supporting the BlueBootsGo adventure <3! (A few faces are missing from this photo, unfortunately, but we enjoyed having you all very much!)

Photo Credit: Seijah Drake – thank you for capturing many of these great moments!

SURPRISE!

Didn’t get to attend?

I like to share, so comment below with one type of item (read: mascara, face wash, deodorant, foundation, shampoo, etc) that you are thinking of switching out for a healthy-for-you alternative and I’ll pick 3 winners by June 5 and send you the goodie bags + recipe that attendees got to take home! <3 

SHOP MY LOOK!

Fully Focused Support Top in Violet Mist/ Light Heather Grey

Studio Wrap in ‘Charcoal Heather’
Metro High Waist Legging (with pockets)

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that help BlueBootsGo continue to create new content for you to enjoy! <3