A LIFE OUTDOORS

Thanks to REI and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post!

A life outdoors is a life well lived -- filled with hiking through pine trees and playing in the snow. This year, I’m making a conscious effort to celebrate sustainably by cozying up in REI’s new sustainable line of garments and goods. When you shop on REI.com, you will often have the option of selecting one of the following sustainability attributes:
↠ Animal welfare
↠ Fair Trade ↠ Organically grown cotton
↠ bluesign® : this logo on a material or product tells you that environmental, health and safety issues have been thoroughly addressed during its creation.
↠ Recycled materials
↠ Forest Stewardship Council™️

REI Co-op just came out with a new sustainable line of clothing, inspired by a trip to Norway that the REI Co- Op founders took to Norway in 1969. This year, the co-op wanted to nod to that history through a collection honoring Norwegian heritage and style. Some of my favorite pieces from the collection are the Wallace Lake Beanie and the Norseland Insulated Jacket. I also picked up these super comfy Active Pursuits Capris and Emergence Fleece Pullover for a cozy day of snowshoeing. I also brought along my REI Co-op Hydro Flask Life Coffee Flask, filled with hot cocoa for a morning walk through the pines.

Some of my favorite ethical brands that are available at REI are Patagonia, Stasher, and Saola! I’ve particularly been loving these sustainable shoes by Saola, which have so many cool eco-friendly components and are available at REI!
↠ These shoes have removable insoles made from natural cork and BLOOM®: a plant-based foam made with algae biomass (algae is renewable feedstock sourced from lakes and ponds) ↠ The stitched uppers deliver the look and feel of suede but are made with recycled PET from plastic bottles; each pair is made of 3-4 recycled bottles
↠ Each pair of Saola shoes sold supports wildlife preservation projects. It feels so good to give mindfully this year, and to encourage the people I love to get outside more this snowy season.

Patagonia has some amazing sustainability efforts as well -- my favorite new pants for hiking are my Grand Pitch Cords. They are so comfortable, and even have Fair Trade Certified sewing. As a brand, Patagonia has the mindset that the best products are functional, repairable and, most of all, durable. Their goal is to minimize their impact on the environment and produce gear and clothing that lasts for generations – and can be recycled if necessary so the materials remain in use and not in landfills.

It feels so good to give mindfully this year, and to encourage the people I love to get outside more this snowy season.