Someone should call the oversight police on me.
I said I would bring you along for the SimpleREV ride, but it's been six months since my last update on our growing simple living movement.
If you're thinking, “Dude, what's a SimpleREV?” it's the intentional intersection of simplicity and community. And if gratitude, abundance, contentment, or deep connections are your kinda dealio, read on for some highlights about all things SimpleREV.
SimpleREV 2015: Will You Be There?
On October 3-4, 2014, fifty-five simple living enthusiasts gathered at the University of St. Thomas in downtown Minneapolis, MN for the first-ever SimpleREV event.
The goal? Intimate workshops, community-sourced meetups, inspiring REV Talks, and two days of deep connection. Thousands of hugs, smiles, laughs, tears, and sparks later, our community found mentors, new friends, and a potential transformation for the future of simple living.
We're reconnecting that spirit and building on our momentum at SimpleREV 2015 … and we want you to join us. You can see what the chitter-chatter is all about here and even score a ticket.
Here's a “Just the facts, Jack,” look at our 2015 event:
- Dates: October 2-3, 2015 with some optional/bonus activities on October 4.
- Location: Good ol' Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Venue: The Thomas Swain room in the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota campus.
- Workshop Leaders, REV Talkers, and other undefined roles (so far): Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, Donnie Maclurcan of the Post Growth Institute, Marc and Angel Chernoff of Marc and Angel Hack Life, and Farnoosh Brock of Prolific Living.
If you won't be one of the 108 simple living enthusiasts at SimpleREV 2015, maybe a friend or family member could. We'd love to add everyone's stories, skills, and unique slice of simple to an already great line-up of people playing a prominent role.
Check out the ticket page to see our mission, read what our SimpleREV 2014 participants had to say, and get your questions answered.
A New Brain Trust
We're super lucky that SimpleREVers got to experience Dan Hayes' full awesomeness for so long.
After much consideration, he decided to step back from an active SimpleREV role in December 2014 to focus on his family and open some space for other important projects. But Dan is, and always will be, 100% behind what we're building. Those are his words, not ours.
Fortunately (a major understatement), Andrea Imsdahl and Sarah Wehkamp joined me on the SimpleREV Brain Trust before Dan left.
Andrea will tell you that she's a project manager by day and a permanent travel enthusiast. But if you ask her, she'll tell you one of the most fascinating and inspiring journeys into simple living you'll ever hear.
Although the SimpleREV 2014 workshop video featuring Sheryl and Dave Balthrop is all kinds of groovy, you can see Andrea retelling her story from time stamp 28:26-30:34.
Switching over to Sarah, she's super passionate about helping families find balance and simplicity in their home life. She and her husband, Chris, are also the founders of Parents Who, a website that equips parents with tools to create and maintain a simpler, more meaningful family life.
Random facts: we share a love for fair trade dark chocolate and Ice, Ice Baby.
The SimpleREV community is darn grateful to have Andrea and Sarah … and we believe you will be too after you get to know 'em more.
The Rise of SimpleREV Local Gatherings
Since last October, the Twin Cities has been enjoying the heck out of Jeff Sandquist and Anthony Ongaro's co-hosted, free, and local SimpleREV gatherings.
Our last one featured a scha-weet workshop by Liz Zurek Beaudry on how to design an intentional living space. People arrived early and stayed way late because the energy, conversation, and sense of community was exceptional.
Jeff and Anthony have invited others to run workshops on how to repurpose just about anything (we made books!), simplify your finances, and just share our community's stories.
We've heard one man speak about his quest to get family members talking to each other and away from the TV. One passionate woman described the challenge of giving and receiving gifts for small children. And I may have ranted about the perils of plastic.
SimpleREV local gatherings are always intimate, practical, and filled with hugs. So if you want to help us bring local SimpleREV gatherings to your town, just let me know, yo.
But Wait. There's More …
Alright. So far, we have SimpleREV 2015, a new Brain Trust, and the rise of SimpleREV local gatherings.
Maybe those aren't your thing or maybe you're ready for more. Consider this an easy way to see what else the SimpleREV community is up to:
- The email newsletter. It's chalk full of tools and connections to build our crew from the local to the global level. You can subscribe right now if you're down.
- Our YouTube Channel. This is where you'll find our popular “What Simple Living Means to Me” project, stories and workshops from SimpleREV 2014, and much more. Give us a look-see and enjoy.
Did I miss something you want to know about? Let's hear it in the comments and help each other make SimpleREV even better.