I love being able to chat directly with folks as they try the drinks and inform them about the ingredients and the benefits of adaptogens. I am very glad that my partner, Rob, was able to help with putting up my booth and then, at the end of the day, when I was tired, to help me break it all down and pack up the car. It’s a lot of effort and planning for these types of events, but it was a good practice run for next month’s all-day event, Gather: Yoga & Wellness Festival on June 14th out at Radium Runway. Fortunately, I have a few helping hands for that one, as I’m not only running my booth, but also helping to set up the VIP lounge, and I have a few more free tickets for anyone who wants to help me break down later in the early evening, around 5:15 pm. You can sign up here, and know that you’ll have my deepest gratitude!

A few days later, on May 13th, I hosted one of the 100 get-togethers for the Great Curious Cocktail Party produced by Curious Elixirs. Not only did we have No 1 and No 4 to try, but also No 2 Pineapple Ginger Margarita (my personal favorite), and No 3 Juniper Collins. People were really digging the No 4 spritz, going back a couple times for more samples, and also No 2. I set up the party at Groundfloor, and made the decision to curtain off part of the room, and rearrange the couches and tables in the front area to make it cozier, and more of a defined hangout space, and less ‘co-working’ vibe. I set up a self-serve bar, and also had a corner set up with collage materials to make intention cards, and that was a lot of fun for people. I also held a small raffle in the middle and made goody bags for guests to take home. The two-hour party always goes so much faster than the setup and breakdown! Many hands helped, though, to put everything back the way it was, and I felt happy and complete at the end.

The final event of the month for the group was another guided journaling session, this time held inside Melo Melo Kava Bar on Grand Ave. We gathered in the front window area where plenty of afternoon sunlight streamed in, and made a cozy circle. I had two writing sprints, so that anyone could come to one or both times. I am still working on the format and flow for the timing of intros + starting/stopping writing + share-outs, and finally closing the circle. I’m getting better at being the leader and keeping us all on schedule, but sometimes it is fun to sit back and let conversations just flow. Here are some of the prompts we used that day:

Where are you, truly, right now? Not in place, but in feeling.

What are you ready to release?

What quality do you most want to embody in this season of your life? Not what you want to achieve — but how you want to move through things. Ease. Courage. Presence. Slowness. Something else entirely?

And now: what are you ready to welcome in?

I have another journaling event on the calendar with Melo Melo, and if you’d like to join us, Sunday, June 28th, from 2 - 4 pm, you can sign up here

The other event on the group’s calendar in June is the Bloom & Brew: Summer Solstice Floral workshop and Tea ceremony. Saturday afternoon, June 20th, we’ll gather in my backyard under the plum tree to sip tea and craft floral crowns in honor of the beginning of Summer. Flowers have long held deep symbolic and cultural significance during summer rituals, with traditions in Scandinavian countries like Sweden offering a vivid example of their importance through Midsommar. Floral crowns are a timeless way to celebrate the summer solstice, symbolising beauty, connection to nature, and the peak of the season’s abundance.

And lastly, Daybreaker Let’s be Friends tour is coming back to the Ferry Building on Father’s Day morning, June 21st, and I highly recommend this location, as you get the best bay breeze, and delicious food options inside the market. As always, they have some great DJs lined up, and non-alcoholic options are included in your ticket.

June is shaping up to be a full and beautiful month. Floral crowns, tea, journaling, and an all-day wellness festival on the runway. If any of this sounds like your kind of thing, I hope you’ll come find us. The more the merrier, and there’s always room in the circle.

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Due to rain, I postponed the journal walk and Kava meetup a couple of weeks, so it became a jam-packed weekend on the 18th/19th. First, we met up at Chochenyon Park for tea + tarot. I won’t lie and say I didn’t have some anxiety when people rolled in late, and then later. I normally am not bothered by folks’ time management, but for some reason, this Fire Horse had me feeling the feels about it. I’ll blame it on the New Moon ;) but eventually, we were all ready to do spreads together in the warm Spring air.

The next day, I met up with Christine at the Lake Merritt Gardens for our rescheduled journal walk. I know that moving the date really did affect attendance, and in hindsight, I should have cancelled and rescheduled for another month. Still, we enjoyed ourselves in the glorious weather and delicious scents, and then stopped to pull some cards and chat. We then went over to Melo Melo Kava Bar on Grand for a happy hour drink with a new member of the group, Leina. I love small groups because we can really dive deep and talk in depth. I also get really chatty when I drink Kava, so I hope it wasn’t too annoying. Next time we will be doing a guided journaling session at the Kava bar on May 23rd, and I hope you can join us!

Those were all the group events I hosted in April, but I had a special festival on my calendar. I attended the Sedona Yoga Festival from the 23-26th and it was amazing, strange, and magical all at the same time. I will be doing a deep dive on it later next week, so stay tuned!

Upcoming events for May!

First up is the Self-Care Saturday wellness event produced by Yoga Amansala on May 9th. I know a lot of other events are happening this weekend, but where else can you have a yoga class, and try Magic Mind wellness shots, Gruns gummies, and Curious Elixirs all at the same time for free?! From Noon - 4pm, there is a stacked schedule, and I’ll be at my booth on The Avenue. Click here for all the info on Downtown Alameda’s page!

Next up is one of my favorite community events The Great Curious Cocktail Party produce by Curious Elixirs. Didn’t get a chance to try them on Saturday? No problem! I will be pouring out No 1, 2, 3 and 4 on May 13th from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at Groundfloor, and the theme is florals/botanicals! RSVP soon as spots are limited, and this is a not-to-be-missed party 🌸

The third and last event of the month on our group’s calendar is May 23rd at the Melo Melo Kava Bar for a guided journaling session. We’ll have two writing sprints between 2-4pm, so I hope you can join us!

Upcoming event for June!

Yoga Amansala is producing their second Yoga + Wellness Festival on June 14th called “GATHER,” and it’s just as the name implies. All day long, we will be at Radium Runway here in Alameda with several yoga and fitness classes, a vendor village with wellness facilitators and practitioners, and then a fun dance party by DJ Sol Rising. I will have the Renew Collective booth on site with some amazing products from Corpse Reviver electrolyte drinks, Pop + Bottle collagen coffee, Gruns gummies, Magic Mind wellness shots, and Curious Elixirs cocktails. Come sample, sip, and shop at the wellness lounge and enjoy a day of healthy activity and the amazing local East Bay wellness community!

Stay cool, calm, and collected during this intense Year of the Wheel x Fire Horse 2026.

Yoga helps ;) just sayin…..

As you can see, I have a lot of supplies! If you are interested in joining the next creative craft session, I am hosting it in my backyard on April 18th. Spots are limited, so RSVP soon!

The other event I organized for March was a floral workshop to celebrate Ostara and the Spring Equinox. I made a trip over to the SF Flower Market and bought the brightest and prettiest florals that spoke to me. Some people may not know this, but I was a florist in my early 20’s, and all the time I spent in floristry school and years of experience in flower shops may be from another lifetime, but they are still part of the foundation for my creativity. I have applied what I learned about color theory, design, and art theory into other forms of craft like photography, hat fascinator habdashery, watercolor painting, and even baking. When I set up a space for an event, all of that experience and the lessons I have learned from working with flowers and photography are there in the background. I’ve had many years to practice different setups in my backyard, and this one was the most intense I’ve ever done at home. I’m very proud of what I accomplished, and was so happy that the attendees were having a good time choosing flowers for their arrangements. I had started the workshop with an explanation of basic floral arranging rules, and then I said they could choose their flowers based on meaning, or what was speaking to them, and to choose intuitively. As people started their designs, I’d go around and see if anyone needed assistance or a tip to get the flowers to behave in the vase. Everyone did an amazing job and had big smiles on their faces.

It was interesting to me that there were many folks who did not show up, and I still haven’t heard a peep out of them as to why. Unsolved mystery! The workshop was paid for, though, so the 9 women in attendance were able to create two bouquets each, and I still had a lot of material leftover, so I created a couple of time-lapses of me crafting vase arrangements with what was left over. Here is one below.

The next flower workshop will be on May 18th, and if you would like to get on the waitlist for it, you can submit your info here. I will be posting that event at the end of April.

Speaking of April, here is the list of events I am hosting and organizing.

🎲 BOARD GAME NIGHT HAPPY HOUR + PIZZA PARTY

Friday, April 3 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Kick off the month with a cozy night of board games, great company, and pizza! Come ready to play, laugh, and connect. Sponsored by Best Day Brewing, Curious Elixirs & Corpse Reviver 🎉 RSVP here

✍️ SCENTS & STORIES:

Afternoon writing session at the Lake Merritt Botanical Gardens.

Sunday, April 12 | 2:00 – 3:15 PM

Before happy hour, let's wander through the Lake Merritt Botanical Gardens and let our senses guide our writing. No experience necessary, just an open heart. RSVP here

🌺 MELO MELO KAVA BAR HAPPY HOUR

Sunday, April 12 | 3:45 – 5:00 PM

After the writing workshop, keep the afternoon going at Melo Melo Kava Bar! Join us for relaxed conversation, good drinks, and that warm Renew Collective energy we all love. It’s the perfect way to wrap up a Sunday — no alcohol needed. RSVP here

☕ SPILL THE TEA: CARD CRAFTING SOCIAL

Saturday, April 18 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Gather for a lovely morning of connection, creativity, and cozy conversation! Whether you’re crafting a card for someone special or simply showing up for some creative self-expression, this one is for you. Bring your good energy — everything else is taken care of. RSVP here, spots are limited!

The old saying of “April showers, bring May flowers” is a proverb traced back to 1157, notably appearing in Thomas Tusser’s 1557 work, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, which included the line: “Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers”. It acts as a metaphor for patience and optimism, reminding people that current hardships are preparing them for future success. I continue to plan and organize for our group because the community we are building together is worth every bit of effort it takes to bring it to life. I hope you can join us in the near future, and I want to share two other larger community-based events coming up in May and June. Please do come through for one or both, and be part of something that keeps growing.

Still time to apply to be a vendor at both events!

And now, one last flower photo, just because 😊

Rachel Radcliffe writes about plant medicine, wellness culture, and the science behind what we consume. She is the founder of Renew Collective, an alcohol-free social community in the East Bay.

This year, I’m committed to hosting at least one art, craft, or writing workshop each month. There’s something about working through thoughts and feelings with your hands that feeds the soul in a way nothing else quite does.

The third weekend, we took over Groundfloor for a board game night during happy hour, and the party games were a hit from start to finish. Telestrations is the kind of party game where not knowing how to draw is actually a feature; the worse the art, the better the chaos. The more people in the circle, the wilder it gets. A smaller group also broke off to play Dixit, and the debates over who made the best card choice were deeply entertaining (ifkyk).

Of course, I brought the non-alcoholic options: Best Day Brewing, Curious Elixirs, and my current obsession, Corpse Reviver. Another board game night is on the calendar for early April, so stay tuned! You can follow along here.

To close out the month, I attended two events worth mentioning: Daybreaker’s Let’s Be Friends tour (now in their 13th year!) on Saturday at the gorgeous St. Joseph’s Arts Society, and a beautiful Yin yoga and sound bath session on Sunday at Dragonfly Yoga Studio in Livermore. Both were exactly the kind of reset a full month of events calls for. I danced it out on Saturday, and stretched and breathed in new energy on Sunday.

Brez is the absolute best for rehydration. And here’s a quick booty-licious video from a friend, in Planet Booty shorts!

Daybreaker will be back at the Chase Center on April 11th. I highly recommend putting this one on the calendar and grabbing a free ticket to the dance portion from 11 am - 1 pm. Your body will thank you!

And since we’re already at March 10th (where did the time go?), I have to add one more recap before I close out this update. To celebrate International Women’s Day, I hosted my first backyard event of the year, gathering 15 wonderful women for an afternoon of painting and early spring sunshine. Each person created something completely their own, and the range of images that came out of that afternoon was genuinely inspiring. I forgot just how much goes into setting up a painting workshop, complete with a craft table and snacks and drinks, but seeing everyone light up made every bit of the prep worth it. Getting to connect with so many friends, both familiar faces and new ones, was exactly the kind of reminder of why I do this.

Interested in joining the next wellness workshop? I put together a quick four-question poll and would love your input. Take a moment to fill it out here!

I’ll say it again because I am feeling it strongly.

It’s been a tough year.

And it’s only February.

I started the year with as many alcohol-free events on the group’s calendar as I could, amongst my various family travel plans and work obligations. I also attended a few events that were not mine, so it’s not surprising I’m feeling burnt out already. Combining the political climate (terrible) with stress at work (not fun), and a general malaise in the air has not been great for my mental health, and it’s no wonder I came down with a cold this week. Here’s a picture of how I am feeling from my favorite tarot deck.

I'm happy with my decision to let go of one project I'd been carrying, but I'm clearly still juggling too many things. I will continue to organize events, but it will be less frequently, maybe two times a month instead of every weekend. I am halfway through an herbalism course, which ends in May. I will continue to write, travel, and seek out experiences that align with my healing journey, but I will say no to many distractions presenting themselves as opportunities. 2025 was the year of “Yes”, so 2026 is the year of finding balance. Day to day, that would be careful with time management and not doom-scrolling, hours in front of a screen, and consuming. I have never been good at setting a goal for myself and sticking to it. I thrive on novelty, but I am consistent once I make a decision.

But let me back up to January, which was packed with many fun wellness activations. Starting with the first weekend in January, with a cacao and sound healing experience with Laura Moir at Yoga Amansala, where we rested in community and allowed intentions to be created and released. The cacao warmed our hearts and helped bring us to a calm awareness in our bodies as the gentle tones and sounds from various instruments carried us on a journey into peace and balance. Some gentle snores were heard, but most everyone was in a light state of meditation. Afterwards, we sipped on herbal tea, and nibbled on delicious vegan treats.

Laura’s next experience, the Flow & Glow is coming up this Sunday, and I highly recommend her workshops as well as supporting small businesses in Alameda.

On the same weekend, I organized and hosted one of my favorite experiences, the Vision Board and Intention Candle collage workshop. I held it again at Groundfloor and had a great mix of people from the club, my group, and new people who found the event on Eventbrite. The setup was a lot as I decided to not only rearrange the lounge, but also bring in my tea bar and lots of snacks. These types of events require several days of prep beforehand and a lot of manual labor on the day. Besides collecting materials like magazines, scissors, etc I also made a lot of candles from scratch, but it’s always worth it. I really enjoy seeing the creativity come alive and how different everyone’s vision is. Lots of great convos were being held all over the room, and it was such a cozy afternoon.

A bit later in the month I hosted a wellness walk around the Lafayette Reservoir, and then a happy hour on the patio of Sipeos. It was a beautiful sunny day, warm and a realy pleasure to walk around the lake while chatting with folks. A few of us went to Sipeos afterwards to try a cocktail and chit-chat some more.

The final event of the month was one I had been working on for a few months. I curated several of my favorite non-alcoholic brands and hosted a Dry January Happy Hour at the Groundfloor club in Oakland. I really wanted people to experience and try functional ingredients, and I was so happy that many of the brands said yes to partnership and that I had such a great variety for folks. Not only were the tasting tables set up, but I had raffle prizes for folks throughout the evening, goody bags with more samples to take home, a snack table, and a craft table. To top it all off, I enlisted the help of Karen from The Funky Truth Healing to do mini-Reiki sessions in the Library, and also Maggie of Anum Cara House to draw Oracle cards for anyone wanting a reading. It was a night of great fun, sampling, conversations, and all fueled by these special brands: Alice mushroom chocolates, Dromme, Curious Elixirs, Corpse Reviver, and Leilo kava.

I want to take a moment to thank the incredible brands who partnered with me to make the Dry January Happy Hour such a success: Alice mushroom chocolates, Dromme, Curious Elixirs, Corpse Reviver, and Leilo kava. Your generosity in providing product samples allowed our community to discover functional ingredients and alternatives in such an authentic, hands-on way. So many attendees told me how much they appreciated being able to taste and learn about brands that align with their wellness values, and several people left with new favorites they're now incorporating into their routines. Beyond the products themselves, your partnership demonstrated a shared commitment to supporting mindful living and alcohol-free celebration. It meant the world to see brands championing this movement alongside us. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with people commenting on everything from the sophisticated flavor profiles to the beautiful packaging to actually feeling the benefits of functional ingredients. Thank you for believing in this vision and helping create an experience that our community won't forget.

I also could not have done this event without the assistance of my partner Rob who helped man the door, greet guests and offer them a raffle ticket, and all the setup and teardown afterwards. I was able to concentrate on the attendee experience as well as capturing content. Here is my quick recap video, hope you enjoy!

I don't have it all figured out yet - this whole "finding balance" thing is messy and imperfect. But I know I can't pour from an empty cup, and right now mine is running pretty low. The events will continue, just more sustainably. The community will still gather. And I'll still be here, just maybe with better boundaries and more rest in between. Thanks for being on this journey with me, even when it's not all vision boards and functional beverages. For February and March, there are some events on the calendar, and I hope to see you at an event soon!

Our group walked the Let’s Glow SF! route once again through the downtown FiDi district with a couple of new stops along the way. As always, we were mesmerized by the beautiful projected video displays and outstanding music. I think they really stepped it up this year by having vendors of hot drinks at nearly every location, and I was impressed with the variety of stories that were told at each stop. My favorite this year was at the Ferry Building, and I hope everyone got a chance to see at least one of the exhibits.

The next day, we enjoyed a private yoga session with Nadia at Groundfloor on a chilly Sunday afternoon and tried Magic Mind wellness shots for a calm energy as we stretched and held poses to release tension. Nothing felt more refreshing than slow, mindful movement in a cozy lounge. We’ll definitely do this again soon!

One tradition I look forward to every year is when we get into the Holiday Spirit with a walk down Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda. 86 years and counting, with over 50 households participating to create a dazzling display of lights and dioramas for free to the public. Last day to walk the lane is Jan 2nd! To see more photos and get updates, you can visit their FB page here. My favorite house is the Nightmare Before Christmas, which usually has a fantastic timed music display, but it wasn’t on the night we visited.

Now we are in the Mush week, where not much happens in between Christmas and New Year’s, but for Dry January, we have so many fun things planned!

This Saturday 1/3, Laura Moir will guide us through a cacao ceremony and an hour-long healing soundbath with many instruments to gently guide us through meditation and rest. This event is sold out, but you can jump on a waitlist in case someone cannot make it.

And then on Sunday 1/4, I am hosting a vision board + intention candle plus tea bar at Groundfloor Oakland from 2-4 pm, and there is still room for a few more people here. I wanted to give both options as some people have not created an intention candle before, and I find them special as you burn it throughout the year, and think about what you want to manifest. Vision boards are great for those with many images and words they collect and display, but with limited real estate on a small candle, you have to really want the image to be there.

Weather-dependent, I have a wellness walk and meetup at Sipeos scheduled for Jan 18th. This will be my third time hosting this event, and I am looking forward to a relaxing chat and walk around the Lafayette Reservoir, and then a more leisurely connection at Sipeos while we sip on non-alcoholic drinks. Come to one or both of these gatherings and meet like-minded folks as we chat about the year of the Fire-Horse coming up, and what transformation means to us.

The final event of the month will be a special Dry January Happy Hour, celebrating a few special functional brands with food and drink pairings, wellness activations, and games. Join us on the 24th at Groundfloor Oakland for "The AFterglow," an elevated alcohol-free social experience featuring thoughtfully curated functional beverages, pairing with light bites, and interactive wellness experiences designed to prove that connection, creativity, and celebration don't require alcohol. This is your chance to discover the next generation of functional drinks while mingling with like-minded folks who value intentional socializing and authentic community. Whether you're committed to Dry January or simply curious about the alcohol-free lifestyle, come ready to sip, savor, and celebrate the art of feeling good without the hangover.

Brands we’ll be featuring:

alice chocolates are decadent chocolate supplements that combine the best fruiting-body mushrooms with the best nootropics and adaptogens. This union pairs the long-term benefits of mushrooms with the immediate effects of the nootropics, and keeps you on your journey into the delights of fungi. The result: an indulgent daily routine that’s good for you and only gets better with time.

Curious Elixirs are booze-free craft cocktails infused with adaptogens to help you unwind. The beverages are handmade with the world’s best ingredients and no refined sugar. Each flavor is a collaboration between world-class bartenders, herbalists, and food scientists, and they proudly use organic juices, herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals to make your mouth dance.

Leilo Kava delivers crisp lime with a touch of natural sweetness for a clear, mindful unwind — no alcohol, no haze. Kava is a plant that is grown in the Pacific islands. Islanders have used it for centuries as a social beverage, ceremonial offering, and traditional medicine. The Kava Root is ground down and made into a natural, non-alcoholic beverage.

Dromme is complex and bright-eyed. Calm and Awake are versatile flavor profiles that add levels of complexity and intrigue to your cocktails and nootropics drinks. Infuse your life with artisan botanical elixirs hand-crafted to enhance your health and well-being.

Corpse Reviver is a functional electrolyte drink with 4 refreshing flavors, made to support hydration, balance, and everyday recovery. They start with a tea-based, lightly sparkling foundation and layer in real fruit juices, botanicals, and functional minerals, all chosen with intention. Each can includes a thoughtful blend of electrolytes and nutrients

As we close out this incredible year together, I’m filled with gratitude for this community we’ve built. From yoga sessions to creative workshops, from quiet tea circles to vibrant gatherings, we’ve shown up for each other 68 times this year, creating spaces where connection matters more than consumption, where presence is the greatest gift we can offer. To our 300+ members: thank you for bringing your authentic selves, for saying yes to new experiences, and for proving that joy doesn’t need a buzz. As we move into 2026, I’m excited to continue growing alongside you, exploring new ways to gather, and deepening the roots of this beautiful collective. Here’s to more moments of genuine connection, more laughter, more creativity, and more of the magic that happens when we choose to show up fully present. See you at The AFterglow in January. Cheers to a New Year (with something delicious and alcohol-free, of course)!

The very next day, I had the privilege of vending at Lori Costabile’s Dia de los Muertos Shapeshifter event at Home of Truth in Alameda, where she performed a soulful soundbath celebrating and honoring our ancestors, followed by a dance party with DJ EJletric. I had attended her first event a few months ago, and when she asked me to be a mocktail vendor, I said “Yes” without much thought to the work involved in it, but sober events like these are rare and far between here in Alameda, so I couldn’t pass it up. I was thrilled to make a Marigold Mocktail, using All the Bitter Orange, and having Free Spirits Tequila as an addition. I also had Best Day Brewing Electro Lime on the bar, as I felt it went with the theme of the party. Lori did an amazing job of gathering vendors for the event, and her sound bath was wonderful, with many people spread out on the floor and also sitting in chairs in the main sanctuary. Afterwards, people gathered in the courtyard, tried a mocktail, and danced to the fun ‘80s/’90s electro beats by DJ EJlectric. A fun video to watch is here

The following weekend, we met up at Yoga Amansala for a session with Laura Moir. As people arrive and settle in, I like to hand out blank journals with prompts, and either herbal tea or wellness shots from Magic Mind to gain focus and stay intentional. If you have never done Yin and Vinyasa in the same session, you are missing out. Laura guides us through a restorative flow with long stretches and ways to release tension. Then she helps us rest with a beautiful sound bath journey with multiple instruments.

Laura is so talented, and coming up in Dry January, we’re putting together a special cacao ceremony and sound bath workshop, and would love for you to join us if you can. Link to purchase early-bird tickets is here, prices go up Dec 21st.

The last Craft & Connection event of the year was wonderful, and I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. I had thought it was going to be a small gathering, as last time it was, but people trickled in, and so the table became fuller and joyous throughout the afternoon. I love organizing these types of events because I get to share my love of art and tea all at the same time with people who comment, “This was exactly what I needed,” and “I had such a nice time,” and “When is the next one?” Some people come for the tea bar, and some people come just to work on an art project, and some are there for the connections and social time.

The Night of Hecate was supposed to be a bonfire in my backyard, but ended up being a quiet gathering in my living room instead due to the weather, with many candles and a potluck. I brought out my Tarot and Oracle card decks for people to do readings, and we wrote down things we were letting go of on pieces of paper to burn later once the rain stopped. It was a quieter and introspective circle of women, and it felt really intimate and focused.

The last event of the month was a Gratitude wellness walk in the Oakland Redwoods along the Stream Trail to be in nature and see ladybugs! I printed out the forest bathing experience for the group and had delicious hot ginger tea for everyone at the start. It was a gorgeous late-fall, early-winter afternoon that was sunny, cool, and humid as we walked a mile and a half along the trail and stopped under the trees near the creek to write in our journals for a few minutes, before continuing until we came to a spot where many ladybugs were gathered for their hibernation period. I like that a common term for when ladybugs gather is called a “loveliness“, though when they are hibernating, the actual phrase is an aggregation, which is not as interesting to me, so I am sticking with loveliness. I highly recommend going on a ramble in our local parks, and the bonus of hearing the bird calls, the smell of the damp earth, and the pine trees are part of Shinrin-Yoku, or commonly known as “forest bathing.” The forest offers us phytoncides—natural compounds released by trees—that have healing properties. By breathing deeply in the forest, we’re literally taking in medicine. I challenge everyone to do this at least once a month, and I will be offering these free guided wellness walks in my group, so if you can join us, please do! My bribe to come out is a sweet treat and tea at the end ;)

December has started, and we’ve got three great opportunities to connect with sober-curious friends. This weekend is a double-header with a wellness walk for the Let’s Glow! festival and then a special yoga session with optional mini-Reiki healings by Nadia. And the final event of the year will be my favorite way to celebrate the holiday spirit by walking Christmas Tree Lane here in Alameda, followed by tacos at Cholita Linda on Park Street.

We hope you’ll join us for one of these special events, and if life gets in the way, then for the month of Dry January, I have three events cooking behind the scenes! Starting with a Cacao ceremony + Sound bath on Jan 4th with Laura Moir, followed by a Vision Board and Intention Candle crafting session on Jan 11th, and finally, the best event I could think of for the beginning of the year and a great way to continue a sober-curious journey……a Sober Happy Hour with several amazing functional beverages paired with food bites and including fun activations like decorating a personal journal, mini-reiki healings, tarot readings and more! To stay informed, you can follow the groups’ IG here, or look at the Events page on our website.

Happy Holidays from Renew Collective!

After much consideration, I’m excited to announce that in two weeks, we’ll be transitioning from Meetup to our new home on Sweatpals. This move has been on my mind for a while, and I’m finally taking the leap to better serve our growing community.

Stay Connected:

• Join my email list here for direct updates

• Follow our journey here

• Check out the newly revamped Renew Collective website, where you’ll find event listings, recaps, reviews, and links to all our social channels

There’s a bittersweet element to this transition. Our Meetup page holds an incredible archive of memories and milestones:

• 2022 Jul-Dec: 10 events (where it all began!)

• 2023: 53 events

• 2024: 73 events

• 2025: 70 events so far, with 6 more planned for Nov/Dec

While all those photos and memories will be removed from Meetup, I plan to create static archive pages on the website where you can still view images and relive moments from some of our past events. Another way to see previous conversations is to join our Discord channel here, and you can find us on Yelp here

And now for our recap of Sober October!

We began the month beneath the Harvest Full Moon with an intention-setting fire in my backyard, where I had the chance to meet a couple of island neighbors. It was a small and intimate circle, where five of us gathered under the bright, rising moon, sharing what we hoped to release and inviting in fresh energy for the fall season. Don’t miss our next gathering on November 16, when we’ll celebrate Hecate, the lunar goddess of crossroads, magic, and transformation. We’ll come together around the fire, sip clarity cocktails, and create a community altar in her honor.

Every year, I look forward to the Lake Merritt Autumn Lights Festival, and this year, there were a lot of new sculptures and even more vendors to visit throughout the garden. We wandered around for an hour and a half looking at all the beautiful art, and I think this was the best year yet! It can be overwhelming at first, with all the sounds and light everywhere, but taking a slow meander along the pathways, you can really immerse yourself in this wonderland.

The third weekend, I set up my tea bar and hosted another Craft & Connection at Groundfloor in Oakland. Nothing is more relaxing for me than sipping tea, eating snacks, and chatting with folks while doing watercolors. It’s a pleasant afternoon, and we have one more scheduled this year for Nov 15th at the same location and same time from 3-5 pm.

The final event of the month was Tea & Tarot at my house. Originally, I wanted to host in the backyard where nature sounds and lovely green trees and plants surround us, but the fall weather had other plans, and we moved inside for another cozy afternoon of tea, connection, and tarot readings. And snacks, I love having a variety, and people brought some tasty treats as well! It was fun to decorate the house and have that Samhain spirit inside.

Events for November are now posted on the new group page here <——

November 7th Yoga Amansala, Alameda

Nov 15th Craft & Connection, Oakland

Nov 16th Night of Hecate: A Bonfire Gathering of the Triple Goddess, Alameda

Nov 23rd Forest Bathing Wellness Walk, Oakland

Other local events of note:

November 8th Mocktails in the San Francisco Koshland Park Gardens

November 8th Mocktail Mixology Workshop at Slide Ranch Muir Beach, CA

November 12th Virtual Fall Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Class

November 22nd/23rd Together Twice Alcohol-Free Women’s Retreat Mill Valley, CA

November 29 Sobertopia Lands End Walk San Francisco, CA

The second weekend, I had organized a wellness walk, but only one other member was able to attend. We power-walked three miles in an hour and had a lovely chat. On Sunday, I went to Daybreaker’s event at the Ferry Building, where the DJs kept the vibes going all morning long, and thankfully, we had fans and cold drinks because that warm sun was shining brightly the whole time. Such a fun time dancing it out, and I highly recommend attending the next one on October 11th at Springline in Menlo Park. It’s outdoors and free entry, though it’s a bit of a drive for us East Bay folks.

I don’t normally host events on weekday evenings, but this was a special exception. Izzy from Sobertopia had coordinated with the captain of SF Bay Cruise, who is celebrating 17 years of sobriety, and chartered a two-hour cruise for sober-curious folks with all the drinks sponsored by some of our favorite non-alcoholic brands. I created a clarity cocktail using Prima Pave Rose Brut and Free Spirits Gin for my take on a French 75, and there were many different beers from Best Day Brewing, along with ready-to-drink cocktails by Free Spirits, and cute little bottles of wine from Woody’s, which gets their grapes from Mendocino, CA

We sipped, played mingle bingo, had a raffle, noshed on delicious snacks, and created amazing memories while staying clear and present. Witnessing the city’s silhouette reimagined from the water’s edge, while the sky dissolved into gradients of amber and rose, became more than a visual moment. It was a revelation of perspective, a reminder that shifting our vantage point can fundamentally alter what we see as possible.

This experience crystallized something essential: the spaces we create matter as much as the relationships that grow within them. When we design gatherings that don’t center alcohol as the prerequisite for intimacy or joy, we don’t just accommodate different choices. We challenge a cultural assumption so deeply embedded that we never question it.

My last organized event of the month was a green tea tasting at Groundfloor. I poured three Japanese teas and three Chinese teas, all from the Monterey Bay Herb Co. I started with Sencha, and Mecha followed by Young Hyson, Gunpowder, Jasmine, and then finally Matcha. I made packets of information for people with a ton of notes on each, and you can view those here. Afterward, the attendees could create their own blends from a selection of herbs with specific purposes like focus, energy, calming, digestive aid, and anti-inflammatory properties.

The final weekend in September, I jumped on a plane east and attended the very first Drinks with Benefits festival organized by The Daily Pour. I had first heard about it when I attended the Mindful Drinking Festival during Dry January this year in D.C., when Amanda Paul-Garnier handed me a business card with a save-the-month on it. The experience was truly incredible. I could see how much thoughtfulness and effort went into making everything a party celebrating the alcohol-free industry. The omakase-style food pairings with the drinks were an inspired touch that made the event genuinely special.

My hope is that experiences like these become catalysts for a larger awakening. More people will discover the profound liberation in spaces where presence is not dulled, vulnerability stands on its own, and mornings arrive without regret. This is not about abstinence as restriction, but about expansion, reclaiming the full spectrum of human connection that narrows when we ritualize intoxication as the gateway to belonging.

This shift toward mindful socializing is not just personal. It is a growing revolution in how we understand community, celebration, and what it means to truly see one another.

Pictured here are all the menus of the amazing bites we got to try.

While in New York I was able to make it to Mockingbird a zero-proof cocktail bar and restaurant in Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn. There were many menus to look at, and I can honestly say I don’t remember which cocktail I got, but it was fun to drink it. I am happy to have tried it out and shared that experience with my family.

This is now where I would list out all the events upcoming in Sober October, but things have been shifting, moving around, and harder to pin down. I’m not clear on the why, but I am taking it one week at a time for planning this month. This weekend, I cancelled a yoga event and instead added a Full Moon Intention Setting ritual in my backyard for the first Sunday of the month. I’m also planning on going to the SF Sober OctoberFest happening in the Sunset. The following week will be Daybreaker in Menlo Park, and for the third weekend, I am going to Lake Merritt’s Autumn Lights Festival, and hoping some people come out and walk around because it’s always spectacular. I also have a Craft & Connection Fall-themed session at Groundfloor in Oakland. I’ve done a few this year, and people seem to really enjoy playing around with art materials and chatting together.

That’s as far as I’ve thought, and in the past I would have already posted that I’m doing a Movie Night in the backyard, but I have the worst luck with weather being cold and drippy at the end of October when I want to do an outdoor event, so I may scrap it and figure out something else. I’m leaving the last weekend open for inspiration to strike. The best way to know what’s happening is to sign up for my new community email list here or join the new group here. You can also follow the group’s IG account, as I often post a weekly update.

Other local events of note:

October 3rd - 5th GRAIN Fall Harvest Retreat, Napa

October 4th Sober OctoberFest, San Francisco

October 4th Practical Magic & Feathered Outlaw Pop-Up at Alameda Movie Theater

October 16th - 18th Lake Merritt Autumn Lights Festival, Oakland

October 25th Witchfest at Feathered Outlaw, Alameda

November 1st - 2nd SF International Tea Festival

November 2nd Shapeshifters - Sound Bath and Sober Dance, Alameda - more info coming soon!

The pattern of non-participants forced me to confront an uncomfortable question about whether I was building something people actually wanted or something I thought they should want. By month's end, attendance had improved, which was encouraging, but the path forward for this group's growth remains unclear. The uncertainty lingers, and I'm still examining whether these early struggles were just growing pains or signals of something more fundamental about what I'm trying to create. The phrase “your vibe attracts your tribe” is first, understand who you truly are; second, express that authentically to others. I am a woman who loves creativity in different forms, gathering people together for intimate chats over tea, mindful embodiment practices, crafting art, and getting messy with my hands, and I want to draw in the same type of people who truly need community without the fuel of substances. As always, I take it day by day, plan the events that bring me joy, and do not take it personally when people no-show.

Every Thursday evening, we gathered on the back patio of Julie's Coffee & Tea Garden for our weekly game night, taking advantage of their extended summer hours. The air filled with laughter and friendly competition as we dove into an eclectic mix of games: the darkly humorous Donner Dinner Party, the chaotic creativity of Telestrations, the strategic tile-laying of KingDomino, and countless others that kept us entertained. Julie’s will be hosting again every Thursday in September, so come out and support a local business and enjoy the patio in early Fall!

The second weekend of August, we met up at Zocalo Coffee in Brooklyn Basin for a Tarot & Oracle card event where we practiced interpreting the symbols and talked about what some of the archetypes mean to us. Right after a couple of folks joined me on a walk over to Jack London Square to roam around the Farmer’s Market and stretch our legs.

During the third weekend, I organized one of my signature events at Groundfloor Club, a creative gathering where I transform the space into an interactive "make your own tea blend" bar. Armed with an array of craft supplies and carefully curated herbs, I invite participants to explore the art of tea blending while connecting with like-minded individuals.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees expressing deep appreciation for the opportunity to engage in meaningful creative work alongside others in the sober-curious community. Their enthusiasm was palpable, with comments like "I really needed this!" and heartfelt thanks for creating such a welcoming, collaborative environment. The event successfully fostered the kind of genuine connection and shared purpose that makes these gatherings so special.

For the final weekend, I experimented with a new format that combined a wellness walk with journal and creative writing prompts at the Oakland Morcom Rose Garden. The weather was perfectly warm, and we were treated to the last splendid roses of the season in full bloom, their colors, fragrances, and surrounding sounds providing rich inspiration as we wandered the paths. We gathered at the top of the garden to share our experience, and it was wonderful to hear all the different ways scent can bring up memories.

I prepared a selection of herbal iced teas for the group to enjoy while we explored, and we discovered quiet corners throughout the garden where we could settle in and write. The late afternoon unfolded beautifully, creating exactly the kind of reflective, creative atmosphere I'd hoped for. Several of us extended the experience by meeting afterward at Melo Melo Kava Bar, where we continued our conversations over drinks in a more intimate setting.

In early Fall, the weather turns warm and dry, and the sun begins its golden journey back to the Autumn Equinox. People return from vacations and family visits, and I’ve packed a full schedule for Sober September. Starting with an event I am calling “Bloom & Brew” where we will meet up at Groundfloor to select cut flowers that have symbolic meaning to combine into one intentional bouquet. I will also have the herbal tea bar set up for anyone wanting to craft their own special cup or blend to take home.

On the second weekend, we’ll meet Saturday morning at Lake Merritt for a wellness walk and great conversations as we go around the 3.2-mile loop. Sunday is Daybreaker at the Ferry Building in SF, and if you want to try this sober day party, I highly recommend this event as the location is sublime, and they are serving up Brez functional drinks and Happy coffee to keep us energized all morning.

Later in the week, on Sept 18th, get ready for a fantastic sober cruise in the SF Bay hosted by Izzy of Sobertopia and sponsored by Prima Pave, Free Spirits, and Best Day Brewing. We’ll have a fun bingo icebreaker game to play, an opportunity to win a free bottle of Prima Pave, and a sunset reflection ritual. Just a few tickets left, so sign up now!

The final event of September will be on the 20th at Groundfloor for a Green Tea tasting and Blending workshop. This is part I of a three-part series I am hosting every third Saturday at Groundfloor as part of Craft & Connect, where we come together over a cup of tea and create art together. I am hoping you can join us for all three events, and the next two dates are Oct 18th and Nov 15th.

Other local events of note:

Sept 6th Stretch, Sound & Stroll Lake Temescal, Oakland

Sept 7th Gong Grove: A Multi-Gong Sound Bath, San Francisco

Sept 14th Sis Circle Sound bath, wellness kits, and community in Oakland

Sept 15th Prima Pave wine tasting at La Connessa, San Francisco

Sept 27th Stretch, Sound & Stroll Lake Temescal, Oakland

Sept 27th City Park Walk in GGP San Francisco

Sept 28th Serving Sundays Wellness Walk, San Francisco

October 3rd - 5th GRAIN Fall Harvest Retreat, Napa

October 4th Practical Magic & Feathered Outlaw Pop-Up at Alameda Movie Theater

October 16th - 18th Lake Merritt Autumn Lights Festival, Oakland

October 25th Witchfest at Feathered Outlaw, Alameda

November 1st - 2nd SF International Tea Festival

Go here for a list of ongoing events nationwide and online.

I am on a mission to try out as many daytime dance parties as I can find, and I went to another one later in the month, hosted by Ondago Athletics for a Caffeinate and Connect event featuring matcha from Froth & Friends, and great hip-hop tunes mixed with house.

My last event in July was with Serving Sundays and a great conversation on frequencies in our lives, with J Johnson and Karrie Lawson. I love the wellness crawls because it’s a nice mix of movement, connection, and learning with a lovely sober happy hour networking session at the end. I come away feeling recharged and ready for the week.

Coming up in September, there is another event from Daybreaker on their Have Fun be Nice tour, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for any other coffee raves from Brew and House or 415 Coffee Club.

I won't lie, having a six-week break from organizing felt great for my mental health and energy. I usually post my recap on the 1st or 2nd of the month, but since not much happened, I felt no pressure to get this article out.

I didn't post on social media, and I saw zero conversations in the Discord group, which made me wonder why I felt any obligation to communicate with group members. As I start planning events for late August and September, I'm reassessing how much time and money I want to invest in this group.

I've made some great friendships and will do my best to create engaging activities that could attract more like-minded people, but I'm no longer going to put effort out without participation back. This may mean moving away from Meetup to another platform like Pie or Luma. It may mean fewer events that I host personally, or more breaks throughout the year.

I started this group three years ago and have noticed a real slowdown in sign-ups and participation on the Meetup app. Many people come only once or twice to an event and never return. This behavior doesn't build a strong, lasting community, but I won't give up on creating a safe, sober environment for those looking for it.

The 2015 phrase "your vibe attracts your tribe" is real, and as I put these thoughts and intentions out into the universe during this year's Lion’s Gate Portal, I'm going to manifest the community I've always dreamed of.

Alcohol-Free August is here, and we do have some fun things planned, so I hope you can join us in person!

Saturday, Aug 9th: SAGA Kitchen Board Game Night, Alameda

Sunday, Aug 10th: Coffee & Cards, Zocalo Coffee, Oakland

Sunday, Aug 11th: Mindful Stroll to Jack London Square, Oakland

Thursday, Aug 14th: Board Game Night at Julie’s Tea, Alameda

Sunday, Aug 17th: Creative Arts and Tea Afternoon, Groundfloor Oakland

Sunday, Aug 24th: Pool Party, private home, San Leandro

Thursday, Aug 28th: Board Game Night at Julie’s Tea, Alameda

And a special event in collaboration with Izzy of Sobertopia for Thursday, Sept 18th, a Zero Proof Sunset Cruise! Join us on this one-night-only, unique experience: An alcohol-free sunset cruise in San Francisco Bay! An unforgettable evening of connection, celebration, and fresh ocean air—no alcohol needed. This 2-hr cruise offers stunning views, vibrant conversation, and a friendly vibe designed for people who want to feel present, not pressured. Early bird price is available until Aug 28th, so sign up now!

Other local events of note:

Saturday, Aug 16th: "We Roll Deep" Your Saturday Wellness Reset, Alameda

Sunday, Aug 24th: Serving Sundays Wellness Crawl, San Francisco

Go here for a list of ongoing events nationwide and online.

The following weekend was an Alameda sober dance event at the Home of Truth, starting with a sound bath by Bloom with Lori. It was a lovely evening with a nice meditative session and then a mocktail break in the middle. The music was done by DJ EJ, and though it was a bit awkward to dance on the carpet, the vibe was fun, and it felt like a fun house party with flashing lights. I would attend again, and I loved that it was only a short drive away on the island.

On Thursday eve I met up with some members of the group to play board and party games on Julie’s Tea outdoor patio. They have extended summer hours through August, so I recommend checking them out for an early dinner and delicious drinks. Every Thursday, they bring out a large pile of family board games for the community and it’s a fun time connecting with folks.

On the second Sunday of the month, we all met in my backyard for the Mama Gaia workshop on creation and manifestation. This was for women, and we meditated under the summer sun, listening to the birds and nature, and letting our bodies embody the feeling of releasing tension. It was what so many of us wanted that day: connection, mindfulness, and sharing experiences. It’s hard to describe, I just recommend coming out and participating in person.

On the third weekend, I went out with Skye to check another “coffee and DJ” party, this time organized by Baddies y Banda, with DJ Chachi at the lovely Cafe Con Carino and amazing food by Asukar. Amazing banda style beats, great coffee drinks, and food, and I was having a great time dancing around with all the other lovely ladies. They even had a dance-off party mid-way, and I thought it was all very well organized.

The next day, I set up a booth out at Radium Runway to sell drinks for the Yoga & Wellness Festival organized by Gerri of Yoga Amansala. This isn’t my first vendor rodeo, but I am rusty. I am glad I did a dry run of setting things up in my backyard so I could make sure things fit and looked ok. I am pretty happy with how it turned out and glad I had my spinning prize wheel to attract people with kids, so they were curious what I was offering besides drinks from Hop WTR, Juice Shop, Curious Elixirs, and Juni. I was able to get some new emails (hello new subscribers!) and hopefully, in the fall, there will be new faces around at our events.

The yoga sessions were all very successful and were the clear draw to the event. The sober dance party at the end was not, sadly, and that was a shame, as the DJ was excellent. But don’t worry, we’re planning another sober dance party for Fall!!!

Another Thursday, and another fun game night on the warm back patio of Julie’s Tea in Alameda. This time we played more group games like Donner Dinner Party and Telestrations, which were both entertaining and low-key stress. Kingdomino is an easy to learn, entry-level strategy game, and always a fun choice. I will likely put a couple more of these sessions on the calendar in August.

The last event of the month, we met up at Groundfloor in Oakland for a yoga session with Avril and an abundance workshop with Brandy Benton. It was nice to stretch and get centered in the body before going deeper into the workshop, trying to identify what abundance looked like inside and how to manifest it. The tea bar was once again a success, and it seemed as though people were really into participating, and more than one woman said they were feeling good. Check out that gorgeous fruit and chocolate plate!

That’s a wrap for the first half of 2025! We’ll be back in Alcohol-Free August, so stay subscribed for news, and below I have listed a few options for Dry July that I am attending personally, but not leading as an official group event.

Saturday, July 12th, Daybreaker Have Fun Be Nice Tour SF

Saturday, July 12th, Cloud City Sober Dance Party, Alameda

Sunday, July 27th, Serving Sundays Wellness Crawl SF

Go here for a list of ongoing events nationwide and online.

The very next day, I hosted a Craft and Sip event at Groundfloor for members of my group and members of the club. It was a lovely mix of people who were interested in tea, crafting, and socializing without alcohol. I set up a tea bar in the kitchen where folks could blend herbs together or try a pre-brewed iced herbal tea I had made. In the main lounge, people could choose to work on coloring pages, acrylic or watercolor painting, friendship bracelets, or scrapbooking cards. There was something magical about seeing strangers become friends over shared tea and creativity. The feedback was fantastic, particularly about how personal and special the tea blending experience felt. I'm counting down the days until our July gathering.

The second weekend in May, I did not host any events, but I did go to Eataly in Santa Clara to pour wine for Prima Pave, an Italian non-alcoholic wine company. It was both interesting and challenging for me. I'm so accustomed to being around curious, open-minded people that finding myself in an environment unwelcoming to non-alcoholic wine options felt surprisingly cold and alienating. I naively expected more openness to trying something new, but it seems the subpar non-alcoholic wines currently available have soured perceptions and lowered expectations for quality 0.0% sparkling wine. The varied comments made me chuckle like “Oh, you took all the fun out of it?”, to “that’s just not for me”, and my favorite “does this have anything in it” which translates to: did you put any THC/CBD into it. Mind you, this is the day before Mother’s Day, when so many people are shopping for something to bring to the table, I thought that it was a given to offer up a choice to those who don’t drink alcohol. That isn’t to say my afternoon was wasted, because there were people who tried the wines and thought they were good enough to buy on the spot. Several more took a photo of the table and made a note that Eataly carries the bottles in the wine department year-round. My next tasting I am doing is going to be for the weekend of Father’s Day, and I am lowering my expectations while also increasing my signage. I want folks to see at a glance that this is an awarded wine by industry experts, that it’s non-alcoholic with 0.0% abv, no additives, and low calories. Fingers crossed this attracts more curious people!

The next event I hosted was for the Great Curious Cocktail Party, organized and sponsored by Curious Elixirs. This OG non-alcoholic brand has been around since 2017, and started hosting epic 100-city parties across the nation in 2023. They pioneered using adaptogens and nootropic ingredients in their elixirs before those became trendy buzzwords and mushrooms were in everything. Every year, they add on to their core group of elixirs, and in 2025, they came out with Lion’s Mane Lager to help with memory, and a Sparkling Rose that has a mix of California Poppy and South African Kanna to help relax and unwind. I appreciate both of these because they have very little sugar/calories and bold flavors. The most popular drink of the night is their OG Spicy Pineapple Ginger Margarita with damiana for relaxation and a traditional aphrodisiac. The Groundfloor lounge hosted us again, with my cozy bar setup nestled by the window. I loved seeing everyone come together in one large circle, while the scrapbooking station allowed guests to craft personal keepsakes. When 6:00 pm arrived for our group toast, I was thankful to have my partner documenting the evening while I played hostess. The overwhelming feeling was one of gratitude for the opportunity to introduce so many people to these incredible alternatives.

The next weekend brought a spontaneous solo adventure to Oregon for the Eugene Tea Festival. I immersed myself in a workshop on Ayurvedic herbal traditions, tasted exceptional teas from global artisans, and wandered through dozens of distinctive vendor booths showcasing Oregon's creative entrepreneurial spirit. I'm so glad I went a day early to visit. I went to the weekly Saturday Lane County Farmer’s Market, where I wandered around shopping at local artists and found many treasures to take home. I then went over to High Street Tonics and had a great conversation with owner Ian Hammons about their business, sampled different spirit alternatives, and relaxed with a cocktail at their welcoming bar. I then wandered over to Portal Tea and had a pot of Immunity before dinner. I could see the appeal of this tea house as they had about 150 selections to choose from, and the prices are so much lower than in the Bay Area, as well as having lots of tables and seating for students.

After dinner, I went to check out the newest bookstore in town, Daffodil Romantasy Books, which also included a cafe with a large selection of tasty-looking mocktails. The owner, Bailey Prusz, has created something truly special. Her vision of a cozy, genre-themed retreat unfolds through atmospheric dark walls and ceilings, thoughtfully arranged seating areas, whimsical themed merchandise, and perfect integration with her family's tempting donut and beignet shop. I wanted to spend all evening here curled up with a book and a tasty beverage, but I knew that the next day was going to be hectic and I needed rest. Next time, I will budget in more time, but who knew Eugene had so much to offer?

In the morning, I went to registration where I picked up my tote bag filled with goodies, and listened to a morning presentation on finding which dosha your body type is and the best herbs to choose to help stay in balance. According to this test, I am a combo of Vatta Kapha. After the workshop, I wandered around the festival, trying many teas and listening to the live music both inside and outside. There was a good amount of unique vendors, all tea-adjacent, and I had a fun time tea tasting inside the Rabbit Moon mobile van, and at the Empty Tea Cup table. I loved seeing Tallulah’s Traveling Tea set up, but wish there had been an interactive component to it. I did buy a couple of her blends, though, to try out. So far, I am enjoying her Romance tea blend. The other vendor I bought tea from was Jugetsudo by Maruyama Nori from Japan, with their unique Mecha tea and delicious Hojicha. You would think that after all that tea tasting, I would be done, but nope, I decided to go back to Portal Tea before my flight home and had a delicious iced Chai. I am so glad I went to this festival and will be putting it on the calendar for next year! Did you know that there are also Portland and Seattle tea festivals also this year? There’s still time to register for Portland, which is coming up on June 28th, and in September in Seattle.

The final weekend in May was another jam-packed schedule, starting with Daybreaker’s evening party at Broadway Studios in San Francisco. As always, the music was bumpin’ and the LED installations by Christopher Schardt made the vibe electric. There are a few more times this year Daybreaker will roll through on their Have Fun Be Nice tour. July 12th and Sept 14th at the Ferry Building, and Oct 11th in Menlo Park at the Springline. Hope to see you on the dance floor!

On Saturday, we had a small group meet at the Community Room in Berkeley’s Sports Basement for a Yin-Yasa yoga session with Angel Choy of Divine Unity Collective, followed by an embodiment for joy workshop with Brandy Benton of Heal More Love More. It was a great reset for many of us after a long week, and it felt good to drop into our bodies with yoga first, and then using breathwork, meditation, playful dance, and havening touch to really go deeper into what feels joyful inside ourselves. We ended with a lovely rose facial and then a tea & snack social. Being in community with wonderful women from all over the Bay Area was really special, and I do want to continue to offer these types of workshops and combinations of events.

May was a lot, and June is also jam-packed, so I am hoping that there are enough opportunities for anyone in the group to attend an in-person event before real summer starts. One part of me is going to miss hosting each weekend, but there is another part that is excited to take a break and just attend a couple of other organizers’ events.

Upcoming events in June with Renew Collective!

June 6th Sound Bath and Dance, Alameda

June 7th Picnic by Lake Merritt, Oakland

June 12th Tabletop Games at Julie’s Tea, Alameda

June 15th: Mama Gaia Workshop, Alameda

June 22nd: Alameda Wellness and Yoga Festival

June 26th: Tabletop Games at Julie’s Tea, Alameda

June 28th: Goddess Oshun Workshop, Groundfloor Oakland

Other local Bay Area events:

June 4th Lunchtime Nervous System Reset, Online Zoom

June 7th Embodiment Practices for Confidence, Oakland

June 8th, Serving Sundays Wellness Crawl, San Francisco

June 13th and 14th, Prima Pave wine tasting at Eataly Santa Clara

June 17th, Mocktails, Money and Mindfulness Mixer, Santa Rosa

June 28th, San Francisco City Walk with Sobertopia

June 29th: Sober Pride Party - Yotel Castro Country Club SF

Go here for a list of ongoing events nationwide and online.

On Sunday, we met up at Yoga Amansala for a Yin + Vinyasa flow class and a relaxing sound bath by Laura Moir. I really like the mix of slow movements to start and then a warming strong flow in between.

While enjoying an afternoon treat at Julie's Tea & Coffee shop next door with some fellow members, a discussion about our group's current name ignited what had been on my mind for a while. You can read all about the process on this note here

I’ve been a member at Groundfloor Club since January, and I like hosting events in their lounge about once a month. In April, I tried out board game night with a Ritual Margarita and HopWTR bar. It was fun to introduce some members from our group to this space, and to offer up tasty drinks to everyone to try. We played fun group games like Donner Dinner Party, Code Names: Pictures, and Greenlight, and I was happy people showed up on a Wednesday evening! That’s commitment to taking a break mid-week and letting the inner child play.

The second weekend, we sat down at Saga Kitchen for board games and lunch. Playing group games like Sushi Go!, Donner Dinner Party, Telestrations, and Cultivate. We ate sushi, sipped tea, and enjoyed the common room all to ourselves. Laughter, connection,n and joy is what we all needed that day.

On Sunday, I met up with a few people from our group at the Blue Willow Tea House. I had been wanting to check out this spot for a while, and I'm glad I chose the earlier time slot when they opened, as I tried three different teas in one hour and definitely felt the caffeine the rest of the day! Really fun to talk tea, sobriet,y and meet new people in a small group.

The third weekend, we met up and walked around the Lafayette Reservoir in the late afternoon sunshine, and it was nice to chat with some new members of the group and get vitamin D happy vibes. The walk was moderate with gentle up-hills and downhills here and there, and as usual, some members walked fast, and others slower, so we were all spread out on the trail walking in small groups. Afterwards, some members from the walk met up with me and others at Sipeos in Walnut Creek for a pre-dinner cocktail and snacks. I enjoyed chatting with old friends and new, and I highly recommend the Woody’s Blanc de Blancs sparkling white wine as it’s delicious.

The final weekend in April, I was in Sedona at the Happy.Sober.Free retreat, and you can read all about that here, so stay subscribed and tuned in for updates!

Mocktail May is jam-packed with special events with our group, and I hope you can attend in person at least once this month. In June and July, our group will start to slow down as people travel in the summer months, and will pick back up with regularly scheduled weekend events in mid-August.

May 2nd Sans Bar Pop-up Event San Francisco

May 3rd Tea and Craft at Groundfloor Oakland

May 4th Serving Sundays Silent Disco San Francisco

May 14th The Great Curious Cocktail Party, Groundfloor Oakland

May 17th Tea and Plant Swap Alameda

May 31st Yoga and Wellness Workshop, Sports Basement Berkeley

All our events can be found on Meetup here ←

Other local events to note are:

May 3rd Daytime Disco by Seismic Sisters, San Francisco

May 4th Wellness Pop-up Event at Zenses San Francisco

May 9th Full Moon, Cacao and Soundbath Ceremony San Francisco

May 9th Tarot Salon at Groundfloor Oakland

May 11th Mother’s Day Play Date, Groundfloor Oakland

May 12th Moon Magic at Groundfloor Oakland

May 21st and 28th Bring your own Craft at Scrap and Sip San Francisco

May 23rd New Moon Cacao and Soundbath Ceremony San Francisco

May 30th Beach Walk and Cold Dip, Marina San Francisco

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Ecstatic Dance at Sweets Ballroom, Oakland

Free Yoga in Jack London Square, Oakland

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

Tea and Tarot with Kapwa Wellness every Saturday

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

For the second weekend of the month we met up at Kinfolx for tarot cards and coffee. It’s always fun to see people’s different decks and practice reading for each other. A great way to hear others’ perspectives and search for meaning.

For the third and fourth weekends in March, I opted to join other events throughout the Bay Area and had an option for anyone in the group to join me if they so wished. I attended a women’s retreat in Larkspur with Well Away, grabbed free tulips at Union Square, and then went to paint a vase at Saluhall x Ikea, I met up with sober ladies and did a “sober bar crawl” in SF, and attended another Serving Sundays wellness crawl. I felt it was important to take time for myself and explore other workshops for research and experiences, besides having fun. I already knew what to expect from a Serving Sundays event, but as always, I was happy to have gone and feel that I had value for my time and money. I would not do another wellness retreat with Well Away simply because I am not their demo (Millennial-age moms), and I didn’t feel that the information presented in the panel from Jenna Hermans and Cimeran Kapur connected with me. I was hoping for more actual tools rather than their life stories. The space in Citrine is lovely, and I highly recommend a visit there if you’re in the Larkspur area. Their salt cave room was especially beautiful. They have many interesting events they host as well.

We had a bonus 5th weekend in March, and this is where the attendance for our events went off. Now, the resource training that Brandy Benton offered and I hosted in my backyard was one we had rescheduled from prior weeks, so I was happy that a few more people wanted to attend. I think we all got some great tips on how to move out stuck energies and held tension in our bodies, and bonus for the sun coming out and shining on us.

On Sunday morning, a few ladies and I went to Awaken Cafe to work on a craft/art project, and I was so surprised that out of 15 people who had signed up, only three made it out. Some had dropped out a few days earlier, which is to be expected, but on the day of, seven people changed their minds or completely forgot to check their calendar. Lesson learned that an early morning event on Sunday is one that most will skip to get a little extra shut-eye. I had a wonderful time with the women who did come, and I was happy to have met a new member as well.

This month I also managed to produce an introduction video for the group’s main page on Meetup. My hope is that it will attract more members and showcase what we are all about.

For April, we have on the calendar Daybreaker dance party, lunch at SPARK, a yoga and soundbath, board game event, a tea tasting, walk around Lafayette Reservoir, and cocktails at Sipeos.

Other events to note are:

April 5th Backstage with Edward Gorey a Centennial Exhibition

April 6th Mocktail Mixology at Sipeos Walnut Creek

April 13th Serving Sundays Yoga and Breathwork in San Francisco

April 15th Beach side Walk in the Marina with Sobertopia

April 23rd-25th Sober Summit - Join the Waitlist to access free classes here

April 27th Mocktails in the Garden San Francisco

April 27th Tea Club with The Little Green Plant San Franscisco

April 29th Mocktail Mixology at Sipeos Walnut Creek with Lila Volkas

May 3rd Daytime Disco by Seismic Sisters San Francisco

May 6th Mocktail Shool with Sans Bar and Lila Volkas

And now for a quick vent session…..skip to the flowers below if you want to avoid some negative feelings; I know there is a lot of that going around.

Being a Meetup Organizer these days is giving me burnout vibes. The platform feels like an abandoned 2010 project with a glitchy app, constant upsells, and ineffective communication tools that leave my messages unread. Member behavior is equally frustrating—last-minute cancellations, no-shows, and ghosting are common. I recently sent 240 direct messages to members who joined between September 2024 and January 2025 but never attended an event, receiving responses from only about 10%. After connecting with other organizers in a Discord channel, I discovered everyone faced similar issues: low turnout, declining sign-ups, and last-minute cancellations. Some blame Bending Spoons (Meetup's new owners who changed membership tiers and added weekly fees), others criticize the platform itself, while some fault flaky members. For my sober group, I'm unsure what's causing this participation drought. I get it - life happens. I'm doing my best to keep the communication flowing, but at the end of the day, I can't force anyone to show up if they're just not feeling it. You can check out what I wrote last month about how building this sober group on Meetup was a joy and a challenge and how I continue to persevere.

Happy Spring, y’all! 🐇

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Ecstatic Dance at Sweets Ballroom, Oakland

Free Yoga in Jack London Square, Oakland

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

Tea and Tarot with Kapwa Wellness every Saturday

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

The following day, I co-hosted an afternoon dedicated to courage and creativity with art therapist Eleanor Ruckman at Awaken Cafe. We explored the concept of courage while expressing ourselves through oil pastel and colored pencil heart drawings, all complemented by the cafe's delightful beverages. Brené Brown's wisdom resonated throughout our gathering: "Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen." Witnessing everyone's vulnerability and authentic sharing brought me profound joy.

A fantastic event I always look forward to is Daybreaker, and this year, we got to attend the Great American Music Hall in SF. Dressed in shades of red to embrace the Love theme, we danced and celebrated with incredible energy. Better Sunday’s presence offering premium non-alcoholic options elevated the experience, creating an electric atmosphere from the moment we arrived.

Riding the wave of connection-induced dopamine, I headed back to Oakland to the Ground Floor Club to lead an Intention Candle craft party. Despite the challenge of working with limited candle surface area, everyone created beautifully unique pieces. The afternoon spent crafting intentions alongside wonderful people filled my heart.

The final weekend began with a spirited karaoke session at Jaguar in Oakland. We sang passionately while enjoying non-alcoholic alternatives like Golden State Dry Cider, Gruvi, and Aura Bora sparkling waters. The private room created a comfortable space that transformed individual performances into a collective celebration.

Sunday morning found us walking the perimeter of Lake Merritt, engaging in meaningful conversations while enjoying the crisp air. Though I hope this becomes a monthly tradition, I'm mindful that life's unpredictability sometimes intervenes.

Following our walk, Brandy and I attended the Serving Sundays wellness crawl at Equinox Gym, and Neon workspace. We began at Equinox with meditation, yoga, and a rejuvenating sound bath by Joseph Gabriel. At Neon, we listened to Love Coach Raeeka Yaghmai discuss the Internal Family System and its application to anxiety, stress, and trauma management. Though brief, her presentation impressed me with its authenticity—particularly when she acknowledged her nervousness about addressing fifty people. For those interested in exploring IFS further, I recommend learning about founder Richard C. Schwartz and his book No Bad Parts, which explores trauma healing and wholeness restoration.

The next Serving Sunday wellness crawl has early-bird pricing until 3/15, and the workshop will be about the art of giving and receiving. Get your ticket soon as this event always sells out!

For March, I've refined our calendar to better align with our collective interests. After noticing limited enthusiasm for certain planned activities, I've thoughtfully substituted them with events that better resonate with our group's spirit. While I typically aim to maintain scheduling consistency, there's something beautifully appropriate about embracing change during this season of renewal. Just as spring weather dances between rain, sunshine, and clouds with capricious charm, I, too, am allowing our community gatherings to evolve organically—adapting our shared experiences to reflect our genuine passions and preferences.

On the groups’ calendar so far we have another workshop with Brandy to get more Glimmer & Glow, a Tarot & Coffee meetup, a fun paint and sip event at Saluhall, a women’s retreat in Larkspur at Citrine, another wellness crawl with Serving Sundays, and potentially a morning walk with Julie of Ripple Mocktail at the end of the month.

Other local events to note are:

March 4th Tea and Tarot, San Francisco

March 7th Morning Walk with Sobertopia, San Francisco

March 7th Sound Bath with Erica at Breathing Room, Alameda

March 9th Mastering the Art of Tea, Far Leaves Berkeley

March 11th Women’s Full Moon Circle at Breathing Room Alameda

March 15th Spring Renewal Well-Being Fair, San Francisco

March 16th Women’s Medicine Fest, GGP San Francisco

March 18th Mocktail Mixology at Sipeos Walnut Creek

March 22nd Rest, Renew, Recharge wellness workshop, San Francisco

March 23rd Tree Medicine and Herbal Foraging, The Center SF

March 24th and 28th Sip and Paint at Waveform Ceramics, Oakland

March 30th Mystical Meditation, Tea Ceremony and Sound Bath, San Francisco

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

That same weekend I hosted an event at Groundfloor in Temescal, Oakland for some members of the club, and a few guests from our Sober Socialites group. We met up for coloring, paint-by-number, and friendship bracelet making for the afternoon. I really enjoyed using the space, and having some non-alcoholic options for people to try. It’s a fun club and great for both events and co-working.

The second weekend I flew out to Washington D.C. to the Mindful Drinking Festival and you can read my deep dive here. My highlights were the karaoke party, the tasting hall, and the cacao ceremony.

On the third weekend there was a non-alcoholic wine tasting at the Farmstead Cheese and Wine shop in Alameda. It was last minute addition to the calendar and I was happy some people were able to come out and try wines. I took home a new German sparkling white wine, and was happy to see people purchasing new things they just tried and enjoyed.

Brandy Benton was kind enough to lead us through a workshop on EFT Tapping which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. Often used to help reduce stress in the body, and get to the area where we unconsciously hold tension in the body and release negative thinking. I think that everyone got some good tips and I know I will be using this in the future when I need it. I am always grateful to have an experienced professional giving their expertise to our group and this is the 5th time Brandy has offered her knowledge. She’ll be doing two more sessions coming up in March, so look out for those events sometime in February.

The last week of January was jam-packed with a happy hour again at Sipeos, Yin-Yasa with Laura at Yoga Amansala, and an urban walk with the owner of Ripple Mocktail Julie Ziegler. The group met inside Sipeos and spent an hour socializing, trying non-alcoholic drinks, and nibbling on appetizers. Next time we’ll be outside on the patio so we can move around more and chat. Sitting down is great for a meal, but doesn’t make it easy to say hi to more than the people in your immediate vicinity. Still, it was nice to chat and sip yummy drinks like the sparkling white from Woody’s, and the Pine St Spritz that went really well with the hummus.

Members met up for an early morning walk with Julie of Ripple Mocktail who just started her own group on Meetup this month that is dedicated to walks and non-alcoholic drinks. She was inspired to start her group because of Izzy’s walks in SF, and my group too. We started at Zocalo Coffee house and walked over to Jack London Square and back. It was nice to connect with members I hadn’t seen in awhile and talk with Julie more in person. Before we left Julie brought out a Noughty Red dealcoholized wine for us all to try, along with some All the Bitter Aromatic to jazz it up. Yum!

The last event for the group of Dry January is an old favorite. Laura Moir led us through both Yin and Vinyasa yoga exercises at Yoga Amansala in Alameda, and then a lovely energizing sound bath with crystal bowls and chimes. We had a full class and we started with some journal writing to get centered, along with breathing exercises too. Laura is hosting her own yoga retreat in the Riviera Maya, in November of this year and you can sign up now for a spot.

February events in our group include a Happy Hour at the Melo Melo Kava Bar, an art session at Awaken Cafe, the return of Daybreaker to SF, and a Karaoke session at Jaguar in Oakland! Also at the end of February Julie will be posting another walk somewhere in Oakland, so look out for that!

Other local events to note are:

Tuesday, Feb 4th Tea-Based Mocktail Mixology, Online

Friday, Feb 7th Beachside walk in the Marina, SF with Sobertopia

Saturday, Feb 15th Heartform, Valentine’s Celebration by Tea Tribe

Saturday, Feb 15th Galentine’s Day Floral Arranging & Mocktails Walnut Creek

Saturday, Feb 15th Restorative Tea and Sound Healing Oakland

Tuesday Feb 18th Mocktail Mixology, Online

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

The second weekend we had our third workshop with Brandy for the Taming Anxiety Exploring Emotions series. A smaller group gathered in my living room due to the rainy weather, but it was wonderful that everyone could come and share stories and gain new perspectives.

For my last event of the year, I brought hot apple cider and herbal tea for folks to sip on as we walked Christmas Tree Lane. I was amazed at how many folks came out to see the decorated houses and we strolled up one street and down the other side as a group. Afterwards, we met at Cholita Linda for tacos and took over half the restaurant chatting about holiday plans. I look forward to this walk every year, and it puts me in the holiday spirit every time.

I wanted to give a shout out to Sipeos a new Cafe and Bar that just opened in Walnut Creek this month at the Broadway Plaza. They have a wonderful menu of No and Low cocktails, as well as a large selection of Non-Alc in their bottle shop to be purchased. I met up with my friend Victoria and we tried several wines and cocktails while noshing on a Mediterranean crudites platter. The experience was lovely, and so I’ve put it on the calendar twice in January for the group. Once on Jan 4th for brunch after a hike, and then a couple of weeks later for a happy hour. If you’re not able to make it to either of those events, I do recommend going at some point.

We’ve got a few other event for our group in Dry January with a New Year’s Hike, EFT Tapping with Brandy, a non-alcoholic Happy Hour, a Sip & Shop, and another restorative Yoga session with Laura at Amansala.

I will be attending the Mindful Drinking Fest in Washington D.C. Jan 10-12th and will plan on making a separate post for that event as I’m sure I’ll have many photos from that experience. If anyone is going please DM me so we can meet up!

Other local events to note are:

Jan 2nd Mocktail Mixology for Dry January with Lila- Online

Jan 5th Mocktail Mixology with Lila in Oakland Studio

Jan 8th City Walk and Non-Alcoholic Tasting at The New Bar SF

Jan 9th Classic Cards Game Night at Better Sunday NA Bottle Shop SF

Jan 10-12 Mindful Drinking Festival, Washington D.C.

Jan 10th Tarot 101 with The Witch and Healer Collective Kinfolx, Oakland

Jan 14th Tea-Based Mocktail Mixology with Lila Volkas - Online

Jan 30th Create Your Own Mocktail Competition Traverse Marketplace SSF

Feb 1st Fuck this Month The Sober Show SF Sketchfest

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

On the second weekend in November, we walked around the Lafayette Reservoir and enjoyed the warm sun and the start of fall colors. A popular walk that took us about an hour and 20 minutes to complete, it was a nice way to connect and get some steps in. After our walk, we met up at the Lafayette Public House for lunch and more in-depth convos getting to know each other.

At our last coffee and tarot cards event of the year, we met up again at Kinfolx and it was nice to meet new members of the group and chat about storytelling through the cards and trusting our intuition.

On the third weekend in November, Brandy Benton facilitated a conversation about taming anxiety and talked us through exercises on noticing when our bodies start to react to stressful situations and how to identify what we’re feeling and doing. She gave us great information about the nervous system elevator and how to recognize what state you’re in. It was a lovely session under the sunshine and I was so happy to see many new faces.

Later that evening a friend came with me to The Phoenix Sober Dance party at The Korner Store in SF. This was the second time I’ve gone and it was a different DJ than previous so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The music was ok, and I danced for a bit, but it was more interesting to chat with people. Their food is an interesting mash-up of American bar bites with Korean flavors and ingredients. I like that they offer mocktails on their menu, but too sweet for my taste. As much as I root for The Phoenix as a sober recovery organization putting on free events for those who want to be a part of a sober movement, I have yet to attend one of their events and truly feel that sense of community. This is my own experience as someone sober not due to an addiction, but from a health perspective (alcohol intolerance). However, people new to sobriety may feel differently about The Phoenix as most of their events are fitness/activity-based with a focus on helping people stay free from alcohol entirely.

On Sunday we gathered at Yoga Amansala with instructor Laura for a peaceful and relaxing stretch class and sound bath. I was so in the zone I didn’t take many photos, but it was the perfect way to close out the weekend. Movement and sound together really do help me with stress relief, and so does a community. I host these events not just for myself but so that others in the sober group can connect and form friendships. We went to Boba Me down the street for an afternoon pick-me-up treat and more fun conversation.

The fourth weekend we gathered again in my backyard under clouds and a light drizzle for the second session with Brandy Benton, this time learning about resourcing ways to pause, connect to your body, and seek calm through glimmers. She had us all choose an item from a tray that had a scent or was visually appealing and see if it sparked a glimmer that could deepen into a feeling that was more expansive/open in our bodies. The idea is that we turn that glimmer into a “glow” where we become more centered and confident in our body. For myself I chose a lime slice which is my favorite citrus and as I smelled the floral and tropical notes my mind drifted to all the times I used it as a mocktail ingredient, or how I incorporated it into my cooking which led me down the path to all the times I host or gather with people that I love. Thinking of those past experiences created that warmth in my heart and I could feel myself relaxing physically in my chest and hips. I highly recommend you check out her next online class on Dec 2nd for Resourcing

The last event I attended in November was with a couple of group members and was an unofficial meetup we organized through our Discord channel. I had been restless and anxious since the election earlier in the month and wanted to dance it out. I knew about the Ecstatic dance events at Sweets Ballroom in downtown Oakland for a while but had been too timid to try it on my own. Luckily the people I attended with were encouraging and I listened to my body’s needs. We met up for the yoga class to stretch it out before I energetically and unapologetically moved around to the beats. My favorite spot is right by the front speaker, and it's a bonus to have the air fan there to help keep me cool. Twice weekly these events are put on by Ecstatic Dance Bay Area, and you can follow them here ←to find an ecstatic dance event worldwide click here ←

I am so excited that a new non-alcoholic business is coming to Walnut Creek in the East Bay. Opening day for Sipeos’s Cafe and Bar is Nov 30th and I cannot wait to try it out! You can read all about their new restaurant here ←

Other local events to note are:

Dec 2nd Glimmer and Glow Taming Anxiety with Brandy Benton, Online

Dec 4th Holiday Mixology Class at The New Bar, San Francisco

Dec 5th Zero Proof Cocktail Class Sebastopol

Dec 7th Flowers and Mocktail Class Santa Clara

Dec 7th Holiday Pop-Up Market at The Breathing Room, Alameda

Dec 8th Zero Proof Cocktail and Garland Class Napa

Dec 12th Women’s Full Moon Circle at The Breathing Room, Alameda

Jan 2nd Mocktail Mixology for Dry January with Lila- Online

Jan 5th Mocktail Mixology with Lila in Oakland Studio

Jan 10-12 Mindful Drinking Festival, Washington D.C.

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️

Just a few days later with temps back to normal (for the Bay Area at least), we met up with The Witch and Healer collective for their Spooky Season Tarot Salon. Organized by House of our Queer Bex Mui and The Witchy Femme Danyelle Caruthers together they bring tarot guidance and lessons to those who are committed to their spiritual health and well-being of the LGBTIA+ community. There was a last-minute venue change to Temescal Brewing, but luckily tarot lovers still came out and we had some great conversations about what Halloween rituals we have today, and how we honor our ancestors. This is the time of year for harvesting and manifesting all the intentions that were sowed earlier in Spring, and this week is the Hunter’s Moon on Oct 17th which should bring excitement, energy, and passion into our lives.

For the second weekend this October, we had a relaxing time in my backyard for our last paint-and-sip event of the year. The fall sunshine was warm, and we soaked in the Vitamin D while we painted and chatted.

An event I look forward to all year is the Autumn Lights Festival at Lake Merritt Botanical Gardens. Part light installation, part festival-vibe this event draws thousands of visitors for three special nights in Mid-October. I remember the first time I attended there were about 20-30 lighted exhibits and an art car. I only knew about it because years ago I lived in the neighborhood and walked through this garden all the time. Now in its 13th year, it has become much more than a fundraiser to keep the Gardens free to the public, it is a way for people to view 300 artists with an opportunity to show their work outside of galleries and around the trees, shrubs, and ponds of Lake Merritt. Bringing the community to the gardens like moths to flames, the 80+ lighted exhibits show us how important art is, and invites one to look closer at the intersection of nature and science.

Feeling inspired by all the gorgeous lighted exhibits, and sound performances has given me quite the urge to keep creating and exploring through art. Just a few days after the Autumn Lights Festival we gathered in one of my favorite parks on the island at Crab Cove. Painting and drawing with a perfect warm fall afternoon near the bay was very relaxing and a great way to make some progress on our projects.

We ended the weekend in introspection with another Tarot & Coffee meetup at Kinfolx. Members asked the cards for guidance and insight while sipping delicious morning bevvies.

I highly recommend you check out this modern-day public square event space, it’s a refuge for those from all backgrounds and a hub for diverse communities to connect and come together.

Finally, on the last weekend of the month, we prayed to the weather goddess that it would stay rain-free for our Movie and mocktail evening in my backyard. The group voted and decided that The Witches of Eastwick was the optimal choice. We had a blast gathering around the fire before the movie and then watching the weird and spooky movie about how a Devil seduced Witches who then turned on him!

Our Sober Socialites November calendar is packed with fun events starting with a tea tasting at the Ferry Building in SF, a walk around the Lafayette reservoir, tarot readings at Kinfolx, a workshop series on taming anxiety, a private session at Yoga Amansala, and The Phoenix sober dance party!

Other local events to note are:

Nov 1st Beach Walk & non-alcoholic Cocktail Tasting from Lyre’s, SF CA

Nov 8th Herb Remedies to beat the cold, Julie’s Tea Alameda, CA

Nov 8th Beach Walk & non-alcoholic Cocktail Tasting from Recess, SF CA

Nov 9th Women empowering Women, Pleasanton, CA

Nov 14th Full Moon Women’s Circle, Alameda, CA

Nov 15th Fall Season, Sip Paint, Center - Harvesting Intentions, Pinole, CA

Nov 17th Women’s Day Retreat, Alchemy Springs SF CA

Nov 23rd Sisterhood Tea Women’s Gathering, Oakland, CA

Nov 23rd - Jan 11th 2025 Garden of D’Lights at Ruth Bancroft Gardens, Walnut Creek, CA

Nov 8th - Jan 26th 2025 Glowfari at Oakland Zoo, CA

Ongoing:

A list of Sober Retreats in the USA and around the World for 2025

Ocean Beach SF Dance - Saturday mornings and Sunset Sundays

Days Like This - Outdoor Dance Party organized for the community next to the Pergola at Lake Merritt every Friday evening weather permitting.

Metamorphosis: Transform and Heal through Dance at Rhythmix in Alameda, CA

Brand Led Tastings at The New Bar in San Francisco

The Breathing Room in Alameda More than a yoga studio, they aim to build and serve our community.

Yoga Amansala Sound bath, acupuncture, and yoga workshops in Alameda

Serving Sundays A community wellness club in San Francisco

Classic Game Night at Better Sunday on Union St, San Francisco

Sundays at the Beach - Free Yoga at Great Highway Beach, San Francisco

Castro Country Club - Safe & sober community center for all people and a refuge for the LGBTQ recovery community, in San Francisco

In-Person and Online Sober Support Groups:

Dropping the Alcohol Habit, a workshop for sober curious

Happy Sober Free: Sedona Summit & Retreat April 25-27th 2025

Hooked on Travel - Alcohol-Free Retreats Worldwide

Sobertopia - Alcohol-Free Trips Worldwide

Resilient Recovery Circle Every 3rd Friday in Oakland

Women for Sobriety

Ben’s Friends

She Recovers

The Phoenix

AFter Alcohol-Free Magazine

The Sober Edit Magazine

Booze-Free Global Map from Zero Proof Nation for searching out bars, shops, and events all over the USA 🗺️