Just Lauren

Every city has their own unique and interesting shops and Denver is no exception. Below are some of the stores I like that we have here:

I ❤ Denver: The I Heart Denver Store is a shop in downtown Denver where you can find Denver and Colorado themed items and food. The awesome thing about this place? All the products are made from local Colorado artists and each artist gets 60% of the sales of their products (the usual rate for shops like this). I love going here to look for gifts for out of town people because I can support individual creators and get some Colorado gear that’s not the quintessential piece of fool’s gold or keychain with your name on it. Those have a place in everyone’s heart, of course, but sometimes you want something a little different, something of a slightly higher caliber and something that you would maybe, actually use. The I Heart Denver Store delivers that. Occasionally they have an online shop where you can browse and purchase some of their items but it appears that currently they are short staffed and don’t have the online option open right now.

ZERO Market: This company has two locations – one in Aurora at The Stanley Marketplace and one in Edgewater (over near Sloan’s Lake – take a walk then stop at their shop!). They sell products that are reusable and refillable. For example, you can buy a containers that you can put shampoo and conditioner in. And they also sell the shampoo and conditioner. So when you run out, bring back your container and fill it back up. The point of zero waste is to send nothing (or as little as possible) to the landfill. While I 100% believe that our government is responsible for regulating companies and creating laws and regulations to reduce the harm that companies produce, I’m also of the opinion that it’s nice for individuals to reduce their waste if possible. So this store speaks to me. I’ve visited a couple of times and plan on trying their face wash when my current stuff runs out. Not all their products work for my lifestyle but I appreciate that they exist and encourage people to do better. They also sell loose leaf tea in whatever quantity you want so if you want to try out some different teas, this is a neat place to try that. Plus, they have an online shop.

Rocket Fizz: Ok, so this store is a national chain, but I think it’s neat enough to list it here. Besides, each location is owned independently so I can hope that whoever owns the locations here in Colorado lives nearby. This shop sells candy and soda that is either hard to find, like the British Lion candy bar, or that you can’t find anywhere else, like certain root beer sodas the company creates themselves. Tired of the same old Snickers bar or Swedish fish? Aren’t we all. 😉 Stop over at Rocket Fizz, which has locations in Aurora, Northfield, and Larimer Square, and try out a popcorn Kit Kat, a gummy pizza, or some different flavored Pop Rocks. Of course they have taffy too and lots of delicious sounding fancy chocolate bars.

Green Lady Gardens: What’s not to love about a locally owned house plant boutique that also promotes Latino/a art and culture who gets many of their products from fair trade organizations, donates part of their profit to good causes, and has a non-profit organization that works with students in Title 1 schools? I’ve only had the pleasure of visiting this shop once, but I follow their Instagram and always love seeing their posts. One of these days I’ll get myself over there again because they sell pottery from local artists and I think my new apartment next year will need at least one new pot. 😉 Also, they have house plants so why wouldn’t I go over there? I promised myself I wouldn’t buy another plant until after I moved and then you know what I’m doing? I’m getting myself a plant. I had one in mind, a pilea peperomioides, but then I started thinking about it as I was writing this post and realized that I like a lot of house plants so me deciding on one now months before actually purchasing it, is just not gonna happen. Point is, I’ll be making a trip over to Green Lady Gardens sometime in the new year to see what they have, and you should join me. 😀

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Check out all the things I like about Colorado here!