The Arner Adventures Podcast

When we decided to downsize our lives, we weren’t just talking about square footage or closet space.

We were peeling back years of shoulds, pressure, and “normal” that didn’t feel like ours.

Somewhere along the way, what we thought were needs turned out to be noise, loud, stressful, expensive noise.

We're sharing what we thought were needs, but looking at it with a different lens, we now know they were not, in hopes that you can e...

You may not think that your home has much to do with your mental health, but it does.

We’re sharing how we’ve created a home that supports our mental wellness, and how you can start doing the same.

🔗 Links + Resources:

• Full Show Notes: https://arneradventures.com/home-that-supports-your-mental-health

💬 Let’s keep the convo going: Tag us @arneradventures on Instagram if you have more to say or questions via this topic!

Have you ever felt pressure to be “low maintenance” when you're told you are too "high maintenance"?
For a long time, we both felt like we had to be easygoing, flexible, and agreeable—like being “low maintenance” was some badge of honor. But the truth is that constantly minimizing your needs just to be liked or accepted leads to burnout. Listen to ways we are not striving for a label anymore.

🎧 Resources
Find li...

You may be fretting about the fact that you haven't planned your summer vacation yet! Maybe you are worried it is going to break the bank, it’s not in the budget, or too much of a hassle. Fear not! In this episode, we are talking about ideas for budget-friendly vacations and getaways that are easy, simple, and will get you inspired to pack up and head out of town before the episode is over!

🔗 Links + Resources:

• Full Show Not...

We love being outside, but we don’t love clutter.

Over the years, we’ve tested a lot of outdoor gear in our efforts to keep things simple and travel-friendly.

Spoiler: most of it didn’t make the cut. The good news? What stayed with us is solid, multi-use, and worth sharing.

🔗 Links + Resources:

• Full Show Notes (Including Our Free Downloadable “Get Outdoors Challenge"): ⁠https://arneradventures.com/outdoor-gear

💬 Let’s ke...

It may sound woo-woo, but we have learned many lessons from nature and learned a lot about ourselves.

We’ve always known we loved being outside, but we didn’t realize just how much nature had been quietly teaching us over the years. It’s been our backdrop, our sounding board, our reset button.

And more often than not, it’s shown us who we really are just by letting us slow down long enough to notice.

🔗 Links + Resources:

• Full Show...

Implementing some simple outdoor habits is easier than you think.

We live in a world where we’re encouraged to hustle, stay plugged in, and fill every moment with something “productive.” But we’ve learned that sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is step outside. Not for a hike, not for a whole afternoon, just for a moment.

As part of Great Outdoors Month, we’re sharing how little outdoor habits have quietly transformed our...

This week, we’re handing the mic to our friends at Girlish Gurus for a replay episode where Shannon joined them to chat about one of our favorite topics: living fully with less. From selling it all and heading for the coast, to redefining what “success” looks like, we cover the real benefits—mental, physical, and emotional—of downsizing and making space for what matters most.

It’s a fun, honest convo about intentional living, findin...

Being unavailable isn’t something that is rude or makes you a recluse. We used to think being reachable 24/7 was just part of running a business. But truthfully? It nearly wrecked our peace. We realized we were burned out somewhere between the never-ending notifications and guilt-ridden response times. Now, we’ve flipped the script, and being unavailable has never felt more freeing.

We’re sharing how we set boundaries for being unav...

In this episode, we’re sharing our experience at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) in Bryson City, NC, where we spent a few days hiking, rafting, cozying up in the rain, and finding that perfect mix of stillness and adventure.

We stayed in a treetop bungalow at The Hemlocks at NOC, explored a small portion of the Appalachian Trail, got soaked on a ducky trip, skipped mountain biking in favor of rest, and left with full hearts and s...

Cardboard furniture might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about life-changing innovations. Trust us, it should be.

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Gianakos, the Executive Director of Made4Me, a nonprofit that builds custom, adaptive furniture for people with disabilities. 

Their work completely reframed how we think about reuse, accessibility, and intentional design, and we know it will make do the sam...

Forgiveness is one of those things that sounds simple, but knowing how to forgive is difficult when you’re in the thick of hurt or betrayal.

“Letting it go” feels impossible. We get it—because we’ve been there too. That’s why we brought Dara McKinley on the podcast. Dara has created a unique, step-by-step process that teaches people how to forgive practically and deeply personally.

The full show notes, with links, resources we mentio...

Every season is temporary. You may not believe it, but it’s true. We’ve been through our fair share of seasons—some light and full of laughter, others heavy and hard to explain.

And one thing we’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, is this: every season is temporary. We're discussing how we maneuver through each season, living like they are all temporary- because they are.

The full show notes, with links, resources we mention, and...

When you are told to trust your intuition, what exactly does that mean?

There’s a phrase I’ve (Shannon) said more times than I can count: “I should’ve gone with my gut.” And almost every time I don’t listen to it, I regret it. You’d think I’d learn by now, right?

The truth is that trusting your intuition isn’t always easy. It’s quiet. It doesn’t beg for attention. It nudges. There is a whisper. Sometimes it nags. That's what we a...

Back when we ran our own business, we were all in—like, no boundaries, no weekends, no off-switch kind of all in. The type of work that doesn’t just demand your time but your identity. We wore “busy” like a badge of honor.

Eventually, we hit a point where something had to give. We were burned out, disconnected, and exhausted—not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

That’s when we started asking ourselves if we had been chasi...

Let's be honest. Life is a lot. Between work, relationships, responsibilities, and just being a person in the world, it’s easy to feel like everything is swirling at once. We’ve been there.

We’re sharing the systems, boundaries, and gentle routines that help us calm the chaos.

These tips also help to bring more intention into our days—without needing to overhaul our lives or become productivity robots.

The full show notes, with li...

If you spend even five minutes on TikTok, you’ve probably seen the phrase “how to romanticize your life.”

It’s usually paired with slow-motion clips of someone sipping matcha in a sun-drenched kitchen. They are probably reading a vintage book on a train in Paris. But let’s be real—not all of us are waking up in linen sheets in Provence.

We’re getting into how we make everyday life feel just a little more special—on a very realistic, ...

Saying “no” is an essential skill that plays a significant role in our personal and professional lives. It is crucial because it allows us to establish boundaries, prioritize our well-being, and maintain control over our time and energy. By saying “no” when necessary, we can avoid overcommitment, burnout, and resentment towards others and ourselves.

The full show notes, with links, resources we mention, and podcast sponsors can be f...