You know what we really love? Businesses and people innovating to make this town of ours a great place to live. We especially gravitate towards those who are inclusive, strive for excellence, are open, and generous.

We're continuing to seek out like-minded businesses and brands who are just as dedicated to loving our town – and all the people in it – as we are. 

This month, we visited with Iron + Mortar, and Lauren went on a little jaunt to Naches. We hope you enjoy reading all about it. 

Clearly we're into love - we put "heart" right in our name! In this, the month of love, we decided it would be a great time to launch our new newsletter format, which focuses on, you guessed it, love. Here are some of the new features you can look forward to:

• The Love List: Unique picks from each of us and from friends of IHY. We'll be listing an assortment of the people, places and things that are bringing delight into our days. 

• Heart-nerships: There are so many businesses and organizations doing great work in our community. We want to highlight the work of organizations that we find inspiring and visionary.

• InstaCrush: We're thrilled #iheartyakima has caught on in a big way - we'll be featuring the best of community-driven content through Instagram users' eyes (so remember to tag us!).

First, thank you. We are so happy that you all continue to build pride in Yakima! You've gifted lots of tees, hats and other goodies, which means there are so many more folks 'wearing their heart on their sleeve.' Our goods are a tangible reminder that Yakima is a place to be proud of. And that gives us all the feels.

Speaking of us, there are a few personal updates to share. I Heart Yakima has been a small, 100% volunteer organization since day one, so personal changes make a big impact….