About Us

Hey there! I’m Jenni. 

Our Story: From a "What-If" to a Mission
The holidays are usually a time for celebration, but Thanksgiving of 2025 brought our family a different kind of milestone: my mom’s diagnosis with Stage IV Small Cell Carcinoma.
Suddenly, everything changed. Because of her rigorous chemo schedule and a compromised immune system, my mom had to step away from her job in hospital environmental services—the very place she spent her days helping others stay safe. We were faced with a mountain of out-of-pocket medical expenses and the reality of daily life without an income, all while trying to focus on her healing.
When my brother and I suggested a GoFundMe, my mom gave us a firm "no." She didn’t want to feel like she was begging; she has always been the one giving help, not asking for it.
I started designing items as a way to process the stress, and what started as a "joke" about opening a store quickly turned into a real conversation. My brother looked at the designs and said, "Maybe this is a hobby that pays? Or even a third career?" That was the spark. I filed the paperwork, registered The Bucket List Helper here in Minnesota, and we decided to turn our challenge into a community.

Our Mission: Living, Not Just Surviving
At The Bucket List Helper, our goal is simple: to make sure "someday" happens today.
While the initial spark was the need to cover chemo costs and daily bills, our mission quickly grew into something much bigger. After a lifetime of working to keep us safe, housed and fed, my mom made a brave decision: she is done working to survive. She is ready to actually live.
This store exists to fund that choice. It’s about more than incidentals; it’s about providing the means for her to do everything she’s ever put off. But it’s also about a new way of life for all of us. We believe that no one should "live to work." We work so we can live, and so we can have the stability to look outward at who else needs a hand.

The "Pay It Forward" Promise
We were raised with the belief that we all do better when we all do better, and we intend to keep that cycle moving. Our long-term vision for this community is to generate enough of a "surplus of hope" that we can:
  • Warm the Streets: Create and distribute care packages for our neighbors experiencing homelessness in the Twin Cities.
  • Clear the Trees: Return to the banks and casinos of our childhood to take every single name off the Angel Trees each December, ensuring no child is left without a gift.
When you join this community, you aren't just helping one family—you’re helping us build a foundation that pays it forward to the next.

The Name: Why "The Bucket List Helper"?
People often ask where the name came from. It wasn't born in a marketing meeting; it was born from a simple, urgent truth: My mom, René López, has a list, and she needs a hand crossing things off.
Right now, our entire focus is on René. After a lifetime of being the "helper" for everyone else—from her patients at the hospital to the families at Ruby’s Pantry—it’s her turn to be on the receiving end. We chose the name The Bucket List Helper because that’s exactly what every customer becomes.
When you pick up a piece of gear, you aren't just a shopper—you are René’s teammate. You are helping us fund the gas for a road trip, the tickets for a show she’s always wanted to see, and the quiet moments in between where we just get to be a family without the shadow of a "work shift" hanging over us.
Our Unique Design: Art for the "Non-Artist"
My mom, René, has been an artist her entire life. While I didn’t inherit her steady hand with a paintbrush, I did inherit her heart for the stories behind the art.
At The Bucket List Helper, every collection is a tribute to our family's values of community and joy. Because I design through the lens of a "helper" rather than a painter, I use a mix of AI, public domain masterpieces (like the Manet Dragonfly), and carefully chosen graphics to tell our story.
Every design you see is representative of something deeply personal to us. When you wear our gear, you aren't just wearing a "style"—you’re wearing a memory we’ve made or a dream we’re chasing.

The "Checked-Off" & The "Next Up"
Your support is already working. Because of this community, we’ve been able to celebrate some major wins for René:
  • ✅Passport Renewed: She's officially ready for the world.
  • ✅St. Paul Science Museum: A weekend of discovery and family time.
  • ✅El Burrito Mercado: A shopping trip for the flavors she loves.
  • ✅Itasca State Park: Spring colors at the headwaters of the Mississippi.
What’s Next on René’s List:
We are currently gearing up for a weekend in Duluth (April 18-20) and planning her long-awaited return to Paraguay to visit family she hasn't seen since 1993. From Haunted locations to the Smithsonian in D.C. and Treehouse AirBnBs, the list is long—and with your help, we’re checking it off one item at a time.

 

Our Family’s Journey & A Note of Gratitude
"Beyond the products we create, our heart has always been with our family. Many of you know that my mom is currently navigating a brave battle with Stage IV cancer. For a long time, she was hesitant to ask for help, but we finally convinced her to open a GoFundMe account to support her care.
We have been completely overwhelmed by the grace and generosity of this community. Since its creation, your support has helped us raise $1495, providing not just financial relief, but a profound sense of hope. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us."

Bucket List - Work In Progress

A growing list of places to go, people to see, and memories to make.

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📍 Visit as many Minnesota State Parks as possible!

Minnesota has 75 state parks and recreation areas, according toMN Trips and mwinns.com. The system, managed by theMinnesota Department of Natural Resources, includes 64 state parks, nine state recreation areas, and nine state waysides, covering over 235,000 acres.

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🏕️ Go camping with the kids, maybe the grandkids too

Love sleeping under the stars!

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🏞️ Headwaters of the Mississippi - Itasca
SUMMER

One of her favorite places to go, Summer is warmer!

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🚗 Roadtrip to Duluth, MN
Summer Trip

Summer in Duluth:

  • Train Rides
  • Dinner Cruise
  • And more
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🌲 Stay in a Tree House Air BnB
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🏡 Stay in a Cabin at Lake Itasca State Park
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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Go to see and play with the grandkids

Someday, somewhere we will all have to get together and spend time reconnecting.

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📍 Go to as many National Parks as possible

Gotta get 'em all!

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🦬 Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota

Go feel small in the Great Plains, where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play

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🚗 Roadtrip to Oklahoma

Gotta go see her big brother, his wife, son and grandkids.

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❤️ Go visit cousins in the Twin Cities.

Go visit the many cousins scattered around the Twin Cities Metro Area...when things calm down more.

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❤️ Go visit Aunt Ruby.

Go visit and reconnect with Aunt Ruby in Mills.

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✈️ Go to Paraguay to see friends and family.
  • Asunción
  • Piribebuy
  • Tres Fronteras
  • Misiones (Trinidad)
  • Chololó
  • Possibly Salto Cristal

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🚀🏛️⭐ Go to Washington DC


Go to the Smithsonian Museums

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❤️ Get together with Deb & Art

This has been rescheduled a few times, but it WILL happen.

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🃏 Canasta


Play a game of Hand and Foot Canasta with Jo & Roy's girls.

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📍 Game Night with my Kids
Mother's Day spent playing Azul and Bananagrams

Playing boardgames with my kids is such a fun thing to do!

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🏞️ Headwaters of the Mississippi - Itasca
Done - SPRING - Went with a Twin Cities Cousin. Thanks Rod!

One of her favorite places to go, Spring is a great time to see the seasons change.

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🐾🦖 Weekend in St. Paul
  • Go to Science Museum of Minnesota
  • Go to Mercado El Burrito
  • Go to Hot Pot
  • Go to Little Brazil MN Market and Café
  • MOST IMPORTANT: Spend time with my kids.
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❤️ Go Visit Uncle Les and Family
Fantastic Time, enjoyed spending time with family.


Go visit Uncle Les and Marcia, Wayne and Wendy also. This has been rescheduled several times due to Winter Weather.

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❤️ Go Visit Danny Bruce

Spend the day with a cousin in Morehead.

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❤️ Go visit Jodi and family.
When can she do this again!?

Spend the day with cousins in Pequot.

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❤️ Go to visit Aunt Jo in Motley
Must do this again!

Hang out with Aunt Jo and the girls in her apartment in Motley. Reconnect a little.

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🚗 Roadtrip to Duluth, MN
MUST REPEAT IN SUMMER!!!

Spending 3 days wandering and exploring.

  • Zoo
  • Aquarium
  • Murder Mystery
  • Sushi
  • Mexican Food
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🛂 Get passport renewed
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🐟 Go to Morey's


Stop at Morey's for pickled fish and Calamari