Gift Guide: My Yoga Partner

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was nontraditional but lovely -- I wouldn't have it any other way. Since we're fully in the holiday shopping season, let's get back to the gift guide...

Next up I'm shopping for a one of my favorite yoga pals -- we met in class over a year ago and she helps keep me accountable. I love getting to catch up with her before class, and I know she's know she's going to tag me in her Facebook check-in at the studio, so I definitely have to drag my butt out of bed.

WHO I'M SHOPPING FOR: my favorite workout partner

She's an energizer bunny and fitness is her hobby -- she loves checking out all of the latest classes and is always trying to talk me into 5Ks, bike races, and boot camps (and makes them fun!).

WHO YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR: the Sporty Spice on your list...your favorite vegan/gluten-free/green-juice-drinking clean eater....the running addict...the friend most likely to post a sweaty selfie

Spiritual Gangster Pullover, $88

A cozy sweatshirt perfect for tossing on when she's on her way to class (or just wants people to think she is...)

Deliciously Ella, $14

Ella Woodward is one of the best (and most photogenic) food bloggers on the planet -- somehow she makes some incredibly drool-worthy meals using only natural, plant-based ingredients. This is her first cookbook. If it includes a recipe for looking like a stone-cold British fox, sign me up.

CB2 Tea Tube, $12

A charming little delivery mechanism for all of that healthy loose leaf tea she drinks. A lovely gift with a selection of favorite blends.

Brass Disc Tassel Bracelet, $30

This chic little bracelet has a very zen vibe and would be a perfect arm-party-of-one when she's on the mat.

Boston Marathon Route Map, $38

Maybe she accomplished her lifelong goal of running Boston, or is pounding the pavement this year so she can qualify. A cool course map of the Boston Marathon (or any number of famous races) would be an excellent motivation tool/trophy.

Carine Croc Tote, $50

If she's not the kind of girl who wants to carry around a big bulky nylon bag, she'll love this perfectly chic tote for carrying all of her essentials to the gym or studio.

Grid Mini Foam Roller, $25

If she's working out on the regular, she knows all about foam rolling and has a roller (or two) at home. But she may not have this tiny version, which is perfect for throwing in her suitcase for vacations or out of town races.

GapFit Motion Hoodie, $65

This sleek top is really unique and quite cool -- it looks so aerodynamic, I feel like I'd shave 30 seconds off of my mile time just by wearing it. I'm linking to the Amazon page because Gap can't seem to keep this in stock in its own store (along with many, many other items) -- frustrating, particularly since they've been running a great 50% off promotion this weekend. Get it together, Gap -- you really can't afford to eff up Black Friday this year.

Dreaminex Wireless Earbuds, $57

Wireless earbuds make lots of workouts so much easier. The pricier pairs are out of my gift-giving budget, but there are some great moderately priced versions (which I actually prefer, so I don't have to worry so much about losing them or ruining them when I'm in sweaty beast mode).

Gold/Black Stud Wrap for Fitbit, $78

A fashionable upgrade for her beloved fitness tracker. Because you rack up plenty of steps doing your regular weekend bar crawl, but that fugly rubber bracelet doesn't work with any of your going-out looks.

Suzani Blush Magic Carpet Yoga Mat, $98

When you're feeling very zen and centered you're probably not supposed to care about who has the best yoga mat. But seriously, give her this one and she will have the BEST mat in the room.

And if you need a few extras...

These little tinted lip balms are perfect for prettying up after class.

If she's going to indulge her sweet tooth, she'd rather do it with some tasty organic treats.

A fancy freshening spray is a nice luxury for any gym bunny.

A great workout-proof headband is always appreciated.

This water bottle is perfect if she's naughty or nice.

Weekend To Do List

New look for my regular Sunday post -- still playing around with it, but I think it is a bit of an improvement, yes?

This weekend was a bit of a blur -- I spent most of it recovering from my business trip, which was kind of fun but also kind of miserable. My flight home was cancelled because of weather, so I had to scramble to get a hotel for the night, make sure my dog was taken care of, and get myself on a new flight. Unfortunately for me, the new flight left at 6am and the airport shuttle insisted on picking me up at 3:05am to get me there. I think I crawled into bed around midnight on Thursday, so that was great planning on my part.

That glamorous business travel life, for sure.

Anyway, here's how the last few days played out:

1. Exhibitioning

On my last day in NYC I got to check out The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, a very cool exhibit showcasing costumes and sets from The Hunger Games films. I like to stay a bit anonymous so I won't say too much, but my company had a big role in one of the most fun aspects of this exhibit, so it was fun to get to see it all in person.

The costumes were really stunning. Probably not at all fun to wear, but that's why Jennifer Lawrence and company get paid so well.

2. Eating my feelings

Friday was a long, rough day. It started with a 2:30am wakeup call, a long visit in JFK's chaotic T5 terminal (the line for security was 45 minutes long and it wasn't even 5am), and the WORST seat on the plane -- by the time I collected Audrey and was headed home, I felt like I'd been through an entire day...but it was still just 9:00am and I had a full 8 hour work day ahead of me. I decided I needed a little treat and zipped through the drive-thru for a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit, one of the finest delicacies on this earth. I could eat 6 of these, but I limited myself to just one and enjoyed every morsel.

3. Window shopping

After placing a hefty Zara order earlier this month, I've been trying to reign in my spending. It doesn't help that Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is around the corner and everyone and their mother is talking about it. I'll do a bigger post when the sale goes live to the public (because card members with early access are snapping up some of the good stuff, unfortunately!), but it has been fun to browse.

I am absolutely drooling over this gorgeous Chloe satchel, which seems to be sold out already. This Marc Jacobs hobo is similar to one that's been on my wishlist forever -- black is classic, but the bright tangelo color is fabulous. I love these studded pumps, though I don't need them at all. And this Kate Spade shirt dress is kind of sassy and fun (it has pockets!).

4. Getting the kinks out

As luck would have it, I had signed up for a Sunday morning Yin Yoga workshop focused on stretching hips and hamstrings -- as a runner these are always problem areas but after a few days of endless work meetings and cramped coach travel, all of my muscles felt tense and tied up. This 2 hour(!) class focused on holding poses for a 5-10 minutes each to reaaaaalllly loosen things up. I felt great afterwards, though the 2 hours seemed to pass a bit slowly. I guess time doesn't fly when you are gently torturing yourself.

5. Bingeing

I knew this weekend would end up being pretty chill (which you probably gathered when you saw that eating a fast food breakfast was a notable enough event to make my list...), so I was glad to have many episodes of Mad Men to entertain me. Oh, I do love this show.

I love whipping through the episodes, swallowing them in great big gulps, but there are moments that I wish I had watched in real time. Oh, the lawn mower episode! So horrific, so wonderful. And Joan is back -- I love her more with each season. And Pete Campbell is the worst! I want to talk to others about how weasel-y he is, but everyone else has moved on. Anyway, if you haven't watched it yet you should -- such a perfect summer series, I will certainly remember 2015 as the summer of Mad Men.

I might need to print out these paper dolls so I can try to infuse a bit of Joan, Betty, and Peggy into my wardrobe:

Hope your weekend was as fun and fabulous or as low-key and chill as you wanted it to be -- here's to a great week!