Tuesday, December 15, 2015

My last minute Runner Gift Guide....Some of these may surprise you!



      Are you looking for last minute Christmas gifts for the runner in your life?! Or maybe looking to pick up something new for yourself that you haven't thought of before?

     I'd like to share with you my top 15 gifts for runners that I think are just great! This list is arranged in no particular order and fall within all ranges of budgets.  Some of these items, I own and some of these items I have on my own wishlist!  

1. The HP Envy All-In-One Printer:


I'm a shutterbug and take one million pictures of all my races! I cannot afford to buy all of those race photos but I can afford a great printer and ink subscription! This is one of my top gift ideas for runners that maybe most would not think of.
     "The HP Envy All-in-One printer is a great compact solution for your home and office printing, scanning and copying needs. Now, when you buy the HP Envy 5540 e-All-in-One printer, it comes with 3 months free of HP Instant Ink! 
With HP Instant Ink you select your subscription plan and HP takes care of the rest so that you never run out of ink and printing costs a lot less! Ink, shipping, and cartridge recycling are included in your monthly plan. Plans start as low as $2.99/month and are based on pages printed, not cartridges used. There’s no annual fee and you can change or cancel plans online at anytime. 
Link to HP Envy 5540 e-All-in-One printer:

Link to HP Instant Ink:

FREE INK OFFER
Now through December 31st, when you enroll your printer in HP Instant Ink, you will receive six free months of ink! To decide which plan is right for you and to enroll, visit http://bit.ly/HPInstantInk6 but remember to do it before December 31, 2015!

2. Try About Time Protein Pancake Mix

     One of the things that I did in the year 2015, was to exchange my regular pancake mix for Protein Pancake Mix. After trying a few different brands, AboutTime is one of my faves. There are three different flavors to choose from...Maple Syrup, Cinnamon Spice and Chocolate Chip. Retail price is $39.99 on www.TryAboutTime.com

3. Give the Gift of PIZZA!
Seriously. I've never met another that doesn't love pizza! I eat pizza before races, after races...
Check around for your local pizza parlors and grab that gift card!

4. New Running Shoes!
Okay. This is a NO BRAINER. Runners love shoes. Runners need shoes.

I have friends that are very loyal to "their" brand. I'm that way to a certain degree. I have certain shoes that I like to run my long runs in. I have certain brands that I like to wear with cute outfits. (Yes, I just admitted that.)  I have certain running shoes that I wear on my shorter runs.

Below are the new Asics Meta Run Shoes...These babies are packed full of brand new technology that will have the runner in your life running on cloud nine for sure! Retails for $250 on Asics.com.


5. Brother PE 540D and Brother Innov-is NX700PRW
Sewing Machine?? Yes. That's right. I included these machines on my gift guide list. I run lots of races that I think sometimes..."I wish I had a tank top with this written on it." With these machines, I could do that. I also run a lot of runDisney races and could use the Disney templates with lots of things.

The Brother PE 540D, is the Disney embroidery machine. It has 105 built-in embroidery designs, including 35 designs featuring Disney characters plus 5 embroidery letter fonts.  
It can be purchased on Amazon and retails for $399. 

Brother is also  the exclusive sewing and embroidery machine company of Project Runway.  Its a machine made for the designer in you!
The Innov-is NX700PRW is a sewing and quilting machine with 180 built-in stitches. 


6. Runner's World MEALS on the RUN Cookbook:
I am super particular about what I eat and am always looking for new recipes. Runner's World Meals on the Run was created specifically for runners. There are over 130 healthy recipes included that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. My kind of cooking! Saving time in the kitchen and more time pounding the pavement!
Retails for $26.99 on www.RodaleBooks.com.



7. The Gift of Race Destination:
This one is HUGE!! Runners will often pass on races or put them on their bucket lists just because of location! I do this so often. One of my favorite places to run is through the theme parks of Walt Disney World and Disneyland. However, I can't afford every race at these locations. Gift cards pertaining to travel would help out so much! Consider airline, gas, hotel and restaurant giftcards.

I use the girls over at Mainstreet Memories for all of my runDisney travel needs and they can help out with all of those Disney vacations, even family vacations and cruises! Make sure to tell them I sent ya for extra love! ;) Prices Vary.

8. The Runner's Favorite Post-Run Indulgence:
Find out what your runner loves to indulge in! Is it a massage? Is it a cup of coffee? For me, I absolutely love to drink coffee after I run. I freeze after I cool down and a hot cup of joe hits the spot. Treat your runner to their favorite indulgence...they worked hard to get to the finish line, make that finish that much sweeter! Prices Vary.

9. Powdered Peanut Butter:
Earlier this year, I tried out Peanut Butter & Co. Powdered peanut butter through a campaign with Sweatpink. I really liked it and now keep a jar in my gym bag! Super easy to add to my shakes and mix with water for old fashioned peanut butter. This particular powdered peanut butter comes in four flavors (Original, Chocolate, Flax & Chia and Vanilla) and can be found in most local grocery stores or online for $6.50 on MightyNut.com.


10. Race Registrations!
And all of the runners said....AMEN!!! One of the best races that I ran one year was a race that my husband and kiddos gave to me for Mother's Day. That trip was a total guilt-free trip and was because I felt like I had been given total permission to go! Especially being a Mom Runner, this has been an ongoing inner battle since the day that I've started running.

Race registrations don't have to be destination races...check around in your local city for races. Prices Vary.

Some of my favorite destination races are (in no particular order):
Rock n' Roll Marathon Series
runDisney
Runner's World Half Marathon Festival Weekend Presented by Altra


Another cool thing to consider is that if your runner is running a race for charity, donate to their charity!! Helping them meet their goals not only helps out the runner but helps out those in need. I'm raising funds for Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend in February on behalf of OHOH.org and would absolutely love for my friends and family to donate to my charity rather than buy me a gift!

Please visit my fundraising page HERE!!


11. New Dri-Fit Running Socks!
I will try out most brands on any running gear but I do have a favorite running sock. Hands down, I love my Balegas. I have a zillion pairs of whites and lately have bought a few new pairs of colored ones. These socks can be found at most local running stores for approximately $12.

12. Dr. Cool Ice Wrap
This is a product that I never thought that I would need much less fall in love with. However, when I broke my fibula this year, I cannot imagine how I would have gotten through it without my Dr. Cool Wrap! There are many varieties, sizes and colors to choose from. Simply run the wrap under cool water and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. It's frozen and ready to wrap around your knee, ankle, elbow, etc....

This product is one of those things that every runner should own. You never know when it will come in handy! It can also be worn un-frozen as a stability wrap. So many uses!

Prices range from $17.99-$27.99 and can be purchased at many Race expos or online at www.DrCoolRecovery.com.

13. Cute Arm Candy
It's no secret that I'm a major fan of jewelry and accessories. I love running with bracelets that have charms with meanings and inspiration. Such a cute way to show off the things that I love!

The Alex & Ani bracelets below are the bracelets that I wear everyday. I run in them. I sweat in them. I wear them when I'm not running! Yes, I know, I'm allowing them to tarnish. That's also one of the reasons why I love them....I love the reminder of all of the sweat that I put in. I glance down at my watch during a run and see the quote "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon" and I take it to heart. That particular quote was given to me earlier this year and I absolutely love it. Seriously, it is my fave. #AllTheLove.
Prices Vary.



Another bracelet that was given to me by a friend this year and is just awesome is this bracelet from Momentum Jewelry! Aworkout friendly wrap around bracelet that can be functional as well as inspriational. These bracelets come in super cute colors, lots of different quotes and can even be customized with for yourself. I hope Santa is reading this one because I really really really want a Bamagirlruns bracelet! ;)
Prices Vary.


14. Runner's World Magazine Subscription:
In today's world full of technology, I know that it's pretty common to download magazines onto your ipad, phones, kindles etc. However, I'm old school and still absolutely LOVE going to my mailbox and receiving my Runner's World Magazine every month! I throw it in my purse or gym bag and read it when i'm in carpool or have a little bit of down time. I find all kinds of information on races, gear, nutrition, etc. in this magazine! I like to read a little bit at a time...it's like a little bit of Christmas for the running nerd in me each month!

Subscribe to Runner's World Magazine at RunnersWorld.com
Other great running magazines are:

15. The Jug Hugger:
The last gift on my list (and these gifts were in no particular order by the way...) is something that I recently have become obsessed with! The Jug Hugger!!

I drink a ton of water per day and think that it's really cool that someone has designed a neoprene cover for a plastic one gallon jug!! Genius!! I see folks in the gym all of the time with a plain jug sitting around. The Jug Hugger has pockets to hold keys, money, headphones etc. I HAVE GOT TO HAVE ONE OF THESE!! This is at the top of my personal list this year....Pink please!! (Wink, wink, Hubby.)

Retails for $29.99 on TheJugHugger.com.



So there ya go! The top 15 things that come to my mind when I think of fun gifts for runners! I hope that you all receive everything that you want for Christmas this year and remember to give back to those who need it most. We are very blessed and need to remember the reason for the Season. :))

Happy Running, Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas Y'all!!