New gear: Metro Gym Bag (GAIAM)

For all the crap necessities I take to the gym. Available in purple, black and green at my Target.

Today, I got GAIAM's Metro Gym Bag, I had been looking for a bag/carrier/strap for my yoga mat. The ones at the gym are rarely clean and you don't get a chance to pick the one you want b/c everyone rushes to get the undamaged ones. Yes, my gym is ghetto. But it's also $20/month (including child care) so I guess I have to suck it up, pack my MACE and my knife. It's all good, I'm from Houston.

Anyway, it was $25 at Target and from the packaging:

• Cinch cord on bottom for your yoga or fitness mat (mat not included)
• Large pockets with magnetic snaps for easy access (they're file style, you can fit a folder)
• Outside pockets perfect for water bottle and other essentials (um, I can fit a tiny sanitizer, my water bottle is HUGE, but it's only 24 oz)
• Inside zippered pocket and key ring holder (there's actually two pockets and one's stretchy, perfect for diapers)

I like the size and the handles are long enough to be comfortable to carry and not slip off while you're wrestling a two year old who doesn't want to leave the day care/play house. The pockets on the outside (front and back) are ok, they can hold my kid's juice cup and if I buy a slim water bottle, it will hold it well enough. They do have velcro so they'll stay shut, perfect for keeping my keys.

The other (large) pockets on the outside are thin and I don't know what I can put in them. They might fit a diaper or two, anything else will make the bag look really bulky and uncomfortable to carry.

What I liked the most was the cinch cord at the bottom. It's stretchy, though it looks like I may have to replace it with something more sturdy later. It does have a ... thingy that you can push down to tighten or loosen the cord. I like that even with the mat in place, the bag doesn't tip over or get all lumpy inside. It's roomy enough to hold your shoes, towel, a gigantic water bottle and other essentials like diapers, butt cream, and a change of baby clothes.

I'm going to enjoy using this. It could double as a regular purse! I mean, you can always use some relaxing time on your yoga mat, now I can take mine anywhere.