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Winter Weather Running Accessory Gift Guide

Living in Central Ohio – which is not even as cold as it gets – I know a lot of people, including my own family, were surprised to hear I would be running outside in the winter. Personally, I can’t stand running on the treadmill and only did so when I was training for The Goofy to try to keep my body temperature as warm as possible for the Florida temps (which turned out to be unbearably hot that year anyway, but at least I was somewhat acclimated!). I used to get a lot of questions like, “Aren’t you afraid of falling on the ice?” “Won’t you get cold?” and “Don’t you have to wear a ton of clothes?” The answers characteristically, “I could do that anywhere (and probably will)” “Not once I get moving” and “It’s not about a lot of clothes, it’s about the right clothes.” Being winter, my Christmas list was soon full of cold-weather gear I would need to tackle the training season. I love running in winter and the gear that goes with it. Below is your Winter Weather Running Accessory Gift Guide for that special runner in your life!

Balega Wool Running Socks for $12 to $14 a pair – Hands down the best winter weather running gear you can get – if your feet are warm and dry, you will be too.. I love Balega. I like the Merino Enduro Quarter or the Merino Enduro Crew for winter training because they wick moisture away from your foot and provide some warmth without being too bulky. You can find them in your local running specialty shop or at Balega online.

Ponytail Hat/Cap for $22 to $40– Perfect invention for women’s winter running! I can never wear a warm hat because I wear a ponytail or bun, which doesn’t fit well with a warm hat. Now you can have both warmth and comfort! Check different styles/brands for warmth specifications. You can start with Saucony.

Functional Gloves from $32 to $55 – Keeping your hands and fingers warm is just important as your feet! I like the gloves that offer some ability to flip back to expose the fingers (either gloves or plain-skin) to allow for easy use of a Garmin, cell phone or anything else you might need your hands for while on a run. Check out what Brooks has to offer and shop around!

Headlamp from $12 – $30 – Most unrecognized winter weather running accessory ever! Perfect for running on trails, streets or if you can’t find something in your house! I wear mine all the time, especially since it gets dark by 6:00 p.m. now. You can find them at any local sporting goods store, running store or shop online at places like REI.

Balaclava for $6 to $50 – You can get them as simple or as complex as you want! Balaclava’s keep out the cold and really help with adjusting to cold air in your lungs. I really love running with one of these. Mine goes over my head, is made of simple fleece and isn’t fancy. Mine is from Columbia, but you can find these wherever winter weather accessories such as The North Face are sold.

Arm Sleeves with Thumbholes from $24 to $36 – Perfect if you are going to be layering and are not sure what to wear for the weather! I like wearing these on warmer days, especially if I am wearing outerwear like a fleece jacket. Shop online at places like Aasics.

The Gift Card – It comes in any amount and can be from any running or sporting goods store! Don’t know what to buy? This is sure to be useful for any running looking to complete their winter weather running accessory collection!

Tell me about you. What winter weather running accessory is a must-have on your gift list?

Until the next mile marker,

Your Photos Made Easy with Easy Canvas Prints

As a blogger, I get pretty excited about photos, especially if they are ones I like (or have taken) and can share to enhance the story I want to tell or my blog’s appearance in general. And, now with Instagram and Pinterest, it is even more fun to share the photos we take on a moment’s notice with the rest of the world. Once in a while, I even capture a shot that I wouldn’t mind hanging up in my house – one might even consider it a work of art. Easy Canvas Prints lets everyone turn their treasured photos into works of art. In an easy four step process you can have your photos printed on high quality canvas, professionally stretched and gallery wrapped for a stunning look that anyone would be proud to display.

I recently captured this photo, which I love because the cardinal was my mom’s favorite bird and they will always remind me of her, as they reminded her of her mother, my grandmother.

When Easy Canvas Prints contacted me about reviewing a canvas, I was really excited to give it a try with a photo. Last time I worked with Easy Canvas Prints, I made a text canvas, which I love and it is still hanging on my ‘wall of inspiration’ today.

The Design Studio is really simple to use and you can now upload your photos directly from Facebook or Instagram-

And the art gallery style wrapping options are definitely the most fun to select-

Here is what I decided to create using the Easy Canvas Prints Design Studio-

I’m really happy with how my photo turned out-

The only thing I would caution you is to select an image that is of high quality (the Design Studio will help you with this too). I chose an image that I had blurred for effect on my phone and I was not able to undo the edit so I had to choose a smaller canvas. Mine is an 8 X 8, which fits nicely on an otherwise crowded office wall. The customer service representatives at Easy Canvas Prints are very helpful and patient, and actually contacted me by email before my canvas went into production to let me know 8 X 8 was the largest I should go without losing image quality based on my original photo.

My photo shipped promptly within a week and was well packaged so there was no risk of damage in the mail. It also came with wall mounts so I wasted no time in hanging it!

Easy Canvas Prints are really affordable beginning at around $30 and make great gifts, especially with Mother’s Day, graduations, and weddings coming up this spring and summer. Be sure to connect with Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook to take advantage of frequent specials and discounts they offer. You can also give back with Easy Canvas Prints Canvas for a Cause. By ordering through Canvas for a Cause, a percentage of the retail value of your order will be donated to the non-profit partner of your choice.

Happy designing!

Until the next mile marker,