My Tools
We all have special “tools” that become a part of who we are as we go through our lives- certain things that become a necessity in their proximity to us. These are some of my most favorite “tools” that I cart around everywhere:
– Bert’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. It soothes the lips, its organic, its minty. I am never without my Burt’s Bees and I promise that I have never, not once cheated on my lip balm by using another brand!
– Quality sneakers. We basically live in our shoes, so wearing a very good quality pair of comfortable shoes is important to prevent injuries and keep ourselves comfy and relaxed throughout the day. Because I need a lift in my shoe for my one shorter leg, a good quality pair of running shoes is especially essential: most regular shoes cannot have lifts attached to them so I pretty much live in my running shoes.
– Small notebook and pen. I’m a writer, and an avid list-maker. My little book (hardcover, so I can write in it just about everywhere and so that the pages won’t get all messed up) fits in my purse and rarely leaves my sight. It contains addresses, phone numbers, shopping lists, poems, lists of things to do, and tidbits of health information that I find interesting.
– Kleenex. Remember this post over at Cranky Fitness? Yeah. I can tell you from first-hand experience that getting a random nosebleed midway through a run is not very pleasant. Gotta love the trusty Kleenex.
– Cash. Because the bus driver won’t accept Visa.
– Apples. Okay, so I don’t always have one of these tucked in my pocket (man, these pockets of mine are getting FULL, aren’t they?!), but I snack on them so often that I have a trusty supply of them at home and at work. And if my supply runs out, I’ve got that aforementioned cash and grocery stores/gas stations nearby to stock up!
– Driver’s license. I know that the one time I decide to take it out of my wallet will be the rare occasion that I’ll go into the liquor store (again, I speak from experience. Er, two times. And I’d rather not be “escorted to the door” a third time!).
– Green Tea. Yes, yes I do have a teabag in my wallet. HEART the green tea.
As for fitness equipment? Well, that generally stays in one place. It’s difficult to lug all of that stuff around. Which is why I have it nicely spread out between my house, work, and car:
– 3 Yoga mats. One for the car (I use it outdoors at boot camp), one for at work, and one that acts as a rug in my room which I like to use for pilates.
– 1 set 8-lbs dumbbells. These stay in the car for boot camp.
– 1 set 5-lbs dumbbells. These weights remain at my work.
– 1 hula hoop at home (you never know when the mood will strike to do some mean hula hooping).
– 1 hip scarf at home for bellydancing.
– 1 jump rope: this is in my backpack at all times, which goes back and forth between my house and work. In the middle of winter when its too cold to walk to work, this is a good way to get in some cardio.
– 1 pilates band (also lives in my backpack) for stretching.
– Decent sports bra. I don’t care how flat you (*cough* I) are(/am). A decent one makes all the difference if you do a lot of exercising.
– 2 workout DVD’s (for at home).
– My very own collection of health books. Naturally, these stay at home. I’m well on my way to filling up a library with all of my nutrition-related books that I’ve been hoarding!
– 1 pilates book, 1 yoga book with video, and lots of magazine cut-outs of exercises: all of these are spread between my house, work, and the well-traveled backpack.
– And, of course, water! I’m not picky when it comes to water so I drink it from the tap. There’s also constantly a bottle in the car for the boot camp class.
How about you? What are some of your essential tools? It’s a beautiful weekend stretching out before us with plenty of time to stock up on any new tools so this is an excellent time to share our favorites!
EDIT: How could I have forgotten? I also adore my tennis racket and 2 stability balls (although balancing on one of those things can be quite the challenge!).
Wow, that’s some list! The Bag Lady doesn’t carry much with her. She stopped carrying a purse many years ago, so always has her little change-purse size wallet in her pocket. It’s big enough to carry her cards – driver’s license, bank card, etc. and a little folded cash. In her back pocket is always a few Kleenex. (can you tell she lives in her blue jeans?) Her cell-phone is tiny, so fits in another pocket. Lately, she has been carrying her DVD camera in her other pocket. (that’s 4 pockets, right?)
Oh, and she always has to wear a shirt with a pocket. She’s not telling you what she carries there *cough* cause she’s pretty sure you wouldn’t approve…then she’d be in trouble…*cough*….sigh. (didn’t she mention in a comment not long ago about the habits you start in your youth coming back to bite you in the ass?)
I try to just carry essentials – wallet, cell phone, lip balm (love burt’s bees!). My workout stuff for boot camp is always in the car, and I am like you – always have a good pair of shoes on (with a gorgeous pair of hand knit socks of course!) 🙂
I seriously cannot LIVE w/o burt’s bees – its a must!
Bag Lady- I love my jeans too:) I need to start taking more photos of things! My camera is usually in my purse but I hardly ever use it. Sighs.
Running Knitter & Loveofoats- so glad that there are others who LOVE the Burts Bees as much as I do!
I always have lip balm (I’m a blistex girl) and kleenex as well. I’d like to start carrying my camera (must get bigger purse).
I started out as a home exerciser, had a gym membership for a while, and am now back to the home exercise thing again. My collection of equipment/DVDs has grown over the years and they are definitely essential items to me.
And the other constant is my home-prepared frozen lunches for work. It makes life so much easier when I can just grab a container out of the freezer in the morning before heading out. Yes, you can buy frozen meals, but most of them don’t taste very good and this way I can control what’s in my lunch.
How much do I love that a hula hoop and a hip scarf are among your fitness must haves?? I so want to learn to belly dance.
Now I’m crazy curious as to what the Bag Lady carries in her shirt pocket.
As for me? Well I limit myself to leaving the house with one teeeeny little purse so I won’t be tempted to carry a lot of extraneous crap. Nothing exciting in there. Except my Skittles flavored lipsmacker. Yummy!
I just downsized from suitcase-sized to real-sized purse. Things I always have include: Burt’s Beez balm, a camera, a card reader for my camera, wallet, nail file, cell phone. I never have cash, except for spare change.
Fitness wise, I have the weights (4 diff. #s), the resistance bands and tubes, the aerobics step, jump rope, mountain bike, and running shoes. These pretty much always stay home, but I’m about to start biking to work!
And Bag Lady – I have a pretty good guess what’s in your shirt pocket. If I’m right, it used to live in the back pocket of my jeans for years. But no more.
Belly dancing – yay! How fun is that! I would love to learn too! 🙂
Chapstick – I carry around cherry Chapstick everywhere! I have one in my purse, backpack, bathroom drawer, kitchen drawer!
Headband – I wear a cloth headband when I work out. My hair isn’t quite long enough for a pony tail.
The water bottle – gotta have it when I workout!
Great post! My bike bag has my wallet, my cell phone, a book, (you never know when you might come upon a park>), and like you, Burt’s Bee’s Lip Balm.
My home exercise equipment is sparse: yoga mat, balance ball, 2 10 lb dumbbells, 2 10-lb ankle weights, some stretch bands, a couple of DVDs and…a hula hoop! I haven’t used mine, yet. 🙂
I.LOVE.BURTS!! I have one in each of my main purses so I’m never without it!
I think I need to invest in a hula hoop…
My essentials: snack foods, running shoes.
hmmmm
you nailed all of mine.
can I say a cannister of SALTY beef jerky? you know, for all the salts (*wink*) Ive sweated out.
my house key?
a pogo stick Im attempting to use?
M.
DIDO! (except for the belly dancing 😉
I have a tea bag in my purse!!
Charlotte – you really don’t want to know!!
And Gena – good for you! Perhaps one day the Bag Lady will quit, too.
*cough* *hack*
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
i have to have a notebook with my at all times so i can write down things that pop into my head for blogposts/articles etc because i have the worst memory ever.
i also cant live without my planner because i, again, am unable to remember anything i ever have to do.
thats about it though. im pretty easy.
hows the new computer going?
Javachick- thats great that you make your own frozen meals! You’re organized:)
Charlotte- good idea to carry a small bag… its so easy to fill up a huge one with EVERYTHING.
Gena- I might have to get myself a step. I LOVED step class. But I don’t know if there’s enough space in my room for one!
Susan- love the multiple tubes of chapstick:)
Cammy- I keep making the mistake of choosing big thick books to read. I need to get mini versions to carry around everywhere with me.
Chandra- thanks for stopping by! Major Burts love. I am also rarely without my snacks:)
MizFit- pogo stick racing? This could revolutionize the world of fitness! (You should get a custom-made MizFit pogo stick:)).
Ashley- you are my hero- I can’t believe someone else also carries a teabag around with them!
Bag Lady- quit! Now! 🙂 hehe.
Kelly- oh goody, someone else has a bad memory too;)
I was reading through your posts…I love this one! good job!