Happy Wednesday everyone! We are on the road right now to celebrate Christmas with our kiddos…
We are going to Disneyland on Friday (we don’t have the kids for Christmas so we are doing this to celebrate instead) and then visit Andrew’s grandparents on Saturday. We’ll head home after that so it’s a nice, short trip. The picture above is from Brooke’s last visit there. This will be Knox’s first time so I can’t wait to see his little face when we get there!
Instead of sharing selfies of me in the car and the kids snoozing (they are really good at sleeping in the car which is something I wish I could do better), I’m going to share a few gift ideas for the runners in your life, your family, kids, friends etc.
A portion of this post is sponsored by Toca Boca!
1. Toca TV!!!!
I am loving Toca TV for the kids and I’m sure Brooke and Knox would recommend it to all of their friends out there:)
Toca Boca just came out with a video streaming service for kids called Toca TV!!! Just like any of the Toca Boca apps, Toca TV was designed from the kid’s perspective and it is the most playful video experience out there for kids!
What I love about Toca TV for kids is that every piece on there (which includes thousands of original and curated videos from all around the web) is picked and prescreened to make sure it is right, safe and enjoyable for kids. Toca TV never has any third-party advertising or pre-roll ads which I LOVE. I am pretty picky about what I let the kids watch and Toca TV has my approval big time with the content they include, without any ads which is so nice because I never have to worry about something inappropriate popping up while they are watching a show. Plus I love that it is interactive and something fun for the two of them to do together!
With Toca TV the kids can even film their own videos using the Toca TV recording tool and awesome animated filters which Brooke and Knox also had a blast with!
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Download Toca TV on the App Store today!!! If you are one of the first 100 readers to use the code HUNGRYRUNNERGIRL you will get the first month free when you sign up for Toca TV!!!
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2. Let’s talk about runners of course! I’ve got a bunch of random ideas for the runner in your life——> register them for their favorite race, get them a Spotify subscription for some awesome music, a foam roller, these headphones, a neck warmer to wear while running (hint hint Andrew;), figure out what their favorite fuel is to use during a run and buy them a box of it (I’m loving Huma Chia Energy Gels).
Sneak into their closet, find their favorite running shoes and see what size they are and order them another pair:) Nothing like a new pair of running shoes. A spin bike for them to cross-train with (I love mine, THIS ONE). Running hats or headbands like these.
A gift card for them to go get a sports massage or regular massage to get those running muscles worked on. This Twas The Night Before The Race mug that my aunt gave me one year or this May all your Miles be merry ornament;)
A garmin if they need one—> Andrew loves this one and I love the Forerunner 225. I also have a list of my favorite winter running gear HERE!
3. Slippers. Putting them on is the first thing I do when I get home. I bought these this year and I’ve had these in previous years and loved them. I think slippers are an excellent idea for the runners in your life. We need to take care of these feet of ours.
4. Some sort of crazy soft blanket. I bought this one from Costco a few years ago and just now retired it because I used it so much and got a new one. It is so soft and only $12. I can’t find them online but go grab some if you have a Costco close by.
5. To go along with the above photo, a hydroflask. Andrew and I both bought the 40 ounce ones and we take it everywhere we go. It helps me to drink WAY more water than I did before because it keeps the water cold all day long. We also bought the straw attachment to make it easier to use.
6. ANY and EVERY chocolate deliciousness from Trader Joe’s. These are the gifts that I give out to my neighbors and as part of my present for my mom and sister too of course. My personal favorites are these Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe Joe’s!
7. For any of the mom’s in your life, I personally LOVE my MAMA necklace. I wear it pretty close to every day. I got it here and they have a few different options of mom necklaces!
I also LOVE thought blossoms jewelry, and their active bracelets where you can put on your own personalized mantra’s or things that the person you are buying it for would love.
I got these for my Boston training and race:)
8. Also, for any parents with little one’s on your list, Andrew and I LOVE reading “Remarkably Average Parenting”… it is hilarious. I am pretty sure our kids wrote these 30 steps.
And a few books that I LOVE for any runners in your life—> How Bad Do you Want It, Hansons Marathon Method, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Mile Markers, Kara Goucher’s Running for Women, Eat & Run. You could also buy them a subscription to a running magazine.
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Today before leaving (and sitting in the car for the next two days:) I am going to be doing this workout on my treadmill! Anyone want to join me in doing this one? I should get in about 9 miles with this nice and sweaty workout and then the next few days I’m taking off. Anything to keep things changing up often and keep me entertained on the treadmill is a win for me:
Speaking of treadmills, Megan got this picture of us running the last time I did speed on the treadmill next to Andrew:) I was pretty focused on not falling off the treadmill.
Five more things before I let you go.
1. This space heater is my new best friend. I have it right next to my desk and it is keeping me happy this winter.
2. Just eating a frozen banana in shorts in the winter. Completely normal.
3. This is my favorite Christmas Album currently. I have been listening to it on repeat.
4. Looking pretty hardcore in Andrew’s hat.
5. If you live near a Sodalicious then please try their chocolate cookie with peppermint icing. I might need a few more of these before Christmas.
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FAVORITE CHRISTMAS ALBUM!?!?
What are some of your favorite running books? Reading any currently?
What’s your favorite treat at Trader Joe’s? How close is the nearest TJ’s to you? Do you go there often?
Favorite RIDE or TREAT at Disneyland?
30 comments
Flower
Nearest TJ’s 10 minutes, go there way too much. Shhhhhhhhhhhh don’t tell my husband, he thinks I’m on my lunch hour.
Kristina Running
I love your runner reading list! I would add Running with the Kenyans to that list. The author goes and visits the elite training camps in Kenya. You learn about some specific runners who are absolutely amazing and who you will recognize from some of the big races, you learn what training is like at the camps and then the author also talks about what it’s like to live abroad with his family (he brought his wife and kids with him to Kenya). SUPER good book! :)
Hope you are having a blast at Disney!
Hollie
This is the first year I’ve ever purchased a neck warmer and honestly I love it, I can’t believe I’ve never had one before. Enjoy Disneyland. I drive by there earlier in the year and it looks like it would be so much fun with the kiddos.
Natalie Merrill
How fun! I’ve never been to anything Disney. Hope y’all have a great trip and that Knox loves his first Disneyland experience!
I love the Taylor Swift and the ‘NSYNC Christmas albums. There’s also an old school Amy Grant one that’s really good. And the Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies from Trader Joe’s are SO GREAT. Thankfully I do have a Trader Joe’s only a few miles away, so I don’t have to wait long to get them. I might need to go there today. :)
Robyn
Have so much fun in Disneyland!! I have only ever been to Disney World, so I would love to go someday!
Lynn @ The Not Dead Yet Blog
I don’t have a favorite Christmas album, which sucks because I love Christmas music! But I haven’t found the perfect album yet that has the best versions of my favorite songs. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, of course, and the Pogues Fairytale of New York, and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas–those never end up on the same album! I wonder why? LOL. (And if the album has Hallelujah on it, heck no. That is not a Christmas song. It is not even a religious song. He says right there in the lyrics he doesn’t believe in God! Why do people keep acting like the song is something it’s not?)
Steph
this is such a good list and I’m jotting so many of these ideas down haha! also, definitely trying that pyramid workout next week, it looks absolutely killer. I’m a sucker for JoJos at Trader Joe’s, but they don’t have one near me so it’s always a trek to go and get them but boy is it worth it. I also had these holiday butter cookies there recently and they were everything. Pretty sure I could die happy buying out the store, but that’s just me. Enjoy your trek to Disney. I’m sure Knox and Brooke will have the time of their lives.
Megan @ Lazy Runner Girl
My favorite Christmas album of all time is Dean Martin, My Kind of Christmas, followed by the White Christmas soundtrack, and the Pentatonix Christmas album.
We don’t have a TJ’s within 200 miles. I did take advantage of it when we were staying in Seattle for a few months. Sigh. Maybe we’ll get one soon. Until then, I will live vicariously through you.
April
Favorite Christmas album is a toss up between Mariah Carey’s and A Very Special Christmas (the first one).
No Trader Joe’s near me, wah wah! I have to stock up whenever I am in Milwaukee!
The last time I was at Disney I was 6 years old and that was a loooooooong time ago but I have a feeling with a little one my gap between visits is about to close soon!
Have a great day!
Nina
Trader Joes is a 10 minute drive. The store can be a mad house so we strategically plan the times we go. I love their lime chicken burgers so we are there fairly often. I like the peppermint JoJos, macarons, and the chocolate bar for dark chocolate lovers.
I like the Mnd Gym which isn’t specifically for running but works on mindset.
I am listening to You Sleigh Me, Superstars Christmas, and white Christmas piano solo for when I need something quiet.
Michele at Everyday Snapshot
I love this list ! Oh my gosh, soft blankets and slippers are the best. Several weeks ago I asked you in a comment about your ear buds and you gave me the link to Yurbuds. I got them 3 days ago. They are the Best ! I absolutely love them. My old ones went in the trash, these are my new fave’s. Couldn’t even hardly feel them. Lightweight. Fit perfectly. And they stayed in place !!! You are so great about reading your comments and replying to the ones that need it. Just the extra few minutes you took to link me to them, means so very much. It’s greatly appreciated. It’s the little things ya know. Have a great time at Disney with your family.
Anna Eldridge
I can’t NOT listen to Mariah Carey’s christmas album every year. Also a favorite — N*SYNC’s xmas album #90s child.
Not Christmas’y, but just bought pizza dough and toppings to make homemade pizza from TJ’s last week — they have the BEST pre-made dough!
~ R
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe Joes are BY FAR the best thing they sell and often the only thing I buy any given year. When we lived in the Bay Area they were a Christmas staple (2 boxes for the family to share, 3 boxes for me to hoard and slowly savor over the next month). Here, the closest Trader Joe’s is…I just Googled it…6.7 miles away. Woohoo! This is exciting because when we moved from here to CA three years ago…no TJ’s anywhere close to the entire metro area…now, moving back, there are three in an 11 miles radius (although only one that I would dare drive to). :D
Elizabeth
We are planning our first family (including my first ever) trip to Disney Land. I have high hopes.
I live about 20 minutes from TJ but haven’t been there in nearly 6 months. Oops.
I don’t have a complete album of favorite Christmas songs but one I love to play for the choir is “In the bleak midwinter”.
Meesh
My closest TJ’s is about a half hour, but it is in a brutal traffic area, so I don’t go very often. I go maybe 3-4 times a year when I am in the area on a day off or make a special trip on non-rush hour times! Wish it was closer.
Nathaly @NathyCure
I LOVE TJ. I have one a few miles away from home and I usually will go during Sundays. Everything I try from TJ is just too yummy not to have it in my list of favorites. I love their plantain chips and their granola cereal. I recently tried the brie cheese pastry puffs and they’re absolutely delicious.
Brittaniee
I just bought a Hydroflask last week and it should be arriving soon. I also bought the straw lid. I saw mixed reviews on it leaking though. Have you had any issues?! Have an awesome time at Disneyland!
Gretchen
The nearest TJ’s is about a 2 minute drive, but I try to limit my visits to once a week at most! It’s so addicting and I can spend way too much money there ;)
Thanks for the Christmas album suggestion! I’m currently loving jazzy albums like Dave Koz or Kenny G. Perfect for listening to at work and not being overly Christmasy!
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles)
have the best time! I am always at trader joe’s, I live right in between like 4 locations so I consider myself lucky. I love the holiday cookies and chocolates – I always get them as gifts for my son’s teachers!
joyce
What a perfect age to bring the kids to Disneyland! It is so enjoyable seeing everything through their eyes! We love the Banyan beef skewers and chicken skewers at Bengal Barbecue located near the Jungle Cruise. (I actually looked up the recipe and make them at home.) And of course, getting a Pineapple Whip while waiting to enter the Tiki Room is a MUST! Impossible to choose a favorite ride…
Mackenzie
I think this is the most original list I have seen yet!!!! I haven’t even heard of a lot of these suggestions!!! Thank you sooooo much for sharing!
Megan D
Have so much fun in Disneyland! I am so jealous. I have never been during Christmas time, but it seems so magical!
Your TJ haul looks likes a list of my favorite things. TJ during the fall and winter, with all the seasonal treats that accompany it, is pretty much Disneyland for me.
Oh my goodness! That Sodalicious cookie looks amazing! I might just go wake up the baby and the toddler and go get one right now. Or maybe I could leave the 4 year old in charge. I can see it now, when I am on the news tonight for leaving 3 young children at home alone and my house burns down, ‘Ma’am, why on earth would you leave 3 kids at home alone?’ I show the news anchor my cookie, ‘Enough said’
Dynise Balcavage
Love your gift guide. The massage gift card is a great idea, as are the JoJos. I may buy them for myself! I’m doing a prehab week (low mileage and XT) but once I am back, I def want to try your treadmill workout. Pinned it.
Have fun at Disney!
michelle
Have so much fun in Disney with Brook and Knox!
The last time I was in Disneyland was when I was 16, right before my dad remarried. Both families had lost a parent to cancer and we were like the Brady’s but with 8 kids, all tween and teenagers. After my parents got engaged they brought all 8 of us kids to Disney and we had such a blast. It was an incredible bonding experience and one we still laugh about.
Nicole
I am obsessed with any of the Pentatonix Christmas songs…they just blow me away and I could listen to them on repeat non stop!
My new favorite Trader Joe’s holiday treat are the minty chocolate marshmallows. They’re huge and delicious by themselves/in hot chocolate.
Mile Markers is by far my favorite running book. I love how personal all of the stories are.
Essay Papers
Awesome collection,I think this is very helpful for every blog has to need this useful info.
Jessica Kuepfer
I just read ‘A Life Without Limits.” I HIGHLY recommend it if you haven’t read it.
tiny_runner_girl
Have the best time at Disneyland! The hubs and I will be traveling to San Diego in late March and heading up to LA for a couple of days. Disneyland is on the list. Any suggestions on hotels, places to eat, places to run?
Jess Deisher
We have 3 of those Costco blankets. We’re obsessed with them in our house :)
Jen M.
We just moved from being about 45 minutes away from the nearest Trader Joe’s to about 5 minutes away. It’s great, but I’m so much worse about impulse purchases at TJ’s than I am anywhere else. We’re actually having date night in this weekend that’s going to include stuffed lobster tails and bacon-wrapped scallops from the freezer section. My favorite sweet treat is their soy ice cream — even my stepkids think it tastes like the real stuff and has made giving up dairy (by necessity) a lot easier. I can do mix-ins with their vanilla ice cream to create my own specialized treats, or get the cherry chocolate chip for a rich dessert with minimal effort!