The 7 Deadly Gym Bag Sins, a Gym-Bag-Intervention + a GIVEAWAY

Disclosure: I was provided a Apera bag free of charge for the purpose of a product review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own, and I am not obligated to give it a positive review. If I hated it, I'd tell you.

The 7 Deadly Gym Bags Sins:

 

1. "The Disposable Gym Bag"
2. "The Stinky Gym Bag"
3. "The Over-Stuffed Gym Bag"
4. "The Disorganized Gym Bag"
5. "The Cheaply-Made Falling Apart Gym Bag"
6. "The Use Anything With a Handle Gym Bag" 
7. "The Germ Infested Gym Bag"

I didn't realize that I had a serious problem until the solution was so clearly pointed out to me.

Meet my gym bag.

 Oh, that's not normal? I can do better!

Still, no?

When the nice people at Apera offered to send me a gym bag for a review, I saw it more of a much-needed intervention. A Gymbagervention. Yes, I am making up words now. I think once you have established a blog, you are allowed to do that. How did Apera know I was carrying around my stuff in an overstuffed grocery bag? Maybe I was a victim like on that show What Not To Wear, where they secretly follow you around and film your embarrassing outfits, except it should be called What Not To Carry. Where's my secret footage Apera?

My gym bags weren't cutting it. Frankly, it's embarrassing. So let's discuss the pros and cons of my grocery bag/gym bag vs. my beautiful new Apena Performance Duffle Bag.

Grocery Bag Pros:
Cheapest "gym bag" on the planet.

Grocery Bag Cons:
Terrible for the environment.
You might be mistaken for a homeless person carrying your prized possessions in a grocery bag (yes, my running shoes are one of my most prized possessions).
Bag tears easily.
Things fall out.
Do I even need to go on? I didn't think so. Let's move on the gushing about my new Apera Performance Duffle.

Apera Performance Duffle Bag Pros:

My Fuchsia Apera Performance Duffle

GORGEOUS. Of course, it comes in a variety of colors, but if you know me, you know I chose the Apera Performance Duffel in fuchsia. Looks aren't everything, but when function is topped off with beautiful fashion, it is a nice bonus.

SPACIOUS: You won't even believe what you can fit in this bag. It's huge! Need to carry a week's worth of workout gear? Two pair of shoes? A bowling ball in case the need arises? The kitchen sink? No problem!

ORGANIZED: A giant bag becomes it's own problem if it is not organized! I love that there are pockets for everything. There are pockets on each end that are big enough to carry a pair of shoes in each, to keep your dirty shoes separated from clean clothes. There are two smaller padded pockets on top of the bag for your cell phone or MP3 player, a padded pocket in the front for your tablet, and multiple pockets on the inside for your jewelry or whatever else you need to store separately from the main compartment. The inside lining is a light color so you aren't digging into a big black hole! Brilliant!

Apera inside view

HEALTHY: How can a gym bag be healthy, you ask? It is healthy when it is antimicrobial. The bag is treated on the inside and outside to prevent the growth of antimicrobial odors to help prevent that awful lingering odor and the spreading of germs, plus it is easy to wipe clean.

CHARITABLE: For every three bags that Apera sells, they donate one Sprint Pack to a Special Olympics athlete. Learn more.

The Sprint Pack - Enter to Win in the Giveaway

Also, if you want to win the Best Spouse-Significiant-Other of the Year Award, this would make a lovely Valentine's Day present for the gym-goer in your life.

note: Hubby might not want pink. :)

Do you want to win a Sprint Pack from Apera which also includes a 25% off coupon for any Apera bag? It is easy to enter to win. Just leave a comment on this blog post and fill out the Rafllecopter form, plus there are plenty of ways to earn additional entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Want another chance to win? Apera holds their own giveaway each month. They will be giving away a free Apera bag to one winner each month. All you need to do to enter is sign up for their newsletter by providing your email address at the bottom of their website. Then, at the conclusion of each month, they'll randomly draw a name from those subscribers in the email newsletter database to select the winner. The bag for February is the Yoga Tote. Every month they will change the style. Good luck!

Are you guilty of any of the 7 Deadly Gym Bag Sins? Do you need a Gymbagervention?

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Keep Running,

Lea

Ways to (legally) stalk me:

GIVEAWAY RULES:
No purchase necessary.

Contest runs from 1/25/2014-2/4/2014.

1 winner will be randomly selected via Rafflecopter.

Open to US residents 18 years of age or older.

Must have a shipping address in the US. 

Winner will notified via email (if available) and blog post, and will have 48 business hours to claim prize.

If original winner does not claim prize within 48 business hours an alternate winner will be selected.

Contestants must enter on the Rafflecopter form in order to win.

Prize will be shipped directly from Apera.