So, I started teaching yoga classes for my friends and family recently and went out and bought a bunch of yoga mats so the newbies could practice in style on the comfort of their own mats. I thought this would be a nice thing to do, but the problem was schlepping all those mats around. Carrying a couple of yoga mats along with all the yoga gear you need for a class takes more than two hands and a great deal of coordination.

Thanks to the stylish folks over at Saltbox, I now have the perfect solution. I got the opportunity to take their Getaway bag (in my favorite shade of green) for a test-drive this past weekend and packed up my yoga clothes, a water bottle, my laptop, speakers, cell phone, essential oils, class notes, and three yoga mats. Even with all this cargo, there still was plenty of room in the bag, and it all fit comfortably over my shoulder. I have to say I felt pretty damn vogue walking into my yoga classes with this smart-looking, stylish bag slung over my shoulder!

Don’t you just love this color of green?! The Getaway bag comes in five different styles for a total of 21 different colors/patterns.

On the inside of the Getaway bag there are two deep zip-up pockets on each side to put things like your phone and wallet. I used the bag fully open, but there is a center clip you can use to turn the bag into a cool slouchy pouch bag that makes a really big purse, and you can detach the handles and arrange them any way you like.

If you are going to use this bag for carrying a yoga mat, please note that the mat will stick out a bit, but it securely held the three mats I placed in it without a problem. This bag is going to be my go-to yoga-gear bag, and it will also get a lot of use when I jet away for exotic weekend getaways and for days at the beach (on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie!). The canvas is extremely durable, and I can tell it is going to soften and become just like a pair of my favorite jeans—except my jeans aren’t waterproof like the Getaway bag.

Saltbox also offers handbags, wallets, carryalls, and I love the fact that their bags are cruelty-free. They use a variety of plant-based fibers and man-made synthetics to create their products in small batches, which means that each piece has its own unique qualities.

In the spirit of the season, the generous folks at Saltbox are sharing the love and offering one of my lucky readers at either the Daily Downward Dog or MariaMedia the chance to win his or her very own Getaway bag. You get to pick which pattern and vibrant color you like! Here’s what you gotta do to win:

  • Required: Sign up for the Saltbox e-mail list. Send Saltbox an e-mail at studio@saltboxnyc.com with “Maria invited me to join your list and enter to win my choice of a Getaway bag!” Please put your e-mail address within the body of the e-mail, and make sure it is not hyperlinked (plain text, please).
  • Required: Leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite Saltbox collection is.
  • Extra steps for good giveaway karma: Saltbox is an emerging design company and needs our help to grow! Please either a) Fan them on Facebook or b) Follow them on Twitter and tweet “Thanks to @downwarddog for the chance to win a Getaway bag from @saltboxnyc, I want one in ______. [Fill in the blank with your color choice found on Saltbox’s Web site.]

If you can’t wait to win and really want to purchase the Getaway bag, here is a discount code to get 20 percent off any Getaway bag until the end of December: GA20DEC.

Everyone is a winner in this giveaway, because after the lucky winner is selected, all those who participated in the giveaway are going to get a really cool extra-special kerprise from me. Ooh, I bet you can’t wait to find out what this is!

When you are up at the Saltbox Web site, check out their newest zig-zag design called Cinnabar. I am loving those colors (hint, hint, honey, if you are reading this…).

This giveaway is open to all U.S. residents, and you can enter through Thursday, December 16 at noon when the winner will be randomly selected.