Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Inside my gym bag

Over the summer, I did two Shades of Shay that were very popular...the first one was about my fitness routine and the second one was about inside my pool bag.  Today, I'm combining the two and giving you a peak inside my gym bag :).

One of my favorite parts of the day isn't working out...it's the peaceful 10 minutes I take for myself after I hit the gym when I take a shower and get dressed.  There is something so nice about leaving the gym and heading out for the day all cleaned up and ready to go.  It took me years to learn to do this (I used to just leave the gym in my sweaty clothes, run errands and eventually stay in those clothes until I showered that night).  

In order to get cleaned up at the gym...you need an organized and efficient gym bag...

This is me heading to work out...and then later that same morning about to leave for the day ahead.  Thanks to my organized gym bag, I never forget anything at home!

My basic gym bag...not fancy, not too big, perfect for my little life.  This is exactly how it looks every day.

These are my old faithful Nikes...the new ones I ordered should be arriving any day!!  I've had these babies 2.5 years...it was time for a fresh pair.  I keep my gym shoes in my gym bag by the back door.  This way on busy mornings, I can just grab my bag and head out.

I always keep a basic pair of flip flops in my gym bag.  I shower in them (no one wants foot germies!) and then wear them around the locker room until I'm ready to put my real shoes on.  

This is my extra pair of cotton shorts.  I don't like to workout, then take a hot shower and immediately put on jeans.  I get too hot doing that.  So, after I shower, I put on my normal shirt and these shorts until it's time to leave, then I just pop these shorts back into my bag and put my jeans on.

Inside this bag, I keep all of my "gym" makeup.  I have my normal/daily/favorite makeup at home and keep it there.  In this bag, I keep my extra makeup for the gym.  For example, when my mascara is about half empty, I put that half empty tube in my gym makeup bag and use a new tube at home.  I do the same with my tinted moisturizer too.  I keep two shades of lipstick and one shade of eye shadow in this bag along with one bronzer/blush combo and an eyeliner.  At home, I have a wide range of makeup choices, but for the gym, I just need a few staple pieces.  If I keep them all together in my gym bag all the time (instead of transferring them every day) then it saves me a ton of time and I'm never without anything.

A clear bag for finding some gym necessities like extra hair bands, my headphones, my gym watch and such.

And all of my gym toiletries go into this bag...body lotion, deodorant, dry hair spray, face wash, face lotion and a travel sized shampoo and conditioner for the rare days that I wash my hair (I usually wait and wash my hair at night and not at the gym).

I keep an extra hanger in my bag to hang anything in my locker.

And instead of soap, after I workout, I like to use a body scrub...it just makes me feel extra clean.

So, in the mornings, it's simple...I grab what I need to wear that day plus I'll pack a few pieces of jewelry and throw it in my gym bag.  Once I get to the gym, I know I have everything I need to get dressed after working out.

Such a simple Shade of Shay...but maybe a helpful one if you're always trying to figure out what to pack for the gym.  I really think the key is having extra things and not transferring.  Transferring takes a lot of time (both leaving for the gym and coming home) and it also opens up a lot of opportunities for you to forget something.

And one little bonus Valentine's Day idea for you...

...look at this Valentine's Day box Erika and her 4 year old daughter made!  That's from a shoe box people!  If your kids need a box for their cards (or for a school Valentine's project), head on over to Erika's blog because she has several great examples!  Actually, even if your kids don't need anything like this, you should still go look...it's just crazy to see how creative some people are!  Click here.

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Don't forget to check out my Valentine's Day inspired menu on my foodie blog...it includes breakfast and dinner options (plus dessert too!).

XOXO