My 23rd birthday is exactly one week from today. And I want you to celebrate with me! So, I will be hosting not one, not two, but THREE giveaways this week. The winners of each will be announced on my birthday, May 3.
Smart Food
We have decided on a final wedding menu!
Passed hors d’oeuvres:
Mini crab cakes
Bosc pear
Lemon + pea risotto cakes
Mini tarragon chicken salad sandwiches
Sweet corn chowder “shooters”
Marinated flank steak
Small plates: Gnocchi, Salmon
Smart Fitness
Since the rainy weekend put my long ride on hold, I started the morning with a nice ride on the recumbent bike in the apartment gym. I rode 8.5 miles while taking in some early-morning Law and Order reruns. 
Before getting ready for the rest of the day, I also squeezed in a weights session.
Overhead shoulder press: 2 sets of 10, 15 pounds
Bent-over rows: 2 sets of 10, 25 pounds
Squats: 2 sets of 15, 20 pounds
Smart Life (and Giveaway!)
A few weeks ago, Eileen at Aurorae Yoga was kind enough to send me a yoga mat, rosin bag and cotton sweat towel. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as I’ve been really getting back into yoga and Pilates recently.
This mat is like the memory foam of yoga; it is thick, soft and cushy. I am LOVING this yoga mat; it is so much more comfortable than my old $10 mat from Target! I had a tiny bit of a problem with slipping initially, but a few dabs with the rosin bag cleared that right up.
Want to try it for yourself?
For my first birthday giveaway, I have a mat, rosin bag, and cotton sweat towel for one lucky reader.
To enter, go to the Aurorae website and pick your favorite mat color. Each one has different traits associated with it. For instance, I have the violet mat, which is “spiritual, soothing, calming, telepathic, healing, relief & meditative.”
For a second entry, tweet “I want to win @AuroraeYoga for @savvyjulie ‘s birthday giveaway! http://bit.ly/a9qua8″ and leave a second comment here telling me you did.
A winner will be randomly selected on Monday, May 3…my 23rd birthday!
{ 84 comments… read them below or add one }
Happy (almost) Birthday, J! What a wonderful giveaway. I have been using the creepy, germy mats at the gym (ewww), and I would absolutely LOVE a mat of my own. My budgeting has left me purchasing “essentials only”, so sadly a mat is definitely not on the list.
I would chose the Seamist green mat: Soothing, Renewal, Intellect, Nature, Self Control, Gentle & Harmonious. I use yoga to sooth, and renew my achy runner’s muscles, so this description is spot-on for me. Plus, I love green!
Thanks for the opportunity!
I’m in need of a new yoga mat. Mine is looking beat up! I’d choose either Violet or Ocean. Happy early birthday!
What a great yoga mat! I love that the colors mean something.
I’d go with Infinity, which means, “Strength, Sophistication, Professionalism, Potential of Endless Possibilities”
Happy Early Birthday!! My favorite color of the yoga mats is ocean!
1- Your wedding menu sounds so goof- wish I were attending! haha!
2- I keep hearing great things about these mats- so hope you like it. I like the yellow mat!
~Christie
HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY!!!
I tweeted!
~Christie
I like the Solar mat- Creative, Inspiring, Energy, Compassionate, Warmth, Family & Stability!
I also tweeted!
I love the violet mats!
Your wedding menu looks phenomenal! I’m a food critic at weddings (I know, it’s really sad), and it looks like you picked some GOOD food!
just tweeted!!!
Great giveaway, I would love the Solar color since orange is my favorite color
I love the violet color as well!
Seamist seems like the color for me!
Great giveaway! I really like the Infinity mat.
I’m tweeting
I would have to go with the Ocean color.
I tweeted
im diggin’ the solar
am also v. excited about that menu. nom nom nom.
woo hoo!
and that you got some law&order bike time in today
tweet.tweet.
I want to win the Infinity mat! I love the black!
I also tweeted about your giveaway!
What a great giveaway! I love the Hope one – I hope some of the adjectives associated with it can describe me as well
And happy early birthday!!!
Oh and I tweeted it
I’m @megaug
That menu looks so yummy!
I really need a new yoga mat…I would choose Hope.
happy almost birthday
i love the “hope” color.
Your wedding menu sound AWESOME!!!
I would love the Infinity
It defines me best!
Your food sounds amazing! Very posh!
I’d go with seamist!
I love Solar! I want an energizing color for my mat as I like to really get my heart rate up! Warmth and energy, sounds good to me!
Your menu looks AWESOME! Wish we could all taste it!!
I tweeted!
I would choose Infinity because it is so inspiring!
I think I’d like the black “Infinity”.
What a great giveaway
I tweeted
I am totally a purple gal! I definitely need some soothing and calm.
Yay for your birthday being so close! I think I would go for the solar colored one – and then keep it far away from my cat. She destroyed my last yoga mat
.
I tweeted!
i like the hope mat. what a cool concept. thanks for sharing with us!
Happy almost birthday! Love your blog! I took a yoga class for 5 months last year and it was amazing how much calmer and flexible I was at the end of each class. My favorite color is the “Infinity” one, and I’m definitely in need of a new yoga mat.
Just tweeted!
my 23rd bday is may 9
i love the solar color
The menu sounds delicious! I like the infinity mat the best, “Strength, Sophistication, Professionalism, Potential of Endless Possibilities.”
Happy Birthday Julie!! I cant believe I dont have my own yoga mat yet, but I would LOVE to get one and this looks perfect. I would love to get the orange Solar Mat. It looks really cool and I need one for all the pilates i do!!
I tweeted about the giveaway… I really hope I win!!
To Infinity and beyond!!
I would choose either the seamist or solar mat. Right now I have the cheapo Target mat and I am not a fan but I’m too cheapo to buy a GOOD one!! I usually just throw a towel over it so I dont slip all over and make do. I would love a new one…
Happy almost birthday!
I like the infinity mat…very inspiring.
Just tweeted about your giveaway @CCJade23
I like to hope mat – the power of positive energy!
I’d love to use the Ocean colored mat.
Thanks!
I tweeted!
I want the Ocean color which is “relaxation, sedate, caring, cooling, spirit, trustworthy & attentive.”
I love “Infinity.” I’m not sure if it’s the name or the description, but I’m totally drawn to it!
I love the Sea mist color!
The “ocean” sounds perfectly amazing.
I love the ocean color and description!
I tweeted!
23 is my lucky # so I hope it is a great year for you
My favorite of them is the solar (which is normally not a joy color but it calls to me)
I love the seamist color! That green is one of my favorite colors.
I love the Ocean color! Thanks for the great giveaway!
I tweeted about the giveaway! I’m @JuliaJogging
I love hope- so pretty and such a nice name for life in general!
I love the ocean color!
First, HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
Second, I LUST AFTER THESE FREAKING MATS! I want one SO BAD. In yellow.
the sea mist color is beautiful!
tweeted! (@liltiff917)
I love Hope , I like what it represents …I recently started running , and signed up for a couple of 5k and I live in wisconsin , are there any favorite races of yours or tips ??
I like the ocean color!!!
Happy early bday!!!!!!!!!! Just found your site and love it!
my fave color is Violet too! After a long day at work, I love to do yoga to honor my mind and body with peace and meditation. Thanks!
i think of all the colors, the violet calms me down the most. there’s something very soothing and peaceful about the color which i think would work perfectly for yoga!
I think my favorite color is the violet! It is a beautiful and relaxing color! I would love to use this every time I go to yoga!
I’d like the Solar, because its orange and for what it stands for – Creative, Inspiring, Energy, Compassionate, Warmth, Family & Stability.
Happy Early Birthday and thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
Seamist because I strive to develop a sense of peace and calm when practicing yoga.
I like the black one!
I would love to win this! My mom has just started doing yoga and this would make a great gift for her! I like the ocean color!
i love the infinity and have been trying to win one of these mats forever..maybe i’ll be lucky this time
Wonderful giveaway and I need a new yoga mat! I’d love to win the Hope – it looks like a great product.
The ocean is my fav color!
Looks like a wonderful menu! I always look forward to that at weddings
I would definitely pick Hope.. the color is so pretty and the adjectives describing it are definitely what I’m looking for when I try to relax!
I also tweeted about the giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
http://twitter.com/Natcatty
I like the purple mat too!!!
While I love pink, I love what the black’s qualities are: Strength, Sophistication, Professionalism, Potential of Endless Possibilities. I fully encompass the pink’s qualities, but I feel like the black’s are things I strive to be
Plus, I love yoga too much and have tried to get one of their mats so I’m praying for this time!
I tweeted too!
I’m a sucker for pink, but when it comes to a yoga mat, i think ocean would be perfect!