pink by victoria secretWe typically think of the holiday season as being all about excess - when your health and fitness habits get put on hold waiting to be renewed by resolutions. The good news...there is HO-HO-NO shortage of great ideas to add sparkle, fun and health to the holiday season!  Here's just a sample that made our festive fit list: High Tech & Wearable Fitness There are great gadgets that stand alone or sync with your computer, phone or another app.  These tools range from $50-$500 based on the amount of functions they offer.  Basic models track steps and calories while others chart progress, set goals and track your sleep.  Choose from many models including Fitbits, NIKE Fuel Band, Jawbone, Garmin, Runtastic, Microsoft Band or Misfit. Just remember, they won't workout for you! Functional fitness and body weight training are two strong trends in fitness.  This is great news if you want to workout at home because there are amazing tools that are portable, inexpensive and don't take up much space. 

Gone are the days of glorified laundry holders, choose from a variety of fabulous fit tools including the following: It can be challenging to buy clothes for people, however, here are some ideas that are fabulous, fit and a safe bet to be a big hit! THE "WE HAVEN'T RUN OUT OF IDEAS YET" CATEGORY If you're still not sure, there are some great ways to share the gift of fitness with your family and friends:elric hoodieHere's MORE that you may have seen on our segment:ymca hoodie All the above items without links are available at Lululemon.chicago bulls hoodie swagIf you have a specific question we'd love to hear from you.  hoodie allen stl 2014

We also have a quick survey to find out your biggest challenges to help plan workouts and segments for the New Year! Jackets & Coats on Sale It’s time to layer-up! You’ll find a wide selection of styles for a mild chill to the coldest of winter days. You can even stay fashionable on days that you’re heading into the office. COACH is great brand for a fashion-forward professional style. hoodie psd free downloadFor days you commute, throw on a sleek Pea Coat or Trench from Cole Haan or another top brand.dbz hoodie amazon Looking for something modern and cool to add to your wardrobe? jordan varsity hoodie amazonMoto and bomber jackets make any outfit look more edgy. These styles can be layered over jeans and tees, dresses or really anything to add some flair.

Layer on a parka that goes with everything you own! Add a puffer jacket to your ensemble for optimal warmth and chic style all in one! The puffer jacket will be your new go-to for super cold weather. Do you need extra warmth and style? A coat with shearling or faux fur is the perfect piece for you! Shearling coats are timeless and provide a winter style upgrade! Speaking of timeless style, some amazing classic brands to check out are: Kenneth Cole New York, LAUREN Ralph Lauren and MICHAEL Michael Kors. Just because cold air is here, doesn’t mean you have to stop working out outside. Layer on a fleece jacket from Columbia or Merrell. If you’re more of a runner, try a stylish and functional athletic jacket from Adidas or Under Armour. Want to get up to the mountains for a hike this winter or maybe you’re into skiing or snowboarding? Rainy days happen all year round, so you’ll definitely want to add a raincoat or waterproof shell to your wardrobe. Whether rain or shine, 6pm has what you need to stay warm and dry (and at the best prices)!

Start looking for your new coat now!Help Animals Used for Winter Gloves in 60 SecondsCows, geese, rabbits, sheep, reptiles, and dogs all suffer and die to become gloves. Wash your hands clean of cruelty and discover ways to help these animals now.Leather, wool, down, fur, fleece, shearling—for many consumers, these materials make up their winter gloves. But for the animals used in their production, the final product comes only after a life of suffering and a horrifying, painful death.How Do Animals Suffer for Fabrics?Learn more about different materials below.Down     Wool     Leather     Angora     Fur     Exotic SkinsDownYou may know that down is used to stuff coats and ski gloves, but the way in which the feathers  of ducks and geese are obtained will shock you.  Many birds used for down have their feathers yanked out of their skin, sometimes several times a year, while they’re still alive. The terrified birds are pinned down while hurried workers rip fistfuls of feathers from their sensitive skin, often plucking them so violently that they actually tear open their skin and then sew up the wounds using needle and thread—and no painkillers. 

Buying down may also support the cruelty of the foie gras industry, in which birds have tubes rammed down their throats and food pumped into their stomachs in order to increase the size of their livers. Foie gras producers boost their profits by selling the feathers from these force-fed birds. No matter where it comes from, down is a product of cruelty to birds.  Athletic apparel company Lululemon refuses to drop down feathers from its lines despite knowing that birds used for down suffer on farms, primarily in China, where there are no laws regulating their treatment. Take action below by asking Lululemon to stop selling down items.WoolWhile it may come as a shock to consumers, the truth is that sheep all over the world—from Argentina to the U.S. to Australia—are punched, kicked, mutilated, and killed in the production of wool used in shirts, sweaters, socks, coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and other items.  No matter where wool comes from, whether it’s “responsibly sourced” or from a “sustainable” farm, as retailer Patagonia had claimed, it’s the needless product of a cruel business.

There is simply no way to raise and kill animals for the mass market in a humane way. To protect sheep from abuse, please refuse to buy wool. And remember: The cruelty documented on the farm in the video isn’t unique. Similar abuse has been documented at dozens of farms and shearing sheds across the U.S. and Australia. Leaving wool out of our wardrobes is the best way to help protect gentle lambs and sheep from abuse. Below, you can urge Patagonia and other retailers, such as Ralph Lauren, to drop all wool in favor of animal-friendly materials.LeatherEvery year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals for gloves, jackets, shoes, and other products. Most of the leather in the U.S. and Europe comes from India, China, and other countries that either have no animal welfare laws or have laws that go largely or completely unenforced.  In addition, a deeply disturbing PETA Asia eyewitness investigation revealed that dogs are bludgeoned and killed in China so that their skin can be turned into leather gloves, belts, jacket collar trim, cat toys, and other items.

Products such as these are mislabeled to conceal their source and exported throughout the world to unsuspecting consumers—so if you buy leather, there’s no easy way to tell whose skin you’re really in.  The best thing you can do for cows, dogs, and other animals whose skin is used to make leather products is to leave leather on the shelves this winter.AngoraAngora rabbits have long, soft fur that is often used in sweaters and as trim on accessories such as gloves. The way this fur is obtained is jaw-dropping.  Investigators have documented that workers violently rip the fur out of the rabbits’ sensitive skin as they scream at the top of their lungs in pain. After this terrifying and barbaric ordeal, which the rabbits endure every three months, many of them appear to go into severe shock. After two to five years, those who have survived are hung upside down, their throats are slit, and their carcasses are sold. Rabbits who have their fur cut or sheared instead of having it manually torn out also suffer: During the cutting process, their front and back legs are tightly tethered—a terrifying experience for any prey animal—and the sharp cutting tools inevitably wound them as they struggle desperately to escape.  

Just like wool items, angora products are often slapped with a meaningless label intended to ease the consciences of consumers while doing nothing to alleviate the suffering of the animals themselves. PETA visited angora farms in China that were deemed “humane” by third-party auditors and discovered suffering, neglect, and cruelty beyond imagination. After PETA exposed the cruel angora industry, more than 100 major retailers banned angora. Free People, one of the latest retailers to drop angora, agreed to stop purchasing it, but the company continues to sell its remaining surplus of angora clothing items.  Below, you can urge Free People to pull its remaining angora items from the shelves.FurIf you’re not already certain that fur is cruel, take a look at what animals used for fur coats and trim go through.  Fashion comapny BCBG Max Azria refuses to stop selling fur (it also sells angora items), despite knowing that many animals are stripped of their fur while they’re still conscious.

BCBG sells fur from Asiatic raccoons (also known as raccoon dogs)—animals who are often slammed into the ground and beaten on fur farms. In recorded video footage from a Chinese fur farm, one skinned animal who is still alive musters the strength to lift his bloody head up to look at the camera. These animals, along with foxes and other fur-bearing animals, suffer and die so that BCBG and other retailers can turn their fur into garments and trim.  Below, you can urge BCBG to join dozens of conscientious clothiers that have dropped fur.Exotic SkinsA PETA investigator documented that workers crudely hacked into the necks of some alligators and tried to scramble their brains with metal rods. Some were still conscious, flailing and kicking, even minutes after workers tried to kill them. In Texas and Zimbabwe, PETA investigators documented the appalling conditions in which animals are raised and/or killed for the production of “luxury” exotic-skin accessories. Alligators killed by suppliers to retailer Hermès, maker of the Birkin bag, are packed in dank pools, and crocodiles are crowded inside barren concrete pits for months or even years before finally being slaughtered for their skins.  

A PETA investigator documented that workers crudely hacked into the necks of some alligators and tried to scramble their brains with metal rods. Snakes killed in the production of gloves and other accessories have their heads nailed to a tree and are skinned alive, tossed into a pile, and left to die—which can take hours or even days. When you’re shopping, remember the suffering that goes into every exotic-skin glove, boot, bag, and watchband.Below, you can demand that Hermès stop selling items made from crocodile and alligator skins.It's Easier Than Ever to Start Wearing VeganLooking for somewhere to start? Check out our How to Wear Vegan Guide and many of the helpful pages from PETA’s Living section, like 8 Awesome Alternatives to Wool, before you buy any winter accessories as a holiday gift. Then, meet some of our compassionate PETA Business Friends:  Synthetic and plant-based fibers are a kind alternative to wearing animal-derived materials this winter, and they’re easier than ever to find.