{"id":3551,"date":"2017-06-23T07:16:32","date_gmt":"2017-06-23T11:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=3551"},"modified":"2025-03-06T09:06:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T14:06:40","slug":"my-favorite-mandala-throw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=3551","title":{"rendered":"An Impulse Purchase That Actually Turned Out Well"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m blaming Pinterest, with its perfect little bohemian houses. But whoever made me do it, somehow I ended up buying a mandala throw instead of a traditional beach towel when I was doing my pre-beach shopping last summer.<\/p>\n

Turns out, it was one of my favorite purchases all year. Allow me to tell you why.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nOne.\u00a0The light, cottony fabric is perfect for wadding into a little ball to stuff into your beach bag or picnic basket. It folds up much smaller than a traditional beach towel or picnic blanket, and is lighter for carrying. Also, since I live in a tiny space, I love that it takes up minimal room when in storage.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0192.jpg\"
Photo by Weston and the obliging tree<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two. The colors jazz up any setting you take it to. If you want to feel like the perfect Instagrammer, this throw will do the trick. You could probably eat Kraft mac ‘n cheese and twinkies while sitting on it and feel classy.<\/p>\n

Three. It’s versatile. Picnics. Beach. Light blanket when you’re chilly. Tablecloth. Bedspread for summer. Curtain. Turban if your head is feeling modest. Baby blanket if you have a Very Large Baby. Human burrito wrap. Backdrop for photos. Blanket fort walls. You name it.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0084.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Four. The size is awesome. It’s bigger than a towel, so if you’re using it on the beach, you can spread your long and gangly limbs without getting sand stuck in your knees and elbows. For a picnic, four people fit perfectly around it with a mountain of food in the center.<\/p>\n

I ended up buying both the round one for personal use and a queen sized square one for bigger parties, and I use them all the time. If you\u00a0are in search of the perfect throw, or simply want to add some color to your life,\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0are a bunch of options for under $15. Or if you want a bigger one, here<\/a>\u00a0is a similar one in queen size. If blue is more your thing, check out\u00a0this<\/a>\u00a0gorgeous one. Then\u00a0invite me over for your perfect boho picnic. I’ll bring the cookie butter!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m blaming Pinterest, with its perfect little bohemian houses. But whoever made me do it, somehow I ended up buying a mandala throw instead of a traditional beach towel when I was doing my pre-beach shopping last summer. Turns out, it was one of my favorite purchases all year. Allow me to tell you why. One.\u00a0The light, cottony fabric is perfect for wadding into a little ball to stuff into your beach bag or picnic basket. It folds up much…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[85,93],"tags":[205,208,204,207],"class_list":["post-3551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-decor","category-thrifty-life","tag-beach-towel","tag-bohemian-decor","tag-mandala","tag-picnic-blanket"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0240.jpg?fit=1089%2C893","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8A8kG-Vh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6099,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=6099","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":0},"title":"Day 20: Mandala Cloth, And a Giveaway!","author":"Rachel","date":"February 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Now for the fun part. I am giving away\u00a0a mandala cloth\u00a0to one Striped Pineapple reader this month.","rel":"","context":"In "Decor"","block_context":{"text":"Decor","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=85"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_0762.jpg?fit=1200%2C825&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_0762.jpg?fit=1200%2C825&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_0762.jpg?fit=1200%2C825&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_0762.jpg?fit=1200%2C825&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/img_0762.jpg?fit=1200%2C825&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5807,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=5807","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":1},"title":"Day 4: Picnics","author":"Rachel","date":"February 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Maybe I\u2019ve told you this before. If so, my apologies in advance, but here goes. My roommate and I have a summer tradition we love. After work on a Friday night, we\u2019ll head to Winston Salem and spend an hour at the mega thrift store there. Once we\u2019re shopped out,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Downtown adventures"","block_context":{"text":"Downtown adventures","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=86"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0192.jpg?fit=1200%2C865&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0192.jpg?fit=1200%2C865&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0192.jpg?fit=1200%2C865&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0192.jpg?fit=1200%2C865&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_0192.jpg?fit=1200%2C865&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6362,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=6362","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":2},"title":"Packing for a Week In Paris","author":"Rachel","date":"May 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"When I lived back in the mountains of Honduras without a vehicle, and took the bus everywhere I went, I learned to pack nothing more than the bare essentials. After all, nobody wants to lug pounds of hairspray and extra towels through crowded bus terminals and for miles down the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel"","block_context":{"text":"Travel","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/fullsizeoutput_1a04.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1533,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=1533","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":3},"title":"Where I’ve Been and What I’ve Been Doing","author":"Rachel","date":"November 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been absent a while, I know, roaming the mountains and plains and comeateries of Honduras. 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For now though, let me show you some of what's been occupying me.\u00a0 I've been eating\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Food"","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=88"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1 1x, http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=525&h=300&crop=1 1.5x, http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=700&h=400&crop=1 2x, http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=1050&h=600&crop=1 3x, http:\/\/cuppacoldwater.files.wordpress.com\/2016\/11\/img_9217.jpg?w=1400&h=800&crop=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4429,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=4429","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":4},"title":"The Birthday, and How I Spent It","author":"Rachel","date":"August 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Since I am now in my upper-twenties, I decided to take off work like a responsible adult and spend the day cavorting with Rosie, whose birthday is only five days from mine. Necessarily this involved thrift shopping, and eating amazing food, since that's how we roll. After our somewhat-unsuccessful-but-still-fun thrifting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Downtown adventures"","block_context":{"text":"Downtown adventures","link":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?cat=86"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/img_1622.jpg?fit=1200%2C853&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/img_1622.jpg?fit=1200%2C853&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/img_1622.jpg?fit=1200%2C853&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/img_1622.jpg?fit=1200%2C853&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/img_1622.jpg?fit=1200%2C853&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1570,"url":"http:\/\/www.stripedpineapple.com\/?p=1570","url_meta":{"origin":3551,"position":5},"title":"Tela","author":"Rachel","date":"December 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember when I said I'd tell you about our flopped beach trip? Well, here you go.\u00a0We have a long-standing tradition of renting the same little cabins every time we visit Tela, since they're private and cheap, off the beaten track, and the cook that owned them was amazing. 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