Light bulb moment!

So I have been on the lookout for a modern kitchen mat since I first started using the one I picked up from Costco. That one is not modern. It is functional. But it is oh so functional and I cannot part with it. It stretches from the coffee maker to the breakfast bar (where I spend most of my day feeding my kid's tapeworms) and is right in front of the sink. When I don't have this squishy little mat under my feet, my back hurts. And my feet hurt. I've decided that I cannot live without one.

Problem it - it's as ugly as sin. It's a painting of apples with faux antique lettering and colors. Blech. It is so unlike my "style" that one of my friends pointed it out and said, "Wow. Never would have figured I'd see something like that in your house." I kinda took that as a compliment. But the truth is that it really doesn't belong and I'd love something just like it with pretty, regular colors. But it does not exist! (Ok, seriously - I dare you to google kitchen mat and come up with anything but roosters, coffee cups and crappy still lifes)

My light bulb moment came last night while I was weighing the pros and cons of painting mine. It's not that it would be hard but would it be worth it?? It's hard enough for me to use the bathroom by myself let alone bust out a can of spray paint in a well ventilated area undisturbed. Then I remembered that I already have something similar that I use for a totally different purpose. My beloved yoga mat!

I only do yoga sporadically so no, I am not lithe and flexible, but I do love this thing because not only do I use it every few months for stretching I pull it out when Amelia has a sleep over. It's the perfect layer of padding to go under a sleeping bag which means it works equally well for camping. This thing has come in handy more times than I can count...

So why not... in the kitchen? Do yoga mats come in modern colors and patterns? Are the thick ones affordable? The answer to all of those questions is YES. (mind blown)

So instead of shelling out $40 for the ONLY modern kitchen mat I could find - 
I decided that I have dozens of more affordable options :)

Like this -

and this -

and this -

Do you have a favorite?