Brooks sent me a Merry Christmas package the other day!

It contained a jacket from the new PureProject apparel line! It’s full of “hidden reflective” technology. I can’t wait to try it out!

I love my PureDrift shoes from the PureProject lineup. However, I’m a little nervous in looking at their site that they’ll be phased out… they’re on sale for $60 right now and there isn’t a new model listed anywhere. I may need to order this color, it’s the only one I don’t have from the line.

 I reviewed the app Lift on The RUNiverse in February of this year. It’s a cool little app to help you get a new habit to stick. They’re launching a pretty cool program for the new year called the Quantified Diet Project. They are working with experts from various fields to help guide/coach Lift users through one of 10 diet plans for 4 weeks. The goal is to help users become healthier while also challenging the industry claims about what diet programs work best for healthy living in the largest randomized trial of popular plans.

 I read the book On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews recently. Holy creepy book… The main characters are runners and the author is a runner, so there’s the tie-in to a running blog. But wow… I thought I’d read some dark novels before but this one was especially dark. Really well written and unique, but I had to read a chapter and then take a day off before I could continue! The book is on sale until the end of the year for just .99 cents on Amazon. It’s currently ranked #3 on the Horror charts behind a Dean Koontz and a Stephen King novel. Those are two pretty big names in the genre! If you can’t handle really dark dark stuff, check out Mark’s other books… they’re also on sale!

 BackJoy is starting an initiative for the new year called “Get Your Awesome On!” They’ll be offering tips via the program website and their Facebook page to help people live a healthier year with focus on four areas: posture, eat, think and move. I like that they specifically state that self-care is the most powerful form of health care.

 Check out the Rx4…. it may be the most hardcore foam roller I’ve ever seen. It costs nearly $2000!

 Finally… Kyocera has a new waterproof, shock-proof smartphone – the Hydro XTRM. They’re running a contest right now to win one. The phone is built to be super tough, to conquer every day life challenges… thus they’re having a #KyoceraConquer contest where you can win the phone and $2500. The opportunity further extends into a photo contest via Twitter/Instagram to win phones and UFC tickets. Plus, it has Bear Grylls in the marketing… you know it’s tough if Bear Grylls uses it! 😉

I received no compensation to mention any of these items… except for receiving a free jacket, which was a pleasant surprise!