I used to regularly write a Friday Fête post here, a round up of random stuff that interested me from the week. But my life is just hectic enough that I can’t seem to write that with any routine these days. So here is one of those posts, on a different day of the week. Thus it’s the Monday Mashup. I’ll have to get really creative if I’m going to have alliterative titles for other weekdays.

Sleep Box for Mom

I read an article a while ago that talked about what mothers really want for Mother’s Day. An overarching theme was that they wanted a break from mother duties, they wanted an escape, or they wanted more sleep. Then I got an email about this Sleep Easily solution (affiliate – Amazon) as a Mother’s Day gift, that is 25% off for the first 200 purchasers.

It contains an eye mask, ear plugs, and a mini audio player loaded with sleep therapy (cognitive behavior therapy) recordings. The recordings are designed to help the user fall asleep quickly, get deeper sleep, or reduce stress. I definitely need the stress reduction in my life… but you know what might help with that? Just getting a night of sleep without the sound of snoring keeping me awake all night. I don’t dare wear earplugs at night because I want to be able to hear my daughter if she wakes up and needs me in the night (which happens a few times each week, she’s going through a phase where she gets scared and just needs a little comfort). So a few nights of uninterrupted sleep where I’m not waiting for someone to wake up would probably help with stress. Just hypothesizing here.

And in case you’re wondering why this set comes with audio AND earplugs… evidently there is some kind of explanation in the box, but I saw a review that you could give the earplugs to your partner in case they don’t want to hear your audio tracks.

Breaking 2

The Nike attempt at getting a sub-2-hour marathon happened this past weekend. Did you watch? I wanted to go to sleep (see previous, re: child wakes me up), but I couldn’t tear myself away from watching the last 45 minutes on Friday night. The final outcome was that Eliud Kipchoge ran the race in 2 hours and 25 seconds… not making the sub-2 they were shooting for, but super close.

This isn’t an official world record because Nike used so many tactics to deal with pacing and hydration that aren’t typical. The runners didn’t have crowd support of a typical race, but they did have Kevin Hart screaming on the sidelines so that may have helped (or hurt) their efforts!

I had mixed feelings leading up to it, but I admit it was interesting to watch. Do you think in the future all runners will wear strips on their legs with little wind-resistance spikes to make us more aerodynamic like Nike stuff has been moving toward lately?

Julep Beauty Box

I subscribe to Julep Beauty Boxes…. I admit, I skip more often than I actually receive a box because I have a ton of nail polish and they’re always trying to get you to take 1 or 2 nail polishes in each shipment. But you can edit the contents and pick things you’d rather try. Recently I tried the “Love Your Bare Face Detoxifying Cleansing Stick” and I REALLY like it. It’s a tube, kind of like a solid deodorant (great comparison, right?) and you just rub it on your face, suds up with your hands or a sponge and rinse it off. My skin feels super soft after using it and it smells nice. I think I want to try the “What Your Skin Needs Restorative Facial Milk” next.

Sign up for Julep and get a free gift from them (I think as of right now, it’s a 12-piece nail polish set).

(I get $15 in my Julep account for referring people.)

Tiny Activewear

I just learned about the company JillYoga (I love the name!) and they make activewear for women, girls, and tots. I’ve not felt the desire to do a lot of twinning with my daughter, but I think the idea of having matching workout gear with her is adorable. They have sizes all the way down to 6months!

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I’ve had a cold this past week, it’s not made for ideal running conditions. I’ve had so many colds/bronchitis/pink eye bouts this year, it’s really quite frustrating. I’m hoping that I start to feel better… I’d like to get a few more lunch hour runs done outside before it gets too hot here in Las Vegas to be able to do that!