month of mama 2025

I always go crazy for mother's day. I have a wish list of things and I buy them in May and tell my husband, don't worry about getting me anything. This year I feel like I'm scaling back or maybe I've just redirected my spending into another category, races!

• June - CdM Scenic 5k (plus dolphin dash) $149.57
• + Cookie Mile $35.00
• October - Mission Inn Run (5k, 10k plus kids race) $129.70
• January - Citrus Heritage Run (10k, 10k plus kids race) $129.70
• + Rose Bowl Half (plus kids race) $126.42
• February - have not registered yet for the Palm Desert Half
• March - LA Marathon (new date TBA) $170

I'm really looking forward to doing the CdM again. I thought I could skip it but we're doing it as a family with my MIL too. I also considered skipping the Rose Bowl Half but it was a great race and I have lots of friends doing it, so that became important. I am skipping the Disneyland Half Jan/Feb 2026 and I am skipping Every Woman's Marathon in Scottsdale (Nov 2025). Even though I want to do those, I will say no thank you for now and keep them in mind for future seasons. I can easily say no to the Santa Monica Classic even though I love the race shirt, I didn't enjoy the race itself. What I did hear about is the Every Woman's Marathon training plan. There's a 12-week base building part that is available now and then a 16-week training block for in season. I may print those out and add them to my running binder.

In other news, I bought my first non-nursing bra in years! I had this one on my watch list and I thought as soon as I weaned, I would get it. I didn't know what size would feel best so I waited until they had a really great deal so I could try two different sizes. I prefer the smaller size so the band is a bit tighter.

$23.49 (for two) Women's Free Range Organic Cotton Bralette Duluth Trading (size Large is best)
I'm getting tired of always having to charge my smartwatch, so I thought long and hard about my favorite watches I've ever had. I remembered a Timex I had in college with a woven band all the way around, so I searched that up and found the one below. I got a cute pink, blue, and yellow one.

$14.98 Armitron Sport Unisex Digital Chronograph Nylon Strap Watch, 45-7004

Inspired by Run Fit Mama, I got a pair of heart sunglasses that have been perfect for May Grey. They don't really shade much, they are gradient lenses, which I usually don't like, and there's no polarization, but they are cute and fun. The most important thing is that they fit over my glasses.

$12.06 SOJOS Sunglasses Womens Heart Shaped Sunglasses Vintage Retro Glasses with Chain SJ2252 Fuchsia Pink Frame/Grey Lens

I wanted a shirt to wear after the marathon, so I found Lucky Mama. I wanted a shirt for Star Wars Day, and I found one about a Woman's Place. I love them both and they have been just what I needed to feel special and powerful.

$9.99 St Patricks Day Shirts Womens Lucky Mama T-Shirt Clover Graphic Short Sleeve Mothers Tee Tops

$21.94 A Woman's Place Is In The Resistance Shirt T-Shirt

I was inspired to make my bathroom in a Princess theme. It was previously Cars from Disney Pixar and also Mickey Mouse. Very bright red and black. It's not that I don't like Cars, or Minnie and Mickey, but it was kind of jarring to have those bright colors all the time. I wanted to transition to something more cream-colored, more soft. I was inspired by Bath and Body Works' collaboration with Disney on a Princess collection of lotions, soaps, and body sprays. 

$48.02 purchase in store + $29.57 purchase online for 6 lotions and 5 foaming handsoaps. Buy 3 get 3 free or Buy 2 get 1 free. I had thought about gifting these for teacher appreciation, but they're limited edition and running out fast. I hope they do a restock.

$19.35 Disney Princess Figurine Playset 6pk (Target Exclusive) this is sold out now. I had an older one but it didn't have Tiana or Moana. Now I have Tiana but still no Moana.

$6.99 Castle Shaped Photo Frame - Unfinished - Princess Frame For 3.5 Photo

$19.75 (for two) BOENLE Princess Castle Pink Sky Night Lights Plug-in Wall Led Nightlight Auto Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor Lamps for Bedroom Kitchen Bathroom

$17.99 Zak Designs 14.5oz Disney Princess Nesting Tumbler Set Includes Durable Plastic Cups, Fun Drinkware is Perfect for Kids, 4pk (Rapunzel Belle & Jasmine & Ariel), PYRP-0731

In other craft news, I opted to buy a letter jacket. I'm behind the trend but I don't mind. Run Fit Mama and her group Dopey Strong did jackets last year for marathon weekend. I thought it was such a cute idea but I didn't want to take the plunge and buy a jacket in too big of a size and I wasn't sure I would be able to finish the marathon, and also I wouldn't be traveling to Disney World. But the idea stuck with me as a funky motivator. And then Kristin Wentworth decided to come up with the idea of a girl scout troop. She said you can collect the badges on a sash or you can add them to your patch jacket.

$23.99 Icibgds Varsity Jacket Women Men's Baseball School Uniform Button Up Unsex Adult Long Sleeve Coat Fashion Jacket (Purple,XL,X-Large)

$13.16 (pack of 2) Iron on Patches Sports Teams Letter - Pack of 2 - Decorative for Clothing & Accessories, Ideal for Shirts, Jackets, Hats, Jeans, Shoes, Bags - Durable, Easy Apply (LA Gold - 2.5" x 3.5")

I was charmed by the concept of a longline sports bra but on my body the long part kept riding up and constricting my rib cage. It was so annoying that I ended up not wanting to wear this cute set from Crowned Athletic. So I purchased 3" elastic after measuring the length of the longline part. I seam ripped open the longline part. I inserted the elastic and pinned it to see if it would be tight enough. I put it on and it felt good. I got out my sewing machine and sewed the elastic as securely as I could. Then I hand-stitched up the longline part of the bra (the shiny fabric). I wore it on a 10k run, it fit well, and didn't ride up. It doesn't make me want to run out and buy another longline sports bra, because it wasn't trivial to do all that, but it helps me know that if I do buy another one, I have a solution. Also it kind of makes me want to use the 4-way stretch fabric I bought a long time ago. Captain Kale!

$12.99 Royal Blue Wide Knit Elastic Band for Sewing 3 inch 5yards Double-Side Twill Woven Elastic Heavy Stretch Elastic Spool Band for Sewing Pants Waist-Wigs-Skirts-Craft-DIY Projects

running swaps

Hollie Sick from @fueledbyLOLZ made an instagram post that got me thinking. She was arguing that running can be a low-cost activity. You don't need a ton of fancy gear to get good at it. She noted that the rise of influencers can make you think that you need more stuff, but it's okay to start or continue with less. Or possibly that there are cheaper items you can swap for whatever is the "latest and greatest."

Do you need a fancy watch? No!

Armitron Sport Unisex Digital Chronograph Nylon Strap Watch, 45-7004 $13.65
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PM2TX9 

I've written before about wearable electronics such as a Nike watch and a Garmin watch, so I don't want to rehash it too much. I lost my original Garmin after the strap broke and I couldn't wear it around my wrist. Then I wore it on my handlebars of my bicycle until one day I looked down and it had fallen off. It looks like I lost the Garmin on the Chatsworth Orange Line Tour (COLT) or maybe I was using something else at the time. It looks like the Nike+ data was from 1/03/2009. I got the Garmin in June 2011, when we moved to Glendale, and used it until 6/10/2018. What I liked about the Garmin was that I could see the route and elevation profile.

I will say that I've been wearing the Samsung Watch5 since August 2024 (basically the whole school year). I like the heart rate feature, but it's not better than the Fitbit Versa. Someone gave it to me, so it was free to me. The things I don't like about them are that they're annoying to remember to charge. The Versa has a longer battery life (3-4 days), whereas the Samsung has only one day and must be charged or it will die mid-day. You can send short answers to text messages, which is nice. You can use your watch as a remote shutter for your camera, and a little preview of the photo will appear on your wrist, which is a cute feature. So far the Samsung isn't generating a map, but I think I could play with the settings and get it to do that if I wanted to. I think it's possible for the Samsung watch to track elevation but I just look at my Strava for that. 

But I have worn this cheap watch linked above about half the days now, since I got it mid-April, post-marathon. Because if you're not using the data from the smartwatch, why are you wearing it? If you just need a timepiece, then why? I still use the period tracking feature in the Fitbit app because it's scarily accurate now and helpful, even though I don't wear the Fitbit Versa watch. Also, when you think of these little computers on your wrist, you have to consider the disposal cost associated with it, how long it lasts, and how often you will want to upgrade. 

At least now they sell strap replacements, but eventually it won't hold a charge anymore, or the company will no longer update the software. Many of my Fitbits lasted only a few years. I think I still have two old ones sitting in a drawer. I guess they were the Fitbit Alta HR and it looks like we bought replacement bands in 2019 for them. I used the FitBit Alta HR from Aug 24, 2018 until May 15, 2022. I guess I must have got it when the Garmin got lost. I remember that is what I used for step counting and HR tracking during my pregnancy. I liked the AltaHR because it only needed charging once per week. I think it would last about 7 days on a single charge. But the AltaHR didn't have a mapping feature.

https://sites.google.com/site/kaiserwellnesscenter/kaiser-wellness-center-statement/fitness-awareness/available-routes  The Garmin was useful for creating maps! This was before we had smart phones, LOL. Honestly, how many times do you go for a run or walk and not bring your phone? And the smartwatch can't be a phone unless you put it on your mobile plan as a separate device with a data plan. Yes phones are bulky and heavy now, so they are kind of a drag, but the camera is fun and they also play music. You don't need three separate devices for that.

Do you need fancy massage gun / recovery boots? Not really.
Amazon Basics High Density Foam Roller for Exercise and Recovery $11.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM2MXK8 

I have addaday roller, but you can find one on Amazon for about $10

https://www.amazon.com/IDSON-Athletes-Tools-Muscle-Massager-Tightness/dp/B015RKCWR6/

I have been doing a mobility program that uses the two items mentioned above. $30 https://www.runfitmama.net/trainingprograms/runner-mobility-program  

Run Fit Fab

Do you need a large volume of shoes? Um, no.

I have one main shoe that I use for running. Then, I know how many miles I have on it because I keep track of when I bought it. When I start to notice that I'm feeling achy and the shoe is breaking down, I make that my walking shoe and buy a new pair for running.

I've written a lot about shoes before, so I won't say much more. What I have done is space out my races every three months or so, and then after I finish a race, buy a new pair of shoes. That's worked pretty well so far. There are places that you can donate your old shoes (like at Fleet Feet) and they get turned into playgrounds, running tracks, track jackets, etc.

Considering what else I wear to run in, I don't wear expensive sunglasses. When they get scratched up, I get a new pair because visibility is important. I have written about the biker shorts I love to run in. I love that they have pockets. I did get a bit delulu and buy a bunch of crowned athletics but I'm trying to just pump the brakes on that and stop. Also, I love living in sweatpants now. This post discussed the crowned althetics sets that I got and why, and also compares the price of running fuel. This is another great swap you can make: from specialized running fuel to something generalized and cheaper.

I've already discussed this hat, but I wanted to also note the price point!

ELLEWIN Unisex Baseball Cap UPF 50 Unstructured Hat with Foldable Long Large Bill $9.99
https://www.amazon.com/ELLEWIN-Baseball-Portable-Research-Foldable/dp/B01JI0XLZS

Running hats are priced between $25-100 which is kind of crazy when this foldable hat does everything I need and it's so affordable. I found it at It's A Wrap (a consignment shop) so I think I paid $2. 

Fueled by LOLZ This is the original post that inspired me to write about this. I started writing this on May 5th and am just now finishing it a month later, so that gives you an idea of how Maycember or Mayhem went for me. Just too many things in one month!