Imitation NyQuil, Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, and Joy
The Mom Room
Renee Reina & Podcast Nation
4.8 • 602 Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2026
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
May 7th 2026: Ever taken an imitation NyQuil thinking “how different could it really be?” Well… apparently VERY different. In today’s solo episode of The Mom Room, I recap the recent cold that absolutely took me out and the off-brand nighttime cold medicine that somehow managed to derail my entire night instead of helping me sleep. Turns out the non-medicinal ingredients matter more than I ever knew, and I have thoughts.
I also share my honest review of Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden. This review may ruffle a few feathers, but if you know me, you know I can’t fake enthusiasm for a book that didn’t land for me. Let’s discuss.
Plus, I answer a few listener questions, including: what’s one small thing lately that has brought you an unexpected amount of joy? A simple question with surprisingly wholesome answers.
A chaotic cold, questionable pharmaceuticals, controversial book opinions, and tiny joyful moments, a pretty accurate representation of life lately. Enjoy!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This episode is brought to you by Merritt Beauty. This is a dream sponsor for me because there's lots |
| 0:06.4 | of days where I'm just trying to get everything done in the morning. Get Milo ready, get his lunch made, |
| 0:12.6 | get myself ready. And if I manage to do something for myself or I'm like, you know, put on a little |
| 0:18.6 | bit of blush so I don't look like a ghost at drop off. |
| 0:22.7 | That means I'm having a good morning. |
| 0:24.2 | And let me tell you, my absolute favorite beauty product for the last, I would say, four months is the merit flush balm. |
| 0:33.8 | It's like this little thing. |
| 0:34.9 | Honestly, I put it on my cheeks and sometimes I put it on my lips |
| 0:37.6 | because you can put it on both. It just gives me a natural, healthy glow without overdoing it. And now |
| 0:43.2 | I have two different shades depending on what I'm feeling that day. I feel like everybody wants that |
| 0:48.5 | quick five minute makeup routine. And Merritt is a minimalist beauty brand that makes that possible. I'm not even kidding. |
| 0:56.6 | Their products are designed to help you look put together in minutes. Gone are the days of having |
| 1:02.5 | a makeup bag filled with products. No, you literally just need a handful of Merit products, |
| 1:09.3 | five minutes in the morning, and you're done. |
| 1:11.6 | All of Merritt's products are clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and made with nourishing |
| 1:16.1 | skin care ingredients that leave your skin looking better long after taking your makeup off. |
| 1:20.8 | Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their signature makeup bag with your first order |
| 1:26.4 | at Meritbeautcom. That's M-E-R-I-T-Beautcom to get your |
| 1:31.9 | free signature makeup bag with your first order. Meritbeauts.com. This episode is brought to you by |
| 1:39.1 | Quince. And my mom and I just had a conversation about quince because she is obsessed with making capsule |
| 1:46.3 | wardrobes and having pieces that all go together and that will last for years and also have a |
| 1:53.1 | timeless feel. And she's not wrong. When you do that, getting dressed is so much simpler. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Renee Reina & Podcast Nation, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Renee Reina & Podcast Nation and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

