SkyMall Monday: Top 5 places to sleep with the Pillow Tie

Life is full of boring events. Our parents, spouses and religious leaders constantly drag us to occasions that are beyond dull. With hundreds of cable channels, air conditioning and beer easily accessible in our own homes, why do we need to go anywhere? Heck, we can have all of that in our beds if we have a remote control cooler around! If it was up to me, I’d never leave SkyMall Monday headquarters. It’s cozy, full of entertainment options and blissfully devoid of a dress code. Sadly, however, I get invited to an infuriating amount of social functions, many of which require me to put on pants. Thankfully, there’s now an accessory that allows me to look formal while also drowning out the boring speeches that are happening around me. I can attend various engagements while still being a lethargic lump. Sound too good to be true? Well, you can do it too thanks to SkyMall. Today we take a look at the top five places to sleep with the Pillow Tie.Where can you take advantage of this marvel of engineering and fashion? Theoretically, anywhere you’d like. However, you’ll appreciate it more at some of life’s most tedious affairs. Before we breakdown where you can use it, let’s check out the product description:

Boring meetings, hour-long conference calls–might as well make yourself comfy. Looks and ties like traditional neckwear but inflates with a few puffs, then it’s sweet dreams for the wearer.

Why limit ourselves? Let’s take a look at the top 5 places to sleep with the Pillow Tie:

5. The Office

Just like the product description discussed, work is dull. Who cares about Q1 reports and sexual harassment policies? Use those meetings as a chance to recharge your batteries.

4. Wedding Ceremonies

The emphasis here is on the ceremonies. You don’t like seeing your friends’ public displays of affection or listening to them baby talk with their significant others, so why do you suddenly want to hear them gush about each other and then kiss in front of you? Rest up during the ceremony and you’ll have the energy you need to dominate the cocktail hour. Remember, like an infielder charging a ground ball, you get to the passed hor d’oeuvres faster if you go to them.

3. Conferences

Fine, your company sent you to Las Vegas for your industry’s biggest meeting of the year. Does that mean that you have to care? It’s a free trip to Vegas! Love the nightlife, and then sleep off all that boogying while some keynote speaker drones on about who knows what.

2. Public Transportation

It’s in your best interest to skip most of those sights and smells.

1. Bars

You worked hard all day and now just want to avoid going home to your needy family for a few extra hours. It beats going to a fast food restaurant and embarrassingly falling asleep next to your melon soda.

Where would you sleep with the Pillow Tie? Let us know in the comments.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

SkyMall Monday: Pillow Speaker

While some people enjoy falling asleep to the soothing sounds of music or the television, the noise can disturb others. Whether you’re at home trying to sleep next to your spouse who prefers peace and quiet or on a plane where you want some background noise to drawn out the passengers around you but also don’t want to disturb them, trying to sleep while also listening to music can be a challenge. I know that I enjoy listening to music while sleeping on planes but I also don’t want to be that guy providing a soundtrack for everyone within five rows. So, finding a way to listen to music, sleep and do it all discreetly is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an economy class seat. Thankfully, SkyMall knows that headphones can be uncomfortable when you’re sleeping and people prefer to rest their heads on their own pillows. That’s why they sell a product that combines the sleep benefits of a pillow with the audio abilities of speakers. That’s right, it’s the Pillow Speaker.It may be easy to sleep with headphones in your ears while you are seated upright on a plane, but that isn’t the case when you’re laying in bed or curled in a first class lay-flat seat. That’s where the Pillow Speaker comes in. You simply plug your iPod into the pillow, rest your head as you normally would and enjoy your music through the speaker built right inside. Who doesn’t want audio components stuffed into their pillows? You can’t spell comfortable without treble*.

Think that listening through headphones is the only polite way to enjoy your music when other people are around? Think that pillows should only be filled with feathers? Well, while you toss and turn all night, we’ll be dreaming about the product description:

No batteries or ear-buds are necessary — you can use the MP3 Pillow Speaker to enjoy music or TV without disturbing others. A great gift for teens or adults, the MP3 Pillow Speaker also helps relieve stress and tension as you drift off to sleep listening to soothing sounds from your audio source.

One must assume that the speakers maximum volume is quite low if it won’t be disturbing anyone around you. That, or since everyone else around you will have the headphones on, they won’t hear your pillow. You’ll be free to relieve stress and tension as you drift off to sleep listening to the soothing sounds of Gwar.

Don’t torture your ears with uncomfortable earbuds. Fall asleep listening to your favorite music while also enjoying your own pillow thanks to the Pillow Speaker. Just don’t turn the volume up too loud or listen to audiobooks of trashy romance novels while in public.

* Not at all true.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

SkyMall Monday: Temperature Regulating Sheets

For many people, it can be difficult to sleep comfortably. Whether it’s because of stress, noise or horrific night terrors, sleep does not come easily to everyone. One of the biggest challenges to sleeping well is simply getting comfortable. Sleeping in a cold room will cause you to shivver. Sleeping in a hot room will make you sweat. It can be a constant struggle. Here at SkyMall Monday headquarters, we struggle with the oppressive heat that our building pumps into the space during the winter. It can make sleeping terribly difficult (and sweaty). How can we combat this climate controlling scurge that makes rest allusive and sleep a pipedream? The same way we address all of life’s problems: with the SkyMall catalog. Finally, we have a solution to all of this sleep deprevation. Feast your eyes on these glorious Temperature Regulating Sheets.Opening and closing windows are tedious tasks that can lead to back and shoulder injuries. Adjusting your thermostat will result in higher gas and electric bills. Kicking off the sheets or adding a blanket just seems exhausting. Why not just relax and let the sheets do the climate controlling for you? Being in bed should be restful, after all.

Think that sheets should be simple and just lay there? Believe that if you’re cold you should just put on a sweatshirt? Well, while you layer up, the rest of us are going to read the product description:

Using a fabric developed for NASA to help astronauts adapt to extreme temperature fluctuations, these sheets prevent overheating and eliminate chills to create an optimal sleeping climate. Imbedded in the sheets are millions of invisible microcapsules that absorb excess heat when you are hot and release the stored heat when you are cold, ensuring a comfortable bed temperature and humidity. Unlike an electric blanket, the microcapsules adjust independently to an individual’s climate, allowing two sleepers with different temperature preferences to remain comfortable throughout the night.

I have no idea what any of that means, but NASA sends people to space and that’s awesome. If these sheets can get me to space, then count me in.

Sleep is essential to staying healthy. Rather than struggling with drafty windows and expensive air conditioning, pick up some space-aged sheets to keep you comfortable. It sure beats buying new pajamas or gimmicky pillows. Get them for all of your bunk beds today!

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

SkyMall Monday: Relax ‘n Nap Pillow

I tend to love almost all SkyMall products. My reviews are favorable because the SkyMall Monday headquarters is full of useful products that have solved problems that we never knew we had until SkyMall told us about them. However, there was always one product in the catalog that I avoided reviewing. Whenever I would flip through the pages or scroll through the website, I would avoid it at all costs because it simply looked too horrible for me to imagine ever using it. However, the time has come for me to address this product. This week’s edition of SkyMall Monday is going to be a bit different than usual. Instead of a glowing review, you may see some harsh words. We’re all adults here and I think you’ll agree that what I’m about to share with you needs to be said (or written). Get comfortable. Lay down if you’d like. But do not attempt to read this while using the Relax ‘n Nap Pillow.The Relax ‘n Nap Pillow is intended for people who want to sleep laying face down. You know who sleeps like that? Dead people. Or, I suppose, people getting massages. I’ve gotten massages. I love massages. You know what bothers me about massages? How weird it is laying face down with my head through a hole. I know that I should close my eyes and relax, but I can’t help but open my yes from time to time only to see either the floor or the masseuse’s feet. It’s boring and weird. Now imagine laying face down, opening your eyes and just seeing your sheets. Unless you have some epic bedsheets, that’s going to be weird and boring.

I also find that the face down sleeping position promoted by the Relax ‘n Nap Pillow poses a major security risk. Laying face down with no peripheral vision leaves the user vulnerable to sneak attacks by home invaders, the boogieman and older brothers who think that wedgies are funny. If you normally sleep on your stomach (which I do), you keep your head cocked to one side, allowing you to either sleep with one eye open or quickly see what’s happening should a noise startle you awake. Every second counts when poltergeists or sadistic siblings try to make their move.

To be fair, I’ll give the product description the chance to make its case:

Our Relax ‘N Nap Pillows allow you to rest face down in blissful comfort! The memory foam provides proper spinal support plus patented air portal ventilation.

Blissful comfort? Sure, if you’ve already gotten your affairs in order and welcome death’s sweet embrace. As for the spinal support and air portal ventilation, well, invest in a decent mattress and open a window.

I’ll continue to sleep on normal pillows with my eyes pointed at the door, thank you very much. Sleeping face down just ain’t right.

I’m sorry that you had to experience such a negative review of a SkyMall product. I know that this must have shocked and frightened you. I can only hope that next week brings us back to the usually joy and whimsy of our favorite airborne marketplace. Until then, watch out for wedgies.

Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Photo of the day (11.18.10)


Some of us can easily sleep on planes, despite little leg room, screaming babies, and recirculated air, while others have to resort to sleeping pills, tiny airplane bottles of booze, and noise-canceling headphones to get any rest. But most of us can sleep on trains easily; something about the gentle rocking of the train, scenery whizzing by, and long bench seats makes for a comfy sleep experience. Flickr user snowjumpr (who has more interesting and enviable Italy pix on his photostream) caught this snoozer on a morning commuter train in Italy. Are you ready for a nap yet?

Take any good napping pictures on your travels? Share it with us on our Flickr group and it could be our next Photo of the Day.