Going for a Walk

fall grasses

It seems so simple, going for a walk.  Quite a bit led up to the walk we took the other day but first let me fill you in on some of the missing blog posts recently.

CSA Share
We have had a mixed up schedule lately so we haven't been able to enjoy our share the way we did all summer.  A friend took it a few weeks back.  The next week we got there late and got scraps of what was left.  We did get some lettuce, beets, leeks and squash among other items.  They have all been put to good use in the form of soup and salads.  This past weekend, we just missed the pick-up all together.  I feel lost without my veggies.  In the beginning, I felt like we'd never figure out what to do with the veggies but soon it became something I looked forward to.  It helped plan the menu for the week and now that I haven't had that for a few weeks, I'm lost.


WEN
I will need to take another picture soon.  I am still loving it and have kind of figured out the best way for me to use it.  My hair continues to look healthy but I have found that if I try to rush the blow drying or styling, I notice it doesn't look as sleek.  During the week it's easier for me to wash my hair at night and let it air dry so I just have to style it in the morning. This way, I have a few more minutes to primp but I have found the best results are achieved by taking my time.  I have since ordered the voluminizer which I didn't think I wanted at first but then I remembered that I used to use a Bumble & Bumble one  that was amazing.  I called back and the representative told me it can be used as a voluminizer or hairspray.  Fingers crossed it's as great as B&B.

Back to the rest of the buzz here.  Some of you may recall that Kris had back surgery in 2009.  He had a herniated disc that needed some 'trimming' and it was the best decision he'd made in a long time.  Since then, he has gotten back to his usual self and hasn't had any issues.  A few weeks back, he mentioned that he was a bit achy and had a bit of soreness in his back in the same place as last time.  We both took note and hoped it would amount to nothing but about two weeks later, suddenly doubled over in pain, we believed it may be a recurrence of that pesky herniation. An MRI and appointment with his surgeon confirmed our suspicions and just two days after the appointment, we were back at the same hospital for the same surgery.

from kids playing to horseback riding....this is home on our street

Just like round one, it went smoothly and since we both knew what to expect our nerves were calm ( I even got some work done while waiting)  Surgery on Friday and home Saturday.  How is that even possible? They do great work, these doctors & nurses.  Kris will heal at home by taking it easy but so far, he's doing great and is on track much as he was the first time around.  It happened so fast but we are thankful that his pain is relieved and he hopes to see continued improvement. We have been going for daily walks (very slow....like a snail slow) but they get him out of the house and I laughed the other day when I reminded him that I originally wanted to be a Physical Therapist and now, here I am assisting him for free....kinda. 

buds

Giada turns four this week.  FOUR! If you have any doubt that she is as sassy as ever, this morning, she said," ...and you, my dear, can show me that later"  She clearly keeps us on our toes but we love that about her and I think anyone that has met her would say the same. 

It has gone quickly from 60 degree days to 40 degree days with the threat of snow at night.  I don't like it one bit but I will get to use my blankies and fluffy socks again and that makes me happy.

our lone hydrangea enjoying the last bit of  fall

WEN - day 6

We are six days in on my journey to become a WEN girl and here's this morning's look:

Since my first wash and treatment, I have washed my hair every other day. I have found that if I use too much of the styling cream, my hair will start to feel a bit greasy. The picture here was right after a wash with the Cleansing Conditioner and after a good towel drying, I added a dime sized dollop of the styling cream focusing the the mid to end of the hair and finishing at the top with whatever I had left on my hands.  Once my hair was dry, I curled it a bit and finished with a little of the balm to calm the fly-aways You can see I should have used a little more at the roots but 16 hours later, I can still run out the door at a moments notice and still have soft, shiny hair that maintains much of the style you see here. 
The whole 'no lather' thing was a little disconcerting at first but I love not fighting to get a comb through my hair. So far, I'm loving this new product and I do see a difference in how manageable my hair is.  It appears glossier to me as well without adding oils or shine serum.  What do you think?  Do you see a difference?

in a moment of weakness

If you have missed the infomercials for Wen by Chaz Dean you must be living under a rock. I can't turn on the t.v. without seeing it.  I was introduced to Chaz Dean through the show, Flipping Out.  I'm a bit obsessed but Jeff and his crew and one of his clients was Chaz.  As this past season wrapped up, Chaz had a grand opening for his renovated salon space and I noticed that the word 'Wen' continued to pop up in the shots. I realized that it was his own product line but I didn't think much of it until I saw the Guthy Renker spot at 3AM during a bout of insomnia.
Time and time again, I watched the commercial and I was halfway to jumping in feet first. Next, I read every review I could find and I only came across a few negatives.  I asked friends on Facebook and again, the odds were in Wen's favor.  I had mentioned to Kris that I wanted to try it and then one morning he put QVC on and we both stared, open-mouthed for 20 min. easy.  They got me.
If you've looked into this you know that there is the basic scent, Sweet Almond Mint. You can get other scents on QVC but since I had never tried these products I decided to start with the infomercial package to sample a bit of everything.
The customer service rep I spoke with was great.  She answered every question I asked and seemed very genuine. After going over everything, I stuck with the introductory 30-day supply.  It came with:

• Conditioning Cleanser
• Styling Crème
• Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment
• WEN Texture Balm
• a wide tooth shower comb

I received the package yesterday and immediately decided that the only way I will know if this makes a difference in the condition  of my hair is if I document it.  I haven't colored or cut my hair in a few months so it was in ok condition but it still felt dry.  I'm hoping WEN will help turn me in to a model WEN Girl  :)

Before WEN.  Hair after a day at work

I followed the directions and washed my hair with the Conditioning Cleanser.  As they say, it does not lather but it does get really creamy when mixed with the water and after some massaging. The mint was a bit tingly and cool and I had no trouble running a comb through my hair during and after rinsing.  I decided to jump-start this journey by trying out the Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment.  I covered my hair with it and clipped my hair up as suggested.  I rinsed it out this morning, added some styling cream and dried my hair.

WEN After: First day

I have to say that my hair felt much softer and smoother but that has happened for me after a good conditioning before.  Time will tell!  I'll keep posting pics from time to time.  Feel free to comment or ask any questions!

who is the one that's "Got Moxie" here?

I believe that when I see something glaringly wrong, I need to say something.  I especially feel that I need to do this if it involves me paying for the thing that is wrong.  If the one on the receiving end of my comments can step back and say, "I appreciate your input and I am considering your opinion" I have the utmost respect for them.  They show that they are humble and feel that they have room for improvement.
I KNOW that I have room for improvement.  I work every single day to be a better person and although it's not always pretty, I try to consider someone else's view on me and assess how they came up with it.  I get that some people won't like me but I can live with that. Unfortunately, not everyone has reached this point in their lives.

Years back, Kris and I stopped by our favorite restaurant and had a waitress that was plain awful.  I called the owner the next day just to give him a heads-up that our experience wasn't up to their usual and he couldn't do enough to apologize.  The next time we were in, with barely a thought, we were immediately escorted to a table and offered a bottle of wine on the house.  Since that day, we have had nothing but amazing experiences there and it continues to be our favorite place.  They continually exceed our expectations and we took note that the bad experience was an exception for them.  This example, among others, has led me to believe that people and companies that have the desire to prosper, will always address the bad as well as the good.  As a matter of fact, the bad will become more important and they will do what ever they can to right that wrong.  It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Eventually, I was going to encounter someone that didn't fit this mold.  Someone that thought they were so amazing that they had no room for improvement.

I really don't think that I am always right.  Those that know me know that I have a strong opinion but keep in mind that I know that I don't always share the popular opinion.  I try to be kind.  I try to address the positive points, probably in effort to soften the blow, as I note the shortcomings.  I am a stickler for rules and 'properness'.

I share this insight into me as a background on a recent encounter I had with a cupcake, or shall I say, three cupcakes.  Kris and I had the rare opportunity to spend a whole, uninterrupted day together.  There were a lot of things we could have done but a town nearby was where I wanted to be.  We drive through all the time but rarely stop.  I wanted to check out the shops and enjoy a meal with my sweetie.  The shop part went well but the restaurant we wanted to try was only open for dinner.  (We will definitely be back after seeing the menu).  We figured we would check out the previously mentioned place for lunch but first, I wanted to make a stop.  I have heard quite a bit about a newer shop that specializes in cupcakes and I 'heart' cupcakes!  We thought we'd check the place out and grab a dessert to go.  Once we saw the offerings, we couldn't decide and we got two to go and one to stay.  The one at the shop was fresh and amazing.  We even commented to each other about the balanced flavors and textures.  YUM! That shared cupcake had me salivating in anticipation of the next offering but we opted to eat lunch and try later on.

The second tasting of the other 2 flavors left us wanting more.  The flavors we chose should have screamed their intended flavors but every single flavor mentioned in the description was faint.  The frosting was anemic and sugary in comparison to the first and although the cake base was the same for the two sets, the person putting them together apparently doesn't realize that different pairings will accent different flavor profiles.
I have heard so many great things about this place and I felt I needed to make my opinion known.  It seemed that the only feedback I ever saw on the Facebook page for this business was positive.  My thought was that it was either intentionally that way or people have NO clue about what they are eating.

In a way I thought was kind, while providing my opinion and privately, not on the wall of this Facebook page, I emailed the owner of this business and described our experience.  I addressed what was good and what I felt needed improvement.  Again....what I felt.  I never explained how I would do it and I concluded with wishing the owner the best and noting that I didn't send this with ill-will or an intention to upset, merely to inform.

This is an excerpt of the email I received in response:

I appreciate you taking the time to email me and your desire to have me have the best product possible. But, after a year and half owning an extremely successful prosperous business, and seeing the retail shop truly take off in a way I couldn't even imagine, and being recognized throughout the Hudson Valley as having the best product, including a Best of award in HV Magazine, I'm happy with how I'm running, baking, and promoting things at this current time. I hope you will visit us again and enjoy the flavors that you like best.

Take this the way you want but I read this as an arrogant business owner that sees absolutely no room for improvement and is pretty much giving me the 'ol 'read between the lines'.

I have been struggling with responding or not even though I believe that Karma takes care of things like these.  The response I received obviously got under my skin but not because the owner doesn't agree with me but because they think that since others stroke their ego, they are right.  So sad.