Dear L. L. Bean,
Thank you so much for sending me your latest L.L. Bean Signature catalog. It is beautiful. The photography is gorgeous, the large size/format is very much suited to the photography and it is also thin, which made it a quick read.
I love L.L. Bean. I love classic, comfortable and timeless clothes. I've been wearing L.L. Bean clothing and shoes since my mom stopped making clothes for me and even more so after my Grammie moved to Maine - triple that after my husband became obsessed by Moosehead Lake and its surroundings. The clothes suit my fit and my style; whether I'm at the office, hanging out in my backyard (New Jersey), lounging on the front porch in Moosehead Lake (Maine), schussing down a peak in Sunday River (Maine), sailing on the Grace Bailey in Penobscot Bay (Maine), kayaking through a marsh on Cape Cod (Massachusetts), or grilling in front of our tent on a camping trip (just about anywhere). I LOVE your clothes.
So, here's my question. Did you not notice that it's only June 5th? I don't know all of the intimate details of the winter weather in Maine this year but in Jersey? It was hell. Snow, snow, and more snow -- which I love, but it never seemed to stop. And Spring? Fuggedaboutit. Rain, rain, cold, more rain, more cold. In fact, from what I hear even Mammoth Mountain in California is going to stay open for skiers until JULY 4th WEEKEND!!!!
This weekend was actually the first really nice weekend of what remains of Spring (Spring according to my calendar). SO WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?????
You sent me a catalog for "SUMMER INTO FALL 2011"....
I'm cryin'. It hasn't been warm enough for me to even open up your Spring catalog, I don't think I saw a Summer one and you're sending me "Summer Into Fall 2011?"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I get that right now, it's probably a little bit cooler in Maine than it is here in Jersey, but ... isn't your winter longer? Isn't your spring/summer shorter?
I get that you folks in the garment biz need to feather the nest ahead of time. Keep people thinking about the next best thing.
I thought I'd had it when last year in October, Sears had the Christmas stuff right next to the Halloween stuff. But FALL??? FALL??? Now? In June?
Fuggedaboutit....
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Power of Sunshine
Unless you've been living underneath a rock these days, you'll have heard that the State of New Jersey is about to begin drawing up the plans necessary to build an ark. A very large ark. Large enough to march all the people in two-by-two and still leave enough room for the animals. We'll definitely have to leave enough room for the animals. Franklin, our cat, has serious separation anxiety and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to get left behind.
There's been a lot of complaining about this rain. It isn't really an anomaly though. It's pretty typical to have a rainy spring. I remember when it used to snow until mid-late April. One Easter, we went to church and it had started snowing and by the time we got out there was 3-5 inches on the ground. Pretty cool. But, I was talking about the rain.
Even the animals don't like it - except for the ducks, of course. Animals don't say much but their body language speaks volumes. Birds fluff themselves up and shudder in the branches of my budding forsythia. The squirrels and chipmunks are surprisingly absent and even the resident feral cat is hardly seen. Farm animals don't look thrilled either. Horses stand closer to their barns, shoulders hunched and heads down. Cows and sheep don't appear to venture out at all.
I don't mind it much. I know it will pass and soon in about 3 months everyone will be hollering about how there isn't enough rain. Besides, a lot of rain makes you really appreciate the sun.
I commute every day from one extreme (near NYC) to the other (the mountains near PA). It's about 45 minutes and it's a pretty nice ride. Completely against traffic and I've got my Audible books downloaded to my Garmin StreetPilot so the time passes nicely. It's a pretty ride too once I pass the mid-point from Suburbia into Rural. Old houses, farms and fields.
Last week, we had a sunny day. Not just any sunny day. A gloriously, full blown warm, breezy, in the high 60s, "fooled you into thinking it was really spring" day. I had the sun roof open, a lightweight sweater on, listening to my latest book and enjoying that sun. The light energizing me and the heat making me a little lethargic all at the same time. I made my regular turn off the highway onto the back road with its mix of old rural horse farms and new development (that new development for people who think they want to live in "the country" until they get there and begin complaining about the farm smells and how remote everything is).
I round the bend in the final stretch to the office, getting ready to pass the horse farm on my right where every single day I watch these lovely palomino-colored horses. They've looked absolutely miserable lately in the pouring rain, blond manes plastered against their coats, schlepping through the mud, or just standing under the trees at the edge of the fencing trying to hide from the constant downpour. At first glance, they appear to be missing and I'm thinking, "On this day of all days! It's a glorious, sing at the top of your lungs with the radio day! A cavort in the fields day! Where are you?"
A little further up in the pasture the field is absolutely flooded with sunshine. There they are. There, in the middle of the field, stretched out comfortably on their sides, an occasional tail flick or a nostril quiver to indicate that they're alive, relaxed and happy. Soaking up the power of the sun.
There's been a lot of complaining about this rain. It isn't really an anomaly though. It's pretty typical to have a rainy spring. I remember when it used to snow until mid-late April. One Easter, we went to church and it had started snowing and by the time we got out there was 3-5 inches on the ground. Pretty cool. But, I was talking about the rain.
Even the animals don't like it - except for the ducks, of course. Animals don't say much but their body language speaks volumes. Birds fluff themselves up and shudder in the branches of my budding forsythia. The squirrels and chipmunks are surprisingly absent and even the resident feral cat is hardly seen. Farm animals don't look thrilled either. Horses stand closer to their barns, shoulders hunched and heads down. Cows and sheep don't appear to venture out at all.
I don't mind it much. I know it will pass and soon in about 3 months everyone will be hollering about how there isn't enough rain. Besides, a lot of rain makes you really appreciate the sun.
I commute every day from one extreme (near NYC) to the other (the mountains near PA). It's about 45 minutes and it's a pretty nice ride. Completely against traffic and I've got my Audible books downloaded to my Garmin StreetPilot so the time passes nicely. It's a pretty ride too once I pass the mid-point from Suburbia into Rural. Old houses, farms and fields.
Last week, we had a sunny day. Not just any sunny day. A gloriously, full blown warm, breezy, in the high 60s, "fooled you into thinking it was really spring" day. I had the sun roof open, a lightweight sweater on, listening to my latest book and enjoying that sun. The light energizing me and the heat making me a little lethargic all at the same time. I made my regular turn off the highway onto the back road with its mix of old rural horse farms and new development (that new development for people who think they want to live in "the country" until they get there and begin complaining about the farm smells and how remote everything is).
I round the bend in the final stretch to the office, getting ready to pass the horse farm on my right where every single day I watch these lovely palomino-colored horses. They've looked absolutely miserable lately in the pouring rain, blond manes plastered against their coats, schlepping through the mud, or just standing under the trees at the edge of the fencing trying to hide from the constant downpour. At first glance, they appear to be missing and I'm thinking, "On this day of all days! It's a glorious, sing at the top of your lungs with the radio day! A cavort in the fields day! Where are you?"
A little further up in the pasture the field is absolutely flooded with sunshine. There they are. There, in the middle of the field, stretched out comfortably on their sides, an occasional tail flick or a nostril quiver to indicate that they're alive, relaxed and happy. Soaking up the power of the sun.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The hand wringing over eReaders and eBooks
I'm going to step out of my comfort zone here and get confrontational ... hee-hee.
There are an awful lot of opinions floating around these days over eReaders. Some of it is from people that have physically seen, touched and tried one (through friends or retail stores), some of it is from people that actually own one, but a lot of it is from people that have done neither. Some see these as wonderful, environmentally friendly devices, others see them as the complete demise of books as well as the publishing industry. I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Just as we have not abandoned our 42" flat-screen TVs for laptops, I seriously doubt that we'll all, every last one of us, completely ditch our beautiful bookcases with all of those beautifully bound (and not so beautifully bound) volumes of knowledge, pictures, and stories for a 9x5 piece of plastic and metal.
The publishing industry appears to be pretty anti-eBook, which is a bit odd because, while it does hurt their 40% retail store margin, it also reduces their production and inventory costs (which, in turn, reduces overhead and their carbon footprint). And, with DRM (digital rights management protection) it pretty much reduces or eliminates the secondary/used book market, that also hurts their profits and is something the industry at large has been whining about and fighting for years, especially in the textbook market. You'd think they'd all be jumping for joy.
There seemed to be an awful lot of complaining about Amazon setting the prices for eBooks but there doesn't seem to be the same outrage over Apple setting the prices, which now appears to be the case as it is their higher prices for eBooks that started the firestorm over eBook pricing in the publishing industry in the first place.
Now, I don't necessarily need to be president to have an opinion about whether I approve of the job he's doing or not (which, by the way I do approve of the job he's trying to do) but I certainly wouldn't listen to my opinion as a way to make a voting or any other political decision. Nor would I expect anyone I know to actually go out and buy the type of car I own. I'd go to the source, read their material, and find myself some experts. Now sure, going to the source is going to get you a certain amount of "advertorializing" (did I just make up a word...), but I'd kick the tires a little and then decide. I certainly wouldn't rely on any news outlet with ratings agenda.
Sorry, I digressed a bit. So, I would recommend that anyone exploring the possibility of purchasing an eReader like the Kindle,iPad, nook or Sony Reader make sure that they read posts and reviews from people that actually own one or those who have extensively tried one.
Some have free wireless access, some have paid wireless access or no access at all. Most of them have some multi-function capabilities (MP3 listening), some have replaceable batteries and memory cards, some don't. Most of them allow you to make notes or highlight content as well as having a look-up feature for that word you're not quite sure of. Generally, they all (at least for now since there's no set standard) lock you into purchasing newly published books from the same company you purchased the device from. All of them have the ability to download books in the public domain (have a hankering to read The Scarlett Pimpernel or The Cricket on the Hearth?) from free online sources such as Feedbooks or the much-touted Google Books.
There's also a lot of complaining about eBook standards also but we seem to co-exist these days pretty well with both Apple and Microsoft. We also still have BlackBerry, iPhone and Palm and they co-exist and interact relatively comfortably also (okay well maybe not so comfortably but you can't have everything). Like any breakthrough technology it will take a little while for the dust to settle but long term, some genius will find a way for us to be able to use whatever machine we like in whatever way we like and make it easy for them to politely co-exist. You say tomAto, I say tomAHto......
They're not for everyone. I love mine, but I'm not about to burn any of my printed books or tear down my gorgeous custom made bookcases anytime soon, if ever. If you're an occasional reader or the reading you do is scientific-type journals, graphic novels, cookbooks, coffee table books, etc., then an eReader probably isn't for you. But if you read A LOT (1-2 books a week) and prefer non-fiction and fiction, are a book buyer not a book borrower, can't stand getting your New York Times or Washington Post 3 days late; then the cost of an eReader and the books themselves (even with the current eBook price hikes by Hachette and Macmillan) makes them a perfect adjunct to all of those other books sitting on your shelves. And if a new device is still too expensive there are plenty of used one popping up out there.
But don't take my word for it. Check them out for yourself.
There are an awful lot of opinions floating around these days over eReaders. Some of it is from people that have physically seen, touched and tried one (through friends or retail stores), some of it is from people that actually own one, but a lot of it is from people that have done neither. Some see these as wonderful, environmentally friendly devices, others see them as the complete demise of books as well as the publishing industry. I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Just as we have not abandoned our 42" flat-screen TVs for laptops, I seriously doubt that we'll all, every last one of us, completely ditch our beautiful bookcases with all of those beautifully bound (and not so beautifully bound) volumes of knowledge, pictures, and stories for a 9x5 piece of plastic and metal.
The publishing industry appears to be pretty anti-eBook, which is a bit odd because, while it does hurt their 40% retail store margin, it also reduces their production and inventory costs (which, in turn, reduces overhead and their carbon footprint). And, with DRM (digital rights management protection) it pretty much reduces or eliminates the secondary/used book market, that also hurts their profits and is something the industry at large has been whining about and fighting for years, especially in the textbook market. You'd think they'd all be jumping for joy.
There seemed to be an awful lot of complaining about Amazon setting the prices for eBooks but there doesn't seem to be the same outrage over Apple setting the prices, which now appears to be the case as it is their higher prices for eBooks that started the firestorm over eBook pricing in the publishing industry in the first place.
Now, I don't necessarily need to be president to have an opinion about whether I approve of the job he's doing or not (which, by the way I do approve of the job he's trying to do) but I certainly wouldn't listen to my opinion as a way to make a voting or any other political decision. Nor would I expect anyone I know to actually go out and buy the type of car I own. I'd go to the source, read their material, and find myself some experts. Now sure, going to the source is going to get you a certain amount of "advertorializing" (did I just make up a word...), but I'd kick the tires a little and then decide. I certainly wouldn't rely on any news outlet with ratings agenda.
Sorry, I digressed a bit. So, I would recommend that anyone exploring the possibility of purchasing an eReader like the Kindle,iPad, nook or Sony Reader make sure that they read posts and reviews from people that actually own one or those who have extensively tried one.
Some have free wireless access, some have paid wireless access or no access at all. Most of them have some multi-function capabilities (MP3 listening), some have replaceable batteries and memory cards, some don't. Most of them allow you to make notes or highlight content as well as having a look-up feature for that word you're not quite sure of. Generally, they all (at least for now since there's no set standard) lock you into purchasing newly published books from the same company you purchased the device from. All of them have the ability to download books in the public domain (have a hankering to read The Scarlett Pimpernel or The Cricket on the Hearth?) from free online sources such as Feedbooks or the much-touted Google Books.
There's also a lot of complaining about eBook standards also but we seem to co-exist these days pretty well with both Apple and Microsoft. We also still have BlackBerry, iPhone and Palm and they co-exist and interact relatively comfortably also (okay well maybe not so comfortably but you can't have everything). Like any breakthrough technology it will take a little while for the dust to settle but long term, some genius will find a way for us to be able to use whatever machine we like in whatever way we like and make it easy for them to politely co-exist. You say tomAto, I say tomAHto......
They're not for everyone. I love mine, but I'm not about to burn any of my printed books or tear down my gorgeous custom made bookcases anytime soon, if ever. If you're an occasional reader or the reading you do is scientific-type journals, graphic novels, cookbooks, coffee table books, etc., then an eReader probably isn't for you. But if you read A LOT (1-2 books a week) and prefer non-fiction and fiction, are a book buyer not a book borrower, can't stand getting your New York Times or Washington Post 3 days late; then the cost of an eReader and the books themselves (even with the current eBook price hikes by Hachette and Macmillan) makes them a perfect adjunct to all of those other books sitting on your shelves. And if a new device is still too expensive there are plenty of used one popping up out there.
But don't take my word for it. Check them out for yourself.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Things They Obviously Forget to Teach People These Days
Okay -- I've had enough. I know this is going to seem really petty and silly but I can't stand it any more so I'm going to get it all off my chest now and hopefully it will be cathartic enough so that I don't obsess these anymore.
1) There are turn signals installed on your car for a reason - generally to indicate in which direction you are going to aim your vehicle.
2) I realize that we in the Northeast have a fashion uniform (black) to uphold. At night, jogging on the road (not on the sidewalk) is not the best time to flaunt it.
3) Stop talking/holding your phone while driving!!! I'm in a hurry and whether you realize it or not you are backing up traffic in the middle lane miles behind you while weaving over the line into my lane! Unless you are a brain surgeon rushing to save someone's life -- trust me -- you're not so important that the conversation can't wait. And for that matter turn the stupid thing off once in awhile and repeat after me "I control technology ... technology does not control me." Breathe deep ... aaaaaaahhhhhh.
4) Bicyclists! Guess what! That Red traffic light at the intersection? Yeah ... that one. It applies to you too!!!! And another thing -- didn't anyone teach you hand signals!!! And another thing -- if you're old enough to run a red light you're old enough to drive a bicycle with one hand so you let the people in front and behind you know what the heck you're doing!!!!!!!!!
5) I really shouldn't get mad at this because I don't think they teach it anymore but.... Pedestrians!!!! When you are walking on the road you walk against traffic not with it. The reason is so that you can see the car before it hits you -- which means that you just might be able to get out of the way first.
6) Copywriters and Editors -- trust me... you can't "insure" anything unless you're State Farm or an attorney. What you can do is "ensure" that it doesn't happen again.
7) HR people or anyone who writes job descriptions for the purpose of attracting candidates for an open position -- I realize that it's tough these days finding qualified sales people but.... if the job description includes words like "increase revenue through cold calling" then it is not a MARKETING job and there really isn't any such thing as a MARKETING REP... sorry ... but it's a sales rep. I'm job hunting and it's really terribly misleading and inaccurate to use the terms "sales" and "marketing" interchangeably. While related, tactically they're really quite different.
8) Unless it is otherwise posted you are allowed to turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop.
9) The left lane is the passing lane, the middle lane is the travel lane, and the right lane is the slow lane. Just thought I'd let you know.
10) Please stop turning around in my driveway so that I can get into it myself. My husband needs his dinner.
There ... I feel much better now!
1) There are turn signals installed on your car for a reason - generally to indicate in which direction you are going to aim your vehicle.
2) I realize that we in the Northeast have a fashion uniform (black) to uphold. At night, jogging on the road (not on the sidewalk) is not the best time to flaunt it.
3) Stop talking/holding your phone while driving!!! I'm in a hurry and whether you realize it or not you are backing up traffic in the middle lane miles behind you while weaving over the line into my lane! Unless you are a brain surgeon rushing to save someone's life -- trust me -- you're not so important that the conversation can't wait. And for that matter turn the stupid thing off once in awhile and repeat after me "I control technology ... technology does not control me." Breathe deep ... aaaaaaahhhhhh.
4) Bicyclists! Guess what! That Red traffic light at the intersection? Yeah ... that one. It applies to you too!!!! And another thing -- didn't anyone teach you hand signals!!! And another thing -- if you're old enough to run a red light you're old enough to drive a bicycle with one hand so you let the people in front and behind you know what the heck you're doing!!!!!!!!!
5) I really shouldn't get mad at this because I don't think they teach it anymore but.... Pedestrians!!!! When you are walking on the road you walk against traffic not with it. The reason is so that you can see the car before it hits you -- which means that you just might be able to get out of the way first.
6) Copywriters and Editors -- trust me... you can't "insure" anything unless you're State Farm or an attorney. What you can do is "ensure" that it doesn't happen again.
7) HR people or anyone who writes job descriptions for the purpose of attracting candidates for an open position -- I realize that it's tough these days finding qualified sales people but.... if the job description includes words like "increase revenue through cold calling" then it is not a MARKETING job and there really isn't any such thing as a MARKETING REP... sorry ... but it's a sales rep. I'm job hunting and it's really terribly misleading and inaccurate to use the terms "sales" and "marketing" interchangeably. While related, tactically they're really quite different.
8) Unless it is otherwise posted you are allowed to turn right on a red light after coming to a complete stop.
9) The left lane is the passing lane, the middle lane is the travel lane, and the right lane is the slow lane. Just thought I'd let you know.
10) Please stop turning around in my driveway so that I can get into it myself. My husband needs his dinner.
There ... I feel much better now!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Kindle Krazy
Okay. I've had my Kindle now since last August and I would have thought the obsession would have passed by now, but it hasn't. I was a voracious reader before and now I'm reading more than ever before. Is there a word out there that means more than voracious? In fact, even though I have an entire bookcase filled with regular books that I still haven't read - I can't read regular books anymore. The type is too small, the resolution isn't as good, I need two hands to read, reading in bed is next to impossible without being propped up and keeping my husband awake. You get the picture.
I'm reading more fiction, more non-fiction and heck I'm even going to try the free cookbook! I've stashed all my free classics from www.Feedbooks.com (The Last of the Mochicans, The House of Seven Gables, The Vicar of Wakefield, etc.) on the SD card and I am toying with the idea of branching out to magazines.
I have to admit I was a bit peeved that almost immediately after the Oprah show (which drove me to finally actually purchase my Kindle in the first place), the Kindle 1 sold out and rumors of the Kindle 2 became stronger. I couldn't help but think that Jeff Bezos had used the Oprah show to sell out the first version so that Amazon wouldn't get stuck with excess stock before launching the Kindle 2. So I was absolutely not going to buy the Kindle 2 under any circumstances. When Kindle 2 launched I was glad I hadn't because I am probably one of the few users that use the extra SD card and had no problems with the side page buttons. But now, there's talk about a touchscreen version coming in late 2009 which will be very tempting.
About the only books I won't use my Kindle for are art/coffee table books and those books with high color graphics. Other than that - the sky's the limit.
Go out and buy one for yourself, for your significant other, your spouse, and your kids. Anything that gets America reading again is worth the investment.
I'm reading more fiction, more non-fiction and heck I'm even going to try the free cookbook! I've stashed all my free classics from www.Feedbooks.com (The Last of the Mochicans, The House of Seven Gables, The Vicar of Wakefield, etc.) on the SD card and I am toying with the idea of branching out to magazines.
I have to admit I was a bit peeved that almost immediately after the Oprah show (which drove me to finally actually purchase my Kindle in the first place), the Kindle 1 sold out and rumors of the Kindle 2 became stronger. I couldn't help but think that Jeff Bezos had used the Oprah show to sell out the first version so that Amazon wouldn't get stuck with excess stock before launching the Kindle 2. So I was absolutely not going to buy the Kindle 2 under any circumstances. When Kindle 2 launched I was glad I hadn't because I am probably one of the few users that use the extra SD card and had no problems with the side page buttons. But now, there's talk about a touchscreen version coming in late 2009 which will be very tempting.
About the only books I won't use my Kindle for are art/coffee table books and those books with high color graphics. Other than that - the sky's the limit.
Go out and buy one for yourself, for your significant other, your spouse, and your kids. Anything that gets America reading again is worth the investment.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Can't Uninstall Weather Channel Desktop
Well it appears that the Weather Channel has taken over my PC and there is not a darn thing I can do about it!! You would think that a company selling a product would have (a) developed it properly or at least at a minimu (b) know how to fix it. Nope. Not happening. I've been to their site, to the CNET site (thanks for trying by the way), and to several other sites and absolutely nothing I do will remove the program from my system.
The first clue that this was going to be harder than I thought was when searching how to uninstall Weather Channel Desktop, there are the same number of postings and recommended solutions as there probably are if you search for the term "software". And most of them want you to install yet more software to remove the software you already installed but can't get rid of...
So now, every single morning I turn on my laptop to start work and I get 3 Weather Channel Desktop Windows that open -- 2 that won't close which means that I next have to run Task Manager to close the 2 windows.
If anyone is even remotely thinking about buying or installing the free version of Weather Channel Desktop beware!! If it works, more power to you but if you ever want to move, add, change, upgrade, or uninstall it you will never get rid of it.
Trying to uninstall Weather Channel Desktop? Fuggedaboutit....
The first clue that this was going to be harder than I thought was when searching how to uninstall Weather Channel Desktop, there are the same number of postings and recommended solutions as there probably are if you search for the term "software". And most of them want you to install yet more software to remove the software you already installed but can't get rid of...
So now, every single morning I turn on my laptop to start work and I get 3 Weather Channel Desktop Windows that open -- 2 that won't close which means that I next have to run Task Manager to close the 2 windows.
If anyone is even remotely thinking about buying or installing the free version of Weather Channel Desktop beware!! If it works, more power to you but if you ever want to move, add, change, upgrade, or uninstall it you will never get rid of it.
Trying to uninstall Weather Channel Desktop? Fuggedaboutit....
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Green Hair
There's been a lot of news/hype lately about chemicals in beauty products, specifically hair products as seen on GMA and Oprah, to name just a few. I've had a love/hate relationship with my hair since I was old enough to understand that unfortunately, looks matter. It's straight -- I like that -- and baby fine -- hate that. My hairdresser says I know more about hair products than any person she knows including herself. Lately, I've been reading and seeing a lot about the ingredients that go into shampoos and conditioners (and other beauty products) and (a) decided to do some investigating on my own and (b) go in search of some "safer" products that were equal to or better than the chemical induced volumizing gook that I'd been using.
I found out a couple of things: (a) that in spite of comments to the contrary there is no link between SLS's (sodium lauryl sulfate/sulfeth, etc.) and cancer. It's complicated but apparently from both studies and a chemical standpoint it is impossible for SLS's to do what they've been accused of (something to do with nitrogen atoms - check out www.treehugger.com and their article on Eco-Myths, among others, if you don't believe me) other than possibly being irritable to sensitive skin; and (b) that the information about Parabens is true. Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as anti-microbial preservatives in all kinds of products from food to cosmetics and including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood. U.K. researchers found measurable concentrations of six different parabens in 20 human breast tumors. Due to this there are, of course, more studies on the table. And there is another common ingredient in a lot of beauty products, ethanolamines (listed most frequently as MEA and DEA which do contain that pesky nitrogen atom which when combined with other ingredients can be cause for concern).
This was just creepy enough for me to want to stop using them (after all I quit smoking 20 years ago so now I'm going to let my shampoo try to kill me?). I didn't hold much hope though of finding anything "safe" that would be kind to my pocketbook and continue to give my hair it's required chemical boost!
I was wrong. Burt's Bees to the rescue!!! I discovered they made volumizing hair products and after several attempts did manage to score some from a Walgreens while on a recent business trip. This stuff is amazing! Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo and it's companion, Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Conditioner. The Shampoo was only $8/bottle which is a LOT less than I was paying for my salon-type products. It lathers like no tomorrow and has a pretty nice fragrance. The Conditioner has a great consistency, goes on evenly and rinses clean. The only downside is that the Conditioner has a bit of an odd smell . It's not awful, it just isn't pleasant. It rinses out though so there's no worries there.
So congrats to Burt's Bees and for all you fine and thin-haired beauties out there looking for economical and effective hair products with fewer chemicals - no more worries!
I found out a couple of things: (a) that in spite of comments to the contrary there is no link between SLS's (sodium lauryl sulfate/sulfeth, etc.) and cancer. It's complicated but apparently from both studies and a chemical standpoint it is impossible for SLS's to do what they've been accused of (something to do with nitrogen atoms - check out www.treehugger.com and their article on Eco-Myths, among others, if you don't believe me) other than possibly being irritable to sensitive skin; and (b) that the information about Parabens is true. Parabens are a group of compounds widely used as anti-microbial preservatives in all kinds of products from food to cosmetics and including underarm deodorants. Parabens are absorbed through intact skin and from the gastrointestinal tract and blood. U.K. researchers found measurable concentrations of six different parabens in 20 human breast tumors. Due to this there are, of course, more studies on the table. And there is another common ingredient in a lot of beauty products, ethanolamines (listed most frequently as MEA and DEA which do contain that pesky nitrogen atom which when combined with other ingredients can be cause for concern).
This was just creepy enough for me to want to stop using them (after all I quit smoking 20 years ago so now I'm going to let my shampoo try to kill me?). I didn't hold much hope though of finding anything "safe" that would be kind to my pocketbook and continue to give my hair it's required chemical boost!
I was wrong. Burt's Bees to the rescue!!! I discovered they made volumizing hair products and after several attempts did manage to score some from a Walgreens while on a recent business trip. This stuff is amazing! Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo and it's companion, Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Conditioner. The Shampoo was only $8/bottle which is a LOT less than I was paying for my salon-type products. It lathers like no tomorrow and has a pretty nice fragrance. The Conditioner has a great consistency, goes on evenly and rinses clean. The only downside is that the Conditioner has a bit of an odd smell . It's not awful, it just isn't pleasant. It rinses out though so there's no worries there.
So congrats to Burt's Bees and for all you fine and thin-haired beauties out there looking for economical and effective hair products with fewer chemicals - no more worries!
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