my friend’s mama always said, and I paraphrase,
Soap is cheap. No excuse for not being clean
But most soaps and traditional shampoos are actually quite harsh for the skin and hair.
That’s why I love to use Wen hair conditioner products. They are amazing.
A former girlfriend of mine introduced me to this fantastic product.
Wen Fig 32oz
There are several types – not to be used based on your nose’s preference but rather the type of hair you have.
For fine and medium hair the proper choices are Lavender, Cucumber Aloe, or Sweet Almond Mint.
If you have medium coarse or ethnic hair then Fig, Lavender or Tea Tree are your best bets.
She gave me the Fig conditioner to try and I have to say, I didn’t think I’d like the scent, but after using it I find I do. Plus it feels great working it into your scalp. That’s the key to using hair products I found out. To get rid of dirt and balance the scalp’s oils, you need to work your fingers down in there. And when it comes to conditioning the hair, the ends need it the most.
I really like that Wen is a very natural product that has no sodium laurel sulfate which is pretty much in most all shampoos and body soaps on the market today. Sure, they get you clean but they are WAY to harsh on the skin and hair.
What the company says:
WEN is designed to eliminate shampoo and its harsh and damaging effects, without sacrificing the integrity and beauty of your hair. WEN is the only cleanser/conditioner you will need to use in your daily routine, and can be used as often as necessary.
Fig Cleansing Conditioner is a universal cleanser which, due to its rich, dense consistency, works exceptionally well to moisturize, hydrate and replenish dry, heat-damaged, color-treated, or dehydrated hair. This cleansing conditioner is free of sodium laurel sulfates and detergents, and cleanses without lathering or stripping the scalp or hair of natural moisture.
Due to the harsh detergents and sodium laurel/laureth sulfates found in most all shampoos, they would experience color fading/stripping, dull, lifeless, frizzy, dry hair, dry scalps, oily scalps, scalp disorders, hair loss, etc., damaging their scalp, hair, health and environment. That was when I started to implement my new concept in cleansing, eliminating the detergents and harsh chemicals that lather and strip your scalp and hair, and introduced the WEN product line to the world.
Learn more about the specifics
http://www.chazdean.com/t-aboutwen.aspx
Back in August of 2009 I was visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico with a friend and we stopped by the new Farmer’s Market at the old Railyard. They have a special train that comes up from Albequerque every Saturday.
The Santa Fe farmer’s market is one of the top 10 farmer’s markets in the US. It was quite impressive to visit. Plenty of variety of foods, fruits, veggies, herbs, crafts, bakery goods.
There’s also an adjoining Artist’s Market next to the park – hey, this is Santa Fe – home of more artists per capita than any place I’ve been – and I should add, not just run of the mill art or south western art but stuff that comes from California to New York, Europe, Asia and beyond.
Inside one of the buildings I noticed these posters on the wall talking about this Slow Money concept. You can click on the gallery pictures to read the gist of it. I also wrote out the main parts below.
Santa Fe Farmers Market in the Railyard – sept 9-11, 2009
Since late 2008, thousands of Americans in dozens of cities and towns have participated in the launch of the slow money movement. Is it the beginning of the nurture capital industry? A new vision of seed capital?
Join thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors,donors, farmers and activists for Slow Money’s inaugural national gathering, bringing together people from across the country, and also featuring a focus on New Mexico’s regional food system.
Let’s fix America’s economy ‘from the ground up’ . . . starting with local food.
LEARN MORE @ http://www.SlowMoneyAlliance.org
Today’s Pick: Shaklee’s Performance Sports Drink
My Favorite - The Big Can - 70+ servings
When it comes to staying hydrated and rehydrating, nothing else comes close. As a personal observation, an added benefit seems to be quick available energy that keeps you going long after you think you’d be spent.*
I like to buy it in the Performance Team Pack size to save a few bucks, plus it lasts for quite a while. Lately I’ve been sticking with the Lemon-Lime flavor, but I like to mix it up and switch to the Orange now and then. I tried mixing the two together half and half but found it didn’t really taste as good as each on their own.
A few years ago, I just bought a Trikke 8 and finally figured out how to make it go. So being the over achiever I am, I decided I would conquer the entire Pinellas Trail - 34+ miles from end to end running the length of Pinellas County with the addition of a few extensions which of course I had to do. [Note to self: share embarrassing story of Trikke 8 experiences]
I mixed up a double dose in a 20 oz water bottle, grabbed a few granola bars and set out on the Pinellas Trail for the first leg of what would be several different sessions to finish it.
Mind you, I had not been doing much cardio at all prior to taking this on. Sipping on the Performance, I managed to go almost 5 hours and wasn’t even tired or sore. Not even the next day. I couldn’t believe I went that long and far without paying for it later.
I really like the fact that Shaklee doesn’t put crap [chemicals, artificial colors/sweeteners/additives] in any of their products, so you know you are getting the best there is. Chalk up another glowing testimonial to the power of Shaklee, lol! I tell you, this stuff works!
The smaller can of Performance makes 19 servings @ 100 calories per.
*Independent peer reviewed and accepted published research has proves this to be true.
The folks over at Icon Aircraft will even train you to fly your new A5 amphibian.
Being classified as a sports plane, you only need 20 hours of training for your license to fly.
If you don’t have one, they will train you over the course of a few weeks before you take delivery of your plane.
Training will run about $3000 to $5000. Hey, if you can afford the very affordable price tag of the A5 [$139K], then a few extra Gs should be nothing.
Delivery is still expected to be in late 2010… oh, the waiting is the hardest part.
Hey, why not go get your license now if you haven’t already?!
With the Winter season approaching and snow skiing vacations on many people’s list, this is a great time to tell everyone about a most wonderful discovery of a natural treatment for avoiding high altitude sickness. Heck, this is painless adjustment to high altitude in a bottle.
North view of Rio Grande outside Taos, NM
On a recent trip this summer out to Santa Fe and Taos, my friend and I experienced the effects of high altitude on our bodies as we were coming from sea level in Florida which we are accustomed to.
At 6000 to 7000 feet above sea level, I’m told the oxygen levels are about 20% less than at sea level. Doesn’t sound like much, but it can get to you in the form of shortness of breath, headaches and nausea and worse.
The change in altitude affects the pressure on the kidneys and fluid buildup in the lungs and brain. To make up for the decrease in oxygen, the body needs a few days to acclimate by increasing red blood cells which are your body’s oxygen transporters.
The first day we are hitting the ground running around Santa Fe feeling good. Gorgeous weather and tons of stuff to see are distracting us from thinking about the change in altitude. But later in the day I notice I feel a little winded and my friend is faring much worse. She feels weak and nauseous and has trouble catching a breath. Concerned, we call a pharmacy to find out we are suffering from altitude sickness and my friend probably needs diuretics. Not ones for popping pills, we search to see if there are any oxygen bars in town. We find one but it’s closed.
We consider homeopathic remedies and stop in a Whole Foods market. After explaining the situation, an employee leads my friend straight to a bottle of green stuff. I am a little skeptical of this being some sort of miracle elixir, but I figure it can’t hurt.
The product is ChlorOxygen – a chlorophyll concentrate made from stinging nettle put out by Herbs Etc, a local Santa Fe supplement company. On the packaging, it reads:
I doubt it’s a placebo effect, but my friend and I can both personally attest that everything the label says is true.
You use it by putting 18-36 drops in a bottle of water and have it once or twice a day. Being concentrated, it can stain easily and green teeth and tongues can be a bit disconcerting. ”Me HULK… Me Angry!”
My friend wastes no time and grabs a bottle of water in the store and mixes up the concoction right there and starts drinking it. It turns the water a dark green color. As for the taste, they say it has a mild grassy flavor. It also comes in a mint flavored version.
Personally, I like the taste and find it VERY mild… If you’ve ever had a shot of wheat grass, I can tell you this is NOTHING like that. I find wheat grass hard to drink as it’s soooo strong. This stuff isn’t.
I am amazed at how quickly it works. My friend starts feeling a bit better within minutes and before the day is through, she is good to go. We both end up drinking the stuff the rest of the time we are in New Mexico. I swear it gives us a nice energy boost too - and not a harsh ‘wired’ one like mass marketed energy drinks can do. Along with regular water, it makes it very easy to stay properly hydrated the whole time we are there.
We both like the benefits so much that we even use it daily back in Florida. We share the tip with everyone we meet too.
I have to warn you, we did experience one of the ’side effects’ too – green poo which smelled like grass fed cow variety. This seems to go away after you’ve been taking it for a while and your body adjusts to it.
I really like that ChlorOxygen doesn’t require refrigeration and has no icky preservatives. At about $10 for a 1oz bottle [60 18 drop servings], it’s a very cheap solution to solving the problem of altitude sickness.
I like the Mint Flavored version myself – available here: Herbs Etc – ChlorOxygen Mint Flavored – 1 fl oz
ChlorOxygen, don’t leave for your mountain vacation without it!
If Apple was in the aerospace industry, they couldn’t have done a better job of designing a GOTTA HAVE IT! MUST HAVE IT!
I think of it as the Macintosh of sports planes. . . On my wish list to Santa. Drool….
I’ve had my eye on this baby since it’s inception. The Icon A5 amphibian light sport aircraft.
Price: $139,000
Deposit: $5000 fully transferrable if you have buyer’s remorse.
Beautiful simple design – like a cross between a jet ski and a spaceship.
The interior is simple and sleek like a fine sports car with a stick in place of a steering wheel.
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All this is made possible by the FAA avaiation rule change in 2004 by creating a new catagory known as light-sport aircraft.
A mere 20 hours of flight school instead of the 40 hours needed for your standard private pilot license and you’re qualified to fly this baby. If you don’t already have your pilot’s license, flight lessons will cost you around $5,000 in training fees.
First delivery is expected Q3 2011 plenty of time to get some flying in before 2012, lol. Powered by a Rotax 100hp engine has a range of about 300nm and speed of 120. 100hp.
Damn, there’s SeaDoos with more horsepower than that!
Due to the aircraft’s class restrictions you’ll have to decide between a rocket safety chute (one, please) or automatic wing folding.
Come on, put a little muscle into it. Hey, I’ve got hand cranked windows in my truck and I’m cool with that.
One less thing to break. Besides, I’ll take safety over convenience any day.
If you really can’t wait and want to be first in line, you can plop down 100K deposit and be one of the first to get delivery.
“The first 100 ICON A5 customer deliveries will be exclusive A5 Limited Edition (A5 LE) models.
Reserving an A5 LE, and thereby joining the ICON 100, requires a higher deposit of $100,000 USD.”
Coolness:
Take off and land on land or WATER!
As new planes go, price isn’t in the stratosphere
Easy to fly
Awesome design
Bummers:
Have to wait for a while before they’re ready for delivery
A few rules of the sky:
Fly below 10,000 feet
Only day flying with clear skys and stay away from busy airports.
The coolness factors WIN
Now where did I put my checkbook?
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Icon: southern california manufacturer of light sport aircraft Icon A5.
Founder: Kirk Hawkins, 41, former F16 fighter pilot with degrees in engineering and business from Stanford.
