review: le salon nyc

Walk down East 44th Street around the corner from the United Nations and you'll find a quaint little space called Le Salon NYC, an exclusively organic hair salon. They say good things come in small packages, and the phrase couldn't be more true here.

Truth be told, I was in need of a good hair cut when I first walked through their door nearly a month ago. I had not had my hair cut in a year - yes, A YEAR - as I'd been trying to grow my hair out. While the length of time may throw you off, I can only say this is coming to you from someone who rocked the pixie cut for much longer than she should have. Needless to say, by the time I visited Le Salon, my hair was in a seriously bad state of affairs.

Ashraf, who cut my hair, could perhaps be a long lost sister of Zsa Zsa Gabor. She speaks in a thick Iranian accent about the way NYC once was and you know within a minute of meeting her that this lady could share some great stories over a glass of wine. She also cuts to the chase. Before I knew it, she was scheduling me to come back in for a Keratin smoothing treatment before she would even consider cutting my hair. Keratin treatments are a bit controversial, so I was a little concerned at first, but as Le Salon carries only organic products I felt much more at ease (their product is 100% formaldehyde-free and the ingredients are all-natural).

Post treatment and haircut, all I can say is WOW, what a difference. For starters, instead of wearing a pony tail every.day.of.the.week, I'm now wearing my hair down almost every day. My hair is soooo much easier to manage and gone are the frizzies, thanks to the Keratin treatment.

Keratin treatment aka "Magic Hair Paste"

I was really happy with the cut, too. I wanted to keep the length and clean up all those split ends, and she also gave me longer bangs to help frame my face (which I sorely needed). I was so happy that she listened to what I wanted, and I'm really happy with the end result.

As busy moms, while it may seem cliche, it really is important to take a little time for yourself when you can. To pull yourself out of any rut you might have fallen into (like my bad hair, for example). To treat yourself to a little pampering. And I should mention, Le Salon NYC serves wine, too. :)




Disclaimer: I was given a free haircut and Keratin treatment for a review of Le Salon NYC's services. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

need to know publishing launches first 3 titles

I recently attended the launch party for Need to Know Publishing, a new children's publishing company with three titles already under their belt. The company is the brainchild of three friends (all fathers) and their dream of producing quality and informative children's books. The series of board books, which aptly begins with "What Every Child Needs to Know About ..." has taken on the varied topics of Elvis Presley, Coffee and Cancer thus far.

photo credit: Marc Engelsgjerd, MD

While the Elvis Presley book is brought to life with archival photos of The King and a look at his life and legacy (and favorite sandwich!), Coffee takes a humorous look at why most adults NEED coffee in the morning as well as where the coffee bean comes from and how it's produced (we particularly love this one as my gals know I am not fully functioning in the morning until I've had a cup of joe).

photo credit: Marc Engelsgjerd, MD

What Every Child Needs to Know About Cancer is obviously more serious yet written in a way that's age-appropriate. I can see how this book would be the perfect companion to sharing with a child that a loved one has the disease (one of the authors is a doctor and noted oncology analyst). An honest, simple and comforting look at a horrible disease that affects almost everyone in some way.

Upcoming titles include a look at the economy, punk rock music and pizza. While I'm the first one to sign up for a great fantasy or fairy tale, informative books where the whole family can learn something together are so important. Reading with my gals continues to be one of my favorite things that we do together, and we're all enjoying our new additions to the bookcase. And on a side note, Millie is now requesting to listen to Elvis.




Disclaimer: I was given Need to Know Publishing's first three books for review. All opinions expressed therein are my own.

nyc day trip: storm king

I hope all the mamas out there had a wonderful Mother's Day! We spent Sunday on a day trip to Storm King Arts Center in Mountainville, NY. I'd been wanting to go there for a while, and Mother's Day seemed like the perfect excuse to head out of town for a day trip. Located just an hour north of NYC, Storm King is a sight to behold. One of the world's leading sculpture parks, we had the best time just walking around taking it all in. There were literally dandelions EVERYWHERE, and the girls had so much fun running through the field picking flowers.

Afterwards, we took a tram around the park to get a more official tour of the different works of art, but you can also rent bikes to get around. At $15/person (4 and under are free), Storm King is an ideal mini getaway from the city. By car is the easiest way to get there, but Coach USA also offers two trip options from the city. Prepare to walk around in awe that such a beautiful, wide open space exists so close to the city, and definitely bring a picnic!

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day. Love to my little sweethearts. xo

big apple books: arnold's green adventure

Arnold's Green Adventure
by Jennifer Cantelmi

It has been FAR, far too long since I've added a new Big Apple book to my ongoing list of NYC-themed children's books. BOO. Thank goodness for Arnold's Green Adventure to get me inspired and jumpstarted again! Written and illustrated by Jennifer Cantelmi, a NYC-based writer, artist and teacher, this tale centers around Arnold, a little bird who lives with his family in Times Square. While he enjoys the bright lights of Broadway, he grows wistful for nature and greenery, and goes on a grand quest to find a new home. Eventually, this journey leads him to The Highline, one of the greenest places in Manhattan. Arnold couldn't have found a better home, and this book so sweetly and whimsically details his adventure. The illustrations really capture the hustle and bustle of the city and the abundance of nature that can be found atop The Highline. Delightful read!

seventh generation goes to congress

As many of you know, I'm working with Seventh Generation to help spread the word about their Toxin Freedom Fighters Campaign (and well, their general awesomeness). Here's some exciting news -- not only did they receive their goal of 100,000 signatures on a petition to Congress for safer chemicals... but they EXCEEDED it by over 20,000 (and the list continues to grow)! Incredible.

Yesterday, representatives from Seventh Generation and the Toxin Freedom Fighters visited Congress to present their petition for chemical reform -- to demand that Congress "clean up" the Toxic Substances Control Act and pass stronger laws to protect the health of all Americans. Simply put, we want to hold companies responsible for the safety of the ingredients in their products.

John Replogle, CEO and President of Seventh Generation, writes, "As business leader, a father, and an American, I will not sit back and allow thousands of unregulated chemicals to unknowingly poison our families, our homes, and the environment. Over 120,000 Americans agree that Congress must act to protect our families."

I'm especially proud that my state's senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, was able to meet with Seventh Generation. I'm a big fan of hers and I hope that she and the other senators will put this on the forefront of their agendas, because we've already taken the first step.

If you'd still like to sign the petition for safer chemicals, you can do that HERE. So proud to be a part of this campaign.