Gigi's Favorite Things: My all time (so far) favorite hair products edition

This is a feature that my friend, Nicole (HI NICOLE!), does that I have stolen co-opted.

If you've been around here for a while; then you know that thoughts about my hair is usually on the top ten list in my mind at all times.  Vanity?  No.  I just really want to get through this life without being mistaken for a yeti - hence, the preoccupation.

Currently, there are three "must have" products for me and my hair.  

In a desperate attempt to stop frizzy hair (particularly during the humid summer) a creamy leave-in conditioner is an absolute must for me.  I have found that most any creamy leave-in conditioner works for me (spray on leave-in just does not appeal to me in the slightest - actually ANY spray on product does not work for me as it feels like the majority of the spray ends up on the floor and not on my hair) but right now I am loving Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish.

I really like the way this stuff feels and it doesn't seem to weigh my hair down.  Which, honestly, after 19 months without a haircut IS a bigger issue than one would think.

Next up is one of my very favorites, Aquage Uplifting Foam.

It may be my imagination, but whenever I use this on the crown  it seems that I have more "lift" up there...otherwise the curls just weigh everything down.  

While the majority of these products are curl related - this one is not.  So, those of you with lovely, straight hair - if you try this, I'd love to hear if this works for you too!

Generally, my favorite all-around product (i.e., the one that is used for the majority of "styling" - if you consider putting product in wet hair, scrunching it all in, letting it air dry and then scrunching out the cast and fluff "styling" that is) is Aquage Curl Defining Creme.

Gosh, it looks like *I* took these pictures,
they are so blurry!

This stuff really does help define and set the curls.  Granted, it will give me the "wet" look of the 80s after it's dried...but I can then crunch it out and fluff to remedy that issue.  I can't say with all honestly that I have fabulous hair days every day when using this - but it comes pretty close and I can't think of another product that can make that claim.

In the second best column, I have Aquage Defining Gel.  

This also gives you that crunchy, wet look that is quickly remedied with crunching it out and fluffing after it fully dries.  I really like this product but can't pinpoint the exact "why" this comes in second best.  Generally, this is what I reach for if I am out of the creme product.

Shockingly (or maybe not), as a child my hair was not curly.  The older I get the curlier it seems to get...go figure.  

At any rate, not long after I decided to stop straightening it, I chanced upon a blog post about curly hair (how do you write a blog about that one, very SPECIFIC, topic??  That's the only thing this blog ever wrote about) where the very first sentence went something along the lines of about how it is a "LOT of work" to have curly hair.  

This made me laugh - as someone who used to spend forty-five minutes to an hour EVERY day straightening my hair, going with my natural hair pattern is much easier (five minutes, maybe?  Not counting the time it takes to air dry).  Then I read her routine.  Well, if I was going to go through all of that I might as well straighten it.  So, I think I'll stick with my three, tried and true products* and my "styling" routine.

* It goes without saying (except here I am saying it), that I will also try other products that sound promising (what can I say?  Marketing people LOVE people like me) but, so far, I keep returning to these.  So for now, these are my "go to" hair products.

Feel free to dish and tell me about your favorites in the comments - who knows, maybe one of you will point me to a new "go to" hair product.  ;-)

The weirdest and/or most random thing...

 Back in June, I clocked in 20 years with this (and the previous incarnation) of this company.  As one does when someone has been anywhere for any length of time, you begin to accumulate many random things.

And you quickly become known as a "Go To" person for random requests.  At one point, several years ago, there were three of us "Go To" people on our floor - we had you covered in the event of ANY request.  Sadly, (for me - they retired and are as happy as clams) it's all down to me now.

Need a safety pin?  Tweezers?  Nail clippers?  Eye glasses repair kit?  Small screwdriver?  Whatever it might be that you find yourself in need of at the office, I'm your person.

Earlier this week, my cube had to be re-configured.  My boss told me all about it and said that I would have to put things back in place as they had to move my printer, files, plants, etc.

Sure enough, when I went in late this afternoon (since we are on summer hours the building is empty on Friday afternoons; which gives me my Saturday mornings back for a bit) I had to put everything to rights.

As I was doing so, I noticed that my African Violet was a bit "wobbly."  Between you and me, science be damned, I'm fairly convinced that potting soil evaporates over time and needs to be replaced.*

And guess what I had, squirreled away in one of my drawers?

Potting soil.

No, I am not kidding.  

A long time ago, I had this same issue with another plant and I recalled thinking it would be easier to bring the soil in than to take the plant home, add the soil and bring it back.

So I added soil to the plant, of which I still have plenty for next time, and went about my business.

But on the drive home it occurred to me that if I were to be hit by a bus and someone had to clean out my work area, that would be the ONE item that would have them scratching their heads...and I had to laugh.

And that brings us to this - what is the weirdest and/or most random thing that you have squirreled away at work?  Or if you don't work in an office, what is the weirdest and/or most random thing you have squirreled away in the most unlikely place?

* I'm sure it just compacts over time; but I prefer to think of it as evaporating.

An interesting turn...

In an interesting turn of events, The Husband has exhibited GREAT interest in finishing the back porch.  Which is funny in that I thought it was done.

He has decided that we need to replace the ceiling fan.  Fair enough.  That fan IS ugly.  But then again, many ceiling fans are ugly but necessary here in the southern climes.

Then he decided that we need to remove the vinyl siding and put in (wait for it) shiplap, after Man-Child suggested it.  First of all, HOW do these two even know what shiplap is??  Turns out ManChild's girlfriend has him watching HGTV occasionally.  The Husband, on the other hand, doesn't watch HGTV so how he knows about it is a mystery.

I can only surmise that all this enthusiasm stems from wanting at least one project done - and this particular project is so close to being finished.  I can relate.  But honestly, as nice as it would be to have this project, that I didn't even know wasn't finished, done - I am thinking about the other things that need to be done first.  

We *might* be having guests(!) in October.  So, to my mind, the guest room needs to be finished and the bonus room (that I keep forgetting we have upstairs) needs to be started (as in nothing has been done at all yet) first.

So here's my question for you.  As a guest, I am guessing you would prefer to have an actual bed to sleep on rather than, say, a daybed?  The guest room has a double bed but what should I do upstairs?  Two twins?  Or a double/queen?  I'm kind of leaning toward twins so we have more beds.  But, guests are few and far between so maybe I should just have the one larger bed.  I'm overthinking this, I know.  Your thoughts will be most appreciated.

So we shall see how it all plays out.  If he wants to go forward with his new project, he can have at it.  Meanwhile, I am shopping for headboards and beds online.

So, those doors that I painted about a month ago?  Last night, I mentioned in passing that I don't hate the front door as much now since it was painted.  He looked at me, shocked.  Then walked to the front door, opened it and stared.  I was laughing and then asked, "Did you ever notice that the door from the garage was also painted?"  He then opened that door to take a peek.  

At this point, I am tempted to see what else I can change to see if he'll notice without it being pointed out.