In these troubling times- we cannot afford a bad hair day!

Confession:  I spent the majority of the past week in my pajamas. The first couple of days is sort of a "Yes, I am free to do this!" By Friday, it's more like, "Jenny deMars- take control of your life!" I'm all for a nice pajama day and snuggling up on the couch but if you spend too much time doing this- it's a slippery slope to Frumpville my friends! I came to this realization yesterday when I looked at myself in the mirror. I immediately booked a hair appointment.

Now for those of you who know me well- you know that I like to change my hairstyle frequently. I am fairly confident that I've tried most hair colors and cuts over the past couple of decades- from "the Rachel" to "the Posh" -not to mention all the Meg Ryan debacles!  I actually consider myself somewhat of an expert on the subject. I have a general rule for myself which is if I catch myself wearing my hair pulled back five days a week- it's time to see a professional. And on this specific subject- seeking a hair stylist- I have set some ground rules that I thought I'd share with you all!

1) Loyalty is only as strong as the quality of haircut. I am very serious about this- I know a lot of people who continue to be disappointed by their cut or color and keep going back to the same person because they feel bad. We are not looking for a new friend- we are looking for good hair.

2) Be Specific: the second part of this rule- don't say "oh, whatever you think will look good!" Believe me- I have burned by this one many, many times! I suppose it can prove successful at times, but is it worth the risk? 

3) Dump the over-booker: Listen, unless we're getting a complimentary spa day as a part of our visit- i.e. massage, facial, pedicure- we do not need to spend our entire day at the salon because our stylist overbooks appointments.  

4) Try the newbie- I have had a lot of success with this one. Basically, the new stylists charge the least amount of money because they are new and still proving themselves. If you choose to see this person, often times they will give you an awesome haircut and color. They have less appointments booked so they spend more time making you look fabulous. They still need to build a client base so they are aiming to impress. A couple of side notes here- first, only attempt this at a nice salon where they actually had to prove themselves to be invited to work there. Secondly, refer back to rule 1 once you've been seeing this person for a while and they start getting sloppy.

Now this may all seem superficial and ridiculous but I think we can all agree that our spirit is higher if we are looking our best.  We are more productive and confident. It all starts with a good haircut.  I personally can't afford to be going to the salon as often as I used to. Therefore, I have stuck with dark color closer to my natural shade. I was very happy with the first stylist I went to since moving here but she decided to change salons. She had told me that she was considering this and I told her that I would follow her so long as she stuck with Aveda (where my true loyalty lies).  She did not stick with an Aveda salon so I cut ties. I tried rule number 4 at the salon yesterday- and for $35 I got an excellent haircut. Let's face it- in these troubling times, we cannot afford bad hair.