One Of My Favorite Days

Today is a day that I look forward to each month. Once a month, I meet my friends Tricia and Christina for our "business meeting." Tricia owns Canine Confections, and Christina owns Confections by Christina Elizabeth. These hard-working, innovative, fierce, strong women are my go-to people, and I love them. Each month, we meet in Blairsville at The Villa Restaurant and Pub, discussing anything and everything about our businesses, upcoming markets, goals, and, of course, personal lives. These two amazing women keep me sane, lift me, keep me grounded, and are just good for my soul.

There are friends, and then there are friends who become family. Tricia and Christina are my family. The three of us have uncannily similar backgrounds. We all share oddly identical family issues. We understand each other, get each other, and empathize with each other. Sometimes, it's just good to be understood, and we understand each other. With Tricia and Christina, I feel free to speak unfiltered. There is absolutely no pretense, no agenda, no judgment. One rarely finds friends; one can be one hundred percent one's authentic self and continue to remain friends. I know what we share is rare and genuine.

Tricia and I are close in age, but Christina is the one we call a "young pup." Christina just turned thirty, and we have a good two decades on her. Although I am old enough to be her mother or, at the very least, a cool aunt, we find common ground and appreciate where we are in our life's journey. Christina is one of the strongest women I know. I admire her strength, vision, optimism, and kind heart. She may be two decades younger than me, but she is an old soul. Our friendship works, and I believe we bring out the best in each other.

My friend Tricia has become my ride-or-die. I adore Trish. Everyone needs a friend they can message and say, "Will you bail me out of jail if I get arrested?" I know Trish will be there with bail money, a coffee with a straw in it, and a minivan filled with garbage bags and shovels to help me bury a body. She is that kind of friend. In the event I would commit a felony, Trish would be my alibi and convince me that whoever I killed had it coming, and it was well deserved. One does not come across a friend like that very often. Tricia and I text almost every day. It doesn't have to be anything important; it is just checking in with each other and making sure everything is good.

The three of us met at The Ligonier Country Market. Tricia was our neighbor and was placed between Eric and me when Eric was selling chicken. Her first impression was she really liked Eric but wasn't sure about me. Everyone always really likes Eric. However, I became her preferred person once she got to know me. Tricia is not a fan of children, but she loved Jordan immediately. Again, everyone always loves The Bean. Eric refers to Tricia as his "market wife." If Eric and I are debating, Tricia has the uncanny ability to make him see reason...and no, not just my side. She is always the voice of reason, nonjudgemental, and always fair.

I look forward to our monthly business meetings and the time spent with two of my favorite people. On this lovely Thursday, please stay safe and be smart; I hope you have friendships you cherish and keep washing your hands.

I Should Become a Dog Person...

I have concluded that being the parent of a teenage girl is a lot like loving a cat with all your heart and soul. I love cats; I really do. If truth be told, I prefer a cat over a dog. I love all animals, but if asked if I am a cat or dog person, I will answer that I am a cat person. It's a good thing I am a cat person because my now teenage daughter is very cat-like. It's not just that she is lean and sinewy, with incredible reflexes and superpowered balance. It's the whole "cattitude-thing" she has going on. She is snuggling up one minute, and I think, "Aww, I love her so much! Look how adorable!" The next minute, she is hissing at me and ready to scratch my eyes out of my face. Sigh.

Allow me to reflect upon how my beloved baby turned teen is now the equivalent of a temperamental feline. It is not out of the realm of normal for a cat to hide, be antisocial, and ignore one when called. The same can be said for my child. She spends all her time in her room unless it is to be fed. When she is fed, sometimes she eats with relish, and other times she turns up her nose like what is in front of her is the most disgusting thing on the planet. If one is to remove the offensive plate too soon, one is hissed at and even batted away. This, however, is only if one can get a response from her when she is called to dinner. Sometimes, she acknowledges my presence and my voice; other times, she chooses to ignore my very existence. More often than not, I have The Bibbed Wonder call her to dinner. She is less likely to ignore her dad. Sigh.

I was once a teenage girl. I grew up in the eighties and nineties when hair was BIG. I do not recall excessive shedding when I was a teenager. My child, again, is very cat-like in the fact that she sheds constantly. I am forever picking up gobs of hair the size of large rodents from the most obscure places. Yes, the bathroom floor is the most common area of shedding. However, the shower wall, the couch, the coffee table, and my shoes are some of the more popular places I find massive wads of hair. When asked to please not leave wads of hair the size of a rat in the shower/shoe/coffee table, she growls and asks in an exasperated tone what she is to do with said gobs of hair. When I look at her in disbelief, grab the garbage can, and show her the wonders of modern garbage disposal, she flicks her offensive hair over her shoulder and slinks off to hide in her room—growling and hissing the entire time. Sigh.

The Bean is also very cat-like in her quest for affection. Have you ever had a cat that rolls over and engulfs your hand in its claws and mouth when you pet it, biting and scratching you until it draws blood? Yeah, that's what it's like when I hug my kid, play with her hair, or put my arm around her. Most of the time, she jerks away from me and grumbles something about me being cringey. Unless I am engrossed in an activity that requires my undivided attention. When I am occupied with something other than her, she suddenly wants to sit with me, hold my hand, put her head on my lap, or snuggle up. Of course, she knows I'm not going to turn her away. However, I swear it is purposeful and a power thrust. Sigh.

Teenage girls are also prone to napping in soft, warm places, usually right in the center of the action of the house...just like cats. The Bean falls asleep in the best seat in the house and naps for hours so that everyone, including the dogs, tip-toes around her so as not to awaken a moody, angry beast. Like cats, my teenage daughter requires at least forty-six hours of sleep daily. When she awakens from her fortieth hour of slumber, she growls, stretches, and complains she didn't get enough sleep. Remember Grumpy Cat, the adorable squishy-faced feline that viewed the world with sarcasm and wit? Yeah, that accurately portrays my daughter when she wakes up.

Last but not least, my teenage daughter has an affinity for shiny, glittery, and sparkly things. However, like a cat, she also loses interest in said shiny objects faster than one can say, "Meow." I simply can't keep up with what is cool, sick, fire, or slay. Yetis are out, and Stanleys are in. However, Stanleys of a specific color are out. Skinny jeans are out, and flared legs are in. Leggings are in, but sweatpants are out. One cannot wear sneakers to school because "nobody does that, mom!" Coats are out, and hoodies are in. Ponytales are out; half-up is in. Music artists are canceled when we loved their vibe just last week. I can't possibly keep up. I pray Taylor Swift is still cool in October when we go to her concert. I will be upset if I plan a trip to New Orleans to see Tay-Tay, and she is no longer considered cool. Sigh. If I'm being transparent, I can't even keep up with the terminology. Cool, Slay, Sick, Fire, Vibe oh, my favorite, when my fifteen-year-old daughter begins a sentence with, "GIRL..." I am not a girl; I am your mother. I have not been a girl for a very long time. Do not reference me as some random female you find annoying...insert irritated sigh.

I am well aware of the fact that one's beloved canine will sit patiently by the corpse of their dead owner and starve to death before it eats said beloved, deceased owner. However, a cat will eat its devoted and beloved owner once that beloved owner has passed, usually beginning with the devoted deceased owner's face. Yeah, that's my teenage daughter. I'm not even sure I have to be deceased for her to eat my face off. Sigh. Perhaps I should become a dog person...

On this sunny winter's day, stay safe, be smart, love your teenager even if they want to eat your face off, and be patient; teen years don't last forever; hold onto hope that one day they will be human beings again, and keep washing your hands. Parenting a teenager is a dirty business.

Tuesday Spotlight: Shampoo Bars

This week, our shampoo bars are on special. Shampoo bars are a healthy alternative to chemical-laden, plastic-bottled, liquid shampoo. If you want an all-natural, plastic-free alternative, our shampoo bars are for you. We offer three shampoo bars for your cleansing pleasure. Tea Tree, Lavender Rosemary, and Milk and Honey are our three choices.

The Tea Tree shampoo bar is terrific if you have dandruff or an itchy scalp. Tea tree essential oil is known for its healing properties; it is antifungal and antimicrobial. It helps unblock pores, easing dandruff. It also helps wash away dead skin, oil, and chemical build-up.

The Lavender Rosemary shampoo bar is a refreshing bar created to cleanse hair naturally, invigorate the scalp, loosen dirt and oil, and promote healthy hair growth.

The Milk and Honey shampoo bar is a gentle, conditioning shampoo that eases scalp dryness, alleviates dandruff, and gently conditions one's hair. If you love the scent of our Milk and Honey products, you will love the scent of the Milk and Honey shampoo bar.

There are a few tricks to successfully transitioning over to natural shampoo. The first week or so, your hair may feel tacky. To help alleviate this feeling, I follow the shampooing with a backing soda rinse. I take a quarter-sized amount of baking soda, mix it with water to create a paste, rub it through my hair, and then rinse with cool water. I also use a natural leave-in conditioner that I comb through my hair while it is still wet.

I sometimes develop small psoriasis outbreaks on my scalp. When this happens, I switch to the Lavender Rosemary Shampoo bar. In my experience, the psoriasis clears entirely in two weeks or so. However, I noticed a vast improvement after one use. I am fortunate that I have a mild case of psoriasis. I do not make any medical claims, and individual results will vary. This is merely my experience. I firmly believe that simply removing chemical-laden products from our routine aids the body in healing and eases inflammation.

This week is a good week to try something new: go plastic-free, remove chemical-laden products from your routine, stock up on a staple, or give an affordable gift. Save 25 % on our shampoo bars exclusively on the website. No promo code is needed. Stay safe, be smart, enjoy the savings, and keep washing your hands.