Review: Czar Salon and Reverb10

I want to take a minute today to plug a fabulous salon in the Chicagoland area.

When I first moved here - as with anywhere else - I was concerned about finding those services that I had become so accustom to having available, like doctors and salons. Well, let me tell you, I was so thankful when I heard that a friend from high school was working at a local salon.

Czar Salon and Spa in Bolingbrook, IL is an Aveda salon - something I'm generally not a huge fan of due to enough bad experiences in the past - but let me tell you, this place is great. Not only because I get to chat and catch up with Lindsey (which, if you're in the market for a cut and color, I can't recommend her enough) but because they offer some great services. With every cut and color you get a scalp massage that might make you melt right out of the chair.

And last night I found out about this scalp and hair conditioning treatment that comes with a 10 min scalp massage AND an arm and hand massage. I just might have to check this out next time :).

The atmosphere is really chill, even though it's a pretty small salon that can get pretty busy - especially on the weekends - but it's not overwhelming; and coming from someone who doesn't like people that's saying something! I was impressed with the staff there, as well as their full line of makeup and products available.

As with all Aveda salons, it can be a little on the pricey side, but when it comes down to it, isn't it worth it to know that you have someone you can trust with your hair, ladies? Certainly!

Be sure to check out Czar if you're ever in the Bolingbrook or Naperville areas.

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Now, on to today's Reverb10 prompt:

December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

This one is difficult, mostly because I'm not a partier. Though I do have to say that one social gathering that stuck out in my mind as pretty epic was the last night at the Everglades Boogie (skydiving event) in Florida this January.

It was chilly for Florida, so most of us were dressed in jeans and long sleeves - I even slipped my coat on at one point.

But there was everything from bon fires to raffles to free beer to ice sculptures and chainsaws. It was definitely a great evening. I got to meet so many people in the skydiving world and I came away with some great connections. Plus, it was Florida in January. How can you beat that, right?

Cheers!

-A

Reverb10 - Video Blog

Believe it or not, after nearly a decade of blogging, I've come to my first vlog...ever.

I was nervous, you'll be able to tell that. It also turns out that when I have thoughts in my head, they come out much easier (and much more eloquently I might add) though my fingers. But that's okay, this is good practice, right?

And truth is, I enjoyed it. So I'll likely be doing this again. Just for shits and giggles.

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

What I wanted to discuss in today's vlog is that beauty goes beyond what's on the outside, way beyond, and that my passion for life is really what drives me to be who I am, and it's what influences the way others see me (or at least, I hope it does). So without spoiling any more...have a look at my first ever video blog.

P.S. - how cute is that Christmas tree in the background huh? LOVE.

Reverb10 Day 7 - Community

For those who have been following along, Reverb10 is an social media challenge of sorts, where every day there's a new prompt that gets you to think back on 2010 and look forward to 2011.

December 7 – Community Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

My answer sort of covers part of 2009 as well, because, well, I did first discover this community back then. It's the skydiving community.

Is anyone shocked? Didn't think so.

But I really don't think I understood the depth of what this community has to offer until this year.

I've been lucky to take so many trips in 2010, from Florida, to New York, to South Carolina, to Chicago, to LA and now living in Chicago, and so many fun boogies like Everglades (Clewiston), Work Stinks! (Start Skydiving), and Chicks Rock (Elsinore) - apologies for those who have absolutely no idea what that last sentence means. Throughout my travels I've met some of the most incredible people - not just skydivers, but people. People who have taught me a lot about the person I want to be, and the type of people I want to be around.

God I love how all these prompts seems to tie back to earlier ones.

In this world, there isn't 6 degrees of separation, most times, there's only two. If someone you're talking to doesn't know one of your skydiving friends, then likely one of their friends do. It's a very tight-knit community, and one that I continue to be proud to be a part of every day.

In the next year, I'd like to get more involved in the world of social media. I'm eyeballs deep in it everyday, but living in Cleveland there wasn't much of an opportunity to get out there and learn from people outside my little bubble. Chicago has this way of creeping in and popping your bubble, so bring it on. I've got a thirst for knowledge that just won't quit!

Cheers!

-A

Anyhow,

Reverb10 - Days 4-6

Like I said, I wouldn't be blogging about this everyday....I'm a girl who likes her weekends off, thankyouverymuch. But that doesn't mean I forgot about the challenge. So let's dive right in, shall we?

Day 4

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

This one is easy - I moved to a new city! Granted, Chicago definitely wasn't unfamiliar territory, having grown up in lower Michigan and all. But I was able to reconnect with my desire to explore, on a low budget. I do have to admit that I've been lucky enough to travel around the country this year, from New York to South Carolina to LA and now landing, permanently, in Chicago. It's been a wild ride.

When I look back at all the excitement and even all the challenges that have come along with this year, I'm not sure I would change anything. It really has given me a chance to not only wonder about my new surrounding, but about myself as well. Those experiences are invaluable.

Day 5

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)

Boy, this challenge is really making me lay it all out there, and it's only day 5.

This year, I let go of a few people that I once considered friends. This turned out to be one of the best things that happened all year. Mostly because, these people are highly toxic - this is speaking personally of course. Just because someone is toxic to my life doesn't mean they will be to others. Though I have a sneaking suspicion I'm not the only one who was affected this way.

Letting go of relationships, no matter how strong they once were, is never easy. But, you always end up learning something about yourself in the process. Noticing a trend here? It all dies back to day 1 - learning. The idea of letting go of toxic people from your life isn't so much about them as it is about yourself. There was a need to be a better person, and I couldn't do that with them in my life. Negativity surrounded me in the presence of these folks. In order to lead the life I truly believe in, it had to be done without them. Sometimes, thems just the breaks.

Day 6

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

What was the last thing I made? Like arts and crafts?

I'm going to stretch this one a bit, because the last thing I really made by hand was likely not this year. However, this weekend I did make my first family Christmas. Okay, so we made our first family Christmas. My fiance and I got a tree - granted, it's a 4 foot tall fake tree, but a tree none the less, and we decorated it with lights and beads and ornaments. We even got an "our first christmas" ornament. We used the left over LED lights around the living room window. It's only mildly festive, but it definitely feels like the holidays in our apartment now.

What I'd like to make time to make next year is an Etsy shop. In 2009 I sold a bunch of pictures, many of them right here on the blog, so I'd love to get back into my photography a bit more and start selling them, matted and framed, or even just the prints. I love sharing my photography with people who appreciate it. Hell, I even love sharing with people who don't so much ;).

So, I'm caught up now...Happy Monday!

Cheers!

-A

Review: Creative Wellness

Alrighty, so let's dive right in to the review, then we'll touch on the past couple prompts from Reverb10....you didn't forget already did you?

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A few weeks ago I headed home on a Thursday evening to spend a long weekend with my parents. There wasn't much planned, just a get away from the city and relax type of trip.

During this time I went to a place called Creative Wellness for a massage. Now, in college I lived just down the street from here, so it wasn't uncommon for me to come get deep tissue and therapeutic massages to keep my body nice and loose during runs.

But it'd been a while since I'd gone back, so I thought I'd make a last minute appointment for a relaxation massage. And let me tell you, I'm so glad I did.

Adriana was the only therapist with an open slot so I took it. She was absolutely incredible! I told her in the beginning what I was looking for and she nailed it. I walked away from that massage feeling more relaxed than ever. I even had a difficult time making it back to my car - I felt like I was melting.

The massage was average price for what you might expect, and worth every penny. Really, ever massage I've ever had there, even those sometimes painful deep tissue or therapeutic massages have been incredible.

Creative wellness also offer things like chiropractic care and other natural wellness, plus they have a cute little store inside the door with tons of yoga items and essential oils, so be sure to check them out. :)

On the way home I got this rush of energy and felt rejuvenated. Anyway, if you're ever in the East Lansing area and in need of a nice, relaxing massage, head over to Creative Wellness and ask for Adriana...you won't be disappointed.

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Reverb10 - Day 2

So yesterday's prompt was a difficult one. In fact, I didn't even Tweet about it because I was stumped.

December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

In other words, what distractions in your life take away from your writing. And well, I can't really say there's anything that doesn't contribute to my writing. My thoughts are pretty well echoed over at my lovely friend Sydney's blog.

But, so I have my own answer, it's this: my wandering mind.

I have this tendency to over think everything, to have a million things going through my head at once, many of these ideas conflicting with one another. I've always been known to be an easy person to persuade, because on a lot of issues I'm still trying to figure myself out. Going back to day 1, where Learning was the theme of this year, I've made great strides in my progress, but I'm still getting there. I'm even starting to reintroduce yoga and meditation back into my daily life. It takes time and practice to get to know yourself - and I've found, these practices really clear my mind for some of the best writing I've ever done.

Reverb10 - Day 3

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

Really, I'm supposed to only pick one moment? Well that's not an easy task.

Immediately upon reading this my mind jumped to the marriage proposal during skydiving...that's bound to make someone feel pretty damn alive.

But the more I pondered it, the more I started to overrule that first judgment. Mostly because, last January, I almost died. Okay, so it's not quite that dramatic.

While traveling to Florida for a little warm weather skydiving, I was testing out a new parachute and something went wrong. Something went really wrong. I looked up at what was over my head and knew it was bad. I had one option, but cut it free and deploy my reserve. After all, you do have a perfectly good reserve parachute ready for cases just like this.

So I cut the bad parachute away and before I knew it a wonderful, perfect reserve was above my head. I landed it perfectly and at the moment my feet touched the ground I felt more alive than ever. Colors seemed brighter, I was filled with adrenaline and couldn't stop smiling. Hugs came from my fiance and others we'd connected with on that trip. Everyone had concern and relief in their eyes - some were even filled with excitement from watching from the ground.

I felt my reserve for the first time. It was crisp and slippery - not like the nylon you're used to touching. The smell of jet fuel was in the air and early morning dew was still on the ground. All things I'm not sure I would have noticed on your average skydive. But more than anything, I was truly in the moment.

With less than 100 skydives under my belt I not only knew what to do in this emergency situation, I did it successfully.

It was a story I told for quite some time...and one you can read here if you'd like to hear about it a little more in depth (and a little more technically, too).

So there you have it.

At what moment in 2010 did you feel most alive?

Cheers!

-A

Reverb10 and Only Nails Review

Hey kids so here's the scoop on December: we've got this awesome little challenge going on called Reverb10 (<---click to find out more) that basically requires challengers to reflect on 2010 and plan ahead for 2011...or at least, plan what you'd like to see happen next year.

So you can blog about it, tweet about it, scream it from the rooftops, whatev. But I've decided that the first two options are going to work best for me. I may not blog every day about this (though, anyone who knows me probably assumes there's a good chance I will, aside from the weekends) so there might be some combined posts.

But, given that I also have a laundry list of reviews lined up, I've decided to combine my posts - Reverb10 + Review.

Enough about all that...these posts are going to be long enough as it is

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December 1 One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

So I did tweet about this yesterday, but decided it deserved a bit of explanation - and I did fail to leave out that last part about next year's word.

My word for this year is definitely learning. You can see this just by looking over my blog posts for 2010, both here and over here.

I've learned more about myself since turning 26 than I have in all of my 20s so far I think. It hasn't been easy, but I've definitely done a lot of reflecting on the lessons that life has shown me and I foresee it propelling me into 2011 with a new outlook - and right into the arms of the word I think 2011 will stand for: growth. Both personal and professional in nature. I know where I want to go, the kind of life I want to live and the person I want to be, 2011 is the year to make all that happen.

Okay so enough of that, on to the review portion of this post:

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Only Nails, Westmont, IL

Moving to a new city can be difficult when it comes to finding all the amenities you love. I always stress about finding a good stylist (though thankfully, a friend from high school works at a nearby salon, so that was a no brainer on this move - more to come on that later) and things like dentists and doctors, but you tend to forget about all the little things you became so comfortable with in your former city, that is until you need one of those services.

So when it came time to get a pedicure, I was lost. I turned to Yelp to help me out with recommendations....this online review forum never did help me much in Cleveland, but here in Chicago, I turn to it more times than not.

It surprised me to see that there were a handful of nail salons within 5 minutes of my place that all got great reviews, however there was one that really stuck out. A woman from downtown Chicago mentioned that she ventures here every 3-4 weeks for her mani/pedi and it's only that infrequent because the polish lasts so long.

And it turns out, I can walk to this place from my apartment. Score!

So a few weeks ago I ventured over to Only Nails in Westmont for a pedicure. I have to tell you, it was one of the best I've ever had. I tend to be ticklish on the soft spots of my feet, so needless to say that whole pumice stone exfoliation step tends to have me all knotted up, doing my best not to burst out laughing.

The entire pedicure felt like this incredible foot massage! And the reviews didn't lie, my polish lasted a LONG time - it looked perfect until my next pedicure in fact.

What I also liked was the atmosphere - there was no pressure to talk to a chatty pedicurist, but at the same time, they were open and friendly. You can pretty much make the experience what you want.

And at $30, the price is right.

So here are the basics:

Service: ***** (5 stars, enough said)

Atmosphere: ***** (quiet, friendly)

Quality: ***** (polish lasted a long time, incredible foot/leg massage)

Comfort: **** (4 stars, only because the pedicure chairs didn't have heat...bummer)

Price: $$ (I've had cheaper, but nothing this good for this price)

Long story short, I definitely recommend this place if you're in need of a pedicure, or even just a little relaxation away from home.

Cheers!

-A

I don't care

Have you ever noticed that when someone says something like, "I don't care" or, as I stated last night, "I don't give a crap!" there's this part of them that does seem to care?

"Whatever, I don't care." *rolls eyes*

Maybe it's just me, because I see that happening to me all the time (read: I'm the one stating my indifference). Thing is, it's not as if I truly don't care, it's more that I don't want to care.

There's a part of human nature - or maybe not so much nature as a behavior that we're grown up to act out - to be curious about other people. I've found this happens especially when you move away from some place or you have friends who move away from you, or when you become estranged from someone or some part of your life...we like to check up on that stuff, even though we know we really shouldn't waste our time with the past.

Things like social media make this such an easy thing by allowing us to hold onto some parts of our past, no matter how much they shouldn't matter, to keep them in our lives - even to the smallest degree.

So, those things that you "don't care" about are also those things that pop up in your Facebook news feed or in Gchat, reminding you.

And sometimes, no matter how much we want it, we have issues cutting these ties and moving on. Fear of change, I suppose?

Regardless, there are some aspects of my life that I have consciously removed, both from my consciousness and from social media. And if anything resembling that part of my past life pops into existence, I promptly remove it with a smile and continue on. Of course, there are times where it comes up in conversation and I politely mutter, "I don't care" and walk away. Or, like yesterday, "I don't give a crap."

Problem is, part of me does still give a crap, no matter how much I wish I didn't. Guess you can't help but look back on those things in life that didn't go as you planned and wonder how it could have been if... you know? Not always in the sense that you're missing something now, or that it could have been better in any sense of the word, but just that it could have been different - especially if you did something you weren't proud of.

I guess, it's all about learning from those situations, hence the reflection, and knowing now that your happiness in this moment and in the future is all that matters.

This is precisely what I've done. So I will continue to tell you that I don't care until I believe it myself.

Cheers!

-A