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My last post was January and all about the post-holiday blahs. It's now March...I can safely say I'm out of the January blahs and just getting over the Daylight Saving shock...but that's another blog post. We've been busy behind the scenes here at Hair Fairy. Our outreach to retailers has gotten a lot of momentum and Hair Fairy is now in 6 stores in 4 states - yay! See the stores here. 

As we've interacted with store owners, we've gotten questions around wanting the "research" on the benefits of sleeping on satin. Of course we knew about less tangles and bedhead at night and we knew a little bit about the benefits for skin. But once we dove deep into what experts have to say, we were surprised (and delighted!) to read about all of the benefits we didn't know. 

So to save you hours of online research, I've put together this handy list of the Top 10 Benefits of Sleeping on a Satin Pillowcase. 

1. Prevents night tangles, frizzy hair and bed head
2. Easier brushing and styling in the morning
3. Maintains natural hair moisture
4. Prevents hair damage and hair loss
5. Prolongs salon blow-outs and hair styling
6. Maintains body temperature – stays cooler in warmer months and warmer in cooler months.
7. Prevents perspiration at night – the lower thread count allows for more air circulation
8. Protects eye lashes and eye lash extensions by lessening the drag and potential snagging on regular pillowcases
9. Prevents sleep lines and wrinkles and helps to maintain a healthy complexion
10. The American Cancer Society recommends a satin pillowcase for chemotherapy symptom relief. Patients receiving chemotherapy can slow hair loss and sooth dry and tender scalps by sleeping on satin.

It's safe to say anyone with a head (and that's most of us!) could use a Hair Fairy pillowcase. In case you're still wanting more, you can read testimonials from happy Hair Fairy customers here. 

Sources:

www.haircaremanual.com

www.cancer.org

www.ehow.com

I always have a hard time getting back into the groove after the holidays. It’s now the third week of January and I’m still finding my energy flagging. Whether it’s the cold and short days Seattle brings this time of year or lingering fatigue from the holidays, I’m once again dragging myself through January.

My mom put it perfectly when she said, “January feels like one long Monday.”

This year, I’m fighting the blahs more than usual. My pre-holiday frenzy was in a much higher gear because it was my running Hair Fairy. It was a great first holiday season but the effort and energy that went into it has caught up with me.

Yet there’s so much to do! I have big work deadlines and even bigger goals so I need to get motivated. Fast.

For inspiration (and yes - part procrastination) I did a few searches on productivity tips and ideas. No one article nailed it for me personally so I made my own list of what helps me to be productive:

1. Start planning on Sunday

Spending time on Sunday, even just 30 minutes, looking at my calendar, reviewing deadlines and determining what I need to get done by the end of the week gives me a huge leg up Monday morning.

Most important, it helps ease the anxiety of Monday morning. I can relax more Sunday night, sleep better and I’m much calmer getting my kids off to school Monday morning.

2. Make lists and note what’s a “task” vs. a “project”

I am a task junky. I love making lists and crossing tasks off when I complete them. But I tend to do all of the quick tasks first, leaving the projects that take longer to, well, sit on my list for too long.

Now I make lists and note what’s a task (takes less then 30 minutes to complete) and what’s a project. Then prioritize and set aside the right amount of time to get a combination of projects and tasks done.

3. Exercise

I try to swim, run or do yoga 4 to 5 times a week. Emphasis on "try" cause sometimes I'm lucky to get 3 days in. If I schedule workout time like a meeting and treat it as mandatory, I’m more likely to actually get out and do it. And the endorphins give me a second wind to finish the work day strong.

4. Make time for creative think

During my last full time position, I was so crushingly miserable, I was creatively depleted. It wasn’t until I decided to quit and take time off that I was able to free my mind, think creatively and start putting the pieces of Hair Fairy together.

Now I know being able to just quit a job and take time off is a luxury few have. But a mini break such as raking leaves, a walk with the dog or even reading the New York Times helps me think up new ideas or better way to approach a problem I’m trying to solve.

5. End the day with an organized desk and notes for the next day

I worked with a woman who told me at the end of every workday, she would tidy her desk, review the schedule for the next day and update her “to do” list.

Now, if you saw my desk, you wouldn’t call it tidy. I have organized “piles” for most of the week. But I’m going to attempt to break 15 minutes earlier, clean up and update my list. This habit will help me get a jump-start every morning.

I will stop short of calling these 5 strategies my New Years Resolution but will commit to making these a habit in 2015. Now back to work!

I’m excited to be returning home to Oakland, California for the weekend. It's a quick business development trip for Hair Fairy but I'm looking forward to spending time with my sister, nieces and friends I grew up with. I’ve lived in Seattle longer than I lived in Oakland but I still think of it as home.

I moved away from Oakland when I was 18 to go to the University of Washington and save for one summer, I never moved back. I was drawn to Seattle for its natural beauty and cultural “coolness” – grunge music was at its height and Microsoft was the tech behemoth making Seattle a hub for tech innovation. Starbucks was still a local coffee chain and I would bring a bag of beans down to my parents for Christmas as it was a novelty! Amazon didn’t exist yet.

Gawd I’m old.

Anyways, Oakland at that time was not hip. Not. At All.

San Francisco and even Berkeley eclipsed Oakland in the cool department. But I carried my Oakland heritage like a tough girl badge of honor. It was fun to see how people responded when I told them where I was from. And when I returned to Oakland and rode BART or jogged around Lake Merritt remembering my days on the crew team, I appreciated the beautiful, diverse "rough around the edges" city that it is. 

I miss it.

Now Oakland has come into its own. I read a New York Times article about Oakland being to San Francisco what Brooklyn is to Manhattan. WOW. 

There’s a company called Oaklandish that has all Oakland-inspired apparel. One of their most recent designs has a sweatshirt that says, “Oakland, where my story begins”. That sums it up for me.

Oakland is where my story begins.

Here’s a run down of where I plan to go and do while I’m there:

Claremont Hotel

YES! I’m staying here and I’m GIDDY about it. The Claremont is a grand hotel in the foothills of Berkeley (within blocks of Oakland). Whenever I’m in San Francisco or flying into the Bay Area, I look for the big white structure in the hillside to get my bearings. I have never been inside the hotel so I anticipate feeling like Eloise at The Plaza.

Peets Coffee on Domingo

Before they sold gourmet whole bean coffee in grocery stores, my dad and I would go here every weekend to get the weekly supply of coffee and an espresso brownie to share. Peets is in Seattle now and every time I go in one, I feel like a little kid.

Sweet Dreams

I love shopping on College Avenue and Sweet Dreams was within walking distance of my aunt and uncle's house by the Cal campus. My cousins and sister would walk down and buy giant jaw breakers, licorice ropes and gummie bears and walk back loaded with sugary loot!

Ruby’s Garden

My aunt suggested I go here and drop off a Hair Fairy sample. From her previous posts on Facebook shopping here, I know I’m going to go gaga over their selection and will likely pick up a few Christmas gifts while I’m there.

Creative Growth Vice + Virtue Holiday Show

Creative Growth Art Center serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development and exhibition. Their Holiday open house on Friday will feature art for sale by their resident artists, live music and yummy treats! 

Leslie Evers

Leslie is a long time friend of my cousin and has created a line of classic yet modern women’s wear. She designs many of her own fabrics and works with local manufacturers. I can’t wait to buy something special here. For myself. Lesley, please open a store in Seattle!

Oakland Supply Co.

This is a new concept shop I heard about on Facebook featuring American and locally made products, perfect for more Christmas shopping. Just looking at their website/tumblr page gives me ideas. It also gets me to Jack London Square and the waterfront. 

 Any place else I should not miss while I'm there?