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Regular subscribers: My apologies for what is doubtless a boring topic for you. I wrote this up mostly for myself and also for any possible hapless internet searchers. Just skip to the next post in your reader. Thanks!
Diane’s Wig Shop–Orem. Small shop, but they’ve fit a lot of wigs in there! They carry mostly Jon Renau, Raquel Welch and Revlon. There is never more than one person working there at a time. If you buy a wig somewhere else (the internet, for example), they are willing to thin and style it and help you with it for $35. This service is free if you buy the wig from them. It is best to call ahead for an appointment, but it is possible to get help if you walk in and they aren’t busy with another customer. Diane is knowledgeable and ready to offer advice on choosing a color. Prices appear to be 10-20% higher than at the other shops. 347 E. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058 (801) 224-5070
Creative Wigs & Toupees– 2 locations–one in Sandy and one in Salt Lake. Visit both locations while you are in the area (as well as Headcovers by Joni) because they are less than 20 minutes apart. The Sandy shop is smaller and has a more limited selection than the Salt Lake shop. The person who helped me at the Sandy shop, Linda, was willing to steer me away from wigs she thought didn’t work. The Salt Lake location of Creative Wig was the largest shop I visited. It was impressive because they had several styling chairs and many, many wigs on display as well as more stock tucked away in the back. There were at least 3 employees there at the same time when I was there and they stayed busy! I didn’t get the name of the woman who helped me there. She seemed nice initially, but started helping someone else, and then never came back to see how I was doing. I think she had perhaps (correctly) identified me as a difficult customer: I’m interested in finding something as close as possible to my own hair color rather than going blond or redheaded just because that’s what they happen to have in stock. Go figure. But I was still surprised to be abandoned without any notice. 814E. 9400S. Sandy, UT 84094 (801) 553-0669 and 1124 E. 3300 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84106 (801) 486-4604
Headcovers by Joni–If you visit the Salt Lake location of Creative Wig you should also stop by Headcovers by Joni as they are both on 3300 South in Salt Lake. It is a fairly small shop, but they have a surprising amount of inventory for their size. I met three of the people who work there (but not all on the same day–on any given visit there will be only one or two people working). Joni is the owner. She is also the most experienced and has a lot of experience styling and thinning wigs. She does get cranky with people who stay and stay and stay and can’t make up their minds (it wasn’t me!) Camille, another employee, also styles and thins the wigs if you purchase one, but she has less experience with wigs (as opposed to regular hair) than Joni. She is extremely patient. If you really don’t know what you want and just want to try a whole lot of different pieces, she is a good person to work with. Unfortunately, her opinions lack credibility because she will tell you that you look great in everything you try on. Janet is the person to see if you need an opinion. She doesn’t mind telling you which wig she thinks suits you and which doesn’t work. However, if you are hoping to find the wig you are looking for and to have it styled and wear it home that very day, Janet doesn’t style wigs, so you need to go on a day when either Camille or Joni will be there. 2286 E. 3300 S. Salt Lake city, UT 84109 (801)467-5665 or 1-866-700-5664
My favorite so far: Brooke by Jon Renau
The local shops are all willing to order in a different color (although they like the idea of you buying out of their inventory on hand even better!) or possibly even a different style. However, if you order something in, many of the advantages of buying at a local shop v. the internet (seeing how the wig looks before you buy it, for example) vanish. It is cheaper to buy from the internet, but then of course you have to add back in the cost of having your wig styled.
My favorite internet wig sites are Wigs.com, e-wigs.com , and theheadshoponline.com. Wigs.com is great because they have made videos displaying many of their wigs and this gives you a much better idea of the wig than just a picture. E-wigs has fabulous personal service. If you call their 1-800 number, Marty will answer the phone and take time to answer endless questions and give you his e-mail address in case you have more questions later. Unfortunately, if you are a Utah resident, e-wigs costs more because of sales tax. Theheadshoponline.com (be careful typing that or or you will end up at a very different website!) has the best search filters.
Earlier post on similar topic: Wigging Out
Do you subscribe to your local newspaper? I have not in many years, but I think it may be time to start. Recently, we went to pick up a babysitter, and her father asked whether we were going to see the big game. We asked, “What game?” Pdad and I understood his reply to mean that the game was BYU v. Utah (a very big game–but we learned the next day that it was actually BYU v. USU–not nearly as big). We marveled that it could be the day of the big game without any sliver of awareness from either of us. It was disturbing. Not because we are missing out on community sports–we are accustomed to this and are comfortable with it. However, being unaware of when the big game was to be played seemed to be the classic canary in a coal mine warning experience. Can someone who is unaware of when the big game is to be played be well prepared to vote in local elections? Is someone unaware of tomorrow’s likely weather getting the information useful to her life?
Benefits of Subscribing to the Newspaper: Voting is so important (excuse the earnestness, but I wrote my dissertation on what it means to be an excellent citizen, and I can’t help it!). However, only informed voting is worth the effort. In the weeks preceding the election I can cram, trying to get as much information as possible from campaign blogs and websites, but undoubtedly the clearest and best answer to whether the incumbents need to be thrown out or thanked and returned arises from following local events more frequently than once every year or two.
And that is where I have fallen down. I can talk about Afghanistan, health care, the public option and the deficit. I know the situations of Somalia, Iran, and Pakistan, but I am much fuzzier as to the fiscal health of the city or the intentions of my city council members.
And it isn’t just that. It is a personal, daily life benefit as well. It isn’t just my citizen quotient that the newspaper would help. Newspapers are useful, aren’t they? When a friend became a fan of the local health department on Facebook, I discovered that the H1N1 vaccine was already available in my area. Would I have known that had I read the paper? And when I saw a block-long line for the vaccine, I eagerly turned to the lcoal newspaper’s website that evening, hoping that they had snapped that surprising picture. They had. The New York Times helps me understand why it is important for me to get the vaccine. The local paper lets me know when it will be possible.
Problems with receiving the newspaper:
1) Mess and disorganization. My children will unfold it. They will scatter it. I won’t stay on top of recycling. Old newspaper will build up and clutter the house.
2) I already spend too much internet time reading news. Whatever time I can carve out for newspaper reading is time I do not yet see I have. Newspaper reading time could squeeze out more important priorities.
Your thoughts? Do you get the newspaper: Yes/No? Why? What do you do about the mess and lack of time issues? Do you see other advantages and disadvantages to newspaper subscription than the ones I mentioned?
We like to play board games. Our family has some new favorites and some old classics that I’d like to recommend. Please recommend your favorites as well!
My highest recommendation goes to Bananagrams: Also, Best Word Game. Bananagrams is basically a set of Scrabble tiles in a bright yellow fabric banana. If you don’t like word games, you won’t like Bananagrams. If you do enjoy word games, this will probably quickly become one of your all-time favorites.
Why Bananagrams is so great: You can play with only 2 people or a larger group. You don’t have to wait for other people to take their turns; everyone plays simultaneously. Both luck (the draw of the tiles) and skill (not just vocabulary but also skill in using tiny words to connect bigger ones) are part of the game. Although I do not consistently win at Bananagrams (I am not interested in memorizing all the possible two letter words, unlike some people I know–Pdad!), I enjoy it because it is fun and quick and you do it with words. The package claims that Bananagrams can be played with children as young as 7, but I think most 7 year olds would find it difficult.
Pmom’s favorites
1. Bananagrams
2. Taboo
3. Conspiracy
5. Monopoly
6. Pit
Pdad’s favorites
1. Bananagrams
2. Balderdash
3. Pit
4. Rummikub
Pmom’s favorites to play with children
1.Sorry!
3. Cooties
4.Go Fish
6.Zingo
Pdad’s favorites to play with children
1. Stratego
3. Sherlock
4. Zingo
5. Jenga
Amelia’s favorites (10 yr old girl)
(Amelia had trouble with the rank ordering so she has a first favorite group and a second favorite group).
1. Bananagrams
1. Chess
2. Stratego
2.Rummikub
2.Scrabble
Duncan’s favorites (5 year old boy)
1. Candyland
5. Perfection
6. Operation