Destination: Giant Gap Family Campground

My recent month-long hiatus from blogging, while certainly well-needed, resulted in me getting a wee bit behind in my posts. Because of this, I will be traveling back in time now and then, starting right now, with a photographic journal of this past summer's Silack Family Camping Trip.

Halfway to the campground, our truck overheated, forcing us to pull over and call a tow truck. Not exactly how we planned on starting our trip...

There wasn't enough room in the tow truck for all of us. So Stephen and Nori left while Evan and I waited for my mom to come pick us up (Thanks, Mom!). Since we were at Denny's, Evan scored a plate of fries and a vanilla milkshake.

We weren't about to let a little car trouble ruin our trip. Once we were all home, we repacked all our gear into the Volvo  and hit the road for the second time. The kids were such troupers throughout the entire ordeal. Look at 'em, still smiling! :)

Finally made it to the campground (Giant Gap Family Campground in the Sugar Pine Recreation Area, Tahoe National Forest) a little after 7 pm. There was just enough daylight left to set up our tent and make dinner.

Chillin' by the fire our first night. This was Elinor's very first camping trip (Evan had been three times before his sister was born).

Our first morning at camp.

Elinor helping Daddy start the morning fire.

Playing with fire. (Photo by SS)

What's for breakfast? Pancakes and veggie bacon, yum!

Photo by SS

Even when camping, I can't escape my dish washing duties. Lame. (Photo by SS)

Our campsite, overlooking the reservoir. Beauteous, no?

Taking a walk about the campground.

Elinor found a tree chair!

I had to take a pic of this sign because it is so weird. I mean, honestly, what child looks like that?

We made sure to pack some pens and paper for Evan. He couldn't possibly go without for more than a day, little artist that he is.

Look how dirty she is! There was not a lot of ground cover in the way of leaves and twigs and the dirt was extremely fine and dusty. The kids were basically coated in the stuff for the entire trip. And don't even bother changing Elinor's clothes. If you do, you can pretty much guarantee she'll fall face first into the dirt within five minutes. And then roll around in it a bit while whining, just for good measure.

In her own little world.

These weird, thick web-nest thingies were all over the campground. At first, I thought they were made by some sort of creepy spider, but upon closer inspection...

...I discovered they were filled with tiny caterpillars! (My mom later informed me that they are called tent caterpillars. Guess that explains why they're at a campground! Har har.)

Heading to the reservoir for a swim. Evan insisted on riding in the trunk. Don't call CPS! We're really good parents, I swear!

Warming herself in the sun.

The water here was shallow enough that even the kids could walk through it to the island (although, Elinor preferred to be held, since walking resulted in her being neck-deep).

Evan exploring the waters on his own.

Photo by SS

Photo by SS

Photo by SS - I LOVE this one!

Elinor wanted in on the trunk action for the drive back to camp. (Photo by SS)

Photo by SS

Naptime

Stephen built a little zoo for the kids' animal figures using sticks, twigs, and grass.

Firestarters.

Photo by SS

Photo by SS

Posing with our s'mores.

Photo by SS

Left to their own devices, my children would start a forest fire. (Photo by SS)

Photo by SS

Photo by SS

Just waking up, our last morning at camp.

I seriously want to crawl into this picture. Love that boy, my little snuggle buggle.

Good morning, Nori!

Taking one last stroll around the reservoir.

Before heading home, we made sure to leave our mark.

Camping with young children is hard, dirty, tiring work. It also happens to be absolutely delightful. I can hardly wait to go again next year!

On A Lighter Note...

Have you guys heard of WEN, the "revolutionary" Healthy Hair Care System "designed to make it easy for anyone, from [Chaz Dean's] celebrity clients to the mom next door, to enjoy healthier, stronger hair -- with less effort than ever before"? Well, I bought it. I was seduced by Alyssa Milano and her fabulously shiny chestnut locks as she espoused the many benefits of WEN, namely that it would deliver longer-lasting color, added sheen, luster, moisture and strength -- all in one easy step! With a 60-day money back guarantee, I figured, why not? I'll give it a shot. I've always been disappointed with my super-straight, fine, thin, lifeless hair and decided it couldn't hurt to try something new. Who knows? Maybe it'll be as magical as they say it is. Maybe it'll change my life.

Well, I've been using the Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner for nearly three weeks now and, while I certainly can't claim that it's changed my life, I'm not ready to give up on it yet either. Traditional shampoos have chemicals, such as sodium laureth sulfate, which allow the shampoo to get all sudsy and bubbly but also end up stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture. We are then told to use conditioner as a means of moisturizing our locks, but all it really does is smooth down the damage we inflicted in the first place with our shampoos. I've read about the "no-poo" method, which involves cleansing your hair with baking soda and rinsing it with vinegar and while I like the idea of eliminating chemicals from my cleansing routine, I just can't get on board the baking soda and vinegar train. For my bathtub? Yes. My hair? I'm not quite that granola (yet).

The WEN Cleansing Conditioner is far from natural. Yes, the ingredients list includes items such as Wild Cherry Bark extract, Rosemary Leaf extract, and Sweet Almond oil, among others, but you'll also find Butylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, and several other thoroughly unpronounceable ingredients. BUT, it doesn't lather, so maybe it's a step in the right direction.

When I purchased WEN, I knew that I wanted to write a blog about it, so I forced my husband to take photos of my hair, which you will find below. The first photo was taken after my usual shower routine of washing with TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo, followed by TRESemme Naturals Radiant Volume Conditioner. Now, as you can see, this routine did not result in my hair looking nourished and moisturized nor radiantly voluminous. Instead, it looks dull, lifeless, stringy, utterly horrendous, etc. The second picture was taken after using the WEN Cleansing Conditioner for one day. While I'd certainly never be mistaken for Alyssa Milano, my hair does, in my humble opinion, look better. Not great...just...better. Shinier. Less clumpy. The third photo is after using WEN for one week and, really, it doesn't look much different than the second photo, but still better than the first.

(I should note that there was no styling involved in any of the photos; after showering, I simply let my hair air dry. Also, they were all taken in the same spot (obviously) at roughly the same time of day, so the lighting is very similar in each shot.)

After three weeks, here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

1. My hair is shinier.
2. My hair is softer.
3. My hair has more body.
4. My hair is easier to manage.

CONS:

1. My shower routine takes longer. Over and over in the infomercial and literature, they mention how easy-to-use and time-saving these products are. Consider that a red flag, that they're trying to convince you, brain wash you even, into thinking you're saving time with this routine. But, really, you're not. It may be one product, but the process involves several steps and, for me at least, it ends up taking more time than the traditional shampoo/conditioner route.
2. It's kinda' pricey. The introductory package costs $29.95 and includes a "one-month supply" (Yeah right! It hasn't even been three weeks and mine is nearly gone!) of the Cleansing Conditioner, the Styling Creme, the Re Moist Intensive Hair Treatment, the Texture Balm, and a comb (which is used for combing the product through your hair in the shower). If you like the products, they will continue sending the same package for a monthly fee of $29.95. I don't know about you, but 30 bucks a month is far more than I've ever spent on hair care. Luckily, you can customize your shipments to meet your needs (and your budget).
3. It may be causing me to break out a little on my jawline and neck/shoulders, but I haven't totally pinpointed WEN as the culprit of this sudden attack.

So, bottom line: I'm not totally sold on it, but I'm not ready to give up on it yet either. Apparently, there is a Cucumber Aloe formula designed for fine/thin hair. For my next shipment, which should be coming in a week or so, I've opted to try that instead of the Sweet Almond Mint. I've also eliminated the other products from my shipment. Changing my shipment to two larger bottles of the Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner every 90 days brought my monthly charge down to $19.98.

This Thursday, I have an appointment with my stylist. First time in four months that I've had a cut and color. Hmmm...maybe I'll go for a chestnut hue...