Want a Lolli?

"Do you want a lollipop?"

I put this up there in the top three dumbest questions ever uttered to parents. It's not even about the actual lollipop, whether you give your kids candy, whether it's too much sugar, etc. It's about the why the hell do people feel like it's normal or cool to offer any food stuff to anyone else's children?

With just allergies these days I wouldn't offer any kid any kind of food. In E's class at school last year, there was one girl who seemed like she wasn't allowed to eat anything besides what she came to school or a birthday party with. For birthdays we are allowed to bring in treats that are Kosher, store bought and sealed. I went a step further and just bought box of Dr Lucy's cookies which are pretty much free of everything. My point is that I try to be SUPER careful about offering food to kids and this was a BIRTHDAY celebration, not just a random Saturday afternoon.

Last week I went to one of E's friend's soccer practice. Of course he had to go to the bathroom and with all these kids on the field, there is never anywhere they're allowed to go to the bathroom. So I drove a few streets away and saw a TD Bank. Awesome because they're always open. I went in and used the bathroom. He was fine, happy, compliant, well-behaved and we were about to be in and out. What do you know, the teller yells, "DO YOU WANT A LOLLIPOP?!". I just gave him what I was trying to convey as an F-U smile and just shook my head. It happened again yesterday when my husband went to take him to the bathroom somewhere in Hoboken. My husband came back to me and was all WTF- WHY do they DO that with the candy??

Now, before you think, "Ugh- people can't do anything right! Guy offers her kid a lollipop! Nice gesture. People can't even be nice anymore!" Um, no. Every parent, hell, every person with eyes knows that most banks have lollipops. Much to many of our chagrin, but we know they're there. Luckily, it was to my benefit that my son was in lala land in his head and didn't even hear the guy. But seriously, how about using your head. Maybe my kid isn't allowed to have the dye that's in their lollipops- I know parents who have legit reasons why their children cannot tolerate artificial dyes in food. They have completely or almost completely eliminated those dyes from their kids diet. How about if he was being punished and part of his punishment was no candy? What if I just didn't want him to have it. For NO REASON WHATSOVER?

Sure, I guess you could say, well, then you just tell your kid no and deal with it. And I actually can. E would have taken it but he can leave it too. It's just not something in our repertoire enough for him to care about. I've discussed his food issues before so I'm not going into them now, but food of any kind is not of much interest to him. We've said he only eats lollipops at or from birthday parties and he's satisfied with that answer. So he wouldn't have freaked out.

However, he IS like Pavlov and the dogs. Meaning, once something has happened once in one place, it ALWAYS HAS TO HAPPEN. Why do you think we've been in every public restroom in Bergen County numerous times? Because once he's marked his territory ever, he has to go every single time we walk into that same place. The bathroom in Fairway Supermarket is disgusting. He doesn't care. Every time without fail. CVS in Glen Rock? Gross. But within five minutes of walking in, we're asking for the door code. I know E isn't the only kid like that. So now some other parent of a kid who is going to melt down from a no has to deal with this every time they need to go to the bank?? WHY?? WHY even START that?! If someone wants one for their kid, how about just letting them ASK? I know parents who can't even go into a Starbucks without getting bombarded with requests from their kid for a certain cookie. Because they were allowed that cookie ONCE. Kids have elephant brains. They forget NOTHING. But that's on the parent. Totally. No one forced the cookie on the parent or the kid.

I own a retail store. I'm here to sell lighting and lighting accessories. I'm not a candy pusher. Never has it even occurred to me to ask a kid that comes in here if they want a baked good or candy. Especially because most of the time, the kids are doing stuff in here they shouldn't be. While it might be nice to try to create a sugar diversion to get them to stop trashing my store, I certainly am not trying to REWARD them for bad behavior.

Yeah, we can all figure out how to control our kids and deal with tantrums. But I'm just so baffled at the "why". Why the need to be the crack (sugar) dealer? I've seen people offer lollipops and other crap to kids who aren't theirs who were having a tantrum. Imagine the bank guy offering candy to the kid throwing himself on the floor. Positive reinforcement for a tantrum. Awesome. No, how about using your head and just staying out of it. I've never needed assistance from a retail professional or stranger dealing with my child melting down. Once, E was throwing a fit in a Marshalls because he wanted some Spiderman something. I just stood on line, ignoring it, going about my business. Then he stopped and we walked out. A lady came jogging after me and said that she would've given in. Not in a nice, you're a good parent, kind of way but more a "I can't believe you just let that happen in public" kind of way. Well guess what lady, I don't care if he made a scene. Kids make scenes. I'm not just giving him something to shut him up. Not Spiderman paraphernalia, OR a lollipop.

So for the love of whatever, please just stop offering it. How about the motto- If they want it, they will ask.

Hoboken Fun!

It's that time again...my favorite street fair of all. So much so that I've been dragging my husband there, twice a year, for SEVEN years. Hey- it's where we got almost all the art and sculpture for our old condo, our house, etc. Totally worth it. And from Glen Rock, Fair Lawn or Ridgewood, I highly recommend taking the train. It's easy and you don't have to deal with parking which is a giant pain and expensive too.

Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival

Sept. 29, 2013
11am to 6pm
takes place on Washington St.
between Observer Highway to 7th St.
For info, contact Geri Fallo at 201-420-2207
Vendor applications are available.
Email a request to: gfallo@hobokennj.org

Over 300 Artists, Crafters, Photographers,
Sculptors, Local Businesses, Restaurants,
Food Vendors, local non-profits & more
Rain or shine – Admission is Free
3 Stages of live music featuring:

The Feelies.
Photo by Fumi Iishi.

The Feelies, the legendary & influential rock band, reunited in 2008 with a
highly successful series of concerts (including shows at Battery Park in NYC on
July 4^th of 2008 with Sonic Youth and at an REM Tribute concert at Carnegie Hall).
The classic Feelies lineup of Glenn Mercer, Bill Million, Dave Weckerman, Brenda
Sauter, and Stanley Demeski performed their first shows since 1991.  Formed in
Haledon NJ in 1976, The Feelies released 5 albums- including their critically acclaimed
& influential debut Crazy Rhythms, which was voted #49 in the top 100 albums of
the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine and chosen by Spin Magazine as #49 of the best
alternative records of all time. The twin-guitar attack of songwriters & founders Glenn
Mercer and Bill Million is the infectious sound of the group. Paired with driving drums
& percussion, it has left an indelible mark on the landscape of rock and roll.

Speed the Plough:  

Speed the Plough

is a multi-generational sextet celebrating their 30th year of making music, going back to their
very first show, which was at Maxwell’s in Hoboken. Starting in their earlier incarnation as
The Trypes, the group has always explored diverse instrumentation in a rock context, ranging
from chamber pop to psychedic to folk rock. The group is marking the release of their career
retrospective on Bar-None Records, “The Plough and The Stars.”

Davey & the Trainwreck: After meeting and hanging out in Hoboken for years, this
group of old friends got together to play good, solid, and seemingly simple folk rock, reminiscent
of Bob Dylan & the Band.  Lead by Hoboken Music Award winning song writer Dave Calamoneri,
Davey & the Trainwreck’s motto: Good Music.  Good Friends.  Good Times.

Stuyvesant: 

Stuyvesant

Listeners familiar with the ‘90s Hoboken scene will remember singer/guitarist Ralph Malanga
from the band Footstone and singer/guitarist Sean Adams and bassist Brian Musikoff from the
Jersey City-based Friends, Romans, Countrymen. At the advent of the 2000s, these indie rock
veterans teamed up with drummer Pete Martinez (proprietor of Hoboken’s Drum Den) as
Stuyvesant, &d picked up where they left off with their respective former groups, continuing
the pursuit of perfect power riffage, rousing choruses, & impassioned vocals. Stuyvesant’s third
full length effort, written & recorded in Hoboken, shall be released in early 2014!

Jack Skuller:
17 year old Jack Skuller is as inspired by the Everly Brothers as he is by the Black Keys. He has
toured 12 major cities for RADIO DISNEY. He has performed live on FOX-TV’s Good Day New
York and launched his career
at 14 with a single on indie label BAR/NONE Records. Jack has appeared in Teen Vogue, New
York Post,Time Out New York, J-14, Twist, New York Press and the Examiner.

The NERDS: THE NERDS have made countless TV, radio, and concert appearances and
have played with superstars such as Bruce Springsteen, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Bon Jovi. From
selling out Carnegie Hallto receiving the Key to the City of Hoboken, their history, success, and
track record are legendary. This high energy rock performance is always a crowd pleaser.

Carolina Jug Stompers: 

The Carolina Jug Stompers
Photo by John Dalton

Jugband gems, fiddle & mandolin rags, hokum & blues, ancient jazz, & original songs. The jug in the
Carolina Jug Stompers is played by Hoboken legend Luke Faust, who’s played with Dave Van Ronk,
the Holy Modal Rounders, and Insect Trust.  He’s joined by Ron Cole on fiddle, Randy Johnson on
mandolin, and WB Reid on 6-string banjo. Randy Johnson has toured the US & England as a member
of the New North Carolina Ramblers, as well as with Pete Peterson & Kellie Allen. Ron Cole has
been the maven of hokum fiddle & obscure songs for decades, & most recently has been making music
with the Piedmont Rhythm Aces in the Chapel Hill, NC area. 

WB Reid is the band’s west-coaster, fronting, with Suzy Thompson, the acclaimed Berkeley based
1920s party music band, The Todalo Shakers.
Gene D. Plumber: A Hoboken jewel, Gene plays a mix of standard styles, what he calls
Tex-Mex-abilly.

The Deb Stein & the Master Class: Hoboken resident & Jazz flutist, Deb Stein
brings together an impressive line-up of musicians performing Latin Jazz, Blues & Standards.
Featuring Berklee School of Music graduates Alan Chaubert on piano & trumpet, Jim Savitt on
guitar, Rob Rolling on bass & Andy O’Neill on drums.

The Fuzzy Lemons: 

The Fuzzy Lemons
Photo by Joe Epstein

Get ready to jump, wiggle, and shake with The Fuzzy Lemons, the juiciest family-friendly rock
band on the scene!  With laugh-out-loud lyrics and memorable melodies, every song tells a story
and every show is full of fun, inspiring kids of all ages to dance and sing along with music the
whole family will love!

Preschool of Rock: 

Preschool of Rock

was founded by Michael Napolitano,
a long time member of the Blue Man Group organization and former Music Specialist at the Blue
Man Creativity Center in NYC. The school offers a unique music based curriculum for children
and their families. Each Preschool of Rock class or show is a roof raising celebration.  Their use
of original music, drum circles, guitars, dramatic play, puppets, movement and storytelling captivates audiences.audiences.




The Garden Street School Band:
Garden Street School of the Performing Arts is owned by long time local residents Dan and Annie
McLoughlin.  Garden Street is the leading school for training in all aspects of the arts including dance,
theater, music, and art.  There are classes for all ages, styles, & levels from the complete beginner to
the aspiring professional. They start at age 1 through adults, & there is a class for everyone.
Garden Street staff is comprised of the most talented artists in the country, from Broadway credits,
grammy nominations & more. 

Brody is the son of Hoboken musician Don Brody, and was recently nominated for the Jersey
Acoustic Music (JAM) Award

Brody

for top new male act. A hopeful romantic, singer / songwriter, Brody’s original songs speak
to a wide range of audiences.

The Lonesome Prairie Dogs are an NYC-area rock ‘n roll band masquerading
as a honky tonk outfit. They play the music of Hank Williams, Elvis, Johnny Cash
and other early rockers, as well as their own original ripoffs, dressed in vintage
cowboy shirts they got on eBay.
Danny Matos y Son Candela salsa band & much more

Performance Schedule
Observer Highway Stagenoon – Lonesome Prairie Dogs
12:45pm -  Stuyvesant
1:30pm – Jack Skuller2:15pm  -  Davey and the Trainwreck3:15pm  – Speed the Plough4:30pm- The Feelies
3rd Street Stage – children’s area
Noon – 12:30pm – Preschool of Rock
12:50pm to 1:20pm – Garden Street School
1:45pm to 2:15pm – Fuzzy Lemons
2:35pm to 3:05pm – Garden Street School
3:30pm to 4:00pm – Fuzzy Lemons
4:30pm to 5:00pm – Preschool of Rock
6th Street Stage
12:30pm - Brody
1:00pm - Gene D. Plumber
2:00pm  - The NERDS
3:15pm - Carolina Jug Stompers
4:00pm - Deb Stein & the Master Class
5:00pm  - Danny Matos y Son Candela Salsa Band
Schedules are tentative and subject to change.

 Special features include

• Fine artists are located between 2nd & 3rd Sts. (both sides), 5th & 6th Sts. (North, East side), and artists from the Monroe Center for the Arts bet. First & Newark Sts. (North, East side), so if you are an art collector, these are the locations you will want to explore first. Oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, sculpture, mixed media, photography, etc.
• Children’s activities on 3rd street with rides, games, creative activities, face painting, sand art, balloons, live performances and much, much more:
• Crafters display / sell handmade: pottery, metalwork, wood items,
• furniture, blown & fused glass, quilts, household items made from
• recycled materials, batik clothing, hand painted furniture, candles,
•           jewelry, dried florals, soaps & lotions and other unique handcrafted items.
• Food: Lots of great food throughout the fair. Hoboken restaurants will set up street cafes offering an eclectic variety of international foods such as: Thai, Indian, Greek, French, Mexican, Cajun and Italian
•   

Transportation

Located just 3 blocks from all public transportation:
PATH, NJ Transit Trains & buses, NY Waterway Ferries & the Hudson Bergen Lightrail
Washington Street will be closed from 6am to 9pm
between Observer Highway and 7th Street
During this time, NJ TRANSIT Bus No. 22 (North Bergen-Union City-Hoboken),
No. 89 (North Bergen-Hoboken) and No. 126 (Hoboken-New York)
will operate on a detour.
Customers traveling toward North Bergen and New York
will board and alight along Bloomfield Street at customer’s request.
Customers traveling toward Hoboken Terminal
will board and alight along Willow Avenue at marked bus stop locations.

Sponsors
United Water
The Hoboken Reporter
Capital One Bank, Walgreens, 
PATH, Port Authority of NY & NJ,

Food & Beverage Donated by:
Anthony David’s, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Luca Brasi, 
Vito’s Italian Deli, Losurdo Brothers Deli / Tony’s Italian Bakery,

Supported in part by a grant from the Department of State,
Division of Travel & Tourism www.visitnj.org

For more information, contact Geri Fallo201-420-2207 or gfallo@hobokennj.org

Volunteers are needed for morning setup on day of the event
from 7am to 11am

Ruminating on Rita-isms

My mom liked a good frenzy. She collected stuff. Rita just loved STUFF. And she HAD to have whatever it was she was obsessing about. The hottest "IT" toy of the holiday season for kids she didn't have or kids who were too old for Tickle Me Elmo. Madame Alexander dolls, baseball cards, other sport cards, VHS tapes of movies, you name it. And she got crazy about whatever it is she was looking for, going to any lengths necessary. She didn't have the internet when she was at her peak of obsessions. Had she had that kind of access, she would've been lethal with a credit card.

But part of it was just the thrill of the chase. What does that mean and how do I know this? Well, it means there is nothing like the high of having gone to five different Marshalls all over northern Jersey only to walk into that last one, ten miles away, in rush hour with your 4 year old in tow and quickly scanning their large shoe section for the red boots you've been stalking for two weeks. Boots that don't even seem to exist on the Internet outside of a country where the language is in symbols vs letters. Then, laying eyes on what could possibly be them, pulling said 4 year old's arm as you break into a run, seeing it IS really them, tearing open the last three boxes in existence to discover there is ONE PAIR IN YOUR SIZE. There is nothing like that moment when you and the kid are high-fiving over open boxes of Franco Sarto boots strewn on the floor. How do I know this? I got the "Frenzy" thing from my mother. And I would be fairly certain that my son has it too. Because his face was priceless when we found those boots. "MOMMY, YOU ARE SO HAPPY!". Granted, he'd been with me on the quest for them in pretty much every discount brand name store in Bergen and Passaic counties so he did have a vested interest. He had just said in Saks Off Fifth- "It's okay Mama, don't give up....". We didn't. We couldn't. The thrill of the chase is in our blood.


It's September, which means "Deathiversary" is looming...and I just didn't feel like waiting to write something. It's funny, I'm pretty much the least private person out there. I'll talk about any typically taboo topics from money to getting a Brazilian. But I don't really want to talk about missing my mother. I don't really know why. I'm not even going to go too deep here...I just felt inspired to say something after the boot thing happened. I know people, especially those who consider themselves religious or spiritual, talk about how they feel their loved ones around all the time, feel signs, etc. I don't necessarily feel that. Signs or spiritual. But I guess there ARE certain times I feel like my mother had a hand in something going on around me. When I saw that box with my size on it, I immediately thought of her and pictured how she'd be laughing at the whole scene with that proud look she got whenever I persevered and "won" in the end of anything. Not typical parent pride moments, like making a great sport play or becoming a valedictorian. But stuff like getting what I want even when the deck is stacked higher than the Empire State building against me. Sure this is just something frivolous like footwear, but my mom was kind of frivolous. She would totally be psyched about something on the same level. If there was ever a time I felt she was with me, it was when I found those boots.

I think of her a lot and how she would've loved my kid. I watch Dancing With the Stars because she loved it. I like to watch and predict who she would've been rooting for and who she'd have a bug up her ass to be sent home because she perceived their ability prior to the show too good to be fair. I watch new shows thinking how she'd love certain things and how they'd be her new Gossip Girl. Maybe I'm thinking of her more now, or in September more all the time, not because the date of her death and her birthday are coming but because it's always the start of the fall TV season. No one loved TV more than Rita. She was programming her DVR, other people's DVR's, and if I'm not mistaken, she still had some VHS going on too. I take after her in that too....I've never met a tv I didn't like. I turn it on as soon as I walk in the house.

I've also been having some incredibly late nights recently for no other reason but getting caught up watching tv. A few nights ago I ended up until 3am-ish watching Pitch Perfect for the 25th time. That one would have been a favorite of hers for SURE. I was imagining her sitting at the dining room table, 3am, joyfully watching and doing whatever else she was doing at that hour. Maybe eating Snackwells the way I eat Jelly Belly?

One night last week, I'd been in and out of the bed. I'd nodded off around midnight or an hour after but woke up around three o'clock in the morning because I still had the lights on and probably the television. I get a second wind around then and I decided it would be an awesome time to make E's lunch and do a load of laundry. I'm back at work full time now so I was gleeful at all I was getting done before I had to get up and start the day. While I was doing laundry I thought I could also save time if I put my work-out clothes on and just slept in them. I came back upstairs, B woke up, looked at me, and in an exasperated voice asked what I was doing and why I left the room hours ago in one outfit and came back in my workout gear. I just said not to worry about it. Too much to explain my thought process in the middle of the night. But he decided to tell this story to someone a few days later, describing what did sound kind of like a lunatic and all I could do is laugh. Laugh because I just thought of my mom and her all hours of the night antics.

Rita still has a Facebook page and people write on it to her. I guess if there is an afterlife, she might be on FB playing whatever is the game du jour. But I don't want to write there. Again, I don't know why. I suppose it's because I know she isn't really reading it so I don't feel a point or a connection there. It's fine that people do, it's just not my thing. On my own blog though, where I am connected, I just wanted to publicly reminisce about the funny and endearing Rita memories that stick because I see these parts of her in my and/or my son. E and I can laugh at everything and nothing and get into such a fit of giggles that won't quit. It makes me smile on the inside when I realize where that came from. My mom always enjoyed my writing immensely, so the best way I can think to honor her memory is to write something specifically honoring her.

Botox & Filler Party

Elan had been doing my Botox since 2006. Only reason I stopped going to him was because he opened his own practice in NYC and it was too hard for me to get there. But for THIS kind of a deal, I'd totally go... So if anyone wants to come with....Let me know!!

Patient Loyalty Has It's Rewards AT EBS Plastic Surgery

Dr. Elan B. Singer, and his staff of professionals, invites you to let your friends in on New York City's best kept secret! Bring a friend on Thursday, October 3rd, 2pm-7pm, and everyone receives one area of Botox for FREE; But that's not all!  You and a friend will  receive $100 off of 1 syringe of Juvederm, and  $200 off each syringe thereafter!* *While Supplies Last*     Coming directly from work?  No problem...  Food and Drink will be served from 5pm-7pm  **Call Now For Your Appointment** 212-517-5600

EBS Plastic Surgery 120 East 56th St New York, New York 10022 212-517-5600

Special Education Law

I have many friends who could probably use this seminar...Hope this helps! Price, Meese, Shulman & D'Arminio, P.C., is a full-service law firm with its principal office in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Visit us online at pricemeese.com

Sparkle Speaks

Last Thursday night was the Sparkle Speaks gala to benefit Autism Speaks. It's Jacqueline Laurita's event that raises money and awareness of the spectrum disorder. It was a tricky tray event held at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park.

It just goes to show the power of social media. I follow Jacqueline on Twitter and Facebook. I don't KNOW her, although she does just live a few miles away. One night in late July, Jacqueline posted something on Twitter or Facebook about the gala. I saw it, checked out the website and saw we could be donors. Having worked with adults on the spectrum when I was a social worker in the 90's, and having quite a few friends with kids on the spectrum, it's a cause close to my heart. We ended up donating $625 toward a custom chandelier from our store, Shades of Soho. Had Jacqueline not posted about it to her social media accounts, I probably wouldn't have known about the event until I saw photos from it in 201 Magazine months down the road.

Of course being donors, we also wanted to support the event by being there. First thing- I had a dress I'd planned to wear that I'd decided on about a month prior to the event. It was perfectly fine when I first tried it on. I had left it hanging on my closet door for the past few weeks. It continued to look fine. All I know is that I went to put it on the night before just to make sure I had all the right undergarments and such, and when I put it on, it had a faint stain down the front. It was a satin-esque kind of fabric so it looks like when satin gets something wet on it. Like, if I turned it one way you couldn't really see it but if you looked at it another way, it seemed larger and more visible. I probably could've worn it but I just didn't feel comfortable going there with a stain before even walking in the door.

I have like eight other dresses I could've worn. But I wasn't in love with anything. Oddly enough, I have this dress that is all beaded, that I bought in Las Vegas in 2000. It's long and almost pageant-like. Slit up to there. I bought it to wear to a party at the Las Vegas Tanning Expo at the MGM Grand. I didn't know about the party and hadn't brought anything fancy enough to wear. I went to a boutique in the hotel and fell in love with this dress. I thought it got lost in our move in 2006. I've been annoyed about it ever since. BUT, one night over the summer I was in a frenzy of selling things on the Bergen County Moms Exchange on FB. I went to the attic to check this giant duffel bag that I thought just had t-shirts in it. I stuck my hand in the bottom and touched what felt like a garment bag. I started pulling and out came the garment bag with this Vegas dress and other sentimental items of clothing. I was FREAKING OUT. I couldn't believe I'd found my beloved items I thought were gone forever!!


Because this dress is beaded it really doesn't wrinkle. I have two other really nice dresses that were with it but one was BCBG jersey that got really wrinkled and a black Tahari that while it would've looked "nice" on, it really had no "wow" factor. Not like the beaded one. Plus, the gala was for Autism and the puzzle piece symbol is blue and I just kind of wanted to stay in the blue family. The beaded dress is like a grayish blue. AND the NAME of the gala IS "Sparkle Speaks" so the sparkle of my dress would be totally appropriate. I totally was afraid it might be "too much"- just too much everything. I've been to some of these events where there were people in jeans and people in ball gowns. I just pushed my fear of being overdressed out of my mind because I really didn't have any other viable options. Everything else was wrinkled! Or I didn't have the right undergarments.

My only real issue was that I did buy it pre-child in the year 2000. How was I getting into it? It has NO give whatsoever. I had to run to Loehmanns and buy some kind of undergear to help get and stay in it. I looked good, so I'm told...I just couldn't breathe the entire night. Whatever. Beauty is pain or something like that. Isn't that what Frenchy said to Sandy when she tried to pierce her ear in Grease??

Tickets cost $100/pp with a $10 per ticket fee for booking the tickets online. I'd never been to the Westmount before. It's really beautiful. I didn't see the whole place. Apparently we were in the smaller room. But it has a great deck outside with breathtaking views. The cocktail hour room has a very nice feel to it. It also has beautiful decks outside of it. I could definitely see having a gorgeous wedding there. The gala was open bar with top shelf liquor and I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure the Westmount is known for having their own cool signature drinks. As in- I don't think they came up with these drinks specifically for the event. I think they offer them as part of a drink package. It was definitely more interesting than just going up for my regular Malibu Bay Breeze. They had a white sangria, a red sangria, white cosmo and a bunch of other signature mixed drinks. I haven't seen that before, where the venue had their own cocktails, and I've been to a lot of weddings, charity events, etc. I've seen where there's been one or two signature cocktails make specifically for an event but not a whole board of different drinks they do regularly. If you're not a wine or beer drinker, having all these choices makes it fun.

We missed a lot of the cocktail hour. There was a lot of traffic and the event started at 6p. That's a rough time to be going anywhere in northern Jersey. I was too busy checking out the prizes to eat and it was much easier to carry around a drink than a plate. It was mostly antipasto stuff that looks really nice but that I don't eat. I thought dinner was really good. It was steak and chicken with mashed potatoes and different color string beans. I don't know if they have a correct name and since they are such a small part of the evening, I'm not googling the many kinds of string beans there might be. Dessert was right up my alley- it was a strawberry & whipped cream angel food cake kind of thing. DCS Chocolate did the favors. They were chocolate covered graham crackers and chocolate covered pretzels. Can't go wrong with those!

Jacqueline spoke when we sat down to eat. It was a very emotional moment for her and I think it made everyone else emotional as well. It's hard not to get emotional when you have a child or children close in age to her son Nicholas. Whether or not your child is on the spectrum or not, just hearing a mother speak about the struggles, the wins, the good and the bad, you put yourself in her place and it's enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes. I also think with Jacqueline, she's very open, engaging, and approachable. It's easy to relate to her. Because strip down all the Real Housewives drama, the fancy homes, cars, and what you have a mother just trying to help her son be everything he can be.

PS. She's pretty on TV, but she's really pretty and SO tiny in person. Her hair and make-up were flawless. And her rack is spectacular (as showcased in this form fitting color-block dress).

As far as the tricky tray part, there were levels and the tickets corresponded with the levels. Green was the lowest level, then red, then yellow, and then there were white grand prize ones for trips. It was a little confusing because there were classes as prizes- music therapy, gym classes, yoga, etc but the signage didn't say where these places were located. There were a lot of baskets at the green level- shirts, toys, etc. But it was difficult to figure out what they were or where they came from. I actually one a red level prize, which were children's toy type things but there was a set of puzzle piece earrings with them. The name of the place sounds like a boutique but I was confused at what kind of business they actually are.

When the prizes were being called, they just yelled out the numbers in rapid succession. Yes, businesses donate for the good of the cause of course, but also there is a recognition factor. You do want people to know what they're getting and from where. I've been to many tricky tray events and usually the item and where it came from is read off before the number is called. They picked the numbers prior to starting to call them out. Because all the numbers were taped to the items. So it would seem like they had the time to at least shout out what the item is and who donated it. It also ups the excitement factor, knowing what you're getting! When my number was called, I didn't even know what I won until I ran up there like I was on the Price Is Right!

There were definitely a lot of prizes so people really were able to get a chance to win. I think it's a cause close to a lot of people, especially in NJ where the numbers of spectrum diagnoses just keep getting higher. I'm sure getting donations wasn't too difficult. We would definitely donate again and attend. My friend Melissa came with us so it wasn't just us with no one else to hang with. Two hometown friends were there as well so it made it more like a party than us just at an event.









If you need any information about autism, go here: http://www.autismspeaks.org

DCS Chocolates: http://www.dcschocolates.com/

Westmount Country Club: http://www.westmountcc.com/

Scala (the company that made my dress):  http://www.scalausa.com                                                                                       

HoYo

A fellow Glen Rocker opened a new yoga studio-

Darlene Polulak Lucchi

The studio name is Ho-Ho-Kus Yoga (HoYo).   They offer adult and kid classes.  Their full schedule is on their website www.hohokusyoga.com

The following is a list of kids classes:

Mondays 10:45-11:30 ages 3-5...

Mondays 11:45-12:30 Toddler and Me

Tuesdays 4:00-5:00 Teen/Tween

Wednesdays Story Time 10:45-11:15 ($5)

Wednesdays 3:45-4:30 ages 6-10

Fridays 1:30-2:15 ages 3-5

8 week sessions $120 (can be prorated)

Bethenny's Still Talking

I really wanted to love Bethenny Frankel's new talk show. I assumed I would. I was a big fan of hers on RHONY. Then I liked her on Bethenny's Getting Married and Bethenny Ever After. I like her quick wit, sharp tongue, and her quirky personality. But I hate the show. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "hate". I strongly dislike most of it.

Let me preface the following "review" with a short anecdote. I got a little turned off by her when I went to a book signing where people were lined up for hours only for her to not let anyone take pics with her. I tweeted her about it and she blamed it on the store. I went to the store and asked them about it. They showed me the paperwork from her people with her "rules". One of which was no posed pics. I called her out on twitter and she didn't answer. Thing is, if she did know that was in her agreement, then she was lying to me (and other fans) and if she didn't know, why doesn't she know what's in her own agreements?? That sounds ridiculous.

I wanted to check out the show anyway. I still like her general personality. I'd watched it on it's summer trial run a little here and there and found it just really juvenile. I can't figure out who the target audience is to whom she's trying to relate. It seems like most of the audience is in their early 20's. Bethenny is in her 40's. I get that she appeals to the more Sex and the City type girl who is looking for that big sister kind of direction. But it's almost like she's playing a part. It's way too "young" for her.

I don't know why she's entertaining questions from people like - Can a penis break? Ellen is the one behind the show and I think she's trying to make it a copy of her show, which obviously  works for her but Bethenny is not Ellen. She WAS edgier, dirtier, etc. And that is what she should be- being herself. It's like she whitewashed and sanitized herself and is trying to be too young. She also made a 100 million dollar deal with her company-- she's no dummy. Last week on her show she was talking about questions you're too embarrassed to ask- a girl said she didn't know what century it is and Bethenny was like I don't know either! And she claimed she doesn't know what APR in terms of credit cards mean. What? The HELL you don't! I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a "women empowerment" kind of show and it's turning out to be more, "It's so cute when you're dumb".

Does anyone really care what Ryan Serchant (Million Dollar Listing NY) thinks about "work spouses" or whether some comedian thinks Khloe Kardashian should stay with or divorce Lamar Odom? I fast-forwarded though every panel discussion she had and also the audience questions. One of the days I watched, Bethenny was asking people if anyone gives their significant other a "hall pass" or a "free pass" meaning they can have sex outside of their relationship with someone else. It just was so...Tyra. I was on Tyra's show. Which was a hot mess, by the way. What was supposed to be a show for and about being new moms, turned out to be a show about being a new mom and being sexual. That is NOT what I signed up for. I don't think it's a big revelation that different kinds of people enjoy different kinds of sexual relationships. Finding out some random couple in the audience has decided at the ten year mark of marriage, they're going to have a threesome isn't of any interest to me whatsoever. Some other woman on another episode asked how she can climb the corporate ladder without be labeled a bitch. I think there are self-help books for that kind of question. I think Bethenny wrote one! It's all just stuff that seems like it should just be common sense too.

The thing is, there ARE real Bethenny moments where the girl you fell in love with on RHONY, Bethenny Getting Married & Bethenny Ever After shows through. She did bra segment, which was informative, although pretty sure already done by Oprah, where she had one of those moments. There was a seventy-two year old woman who came up to talk about her bra but to also sort of be a surrogate mother to Bethenny. The woman told her she was proud of her, that she had no real go-to parent figure and still made it and that she would love to be Bethenny's go-to person. Bethenny started to cry and of course, so did I. It's those moments where she is vulnerable and emotional, where you see she is still all full of baggage and struggling, where she becomes endearing again.

The best word to describe Bethenny's show like you said is forced. Forced silliness. Forced You go girl! Rah rah girl power! If her target audience is 20-something's fine but I would've liked to see her do a more serious kind of thing where almost like Howard Stern, she does interviews asking questions no one else has the balls to ask. She's acerbic, quick, and she probably could ask questions other people couldn't get away with asking. Or tackling serious subjects like everything you deal with when you get divorced. Stuff she knows now that she wished she knew then, pre-nups, explaining how easy it is to speak for someone when you're in love and getting married and how you may feel this person is a total stranger once you're getting separated or divorced.  Ricki Lake was 24 when she first hosted her show. Bethenny is double that. Bethenny shouldn't want to be compared to Ricki and her show. And it seems like she's one episode away from "Go Bethenny! Go Bethenny!". She has bachelorette parties coming to the show!

I just wish she'd act like she's over forty years old versus acting twenty-five. Yes, we're all only as old as we feel but this is just too contrived and saccharin. I was really irritated with the "Questions you're too afraid to ask segment" because I feel like it's beneath her. They're ridiculous questions. I get that Ellen is her mentor and now I'm even over Ellen. I don't watch Ellen anymore. I don't need to see adults playing musical chairs and hear sanitized interviews when I can hear the real, nitty-gritty interview on Stern instead. But Ellen has a proven track record of talk show success. People like her being silly. Maybe 20-somethings like Bethenny being silly. But this almost-40 year old can do without it. I'll stick with Wendy (Williams). Wendy dishes and doesn't need to play silly games to show she's fun and lighthearted. Somehow Wendy makes it like you're in her living room with your feet up on the couch and a cup of coffee, but without forcing intimacy with silliness.

I would love for her to do well and her talk show stay on the air. I think she has a lot of potential to have a awesome show because she's likable. She lets her vulnerability show. She has no problem showing it all- warts, no make-up, whatever. That's rare. But that's also why this new persona she's picked is so unnerving and annoying. She can't be coming from "A place of YES" at all times.

Dance in Review

This is the tail end of complementary class week at Dance With Me Juniors in Glen Rock. For those unaware, Dance With Me USA opened up a studio on Rock Road just for kids. Although, as I said in a previous entry, there IS a sign outside that says Zumba, which I think will be offered for adults. Since I am not coordinated and am not interested in Zumba, I forgot to inquire about that.

The new dance studio is really beautiful. Even if they didn't use us for lighting. But I can let that once slide since I'm fairly certain they didn't know we were here when they bought their chandeliers. I was in there when it was Books, Bytes & Beyond and it's literally transformed. Even the bathrooms are nicer than in most homes I've seen.

The class schedule is broken down by age. The age breakdown is that age four is considered "toddler". But E and his friends from school have all been in almost full time school since age two or two and a half. So I take four as more- "four if your child is only preschool for the first time now or isn't in school". Because I wouldn't consider E a "toddler". He's four and a half and been in dance class since he was two and a half.

The next age group is five and six years old together. Those are the classes I had E try because that's more his speed. Same with his friends from school. Hip hop there is on Mondays at 6p right now for that age group. Personally, *I* am ok with that. Because our store is open until 7p on Mondays. I always did swim on Mondays but I skipped it this session. I was only left with Tuesday afternoons after school free last year and I just wanted to keep Monday open too until or unless I found something to do. I figured since it's fall and nice out for awhile longer, we could at least even meet his friends at the park on that day. But, after a long day of school, 6p can be kind of late and for most people it IS dinnertime. E doesn't eat so I don't really have to worry about that.

It was hard on some of his friends who came with us to the trial though. Two of the moms have two year olds also and husbands who commute to NYC and come home  late. So, some of the 4-5 year olds can handle it but now what to do with siblings? I think the idea is to leave the kids there for class and leave. So maybe us moms have to change our mindset of wanting to watch the class?

This is the thing- the set up is odd. I was told that going forward, the way they'd like it is if you'd come through the back door. There is a changing room there and benches. You can see the main ballroom somewhat but it's definitely down a decent sized hallway so you're not really NEAR them. There is another, smaller room right by the changing room and benches. It has a window but it's a real window vs a two-way mirror. If you're sitting on the bench and you're talking the kids the size of the average 5-6 year old, you can't really watch. And they can't see you. But if you stood up, you'd both be seeing each other. I'm a HUGE fan of the two-way mirror. I KNOW E gets distracted and I assume other kids do too. But I also think this is a different kind of dance studio than what the average mom is used to utilizing around here.

I'd say most of the parents I've spoken to at E's age and who have or had kids in dance use Miss Patti, Wyckoff School of Dance, Studio L, Robin Horneff, Central/Byrd School Dance program, etc. They are all differing degrees of "strict" but in comparison to DWMJ,  I think DWMJ is meant to be much more serious. Not better or worse but more serious. I've only been to Wyckoff, but we have a two-way mirror and they assume the moms are going to stay and watch. I mean, they come and get you if your kid needs to use the bathroom. The way it was posed to me at DWMJ, I felt like they would prefer if you just dropped your kid off and left. Not in a negative way but because it's serious and they don't want distractions. Which is fine. But I think most of the parents who have no experience with this type of dance are not used to that thought process. And let's face it, I talk about it all the time- parents can be way more helicopter, cautious, suspicious, or neurotic these days. At least that's what I've encountered. The thought of leaving their kid in the dance studio and going somewhere else for an hour is completely foreign and somewhat unnerving. Lastly, we DO like to watch, at least sometimes. We want to see if our kid is paying attention, if they're any good at it, do they like it, do we like the teaching style, and sorry, sheepishly for a Facebook photo. And I'd have no issue dropping a seven year old off. But right now, E isn't five yet and he does still need help in the bathroom. He waits till the last minute sometimes and when he needs to go, he needs to go. I have to be there in case that moment arrives.

To be perfectly honest, I can't really comment on the quality of the dancing. I know nothing about dance. He took Hip Hop and I guess that's what they were doing. He took Euro Ballroom and that seemed pretty hardcore. It was no joke. And I like that. The kids got lightly reprimanded for not paying attention. Crack that whip! I love that. Tough love! BUT, we also need to realize, it's 6p-6:45p. E was actually yawning. That's not him being just under five. That's having had a seven hour school day, then going to the park, then the class. If the class was at 4p, 4:30, 5p, I wouldn't have taken him to the park. I'd have either gone right to the class or come home first. But I need to do SOMETHING between 4p and 6p. So, all the kids, who were all older than him, or at least the other boy, were distracted and sort of hit the wall halfway through the class.

The teachers all look like supermodels and seem very knowledgeable. I can't comment on whether they were doing it right, but I was just mesmerized by the blond girl teaching the Hip Hop class. I was more daydreaming about what it would be like to walk around everyday in regular life looking like that. The blond male teacher practically glides as he walks. If you based it on how they look and their body language, these teachers look the part and every bit the same as the dancers you see on TV.

The biggest pro of all that I see has nothing to do with dance. It's that people are curious, there is brand recognition with the name and the Dancing With the Stars associated with it, and IT WILL BRING PEOPLE TO GLEN ROCK. And that is just what Glen Rock needs. Everyone has been upset about the businesses going belly-up, empty store fronts, and not having much to draw people into the downtown. What we do have to offer now are some really cool, niche businesses that other towns don't have. Custom lighting, juicing café, grandfather clock sales and repair, vacuum/sewing machine sales/repair, and ballroom (and other kinds) of dancing. Of course, just as it would be, we now have two dance studios of that nature on the same street, but whatever. I guess a lot of people enjoy dance. We just did all the chandeliers and pendants in a new dance studio that just opened in Nyack, NY so I am thinking it's popular.

Anyway, all in all, it's a positive review for DWMJ so far. My cons are few. I have three:

1. The schedule. Classes for 5-6 are 6p. Seven to nine year olds are at 7p, and so on. That's getting late on a school night. I don't know if I'd like my 10 year old taking an 8p class. Maybe once they gauge interest, they will modify the schedule. Although, for a working parent, it may work to have the later classes. Or maybe they'll have two choices- a 4p and a 6p, at least for the little ones.

2. The set-up, which I explained for the most part. But in addition to not really being able to watch your kid's class, it isn't clear that you're supposed to enter through the back. But if you do enter through the front and a class is going on, you're walking right into the middle of a class. That has to be kind of awkward and break their concentration. The front desk is right there by the door and if you have questions or signing up or whatever, you'd be talking. Talking right through a class. I'm sure with the music, maybe it would be fine? But then you'd have to yell, I'd think, if the music was loud enough for someone just walking in not to be noticed.

3. Cost. As I said, most of us are used to the local dance schools for kids. As far a I know, all that I mentioned are a year commitment for approximately $450-$600, not including costumes or recital tickets. One class a week per dance specialty (ballet, jazz, acro, etc). DWMJ is UBER-convenient for me. It's literally walking distance from my store and like a two minute drive from E's school. I would love for him to take Hip Hop or even the Euro Ballroom. There is just NO WAY I could afford that. Obviously we all have priorities. If I really expected him to be D'Angleo of D'Angelo and Amanda from America's Got Talent, I guess I'd make it a priority. But we work and we need to send E to full time camp in the summer. His other activities can't be so expensive. And unfortunately, DWMJ opened just now, in September, when many of us have already made a yearly dance commitment somewhere else. When you've already spent $500+ for a year, it's a big decision to do this too, monetarily speaking.

I know they already have a following. I spoke to moms who came from kind of far away. One said something about coming from their old location in Saddle Brook, which isn't far but it's not next door either. And I don't know where she lives just what studio she was using. I met a decent amount of moms whose kids have been doing this kind of dance for awhile, they take it seriously, so I assume they are familiar with the commitment and costs and don't find it surprising in the least. But for the average mom, like my friends and I, we're clueless about this type of thing and were sort of shell-shocked by cost.

The "rule" is two classes a week. There is no option for once class a week. I do understand this. It makes sense that one time a week isn't really going to teach/retain much. They also have options for three and four classes a week. That's what I mean about this being different than what we're used to doing. This seems more geared to becoming a professional or semi-professional, which is a cool option to have.

The 1st semester at DWMJ is a four month commitment, from September-December, of two classes a week. For just those four months is $875.

The 2nd & third semesters are January through the end of March & then the end of March through June and they are both three months long vs the four months of the 1st semester. Cost for the semester for the two classes per week is $655.

Their only special offers are: 10% off for paying in full and/or enrolling a 2nd child. 15% off for a 3rd child.

http://dance.dancewithmeusa.com/juniors

https://www.facebook.com/DanceWithMeJr

Rock The House

Rockin' the House this Fall!

ROCK HOUSE is a night of music featuring both Youth and Adult local bands.

• This year's theme is the 60's 70's 80's TRIFECTA.

• Each band will play one song from each decade
  (maximum of three songs).

Dates: Youth night - Friday, September 20 - 7:30 pm
           Adult night - Saturday, September 21 - 7:00 pm

Where:   Glen Rock Athletic Club, 221 Main Street,
                Glen Rock, NJ 07452

Cost: $10 in advance (through September 18)
            $15 at the door (cash/check only)

• This event offers a "Will Call" set-up for online and mail-in purchases.  Your name and purchase are verified at the door prior to the show.

Email Patti McHugh, our event coordinator, for more information, or call 201 652-5159.

"LIKE" our event on Facebook to get up-to-the-minute "notes" on what's happening and who's performing!

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ATTENTION LOCAL MUSICIANS!

Interested in performing at this event?

Here's how to register:
   - Print out the form
   - Do it all online

 

Amount

(1) $10.00 USD (2) $20.00 USD (3) $30.00 USD (4) $40.00 USD (5) $50.00 USD (6) $60.00 USD

Date

Fri. 7:30 pm (Youth Performers) Sat. 7:00 pm (Adult Performers)

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Or...if you'd rather mail it in...

Make checks payable to:
Glen Rock Education Foundation
   (memo/for: Rock House)  

Mail to:
ROCK HOUSE,
c/o Heidi Ryan, 418 Prospect Street,
                        Glen Rock, NJ 07452

• Include your name, phone and e-mail so we can confirm receipt of your order.
• Please indicate
   *  FRIDAY (Youth Performers) or
   *  SATURDAY (Adult Performers)

Have Your Cake & Cheese it Too

One night a couple of weeks ago, it was really nice out on a Saturday evening. You'd think that would be the norm for the summer in NJ but this summer...not-so-much. I feel like we had pretty terrible weather all summer. June was cold, July was rainy, HOT, humid and hazy. It felt more like typical August than July. Then August was weird too. If it's sunny, low humidity, and warm, we're all about being outside and trying to bask in it.

We decided to walk into town to eat dinner instead of driving somewhere. We thought we'd get pizza but we were open to whatever. We ate dinner in a short amount of time vs the two hours it can take with E when we're in the house. So we thought we'd just walk a little more, tire E out, and do some window shopping in the windows of the shops that are left on Rock Road.

There were tables and chairs outside Marc's Cheesecake that caught our eye. There isn't a lot of al fresco dining in Glen Rock so I thought it was cool that he has seating out there. Right now, the only food establishments set up for eating outside are Greek Taverna, Gianella's Bakery & Deli, and The Glen Rock Inn. Before RoCCa Market changed to Rock Kitchen, they had some outdoor seating for a very short time. There are benches that are town property outside some of the storefronts but not actual tables and chairs.

Marc, of Marc's Cheesecake has been open here for awhile. Maybe a year? I'm not sure. He was in Clifton for eighteen years. But he moved here and he's at the top of the Rock downtown shopping district, in the small shopping plaza by the Boro Line train tracks.

He was open after we finished dinner and made our way up there. So it had to be close to 7p. I say that because most of the stores there are closed by then. We came in and I immediately said that we'd never been in there before but just wanted to check it out. Marc was very friendly and engaging. He told us the only rule he has is that we have to try a sample. And we did. Honestly, Ethan wasn't a fan, but he doesn't eat anything. So we won't go with his assessment. I normally don't really like cheesecake. I don't hate it or anything. Just don't love it. But I really liked this. I thought it was really good. I ate mine and then I ate E's too. I just tried a plain one but of course he has all flavors.

There are big cakes and small cakes to take with you. And they look cool. Definitely more of an interesting thing to grab if you're going to someone's house and need something to bring. I never want to bring the same-old thing to a hostess. And while I do like to bake something (I really do!), I don't always have the time. I would definitely stop in here to buy a cake. It's also convenient, being down the street from my store. Marc said a lot of his business is people walking off the train and coming in to get a cake for an impromptu get-together. Wife calls husband on the train, he picks up the cake on his walk home.

Marc is also selling Welsh Farms ice cream currently. But he said something about making his own at some point soon. E did have the mint chocolate chip while we were there and he was delighted with that. There are other things Marc makes besides cheesecake also. There are brownies and other seasonal cakes. He is also selling coffee. I don't drink coffee so I didn't pay enough attention to what's going on with that. But I DID take photos of his menu and prices, including the coffee so you can see for yourself.

Definitely stop in, say hello, and try a sample. It's worth it, especially now that we're going into the holidays. We're at the tail end of the Jewish High Holy Days but then the rest of them come up before you know it!

Marc's Cheesecake: http://marcscheesecake.com/index.htm

Link to flavors and prices of the cheesecakes: http://marcscheesecake.com/FLAVORS.HTM

Bare Chuckalina

Ok, male readers, you may want to skip this one. Or not. In watching Season 4 of Being Erica last week, there was a scene of Erica and her boyfriend Adam in a spa getting pedicures. The spa techs asked Adam if he was interested in other services. Erica asked what kind and they said for men they do BSC treatments. Erica and Adam looked puzzled so the spa tech told them it's "Back, Sack & Crack waxing". Apparently, they are pretty progressive in Canada and the BSC is a legit thing. All I know is that here, some nail places won't even do men's pedicures. Anyway, this entry is about waxing. Waxing the chuckie or chuckalina.

I stole that term, chuckalina, from Milania Guidice. Or maybe it was Gia. I don't know. But it's hard to write about waxing your nether regions without using a disguising word as to not set off some kind of google porn word alert. I don't want my blog coming up with all things adult entertainment so I borrowed a RHONJ term. Dina Manzo and friends coined chuckie, and Teresa's daughters took it a step further. So thank you Guidice girls.

I'd been going to the same waxer since 2003. I lost a bet and made an appointment for a Brazilian. For me at least, it's one of those things once you do you can't stop going. Maybe I haven't always gone as consistently for time or money reasons, but I've never used a razor again. Well, not anywhere in the chuckalina area.

I LOVE my wax lady. BUT, I have been going to her home to get waxed since I moved in 2006. It is kind of a pain to get to her, and it's one of those areas where there is no traffic or it's backed up forever with no rhyme or reason. Although no fault of hers, the last time I went to her, I got a ticket that with the court fee, fine for a lesser offense, and some bullshit NJ insurance surcharge, it cost me FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE DOLLARS. Plus, $8 to pay it online. Because face it, I'm not driving back there. I have like PTSD now from that area. I have a birthday party at the pool this coming weekend and I just had to do something local, quick and cheap.

I decided to try European Wax Center. I'd been seeing their ads all over the place for a year at least. Something about a free wax for first time clients. I knew a Brazilian would cost something but I knew it would be extremely discounted. There's one in Wyckoff, which seemed to be closest.

It definitely was a simple, innocuous experience. I walked in around 1:40-ish with no appointment. There were two girls at the desk. One was super nice and friendly, the other not-so-much. I wish I could remember their names so I could credit them each with the proper attitude, but I don't remember. The not-so-nice one told me they couldn't take me until 2:15. I was fine with that. Marshall's is across the way in the shopping plaza and knew I could easily fill a half hour of time in there.

I came back at 2:15 and they were ready for me. I can't say it wasn't weird to strip down in a florescent lit room with a stranger after only seeing my one person for 10 years but I guess it's like dating after a divorce. You just do it. I had been told they don't use strips, that they just use the wax. The wax acts like a strip. Interesting.

Pros: It hurt WAY less than wax with strips. But it tickled more. It could've been my discomfort at having a new person all up in my chuckalina in ultra-bright florescent lighting. The wax wasn't super hot either. It was way faster too. Usually my lady has to go over parts a few times. There have been times I've been in pain after because you can't just go over the same area with hot wax numerous times without consequence. With this kind of wax, I guess they can do a bigger area at once. This girl was fast, gentle, and they use all kinds of product before and after so it felt like she was really taking care of things.

Cons: They're sort of like Supercuts. I don't know the specifics but I don't think they have to train THAT long before being let loose on unsuspecting lady parts. And waxing is all they do so I think there must be some kind of formula for them to know where, how much etc. Reminds me of in high school when my friend Eric & his friend worked at Dairy Queen. They taught them how to make ice cream sandwiches. They never did it before so the first ones were too fat with ice cream. They just licked them down to size. They worked there like six hours I think. But had they kept doing it, the same thing, over and over, I'm sure they would've been able to eyeball the right amount of ice cream in their sandwiches. At EWC or anywhere that does waxing, in NJ, they have to be licensed or whatever the state requires but I don't think it's a lot of hours. I asked how long she's been doing it and she said since May. It's only the beginning of September. It doesn't seem like a long time. But again, maybe it's like working at Auntie Anne's. You don't know how to make pretzels, then you make so many you can do them in your sleep. I'm sure the first ones didn't look so hot. But by the end they're uniform. Thing is, there is a trust issue when letting someone down there with hot wax. 

Also, there were definite spots she missed. My lady really gets all up in everywhere. She also will do a bigger area as included in the one price. There is nothing extra thrown in when you're dealing with a corporation like this. But I definitely know there were spots actually missed vs not doing them because they were "extra".

I once went to Completely Bare in NYC. That cost $75+tip and that waxer was all business. I had welts after but every single hair and thought of hair was gone. When the welts calmed down hours later, it was perfect. She waxed and tweezed into oblivion. But I think in this case it's a get what you pay for thing. Being my first time it cost me $21+tip. So for approximately $30, I wasn't thinking it was going to be Completely Bare caliber. With some things overpaying isn't worth it. With this, if you need baby's behind, bare, you pay. If you're cool with the basics where you might have to fix a little yourself after, this is fine. Also, I'd know to look down there right after and would ask her to get the spots she missed. If she said no, that would be that. But I'm going to assume she would if it was in the general area that I was paying for hair removal. The regular price is $42 for a Brazilian. It's sort of the same model of Massage Envy where you can pay for a package and it ends up being cheaper. I don't think I'd do that because I really do plan to go back to my regular person, even though I do have ticket PTSD. It's also just nice to know I can do a walk-in here in a pinch.

http://www.waxcenter.com/