Every Day [Review]

Every Day

By: David Levithan

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A is a boy.

A is a girl.

A is transgender.

A is a cheerleader, a nerd, a football player, a twin, an only child, a good student, a drug addict.

A is religious, suicidal, gay, straight, gorgeous, overweight.

A is white, black, Portuguese, Hispanic, Asian.

Every day of A’s life they have woken up in a different body, and for the entire day they live as that person. It is always someone the same age, and it is always within a few hours of the location of the last body they inhabited. A is the only one like themselves that they know of.

A is all alone.

A has always lived carefully, making sure to follow as closely as possible along the path of the life they’re living for that day. They can access parts of the person’s memory to help them identify people, addresses, and routines. Over the years it had gotten easier for A to accept the fact that they could never have a tomorrow with anyone; they could never form lasting bonds and create memories with another person. All of that changes the day that A wakes up as Justin, and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon.

A quickly learns that Justin is a jerk to everyone, Rhiannon included. He doesn’t treat her very well, and there is a noticeable change in her demeaner around him, but she still tries to make things work. A feels sorry for her and decides to give Rhiannon one good day with Justin. What A didn’t expect was to find themselves falling in love with Rhiannon.

Much of this book is A inhabiting different bodies, experiencing different lives and social experiences every day, all while desperately trying to see Rhiannon again. While in the body of Nathan Daldry, A concocts a story to get access to the family car and then drives to a party that they know Rhiannon will be at. A pretends to be the gay cousin of the host and ends up having a really good time with Rhiannon. So good, in fact, that they don’t leave the party with enough time to get Nathan’s body back home before A is ripped out of it (at midnight) and deposited into a new one.

The next day, in the body of Roger Wilson, A uses the family computer to send a quick message to Rhiannon after convincing her to give them her email address the night before. What A didn’t expect was an email from Nathan as well. Nathan had woken up in his parents’ car on the side of the road with a police officer at his window. He had no drugs or alcohol in his system and only vague memories of what had happened the day before. Panicked, A does a quick internet search of Nathan’s name and finds a news article about the incident. In this article Nathan states that he was not in charge of his body or it’s actions, and that he believes it was due to demonic possession.

A continues their mission to somehow win Rhiannon over whilst jumping bodies every 24 hours, and Nathan continues his search for answers. I thought the concept for this book was very interesting and it did not disappoint. Not only did David Levithan make me laugh with sarcastic lines like

“Eyes bloodshot… Eating a lot of Cheetos. Staring into space. Eating more Cheetos. It must be love. What else could it possible be?”

but he also wrote deep and thought provoking things like

“People take love’s continuity for granted, just as they take their body’s continuity for granted. They don’t realize that the best thing about love is its regular presence.”

Levithan created a character whose lifestyle taught them to be nothing but open-minded about many things, and I feel like I have gained a greater understanding of things through A’s point of view. I truly enjoyed this book and really feel like I took something away from it intellectually, (not just the good quotes, though there were many!) I will definitely be adding Every Day to my list of books I’d recommend to people.

Violence Rating:  PG 13 (Some physical fighting)

Romance Rating: PG 13? 15? (Non descriptive nudity)

*I feel it's important to also note that this book has one chapter in which A finds themselves in the body of someone who is addicted to some kind of drug and wakes up in what we can only be assume is a crack house. It's a little scary, but A forces the body to stay clean while they're in it.

Favorite Quotes:

This book had many, but first I'd like to share this entire page with you because I found it very enlightening and thought provoking.

Yes, I write in my books. I'm sorry if that bothers you.

"I feed her the right words, but she suspects they're threaded with hooks." -Page 5

"I will never define myself in terms of anyone else. I will never feel the pressure of peers or the burden of parental expectation. I can view everyone as pieces of a whole, and focus on the whole, not the pieces. I have learned how to observe, far better than most people observe. I am not blinded by the past or motivated by the future. I focus on the present, because that is where I am destined to live." -Page 7

"Some people think that mental illness is a matter of mood, a matter of personality. They think depression is simply a form of being sad, that OCD is a form of being uptight. They think the soul is sick, not the body. It is, they believe, something that you have some choice over... It is a hard cycle to conquer. The body is working against you. And because of this, you feel even more despair. Which only amplifies the imbalance. It takes uncommon strength to live with these things. But I have seen that strength over and over again." -Page 119 (On depression)

"In my experience, desire is desire, love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals. I know this is hard for people to do, but I don't understand why it's so hard, when it's so obvious." -Page 142 (On Hetero/Homo/Bi/Pansexuality)

"This is what love does: It makes you want to rewrite the world. It makes you want to choose the characters, build the scenery, guide the plot. The person you love sits across from you, and you want to do everything in your power to make it possible, endlessly possible. And when it's just the two of you, alone in a room, you can pretend that this is how it is, this is how it will be." -Page 175

"George's mother stops in to give me a lecture about 'sins of the flesh.' I hope that George doesn't internalize her scare tactics. I want to argue with her, tell her that 'sins of the flesh' is just a control mechanism-- if you demonize a person's pleasure, then you can control his or her life... But I see no sin in a kiss. I only see sin in the condemnation." -Page 223

"It is an awful thing to be betrayed by your body. And it's lonely, because you feel you can't talk about it. You feel it's something between you and the body. You feel it's a battle you will never win... and yet you fight it day after day, and it wears you down. Even if you try to ignore it, the energy it takes to ignore it will exhaust you." -Page 254 (On being transgendered)

Losing A Beloved Pet [Trigger Warning]

 There's something missing in my home,

I feel it day and night,

I know it will take time and strength,

Before things feel quite right.

But just for now, I need to mourn,

My heart-- it needs to mend,

Though some may say 'it's just a pet'

I know I've lost a friend.

You've brought such laughter to my home,

And richness to my days...

A constant friend through joy or loss,

With gentle loving ways.

Companion, pal, and confidante,

A friend I won't forget,

You'll live for always in my heart,

My sweet forever pet.

RIP Enrique
9/7/07-10/3/16

My apologies to anyone who actually follows my posts, I had to take a short hiatus. A lot of things were happening to my family at once, the hardest of which being the loss of our dog, my first baby, to cancer. We had no idea that he even had it until it reared it's ugly head and rendered him blind, deaf, and imobile in less than 24 hours. It was a very traumatic experience for me and even two and a half weeks after his death I still find myself expecting him to be places he is isn't (and then crying for him all over again).

It really is like John Green says in The Fault In Our Stars:
"There's no way of knowing that your last good day is your Last Good Day.

At the time, it is just another good day."

I gave Enrique a bath, he ran around like a psycho trying to dry off, the kids laughed. He probably did something to make me yell at him later, or I might have kicked him out of my bed because he was laying on my pillow; I don't remember. The day was so normal and uneventful and yet, that was our last good day with him. And I am stuck with the guilt that I may have taken that day, and him, for granted.

On Enrique's first day with us we wrapped him up in a blanket and carried him like a baby. It only felt appropriate to spend his last the same way. ❤

Our kids responded a lot better than I thought they would. While Jonathin (3) slept on his dad's lap throughout the entire procedure, Sophia (5) didn't seem to understand what was going on until I laid the dog on the table. I started crying and she asked if I was sad for Enrique. I told her yes because he's sick. She sounded a little emotional as she began to rub his head and tell him that it was ok and not to be sad. I told her that Enrique was going to 'go sleepy', and that he wasn't going to come home with us.

"Yeah..." she said, sadly. Then, "Mommy, I want a cat!". 😐😑
So don't worry, she's fine. She won't need therapy for this later in life.

If you ever have to have a pet put to sleep, and I sincerely hope that you don't, I cannot recommend enough that you take them up on the offer to do a memorial footprint. We were pretty tight on money at the time, and the euthanasia and cremation already cost upwards of $100 (and we went to a cheap clinic) but I decided to say yes when asked if I wanted to buy an imprint of his paw for $15 more. I ALMOST said no, but then I decided that I'd rather regret spending $15 that I could easily earn again, instead of not creating this memory that can't be done later.

When they called us a few days later to pick it up I was amazed by how nice they made this for us. It is so much more than I ever thought it would be. I didn't think it would be this cute, and I NEVER expected they would add his name to it! I am still so very happy with my decision, and highly recommend getting one made of your pets' little paws. 🐾

2012 & 2014

Enrique has always loved snow. I'm glad he and Jonathin got to share this moment (and the proceeding wipeout as they tried to cut that corner to fast) during our last snow of last year.
 

First snow and last snow.❄

This was a joke, but I swear he's acting like he can read.

"Privacy? What's that, mom?"

While waiting for our appointment at the vet's office, I laid on the bathroom floor with Enrique and pet him. By this point he couldn't see or hear, but I held my hand in front of his nose so he could (hopefully) smell me.

In The After [Review + Rant]

In the After [Book 1 of the Fighting Chance series]

By Elisa Dane
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow.

What an emotional roller coaster this book was for me.

I didn’t read the blurb about this book, wanting to be surprised.

Mission accomplished.

The cover is absolutely adorable, so I figured this would be a cute little love story. While there was a great deal of blush-worthy romance, this book was so much more than that. The main character, Sadie Reynolds, is constantly tormented by shadows of the past, and once you've gotten a glimpse of what happened to her, it's not at all surprising that she has consistent nightmares as well as fear of the dark. Bullying is also a major issue that is addressed regularly. Sadie is friends with absolutely horrible people, known as the “Atwood Elite”, who not only torment those who the deem to be below them, but they are also condescending to each other. It’s very obvious right off that Sadie and her best friend Jenna hate being friends with these people and would like nothing more than to leave the AE. The only thing that seems to hold them is fear of the wrath of the other members, mainly the leader Brit, and the connections that they have. While Sadie and Jenna don’t take part in any of the bullying and name-calling, they stand by and do nothing, which is just as bad.

The main recipients of the AE’s torture are Sadie’s neighbor Ian and his friend Newton, who have not-so-affectionately been named “Douche One” and “Douche Two”. Throughout the story we get glimpses of the AE in action against these two undeserving victims and how it gradually changes them. As it would turn out, the love interest ends up being Ian’s cousin, Hayden Pope. Hayden is forbidden fruit for Sadie, as he is a recent transfer from Wayverly, and those students are off limits to the AE, with the exception of a one-night-stand.

Classy bunch, this AE.

I won’t get into the Sayden (Haydie?) details because I want you to enjoy it for yourself, but let’s just say that Elisa Dane doesn’t hold back much. If you’re reading the Ebook version like I did, you better have another paperback handy to fan yourself with because things get heated between these two.

I enjoyed the romance aspect, not only because it was juicy, but because it helped offset the seriousness of everything else going on. I really wanted this book to take a turn. I wanted the villain to be redeemed in the end. But this wasn’t a fairy tale with a happily-ever-after. This story was real and truthful, and the villain was actually the victim.

Every time I thought things might come around, they went and got upturned again. In the beginning I judged Sadie for not standing up to these terrible people and telling them exactly how she felt about them and how they treated others. As the story progressed, however, and I saw just how easy it was for them to twist things around and isolate their victims, I realized I would be just as terrified to speak up.

Each and every person on this planet deserves to be treated with kindness and respect, until they prove otherwise (most of the AE being those cases that have proven otherwise). It is so easy to make a mean comment, or a joke at someone’s expense, and while it means very little to us, it could be just one more piece being chipped away from their resolve. We all have our breaking points. We’re all human. We can only handle so much.

In The After drives home so many important messages about acceptance and kindness, things that we need so much in this day and age. There is so much violence and ugliness in the world right now, and it is absolutely senseless and can so easily be minimized with each of us taking our words and actions into consideration before inflicting them on others.

My heart hurts for this imaginary character in this fictional story because he was so beat down, and broken, that he felt the only way to make it stop was to do what he did. He may not be real, but he represents so many real people who deal with the same things on a daily basis. He represents those people in real life who took the same drastic actions that he did. He represents so many young people in or world today who were so hurt and so mistreated that they thought death was the only solution.

Death. Violence. Revenge. It does nothing but cause more hurt.

Love. Kindness. Sympathy. Those are the solutions, and it is up to ALL OF US, as a species, to continue the effort.

                                                     

There is so much hurt and sadness in the world and I can’t fix it all.

And that kills me.

I don’t want anyone to ever feel unworthy.

I don’t want anyone to ever feel that they are somehow WRONG because they think, look, act, feel, love, live differently than others.

I don’t want anyone to hurt for reasons that we as fellow human beings can prevent.

Oh man, this book messed me up.

Violence Rating: R (Multiple murders, attempted sexual assault)

Romance Rating: PG17 (Nudity, comment-worthy bulges in pants, non-descriptive sex)

Keeper -The Morphid Chronicles- [Review]

Keeper (Book 1 of The Morphid Chronicles)

by Ingrid Seymour
⭐⭐⭐

Don’t be fooled by the opening bit about the Trig test, this book drops you right into the middle of the action, at the beginning of Greg’s metamorphosis. I’ll admit, at first I was unsympathetic, (“Look, dude, math is a pain in my neck too. Deal with it bro.”) but things quickly got interesting. I didn’t read the synopsis or any reviews, wanting to go into this story blindly, and I’m pleased with how that turned out. I was able to share Greg’s worry and concern over what was happening to him as I read it.

“He straightened with a jolt and put a hand to the base of his neck. His fingers tentatively traveled down each vertebrae. Something bumpy and oozing blistered under his touch. Oh shit!”

Oh shit, indeed.

I’ll admit Greg was a little more prepared, having grown up a Morphid whereas I had never even heard of one until this point, but he still had his uncertainties about the process and how painful it was meant to be. As he staggered to get home and then dropped to the floor, the possibilities were flying through my mind (“He’s a werewolf! He’s some kind of human-reptile thingy! He’s… ground beef boy? What is this book?!”) By this point he himself had decided that something had gone wrong, that he was actually dying, and his mom’s nonchalance about the whole thing simultaneously bugged and reassured me. Sure enough, he emerged on the other side of his transformation very much improved (by conventional standards of beauty and the ideals of swoony bookish fangirls, of course).

Confused?

Well, basically Morphids are like caterpillars, plain and unnoticeable, until they go through a cocoon-like metamorphosis (possibly where the name of their race originated), and wake up two weeks later as tall, beautiful, well-endowed butterflies. At the end of the morphing process, a mark that looks a lot like a scarification tattoo appears on the back of their necks identifying which caste they belong to. A few castes are mentioned, but the book never really goes into much detail about the whole system. How did it start? How is it decided? Is it possible to fight against your assigned caste or is freewill really and truly nonexistent once you go through your metamorphosis? As it would turn out Greg’s mark is one that is very rare and hasn’t been seen for a long time. Greg is a Keeper (hence the name of the book) and his new caste brain immediately begins warring with his old one, sending him frantically in search of someone named Sam. All of his thoughts and actions are geared toward finding and protecting Sam from harm no matter what. This is handy because Sam, or rather Samantha, lives a pretty depressing life with virtually non-existent (both physically and emotionally) parents, and she could really afford to have someone around who cares about her well-being. Sam is also a Morphid, though she doesn’t know it yet, and is fated to be the companion of another Morphid named Ashby. Companions, like Greg’s parents, are absolutely and unquestionably attracted to their ‘Integral’ and it is their destiny to “support the growth of the population”.

Bow chicka wow-wow.

Seriously though, it’s like imprinting on someone you haven’t even met and then feeling an unreasonable attraction to them that drives you mad until you find them.

Ah, love.

I won’t get into details and spoil the fun for you, but this book is described as having a love triangle. Being that one of the people in said triangle only feels the way that they do because of metamorphosis-induced compulsion, so to speak, I feel like that is kind of an unfair description.

Don’t think of it as a love triangle.

I mean, it is…

but it isn’t.

Honestly, the only reason that I feel remotely bad for Ashby is all due to the first chapter from his point-of-view, in-which we get a glimpse of the absolute love and adoration that he feels for Sam. Also the whole lack-of-free-will thing too. I feel bad that he has to deal with that, but otherwise he seems rather snobby and annoying.

Dear Team Ashby, please don’t kill me!

Bad things happen, hijinks ensue; it’s all good, you should read it.

When I first heard about this book I thought “Hey cool, free book! I’ll get around to reading this eventually”. When I finally did read it, I thought “I can’t believe this book was free! Why didn’t I read it sooner?” I’ll admit I got really into the story and couldn’t put it down. I stayed up well into the wee hours of morning, and actually fell asleep while still reading, (I know this because I found the Kindle on the floor when I woke up—whoops!). While I enjoyed the story for the majority of the book, and I felt that the multiple pov’s was written well, the end of it left me with a weird feeling and many questions. Two issues were brought up in a council meeting near the beginning of the book, and though cases of them were hinted at during the story, they were pretty much left untouched and unexplained. This book is the first of a series, so I guess the time for answers will come later, but it bothered me how much was left up in the air. I have questions about things that didn’t happen, as well as things that did, but feel like they were left unresolved.  Also, there wasn’t much explanation about the history of the Morphid people and, again, the different castes. I will definitely read the next book in the series (Ripper) because, like I said, there are just so many unanswered questions, but I’m not in any rush to do so.







Violence Rating: PG13 (Fighting, blood, death)
Romance Rating: PG13 (sexy makeout scene, talk of desire for more)

 

The Distance Between Us [Review]

The Distance Between Us

by Kasie West

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my goodness, this book was lovely. Are all of Kasie West’s stories this hilarious and witty, or was that just special for the character in this one? If they are, then I need to go out and buy them all now! The protagonist’s sarcasm is so on point that it had me taking notes on how to improve my skills.

Seventeen (and a half) year old Caymen Meyer lives alone with her mother, who was jaded in the past and has indirectly taught, or at least I hope she hasn’t actively promoted, her daughter to isolate herself from people. Caymen uses sarcasm as a shield, and I’m sorry, but if being witty as heck is a character flaw, then I don’t want to know “normal” people. (Emotional stability is so overrated!) The two of them have always had just enough to get by, and though she dreams of a future, Caymen has decided to put her plans for college aside a year or two to stay and help her mom run the struggling doll shop that they own. Susan Meyer has issues with rich people (see above: jaded past) so when Caymen meets and befriends Xander Spence, the son of wealthy hotel chain owners, she decides to keep it a secret from her mother. This leads to sneaking around, hurt feelings, and eventually hypocrisy, when she finds out that her mother has been keeping secrets of her own.

Also included: best friends, Crusty Toads, lots of tension and confusion, flirting, grave digging, thrift shopping, and of course, more sarcasm. Yes, just wrap your head around all of that and try to figure out how it’s all going to fit into 312 pages under the category ‘cutesy romancy’.

Speaking of fitting everything into 312 pages, I really liked this book, but I feel like the story got rushed at the end. Too many new facts were being thrown at me left and right and then it was over. All of the loose ends either got tied way above where I wanted them to, or not at all. (Spoiler Alert: I mean, who the eff is Matthew, really? A few ideas are tossed around, and I even had some theories of my own, and then we get one vague, threatening phone call from him, Caymen asks what I guess is supposed to be a clarifying question, and he doesn’t even justify it with an answer. Some of you might be content to believe that he was what is assumed, but I would like to believe that there is more to the story. Like, maybe Susan has a much more sordid past or a secret second life we don’t know about. Maybe Matthew is a drug lord or a pimp or something. IT COULD HAPPEN! ) I feel like certain facts that came into light were accepted too quickly and things were said too soon. Also, why is Xander so nice and understanding? This book is giving me unrealistic expectations about men! Excuse me while I go slap my husband with it while shouting “Why don’t you cherish me?”

All issues aside, I enjoyed this book immensely and will definitely be pulling it out whenever I need a good laugh and a little dry humor in my life.

Violence Rating: G (Was there any violence?)
Romance Rating: PG13 (makeout scene, reference to premarital sex and pregnancy)

Favorite Quotes:

Note: Just about everything Caymen says has some kind of sarcasm or dry humor thrown in, and posting the entire book’s contents feels kind of spoilery and probably breaks some copyright laws here or there, so I’m just going to post some of my favorites that are still funny taken out of context.

 

X: “ Note to self: Caymen is very good at sarcasm.”

C: “ If you’re recording notes for an official record, I’d like the word ‘very’ stricken and replaced with ‘exceptionally’”.

X: “Wait, A tractor is going to come dig the rest of this hole?”

C: “Yeah, they haven’t dug graves in years. I just thought this would be fun.”

X: “I’m going to kill you.”

C: “This would be the perfect place.”


Also, this was just lovely and relateable because this is how I feel about books in general. I love the tension of attraction between two characters, I live for it, but once they finally 'get together' it seems like some of the magic is lost.

X: "You look terrified. Does this scare you?”
C: “More than anything.”
X: “Why?”
C: “Because I didn’t bring my mints.”
X: “And now the real answer . . .”
C: “Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.”

Hair to Spare?

I am one of those people who has been blessed with the fortune of having thick, fast growing hair. It's also red, but we can't win them all. All of that, coupled with the fact that I don't dye or chemically treat it in any way makes me the perfect candidate for hair donation. And honestly, why not donate? It's not like I'm going to do anything with that old hair anyway.

I started donating as part of a new year's resolution to do 15 random acts of kindness for every month of 2015. I failed miserably, tapering off somewhere around April or May, but all of the acts and donations that I did complete can't be undone by my failure. I still did a good 60-75 things that have (hopefully) improved the lives of others, if even a little.

So what am I saying here? I'm saying donate your hair! It may not seem like a big deal to you, but it will mean the world to someone who doesn't have the fortune of growing their own, for whatever reason. Below I have compiled a list of various organizations where you can donate, as well as their length and hair quality requirements, so that the donation process will be as easy as possible for you.

It's so simple.

Enjoy. :)

The following rules apply to any hair donation

• Hair must be clean and dry
• Donated hair needs to be pony-tailed and/or braided (this keeps the hair in one direction)
• Hair must be stored in a Ziploc bag inside of the envelope you intend to mail it in.

Additionally, some organizations have a donation form they require you to fill out and send in with your hair. These are usually just so they can send you a certificate to say thank you.

Angel Hair for Kids

Angel Hair for Kids™ is a program of A Child’s Voice Foundation™ that provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who have lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment. Using hair that is generously donated to the program, the foundation can create wigs and hair systems and provide them at no cost to the child’s family.

http://www.acvf.ca/index.php/our-programs/angel-hair-for-kids/

A Child’s Voice Foundation, C/O Angel Hair For Kids
3034 Palstan Road
Suite 301 Mississauga, Ontario
L4Y 2Z6

Donation requirements:

• 12 inch minimum
• No permed, bleached, dyed, or treated hair
• No dredlocks
• Slightly gray hair is acceptable
• Print off and fill out the hair donation form

Also, the cool thing about AHFK is that if you're in the area (again, it's in Canada), you can call ahead to the National Office (905.275.3434) and schedule a time to drop off your donation in person.

Hair donation drop-off hours include: Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m; Tuesday and Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.  The National Office is closed on weekends.

Childhood Leukemia Foundation

Childhood Leukemia Foundation is a national non-profit organization that works closely with health professionals, to empower children and their families by providing the necessary tools to encourage hope. Supported by an ever-growing network of passionate and devoted donors and volunteers, Childhood Leukemia Foundation helps ease the day-to-day struggles of children fighting cancer and the families that love them.

https://www.clf4kids.org/

807 Mantoloking Road
Brick, New Jersey 08723

Donation requirements:

• 10 inch minimum
• No colored or chemically damaged hair
• Fill out the donation form

Children With Hair Loss

Children With Hair Loss was created as a resource for ALL CHILDREN who have medically-related hair loss. It is their mission to empower these children to become whole again by making hair replacement available to those who may be financially challenged and might otherwise not have a means of obtaining the hair they want and need. Their goal is to assist as many of these children as possible in changing their lives by improving their outlook and empowering them with a degree of self-confidence that will allow them to face the world with renewed self-esteem.

http://www.childrenwithhairloss.us/

Children With Hair Loss
12776 S. Dixie Hwy
S. Rockwood, MI 48179



Donation requirements:

• 8 inch minimum
• Non-chemically treated hair is preferred, but any hair in good condition will be accepted
• Gray hair is also accepted
• Print and fill out the hair donation form

Locks of Love

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.



http://www.locksoflove.org/

Locks of Love
234 Southern Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33405-2701



Donation requirements:

• 10 inch minimum
• Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer measures at least 10 inches
• Colored and permed hair is ok
• No dredlocks or bleached hair

Note: Per the LOL website "Shorter hair [as well as] gray hair will be separated from the ponytails and sold to offset the manufacturing costs."


In 2014 my daughter and I both donated 10 inches to Locks of Love before I came across this article:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/05/13/locks-of-love-6-million-of-hair-donations-unaccounted-for-each-year/#367f04277ef4


Take from that what you will, I just wanted to put it out there, along with this Snopes article:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/locksoflove.asp


Again, take from that what you will. I am neither endorsing, nor discouraging against, Locks of Love. As stated, I myself have donated to them, though that was before I knew what I know now. Would I donate to them again? I don't know. Right now there are too many other organizations that I'd like to help. :)

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Beautiful Lengths is a partnership between Pantene® and the American Cancer Society®, the largest nonprofit health organization committed to saving lives from every cancer and improving the quality of life for people facing the disease. The role of Pantene is to help women achieve long, strong,* beautiful hair and provide the funds to turn this hair into free, real-hair wigs for women with cancer.

http://gotobeautifullengths.com/

Donation requirements:

• 8 inch minimum
• No dyes, bleaches, or chemicals (vegitable and semi-permanent dyes are allowed)
• No more than 5% gray

Beautiful Lengths does not require you to fill out a form, but you should include your name and address with your donation if you would like to be notified when it is received.

Wigs For Kids

Wigs for Kids is a cooperative effort among Certified Cosmetic Therapists throughout North America who share a common goal. "Children shouldn't have to worry about how they look, especially when they're in the middle of a health crisis," says Jeffrey Paul. "We want to give these kids the opportunity to feel good about themselves again." Wigs for Kids depends on monetary and hair donations from generous individuals. The process for creating wigs made from real hair is costly and time consuming. Wigs for Kids never charges the families that are receiving these custom Hair Replacement Systems.

http://www.wigsforkids.org/

Wigs for Kids - Hair Donation
24231 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145

Donation requirements:

• 12 inch minimum
• Hair cannot be chemically treated or colored
• No dredlocks

Wigs for kids requires that you fill out an online form, located here:

https://ol230.infusionsoft.com/app/form/hair-donation

Once you have finished you will be given an ID number that can be used for tracking your donation. WFK also uses the information provided to send you a thank you note upon recieving your donated hair.

Wigs 4 Kids (of Michigan)

Wigs 4 Kids Wellness Center and Salon is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides wigs and support services at no charge to children and young adults experiencing hair loss due to cancer, alopecia, trichotillomania, burns and other disorders. Wig recipients, also known as Ambassadors, range in age from 3 to 18, and are located throughout Michigan.

http://www.wigs4kids.org/

30126 Harper Avenue

Saint Clair Shores, MI 48082

Donation requirements:

• 10 inch minimum
• No colored or chemically treated hair
• No more than 10% gray
• Print and fill out the donation form

Go Green Salon, located inside Wigs 4 Kids, offers a consultation, haircut & style for a fee to those wishing to donate their hair. 50% of the proceeds from the fee goes back to Wigs 4 Kids. For more information, call 586-772-6656.



Slacking

Id like to apologize to my followers.
(All 4 of you).

I've been seriously slacking as far as this blog is concerned.
Why?
Because I've been reading.
A lot.

I have several reviews started and saved in draft form, but I just can't stop reading long enough to finish them.
I'm sorry, I know I have a problem.
I'm working on it.
♡