My collection of dry shampoos.

I have talked in the past about how I don’t wash my hair every day.

Washing my hair is quite a chore. Plus washing your hair every day is so bad for you hair and scalp.

But this post isn’t about why you should or shouldn’t wash your hair every single day.

Today I am reviewing dry shampoo. And not just one or two. I am reviewing five different brands.

Worst to best:

Bumble and Bumble: The concept of this dry shampoo makes sense. Too bad in reality it doesn’t

Bumble and Bumble gets 1 dumbbell out of 5.

work and is quite messy.

B&B colors their dry shampoos for blondes, brunettes, red heads and those with black hair.

When I used this dry shampoo the brown spray got everywhere. There were brown dots on my face, hands, all over the sink counter.

I was always worried that when I sweated at the gym I would have brown running down the side of my face. That never happened. But when I dabbed the sweat on my hairline my towel turned brown.

The product was sticky and messy. But at least there wasn’t a smell.

Tresemme gets 2 1/2 dumbbells.

Tresemme: I tried two versions of this brand of “dry” shampoo. The thing I like about these is that they work really well if your hair is wet. You know like when you are sweaty after the gym and many of you want to wash you hair.

(Hey, it’s just salt water. Rinsing your hair is fine. Doing nothing is fine. Or try this dry shampoo–you might like it.)

These “dry” shampoos go on wet. One is a spray and the other is a mousse, which is super easy to apply.

If perms smelled good that’s how I would describe the smell of the shampoos. Not terrible, but not great either.

Smells are a big deal for me as I have a high sensitivity to smells and perfumes. So I can’t have any lingering smells as I get raging headaches and nauseated.

Suave gets 3 dumbbells.

Suave: This dry shampoo is super cheap and works well. This shampoo goes on with little powdery residue.

Some of the dry shampoos go on white. And when you have dark hair the white can be an issue. I personally don’t want to look like George Washington.

The only negative of this one for me is that it smells like grapefruit. The smell is intense. And you know, I have that dang sensitivity to smells. (But if that doesn’t bother you this one might be the one for you.)

Salon Grafix and Tigi Bed Head are a toss up and both receive 4 1/2 dumbbells out of 5.

The next two dry shampoos are a toss up. They are both amazing for different reasons. And I regularly use them both.

Salon Grafix: This shampoo is a little more expensive than the Suave or Tresemme. But you get what you pay for most of the time.

This one goes on clear with no powdery residue. So I can use it right before I leave the house and not have to worry about sporting a George wig.

It is hard to explain the smell. It isn’t perfumey. It almost has an earthy (dare I say dirt) smell mixed with some sort of spice. The smell isn’t too bad and it tolerable.

This is a great dry shampoo. If you can get over the smell it should be in your bathroom.

Tigi Bed Head: The Rockaholic Dirty Secret Shampoo is my favorite of all the dry shampoos I have tried and one I have been using for years.

The only negative is the powdery residue. How I solve that is by spraying on my hair at night. So when I sleep the shampoo blends in. I absolutely love the smell. It has a fresh smell–like you just shampooed.

Sometimes I spray the dirty secret under my hair to give it a fresh smell. I have even used it on clothes to get cigarette smoke out while in Las Vegas. And it was quite successful.

I know there are more dry shampoos out there. But I couldn’t possibly buy and try them all. If there is one I didn’t review that you would like me to review or one you know is amazing and you think I should try it I am happy to take on donated product. Contact me via e-mail (ann@gofitgirl.com) if you are so inclined to send me something.

GFG! wants some ideas from you for this week’s Comment Contest Tuesday, which lasts until May 28.

I was thinking about this month’s Monthly Challenge and how I am not super jazzed about it. And based on the participation and minimal updates I am guessing GFG! readers feel the same way.

It’s difficult to come up with exciting challenges for exercise and nutrition every single month, which I have been doing for nine months now. Sometimes the ideas are great and sometimes they are just OK.

(My favorite so far has been going old school with hula hooping, jumping rope and jumping jacks, which was April’s Go Fit Girl! Monthly Challenge.)

So I am coming to my wonderful readers and asking you to give me ideas. What kind of challenges do you want? Do you want to challenge others? Or challenge yourself?

And to make this more fun, let’s make it a Comment Contest Tuesday.

For every idea you post in the comments below you will get your name thrown into a hat for a drawing. So the more you comment, the better chance you get to win a prize. Please make sure to come up with both exercise and nutrition ideas.

You can win a prize and I have some ideas to store away for future Monthly Challenges.

You have until Tuesday, May 28 noon my time (Pacific) to comment away. Only posts in the comments below will count. E-mails, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, in-person comments don’t count.

Closing ceremony of the international trademark conference I attended included karaoke, networking, food, fun and, of course, beer.

After more than a week traveling for work and fun I got back home last night.

And today is the day I got back to my normal and healthy lifestyle.

I was in Texas. First Dallas and then Austin.

Dallas was for work and I thought I would add Austin to the end of my trip and see the city for the first time and hang with my cousin Alex.

Yes, I ate a lot of meat and drank a lot of beer.

And according to my father-in-law I just might be turning into a redneck. Beer, steaks and moonshine all in one week?

I also hung out with my friend Regina and her fiancé and son one day. Texas martini, anyone?

I worked from home today to ease back into life.

Because my friend Monica is still out of commission from the gym for a bit and I had calls throughout the day, which meant  couldn’t attend the Monday noon class I have been wanting to try, I decided to take Baxter’s Monday night Hatha Yoga class instead of the usual evening body conditioning class.

At one of the many receptions I attended I had my pic taken in a hat with the Dallas skyline in the background.

It was a great way to ease back into my exercise routine this week. I normally take Baxter’s class on Wednesdays. So now I am really looking forward to his class on Wednesday.

It’s amazing what you can do with a sand bag in a yoga class. (I am used to using them for Restorative Yoga.) Using extra weight makes poses deeper, dare I say better and in some poses ahhhh, so relaxing. Like Child’s Pose with a sand bag on the back.

And once again today I got back to monitoring my food intake and made better food choices. Though I do have to say that was quite a challenge. (I have already had my healthy, protein-filled dinner and yet I really want to snack on something.)

I feel the need to detox a little from all that meat I ate last week. Man it was good. But I don’t normally eat that much beef and pork in a month (or, frankly, for months) in what I ate in a week.

And I am afraid to admit how much beer I drank along with a little wine, margaritas and moonshine mixed in.

It’s always OK to enjoy life and take time off of the healthy lifestyle. Just as long as there is a plan to get back to it within a reasonable amount of time.

Here’s to good food, good water intake and good exercise.

Three generations: Sylvia, Teresa and Ann. This was taken at my grandma’s 80th birthday party.

I wrote this post back in November. My friend Bridgette suggested I repost for Mother’s Day.

This is a tribute to all the strong women and mothers (in whatever form of mom you are) I know. You have the hardest job in the world and definitely deserve more than just one day of celebrations.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I keep a notebook in my work bag where I scribble down post ideas or many times an actual post. A lot of times it is easier for me to find my voice if I jot it down on paper first and type later.

I also keep a notepad in my purse in case an idea comes and I don’t want to forget it.

I have a lot of ideas and little time to make them into something. But I have them at least documented for a post down the road. And if you have asked me about something, it is written down in the notebook or on a stickie and I will eventually get to it.

The whole job thing really gets in the way of the blog.

Anyway, today’s post actually morphed from another feverish jotting down of a different post, which made the blog last month.

Today’s post is a tribute to all the strong women in my life.

But the actual post is about three particular women.

I have strong women in my life.

I was lucky enough to grow up with very different, very unique and very strong women to look up to and strive to take on some of their characteristics.

My mom at some point in her marriage decided it was best for her and her children to get divorced. Now this was the early to mid-80s when few people got divorced.

My mother became this amazingly strong and independent person who raised two children on her own while struggling financially. We were lucky to have such a supportive family.

My mom is my mom but also my friend. If she weren’t my mom I would want her to be in my life as a friend.

It’s hard for me to explain how I feel about her. I am grateful for all the sacrifices she made for my brother and me. I can never repay her for all that she has done. (Though I have tried–a trip to Paris is pretty good, right?)

My amazing Nana having a great time at my wedding.

My nana (who is no longer with us) was a wife and a mother who took care of her family as most women did in those days. She and my grandpa divorced before my parents were married, before I was born.

After the divorce she had to get a job to take care of her family. She worked hard. She truly loved her family with all of her heart. She loved her kids and eventually her first grandchild, me, and all of her grandkids, six of us total.

That was my nana’s greatest asset, her unconditional love.

My grandma was the only daughter in a house full of boys and grew up with a mother who believed men were superior to women. Being a young woman at that time she had few options. The only way to get out of her house was to get married.

Because my grandma didn’t have options she wanted to make sure her girls did. My mom and aunt were pushed and encouraged to work hard and do well in school and go to college.

Earlier this year (2012) when I was home for a visit I had lunch with just my grandma. We had a nice chat and it, of course, somehow made it to the baby conversation, which is the norm. But this time it was different. I got the sense that she was grateful that I have the option and the choice to not have children if I so choose.

I had a very humbling childhood. I didn’t have a typical childhood or typical grandmas. But I feel so lucky and grateful to have these three women mold, shape and all help raise me and make me the person I am today.

Chihak cousins Alex and Ann enjoying a beer at The Ginger Man.

I spent 5-6 days in Dallas for an international trademark conference.

I allowed myself to enjoy food and drink. And boy, did I. The day I arrived and Day 2 I hit the gym at the end of the day.

And then the gym time went down hill after that. Late nights, early mornings and long days … There were days I had a few hours for a break in between meetings, sessions and dinners and I chose a nap over the gym.

I left Dallas on Thursday and headed to Austin to meet up with my cousin Alex, who used to live here. He and I have been excited about this trip for months.

So far the eating and drinking is going great–as in, I am eating a lot of delicious food and drinking a lot of beer. I even tried moonshine yesterday. Check goes on the bucket list.

I did hit the gym this morning and plan to tomorrow before I take off as well.

And Monday I will get back to my healthy lifestyle routine.

But the reason for this post is that even though Alex and I were only in Austin together for a short period of time it was a great bonding experience. In the past many years Alex and I have gotten close and have each other’s back. I am so happy to have our cousin/friend relationship grow over the years.

There is something cheesy on Facebook I have seen about how your cousins are your first friends. And, wow, that is so true. Here’s the quote: Cousins are your very first friends … They are like childhood friends. Nobody will understand the craziness of your family better than your cousins.

Thanks, cousin, for joining me. Let’s meet here again soon.

I made a green choice when I checked into my Dallas hotel.

When I checked into my hotel in Dallas on Friday evening I was given a choice to decline regular house keeping for environmental reasons.

There is a reward of points to decline. Frankly, I don’t need points to agree to that.

I don’t make my bed every day. And I don’t need anyone else making it.

(A note: I do make my bed when we have company over. I don’t want people thinking I am messy or anything. And I feel when you invite people to your home it should be clean and welcoming. But as a kid I had to make my bed every day so I guess this is my adult rebellion to not regularly make it. And, really, what’s the point?)

And I really don’t need clean sheets on my bed every single day. I don’t do that at home. How many people do?

At home we also don’t use a towel once and then throw in the hamper. So why have that when staying at a hotel?

Wow, what a waste of so many resources with washing sheets and towels and replacing every single day.

And with all of that washing things get worn out and have to be replaced more often.

My usual practice when staying at a hotel is to not have the sheets replaced and only have the towels occasionally replaced.

This is such an easy way to be environmentally friendly.

I ordered a Belgian waffle for breakfast today. The butter doesn’t look like that, by the way. I mean I am at the airport …

As I am writing this I am sitting at a restaurant at the Oakland airport waiting for my flight to Dallas.

I am attending the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting. The past two years I have attended the Trademark Administrator’s Conference. But because they are revamping that conference/training there is not one this year. So I decided to attend the annual meeting.

This is a great learning opportunity for me along with networking. Tomorrow and Sunday I am attending all day training on international trademark law, which is something I really want to focus on and understand better.

(Have I ever mentioned my occupation? I am a patent and trademark paralegal at a biotech. Feel free to check out Onyx Pharmaceuticals. And yes, if you are confused, I did get a degree in journalism and worked in newspapers for seven years. )

There are some sessions Monday through Wednesday that interest me along with networking and meeting up with a friend or two along with lots of parties. AND I am in Texas, so you know I am gonna get some barbecue.

For the next week and a half I have given myself permission to eat and drink pretty much what I want. And I have a date when I will get back to that regular healthy lifestyle I am accustomed to.

I did pack workout clothes. And both hotels I am staying at have gyms.

I will be in Dallas for the conference. After that I am heading to Austin for a few days to hang out with my cousin. I have never been to Dallas or Austin. So I am looking forward to it.

Not sure how often I will post. Unless you all really want to see pics of all the amazing and unhealthy food I will be eating … But rest assured, I will be back, my dear readers.

I gave my first speech at Toastmasters yesterday. Your first speech is called The Ice Breaker, which I titled It’s all about moderation.

I recently wrote about Toastmasters and how I had taken on my first major role in a meeting as the General Evaluator.

Yesterday I took on another major role: The Ice Breaker.

The Ice Breaker is the first prepared talk to “break the ice.” It’s supposed to be the easiest because it is about the person you know the best, yourself.

Funny thing is everything I talked about I am comfortable telling anyone one on one or in a small group. But standing in front of a crowd of people who are all looking at you and listening to you … well, that’s another story.

I hate the anxiety I feel right before and during public speaking. And I want to find ways to be more comfortable in those situations. That’s why I joined Toastmasters.

Public speaking is considered the greatest fear a person can have, even greater than the fear of death.

Challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone takes a lot of convincing. But I know it is important. Toastmasters is a great venue for this. The support is amazing. And I have to say I ended up with an awesome mentor. He is so enthusiastic and supportive and encourages me.

I am also trying to learn to focus my anxiety and fear into a more positive experience.

Fear and excitement have a nearly identical physiological response and chemical reaction in the body. According to Ann McMaster fear and excitement are the same emotion.

According to Catherine Hanrahan, who wrote Lost Girls and Love Hotels, “Fear and excitement are chemically the same. Sadness is a hair away from melancholy. Melancholy is almost pleasure, brushing against happiness. …”

Yesterday I faced my fear and gave my Ice Breaker. I was as prepared as possible. I wore something that I felt good in and, frankly, looked good in, which helped boost my confidence. The dress I wore is my favorite color and coincidentally matched my toe nail polish. Not intentional. But the matching dress and toes received a lot of compliments.

I was so nervous while up there. My legs were shaking and eventually I had cotton mouth. But I got through it and received two standing ovations. For your first speech you receive a standing ovation. The Toastmaster asked the audience to give me a second one as the event was a little bigger than normal and I was the only speaker (usually there are two).

And the best part, well, besides facing my fear, Go Fit Girl! got a major plug during my speech. Afterward I got a ton of praise. Someone (who was visiting from another Toastmasters) told me they would have never known it was my first time speaking at Toastmasters. I had so many questions about GFG!, too.

Working the thighs, butt and hips in a high lunge.

One of the things that stuck with me with last month’s challenge was that a few mentioned they liked that it could be done at home. I know for a variety of reasons people can’t get to a gym or yoga studio.

I will do my best for future challenges to make it accessible for most. But, of course, you are always welcome to adjust to challenge for yourself accordingly.

Since summer is upon us, let’s prepare for it.

Exercise: Let’s work those thighs, butt and hips. We can work these body parts with squats, lunges and a variety of yoga poses.

Usually I like to give a number–do 500 or 1,000 a week. If you want a number, try to get in a 1,000 squats, lunges, any other exercise or yoga pose to work those areas each week. If the number idea doesn’t work for you, let’s just focus on those areas.

Nutrition: We roughly need at least 64 ounces of water a day. Another way to look at it is you should have half your body weight in water. For example: If you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water a day. If you aren’t getting your minimum in, focus on that this month.

If you are getting your minimum in, make sure you get in a little extra with caffeine intake and/or exercise. If your minimum intake is healthy, try to get one more serving in a day, every day this month.

Remember, everything in moderation. You can definitely drink too much water. I don’t think most of us are in jeopardy of that. Just as an FYI: A gallon of water is 128 ounces, which is is 16 8-ounce servings.

Make sure you drink your water throughout the day. Chugging a large amount of water at once can cause issues with your electrolytes. Be careful.

This Livestrong article explains why getting in a healthy amount of water every day will help you live a healthy life.

Feel free to post your comments below or on the Facebook event page.

Gail has won this pack of washable reusable produce bags for participating in Comment Contest Tuesday.

Like myself, many of my readers celebrate Earth Day every day … as it should be.

Thank you to everyone who participated. You all shared some great things. Thank you.

And the winner is … Gail!

She will be receiving a pack (pictured at the right) of Washable Reusable Produce bags.

One of the things she mentioned was that at work there aren’t recycling containers, so she uses a paper bag, which always seems to be around the office and fills it with recycling and takes it home to put in her home recycling container.

The other participants shared some great tips below:

• Jessie mentioned that being from Australia she has always been aware of water waste. She is slowly working to get her fiancé to take shorter showers.
• Shraddha rides her bike to run errands.
• Nicole and her family could have their own environmental reality show.  She said and her family composts all fruit and vegetable food scraps, which means that, even though they are a family of seven, they only throw away two bags of trash a week.
• Alicia said she has an energy efficient washer and dryer and never run either unless both are full.
• Lauren said because of the great neighborhood her family lives in the kids can be walked to school and grocery store errands can be done on foot.

To see the full comments, click here.

Thanks again to all my readers and friends for their support. Participating in Comment Contest Tuesday gives me and the blog a boost.

With a little effort and change by everyone we can make this world better place.