LV Blog

The first time I met Ulak he stood in line at a coffee shop along the Pacific Coast Highway. I stood behind him, stared at the tufts of black and gray hair sticking out from the back of his neck. My God, what a hairy man, I thought. Thank God he’s not shirtless.

It was only a matter of time – months I think – before I saw a shirtless Ulak at the beach, laying on his stomach as his mother sat in a folding chair under a voluminous umbrella. A cooler nestled in the sand between them, open to reveal a plethora of exotic Turkish delights. I waved hello, kept walking, dragging my boys and their beach toys behind me, was terrified if I set camp beside Ulak he might ask me to rub lotion on his back…hair. Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t believe I’m going to discuss my stretch marks. Let’s face it. I’m pushing forty years. I’m a mother to five children. Five! My stomach skin ain’t the smooth supple canvas of my youth. I know I’m limiting my dating options here, but in all honesty, my abdomen looks like a Detroit road map, complete with construction zones and toll booths detailed in four colors. I wear a one-piece bathing suit at the beach, and I’ve been known to dab a bit of concealer on some of the redder striations when I slip on my low-rise jeans. Most of my female friends with children have similar marks and like them about as much as I do. Read the rest of this entry »

When Christmas was over, I felt like the holidays had just passed me by. As I mentioned in my previous post, I was sick for practically the entire month of December and the few first days of the new year — which meant I did nothing but stay home for days on end. I guess what I’m trying to say is: I sat out the busiest shopping time of the year. Read the rest of this entry »

Avon rolled out a line of “natural” products called Planet Spa nearly two years ago. These products are meant to compete with the luxurious and seemingly earth-friendly goods from places like The Body Shop and Bath and Body Works. Like its competitors, the Planet Spa line is, in a way, faux natural – most of the products have some good earthy crunchy ingredients mixed with a small arsenal of preservatives, coagulants, and artificial colors. What’s interesting about this product line is that each of the “flavors” – Brazilian Rainforest, Mediterranean Olive Oil, African Shea Butter – comes in an assortment of various products especially formulated to work with the featured natural ingredient, and not replicated by the other flavors. Read the rest of this entry »