Re-establishing Your Girlie Connections..

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

So, on top of all the immigration stuff....DMV's...SSN...blah blah blah.... comes stuff even more difficult to establish....

I'm on the never ending quest to find...

A new hairdresser! I recently went back to brown...and even though it's easy to colour it myself...I love the whole salon experience. I have found a couple of places...hit and miss...a few not so 'satisfied' visits... I have an appmnt tmrw at this one place...i've been there before when I was blonde a few months ago....hoping she does good...lookig for brown with honey highlights...

A nail place! lol! I get my nails done every 10 days or so, and I had such a great place back home...I also get pedi's every two weeks... I went yestrday...hated the place! I was rushed and bounced between 2 girls just to get my nails filled I mean for $30 US, I expect better service...that's a lot of money! Still on a search for this one

I used to love Shoppers Drug Mart! I have found a place down here called Ulta, which is a beauty supply place... this I am happy with as they have everything I need

I have no idea where I will find a new Gyno...and i'm due for a full physical this summer...i'm a weird one with this, prefer a woman...but will take a non-creepy guy...lol! I'm also needing a paediatrician for my son.

I signed up at the YMCA as my gym, which is around the corner from my son's school...so when I drop him off in the mornings, I can go straight to the gym. They also have a great kids program and daycare for days that he is not in school... we got a family membership, so we can all work out together. So i'm happy with this...

I don't tan often, but I did find a cool place around the corner for times where you need a quick fix before a wedding etc... lol!

I don't get waxed or anything like that, so i'm safe on that one lol! i'm a shaver

I'm outfitting a new house, and i'm not an 'Ethan Allan' or 'Pottery Barn' type of gal, and i've taken a liking to some of the decor stuff at Target...they have nice stuff for decent prices they also have great finds on clothes

My other clothes fav's are Guess and Marciano...which thankfully they have here. I've totally cut down my shopping for clothes and shoes, so none of that for a while....now that we are living together, my fiance has close eyes on that...and I don't feel like sneaking stuff in and then saying it was on sale for $10 if he finds out! haha!

one thing that will be the hardest is finding new friends lol! I mean me and my fiance have mutual family and his guy friends... but I want girlfriends close by people you can shop or do coffee with. I used to have two types of friends...my mommy friends that we had play dates together and then my 'gossip gals' girls that you can connect with and just gab....

I know i'm probably sounding like this little spoiled girly....but I kinda feel like the new kid on the first day of school lol!

In all honesty, I rely more on socializing with you guys these days, more than anyone else. I wish some of you loved closer

Once I am able to work, I will be helping my fiance with marketing for his practice a couple times a week. I also have an agent in NYC that's waiting for me to give the green light on my GC to be able to start accepting work.... and I have started writing my first book (my fiance has written and published two books so he's helping me).... He says that I have no excuse to not be able to finish my book while I wait for my GC...oh the pressure! HAHA!

Did you girls find that it took a while to establish your 'girly roots'? I'm sure within a few months i'll be further along and in a couple of years look back and laugh at my akwardness now.... but it just feels weird.... I mean, how do you make new friends? it's like being in the school yard and approaching the cool girls 'can I play with you guys?' The great thing is that me and my fiance are best friends and we have a blast together... it's just that sometimes you need that 'girls only' connection. And even though staying connected on the net is great, it's not the same, ya know?

I mean the smallest things you take for granted... I'm also looking to find a car wash lol! a convenient place close by that I like...my fav gas station...my fav gas station coffee for a quick fix....

And don't even get me started on the foods and snacks... I miss my Canadian comfort things...

well, here's to hoping this hair appmnt goes well tmrw and we have found 'a winner'! lol! I hate getting a bad hair cut or colour... it depresses me until it either washes out, or grows back lol!

I have found my new fav date place.... PF Changs!!!! LOVE IT!!! We ate there twice this week! I'm so hooked! Mind you, i'm still staying at Staybridge Suites waiting for our place to close I swear I have lived in hotels for a month!!!! I'm so ready to finally call a place home

My fiances brother and SIL justed picked a place up down by the shore, so at least we have a summer spot

I also found a dealership around the corner for my car...which is cool...

it's just hard meeting new people. I'm sure when my son starts school, i'll meet some people too. I just enrolled him the other day... got all teary when I walked out of the office...my little man is starting a new school...I really hope they decide to place him in Grade 1... he has completed Canadian Kindergarten but does not meet the US age requirement, so they are assessing him... if they decide to keep him in K, the poor guy will be doing a third year lol!

I would love to hear your experiences....it would be encouraging

I'll keep ya posted on the hair saga lol!

Good night ladies

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Poprocks! Thanks for mentioning that Ulta place! I did a google search and I'm so excited right now. It has all my favorite stuff! AND, there's one just down the street like 5 minutes from here... I'm off to check it out tomorrow.

I hear your pain! I've been trying to find a hair salon/spa for the wedding and I'm coming up with nothing. Its so hard to find someone you trust with your hair. My mom went to beauty school back in the day and has done my hair for me since my very first cut! I don't know how I'm going to be able to let someone else do it... the idea scares me. I have the same dilemma with my doctor. My Canadian doctor delivered me as a baby, and even though she's a little crazy and not always very helpful, I was so comfortable with her. Now I have to trust a new stranger to poke around down town? Yikes.

I can't believe you get your nails done every 10 days! Wow. That's some maintenance my dear! lol.

Good luck with the book! I'm pretty excited. Whats it about? Any hints? You'll have to tell us when its published so we can all go out and buy a copy. One of my life goals is to write a book, somewhere down the road. I've always loved to write. I always received really high grades on essays in university, and all my profs helped give me some confidence in my writing abilities. I'm all about non-fiction though, I have no imagination.

As far as friends go, I have no idea. I'm figuring that out myself. My fiance has some female acquaintances but nobody I really seem to click with yet... We'll see. A fellow VJer I met at my Montreal interview is moving down to Denver in a couple weeks! At least I'll have one small Canadian female connection.

Hang in there, you'll have your house soon!

Edited June 25, 2009 by Hugglebuggles

[Marilyn. 340]

I too had no idea who to go to cut my hair.. I first went to Fantastic Sams..ugh..never again

my hubby then suggested I ask his cousin where she went.. so I did and I went there and they did an awesome job, so I went there a few times.. only problem is that it is a little far to go on a regular basis..

but then a few months ago. hubby tried this place close by and said I should check it out so I did and they did a great job... so I plan on going back there..

anyways my suggestion is to maybe ask family members etc where they get their hair done in the area....

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

lol! Ulta ROCKS! But you could get carried away in there! I have to pace myself when i'm in there lol!

As for my nails....the deal is that my worst hang up is biting my nails!!!! So i'm sure I could go longer without getting them filled...but I chomp the ####### out of them...and then they look so bad...I have to get them done! lol! The great thing is, that 'taking care of myself' is one area my fiance is not willing to skimp on...it's the one time he willingly hands over his credit card without batting an eyelash! HAHA!

As for writing...I too used to rock the essays and always been good at creative writing...i've always wanted to write a line of children's books, and a juicy fiction novel too....i'm just waiting for an inspirational story line to hit me in the meantime, i'm working on a women's 'self help' type of book, from a health and wellness base and an emotional well being twist to it.... it's still coming to me...who knows where it will end up...i'm just gonna type away

So lucky you have a VJ friend!!!!

[Danu 19]

lol! Ulta ROCKS! But you could get carried away in there! I have to pace myself when i'm in there lol!

As for my nails....the deal is that my worst hang up is biting my nails!!!! So i'm sure I could go longer without getting them filled...but I chomp the ####### out of them...and then they look so bad...I have to get them done! lol! The great thing is, that 'taking care of myself' is one area my fiance is not willing to skimp on...it's the one time he willingly hands over his credit card without batting an eyelash! HAHA!

As for writing...I too used to rock the essays and always been good at creative writing...i've always wanted to write a line of children's books, and a juicy fiction novel too....i'm just waiting for an inspirational story line to hit me in the meantime, i'm working on a women's 'self help' type of book, from a health and wellness base and an emotional well being twist to it.... it's still coming to me...who knows where it will end up...i'm just gonna type away

So lucky you have a VJ friend!!!!

I'm battling with this at the moment, so I definately feel you! Can't afford it at the moment with no job so I got them completely removed, but Wes has said once I'm down there I can go back to getting them done because he likes his backscratcher nails lol. I love getting french tips done, and my natural nails are so weak that they have either all broken off or I couldnt resist biting them off. Going to definately hunt for a good place for that, I don't want one of the type that recks your nail beds. I would rather have to make an appointment and sit for 2 hours, pay a little more and know that they havent killed my nails completely. My girl up here did them for about $42 every 2-3 weeks, and they were perfect.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Danu

[lynamon 0]

Well ... I've been here almost two years now and have gone through three different hairdressers already. Up until about 6 months ago I hadn't developed any real girlie connections but I've finally found a couple of girls that have a similar mindset that I do. I didn't realize how tough that would be to do!! Once you do find those girlie connections that's where you will get all of the info you need. Where to shop, where to get your hair and nails done ... all the info you need from a womans inside point of view. My newest hairdresser is my friends sister that just graduated from hairdressing school ... she does a great job and is way less expensive than what I've been paying. As for getting nails done ... I get mine done when I travel back to Canada once a month (no fake nails) ... the prices down here are too expensive.

[thetreble 19]

Hey Pops!

Well...the friends thing..it's tough. There are two girls I work with that are really nice, and I have a few girl friends that Jared is friends with. But we live far away now from them so I rarely see them. I left my friends in Canada that I had known since I was 8 or 9 years old so it's been a tough transition. I can't promise you it's going to get easier. I've been here for 2.5 years and I still have no one I can really have a good gossip with.

As for all the other stuff, you will find your favorites eventually! I don't get my haircut or nails done very often so those weren't really a big deal for me. I'd love to find a coffee shop though that I could go and sit in. I live out in the middle of nowhere though so there is no hope in that!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I must live in the right area for Nail Salons - here in Northern Virginia - good lord, there's a shop around every corner. I pay $20 every 2 weeks for a really good pedicure.

My current beef is I've noticed that my nail salon of choice REUSES (yes, you heard me) the little inbetween the toe foam thingys - maybe this is common, I don't know...is it? but somehow I am grossed out a little....some salons just weave cotton stuff between your toes and pitch it - think i like that better

As for my finger nails - I bite them However I did used to get acrylic in the past - a f ull set is about $45 and then fills are about 20 depending on whether you're getting pink & white or whatever.

Gynos - have a look at your insurance company and find out whether you need a referral or not - find a woman and go to her. I find there's a lot better selection of female Dr's around here.

Hairdressers - I go to Haircuttery, several ladies there do a super job...i know I won't find the same kind of lady I used to have in Kitchener and I'm not willing to pay big bucks to go through bad haircuts at pricey salons...around here it's big bucks

As of yet, I haven't found any kindred spirits through work or my husband's friend's wives or just in general. One wife was really sweet, but just not 'IT'...can't put a finger on it, just not.....so I haven't really bothered pushing anything. I feel kind of awkward and fake trying to make new close friends with people. At a high level, work friends are fine, I just don't feel a bond - you know what I mean, either you click or you don't and so far i haven't. Although not from lack of desire.

I miss my best friend very much - I met her 20 yrs ago at a work orientation and we've been good friends since. Same background, same history in the same town, we even worked at teh same company for 10 of those years - she just 'gets' me and I get her....we've been through kids, miscarriages, break-ups, marriages and all manner of stuff. That's what I hope for down here - or even just a little part of that.

rats - now I just plain miss her

[JillA 2]

Ahhh!! The transition is so tough, that's for sure. Luckily I do my own manny and peddy unless it's a special occasion, so I didn't have to worry about that. I miss the salon where I used to get waxed on a monthly basis, I haven't tried waxing since I've been here I sure miss my waxer and the cheap price too.... here a few places I checked out are like 60 or 70 bucks.... screw that!

I found a gyno and family doctor through our insurance, I also ended up going to my husband's dentist and eye doctor. Once I found Trader Joe's I was in grocery heaven, but I miss my favourite Thai restaurant (Spring Rolls!)

As for friends, well a few of Glen's friends call me sometimes and I hang out with them, went out with one girl last night in fact It was nice, we're still "getting to know" one another so it's not like gossip back and forth, but it was fun.... And of course, I have a few VJ friends now too which is wonderful!

But listen, if you want to meet up soon for coffee or lunch, I am so in! Maybe we can meet in downtown Philly since that's halfway, when you are settled in your new crib or whatever. We can chat about home and how we are foreigners together!

*side note: I already feel myself drifting away from some of my closest friends back home.... it's inevitable I suppose, yet so sad! The effort for them to keep in touch just isn't there.... some resentment I guess for me leaving.... oh well c'est la vie!

Edited June 25, 2009 by JillA

[Emancipation 2]

Great question.. I always ask women who have a great hair cut where they get their hairs cut, and usually that flushes out the good hair dressers..

I found my gyno from a list of gynos' that my GP recommends. She was the first name on the list, but the good bit is that if I don't like her, I'll just go to another Dr.. I do appreciate that about the US system.. the customer's prerogative..

Lets see.. nails & waxing I usually do at the mall.. I can't afford "salon" pricing, and in these parts, the massive nail centers seem to be the "norm" not relaxing nice little small salons like I'm used to back home.

The good friends I have are all part of my church.. just seems to be the best way that I know to meet people. I'm finally after 2.5 yrs getting great female friends here and apparently losing the ones back home

[Jenni and Bo 0]

Hey Poprocks!

LOL hubby was reading over my shoulder and was like "there is an Ulta right down the complex from work" - so now I must go

I don't know much about nails, I've had them done once..I do my own usually. I can feel your pain about the hairdresser, though I went a couple months ago for a trim and found a really nice woman about my age at JC Penny that did a great job - her husband is an immigrant too, so we had a huge chat about how annoying the whole thing was. I need to get it colored this time and I'm nervous, my good friend was my hair dresser in Canada for 4 years, and she was awesome...she also only charged me the cost of Dye *sigh* I haven't paid full price since University lol.

On the friends side of thing, I feel like I was pretty lucky. Hubby is a district tech and trainer for Best buy, and he knows a lot of people at the store closest to us. He introduced me to people on each of my visits down. When I moved here, we actually changed apartment complexes 2 weeks after my arrival and now two of the women that I met and got along with are about a 1 min walk away. We've clicked pretty well, and though it's not at the level of my friends at home, it feels nice to know I have people to talk to. There is a group of 4 of us that do girls nights, dinners and stuff, and then we all bring our husbands/boyfriends (and a few other couples) and have game night once a week and big BBQs once a month or so. I've gotten to know them quite well because of these things.

I have a few friends that I feel I'm drifting apart from as well...which sucks and I try to keep in touch, but it doesnt seem like something they want to keep up with It's hard to come to the realization that someone doesn't think you're as important anymore...*sigh* but my best friends are still there...we talk every few weeks...I miss them and I wish I could have them around more often...

I'm sure you will do great though you seem to have an outgoing personality and though you may not find a kindred spirit for awhile (no one has come close to being where my best friends are yet), some ladies you can let your hair down around is great in the meantime

[Krikit 1,163]

I'm on the never ending quest to find...

A new hairdresser!

I tried a few different salons trying to find a new hairdresser. Was never really happy with any of them. Finally, one day, my husband took me around to each salon within the area and I went in, took a look around, and spoke to the people there. There was one place which I just felt comfortable in, and ended up making an appointment with the hairdresser who helped me. She is AWESOME and really really well priced. I'm glad I finally found her.

A nail place!

Ugh. We've been to lots. I now have two I go to, depending on where I am. There's one close to my home which is brand new and has some good people. They also serve wine! Or pop or water if you're not into wine. (free, btw) They charge $35 for a mani/pedi, and all their tools are properly sterilized.

The other place I go to is beside the organic grocery store I go to, which is about 45 minutes from my house. They have an individual tool set for each client, which is kept in a container and placed on a shelf. Each time you return you grab your own box and sit down. They also have a frequent-user plan where for every six appointments you get a free one. They charge $30 for a mani/pedi.

I used to love Shoppers Drug Mart! I have found a place down here called Ulta, which is a beauty supply place... this I am happy with as they have everything I need

We have Sally's here, and I've seen it in a lot of other States, too. I think I even saw one in Canada! . Anyway, they have a really great skin-care line which I use, plus it's super cheap. I like Sally's.

I don't get waxed or anything like that, so i'm safe on that one lol! i'm a shaver

Ugh. Waxing is so super expensive here. I mean, seriously..... if I'm going to pay those prices then I may as well just go ahead and get lasered. I am SO not spending the money on regular waxings.

I'm outfitting a new house, and i'm not an 'Ethan Allan' or 'Pottery Barn' type of gal, and i've taken a liking to some of the decor stuff at Target...they have nice stuff for decent prices they also have great finds on clothes

Target is GREAT for home decor! I have some really nice finds from there and everyone is surprised when I tell them it's from Target. The exact same style of bedroom lamps I loved in Pottery Barn I bought in Target for hundreds of dollars less. But everyone thinks they're from Pottery Barn.

Crate and Barrel is another one of my faves. Z Gallerie is AWESOME if you have one of those in your area. They both have online shopping, also, but I like seeing things in person.

My other clothes fav's are Guess and Marciano...which thankfully they have here. I've totally cut down my shopping for clothes and shoes, so none of that for a while....now that we are living together, my fiance has close eyes on that...and I don't feel like sneaking stuff in and then saying it was on sale for $10 if he finds out! haha!

Kohl's has the most amazing sales ever! It's always been one of my favourites. When they're clearing out seasonal items you get the most amazing bargains. I've bought $60 sweaters for $4! Target has great clearance sales sometimes too. I just don't find their selection as good as Kohl's though.

I'm lucky to have moved to an area where I have the best neighbours in the world! Honestly, they are super super awesome. And so is the lady who owns the wine boutique. We've become really good friends too. We both like wine!

Lynamon, it's so good to see you again. I was wondering how you'd been keeping.

Phew. It's taken me forever to respond to this topic. Mostly because I keep getting interrupted by reports from members so I have to go and deal with those..... which take forever. We'll probably be on the 3rd page (on the first as I write this) before I hit Submit.

[bowflex 0]

Threads like this make me so thankful to be a guy haha. If I moved I'd just need the name of the closest gym and the name of a bar with a big tv Lol

[Krikit 1,163]

Great question.. I always ask women who have a great hair cut where they get their hairs cut, and usually that flushes out the good hair dressers..

I've done that! I'll go running up to someone in a parking lot with really nice hair going "Excuse me! Excuse me!" Found some GREAT hairdressers that way.

Can't really do that in Florida, though. Not really enamoured with the blue or pink old lady rinse.

[thetreble 19]

Threads like this make me so thankful to be a guy haha. If I moved I'd just need the name of the closest gym and the name of a bar with a big tv Lol

This made me chuckle!