Mom’s Choice Winner: Freshair Salon and Boutique

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Congratulations to Freshair Salon and Boutique for winning Best Salon in Washington County — for the second year in a row. Wow!

We love all the cute cuts and boutique clothes we see on their Facbook page (click here to see!).

We interviewed Freshair owner/stylist/mama Shelby  Lambidonis to find out more about this great shop on Sunbridge in Fayetteville:

freshair adQ: What services do you offer at Freshair?

We offer cuts, color, Brazilian Blowout Smoothing Treatment, Keratin Smoothing Treatments, Makeup, Special Occasion Hair, Extensions and waxing. Everything but nails!

Q: We adore all the cute clothes and accessories you have at the shop. Tell us a little more about the boutique side of Freshair:

The Boutique happened by accident. I had ordered clothes for myself and had them out on the counter. About 5 women came up to me wondering if I had their size and when I would be getting more in. I told them they were mine but then a light bulb went off and that is when the boutique started at Freshair 3 years ago this June.

We try to keep everything under a $50 price point. Making trendy fashion not only fun but affordable so you can change with the seasons and trends without breaking the bank.

freshair chevronQ: What is your top-selling clothing or jewelry item for summer?

Our big statement necklaces seem to be our hottest seller. And Mint and Peach seem to be what is in for the summer. We sell a LOT of Piko tops. We are the lowest price in town at $25!  And we sell tons of maxi dresses right now as well for the summer.

Q: What is the hottest hairstyle right now?

We are not seeing just one hairstyle right now but more of color and style. Women are wearing their hair longer and we see a lot of the boho waves. People are wanting that sexy slept in look. And with the Ombre’ being the popular color technique right now the long boho waves go hand in hand.  Low upkeep and easy to style. For short hair, you can never go wrong with the classic bob or super short pixie!

Q: Are there any cool new products right now for hair?

We always have the latest and greatest hair products at Freshair! Keune has amazing color mousse that can refine, enhance or refresh your color between color services. Keune is our biggest line of hair care at Freshair. We also have two Keune Regional Educators on our staff of stylists. Moroccan Oil has a new Heat Protectant that is a must when using a blowdryer, or flat iron. And Keratin Complex has one of our favorite deep conditioners, Kerawhip. It is like a drink of water for you hair!

Q: How do you keep up with the latest styles/trends?

As you can see from our Facebook page we love Education! We attend classes all over the U.S., from LA learning the latest cutting trends at the Institute of Courage with Michael O’rourke to Atlanta brushing up on our coloring skills at the Keune Academy.

We also have in-salon training as well as going to hair shows in NYC. We are constantly staying on top of the latest trends and sharpening our skills for our craft.

Q: We understand that Freshair is 10 years old! Congratulations! Tell us about your upcoming “Freshair Fete”:

We are so excited to celebrate with our friends, family, clients and guests at our Freshair Fete! It will be July 1, 2013  from 6-9 at Freshair Salon.

We will have fantastic door prizes for the first 50 guests to arrive, 20% off of everything in the boutique and hair products. Even our sale items will be an extra 20% off! We will have amazing giveaways such as a Moroccan Oil Flat Iron, Brushes, Products, and a $100 Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Gift Card!

We will be having amazing appetizers from Early Bird Catering, dessert bar including french macaroons from Meridienne Dessert Salon, flowers will be done by Pigmint, live music by Bottlerocket and $10 pre-sale of Botox from Lips N Lines. And much much more! We love a good party and all are welcome to join us!

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Q: What’s your favorite thing about owning a salon/boutique?

The clients and the stylists. I LOVE seeing my guests and working with the girls I work with. It’s a very busy job and always lots to do but being with all of these wonderful people make it worth it. I couldn’t ask for a better career. It’s truly fun everyday, which in turn makes it not feel like work or a job.

When you’re not stylin’, what do you do in your “spare” time?

I don’t have much spare time! lol! But if I’m not doing hair, I am usually working or ordering for the salon/boutique. Or planning big parties like the Freshair Fete! ;-) But, my first priority is my two wonderful sons, Nicholas and Theo.  They keep me pretty busy and on the go!  I feel like I have the perfect balance with family and work and it feels good.

CLICK HERE to visit Freshair’s Facebookbook page to see cuts/styles and boutique items that are new in store! Call Freshair at 479-251-1877.

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Great Day on the Farm!

Our friend and fellow blogger Heidi recently published a GREAT photo collage and description of the day she took her super cute 3-year-old to visit “The Farm,” operated by The Cobblestone Project. (The video above tells you more about The Farm as well as one of its corporate supporters, Great Day Farms.) We think a trip to The Farm would make a perfect outing for parents and kids this summer. (Be sure to call ahead so you’ll know when it’s a good time to visit. or click HERE to visit their Facebook page.)

Not only is it fun to get outdoors and see a real farm (conveniently located in town), your kids will also learn where food really comes from and how The Farm helps local people in need.

Here’s an excerpt and a few photos from Heidi’s blog post on her blog The Busy Nothings. (Click HERE to see the post in its entirety.)

Cobblestone is an actual working farm that has a sold-out program where locals can buy a basket of seasonal produce and free range eggs for themselves and then donate one to a family in need.

The Farm is located off one of the main roads in what seems to be in the middle of town, down a side road, then further down a dirt road. I was surprised at how “country” it felt being surrounded by trees yet still in town!

One of the coolest things, for me personally, on this trip was the fact I was able to show Bug WHERE vegetables come from, and he ate a strawberry freshly picked from the ground- he seemed in awe and like I must have been joking with him that the food we ate came from the ground.

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Find out more about this amazing farm, how to volunteer and get on the waiting list for your own basket of amazing, fresh, all-natural produce! 

National Flip Flop Day at Tropical Smoothie on June 21st

Grab your flip flops, ladies! And have your kids slide into a pair of flip flops, too, because June 21st is National Flip Flop Day at Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations in Northwest Arkansas and you’re going to LOVE the way they celebrate.

flip flops2If you wear a pair of flip flops to a Tropical Smoothie Cafe location between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on June 21st, you’ll score a FREE 24-ounce Jetty Punch Smoothie. Yay for free summertime treats!!

What makes this treat even sweeter is how it will help benefit Camp Sunshine — a retreat that offers an incredible getaway for children with life-threatening illnesses as well as their parents and siblings. Located on a gorgeous lake in Maine, this camp serves families throughout the year, offering sick kids and their families activities like swimming and soccer in the summer and horse-drawn sleigh rides in the winter. Camp Sunshine is the only national organization committed to helping not only the child who is ill but also the entire immediate family.

While at camp, these families have access to professionals dedicated to giving them the emotional and medical support they need. Thanks to donations collected across the nation, the camp and all its amenities are offered to families completely free of charge. (Click HERE to learn more about Camp Sunshine.)

Here are the locations where you and your family can go celebrate National Flip Flop Day and enjoy a free smoothie:

3351 Pinnacle Hills Parkway in Rogers

3878 Crossover Road, Suite 10 in Fayetteville

2350 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville

7022 W. Sunset Ave., #3, in Springdale

We’ll see you (and your flip-flops) on the 21st at Tropical Smoothie Cafe! (Click here to swing by the Tropical Smoothie Facebook page.)

Top Ten Reasons to go to the NWA Mom Prom 2013!

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Need a good reason to go to the NWA Mom Prom this Saturday, May 4th, at the Springdale Holiday Inn Ballroom. Okay, we’ll give you 10.

But don’t wait too long to get your ticket. Only the first 300 ticket holders will get one of the awesome swag bags which will be given out at the end of the night. Click HERE to buy your ticket online.

top ten list10. Because it’s going to be THE girls’ night out of the entire year.

We have been working non-stop to make sure this is an AMAZING  party for women in NWA. It’ll be glamorous but not stuffy. And thanks to incredible business sponsors — like presenting sponsor Great Day Farms — it’s also going to be a beautiful, fun setting where you can relax and feel like you’re 18 years old again — minus all the teenage drama.

9. Because you like to eat.

We mamas do like good food. So we’ve worked with the executive chef of the Holiday Inn in Springdale to make sure there’ll be plenty of delicious things to eat at the Mom Prom.

It will be served buffet style and the spread will include things like this:

  • coconut chicken bites
  • turkey pinwheels
  • miniature twice baked potatoes
  • spinach artichoke dip
  • cheese and fruit
  • chocolate-dipped strawberries (by Dojo’s Designs)
  • miniature cupcakes (by Fancy Flours Cupcakery)
  • candy from Nestle

8. Because you like to DANCE!

The best part about any prom night is the music. And we’ve got a DJ for Prom Night who will play all your favorites. In fact, we’ve been taking song suggestions for several weeks now. If you haven’t told us your favorite dance songs yet, you can still do that by clicking the “post a comment” link below.

So come ready to shake your money maker because the music is going to be AWESOME. And if you want to join our little flash mob, click HERE to check out the flash mob dance we’ll do sometime during prom night.

blue dress7. Because you don’t get that many chances to dress up and party.

How many times a year do you have a chance to get dressed up and go out with your best girlfriends? Sure, you can wear your yoga pants and hoodie to Chick-fil-a anytime you want. But when is the last time you put on something you really love and hit the town for a fun night out?

But don’t stress out about what to wear. There will be a WIDE range of clothes there. We suggest wearing something you feel good in that will also let you dance. Whether it’s a little black dress, a maxi dress or a full-on prom dress with lots of bling, just have fun with it.

6. Because there will be amazing photos of you and your friends that you’ll enjoy all year long.

Lisa Mac Photography will be doing all the prom pictures, and we LOVE her photos. She’s a pro. We have lots of fun photo props like mustaches, lips, hats, sunglasses, crowns, feather boas and lots more.

And ALL of the prom pictures will be available for FREE download after prom night. Print as many as you like and post them on Facebook. They’re all yours!

5. Because it’ll be fun to walk the red carpet and pose with celebrities.

adam-levine-889Where else will you get a chance to pose for pictures with People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” Channing Tatum? Oh, and did we mention that Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson, David Beckham, Adam Levine, Taylor Lautner, Will Smith and George Clooney will be there, too? Yep, they will. (Okay, they’re cardboard, but they’re still REALLY cute.)

4. Because the raffle packages are SO GOOD.

Thanks to some very generous local businesses, our 13 raffle packages are worth THOUSANDS of dollars. Seriously. Each package, which includes multiple items, is worth hundreds of dollars. And raffle tickets are only one dollar each. You can buy as many as you like if you’d like to increase your odds of winning that package. But we love this raffle system because it means we all get a chance to win something great. Here are some of the raffle package themes: Pampering, Razorback, Date Night, Kids Fun, Branson Getaway, Summer Fun, and lots more.

3. Because you might become Prom Queen!

We don’t like those old popularity contests from high school. So we ditched that method, and we’ll be picking our Prom Queen at random among all the ticket holders at the event. The Prom Queen not only gets a great package of gifts, she also gets the tiara, the prom queen sash and a chance to sit in the special Queen’s chair on stage while she does her best “pageant wave” to the crowd.

2. Because it’s even more fun to go to a party with a purpose.

This “prom with a purpose” will help raise money for a local non-profit called Laundry Love, which partners with local laundromats to clean the clothes of those living in poverty in Northwest Arkansas. And you don’t need to feel one bit guilty for having a fun night out with the girls when you know the party is raising money for a great cause.

1. countdown1Because you DESERVE a great night out.

We know there are a million other things you could be doing Saturday night. We know you’re busy. And we also know that you probably tend to put yourself last on the list, just like most of us do.  Most of the time, we take care of other people and make sure everybody else in the family is happy and having fun.

But we think moms also deserve a night off to have fun. The responsibilities and chores and busy schedules will all be waiting for you the next day. But for this one night, we hope you’ll join us for a night of fun that will celebrate the special bond we share with other women and mothers.

Click HERE to get your ticket to the Mom Prom. See you Saturday!!

Spring arrivals at Fleet Feet Sports

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We love it when clothes can multitask as much as the busy women who wear them. These new Prana separates — which arrived recently at Fleet Feet Sports in Fayetteville  – can be worn at the pool, beach AND the gym. They double as swimwear and fitness gear. And we definitely approve of the cuteness factor and the ability to mix and match, as evidenced by the pics above.

If the Prana brand is new to you, it’s a high-quality line that really holds up even after lots of trip through the laundry room. (The pieces featured here cost between $49 and $70.) Their yoga pants and running clothes are awesome, too.

Speaking of awesome, I picked up a really cute JUNK headband at last year’s Northwest Arkansas Boutique Show and I was happy to find out that the company is based right here in Northwest Arkansas. I bought the wide headband and it really does stay in place, even with thick hair. The print is so cute that I even got a compliment on it from a teenage girl — and we all know how hard it is to impress one of them. :-)   The print shown below is called “Fire.” Love the colors. You can now buy JUNK headbands at Fleet Feet (which is also a nwaMotherlode sponsor).

junk headbands collage

The clothes and accessories are great, but it goes without saying that the shoe-buying experience at Fleet Feet is truly unique. If it’s been a while since a salesperson really tried to help you find exactly what you need and want, then you need to go check them out. Their staff is top-notch and never pushy. Happy shopping!