HAN'S HAIR SALON

The holidays are finally over. Perhaps now your wallet can stop bleeding money that you don't even have? Let's face it, we're all suffering in this economy which is why I'm out scouring Bergen County for the best bargains around. The truth is my economy tanked about three years ago, so I've had plenty of time to find the great finds. Most of the bargains I've found were shared with me by other moms. So now I'm sharing them with you. Welcome to "Bargains in Bergen!"


For years the same person has done my hair and I swore that I'd leave my husband before I ever left him. I made a vow never to stray from my man (the one who does my hair) but the truth is that I really can't afford him at this point in my life. Let me be clear--I haven't abandoned him. It's kind of like marital sex--I save it for special occassions.


But I wasn't going to do my hair myself, or go to Super Disaster, I mean Super Cuts. I tried the beauty schools and although Parisienne Beauty School in Hackensack does outstanding color for $12 it's a learning school where students practice on your hair with an instructor guiding them. They're S.L.O.W. Who has 5 hours to spend sitting in a chair? There comes  a point when your time is money. (Disclaimer: except for the wait, the four times they did my color it was outstanding, I only let them cut my hair once. It was a disaster. I asked the girl to just trim my long wisps of bangs a centimeter or two and she cut off all my bangs. I'm talking square bald spot on forehead.I looked like Herman the Munster! How many ways can you say "Never again!")


Through word of mouth from other moms I discovered Han's Hair Salon. Just saying the name brings a smile to my face. Han's is a hair salon right in my very own town of Leonia. Now, where do I start? Okay, I'm a huge fan of the "blow-out" but I could no longer afford the $50+ it cost at my old salon. Han's blow-outs are $25! Let me repeat that $25! And let me tell you my hair is very thick, long, and curly hair so I thought for sure they'd charge me more. At the very least I thought for $25 it would just be okay.


Let's start with the shampoo. Can you say "never-ending scalp massage?" I can! And as soon as I was able to peel my body from the shampoo chair and manage to fall into the style chair, two stylists handed me the latest issues of Star Magazine and In Style to read while they descended upon my hair with huge round brushes. When's the last time you had time to really read  Star and In Style without the cashier sharply quip, "M'am? Do you have coupons?" I not only found out that Brangelina was haunted by the ghost of Friends Jenn, but that shoulder pads are most certainly not back in style. Before I knew it my hair was transformed from frizz freaky to sleek chicy. And thanks to that deep scalp massage shampoo, the blow-out lasted four days! 


When it was time to pay I thought for sure I'd be charged $50, but the lovely owner, Gina, said $25. For that price I could go a few times a month! And nothing's better for your ego than getting your hair done and looking like a million bucks especially when you only have change in your purse and you're raiding your kids' birthday money to pay Cable.

On my next visit I had my hair cut. Now, you have to understand that the same person has cut my hair for the last 20 years, but again, I don't have the bank account I had 20 years ago, and I have to tell you that it was quite possibly the best haircut I ever received in my life! And, drumroll please, only $35. I hate to tell you what I used to pay.


Next I tried color. Now I was born with light auburn hair and I never colored it, I mean never until the birth of my second child when my hair started turning brown! Again, I couldn't afford the $135+ for a color. As I mentioned earlier I went to Parisienne Beauty School in Hackensack and for $12 their color was outstanding. But it also took 4-5 hours while a group of students and a teacher did it strand by bloody strand. So, I bit the bullett and went to Han's. Auburn is a tricky color because it can so easily go brassy, so I was understandably nervous. Well, Gina matched my original color perfectly! For $60 I had a full color, deep conditioner, and blow out. Do I have to say it out loud? I'm hooked.

The salon is always hopping with lots of moms so you'll feel at ease. And Gina and her staff will not only make you feel welcome, they'll make you want to come back again and again...with your friends. 

So are you ready to pay less for fabulous hair? Don't take my word for it. Just go into Han's just about any day and see all the moms getting their hair done. It's a beautiful thing!

Han's Salon
352 Broad Avenue
Leonia, NJ
201-944-3461

A BIG DISCOUNT WAREHOUSE in BERGENFIELD

Forget Pary City--this is your new go-to party store!

Tears brought me to this store. Literally! Years ago when my kids were really little and they wouldn't nap and wouldn't stop crying I buckled them into their car seats and drove. Mindlessly. All over Bergen County until they fell asleep. While driving a winding road behind Washington Avenue in Bergenfield enjoying the peace and quiet of two sleeping babies I past this store. I was so intrigued that I kept driving in circles to pass it. At each turn I saw women exiting with bags and bags of goodies and ribbons of mylar balloons floating above their heads. I stopped to ask one of these women about the store and was told, "Honey, if you don't know about this place then you're wasting your money!" I promised myself I would one day return. 

I didn't actually fulfill that promise until the summer of 2009 when I remembered it as I was flipping through cyber page after cyber page of discount party supplies for my son's birthday party. As soon as I entered the small interior space I knew this was the place for me. 

A Big Discount Warehouse has everything! They have all the supplies you need to throw a fabulous birthday party--invitations, decorations, favors, hats, balloons, paper goods, thank you's, table cloths, party games, and more. Their paper products are hands down, the cheapest! Even cheaper than the dollar stores because A Big Discount Warehouse gives you more in each package. And most of their paper goods are about $1. 

Invitations

Plates, hats, noisemakers

Cups of every size

Grass skirts, leis, beads and other party dress-up favorites. Yes, they have firemen hats, construction hats and princess crowns too!

A wide assortment of mylar balloons for every celebration! (They have character balloons as well.)

 In addition to having an enormous selection of party supplies, they have everything imaginable for every holiday. Here's what their Christmas selection looked like: 

Artificial trees, ribbons, decorations

Plates, cups, decorative ribbons, stocking stuffers

Stockings, outdoor decorations, cards, Hanukkah supplies

A Big Discount Warehouse also has everything you need for other holidays as well and they keep a sampling of them out all year long if you want to stock up early: 

Halloween goody bags, buckets, cards, party supplies and more!

Thanksgiving cups, plates, and napkins

Sometimes on a Friday night my kids invite their friends over for a movie and popcorn. I like to go to A Big Discount Warehouse to buy their popcorn bowls. They also have movie theater containers to put candy in. I put popcorn in the buckets and some candy in the containers and for the price of one 3-D ticket it makes the kids feel like they're in a movie theater. 

Reusable popcorn buckets and bowls

And if it's school supplies you need, this is the place. I was most amazed that they had tri-fold display boards for well under $10. I don't want to tell you what I paid at Staples for one of these babies!

PTA's and Home and School Associations will also find A Big Discount Warehouse the place to get your fundraising supplies. Rolls of raffle tickets that sell for about $28-30 in other party supply stores are under $10 here. They also sell Tricky Tray tickets as well. 

Rolls of raffle tickets

Sheets of Tricky Tray tickets 

Also, A Big Discount Warehouse gives a 10% discount to teachers and will work with PTA's and Home and School Associations on orders. 

Inventory seems to come in just about everyday, so you'll always find something new. And they're not only about party and holiday supplies. They have some really cool things for kids' bedrooms--comforters, lamps, chairs, netting for over the bed...In the summer they have all kinds of pool floats, beach balls, lawn games, water guns and blasters, kids' picnic sets and chairs, and so much more. 

What I like most about A Big Discount Warehouse is that it's indepenently owned. Linda is most likely the face you'll see when you're there. She's friendly, helpful, and always accomodating. 

Go visit A Big Discount Warehouse and tell all your friends!


A Big Discount Warehouse is located at 105 Woodbine Street in Bergenfield. (Woodbine Street runs parallel to Washington Ave off New Bridge Road.) Open Monday-Friday 11am-7pm and Saturday 11am-6pm. www.abigdiscountwarehouse.com.