Real Shaving!!

As I mentioned on April 9th I started 'wetshaving' - to be blunt it is the way your grandpappy and great grandpa shaved.  No one can argue that those guys were pretty manly.. Its like John Wayne or something.  There is more to me 'taking the blade' than being a better man.  There are some HUGE benefits.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

You may be asking - Jason, why the hell do I want to shave like a 80 year old man or something??

Well friend, its better for your skin (the ladies will like that), you save money (you really like that) and you are using top quality products (everyone will like that!)

For example, a pack of 4 Gillette Fusion Blades cost over $21.00!!!  Where a pack of 10 razor blades will set you back about 3 bucks.

So what do you need to get started?

Here is a list:

-  A razor (obviously) but not just any razor - you need a Safety Razor (or DE Razor)

Where do you find these?  Well, you may be able to get one dirt cheap (FREE) from your grandpa, you can check out ebay or a number of stores on the webernet!

- Blades

You can find razor blades at drug stores and even Walmart - but I would suggest you order a sample pack from an online store (links to come at the end)

- Cream or Soap

Again, you can get good cream at The Body Shop, Bath and Body Works or even drug / grocery stores.  ( I will share what I use later).

Those 3 things are what is absolutely needed to start classic wetshaving. 

Tomorrow I will share the reasons why you should start shaving this way - until then, here is some links to some great stores that sell top end men's products!

http://www.fendrihan.com/

http://www.rasagepoulin.com/

http://www.shopmasc.com/store/intro.html

Killer birds, Fears and Shaving?

Hey everyone that reads this.... like anyone does... lol

I decided I am using this blog as a psudojournal of sorts, so sorry in advance if anything here is boring you. Lucky for you, you can close the window and walk away!

For the last month I journeyed to become a better man (see other posts) the remainder of the days are outlined below:

Day 27: Start a Book == I am not that talented... I am a nerd, I love comics and sci-fi but I don’t have this talent... thanks for rubbing salt in the wound stupid day 27

Day 28: Write a Love Letter == again, something I am horrible at. That said, I did take the time to reflect on how lucky I am that Lisa loves me. It’s a shock that someone so amazing drew the short stick and was stuck with me!

Day 29: Conquer a Fear == Fear, I don’t know how 'manly' being fearful is... I guess in situations if you’re not scared you’re stupid. I am scared of a few things, Birds, cheesy haunted houses (weird I know) and talking to people who can fire me. Now birds are scary as fuck... dont believe me check the internet, they crap on your head and will attack at a moments notice... YOU’RE WARNED. Cheesy haunted houses are just lame... I guess I get scared knowing a carnie is in there looking to get his rocks off by making me peep... the basterd. Lastly fear of talking to those who can fire me. This one is interesting because this 'fear' prevented me from getting a job. So this is a fear I have to break. How? I have no idea.... But I am trying to be more engaging moving forward... YAY for fear!

Day 30: Get a Straight Razor Shave --- AHHH this is something I would LOVE to do... but in Deadmonton we got nuttin. Which is a great segway to my next post!!

Another delayed update

Hey people who accidentally looked at this blog! Welcome :)


I have been busy over the last week - dealing with work drama - YAY but I have still been working n becoming a better man. Over the last 9 days we had the following tasks:

Day 17: Talk to 3 Strangers === this one is an epic fail for me, I am too shy to walk up to a stranger and say 'what up'. That and I am sure the TW won’t appreciate me hitting on women anymore... so yeah... This one is a work in progress...

Day 18: Find Your N.U.T.s == this may sound funny, but it’s quite important. NUT's stand for Non-negotiable, Unalterable Terms. What are you committed to more than anything else? For me I have a few things. Family is #1 (and I am sure it will be for most of us) but if anything happens with my family I drop everything and take care of that. Another is not to let Peyton eat fast food. I won’t let her be in my shoes... and on that note starting today the only fast food I will eat will be subway etc. This I swear. /climb off soapbox :P And lastly, I will always tell the truth -- no matter what. I have always done this (well not counting my stupid kid and teenage years) and I feel being honest tells the world that you’re a stand up man.

Day 19: Schedule a Physical Exam == yeah no... I don’t care for doctors... but maybe once I feel better about myself I will

Day 20: Perform Service -- This I would love, I am passionate over a few causes and if I had more time (from work and family) I would do something. Unfortunately where I am at this moment in time makes it a challenge. For the short term I have committed to be involved with my charities to make the world a better place.

Day 21: Write Your Own Eulogy -- skipped this one, as I am not morbid or full of myself. When I die I don’t expect a lot of fanfare or a lot of people there. Just the close friends and family I love.

Day 22: Improve Your Posture -- well according to WiiFit my posture is okay. That said I am more mindful of it.

Day 23: Learn a Manual Skill == since I am trying (albeit slower than I thought) to do my basement, I am learning all the time. I find it fun and for a tech nerd like me - doing things with my hands is quite fun!

Day 24: Play! == Ahhh having a 3 year old helps with this... now if only the weather was better.

Day 25: Start a Debt Reduction Plan -- Already in the works.

Today's challenge is... Day 26: Take the Marine Corps Fitness Test............... Yeah my fat ass is screwed....

Update

Sorry for all those people that follow me... haha






Have not updated this in a bit, I kinda got busy with life :)


There are still challenges at work, things to do and I am still working on becoming a better man. Since my last entry there have been a few tasks - which I will touch on...

Day 10: Memorize “If” -- This is tough, while I understand the logic on how people now days rely too much on Google or cell phones for certain facts it’s important to keep things in check. While I have not memorized this poem I decided that to become a more cultured man also involves reading books that are important. Look forward to a review on that soon. In addition to being more cultured, I have decided to use the internet not as a crutch, but as a tool to teach me something new every day (dictionary.com / wiki)

Day 11: Give Yourself a Testicular Exam -- Insert joke about how men do this every day... lol but in seriousness. With Lisa having a breast cancer scare (and I was quite scared) it’s important to take care of our health. I encourage everyone to check this and get it out of the way. But in addition - take care of yourself. If something is wrong, get it checked. While it’s manly to 'tough it out' it’s even more manly to take care of yourself.

Day 12: Create Your Bucket List -- This one is actually fun and I was thinking about posting it on this site. You know, I think I will in a bit. It’s good to write down your dreams and hopes. Once it’s out there - you can see it can be done!

Day 13: Declutter Your Life -- Well, with work being an emotional gong show, this is happening for me... haha But in seriousness having priorities and focus helps us go far. Would I rather sit at home and play WOW or work in my yard? It’s about choices and at the end of the day my first priority should be Peyton and Lisa. It’s time to focus on that (especially when my shifts suck at work... lol)

Day 14: Write a Letter to Your Father -- Ahhh a letter to Dad.... I will leave that at that. But if you have issues, or wish for those 'tv dad experiences' chances are they won’t happen. But writing your feelings do help....

Day 15: Make a Meal --This is easy as I can cook (quite well actually). But for everyone else, not only is it a turn on for many women to date a man who can actually cook, it’s an important skill to have.

And today’s task is Create a budget. For me, this is already done and when you’re married tends to be created for you... HAHA

Other than all that, today is a day off so spending time with Peyton is on the docket. Hopefully she is in a better mood :)

30 days to a better man...

Well, I think I missed a few days...

I have to start a journal (I set that up) and reconnect with an old friend...  this I dont really care about. 

In my mind - if someone wanted to seek me out, they are more than welcome -- reading that, I am sure that is what everyone says... haha

To be blunt - I hardly have enough time with work and Lisa/Peyton to seek out any additional friends.  I guess I will hold on to the friends I see.  I dont have many 'close' friends (not that I am whining over it) I dont think I need them.

I guess, I just hope I am a good person :)  At the end of the day - If people have a better day because of you, its worth it.

Succeed in that or fail - its what I try to do every day :)

Tomorrow's challange is to take a girl on a date....  With Lisa working, Peyton and me having weird shifts this is very hard.. 

Back to 30 days to be a better man

Yesterday was all about taking the time and thank people for something they did for you.  Ironically today is Day 6: Update Your Resume.

For those who work with me - you can see the obvious humor in this (but it was not planned)

That said you may also want to look at a cover letter as well.

Manly Shave?

For those who know, care or even just are bored.  I have been writing a blog about being more of a man.

Seriously, who honestly believes that they are as manly as their grandpa or even great-grandpa?

We have watered down what it means to be a 'stand up man' a 'gentleman' or even be as cliche as John Wayne.  So, thats where the daily challanges or insights come into play!

Today was to express gratitude.  Think of 3 things you are honestly thankful for and thank who was responsible or helped.  It shows great character to not only be humble but appreciative.

/climb off soapbox

Now for some fun things... well ish.

I have also decided to start shaving like a man - what does that mean?  you may be thinking, Hey Jason - I already shave - I use one of those cool 5 bladed razor thingys.

Well chum, what would you say if I told you that using the tools your grandpa used to shave can give you an equally close shave - without having to spend 5 bucks a blade?  (more like 40 cents a blade)??

Flash to the world of old school wet shaving.  With a razor (or safty razor if your a pussy like me) a shaving brush and some soap.

This is what arrived for me in the mail today... and I just had to try it.

Some pointers - ALWAYS shower before you shave with this kind of system - you will shred your face if you dont (like I did today since I dont have patience)

I found that after (even though my face was nicked up) my skin felt very smooth, smelled nice and it was actually fun... thats right not a chore!

I know I will get better in time, practice at my angles and finding out what blade is best for me (thats right, there are sooo many blade choices you can try a pack of 5 different blades for about 3 bucks so you wont break the bank while you find your 'perfect' blade.

Its a neat experiance - if I can spread the propaganda - check out the follwing links:

http://www.fendrihan.com/ == Fantastic online store for Canadians -- Service is amazing A+++

Great Shaving Advice on You Tube....   == This guy is fantastic, cheesy but his advice is sound

Its an adventure - that and as a cheap dutchman, a great shave at a huge discount is worth it!

Until next time