In November of 2010, we introduced you to Jen Ballentine and her husband Ken, who made a cross-country trek on recumbent trikes to raise awareness for Organ Donation. At the age of 11, Jen's daughter Alex, had lost her life in an accident. Six months before that accident, Alex had expressed her desire that if anything happened to her, she would like her organs to be donated--a decision that makes Jen so proud of Alex and helped to "turn my grief into something else, something that can help others, so it didn't just save her recipients, it saved me too!"

On April 1, 2010, Jen, a Gulf War Veteran and former telecom engineer, and Ken, left Sanford, North Carolina, and dipped their trike tires in the Atlantic in Yorktown, Virginia. They then hopped on the beginning of the Trans American Trail, and headed for Florence, Oregon, a 4500 mile long adventure that took nearly 6 months. The plan was to meet with Dillon, the little boy who had received Alex's heart, but this cross country journey turned out to be more than just a way to raise awareness for Organ Donation, it also became a healing process for Jen during which she and Ken learned of so many heroes and people doing great things... "so many people who will probably never be recognized for how hard they work everyday to follow their passions..."

Before beginning their trip, Jen and Ken knew it would be necessary to pack light and bring only the essentials, plus, they wanted to be deliberate about where they spent their hard-earned dollars. They had made a conscious decision to support family business's and people who are passionate about what they do--and this is where J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo bar entered the picture . They had picked up an Herbal Shampoo Bar at a nearby health food store, and after reading about how this bar had no strange chemical concoctions, not tested on animals nor containing animal products, no harmful detergents, bio-degradable, and great for traveling, Jen was convinced that this bar would meet all their needs. Jen had always used a conditioner on her fine hair which had a tendency to be dry and brittle, but what she discovered with the Herbal Shampoo Bar, was that her hair had never looked better--minus the conditioner!

This was the beginning of a great adventure andan on-going appreciation of J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo. Along the cross country camping trip, Jen shared with others about her love and admiration of the shampoo, giving out so many samples, she ran out of her own supply! "I just wanted everyone to know how great it was and there's only one way to do that, and that is to let them try it." Jen says she doesn't ever want to use anything but J.R.LIGGETT'S again... "I love how easy a shower is when you use the shampoo bar! One product, not three! Nice!"

Currently residing in South Fork, Colorado, Jen, an athlete and avid skier, and her husband, also a skier, are innkeepers at a lodge that rents out cabins. "We are the closest town to Wolf Creek Ski Area so we get lots of skiers and snowboarders as our guests in the winter. There are three busy seasons here since there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy. If you look on a map at where South Fork is, you will see that we are surrounded by huge National Forests and mountain ranges. Our home (a real log cabin) sits at 8200 feet and is right near the Rio Grande River."

Jen states that, "living in an area of Colorado where below zero temperatures are not uncommon, it gets really dry here. Soap that doesn't dry out my skin is imperative which makes J.R.LIGGETT'S the winner again." "There's nothing about it (J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo Bar) I don't like, even the empty-looking shower. Nice and neat and minimalist looking...I like simplicity and cannot stand clutter, so for me, that part is another positive."

A great day for Jen and Ken ("I have the best husband EVER and Ken and I do everything together...") is a day spent skiing the slopes of Wolf Creek Ski Area. They are now at the 'Intermediate' level of expertise which allows one the privilege of riding the 'Treasure Lift' to what appears as being pretty near the top of the world--- Jen refers to it as, "the steeper stuff", and if the air doesn't take your breath away, the views definitely will! Having survived the wild experience of skiing during a blizzard, they can now be officially considered, 'Powder Hounds'.

But don't think for a minute that when winter has passed, Jen Ballentine will be sitting around twiddling her thumbs...not this active lady. She has big plans in the works and plenty of interests and ideas... when she hangs up her skis for the season, you'll probably find her with a fishing pole in her hand learning the finer points of fly-fishing--or at least taking photos of Ken in the midst of that graceful art. She also nurtures her creative side with her small jewelry business 'Jen Tiles', making necklaces out of recycled Scrabble tiles with part of the profit going towards Organ Donation awareness. She has begun writing a book on her and Ken's recent trek from coast to coast--which, by the way, they may continue this summer by heading down the Pacific Coast--that is if they can pull themselves away from their little piece of heaven where they now live. And not surprising for someone who's parents are folk musicians, Jen is presently learning how to play the banjo... "it's hard not be happy when you hear it go "boingy-boing-boing-boing!" ... she's possesses a great sense of humor too!

Jen's trip across the United States was life-changing; "I learned the world is full of great people doing great things. There are heroes everywhere! People who are able to pay attention to the beauty that surrounds us and knowing how love fills up our days if we allow it to... meeting people who are willing to open up and share about who they are, what they've been through, and what they are becoming is powerful stuff. I never felt less alone and more safe than in the homes of the people we met and shared with along the way, and I will never ever forget them. I am eternally grateful. The scenery was incredible, the slow pace was so peaceful, but the people we met were the true meat of the ride...so many heroes out there."

Jen can count herself as one of those heroines.... a brave, resilient, inspiring woman who not only encouraged and accepted goodwill from all whom she met, and became even closer and more deeply in love with her husband; she also discovered a special, and peaceful healing place for her heart--a heart open to all that is good and lovely and true.

Life these days seems so overly complicated. We deal with maddening government bureaucracy in the form of endless paperwork and hoops to jump through, lawyers eager and willing to thwart our every move, office politics, and difficult, selfish people bent on complicating life. Technology changes moment by moment, requiring one to constantly be 'on' to be able to concentrate and absorb new information .

Our lives move at a fast pace these days; families and individuals are almost constantly on the move, cramming already over-loaded schedules with yet more obligations, not to mention our 'To Do' lists. New inventions and modern conveniences promise to 'save us time' yet, with the time saved, we are expected to accomplish more.

We can only be wound so tight, and at some point, we will invariably come apart at the seams--whether it be depression, conflict with others, or even violence. It is no wonder we are stressed from simply trying to get through another day.

It's time to chill out. Time to take a deep breath, slow down, and stop and smell the roses... it's time to clear our head, time to simplify. How is it done? Where do you start? The answer can be as easy as what you hold in your hand... J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo Bar. Forget the liquid shampoo, the conditioner, the shaving cream, facial cleanser and yes, even the body lotion. Rest easy--- you won't be needing any of them. Just as de-cluttering your home brings about a sense of peace and calmness, de-cluttering your tub and shower area can have the same effect. I refer to it as, 'a clearing out of the peripheral to make room for the most important things in life'.

Take a break. A few years back, I cleaned houses for a bit of extra income and one of the most frustrating duties I had was to clean the bathroom of a beauty salon owner. Talk about a tangled mess of hair care products! The time I 'spent' maneuvering around those containers, the owner could have saved herself a handful of money if all I had to grab was J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo Bar. When I think of how this shampoo bar performs in so many ways, I realize that truly, simple is better ! And 'change' can be more than a paradigm shift in thinking, or encompass more than substituting one product for another--it can also be what makes that jingling sound in your pocket---or those green backs tucked safely away in your wallet.

Did you know that 'simple' and 'less' frees us up physically and mentally? We have less stress, less to think about, look at, walk around, to take up space, to clean, and possibly less to do. A good mental and physical 'house cleaning' helps one to move on, make new choices, see new possibilities, and re-define our priorities. Often times possessions and habits hold us back in a certain period of time or a certain way of acting or viewing life. But sometimes you've just gotta bust loose and make a change--- fresh starts weren't just meant for New Year's Eve! An uncluttered life allows us to focus on priorities, gives us direction, clarity and a discovery of a daily sense of joy!

I'm also a huge fan of organizing, and wow, do I love the look of those stacks of J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo Bars! Opening my storage area, I see those clean, white, wrapped bars... of course, you don't have to be as obsessive as I am and have the labels facing a certain direction-- I'll cut you some slack there-- but my point is, no more round shampoo bottles, conditioner bottles, shave cream containers... just Shampoo Bars; Ultra-Balanced for all hair types (see? we told you we are big on making things simple!), and a nice variety of the Original, Herbal, Tea Tree, Damaged, and Jojoba & Peppermint formulas. Another fun thing is my cool looking apothecary jar filled to the brim with J.R.LIGGETT'S Mini Shampoo Bars... a smart, practical, and luxurious treat for guests who may still be in the dark as to the awesome goodness of J.R.LIGGETT'S products. I know, hard to imagine, but I am on a mission here...

And to keep this simple theme going, forget body lotions, facial moisturizers--the whole gamut... seriously! After you've experienced J.R.LIGGETT'S Foam Face & Body Washes; Unscented, Lemon & Lime, White Sage, and Western Slope, you won't need extra moisturizers. Such a wonderful feeling... the soft foam gliding over your body... The Foam Face & Body Washes are 100% non-detergent, and for your safety, J.R. uses only natural scents derived from pure essential oils and natural fragrances.

Tuck the handy-dandy 1.5 ounce Body Wash in your purse or travel bag, and place the 7 ounce in your bathroom. Have the 16 ounce refill on hand, and when that is empty, send it to J.R.LIGGETT'S and they'll refill it for only $16--and that includes the cost of shipping! Just keep a few 7 ounce bottles on hand for around the house (not only bathrooms, but great for a healthy liquid hand soap at the sink) and stash the 16 ounce next to your shampoo bar stack. Girl, you are so prepared... I love that feeling of security and knowing I won't be caught empty handed.

A little heads-up here...don't feel as if J.R.LIGGETT'S Shave Foam is just for men... that is simply not the case. Your skin will be smooth, moisturized, silky, and very touchable... caress-able ... you get the idea...what are you waiting for?

The point I am trying to make, is 'multi-tasking'. You can replace so many main stream over-priced and over-promoted skin care and hair care products with just a couple of J.R.LIGGETT'S. No need whatsoever to 'over-buy nor, 'over think'. Just a few items equals a great value.

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates believed that if one was truly wise, he would not be obsessed with possessions, however, he loved to visit the marketplace to admire it's abundance of wares. When a friend asked why he felt so drawn to this display of provisions, he replied, "I love to go there and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without."

We may be a time slave to many things in our lives, but using a plethora of products for cleanliness need not be one of them. Simplicity. Value. Peace of mind. The "quiet time" of a bath. Life and balance. This is where J.R.LIGGETT'S Shampoo Bars and products come into play. What else could a person possibly need?

Find out for yourself what you can be perfectly happy without.

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