Holiday Party season is upon us!

Personally, I couldn’t be more excited. For me, this is my first company holiday party and I can’t wait to see everyone all dolled up for the big celebration. Truth be told, I have been planning this for months.

I imagine it will go perfectly, think Cinderella getting ready for the ball (cue Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo).

After getting a perfect night’s rest I will wake to birds chirping and talking mice putting the finishing touches on my dress. As my eyes adjust, I’ll see my husband making his way toward me to serve me breakfast in bed, while my boys remain impeccably behaved. After breakfast I’ll get dressed, hop into my perfectly tempered car and make my way to the hair salon. As I catch my reflection on the way out the door, I’ll smile at how much I look like I just walked off the runway.

Ahh, wouldn’t that be nice! In reality, I’m sure it will go much more like this:

I’ll be startled awake by my husband asking (yelling) about something completely mundane and irrelevant. As I make my way downstairs, my dogs will race me, and I’ll trip down a flight in the process (Yay, another set of stitches!). When I get to the kitchen, I’ll learn that we are completely out of coffee, yet have an abundance of decaf. I’ll need to get to my hair and makeup appointment, but my car won’t start because my dear hubby left the interior lights on (okay… it was probably me…). I’ll have to dish out $40 in taxi fare to get to the salon and back home. And when I do get back home, I will look in the mirror and, to my horror, will look like I stepped off the set of the 90’s horror classic, The Witches (refer to above photo).

So much for my Cinderella story…

Not only will I be forced to wash off all my makeup, but trying run a brush through my hair, which is coated in hair spray and volumizing powder, will leave me with more hair in my brush than on my head. So, what am I going to do with all that hair? I know what I won’t be doing – flushing it down the toilet. And you shouldn’t either.

I know it seems harmless, a few strands here and a few strands there. But did you know that hair is one of the most harmful things you can flush down your toilet? Apart from disposable wipes and kitty litter, hair clogs more drains than just about anything because it’s not biodegradable.

When flushed or run through the shower or sink drain, hair forms into giant hairballs which not only trap odours, but create massive blockages in pipes, plumbing and sewer systems. And if we have taught you anything in the last few months about flushing things that shouldn’t be flushed, you know that this can lead to costly repairs, disruptive excavation and very unhappy neighbours.

This holiday season, I don’t want you to have to worry about having your yard dug up when you should be relaxing; your money spent on repairs when you should be using it to bring joy to others; your neighbours upset with you when they should be coming to you for a cup of sugar to finish their holiday baking.

Instead, I want you to have that Cinderella story.

So, when the time comes, please save yourself and dispose of hair in the trash.