The last time we went on a trip, I unpacked my suitcase and lifted out the very large baggie stuffed with my shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and lotion and said no more. This is ridiculous.

Because I’m normally traveling for a good chunk of days, I need a large container of shampoo, etc. and those piddly little travel sizes just don’t do it. Plus, I’m just a teensy bit of a prima donna when it comes to my hair. I have what you might call not naturally blonde hair.

OK, I guess that’s precisely what you would call it.

Although a few years ago, one of my friends was at my house for the first time and spotted an old picture of me with my daughter when she was very young. There we were, her perched on my lap, and both of us with long, dark hair. “Oh!”, she exclaimed. “I thought you had naturally blonde hair.”

Do I even need to say that I love this woman?

So I guess my hair looks pretty good blonde and I’m determined to keep it that way. I wash it carefully with shampoo formulated for blonde hair and, up to this point, packed that large, unwieldy and heavy bottle in my suitcase along with conditioner and bath and lotion from Bath and Body Works because I love me some pretty smells and don’t even get me started on how many bottles of bath gel I have in my shower.

And then every single hotel, resort and B & B we visited always has shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and lotion. Which, up to this point, I just pushed to one side and used my own stuff.

But the time has come. I am rebelling. I am becoming a wild, impetuous and perhaps mildly crazy woman. Especially if my hair does not cooperate in this project.

I am only going to use the provided amenities on this trip to Arizona.

The shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and lotion are going to stay right on the shower rack at home this time.

My suitcase will be 2 pounds lighter.

And The Great Hair Product Project of 2012 has begun.

I’m going to use the provided products in every single place we stay. And then I’m going to Tweet about it. I’m even going to create a hash tag for it. What’s that you say? That this project sounds just the smallest bit self-involved?

Do you know me at all?

Have you noticed the fact that spa visits are accounting for roughly 80% of the time we spend in Arizona? Does this not give you a hint that I am, indeed, self-involved?

Back. Off.

And hand me that hotel shampoo.

Let the Great Hair Product Project begin.