comments & advice welcome
You might try reading the PINK HEADSETS learning-to-fly diary if you haven't already ... there must be a saved version floating around the interwebs somewhere ... though whether you interpret that as a "how to" write such a diary guide or a "how not to" guide is up to you.
(She wouldn't have had to ask the original question if she was starting out today - there's a choice of pink headsets available now. I'd call that a result.)