Are You Spoiled Rotten?

Last week I had a massage - now wait, let me explain - every year I have to take 20 hours of continuing education. My district provides free workshops so I have no excuse not to get my hours. Last month I attended a workshop taught by a chiropracter who talked about the importance of overall health and how it effects your learning. If you answered a question correctly he gave you a gift certificate for a 1/2 hour massage - it was the best workshop EVER!

I said before that the first servant I would hire would be a masseuse so you can imagine how "special" this was to me. Actually, I just found out my brother owns a massage table - maybe I'll see if he is looking for work!

I thought it would be fun to talk about home spa ideas. It can get pricey to say the least to pamper yourself but it is nice to do, so if you can recreate the experience at home, why not? And better yet, invite a few friends over and make it a girls night out!

1. Hair - put a good conditioner on your hair and take a plastic bag and wrap your hair in it. The heat created will help the conditioner absorb better. While you wait - start your facial. Make sure your face is clean.

2. Facial - boil water and pour into a bowl - add a chamomile or mint tea bag and place a towel over your head making a tent over the bowl - be careful it isn't too hot. Relax breathing in and out through your nose (this is great for your sinuses). Splash ice cold water over your face to close your pores - you will be glowing for hours!! Rinse conditioner from hair.

3. Masks - there are so many good "make at home" masks out there -google it. Just be careful with the ingredients that they don't irritate your skin - there is nothing beautiful about a skin rash.

4. Pedicure - I love to paint my nails, but I don't do my fingers too often since it starts to chip so soon and my toes last forever - maybe because I don't wash dishes with my feet! Soak your feet in warm, sudsy water then if you can bribe someone to rub them, go for it! I paint my toes and then do some cute designs. I dip a toothpick in nailpolish and then carefully make dots - flowers, hearts, or polka dots. Finish with a top coat - I like a quick dry since I am so impatient!

5. Cream, cream, cream - Cam says you could sand wood with my feet, that's  how dry they are (he says the sweetest things) so I am constantly putting cream on and then putting socks on to keep it in. Also, the best time to put it on your body is after a shower - don't dry off, put the cream on right away, it seals in all the moisture. I also use Aqua Phor on my lips - it is the best lip cream I've ever used! You can find it in the baby aisle.

6. Tennis balls - they are great for massaging out the "kinks" Roll your feet on top of them, place one between your back and the wall or the floor and roll back and fourth. It relieves a lot of pressure.

7. Eye Pillow - Cucumbers and cold tea bags are great for your eyes, but another idea is an eye pillow. I made one out of 2 strips of material - one silky and one flannel and filled it with dried split peas. It has enough weight to feel really good on tired eyes and blocks out ALL light. I've taken this on youth group retreats - it really works!

8. Baths - There is nothing economical about a bath - just luxurious!! I love them with bubbles - I buy the 78 cents shampoo and use that - they have great scents and make good bubbles. I will also add tea bags to my bath - someone asked me if it stains your skin - I wish it did, but alas, it doesn't.

9. Know when to call in a proffessional - I am not naming names but someone I know decided to wax her own eyebrows. Now waxing is something I have never done, but apparantly you shouldn't do this on yourself and her remaining eyebrow would agree.

So go ahead - spoil yourself rotten - if you're doing it at home you can afford it, since you are saving all those cents!