Pampered to a Pulp

When I was flipping channels at the cabin (post injury) last weekend, I came across this episode of Roseanne. Maybe spa life isn't for everybody.

Injured List

I'm nursing a sprained ankle after a snowboarding injury last weekend. My foots black and blue and rather swollen. I'm getting bored of ice mostly because it's winter, and even in Southern California, it's not fun to plunge my foot in an ice bath several times a day in January. A colleague of mine, who happens to be a beach volleyball player and has nursed herself back to health after numerous ankle sprains, told me to try Epsom Salts. It's a warmer alternative to ice and can mitigate swelling and bruising. From what I've found online, I think I'll try it out tonight.

Spa Style

I came across these images online. What beautiful spa design. Can't get over the warm wood detailing. I also can't figure out who's the designer, or where this is. If you happen to know, please share. I might want to visit this place someday.

Lip Service

I'm not a big fan Valentine's Day schmaltziness. But, here's something I can embrace. Check out Dolce & Gabbana's new Roses Lipstick Collection. Each shade pays homage to a different rose and is infused with its scent. The collection comes out in February. I might just have to add this to my winter wardrobe.

via Splendicity

Stoked for Stowe

Being a Southern California girl I typically spend summers on the beach (Malibu anyone?) and winters riding Mammoth Mountain (which got an incredible 8+ feet of snow this week). But, today, I'm stoked for Stowe. I'm off to New York next month for a week-long winter visit and will be spending the weekend in Vermont. We're staying here. And, yes, a big factor in picking this place was the spa. Cut me some slack...there's a "Healing Lodge." Sigh, I'm hopeless.

Photo via the Stowe Mountain Lodge site.

Vinothérapie?

Anyone that knows me well understands that two of my favorite things in life are spas and wine (in no particular order). So when I was browsing an old copy of Food & Wine while waiting for a deep tissue massage last week and came across a profile on the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa at the Plaza in New York, I was disappointed in myself that this is the first I'm hearing of it. Opened in 2008 (I'm so behind), the Vinothérapie Spa at the Plaza is one of four Caudalie spas in the world. The first was founded in 1995 by spouses Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas at the family’s Bordeaux vineyard. The spa features an experience rich in grape seed extracts, which is apparently great for the skin. Treatments include everything from wine-soaked baths to traditional massages. You can even end your stay with a glass of wine in the relaxation lounge which conveniently doubles as a tasting room. Am I dreaming?

Rain Rain Go Away...

I'm actually a huge fan of this crazy Southern California weather we're having. But, it's kinda difficult to fully embrace it since I've got this sexy new pair of shoes that I'm dying to show off. I got them as a little present for myself on my last day in Las Vegas for CES. Joycie, you're a bad influence but I love you for it. Yes, folks, they're Chloé and they were on sale. P.S. Excuse the bad pic but I couldn't find a good image online.



I also got these motorcyle boots from Madewell when I was shopping with my mom the other day. They're great for this week's weather but don't show off my fresh pedi.

Help Haiti!

Help Haiti! $15 gets you this t-shirt, designed by Studio Number One, & 100% of the cost goes to UNICEF relief efforts in Haiti. Go here to purchase.

Please re-post this and help SNO spread the word!

Let's get physical!

OK, so this post isn't exactly spa related...but humor me because it's related to fitness and, let's face it, we're all hoping to look better under those spa robes. So, I wanted to share with you my little secret. Since August I've been dance-r-sizing. And, I am happy to report, the results aren't half bad. I've been going to Heartbeat House, a self described non-competitive dance/workout/fitness studio in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. On Monday nights I take Awesome 80s Dance Party, Wednesday Zumba or African Dance and on Friday it's about kicking the weekend off with Cardio Ballet Barre. Classes are fun, relatively inexpensive and I typically leave drenched in sweat. I admit sometimes I feel a little silly, especially with passersby peering into the store-front window. But hey, it's a good escape from the monotony of the YMCA.

I have a dream

I've been feeling run down as of late. Maybe it was the whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for CES last week? CES is partially to blame I'm certain. But, it's more than that. So, I'm taking Thursday and Friday off and with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday that makes for a 5-day weekend. I promise I'm not trying to make you jealous. But, I have been trying to figure out what to do with 5 days off in a row. (Send me your ideas if you have any.)

With some good snow falling in the Pacific Northwest I've been dreaming up a last minute trip to Whistler to snowboard. And then, this afternoon an email landed in my inbox. Scandinave Spa Whistler opens January 30. Think traditional Onsen, Finnish saunas and hot springs nestled into the gorgeous Whistler mountains. The pictures look amazing and the treatments are sure to be worth it after a long day on the mountain. With my typical snowboarding buddy out for the season with a knee injury I couldn't find anyone to make the trip this weekend. And now, I have a reason to wait for the end of the month. Please someone...help make this dream come true.

Happy New Year!

Photo by Brigitte Sire.

Goodbye 2009, hello 2010. I had tea with my 89-year old grandmother (and kind of my life mentor) on New Year's day and talked about my resolution for 2010. Balance. For at least the last six months (if not my entire life) I've been a little "unbalanced." So, in 2010, I strive to bring a little more balance to my life. Read, take time outs, work less, play more, snowboard often, travel, write, love, eat, cook, decompress. (Oh, and spa visits at least once monthly!) I'm looking forward to what life brings in 2010. What's your resolution?