The final countdown

Just a matter of time now and we're off to the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs for some R&R. Took a look at the weather this morning and it could rain tomorrow afternoon. Rain in the desert? Maybe I'll kill some time with a spa treatment or two. Anyone want to help me choose from this list of goodies? Have a fabulous long weekend!

Photo from Robert.Montalvo's photostream on Flickr.

Thankful for...

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're enjoying eating fabulous food with your closest friends and family. Today I'm thankful for so many things...my health, my man, friends, family, Nico...the list goes on. Before the busy month of December hits carve out some time and try this do-it-yourself Pumpkin Body Scrub (courtesy of the Menacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania). You should have many of the ingredients leftover from your turkey-day feast.

Pumpkin Body Scrub
From Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort via SpaFinder
1 small can pumpkin
2 cups of sea salt
½ cup of raw sugar
2 Tablespoons of Oil (sunflower or safflower)
¼ tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Nutmeg
½ tsp. Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon
Mix all ingredients by hand until scrub has a firm consistency. Apply pumpkin body scrub in tub or shower and rinse thoroughly. Refrigerate product when not in use. Discard any unused product after three weeks.

Photo from the cat & the exercise bike's photostream on Flickr

H2O

In preparation for turkey day, I spent some time trying to find a good recipe for spa water. It's expected to be a warm day in Los Angeles and some cucumber-infused deliciousness seems to fit the occasion. I came across this Southern Living recipe and the cranberries sold me. Try it out for your Thanksgiving feast.

Decked-Out Water

Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber
- 12 cups of water
- 3 thin orange slices
- 3 fresh, thin ginger slices
- 3 fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro sprigs
- 6 fresh cranberries

Preparation

1. Cut 2 thin lengthwise slices from cucumber. Reserve remaining for another use.

2. Stir together cucumber slices, 12 cups water, and next 5 ingredients in a pitcher; cover and chill 1 hour. Pour over ice in glasses before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

Throw your dog a bone

I'm completely, utterly and hopelessly in love with Nico, my three-ear old golden retriever. But, does Nico really need a back rub? According to Buddha Dog, the answer may be yes. Specialists in small animal massage, Buddha Dog's website says pet massage can decrease pain and increase your animal's energy and muscle tone. Learn more about Buddha Dog by reading Erin Auerbach's San Fernando Valley Pet News Examiner article. At $50 for a 60-minute massage (recommended for medium to large dogs), I'm just not sure I can stomach a spa habit for my pet. Sorry Nico. I think I'll throw you a bone instead. It's more affordable and I have an inkling you might enjoy it more.

Seeing Purple

I happened upon Napa Valley Bath while online over the weekend and woke up this morning practically seeing purple. From body lotion, to foot cream, to bath salts...I want everything lavender! Well, with the exception of clothes. The smell of lavender takes me back to my trip through Southern France with a couple of friends some years back. Here's to the days of driving through Provence in our two-door Peugeot without care in the world. Well, until we smashed the Peugeot into a pole while parking. I've come to learn that rental insurance doesn't cover everything but lavender makes it better.

Deep Thoughts

I started the day with a deep tissue massage. So needed after a tough week. While I was lounging after my treatment somehow the Saturday Night Live sketch "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" popped into my head. So, I decided to share this.

Add a pinch of salt...

Happy weekend! What better a way to kick off the weekend than with a relaxing bath. So, this evening I combed the web for recipes. Here's a quick recipe if you're looking to spend your Friday night laying low and don't want to spend a lot of money on fancy ingredients. Enjoy!

Simple Epsom Salt Bath
-Fill bathtub with hot water (or warm if you prefer)
-Add four generous handfuls of Epsom Salts (available at most grocery stores and pharmacies)
-Add 10 to 15 drops of an essential oil of your choice (choose lavender if you're generally stressed out or overwhelmed; or choose chamomile to calm and soothe your nervous system)
-Soak for 15 to 20 minutes
-Take a shower to rinse the salt from your skin (the salts can be drying)
-Moisturize

Thankful for the Ace Palm Springs

Today I'm thankful for the Ace Hotel Palm Springs and the time I'll be spending there with friends over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It's time to get outta Dodge, relax at the pool and stay up late.

Photo from poketo's photostream on Flickr.

In desperate need of a spa-cation

I'm finally emerging (at 10pm) from one of the more stressful days of my adult work life. I'm in desperate need of a vacation. I typically carry all my stress in my upper body. But today, it got so bad the tension crept all the way down to my spine to settle in my lower back. It got me to thinking. Is there some kind of a fellowship I can apply for which will allow me to spend the next six months on a spa-cation? If you find anything let me know. Until then, anyone want to sponsor my trip to the Four Seasons Nevis, West Indies?

Photo from Four Seasons website.

Spa deal

I've always wanted to check out the "Clinic" at Kate Somerville but could never justify it. Nestled into one of the Bungalows off Melrose Place in West Hollywood, it's always seemed like a place for the Hollywood elite not a regular girl like me. So, what better way to justify a splurge than a deal. This week Kate Somerville is offering 30% off treatments and its signature line of products. (Thanks Daily Candy.) If you're in the market for an oxygen facial, light therapy or just want something simple like the Kate Somerville Signature Facial book before November 24 for any treatment before December 31 and cash in the discount. Don't forget to mention Daily Candy upon booking. A Kate Somerville treatment might be exactly what you need to pull together the perfect look this holiday season. New clothing optional.

Photo from Kate Somerville website.

Almost famous

I'm famous, well almost. My friend Anna was in Los Angeles this past weekend shooting photos and blogging about the Parisienne experience for YSL. We met up for drinks at the Chateau Marmont and some pics of me and my friends Meredith and Brigitte made it on the YSL Experience PERISIENNE blog. Fancy. Kinda makes me want to buy the fragrance eventhough I'm not much of a fragrance kinda girl.

Photos by Anna Wolf.

Candle light

My man brought me home an adorable, affordable (O.K. cheap) candle the other night. It's shaped and smells like a pumpkin pie. Yum! It got me to thinking about all those delicious candles that you find as point-of-purchase sales at the spa. So, I was inspired to pull together a quick roundup of my favorites below. Some affordable. Some, well one in particular, not so much. The limited edition D.L. & Co. Sworovski crystal thorn apple candle isn't at the top of my holiday wish list but might be if I could justify anyone spending $420 on a candle. Let's just say I probably wouldn't return it to Barney's unless there was Phillip Lim little number for about the same price.


D.L. & Co. (Photo from D.L. & Co. site)

Voluspa Crisp Champagne

Lemongrass & Eucalyptus Candle (Target.com)

Under the weather

I've been under the weather. The worst part? Along with my cold came an infection in both my eyes! So, I'm wearing my very unstylish glasses and popping eye drops once an hour. By night, I’ve been using cold compresses (my optometrist’s preferred regimen). Cold wash cloths aren’t cutting it. And, I’ve realized I need a cooling eye mask like this one from Sephora.

Photo from Sephora website.

A Miracle

Just outside Joshua Tree National Park, atop Miracle Hill in Desert Hot Springs, Calif. lays Miracle Manor, an affordable, motel-like spa retreat. Relax in the cold and hot spring mineral baths by day and retreat into one of the six guest rooms (two of which have full kitchens) by night. Perfect for a quick weekend away. With hiking trails aplenty nearby, I hope a weekend retreat like this one is in my cards.

Photo via Miracle Manor website. Credit April Greiman.

Slippery Slope

I've never been much of a slipper girl but I think the time has come. Now I've got to choose from among these beauties from JCrew. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Photos via JCrew website.

Just what the doctor ordered

I've been a longtime believer that massage is healthy. And I found out today that the famed Mayo Clinic agrees. Not only does massage help with stress management, but it may also be helpful in boosting the immune system, says the Mayo Clinic. According to this web article, "People with HIV who participated in massage studies showed an increased number of natural killer cells, which are thought to defend the body from viral and cancer cells." So, imagine the benefits it can have on those without compromised immune systems. Forget the swine flu vaccine, book a massage instead. Massages can also help reduce anxiety, promote infant growth, and decrease pain. As if I needed another reason to book a massage.