Casa n' Spa

So we received some holiday invitations for the summer – and one of them was from our local spa – inviting us for a facial at 50% off their regular price for the month of July.  But the catch ?  only on Fridays – and how can i miss out on half price facials right?  So i quickly called for an appointment – just in case the spaces are filled – and got into it a few weeks ago – but I also made another for the end of the month – so that i can take full advantage of the facial – greedy much ?  hahha!!!

So how did the facial go?  I went for the Signature Facial – at its original price it was $80 but since it’s only half price I paid $40 + taxes.   The signature facial is customized specially for the individual and because i needed deep cleansing – it was also included in the facial.  The esthetician  was informed that i had anxiety problem if i was laid flat too long – so she tried to raise me up during masking time and i truly appreciate it.  I had a wonderful facial – but more massage would be welcome – but never mind  – come end of this month – i’m going for another – to pamper myself – i can’t wait !   Love summer invitations like these don’t you?

A few months ago, my girlfriend from Malaysia sent me some Bodyshop gifts  and a book on  quick weight loss during my birthday and I had kept it till yesterday to try the Deep Sleep Soothing Shower.  I kept them till now because they were so expensive – these 2 presents cost my girlfriend like $50 cdn!  more than i would have spent on myself – so i am grateful and also want to keep them for special occasion.

I was tired and agitated yesterday – so decided to open it and give it a try.  The smell was like citrusy and it was supposed to calm the body and soothe all tiredness away.  I used very little of it – and it didn’t take much to lather. Easy to wash off and don’t leave you with a greasy feeling.  I don’t know if i am tired or if it worked so well that it helped me sleep immediately but restorative night’s sleep – hmmm..  not really -i had bad dreams all night hahah!  But overall, i do like it but i won’t pay so much for a shower gel.  I thank my girlfriend for being so generous – so i will only use it when i really need it.

Alot of people wonder where they can get the best massage and some men wonder why their wives needs a good massage every month.  I’m guessing the woman’s body is different from the man – therefore after child birth – the body aches alot and the wind just runs all over your body – sometimes causing great pain.

I’m this way and i’ll have to tell you that more massage parlour in BangKok looks really sleazy but if you were at the Hyatt and used their spa facilities – you can be sure to get the best environment.  Of course, some people swear by the back street parlours and i’ve been there too.  Now if only they didn’t look so dirty – i wouldn’t mind going there and tipping the girls well.  But for $30 extra, why risked it right..??

So my girlfriends asked me to join them for yoga or pilates and I really do – but i can only afford time for one – at 45 – one needs to keep nimble and healthy at the same time.  So which one do I choose – when both i am sure has its own good points.   So I started reading up on it to find out more like i did on pronexin when my kid needed it.

I also asked myself – what do i hope to achieve by doing either one ?  is it to lose weight or to gain stamina and strength?  Do I want to build muscles? or burn calories or for posture or stress relief?  for i hear yoga is mostly about calming the spirit.

Let’s take yoga first. Yoga is based on the Eastern idea of moving energy through your body. The more freely the energy flows, the healthier and more energetic you feel. Physical tension hinders the flow; over time, areas of tension in your body can become tight and rigid, even painful. The goal of yoga is to keep the body supple through movement and stretching. But there’s another dimension. Yoga is a holistic spiritual discipline with its roots in Eastern forms of meditation. The physical postures, although they condition the body, are really aimed at the mind. They symbolize the goal of living your life in a state of balance and composure. When I spend an hour in a yoga class, I melt into a kind of meditative state and emerge wonderfully relaxed and refreshed.

Pilates on the other hand is physical conditioning first and foremost — and there’s nothing quite like it. Its creator, Joseph Pilates, was looking for a way to rehabilitate injured soldiers after World War I. He developed an assortment of curious machines with names like the “Reformer” and the “Cadillac.” Using cables and trolleys and unusual body positioning, Pilates exercises stretch and strengthen and are unique in their ability to encourage coordination between the muscles that stabilize the body.

So which one would i choose – I think I am taking Yoga – what about you?  Yoga or Pilates is for all ages – but they have the beginners and then it goes from there.  Healthy lifestyle is what i want – because I want to watch my kids grow up and have their own kids – so it’s important – that i do things to help my own body and keep healthy.

Some of you might not have heard of Infrared Sauna but before coming to Canada – i had started out on doing it followed by a massage because they said it gets rid of toxin in our body.  And for someone who doesn’t exercise very much and am indoor a lot – or in my situation – has winter like 6 months a year – you really need to take care of your body.  It’s a 30 mins session and i’m sure you can spare it – only $15 – people say it’s good to do it daily – but who can afford $15 a day right?  that would be way more expensive than  any  hemorrhoidal treatment , so i opted for once a week instead – that would be $60 a month – not too bad i would say.   For a healthy lifestyle – and it helps with skin rejuvenation – it is said it energized the body and aches and pains disappears too.

My best friend swears by this organic bath soap and her weight loss products – so we were out shopping the other day and thought i would also give it a try.  This organic bath soap is aromatic and 100% all soy wax is used for ingredients and there are essential oils, herbs and it comes in a silk sachet.   Alrready relaxing enough for anyone plus they have  marigold flowers and chamomile leaves scented with orange flower water.  Munio Candela organic soap is made from only 100% USDA certified organic oils and is colored with organic herbs and plant extracts.  The organic soap is glycerin-based and never contains synthetic fragrances, colorants, preservatives, alcohol or parabens. It is safe for every member of the family and leaves the skin clean, calm and comfortable.

The girlfriend sent out baby announcements to all of us and invited us to a spa in town for a baby shower.  Not uncommon these days but if you know how small our town is and how many spas we have here – you can imagine – how expensive it can get.  If you are thinking that we let our girlfriend foot our bill for the spa – then you are wrong – we can never do that – we care about our girlfriend too much.  Anyhow, the baby shower was more for the mummy than us – we just want her to be happy.  It was expensive if you are thinking of throwing one too – but it was all in the name of good fun and cheer.   For a 45 mins destressing facial – it cost us about $65 + tax and don’t forget to tip your esthetician too eh. Yes ! they do expect it – and even the home based spa in town that I used to go – she expects as much as $5 in tips.   I do love going to spas – i for one used to go every 3 weeks when i was in Asia but here in Canada – I don’t think I am paying for value for money – if you know what i mean – so unless it was for a special occasion – i rather save my money for good skin care – what about you?

My girlfriend from Malaysia sent an early birthday gift from the Body Shop – boy! was i surprised – not only was it expensive – this 2 things cost her $50 Canadian inclusive of wrapping and shipping.  But i still feel it was too ex – too much money spent.  She must have great  credit score because she was able to order this online – while i wasn’t able to use my credit card to order anything from Tiffany to be sent back to Singapore or Malaysia.  I haven’t tried the two presents yet because I wanna wait till I am feeling better – one is a shower cream and the other is a butter body cream – must be really rich.  I had one from the spouse’s Aunt a few years ago – and I haven’t used it yet.  But they are still good because it hasn’t been opened at all.  I can’t wait to try out my birthday gift.  Thank you so much .. Barb!!

Waxing can get very expensive but DIY can be time consuming and plus one can’t really do it properly if you are like me short-sighted.  So this month I had to hold off my  Cole Haan that i had been eyeing on and get my upper lips and eyebrows done.  Well, with the eyebrows you can still do it yourself.. if you are diligent enough and do it every couple of days to keep them tamed but the upper lips part no matter what i use, it still has that faint black patch on it that makes my skin tone looks different and sure makes me look a lot like a man with a mustache – I can’t stand that!  And how can one feel good about oneself when you don’t feel confident right?   So yes, I’m $20 poorer today – boo hoo!

So I’ve been asked many a times what can a facial do for you ?  or does it really  help with making one look younger?  And I have to explain to people most of the time that a facial – one alone doesn’t do a lot to help one’s skin but a regular monthly facial is what that would do the magic.  Whether you are using an anti aging product or not – a good facial not only cleans but exfoliates and nourishes your skin.  A good massage on your face helps promote circulation and a facial helps to rid toxins from your skin.  Of course – an extraction of all impurities is very important too.  So if your skin therapist doesn’t extract – then it is not consider a good facial in my humble opinion.