Extraordinary in the Ordinary

I have learned that I like special “me” time. Pampering yourself sends a powerful and positive message to yourself….you are worth it!

If you do not have the budget to pay for this at a fancy spa, do it yourself at home.  It’s great.  You don’t have to call ahead or worry if your spa is using proper cleaning methods.   It also gets you in the mindset of making your home an escape, a retreat.  Start with your spa room and then move on to the other rooms in your home making them all a get-away for the whole family.

If you haven’t done this, you have got to try it. But, you need to do it properly. Everything is an experience and must be done right to fully appreciate it and have the total spa experience.

Find the room that you want to use for this time. It could be a bathroom, master bedroom or perhaps an extra room that you have. I am in the process of using both my master bath and master bedroom. I am a firm believer these two rooms need to be special, so this works perfectly.

Keep in mind some of these suggestions are better for certain locations than others which is why I am using both my master bathroom and master bedroom.

The Room.

• Paint – Most places suggest a light blue or green. Those are not my favorite colors at all. I’m deciding between a warm beige or burnt orange.
• Lighting – Dimmer switches are a great and inexpensive place to start. If you want to do more, change out the overhead lighting in your bathroom to lights that bounce up with a warmer shade. It makes a huge difference. Also, having table lamps with warm shades are a great way to warm up the lighting. A word about lighting, if you have light coming in from the outside, you will be somewhat limited in what you can do with the indoor lighting during the day and will need to wait until dark to create your mood with lighting unless you have a way to block the light.
• Declutter -  Nothing ruins a room quicker than clutter.
• Plants – Bring the outdoors in with plants. If you do not have a green thumb, try an air fern or ivy. For a larger plant, I have a plant that my neighbor calls a mothers-in-law tongue or a shrew. This courageous plant has lived for years in my home with iffy light and very sporadic watering. I am sure with the proper conditions this plant would be able to take over the world.
• Comfortable chair – This is especially great for using a foot spa or doing manicures or pedicures.
• Foot spa – Nothing makes you feel prettier and pampered more than to have soft, pretty feet. These are not expensive at all. A simple plastic container even makes a great foot spa minus the bubbles. Seriously, though, I don’t care for the bubbles anyway. They can wreak havoc on some things you might want to add to your foot spa.
• Find a special place to keep all that you need for you spa time. While some things can be very pleasing to the eye when left out like bath salts and scrubs, candles, etc. Other items tend to look like clutter and need to be stored out of sight. A narrow cabinet for a bathroom makes a great place to keep your things plus give you a surface to “pretty it up” with a plant, candles, etc.
• Add texture and softness to your room with the details. Try a bamboo blind or be sure to add fabric where you can like draped over a mirror or around a table as a skirt if you have an open style table.
• Neck pillow for the tub – A rolled up towel will work, too.
• Wall Art.  As a photographer, I believe this makes a tremendous difference in any room. It will give your special room an artistic feel.  Be sure to choose art that moves you.

The Experience.

These are the things that take it to the next level and are very important for the pampering, spa experience.

• Candles or other low lighting
• Music
• Favorite beverage
• Sheets – The higher the thread count, the better.
• Towels – Big, fluffy ones are perfect. To feel extra special on spa days, save these just for your spa time.
• Scrubs, bath salts, lotions, pedicure cream, favorite scent (nice for adding to your bath)

A Typical Spa Experience.

• Start early in the day by making sure your special sheets are on washed and on the bed and your fluffy, luxurious towels are clean and ready to use.
• Make sure you set aside an hour or two where you will be uninterrupted.
• Light candles, use your favorite lighting, turn on your favorite music, run your bath and get your beverage.
• Use your face mask so that it can set while you take your bath.  While you are in the tub, it is a great time to take care of your body, too.  You will not believe how wonderful your body will feel by using a scrub, gel and emollient.  Silky soft, I tell you.  I have tried just soaking in the Calgon bath versus the Calgon AND doing the body treatment.  There is no comparison.  The body treatment is a must as far as I am concerned.  Mary Kay sells an excellent set for this. I’m sure you could find something similar at a local store, too. And, of course, shaving your legs is a must for the silky smooth feel.
• Now, soak.  Enjoy it.  Lay back and enjoy your music and beverage.
• When all of your worries have soaked away, wash your hair and rinse it off.  I like to do this under the shower.  It helps to rinse the tub out, too. Be careful, though.  If you have used a body treatment, it can be very slippery.
• Step out to your big, fluffy, luxuriously soft bath towel and/or robe.

I tend to like to do my foot spa with manicure and pedicure day separately. It can be a bit much on the same day, but I say if you have the time, go for it. I tend to not want to feel overly busy during my spa time is why I separate mine.  I guess if I had all day and could pace myself, it would be fine to do them all in one day, but I’m usually taking a couple of hours and want to time to unwind and relax.

The Foot Spa.

• Lights, Candles, and Music.
• Start by soaking in warm water with your favorite treatment added to your foot spa. Sit back in your comfortable chair and just enjoy.
• Once your feet are starting feel relaxed, take them out and dry them off.  If you want to freshen up your water if it has gotten cool, this is a good time to do so.
• Use your pedicure in a tube treatment.  Sally Hansen used to sell one that was actually called “Pedicure in a Minute”.  It has been discontinued, but I think it has been replaces with a pumice treatment.  I’m sure if you look, you will find many different brands with something similar.  Rub this into your feet really well. Be sure to pay special attention to your heals.  Leave this on for at least five minutes.
• Now it’s time to soak again. Do this for as long as you like or until your water cools off.
• Once you are done with your foot spa, it is time to begin your pedicure and manicure.

Finish off any spa experience with a good book, magazine you never have time to read, or that chick flick you have been wanting to see.