Go ahead....Pamper yourself!

Sometimes it is nice to just relax and be pampered. This can be done by going to a spa, going for a mani/pedi at a local joint, or doing your own treatments at home. I worked for Elizabeth Arden Red Door for many years and part of my job was to have the "latest and greatest" facials, massages, and other exotic treatments so that I would be able to relate to the guests that visited the spa locations. Tough job, right!? With that said, one of my most FAVORITE spa experiences was during my trip to Costa Rica. My mom and I went to a place called PURE Jungle Spa in the Caribbean coast and it was amazing. Here are a few pictures from our time there. It was a HUGE hut with a palm roof, large patio, and windows that opened up into the jungle. This is where we left our shoes upon entering. Can you guess which are mine? Yup...the turquoise/flowered ones. My mom's are the black ones next to mine.Here is the treatment room where I had my facial and body massage/scrub. See how the windows just open up (no glass) into the jungle. It was amazing! The only ones spying on us were the sloths and toucans in the trees. This is what is waiting for you when you come out of the shower after your treatments. A nice plate with flowers from the garden, a glass of "Swamp Water" (a ginger drink with starfruit), and a piece of freshly made chocolate from the Bri Bri tribe. You might remember me writing about going to meet an indigenous lady who lives on a Cocoa farm in Costa Rica.....if not, you can click HERE to see the pictures. Well, this is a picture of Doña Petronila who makes the chocolate that the PURE Jungle Spa uses in their spa treatments as well as for eating. It was cool because I had a treatment where they crushed up cocoa beans and coffee beans from Petronila's farm and combined them with oils and cocoa butter to make a scrub. I have some hilarious pictures of me with chocolate paste ALL over my body....I opted not to post them though....ha! It was a pretty amazing experience.
Well, it is taking me a LONG time to get to the point of this post. Sorry! If the SPA isn't quite in your budget right now or you don't have time....just do it at home! Beak and I sure think it is fun to do at home....it gives us an excuse to get together and laugh until we are bursting at the seams. There is a really neat website called Spa Index (Spaindex.com) that has some amazing and useful information. You just have to click on the "Spa at Home" tab and you will find HUNDREDS of spa recipes that you can make at home. You will be amazed at all of the things that you can make at home with things that you have in your pantry or refrigerator....pretty cool! Let me know if you try any of them out.....