Moms Indulgence

Archive for the ‘Pamper’ Category

Summer is definitely a time when a woman needs some pampering, but not every one can afford an expensive trip to the spa or a weekend away at a bed and breakfast. On the other hand, every one can afford some inexpensive pampering while laying out in the rays of the sun, soaking up the warm weather and relaxing atmosphere.

Reading a Book
Some people find that simply laying out in the sun enjoying a good book is the way to go. If this sounds like something that you would enjoy, then be sure to schedule a day with your family in which you take time and you enjoy your book while basking in the sun. If you don’t enjoy the sun, then find a nice, cool shady spot somewhere in your yard or even at your local park.

Pedicures
There are several kits nowadays that allow you to give yourself a home pedicure for about half the price it would cost at your local day spa. Even if you don’t have a pedicure kit, you can still give yourself a professional pedicure with a file brush, foot and cuticle cream, and nail polish. You can even have a little pedicure party with a few girlfriends in which you enjoy some drinks outside and give each other pedicures.

Catered Lunch or Picnic
When you hear a catered lunch, you may think it cost a lot of money, but catering is very proud term. Catering could mean going to your local sub shop and getting a few sub sandwiches or having getting a big salad and bread sticks from you favorite pizza place or Italian restaurant. These are cheap options for lunch and best of all you don’t have to make anything. Invite a few close girlfriends over and have a picnic in your yard or at the park. Gives you time to catch up on gossip and enjoy a nice lunch.

Every one deserves a little pampering every once in awhile. This is especially true for moms who may have to deal with the kids being home from school in summer, as they need the time away to focus on themselves.

This book just screams pampering. Creating a home spa? I can imagine this with a group of girlfriends or just a day alone. Either way would be remarkable and much needed as the Winter has taken it’s toll on skin and emotions.

I’d love to take a day and focus on me. Just put away the computer and turn off the tv. This book shows 4 different ways to create your weekend home spa; cleansing, energizing, relaxing and pampering.

I can also see giving this book to many women in my life so they’ll remember to focus on themselves. Build a gift basket around it and set up their home retreat.

It’s such a luxury to be able to pamper myself after a long day at the office or a day spent shopping at the local mall. After getting the family fed, the kids in bed and the house quiet, I like to take a nice long bubble bath, light a couple of candles and enjoy a good book. At that moment, I am surrounded by my favorite scent of Cucumber Melon, the flickering light of the melon scented candles sooth my soul and I get lost in the chapters of my book. Its times like that when I can imagine I am the queen of my own castle and the stressors of the world just melt away. I come out smelling lovely, feeling sexy and refreshed!

The sample gal box is on sale now.  Get great samples from many companies in one cute box.  It’s like Christmas and in fact it’s a great way to get some stocking stuffers and other add on gifts for your family and friends.

I love getting different samples and not knowing exactly what I am going to get each month.  Some of the items are not sample size!  You just never know, but it’s always worth more than the price.

I know there are a ton of PA Mom’s that I know and I told Mia that I would pass on her retreat information to all of you. I wish I lived closer so i could go. The place looks great and it’s going to be a weekend all about taking care of just you. My favorite motto!

The retreat will focus on the principles in Mia’s book Time for mom-ME: five essential strategies for a mother’s self-care. Spa treatments and lots of relaxation along with classes to help you remember to make yourself a priority.

View full details of the event on the time for mom-me website. You can never be disappointed in taking time to remember how important you are as a person and not just a Mom.

If you can make it, let her know I sent you. I promised I’d put up some blog posts for her and help get the word out. I’ve got to find something closer for me to attend.

I hope that you are truly taking the time today to pamper yourself and be pampered.  It’s the day that for some reason we can let go of any guilt we have about treating ourselves and just enjoy.

Don’t forget to ask for the pampering.  There is nothing wrong with telling your family that you would love brunch in bed.  lol  Notice I didn’t say breakfast?  Hoping you slept through that time frame already.

Luxuriate in your favorite bath scent and light a ton of candles.  Enjoy your day to the fullest.  All responsibilities can wait until Monday.

Oil Bath: Stress Management, Physical Health and More
By: Dev Sri

Massaging your body with oil before you take a bath brings physical and mental advantages. Regular oil massage with appropriate oil – coconut oil or sesame oil – has its advantages like lowered stress, better physical fitness, lower blood pressure, etc are some of them.

Oil massage is of great help to people living in hot conditions. The oil massage can calm the nervous system, circulatory system and mind.

Asthangahridaya, an ancient treatise on Ayurveda suggests daily application of oil on head, ears and feet. This is effective against creases on skin, arthritic pain and fatigue.

The main goal of oil massages is maintenance of smoothness and moisture of skin. People living in hot countries and working under extremely hot conditions have their sebum easily dried up.

This drying up of skin can make the body exposed to pathogens. The sebum, secreted by sebaceous glands and filled up on the skin surface, acts as a layer of protection against pathogens. With less sebum, the skin and body is vulnerable.

An oil massage can reverse this condition, give moisture and help skin retain its normal conditions.

Oil Massages in Treatments

Ayurveda suggests massage treatments for variety of conditions. Medicinal herbs are boiled in coconut or sesame oil.

The herbs are mixed well with the oil. When applied to the skin, a portion of the medicines reach the blood, just like injection. However, only a limited amount of active components reach the blood.

The oil gives flexibility to skin and after massaging with medicated oils, one can experience freedom from conditions like arthritis.

Abhayangam is full body oil massage, specially formulated to bring in several mental and physical benefits like relaxation, immunity, flexibility, etc.

From simple coconut oil and sesame oil to fully medicated oils of varying qualities, you can find a variety of massage oils. There are also specially formulated oils for head massage, which promote hair growth.

Regular oil massage, especially on head, ears and soles, as is said by Vagbhata Acharya in Ashtangahridaya is good dinacharya (daily routine). It prevents creases on skin, tiredness and arthritis. It also gives you several benefits including better relaxation, better immunity and better sleep.

Dev Sri provides insider information about Ayurvedic herbal medicine practices and Ayurveda in Kerala. Find more about Ayurvedic medicines at www.KeralaAyurvedics.com/. Site Developed, Hosted and Promoted by Aienet Communications. Website: www.aienet.com/

So you are tired and stressed out day after day. You’ve had thoughts of yoga, meditation, and soothing spa experiences, but you either don’t have the time to do those things, or it is beyond your reach right now. Let me show you a few very simple, simple relaxation techniques that you can use at any time, without any effort or previous knowledge to accomplish – using candles! That’s right, using candles. Almost everyone has a candle in the house, most of us have several, and if you don’t have one, the nearest store is sure to have a grand selection.

To begin, you don’t need to have any certain type of candle. Almost any candle will work, big or small, soy candles, paraffin candles, beeswax candles, scented or unscented! Of course, scents will help with the relaxation, so I will give you a few ideas on which fragrances to use to help you to fully enjoy the benefits of candle relaxation.

Lavender is the fragrance most renowned for it’s relaxation benefits in aromatherapy. It’s a common ingredient in products aimed at relaxation and stress relief, such as pillows, bath oils, soaps and lotions. However it may not be the right fragrance for you. Some people find particular scents relaxing while others do not. For instance, the fragrance of warm cinnamon buns may smell like heaven to me, but may make you want to run to higher ground! Other fragrances may have bad memories attached to them in your own mind. For that reason, I recommend that you take into account your own personal preferences in choosing the scented products that are right for you. Other fragrances that have a strong reputation for relaxation are: chamomile, vanilla, ylang ylang, clary sage, bergamot, frankincense, and sandalwood. Although if you have strong allergies or are highly sensitive to scented items, we recommend going with an unscented candle for your own relaxation.

The color of the candle you use is very important when you are using candles for relaxation purposes. Use calming, muted colors to relax, such as pale blues, greens, white, or violet. Bright colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows can be stimulating to the mind and might make it harder to fully relax. I personally recommend candles of a blue color to relax, but if you personally really hate the color blue, you may use any light color that pleases your eye.

The first way to use candles in relaxation and stress relief is a very simple, yet utterly effective method. Simply take a deep breath, and stare at the flame of the candle while it is lit. Focus in on the area at the base of the wick where the flames color is blue. Watch how the colors subtly change as you stare into the flame. Take deep, calming breaths while relaxing and simply focusing on the candle flame. It helps if this is done in a darkened room, however the exercise is effective even while in a brightly lit space.

Another simple method for candle relaxation is to take your candle and a small pin or other object to “write” on the candle, and write the word “Relax” vertically on the surface of the candle. As the candle burns, on each letter, meditate on a single thought. It can be anything you want as long as it is a positive thought. As the candle burns to a new letter, change to a different meditative thought. This is a way of meditating while having a “timer” (the candle) to set a slow but relaxing pace while giving you a focus for your meditation.

Finally, candles and water can be an extremely effective combination. I recommend using floating candles in a combination with the first technique, or alternatively to place a candle in a bowl and place small attractive rocks or crystals around the base to anchor it, then placing a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl. This is not only helpful for relaxation, but is also very decorative and in itself holds many ideas for decorating your home.

Of course, the act of simply having lit candles is very relaxing in itself. Whether simply around the house, in the bathtub, or during intimate moments, candles can enhance and bring peacefulness to our hectic lives. So the next time you are looking for a quick way to de-stress and ground yourself, look no further than the wax and wick!

Stephanie Davies is a 27 year old Missourian with a loving husband and an 8 year old son. She currently owns her own business, Mystickal Incense & More, and sells handmade candles, incense, bath & body products and more at http://www.mystickalincense.com

Aromatherapy has been used throughout the ages to offer relief from many complaints, both emotional and physical. As of yet, science has neither confirmed nor denied the benefits of aromatherapy as a being a curative alternative health practice. However many people still rely on age-old traditions and wisdom to assist in the healthiness of their lifestyle.

Aromatherapy, by definition, is the use of selected fragrant substances in lotions and inhalants in an effort to affect mood and promote health (The American Heritage Dictionary). By doing a search on the internet, or by visiting your local library, one can find a wealth of information on aromatherapy, both practical and estoric (spiritual) uses. Not only are there unlimited amounts of fragrances to help your health, but an unlimited amount of applications of the fragrances.

Several of the more common applications you probably know about are candles, incense, bath products, lamp rings, massage oils, and diffusers.

Candles can be purchased in an almost limitless variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and most importantly, fragrances. Even people who aren’t fond of candles for fire safety reasons can find tart melts, electric votive warmers, so-called “flameless candles”, and many other alternatives. A hint for purchasing candles for aromatherapy reasons is to purchase soy candles. Not because any other kind is especially unhealthy or unsafe, but because soy is cleaner burning with a higher scent throw and less soot, bringing you that much more scent than regular candles.

Incense can be found in many forms as well, including your regular stick incense, cones, charcoal, powder, resins, and others. If you are turned-off by incense because of the “woodsy” smell that makes you think of burning leaves, try charcoal incense instead, which has a very clean burning, non-woodsy scent, giving you more fragrance and less of that smokiness.

Bath Products, and Pulse Point Rubs can bring aromatherapy up close and personal. By bathing in or with aromatic oils, you carry the fragrance with you whereever you go. However, you should make sure that the fragrance you are getting has the right benefits you would like instead of just smelling nice. Some more common name brand bath products may smell pretty but have little to no theraputic effects.

Essential oils are the best way to get the benefits of aromatherapy, however the fragrance itself, even if manmade can still be beneficial to you. If I listed all the benefits of each fragrance out there, this article would probably take up about 5000000 paragraphs. However, I highly recommend doing research into the different fragrances and their benefits before jumping on the aromatherapy train. Some fragrances are not skin safe (especially in essential oil form), and others can cause allergic reactions. Remember safety first when experimenting with aromatherapy and your body!

As a few suggestions, generally lavender is used for relaxation, peppermint for energy, ylang-ylang for passion or love, chamomile for calm, frankencense & myrrh or nag champa for meditation, and sage for cleansing. There are plenty more out there though…something for everything one might say!

Aromatherapy can benefit everyone, and is available in so many different forms that it is easily accessible and easy to use no matter who you are. Scent affects our lives in so many ways, and this is just one more way it can benefit you.

Stephanie Davies is a 27 year old Missourian with a loving husband and an 8 year old son. She currently owns her own business which sells handmade candles, incense, bath & body products and other handcrafted products at http://www.mystickalincense.com.

It is of vital importance that each of us take some time out of each day for ourselves. With busy schedules, work, kids, and a million things going on in our lives each day, unfortunately this isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. Sometimes it gets so unbelievably hectic that we even completely forget about ourselves, due to being so focused on tasks at hand.

But as impossible as it seems, it is extremely important to specifically set aside a little “me” time each day. The best way to accomplish this is to set aside your “me” time at the same time each day. If you can commit to just 30 minutes a morning or evening, this will help your outlook and mood immensely. However if it really isn’t possible to set aside a specific time, you still need to try and fit it in as you can throughout the day. You will be surprised at how much this affects your life!

“But what do I DO during my “me” time?”, you ask. Simply put, it is YOUR time, so do exactly whatever YOU want to do. Whether its reading a good book, meditating, taking a bath, watching T.V., or simply writing a letter to a friend, what is most important is that it is something that you want to do that pampers you!

When you do get your special time though, make sure it really is special. Go for the whole hog, so to speak. If you are going to take a bath, take one with lots of bubbles, candles, and hot tea. If you are going to read a book, curl up in front of the fireplace, get out a comfy blanket, and dim the lights. Make sure you make the absolute MOST of your special time.

Pay attention to your 5 senses when paying special attention to yourself. Make sure that you pamper your ears (music or relaxation CDs), eyes (either closed with cucumbers or a cool rag or open reading a book or watching something peaceful to you – whether it is the television or birds in your yard), nose (scented candles, incense and other scented items, mouth (make sure you have either your favorite drink or some chocolates or ice cream…whatever is a treat for you!), and finally touch (make sure you are as comfortable and relaxed as you can be!).

If you do this for only 30 minutes a day, or more if you can, you will notice a drastic change in your personality and outlook on life. I guarantee this is the best way to bring more positivity into your life!

Stephanie Davies is a 28 year old work at home mom to a 9 year old boy in Mid-Missouri. Her hosting company, Hosting WAHMs offers premium webhosting from $2 per month and up, with an easy to use sitebuilder! She also loves to knit, build websites, and talk to people.

The Scented Tub – Where Everything Smells Sweet!