Posted by Geri on June 20, 2010Cracked Heels?
Summertime is hard on our feet. With increased exposure, the skin on the back of your heals may begin to dry out and crack. Many struggle with this problem and as we age, it can get worse.
Cracked heels can ruin the look of those beautiful feet. Here are some easy ways to keep your feet hydrated and looking spectacular!
In our dry Colorado climate, it is extremely important to exfoliate and moisture your feet regularly. Give your feet a nice soak using one of these recipes, or create your own. After the soak, exfoliate with a sugar scrub and then moisturize. In Colorado it’s almost impossible to over moisturize, so go for, give your feet a big healthy dose of your favorite moisturizer. Then, sit back and take a look at those lovely Happy Feet!
Foot Soak #1
1 cup lemon juice
3 TBLSP olive oil
¼ cup milk
Mix well in a small bowl and then add to 1 gallon of warm water. Soak feet for 10-20 mins.
Foot Soak #2
1 cup honey added to one gallon water.
Foot Soak #3
½ cup Epson salts per gallon of water. Epson salts will help relieve tired muscles and help increase circulation.
Adding Essential Oils
Adding an essential oil can be a simple way to enhance your at-home foot soak.
Calming/relaxing/balancing: Lavender, Rosewood, Geranium, Frankincense, Lime, Patchouli, Sandlewood, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot
Refreshing/uplifting: Lime, Lemongrass, Spearmint, Manuka, OrangeAntiseptic/immuneTea Tree, Manuka, Eucalyptus, Lavender
Other Ideas
Add marbles to the bottom of your basin to rub your feet over while you soak. It’s quite soothing!
When your garden is in full bloom, use as many flower petals as you like. Rose petals make a nice pampered foot soak.
Posted by Geri on June 13, 2010Ok, I’m finally going to give my Blog the attention it deserves!
As any small business owner can tell you, the ‘to-do’ list is never ending. There is always more on the list than there are hours in the day, but I guess that holds true for LIFE. I’m not sure there are many who accomplish their full ‘to-do’ list in any specific period of time. And so it goes…. we are all sooo busy. We’re overcommitted, overscheduled, overwhelmed.
This is exactly WHY I started Ciao Bella Day Spa nearly two years ago. I had identified a real need. It started out selfishly as MY NEED, but then, as I spoke to others and gained the research I needed, I discovered it was an overwhelming NEED of almost everyone I spoke to. It was a NEED for calmness. A NEED for ‘Me-Time’ on that ever-growing task list. How many of us skip past our own needs in pursuit of perfection for those around us? We make sure EVERYONE is taken care of. Do we give ourselves that same respect? I know I didn’t.
And so I began my pursuit of the perfect location for my new ‘sanctuary of calmness’. My family and I drove by the then-vacant retail space in downtown Littleton and I knew instantly that would be the new home of Ciao Bella Day Spa. I remember telling my family….. ‘this is it… this is Ciao Bella’. After much research, negotiation, and both emotional and physical ‘sweat equity’, we open Ciao Bella Day Spa on September 1, 2008. What a relief. We had endured lots of twists and turns to make it to OPENING DAY! My family now owned a beautiful space that would bring peace and balance to people’s lives. There is nothing more important to me than to help guests find whatever peace and tranquility they seek. We all deserve more ‘Me Time’.
And so we endured year ONE. We opened our doors literally weeks before the economy took its deepest dive in 40 years. Come on…. are you kidding me? I opened Ciao Bella Day Spa to provide PEACE and TRANQUILITY. This was NOT how I wanted it to go. But, as with life, we endure…. we find answers where we think there are none. We make things work. We get creative in our thinking. And we march on….
As we approach year TWO, I can say without a doubt, this has been the most amazing journey of my life. If you know me personally, you know that says a lot because I’ve had my share of ‘journeys’! My life’s philosophy is – WHY NOT. Some people worry and plan, and worry and plan….. I try to listen to my heart (or gut..or whatever that little voice is inside), plan ‘enough’ and then move forward. Listen to your heart. That’s where your answers are. Really. They may not be the answers that are EASY, but they are the answers that will give your heart joy. My heart has real joy for Ciao Bella Day Spa. Does your heart feel joy? Are you listening to that ‘small voice’? I hope so.
A big part of why Ciao Bella Day Spa has been successful is because of the strong family bond I am blessed with. As business owner, I want Ciao Bella Day Spa to display this same strong sense of ‘family’ within the Littleton Community. We are planning some really fun events as we lead up to our Second Anniversary, so watch for more details. Thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Posted by Geri on March 27, 2010Got mascara stains in your carpet?
Me too. Big bummer when it’s on cream colored carpets. Here’s a trick I found – sprinkle baking soda on the stain and add a few drops of lemon juice on top. It will bubble up and begin to eat away the stain. I used my SpotBot to shampoo the stain – it dissolved away perfectly. If you don’t have a carpet shampoo machine – just use good old elbow grease. It works too.
Good luck!
Posted by Geri on March 21, 2010The calendar says winter is OVER! What great news, both for mind and body! Winter is harsh on skin and leaves us feeling pale and in dire need of that healthy spring time glow. Here are five easy steps you should take to give your skin the added boost it needs to rejuvenate after a long, cold winter.
- EXFOLIATE. Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells that cling to the skin’s surface. Exfoliation is an important part of your skin care regimen. As we age the regeneration of new cells slows down. The dead cells start to pile up unevenly on the skin’s surface, giving it a dry, rough, dull appearance. When done correctly, this critical step leaves skin feeling smoother and fresher looking. Your skin will ‘glow’ and you will see an dramatic brightness when you look in the mirror. Exfoliation can be done using a mid cleanser, or for a deeper more thorough cleansing, try our The Maximum Revival Facial, which will treat your skin to the advanced benefits of microdermabrasion. Let our team of skin care experts help establish a skin regimen customized especially for you.
- HYDRATE. Once you’ve prepared the skin with proper exfoliation, it is now critical to hydrate your skin and allow it to absorb the health benefits of serums and lotions designed to provide necessary nutrients to your skin. Hydration without exfoliation will not allow your skin to absorb these vital nutrients as deeply as they other would when applied to clean, exfoliated skin. Proper hydration is specific to each individual skin type.
- PROTECT. ALWAYS BE SURE TO INCLUDE SPF protection in your daily skin care regimen. You should ensure a minimum of SPF 15. Try Sanitas SOLAR BLOCK, a light, oil-free, non-comeodogenic sun protectant. Melanin and Vitamins A, E and C support and protect the skin against redness. Solar Block can be used with your regular moisturizer and under makeup and is gentle enough for sensitive skin and babies. This is the BEST sun block on the market and is made right here in Colorado. This sunblock protects the skin from UVA, UVB and UVC rays, moisturizes without oil, absorbs quickly leaving no residue and provides anti-aging and wound healing properties.
- TREAT PROBLEM AREAS. Take care to treat the unique areas of your skin; acne, dry spots, puffiness, or dark circles. Your skin deserves your best support to help it stay healthy.
- SMILE. Now, go dazzle ‘em. Wear your best outfit, grab your favorite friend and have fun knowing your skin is healthy and glowing. CIAO BELLA! Hello Beautiful!
Posted by CAM on March 17, 2010I read an article recently by David Hunnicutt, PhD, one of our Nation’s Leading Experts on Wellness. The article noted that 80% of workers feel overly stress on the job. Eighty-percent! That’s an incredible number. The next statistic highlights the impact this stress is having on the health of our country. Experts say that 80% of all disease may actually be stress-related. If 80% of us feel overly stressed on the job and 80% of disease is stress-related, it seems clear something’s gotta give! Continue reading »
