Frugal Diva Spa Day

We all love going to the spa, salon, or hairdresser. We always feel more lovely and beautiful after visiting, and we definitely feel like we are channeling our inner diva. Think about your frugal side and take your spa, salon, or hairdresser home. First point of the at home spa is to get rid of the distractions. This means turning off your phone and TV, locking the doors, making sure kids are away or in bed, and significant other is busy or gone. Best bet would be for that significant other to be gone so they don’t interrupt you. Don’t think about this experience as being selfish, you are pampering and nurturing yourself so you can nurture others in your life and focus on work with calm and giving mind.

There is prep time for this. Plan a day ahead. Go to your local library and check out some relaxing music, a healthy cook book, a light read, and a yoga video. Clean home; make sure your day is clear of anything that will need done on spa day. This means pay the bills, hire a babysitter or set up a play date with friends for your children or pet. If you have family around see if they will watch them. Make sure your significant other knows that you won’t be free on spa day. Make sure there will be no distractions on Spa day that will take away from you. This is a spa day, but you can also modify it to being a spa evening depending on your time. Pick and chose what you want to do. I am going to give you the whole Spa Day I love to do. Depending on what you have in your home you might have to also go to the closest grocery store, walk or ride your bike, this way you don’t spend any money on transportation and you are getting your own free spin class in without having to pay the gym membership.

What you need:

Healthy cook book-from library-zero expense

Yoga video-from library-zero expense

Relaxing music CD- from library- zero expense

Light read-from library-zero expense

Fruits and veggies- to your taste and in season so you save money

Extra Virgin Olive oil- I get my in bulk from Costco $19-25, (I get mine in bulk because of the multi use I get out of it), look for deals though at your local grocery for cheaper products

Chamomile tea or any other relaxing tea you like-$2 local grocery store, Dollar store $1

Sugar- as low as $.85

Bath Sea Salts- Your local Dollar store for $1

Honey- Dollar store $1

Banana- depending on season

Avocado- depending on season

Plain yogurt- $1-3 at local grocery

Cuticle kit-Dollar store $1

Nail polish- Dollar store $1, Wet N’ Wild $.88-.99, Sally Hanson $2-7 CVS

Base & Top Coat- Dollar store $1, Wet N’ Wild $. 88-.99, Sally Hanson Base and Top coat 3.05 amazon.com

Check out your local news paper for discounts, www.amazon.com, www.harmondiscount.com, www.delightfulchaos.com (for coupons), store circulars, and the store’s website yourself, before shopping. Make a list and pick the most frugal way.

In the morning:

Wake up and go for an early morning walk- enjoy the sun rise, nature, or just what is around you. Don’t forget to stretch

Follow it up by have some yummy fruit – if in season I love strawberries in the morning

Drink your Chamomile tea while going about your morning routine , make sure you chose loose comfortable clothes, but try to keep it a little sexy, on spa day I like to keep it together with some silky underwear under my loose yoga pants and shirt. We are looking for comfy not ratty, how we look has a big effect on how we feel so if we don’t look good, we won’t feel good. This is so not Diva.

Make sure everyone is out of the house and that they are all safe and happy. Turn off the TV and Phone, lock the house/apartment up, have loose lighting. Now it is time to set the mood.

Take your time and fix a pitcher of ice water, cut up a few lemons in it and set it aside on your counter with your favorite glass next to it (I use a clear glass pitcher and my deep wine glasses (you can get these at a discount store and no one will know the difference, the trick is to make sure that the cute is good and clear, but for the at home Spa Day use what you have at home). Chop up your fruits and veggie and arrange on platters so they look nice and cute. Take your time and enjoy and create. Remind yourself to take deep breaths and enjoy. If you have a garden, pick a few flowers and put them into a vase. Voila! You now have you own finger food buffet. Munch whenever you want.

Light all the scented candles you have in your home. Spread them throughout your bathroom, living room, and kitchen.

Have you light music playing in the back ground

Put in your yoga CD and now it is time stretch and relax your body- remember to drink a large glass of water when you are done.

Jump in the shower when you are done.

Do the works- meaning shampoo and conditioning, shaving, buffing, and pumicing. Before shaving use the body scrub below:

Sugar and extra virgin olive oil body scrub

½ cup olive oil

½ cup sugar

Mix together and scrub body , spending a while focusing on the hands, feet, elbows , and knees- about 4 minutes, about the time as a song, hum one of your favorites . Rinse and then shave.

When done with shower lather up in your favorite lotion and put on some comfy clothes though remember the sexy diva that you are and keep it diva-ish.

Brush teeth and pluck all stray hair on face, you can also now do the at home waxing kit you might have. When done rinse face and put on light lotion, though you are going to do a facial soon you never want to let your face become dry.

Next we want to deep condition your hair. Follow directions below.

Olive oil hair conditioner

½ cup olive oil

Warm olive oil up in microwave until warm. Warning not too hot, we don’t want to burn you. Rub oil into scalp and comb through hair. Wrap a plastic shopping bay on head. Leave on for the next ½ hour.

Next start your bath. Put in your favorite essence (I love peppermint or lavender), we are looking at about 20 drops, ½ cup honey, and 2 cups milk powder. Let tub fill until comfortable. Grab your light read and relax with a rolled up plush towel in the tub.- when done rinse off in the shower and re-shampoo and condition hair followed by moisturizing the body and jumping into bed for a light nap. Make sure candles are snuffed out or that you feel comfortable that they are on.

When you wake up first stretch and take a few deep breaths and enjoy how refreshed you are. Follow by a light lunch from your buffet in the kitchen.

After you are done and are already in the kitchen start making the facial below.

Banana & Avocado Mask

1 banana

½ avocado

½ cup yogurt

¼ cup honey

Mix and mash together- apply to clean face and leave on for ½ an hour, followed by washing your face and applying a lotion with an SPF if it is still daytime.

Remember that this is your spa day and you are pampering yourself so relax and embrace your own time now.

Finish your spa day by doing your manicure and pedicure.

Start out by first doing your pedicure. I prefer to do my pedicure in my bathroom because I have an easier access to water, towels, and pedicure tools. Chose wherever you feel you are comfortable.

Steps for the pedicure

1. Soak feet in warm water with your favorite bath salts until soften. Pumice away any dead skin, and lotion your feet.

2. Push back cuticles with an orange stick and remove and loose or dead skin-don’t cut away the cuticle, this can cause infection.

3. Trim and file nails- square your nails and round out the side, this is the best technique to help stop ingrown toe nails.

4. Rub in warm honey to feet and cover with your own recycled grocery bags- you will need two bags for each foot. Rinse and lotion up with either a peppermint or tea tree oil foot lotion. I love Seacret Minerals from the Dead Sea’s Foot Cream with Tea Tee Oil. Foot Therapy and Goldbond are good brands to check out also. (You are done now but if you would like to apply color to your toes continue on)

5. Wipe off toe nails with nail polish remover to remove any lotion.

6. Nail polish time-apple a base coat to your nails before you add a color coat, followed by a top coat. You can get nail polish that is both a base and top coat, saves you money, space, and time. Get Sally Hanson’s Base Coat. Their new summer color’s are out and I love their Charm collection- check out at http://www.sallyhansen.com/explore_bundles_promos.cfm?group=59

7. After your toe nails have dried fully rub a dab of olive oil into the cuticles

Last is your pedicure, and if you have spent the most of your time bent over, stretch and curb any hunger or thirst cravings you might be having at this time.

Steps for manicure

1. Cut and shape nails. Use nail clipper and nail file. Remember to file in the same direction and to not saw back and forth. Filing back and forth damages the nail.

2. Soak nails in a small bowl of warm water and your favorite bath salts. Dry hands.

3. Push back cuticles using a cuticle stick, remove any hang nails and dry and cracked cuticles using cuticle trimmer or cuticle nipper.

4. Lotion hands with a rich hand cream. (You are done now but if you would like to apply color to your nails continue on)

5. Wipe off nails with nail polish remover to remove any lotion.

6. Nail polish time-apply a base coat to your nails before you add a color coat. Finish off your paint session with a top coat. You can get nail polish that is both a base and top coat, saves you money, space, and time. Get Sally Hanson’s Double Duty
Strengthening Base & Top Coat. Their new summer color’s are out and I love their Charm collection- check out at http://www.sallyhansen.com/explore_bundles_promos.cfm?group=59

7. After your nails have dried fully rub a dab of olive oil into the cuticles.

Hope you have had a wonderful day spa at home.

Total for this day spa should have cost you from $0-$15 versus $300-$400 at your local spa. Please post and let me know about your experience, modifications, and deals.

Blessing upon you

Diva K