GIRL WORLD: Spa Day at Home

Today, I’m so excited to bring you the first post of a series called Girl World. Every once in a while here at RCG, a post will come along discussing those experiences we all have where we think, “it’s a girl thing”  or “men don’t even realize how tough it is to be a girl sometimes”. Oh admit it, the latter has crossed your mind. No shame here. This series is just for you, ladies. The fellas just don’t understand sometimes, and that’s okay. Today, we think about a cliché girls day: the spa.

Oh, to have the money to be a regular at the spa. I daydream of bi-monthly facials and weekly massages…hiding away in the sauna after a stressful day…being waited on hand and foot. But they want a bunch of monies for it that are not always easy to find. So, I've listed some ideas for creating your own spa day without leaving home. I've been doing this for the past couple years, and though it is simple, it really does help me unwind and feel refreshed. Hopefully it does the same for you.

Take a long, hot shower

Shave your legs & wash your face.

Let your hair air dry

Put on your comfiest pajamas or a robe

Lotsa lotion

        Time to break out one of the seven bottles of Warm Vanilla or Sweet Pea you have lying around somewhere and use it on your legs, hands and arms. Try using a bunch of lotion on your feet, then immediately putting socks on. Your heels will feel nice and soft come morning.

Leave-in conditioner

        A little love for your locks.

Face mask or moisturizer

        Now’s the time to try out that $1 mask you've had too long. I personally love the ones that heat up a little after you put it on. It feels so luxurious!

Paint your nails

        Do you lye critol gel? Test your nail painting skills and maybe try a color you've been too nervous to wear. If you’re really terrible at painting, ask your roommate if she’ll do it.

After bath splash: Jean Naté
        I just have to put in a plug for my favorite smell, Jean Naté. It is actually called an “after bath splash”, which is strange to me, but I use it as a perfume. It’s just this clean smelling mist you can put on right when you get out of the shower to smell lovely. You can pick some up at Walgreens.

Light a candle

        If you have one, it probably doesn’t get lit often. Enjoy the scent and spa-like lighting it provides.

Load on the chapstick

        Don’t neglect your lips! You never know when that gorgeous man is gonna show up at your door and kiss the crap outta you…right? Best be prepared, anyway. Just in case.

Enjoy cocoa, ice cold diet coke, or, to be fancy, sparkling cider

        Throw some popcorn in there and you’re set. The perfect munchie.

Watch your guilty pleasure show/movie

        Real housewives? Gossip Girl? Hannah Montana? The Bachelor? Turn it on, girl. This spa day is about you!

Lots of deep breaths

This is my saving grace when I get frustrated or stressed. Take some deep breaths and feel how cleansing it can really be. Let it go, relax, and enjoy your at-home spa treatment. You've certainly earned it.

If you try this, let me know with #rcgspa on Instagram! Enjoy, ladies!

The Lunching Age

I came to a realization recently: I have reached the lunching age. Ya know, when you want to catch up with someone, or you go to your parent’s house and want to see someone from home…you don’t hang out anymore. You say “let’s have lunch.” When did that happen? That’s what moms do for visiting teaching. That’s what grandmas do with their girlfriends. That’s even what businessmen do to discuss important stuff. But not now! It seems “lunching” is actually a coming of age activity.

Well the verdict is in…I’m absolutely okay with this! If you are getting lunch with someone, you have all morning to look forward to it and the rest of the day after lunch to reflect on it (with a full stomach). You not only get to visit with a friend, but you get to eat, too. Multitaskers, rejoice!

Being part of a lovely long lunch just makes my heart smile. It’s a nice thing. I love catching up with someone, whether it’s been a week or a year. If conversation is lagging, you can always comment on the food, the waiter, or the restaurant. If it’s going so well that you wish the afternoon could last forever, you can just order another soda or indulge in dessert together.

I think we all have those friends that we see on a semi-regular basis, but we don’t actually spend much time together outside of that semi-regular activity. So it’s nice to make time in your schedules for one another now and then for a meal and life updates. You never know where your conversation may take you. In fact, a lesson you've learned in the last little while since you've seen them could be just the advice they need that day. No, it’s not that far of a stretch. We all have different stories, but at some time or another, we tend to go through a bunch of the same crap. And we can be there for each other to figure it out and come out on the other side a better version of ourselves. The quote goes, “friends pick us up when we fall down, and if they can’t pick us up, they lie down and listen for a while”…or they have lunch with you.

Don’t underestimate the mid-day meal. It can be really great, if you make the time every once in a while. Happy lunching!