Even if you are good about using a rich conditioner and body lotion, by this time of year you can start to feel like you can’t keep you hair and body moisturized enough.  It can be helpful to do a head to toe moisturizing session once a week.

Moisturizing sessions can use the products you already own or you can whip some up with ingredients from your kitchen.  This should only take 30 minutes, especially if you have all of your ingredients prepared before you get started:

Step 1: Hair moisture
Heat a 1/2 cup of olive oil or 1/4 of conditioner for 30 seconds in the microwave.  Apply it to dry hair, roots to tip.  Comb it through until all strands are well coated.  Cover your hair, turban style with a towel that has been wrung out with hot water.

Step 2: Moisturizing face mask
Remove your makeup and apply a moisturizing face mask or 2 tablespoons of honey heated for 10 seconds in the microwave to damp skin. 

Step 3: Body scrub
To help loosen the armor of dead, dry skin cells that cover your body and block moisturizers from penetrating to your skin, stand in the shower (no water on yet) and scrub your self neck to toes with a moisturizing body scrub.  Play special attention to dry areas, like your knees, elbows and feet.  You can make your own moisturizing body scrub by combining 1 cup of brown sugar with 1/4 of body lotion, body wash or olive oil.

Step 4: Wash it all off
The hair masque should be on for about 10-15 minutes and the face mask on for 5-10 minutes before you wash them off.  Turn on the shower to a comfortable warm temperature.  Shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo to remove the hair mask.  You may have to wash twice to remove olive oil if you used that.  Apply condtioner and leave it on.
Rinse the face mask from your face.  If you want to wash it off, use a moisturing face wash.
The body scrub should be rinsed away by now.  If you skin feels too oily, you can use a moisturizing body wash.
Rinse the conditioner from your hair.
The shower should only last 5 minutes - no dilly-dallying.

Step 5: Moisturize
Dry off quickly from the shower.  Immediately apply body lotion or oil.  Apply a leave in conditioner, if you have one, to the ends of your hair.  Apply a light facial moisturizer.  Get dressed.  Applying moisturizers quickly after a shower helps lock in the water to your skin.  Avoid blow drying your hair if you can.  If it’s too cold not to, use a low setting to dry your hair until it is almost dry and then let it finish drying on it’s own.

In addition to a moisturizing session, here are some tips you keep your skin from getting too parched:

- Keep showers warm, not hot, and keep them to a minimum.  Too hot and too long can stip the moisture from your skin
- If you want to take a bath, be sure to add some bath oil, don’t stay too long and apply moisturizer as soon as you get out
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day
- Avoid caffeinated beverages as they can be dehydrating.  If you want a warm drink, try herbal teas
- Try adding an Omega-3 supplement to your diet

Got any tips for staying hydrated in the cold winter months?  Share yours by leaving a comment.

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Sometimes you don’t have the time or money to go to a yoga or meditation class.  Sometimes you want to do yoga at 6am in your pjs or meditate at 1am to help calm your mind so you can sleep.  Setting aside a corner of your room or an entire room as a yoga and/or meditation retreat is the key to making this happen.

After you’ve taken some yoga or meditation courses, you can start your own self-practices.  But there is something about having someone help direct you or the calming atmosphere that keeps us going to a class.  It is hard to clear your mind when you know there is laundry piling up or bills to be paid in the other room.  Here are some tips to help you create your own quite space:

1. Designate a space that will only be used for yoga/meditation.  If you have a room with a door that can be used for this sole pupose, great!  If not, try to find a corner of a room you can section off with a screen or other furniture. 

2. Decorate this space with soothing colors, art, plants and music.  If you can repaint the space, opt for a neutral or soothing color.  Add simple art if you have it - you don’t want want to add too much though and make the space visually distracting.  Definitely add plants to bring a sense of nature to the space.  If you have a CD player or speakers for your iPod, add that too.  Playing soothing music can help cover up any distracting noise (like the sound of the dishwasher or your neighbor’s tv) and transport you to a calmer place.

3.  Add tools.  If you use a meditation cushion in class, buy one.  If you don’t have your own yoga mat (or block, or bolster, or strap), buy one.  It’s much easier to follow a practice if you have the right tools.

4. Get media assistance.  I can’t practice yoga on my own for more than 15minutes before I get distracted, so I use DVDs.  Using a DVD can help you relax about your practice since you don’t need to think about what pose to do next.  It can also be helpful for reminding you about correct posing (like remembering to relax your neck or straighten your arm) as well as reminding you to breath.  Same goes for meditation - a voice to help guide you can help keep your mind from wandering off track.  So use your tv, a portable DVD player, a laptop or a CD player to help you in your space.

For yoga and mediation tools, I like to visit Gaiam.  They have props, mats and clothing, as wells as one of the best selections of DVDs.  You can also find plenty of DVDs and relaxation CDs on Amazon.com.

What do you do to help create a yoga or meditation retreat at home?  Share your tips by leaving a comment.

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I found some great recipes on SpaFinder.com’s website that sound delicious. Here’s a great menu for fall entertaining without breaking your caloric bank:

Appetizer (from the Royal Palms Resort and Spa)

Warm Asparagus with Morels, New Potatoes, and Orange Vinaigrette
Serves 4

For the orange vinaigrette

• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 c orange juice
• 1/3 c grapefruit juice
• 1/3 c lime juice
• 1/3 c lemon juice
• 2 c canola oil
• 1 c extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T honey
• 2 drops orange oil (available in the baking section of grocery stores)
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the asparagus salad

• 12 spears white asparagus, peeled
• 16 spears jumbo green asparagus, peeled
• 5 new potatoes, finely diced (about 2 c)
• 2 T canola oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 20 medium morels
• 1/2 c vegetable stock
• 1/2 t chopped chervil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. To make the vinaigrette, sweat the shallots and garlic in a little oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the orange juice. Reduce until all the liquid has evaporated (this should take 5 to 7 minutes). In a blender, add the warm reduction to the remaining juices and the honey and blend well, then slowly add the canola and olive oils. Add the orange oil. The dressing recipe makes 4 cups, but the salad recipe calls for 1 cup; the remaining dressing will keep in the refrigerator 5 or 6 days.

2. Blanch the peeled asparagus in boiling salted water. Blanch the white asparagus separately from the green, since the white takes longer to cook. Blanch the potatoes in boiling salted water until they are al dente. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then immediately plunge the colander into a large bowl of ice water.

3. Heat a sauté pan and add the oil. Once the oil begins to bubble, add the shallot and garlic, and quickly sauté. Add the morels. Sauté for 1 minute, and then add the potatoes. Continue to cook until the potatoes are warmed through. Add the chervil, salt, and pepper.

4. In another sauté pan, warm the asparagus in the vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper.

5. To serve, arrange alternating white and green asparagus spears on each plate and ladle about 1/8 cup of the vinaigrette over the spears. Top with the sautéed morels and potatoes.

Entrée (from the Parrot Cay spa)

Zucchini and apple torta (Prep time: 1.5 hours)

Torta

Ingredients:
4 ea Zucchini
3 ea Apple
1 pkg Rice paper
1 cup Guajillo sauce (recipe below)
1 cup Spinach cream (recipe below)
1 ea Avocado, sliced thin
Sea salt

Guajillo sauce

Ingredients:
6 ea Guajillo chile, soaked overnight
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/8 tsp Coriander
1 ea Lime juice
1 cup Tomato juice
1 tsp Pectin
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until thick. Strain through fine mesh strainer and season to taste.

Spinach cream

Ingredients:
3 cup Baby spinach
1 clove Garlic
1 pc Scallion
1/2 ea Lime juice
1 tb Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:
Wash and drain spinach well. Remove stems and combine with all other ingredients in blender. Blend well and season to taste.

Assembly procedure:
To assemble torta, arrange all ingredients in separate bowls around one large cutting board. Find a deep pan large enough to hold the diameter of the rice paper and fill it half way with cool water. Place three sheets of rice paper into the water and allow to soak for 2-3 minutes or until the paper is smooth to the touch. Remove sheet and quickly dry on paper towels.
Place rice paper sheet on cutting board and begin the layering process with a very light layer of guajillo sauce followed by a layer of zucchini.
Season.
Remove the next sheet of rice paper, dry, and place on top of the zucchini.
Brush this layer with the spinach sauce and top with apples.
Season.
Remove the next sheet of rice paper, dry, and place on top of the apples.
Spread the thin sliced avocado on this layer and season.
Repeat process once more and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Dessert (from Azul, Mandarine Oriental in Miami)

White Chocolate-Chestnut Mousse
Serves 4

For the chocolate-chestnut layer

• 2 c chestnut paste
• 10 1/2 oz white chocolate
• 3 sheets gelatin
• 2 c plain yogurt

For the coconut-tapioca layer

• 1 c tapioca pearls
• 12 c water
• 2 c coconut milk
• 1 c sugar

For the rose-scented froth

• 4 c nonfat milk
• 1/4 t rosewater (available in gourmet, Middle Eastern, and Indian stores)

For optional garnish

• 1/4 c rose petals (hydroponic only), if available
• Store-bought puff pastry, cut into wedges and baked according to package directions
• Strands of pulled sugar
• Cubed honeydew

1. To make the chocolate-chestnut layer, beat the chestnut paste until it’s smooth and creamy. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then fold it into the chestnut paste. Bloom the gelatin in cold water and then squeeze out the excess water when softened. Heat the gelatin with half the yogurt over very low heat in a saucepan, just until the gelatin has melted. Combine the gelatin mixture with the rest of the yogurt and then fold it into the chestnut mixture. Divide into 4 ramekins.

2. For the coconut-tapioca layer, bring the water to a rolling boil and add the pearls. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the pearls are translucent. Drain the pearls, put them back into the pot, add the coconut milk, and bring it to a boil. Immediately remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken. Pour the mixture into the ramekins as the second layer and place the ramekins in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

3. For the rose-scented froth, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the rosewater and petals. Let stand 1 hour, then strain and chill. Using a hand blender, froth the sauce right before serving.

4. To serve, run a clean paring knife around each ramekin and invert it over a plate to release the mousse lightly onto the plate. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of the rose-scented froth over each serving and garnish with rose petals, puff pastry wedges, pulled sugar, and honeydew (if using).

Check out their website for more Spa Recipes Made Simple

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Even if you only have a small bathroom at your disposal you can easily (and inexpensively) create your own spa sanctuary at home.

Here are some quick tips for creating a more tranquil environment

-Add a dimmer switch to your bathroom lighting so you can adjust the mood

-Light candles.  Choose a scent that relaxes you, like the LoLLIA Dream Luminary Candle or that reminds you of a tropical destination like Red Flower Petal Top Candle in Moroccan Rose

-Repaint the bathroom to be a clean white or soothing cream color

-Change your showerhead to one with massage settings or a rain shower fixture

-Hang bunches of dried flowers and/or herbs, like lavender from the shower head - the steam from your shower will release their scent, turning your regular shower into an aromatherapy shower

For more ideas check out these articles on Creating a Spa Sanctuary at Home

What have you done to help turn your bathroom into a spa sanctuarty?  Share your ideas in the comments section.