You and your friends say it all the time: “We need to get together soon when we’re not so busy.” If you’ve been saying that a lot lately, maybe you should make room in your schedules for some relaxation time together.
A spa day is a perfect way to pamper yourselves and unwind for a few hours while enjoying each others’ company. The good news is that you don’t have to drive somewhere or spend a lot of money at a spa (although that can be fun, too). You can host one in your home.
Create Goodie Bags
When you were young, you may have received a goodie bag when you went to a friend’s birthday party. It was exciting to see what treats awaited you in the bag. You can make goodie bags for your party attendees that are just as fun to open as they were when you were younger.
Some ideas for your treat bags are trial-size lotion or body wash, fuzzy socks infused with aloe, a cooling gel mask, lip balm or a small box of chocolates. You can also consider adding health supplements to your goodie bags. You can research specific brands such as “What is Thrive” to find the right type for you and your friends.
Set the Mood
It’s essential to get everyone in a relaxed state of mind as soon as they enter your home. You can do that by setting the stage. Begin by dimming the lights. Candles are the perfect choice for illuminating your space; whether you choose wax or LED candles is up to you.
Choose a calming scent for the room. You can put essential oils in a diffuser or light a scented candle. Relaxing aromas include eucalyptus, lavender, vanilla, lemon and jasmine. Soft music helps set the tone; smooth jazz, classical music or nature sounds are all nice choices.
Since all that relaxing can make a girl hungry, you can stock up on snacks and beverages for everyone. Flavored water is a refreshing and healthy drink — make your own by adding lemon and orange slices to a pitcher of ice water. You can serve light cocktails such as wine spritzers or mimosas if no one leaves for a few hours. Whole-grain crackers paired with exotic cheese, fresh fruit and trail mix are delicious snacks that won’t weigh you down.
Pamper Yourselves
There are many ways for you and your friends to relax together during your spa day. Try soaking your feet in scented bath salts dissolved in a tub of warm water and follow up with a pumice scrub on rough heels. To pamper dry hands, try rubbing olive oil into nails, cuticles and skin, applying a sugar scrub and wrapping your hands in warm, damp towels until they cool. Wash hands and slather with lotion.
Spas and face masks go together perfectly. There’s a DIY face mask recipe for each of your friends, no matter what skin type. You can ask them ahead of time what kind of mask they prefer and prepare the ingredients. Try oatmeal and honey for sensitive skin, aloe vera and tea tree oil for acne-prone skin, honey and avocado for dry skin, and a combination of bananas, yogurt and turmeric for fine lines and wrinkles.
While you’re pampering your face, don’t neglect your lips. Dry, flaky lips can benefit from a quick (and tasty) scrub made of sugar, olive oil and vanilla, followed by a soothing lip balm.
It’s easy to deep-condition your hair with grocery-store ingredients. Mash an avocado and rub it into your locks for a natural moisturizer, or give hair a protein boost with a beaten egg. Leave the treatment on for 10 minutes and rinse with cool water.
Conclusion
If you need an excuse to get your friends together, a spa day is an excellent way to pamper yourselves while catching up. You may even decide to get together more often.
