Save your gas money, road rage energy and valet parking fee…there’s no need to hit Fred Segal’s this Mother’s Day because Beauty.com has all the designer home fragrances in one cart. What?? You heard me right…you can get Voluspa (one of my favorite home fragrance lines) at Beauty.com with free shipping and you can pay with paypal if you like! Plus you will get super competitive pricing and won’t have to pay for Melrose or Santa Monica rent overhead! You might not get the swanky looking bag, but who cares?? These candles are priced between $8 and $22, and you KNOW you can’t get that on Melrose Avenue!

Ahhh, a Mother’s Day Gift with a message. What better way to send a mushy message, without sending a mushy message? Philosophy’s Unconditional Love will actually do just that for those of us who have challenges in communicating our feelings verbally, and with a gift like this, you can probably save money on getting a cheesy card where you have to write something considerate and might make you nervous, I know I get nervous when I have to write something mushy. Shown here: Philosophy’s Unconditional Love Fragrance Spray, Philosophy’s Perfumed shower gel, shampoo and bubble bath all in one, and Philosophy’s Unconditional Love Firming Body Emulsion.

And as always, I get all my beauty stuff from Beauty.com because they have free shipping, free samples, the best price and you can pay with paypal. Yea!

Ah, it’s that time of year again…where your gift will be the epitome of how good of an offspring you are in the realm of impressing your mother. Sigh. My mom is super hard to buy for, so I thought I would start putting up some ideas of gifts giving, and stating why they would make good gifts based on my own opinions, and then by the end of the week make my decision as to what I am going to get. And btw, my gifts are usually a hit after long and stressful thought LOL!

Today, we have the L’Occitane Peach Blossom set. And here is why I am recommending/considering giving this: There is NOTHING I despise more than getting one of those amazing looking spa gift baskets (like from costco or jcpenny) and then once you get it home, discover that the ingredients and products are horrible and full of artificial perfumes and alcohol that will dry your skin out.

On the OTHER hand, if you give something that is truly an amazing product like L’occitane ( which based on the price is something that I would never buy for myself) and the recipient realizes what a GREAT and luxurious item that it is, you will get rave reviews!! Plus I try to give gifts that I would love to receive myself…and if I could get a L’Occitane gift set rather than a cheap-o synthetic poufy set, I would be one happy mama!

I was browsing the Oprah RSS feed and saw this list of books to read when you need a mood boost: Fabulous!

SUNRISE YOGA @ THE BEACH
Sun. May 17 at 8:00am.
***Cost is only $15. Includes refreshments.
Please RSVP by calling the studio:
818.830.1612

If you have never had an at-home massage, trust me, you are totally missing out!!! Usually much cheaper, WAY more relaxing, and totally more convenient, I really don’t know why anyone would ever go to a spa for a regular massage after having one at home!

It has occurred to me though that some people may not know how to actually go about getting one, so I thought I would copy some of the info that Diana has provided on her Facebook page detailing her home visit and what you can expect of the appointment:

“Positive touch encourages growth, development and feeling of well-being. Vilchis Touch provides Professional and Therapeutic Touch. Before each Massage Session, it is required that you take a hot shower in order to enhance the benefits of the treatment, relax tensed areas, and create a clean surface for your pores.”

First time visit and what to expect:

Continue reading ‘Diana Vilchis : First Visit’

At $19 for a one hour massage experience, I thought it quite the research experiment to go to Super Relax, especially since my favorite spot The Jolly Foot was booked for the day. After my acupuncture appointment, I noticed a man smoking outside the Super Relax door as I walked in and asked for a session.

Of course, as my luck would have it, the cigarette smoking man followed me in and was my designated ‘walk in’ masseuse. I sniffed the air really quick and didn’t smell any cigarette smoke, so I thought maybe I was wrong in seeing him with my own eyes smoking a cigarette, and complied and sat down as he gave me a super rough massage.

The staff was nice, but the overall feel was kind of shady – not even as nice as the Jolly Foot. The massage was just ok, and as I walked out, I made a mental note to not visit them again. I don’t know exactly what it was, as nothing bad happened, but I just kind of got weird vibes from that place. I think this is the same chain that has their stations set up at the malls in Woodland Hills and Northridge, but I am not 100% sure.

Ok people: Due to popular demand, I am sharing my super-good AM smoothie recipe. Here it is:

1 banana (75 approx)
1 scoop of BioChem raw protein powder (100 calories)
1 cup of Chocolate No Sugar added Almond Milk (45 calories)
1 tsp Maca powder (25 calories)
1/8 tsp of Blue Green Algae flakes
1 dash Nutmeg
1 dash Cinammon
1 tsp flax seed oil (10 calories)
1 cup crushed ice/water combo
1 pack stevia extract with tahitian ground vanilla bean (0 calories)
……………………….
255 total calories.
Put all items in a blender and go at it until you are happy with the consistency

Nutritional supplement benefits:
Fiber – for digestive health

Potassium – for sore muscles, regulating blood pressure and building protein strains.

Vitamin C – major antioxidant rich food, helps fight against infection, helps absorption of iron in food for the body.

Blue Green Algae – inhibits histamine, great for suppressing allergic reactions, fights against free radicals and other environmental pollutants, and since it has no cell walls is an easily digestive protein supplement. *

** PLEASE do be particular where you purchase your Blue Green Algae, I ONLY buy the organic flakes that are derived from natural oceanic sources available from Whole Foods. There are pyramid companies out there that are selling Blue Green Algae that are derived from toxic lakes and therefore the benefits will totally work against you. Remember, if you are going to be good to your body, let your mind make the better decisions on what you put into your body!

Almond Milk: lactose free, rich in vitamin E which is known to assist in detoxing the body and flushing as well as building protecting antioxidant elements.

BioChem Raw Protein Powder – 100% raw so all nutrients are easily digestible. Whey protein, which is a protein source with no added fat or lactose. 1 serving will provide 20 grams of protein. You can get it at Whole Foods or any health food store.

Maca – Miracle root powder from Peru. Said to increase libido, energy, stamina, regulate hormonal imbalances, aids in an overall feeling of wellbeing, mood elevator, reduces anxiety and stress, reduces anemia, helps heal wounds, increase circulation in the body, increases fertility, alleviates fatigue, increases sexual function, helps build muscle. YES, I am dead serious. This stuff is the BOMB and one of the best things you can give yourself. Better than those corny self hugs that you do after  yoga class.

I have seen these in stores all over the place for years, and always thought that it was just one of those things that you really didn’t need, because in my head, I would always say ‘oh, well I have a bunch of towels at home’ BUT let me share 1 thing with you: I spent the $25 on a whim on a set of 2 hair towels, and I am constantly going back for more. Seriously, these little miracle blankets wrap around your head perfectly, and take all the moisture out of your hair for a way faster blow dry!!

Again, one of the best mini-buys I have done, and the results prove to be fabulous over and over! Want specific deets? Continue reading ‘Hair Towels are the Real Deal!’

Looking for something to do this weekend? How does watching “Dancing with the Dogs” sound? Spend a sunday afternoon at the Best Friend’s Dog Adoption festival at Westchester Park for available dog adoptions, agility demonstrations, children’s activities, celebrity guests, and of course, new and hip pet related products! If you are feeling generous, bring by any cans of pet food to benefit the LA Area pet shelters and rescue groups.

Westchester Park is located at 7000 Manchester Avenue, on the corner of Manchester & Lincoln Blvd.
Have Fun!!!

Tiger Balm has been around for as long as I can remember, but let me remind everyone, including myself how awesome it is!! It’s fantastic to use after a workout – AFTER showering, and right before bed. I got the best sleep and woke up without any muscle ailments that would inhibit me from moving comfortably the next morning.

Diana Vilchis, who is the BEST massage therapist who will come to your home and give you the bomb massage, uses Tiger Balm on my muscles after she is done with each section, which is just absolute heaven!

Mind you, I WAS sore, but not to the point of being unable to move, like I have been in the past. That’s my feel-good tip of the day for all of us fitness mamas! Tiger Balm comes in ointment form, rub form, extra strength, sports rub formula, pain relief formula

for more info on how to use Tiger Balm: Continue reading ‘Tiger Balm for Sore Muscles’

My friend Crystal just informed me that her little black dog

LaLa has been dognapped!!

Please keep your eyes out for this little lovie, her family misses her! Please send leads to sylvia at spa-view dot com, or leave a comment with your email address, you can select it not to be viewable to the public. Thank you all in advance and please forward this post to anyone who might be out and about in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura County or Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Thanks.

Last night was my 2nd Pilates class at Bodyworks studio, and can you say good GOD?? I think if I do this for at least 4 months, I will start to notice a change in my body, since the first 4 minutes made a change in my lungs LOL!!! Here is a video of Gretta’s teaching style. Her voice is smooth, the music is chill, but the poses are ass-kicking. Nice combo, eh?

So…I am finally watching the latest episodes of the Real Housewives of New York City. ALL of you have been sending me IM’s, emails and twitters asking me what I think about this and that, but I just haven’t really had the time to sit and watch until tonight!!

While I have a gazillion things to say about what I think about everyone’s antics on the show, I MUST say that I am completely shocked that Ramona would have the nerve to actually launch a skincare line!! WHOA! Not only does she not realize that she is insane and has no credibility to the target market audience, but I would never buy skincare by Ramona. Ever. What if I used it and then my eyes started to look like hers? Worse even, what if I used it and my mouth actually said some of the things that hers does??? OMG.

I also noted in the ingredients list that Squalane is listed as an ingredient which is derived from deep sea shark livers. Gross. Not to be confused with Squalene, which is a different blend that is parallel to shark liver Squalane, but does not cause any harm to the shark. Squalene is derived from a component of olive oil, thus not causing any harm to living animals.

Did I mention that I bought the blue Gaiam yoga cross shoulder bag?? I am SO loving it! It has a little front pocket in the front where I can store my keys, and I am just feeling like a super-glam yoga goddess, and my soul feels good too knowing it is fair trade, organic cotton and all that other eco friendly good stuff!!