RELAX!!!!!! It's Christmas!!!! and winter break (aka no school!)

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you're going to have a break from school this winter.  This winter season you should get all warm and fuzzy by relaxing (not from grandma's itchy Christmas sweater).  But why spend all your money--the money you're supposed to use on buying your mother's gifts--on a spa when you can relax with an inexpensive spa at home, in your own bathroom!



Step 1: Create the scene.  Set up your bathroom where it's more open rather than cramped.  Pull back the shower curtain and move away some of the furniture and clutter (bottles, sponges, etc.).  You don't have to have a large tub with massaging jets (but if you do, then congrats! even better).  Try to get situated where you can sit comfortably within your bathtub.  *A soft bath pillow helps!*  Candles are great, not just for scenery, but also for aromatherapy.  Soft scented candles, such as sweet vanilla or floral scents, can help your relaxation process.  Sets of two or three tea lights in every other corner is enough for a spa setting.   

 This is optional for your spa setting but is a great add to the effect.  Put on a spa cd or create a mix of any of your favorite relaxing songs that practically lullaby you to sleep.  My go-to-sleep-to music is Sia's album titled "Some People Have Real Problems."

Step 2: The Bath!  Make sure you use warm water that isn't too hot.  (Really hot water will dry out your skin!)  Go crazy with the ingredients!!!  Pick floral or fruity scents.  Start out with different bath salts, then add layers of soap and fragrances.  Do you prefer bath bombs, bath glitter, bath fizzies, or classic bubbles?  Here are some suggestions for different bath products of different bath catagories:

~Bath salts:
     Epsom Salt (Helps relax tense and tired muscles)
     Bath salts that contain dead sea salt (Helps repair and soften skin)

~Bath crystals (Contain oils to help soften skin and make you smell great):
     Freesia scented bath crystals (for floral lovers)
     Apple scented bath crystals (a delicious scent that fits perfectly for a bath scent and is great for fruit
     lovers) 
        
~Bath oils:
     Neutrogena Body Oil with Sesame Oil (Has a great scent and leaves skin soft like a baby's butt!  It will
     also warm you up for the holidays!)
     Aveeno Moisturizing Shower ad Bath Oil  (Leaves skin soft with it's oatmeal formula.)

~Bath soaps (bubbles):
     Lush's Dreamtime bath melt (Leaves skin soft and calms your body and mind with it's relaxing scent.)
     Lush's Psycodelic bubble bar (It's perfectly bubbly with it's citrus and cinnamon scent.)
     Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Bubble Bath (It has a relaxing vanilla scent and creates soft fun
     bubbles.)

~Bath fizzes/bombs/confetti (the fun stuff):

     Lush's Butterball bath bomb (After an exciting explosion, it leaves your skin soft and calms your body
     with it's creamy cocoa butter formula.)
     Bath confetti in fun shapes
     Flower petals (go all natural with scents by adding rose petals or any petals of your favorite flowers.)

Once you're settled in your at-home spa/bath, put on an eye mask or some cucumber slices for your eyes and relax.

Bed Bath and Beyond has a bath pillow for just $9.99 plus it's mold and mildew resistant.  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14620486  Bath pillows can range from $10-$40, so this is a pretty good deal.

You can buy tea lights from any drugstore.  Walgreens sells sets of 25 vanilla scented tea light candles for just $3.99. http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/Candles-and-Fragrance/Tea-Light-Candles/ID=prod5484085&navCount=0&navAction=push-product  Tea light candles are cheaper than regular candle because they're smaller, but they give the same effect any large scented candle would.

I hope this helped in making your holiday break more relaxing and less stressful!

Mwah!
<3
~Sara