Win a Southern California Dream Spa Experience

Here's your chance to win a spa vacation! Oh don't we need it during these turbulent economic times. Here's the contest details offered by Spas of America. Good luck!

Pala Casino Spa & Resort and Spas of America Launch Spa Contest
Entering is free and easy. Click here to enter. You'll be taken to Spas of America website.

Pala, California- Southern California’s AAA Four Diamond Pala Casino Spa & Resort and the Spa-travel website, Spas of America, are giving away a Southern California Dream Spa Prize Package. The contest invites spa enthusiasts to enter for a chance to win three night’s accommodation, a Pala Spa couple’s package and dinner for two. The Grand Prize package is valued at over $1,000. Secondary prizes in the form of dinner and spa packages are also offered.

The Pala Spa is located one hour north of San Diego, against the tranquil backdrop of the Palomar Mountains. Pala Spa offers 14 treatment rooms including two Couples Suites, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a full-service salon, and a retail boutique. The Pala Spa’s signature treatment is the Lavender Bliss Treatment. This Thai-inspired experience begins with an awakening toning body scrub, followed by a relaxing lavender bath. Lastly, guests enjoy a warm bolus massage using marine salt crystals and French lavender.

Laughter challenge

I saw a site that took me back to childhood. I was stopped at a light the other day and I noticed some girls laughing. They were laughing so hard they were almost doubled over. I was sitting in the car hoping the light wouldn't turn green so I could get some of what they had. It started with a smile then a laughter and I didn't know what they were laughing about! Laughter is certainly contagious.

The tension I was carrying around with me from adult responsibilities was lifted that day. It had some mesmerizing calming effect. It's a great reminder that life doesn't have to be so serious. Just watch children at play. They laugh for no reason. It's that child-like playfulness that we ought to bring back in our lives.

Throughout the day, give yourself a laugh challenge --- laugh with a friend, spouse, co-worker or your boss and feel the tension release. You don't need to find a reason to laugh. The source of laughter is within us, not outside of our bodies.

break the monotony

The best cure for me to stay fresh and passionate about life is to break the monotony of my routines and do something outrageous or out of the norm. I get too caught up in work that I have to remind myself there is more to life than working and relaxing.

It's far from taking sky diving lessons or bungee jumping, but this summer I left for mid-week silent retreat at a spiritual retreat center. The first few days were tough but by day 3, a peaceful calm took over me and suddenly those things I thought were important was just a blip in my life.

This weekend take a few hours to write a list of things you've always wanted to do. Then take bite sized steps to make it happen. Take a yoga retreat or class in another discipline, take a belly dancing class or climb that mountain. When our minds are open to new experiences, doors open to even better opportunities.

Are you a relax-aholic?

It's been a long while since I last posted Spahhh Talk readers. Thanks for your patience for those still with me. I'll be posting more regularly as I love to write about inspirations that come into my life that I want to share. Today that would be too much relaxation is not good for the soul.

Just like anything that we get too much of in life, it reverses its purpose. Spa too much, you get too spoiled in the luxury. Relaxing too much invites complacency. You'll know it's too much when you're spending more days pampering than to your life purpose. Relaxation is good for the soul but really we're much happier when we can work at what we love with doses of relaxation to keep us centered and balanced.

Give your cuticles a lift!

In my book of vanities, chipped nail polish and dry, cracked cuticles are a definite eyesore. Unless of course, you're going for the grunge look. That is why I'm so happy to have found Daniella's Body Care coconut cuticle oil which totally lives up to it's claims for "an uplifting fix for dry cuticles." I like to use it after removing nail polish, after my shower, or just before I go to bed. Honestly, I love the stuff and it has such a gentle smell. It comes in a convenient pump I can tote around in my purse so it's always with me. The oil absorbs quickly so there's never a greasy feeling. Just massage a small dollop onto your cuticles and you've got soft, beautiful fingertips to show the world.

Enough about vanity. Coconut oil has lots of benefits; most importantly, it's natural, does not contain toxins, and absorbs quickly into the skin. Coconut oil sooths dry skin and keeps the skin smooth and resilient. There's a whole line of coconut products at Daniella's Body Care Web site so don't stop at the cuticle oil. Get a full of list of benefits that coconut oil provides and other ingredients used in the Daniella line of products by selecting Learn on the Daniella Web site. Smooth, youthful skin...now who's not vain enough to want that?