Me Time (Mommy Pampering)

This post is a review of an OC infrared sauna body wrap I recently experienced at Dantian Studio in Costa Mesa, one of Tiny Oranges juicy sponsors.

Dantian Studio offers both a far infrared sauna as well as the far infrared body wrap for those in OC looking to sweat out some toxins. Before I tell you about my treatment, let me tell you a little story about why I needed this so badly.

The other morning we were running a little late for school (again) and in the flurry of  ”Why aren’t you in the car? Where’s your school bag?  Why aren’t you getting buckled?”  I spilled my coffee all over, splashing my clothes on a day I had actually taken a shower before school and actually gotten dressed in real people clothes.

Next thing I know as we are pulling out of the driveway my daughter’s school bag somehow falls forward and into my green smoothie (breakfast). This bag is NOT clean. I had some wipes somewhere at the bottom of the abyss that is the passenger side floor of my car so I was able to salvage her bag, but it had touched my smoothie and contaminated its goodness. So, what did I do? I drank it.

Time for mommy detox.

I had been to a traditional infrared sauna place before but had never heard of a far infrared sauna body wrap, and I was very excited to try it out!  The Dantian Studio experience is centered around health and wellness and this treatment focuses on both of those things.

The far infrared sauna body wrap at Dantian Studio in OC is a serene spa experience.

I was given a plush towel wrap to put on in a cozy room and once situated on the bed, I was wrapped a layer of plastic and then the far infrared wrap over that. I was told if I started to feel a little warm I could remove my arms (which I did a few times).

On a bedside table just to my right was a yummy smelling cold wash cloth, a glass of chilled water and my cell phone.

Jaime (the owner of Dantian Studio) gave me the number to the front desk and said to call if it got to be too much for me.

She did a great job of explaining how it would go: the first 15 minutes I would think, this is relaxing, by 30, I would start to feel very warm, by 30-45 minutes I would be getting quite sweaty and hot and for the last 15 I would feel ready to get out. And she hit the nail on the head!  Knowing what to expect made it easier and more relaxing.

I was scheduled to leave for a wedding in Cabo a couple of days later- so I was thrilled to learn that just a half hour treatment can burn up to 600 calories!  And let me tell you I believe it because I was sweating in there, like, a lot, from everywhere, and it felt good!

After it was over I felt amazing. I took a refreshing cool shower in their tranquil private bathroom with all of their divine products to sample and my skin felt so soft and smooth.

Here’s how Dr. Oz explained the technology in his show on High-Tech Ways to Extend Your Life:

“It makes the same rays that come from the sun and filters out the UV radiation, so it only gives you the infrared radiation.  That radiation that’s infrared goes a little bit into your skin so, without heating you up and the external environment too much, it heats the body up.”

“It gets your heart to beat faster, and it burns calories,” Dr. Oz says.  ”It raises your metabolism a little bit, and also when you sweat, you sweat out the toxins through the skin.”

On the wellness side it can aid with aches, pain, increase circulation, and encourage healing of damaged tissue.

Talk about a detox, I’m sure after that treatment all the yuckiness from my daughter’s school bag was literally left on the spa room bed.

Dantian Studio offers individual sessions, packages of 10 and monthly memberships. Click here for pricing.

[Disclosure: Dantian Studio is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor and I received this treatment complimentary to facilitate this hot review.]

As moms, we often usually take care of everyone else before ourselves. To carve out time for a little pampering sometimes usually feels like a guilty pleasure, right? But really, it should be considered a necessity!

So, in honor of you deserving moms (and dads!) pure blu Spa in the Newport Beach Marriott is offering a giveaway of a FREE 50-minute treatment of choice to celebrate the back-to-school season (regardless if your kid is in school yet or not!!)

pure blu Spa is one of my favorite spas in Orange County. There are many, many reasons why I love it, but one of the things I love the most is that it is the perfect spa to meet girlfriends and spend the day.

Located across from Fashion Island, I love that pure blu is easy to get to. Simply pull up and valet your car (it’s complimentary with validation for spa visitors) and you will find the spa to the left off the main lobby when you enter the property.

Spacious and lovely, pure blu offers spa-goers its own saltwater private pool where you can relax on a chaise and munch on their delightful lunch menu.

Recently I met a small group of girlfriends at pure blu to take a BREAK from summer break!  I was so happy I almost started crying when I walked in and saw them. Guess that’s when you know you REALLY need a little time away to reconnect with friends!

But if you are the type of person who prefers to go to the spa alone and embrace total tranquility for the day, I have never seen the spa pool crowded, so it would be the perfect spot to curl up on a lounge chair and take a snooze or just BE.

Inside the spa you will find a Eucalyptus steam room, dry sauna, saltwater whirlpool Jacuzzi and refreshing cold foot plunge so you can indulge in various spa rituals before or after your treatment.

pure blu was nice enough to treat me to one of their new signature rituals, the Pure Bliss, while I was there. To me, ANY spa treatment is “pure bliss” but this particular Pure Bliss treatment was in another blissful category all its own!

Consisting of 80-minutes of pampering massage, scrub and wrap ~ this treatment was most appropriately named!

My therapist started out with an amazing massage. Focusing on my back, neck and shoulders, all of my cares melted away underneath her hands.

Then at some point in the abyss of bliss, she started with an exfoliating scrub.  I had never had a body scrub before and I loved it!

I was told that on many scrubs, you get up and actually shower at some point to rinse the exfoliants off, but in the Pure Bliss treatment, I stayed on the table the entire time, and the scrub was gently rubbed away with warm towels, which I was then wrapped in.

My therapist said the wrap helps the moisturizer seep in just that much deeper after the exfoliation. I walked out of the room feeling like a warm noodle with soft as a baby skin.

The 80-minute Pure Bliss treatment is being offered at the new introductory price of $150. Highly recommend.  Especially if you are having a hard time deciding on a treatment – you really get the best of two different types of services.

pure blu is also offering a special for our readers! Mention “Tiny Oranges” when booking your treatment now through 9/30/12 and receive a 50-minute massage or facial for $95 (offer good any day except the Saturday – Monday of Labor Day weekend).  Time to email your girlfriends and pick a date to meet up mamas!

Make sure to also “Like” pure blu Spa on Facebook as they always have a ton of special deals, offers and giveaways going on for their Facebook followers.

And if you have not done so already, sign up for the Spa Week newsletter, and keep an eye out for their Spa Week offer for a $50 treatment coming this October during west coast Spa Week.

Hooray! It’s a Tiny Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a free 50-minute spa treatment! GOOD LUCK!

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[Disclosure: I received my treatment complimentary to help facilitate this review. Thank you for the blissful day pure blu!]

My friend Leigh is an instructor at YAS in East Costa Mesa. Have you heard of YAS? Standing for “Yoga and Spin” it’s the first studio dedicated to the combination of yoga and spinning.

People have raved about their classes and I have always wanted to try it, so I got my booty out of bed at 5:20am to make it to her 6:00am YAS class which she teaches every M/W/F morning from 6 – 7am.

Not gonna lie, it was early. I usually get up around 6:15am, so it was not THAT much earlier, but it felt like it when the alarm went off.  But here’s the thing – once you are UP – it isn’t that bad! Plus, to walk out at 7am with a kick (you know what) workout behind me felt pretty awesome.

They are giving Tiny Oranges readers a special of 5 classes for $50 (first time clients) so you can try it out too. And don’t worry, you don’t have to go at 6am, they have lots of classes to chose from. But let me tell you, Leigh is so awesome she is worth the early morning wake up!

The YAS class is a combo class that includes a 30-minute spin workout, followed by a 30-minute yoga class.

The studio offers three different types of classes: Yoga for Athletes (yoga alone, all levels, from beginning to Yoga for Athletes – Ripped!), YAS Indoor Cycling (spinning alone) and then the YAS Class which is the combo.

I LOVED the YAS Class! I have been a spinner off and on for years, to me, it is one of the best cardio workouts ever. Leigh is totally inspiring, not intimidating and kept motivating us to see just how much more we could challenge ourselves.

And to those of you who are scared of spinning, I hear you, I was scared before I tried it too. But here’s the thing, you can ease into it and adjust the intensity! You are not going to keel over and fall off the bike. I promise. Start off easy, and then work up to a great challenge. Take it from me –  you might even love it.

So after 30 minutes of pretty intense, heart pumping spinning, just when you want to look at your watch thinking, “How much MORE can I do at this level?” – it’s over! I haven’t sweat like that in a class in awhile.

Then we headed over to the yoga studio.

I never stretch like I should after a workout. I often tell myself I will stretch at home when I end a class, but once I am sucked into home demands, I rarely ever get to it.

To be able to spend 30 minutes doing yoga AFTER spinning was amazing. Lots of breathing, toning poses, some great ab work, and deep stretching. It felt amazing.

I walked out feeling like a million bucks.

Again, if you would like to try it out for yourself, mention “Tiny Oranges” to take advantage of their special offer of “5 Classes for $50” good for first time clients!

www.go2yas.com

Most of us can probably think of the obvious reasons why an OC mom would want to consider getting hair extensions. Just the word “hair extensions” conjures up images of celebrities with long, flowing, va va voom type of locks. You know, the type of tresses most of us would love to have, but most of us aren’t blessed with naturally? But when talking to local hair stylist, Tera Rae Stephens, an Orange County hair extensions specialist at Tek Salon in Costa Mesa, she mentioned that many women now days are opting to get hair extensions for other not so obvious reasons.

Ever been curious to try them?  Tera is GIVING away some below ~ make sure to enter!

Here is what Tera shared about why some of her clients are choosing her Hot Heads hair extensions…

 ”Extensions can be used to add highlights and lowlights without the commitment of a chemical service.

Using extensions in a different color can add dimension, texture and depth without damaging the hair like color could. This is my client Kim. We added some light brown and caramel pieces to change up her color.  It adds a fun “pop!” and took 10 minutes in the salon rather than 2 hours and the cost is only $100.”

“This is my client Nancy.

Nancy isn’t the typical extensions client, she decided to try extensions because her own hair was thinning.  As we age, our hair loses its vitality and can become thinner and less youthful looking.  Extensions can be worn shorter, with the purpose of adding volume.  They are fantastic on her!”

“Another lesser known reason women are choosing hair extensions is for growing back hair after chemo. My client Lesa couldn’t wait to have her hair back so she could feel more herself again after her treatment for breast cancer. She started wearing Hot Heads extensions as soon as her hair was long enough.  She wore them for an entire year as her own hair grew back in.  She is now cancer-free and rocks her own locks!”

Here was her first round of Hot Heads:

And after her second round of hair:

Thanks Tera for sharing!

But for whatever reason you might choose to explore getting hair extensions, if the end result is a more confident YOU, that is reason enough!

For more info: www.teraraestephens.com
Watch Tera on Fox 5 San Diego demonstrating how Hot Heads hair extensions work.
Tera on Facebook ~ Tera on Twitter

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There are spas, there are spppaahhhhhhhs, and then there are spas that have so many “ahhhhs” that it catapults them into a category all their own and so is the case with Spa Montage Beverly Hills.

I had the opportunity to visit this divine oasis last month when my husband and I had the opportunity to visit the property for a one night getaway. A 2pm massage was booked for me and excited wasn’t even the word to describe how much I was looking forward to it. After a month of June that was so busy it didn’t seem like I stopped to breathe, when I walked into the spa, I exhaled for the first time in weeks.

An opulent two-story Spanish inspired facility, Spa Montage is a place where you can relax and surrender to an otherworldly place of serenity.

With 20,000 square feet of space to spread out, I loved the fact that even though it was a summer Saturday, there were times I felt like I almost had the place to myself.

Upon arrival, I decided to put on my swim suit and check out the heart of the spa, a gorgeous co-ed mineral pool.  Settling in with no one else in sight, I closed my eyes and basked in the natural sunlight pouring in from the sky lights above and once again, exhaled.

The mineral pool is surrounded by beautiful mosaic tiles and multiple chaises and areas for relaxation. The perfect spa to convene with girlfriends for a spa day (note to self.) What a fun birthday celebration spot it would be. Hubby, you reading this?

After my dip I headed back to the Women’s Lounge to do some time in the steam and sauna. To my delight, there was another private woman’s jacquzzi as well as two chaises in this area with reclined positions where you can lounge with cool cucumbers on your eyes after the heat.

Then it was almost time for my massage so I went to the cozy waiting room and curled up with a plush blanket and magazine to wait for my therapist while snacking on a selection of organic raw almonds and dried fruit. And then I met her, my relaxation angel, massage therapist extraordinaire – Victoria.

When we got to the treatment room, the first thing she asked me was, “what is going on with your body today?” She told me her goal was to make the day’s treatment personalized and specific to what was going on with me at the present time.

She also shared that anything in the room or with the treatment could be adjusted for my comfort…the heated table, air, pressure, you name it.  At the heart of Spa Montage’s personalized approach to wellness, these consultations help create a balanced state of wellbeing for each individual.

Then she asked if I would like aromatherapy massage oil.  One whiff of the apricot pomegranate variety, and I was singing, “yes, please!”

And then it began, the most deliriously relaxing massage I have had in years.  So relaxing I kept drifting in and out of consciousness.  She used many Swedish massage techniques, and I remember thinking, this is how Swedish massage is supposed to be done.

Her massage reminded me of ballet as her hands were dancing over each and every tired muscle in a blissful routine. Heavenly.

Oh, I didn’t want it to end.  Ever.

I will be back to see my massage angel.  And if you are in the Beverly Hills area, make a special trip and treat yourself.

Every Spa Montage therapist and esthetician have to participate in a year-long training program that includes extensive hours and continued education so that you are getting only the best of the best in every service they offer.

Call 310.860.7854 to make your appointment to escape and visit www.SpaMontage.com/BeverlyHills for more information. You can also click here for a list of Services.

[Disclosure: I received my treatment complimentary to facilitate this review. Such a dreamy job. Photos provided by Montage.]