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 Chocolate Day Spa A day of indulgence is the perfect antidote for frazzled, overworked moms, so call your babysitter or a friend and see if you can clear some time for a date with yourself. YogaWorks, a great place to recharge your battery, has five locations throughout Orange County. If your finances allow, treat yourself to a full-blown spa day for a massage, facial or manicure and pedicure a la carte. Many spas now offer membership programs; you can get either a facial or a massage each month, which may make it easier for you to allot time for yourself on a regular basis. For a sweet indulgence, visit the wonderful Chocolate Day Spa in Costa Mesa for pampering body treatments, including a Chocolate Mocha Sugar Scrub or a Chocolate Indulgence Body Wrap. The combination of relaxation and chocolate decadence will have your inner chocoholic to begging for more. The good news: You won’t gain a pound! Make a stop at the makeup counter of Sephora, Planet Beauty or your local department store and ask the salesperson to educate you about the latest makeup trends; enjoy a quickie demo. Be sure to let her know that you are on a time schedule and only have 10 minutes to spare. The purchase of even one new beauty product will do the trick and give you that much-needed beauty pick-me-up. Start small, and remember to be grateful for the little time that you do get. Properly thank the babysitter, friend or family member (assuming that she came through for you) with an extra tip, small gift or even product samples that you picked up at the makeup counter. They will be more likely to help out again next time. Finally, here are a few other options for Orange County moms: Take a walk on the beach at Crystal Cove, enjoy an ice cream cone on Balboa Island, stroll through a favorite gallery in Laguna Beach or have afternoon tea at one of the region’s luxury hotel properties. The Resort at Pelican Hill has formal tea service every afternoon. •> MOM'S GIVEAWAY: SHINE A LIGHT Moms are often the finders in the family. And in the do-it-yourself spirit, Modus’ resilient polymer body makes a little light tough enough to be dropped in a sink, pool or puddle. Modus features an o-ring seal that makes it water resistant. No need to worry about constantly changing batteries. And the flexible open-architecture design not only provides a comfortable, flexible grip, it dissipates heat from the LED for a longer- lasting light. myiconlight.com Go HERE for a chance to win the light. Congratulations to last month’s winner: Kayee Bank of Irvine. •> MEDICAL EXAM CONFUSION By Tamirra Stewart Frequency guidelines for mammograms and Pap smears were recently modified to rewrite the rules drummed into us for years. What is right? How do we know? Are they sure? The revisions come from studies showing that mammograms performed on pre-menopausal women under the age of 50, who are at a low risk for breast cancer, are less likely to yield accurate results due to the density found in the breasts of younger women, resulting in a lot of “false positives” and undue emotional distress. The Pap smear has had similar revisions. What was once a mandatory once- a-year test has turned into once every three years for the same reason as the mammogram, minus irradiation – the prevention of unnecessary freak-outs that come with a false positive. So what do you do? On one hand, this thrills me. Speaking for those of us who have a lot less for the radiologist to work with, I could do without the annual painful pancake contortion. But the “on the other hand” is a little scary. Even studies involving women over 50 yield results that could support a non-yearly justification. A Canadian study showed that annual mammograms performed on women between the ages of 50 and 65 do not affect the breast cancer mortality rate. For all of the “studies have shown this” and “studies have shown that,” the conclusion is marvelously anticlimactic: The choice is up to the individual. What? We have some say? So, the new standard is that we are advised to listen to ourselves and do what we feel is right. Not that trying to squish the unsquishable into something the thickness of parchment paper will ever “feel” right – but you know how that goes. Sources: Breast Cancer Action, National Breast Cancer Coalition, National Cancer Institute, Our Bodies Ourselves Tamirra Stewart is a contributing writer for OC Family magazine. •> BURKE WILLIAMS SPA By Tina Borgatta It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I called my niece and asked if she was in the mood for some spa time. She jumped at the idea and suggested we go to Burke Williams. Now, I have to confess, I had been reluctant to give Burke Williams a try – only because it’s a chain. Crazy, right? I realized that the moment I stepped into its sanctuary in Mission Viejo. The facility itself is beautiful – upscale, elegant and inviting. The amenities rival the most luxurious resort spas anywhere. I was glad I arrived well before my scheduled massage; it gave me plenty of time to unwind. I quickly slipped on my bathing suit then slid into the steaming, soothing spa, which was stocked with plenty of iced lemon water and chilled face cloths – nothing like a little hot-and-cold therapy. My niece, Chrissy, joined me a short time later, but I was already well on my way to nirvana. After a few minutes of chatter, we headed to the relaxation lounge. (How’s this for relaxing: Chrissy says that on a previous visit, she found the darkened, quiet surroundings so calming, she fell asleep in one of the comfy recliners.) Before long, it was time for our treatments – a massage (the Pure Relaxation, of course) for me and a facial for her. We re-emerged glowing and happy, and I vowed to return to try out the new signature Detoxifying Massage. It starts with a detoxifying tea cleansing and body exfoliation, then a massage using acupressure, aromatherapy and special oils. Sounds purely indulgent, doesn’t it? Burke Williams Spa > 27741 Crown Valley Pkwy., Suite 211 Mission Viejo > 20 City Blvd., West Building C3 Orange |
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