A Spa Day and a $1 Well Spent!

 Yesterday I got to finally redeem my Mothers Day giftcard I had been saving since May, and spent the afternoon at the Ahlara Spa being pampered. I knew that the day would come as I got bigger this pregnancy, and wish that I had a massage to use, so I was so happy I had savored it as long as I did! The day had come and I couldn't wait any longer, so I booked the Pacha Mama (prenatal 1 hour massage) and pedicure.

 As soon as I pulled up in the spa parking lot, I was immediately transferred to another world, and felt very Zen when I walked inside and saw the pretty fountains and Indian statues. I was so ready to begin relaxing! I checked in and waited on my name to be called, and was then met by a sweet young girl who took me to the changing rooms to transform into my spa attire.

 Crappy Blackberry photo of me after I changed into my robe in the spa locker room. It was at that moment I got all modest when my masseuse walked in and I had to ask her if I was to get fully nude, or leave my undies on. She then informed me that most people go fully nude to get the best out of their massage, but that there were still a few that preferred to leave their undies on. Well, I guess you could say I am part of the few. I need a refresher course on these kinds of things, as well as how much you should tip at these kinds of places. (spas, hair salons, nail salons, etc.) I always wonder if I am tipping them enough, or too much, and then I wonder if the tip is included in their services. I guess it's supposed to be assumed that I'm to know these kinds of things ha! After getting in my robe, the sweet girl then took me to the Zen Den to choose from an assortment of fragrant teas and waters, and to relax until she was ready for me. It was then that I got all weird again, as I was sitting in just my robe, and another woman walked in, fully clothed, obviously not there for the same services that I was there for. I was afraid my abundant pregnancy girls would fall out, so I pulled my robe tighter and pretended to be very into the magazine that I was reading. I was actually relieved when the young girl came back and called my name for the massage.

This was my first experience at having a prenatal massage, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I have only ever had two massages in my life, my first was a couples massage on our honeymoon cruise to the carribbean and the second was last year at the uber luxurious Ballantyne resort during Scot's annual Christmas party. Both were heavenly and had me yearning for more, but I just never seem to make the time or save the money for pampering myself in such a way. I was instructed to get comfy on my bed of pillows and she would be back to start the massage once I had changed. Once I was ready, she came back in and had me choose from an assortment of fragrant massage oils. I decided on relaxing Lavender over the Eucalyptus or Peppermint, seeing as how I didn't think this almost full term pregnant Mama needed any sensory overload with strong smells. I was happy with the Lavender, as it actually seemed to calm me and before I knew it I had drifted off to relaxation. I may or may not have started to drool as I was almost asleep, and I enjoyed every bit of the massage and couldn't wait for the next part of my spa day, my much needed pedicure!

 Once changed back into my clothes, I got to have a sit in a massage chair and soak my swollen feet in this soothing bath. I told the pedicurist she had her work cut out for her because it had been awhile since I had last had a pedicure. She laughed and told me they weren't bad, and again I let my worries fade away as I turned into a puddle and relaxed. There was one point that I got really ticklish and it was all I could do not to jerk my foot, but that moment passed and I was so happy with the end result and pretty pedicured toes!

 As you can see, I have wide, short fat feet and toes so they need all the help they can get ha! I was very happy with my french pedicure and was happy to show them off.

 I got back home and it was back to the real world of being a wife and Mommy, as I made dinner and gave Ryder a bath. After we had eaten, I told Ryder I had a surprise for him. I pulled out the grow capsules I had bought at one of our Target trips to the Dollar Tree. I had played with these capsules as a little girl and had loved watching them take shape and start to turn into a creature when you put them in the bath tub, and knew Ryder would love it too! Rather than dumping all of the capsules in the water all at once, I let Ryder choose a few capsules and we watched them as they grew!

 Like watching water boil..

 Just as I had thought, Ryder squealed with excitement as the first capsule began to take shape, and then it became a race to see which would be next to explode. Memories of my childhood came flooding back, and how much fun I had with the capsules. I only remember the ones from my day being slimy and had a smell, where these were more like miniature sponges that didn't have a smell at all. Ryder squealed for more so we added a few more capsules to the hot water and each time he got excited all over again as it began to take shape and grow!

 Can you see the excitement on Ryder's face?

It was definitely a $1 well spent and we will be loading back up on our next visit to Target, after seeing how much endless entertainment could come from just $1! It brought back sweet memories from my childhood and it was fun to pass on the same memory to Ryder.