Pick Me Up Tuesday: Spa day recession-style

In my "I just worked 70 hours since Thursday" exhaustion, instead of curling up in the bedroom while forcefully squinting my eyes against the 8am sun, I treated myself to an affordable pick-me-up.

My first stop? The day spa... only for my eyebrows (there are just some things you don't skimp on, and for God's sakes, they're on my FACE!).

I left the day spa and walked 4 doors down to the regular neighborhood nail shop for my mani-pedi combo (Yes I did, and I didn't even have to move my car. Don't laugh, there's a recession going on!).

The bonus? This particular shop has a massage chair that can actually work my kinks out. It doesn't just vibrate amuck like the cheaper lookalikes that give you shaken baby syndrome by the last coat.

As an aside: I feel compelled to share a deep, dark secret... my favorite Jersey nail shop has a chair that massages things that shouldn't be massaged (well, not in public). I wonder how many other GALs have tried to hide their surprise about the chair's um... routine... and kept it a secret, too. Shame on us. Yea... no emails about said location, by the way!

Since the smell and atmosphere of the day spa left me craving a facial, I stopped at the pharmacy in search of a minty facial wash or a clay masque. I'm talking about those old school green masques people wore on television while donning their bathrobes and rollers. The last masque I had (and loved), I bought from my Mary Kay lady in college (Yes, Mary Kay... and yes, college. Speaking of old school...). Just my luck, Queen Helene makes a Mint Julep Masque that was on sale as BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! I snagged the last two.

I also grabbed bubble bath for future soaks ($1 each) and it was off to soak and masque affordably. Maybe a little less sleep was worth it.

What's your recession-style routine?

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
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Is it simpler to stay or go?

Given my 2009 motto, and yesterday's post... which is more conducive to simplicity?

• Stay in this duplex and continue to get pissed off, being ignored by the landlady, while major appliances remain broken, and being spoken to like a crazy lady because I'm irate about _____________ (fill in the blank... freezing my tootsies off... going outside for my veggies... broken promises), praying that nothing else breaks so I never have to call them, and basically having to stalk her three times a day just to get her to answer the phone, when I barely have time in my day to eat or call my own family... all for the sake of convenience and a manageable price tag;
  

• OR, take the first vacation week I've had since last May, and instead of relaxing, pack up a 3-story house, find a mover and a new apartment (in the price range which is tough), including the extra costs associated with moving, disconnecting utilities, etc... running the risk that this landlord is equally as difficult, possible jerkface neighbors, less space, or the most common barrier -- not being able to bring the brand-new washer and dryer?

I just want to come home from a tough day and just BE. I'm tired of fighting, and something always being wrong!

My simplicity theory is already being tested. I need you guys' thoughts...




From the GAL Blog
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From narcoleptic to insomniac

For the 4th night in a row, I can't fall asleep before 2am.

I'm used to being an insomniac... I can remember laying in bed as early as grammar school, watching the sun rise without so much as a wink of sleep all night.

But, my surgical ICU schedule last month made it very easy to fall asleep. Working 30 hours virtually every other day, with half days of work in between... not to mention picking up the munchkin by 6pm during the other two days. No sleep issues then.

Once the adrenaline of that schedule wore off, I crashed even harder. I finished my bid 2 days before my birthday. Purposely avoiding anything requiring major planning, a quiet weekend in some random town in New Hampshire sounded wonderful. Too bad my weekend is a blur of naps, food poisoning, and more naps.

The nice gazebo overlooking the inn's garden? Admired it through the backs of my eyelids. The boat cruise along Portsmouth Harbor and the Isles of Shoales? Snoozed. Any beautiful, quiet, relaxing moment? NAP time! I couldn't fight those heavy lids to save my life. Hours of my life gone, with only periodic awakenings filled with guilt about sleeping my birthday weekend away.


Oh well. It was relaxing.

So, I must have used up all of my sleep hours for the rest of the year. Because, now I'm struggling.

Maybe I need a little more narcoleptic New Hampshire in my life.

My favorite pic from the weekend...
found on the side of a random back road with no humans in site:

In case you can't see, it says: "Lettuce $1.00"

I definitely need more New Hampshire in my life.


Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com

The Art of Color

It's a proven fact that bright or soothing colors in a room can brighten your mood -- well, today, my proposition is that COLORING brightens your mood.

Even if you are childless, get out your watercolors or crayons and get to work! After a while, it becomes mindless, and relaxing. I think it's akin to meditating in some ways. All of your other senses are turned off and it's just you and the decision between aquamarine and turquoise.

One of my closest girlfriends and I used to buy coloring books in college when we were stressed out. It seemed goofy at the time, but maybe we were on to something.

For Father's Day, the lil' man and I made a watercolor Picasso as a present, and I really did feel calmer... I'll be looking out for your Picassos soon!



Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com

How "Sex & The City" and a fun girls' trip makes all the difference

Sometimes, we need a moment to pause the hustle and bustle of life and just be women: feel sexy, feel confident, be gorgeous, laugh a lot, and enjoy the company of other like-minded women. The deal this weekend was to temporarily shed the daily labels - wife, mom, daughter, employee, doctor, teacher, accountant, event planner - and HAVE FUN.

Mission accomplished.

My GAL pals and I planned a group trip to Chicago to see the new movie - Sex And The City. We started our treks Friday morning from Newark, Hartford, Philly and Washington Dulles airports and by 6pm had all landed into Chicago (despite the thunderstorms trying to keep us away).

FRIDAY

- Dinner at Exposure Tapas restaurant
- Night out at Funky Buddha Lounge with ?uestlove of the Roots spinning

SATURDAY

- Home-cooked breakfast by the person who woke up first
- Walking in comfy shoes around Buckingham Fountain, and Grant & Millennium Parks
- Window shopping (okay maybe a lil' more than window) along Magnificent Mile
- Resting our feet while overlooking the city in the Hancock Observatory (including our silly, ANTM-inspired window washing shoot).


- Girls' lunch at TGI Fridays
- Home for a quick-change
- Appetizers at Lucky Strike

- MOVIE watching at AMC River East 21 (great theater). Thank goodness we pre-purchased!

- Drinks at Delacosta
- Dancing at BonV

SUNDAY

- Packing packing packing...

- Brunch cruise on Mystic Blue (complete with karaoke, the Electric Slide, and Mimosas!)




- A final toast... to bring our newfound serenity, relaxation, perspective, sense of fun, and SEXY-ness back to our real lives.

- Jetsettin' back home (thanks United, although you need more LEGROOM, take a tip from Jet Blue, won't ya?)

ONE LAST SHOT!

GALs... This trip was JUST what I needed to get me over the last piece of the rut. Are any of you ladies planning a gals' trip this summer? Do tell!


Stay tuned for the GAL tips I've been using since Memorial Day to kick off the summer the right way! We'll also have a new addition to the GAL blog soon. More info later.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com

15 Minutes (and the tub) Goes A Long Way...

Over the last year, I've found that certain things instantly calm me, no matter how riled up I am. I realized that I hate artificial light (from lightbulbs), so I started showering in complete darkness and just allowing my thoughts to focus on the water running against my skin. Then, I added candles, because the flicker from that tiny wick dancing along the wall is entrancing. Soon, I started soaking in the tub (tub + lights out + candle + various bubble baths). Later, came reading a book (or magazine) with extra candlelight to read by. Occasionally, there's a beverage involved -- either chamomile tea or a glass of wine. Last week, I brought a tray of snacks up. Today -- I plugged in my small radio. Things are getting dangerous now. I think I've created my own little oasis.

Whatever it takes to leave the crazy day behind, man. Even my son is getting used to my 15 minute candlelit soaks ("Mommmm-my, whatcha dooooing? You taking a baaaath?" from his bed... Me: "Go to bed!" Him: "Ooo-kay").

Today's 15 minutes have now turned into an hour (the week was especially bad). I'm still sitting in the bathroom, two candles burning, lights off (except for the light from the laptop) and with each minute, my crazy week is drifting into faint nothingness.

Too bad I have to work this weekend.

What's your quick (relaxing) 15-minute fix? ..that one thing that brings you back to center when life is just WAY too hectic?


Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com

When stress kills

Think your everyday stress isn't harming your body? Think you have it under control?

Yesterday's webmd.com article shows us exactly what we're doing to our hearts with each bout of stress we incur. Stress can be as little as running to late for work in the morning, or as big as the death of a loved one. It can cause acute damage like a heart attack, or slowly damage your heart over time.
Oh yea -- think you're safe because you're the quiet type who doesn't yell? SORRY... Here's what the article says about you:

People with type D personalities (characterized by pessimistic emotions and inability to share emotions with others) and type A personalities (characterized by anxiety directed outward as aggressive, irritable, or hostile behaviors) are more likely than others to suffer heart attacks.

So ladies (and the gentlemen who read this blog) -- the GAL creed already talked about managing your stress, now's the time to really get it under control. The kids are back in school, traffic has worsened, there's less sun shining on all of us. Don't let stress consume you. Go for walks, avoid negative people, make changes in your life, hey - try yoga (see earlier post)!

Whatever you do, protect your hearts.

I don't wanna see you in my hospital 20 years from now, can't walk upstairs or have fluid in your lungs because your heart has pooped out.

For more GAL blogging, check out http://www.getalifecampaign.com/blogger.html.