Spa Party of the Month: ...Every Now & Zen Baby Sprinkle

Spring is finally on it's way and one thing that Spring is good for is tea parties. For this month's Spa Party of the Month, I figured I'd share some ideas for an Asian/tea themed baby shower (Because even mommies deserve a bit of pampering Every Now & Zen). I think this shower is perfect for a mom who already has at least one kid under the belt. Opinions vary on whether to hold baby showers after the first baby, but I say go for it! I think that these type of showers or "sprinkles" are the perfect opportunity to focus less on the gifts and more on having a nice event for the mom-to-be to celebrate the impending addition to her family, and an excuse to get together with women who will encourage and support mom through this additional chapter in her life.

Getting Comfy

In many Asian cultures it is traditional not to wear shoes inside the home. Taking off ones' shoes also helps you get comfy and in a spa-like mood. Wouldn't it be fun to have an assortment of Japanese tabi socks available for guest to slip on upon entering.

Photo: Sock Dreams

If you really want to get into the theme, ask guests to bring a kimono robe to change into once they arrive.

Treatment

2010 is the Year of the Tiger so this baby may be one that the ladies can't wait to "get their paws on". Since mothers of newborns are often concerned about germs, washing/sanitizing ones hands before even winking at the baby is Rule #1. Therfore, manicures should be the treatment of the day.

I'd suggest DIYing it with help. Look for a eco-friendly nail technician who is willing to come out and walk guests through "greening" thier nail care routine. She can introduce a variety of eco-friendly products that allow moms-to-be to pamper themselves without feeling their are going to pass out from the noxious fumes regularly associated with nail care. For tips on what types of products are appropriate, see my Green Manicure for Earth Day post from last year.

Give your manicures a some Asian flair by having guests soak thier fingers in tea cups filled partially with bath tea, which can be poured warm from a kettle. Follow the soak with an exfoliating scrub like the Bamboo & Black Sesame Body Rub from Bella Lucce's Asian Indulgences collection, kumquat scented solid sugar cubes by Naid (love these!) or create a scrub of your own using this recipe from Bella Sugar:

Chinese Sesame Ginger Scrub

1. Chop about an inch of fresh ginger root into pieces, use a coffee grinder to chop it finely.
2. In a bowl, add in 1 tbsp. of ginseng powder, one-and-a-half tbsp. of sugar, four tbsp. of sesame oil, 1 tbsp. of rose-hip oil, five drops of myrrh, and five drops of mandarin essential oil. Mix it together with the ground ginger. (Myrrh is not reccommended for use by pregnant women)

For a nice "twist" offer mandarin scented oshibori towels for guest to use when removing their scrubs. What is oshibori you ask??

An oshibori (おしぼり or お絞り?) or hot towel in English is a wet hand towel offered to customers in places such as restaurants or bars in Japan and in Japanese restaurants worldwide. -wikipedia

Kick your oshibori up a notch by trying out some "origami".

Photo: Oshiboriart.com

Presents/Activities

Though gifts may not be the central focus of a "sprinkle", the mom-to-be will inevitably recieve some gifts. Encourage guest to wrap their gifts using the Japanese art of Furoshiki, known as Bojagi in Korea. No need to buy a special cloth, try wrapping the gifts in a baby blanket. Here is an example from YouTube of how this wrapping style works.

For more tutorials visit bobowrap.com, or check out this guide produced by Japan's Ministry of the Environment.

In addition to reducing the wrapping paper waste, these cloths can lend themselves to some fun shower games, like a Baby-Gami (swaddling) relay, or a Furoshiki fashion show. There are some great videos on how to make furoshiki handbags here, here and here.

In the next post in the series, I'll be sharing what food works well for this theme.

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Flintstones Meet the Jetset: Sight

So, by now your itching to host a co-ed caveman themed spa party featuring hot stone massages and great food right? Now, you just need some design inspiration.

For the "spa portion" of the program I'd suggest using animal print towels, which can be used during the treatments. There are a variety of beautiful animal print towels on the market though I must say I'm partial to the ones carried at Nieman Marcus and Anything Animals.

Photos: Safari  & Cheshire Animal towels, Nieman Marcus

You can also purchase plain towels in ivory and chocolate brown and embellish them yourself, pick out a different animal print for each couple, make one ivory and one chocolate set of each print for his & hers coordinating towels.  If you are offering a foot soak as part of any of the treatments it may also be a good idea to purchase a animal print bath mat (also available at Anything Animals) to catch any splashes.

Finish off the room with some votive candles in holders made of coconut cups or bamboo.

Photo: Shindigz

For the buffet area take some tips from these amazing prehistoric parties thrown by Denise of  Little Ant Design & Brooke of Jackaroo Love

Photos: Brook Meyerber of Jackaroolove

Photos: Denise Baker via SmugMug

And there you have it treatments, food, and design inspiration for your very own prehistoric pamper party (just don't call it that in front of the guys :) )

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Flintstones Meet the Jetset: Taste

 

Photo: Hanna-Barbera

Since February is the "Month of Love", I decided to feature an idea for a couples spa party. In the initial post in this series, I introduced the theme "Flintstones Meet the Jetset". Like the movie that inspired the title, Flintstones Meet the Jetsons (1987), it is meant to reflect what would happen if a caveman experienced some of the finer things in life.

In this post, I'll  share some ideas of what types of food would be appropriate for this event. Assuming you choose foot treatments, rather than a full body massage, you can skip the "spa food" and opt for dishes that are a bit more hearty.

View this Inspiration Board on Polyvore 

Sample Menu Items:

Brontosaurus Burgers- sliders or Brachiosaurus Bugers- veggie slider

Crab Balls, Braised Mussles 

Slaw or Cobb Salad

Prehistoric Pina Colada, Mudslides

Mud Puddle -Fondue, Tropical Sorbet served in coconut or pineapple cups

Veggie Dip with crudite cones (see below), Fruit Skewers

Trail Mix

Featured below are some of my favorite finds:

Verterra : these eco-friendly disposable plates/trays/bowls are made from fallen leaves

Photo: Joanne Hudson Basics

 Photo: Exel Pack Inc. 

These crudite cones looks so festive stuffed with a mixture of cut vegetables and colorful veggie chips.

Photo: Tampa Bay.com

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce

In the next post, I'll pull everything together by sharing some decorating inspiration.

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Spa Party of the Month: The Flintstones Meet the Jetset

Whew, this year is flying by, I can't believe we are almost into the 2nd week of February. I've been behind on my blogging schedule, and I still have one more post to complete January's Spa Party of the Month Series.

However, I've been itching to share February's Party theme "The Flintstones Meet the Jetset". This is actually one of the very first themes I cooked up when I initially decided to launch this blog in April of last year. Since it is a couples party, I've saved it until now, because of Valentine's Day of course.

When coming up with a couples spa party I was very consious of creating a theme I thought that the guys would like as much as the ladies. I skipped all of the cliche V-day reds, pinks, hearts and lace, and tried to come up with a fresh theme that'd work year-round, even for an "over the hill" party.

A tad bit of background... My husband is what some might call a "man's man...think Tim the Tool Man Taylor. The type of guy who doesn't expect his name and spa to occur in the same sentence unless your talking about a massage... and even then it better be a sports massage. He's your pre-metrosexual throwback guy who might even be referred to as a caveman. This party is for just that type of Fred Flintstone guy who has now stepped into the 21st century.

Flintstones Meet The Jetset by Hennergy on Polyvore.com

(When I tell you I was excited about this party, I wasn't exaggerating. I created the above Polyvore set in April. It incorporates both treatment & decor inspiration but I'll only be covering the treatments in this post)

Entertainment

While waiting for your treatments play an updated version of Barney & Fred's favorite game by bowling via Wii, and for only about $20 more you can get a Wii Bowling Ball for an even more authentic experience.

Treatments

Rubble Rub Down: full body hot stone massage (the whole gang would enjoy this one)

    or

 BEDRock Pedicure: "Pillow Pedicure" with hot stone massage (Wilma & Betty)

Pebbles Pedicure: traditional pedi with hot stone foot & leg massage (Wilma & Betty)

Bam Bam Thank You Mam: hot stone foot & leg massage ( Fred & Barney)

the hot stones* work perfectly with a caveman theme and are great warming elements during a cold season.

Most of the treatments are pretty self explainatory, execept for the "pillow pedicure." This treatment which I read about in Nails Magazine, is a soak-less pedicure created by Leslyn Zak of Wild Ivy Day Spa in Rockport, Mass. After running out of pedicure stations during a spa party, this quick thinking therapist developed the treatment on the fly using a massage table. When performed with hot towels and combined with stones I'm sure you won't miss the foot soak at all. In addition to the traditional foot & leg massage, the pillow pedi includes a hand and arm massage while you are waiting for your paraffin dip/masque to be removed; this could easily be substituted or supplemented with a scalp massage if your therapist is licensed or experienced in performing that service. Likewise, the Bam Bam can also include other extremities that don't require disrobing. Since this is a couples event and both parties will be in the room simultaneously, hiring both a massage therapist and a nail tech is a good idea as they may be able to switch off with each other to provide a custom experience.

When booking your therapist, see if they can get their hands on the Earth SpaPedicure Line by CND (Creative Nail Design), formerly known as Raw Earth, this line is supposed to appeal to both men & women and has an earthy/neutral feel. The line consists of a mineral bath, warming scrub, moisture masque & hydrating lotion.  If you are inclined to include a paraffin dip, try a greener and more sanitary alternative, that travels much easier the Soy SpaBath.

Getting the Pebbles Pedi? if your therapist isn't using an electric foot bath, she can also use hot rocks at the bottom of the pedicure tub to prevent the water from cooling too quickly.

You can also enhance your services by adding some warming wraps which come in a cheetah print that'll tie in well with the theme.

* Note: therapists may use actual basalt stones or self-heating (disposable) stones for treatments, inquire when booking if you have a preference.

Would your guy attend this party?

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Hawaiian Staycation: Taste

Hawaiian food reflects the diversity of cultures that exist in the Hawaiian Islands. In Hawaiian cuisine you'll find aspects of American, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Polynesian and Portuguese cooking. Though you could surely, go to town with a menu fit for a luau, its best to stick with finger foods (pupus), in light of the fact that you don't want your guests to be stuffed while getting massaged.

Menu
Polynesian Chicken Skewers
Coconut Shrimp (Ono Nui)
Ahi Poke &/or LomiLomi Salmon *
Smoothies/Daiquiris
Haupia

Photos (l-r): enjoyhawaiianvacations.com; Hawaiian tourism Japan; bigisland-bigisland.com

* If your guests aren't very fond of raw fish you can serve a grilled fish salad instead.


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Spa Party of the Month: Hawaiian Staycation

It is COLD outside, and as great as it would be escape the winter weather by hopping on a plane headed for a tropical destination, that luxury may not be in many of our budgets.  However, with a little creativity you can throw together a Winter Staycation that will wow all of your Recessionista friends, and be almost as fun as a full-blown girls getaway.

Destination: Hawaii

You don't have to leave your living room to visit the Aloha State, ALOHA is after all a state of mind .

The literal meaning of aloha is “the presence of breath” or “the breath of life.” It comes from “Alo,” meaning presence, front and face, and “ha,” meaning breath. Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect. Its deep meaning starts by teaching ourselves to love our own beings first and afterwards to spread the love to others.

According to the old kahunas (priests), being able to live the Spirit of Aloha was a way of reaching self-perfection and realization for our own body and soul. Aloha is sending and receiving a positive energy. Aloha is living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist in space, multiply and spread over to others. - from to-hawaii.com

When in Hawaii....

  Do a dance!

If you were to go to Hawaii for vacation, it is very likely that you'd catch a show featuring Polynesian (Hula) dancers, and that they'd pull you up for some audience participation. A private hula lesson is just the thing to get you moving and help shake off those winter blues (and pounds). If you are having trouble finding a Polynesian dancer in your area don't give up just yet, many bellydance teachers have been exposed to Hula and may be able to conduct a beginner lesson, as the fluidity of the movement is similar in both dance styles. If all else fails pop in a DVD like the Island Girl Dance Fitness Workout Set.

  Get a massage

Many times when people go on vacation they indulge in things that they wouldn't necessarily treat themselves to at home, like a full body massage at the resort's spa. Bring the resort to you by hiring a mobile spa technician to provide massage services, and lend a tropical element to the treatment by using a massage oil with hints of citrus or pure coconut oil. If you can find someone who is certified get traditional Hawaiian massages, called Lomi Lomi. It is probably best to have massage services performed in a private room/bedroom, separate from the main party area.

To get a feel for Lomi Lomi watch the short video below (it's in French but you'll be able to see the technique)



In the next segment I'll be sharing ideas on what you should eat on your Hawaiian Staycation. Of course tropical frozen drinks are a must. But don't use all of your fruits for drinking, pineapples & papayas both contain enzymes that make great facial peels, mix the pulp w a bit of honey and green tea (optional), and you've got an easy DIY facial mask to use while you wait for your massage treatments.


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Sole-Ful New Year: Taste

This month's Spa Party of the Month Theme is a "Sole-ful New Year", a New Year's Day brunch that kicks off the year the way it should be with friends, family and foot massages. For the scoop on pulling together the spa portion of the party visit the first post in the series.

In this post I'll be sharing some recipe tips that provide a new twist on traditional New Year's soul food favorites.


Menu
Black-eyed Pea Caviar
Warm Turnip Greens Dip
Grits Bar
Mini Pecan Pies 
Gratitude Cake


In the South it is customary to eat black eyed peas ( which symbolize luck) and greens (which symbolize money) on New Year's Day. 

Photo: Southern Living Magazine

This "Dixie Caviar" from Southern Living Magazine is a great way to serve black-eyed peas other than the traditional boiling them in a pot with your choice of smoked meat. I've made this before using a slightly different recipe and it was very good. The version I made called for a can of Rotel tomatoes, and I chose to use Newman's Own vinaigrette. Instead of using seasoned black eyed peas, which usually contain pork, I added quite a few shakes of liquid smoke to get a nice smoky flavor without the meat (though I've seen some recipes for this dish that call for bacon). We ate ours with Tostitos Scoops but I do like the presentation above with the endive that makes this dish a bit more party ready. 

Since Soul Food Brunch is the theme, a grits bar seemed like the obvious choice. Grits is one of the ultimate Southern comfort foods, but it can easily be dressed up for a party too (especially if you fry them). If you've never had a grit cake, your missing out. 

To make them: make a pot of grits seasoned to your liking (garlic and cheese is a good way to go) and pour them into a glass baking dish while they are still warm.  Put them in the refrigerator to cool and harden for a few hours and then cut them into squares. Dust squares with cornstarch or flour, dip them into an egg wash, and then dredge in seasoned breadcrumbs, and pan fry until golden.

Not in the mood for grit cakes? Try serving grits in martini glasses rimmed with cajun spice

Photo: Food Network

offer your guests these toppers:
Tomato Gravy 

Grillades

Shrimp & Gravy
Jalapeno Cheese Sauce

I just think these pecan pies are too cute and easy since they use phyllo cups instead of having to cut individual pie crusts. If you want to play with the filling a bit, I can attest that the Browneyed Baker's recipe for Chunky Pecan Pie Bars is very good, especially if you swap out some of the chocolate chunks for the Health Milk Chocolate Toffee.

Photo: Cookie Madness

I love the idea of Deborah Norville's Gratitude Cake linked above, but would go for a Sock-it-to-Me Cake or 7UP Cake instead of a plain boxed cake.

Well that wraps up the menu portion of this Spa Party Series. The next segment would usually give tips for decor, but since so many folks probably have their various holiday decorations up I'll skip that portion for this month. I will however, be rounding out the series with a Sole-ful Jazz playlist for your New Year's Spaliday Shindig. If you've got any suggestions of what songs should make the list feel free to leave them in the comment section.

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Spa Party of the Month: Sole-ful New Year

For the last Spa Party of the Month Theme of 2009, I thought it appropriate to share tips on hosting a spa party that'll help you kick off 2010 right. This unisex New Year's Day party is perfect for a day of relaxation and reflection with family, friends, and even a little football.


Many use the New Year as an opportunity to renew their purpose, reflect on areas for growth, and resolve to be better in the upcoming 12 months. Help your guests to Kick the New Year off right, by offering foot massages, to rejuvenate them and begin the year in health.

Why Foot Massage?

Well other than the fact that it allows me to use phrases like "Kick the New Year Off" or "Put Your Best Foot Forward", foot massage works well for a New Years Day Gathering for several reasons.

• It is a treatment that both men and women enjoy
• It is a treatment that doesn't require the removal of a great deal of clothing making it perfect for a mixed gathering
• It is not very time consuming, making it perfect for an informal party setting
• It's focus is on health and wellbeing rather than beauty, which ties in well with many of the most popular New Year's resolutions
• If your guests were up all night dancing and celebrating they'll surely appreciate it.

Kicking It Up A Knotch
 add one or more of these modalities to a basic foot massage for a truly special experience...

Aromatherapy: is based on the knowledge that scent has the power to impact one's emotional and physical health. Essential oils, which are highly concentrated plant-derived oils, are often incoporated into massage oils to provide various aromatherapeutic benefits. In a nod to another popular New Year's Day tradition, college bowl games, choose one of the citrus-laced massage blends available at The Spalibrations Shop.

CALM - Orange, lemon, lavender, bergamot and cedarwood essential oils serve to soothe and calm. *Note: not to be used during pregnancy.
ENERGIZE - Lemon, lime, tangerine and rosemary essential oils perk you up and bring a renewed energy. *Note: not to be used during pregnancy.
REFRESH - Orange, lime, geranium, bergamot and mandarin essential oils refresh, renew and uplift. *Note: not to be used during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Reflexology: is based on the theory that there are "reflex" areas on the feet that correspond to other parts of the body including organs and glands. "Practitioners believe that applying pressure to these reflex areas can promote health in the corresponding organs through energetic pathways.... A scientific explanation is that the pressure may send signals that balance the nervous system or release chemicals such as endorphins that reduce pain and stress. " (About.com)  Thai Foot Massage is also based on the priciples of reflexology, but can include additional elements such as a relaxing foot bath and the use of a wooden stick to apply pressure. Just one look at these videos on YouTube, and I'm sure you'll be clamoring for a Thai foot massage too. Thai massage with out stick, & with Stick.


Hot Stones: tell the troubles of '09 to "Kick Rocks"...sorry I just couldn't resist. However, the use of heated stones incorporated will be equally as irresistable, especially on a cold January day.

Toe Reading: while not directly associated with foot massage, you may find some reflexologists that also offer this service. Toe reading, is unlike physic readings in that it does not claim to make predictions, but rather to use the positions of ones toes to interpret what has been going on in one's life. Toe readers, seem to be concentrated in certain areas of the country, but if you can find one to come out to your event, it may be a fun and unique experience to offer guests. A Tidbit on Toe Reading from The Arizona Spa Girls.

Make It Special

Often when we entertain at our homes, we take our guests coats and throw them in a bedroom. Make the moment that guests enter your home truly special by taking it one step further and setting up a welcome station, as suggested by the party pros over at Partybluprints.com. You can ask guests to bring slippers, or have slippers/comfy socks provided, as they slip out of their coats and shoes offer them a glass of sparkling cider, or if it is an especially cold day a mug of tea.

Note: As mentioned earlier, New Year's Day is a time when many guys and gals enjoy watching college bowl games. If you really want the men in your family to participate it is a good idea to have an area separate from the treatment space where they can "kick back" and watch football. When you tell them they get football, food, and foot massages I'm sure you'll get no complaints from that corner.

In the next installment of this month's spa party theme I'll provide menu suggestions for a Soul Food spread that puts a twist on traditional New Year's foods like black-eyed peas.

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Milk-n-Cookies (Sight)

This month's Spa Party of the Month Theme is Milk-n-Cookies. If you missed the Touch post with spa treatment suggestions and the Taste post with menu suggestions be sure to check them out. In this last segment, I'll share a few ideas for decorating your Milk-n-Cookies Spajama party.

Since this is a Spajama Party the decor will be inspired by the bedroom.

Treatment Area

Photo credits from l-r [Hostess with the Mostess (2),Walmart, Party Wishes, Setting the Mood with Jamee (3), Walmart]

I just love the idea of setting the table to look like a bed. Originally done by The Hostess with The Mostess for a  bedtime story themed baby shower, the concept has been adapted by other party planners like  Donna of Party Wishes, and Jamee of Setting the Mood for fun and colorful sleepover party decor. I also like the little extras that Jamee did for this pajama party like the sweet dreams sign, and the floating candle with toe separators. Included in my photo montage, are two sheet sets available at Walmart.com that I think would work well for this theme.  Instead of using your "bed table" as your buffet area as Jamee did, I'd suggest using it as your treatment area. Put all of the necessary implements in the center of the table, and set a place setting for each guest, similar to the Hostess with the Mostess' table, substituting plates and napkins with manicure bowls, and hand towels. You can choose to set emory boards, nail brushes, orangewood sticks and buffers at each place setting or just have them available in small receptacles on the table.  Having manicures set up at the dining table allows guests sufficient work surface, and keeps them from having to lean over to a low coffee table or using their laps as table tops.

Cookie Buffet

One thing I've picked up from Amy Atlas' beautiful dessert bars is that she doesn't just dress the table. She often uses a backdrop which ties together the individual design elements on the table nicely. One example of this is the Moroccan inspired dessert bar she created for Sunday Suppers 

Photo: Karen Mordechai

You can make your own bed-inspired backdrop for your cookie buffet by creating an upholstered headboard. This popular DIY project is one which I undertook myself (though it was before my bloggy days so no photos, sorry); it is a relatively quick project if you have another pair of hands available. Many of the DIY tutorials you'll find online call for more expensive upholstery foam, which you can skip since you'll only be using this headboard for show. I'd also skip the drilling and do a fake-out tufting by just using my staple gun to secure the fabric where I wanted the buttons, and then glue gun the buttons on top. No need to drill new wholes in your wall, pick a place in the house where you already have photos hanging to set up your buffet, add d-rings or other picture mounting hardware to the back of your headboard, and switch out your photos for the event. If you are going to have a lot of pattern going on on the table, its a good idea to stick with a solid color headboard. If you have extra shams or pillow cases left over from the bed set you used prop some pillows up against the headboard on the table.

In Jamee's photos above you can see that she decorated the inside of the jars she used for her candy buffet (to see it done with cookies rather than candy visit the Milk-n-Cookies Taste post). This can be done with complementary fabric, scrapbook paper or wrapping paper.

For any additional decor throughout your party space, you can use storybooks and stuffed animals to add an element of whimsy.
 

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Milk-n-Cookies: Taste

Photo: Rebecca Thuss for Martha Stewart

The Spa Party of the Month Theme for November is Milk & Cookies ( Yummm!). In the first post of the series I introduced The Pajama Program, a charitable organization that collects new books and PJs for children in foster care & group homes; and suggested hosting a Spajama party in order to benefit the organization. I also provided a list of products, tips, and recipes for putting together DIY Milk & Cookies Manicure treatments, so be sure to check it out.

For each Spa Party of the Month (Taste) feature, I usually provide a full menu of serving suggestions that compliment the party's theme. This month the menu doesn't need much explaining so I'll share some pictures and recipes that may help inspire you when pulling together your own milk & cookies buffet.

I just love this fun, girly, carnival-esque cookie buffet from a Baby Shower thrown by Jen of the blog The Happenings, which was inspired by the shower below thrown by Brittany the blogger behind most likely LATE ( a blog I heart)

Milk can be served in a variety of ways from shot glasses, or in the vintage style bottles that were used above (which are available at IKEA for only $2.99). The Hip Hostess prefers Milk Martinis while the party planners from Colorblind Productions presented individual containers of in a bucket. Ronnybrook Farms (photo via Design Muse) offers attractively packaged milks in a range of flavors including chocolate and coffee.

If you are going to host a milk-n-cookies party during the cold season, it is a good idea to also have hot chocolate, and coffee available, with homemade marshmallows. You can also offer a variety of flavored syrups for those people who may want milk steamers. Not everyone drinks the same type of milk so be sure to offer milk with a lower fat content (like skim or 2%), as well as milk alternatives such as soy, rice, almond or hemp milks.

Now I'll let you in on my little secret.... I really want to be the Martha-y type mom that has fresh baked cookies awaiting, but baking isn't really my forté, though I love to cook. Whenever I do make cookies, I don't start from scratch, I start from cake mix! Here is a site with cake mix cookie recipes; I usually substitute butter for the oil, and add in a few drops of vanilla (to make me feel like I'm doing something). My favorite mix to start with is German chocolate and then add Heath Toffee Bits and Chocolate Chunks in. Another cookie that my grandmother's good friend used to make each time we visited is Potato Chip Cookies, which you'd be surprised are very good.

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday when I'll share some Spajama Party decorating tips.

So what is your favorite type of cookie?

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Spa Party of the Month: Milk-n-Cookies Spajama Party

It is getting cold outside quickly! It seems that overnight my 22 month old transitioned from going to bed in a onsie to slip sliding across the floor each morning in his footie pajamas. His bedtime routine for the past few months consists of changing into his pajamas, and reading two books (though he always wants another). Within the last month, after lights out he falls asleep (On his own YAY!) to his Louis Lion Sings Goodnight CD from the Baby Loves Jazz series. Though we don't always follow a set schedule during the day, his books, kisses and hugs at bedtime are something he's come to expect, from both my husband and myself, and he'll readily point out what activity comes next if either of us strays from the routine.

Unfortunately, not all children have these comforting rituals to look forward to at bedtime. The Pajama Program was established precisely to help fill this need.

The Pajama Program provides new pajamas and new books to children in need, many who are waiting and hoping to be adopted. Thousands of the children [they] serve live in orphanages, group homes, and shelters and are shuffled often between temporary living facilities. Many of them have been abused or abandoned, and have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them in at bedtime and read to them. Since 2001 [the Pajama Program has provided] more than 430,000 pajamas and 190,000 books to children in need nationwide.  -The Pajama Program

The winter is not only the coldest season, but one filled with reminders of friendship, family, love and gift-giving. For those children awaiting a family or who are otherwise estranged from their own, this can be a time when they are feeling loneliest. The gift of Pajamas from the Pajama Program, is often the first pair that any of these children have owned, and they provide  warmth and comfort on a number of levels.

For youngsters, new pajamas are a necessary part of promoting good health and preventing infections and disease, as well as providing psychological benefits," says Pajama Program advisory board member Sheldon Cherry, M.D., a clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York's Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

In order to drum up awareness of this organization among your friends/family, host a Spajama Party! This fun and whimsical theme lends itself well to a multi generational event, with the added bonus of involving children in charitable work. Ask guests to come clad in PJs and to bring along a donation of either a new book, new PJs or both. After your party, you can deliver the items that you've collected to your local Pajama Program chapter. November is also National Adoption Month and this party offers a great opportunity to spread the word about the many children who are in need of homes.

Fun & Games   

• By suggesting that guests to donate a new copy of their favorite childhood story, you can create an icebreaker discussion topic with no extra work on your part. If there is a group that knows each other well, like family, you can take the idea one step further by creating a game of guessing who brought which book. 
•  Offer door prizes for the cutest PJs, funniest slippers, etc. 

Treatments

The theme for this party is fittingly Milk & Cookies, which will influence not only the menu but the spa treatments as well. For this party I'd suggest offering guests the products and tools they'll need to complete DIY manicures. Using my Seven S Strategy, I'll break down the things you'll need to pull off your milk-n-cookies manicures.

       1. Soak: Plain or Chocolate Milk Bath (see recipe below)

       2. Shape: nail clippers, nail files, and orangewood sticks

       3. Scrub: Milk & Cookeez makes adorable bath tub cookies that look good enough to eat. Though they are normally immersed in a bathtub, the combination of sea salt, epsom salt, sugar and oils make for an exfoliating scrub if you wet them by dipping them into your milk soak.

       4. Slather: You may want to finish your treatments with a more "grown up" scent, because not everyone will want to spend the rest of the evening smelling like a chocolate chip. The WHEREVER Body Cream by Vintage body Spa is a non greasy moisturizer that is well suited for the job. Try it in the sweet yet sophisticated scents of Warm Sugar or Praline Pecan.
  
       5.Slick: your choice of polishes



       6. Sanitize: Asking guests to begin their treatments by washing their hands is a good way to cut down on spreading germs, having nail brushes and a cookie scented moisturizing hand soap available at the sink will make this task fit in well with the theme. Most other implements required for a manicure (emery board, orangewood sticks) are inexpensive, disposable and come packaged in quantities making it easy enough for you to provide one per person. Stainless Steel manicure tools, like clippers may be a little harder to come by in bulk, to look for good deals on these visit your local beauty supply or dollar store. Have several  clippers on hand and encourage guests to use alcohol wipes between uses. If you do not have enough manicure bowls for each individual, make sure that they are washed between uses. A sanitizing pack from CleanWell is good to have on hand, as it contains a sanitizing spray, wipes, and soap which are all free of harsh chemicals and kid-friendly.

       7.Signature:  In lieu of the Cookeez, you can encourage your guest to create their own custom manicure by offering them a cookie scented  create-your-own scrub bar. Start with the ingredients for a simple sugar scrub which include a carrier oil(s) of your choosing [i.e. olive, sweet almond, jojoba, avocado, or grapeseed oil] and some sugar [brown and/or white table sugar will do just fine]. Purchase a few fragrance oils such as Almond Biscotti, Buttercream &Snickerdoodle, Dark Rich Chocolate, Gingersnap or Orange Mocha from Brambleberry and Easter Cookie  or Vanilla Pumpkin from From Nature With Love. You can even provide small containers for guest to take their scrubs home as a favor, if you choose to do so, it is a good idea to also provide vitamin E as a scrub ingredient as it is a natural preservative.

    Recipes 

Chocolate Milk Bath 
1 cup powdered milk
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or a few drops of essential oil, such as lavender, if desired
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Add to running bath water. Makes 1 large bath

- facts-about-chocolate.com

You can find recipes for Bath Tub Whoppie Pies, Coco-Lime, and Rainbow Sprinkle tub cookies on the Natural Beauty Workshop blog.


Note: if you are having children attend your event it is a good idea to steer away from products that contain nut oils such as Sweet Almond, as nut allergies have become increasingly prevalent.

Entertainment

During your treatments guests can   either enjoy one another's conversation or to set a "bedtime mood" listen to an audiobook. One collection of tales which has made for plenty a bedtime story is the 1,001 Arabian Nights, from which we'd all recognize the story of Aladdin.  The Arabian Nights audiobook by Kate Douglas Wiggins and Nora A. Smith, is one that I quite enjoyed listening to, and it is available for download on Itunes.  Out of the ten stories included in the book, I'd recommend The Talking Bird, The Singing Tree & The Golden Water and The Story of Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves. Be warned these are not short stories but the storytelling is intriguing and colorful.

If you are planning on having an actual sleepover, pop in a movie, The Princess Bride, and The Neverending Story, and the more recent Bedtime Stories featuring Adam Sandler all fit well with the theme.

For more cookie inspiration, see my previous post Sweet Invitations & Favors.

In the next Spa Party of the Month post, I'll share ideas on how to put together a great spread of edible cookies.

In the meantime feel free to share with the class, what your favorite children's story is.



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FALL in Love with Apples: Sight

Fall is such a beautiful time of year with all of the foliage and rich colors. I imagine a party, with guests sitting at red picnic tables, soaking their toes in galvanized tubs with an apple orchard as a backdrop. However, in reality I assume that most people who would host a fall pedicure party would do so indoors, for reasons of warmth and logistics. Therefore, I'll share a few decor ideas that will help you bring a bit of the outdoors in, while keeping the cold out. I like the rustic, "down on the farm" feel with a touch of elegance that lends itself to a casual and relaxing spa party.



1. Apple Vase via Craftzine
2. Maple Leaf Roses via lobzik (use Google toolbar to translate from Russian, lots of pics to follow)
3.Apple Harvest Centerpiece via Floral Design Institute
4. Candle Carver from Perpetual Kid
5. Pumpkin Party Cooler via Martha Stewart
6.Tree Pedestal Cake Stand via lalaLaurie (can use in your candy apple display)


7. Apple Favors w. Pie Recipe via Brides
8. Refreshment Table via Brides replace goblets with mason jars
9. Pumpkin Topper for Soup Tureen via Martha Stewart

>How has the season inspired your decor?



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FALL in Love with Apples: Taste

In the first installment of the FALL in Love with Apples series, I presented ideas for an apple themed pedicure. Now, its time to get down to business... and talk about what's to eat at this fall affair? If you read my last K.I.S.S, you already know I'm going to say SOUP! Soup is great for cold weather entertaining because it is simple, warm, hearty, and can be a whole meal if done right. Soup is also easy for guests to serve themselves, and get second helpings without the pomp and circumstance associated with a sit-down dinner.

 Main Course

If you are lucky enough to have a New England Soup Factory nearby, they have a great selection of soups to choose from that are just scrumptous. One of the Soups that I really loved when we had a NE Soup Factory around was their Pumpkin Apple and Sage. I've scoured the internet for recipes and found this recipe for Farmer John's Pumpkin Soup. To add more variety to your soup bar try a more brothy soup like this Spinach, White Bean & Turkey Sausage Soup, and a tomato based vegetable, or seafood soup like Maryland Crab (which I was introduced to while @ UMCP Go Terps!), this recipe by Paula Deen is sure to beat the dining hall's version any day.

Bread is a perfect accompaniment to soup and you should serve up 1-2 different varieties at least. This recipe for Cheese-Garlic Biscuits from Bisquick produce biscuits that taste like the one's served at Red Lobster. More great bread options include simple baguettes or cornbread, or artisan breads like Olive Oil Rosemary Cibatta.

If you want your bread to play more of a starring role, instead of second fiddle, offer guests bread bowls. There are two ways to go about bread bowls, one is molding dough around ceramic bowls and baking them so that they take on the bowl shape, the other which I prefer is hollowing out a small round loaf of bread. The inner portion of the bread can be baked or fried to make croutons for soup or salad, or left soft as a great accompaniment to spinach dip (which can also be served in a hollow loaf). The great part about hollow loaves as bread bowls is that you can leave some of the soft bread on the inside to soak up your lovely soup.

Dessert

I was smitten with the idea of a candy apple bar the moment I saw it featured in Vermont Vows Magazine. I am always a fan of a "bar" that allows guests to customize their experience and make something that is truly unique to them.

Photos: Vermont Vows Magazine

In order to pull off your own candy apple bar you'll need: apples of course (offer at least two varieties), candy apple sticks, caramel, a crock pot/chafing dish to keep caramel warm, and a variety of toppings including  chocolate drizle, nuts, candies, and toasted coconut. If you'd like to allow guest's apples to "set" and have them act more as favors than dessert you'll also need apple boxes or cello bags/sheets to package them in. Most of the supplies necessary to create your candy apples can be found at Sugar Craft. Printing out personalized labels to adhere to apple boxes is a sweet and stylish way to thank your guests for attending your affair.
If guests are going to be packing up their candy apples for the road, be sure to have some sweet treats like Apple Cider Doughnuts available for them to enjoy during the party. 


What are your favorite fall treats?


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