Time for Links

Here's what I've been reading. Hope you enjoy!

Already Pretty shares her thoughts on slips. Love 'em or hate 'em? I kind of hate 'em, but this post may have changed my mind.

Cranky Fitness discusses the frustration of reading New York Times health articles. This post was written before this article was published: Panel Recommends Mammograms at 50, Not 40. Ugh! Now I'm cranky too.

Allure lists the Best Baby Products for Grownups. I'm thinking maybe I'll buy some of that Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash for the whole family.

Dr. Weil has strategies for teeth grinders. I need to work on this. My jaw has been killing me. Anyone else have this problem?

Thank you Alpha Mom for these turkey downloads that my kids can color for Thanksgiving. Maybe this will give me a few moments of piece.

How's your Tuesday been? Mine's a little dreary. Hope to have more energy tomorrow.

DIY Spa: It's Time to Retreat

I had a great experience last weekend. I went to an all day silent meditation and yoga retreat. It was part of a wellness class that is being offered at my place of work. I know, I'm really lucky to be working some place that has such a great wellness program. I will blog more about that later.

I was little worried about the retreat, which was 7 hours long, although we did talk some in the last hour. I was worried about not being able to talk, about being bored, hungry, sleepy or all three. But actually it was great. We were in a church that was beautiful with lots of windows. The trees were beautiful, and the day was gorgeous. And it turns out that I loved not talking. I really didn't want to stop not talking. It's such a relief not to have to make small talk with people I barely know. But then I am an introvert. It might drive extroverts crazy.

At the end of the day, most of the participants talked about how great it was and wanted to know when the next retreat would be. And I too will sign up for the next opportunity, but I also think we can do our own silent retreat at home anytime we want to. Or anytime we can take a day off of work or get a babysitter to watch the kids.

In fact, I found this great book at the library, called Spiritual Spa. I highly recommend it because it gives a great schedule of meditation, stretching and spa treatments, even menu ideas, that you can do at home.

The key to having an at-home spa day is to have everything set up in advance. You don't want to spend half of your day running errands so you have the right groceries, toiletries, etc. And don't forget to unplug the phone!

So what do you think? Would a day of silence be good for you? Or torture?

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub. ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Spa Review: Spa of Colonial Williamsburg

Because of my limited budget and because of two little chains tying me to the house (AKA my darling children), I don't get to a lot of spas. But last spring I went to Williamsburg, VA on a business trip and so I booked myself a massage at the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg. I chose the WIFI massage. Here's the description:

"Step back in time and enjoy a true getaway from technology! Our WiFi massage soothes and treats points of wireless sensitivity and overuse. This full-body massage includes a focus on your hands, arms, neck, and shoulders. A soothing eye treatment relieves eye strain."

First, the facility was beautiful, both the buildings and the grounds. It's definitely easier to relax when you are in such a peaceful environment, and this spa is actually in the historical section of Williamsburg, which contributed a lot to the atmosphere.

The massage was great. I like my massage to be almost painful (so I feel like I'm getting something for my money), and the therapist (I wish I remembered her name) used great firm pressure. There was also some great aromatherapy touches, including the use of some herbal tea that smelled delicious.

I wish I had a chance to use some of the other facilities, such as the steam room or the whirlpool. They also had a really nice boutique, but I refrained from buying anything.

My only complaint (and this is not exactly about my massage) is that the signature scent used by the spa and the hotels in the Colonial Williamsburg resort, where I was staying, had a very strong lemongrass smell. I kept walking around the hotel wondering why so many people were wearing the same perfume. Turned out it was the smell from the complimentary bath products in the room that were created especially for the resort. I'm not super sensitive to smells, but it was way too strong for me. I would recommend that they make a fragrance adjustement to their freebees.

Despite the lemongrass debacle, I would definitely give the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg an A. Check it out if you have a chance.