#DIY At home SPA Day

It's been a bad flu season. Our hospital where I work is over crowded (as I've heard other hospitals in LA & San Diego are), from flu bugs and pneumonia. I had stayed pretty healthy until Friday I thought "Oh maybe it's just sinuses or allergies!" but at work I was a wreck! I couldn't focus, got emotional, made mistakes, and even got the chills so I left early. Saturday felt like I got hit by a truck. Today, I feel 85% better!

I brought my essential oils diffuser to work, I diffused oils all weekend at home, and I just rested. Went to bed early, slept in, napped, and rested. No exercise! I did 30min of "Yoga for a Head Cold" (googled and came up with a bunch of good poses) today and took my dog for short mini walks. My husband did a lot of stuff and took care of me. He went grocery shopping, made us green juice, he did dishes, and got us tea. I made vegetable soup (so many vegetables, veg broth, pepper, garlic, turmeric and onion too). I took Apple Cider Vinegar, drank so much tea, and supplemented with my Reliv (my daily nutritional supplement, vitamins). I really think rest and oils and vitamins did the trick!

A typical weekend for me though, ought to go like this:

I tend to work out Saturday mornings, whether it's double header classes at my gym, a race or organized event (sometimes I do free fitness with my friends at November Project), or a long hike with my dog. Then I go home to shower.

This is not my regular shower though. It's a body brush, DIY facial and body scrub, steam, lotion and oils to end it. It takes a little longer, but it's so worth it because I feel like a new woman afterwards!

I make a healthy breakfast/brunch or lunch after this, whether it's a salad or a tofu hash (turmeric tofu scrambled with potatoes, avocado, or beans), or a smoothie. I also try to spend time earthing, grounding, or reading out in the sun at some point. I take my dog to the park and we also do a lot of housecleaning on Saturdays.

Sundays we tend to go to church or the beach (the best time to drive to the beach in LA is Sunday morning with 0 traffic!), spend time reading, or I play piano. Somedays we have a walk together or tea time to read or share together. That's the Soul Care part of the weekend.

Now what do I mean by facial? Here's what I do. I also check nails and toenails for mani pedi or cleaning up or polishing. I even use essential oils on my hair as a treatment. Self Care is so important, I am learning to almost be selfish about it! I have to say No to things and social events I used to jump to say Yes to. These are the habits I want to be good at before a baby comes.

What's your favorite way to take care of you and yourself?

Light a candle? Infuse your drinking water with lemon? Make a turmeric latte or a matcha latte? Turn on some relaxing tunes? Turn on the heater in the winter, light some incense?

First I wet a hot washcloth and/or I'm standing in a hot steamy shower to open my pores.

I use a light gel cleanser (right now mine is from Melaleuca) and then I exfoliate (with a sugar or salt scrub, and you could even try a Clarisonic brush). I use a gentle exfoliant on my face, and a body scrub all over, from my decolletage down to my feet!

I rub on a mask (I like avocado or any clay/mud), and I like to sit and read while I soak in a bath or while the mask dries.

After the shower, I tone, use a Vitamin C serum, then moisturize. Lastly I oil the ends of my hair and I lotion my legs and feet.

I try to do this every Saturday. This weekend was very restful, and I'm glad to say I'm on the mend! How about you? How do you refresh for the upcoming work week?